Monday's Musings

It was a most enjoyable weekend around here.  Lots of fun being with folks that we so rarely see and  cleaning both front and back porches.  The landscape work has created so much dust and dirt  and that had to be remedied.  Hopefully the nasty dusty work is finished. ~we hope~  Now, to share the latest with you.

Saturday afternoon this precious lady was celebrated on her 100th birthday.  She is affectionately known as "Ms. Virginia."  Her career started as a Registered Nurse and later she left that profession and she and her husband opened a jewelry store here in our town.  It was where everyone went for their fine jewels, crystal, sterling silver and china.  And, there was no one that knew more about those "fine things" than Ms. Virginia.  She has assisted more brides than can be recounted and she expected that these young brides would put all their sterling, crystal and china to everyday use.  Yes, Ms. Virginia never waited for special occasions to pull it out, she used it every day.  She is a Southern lady in every respect.

(pardon the blurry picture)

She was one of the few ladies that could make an "event" out of having a cup of coffee.  I have been by for an afternoon visit and served up a cup of coffee out of a fine china cup with a sterling spoon sitting on the side of the saucer.  Talking about feeling special!  And, for her birthday celebration the only disposable product used was napkins.  It was done in true "Virginia style."  An affair to remember for sure!

~~~~~

 We had dinner for some of Hubby's class mates and long time friends on Saturday evening.  I took that as an opportunity to pull out  "all things patriotic."  I had recently bought some patriotic melamine dishes and it was the perfect occasion to use them.  I thought they made a very nice looking table.

 I carried the patriotic theme out on to the back porch and patio.

Tommy and these folks all graduated from high school together and have been friends for 50+ years. ~that's a long time ~  They had so much fun talking about and reminiscing their school years.  I had a good time listening and watching them enjoy their time together.  It was a delightful evening!

~~~~~

It was all hands on deck this past week with the landscape.  They made a big dent in the flagstone and rock work and got almost all of the flower beds made.  This next week, work on the sprinkler system will begin and the beds, flagstone and rock work will be finished.  And, ultimately the plants will go in.  Stay tuned......

~~~~~

Lea's Daybook - May 27, 2016

I have not done a daybook in a long while, today seemed a fitting day to do so.  

Hope you enjoy!

For Today....

Looking out my window......it is overcast and suppose to be cloudy most of the day with possible rain this evening.  The overcast will be nice for the landscaper and his men as they continue with the landscape. ~a good thing~

I am thinking.....that I have never known our church to have 5 deaths in one month in my 40+ years of being a member.  We have lost 5 members to death since May 1st.  It seems that all Hubby and I have done lately is attend visitations and funerals. A tough time for the families of these dear folks.

I am thankful....that a week from tomorrow our children and their families will be meeting us in Branson, Missouri for some fun family time.  It can be very difficult to orchestrate these kind of gatherings due to a thing called "a job."  But, we planned this the first week of January and have looked forward to it ever since. ~special times~

One of my favorite things..... is being kicked back in my recliner, watching TV, enjoying Hubby's company, reading and composing blogs in the evenings.  It's generally my only "down time" throughout the day, so it's definitely a favorite time of mine.

I am wearing.....black leggings with little tiny white poka dots with a white lace tunic and black sandals.  I have several errands to run followed by an eye Drs. appointment.

I am creating.......for the 3rd straight year I will be creating our Garden Club's yearbook.  The first year nearly killed me but it has gotten easier as I only have to make certain changes.  I have to concentrate way harder than I like to just to get it done and I'm pretty sure this will be my LAST year to take on this undertaking.  ~just sayin'~

I am watching........I record the PBS series, Call the Midwife and I still have the last two shows of this season to watch.  I do love this series but I feel as though they went a bit over the top being way too graphic this season, or at least in my estimation they did.  I'm going to try and finish these last two shows this weekend.

I am hoping.....everything is going to come together for the Presidential election in Nov.  I've been pretty hooked on the news the past several months but I am beginning to tire of all of it now.  I mean, how many times can you hash and rehash and say what you've already said any differently.

