Memorial Day

As we honor those who have given their lives to protect our freedoms, may we also honor those who continue to protect our freedoms, and may we NEVER take those freedoms for granted!

Thank you, to ALL our HEROES!!!

Sunday Reflections

"It is good to praise the Lord and make music to Your name, O Most High,to proclaim your love in the morning, and your faithfulness at night."

Psalm 92:1,2

New Look

I've been ready for a new look for our bedroom for some time: from a heavy dark red comforter with heavy green & purple drapes, to something light & airy.  Since my DH loves the wall color, change there was not an option.  Trying to work around the sofa in there was the other challenge...

The purple crocus' in the sofa are the reason I went with the green, red, & purple color scheme over the last 8 years.

Replacing the heavy red with white for the comforter made an instant change (the pillow shams are part of the set of the former bed covering). With a dark red stripe bench at the end of the bed, I'm still undecided about keeping the red pillow shams... but I think I'm ready for them to move elsewhere,  I've decided I want them OUT OF THERE!  Too dark!

And then adding white "wispy" curtains gave the airy feeling I wanted. (The green is NOT as "strong" as it appears).

Not a great picture here, but remember the brass handles that I changed to brushed nickel?

It's nice to have a little change~

In Honor of our Sailors

I love old pictures that have a special meaning...

TWEETS!

As you can tell, I'm really "into" nature right now...
Yesterday I saw a bird swoop across the backyard & land on the fence, so I grabbed my camera.  This particular bird has been flying through the yard in various places, landing in surrounding trees lately.

You can see that he/she would be hard to miss flying or sitting...

This gives you an idea of the size of this hawk....

As the hawk swooped away, I heard another very loud bird on the other side of the yard, so camera in hand I dashed across the room (yes, these were taken from inside the house... I wasn't real sure about being out there WITH the hawk!)

I usually can identify most birds, but I don't know what this one is (mouth is open because it was singing at the top of its lungs!)
So, who can identify this one for me?

Buds 'N Blooms Update

Just so you know: I DO NOT have a green thumb!  These Japanese lilies literally grow themselves!  But you have to enjoy them quickly... in about 4 days time they are starting to fade already.  It's a nice splash of orange to start off the summer since none of my other flowers go with orange.  But soon the other colors/flowers will take over the show!

Buds 'N Blooms

It's finally that time of year for buds and blooms. After such a harsh winter (for NC...) the peony bush seems to be smaller, but still blooming, & the lilies seem to have multiplied many-fold.

Within days of buds, they are in full bloom!  And right next to them are more buds... on the hibiscus, which will later have blooms the size of saucers!

I love it when they "take turns" blooming so they last longer.

Not usually a fan of orange, but when these bloom so prolifically & with so little care such vigor, one has to just enjoy them.

Being such early bloomers, these are the star of the show garden for now, as the other plants get growing.  By the time the fence is nearly hidden by all the other flowers, these early birds will be just greenery for the season.  But oh, how I love the blooming part of the year!
(Yes, this is the fence the pigs went up behind!  Fortunately it is a dead end to any other yards or they could have meandered out onto the road & been hit by a car.  How would you like to hit a 300+ pound pig as you're driving down the road?!)

Trade Time

What can be more fun that getting together with a group of "gal" friends for a great meal of baked potatoes with ALL the fixin's, a great salad, & yummy desserts?

                 A "Swap" for entertainment!

Everyone brought things for the home, clothing, shoes, etc. that they no longer found useful or that were gently used yet still looking for a new home.
Yes, there are a few groceries on that table & a bag of coupons....

Oh, and then there are the essentials for a ladies' wardrobe... the "cha-cha's" that add pizzaz!

There was one REALLY cute pair of shoes that I tried every which way to make fit me, but they just wouldn't do it....
 So I chose a necklace, pair of earrings, 2 little white shelves, a little white milk can (decorative type... not a REAL milk can or can of milk, but the one in the middle of the table in the first picture), some moisture lotion and little tiny tubes of lipstick in a case(we had one very generous Mary Kay lady), and another little white holder to hang on the wall.  On the way home I told my daughter what I had chosen, and she said, "I brought all of those except the Mary Kay items..."  Well, I could have just gone next door to "shop"!!
Just shows what great taste she has!

The Rest of the Story (Pig-Style)

HOW did we get PIGS at the A/M compound?!!!!!!

Well, down the road from us is a fenced in pasture where they have horses... and most recently 3 pigs.  The pasture backs up to the backyard of our neighbor & Sunday afternoon he looked out his window to see the 3 little not-so-little pigs rooting up the flowers he had just planted in his yard.  As he chased them out of his flowers, they headed down the driveway & crossed the street to walk up the A driveway, moseyed up to the grill that Mr. A had out to cook dinner on, & started rooting at it.

They meandered all over the A yard, rooting & eating what they could find, totally unperturbed by all the neighbors who had gathered along with Rocko the herding dog.  Then they proceeded to the M yard to see what they could find.

