" For God himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything." Acts 17:25

About Me

About Me

About Me

Welcome...I'm delighted that you chose to visit! I started this blog in March 2010 and I am so happy that I did. It has made me more aware of the many ways that God is blessing my life. I have made some special friends who bless,teach,encourage,and entertain me! My desire is to be an encouragement to you. I hope you will tarry for a while and that you will come back to visit often.

Friday, May 23, 2014

Little H is here!!



I've been in Tenn since Sunday anticipating
Little H's arrival.
He chose 11:46 pm on Wed, May 21st
to come!

Here he is:


8 lbs 4 oz, 22 inches
 

With his happy family!


His proud Chief...


 and happy Gran!


He looks pretty content with his "littlest" big sister, Rile!
 

And his "biggest" big sister, Chan, looks like a natural!

So happy he is here...healthy and happy!
I will be staying a few more days to help out...
so there will be more pictures to follow!

Thanks for sharing in this special time for our family!

Saturday, May 17, 2014

mother's day quilt

Well, the doctor wanted to wait until Tues to
convince Little H it is time to come.
So, we are headed that way Monday.

About 20 years ago, we started a friendship with
Mr Earl and Miss Sally.
They became "another mom and dad"
to Hubby and I and "adopted grandparents"
to our kids.
They have loved us and supported us and
have been a part of all the big moments in our lives.
We always remember them on Mother's Day and
Father's Day....but sometimes it is hard to decide
what they would like.
This year, since I've started quilting, I decided to make 
a quilt for Miss Sally.

She loves the color green and flowers, so I started with the fabric
 I used at the top, middle and bottom...it has a green 
background with two different rose colored flowers.


Then I chose coordinating prints and solids.


 I was happy with the way it turned out...


 and she was very surprised!


 Even Mr Earl said, "Those are your colors!"
That made me happy!


God certainly blessed us abundantly more than we could
have ever asked when he gave us these two people to love!
Happy Mother's Day, Miss Sally!!

Wednesday, May 14, 2014

this week at our place


Well, we are having very warm days here...
typical for middle Georgia. But evenings are pleasant
so there's still opportunities to enjoy the porch swing!

I posted a picture of our hedge on facebook and got 
an answer...tea olive!
I've never heard of it...which is not surprising.
I am glad to finally have a name for it!


Our wood hydrangea is blooming. It has huge leaves 
and pretty soft white blooms.


 In last week's hodgepodge, Joyce asked when we last hit the
"mother lode". Well, we hit one Sat.! We were shopping for
impatiens, but they were not priced. I asked one of the associates
for help. She scanned the pot, told me the price and then asked...
"Have you checked our clearance section?"
So, Hubby and I went down the aisle to check it out.
And there on the racks were multiple trays of...
impatiens!...for half price!!
I was tempted to buy them all, but I chose only what
I needed.
(I went back to thank her and looked at her name tag...
we have the same name!)


Got them planted last night just in time for a nice rain
shower today.

When Hubby asked me what I wanted for Mother's Day,
I told him...a swing set!
He laughed at first, but when I talked about how much fun
 the grands would have when they came to visit, he
agreed that it was a good idea.


Little E broke it in today when she came to visit.
She said, "Chief and Daddy build this swing set. I'm glad!!"
That mad me glad!

My other gift was quite a surprise!
Are you familiar with "Origami Jewelry"?
It is sold at home parties. You choose the charms
and stones and make your own original piece.
My daughter went to a party, liked what she saw, 
sent texts to her brothers, they decided to join forces and...
voila!



I love it...heart birthstones for my girls
and round ones for my boys...
a real treasure for this Mom and Gran!
We may be headed to Tenn tomorrow for the birth of
our newest grandson....depends on her doctor's appt.
We should know by lunch time. 
So, my next post may be pictures of our Little H!

Thanks for stopping by. Your visits are a blessing to me! :-)


Monday, May 12, 2014

girl's road trip

 I hope you all had a wonderful Mother's Day!
It was a beautiful day here...blue sky, sunshine, pleasant temps.
I was treated special by the Hubby and my children...
it was a sweet day!

Now, about my girl's getaway!
Friday, we traveled about 1 1/2 hours up the road
where we ate lunch here...


It was a pretty place and a beautiful day to eat on the patio.

Our salad was delicious...had lots of interesting things in it!

 We ate dinner here...


It was right on the water...very scenic!

And the Alfredo was amazing!


Between lunch and dinner, we browsed several large
 antique malls and a couple of gift shops.
It is so much fun poking around and we found a few
treasures that made their way back to my car!

On Sat, we traveled a few miles south to Senoia, Ga...
 a tiny town with a famous main street.
About 30 movies and TV shows have been filmed there.
Shops and cafes lined both sides of the street.





Saturday night, found us here eating Mexican.
We really stumbled on this place, but when we walked in
 we could tell it was a family place where locals eat...
always a good sign!

Sunday, a few more miles south and we were in Gay, Ga, home
of the Cotton Pickin' Festival.
It was huge and had all sorts of neat things to look at.

Bird houses made from tins...

books cut into letters and numbers...

and angels made from hymnals...to name a few!


 We found a few things there we couldn't live
 without too! ha! ha!



Sue and I have been friends for 35 years
and we have been in church together for almost all that time.
We raised our children together, rejoiced together at weddings,  '
cried together at funerals, celebrated at births.
 We have prayed together and played together. 
We share many memories...
sweet ones, fun ones, and some painful ones.
She is a sweet and faithful friend...
I'd be happy to have another 35 years  to share with her!