I am learning........a whole lot about landscaping and the endless possibilities in creating ones own little paradise.  It has been a whole lot of fun watching our landscaper and crew create what I call "the icing on the cake" for our new house.

In my kitchen.....oh, my goodness, I've spent a whole lot of time in the kitchen this past month.  We had company the first of the month and then I've done a lot of cooking and feeezing for our Branson trip.  I've made egg casseroles, french toast casserole, lasagne, chocolate chip cookies, and oatmeal cookies.  Hopefully it will all be enjoyed while we are there. Now, cooking for me and Hubby and has been sparse, a lot of hot grilled sandwiches.

In my garden.....well, I sure do not have a garden but Hubby has his trusty little tomato garden.  He still has it over at the old house for now and it seems to be thriving.  He usually has enough tomatoes for him and several others.  I do.not.eat.them!  I know, that's probably hard to believe but I cannot stand the texture.

From the Board Room......whatever did we do before Pinterest!

If you are in need of ideas for patriotic decor, look no further.  There are more ideas than you can imagine and some are so, so simple and most inexpensive.  I'm so glad we have this place to share and get ideas.  Amazing!

A favorite link.....I recently found this Etsy shop through someone on Facebook and I love these scripture cards that she makes.

There are 100 scripture cards, all with the designated name on them.  I have already given 5 sets of these as gifts and the recipients were thrilled with them.

A favorite quote..........

Closing thoughts.....we have a pretty busy weekend planned here.  I have a 100th birthday affair to attend Saturday afternoon and then Saturday evening 4 of Hubby's classmates from high school are coming over for dinner.  Two of them are in town for the long weekend and it will be good to get to see them and visit.  I'm looking forward to using a patriotic theme for our dinner.  More to come about this..........

Have yourself a wonderful Memorial Day weekend!

Monday's Musings

It's Monday, that means a new week and while that means time is passing by, it also means its a fresh start.  Or, at least to me it is.  I love new weeks, new years, new experiences,  well, new anything!  I mean what's not to like about new.  ~smile~  

And,speaking of new..............YES, our landscape was started last week.  Now, started is all, but at least there's visible signs of work being done.  All of the flagstone and rock work is being done first and that, in itself is quite a task.  And, they still have lots of that to do but hopefully this week they will get that done and move on to Step 2.  We shall see.  In the left hand picture there will be rocks go in around all the flagstone.  I think it is going to be most attractive.  I'll keep you posted.

Ta-da! This Mandavilla was just a tiny vine 4 weeks ago.  I guess it has enjoyed drinking up the Miracle Grow that I've been pouring on it.  It's bursting forth with gorgeous red blooms that make me very happy.

This past week our study club met for it's monthly meeting and we had another great time.  I was in charge of the dessert and program.  The dessert was Plantation Pound Cake and I gave the program on Essential Oils and good health.  Gerri's house was beautifully decorated.  She spares nothing when it comes to entertaining.  The table scapes were stunning and Kay fixed a delicious meal of  Poppyseed Chicken and  salad for the meal.  Not sure it could have been any better and of course, the fellowship is always so enjoyable.

 And, another wall has company!  I happened upon this piece of stretched canvas art last week and it seemed to be the perfect fit for this spot.  I love it when I just happen upon things like this.  If I had purposely gone out looking for something I would have most probably come home very frustrated and empty handed.

And, this precious little boy has just about mastered sitting up.  I just love the expression.  Look at those fat rolls!  I can't wait to squeeze him in a little less than two weeks.

A Bit of This and That

Yes, it is some random thoughts and rather than call it "random thoughts," I thought that "A Bit of This and That" sounded better.  I doubt that you really cared what it's called, but I felt I should explain. ~chuckle~

I see these signs on the back of restroom doors in restaurants all the time.  It is appalling to me when I see them.  I mean, do employee really need this sign?  If they do then they sure do not need to be working in a restaurant and heaven forbid that one of them would be waiting on my table.  Good grief! Then, is there a hidden camera, placed by the employer, to make sure that their employees are washing their hands.  How else would they know?  Like I said, good grief!

