The Country Diary of a Southern Lady

Happy Valentine's Day!

2012-02-14T12:54:00.001-05:00

Happy Valentine's Day to all of my blogging buddies!

Morning Sunrise (Repost from February 2010)

2012-02-11T16:36:00.002-05:00

"Praise God from whom all blessings flow, Praise Him all creatures here below, Praise Him above ye Heavenly Host, Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost." Doxology

I woke up this morning to a dreary, rainy day. I really love rain most of the time, however, cold, winter rains can sometimes be depressing. Days like this are perfect for counting my blessings. Without the rains of February, there would be no flowers of spring. I am thankful that God has given me so many blessings in life; my family (I love my family), my friends, and simple pleasures to enjoy.

One of the simple pleasures I enjoy on most days is my Morning Sunrise. I'm quite sure this name has been used before, it probably is not original. A couple of years ago I purchased myself an inexpensive juicer from Walmart, and since then I have been making my own mixed juices every morning. This one is my favorites: I juice one orange, one grapefruit, and add a splash of pomegranate juice. I then strain the pulp simply because I am not fond of it. Yummy! It is like drinking the morning sunrise, hence the name. This can add sunshine to any day.

I think everyone needs to find pleasure in the simple joys of life. On dreary, rainy, winter days those joys can brighten any heart.

Winter Pick-Me-Ups

2012-02-09T06:56:00.004-05:00

Nothing beats the winter blues as much as flowers. Have you ever noticed how a simple vase of flowers can brighten any room? I am so thankful that there are blooms that emerge in late winter to remind us that spring is coming.

The winter daphne not only looks beautiful this time of year...its scent is heavenly. My husband described it perfectly the other day. He said that it smelled like Fruit Loops. I have to agree. The sweet scent of this shrub does remind me of the many bowls of Fruit Loops that I ate as a child. I get to enjoy this scent everytime I walk into my front yard. It is planted right beside the front porch steps for visitors to enjoy as they pass by. I also cut some of these and bring them in for their beauty and lovely scent.

My hellebores are beautiful outside against the dull winter landscape, as well as, grouped together in a vase to brighten any room in the house.

Their blooms will not last quite as long as some cut flowers, but for several days one can enjoy their beauty.

I am so thankful for these little winter pick-me-ups. What are some of the pick-me-ups that you enjoy during the winter months?

Warm Winter

2012-02-01T10:41:00.006-05:00

On the news last night I heard the weatherman say that this was the warmest January in over seventy years. I believe it! Around here it looks like spring has sprung. Although I am perfectly content with the warmer winter, I sure hope that my plants will not suffer from the early blooming. These blooms do not usually show up until March.

hellebores

Yum, I smell Fruit Loops!

Nope, Chord, it's a winter daphne!

Daffodils already?

Blooms on my star magnolia???

Unfortunately, the pretty pink blooms are turning brown after a couple of days. :(

Well, it looks like winter has been cancelled in North Carolina this year. How is winter treating you in your neck of the woods?

Kristina at Art Abundant

2012-01-12T16:35:00.004-05:00

Do you know someone that can brighten your day just by being in their presence? Someone who is joyful and encouraging every time that you see them? I think we all can think of someone who fits this description. When asked these questions, one of the first people who comes to my mind is my friend, Kristina. She attends church with us and teaches Carson (and me) art once a week.

She has the most positive personality of anyone that I know. Just spending time with her can make our day brighter. Her love and enthusiasm for art and life is contagious. Recently, I found out that she is a fellow blogger so I thought that I would introduce her to all of my blogging friends. I love the spiritual insight that she brings into her blog through everyday experiences. She is a wife, a mother of two young children, an art teacher, an artist, and a friend. Each of these areas are reflected in her blog Art Abundant. Please stop by and visit her. I am sure that you will be blessed by her presence in your life just as much as we are.

I only hope that I bring as much joy to others as Kristina brings to me and Carson.

Introducing Chord!

2012-01-08T14:52:00.002-05:00

Just in case some of you have been wondering where I have been for the last couple of weeks...

Our lives have been consumed by a sweet little fellow.

Let me be the first to introduce you to the newest member of our family...Chord!

Isn't he a darling? He was Carson's Christmas present. I had forgotten what it is like to have a baby in the house. But this little sweetie is worth every minute of our time! Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and your new year is blessed!

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas!

2011-12-22T16:07:00.005-05:00

However, as we all know, looks can be deceiving.

The halls may be decked...

And the reindeer may be ready to fly...

The holly and mistletoe may abound in every nook and cranny...

Christmas pillows may adorn every bed, chair, and sofa...

The kitchen window...

The fireplace mantle...

And the stockings may be ready...

The courtyard wreath may be hanging...

And it may look a lot like Christmas here in my neck of the woods...but with the temperature near 70 and the daffodils starting to emerge...it sure doesn't feel like it! Oh well...Merry Christmas to you all anyway!:) May God richly bless you and your families in the coming year!

Carson's One Year Anniversary

2011-11-08T19:12:00.001-05:00

This weekend was an anniversary of sorts for Carson. Our local volunteer fire department has an annual BBQ and Homecoming Event the first weekend every November. This community gathering is complete with vendors, games, food, live entertainment and a parade. Last year Carson was invited to perform her first show ever. You can read my post about that here. She played a thirty minute set in 38 degree weather. What a way to start out!

This past weekend she was invited to perform again. This time she sang for an hour in weather that was a little better. Although it was a bit windy, the temperature was in the mid fifties..much better than last year. The group after her cancelled due to the wind so she was asked to sing again after a short break. She is such a trouper.

I am amazed to look back and see how much she has accomplished with her music in a year's time. She has written quite a few original songs...had two produced and sold on itunes...and performed numerous shows. It makes me tired just thinking about it all. Oh, to have the energy of a thirteen year old again! Anyway, in honor of her first music anniversary I thought I would post a link to her youtube channel for those of you who have asked about what she has been doing lately. (Does that make me a proud mama?) I hope you enjoy!

Have a nice weekend!

2011-11-04T18:34:00.002-04:00

I hope your weekend is full of happiness and beauty!

It Can't Be Done.

2011-11-01T10:05:00.004-04:00

It can't be done....just four little words. Have you ever had anyone tell you this? I have. Just the other day I was reminded of one of those times when someone told me that something just couldn't be done. I was taking some fall pictures of my house and garden when I remembered the time that this conversation with a neighbor took place. I had just returned from Charleston, South Carolina where I fell completely in love with the courtyard gardens that I could barely see past the iron gates. One of the objects of my affection was a particular planting, creeping fig. This beautiful vine was growing everywhere giving off an air of timeless elegance. I wanted so much to turn my little courtyard area into a Charleston garden. Then it happened...my neighbor...the one with the greenest thumb in the whole county...said those words to me. "It can't be done. We don't live in a warm enough climate to grow creeping fig. If you plant it, it will just die the first winter."

Well, as you can see I ignored her and bought three tiny pots of verigated creeping fig. I figured that it would be protected somewhat by the three walls surrounding it and the heat from the bricks may keep it alive during the cold winters.

Here it is four years later. It took it a couple of years to take off and the winter does take its toil on it just a little bit, however, it always comes back in the spring. In fact, I think it needs a little trimming right about now. What do you think?

I couldn't help but chuckle when taking my pictures the other day. My neighbor's words resounding in my mind. I am so glad that I chose not to listen to her.

I tell my girls often that anything is possible and to never let anyone tell you that something can't be done. Carson has heard a lot of "it can't be done" and "do you know how many talented people want a music career" lately. Her dad and I counter those statements with something like "if you really want it and if you are willing to work hard enough anything can happen." Isn't that what we are supposed to tell our children?

I think I should tell her the story of the creeping fig and remind her of the Bible verse that says, "With God ALL things are possible." Matthew 19:26

Shelter!

2011-10-28T10:26:00.004-04:00

One of the most important necessities of life is shelter. This necessity is often taken for granted. We have already had quite a few cold, rainy days this fall that have made me pause and thank God for my nice warm home.

On a recent dreary day I noticed a little fellow that did not seem to be as fortunate as myself.

I wonder why he is choosing to sit in the rain?

And just when I thought he was strange, I noticed that he wasn't alone.
Are there any reptile specialists out there that have an explanation for this?

From the warmth of my own place of shelter, I noticed something else. The Camellia was almost ready to bloom!

After a couple of days of rain, the sun came out again...and so did the blooms!

I am so thankful that God has provided me shelter from the weather! I am also thankful that He chose to surround it with the beauty of His creation. Is there something that you are thankful for today?

I must admit....

2011-10-20T11:05:00.003-04:00

I must admit that blogging has been on the back burner for sometime now for me. I must also admit that I miss it. Although I am trying to read and keep up with your blogs, I have not been communicating much with my blogging friends. I didn't realize how much I enjoy your company...so I am going to try to do better. I am going to try to carve out time for my blog no matter how busy my schedule may be.

One thing I have failed to do in my busyness is to thank Patti for the wonderful gift that I received in the mail sometime back. She hosted a give-a-way at her blog and I was the lucky winner. She sent me this lovely book and a sweet note.

Thank you so much, Patti. This package in my mailbox brightened my day! Patti has a lovely blog that is very uplifting. If you have a few minutes you should pop in and visit her.

I hope everyone is having a wonderful fall season. In the next few days I will try to share some of our fall happenings here in North Carolina!

Rainy Day

2011-09-21T21:28:00.001-04:00

We finally had some much needed rain today. One of my favorite things to do on a rainy day is to just sit and watch the raindrops splash on the pond. What do you like to do on a rainy day?

Fall Preview

2011-09-16T17:31:00.002-04:00

The past couple of months have been very busy here in our household. I ended up taking a little break from blogging. Now that Catie is settled into college life and we are settling into a new year of homeschooling our schedule has finally gotten back to normal. I have missed many of your posts, but hope to catch up soon. Our long, hot summer came to a sudden stop today with temperatures hovering around 60 degrees. I think we are getting a little fall preview. What a welcomed change!

Hurricane Irene

2011-08-26T14:11:00.002-04:00

One of my favorite places is starting to feel the effects of Hurricane Irene. Although these pictures of Oak Island were taken on a beautiful summer day, our good friends are now experiencing rain bands from the storm.

Please join me in praying for all of those on the east coast in the path of this large storm.

If any of you are in the path of Irene, please stay safe and know that I am praying for you and your families.

Blogger Issues!

2011-08-15T09:44:00.002-04:00

I just wanted to apologize to some of my favorite friends. I am having issues with commenting on some of your blogs. On most, I can comment as usual. On some, I have to comment using Name/URL. On others, I cannot comment at all. It is almost as if I am signed out when I try to comment. With that said...If I usually comment on your blog and you haven't heard from me in a while, this is the reason why. I am still reading all of my favorite blogs and keeping up with you. I do terribly miss getting to interact with you though. If anyone knows what I can do to fix this problem, please let me know.

Where Did the Summer Go?

2011-08-09T11:06:00.004-04:00

This summer has gone by too quickly. Between getting Catie ready to go off to college and taking Carson to her singing gigs, there hasn't been much time for just relaxing. However, I'm not complaining. Spending these summer days enjoying my girls is exactly how I want it. I know that all too soon they will both be grown up and gone. I wish somebody had told me how fast time goes when they were babies. Maybe someone did, but I was too young to understand. Oh well, I must change the subject before I am in tears.

On a happier note, Catie is excited about going to college and Carson is excited about having two of her songs on Itunes. Both girls seem to know exactly what they want to do. Maybe I haven't made too many mistakes along the way. Thankfully, the ones I have made have been covered by an awesome God!

Carson has been working really hard on her music and is trying very hard to get some more followers on her music sites. If any of you have some free time and like country/pop music. Please check her out. I'm sure she would love it!

Carson's website
Youtube channel
Itunes

I hope each of you have had a summer filled with love and laughter! Remember to enjoy every moment.

The Carolina Inn

2011-07-28T15:23:00.006-04:00

This summer is flying by for me and my family. In just a few weeks we will dropping our oldest off at college. Wow! Time goes by way too fast. Last week Catie and I spent a few days in Chapel Hill for orientation. The two days of sessions were long and boring. There was a lot of information packed into a short amount of time and my brain was on overload. Has anyone else ever experienced this? Fortunately, I decided to splurge and spend my nights in the historic Carolina Inn instead of the dorms. The inn was built in 1924 and is located on the university campus. I couldn't have made a better decision.

