Ma Ma's Place

CATCHING UP GOT LEFT BEHIND

2012-01-21T11:21:00.000-05:00

I tried to catch up with my blogging, but sort of got left behind on catching up. My desire is still there tugging at me. I have missed all of my blogging friends, and am wondering what's been happening with them. I plan on catching up with them. I do hope you haven't forgotten me. I truly enjoyed sharing with you and you sharing with me. Which, by the way, brings me to something that I want to share with you all.

There is a young man in my church who just started a blog this year. He states that he is not a writer, but, I say he is a very talented writer with a lot of good things to share. I am sure you will be blessed as you read what he has to say. I am also sure you will want to follow him to be continually blessed. I am proud to introduce him to you. His name is Jim Erlandson, and his blog is at sleepwhenold.blogspot.com. Start reading from his first post to the last and you will see why I am making this recommendation. You will thank me for it.

God bless you all. I will be back.

I AM BACK - Part One

2011-02-25T07:49:00.003-05:00

Hello everyone!

It sure has been a long time since I've been on here.

Just want to let you all know that I'm still alive.

I have missed blogging,

and don't know why I stopped.

I really do want to get back into it, so.....

just bear with me a bit....

I will try to catch you up on what's been happening

since my vacation to Myrtle Beach in July of 2010....

if I can remember.

On July 20, 2010,
I joined Weight Watchers.
I have lost a total of 36.5 lbs.
I have a long way to go to get
to where I should be.

This is so hard for me....
I like to eat.
I attend a meeting every Tuesday morning,
weighing in before the meeting....
it is not always good......the weigh in, that is.
The meetings are always good.
My leader is a wonderful Christian lady,
who is very enthusiastic,
and always giving thanks to God
for helping her with her weight loss,
having lost 96 lbs. and maintaining
for 7 years.

OK, now I will move on up to
August 29, 2010.

I became a great-grandma.....again.

Little Ava Faith Shaffer was born.

I will always remember her birthday because

it was on August 29, 1976

that I was born-again.

Here she is as I first saw her.

She was a tiny thing,

only 4 lbs. 13 oz. and 17 in.

Here is a more recent picture,
with her great Pa Pa Holley.

She is such a sweet baby....
always smiling.

Lily will be 2 yrs old on March 16th.
They are both such a joy.

My daughter, Tania, who is their ma ma,
reminds me of myself.
She usually keeps them on weekends
just like I did their daddy when he was a baby
and growing up.

Well, that is a start on my catching up.
I will be working on more to come
with Part Two.

In the meantime, I will be catching up
on you guys by visiting your blogs.

Back soon.

I AM COMING BACK!

2011-02-15T21:08:00.000-05:00

THIS IS JUST A NOTE

TO LET YOU KNOW THAT

I AM ON MY WAY BACK

TO BLOG LAND.

I HAVE MISSED YOU ALL

AND AM WORKING ON A NEW POST....

TO COME SOON.

MYRTLE BEACH VACATION

2010-07-30T22:44:00.000-04:00

This is my Myrtle Beach vacation post,
which I started on July 17,
the day after I returned.
I am just now finishing it on July 30.

I spent the week of July 10-15 at Myrtle Beach, S.C.

It was my first visit to the beach.

I am not a beach person.

I love to vacation in the WV mountains.

However.....

I decided that I wanted to see the ocean....

if only just this one time....

to see another part of

God's wonderful creation.

My youngest daughter and her family

have gone to the beach every summer

for probably the past 15 years.

My son-in-law works at Red Roof Inn

and gets free lodging at any Red Roof Inn.

His immediate family members get lodging

at half price, making it possible for me

to afford the trip, especially since my

oldest daughter went and we split the cost.

I did not enjoy the trip.

It was a long trip....about 500 miles,

and the traffic was very heavy in parts.

I was glad that my daughter wanted

to do all of the driving.

God had just blessed me with a used
2010 Kia Forte with very little mileage,
therefore providing a good means of transportation.
Below are pictures I took when we stopped
at one of the rest areas in South Carolina.

That long trip was worth it.

My first sight of the ocean was just awesome.

