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A Bucketful of Berries

Submitted by dhopkins on Sunday, July 11, 2010 - 13:43

I love everything about this picture. It shows country living at it's best - simple and joyful. The chair is worn, yet inviting. The berries are healthful and beautiful without any fuss. The setting is outside with nature as the decorator. The bucket is full to the brim. I want a life full of God's blessings . . . a full bucket.

Advice from a Butterflly

Submitted by dhopkins on Sunday, July 11, 2010 - 13:35

Let your true colors show
Get out of your cocoon
Take yourself lightly
Look for the sweetness in life
Take time to smell the flowers
Catch a breeze
We can't all be monarchs!
--Ilan Shamir

Visit A Country Store

Submitted by dhopkins on Sunday, July 11, 2010 - 13:18

I love to support local businesses. One of my favorite ways to spend an afternoon is to take a ride out into the country and visit a very special little shop, The Plaid Rabbit. This beautiful store, owned and operated by my sweet friend, Nancy Williams, is a hidden treasure. Nancy stocks her shop with antiques and shabby chic items that have been recycled, repurposed, refreshed, renewed, and often rescued. Nancy loves nature and her shop is filled with gifts and decorator items that reflect her passions. She brings the garden indoors! Alongside the shop, Nancy's beautiful garden invites visitors to relax and enjoy a quiet moment. Her husband, Ed, is a knowledgeable and enthusiastic gardener. The shop is usually open on Saturdays. Take a ride in the country and visit The Plaid Rabbit at 34150 Parker Road Locust Grove, Virginia 22508, phone: 540-854-0097. Directions

Made from Scratch

Submitted by dhopkins on Sunday, July 11, 2010 - 12:55

Sometimes there is no substitue for homemade. Warm chocoate chip cookies, a tall glass of milk, and an old movie on TV - the perfect way to spend a summer's day when it's too hot to play outside!

In the Family of Things

Submitted by dhopkins on Sunday, June 13, 2010 - 19:26

I love the poem, Wild Geese, by Mary Oliver. These fluffly little goslings were enjoying family time. This family of geese make their home near The Pear Tree at Sposylvania Courthouse Village.

Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,
the world offers itself to your imagination,
calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting --
over and over announcing your place
in the family of things.

Happy Birthday

Submitted by dhopkins on Saturday, May 22, 2010 - 17:02

This little boy is 2 years old.

He is sweet and funny and very bold.

He likes to play with sticks and throw rocks in the park,

and seldom does as he is told.

He gives hugs and kisses, and even when he throws a fit,

everyone knows he has a heart of gold.

This little boy is the youngest of four,

the last little one welcomed into the fold.

Today is his day. Happy Birthday, 2 year old!

Down on the Farm

Submitted by dhopkins on Monday, May 3, 2010 - 07:05

A visit to the farm is a wonderful way to rejoice in the spring season. The horses and goats at Westmoreland Berry Farm welcomed us, posing for pictures as if on cue. My sweet husband and I enjoyed a beautiful morning soaking in the warm spring sun, smelling the lilacs, visiting the animals, and admiring the berry patch, soon to be full of sun-ripened berries. This day trip was a celebration of my husband's perservering spirit. After cancer, a stem cell transplant, and 100 days of relative confinement, he is ready to spend time outside!

Yellow Pitcher Plant

Submitted by dhopkins on Wednesday, April 21, 2010 - 20:18

I am mostly self-taught in my photography skills, but learning own my own can be a little lonely. Ready for the companionship of friends who are passionate about photography, I recently began taking a flower photography class at Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens in Richmond, Virginia. The instructor, famous wildlife and environmental photographer Lynda Richardson, is a creative and insightful teacher. Her kind spirit and willingness to share her expertise are treasured gifts. I am enjoying learning about and photographing native Virginia plants.

The yellow pitcher plant, Sarracenia flava, is a carnivorous plant. In the spring, the plant produces large yellow flowers with 5-fold symmetry. The different stages of this plant are fascinating - the buds, the flowers, and the pitchers.

All the Single Ladies

Submitted by dhopkins on Sunday, April 11, 2010 - 19:08

Check out the book by Amy Hatkoff, The Inner World of Farm Animals. I picked up this book because I was drawn to the beautiful and endearing photos of farm animals. I was intrigued to learn that farm animals are absolutely full of personality and really very intelligent. I spent a warm spring afternoon at Miller Farms in western Spotsylvania hanging out with the chickens. Turns out they are very social and form strong friendships - with other chickens and with photo gals like me, too.

Tulips in the Garden

Submitted by dhopkins on Tuesday, April 6, 2010 - 22:11

Yet rich as morn of many hue
When flashing clouds through darkness strike,
The tulip's petals shine in dew
All beautiful, yet none alike.

--James Montgomery

Patchwork Photos by Donna Hopkins