Happy Easter!

Crucifix with Pisanki Polish Easter Eggs and Pink Hydrangeas, Michele Babcock-Nice, April 9, 2023

Here it is already Easter after welcoming Spring about three weeks ago! Can you believe it? Time always goes by much too fast.

This week, I had some time to organize and rearrange some things at home, and I came across my pisanki Polish Easter eggs and got those out to view and enjoy. These are pisanki wooden Easter eggs from Poland, gifted to me by my Great Aunt Marianna Drewin, when she visited my family more than 35 years ago from Kielce’, Poland. I also still have the original leather-crafted box she brought them in, also shown here. My brother and I have since shared the eggs we received, and the ones I have are shown in my picture above. Pisanki is a tradition in Poland – as well as other countries such as Ukraine – of hand-painting Easter eggs. Pisanki comes from the older Polish version of the verb, pisac’, meaning “to paint.” Today, it more closely means “to write.” Eggs symbolize life and new life, and are always traditional when thinking of Easter. While my pisanki Easter eggs are nothing fancy, they are traditional Polish Easter eggs that remind me of my Polish ancestors, family, and heritage from the Old Country.

Happy Easter to all of you who celebrate Easter!

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Happy Mother’s Day (By: Michele Babcock-Nice)

Butterflies and flowers (Retrieved from http://kollegium.szily.hu, May 7, 2016)

Mother’s Day is here again!  Wow, I can hardly believe another year has passed already!

Happy Mother’s Day to all mothers out there.  May you have a blessed, peaceful, and enjoyable day.  If you are working, may all go smoothly!

Easter Blessings (By: Michele Babcock-Nice)

Easter Bouquet (April 5, 2015)

May this beautiful bouquet of Spring flowers find you enjoying a blessed and happy Easter!

Flowers and Plants Around my Neighborhood (By: Michele Babcock-Nice)

Flowering Cherry Trees in my Neighborhood (Michele Babcock-Nice, March 23, 2015)

We have had two or three days of rainy weather within the past week that have really brought out the Spring flowers and plants near Atlanta, Georgia. Floral buds are blossoming with fragrant and beautiful flowers.

Red Camelia in my Neighborhood (Michele Babcock-Nice, March 23, 2015)

Leaf buds are bursting with fresh, new leaves.  The daffodils are already just about done for this year, however the azaleas are just beginning to bloom.  I saw the first azalea flowers in bloom in my neighborhood today – they are on two red flowering bushes.

First Azalea to Flower in my Neighborhood this Year (Michele Babcock-Nice, March 23, 2015)

Please enjoy this collage of photos of some of the my neighborhood flowers, plants, bushes, and trees springing forth the new life that comes with Spring. 🙂

Flowering Tree in my Neighborhood (Michele Babcock-Nice, March 23, 2015)

Flowering Tree in my Neighborhood (Michele Babcock-Nice, March 23, 2015)

Flowering Tree in my Neighborhood (Michele Babcock-Nice, March 23, 2015)

Flowering Tree in my Neighborhood (Michele Babcock-Nice, March 23, 2015)

The View from Underneath a Flowering Cherry Tree in my Neighborhood (Michele Babcock-Nice, March 23, 2015)

A Flowering Fruit Tree in my Neighborhood (Michele Babcock-Nice, March 23, 2015)

A Flowering Shrub in my Neighborhood (Michele Babcock-Nice, March 23, 2015)

Holly and Berries in my Neighborhood (Michele Babcock-Nice, March 23, 2015)

Patch of Clover in a Neighbor’s Yard (Michele Babcock-Nice, March 23, 2015)

Daffodils in my Neighborhood (Michele Babcock-Nice, March 23, 2015)

Pink Camelias in my Neighborhood (Michele Babcock-Nice, March 23, 2015)

Tree Seeds on a Tree in my Neighborhood (Michele Babcock-Nice, March 23, 2015)

Even the dandelions are out in full force already!

The Yard with the Most Dandelions in my Neighborhood! (Michele Babcock-Nice, March 23, 2015)

I hope you enjoyed this stroll through my neighborhood, seeing many of the flowers and plants that have sprung forth with new life again this Spring.  I can hardly wait until the azaleas are in full bloom!

Dogwoods and Azaleas in Full Bloom (By: Michele Babcock-Nice)

Pink Dogwood, Snellville, Georgia, April 17, 2014

A couple of days ago, following a heavy, soaking rain in central Georgia near Atlanta, many trees and flowers are now in full bloom, particularly dogwood trees and azalea bushes.  They are really beautiful, and I wanted to share some photos of them here.  Happy Spring!

White Dogwood, Snellville, Georgia, April 17, 2014

Purple Flowers, Snellville, Georgia, April 10, 2014

Pink Azaleas, Snellville, Georgia, April 17, 2014

White Dogwood, Snellville, Georgia, April 17, 2014

Pink Dogwood, Snellville, Georgia, April 17, 2014

These are some of my photos of a few of the flowering bushes and trees in my area.  I hope you have enjoyed viewing them!