I walked along the beach and let the waves

come up on my feet.

The breeze was so nice.

Since the temperature was hot,

I visited the beach early in the day

and late in the day when it

was cooler.

Below are a few of the many pictures
that I took of the beach, ocean and waves....
amazing!

I so enjoyed the time spent with my granddaughters.
I enjoyed seeing them have such a good time.
They walked out into the waves.

Below is a list of some of the things that I did while there:

Visited Ripley's Aquarium

Saw Toy Story III in 3D.

Shopped at a huge indoor flea market.

Shopped at several of the many shops along King's Highway.

Walked out on two different piers...awesome!

Walked on the beach almost every day.

Played games at an arcade with my granddaughters.

My Myrtle Beach vacation was most likely a

once in a lifetime event for me.

I truly enjoyed seeing all the sights...

especially the ocean.

SNAKE!

2010-06-29T09:07:00.001-04:00

I have always been.....

and will always be....

fearful of snakes!!

This morning, my hubby showed me something

that I have not seen before.

This is on the bank just above our carport.

I had never seen this before and was so

amazed at the sight!

He said it is snake poop!
Well, I don't know....
I looked online and couldn't
find anything like that....
do any of you know?

I know we have snakes around

because he has seen a couple already.

Now, I am so fearful when I am outside.

I am fearful that our dogs may come

upon one of them and get bitten.

I just wanted to share that "poop" with you

because I haven't seen any before.

Have you?

FISHING AT ELK FORK

2010-06-12T21:09:00.003-04:00

I guess you all realize that one of our favorite

things to do....is fish.

I've got some more fish pictures to post.

I hope you don't get bored....

fishing is a very fun and relaxing pass time....

that is...if it isn't too hot.

First, I'll show you the little turtle

who chose to sun himself right in front of me.

Then here is a turtle that John caught on his line.

Now for the good stuff...

sometimes you have to wade out into the water.

Bringing him in.

There he is...a big cat.

At the end of the day...

a total of nine!

That got a smile out of him.

You know what we had for supper!

That was a good day of fishing.

Hope you enjoyed it too.

BUS TOUR - PART FOUR

2010-06-04T19:42:00.000-04:00

The next stop on our tour was in

the town of Bluewell, WV.

Here, we visited

Buddy's Country Store Museum.

The building was just jam packed.

One room was set up with hundreds of items

found in coal camp stores

in the early days of mining.

Below is the entrance of the store.

Check out those old signs.

Look at that old scale, cash register and

other things found in an old timey store.

Here is an old barber shop set up.

Look at the Post Office mail boxes.

This must be one of the first baby walkers.

There was just so much stuff...
I didn't take pictures of everything.
Below are things in the second room.

This first picture is of an old newspaper...
click on it so you can see the date.

This part of the room is set up like a bedroom

may have looked back then.

This must have been one of the very first

ringer washers ever made.

Here is a collection of old irons.

This is an old wind up record player.

The records are about 1/4" thick or more.

The lady wound it up and it really played.

Below is the old wood burning cook stove,

and lots of other things found in the kitchen.

Here is a collection of old adding machines,
old typewriter, old radios and toys.

After leaving the museum, we headed for

Pinnacle Rock State Park.

Some of our group walked to the overlook...

I stayed behind and sat in the shade.

I snapped a picture of the mayor standing below

Pinnacle Rock.

She is a very nice lady and a great tour guide.

From here, we headed for Princeton, WV.
The bus drove around town while our
guide pointed out some of the sites.
Princeton is where we picked her up,
so we left her here and headed for
The Cracker Barrel to have supper.
After supper, we headed home.

We covered a lot in one day...
I really enjoyed the trip and hope
to go on more.

I hope you enjoyed my bus tour posts.

BUS TOUR - PART THREE

2010-06-01T11:38:00.000-04:00

I must catch up on my bus tour posts.

This is part three and maybe only

one more to follow.

After lunch, we browsed a small gift shop.
The shop was full of all sorts of nice items.
The only thing I came out with
were two magnetic book marks.

After that, we walked around the small town,
viewing all the old homes.

