CFFC: Holiday Colors

Cee reminds us to share our holiday colors. I do love all holidays…but Christmas is a favorite due to my love of unique Christmas ornaments. I love their colors, their shapes and their meanings. Christmas is a time where we celebrate the birth of Jesus, and so many of my ornaments and décor follow along that theme. Except for the village. I have a fifty plus piece village that goes up in November when the weather turns cold. While there are many Christmas components to it, this year we added more winter components as in a mountain and ski slope.

You can see the full village takes up two tables, well a desk and a table, plus the cathedral is on a shelf further over. The majority of these plaster buildings, I painted as a summer project in 2000 and a few others have been bought over the years. This year we expanded the “country” by adding the mountain and ski slope.

And of course any good snow covered mountain needs an abdominal snowman…thanks to the Rudolph character Bumble.

But I must close with sharing the beauty of a new addition. My daughter knows my love for angels and got me this beautiful piece. At night, it’s lights glow, making it even more beautiful.

So regardless of the holiday you may celebrate this time of year, I remind you to do it with love and kindness. Those aspects of any holiday make the memories last longer, creating smiles and kindness that can carry you for the rest of the year.

Always Be Kind

CFFC: Birds

Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge fits right in with my yard this week…birds. I have learned a lot about birds this year as in the birds you wants verses the birds you get. There are two major things that dictate that, the type of food and the type of feeder. Some of these pics are repeats but they tell and explain the reason for their repeat.

**Platform feeder with red** ***house finches***

This feeder above had belong to my sister so it has sentimental value as well as interesting feeder options. The platform feeder draw those birds who usually feed on the ground.

I enjoy the mourning doves but not so much the chipmunks. Also a big fan of the platform feeders are sparrows. Since they are also ground feeder, they love the platform feeders as well. What a lot of amateurs’ like me don’t understand is that sparrows, while they are cute, they are take over birds, meaning they run everyone else off with their sizable gathering. So I changed feeder types…

But I didn’t read the fine print of my research. To distract sparrows, you need tube feeders with less perching options. Then maybe they won’t end up inside the feeder. Silly bird. Food type is also important. Your basic mixed bird food also draws in other non-bird feeders to you station.

So I learned that squirrels don’t like safflower seeds and other birds do, so we swapped to that and at least eliminated that particular pest problem. Now to be rid of sparrow problem or at lease tone them down. Switch to thistle seed. This seed is a favorite for finches, juncos and chickadees. The seed stackers are also an option and they come in “hot” flavors to distract squirrels.

So the drawing paper is out for new yard design for next spring to add in other types of feeders while still allowing the sparrows to come play. The air is cooling (finally) so the thistle seed will come out as it adds for the energy nutrients needed for cooler weather. When it really gets cold, we will add out the suet feeders with the extra fat needed for warmth.

But we cant leave our bird story until we also show our zippy friend…

Of all the hummingbird feeder I have tried, I like this one the best. I have one at the house as well as at the church. So regardless of the birds you enjoy watching, remember they are also a gift of creation, so remember to always be kind to all kinds.

Some other pics of birds…

CFFC: Nature

Cee’s challenge this week is a favorite – Nature.

There are so many directions to go in….

***Nature can unleash a fearful torrent***

***Nature displays objects from elegant to crafty***

***Nature shows seasons of growth, change and rest***

Nature is a gift from God for us to enjoy each day as we open our eyes to see the beauty that is in front of us, regardless of the season. We people have a nature and the strongest component is kindness.

CFFC: Basically Two Colors

Flowers were the first thing I could think of that only had two colors. What an interesting challenge Cee has given us.

I am showing you what I am calling my Flame lilies. Some neighbors at the end of the street had them so the birds thought I needed them as well. They are quite striking.

Then we go to green and brown…concrete is not really a color right?

I know you can’t really tell his size but he is a tiny baby.

***same baby, too cute, had to share again***

Nature is such a fun medium. Most of my photos are somewhere in that category. And remember, being kind creates a smile so smile often.