Mr. M even gave them a drink from the gallons of water that had accumulated in the garden cart.  (Once he realized he couldn't herd them out of our yard, he followed them with a long stick to make sure they didn't get the new tree I had planted just the day before... yes, they DID try to uproot it!  But he is my hero, & he WASN'T going to let them have it!)

After he fought them away from the tree, they wandered down to the front of the yard...

 And the neighbor boy decided he wanted to try his hand at herding.  So he moved them on down the street.  After a couple of hours the owners came home & came to get their pigs.  I missed out seeing how they got them into the truck though.  I mean, HOW do you get 900+ pounds of pig up into a pick-up truck?

Ah, yes, just another average Sunday afternoon out here in the boonies... but I missed my nap!  Now you know the rest of the story!

Sunday Rest

What do we do at the Green Acres A/M compound on a Sunday afternoon?

Why, we herd pigs, yes we do....

Chasing them out of the flowers (even if one goes astray)...

Maybe even doing a little "two-step" to give them proper direction...

And sometimes they just choose to go their own way....

So we get Rocko the herding dog to help out...

But these pigs decided to herd the herding dog....

And ended up in our backyard (thankful for the fence, or they would have been in the pool!)

Their presence drew quite a crowd...

And kept us all entertained for quite a while...

So, what happened to the pigs?  WHERE did we get pigs to begin with?  How did the A/M compound become Green Acres?

Stay tuned tomorrow for "the rest of the story"...

A Day to Celebrate

Fifteen years ago today was a very special day: a beautiful day for a beautiful wedding!  All the planning of the previous months came together and as we participated in a wonderful worship service, we welcomed our son-in-love into our family.   

As we celebrated then, we celebrate now God's wonderful blessing of marriage.

Happy Anniversary, dear loved ones!

Challenge Time

Just having finished the books of Titus & Philemon, I am GREATLY challenged!

Titus: this book is about 1) Doing: what is good (being ready to do good, looking for opportunities to do good, wanting to do good, being devoted to what is good; and
2) Attitude: humility, integrity, lack of propensity to slander anyone, self-control, avoiding arguments, lack of complaining.

This gives me plenty to work on!!  It was also a reminder that service to others is a requirement, not an option, for all who claim to be Christians.  We must be involved in the lives of others in ways that encourage them, accept them, forgive them, replenish their spirits, love them, and show them a helpful attitude.

When I am impatient, controlling, prideful, easily hurt or angered, critical, or judgmental, I am not being an example of Christ!  How I treat other Christians is a reflection of my true Christian commitment.  I am not to merely tolerate them - we are partners in God's grace & love, not just fellow workers.  The exciting thing is that Christ can transform our most hopeless relationships into deep and loving friendships!

Salsa

I give all the credit for this recipe to The Pioneer Woman (she has a great website!)  I have made a few changes to make it my own, so here is my version:

Salsa

1 can (28 oz.) whole or diced tomatoes              2 cans Rotel (I use mild)

1/4 tsp. salt               1/4 tsp. sugar            1/4 c. chopped green onion, including top*

juice of one lime          1 clove garlic, chopped            

 "handful" of sliced jalapeno peppers (in a jar) **

Pulse all ingredients in a food processor 7-8 times.  Then pulse until you get the consistency you want.  Store in a closed container in the refrigerator.  It keeps quite a long time.

*or 1/4 c. chopped onion

** I'd guess this is about 2 Tbl.  (I'm not good about measuring & I poured them out of the jar into my hand before throwing them into the processor)

With? or Without?

I tried a recipe from "The Pioneer Woman Cooks" blog a couple of months ago & made her salsa.  When he tried it, my hubby said, "You don't EVER need to BUY salsa again!"  It makes a lot but keeps a long time, so after being out of it for quite a while, I made a new batch Saturday.  Literally you can make it up in 5 minutes & it is so delicious!

Knowing that I would be sharing this batch with my dear daughter & her family, I thought I'd follow the recipe exactly (something I rarely do), and add cilantro.  I love almost everything that is edible, but I just don't like cilantro in anything.  I can eat it, but don't choose to have it in anything.

 I picked up a nice bunch of it in the produce section, placed it in the basket of my cart, & hurried on through the grocery to pick up just enough for a healthy fun supper outside.  About half way through the grocery I wondered what the awful smell was... by two more aisles I realized that it was in my basket... & by two more aisles I could hardly stand to push my cart.  How in the world could I incorporate into my wonderful salsa something that smelled that bad?!  By the last aisle I made a left turn & headed all the way back to the produce section... to put the cilantro back into the pretty display from which it had come.

I love my daughter & appreciate that there is ONE thing that she likes and I don't, but I could NOT ruin my salsa with that ghastly smelling "stuff"!  The salsa was still a big hit, not only with her but with both of her daughters.  So for our healthy fun supper we had cheese nachos, salsa, limeade, and ice cream sundaes for dessert.  As we ate the ice cream, granddaughter #2 said, "Grandmas spoil you."  YES, YES, YES!!!!