Below is the Cooper house,
built by Edward Cooper in 1910,
son of John Cooper,
who is Mercer County's
pioneer coal operator.
The roof is made of copper.
The orange brick was sent specially
from England for construction of the home.
One of the orange brick buildings
contains an indoor swimming pool.

Below is the site of the N & W Railroad Station,
which was torn down in the 1950's.
At one time there were as many as fourteen
trains going in and out of Bramwell
in one day.

As the bus was pulling out of Bramwell,
I snapped this pic of the
Bramwell Presbyterian Church.
This church building was given
to the congregation in 1903 by
I.T. Mann, one of the most
powerful men of the coalfield,
having been asociated with the
Bank of Bramwell.
The building is constructed local bluestone,
and may have been modeled after a
small cathedral in Wales.

We are heading for our next stop......
which I think you will find interesting...so....
be sure to come back and visit my blog again soon.

BUS TOUR - PART TWO

2010-05-26T22:02:00.000-04:00

This is the second post of my bus tour.

After leaving Pocahontas, VA,

we arrive at Bramwell, WV.

Bramwell was once the richest town

in the US for its size.....

with as many as 14 millionaires.

The town was settled in 1885

by the largest holder of coal lands in the

Pocahontas Coalfield.

The town was named to the

National Register of Historic Places

in February 1983.

The current population is around 400.

Our tour guide was the mayor of Bramwell...

Louise "Lou" Dawson Stoker.

Our first stop was at the Bank of Bramwell.

The bank building is made of stone.

This is the bank vault door.

A glistening chandelier.

A beautiful floor.

Woodwork of walnut and mahogany...
all hand carved...... magnificent!

Those are only a few of the awesome carvings.

After the bank tour, it was lunch time.

We went to The Bramwell Cafe.

There was even a sign to welcome us.

Lunch was very tasty and filling.
To top off the lunch, we walked to the Corner
Shop and were served a homemade waffle cone
with one scoop of ice cream....just marvelous!

This shop stands where the former
Bryant and Newbold Pharmacy was....
the interior remains almost the same as it was in 1910.
It is reported that it was the third drugstore
in the US to carry Chanel No. 5.

Part three to follow.

BUS TOUR - PART ONE

2010-05-23T20:37:00.000-04:00

I signed up for a one day bus tour

with my church.

This was my first bus tour,

and I was excited.

In this post, I will show pics
of our first stop at
Pocahontas Exhibition Mine,
a National Historic Landmark
in Pocahontas, VA.

It was the first mine in the
Pocahontas coalfield,
opened in 1882.
The mine operated for 73 years
and produced 44 million tons of coal.

Below, we are entering the mine.

Here, you can see that the coal vane is over 10 ft. high.

The next pic is of a section of the roof,
showing what I think are called roof bolts.

Shown here is machinery that was used in the mine.

This is another section of the roof.

At about center of the pic, is what the guide

said to be a fossil of a fish.

Can you see it?

Below is a loaded coal car.

This is one of the hand tools used to drill holes.

It was a very interesting tour of the historic

Pocahontas Exhibition Mine.

Below, we are loading up to move to our next stop.

After loading up, the driver drove us around a part of
the town showing buildings that are in the process of
being restored on the outside to look like they
originally did in the 1800's.
From there, we headed for Bramwell, WV.

Watch for my next post.

SPRING FISHING VACATION

2010-05-19T16:47:00.000-04:00

We had a very good fishing vacation

at Cabwaylingo State Forest in

Wayne County, WV.

John caught 60 trout.

We ate trout, gave trout away,

and brought trout home.

I didn't fish as much as John did.

I mostly enjoyed the cabin...

reading, napping, walking,

and enjoying nature.

It was truly relaxing for me.

The weather was the way I like it...

not hot and not too cold.

I loved the fireplace and

I was so thankful that the weather

was cool enough for it.

This is our cabin.

Chopping firewood.

My fire.

Missy all snug in her blankie.

At night, we played dominoes on the table.

This is the cabin road where Missy and I walked.

See her in the lower right corner?

I had to keep a leash on her.

I just love the dense forest,

but was a little wary because we were

told that there had been coyotes sited in the forest.