From every angle the inn is beautiful.

Dinner on this porch would be wonderful, wouldn't it?

The landscape was so pretty here and all over the campus.

I can only imagine how beautiful this lobby must have been in 1924.

The walls of the hallways were lined with historical pictures and information. One could walk and look for days and never have time to read it all.

The huge hall lined with windows was one of my favorite spots.

I just loved the benches tucked in between the trees.

There was beauty to be seen at every turn.

Of course there was only one thing that mattered after a long day of sitting and listening...

...CHOCOLATE!

You thought I was going to say the beds, didn't you?

Another bonus of this trip was getting to meet a fellow blogger, Richella. Her blog, Imparting Grace, is one of my favorites. She is every bit as gracious as I expected her to be. I felt as though I had known her for a long time. Isn't it nice to know that behind all of these blogs are wonderful people that we can also call friends? I would encourage each of you to meet face to face with your virtual friends if the opportunity ever arises. You won't be disappointed.

Corn!

2011-07-11T15:07:00.004-04:00

Corn is probably one of my favorite summer vegetables. Getting to sink my teeth into that first sweet ear of corn is certainly on my list of summer pleasures. The childhood memories of shucking corn with my mom, dad and grandpa are sweeter than the corn itself. When I was a little girl I was amazed at how three tiny corn kernels dropped into a little hole could turn into a plant much taller than me in less than a summer. I was even more amazed at how that plant could produce ears of corn so neatly wrapped up and protected by green, leafy shucks. Now that I am all grown up...I still stand in awe of this beautiful miracle. I guess some things never change!

There is only one thing I can think of that I don't particularly like about this summer treat. Once it is ready to be picked you have to work fast. It doesn't produce a little at the time. It all seems to be ready at once and you can't eat it all at one time...or at least I wouldn't recommend it. This is why I have spent the day consumed with corn.

After getting started at seven this morning shucking corn with my brother, niece, and dad (in humidity so thick a knife couldn't cut it); I then had to silk and wash it. Later, after taking a quick shower to cool off, I spent the rest of the morning freezing it to use in the wonderful soups and stews that will warm us in the winter.

It is really easy to freeze, so I thought I would share my method for those of you who may end up with more corn than you care to consume at once.

No, I am not getting paid by ziplock (although I would love some compensation if any of you know someone who works for the company). I do love the ease of closure with this particular brand, however.

After all of the shucking, silking, and washing blanch the corn in boiling water for four minutes.

Then, quickly remove each ear and place in cold water to stop the cooking process.

After the cold water bath, I place each ear on a clean kitchen towel to allow some of the water to drain. Then, I just cut the kernels off of the ear with a knife and scrape each ear to release all of the juices.

After all of the kernels have been cut from the ears of corn, I simply use a large spoon or scoop to fill the freezer bags with corn. I always lay the bag flat and try to get out as much of the air as possible. After I seal the bag, I place them in the freezer making sure they are flat. You want to freeze them that way to be able to stack them and conserve space. After years of watching my mom, I think I may have learned a thing or two....maybe.

When there isn't enough corn to completely fill the last freezer bag, just do what I do...add some butter or olive oil, salt and pepper, and cook a little longer for a little midday treat!

Oak Island, North Carolina

2011-06-28T15:11:00.003-04:00

Do you have a favorite place to vacation? I sure do. Fortunately, one of my favorite places is only about three hours from home making it easy to visit often. Oak Island is a wonderful North Carolina island where summer days are spent on the beach enjoying the salty breeze.

Beach days for our family consist of bike riding, beach sitting, game playing, picnicking, and dolphin watching. We don't spend a lot of time watching television or shopping. My girls have never experienced the beach any other way. What about you? How do you enjoy spending your vacation?

This week my girls are at Camp Caswell, a Christian camp on the island. John and I are going to have a little beach time to ourselves. I think I'll plan a couple yummy meals to enjoy on the beach...any ideas??

The Simple Pleasures of Summer!

2011-06-19T16:03:00.007-04:00

It's summertime! And I don't know about you, but I just love the lazy days of summer and all of the simple pleasures that come with those days. Simple pleasures like...

...fresh blackberries

...homemade cobbler

...homegrown tomatoes

...with fresh green basil

...taking a plunge in cool water

...beautiful

...blue hydrangeas

...boardwalks and beaches

...breathtaking reflections

...and summer sunsets

What simple pleasures do you enjoy during the lazy days of summer?

Happy Birthday, Catie!

2011-06-03T10:12:00.004-04:00

Eighteen years ago today God gave us one of the most precious gifts. Happy Birthday to our Catie! Daddy, Carson, and I love you very much. We are so proud of the young lady you have grown up to be. No matter how old you get, you will always be our little girl.

Catie at four holding Carson. One of my favorite pictures.

God is in the little things too!

2011-05-25T12:08:00.005-04:00

If you've read my previous post you know how busy I have been. Lately, I have had a hard time keeping up with all of the things going on in my life. I have even let a few things fall to the wayside. In my busyness, I allowed my subscription to BHG expire. I know that is not a big thing, however, I do love my magazines. Imagine my surprise when reading one of my favorite gardening blogs I find out that I was the winner of a subscription to that very magazine. I do believe that God is involved in the little things in our lives. Thank you so much Freda. I know I will enjoy it. If any of you have not visited her, you should. She always has great information on gardening and plant varieties. She has even been featured in Southern Living magazine. Wishing you all a wonderful vacation weekend.

I'm Still Here!

2011-05-21T16:18:00.002-04:00

Several of you have asked me where I have been and if I am okay. Thank you so much for checking on me. I am doing great! I have been really busy with my girls these days. Catie is graduating in a couple of weeks and this last little bit of her senior year has been really busy. Carson has had several performances recently and all of their activities just seem to run together. I am still here and I do keep a check on all of your blogs. I promise to try to keep in touch a little better from now on! I'm so glad that I have friends who care enough to ask!

Music Photos

2011-05-05T07:49:00.006-04:00

Our spring weather has been absolutely gorgeous this year. The landscape around here is just bursting with green. I can't think of any better time of the year to do a photo shoot with Carson. She needed to have some good photos to promote her music so we headed out to some of the prettiest places that I know. Fortunately all of these places are within a half mile of our home. I hope you enjoy the scenery...feel free to weigh in on your favorite shots. We are still trying to decide which ones to use.

Doesn't this remind you of The Sound Of Music?

Did you pick a favorite? I hope spring is surrounding you with beauty today!

Catie's Senior Prom!

2011-04-19T11:07:00.003-04:00

Spring has sprung here in North Carolina! As I am writing this post the birds' sweet songs are drifting through the morning air. After a very busy weekend full of activities...prom...photo shoot...art show performance...and...Easter cantata...it is nice to have a quiet morning to just sit and reflect. I am reminded of how incredibly blessed my family is.

Catie and her friends enjoyed their Senior prom this weekend. The weather was perfect! In fact, it was so nice that she and a friend sat on the pier at the end of the night and enjoyed the warm breeze.

It's hard to believe that she is graduating in just a couple of months. Where did the time go? It seems that just yesterday she was a curly headed little girl playing with toys.

Even though they sometimes argue, you can tell that they really love each other.

As pretty as they are, the azaleas can't hold a candle to Catie.

This child has always loved trees. When she was little, she used to run up and wrap her arms around them.

Every year her prom pictures have to include a tree!

I always like the pictures with the water in the background.

Can you believe that this was the first dress that she tried on?

It fit perfectly! No alterations at all.

I am so thankful to have had the opportunity to take care of this darling girl for the last 17 (almost 18) years. I guess it's almost time for her to spread her wings and fly. I'm sure she is ready...I just don't think that I am!

Warmer Weather

2011-04-11T16:47:00.002-04:00

After a week or so of rainy and cool weather, it is so nice to be enjoying some sunshine and warmer weather. Today's temperature reached the ninety degree mark. It actually feels a little like summer out there.

As soon as the weather decides to cooperate, John and Carson saddle up the horses for a little trail riding. We are very fortunate to have plenty of trails for them to explore.

After a long ride, they always stop by the house to tell me "hello" before putting the horses back in the pasture. Of course I have to grab my camera to snap a couple of shots before they ride into the sunset.

Carson stops to give me a quick pose. We're loving this warmer weather here in North Carolina. What are some of the activities that you look forward to when the weather turns warmer?

Chaos and Country Living

2011-04-07T13:26:00.005-04:00

The last couple of weeks have been really busy around here. Even though our life gets a little chaotic at times, we always seem to be able to balance the chaos with some simple country living.

Carson spent to first part of the week in the studio recording the final vocals for her songs "Run" and "Missing You." I didn't realize how much work went into recording until this experience. It gives me a new respect for artists and all of the people that work in the music industry. As you can see...she enjoyed every minute of it.

Catie even got into the act and helped record a little of the background vocals!

Of course none of this would have been possibe without the help of some great people. Mark Lassiter introduced us to her producer, Brad Smith. We now consider them both great friends. We couldn't have asked for anyone better to work with Carson. Brad's work is amazing! We cant wait to get the final mix.

It wasn't quite all work and no play. Brad stayed with us in our home and we managed to do a little grilling and fishing...country life at its best!

The Waiting Is Over....Or Is It?

2011-03-31T07:33:00.001-04:00

Well it is official. Catie is a Carolina Tarheel! She made her decision last night. We are so proud of her. Now we will be able to start planning and buying the things that she will need to go off to school in the fall. This is such a bittersweet time for us. We are excited for her highschool graduation and the events that are to come; however, it just seemed to come along way too soon! I don't know if she will ever know what joy she brings to my life on a daily basis. Am I ready to let her go away??

Oh, well...on another note...Spring has been playing tricks on us around here. After a couple of weeks of very warm weather, it seems that this last week has taken us back to winter. It has been cold and rainy, so there is not much to report in the garden. Hopefully, warmer weather will return soon. I guess we are always waiting for something aren't we?

Great News!

2011-03-20T15:00:00.005-04:00

Some of you know that we have been waiting for a couple of months on some college admissions letters for my oldest daughter, Catie. Well, thank goodness, this weekend brought some great news...she received her acceptance letter from UNC-Chapel Hill! We are so excited! Even though we are still waiting on letters from two more schools, it seems the pressure has been lifted since this is one of her top choices.

She is such a hardworking student and her dad and I are very proud of the young lady she is becoming. She hopes to be a college professor some day. I think any student would be lucky to be in her class!

On another note, Carson's full band production is almost finished. Her producer has done a great job finding excellent musicians to record her music. It sounds great! He is flying in sometime next week to record her final vocals. She is so excited to finally get to work with him in person.

He will be staying with us in our home. Since we don't have very many out of town guest, I need some suggestions from all of you bloggers out there who frequently have house guests. Feel free to give me some of your best hosting tips!

As you can see, the next week or so will be really busy around here and my blogging may be limited. However, I will stop by to see what each of you have going on in order to avoid withdrawals. I hope you all have a blessed first week of spring!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2011-03-17T08:00:00.002-04:00

Hope you are wearing your green today. My yard sure has its green on!

Have you ever noticed that everyone wants to be Irish on St. Patrick's Day? My grandmother had a little Irish blood in her, so I guess that qualifies me. What do you think?

On a different note: Some of you have asked me about Carson's music. We are still waiting for the final full band production of her two songs. Those should be finished by next week and then she will go back to the studio to record her final vocals. After that, her songs should be available on itunes. If you want to have a sneak peak of one of her songs, feel free to visit her youtube channel. She is looking for more subscribers to her channel and would love for you to subscribe if you do that sort of thing. She also has a facebook page you can like. Her music really appeals to the "younger" set, so if you have kids or grandkids, have them give it a listen and let her know what they think! Thanks so much for your interest in my sweet girl!!

Hope everyone has a wonderful St. Patrick's Day and a beautiful weekend! Don't forget to wear your green!

Trapped!

2011-03-15T16:43:00.002-04:00

Have you ever been trapped?

Recently, I found this little feller in one of my bird feeders.

