Wednesday, October 2, 2013

Beautiful Reserve

I've been mostly absent from the blogging scene these past several weeks. It sure takes a lot of blood, sweat and tears to ready a home for sale. I've collected a lot of "stuff" in twenty-nine years and the house has needed a lot of work to get it up to snuff. But I'm just about there. I think it will be on the market before this week is over. And then it's a waiting game to see when it will sell.

I'm not looking forward to the constant care to keep it looking pristine, and then disappearing on short notice while the home is being shown. But that's all part of the game and it must be endured if I ever want to haul my behind up to our new place. And I most definitely do.

I've not had time to take many photos lately and even less time to put a blog post together but I did set a few up in advance a long while back. The following images are from late spring and early summer. I'm sure most of us would enjoy receiving flowers at this time of the year. These are my gift to you.


One of the most attractive things about the flowers is their beautiful reserve.
~ Henry David Thoreau


fresh as a daisy 2
By plucking her petals, you do not gather the beauty of the flower.
~ Rabindranath Tagore




tiny stamens
The smallest flower is a thought, a life answering to some feature of the Great Whole, of whom they have a persistent intuition.
~ Honore de Balzac




poppy2
Summer set lip to earth's bosom bare,
And left the flushed print in a poppy there.
~ Francis Thompson




tiny blooms
If you've never been thrilled to the very edges of your soul by a flower in spring bloom, maybe your soul has never been in bloom. ~Terri Guillemets




purple blossom

Happiness held is the seed; Happiness shared is the flower.
~ John Harrigan




poppy
Every flower is a soul blossoming in nature.
~ Gerard De Nerval




phlox Loveliest of lovely things are they on earth that soonest pass away. The rose that lives its little hour is prized beyond the sculptured flower.
~William C. Bryant




inside a tiger lily
The flower is the poetry of reproduction. It is an example of the eternal seductiveness of life.
~ Jean Giraudoux

More photos coming up... sometime.

60 comments:

Anonymous said...

I love how you capture the tiniest details and help us notice the miracle of them. Good luck on selling your home!!

Linda said...

Beautiful images! I hope your home sells quickly. Good luck!

Cloudia said...

These photos bring into focus how much we miss you :-)



ALOHA from Honolulu
Comfort Spiral
=^..^= <3

Our photos said...

Beautiful photos!
Have a nice day! RW & SK

Tabor said...

Having spent a few days painting adn landscaping to get my son's house ready for sale last month (it sold!)and then spending this past weekend assisting with his move to another house...I can empathize and sympathize! Still it was not my house!

Indrani said...

Very beautiful pics! And perfect quotes for them. Hope you make a good sale!

Sueann said...

I too am in the throws of getting my house ready to sell. Sigh!
Lovely images.
Good luck
Hugs
SueAnn

christopher said...

Selling a home you've lived in for a long time is certainly a big chore....good luck.

Brian Miller said...

the beauty of nature....love the daisy...promise i wont pull its petals off...and getting a house ready is so much work...do take your breaks...smiles.

DJan said...

Such beautiful pictures, Hilary. I've been seeing your comments around the blogosphere, so I know you've been around at least a little. I love your pictures, they really make me feel gifted. Thank you. :-)

TexWisGirl said...

such gorgeous macros! i do not envy you in this process of home-selling, but you do have a sweet reward waiting at the end... :)

Linda said...

Hope things go well with the sale. Twenty-nine years is a long time to collect stuff. We've been here over 26 and there is still a ton of stuff in my parents' house.

That was certainly up close and personal with the flowers. They are more complicated creatures than we know.

stephen Hayes said...

Beautiful pictures and quotes. I particularly enjoyed the Balzac quote.

OmaLindasOldeBaggsandStuftShirts said...

You've got such a way with the macros...I love the texture of the up close. Something that is there but without the close ups we just walk right past. Your gift for today is happily accepted. Thanks, Oma Linda

Gail Dixon said...

It is a lot of work and a huge disruption in life to sell a home, but once done you can move forward and relax. Best of luck to you. Thank you for sharing these fabulous flowers and quotes!

Rae said...

Thank you for the lovely photos. I enjoyed seeing all of them.

Red said...

Flowers blooming seems like a very long time ago. thanks for the reminder of the beauties of spring. Old guys forget very fast!

Daryl said...

its such annoying process ... but i wish you a quick sale at a fine price

Anonymous said...

Thank you for these flower gifts and wishing you a speedy sale on your house. That disappearing each time someone comes to view the house is no fun, nor is the 100% tidiness that is required for showing it. Good luck!

Out on the prairie said...

When I moved here I brought all in my van and had to get a second load later. I have two homes and often wonder why I need so much.

photowannabe said...

Hilary, I am totally speechless.
Your flowers are magnificent.
I know exactly how you feel about getting the house ready for sale.
41 years in our home meant many, many hours of packing and purging...to say nothing of the renovation work to be done.
Whew...that was 6 years ago last June.
We now live in our "FOREVER" house.
It was so worth every aching muscle and frustrating moment.

Lisa Gordon said...

Each of these is just gorgeous, Hilary!
I wish you the best with the sale of the house.

Barb said...

Thanks for the colorful bouquet! Snow expected here again over the weekend. We're remodeling after 18 years, and I'm also getting rid of much stuff - we are living in the midst of construction and are not happy campers. Neither of us likes clutter or confusion! Hope your house sells quickly!

Anonymous said...