Also remember to not be so hard on yourself. We sometimes had a tendency to do that. So be kind to you.

CFFC – Connects You to the Present Moment

I am connecting in on the last of the Gratitude Scavenger Hunt challenges with something you don’t always when looking at the moon…the man.

Normally the moon is too far up in the sky to see it clearly and my phone did not do it justice, but it was a moment of beauty. He seems to be crying from his left eye as tears, being blown by the wind, roll down his face while he sings “Oh, oh, oh”.

All of the items on the fun scavenger hunt should be things we think of often to help each other survive this crazy thing we call life. The things that make us smile, we can share with others to help them smile. We should always share in kindness with others to show the beauty we all have inside. Nature all around us shares its beauty every day, we just have to open our eyes and look. So share the beauty you have inside by sharing kindness. It can be an amazing sight. Be a kind light for someone.

CFFC: Reminds You of Natures Beauty

While I do agree with Cee on the beauty of nature, but it can also has a fun whimsical side. My case in point, I give you the story of the potato family members where mother potato refused to let any of her children go out on their own. This family was pulled this morning from the community garden of my church.

The balancing act mom had to do did not bode very well so she used my juice glass from this morning to help stabilize herself. Even her other children stuck close to protect the baby in the center…

All in all, they are a very loving family. They must have been watching how elephants come in close to always protect the younger ones in the herd. And I am sure they will be tasty with my string beans tonight. 😊. Always remember the beauty of nature even when it looks funny.

Thank you for stopping by for a moment of silliness. I hope it made you smile. Remember that smiles are contagious so share them often.

CFFC: Fire

This week with Cee’s CFFC challenge, our topic is celebrating Fire. Photos of fire, fiery colors, flames, fire stations, fire trucks, etc. are all allowed in this challenge.

While fire can be devastating when out of control, it is also a source of enjoyment and relaxation that we all can enjoy. Below, Daisy shows the benefits of relaxation.

We call them pacifiers because all activity stops immediately to enjoy its warmth.

Fires can be also used as a tool. This was a house on the property of my church that we used for various activities. But the foundation was beginning to crumble and we felt it was getting unsafe. So we donated the house to the fire department to be used as a training tool. They used it for several months with various rescue trainings for new fire fighters and then when they were ready to graduate, they used it as training for house fires. With a lot of older homes in this neighborhood, it was a powerful training tool for the new guys in showing how easy home fires could get out of control. They were even surprised how fast this one went up and how hot it got – 100 year old wooden home.

And then there is the fun side of fire fighter training where new fire fighters learn how to handle the hoses but at the same time play with the kids at the park.

And then we close showing the peaceful evening of a winter sky where we have the most beautiful sunsets. The sky does indeed look like it is on fire.

As you go about you day, remember the beauty, the power and the warmth of kindness and share it often.

CFFC : Tomorrow

What a fun challenge Cee has given us to match pictures with a song. Here are some pictures that I think may work for this song…

When I am stuck with a day that is gray…

The sun will come out…

So you gotta hang on…

Remember even when your day may be gray, you can still be kind. It make may the day shine bright again.

CFFC Orange

Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge gives us an opportunity to look at things differently if need be. Her challenge this week, Orange, could be fruit or color. I went with color and I first look to nature for that.

Then you have the garden where multiple shades of orange show their likeness.

Then we have a purpose. Orange is a standout color to grab attention what what better way to show people the much need value in fresh water to those in need.

I did not take this picture of the young boy who is reaping the benefits of clean water, but what a happy face. I do walk for this cause – multiple times and what a great way to show orange.

Remember in all that you do, the power of kindness. It has unquenchable power.

CFFC: Ground

Cee’s CFFC challenge is ground. Since it is garden time, I give you raised ground – for those of us who don’t bend as well as we use to.

Here we have the garden after the corn started coming up and before the squash took over.

This was taken last week…now it is even higher. I broke rule #1 – don’t plant too much in a small space! Ah well, its been fun.

If you plant a garden, remember to plant kindness. It will grow into a garden of love.