I just prayed while I walked.

Twelve Pole Creek is on one side of the road.

Lots and lots of ferns along the road.

May Apple.

Star Flower or Fire on the Mountain?

Wild Rose Bush.

Don't know what this tree is called...

but they have very large leaves and

very large white blooms.

These blooms were on the road...

I don't know which tree they came from,

but I thought they were very pretty.

One day we drove up to the top of the

mountain where one of the campgrounds is.

Look who's swinging.

On the way up the mountain, I saw this...

I've seen these before and always wondered just

what they are.....so we stopped on the way

back down the mountain and I read the

poster on the tree....interesting.

Click and you can read it also.

Before I close this post, I must show off a day's catch.

Doesn't he look proud?

I did catch a few of those that day.

That's it for our spring fishing vacation pictures.

I really like those rustic vacations and will

look forward to the next one.

A FISHING WE WILL GO. . . .

2010-05-06T23:48:00.000-04:00

A fishing we will go...

To Cabwaylingo we will go....

Leaving tomorrow for a week of fishing,

walking, reading, relaxing, enjoying nature.

I'll be back with pictures.

NEW RESIDENT

2010-04-30T07:46:00.000-04:00

Such craftsmanship, or should I say

craftsbirdship?

This nest is attached to the side of

one of our out buildings,

on top of a piece of pvc.

They sure did pick a good location,

with the overhang on the building

to protect from the weather.

See the head peering out

above the nest?

Don't know what kind of bird it is yet.

Do you have any idea?

A BALLOON MESSAGE

2010-04-28T16:59:00.000-04:00

John went turkey hunting this past Monday,

April 26th.

He didn't get to shoot a turkey,

but this is what he found as he was coming

off the hill.........

This note was rolled up and attached to balloons

that had fallen in the woods.

(I covered the phone number.)

I looked up Eastern Bowling Lanes online.

I discovered it to be in Middletown, OH,

which is quite a distance from where

the note landed here.

I then decided to call the number.

When someone answered the phone,

I asked to speak with Carly.

She said she was Carly.

I then went on to explain why I was calling.

Carly was really excited....she couldn't believe it.

She said that she and a couple of friends sent up messages

with their balloons, wondering if anyone would call.

I asked her age, and she said thirteen.

I told her I have a thirteen year old granddaughter.

I was also excited that I made her happy by calling.

I'm sure she contacted her friends right away.

Has that, or anything similar, happened to you?

TROUT FISHING DAYS

2010-03-14T20:48:00.001-04:00

Last week, we had several good
trout fishing days.
John had his alarm set for 3:00 a.m.

He wanted to get there early

to get the best fishing spot.

The mornings were cold.

I dressed in layers...

including long johns.

We arrived at the lake before dawn.

Below is a shot of the sky as it dawns.

On one morning it sprinkled a little.

I used an umbrella...hubby a poncho.

I spotted a rainbow.

While the mornings were cold...
it warmed up nicely as the sun came out...
I loved that sun.
But, I did get a little sun burned.
I had a nice camp chair...
and even brought a book to read
when the fish weren't biting.
The ducks and geese entertained me.
I took a lot of pictures...some are posted below.
Aren't the ducks just beautiful!

The Canadian geese really put on a show....
splashing and rolling over in the water.

Hope you enjoyed my pictures.

John has the fishing gear all loaded in the truck...

ready to head out again in the morning again.

SICK COMPUTER

2010-03-03T10:54:00.003-05:00

Oh my goodness!

Was I ever upset!

Nothing had ever happened like that before.

I didn't know how it happened.

I didn't know what to do.

I tried searching to no avail...

until I realized I could open in safe mode.

In safe mode, I could do some things....

but I could not solve the problem.

But then...ah ha!

I remembered that I have a nephew...

a very computer smart nephew!

His name is Davey....David Smart.

So...I packed up my laptop....

and headed for my sister's house.

Davey saved my computer.

It was infected with over 200 bugs!!

I was amazed.

I was relieved.

I am so thankful to be so blessed...

blessed with a nephew like Davey...

who so willingly came to my aid.

