Christmas Open House

Welcome to my Christmas Open House! Please come in and enjoy some hot apple cider while we munch on fresh baked Christmas cookies. Let's sit for a bit while we reminisce about this past year; it has went by so fast, hasn't it? While it is fun to decorate and celebrate Christmas lets remember the real reason for it all . . . the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ . . .

May God's blessings be with you all this Christmas Season and as we welcome in 2009!

Getting Ready for Christmas

Christmas is only a few short weeks away, and I am excited about decorating the house. The first thing I put out was this ceramic Santa Clause cup I used as a little girl. Each of us kids had one and my mom used to make homemade hot cocoa and fill our Santa mugs . . . mmmmm sweet memory.

I Miss My Mel

I love this time of year, especially the beautiful fall leaves. When I got home from work yesterday the wind had blown a huge pile right in front of the garage door. As I began to use the leaf blower to move the piles up towards the street, I remembered a picture taken of my sweet little dog Melanie right in that very place. She looked so cute in a scraggly kind of way!

She was the runt of a litter of puppies and I rescued her when she was just about three weeks old. She was born in a box located in a neighbors carport, and I watched her everyday grow weaker as the bigger pups pushed her aside. I decided on the name Melanie, not your average dog name, but she wasn't your average dog. She was an outside dog most of the time, but enjoyed spending cold nights indoors, or finding a warm place at the foot of my sons bed. I took so many pictures of her, she would pose just about anywhere I sat her down and told her to stay. She knew if I had my camera I wasn't going to stop until she sat long enough for a good snap!

Melanie was a wonderful companion for 13 years, full of adventures that could fill a book. Sadly on August 15, 2005 she died from congestive heart failure. I miss her so much, but just talking about her brings a smile everytime.

'Oh you-u-u got that something...'

When you hear an old song does it bring back memories of what you were doing when you heard it the first time or when it was popular? I do this all the time, most of the songs I remember were when I was very young through my teenage years. One very vivid memory is of sitting in my high chair (or at least at the time it was mine, it had been used by my older brother and sister before me) the new Beatles song was playing on the kitchen radio I Want To Hold Your Hand. The year was 1963 and I was three years old. Sitting in the kitchen that morning I was eatting an egg "sunny side up" and got a drop of the bright yellow yoke on the sleeve of my pajamas . . . the two piece blue ones with feet in the bottoms, they snapped together at the waist. I had a yellow pair also, but today it I was wearing the blue.

Oh yeah, I'll tellyou something, I think you'll understand. When I'll say that something I want to hold your hand . . .

I remember sitting in that sunny kitchen and feeling the comfort and warmness of not having a care in the world, sitting in that red high chair just enjoying a breakfast cooked just for me.

. . .I feel happy inside. It's such a feeling that my love I can't hide, I can't hide, I can't hide . . . When I'll feel that something I want to hold your hand, I want to hold your hand, I want to hold your hand.

Ahhh, I loved that trip down memory lane! With all those sweet memories of that chair and of all the children, including my own that have sat in it over the years, I decided to put it back out in my kitchen.

I Love This Time of Year!

I love this time of year when the weather turns crisp and the leaves begin to change. On Saturday I spent some time raking up the leaves gathering below the trees and stopped to pick up a few of the red and oranged tinged ones. Growing up I loved to find the bright red ones and examine the yellows and oranges mixed in. It brought back some good memories.

Halloween is fun, but I am not into the "spooky" part of it, just the fun stuff. I found this pretty "vintage" treat jar at Cracker Barrel of all places! Love it!

Hello!

Well hello all! Yes I am here and doing fine, just taking a breather from blogging for a while, even though I have kept up with all of your blogs.

Well the newly weds are doing wonderfully and are enjoying starting their life together after spending a beautiful honeymoon in Jamaica. They recently added a new kitty to their family, a sweet little yellow calico named Max.

Last month my entire family spent a week at the beach. It was so much fun, thats the first time in years that we have all went on vacation together, and it was such a blessing. The weather was beautiful and everyone "did their own thing" so there was no pressure to conform to any one schedule. I spent my week reading a relaxing ... ahhh I needed that!

Other news is that my son is getting married next May! He and his fiance' are going to be married in Savannah, Georgia at Forsyth Park in front of the fountain. It will be so beautiful. I am looking forward to being the mother-of-the groom rather than the mother-of-the bride which will be a lot less stressful! We are having the rehearsal dinner at Paula Deen's restaurant The Lady and Sons, which will be so much fun.

