Thoughtful Thursday The Joys of Spring

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The first day of Spring in the Northern Hemisphere is coming this Monday, March 20, 2023 and it will run until June 21, 2023. You may have already noticed the warmer temps moving in, birds nesting and beautiful flowers beginning to bloom. Also, on this first day of Spring the hours of daylight and night are almost equal. It always takes some adjusting to the new longer days ahead.

On my lovely morning walks I’ve seen many squirrels busy building their nests. You can tell the difference between a bird and squirrel nest from the ground because birds primarily build their nests with twigs. Whereas squirrels use fresh branches with the leaves attached. You may also notice a lot of small pieces of fresh branches with leaves on the ground.

This was a photo I took with my phone of a squirrel nest. They’re easily seen once the leaves dry and turn brown. Squirrels can have anywhere from 2-4 babies usually between the months of February to May. They have a hefty appetite and will eat their own body weight every week which is about 1.5 pounds. I love watching them in the mornings with their high energy, it motivates me on my walks 😊

Have you checked your yard for signs of any new babies that may be coming soon?

Hope you enjoyed today’s post. Thanks for stopping by!!

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New Abstract – Grow a little love

This is a new abstract I finished this week. It’s painted on an 8×8 inch wood panel. It took quite a bit of time to complete. The textured background is what made it hard but then a heart emerged. I guess it was a labor of love.

I was thinking of titling this one “Grow a little love” but wasn’t sure. What do you think? Any ideas for a title?

Hope your weekend is off to a great start!

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Sunshine Abstract Painting

Sunshine Abstract by Maria Vidaurre

We all need a little Sunshine in our lives. I wanted to create something bright, cheery and full of sunshine.

So I thought I’d try something new with this painting and I started by collaging pieces of torn paper from a book. It was still was missing something so I added a piece of paper doily. Before I knew it, the painting came to life. What do you think?

Have a wonderful weekend. Thanks for stopping by!!!

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If interested, Sunshine is available in my Etsy shop.

“Wherever you go, no matter what the weather, always bring your own sunshine.” ~ Anthony D’Angelo

Jubilee Abstract Painting

Jubilee Abstract Painting by Maria Vidaurre

Everyday should be a joyful celebration of life. This is my newest abstract painting, Jubilee. It’s painted on a 6×6 inch wood panel in vibrant hues of pink, purple, white and splashes of silver. It has lots of texture and of course a little glitter for sparkly magic.

If interested, Jubilee is available in my Etsy shop.

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Celebrate Flower Painting

Everyone needs to Celebrate the wins in life. Whether you’re cheering on a friend or you’re simply happy to have reached your goal. Big or small, they deserve recognition and so do you!

This painting was created with lots of texture on a 4×12 inch canvas with bright cheerful colors of blue, pink and purple. It’s accented with a little glitter and is overflowing with pure happiness.

It would make the perfect gift as this flower will last a lifetime! Celebrate is available in my Etsy shop.

Have a wonderful day!

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Imagination Abstract Painting

Imagination Abstract Painting by Maria Vidaurre

Imagination is the beginning of all great things. Albert Einstein is quoted as saying “Imagination is more important than knowledge.” Where would we be today if we didn’t use our imagination?

This is my newest abstract painting, Imagination. It’s painted on a 9×12 inch canvas with gorgeous hues of blue and pink. There’s lots of texture and splashes of purple and yellow plus a little glitter for magic. Imagination is available in my Etsy shop.

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Flourish Painting

Flourish

I started this painting with something completely different in mind but couldn’t stop thinking about beautiful blooms. So here it is, Flourish. It’s painted on a 10×10 inch canvas with vibrant and happy colors of blue and pink. It has lots of texture and of course a little glitter for some magic. Flourish is available in my Etsy shop. I have more coming so stay tuned…

Have a lovely day!

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Thoughtful Thursday

Photo by Maria Vidaurre – Mockingbird hatchlings

Welcome Little Ones

Last week I wrote about the coming of Spring and the Mockingbirds that made a nest in our topiary just outside of our front door. I still find it odd that they did this with all of the foot traffic in and out of our home, but I guess they felt safe enough.

We’ve been watching Momma coming in and out from the nest a lot from our window. One time we saw her come back with a worm so we investigated once we knew she left. When we walked outside you could hear tiny little peeps. Lo and behold, we had 3 new babies in the nest and I was able to get a quick photo before Momma came back.

Life is beautiful, precious and just amazes me at times. We were blessed to see the birds build the nest, lay their eggs and now welcome the new babies. I’m still in awe with these precious little ones.

Mockingbirds are the Florida State Bird and are here all year round. They are about ten inches in length, sing beautiful songs and are excellent mimics. We’re keeping everyone away from the nest area so the babies and parents don’t stress. We can see that Momma keeps an ever watchful eye over her babies as Mockingbirds are known for fiercely defending their nests.

Take the time to slow down and breathe in the beauty and new life all around you during this very special season.

Have a lovely weekend!

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“Those who find beauty in all of nature will find themselves at one with life itself.” ~L.W. Gilbert

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Thoughtful Thursday

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Spring Solstice

According to the Farmer’s Almanac, the Spring Equinox is on Saturday, 3/20/2021. This marks the first official day of spring in the Northern hemisphere. On this day, the length of the day and night are almost equal.

The flowers are beginning to bloom and the birds are nesting. We have a pair of what I believe are Mockingbirds that have made their nest just outside our front door in the topiary tree. We’ve been careful to keep the noise down, lights low and the gardeners away from that tree so that we do not disturb them. But it can be a little challenging since they are right at our front door. You can see the momma bird on her eggs keeping them nice and warm. I can’t wait for them to hatch! Very exciting!!

Have you checked your yard for any exciting new babies that may be coming soon? Would love to hear from you.

Hope you have a great weekend!

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“Nature gives to every time and season some beauties of its own.” ~Charles Dickens

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Thoughtful Thursday

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Daylight Savings Time

This Sunday marks Daylight Savings Time. We go to bed on Saturday night and at 12 am we are supposed to set our clocks forward 1 hour. An easy way to remember which way to set your clock is think “Spring forward, Fall back.”

But who started this and why? During World War I, President Roosevelt had the idea to follow the European model and suggested to Congress to start one standard time throughout our country. This was supposed to help us utilize our resources better. Thus they enacted the 1918 Standard Time Act which was meant to only be in effect for 7 months out of the year. After the war, the Standard Time Act was discontinued. However, some states still continued to follow it.

When World War II started, Congress imposed new legislation that was basically same as the 1918 Time Act but would be in effect for the entire year instead of only 7 months. This was repealed in 1945, and again some states kept following the Time Act.

In 1966 Congress passed new legislation that would permanently set a standard time for the entire nation. There are a few exceptions to the rule. Hawaii and most of Arizona do not follow this legislation, as well as overseas US Territories.

So don’t forget to turn your clocks ahead 1 hour Saturday night before going to bed. Hope you have a great weekend!

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Sources:

https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/daylight-saving-time-instituted

https://time.com/5005600/states-without-daylight-savings-time

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