“Beautiful Spring Flowers Blooming in Georgia” (By: Michele Babcock-Nice)

Beautiful flowers are in bloom all over Georgia right now.  Today, I took photographs of many beautiful azaleas, wisteria, dogwood blossoms, lilacs, camellias, and other flowers.  I am more knowledgeable of certain flowers over others, so I ask for your patience if I have misidentified any of them.  Please enjoy the following photo collage of many of the beautiful flowers that are presently in bloom in my neighborhood near Atlanta!

Beautiful Pink Azalea Bush, Georgia,
April 17, 2013

White Azalea Bush and Pink Azalea Bush, Georgia, April 17, 2013

Medium Pink Azalea Bush, Georgia, April 2013

Red Azalea Bush, Georgia, April 2013

Another Red Azalea Bush, Georgia, April 2013

Small Purple Flowers, Georgia, April 2013

Hot Pink Azalea Bush, Georgia, April 17, 2013

Pink Dogwood Blossoms, Georgia, April 17, 2013

Beautiful Purple Wisteria, Georgia,
April 17, 2013

Lilac Flowers, Georgia, April 17, 2013

Camellias, Georgia, April 17, 2013

White Dogwood Flowers, Georgia, April 17, 2013

Pink Tulip, Georgia, April 17, 2013

Pansies, Georgia, April 17, 2013

Yellow Iris, Georgia, April 17, 2013

Purple Iris, Georgia, April 17, 2013

Beautiful Purple Azalea Bush in my Area, Georgia, April 21, 2013

Purple Petunias, Georgia, April 24, 2013

Maroon Iris, Georgia, April 24, 2013

White Irises, Georgia, April 24, 2013

More Purple Irises, Georgia, April 24, 2013

Another Medium Pink Azalea Bush, Georgia, April 24, 2013

There certainly are many beautiful flowers in bloom right now in my area.  Many of the trees and flowers blossomed later this year because the cooler weather stayed with us longer than usual.  We had daffodils in January because it was mild, but then, the weather turned cooler again.  So, we have the flowers to enjoy a bit later in the season this year.

“In Celebration of Spring and Easter” (By: Michele Babcock-Nice)

Easter Chick with Easter Eggs, Easter 2013

Spring has sprung, and Easter is again upon us!  There is much to be thankful for in celebrating another Easter – Christ’s ultimate sacrifice in giving his life for us, dying a horrible death beyond words and resurrecting his spirit for us.  Jesus is the God who continually forgives our sins and is our ultimate savior, unable to be replaced by anyone or anything.  And, though there are many things in our world by which we may attempt to replace our Creator, what it all comes down to in the end is that God is the ‘be all and the end all,’ the first and the last, the alpha and the omega. 

So, while many of us are spending additional time at church during this Easter season, reflecting, praying, and meditating on Jesus and his life, death, and resurrection, we must always remember that we are all His children.  With that in mind, those of us who have children of our own must be mindful of not only teaching them about our religious values, but also participating in fun Easter events, such as getting pictures with the Easter Bunny, going to Easter Egg Hunts, or enjoying other fun Easter or Spring activities, including something as simple as walking in the park and viewing the flower blossoms on the trees.

Easter Egg Hunt at St. Oliver’s, Snellville, Georgia, March 30, 2013

I hope that everyone enjoys a beautiful, wonderful, rejuvenating, and refreshing spring.  And, regardless of the religion that you may or may not practice, hopefully, you will take time to reflect upon and be thankful for all that has been bestowed upon you in your life.  For me, as a Roman Catholic Christian, celebrating Lent with the culmination of Easter in spring is a wonderful time of reflection and renewal.  I hope there are events and celebrations in your lives in which you experience the same!  Happy Easter!

“Daffodils in January” (By: Michele Babcock-Nice)

Daffodils in January, Atlanta, Georgia Area, January 28, 2013

In the winter that has been filled with gray days and leafless trees, a burst of yellow can be seen in many areas around Atlanta, already!  Last week, the daffodils began blooming in my area.  Alas, the warm weather intermingled with the freezing cold days have provided enough mild temperatures for these Spring flowers to bloom early again this year.  Last year, it was much the same, and I believe that the daffodils bloomed even earlier, perhaps by one or two weeks.

So, while it is refreshing to observe and enjoy the blooming daffodils, one cannot help but think that we will again have an early Spring, and much of it due, I believe, to increasing global warming.  We need more rain.  We need more precipitation.  Indeed, my son and I have even prayed for just a little bit of snow.  Already, two years have passed since the week that schools were closed and many businesses were shut down due to the snow and ice storm that was experienced here.  Not having snow here on a regular basis during winter is actually a let down for my son, and while I also miss it – being from the Northeast – I don’t miss the frigid sub-zero temperatures that sometimes accompany it.

Daffodils in January, Atlanta, Georgia Area, January 28, 2013

Here in my home, we will keep praying for more winter, for more rain and precipitation, and perhaps, even for a little snow.  We need the rain to replenish our water tables and ground water levels.  We need the rain now so that the hot, dry, drought-like conditions of summer do not dry up our precious water.  Let’s hope and pray for more winter, more rain, and that the daffodils will return to dormancy until a true Spring arrives.