I want to introduce you to my best friend and scrapbooking partner. She has recently started her new blog Yackity Yack In Yadkin. She has a beautiful home which inspires what little decorating ability I have each time I visit. Please stop by and visit.

Next time, I will update you on my newest hobby.

I "Y"

I have never been very athletic, actually the word exercise made me cringe with dread! But last September my sister introduced me to racquetball. She had been going to the YMCA for a while with her son and they invited me to go along with them and play. After playing for a bit I was hooked, it didn't seem like "exercise" and we had a great time. Fortunately for me they were very patient and didn't mind that I wasn't very good. As a matter of fact I still haven't even once come close to winning a match, but I did manage to score 8 points this week in a 15 point game!

I had never been to a YMCA other than to enroll my children there for summer camp, and was surprised at how relaxed and encouraging everyone is of each other. All ages and sizes are encouraged to just be healthy in mind, body, and spirit. Taking advantage of the weights, swimming, and fitness classes has helped put me in the best physical shape I've been in a long time. I would encourage anyone of any age or fitness level to "Y" if you haven't already!

Time For Some Changes

It is amazing how much time it takes to plan and get ready for a wedding. It has been two weeks since my daughters wedding; I am looking around my house and seeing so many things that I have let go! So today I was up before dawn and planning my day. Deep cleaning is not one of my favorite things to do, but everything looks better already!

I did a little rearranging and hung my daughter's bridal portrait here. What do you think? I am also ready for some new paint and carpet! Amazing how freshing things up, hanging a picture and moving a few things around makes you want to remake a room. I have been visiting other blogs and looking at their houses for inspiration.

Liz, over at Mabel's House, recently had a post on colors and had links to other blogs inviting us into their homes to see some great ideas with colors and decorating ideas. This really makes me want to make some changes around here. Now I just need to take about a month off from work to have time to do everything. Wish me luck on that one!

Looking Back On A Special Day

Well what can I say? It has been four days since my daughter married. Looking back at it now all of the excitement, work, frustration, anticipation, planning, and yes worrying that it would rain on her outside wedding, all turned out beautifully. It was all worth it! She and her husband were so happy, even the rain did not make one bit of difference.

We started out the day with all of the girls of the wedding party having their hair and makeup done at the salon. Everyone was beautiful, especially the bride.

She carried red roses; all of the other flowers were white hydrangeas. Here she is just moments before the ceremony.

We had decided to wait a few minutes to see if the rain would let up, but decided to just proceed. As you can see by the look on the bride and groom's faces they didn't mind at all. I have never seen two people any happier.

After the ceremony everyone made their way inside for the reception. A great time was had by all as the couple enjoyed several beautiful heartfelt toasts, and time with family and friends. The cake was so elegant and had their monogram on it. The evening went by so quickly and they were whisked off in the limousine to begin their new life together . . .

Thank you all for your prayers and good wishes!

Special thanks and credit to my sister Z. Christine Spoon and Matt Spoon for the wedding photography: Website: www.zcsphotography.com

Rainy Day Wedding

Saturday June 14th started out as a sunny day, but by 5:00 p.m. the rain clouds started rolling in. Not to be out done we decided to proceed with the wedding. Everything was beautiful despite a little water baptizing everyone!

I am still trying to recover from such a busy week, but will post more pictures in the next few days!




Special thanks and credit to my sister Z. Christine Spoon and Matt Spoon for the wedding photography: Website: www.zcsphotography.com

Just a Note ~

Happy Friday! Just one more week until my daughters wedding and four weeks past her graduation from college and helping her move out. Everyone has been extremely busy. All the plans are coming together and I am starting to be a little more excited and looking forward to the uncoming wedding. Hopefully after that I can settle down again. Hope you all have a wonderful Friday and enjoy the weekend.

What's for dinner?

What's for dinner? The dreaded question every night! Am I the only one who feels this way? As I have said before I'm not the best cook in the world, but I do love a good homemade meal. My husband is a wonderful cook but hasn't done very much cooking lately. Right now with the fuel and grocery prices going up so rapidly I hate to go to the grocery store. I can't hardly wait for the fresh summer vegtables to starting coming in, but until then I am just uninspired to cook very much of anything.