This is a sign made out of a bronze medal, that I have had for several years and it has always hung in my home office.  It serves as such a great reminder for me.  When I had our first child a dear older lady came by to see me from our church.  I was a bit overwhelmed with the whole motherhood deal and she said to me, "Lea, never forget to just be still and know."  I have never forgotten those words and when I saw this sign I had to have it as a visible reminder of those very words. 

Who would have ever dreamed that our society, founded up on Godly principals, would ever be facing such as this?  It saddens my heart deeply that my Grans will be growing up  with such and their parents will now have "one more issue" to deal with on their plate.  I mean, how do you explain this to a young child?  You shouldn't have to, I'm quite certain it. wasn't. a. part. of. God's. plan.
  ~so very sad~

I've been keeping my eye peeled for just the right something to go on either side of these windows.  Last week while shopping I ran across these wooden Fleur de Lis.  They seemed to be the perfect something so I grabbed them and brought them home to try.  I was so pleased and think they are definitely the "finishing touch" that wall needed.

And, that's my random thoughts for today..................

Wednesday Hodgepodge

It's Wednesday and that means the HP with Joyce and her thought provoking questions.

Hope you enjoy!

1. Tell us about a time you found yourself 'in the middle of nowhere'. Was this deliberate?
Oh, no, it was definitely not deliberate!  Hubby and I headed to The Villages, Florida two years ago this past Feb.  We had planned this trip months in advance and  thought it would be great to go to sunshine and warmth during our winter.  Well, might you know that ice and snow followed us almost the entire way causing us to have to take back roads that we didn't even know existed.  Interstate was closed and we found ourselves in the middle of nowhere several times.  Thankfully once we arrived at The Villages, the sun was shining and it was warm and we had found our way out of nowhere.

2. What's something you're 'in the middle of' today or this week? 
 I am in charge of making dessert for my study group that meets tomorrow.  There will be just enough present that I will need to have two desserts.  So, I made one yesterday and I will be making the other one today.  Plus, I am in charge of the program and I'll be putting the finishing touches on that today as well.  So, yes, I am in the middle of something today.

3. At what age do you think 'middle age' begins? What does it mean to be 'middle aged'? 
For me, I'm pretty sure I'm past middle age at almost 64 years old but I'm not sure when "it" really begins.  Does that even make sense?  I suppose being somewhere between early adulthood and a more "mature" adult is what middle aged means.  I rarely think about age,but more about how I feel and am very fortunate that I'm still pretty energetic and very healthly.  
 

4. Ravioli, stuffed peppers, samosas, deviled eggs, steamed dumplings, pierogis, or a jelly donut...your favorite food (from this list!) with something yummy in the middle. Your favorite not on the list?
I am not crazy about any on the list but deviled eggs would be my choice.  I think a Reese Cup would be a favorite of mine not on the list.  There's not much better than chocolate and peanut butter.
 

5. Albert Einstein is quoted as saying ''In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.' Would you agree? Have you found this to be true in your own life? Feel free to elaborate. 
Definitely, I can look back at difficulties that gave me opportunities for change in a positive way and also I can see times when I did not take the opportunity that difficulty presented me. I think it's sort of like taking lemons and making lemonade.  And, facing difficulties can show us and others what we are really made of, good or bad.
 

6. What's a song you remember loving from your middle school years? Do you love it still? 
 Oh, there were soooo many wonderful songs in my middle school years, but the first one I thought of was Stop! In The Name of Love by the Supremes.  I loved it and still love it and know it word for word!

7. May 18th is National Visit Your Relatives Day. Will you celebrate? Which relative would you visit if time, distance, and expense were not considered. 
Don't guess I will celebrate as I do not have a relative near enough to go see.  But, I did just go to Virginia last month and see lots of relatives on my maternal side of the family.  It was a wonderful time and a lot of precious memories were made.
 

8. Insert your own random thought here.

I thoroughly enjoyed watching Megyn Kelly's interview with Donald Trump last evening. She is such a classy woman, and a very powerful woman that can definitely hold her own.  I thought she asked him some very pointed questions and she pretty much made him answer them and not skirt around them.  Hubby said that he'll probably end up making her his Press Secretary if he does indeed become our next President.  Wouldn't that be interesting!!!

