Yet these sweet sounds of the early season,
And these fair sights of its sunny days,
Are only sweet when we fondly listen,
And only fair when we fondly gaze.
There is no glory in star or blossom,
Till looked upon by a loving eye;
There is no fragrance in April breezes,
Till breathed with joy as they wander by.
~William Cullen Bryant (from Invitation to the Country)
Welcome to Still Saturday where we pause after a busy week, move in quiet pilgrimage, maybe linger a while in some fragrant place, and soak in the beauty of images and words. We’d love for you to join us. Get the details above, grab your favorite button, and link up below. We all love to hear if something especially speaks to your heart, but please don’t feel pressured to comment. Simply take some time to gaze long and drink deep.
Be.
Still.
Sandy, I finished this right when you got the link up and that word Breathe, it stuck with me tonight too. Love it when that happens. Your photos are gorgeous and the poem, it gives perspective. Hope you have a great Saturday!
Love breathing with you, Shelly. Hope you’ve found some still moments today.
I do love this Saturday community, Sandy. I usually tiptoe in the back door, and just stand quietly near the wall. But I wanted you to know I’m here. Grace and peace…
Back door and standing room only works just fine, my friend. I thought I caught a whiff of your fragrance.
I’m breathing those April breezes with joy! Such beautiful images, Sandy. I love white lilacs but have a French White bush that has never bloomed. Only my purple ones do. I’m thankful for them, but….
(My SS link is scheduled to appear in a couple hours.)
These lilacs are just remnants of the Great Lilac Massacre. I miss their strong fragrance on the breeze. We have purple ones up along my daughter’s drive.
Oh, so lovely, Sandy! That silhouette of the bird is gorgeous. Hope your weekend is restful, refreshing, nourishing. Ours will be a little crazy – but we’ve had a great week off to help us get ready for it!
I just love what God does with my camera sometimes. 🙂
I hope you find a few moments to rest. Vacations can be as tiring as refreshing.
Beautiful, Sandy…and that poem is perfect. May your weekend be “breathed with joy”, sweet Sandra. xo
Here’s hoping you’ve sensed some joy-breath today, Pat. After I stumbled on that poem, I had to order an entire book.
This is beautiful. I was inspired to comment because today was a Still Saturday for me. Thank you so much for sharing the lovely pictures and gentle words.
Best regards,
Mary
I’m so glad you’re here, Mary, breathing His sometimes gentle, sometimes exuberant joy with us.
I wish you a weekend as radiant as your pictures, Sandy.
I wish the same for you, Michelle. xoxo
Pausing to reflect on your beautiful images.
Pausing is a good thing…
The fragrance is lingering here…
Your presence is a sweet addition, Karin.
Not sure what happened to my link image, Sandy – you’d think after all these years I’d have figured out how to do the Linky thing. Sorry about that. If you want to delete it, I can come back later and try it again.
Linky Tool’s been a little testy lately. Fixed.
So pretty. And smells great, too! 🙂
My contribution this week is kind of “noisy.” But I couldn’t help it. 🙂
Oh, I’m so glad to hear those sweet voices again. Be still my heart.
Refreshing.
The sun is out. I’m going to take some pictures. 😉
I took some today, too. It was ducky. 😉
I was thinking as I looked at your photos this morning, I wonder how that smells. I was thinking the honeysuckle and hedge would blooming soon. I wander outside awhile and got a whiff of that sweet honeysuckle. Yes, I sipped on the nectar. 🙂
Oh, Dea. I love the scent of honeysuckle. We used to play evening tennis on courts surrounded by honeysuckle that scented the night. How I miss it.
But to bury your nose in lilacs… You’d think that with all the technology, someone would have figured out how to have scent seep from the screen.
Breathe. I needed that word right in this moment. Breathing in His fragrance today.
Breathe on, Jen. And may He breathe deep into you.
Your citrus blossoms are gorgeous! And the sunlight makes them sparkle like jewels. I treasure our blossoms this year after last year’s freeze! I couldn’t get enough of their sight and smell.
Breath and breathe seem to be happening around here.
May your weekend be filled with rest.
Blessings,
Janis
A new reader, and I hope to visit your pages many times. My small business is Scented Things, started in 1988…now called Chelsea House Soaps. I love words describing scent, breathe, fragrance, essence, flavor, infuse, drink, and all describe the aspects of the wells of water springing forth from the breath of God, our Father, our Creator, our Light! This poem just had to be printed by me…I sorta remember studying this poet/writer in High School, but alas, the years have rolled by, and memory sometimes fails me. Today you reinforced my need to be still by the scent of my Cecile Bruner roses blooming their little heads off in my garden near my porch where I take my morning and evening tea/coffee, and just breathe and pray. I am now a widow, and time alone with Him becomes my joy each AM and PM….time to just talk about His world, and it’s beauty. On FB I am Bonnie Vann Walker…join my family of friends. Thank you for this renewal you helped me find today.
The truth of that beautiful poem Sandy! Your pictures are stunning and a perfect complement to the words.
beautiful verse and pics… fresh is spring