So my answer to the dreaded question of what's for dinner: "Cereal, it's not just for breakfast anymore"! Not the sugery kind; but a big bowl of oatmeal, or Special K with fresh strawberries, peaches or a bananna, and soy milk hits the spot. After having cereal for too many nights in a row my husband cooked a pot of cabbage, blackeyed peas and cornbread for dinner. Yummy! Man can't live by cereal alone!

Just Makes You Want To Scream!

I receive e-mails all the time from "well meaning" friends who want to warn me about the ever present dangers lurking at every corner. Almost all of them are urban legends and can be quickly dismissed either by common sense or of course checking it at snopes.com.

Last week I received an e-mail with an attachment about ATM card scams (actually this one was true) in which my friend started out my saying: "Come live in constant fear with me as I share yet another way to become a victim."

My e-mail response:

"Thanks a lot . . . Now I have this to worry about as well as being kidnaped and iced down by strangers who want to cut my kidney's out to sell my organs on the black market; having my achilleas tendons cut with a straight razor by someone hiding under my car, while I am trying to unlock my door; someone hiding an Aids infected needle under the handle of the gas pump dispenser; nuclear attack, terrorist attack, someone rigging my car to blow up as soon as I turn the key in the ignition; driving next to a tractor trailer on the freeway and one of those huge tires flies off their trucks and comes though my windshield and decapates me, while my poor mother is riding in the passenger seat next to me and looks on in horror as I sit there headless, my hands still glued to the wheel in a death grip, as the car careens off the road and down a cliff before exploding into a giant ball of fire before crashing into the rocks below, and shattering into a million pieces, and then landing in the swirling water below! ... I need to make sure my mom knows how to swim!"

Oh well, wishing you all a Happy Day!

Happy Mother's Day

All that I am or ever hope to be, I owe to my Mother."
- quote Abraham Lincoln

A Trip to Remember

Last week my husband and I took a much needed trip to celebrate our wedding anniversary. We decided when we were married that each year we would take time out to go somewhere and be alone together on our anniversary. We were both so busy with work and life last year that we took a short overnight trip, which was nice, but this year we planned the for the entire week.

Our first part of the trip was to New Bern, North Carolina, where the Neuse and Trent rivers meet. It is only 35 miles from the ocean and is a beautiful historic town. This was the view from our hotel balcony at sunrise.
If you ever get a chance to visit do not miss the tour of Tryone Palace which was originally built between 1767 and 1770, as the first permanent capitol of the Colony of North Carolina and a home for the Royal Governor and his family. All of the furnishings and decor are from the 1700's. Our tour guide was a sweet lady who really gave a great presentation.

I took this picture in one of the palace gardens. Aren't these iris's beautiful?After a couple of days in New Bern we drove on to Morehead City, Atlantic Beach, and Beaufort. The weather was beautiful, and the antique shops were abundant! So guess what I did; I visited everyone! Here is my sweet husband relaxing and people watching while I am going from store to store. He is so sweet and never complains when I am "looking" in all the stores, he is "looking" at all the people!

We did manage a walk on the beach, but it was way too cold to go in the water.

Now back to our touring the town! When we were in Beaufort we walked around this beautiful old burying ground. Some of the graves date back to the Revolutionary War period, and most of the others are in the 1800's. It probably sounds weird, but we like to visit graveyards/ cemeteries . . . its interesting.

And last but not least, what vacation wouldn't be complete without posing next to a life size Elvis Pressley?

Race For The Cure 2008

Well I'm back from vacation and enjoyed a wonderful time alone with my husband celebrating our 8th wedding anniversary. I will share more about that later.
Today my sister, brother-in-law and nephew participated in the Susan G. Koman Race For The Cure 2008. The weather was wonderful and the turn out was record breaking. Supporters were 15,000 strong and walked the 3-mile route to raise awareness and money for the research and cure of breast cancer.

My sister Christine and I . . .

I loved these little girls shirts! There were so many children and families walking together it was really heart warming to see how everyone came together for this important event.



Today while I was walking my thoughts were about those I know who have fought and survived breast cancer as well as those who have fought and lost the battle. One very courageous woman who is a survivor is Amy over at Four Sisters In A Cottage. If you haven't stopped by and visited her you must, she has a wonderful blog.