I guess he went into one of the holes and couldn't figure out how to get out. I've been there...trapped in a situation of my own making. Haven't you? Fortunately, for this little bird, I came along and (after grabbing my camera to take pictures) gently opened the lid to let him fly away.

Sometimes we feel trapped in situations that are beyond our control...
situations that just happen. Thankfully, whether trapped by our own mistakes or for some other reason, God is always there to provide an escape for us.

He reaches down from above and opens a door for us walk through. (Although, I doubt that He grabs His camera to take pictures first!) Isn't He amazing?!

Busy Times

2011-03-09T18:16:00.002-05:00

Although the weather has been a bit cooler around here, spring is still springing!

We have been super busy with activity and blogging has been on the back burner. Carson has been back in the studio working on a full band production of two of her songs. Catie has been very busy with her senior project and work. Although we have been busy, it seems that we are also in waiting mode...waiting for college admission letters...waiting for the cd to come together...and waiting for the weather to warm just a little more for planting season. Have you ever heard the old saying, 'hurry up and wait'? Well that totally applies to us at the moment. Maybe it won't last too long!

An Early Spring?

2011-03-01T12:58:00.009-05:00

Even though the winter has been colder than a typical southern winter, the last week in February brought us some of the warmest temperatures since fall. With temperatures close to seventy for a couple of days my yard seems to have come alive with blooms.

I had some friends over for lunch on Saturday and was so excited to use flowers freshly cut from my own garden.

The winter daphne near my front porch is in full bloom now.

The fragrance drifting through the air is intoxicating. I have even opened the windows to welcome in spring's perfume.

The hellebores are especially pretty this year.

I love the variety that these shade loving plants have to offer.

Aren't they beautiful?

I wonder if they know it? The way they hang their little heads one can't tell.

I think daffodils are the happiest little flowers of all.

What do you think?

I couldn't believe that some of the lettuce planted last fall survived the harsh winter.

The lorapetalums are blooming too! I love the delicate pink flowers.

The buds on the star magnolia are ready to burst open any day now.

With a clear, blue sky like this who can blame them?

Pretty soon the whole tree will be covered with these soft pink blooms.

Of course, what would spring be like without these little, weedy fellers decorating the lawn?

It looks like we are having an early spring this year. For those of you still waiting...take heart...your spring is coming! Happy March!

New Places and New Faces

2011-02-25T10:02:00.010-05:00

Our trip to Nashville last weekend was full of fun. John, the girls, and I made the most of every minute. One of the highlights of the trip was staying in the grand Gaylord Opryland Resort. It is hard to believe that last year it was under several feet of water. The resort was renovated and reopened at the end of 2010. This was our first visit so I don't know how looked before, but I have to say that now it is gorgeous.

There was an indoor conservatory garden with many beautiful pathways winding through it.

Although ours didn't, some of the rooms had balconies that opened up to the enclosed gardens.

It is amazing that these plants are so lush and healthy.

My favorite part of the gardens was the waterfalls and hearing the continual sounds of rushing water.

The gazabo was the scene of a lovely wedding. I wonder where the bride and groom honeymooned?

Even the ceiling in the hotel had guitars on it! Or are they fiddles?? I can't tell.

One of the best parts of this trip was getting to meet Tina from In The Garden. She and her family are some of the nicest people I have ever met. When she found out from my blog that we were visiting Tennessee, she left me a comment about the possiblity of meeting in person. I emailed her right away to set it up. She was so sweet and invited us to her home. Since it was over an hour away and our time was limited, we decided instead to meet at our hotel. She and her family drove over an hour to meet us. How nice is that?

I was so happy to meet her. Our families hit it off right away. Everyone had a blast. Before we knew it a couple of hours had past. It seemed like just minutes. I know this is the start of a good friendship.

Tina even came bearing gifts from her garden! How cool is that? Now, part of my North Carolina garden will have a little piece of Tina's Tennessee garden. I can't think of any better gift than that...except the gift of friendship. Thanks, Tina, for taking the time to come and visit with us on our trip! You and your family blessed our day!

Weekend in Nashville

2011-02-21T15:15:00.011-05:00

We had a great time in Nashville this past weekend! Our trip was pretty much centered around Carson's love for country music and her dream to be a singer someday. I thought that I might just give a few highlights today and post a little more detail each day about the places we visited and the people that we met.

We splurged a little on this trip and stayed in the Gaylord Opryland Resort. What fun! I'll have to do a whole post on the resort to share some more pictures of the conservatory gardens in the hotel.

One of the highlights of my weekend was meeting Tina from In A Garden. She and her family drove over an hour to come to the hotel to meet us. She even brought me some plants for my garden. How sweet is that!! She is the first of my blogging friends that I have had the chance to meet in person. I'll certainly have to blog about that later in the week.

One of Catie and Carson's highlights was meeting Neil from The Band Perry in the hotel lobby. He was really sweet to stop and have a picture made with them.

Of course Carson had to see The Bluebird Cafe. It was not at all what we expected. She wants to sing there the next time she is in Nashville.

This is the Ryman...the first home to the Grand Ole Opry.

We enjoyed a show and backstage tour of the current Grand Ole Opry. Carson enjoyed standing on the hallowed circle where all of the great country music stars have stood. Could this be a future star here?

We have never seen so many big guitars!

We all loved Nashville! It is such a lively city with so much to do. Two days were not enough to see all that we would have liked. I think a longer trip will be in our future.

The weekend was warm in Nashville and at home. This morning I was greeted by a few surprises in my own little corner of the world.

No matter how far I roam, there's no place like home! Hope your weekend was filled with joy!

Getting Better!

2011-02-16T15:19:00.002-05:00

Carson has been sick with the flu for several days now and I have not taken the time to post. She is getting better by the day and has even mentioned being bored today! That is usually a sign that she is on the mend...thankfully, just in time for our weekend trip to Nashville. This little country music loving girl has been wanting to go check it out for some time and we finally planned our trip. I was afraid that we may have to cancel. (not a good thing since we had already purchased some tickets to the Grand Ole Opry) Hopefully, if the good Lord is willing, we will make it to Music City! I'll be sure to blog about it when I am home!

If any of my blogging friends have any music connections in Nashville let me know. She would love to talk to someone who could give her some advice on the music business!!

Valentine's Table Scape

2011-02-10T09:38:00.007-05:00

I thought I would link up with Susan at Between Naps on the Porch today with a Valentine's table scape. I set this table last year for my book club that meets once a month to discuss the books that we are currently reading. I was lucky enough to get to host the club in February. February is always poetry month...my favorite. It is also a great month to decorate for the meeting.

This is the table in my sunroom. I love hosting book club in this spot since it is the one with the best view of the water.

The china is actually my wedding pattern from Noritake. I love using it for Valentine's because of the soft pink flowers.

The flowers were purchased at our local Walmart and arranged in a McCoy vase that I purchased at an auction for just a few dollars many years ago. During the summer months I always use flowers that are in my yard for arrangements. Since I didn't have anything blooming at the time, I had to buy them instead.

I just put a square of florist foam soaked in water in the vase and added the flowers. It helps to start with the flowers in the middle and then work to the sides. I fill in with the greenery and fillers last.

I always view the arrangement from all sides to make sure there are no gaps in between the flowers where the foam shows through.

Taking pictures of the arrangement is a good way to spot any mistakes.

This particular arrangement lasted for well over a week. I was very pleased to get to enjoy them for that long.

When it is my turn to host the book club, I always try to use what I have on hand. I only purchase what I absolutely have to. It doesn't take a lot of money to make a beautiful setting...just a little time!

Winning and Losing (Repost)

2011-02-08T11:22:00.003-05:00

Today I took a trip down memory lane to last February's posts. I do that now and again to see where I have been and remind myself of God's blessings in my life. I happened upon this post from last year. It was written the day after the Super Bowl. Even though I have had a somewhat rocky year with some health issues, I still believe that these words are just as true today as they were a year ago. I decided that they were definitely worth sharing again (especially since many of you are recent followers). I hope you don't mind a repeat. You will certainly notice that my girls have grown a lot since then. You will also see only one picture since I did not know how to load more than one at a time! Imagine that!

Last night we had some family and friends over to watch the Super Bowl. I am not a huge football fan, but I do watch the games with John sometimes. I am a fan of the Colts, especially Payton Manning, so of course I was not thrilled with the outcome. However, I managed to be happy for the Saints because of the history of the team. It started me to thinking about winning and losing.

One of my dad's favorite sayings is, 'You win some, you lose some, and some get rained out.' I thought about how true that saying really is. It makes me think about times in my life when I have been on the winning side and times that I have been on the losing side. I am thankful that God allows me to experience both ends of the spectrum. It seems that He so perfectly balances each and every event in my life.

The year 2008 was probably one of the lowest times of my life. My mother-in-law was diagnosed with lung cancer in March of that year. She underwent treatment for six months until she passed away early that September. That summer was the hardest summer in the life of my family. That was our last summer with her. John spent much of his time caring for his mom and that really left him exhausted and emotionally spent. Catie and Carson were affected by the fact that they were losing their Nana, as well as missing time with their dad. We all felt overwhelmed that entire year, but God carried us through it.

The year 2009, however, was one of the best years in my life. In April of that year, Catie and I took a trip with her school to Greece and Italy. The time spent with her and the memories of that trip will be cherished forever. In September, almost to the day that we lost John's mom, God gave us another huge blessing. Carson, our youngest daughter, had a dream to meet her favorite entertainer, Taylor Swift. A local radio station was having a contest to win a pink jeep with Taylor's picture on it, a chance to meet her, and two front row tickets. Carson listened to the station every day and called in every chance they gave. John finally got through and won a chance for the jeep. The day of the concert, ninety-six people had a chance to win. John actually won it! Our family spent the rest of the day in a whirlwind. We were taken to meet Taylor, shown around back stage by her mom, and the girls were able to see the concert from the front row! Talk about an experience of a lifetime! For an eleven year old girl, that was a dream come true.

All of these events took place in a year's time. Our special night at the concert was exactly a year after our lowest point. I believe that God is always there in each and every circumstance that life sends our way. It doesn't matter if we are on the winning side or the losing side, God is always on our side. I am thankful that He works for my good in every situation. My prayer for my girls is that they will always look for His presence in everything and give thanks to Him.

Hang In There!

2011-02-02T14:10:00.004-05:00

I know many of my blogging friends are buried in snow at the moment. Here in North Carolina we have managed to escape the big storm. Last night we had some rain and today it is windy, however, temperatures are in the lower sixties...not bad for the second day of February. I thought I would venture out and look for some signs of spring to share with those of you that may need some warmth today. I didn't find much happening in my yard at the moment. It seems that the signs of spring are running a little late this year; however, I did manage to get a few glimpses of what is to come.

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For instance, my winter daphne appears to be getting ready to bring forth its sweet smelling blooms...

...and my daffodils are just starting to poke through the barren ground.

So, for those of you who are anxious for spring to appear...

...hang in there, spring is on the way! :)

A Taste of Spring!

2011-01-31T15:51:00.006-05:00

Yesterday God gave us a little taste of spring. Our temperature was close to seventy degrees and sunny. It was the kind of day that we look forward to here in the south during the winter months...a short reprieve from cold, dreary weather. It was the perfect day for a woodland walk. We are very fortunate to live near the Pee Dee National Wildlife Refuge. It was established in 1963 and has 8,443 acres of fields, wetlands, and woodlands that provide protected habitats for many different types of wildlife. We spent our beautiful Sunday afternoon exploring some of the trails at the refuge. Even though the landscape is still a little bleak, there is so much beauty to be seen this time of year.

The refuge has many creeks and ponds to provide habitats for fish and waterfowl.

I don't think this little fellow belonged here in the wild. I sure hope his owner was close by.

I just love walking down the trails surrounded by the tall trees.

If you walk quietly, you'll notice that you are not alone in the woods.

This little woodpecker didn't even seem to notice me.

This covered bridge is kind of neat, don't you think?

I think someone wasn't paying much attention to his fishing.

My goodness, I hope these didn't belong to the same fisherman.

Years ago, the Gaddys' pond was the winter home of many geese. Now, we are lucky to get fifty geese.

We were not allowed beyond a certain point on the trail. I wonder where this leads?

Isn't the bottom of this tree interesting? I love how God provides shelter for all of His creatures.

The Carolina blue sky promises more days like this one.

