Beauty - Variety - Exuberance - Celebration

I recently walked by this shrub and felt a burst of energy and exuberance for life

Looks like it's full of celebration

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Lily-of-the-valley shrub or pieris - "Glossy, brilliant red young leaves gradually turn pink, creamy white, then dark green. Glossy, brilliant red young leaves gradually turn pink, creamy white, then dark green. In late spring, clusters of pretty, ivory, nodding bell-like flowers appear, resembling lily-of-the-valley. The fiery red young foliage of this upright evergreen shrub will add a splash of vivid colour to a shady shrub border or woodland edge. In late spring, clusters of pretty, ivory, nodding bell-like flowers appear, resembling lily-of-the-valley. The fiery red young foliage of this upright evergreen shrub will add a splash of vivid colour to a shady shrub border or woodland edge."

Downtown Kirkland

This one acre site in downtown Kirkland was empty for years.

Now it's home to retail on the first floor & apartments above. 

The former owner of the site asked the developer to memorialize her daughter who died young. The little girl loved butterflies. 

Warm & Fuzzy

I took this blanket out of the dryer and was taken back to a wonderful experience with Mom. I was in the basement at Oak Street when she took a blanket out of the dryer and wrapped it around me. It felt so good.

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This blanket has been around a long time. Our grandchildren enjoyed using it because it felt so good. The blanket is obviously very old, but it's held up well. It's still fuzzy and ready to wrap visiting family and friends in love and warmth. 

Creative Photography

After a 24 year hiatus I have chosen

to relaunch my world as a creative photographic artist - David

https://davidjosephtodd.myportfolio.com/latest-work

These are David's three favorite images

David - I like these for the 3C’s content,composition, color, and then feeling/uniqueness that emerged in a process that began,  as an everyday snapshot of the world around us 

Shoes

Family together

precious times

July 2006 - family reunion - The Wilds, Cumberland, Ohio

June 2012 family reunion - Leavenworth, Washington

November 2014 - Family in Dublin

April 2018 - family in Kirkland

Inside Flowers

Flowers brighten rainy days

T for Tulip

I smiled when I saw this tulip growing towards the T

Difficult Circumstances? Keep Growing!

I admire this plant. 

Its circumstances are not ideal 

- but it's growing!

Dressed Up For Easter

Kirkland's public art enlivens our downtown, 

especially when the sculptures are dressed for special occasions 

Spring in Kirkland

Spring has been exploding all over Kirkland since mid February

Spring tends to be a long season here

rhododendron blooms for months

the colors are so vivid

grocery stores put out plants early in March

downtown planters are beautiful

Magnolias always remind me our the prom put on by our high school junior class

It had something to do with a southern evening

At the Oak Street kitchen table a group of us assembled 

MANY magnolia blossoms out of tissue paper

This is one of my favorite shrubs, piers or lily-of-the-valley shrub. 

It keeps getting more colorful as the seasons progress.

Its leaves are green most of the year. Then the tiny lily of the valley bells appear in early Spring. Then the red leaves appear and last for I forget how long. 

fountains are turned on 

Anniversary - Hand in Hand

My sister and her husband sent us this anniversary card

with a beautiful message

Married - For Eternity

We were married "til death do you part" in June 1976

In April 1983 (above) we were married for time and all eternity in the temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Washington DC. At the time it was the closest place for us to receive this eternal ordinance.

April 2014

For time and eternity - Our relationship will continue beyond this life. 

Christ spoke of this with Peter

 "And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." Matthew 16: 15-19

November 2017

Encircled

"... I am encircled about eternally in the arms of his love . 2 Nephi 1: 15

"... treasure up these words in thy heart. Be faithful and diligent in keeping the commandments of God, and I will encircle thee in the arms of my love. Doctrine and Covenants 6: 20

The peace, comfort, and love that come from Christ are real. 

Spring at Costco

Spring at Costco

top & bottom -  inside

 and out

the rhododendron are starting to bloom

Sunset

The heavens declare the glory of God*

 This sunset was so spectacular that people 

were lined up on the beach to soak it all in

*Psalm 19: 1

I Like These Colors

My favorite colors

These chairs are stacked outside a downtown restaurant

It was raining but they're ready for better weather

Prepared for the sunshine

Kirkland's Ducks

I find Kirkland's ducks interesting

Is there a leader duck who decides when to get in the water and when to get out?

Just minutes before I took these pictures all these ducks were in the water. 

Then they all exited the lake at the same time. 

This pair found their own little puddle

When I came out of the Apple store these ducks were lined up -

just like the people lined up at the Bellevue Apple Store recently.

Did they need their iPhone batteries switched out too?

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Seems I've posted a number of times about ducks. 

Ducks in a row here and here

Ducks & life's mysteries here 

City ducks here. Maybe someday I'll be able to get a good picture of the ducks that are often outside our local grocery. 

Here's one about ducks and a $10 bill