Monday's Musings

Life has been extra busy the past month or so and my blogging hasn't been as regular as I would have liked, but I'm just going to roll with it. ~smile~  We sure  enjoyed some  gorgeous weather this past week and we were just sure our landscaper would be taking advantage of that.  He did deliver "stuff" that he will be needing to get the job done, but, still, no real work has begun.  Surely it will start this week and if it does, you will be the first to know and see pictures.  I'm sure you are tired of hearing about it. ~wink~

We had dear friends from Arkansas come for a visit this past week.  They stayed in our Guest Suite and we so enjoyed them.  Hubby went to school with both of them so their friendship goes way back and I met them about 18 years ago.  And, to know them is to love them for sure!

Diane had celebrated her 65th birthday on Mother's Day so I decided that a birthday dinner was in order the evening of their arrival.  Diane is a Stage 4 breast cancer survivor so each birthday is truly a celebration for her.  Diane has such a gift of making everyone feel so special.  She is a one of a kind and I'm so thankful to count her among my dear friends.

On Friday Diane and I went by to visit with my Daddy.  He was feeling very good and so enjoyed seeing Diane and visiting with her.  I'm still in amazement that he is where he is today after being so very near death almost 5 years ago.  He is truly a miracle and I'm so thankful!  BTW, don't you love the sign on Dad's door? ~he's a mess~

~~~~~`

AND, our little Princess graduated from Kindergarten this past Friday.  What a treasure this precious child is to us and we won't blink twice and we'll be back celebrating her graduation from high school.  I pray daily for God's shield of protection over her and our other 3 Grans.  

~~~~~

It will be another busy week around here.  The Princess will be with me this week as her Mom is not out of school until the 25th.  I am in charge of the program for a study group that I'm a member of and I also provide the dessert for our lunch.  So, I need to put the finishing touches on the program and get the ingredients for the dessert.  AND, rain is predicted for the next 3 days so that doesn't sound favorable for the start of our yard.  Oh, well, as Hubby says,"you can't fret over matters you have no control over."  But, sometimes I'm just sure that fretting will help. ~not~

Blessings abundant to you this week!

Monday's Musings

 Post #850! ~that's a lotta posts~ Good Morning! It's good to be back doing a regular post.  We were gone week before last to Atlanta to see one of Hubby's sister and her husband and when we got home it was non-stop.  Thus, no time for blogging.  But, now for a little about our trip and other trivial matters. ~grin~

We always have a good time with these folks.  This is one of Tommy's sisters and her husband.  They live in the Atlanta area and they always show us the best time.

 We visited the relatively new Atlanta Botanical Gardens.  Hubby particularly enjoyed seeing ideas for our landscape that is about to begin. ~we hope, weather permitting~

There was an interesting exhibit called Woven Whimsy at the gardens.  These creations are totally made of wood, branches and twigs by Patrick Dougherty.  He has been doing these creations for over 25 years and has done more than 250 sculptures and they have been seen throughout the US, Europe and Asia.  The above display will remain on the site at the gardens until they naturally break down over time.  Now, my question is, how in the world are these transported?  I wish I had asked that to one of the folks working there at the gardens.

On Friday evening we went to The Blue Willow Inn in Social Circle, Ga. for dinner.  The Blue Willow Inn features a "southern" buffet that is housed in an old Greek Revival mansion and served up on Blue Willow dishes.  They refer to sweetened iced tea as the Champagne of the South.  I don't think that any of the four of us would say that it was the best food we had eaten by a long shot, but the experience was well worth the drive over. 

Our last afternoon there we went downtown to the Alliance Theater to see Born for This.  It is the story of BeBe Winans.  We had no idea what to expect,but I have always enjoyed the music of BeBe and CiCi Winans.  Well, this was a huge HIT with us and apparently the entire audience.  From the first 5 minutes to the very end, it was wonderful!  There were 29 total songs and they were sung as well as any Broadway musical I've seen.  It was a wonderful way to spend our last evening together.