I wish I could have gotten pictures of all of the different birds in the fields. They seemed to hear us before I could get close enough. Next time I'll have to take a chair and just sit quietly for a while.

Oh well, it was back to reality today. It temperature stayed in the low forties and the clouds overpowered the sun. Hopefully, we will have another taste of spring soon and these dreary days will become few and far between.

Our Worth

2011-01-27T09:26:00.004-05:00

Those of you who have been following my blog for a while know that I am a bird lover. One of my favorite times of the day is early morning when the birds are having a feeding frenzy in my yard. I enjoy sitting in the sunroom having my quiet time with the Lord and occasionally glancing out to see the activity. Of course, with all of that activity there is bound to be a window collision once in a while, and that is exactly what happened this morning. The noise made was loud and all too familiar. It was so loud that I had to investigate, and this is what I found.

Poor little bird. He looked so scared. I did not open the door as to not alert the cats. That was the last thing this little fellow needed.

Fortunately, I checked up on him later to find him perched a little higher in the star magnolia right outside of my back door.

It always amazes me that after a little while these creatures are able to continue on their merry way. I don't know why I am amazed each time...doesn't Jesus tell us about the worth of our feathered friends?

"Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father." Matthew 10:29

What Jesus says next just fills my heart with joy.

"So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows." Matthew 10:31

Isn't it nice to be assured of our worth once in a while? Praise God, just like that song of old says...His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me!

Carson singing Taylor Swift's Untouchable at the Ansonville BBQ

2011-01-25T08:26:00.000-05:00

I've been suffering from a little blogger's block lately so I thought I would share something that makes me smile....one of my precious girls, Carson, doing what she loves to do. Hope you enjoy!

Longing for Spring

2011-01-20T17:08:00.005-05:00

I think the winter blahs have set in. You know what I am talking about...the time of year when one starts longing for spring...longing for signs of new life. It has actually set in a little earlier than usual around here. I think that it may be because our winter weather has been colder and started earlier this year. I don't know. What I do know, however, is that the bleakness of winter makes the joy of spring all the more sweet. Don't you think?

2011-01-17T10:08:00.002-05:00

As I sat on the pier watching Carson and her best friend Abbey laughing and having fun in the canoe, I had no idea that I was learning a valuable lesson in friendship. In fact, it wasn't until days later, while viewing the pictures that I took of the two friends, that I realized I had witnessed some of the best traits of a true friendship.

One of the first being that real friends truly enjoy each other's company.

Another trait of a true friendship is that when one friend gets tired, the other one will take over and row for a while.

Still, another is that a true friend doesn't mind trading places once in a while just to see things from the other's point-of-view.

Lastly, and probably the most important trait of a true friendship is that once in a while, when one friend is going through a tough time, the only thing the other can do is sit quietly in the boat and just be.

I posted this originally back in August, however, today I felt the need to post this again. Sweet Abbey (Carson's friend in the boat) lost her mother yesterday to a long, hard battle with cancer. Her mom, Jennifer, was one of the strongest ladies that I have ever known. My heart is breaking today for her family...especially her two girls (who are the same ages as mine). Please send up a little prayer for this family, and for Carson whose heart is breaking for her friend. I know that Jennifer's life has already touched many people. I am praying that God will continue to comfort this family and all of those who knew and loved Jennifer.

"A friend loves at all times, and brother is born for adversity." Proverbs 17:17

Snow Day Soup!

2011-01-12T17:31:00.008-05:00

After posting about our snow day, several of you asked for a recipe for the mushroom and potato soup that I made. I would love to be able to post an exact recipe for that soup, however, I don't really cook with exact measures. This soup was actually a take off on a mushroom soup found on the Pioneer Woman's Tasty Kitchen site. If you would like that recipe you can look here. For those of you who like to fly by the seat of your pants, feel free to read on for my take on this soup. Remember, I warned you that I don't really follow recipes when I cook!!

When I heard the kitchen calling my name the other day, I got out my favorite dutch oven.

I diced up some carrots and an onion.

Then, I sauteed them in a little bit of olive oil until they looked like this.

While they were cooking, I diced up some mushrooms...

...and added them to the pot.

While the mushrooms were cooking, I diced up some potatoes. (This is where I really took a detour from the original recipe.)

When the mushrooms, onions, and carrots looked like this, I deglazed the pot with some white wine. Any white would do, but I happen to like pinot grigio.

Of course, I always pour a little for the cook...me!

After the pan is deglazed, it should look a little like this.

Next, I added the diced potatoes and salt and pepper. Don't ask me how much salt and pepper...I just guess at the right amount.

Then, I added vegetable stock. Chicken stock would probably be tastier, but I have a vegetarian in the house.

For a little twang the original recipe calls for some tomato juice. I added a small can. I just love those little cans, and the juice adds a little something special to the mix.

After all of the veggies are happily in the pot, I cover and simmer until the potatoes are cooked perfectly.

When all of the veggies are cooked through and tender, I add some cream. I used heavy cream because that was what I had on hand. Half and half would probably work great too!

All that's left to do is find a bowl and eat up!

Of course, after eating a bowl of soup on a snow day, one must follow up with homemade chocolate cookies.

Don't even ask me how to make those..........

Snow Day!

2011-01-10T21:35:00.005-05:00

Yippee! We woke up to the first snow of 2011! This was actually our second snow of the winter. Some of you may wonder what's the big deal...well, here in the southern part of North Carolina it is very unusual to get even one snow during the winter season. Last year we managed to get several measurable snowstorms. I wonder if our weather pattern is changing.

This was the view from my front porch this morning.

What does a young country girl do when it snows?

Doughnuts on a four wheeler! That was Carson's idea of fun.

My idea of fun was a little different. I kind of liked sitting by the fire drinking my coffee.

And when I got tired of that, I sat in the sunroom drinking my coffee.

Then, I did a little garden daydreaming.

After that, I heard the kitchen calling my name.

There is nothing like ending a snow day with a bowl of delicious mushroom and potato soup.

Snow days in the south are glorious! Since we are so unprepared for clearing the roads and sidewalks down here everything seems to stand still for a day or so...and that's not a bad thing. What do you do on snow days?

Inspiration For My Blog (Repost)

2011-01-06T10:59:00.004-05:00

As I was visiting some of your wonderful blogs yesterday, I came across a lovely reminder of where my inspiration for my blog was found. One of my very first blogging friends, Zuzu, posted on some wonderful gifts that she had received from others.

One of those gifts was this beautiful book. The words that follow this next picture were written by me last February. I thought that some of my newer followers might like to know the story behind my blog.

I didn't just happen upon writing a blog by accident. I had some inspiration for my endeavor. One of my favorite books is a diary written by a naturalist and artist, Edith Holden, in 1906. Edith kept a diary of birds, butterflies, bees, and flowers each month of that year. Her words were carefully written by hand and the art work was her own. The book was actually found on the shelves of an English country house seventy years after it was written, long after the death of its author. It was then published and became a favorite book of many, including myself. I am certainly no author or artist, however, I am inspired by nature and the wonderful God that created it all. I want to capture what I see around me in my own everyday life here in my little corner of the world.

My Treadmill

2011-01-04T02:47:00.002-05:00

When the new year rolls around most people resolve to do a few things different. I am not much for new year resolutions since most of them get broken within the first week, however, I did resolve to get a little more exercise in the coming year. So far things are going well with that.

Even though the skies have looked like this...

...we have managed to take a walk every day.

Even though I have a treadmill inside...

...I still much prefer this view.

The scent of the pine trees wafting through the air gives me some much needed therapy. Has anyone else resolved to move more this year?

2010 Reflection

2010-12-31T02:55:00.004-05:00

As I reflect on the year 2010, I am reminded of all of the blessings in my life. The past year has brought many trials, as well as, triumphs.

With a chronic health issue the sailing hasn't always been smooth. In fact, this past year has been a little bit of a challenge for me.

However, when I look back and see how far I have come, I know that I have not been sailing alone.

My heavenly Father has been right beside me the entire time...guiding me and giving me strength through it all.

No, the year 2010 has not been ideal, but life is good. God is good.

White Christmas...Almost!

2010-12-26T16:18:00.005-05:00

As the clock struck twelve, saying goodbye to Christmas day, there was a cold, light rain falling here in southeastern North Carolina. Our hopes of a white Christmas faded away as we snuggled warmly in our beds. Little did we know that while we were sleeping God was busy with plans of his own. The morning light dawned on a landscape beautifully covered in snow. Now, I know that for some of you that is not a very big deal, however, when you live where I do snow is a welcomed sight...especially this close to Christmas Day. Although I love sitting in the sun room watching the snow gently fall, I couldn't resist venturing outside for just a few pictures this morning. Enjoy!

I just love the beautiful view from my front porch.

The barren branches look lovely when dressed with snow.

Do you think the birds would like to bathe in this?

It does come with a water view.

The pine warblers were especially grateful for their breakfast.

The little chick a dee preferred to take his with him.

I think that they all look pretty sitting in the American holly.

The little junco just had to be different!

My porch decorations were much prettier with a little help from above.

The snow may not have come on Christmas Day, but it wasn't far off! I pray that Christmas brought joy, peace, and God's blessings to all.

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-24T13:26:00.002-05:00

I just wanted to take a moment to wish all of my wonderful blogging friends a very Merry Christmas. I pray that this special season finds you all healthy and happy. I know that many of you have probably seen enough snow; however, here in the southeast, we would love to see a white Christmas. There is a possibility of that wish coming true tomorrow evening. I am sure that there will be many children (and adults) saying a little prayer for some of that beautiful white stuff tonight. I'll keep you posted. May God richly bless each and every one of you this Christmas!

Making My List

2010-12-17T12:08:00.002-05:00

I have a confession to make. I am not ready for Christmas. Even though we have had one of the coldest Decembers on record, my trees are decorated, Christmas music is playing, and the festivities have begun...I must confess that I am not ready for Christmas. For some reason the spirit has not quite hit me. I guess we have been so busy with other things that our minds are just too cluttered to enjoy the season. I must change that. I think I will make my list, check it twice, and finish my shopping.

Then, I will settle down and focus on what Christmas is really all about! Oh, wait...that's not the right order. Lord, help me focus on you this season. Then, and only then, will everything else fall into place. May we all remember the true meaning of Christmas!

Should I Change My Name?

2010-12-14T07:50:00.002-05:00

I'm beginning to think that I should change the name of my blog. What do you think? When I started this blog a little less than a year ago, I wanted to focus on my life in the country and the wonderful, simple pleasures that go along with it. Little did I know that my life would become so busy that it would take me away from that focus. Having two teen aged girls has made my life wonderfully, hectic instead. When they were smaller it was easier to keep life simple. However, they are growing up and their activities are very important to them. Instead of quietly sitting in the sunroom watching the winter birds feasting at the feeders, I am spending more time on the road. We have been busy with many different activities such as....

...cheering Carson on as she records her first demo CD,

...hosting Christmas parties for a bunch of cool, young adults,

... and enjoying Catie's show choir performing their Christmas tunes.

All of these activities have been keeping us busy during this wonderful Christmas season, and my blog has taken a slight detour from its original purpose; however, I hope you all don't mind tagging along. I'm sure that before I know it my life will slow down enough to stop and watch the birds again, but I'm not quite sure that I am ready for that moment to arrive. For now, I am enjoying my beautifully, busy life! May you all find joy in your life in whatever stage you happen to be. To everything there is a season!

O Christmas Tree!

2010-12-06T11:07:00.005-05:00

We are slowly but surely getting up all of our Christmas decorations. Last night we put up our live tree in the living room. This has always been one of my favorite Christmas traditions. John and I always put the tree up and get the lights on it, then the girls decorate while I bake cookies. After the tree is finished we eat our treats and enjoy the tree.

This tree is always our 'fun' tree that has decorations that we have had for years. Some of them are decorations that I have had since my childhood; others are ones that the girls have made over the years.

This year is a little bittersweet because we know that Catie will most likely be away at college next year when we trim the tree.

Although they have their sisterly moments (a.k.a. arguments), I know that they will miss each other.

Don't they look like angels?

After eating their cookies they danced...

...and danced...

...and danced.

Then came the star!

They used to argue over who got to put on the star. This year they didn't. I think they are growing up. Bittersweet!