Thank you Davey!!

GOLDEN TROUT

2010-02-24T23:09:00.001-05:00

(click on photo for better view)

My hubby has trout fever.

He has gone trout fishing a lot this winter....

even when the lakes were frozen....

and cut holes in the ice to fish.

The ice is gone now...

hopefully it won't be back.

Today he caught his limit.

The photos above show one he brought home today.

Isn't that a pretty golden trout!!

Now I'm beginning to feel the fever.

As soon as it warms up some,

I'll be out there with him.

THE ANSWER IS......

2010-02-22T12:37:00.000-05:00

Marilyn Monroe

Thanks for your participation.

I thought it was a rather easy quiz.

Doesn't Shayna have a real gift!

That's my granddaughter!

WHO IS THAT?

2010-02-19T13:38:00.004-05:00

Above is another example of
Shayna's talent.

Look closely.

Do you know who it is?

I know you will get it right....
because Shayna is so good!

I'm just a proud ma ma.

WHAT IS THAT?

2010-02-15T15:23:00.010-05:00

Can you guess what that is?

I'll give you a clue....it's not a hot tub.

With all the snow....it is a cold tub....

bathtub, that is....

sitting in our back yard.

The garden tub in the master bath

was just taken up space for a long time,

and was used as a catch all.

It was rarely used for the purpose

of taking a bath.....

except the grandkids liked to bathe and

play in it when they were younger.

So, we decided to put the space to good use....

since I had just recently purchased

a recumbent exercise bike,

and found that I could not fit it in my bedroom.

My dh came up with the idea to remove that

big tub to make room for both the bike

and my treadmill......

he was determined to find a space....

even if he had to make one.

he wanted to help me get in the

habit of using them and hopefully

take off a lot of extra weight that

I've been carrying around for a long time,

and causing me to have health problems.

It was a lot of work on his part....

I am really blessed to have such a

good handyman.

The photo below shows the completed project.

All I need to make it complete is a small TV

up in the corner so I can play my exercise videos

and watch TV while I walk.

I usually read while I ride the bike.

I also have a yoga mat in there and hand weights.

Now, I just have to get in the habit of using

these and exercising on a daily basis.

Since I'm headed for Myrtle Beach in July,

I want to be able to do a lot of walking

without getting all out of breath.

It will be my first time to visit a beach....

can you believe that! It's true.

I will only be wading in the water.

For me, the trip will be for sight seeing

and enjoying seeing the ocean,

and spending time with my two daughters

and three granddaughters.

I'm asking all of my praying friends

to keep me in your prayers....

this is going to be a hard task for me

to lose weight and get better fit.

SHAYNA'S 17TH BIRTHDAY

2010-01-31T22:27:00.006-05:00

This past year has really
gone by fast!
Shayna turned 17 on January 25.
Seems like only yesterday that
she was sweet 16.
The photo above shows her
cutting her birthday cake...
chocolate brownie ice cream cake.
My little girl is growing up fast...
and I'm really proud of her...
This fall she will be starting
her senior year at high school...
and from there her hope is off
to college to be a teacher...
art teacher.

Below is a photo of Shayna with Lily.
She just loves Lily...and Lily loves her.
I love watching them together.

It won't be long that we will be
celebrating Lily's 1st birthday.

I love my grandchildren....
wish I could see them more often.

BRAGGING AGAIN

2010-01-09T21:28:00.011-05:00

OK, it is time for Ma Ma to bragg some more.

As you know, Shayna is the artist in the family.

On Christmas, she gave Terri (her mom),

a framed sketch of their Japanese Chins,

Jackson (Jacks), and Jillian (Bean).

I thought she did a great job.

Below is a photo of their Japanese Chins.

This photo did not enlarge well...

so I left it small.....

it must have been taken with

a phone camera....but,

you can still see the resemblance.

You can understand why I am so proud of her....

can't you?

CHRISTMAS 2009

2010-01-08T09:36:00.014-05:00

It is already January 8, 2010...

and I'm finally getting a Christmas post on.

I enjoyed having my daughters and their families

on Christmas Eve.....and of course

Johnny, Sierra and Lily.

