Heliconias

I was on a mini vacation recently...to a beachside resort...only to find so many varieties of Heliconias in one place :) Imagine these beauties belong to one family and just look at them... individually unique in shapes and shades of colours.
I won't go into individual Heliconia names this time...maybe one day I might decide to do an entry for each Heliconia type. Today, I wanna talk about Friendship :)
Nobody sees a flower...really...it takes time and we haven't time...and to see takes time, like to have a friend takes time (Georgia O'Keeffe)
I thought these flowers were cute as their tips of orange and black remind me of Tigers!

So TEAM TIGER!!! This entry is dedicated to all of you :))))))))
Team Tiger consist of a group of great people whom I have got to know in Facebook, particularly in the game named Friends for Sale; some for about a year already and some are new friends who just joined our team. Most importantly, these are people whom I have grown to love and trust....and proud to call them "Friends".
Count your blessings...once you realized how valuable you are and how much you have going for you, the smiles will return, the sun will break out, the music will play, and you will finally be able to move forward the life that God intended for you with grace, strength, courage, and confidence.

The meaning of Heliconia is GREAT RETURNS. Knowing people in Team Tiger has brought great returns to my life...continuous smiles to my face...and knowing that someone is always there when I need a shoulder or a listening ear...and for that I am truly thankful.

The people when rightly and fully trusted will return the trust (Abraham Lincoln)

A friend is someone who knows you and loves you just the same (Elbert Hubbard)

KENNY @ King Kenny, Head of Team Tiger...this is especially for you...

Oh...the tiger will love me...there is no sincerer love than the love of food!!!!! (George Bernard Shaw)

TEAM TIGER: STARS OF MY LIFE...

A look from you is like the blinding sun

As stunning as your eyes I lose myself in

A look from you is as pure as the clear dark blue sky

Lost within

Every minute I am not with you

I feel like I have left something behind

But I know in my heart you will always be true

No matter what, I know your love for me will shine...

Prayer for Friendship...

I got down on my knees today and said a prayer for you,
For you are always in my heart and I often think of you,

I asked the Lord to send his angels to protect my dearest friends,
I prayed that all the joy and happiness, you have will never end,

I asked the Lord to comfort you, when you are feeling blue,
And when you have a tear, He’ll wipe away that too,

I asked the Lord to bless our friendship, so our ways will never part,
For true friends always stick together, For we’re in each others hearts.

Michael Richmond's Collection II

Thank you Mike for another amazing group of photos.....on Water...

Thank you God for reminding us how much You love us.

Thank you God for making West Virginia such a beautiful place to photograph.

Thank you God for using Mike to inspire all of us :)
You care for the land and water it, you enriched it abundantly

The streams of God are filled with water

to provide the people with grain, for so you have ordained it

You drench its furrows and level its ridges

You soften it with showers and bless its crops.

(Psalm 65:9-10)

*Grinning*

Long ago, an old uncle used to tell me this... "Kissing is like drinking salt water; you drink and your thirst increases"...and I thought "YUCKY, I am never gonna kiss anyone if he is gonna taste like a salted fish!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Found out much much later that a kiss means I love you. It is loving and reassuring. It also fills one's heart with security and happiness.
That's God's way of loving us on earth....Water is life!

Water, thou has no taste, no color, no odor; canst not be defined, art relished while ever mysterious. Not necessary to life, but rather life itself, thou fillest us with a gratification that exceeds the delight of senses. (Antoine de Saint-Exupery)

Be praised my Lord, through Sister Water; she is very useful, humble, precious and pure. (Francis of Assisi)
Softly the evening comes with a lovely sunset...
Peace is seeing a sunset and knowing who to thank...
The moon, like a flower

In heaven's high bower

With silent delight

Sits and smiles on the night.

(William Blake)

You and I

This is a unique post because the photos for this particular entry came from one bouquet of roses; my 40th birthday bouquet of baby pink roses...just 2 days ago :)

I was enjoying my cup of coffee beside these baby pinks and I saw...
you...
and I...:)))
Every flower is a soul blossoming in nature. (Gerard de Nerval)
I saw love and joy...
I saw inspiration...
I saw beauty...
I saw patience...
I saw pouting...!!!!

I saw shyness...
I saw confidence...
I saw perfection...
I saw sadness...
I saw success...
I saw perserverance...
I saw loneliness...
I saw faithfulness...
I saw envy...
I saw tiredness...
I saw motivation...
I saw distance...

Thoughts:

Every single rose was different in every way; shape, shades of pink, size...but they are all known as a 'rose'.

Aren't they exactly like you and I, living in this world? We are all citizens of the Mother Earth, yet we were individually created and unique in every sense.

If only the roses can speak, I believe they have feelings just like us!!!

It's just amazing when I photographed each rose in that bouquet, every one is so beautiful. Even the wilting ones; reminded me of my late grandma; who lived life to the fullest.

Friendship is the breathing rose, with sweets in every fold. (Oliver Wendell Holmes)

YOU have enriched my life greatly. THANK YOU!

YOU were the reason I started this blog; especially today's entry. Imagine me sipping coffee and looking at my roses...and suddenly said out loud..."This is Peter...oh there's Joe...and that's Ken...and this looks like Rachel...and Mom is as pretty as that one...oh my goodness, this is sooo Dave"!!! Hahaha...

Life is good...