My Thankfulness Continues!

2010-12-04T09:55:00.002-05:00

Wow! What a busy week! When you have teenagers life is never dull. This week I have been extremely busy with the girls. Catie is working hard to turn in all of her college applications and most of them require a separate scholarship application. Carson has been busy getting ready to record several of her original songs (part of her Christmas present). It feels as though time is passing by at breakneck speed. My simple country life is not quite as simple as I would like for it to be. However, as I was cleaning this morning to prepare for the live tree that John and Carson have gone to pick up, I just took a moment to stop and thank God for blessing me with these precious girls who bring such life into our home. I would be lost without them.

With all of that said, I need to make a confession. As I stroll through all of your blogs, I am very jealous of the beautiful Christmas decorations that I see. I have only managed to hang a couple of wreaths and put up the tree in the sunroom. Everything else is still in boxes. I must get busy!

I have always enjoyed putting a wreath on the courtyard wall...but this year the wreath blends in with the creeping fig that has started growing rapidly. Thank goodness the wreath has lights so that I can see it!

This morning was very cold and we actually had a little sleet. I was very thankful for one of my blogging friends who so graciously hosted a giveaway that I won. Denise at Den's Daily Life sent me the most wonderful things. I spent the morning drinking some of the hot chocolate that she sent while curled up under this beautiful red throw that was also part of the prize.

She also sent me this great Christmas stationary...

...the Snoopy mug, candles and Christmas pretties that will soon become part of an arrangement of greenery!

There were even some gift tags, gift bags, tea, cocoa, and coffee. What more could I want??? It was my first time to receive a gift from one of my blogging friends. When the mail lady delivered the package, I felt like Santa had been. Thank you, Denise, from the bottom of my heart. Every time I wrap up in my soft, Christmas throw, I will think of your kindness! I thank God for all of my blogging friends! May He fill your houses with love and happiness this Christmas season!

Thanksgiving in the Country

2010-11-29T08:33:00.007-05:00

Wow, what a weekend! I think I am going to need this whole week to get my house back in order. Does anyone else feel that way after Thanksgiving? Joking aside, I think this is one of my favorite holidays because it is centered around family and thankfulness. For Thanksgiving we have combination of relatives from mine and John's family. Many times we also have a few friends in the mix. Usually me or my mom cooks the turkey and dressing and everyone else brings a dish or two of their own. Would you believe that even though it is not coordinated, we have never had two people bring the same dish? This year my aunt brought the turkey and my mom made the dressing. (I didn't know what to do with myself.) I just love the casual atmosphere of our gathering. There is nothing like country living!

Thanksgiving in the country always includes...

...lots of family in the kitchen.

...plenty of food!

...a mandolin?

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...a banjo?

...lots of beautiful music!

...cowgirl boots.

...and some very happy listeners.

And after the crowd leaves and the men head out to the deer stands, I spend a little time getting started on my Christmas decorating.

I hope your Thanksgiving was filled with as much love, food, and entertainment as mine. Now, lets all get ready for Christmas!

Days of Thankfulness!

2010-11-24T17:46:00.003-05:00

I just wanted to take a moment to explain to everyone why I have dropped the ball, so to speak, on my days of thankfulness. It seems that over the weekend I was so busy enjoying the people that I am thankful for so much that I didn't have time to blog at all. My youngest daughter celebrated her 13th birthday with a bonfire party Saturday and My mom celebrated her birthday with a dinner at my house last night. All of that combined with getting the house ready for about twenty guests tomorrow has my head all a spin. I did want to take a moment to say how thankful I am for all of my new blogging friends. I feel so blessed to have friends from all over the world with whom I have so much in common. Many of you have come to feel like family to me. I have even received my first gift (a giveaway prize) from a fellow blogger (thanks Den). I would share pictures of my goodies, but my camera card is full. I have to run out tonight to get another. I'll post soon about how I used all of my Christmas goodies from Denise. In the mean time, hop on over to her blog and check it out. You will be glad that you did.

I would like to wish all of my wonderful blogging friends a very happy, and blessed Thanksgiving! In His Love, Carla

Thank God for Beautiful Music

2010-11-19T11:47:00.005-05:00

Today, as I was thinking of all of the things that I am thankful for, music came to my mind. I am thankful for the blessing of music in my home. John and I both have a love for music, although our tastes sometimes differs. This love has been instilled into both of our girls, who have their own musical preferences. Thankfully, we all accept each other's opinions and tastes and enjoy many different melodies in our home.

Although Carson takes lessons in bluegrass, she prefers country.

Catie prefers to play the piano and enjoys more alternative styles of music.

Even though she enjoys the alternative style, she does manage to play a few classical tunes for her mom.

John loves all kinds of music, but the tunes he loves the best are the ones that Catie and Carson play for him.

I can't imagine a single day without some kind of music drifting through the air in our home. Do you enjoy playing music in your home, or do you prefer quietness?

Thank God For My Mom and Dad

2010-11-18T17:34:00.003-05:00

During this week of thankfulness I must stop to thank God for my wonderful parents. Growing up we did not have a lot of money, however, we had enough love to last throughout eternity. My mom and dad have always been my biggest supporters in all that I have done. My mom always looks for the best in others and never says an unkind word about anyone. My dad is the quiet type who is always the first to lend a hand when someone is in need. I am fortunate to live close enough to spend a lot of time with them. I am so thankful that God has blessed me with such great examples.

They are still a cute couple, don't you think?

Thankful for The Creator and His Creation

2010-11-17T09:16:00.005-05:00

As the next few days pass by and I take the time to think about all of the things that I am thankful for, I can't let another moment pass without thanking my God, my Lord and Savior, the Creator of all things. Without him there would be no reason to be thankful. His creation alone should produce a heart full of thankfulness. I am especially grateful for His precious son who died for my sins.

I try not to let a single day pass without taking in the beauty of His creation.

I see Him in the beautiful fall colors...

...and in the reflection of the still waters...

...and in the beauty of the skies...

...especially the beauty of the skies.

For the beauty of the earth
For the beauty of the skies
For the love, which from our birth
Over and around us lies
Over and around us lies
Lord of all, to thee we raise
This our joyful hymn of praise!

Thankfulness

2010-11-16T09:00:00.002-05:00

As Thanksgiving is quickly approaching, I find myself becoming increasingly busy readying my house for the friends and family that will be coming over to celebrate. I have created a master list with many chores that need to be completed in order for my house to be ready to host this much anticipated event.

It would be very easy to get all caught up in the many preparations and forget about why we celebrate this blessed day in the first place, so I've decided to make sure that doesn't happen. Between now and next Thursday I am going to post something that I am thankful for each day. It is my hope that this will serve as a reminder to me to slow down and remember to be thankful during this season.

Today I want to thank the Lord for giving me such a wonderful husband and two precious daughters to cherish in this life. I don't know what I would do without them. They give me so much joy each day. I am blessed!

Who are you thankful for today?

Blooming Friday.....Camellias and Tiny Loropetalum Blooms

2010-11-12T10:51:00.008-05:00

I was looking at some of the blooming Friday posts and decided that it was time for me to participate. I took my camera out this morning and found several plants in my yard blooming, but nothing looked as beautiful as the fall blooming camellias. I added them to my landscape several years ago and have not been disappointed. I hope you enjoy the blooms.

This camellia is actually climbing the side of my house that is seen first from the drive.

Although it is full of buds, the only ones that are opened are hiding near the wall at the bottom of the plant. I guess they are shy.

See....no visible blooms yet!

I believe that this little bee was hiding from his friends.

Speaking of hiding....do you use plants in your landscape to hide unsightly things?

I just had to sneak in this picture of the loropetalum bloom. It is tiny, but beautiful.

Camellias are one of the South's best plants.

Don't you agree?

Hope you enjoyed the Friday blooms! Have a blessed weekend!

Proud Mama Moments

2010-11-09T08:38:00.004-05:00

Those of you who have children know the feeling...the feeling that you get inside when your child does something special. That feeling that just grows and grows until you feel as though you are going to bust wide open. You know the one that I am talking about. Well, over the past few weeks I have had several of those moments.

My oldest daughter, Catie, received her first set of SAT scores. Wow!! She has worked so hard in her studies and is finally seeing the results of all of that hard work. I joked with her and said that she is definitely the perfect combination of me and her daddy....if you add both of our scores together, ours might be as good as hers. I am so proud of her accomplishments. Can you tell?

My youngest daughter, Carson, is the exact opposite of her sister. Although she is smart too, she only tolerates her lessons. She would much rather spend her time practicing her music. This weekend she was able to enjoy her moment to shine. She was invited to sing a thirty minute set of songs at our local fire department's annual BBQ.

Doesn't she look cute on stage?

I think one of the things that made the event so special was the support that her friends and family gave her....especially her big sister who was hiding behind the poster on the left. She got a group of friends together to make posters to support her little sister. Isn't that a moment that should make me proud?

Although Carson was battling a cold, nerves, and very cold temperatures, she performed like a star.

When she finished the set, I asked her if she was glad that it was over. She just grinned from ear to ear and said, "No, Mom, I'm ready to do it again."

I think what amazes me the most about my children is how incredibly unique they are. God has given them each very different personalities and talents. I pray every day that they will use these gifts to glorify Him. Although I am proud of their big accomplishments, it's the little things that make me swell with pride...the moments when I see them show the love of God to each other and those around them. Isn't that what really matters in the long run?

Feel free to hop on over to this proud mama's youtube channel to see some of the show!

Rainy Day

2010-11-04T08:48:00.002-04:00

We are finally getting some much needed rain! It has been unusually hot and dry this fall here in North Carolina, so days like today are a welcome sight. The rain is also bringing in some cooler temperatures. I think our temperatures are supposed to stay in the fifties over the next few days.

It sounds like perfect weather for cleaning out some closets! What do you like to do on cool, rainy days???

Fall Findings

2010-10-28T09:24:00.004-04:00

The colors of fall are amazing. I just love how the reds and greens are made even more beautiful when situated beside the color of brown. These are some photos that were taken just a few steps from my home.

Isn't this just the prettiest shade of red?

One lonely acorn fell into the dry bird bath.

Green or red? This plant can't seem to decide.

Little splotches of green brighten up the landscape.

All acorns are invited to the party going on beside the sidewalk!!!

The ground is covered with lots of acorns, big and small, this year. I hear the familiar drop and roll sound on the roof day and night. Does that mean we are in for a rough winter?

A Perfect Weekend

2010-10-27T08:54:00.007-04:00

I love fall weekends! There is something about the way the chill in the early morning air melts into the warmth of the afternoon. There is also something special about the way that the sun's light illuminates the glorious colors that are found all around.

This past weekend our family traveled for the day to the beautiful Blue Ridge Parkway once again for some sightseeing and a picnic. I can't think of any better way to celebrate a fall weekend than time spent together enjoying God's creation. I thought I would share just a few of the pictures that I took of our drive.

The trees are just beautiful when clothed with fall colors.

This is my husband's favorite part of the parkway.

Everyone loves a picnic!

Who could resist a little shopping?

We had to visit Ben Long's fresco painted on a little country church's wall.

Isn't the church absolutely beautiful?

We have been studying Michelangelo's art and fresco painting. When you home school, every trip becomes a field trip.

When your hobby is photography, everything becomes a photograph.

I love the cross against the blue sky.

Every trip to the mountains has to include some exploring.

Isn't it amazing how a little trickle of water...

...can turn into a beautiful waterfall?

Michelangelo could not have painted a picture as lovely as this.

Stopping in Hickory to have dinner with my nephew was a great ending to a perfect day.

Evening Strolls and Southern Charm

2010-10-22T09:28:00.006-04:00

Earlier this week I posted about planting creeping fig in an attempt to incorporate some Southern charm into the landscape around my home. I mentioned being inspired by glimpses of the gated gardens of Charleston, South Carolina. Many commented about their own love for Charleston or a wish to visit there themselves. Bonnie even suggested a lovely book about a Charleston garden (which I will most certainly read)! Allison, one of my newest blogging friends, mentioned a desire to see more of my own Southern garden. So here it goes!

After pondering Allison's request, I came up with many reasons as to why she would be disappointed after seeing my garden.