We had lots of good food....

big turkey with dressing, ham, mashed

potatoes, gravy, green bean casserole,

and lots of good deserts.

This was Lily's first Christmas.

She was facinated with the wrapping.

She got lots of educational toys.

I got Shayna, our young artist,

art supplies....

she seemed very pleased.

Check out that hat....

doesn't she look like an artist?

Holley is wondering what is in her package.

I got her things from her list....

small curling iron, hair brush and

fuzzy socks.

Here is Marlee....

she likes earrings.

I got her a kit to make several

pairs of earrings and tools to work with.

Here is Johnny and Sierra.

I got Johnny a pair of fleece pants....

Sierra said he would have to share those.

Sierra got a manicure set and a box

of her favorite candy....

chocolate covered cherries.

Here are all of my granddaughters.

Shayna loves to play with Lily.
I just love my granddaughters.

They are all so precious.
Shayna is so grown up...
Marlee and Holley are so
growing up....
and now we have little Lily.
God has blessed me with these
wonderful girls....
I love being a ma ma...or granny,
as Shayna and Marlee call me.

THE SNOW BEFORE CHRISTMAS

2009-12-31T15:06:00.011-05:00

December 2009...

a month that will be remembered!

I turned 62 in December 2009.

That is a milestone for me.....

will be getting my first SS check

in February....yea!

I did a little Christmas decorating...

just wasn't in the mood this year...

some troubles in our family.

Then came the BIG snow!

We were without power for four days.

We used a small Coleman propane heater

for heat...and used our Coleman camp stove

for what little cooking we did.

We burned a lot of candles

and used a propane lantern for light.

We were without water for one day.

One part of all this I enjoyed.....

we played dominoes by lantern

and candle light at night before

burying under the covers.

Below, I will share some photos...

I'm trying to learn to use my new camera.

The bird feeders were busy.

The trees were beautiful.

Huey didn't mind the snow at all.

Just look at all the snow on the fire pit.

There are still spots of snow here and there.

But, don't you just love it when everything is

all covered in a thick blanket of snow?

I do.

ANOTHER SURPRISE

2009-12-15T10:17:00.009-05:00

My daughter, Terri, and my granddaughters,

Shayna and Marlee

came to visit this Sunday.

I am always glad when they visit,

since I don't see them very often.

The girls are growing up so fast.

They brought birthday surprise for me.

A beautiful coffee mug.

My girls know that I've always loved birds.

Thank you, Terri.

Shayna had a little gift tucked inside

a birthday card.
A very pretty magnetic bookmark.

She knows I read a lot.
So sweet.....
Thank you Shayna.

My children and grandchildren
mean so much to me...
they are so precious.

I thank God for these blessings.

A NICE SURPRISE!

2009-12-06T18:52:00.006-05:00

Just another normal Sunday....

Go to Sunday School

and Worship Service....

go home and cook dinner....

Tania, Holley and Lily come over.

John goes to get Daddy.

We eat dinner....

sit around and talk....

and play with Lily.

They leave...

I get ready for church.

Same ol', same ol'.

NOT TODAY!!

Went to Sunday School....

left before Worship Service....

go to Rite Aid for more Motrin.

I'm in pain...go home.

Take Motrin.

Get dinner ready.

Tania, Holley and Lily come in...

with a surprise for me!

To celebrate my birthday early...

just look what they brought me....

What a pretty cake!!

And a gift!

Tania knows I love birds.

She found this beautiful sweatshirt for me!

I was so surprised!

Thank you Tania.

I enjoyed the day....except for the pain.....
and I did not go to church service.
Someone suggested that I might have
dry socket after having my tooth removed.
So, I read about it online and agree.
I will see if I can tolerate it until it heals.
I do not want to go back to the dentist
for treatment....I won't go back....
unless I really need to.
Have any of you had dry socket?

SO FAR BEHIND

2009-12-04T08:42:00.005-05:00

I'm so far behind on posting....

I will attempt to remember

all that has been happening

to catch you up.

I'm still watching the squirrels

and the birds....

I so enjoy God's little critters.

