Spring's Simple Joys

Last week I was careful to look for signs of Spring so that I could encourage those who were weary of this cold weather we have been experiencing.
God is so faithful to show us!
~♥~The birds have been singing their songs here every morning. I have spotted and heard the red cardinals,
the mourning doves,
the chickadees and sparrows,
the blue jays and robins,
and even the red- winged black birds,
one true sign of Spring which you can read about here. Although this article is from New England, the same evidence can be said of Ontario.
As I was driving to town for groceries and errands, I grabbed my camera to capture a few scenes for you.
I get so excited when I spot even the smallest indication of Spring, so bear with me as I tell you that I pulled over immediately when I spotted this first picture, but felt so embarrassed when the farmer stopped his tractor thinking I wanted to speak with him,
I quickly took the photo from the window as I drove away:)
The things I do to share Scenes of Spring with you...I tell ya:)
~♥~This was a joyful scene for me as I have not seen many farmers out spreading manure yet, and this truly reminded me of Spring.

~♥~Maple syrup buckets were hung in many sugar bush areas...

~♥~The new Spring collection at Bath and Body Works...
the packaging alone is so adorable, so fresh and Spring-like,
and the scent is wonderful:)
My favourite new collection is Country Chic,
although I prefer to say: Country Chick~
a blend of wildflowers, woods and citrus....love it!
You can visit their website here

~♥~The sweet and feminine dress my daughter ordered
for her college gala from Ruche
and the vintage collection of clothing,
including many lovely dresses found here.

Her English Muse Ivory Lace Dress:

~♥~The glorious Spring sunshine in the windowsills
as I observe this on my drive into town...

~♥~The sunlight streaming through our windows at home,
morning and evening...

~♥~An action-packed Sunday as our dear friends met us at church, their excited reunion with many friends they hadn't seen in years, a beautiful service concluding with this song by Lincoln Brewster; a powerful reminder taken from Isaiah 40:

Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord
Wait upon the Lord
We will wait upon the Lord
Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord
Wait upon the Lord
We will wait upon the Lord

Our God, You reign forever
Our hope, our strong Deliverer

You are the everlasting God
The everlasting God
You do not faint, You won't grow weary
You're the defender of the weak
You comfort those in need
You lift us up on wings like eagles

(pause playlist to listen;
you can click on the four arrows for full screen viewing.
The song gets loud but the ending is worth it...so precious)

~♥~And the Spring Party that followed our church service as we had three families over to our home for the day. There was so much laughter and chatter as we caught up...secretly I think that at least three of the women had a serious case of Spring Fever...but don't tell them I said that.
The meal consisted of caesar salad, spinach lasagne, garlic bread followed by desserts.
Don't you just love the cinderella glass slipper in the form of that precious little glass tea pot, a thoughtful gift from friends, who also included Lady Earl Grey tea which is wonderful. You can visit the Teaopia website here. The pretty spring collection of tea cups (for my oldest daughter) was purchased for $3.00 at my favourite thrift shop, the MCC which you can check out here

~♥~The decadent desserts included:
cherry cheesecake,
chocolate fudge cake,
(both brought by my friends)
and the carrot cake,
which I shared before in this post here

~♥~The little spring gifts for my friends because:
Spring is nature's way of saying, "Let's party!"
~Robin Williams

~♥~Cheerful Gerberas bringing Spring indoors...

The year's at the spring
And day's at the morn;
Morning's at seven;
The hillside's dew-pearled;
The lark's on the wing;
The snail's on the thorn;
God's in His heaven -
All's right with the world!
~Robert Browning

Coffee Culture, Card-Making and Creating...

It has become a monthly girl's event of getting together
to visit in one another's homes for a time of fellowship and fun.
This time we drove up to historic Mount Forest
where we met at the Coffee Culture,
a place for great coffee and cosy ambience.

Doesn't this latte look decadent:

Margherita Chicken Grill:

After our lunch visit, we stopped in at the Mount Forest Library,
part of our Wellington County Library System.
Although it has just been recently renovated,
it has maintained its original Carnegie library design
with the beautiful original stained glass windows
as well as beautiful trim work.

Lovely fireplace and sitting area:

We also popped into a thrift shop
and all came away with treasures
(well, almost all of us:)
I couldn't resist sharing this photo of ice build-up,
it is evident everywhere!

Following our shopping, we spent the afternoon at the beautiful home
of our friend M who is so gifted in interior decorating
with such a flair along with great taste.
On the home tour, I was given permission
to share a few photos with you.
Beautifully decorated foyer:

Don't you just love this wall talk quote:

Such a pretty bedroom:
I love the colours she chose; so soft and romantic

Vignette above her hutch:

Table Centerpiece:

My friend is a wonderful card creator,
with perfect design and technique.
She had prepared and packaged material for each of us
to create our own card under her excellent tutorage.

It was so much fun!
I have decided that my word for this year will be:
CREATE!

One of her exquisite cards:

And my finished product which I am so pleased with:

A quick peek through her windows at the winter scene:


more ice and snow....but it is pretty!

Following our crafting,
we enjoyed a lovely tea time
with scones and jams.
I have never had Bengal Spice before
but can tell you it was wonderful.
I will be on the look out for it
on my next grocery shopping trip.

“Brimming with cinnamon, ginger, cardamom and cloves,
a cup of our aromatic Bengal Spice tea
is like a trip to an exotic spice market in a faraway land.
This adventurous blend is our caffeine-free interpretation of Chai,
a piquant Indian brew traditionally made with black tea."

Thank you M for sharing your home and your talents with us.
We all felt so blessed and thankful as we left your home.

A Priceless Gift
by Helen Steiner Rice

Friendship is a priceless gift
That can't be bought or sold,
But its value is far greater
Than a mountain made of gold.
For gold is cold and lifeless,
It cannot see nor hear,
And in your times of trouble,
It is powerless to cheer.
It has no ears to listen,
No heart to understand.
It cannot bring you comfort
Or reach out a helping hand.
So when you ask God for a gift,
Be thankful that he sends,
Not diamonds, pearls, or riches,
But the love of a real, true friend.

Blessings and Gifts of the Christmas Season...

1) A Beautiful Christmas Brunch at our Ladies Coffee Break:

2) Treats and goodies along with lovely cards at the Library:


3) Christmas Caroling in the neighborhood and at group homes with our church:
4) Nativity Scenes to remind us of the true meaning of Christmas:
5) Twinkling lights and decorations:

6) The wonderful friends and neighbours we have, and enjoying fellowship with them:
7) The Italian goodies because she heard we were having an Italian Christmas:
8) The beautiful Hearth and Home calendar I received because she knows that I love Thomas Kinkade and the title of the calendar was so fitting for the name of my blog:
9) The special day visits with friends over tea and a wonderful evening gathering with colleagues, along with laughter and good food.
10) The kindness and thoughtfulness of friends and family with the cards sent and received, the phone calls and the many gestures both big and small because they know my heart:


11) The gift of music which we have so enjoyed during this lovely season:





























More favourite songs for this Christmas Season:
I Heard the Bells~ Casting Crowns
You can read the touching story behind this song composed by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882)
Agnus Dei ~Michael W. Smith
Do You Hear What I Hear?~ Third Day
O Holy Night ~ from Chris Tomlin's Glory in the Highest album

12) lovely movies and books:























































Christmas Eve Candlelight service
with carols and meditations...
just beautiful!