1. I do not really have a garden. (I use the words garden and landscaping
interchangeably.)

2. I am not a gardener. (I am in awe of those of you who are true gardeners.)

3. My landscaping has many imperfections. (Did I mention that I am not a gardener?)

4. This summer's drought really took its toil on my landscaping. (a.k.a. garden)

5. Fall is not the best season for show-and-tell. (See some of my spring posts.)

However, as I have said before, I am a very transparent blogger. I am not afraid to show the bad as well as the good in my blog. Keeping that in mind, I took a little evening stroll around the house trying to capture some of the Southern elements of my landscaping.

A climbing camellia is actually a regular camellia that is pruned to appear to climb the brick wall.

The Adirondack chairs are not a Southern element, but the view is!

What Southern garden is complete without lots of ferns? I just wish I could get mine to grow as big as the ones in Charleston. Any ideas?

Of course every garden needs a kitty or two. They are perfect for catching pesky voles.

Every Southern garden needs roses! Since I am not a gardener, I grow knock-out roses. These are easy to grow and smell wonderful.

This is a picture of the alcove area created with our addition. The creeping fig is on the wall that cannot be seen. If you look closely you can see one of our Southern enemies...Bermuda grass! It invades every inch of our landscaping. Does anyone have suggestions on getting rid of it for good?

Our fall-blooming camellia is full of buds this year.

Camellias truly are southern shrubs that I cannot get enough of.

As you can see, my alcove is not big enough to be called a courtyard, but I just love the character that it adds to my home.

Look! I found a little surprise! I noticed my first fall camellia bloom during my evening stroll. (Thanks, Allison, for sending me out to photograph my landscaping!)

I love this time of evening during the fall months. The air has a certain woodsy scent that one can just inhale deeply to melt away the stress of the day. Maybe I was wrong...maybe fall is the best time in my garden/landscaping/yard. And, maybe...just maybe I'll turn into a gardener when I grow up! When under the influence of this autumn air, one begins to believe that anything is possible.

Creeping Fig

2010-10-20T11:35:00.002-04:00

John and I visited Charleston, South Carolina about nine years ago for our tenth anniversary. We both fell in love with the city instantly and have returned several times for family trips as well as anniversaries. The charm of this city puts a spell on us every time.

One of my favorite things to do in Charleston is to walk the streets taking a peek through the iron gates into the hidden gardens. Although the view is limited due to the high garden walls, one can always get a little glimpse of the beauty beyond the gates. I have always wished to go back one day for a garden tour in that lovely city.

One of my goals for my own garden is to create some of the old Southern charm that is captured so well in the gardens of Charleston. Fortunately, I was able to incorporate some of that charm into my own landscaping when an addition to my house created a little alcove with French doors leading to my patio. The addition created a wall that is visible from my kitchen window. A feature that could be cold and unattractive proved to be the perfect place to add some Charleston charm.

I decided to add some creeping fig to climb the wall giving interest and beauty to the bare brick. A neighbor informed me that creeping fig would never survive our winters, however, I planted my three tiny plants anyway. Look at them now! After several cold winters, the fig is still growing by leaps and bounds. Even though it starts looking a little ragged near the end of the winter season, it perks right up in the spring. I guess the alcove provides just enough protection from winter's bite. That just goes to prove that sometimes it pays to ignore the advice of another and plant what you love and just wait and see what happens.

Fall Garden

2010-10-13T21:23:00.002-04:00

Our local farmer's market has closed for the season. What a shame! I will miss the fresh vegetables that are so readily available in the summer. Thankfully, the fall season has some veggies of its own to share. Until they are ready, I'll have to look back on pictures from the summer market.

My dad still has butter beans producing. He also has an assortment of wonderful fall greens that are just now ready to pick. We have already enjoyed some delicious mustard greens and turnip greens. I still miss my tomatoes, fresh from the vine.

John and I finally planted our fall garden (a little late) last weekend. We have not had much rain at all and we couldn't decide if it was even worth the effort. After much consideration and procrastination, we planted some romaine, kale, broccoli, and cabbage. It has been unusually warm for this time of the year, so maybe some of it will have time to grow and produce.

I guess we'll just have to wait and see what happens. Unless the weather cooperates, it looks like I'll have to drag out the water hose. It will be worth it to have some good ole fall veggies to eat. Do you have a fall veggie garden? What do you have growing?

Goodbye Summer, Hello Fall

2010-10-06T10:11:00.004-04:00

I love this time of year when summer slowly drifts into fall. It seems that just for a little while we are able to enjoy the best of both worlds. The days are sunny and warm, while the nights are clear and cool. This is probably one of my busiest times of the year. (That may explain why I am a little behind on my blogs.)

This fall seems to be especially busy for our family. Catie has spent most of her time applying for colleges and scholarships, and Carson has been busy with her music. I am so proud of both of my girls. Although they are very different in their likes and dislikes, they both seem to have a drive to develop the talents and abilities that God has given them. John and I couldn't be more blessed.

Even with all of their activities, I have managed to savor the last little bit of summer. I am trying to hang on to my basil just a little longer. Although my tomatoes have long been gone, I did make a caprese salad one day last week with store bought plum tomatoes that I roasted to bring out the flavor. It was yummy.

I just wish that I lived near a store that sold freshly made mozzarella. Now, that would have been perfection.

To bring in fall, I decided to make something that I have never made before.... butternut squash soup. I wish I could give you a wonderful recipe for this soup, however, I can't. When I cook, I just combine ingredients that I think will be good together and go for it.

I started by sauteing onions in olive oil and a little butter until they were softened.

The hardest part about the whole experience was peeling the squash. Does anyone have suggestions to make that easier? After peeling the squash and cutting it into cubes, I roasted it in the oven at 400 degrees for 30 minutes with olive oil, salt, pepper, and rosemary. I turned it over once after fifteen minutes.

Doesn't that look delish! It was actually very good after roasting. I think it would make a perfect side dish.

Then, I combined the roasted squash and the onions in the pot and added enough chicken stock to cover and simmered for about 15 minutes.

After letting this mixture cool, I pureed it all in a blender, put it back into the pot, and added chicken stock and half-and-half until it reached the consistency that I wanted.

It was very good for my first attempt. Butternut squash soup is a perfect choice for a fall meal starter. It was a little rich and my family said that the serving bowls were a little too big. I'm sure that one could make it with just chicken stock to make it a little healthier, but I kinda like the richness.

As you can see, I celebrate the changing of the seasons in the kitchen. How do you say goodbye to summer and hello to fall?

Finally Fall

2010-09-29T10:00:00.002-04:00

Lately, I have been reading every one's posts about fall decorating with envy. It seemed that I just couldn't get in the mood to pull out all of my fall things with temperatures in the nineties. However, all of that changed this week. Sunday brought us some much needed rain and much cooler temperatures. Imagine how excited I was to finally feel like fall had arrived. To celebrate the rain and the arrival of this wonderful season, I made a delicious veggie soup and started pulling out all of my fall things. I even started looking back at some of my old fall pictures for inspiration, and thought I would share a couple of them.

This is an arrangement that I made with persimmons a couple of years ago. (I was just beginning to experiment with photography back then...sorry about the quality of the picture.)

I used twine and a little ball from a sycamore tree to tie up each napkin.

Of course I had to show you pictures of my soup that I made on Monday night.

It is one of those soups that I make without a recipe using whatever I have on hand. This one has onions, garlic, carrots, green and yellow squash, thyme and kale. I usually use cabbage, but decided to try kale instead...yummy! It will be my go to ingredient from now on!

Is there any thing better than eating a warm bowl of soup on a cool, rainy day? This weekend promises to be sunny and even cooler. Hopefully I will finish my decorating and be able to post some more pictures soon. Happy Fall!

Rain Is a Good Thing

2010-09-27T09:20:00.004-04:00

Yesterday brought us some refreshing rain! We had been hot and dry for so long that I thought this day would never come. We were sitting in church when it happened. The pastor was saying a prayer when we heard it...the rain pouring onto the tin roof of the sanctuary. Now, that is a sound that can only come from God! I think that I even heard some 'Praise the Lords' mixed in with the prayer and the rain. Today promises even more.

I thought that I would venture out this morning with my camera before the heavy rains come later on. I wanted to see if my thirsty plants enjoyed the showers of blessings. I believe that they did.

The knockout roses that had been languishing in the dry heat seemed to be singing a chorus.

The little pot of asparagus fern hummed along.

The writing spider listened intently to the concert.

It is amazing that the downpours didn't wash her away.

The loropetalum seemed to hold on to every drop that fell.

And every fall spider web appeared to be clothed in splendor.

The little mum seemed to jump for joy to finally have some cool, autumn temperatures!

Fall is finally here! "Praise God from whom all blessings flow."

A Surprise From John

2010-09-22T10:22:00.010-04:00

I looked at the date on my last post and could not believe how long it has been. I have gotten a little behind on blogging lately. John has been out of town a good bit for his job and I have been trying to keep everything together here at home. With school to teach, animals to feed, and kids to taxi there is not much time for anything else. I always miss him so much when he is gone.

He has been building a Family Dollar store in Hurlock, Maryland, near the Chesapeake Bay. I had the opportunity to travel with him there a couple of weeks ago and loved the area. It has some of the most beautiful farmland that I have ever seen. Another thing about the area that I noticed was the many places that sold Adirondack chairs. These stood out to me because I have been looking for some new chairs for our pier. We have had the old ones since we got married and they have seen better days. Unfortunately, we had to hurry home and did not get to stop to check the prices.

Imagine my surprise when John came home last Thursday with a something special for me. (Now, he is not the most romantic man in the world, but every once in a while he does something that totally catches me off guard.) It was about 9:30 Thursday evening when he pulled into the drive from the long trip. He called me outside to show me something....two beautiful chairs and a table! He said that it was a gift to celebrate the anniversary of our first kiss. Can you believe that? He always remembers that date. Isn't that sweet?

He set them off of the truck in the side yard.

They are still there today. It is the perfect place to see the pond and to view the moon and the stars.

I don't think that I want to move them to the pier. What do you think?

Maybe we need to purchase two more.

Even the kitty likes them exactly where they are.

Can't you just imagine cool fall nights with a blanket and a glass of wine under the light of a full moon?

Now, if we can just get rid of the ninety degree days here in North Carolina, maybe I won't have to imagine.

I thank God everyday for my wonderful husband! He is always full of surprises.

The Blue Ridge Parkway

2010-09-14T15:39:00.002-04:00

This weekend our family traveled to the mountains with the youth group from our church to go rafting. Spending the weekend with over forty teenagers just about did me in. Just kidding...they are some of the best young people around. After a rainy day of rafting, an evening of bowling, and night with little sleep we left the group to travel from Asheville to Boone to explore the campus of Appalachian State University. Catie has decided to leave the five year early college program that she is in to graduate this year and attend a four year university. One of the schools that she is interested in is ASU, so we decided to take a look at it. Instead of traveling the highways, we decided to ride along the beautiful Blue Ridge Parkway. I took a few pictures on the way.

I love the shadows of the clouds on the mountains.

This picture makes me wonder what lies around the bend.

I love this one with the light and trees at the end of the tunnel.

Can you see a little glimpse of fall color in this one?

Of course, what would a September visit to the mountains be without a trip to an apple orchard?

Hopefully, in a few weeks when the leaves have changed colors I will get to take another trip to the mountains to enjoy the beauty of fall.

Sunrises and New Beginnings

2010-09-08T16:20:00.000-04:00

Over Labor Day weekend our family decided to bid farewell to summer by taking a trip to Oak Island, NC. Those of you that are familiar with my blog know that this is one of my favorite places in the world. I can't think of any better way to spend one of the last weekends of summer.

On our last morning there, my mom and I decided to take an early morning walk on the beach to watch the sun rise over the ocean.

There is only one problem with that... the sun on Oak Island does not come up over the water.

That may be hard to believe since the island is located on the east coast.

Due to the curve of the land on Oak Island, the beach faces south. That explains why the sun appears to rise over the land and set over the ocean. Isn't that neat?

I just love the early morning hours when everything is quietly coming alive. The sky appears to be an ever changing canvas as the sun begins to peek through the morning clouds.

Watching the sunrise, I can't help but think about new beginnings. You see, in order for a new day to begin, the sun must set on an old one. There has to be a period of darkness while we wait for the sun to reappear.

