What roses do you stop to smell?

[Ellen]

Neil''s post got me thinking. It really is important to "stop and smell the roses", yet as we all know, and that experiment points out to a certain degree, many times, quite possibly more often than not, we don''t. What popped in my mind as I read that post, and lingered afterwards, was one "rose" I without a doubt, never fail to stop for. It''s when a flock of geese fly over. We are on their flight path, and always see them coming and going. This last fall, I think I saw the biggest bunch ever, the sky was just dark with them, all happily honking on their way to a winter getaway.

I have always loved watching them fly over in that awesome V formation, which is by the way, not random, but actually with purpose, (for those that may not be aware). They also remind me of my dad, who was a hunter. I always feel closer to him now when watching geese.

At any rate, I have been known to practically break my neck (literally) running out to see them fly over, and I will stand there, not only until the last bird is out of sight, but until the honking fades altogether.

So I thought it would be fun, and interesting to hear about some of your "roses". Please share!

 

[steph72276]

That''s a great one Ellen and so sweet it reminds you of your dear father....

Hmm, I always stop in my tracks if I hear a baby laugh. I think it is the sweetest sound in the world. It just makes me stop and think how lucky I am to be a mommy.

 

[Ellen]

Date: 1/11/2009 8:58:25 AM
Author: steph72276
That''s a great one Ellen and so sweet it reminds you of your dear father....

Hmm, I always stop in my tracks if I hear a baby laugh. I think it is the sweetest sound in the world. It just makes me stop and think how lucky I am to be a mommy.

That''s a great one, I love them too. And I''ve got a clip you''ll love, if you haven''t seen it already. There''s a commercial that used part of this video, and I tried to find it awhile ago for the commercial thread, but couldn''t. Anyway, it''s absolutely priceless!

 

[Tuckins1]

I am having one of those moments right now. We have had 2 days of snow, so everything is covered. It''s early on Sunday morning, so the neighborhood is quiet. The sun is shining on the trees, but is not yet fully "up", so there is still a tinge of orange... The trees are glowing an orange/yellow color, and it''s a quiet, calm, almost sureal setting at this very moment. The world is a beautiful place!

 

[ksinger]

Date: 1/11/2009 8:55:08 AM
Author:Ellen
Neil''s post got me thinking. It really is important to ''stop and smell the roses'', yet as we all know, and that experiment points out to a certain degree, many times, quite possibly more often than not, we don''t. What popped in my mind as I read that post, and lingered afterwards, was one ''rose'' I without a doubt, never fail to stop for. It''s when a flock of geese fly over. We are on their flight path, and always see them coming and going. This last fall, I think I saw the biggest bunch ever, the sky was just dark with them, all happily honking on their way to a winter getaway.

I have always loved watching them fly over in that awesome V formation, which is by the way, not random, but actually with purpose, (for those that may not be aware). They also remind me of my dad, who was a hunter. I always feel closer to him now when watching geese.

At any rate, I have been known to practically break my neck (literally) running out to see them fly over, and I will stand there, not only until the last bird is out of sight, but until the honking fades altogether.

So I thought it would be fun, and interesting to hear about some of your ''roses''. Please share!

Not to be cliche, but actually ROSES for me. I''ll even go up into people''s yards to sniff them. And oddly, once I do, my vision is utterly shot for about 30 seconds afterwards. Weirdest thing. The other one truly would be music. I will swivel like some sort of homing device whenever I hear something, even if it''s bad, but especially when it''s good. I drop whatever I''m doing - even it it''s conversation, which drives the non-musical quite batty I can assure you - and LISTEN, with all of me. I even get a bit annoyed if someone tries to continue talking....

The other thread got me going Ellen, and I am geekily and happily reading up on recent research on the human voice this happy, snappy morning. Voice: the only instrument made by God.

 

[iheartscience]

My roses are kitties. I will drop what I''m doing and play with a kitty anytime. My own or someone else''s...I love cats!

 

[MrsG]

Ellen, that video is priceless. Thank you for posting the link! I love the sound of a babies/children laughing. I might be odd, but I love hearing a newborn cry.

 

[Elmorton]

A few of mine -

ditto to Thing2 - I stop to "chat" with a pet no matter where I am. My jeweler has a precious little dog, and I always greet her before the diamonds Every day, my own cats stop me from whatever they''re doing because I just love to stop a minute and watch them so sweetly curled up together.

Sunsets - the one glorious thing about living in flat country is that there are amazing, unadulterated sunsets. The window over my kitchen sink is sometimes like a movie screen for me.

I stop a lot to take scenes from nature in general...I keep a camera in my purse, and so often I have photos of just random things like a butterfly landing on a flower in the bed outside my work.

Morning - sometimes I wake up before DH and I don''t move...I just love to look our two kitties and DH and me all snuggled up before the chaos of the day starts.

Another morning stop - peeking out the window. For some reason, I always set up my bed up against a window - I like taking a minute before I get out of bed just to see the world outside my bedroom at peace.

