Welcome to JOYFUL REFLECTIONS. Also welcome to MARCH!!!! My header picture this month is a photo I took of the pretty Crocus blooms in our yard... The Crocuses and Daffodils are the first signs of spring here in Tennessee. I am definitely ready for SPRING...

Monday, April 13, 2020

What is Happening THIS April in 2020, so far!!!

Daffodils still blooming-- 4/3/20;  They don't know there's a wicked Virus out there!!!!
Dear Family and Friends,  WELL---due to the COVID-19 CoronaVirus,  our Spring so far has been quite different in many ways from previous years.  YET---when it comes to our yard/flowers/plants,  things are normal!!!!  No matter what pain/suffering we go through as humans,  the flowers still BLOOM in Spring.  That is GOOD news!!!!

As I write this,  I am experiencing a very different Easter Sunday from most years.  There was no church services and no family dinners.  However,   George and I (although here alone at home) were fine today.   We had our own Easter Devotions;  we watched a service by Rev. Franklin Graham with music by Michael W. Smith;  and  I spent most of my day listening to Easter Hymns  (courtesy of You Tube) as I re-lived many memories of days-gone-by.

I especially enjoyed my two favorite Easter Hymns/Videos:  "Hail Thee Festival Day" and "Christ, the Lord, is Risen Today".   I even shared one of these videos on Facebook on Easter Sunday.  BUT--I also listened to more beautiful hymns/music.  When my mother's favorite hymn  ("In the Garden") started playing,  I had to shed some tears just thinking about how much I miss her (and Dad)...

BUT--through all of this today,   I know now that my Risen Lord,  Jesus Christ,  brings me so much HOPE... Even in this time of trouble in our country and world,  I KNOW that I have Christ is with me and that all of us,  through HOPE,  will come out of this pain and hurt,  and will be stronger and have a better future ahead for us... God Bless us all!!!

Here are some pictures of our April so far!!!!!  Hope you enjoy them!!!


A beautiful Pink Tulip in our yard,  4/3/20  (We are usually at Biltmore this week checking out the Tulips and  Azaleas.   Glad we have some to enjoy at home!)




We had some entertainment on 4/5/20 when this hawk visited and captured a little Blue Jay (see the feathers?) for his lunch... Poor BlueJay!!!!  There were about 10+ Crows flying around the hawk,  screeching at him--but this Hawk just ignored them!!!!  Hawks are beautiful birds --but I hate seeing them having lunch in my backyard with my little birdies!




We have two beautiful Red Bud trees in our yard... This is a close-up of one of them,  taken on 4/3/20.





Our new Bird Kitchen,   4/5/20;  We moved our feeders to the backyard since they have made such a mess on the deck --including some wood damage, thanks to the Woodpeckers!!  




More EXCITEMENT:  We are getting some leaves on our big trees.... Yeah!!!!!  (4/9/20)




On a beautiful evening in the Glade,  these little does are getting a little rest!!!!!  (4/5/20)




The Hosta is growing!!!!  (4/9/20)




Our Pink Dogwood tree is blooming and SO pretty!!! (4/9/20)





More April Excitement:  Another Hawk (or maybe the same one as before????) came to visit  on 4/11/20 --but this time he didn't find any lunch (thank goodness)... This time,  the crows were successful in running him off!!!!!!  I have been trying to find out what kind of Hawk this is --but so far,  I haven't found any  Hawk-Experts who will tell me!!!  We usually have Cooper's Hawks around here --but this doesn't look like a Cooper's.  ?????



Our FIRST IRIS, named BLATANT  (of many to come) bloomed on 4/9/20.  I love these colors,  don't you?





The DECK LILIES are looking good so far this year (4/10/20)!!!!  Many of you remember a year ago when we brought all of our Lilies to the deck, put them in containers --so that we could keep the deer from eating them... It is working so far again this year!!!!  Yeah!!!!



Pretty Pink AZALEAS in bloom in our backyard (4/10/20)




UH OH....  As happens in Tennessee the first week or two in April almost EVERY year,  we had a Freeze Warning issued to us (4/10/20)...  We covered the Lilies 'just in case' ---and luckily,  the next morning when we got up,  we realized that we had been spared--as of now... There's another possibility coming this Wed. --so we'll probably cover them again JUST in CASE!!!!!   'Tis life here on the Cumberland Plateau!!!!



Our Beautiful Front Yard with the Pink Dogwood showing off for us!!!  (4/9/20)





This last picture is a close-up of one of our Pink Dogwood Blooms (4/9/10).  I put this picture on Facebook today (Easter Sunday) wishing all of my family and friends a Happy Easter...


April is usually a 'travel' month for us  whether they are long trips or just day trips...  April in the Smokies is a gorgeous month---new spring growth and flowers,  little bear cubs running around,  and fewer people around (between the March Spring breaks and Summer rush).   I will never take all of this for granted again!

I'll close with a question for you today: "What have you MISSED the MOST during this Quarantine time?"   You will probably think that I would say that I miss our travels the most...  WELL--that is a close second ---but most of all I miss my FAMILY.   I cannot wait to see them again,  hug them --and tell them all how much I love them and have missed them!!!!

Have a great week,  and search for that HOPE for all of us.  Hope is all around us --if we just LOOK.... It's in the flowers,  the sky,  the sunrises/sunsets,  and even while watching the little birds making nests and feeding their young.... God's blessings on YOU.

Hugs,