As I write this post I think about my youngest daughter's first heartbreak. Unfortunately, it happened on Monday while I was traveling out of state on a business trip with my husband. I was not there with her. However, her older sister was right there helping her through the night.

I know that there are worse things than a breakup; however, when it is your first broken heart, it seems like the end of the world. I remember my first one, don't you? Whenever someone is experiencing an ending of any sort there is a period of darkness that follows... a time when the world as you know it seems to stand still.

Her world, for a little while, may seem to be a little dark, but the sun will come up on another day... another beginning... another opportunity... and yes, another love. (If her dad has his way, it will be a long time coming!)

I think that when we are experiencing darkness of any kind in our lives, it is important to remember that we are not alone. It is also comforting to know that with each ending comes a new beginning. After the darkness, praise God, the sun does come up again. And oh what beautiful sight that is!

Two Friends and a Boat

2010-09-02T10:10:00.007-04:00

As I sat on the pier watching Carson and her best friend Abbey laughing and having fun in the canoe, I had no idea that I was learning a valuable lesson in friendship. In fact, it wasn't until days later, while viewing the pictures that I took of the two friends, that I realized I had witnessed some of the best traits of a true friendship.

One of the first being that real friends truly enjoy each other's company.

Another trait of a true friendship is that when one friend gets tired, the other one will take over and row for a while.

Still, another is that a true friend doesn't mind trading places once in a while just to see things from the other's point-of-view.

Lastly, and probably the most important trait of a true friendship is that once in a while, when one friend is going through a tough time, the only thing the other can do is sit quietly in the boat and just be.

When I began blogging in January it was mainly so that my girls could one day look back and see through my words and lens straight into my heart. Little did I know that I was opening the door to some wonderful friendships. At that time, I promised myself that, for the sake of my girls, I would be totally transparent with my feelings and not only blog about the good days, but some of the bad as well, so that they would never see perfection in me... and see instead someone who trusts in the one who is perfect. I hope that this is what all of you, my friends, see as well. This week, after having had a particularly tough week, I posted about not feeling well. I was truly touched by all of your kind comments and the prayers that were sent up on my behalf. I felt the presence of your friendship with each and every comment that I read. Thanks for lifting me up.

"A friend loves at all times, and brother is born for adversity." Proverbs 17:17

Still Standing

2010-08-31T09:49:00.002-04:00

What do I have in common with this old house?

It may have chipped paint, falling chimneys, and some termite damage... however, after many years of abuse from the elements it is still standing.

Although I have not suffered for years like this old house, I have been a little under the weather for almost a year now with not much help from modern medicine. I feel a bit like my paint has been chipped away a little, however, Praise God, I am still standing!

"Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens." Psalm 68:19

Back to School

2010-08-26T11:00:00.005-04:00

Although technically it is still summer, I have always considered this time of year the beginning of fall. I think this line of thought dates back to my early school days. Beginning a new school year signified the official end of summer. Am I the only one who thinks that way?

We have officially started back to school in our household this week. Catie has started her senior year in the Early College program and Carson and I have started her seventh grade year here at home. I think it is going to take a while to get into the swing of things.

At least the temperatures have dropped a little and the evenings have become quite pleasant. We are once again enjoying our nightly ritual of porch sitting.

In honor of new beginnings, I thought I would share some pictures of the lovely apples that were at the farmer's market in Charlotte last weekend. Apples always seem to accompany the beginning of a school year, don't you think?

Cooking Class at the Mimosa Grill

2010-08-23T15:29:00.005-04:00

If you have been following my blog for a while, you probably know that I am in a book club that meets monthly. We call ourselves the Magnolia Readers. Every month we chose a topic or genre and then we each select a different book on which to report. We also take turns hosting the meeting at our homes; however, whoever hosts can choose to do something different if she wishes.

Well, my friend, Lynn hosted the club this month and treated all of us to something extra special. The topic was cooking, and rather than hosting at her house, she took us to the big city of Charlotte to a cooking class presented by Zink American Kitchen. It was held at the beautiful Mimosa Grill in the downtown area. I was so excited. I love watching cooking shows, but I had never been to a class before.

After driving for over and hour and relying on a GPS for navigational assistance, we arrived at our destination, The Mimosa Grill. It is such a lovely establishment. We were greeted with drinks and had a little time to sit and relax before the class started.

The class featured produce from local farmer's markets, and each dish was prepared by a chef from Mimosa. They each shared great tips for preparation and information on where to find the best local ingredients. After each dish was demonstrated it was served to us by the waiters. Each of the four courses was paired with a wine that was discussed by another chef.

Everything was scrumptious! The meal lasted for several hours. I wish that every meal was served that way, instead of in the terrible American habit of eating hurriedly then rushing off to do something else. It reminded me of my trip to Europe and the meals that I enjoyed there.

The first course was Yorkmont Tomato and Peasant Bread Salad paired with Stoneleigh Sauvignon Blanc, from Marlborough, New Zealand. This featured local tomatoes, organic cucumbers, red onion, basil and goat cheese. It was named for the Yorkmont Farmer's Market located near the Charlotte/Douglas International Airport.

This dish was my favorite of all of the dishes. It also happened to be the easiest one to prepare. (I will share the recipe later on in the week.)

The second dish was North Carolina Shrimp and Corn Etoufee paired with Silver Ridge Pinot Noir from California. This dish was made with fresh North Carolina shrimp and craw fish from Louisanna. It definitely reminded me of my trip to the gulf coast many years ago. I love it when a dish evokes a distant memory. Isn't that part of what enjoying a meal should be about?

The etoufee looks yummy, doesn't it? The local produce featured in this dish was okra, heirloom tomatoes, sweet corn, and hot summer peppers.

I had my doubts about the next dish because I am not fond of turkey, but the American Turkey Melt proved that with the proper ingredients and techniques almost anything can become a gourmet dish. The smokey blue cheese, tomato, and crispy squash made this open-faced turkey burger special. It was paired with a very nice Ruta 22 Malbec from Patagonia, Argentina. I had never had a wine from Argentina before and enjoyed this one very much.

Plum Upside Down Cake with spiced gelato and spearmint simple syrup was served for dessert. I was especially glad to learn the proper technique for making a mint simple syrup. The trick to great taste is to remove it from the burner as soon as it comes to a boil. I think I would like to make some of this to keep in the fridge to add to tea. This dessert was paired with a sweet Gekkeikan Plum wine from Japan. I do not care for sweet wines at all so this was not my favorite pairing. I would much rather have a good cup of coffee with a sweet treat.

Of course, after this wonderful cooking and dining experience we were all stuffed. We decided to take a stroll down some of Charlotte's beautiful streets. If you ever get a chance to see this city, you should take it. There are fountains and beautiful artwork all around. Most people who come here are amazed by the abundance of trees. Charlotte probably has more trees than any other city of its size. That can be a problem when a storm with lots of wind blows through, but I think they add so much beauty to the cityscape.

I just had to throw in a picture of Mimosa's outdoor dining area. I love dining AL fresco, don't you? It seems that food just tastes better when enjoyed in the fresh air. I just wish this summer had not been so hot so that we could enjoy dining outside more often. Maybe the fall will bring better temperatures for that.

After a cooking school featuring local farmer's market produce, we had to visit the one on the square before our trip home. This seemed to be the perfect way to end the day. I took many more pictures of the produce at the market. I think I'll save those for a rainy day!

I would highly recommend a cooking experience like this one. If you love to cook or just love to eat, it is a fun thing to do. Thank you, Lynn, for giving us such a treat! The only negative at all is that next month it's my turn to host...whatever will I do?

My Dream

2010-08-19T15:31:00.003-04:00

I have always wondered what it would be like to own my own Bed-And-Breakfast. Recently, this beautiful old house went on the market. It is very close to mine. In fact, I could walk to it through the woods behind my house. It is one of the oldest houses in our area.

Wouldn't it make a wonderful little B&B?

Aren't the front windows gorgeous?

If money were no object I would buy it and make my dream of owning my own B&B a reality. Could you imagine spending some time at a lovely old home in the country? What if I told you it was haunted?

New Beginnings

2010-08-18T10:20:00.000-04:00

As summer is drawing to a close there are some things that are just beginning to happen. Children all over the country are getting ready to begin a new year of school. College kids are moving their things into dorm rooms and apartments; some for the first time. And parents, like myself, are getting ready to take on the challenges of balancing a multitude of activities.

My oldest daughter is in an early college program and takes college courses and high school course simultaneously. She started her college classes this week. Me and my youngest daughter will start her seventh grade homeschooling on August the twenty-fifth, when Catie's high school classes start. We ordered her books last week and are awaiting their arrival. There is something exciting about starting a new school year. I guess that is the educator in me!

I always pray for my children as they start a new year of school. I also pray for the teachers and school staff. I know many of you do the same. Are there any special preparations or traditions that you have for your family when starting something new?

Stopping By the Woods (Repost)

2010-08-12T11:22:00.001-04:00

Now, I consider myself a "summer" person, however, it has been unusually hot here in North Carolina for most of the summer. The things that I enjoy about summer, like morning walks along the dewy paths and evenings spent on the front porch swing, have been next to impossible in this heat. Without these inspirational activities I seem to be experiencing writer's block. So, with that little confession out of the way, I thought I would repost one of my winter favorites. I think that I am hoping that reading this will somehow remind everyone that "this (hot weather) too shall come to pass." Enjoy! :)

Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound's the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

John, Carson, and I went for a walk in the snowy woods this morning. I couldn't help but to recall one of my favorite Robert Frost poems. "Stopping By the Woods."
The snow was blowing off of the trees and glistening in the air like glitter. John said that it looked like glitter from angels' wings. I would have to agree with him.

Have You Heard of Bieber Fever?

2010-08-07T15:45:00.000-04:00

If you have any girls in your household you have probably heard of Bieber Fever. For those of you who have not heard of it, let me tell you what it is. This is what a lot of young girls are coming down with these days. The symptoms are screaming, yelling, and fainting. They seem to worsen anytime Justin Bieber is in close range or on the televison or radio. Fortunately, my oldest daughter is a little too old to have it and my youngest daughter seems to be immune. She does however like his music a lot and she and a friend came up with a medley of his songs. I thought it was too cute not to share. Hope you enjoy! Happy Saturday!

Bald Head Island

2010-08-04T16:24:00.009-04:00

Although I have been going to Oak Island for almost twenty-five years, I had never been to visit Bald Head Island, a neighboring island that is home to North Carolina's oldest lighthouse. Ever since I have taught fourth grade NC History I have wanted to go and see it. John and I decided that our week alone was the perfect time to explore the area.

We had to depart from Southport on a ferry to go over to the island. Once there the only ways of transportation are bikes, electric golf carts, and good old walking. I love the idea of a place that doesn't have a bunch of automobiles on the roads.

Those that have homes on the island have to ship their belongings on the ferry as well. I don't know what they do if the run out of supplies.

The marina has a beautiful building.

Once on the island, the views were wonderful. One can see the towns of Southport and Oak Island. You may notice the Oak Island Lighthouse in the distance. It is the newest lighthouse in North Carolina. Isn't it neat that this area can boast of the oldest and the newest NC lighthouses?

The other side of the island has some incredible views of the Atlantic Ocean.

Can you just imagine what early visitors to this island must have thought about it. Legend has it that the island used to have an area that looked like a bald head and that pirates used that as a way to give direction.

I couldn't resist showing off my butterfly picture. It was made while on the island. Can anyone identify it for me?

There was another lighthouse structure on the island that was made of metal. It has long since been torn down although the foundation still exists today.

Old Baldy, as it is called, was built in 1817 . We were told that it was made of soft brick and concrete.

Once inside there are one hundred and eighty steps that spiral through several levels. My contractor husband was a little skeptical about the safety of this staircase. He was a bit fearful of climbing to the top. I figured that if it has been standing this long then it must be pretty safe.

Fortunately there were several landings for us to stop and catch our breath. There were even a couple of windows that gave a glimpse of the view waiting at the top.

On the last level, we had to climb a ladder through a small opening in the floor. The view from the top was amazing.

The three hundred sixty degree view of the island was worth the climb.

You could see everything from the top from the marina to the marsh.

Much of the island is a maritime forest with lots of trees. It was just beautiful.