Friday, May 9, 2014

our little visitor


If you've been wondering why I haven't
 been around much this week,
here's your answer...



Little L has been with us this week while
 her mom was in the hospital.
 

She has kept us on our toes...
and she has kept us laughing!


This is what she does when she doesn't want to
hear what you are saying! :-)
 

They say you don't know someone until 
you live with them.
Well, we have learned that she is a very picky eater, but
a good sleeper. She does love bananas, milk, and
bubbles in her bath!
She says" thank you" and "your welcome"
and "light off" when she wants you to turn the light "on".
She likes helping Chief with his outdoor chores
and swinging on our front porch swing.
She doesn't give many kisses, but she will let you take them!

She will be going home tomorrow morning
and it will be very quiet around here.
She has been a joy and we are grateful
 for the treat of having her all to ourselves! :-)

Wednesday, May 7, 2014

wednesday hodgepodge


My friend and I had a great time over the weekend
and there's lots to share. But today I am participating
in the Hodgepodge. I appreciate Joyce's commitment
to this fun meme every week!


1. Share something you appreciate (or something you appreciated as you
 were growing up) about your mother.

She was my best friend and my biggest supporter. She was always there to sew
the new outfit, help with the school project, applaud me in my big moments and
love me like no one else. She died when I was 28. She met our oldest child,
but passed away while I was expecting our second. She would have been the
best grandmother. I miss her every day!

2.  A quote most commonly ascribed to Plato reads "Necessity is the mother
 of invention." When did this last play out in your own experience?



I've already talked about this here, but when I crocheted the blanket
(in a ripple pattern) for our grandson due in a couple of weeks. I realized,
after I had done about 8-10 inches, that it wasn't as wide as I thought it would be.
I wasn't willing to start over...and decided I would figure out a solution when I was
done. So, when I had reached the length I wanted, I decided to try crocheting
a few rows on single crochets on the sides and make a border. Praise the Lord,
it worked and I really liked the way it looked. I might even make another
one like it...on purpose!! ha! ha!

3. Share one of the earliest memories you have from childhood.


When I was 5, I had eye surgery. They failed to tell me that my eyes would
be bandaged when I woke up. I remember being scared when I woke up
and couldn't see. I cried out for my mom and she was there to
comfort me...like she always was.

4. When did you last 'hit the mother lode'? What was it?


Not sure if it was the "mother lode', but my friend and I did find some
real bargains at a sidewalk sale in Senoia (a little village with antique shops,
gift shops and cafes) this past Saturday. They had bins full of jewelry, scarves
and other accessories, regularly priced $10-$20, for 25 cents and $2!
We both spent some time digging in those bins!!!

5. What is/was your favorite dish mom made? Do you make that dish
 for your family/friends now that you're all grown up?

Spaghetti...she made her sauce from scratch and it took her all afternoon
to do it. We did not have it often because it was a lot of work, so it was special
when we did. Many times, I asked for it as my birthday meal. I make spaghetti
regularly, but not like that. Ragu and Prego works for me!! She also made a
German Chocolate Cake for me every year for my birthday, too...my favorite!
After she died and I made one for the first time, I realized what a gift that cake was!
It seemed every pot and bowl in my kitchen was dirty! :-)

6. Mother May I? was at one time a popular children's game.
It required no equipment or parts to play. What was your favorite childhood game
where you could just turn up and play-no gear needed?


I liked hide and seek...outside. But my favorite was hopscotch...you did need a rock,
but those were easy to find!

7. Which TV mom (past or present) is your favorite, and why?

I would say Olivia, the mom on the Walton's. She was real...kind and loving,
loyal and hard working, strong and capable, but she also lost her temper some
times and she got discouraged. Her character was one I could relate to.

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

As a mom, sometimes I wish I could "wiggle my nose" or "wave my magic wand"
and make everything right and perfect and happy for my children. But, I know
that is not possible. It is hard to see them get hurt and have disappointments,
to struggle and to have to make hard decisions. But I know that God uses the
hard times to teach us lessons in perseverance and humility. Those times of difficulty
grow our faith and our patience. God is molding our children into the men and women
he wants them to be. That requires some" kneading and re-shaping"....and that can be uncomfortable... for them and for me! But the results will be worth it!

Thursday, May 1, 2014

inside and out



Yesterday, our dishwasher was full to the brim.
Hubby turned it on and....nothing! It was dead!
Hopefully, he will be able to fix it...
it's only a couple of years old.
But, in the mean time, we had a bunch of dirty dishes!
Last night, while I watched the Braves get pounded
by the Marlins, he did this...
 


What a guy!!!

Our neighbor's ditch is filled with these...



I know they're weeds, but they're still pretty!

Our Hydrangea came back beautifully...


And it looks like it is going to be loaded with blooms!


The hedge (more like trees,...which is the way I like it!)
on the far side of our house is blooming...




I love the way it looks...the white against the green!
It smells heavenly, too!
I wish I knew what it's called. Any ideas?
 
I am headed out of town tomorrow morning for a
get-away with a friend.
I see a weekend of antique shops, arts and crafts, tasty food
in small town restaurants and a comfy hotel room 
awaiting me!
Hope you have some happy things in your weekend
 to look forward to, too! :-)