giving credit...

can i be honest? this 50+ gal feels totally overwhelmed every April....spring comes to all my client's gardens at the very same time.......the physical demands of my job can be painful....there is not enough time in the day.......the eagerness to please is immense.... my perfectionistic ways must be battled.........painting in my studio is on hold..... and i certainly don't give myself enough credit (or so i have been told)......

but, as i travel around to my gardens..

and find immense beauty there...

i am instantly reminded of the reasons..

why i

LOVE

MY

JOB.

i am learning to give myself more

CREDIT.

mmm

mmm

all photos taken in the last couple of weeks, in the gardens that i tend and love.

mmm

mmmmm

mm

sspeaking of "giving credit", please take the time to read this informative post that i agree with completely.

http://blog.piajanebijkerk.com/WordPress/2011/03/18/giving-credit/

on the back porch...

such a BUSY and FUN weekend... of friends and fellowship...good eats and tunes...spring blooms galore and 93 degree heat... with impending storms today, i decided to take a quiet break from my garden work and spent some time with my camera on the back porch....

how fitting that i enhanced my photos with a

Texture from Kim Klassen

called

"silence".

cheekwood botanical gardens..

last Sunday, i spent a wonderful (and a bit windy) day taking pictures at Cheekwood Botanical Gardens....here in Nashville.

enjoy.......

on Monday, we experienced straight line winds and small tornadoes (yes, there is such a thing)...i felt the pressure change in the house, the windows started to whistle and pop, the electricity and cell phones cut off, the sky was dark, branches started to hit my house and my inner voice said grab the cats and head to our safe place........

mmm

shortly after..it was calm..luckily we suffered no damage, just limbs and debris and dirt everywhere.....some of my neighbors lost very large trees.

even Cheekwood closed for a couple of days to clean up.

mm

~what a difference a day makes.

dogwood optimism.......

~ such a glorious spring weekend!!!!!

~the Dogwood trees in my backyard, have opened their lovely faces to the world........

and sprinkled the woods with garlands of lace.......

~is it possible to view

a faithful old tree....

dressed up in spring flowers.....

and not feel

optimistic?

i think not.