It was a really hot and humid day so the temperature at the top was almost one hundred degrees. Sweat was running down our faces and backs.

Needless to say, we didn't stay at the top very long. With the unbearable heat and John's uncertainty of the construction of the stairs and platforms, we made our visit very short.

I am just amazed at the age and beauty of this lighthouse.

I would love to visit all of the other lighthouses in North Carolina. Maybe we will take a trip to the outer banks to do just that.

Of course after all of that climbing, we were very hungry. Fortunately the island has several restaurants. We ate at one called Eb and Flo's. Don't you just love that catchy name? John had steamed mussels and I had my favorite, crab cakes. It was all yummy. We finished up the day by returning to our own island and spent the evening on the beach with friends. A day doesn't get much more perfect than that.

Beautiful Southport, NC

2010-08-03T15:23:00.005-04:00

If someone told me that I had to choose another town in North Carolina in which to live, I think it would have to be Southport. This is a lovely little town south of Wilmington, situated on the banks of the Cape Fear River where the river meets the Atlantic Ocean. The streets are lined with beautiful Live Oak trees, historical houses, and wonderful shops.

Each trip to the coast has to include a day of meandering the streets of this quaint town. This trip was no exception. After getting the group settled into camp last week, one of our first excursions was to Southport. John and I enjoy walking the streets and admiring the beautiful homes.

We even found several that were for sale. This one would be perfect, don't you think?

This is one of my favorites. It is a good thing that it is not for sale.

The Christmas House is one of our favorite shopping stops. Of course you can tell by the name that it houses many Christmas items (among other things) for sale. Notice all of the flag buntings. This town has a Fourth of July parade and celebration that is one of the most patriotic events I have ever attended.

My girls used to love to visit this little shop, Bullfrog Corner. I have never seen so many toys, candy, books, and kids things in one place before. When they were little every trip to Southport included a purchase here.

Southport Antiques is one of several great antique stores in the town. Although I did not purchase anything on this trip, I do have quite a few items in my home that were purchased here and in some of the other stores around town.

I really would love to have this beautiful dough bowl but my pocketbook just wouldn't allow it. Maybe next time!

Southport even has its own bed-and-breakfast. I have never stayed here since our beach home is only fifteen minutes away, but I have seen it featured on a television show and it looks really nice.

The town has its own waterfront park with a pier, picnic tables, and benches overlooking the Cape Fear River.

From the park I could get a great picture of Camp Caswell across the water.

After all of this walking around and shopping, John and I were starving. We made a stop at one of our favorite restaurants, the Yacht Basin Provision Co. From the outside it looks like a bait and tackle shop, but it is really a great place for fresh seafood. You order at the counter then serve yourself drinks from the beverage cooler. Your food is then brought to your table outside where you dine overlooking the water. We ordered the special (we always do) crab cakes and peel and eat shrimp with a great cucumber and tomato salad. I would have taken a picture for you, but I think John was getting tired of the camera. I know that all of my fellow bloggers can relate to this.

Are you ready to visit Southport yet? I would highly recommend it! The charm of this southern coastal town would certainly make it worth your while.

I'm Back!

2010-08-02T16:00:00.002-04:00

It's back to reality for me today. After spending a wonderful week with John while the girls were at Camp Caswell, I have a pile of dirty laundry to wash and some wonderful memories to share. I hope to spend the next few days blogging about the beauty of the southern most part of the North Carolina coast. As most of you know this area has captured my heart and soul. With the girls busy having fun at camp just minutes away from our vacation home, John and I were able to explore some areas that we have never visited before. I am looking forward to sharing a more detailed post later in the week. However, for now the laundry is calling my name so I'll just show a couple of photos of things to come.

I'll certainly have to post about our wonderful youth group and their trip to camp. Remind me to tell you about the stomach virus of epidemic proportions that plagued our group.

I'll most definitely post about our ferry trip over to Bald Head Island to visit the oldest lighthouse in North Carolina.

I'll also tell you about the town of Southport, North Carolina. This is one of the most beautiful towns in the state. I think I would like to spend my retirement years there.

I've got lots to do and I really want to catch up on everyone's blogs, so this will have to do for now. Happy Monday to you all.

A Week With My Man!

2010-07-25T14:47:00.002-04:00

Tomorrow both of my girls are leaving for a week of camp with their youth group. It is the first time that Carson has been old enough to go, so that means that John and I will be without both girls for the week. The camp is only ten minutes away from my parents' beach house and we have decided to spend the week together there.

This means that while our girls are having tons of fun with their friends, John and I will be having tons of fun with each other. This will be the first time that we have ever been to the beach house alone. I think we will try out some new restaurants, shop for antiques in beautiful Southport, and enjoy some quiet time on the beach. The best part of the whole trip is knowing that if our girls need us for anything, we will only be ten minutes away. I'm a little attached to them. Can you tell?

Oh well, I'll catch up with you all when I get back. I hope everyone has a blessed week! Try to stay cool!

Summer Cool?

2010-07-23T15:07:00.002-04:00

Summer cool? Wow, now that is an oxymoron! The heat is almost unbearable today. The girls and I spent the morning in Monroe at the doctor's office. They are both heading off to camp on Monday and Catie has been complaining of an earache. I wanted to have her checked out before she left to make sure everything was okay. Thankfully, the doctor was able to correct her problem and she is good to go!

When we returned home the heat and humidity was so high that I decided that the animals needed some fresh water. After about thirty minutes of watering the animals and the tomato and basil plants, I was dripping with sweat. I came directly into the house and slipped into something dry and cooler; and I have not been worth anything since. I don't know about you, but it seems that if I ever leave the house to run errands (especially in extreme heat), I am no good for the rest of the day.

I spotted the new Southern Living (a must read for any southern gal) and was intrigued by one of the cover titles. Summer cool.

I think I'll spend the rest of the afternoon in my artificially cool house reading it.

Although I love nature and the outdoors, today I am content to see it from here in my comfy sunroom.

Thankfully, it is shaded by several huge oak trees in the summer and the sun doesn't overpower it. Maybe in the summer I should call it the shaderoom. What do you think?
Do you find that out of the ordinary errands can disrupt your day and cause you to get sidetracked? Or am I the only one that has a problem with that?

Dog Days

2010-07-20T21:25:00.005-04:00

Do you ever have days when you feel tired and uninspired? Well, I have been having quite a few of them lately. It has been such a long, hot summer that my energy seems to have been zapped right out of me. I don't ever remember a summer quite like this one. Our hottest days actually started in early June, a month that is usually mild here in North Carolina. My garden didn't know how to respond to the early heat and dry weather. Pretty much all I have growing right now is tomatoes and basil.

Even the animals are getting tired of this heat. Our horses, goats, dogs, and cats seem to only want to find a cool spot to rest.

Freckles, our oldest and wisest dog, did manage to gather up the strength to try to catch a fly that buzzed around his head pestering him to death.

It was quite a funny sight.

If one didn't know better, he might think the dog was insane.

At times he even looked a little rabid. Good thing he has had all of his shots.

Eventually, he gave in to the heat and the fly and called it a day.

"It's too hot out here to even care," said Freckles.
"I know exactly what you mean, little buddy," said I.

Productive Evening?

2010-07-16T23:20:00.003-04:00

Tonight John took the girls to a John Mayer concert and I spent the evening alone. I should have spent the time working in the storage room; instead, I spent the evening in the garden gathering tomatoes and basil, in the kitchen making pasta with pesto and tomatoes, and watching the cooking channel. I didn't get much accomplished, but I did have a great time!

I guess that's all that matters in the long run! I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

Procrastination

2010-07-14T15:15:00.003-04:00

Some of you out there in blog land may wonder why I have been missing-in-action lately. I wish I had some great excuse for my being absent from blogging for almost a week, but I don't. I have not been sick or on some wonderful exotic vacation. I have not even been really busy doing a lot of productive things. To tell the truth (and keep it real), I have just been procrastinating. There...now you know my dirty little secret. I am a terrible procrastinator!! I hate to admit it. I am even ashamed of it, however, it is the real me.

Last week, I went to take a picture for my blog and my camera card was full. Although I have been to the store a couple of times, I kept putting off buying a new card because I thought I had one already. The problem with that was that I could not, for the life of me, find the one that I thought I had. Has that ever happened to you? I searched for several days and could not find it. This little event actually brought another larger problem to the surface...my procrastination. Procrastination can be defined as the counterproductive deferment of actions or tasks to a later time. Yep, that's me!

If you have been following my blog for any length of time you may remember some of my previous posts that show a house that is fairly neat.

For example...the post about my sunroom,

...or my bedroom.

And although my house is presentable most of the time, I have a couple of rooms that I would rather that no one see. One of those rooms is my storage room.

Several years ago when my husband built an addition on our home, he added a beautiful storage room. It was the perfect room. I loved it because he gave it plenty of shelves and it was big enough to house a Christmas tree fully decorated! It was the room of my dreams.

However, due to my procrastination, it has become a junk hole. It has even overflowed into the office that is adjacent to it.

I am so ashamed to show you this, but I do feel that it is necessary in order to be held accountable to someone for what I am about to do. I am going to put an end to this terrible procrastination and do something about this area of my house. I have been challenged by Maggie at The White Farmhouse to clean up my storage area. So here it goes...I am going to try the Flylady's technique of devoting a set time to work on it each day. I will set the timer for thirty minutes and work nonstop for that amount of time every day. I don't know how many days it will take, but I'll keep you posted! Hold me accountable! Don't let me give up!

"I can do everything through Christ who gives me strength." Philippians 4:13

Even overcome procrastination!!

Too Hot to Cook!

2010-07-08T19:05:00.003-04:00

I don't know how hot it may be where you are, but we reached the 100 degree mark today. It has been miserably hot here in the southeast this summer. I have all but given up on gardening and outdoor work because it is just too hot. We do still have some tomatoes, basil, and corn growing; but that is about all. It is too hot to do almost anything outside. I have also avoided cooking big meals since that just heats up the kitchen and makes the air conditioning run too much. Luckily, John loves to grill no matter what the weather. It doesn't matter if it is 10 degrees or 100 degrees, he will still fire up the grill.

With the yummy tomatoes and basil, I stir up a little bruschetta. Just add a little olive oil, garlic, mozzarella, salt and pepper, and voila! No cooking necessary!

Doesn't it look good?

John grills up some steak, fresh corn, and of course, the bread, and we are good to go!

What do you have for supper when the temperatures soar?

Beach Fun and Back to Reality

2010-07-06T10:57:00.005-04:00

Last night I returned home after a wonderful long weekend at Oak Island. Coming home from a trip to the beach is always a little bittersweet. Although I love my home here in the country, there is something special about the time that our family spends at the coast. It seems as though life is a little sweeter when we all leave behind our everyday distractions to take a vacation.

Our time spent at the coast is relaxed and very unstructured. Most of our time is spent on the beach with friends that we have made on the island over the years. We were very fortunate to have some of the most beautiful weather I can ever remember having at the beach. The high pressure that was bringing North Carolina such hot weather finally moved out and left us with very comfortable breezy days.

Our Fourth of July weekend brought us everything that we hoped it would.

It brought us...

...an evening on the beach watching the crowd getting ready for the fireworks.

...ladderball games on the beach with friends.

...teenagers having fun without ipods, cell phones, computers, or TV!

...beautiful sunsets to enjoy on the beach.

Doesn't the water and sky look magical while the sun is setting?

Who knew teenagers could have so much fun without cell phones, ipods, computers, or TVs?

Of course, what would the fourth of July be without a little fireworks?

I hope everyone was able to enjoy some of their own.

But as they say, "All good things must come to an end." Today I am back to a reality of unpacking, loads of laundry, grocery shopping, and according to the weatherman, another high pressure. But even with all of those chores to do and hot days coming...it is still good to be home!

Happy 4th of July!

2010-06-30T16:44:00.003-04:00

I've got my bags packed. I've watered the garden. I've straightened the house. I'm ready to go. Finally, our family is getting some much needed vacation time.

We are heading out for one of my favorite places in the world, Oak Island, NC.

I can't wait to spend a little time on the beach with my favorite people.

I'll be back next week! I hope everyone has a happy and safe Fourth of July! Enjoy your family and remember our wonderful military troops that are spending their holiday away from their families. God Bless!