 

[geckodani]

Ditto to the pets! Must always stop and say hi to critters.

And babies. DH laughs at me because if there is a baby in the room - I MUST wave and smile.

Sunsets. Nothing more beautiful IMO.

 

[EricaR]

Similar to Thing 2, I always stop to visit with anyones pets. Doesn''t matter to me if it is a dog, cat, bird, whatever. Actually, it does matter - I won''t say hi to snakes or big ugly lizards.

It also helps that I''ve been carring a big ole camera with me everywhere. It has forced me to slow down and look at things because I never want to miss a great shot.

 

[Catmom]

Great thread Ellen! Flowers and birds for me. If I see flowers I must stop to look or smell them if I can get close enough. Also birds. If I hear a bird singing then I have to trace where he''s at and I can stand for hours listening. I have a great front porch with a huge tree in front of it and I spend hours just sitting on the porch listening to the birds and staring at my flowers.

 

[risingsun]

My roses are animals. We have two cats and a dog, but I'm also drawn toward other animals. I was feeling down this summer and my DH arranged for a surprise trip to a llama farm. I love alpacas and llamas. I'd have a few in our back yard if I could

 

[Haven]

I love this thread. Thanks, Ellen.

My roses are:

- Animals, domestic and wild. There are a lot of huge deer in our neighborhood, and my little pup Bailee and I often run into several during our early-morning walks. She sits and stares like a good girl, and I do the same thing standing. They''re incredible. And did I mention huge? I also really love dogs. When DH lived on Lake Shore Drive we spent most of our Saturdays and Sundays walking along the lake and meeting other people''s doggies. (I particularly love driving behind cars with happy dogs bouncing around in the back.)

- Snow blankets. I love the way fresh snow looks right after it falls. (I also love that "the snow blanketed the earth" is a simile that does not use "like" or "as".) And then I love watching Bailee plow through the snow and tear around our yard like a wild woman. She looks so happy.

There are more, but at the moment those two are at the top of my list. I''ll stop for animals and snow any time.

 

[Mara]

...the ones in my garden.

flowers are one of the sweetest things in life...naturally.

 

[platinumrock]

What a great thread!

1) Full moons: I always notice when it''s a full moon, even when I''m driving at night in my car. I love how it illuminates my front and backyard late at night, and I can see everything. I also love how the moonlight creeps through my window while I''m sleeping. It''s so calming.

2) Thunderstorms: Here in Florida, we get loads of thunderstorms in the summer. I especially love listening to the deep rumble as the sky becomes overcast. Then I can hear the rain pounding on the roof.

3) Butterflies and Caterpillars: Butterflies of all specieds fluttering around always stop me in my tracks. I always wonder where they came from and where they are going. I''ve rescued and raised monarch caterpillars in my backyard when my garden was running. I always check to see if my milkweed has any caterpillar babies. When I see caterpillars on the ground looking lost, I always pick it up and take it to the nearest bush or tree.

4) Birds: We live in a wooded area, so all types of bird species stop by to visit. I remember when a flock of American Robins visited from their migration to use my birdbath. There had to be at least 30 of them! It was an awesome sight to see! The next day, they were all gone

5) Flowers: Just like diamonds and gemstones, they come in all shapes, sizes and colors. They always stop me in my tracks!

 

[Skippy123]

Date: 1/11/2009 9:46:05 AM
Author: Tuckins1
I am having one of those moments right now. We have had 2 days of snow, so everything is covered. It''s early on Sunday morning, so the neighborhood is quiet. The sun is shining on the trees, but is not yet fully ''up'', so there is still a tinge of orange... The trees are glowing an orange/yellow color, and it''s a quiet, calm, almost sureal setting at this very moment. The world is a beautiful place!

I love that about snow too or when it snows and at night the sky is bright and you can see all the details on the trees with the snow covering them. I love the peaceful silence snow brings too.

Great thread Ellen!

 

[Skippy123]

Well for me, I love to look up at the sky on my walks and see the lines in the sky, that jets leave. I like to imagine where that jet is head for fun, maybe some exotic destination? hehe

Another thing that I am very good at it watching the sunset;

I watch it for sure about 3 x a week or sometimes I catch them on my walks. In the summer I catch the sunrises; I love how different things look during the different times of day so I try to soak those moments in. We have mountains here that they call the Sandias (meaning Watermelon) so when the sun is setting the mountains turn a gorgeous hue of pink. Ahhhhh!

 

[strmrdr]

storms
stars
spider webs
sparky rocks
fall leaves
sunsets
empty ammo casings, nothing better than the smell of burnt powder to bring back memories of the best times I had with my dad.

 

[Ellen]

I love this!


tuckins, so true. The world really is a beautiful place! And yes, nothing like a feshly fallen snow. I love it in all lighting, but it''s so neat when the bright sun hits it and lights up like a zillion diamonds.