Corn Hole

Take one very crafty woman (who can whip together 8 bean bags in an afternoon) married to one very crafty-with-lumber man (who made & painted the 2 bases for the game) & you have their very own "Corn Hole" game.

The "logo" was done free-hand!  By the "Dew-lovin' man" himself.

Now there is some serious competition with this game, 

It takes a lot of concentration & coordination...

And can create some really tense hilarious moments!

'Course, you gotta have a judge....

The intensity of the Corn Hole game is right up there with ....
Well, I wonder when they will incorporate this into the Olympics?

First Swim

Each year it is fun to see just how soon the swimming season will begin.  Of course, the children are always ready to take the first plunge long before I'm ready to brave it.  This year it was REALLY early: APRIL 22!  And they always say, "It's not that cold!"

Today it was 85 degrees at 9:45 AM, so I knew this was MY day to go in!
I waited until about 3:30 PM so I was sure the water would have had time to warm up.
Not so....!  It was... let's just say VERY "refreshing".  But as the kids say, once you were used to it, it didn't feel so cold.  Do you notice how often I'm referring to what "the kids say?"  But who could turn down these precious faces begging me to come in?

Ah, the summer season has begun (and I love it!)

It's A ...?????

My hubby got a package in the mail today with no return address.  When he opened it, this little "tool" was wrapped in some napkins.  It is about 5" long, has a serrated "dial" at one end that only goes one direction & it is silver-plated.

The piece on top is grooved & you can move it up or down (think, "can opener").

I love a surprise, and especially a gift and double especially something in the mailbox...

But we can NOT figure this one out!  And have no idea who sent it.  It seems nice & if it's a joke, the joke is on the sender because we don't know what it is.

If you have any idea, let me know.  If we find out, I'll let you know.

Isn't life fun?!

Spring Time at the Beach

This is the thing you DON'T want to see in the summer when you go to the beach...

but this early in the spring, they are actually rather fascinating...

each one a little different.

It also is a time to see some rather unusual very large shells...

The intricacies of each shell is another beautiful example of God's creativity.

Some little "creature" used to live in here...

A beach strewn with these shells is a lovely picture...

And "who" might live down in this little hole....?

The Best Kind of Tired

By 7:30 PM I felt like I could fall asleep (that is REALLY early for a night owl...)  But it was the best kind of tired!

It was from a full weekend with family activities.  Getting a three day weekend visit from son & fiance was a rarity, but so nice.  It gave her more time to continue the wedding planning "on-site" & helped all of us to not feel so rushed for family time.

Friday night was game time with his "old" friend (from high school days) & wife plus "old" friend's parents who are also our friends.  What fun!  Since laughing is good for one's health, we should have been really healthy by midnight when we left their home.

Saturday began with some gardening, then a soccer game, followed by a T-ball game (both in nearly 90 degree heat & full sun with no shade), followed by our first ever neighborhood block party, complete with plenty of good food, games, & visiting.  

Sunday was another wonderful day of worship at PBC, where I continue to be challenged to live my life for Jesus in a way that is out of the comfort zone.

Since it was Mother's Day, I got to choose where we ate lunch:  my choice was pick up something & bring it home, eat outside, & have the afternoon to enjoy each other.  And we did!  The kids swam (yes, it was only in the low 70's but they are KIDS!), we all played lawn games, and had dessert a couple of times.  A dear friend had given me rhubarb out of his garden on Friday, so the Saturday night I made a rhubarb pie.  Only 4 of us like it, but I seldom make one so it was a treat.  There were brownies, Key lime bars, & apple pie (NOT homemade) for the others. After a swim is always snack time, so I used my stove-top popcorn popper to make us a BIG bowl of popcorn.  It just beats microwave popcorn all to pieces!

Spending time with my precious family is my favorite thing to do, so though I was exhausted by the time 5 went next door & 2 headed back to VA, it is the best kind of tired.

Sunday Reflections

This beautiful old church is a representation of what I always thought of when I heard the word "church."  Maybe red brick instead, but always with a steeple.

Our present church is housed in a former hotel/convention center.  Before that we were in a former grocery store... 

But it is OUR church: our church family, our place of worship, our place to faithfully be taught God's Word, our place to get rejuvenated to go out into the daily world where so many people need to know Jesus, our place to reach into the lives of others who love Jesus and may be going through wonderful times... or very difficult times.

The funny thing is that when we drive by a beautiful church that is a typical structure, our grandchildren often say, "But it doesn't LOOK like a church."  Thankfully, they have grown up in OUR church, so to them the conventional looks unconventional.

The most important thing is that the Church is the Body of Christ, no matter where they meet... whether in a small group in a home, an "unconventional" church building, a traditional church building, or in a third world country where "the church" is trying to reach people who have never heard the name of Jesus.

"Jesus answered them, 'I am the way & the truth & the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.'"         John 14:6

Home

From seaside...

to mountainside...
.... all in one day.  There are not too many places in this great country of ours where you can do this in about 6 hours time.  Love calling North Carolina "home!"