How gorgeous - love the vibrancy of the day lily. Good luck selling the house.

Friko said...

House selling is a pain, I’ve done it three times.
Good luck.

Ercotravels said...

So lovely flowers! thanks for sharing...

ellen abbott said...

these are gorgeous. I love poppies and that first picture of the daisy is so you. I don't envy you the house preparing and selling. the moving part can be fun though, setting up the new place.

What Karen Sees said...

All of these images are beautiful, and I especially love your composition in the first one.

Glo said...

Gob-smacked! Your images are amazingly beautiful ~ each one just had my eyes boggled.

Linda at To Behold The Beauty said...

You truly have an artistic flair with that camera of yours. These are all so perfect!

Hope the home sale happens quickly. I know you're anxious to move on.

Rita said...

That's a lot of work moving after 29 years!
I love how you combine the gorgeous photos with beautiful quotes. Hope your house sells quickly when you list it. You need to get to your new place!! :)

Catherine said...

I hope your move goes well and you will soon be happily installed in your new home. Sounds like you are ready for this and want it to happen which is the best way.

Mage said...

Hugs and don't work too hard moving.

Jenn Jilks said...

I've moved much. I so empathise.
Cheers from Cottage Country Ontario , ON, Canada!

Kerri Farley said...

Thanks so much for this beautiful gift of flowers :) They are lovely!!
Good Luck with the House!!

carmilevy said...

Some days, when I'm frantically moving from one place to another, I think about my parallel online life - the blog, the Facebook, the Twitter, the whatever-medium-I-use-to-share - and wonder how and why we take the time out of our real lives to share.

Then I come back to a slice of the virtual world like yours and realize why it's so worth it. Mazel tov on the move, the impending sale, and the things in your real life that you've always shared so eloquently here. Staggering words and images, as ever.

carmilevy said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
My Cactus Dress said...

The third picture of the orange flower looks like a butterfly. I am sorry I keep pointing out something or the other than the actual picture, every time but, your photography is so enigmatic that I find a lot of things in it.

Suldog said...

Again, I implore you to put together your favorites - or collect a long theme - and publish so I can give your book for Christmas.

(I expect it will be another year, what with you involved in such an undertaking as moving. Sigh.)

Bob Bushell said...

Fantastic macro of flowers Hilary.

Kat said...

Wow! What absolutely gorgeous pictures. :) Flowers make me smile.

Selling a house is the biggest pain in the butt. I loathe it and never want to do it again. The last time I did it I was 8 months pregnant, had three little boys, was building a house, and my father was dying. That was a stressful time, man. Whew.

I hope your house sells quickly and you avoid all the cleaning, tidying, stress of it all.

Kat said...

Wow! What absolutely gorgeous pictures. :) Flowers make me smile.

Selling a house is the biggest pain in the butt. I loathe it and never want to do it again. The last time I did it I was 8 months pregnant, had three little boys, was building a house, and my father was dying. That was a stressful time, man. Whew.

I hope your house sells quickly and you avoid all the cleaning, tidying, stress of it all.

Laura said...

gorgeous images Hilary... I am not looking forward to the inevitable of preparing our home so that we can move... and I know that time is not terribly far off, now that our youngest is a Jr. in high school and this house is just too big to care for... I send you good energy for strength, patience and a generous buyer!

Anonymous said...

beautiful. i love the third one in particular. hope your house sells quickly!

Lisa said...

These are such stunning images.. and omg moments is what I call the. Loved Loved these.

Best of luck with the prep and the sale . Hoping it all goes well.

Ive been away with family and arrived home today.

Sharon Wagner said...

I'm glad you took some time out to blog. And visit blogs! Vibrant flower photos. And thoughtful quotes. As always.

Betty Manousos said...

FANTASTIC! SPECTACULAR! AMAZING!

all i can say is, these are beyond beautiful!
good luck with the home sale!

xx

larkswing said...

Beautiful shots!

Anita said...

I've been away from blogging for a couple weeks, too, and I miss it!

Continued best wishes with the moving process!

I love the flowers, of course. The first photo reminds me of cold, fresh, white milk.

lime said...

ah, it was a blustery and stormy day today. that was a lovely antidote.

lime said...

and i do hope your home sells quickly so you can fully settle in at your new place. :)

SandyCarlson said...

I hope your house sells and that you can move on. Your photos are stunning!

MastHoliday said...

Beautiful photos and nice quotes!!!

JR said...

Beautiful images!

Crabby McSlacker said...

Love the stunning photos, it's so fun to see spring flowers this time of year, a real reminder of how much the seasons change things. We're just starting to get autumn colors but most of the flowers are long gone.

And good luck on the house sale!

Becca said...

Great photos! I don't take enough time to appreciate flowers! I hope your home sells quickly :)

Mage said...

Seeing these a second time around still gives them a powerful impact. Thanks.

Yes, I didn't have a bit of a reaction....Oh, maybe a tiny itch or two. I must confess that I did miss my eggs this year but didn't miss colds or the flu. :) Thanks for caring.

Karen (formerly kcinnova) said...

With such loving care and positive vibes in your old home, there is bound to be someone who will come along and feel the peaceful presence of HOME there. May that person come soon!

Unknown said...

Carmi and TexWisGirl have summed up my feelings here, Hilary. Such vivid life in these photos and new adventures await you ahead!

Anvilcloud said...

For not having much time, you kind of knocked it out of the park.