Simply Sweet

There is so much beauty to be found in the simple things...

Fresh strawberries in a beloved Grandmother's tea cup...

Reading a favorite magazine...

The stillness of a Winter morning...

and being greeted by new blooms on a bitter cold day!

There is joy all around us...and isn't that simply sweet!

Love and Hugs,

Susie Q

January Beauty...

I know that many people despise the cold of Winter and that I am one of those odd ducks who revels in these often bleak months...still...how could anyone not see the beauty that this much maligned season can bring? A gentle overnight snow fell and all the world seems dipped in sugar...

"The door was shut, as doors should be,

Before you went to bed last night;

Yet Jack Frost has got in, you see,

And left your window silver white.

He must have waited till you slept;

And not a single word he spoke,

But pencilled o'er the panes and crept

Away again before you woke.

And now you cannot see the hills

Nor fields that stretch beyond the lane;

But there are fairer things than these

His fingers traced on every pane."

- Gabriel Setoun, Jack Frost

Stay warm and be sure to enjoy the beauty this Wintry month offers!

Love and Hugs,

Susie Q

Calming Beauty

Okay now, enough about power outages and downed trees and melted ice cream. I think, no matter where you live, we could all use a sweet bit of early Autumn beauty. These photos were taken last Saturday, the day before Ike came to call on us, at Wegerzyn Gardens in Dayton. It was 6:30 pm, the air was heavy with dew in anticipation of the storm due to arrive the next day. the cicadas were in fine voice and the colors of the garden were rich and filled our senses with joy. Speaking of joy, Boo's babysitter had her power back by this morning, as did a few of our friends. My brother and sister in law are still without electricity but remain hopeful it will be only a matter of hours, not days, before it returns. Thank you to everyone for your dear thoughts and wishes. Let's all remember to keep those in Texas in our prayers.

See you tomorrow!

Love and Hugs,

Susie Q

Stillness In The Late Afternoon Chill

It was a cold day but I love the cold...to paraphrase Rhoda Morgenstern, "I like the cold, I figure I keep better!" And on a day like this, a walk was in order. I love to get out and take little strolls around my small town. There are so many lovely old stone houses, some that are now sweet shops, some museums and even more that are still private residences. I also stopped by Benham Grove.

Benham's Grove is situated on land that was originally part of a 50-acre farm owned by Aaron Nutt, one of the founding fathers of the City of Centerville, and transferred to his son in 1813. A later owner of the farm, Lawson Allen, sold the 10-acre tract that would become Benham's Grove in 1843.

In 1844, Joseph A. Benham, prominent Centerville merchant, acquired the property at an auction. Benham built the present farmhouse on the tract about 1885. In keeping with its rural setting, the house was built in a less ornate, more functional Victorian-era style that relies on subtly elegant details.

My city purchased the property in 1991. After renovations, the facility opened in 1992 as a community gathering place. It is a popular site for weddings and parties of all sorts. You can see why!

The last golden leaves of Fall... Beauty is found in each of the four seasons. And there is one of those beauties now!