Now, abit closer to home............

For the past couple of weeks this has been the scene on our pond in the early morning hours.  What beauty!  And, I did not edit this picture at all, the early morning sun created the brilliant colors.

And, this gal was born about 10 days ago to our daughter and her family.  Yes, they have quite the zoo at their house. ~just kidding~  She has yet to be named. ~gotta get it just right~ She was born during a bad storm one night so I think Stormy might be a good name, but SIL likely thinks that is not very official sounding. ~chuckle~

I have no idea what Andi Kate was after, but she was certainly serious about getting it.  There is never a dull moment with this child!  I'm so thankful for a DIL that shares these moments with me through text messages.  I chuckled out loud over this one.

And, this big boy has just learned to blow.  Can you tell?  He had as many sweet potatoes on his face as he did in his tummy.  Oh, the joys of babies!!!

Have a great new week my friends!

Wednesday Hodgepodge

It's Wednesday and that means the HP and even though Joyce is in the Pacific Northwest enjoying time with one of her daughters, she still managed to come up with questions.  She never lets us down!

1. What's something fun you're looking forward to on your May calendar? 

We have some dear friends coming for a visit next week.  We have not seen them in about 2 years and we look forward to having them in our new home.  They are the kind of folks that you just pick up right where you left off the last time we saw them.

2. What are some images that come to mind when you hear the word mother?
Reserved, humble and prayerful.  These all describe my precious Mother and I'm so thankful the Lord blessed me with her.  Mother's Day has never been the same since her death 8 years ago. It still holds a certain sadness to me.
 
3. What's something beautiful you own or have seen that's made of glass? 
After my Mom's death my Dad gave me a beautiful cut glass pedestal candy dish that once belonged to his Mother.  She had given it to my Mom and Daddy wanted me to have it after Mom died.  I can just see it sitting somewhere in her house with hard candy in it.  Remember the unwrapped hard candy that was always stuck together and we just reached in with both hands, pulled it apart and ate it.  Perish the thought that we would do that today. ~too many germs~

4. Was today typical? If not what made it unusual? 

Well, I am doing this Tuesday night and there was nothing typical about today.  It started out with the news that the Dad of two dear friends had passed away early this morning.  He would have been 90 today and was very sick but, nonetheless, we are never ready to let go.  I got on the phone to help get food lined out for the families and went to the grocery to get some items for the food that I am going to prepare.  I just seemed to have been in high gear all day.

5. What is a quality you wish you could have more of?
Be a little more "fly by the seat of your pants."  I'm all about a schedule and a plan for the most part and think it's definitely the more productive way.  But, there are times that no schedule and no plans are the way to go.

6. What's the next major purchase you need to make? Will it happen in the month of May? 

Oh, my goodness, paying for a new house last year should take care of major purchases for the rest of my life.  Can't think of anything that qualifies as a major purchase coming down the pike.  Well, on second thought, our landscaping should start in the next week or so.  We've been saying that for over a month now but the weather keeps preventing it.  Anyway, it definitely will qualify as a "major purchase" and I hope that's in the month of May. 

7. What responsibility/job/work did you dislike while growing up but has proved helpful to you as an adult?
I had a LOT of responsibility from a very young age and I can't say that I really disliked any of it.  I was looking for ways to earn money at the age of 13 by babysitting, doing ironing, cleaning houses, etc.  At 15 I got a job as a cashier at a local grocery.  I did all these things and still managed to enjoy some fun time.  It required that I be a very good manager of my time and I'm pretty sure that's why I'm still fairly good with time management and organization.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

I don't know if you have heard of Feeln but if you haven't you need to know about it.  Feeln is an app and has the BEST movies!  I saw someone mention it on FB a few months back and decided to check it out.  I think it's around $1.99 a month and it is worth every penny of it.  I watch movies from the app every morning while I walk on the treadmill.  I like it better than Netflix or Amazon Prime, but, as far as I know it is only available through an app. 

NOTE: I will likely not be back to my regular blogging until Monday, too much going on the rest of this week.  But, will have lots to share then, so stay tuned!