Untie the Ribbons

One of my favorite quotations is “Each day comes bearing its own gifts.  Untie the ribbons.”  It is credited to Ruth Ann Schabacker, and I love the simple message it conveys. Our daily gifts come in all kinds of packages.                     [Photo borrowed from the Internet] If you are an early riser, your "gift" may be seeing an especially bright morning star out your kitchen window — or an extraordinary sunrise — all yours for the taking. All you have to do is "untie the ribbons." Or it could be a smile or a small kindness from a stranger during the course of a busy day ... or a courteous driver who lets you into a long line of traffic ... or a totally unexpected compliment on your appearance or a job well done. Isn't it amazing how these "gifts" can lift our spirits and give us a whole new perspective on our day — all we have to do is "untie the ribbons." And sometimes I think an even greater gift is being that stranger, or courteous driver, or compliment-giver. I know it makes my day brighter when I can do something kind for someone, especially when only the two of us know about it. My photography has brought me countless gifts, and most of them were hidden until I took the time to "untie" them by getting a closer look at something through my lens. Here are just a few of the gifts I discovered a couple of days ago on a photo shoot here in Vicksburg ...  Ornamental Cabbage Plant in our Courtyard A little lagniappe in the form of a dewdrop sparkling like a diamond nestled amongst the petals of the cabbage plant ...  Dogwood Tree at Old Court House Museum in Vicksburg Glorious Nandina Berries at Sisters of Mercy     My favorite flower -- Narcissus, also known as Paperwhites  I love the contrast between the "chippy" black iron fence railing and the delicate little petals of the flower ...   Yuletide Camellia Sasanqua Blossom Now, go untie the ribbons of your day.

God's Winter Glory

Narcissus is blooming here in Missisisippi! One of my favorite flowers, Narcissus blooms always brighten my winter days when I see clusters of them scattered amongst flower beds or, even better, at old home sites along country roads. I can't help but wonder who planted them, and wish I could let them know that the flowers they so lovingly planted make me smile when I see them. I have always loved this time of year following the holidays (after all the Christmas decorations are packed away and taken to the attic), and even though the winter landscapes are bleak, seeing the first Narcissus blooms of the season rekindles a sense of renewal and hope for the new year, much like the Dogwoods do in the Spring. I love the way the centers of the flowers in the next picture look as if they're glowing. They remind me of the song, "This Little Light of Mine" ... Best wishes to you for a New Year blessed with an abundance of bright and beautiful lagniappe, like these lovely little flowers that remind us of God's glory and presence in our lives, even on the bleakest days of winter.

Paperwhites: Winter's Lagniappe

I have always loved Paperwhites, and they are just beginning to bloom here in Mississippi. I spotted a bed of Paperwhites yesterday and couldn't resist capturing them with my camera. Although the recent ice storm had taken its toll on most of the blooms, there were a couple of flowers that were standing tall in the early morning sunshine.

Paperwhites have a very special place in my heart. My husband and I were married when we were in college, and lived in a small garage apartment near the school. Without fail, every Friday afternoon when I got out of class, I would go home and clean that little apartment from top to bottom, including waxing the wood floors.

After I finished cleaning, I would walk down the street a couple of blocks to a vacant lot where there were some Paperwhites scattered around an old home site. I would cut some of the flowers, take them home, and arrange them in one of our "wedding-gift-vases," and you'd have thought I had created a masterpiece worthy of the pages of "Southern Living" magazine. I loved walking around that tiny apartment, smelling the heavenly fragrance of the Paperwhites and admiring my shiny floors and clean house (all four rooms of it!).

To this day, every time I see or smell Paperwhites, they take me back to those days when I was a very young and happy new bride. I'd like to think that the owner of that vacant lot wouldn't have minded me "borrowing" some of the flowers, if he knew how happy they made me.

I love the way the centers of the flowers in the next picture look as if they're glowing. They remind me of the song, "This Little Light of Mine" ...

Paperwhites are members of the Narcissus family, which is typically associated with Daffodils and Jonquils. Paperwhites are smaller, but what they lack in size, they make up for in fragrance and charm — and what bright and beautiful lagniappe these pretty little white clusters of flowers bring to our Mississippi landscapes in the middle of winter.

Cypress Trees and Knees

I took these pictures yesterday at a small lake behind my parents' house in West Monroe, Louisiana.

[You can click on the pictures to enlarge them, if you'd like]

Narcissus, also known as Paperwhite, is my favorite flower, and this sweet little plant was blooming beside the lake ...

This majestic rainbow provided a little lagniappe on our drive home to Vicksburg ...

"And God saw all that He had made ...
And behold, it was very good."
-- Genesis 1:31