Karen, that is really strange, almost like a drug!! Have you done this all your life? Have you ever asked someone professional (like a doc) why this might happen? And so true about the voice.

2, I want a kitty, but hubby doesn''t like them.

Says they''re too independant.

MrsG, isn''t that clip just the greatest??! Love it.

El, yes, I''m a real sunset lover too, always have been. And since I''m on the river, coupled with the bluffs, I have seen tons of truly phenominal ones.

It was kind of sad moving to this house from our first. I too used to see the sunset from my kitchen, dining room, and living room. But here, it sets outside our bedroom window, so I don''t see them like I used to.

gecko, aren''t babies great? I really miss them, can''t wait to be a gramma!


Erica, lol. Yeah, I''ll pass on snakes too.

I have been thinking about starting to take pics again, I kinda got out of it for awhile.


Michelle, you reminded me of another favorite of mine, listening to turtle doves. We get them around here a lot!


Marion, how interesting! And, what''s a alpaca??

Haven, I also love taking a walk in the snow, especially if it''s deep. The world becomes SO quiet, everything is muffled. I LOVE that!


Mara, you are lucky to have your fave in your own back yard, and all year long! (I think, right?)


platinum, I love full moons too, and butterflies! I adore them, and rarely see them anymore. I really miss them!


Thanks for sharing everybody!

 

[Harriet]

Dogs.
P.S. I would stop for Joshua Bell. Anytime.

 

[Ellen]

Date: 1/11/2009 12:56:57 PM
Author: Skippy123
Well for me, I love to look up at the sky on my walks and see the lines in the sky, that jets leave. I like to imagine where that jet is head for fun, maybe some exotic destination? hehe

Another thing that I am very good at it watching the sunset;

I watch it for sure about 3 x a week or sometimes I catch them on my walks. In the summer I catch the sunrises; I love how different things look during the different times of day so I try to soak those moments in. We have mountains here that they call the Sandias (meaning Watermelon) so when the sun is setting the mountains turn a gorgeous hue of pink. Ahhhhh!

Funny, I think about that too. We see them a lot from the St. Louis airport.


strm, I''ve enjoyed many a spider web, they are truly facinating! And like snowflakes, none are alike.

 

[Ellen]

Date: 1/11/2009 1:11:10 PM
Author: Harriet
Dogs.
P.S. I would stop for Joshua Bell. Anytime.

Me too!

Nice av ya got there lady!

 

[Steel]

Nice thread Ellen.

First is DH. Second are my pets (I could watch my cats groom/sleep all day long). Third is the countryside where I live; in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by breathtaking views and amazing wildlife. Peace and Quiet! Mmmmh.

 

[coatimundi_org]

Some my roses are:

Critters--all kinds

Interesting weather--I love the electricity right before a storm.

The ocean--helps to live next door.

Plants/Flowers--CA is teeming with life.

Interesting compositions in structures--whether it be in architecture or something small--like an interesting pattern in a sidewalk.

I smell lots of roses.

 

[Harriet]

Date: 1/11/2009 1:13:05 PM
Author: Ellen

Date: 1/11/2009 1:11:10 PM
Author: Harriet
Dogs.
P.S. I would stop for Joshua Bell. Anytime.

Me too!

Nice av ya got there lady!

Fank you.

 

[Harriet]

Date: 1/11/2009 1:14:02 PM
Author: coatimundi
Some my roses are:

Critters--all kinds

Interesting weather--I love the electricity right before a storm.

The ocean--helps to live next door.

Plants/Flowers--CA is teeming with life.

Interesting compositions in structures--whether it be in architecture or something small--like an interesting pattern in a sidewalk.

I smell lots of roses.

I''m a weather geek too.
Don''t rub it in.

 

[Rhea]

Lightening. We don''t get lightening storm where I am now, but I love them. They are the most beautiful thing I can imagine.
Flowers, especially fluffy white ones. I go into other people gardens to smell their flowers.

 

[coatimundi_org]

Date: 1/11/2009 1:16:13 PM
Author: Harriet

Date: 1/11/2009 1:14:02 PM

Author: coatimundi

Some my roses are:


Critters--all kinds

Interesting weather--I love the electricity right before a storm.



The ocean--helps to live next door.



Plants/Flowers--CA is teeming with life.


Interesting compositions in structures--whether it be in architecture or something small--like an interesting pattern in a sidewalk.


I smell lots of roses.

I''m a weather geek too.


Don''t rub it in.

 

[coatimundi_org]

Oh, and I have one more...GEMS!

 

[Mara]

well typically we have 1-2 months of dormancy, BUT our new place does have 2 very old rosebushes which look like they did not miss a beat at all. one a huge old bush with about 40 blooms on it right now though they won''t open since it does not get warm enough, another is an old climber with hundreds of small pink blooms. and it''s been in the low 20''s at night a few days so far. it''s crazy how resilient established plants are. we have a huge orange tree which i love... i planted a lime and a lemon too...and the orange has tons of ripe fruit! we are getting a juicer.