We took advantage of the nice weather

we had and went fishing

a few of times.

So relaxing.

God is so good.

We had a good Thanksgiving.

Just my Dad, my girls and

my grandchildren.

Gave them their

Christmas money gift,

to help them get

what they want for Christmas.

I will have a few wrapped gifts

under the tree for them also.

I thank God for my grandchildren.

Stored away all of the

fall decorations.

Got out my Christmas decorations.

Decorated the little white tree.

Hubby told me to order my Christmas gift.

Yea!

I'm getting a new camera.

Yea!

Should be delivered today.

Yea!

I had a bout with my back

for a week or more.

It was so painful.

I thank God that it is now

much better.

Just had a tooth pulled two days ago.

I do NOT like getting teeth pulled!

My mouth is still sore

and I feel like I have a tooth ache

on the whole side of my mouth.

Hopefully, time will heal it.

In the meantime, a few motrin

helps with the pain.

Thank God again.

Had my regular three month

doctor visit yesterday.

My thyroid problem is better.

She changed my cholesterol med.

She wants to see a weight loss

on my next visit.

Now, that is a hard order to fill.

I must earnestly seek God's help with that.

I can't do it on my own will power.

I need a higher power.

Lastly, to all of my praying friends,

I will close with a prayer request.

My heart has been heavily burdened

for a family problem that I cannot

discuss here....but....

please pray that God will intervene.

He knows the problem. He knows the solution.

I'm trusting in Him.

Pray for those involved to also trust in Him.

I praise God for my praying friends.

WASHING DISHES

2009-11-13T11:10:00.005-05:00

Who likes to wash dishes?

Not me, but I wash a lot of dishes.

I am not blessed with a dishwasher.

But, I am blessed with a window

in front of my kitchen sink,

with a wonderful view of

some of my favorite things.

The only pleasure I get from

washing dishes is being able

to watch out my kitchen window.

Below are a couple of pictures that

I took through the kitchen window

recently and want to share with you.

How many squirrels do you see

in the photo below?

How many doves?

You may have to click to enlarge.

In the next photo,

the doves have flown away.

How many squirrels do you see?

I love watching the birds and squirrels.

I have counted 17 doves at one time,

but didn't get a picture of them....
I'll have to keep trying.

LAST VACATION TID BIT

2009-11-12T12:14:00.006-05:00

This last tid bit is way over due.

I'm still here...

just haven't been posting.

I did want to share with you

a photo that I took on the

morning that we left for home.

Saturday, October 17th, 2009.

SNOW!!

The snow was so pretty coming down.

I hated to leave.

Seems like I always hate leaving.

Our vacation was a good one...

time just went by too fast.

I hope to have another vacation

in the spring.

Vacation is something that

I always look forward to.

I love the all beauty of nature

that God has given for us to enjoy.

VACATION TID BIT #6

2009-11-02T19:15:00.012-05:00

Ready for some more pictures?

Well, ready or not, here they are.

On one day of our stay,

we traveled through the town of Thomas

and up the mountain where the wind turbines are.

The first time I saw these (on a previous trip),

I was just amazed.

Aren't they something!

They are really big and can be seen for miles away.

Another day, we drove along a road that we

had never traveled before.

I love traveling where I've never been.

The road took us along another part of

the Blackwater River.

There were a lot of primative camp sites

along the river and a lot of them were occupied.

The campers were awaiting the trout stocking.

We walked down to where there was a deck

built out on the river bank and I took some pictures.

It was a nice day and the reflections on

the river were so pretty.

I really enjoyed that drive.

VACATION TID BIT #5

2009-10-31T15:41:00.010-04:00

Deer, deer and more deer.

Oh dear!

The deer are plentiful in

Canaan Valley Resort.

You have to drive slowly.

Most people stop and take photos.

Of course the deer are looking for food...

but....feeding deer is not allowed.

I must admit that I have been guilty

in the past of feeding the deer.

Below are some of the photos of deer that I took.

Aren't they just adorable.

I love watching the deer.

I don't know how anyone could shoot

one other than with a camera.

VACATION TID BIT #4

2009-10-29T11:19:00.017-04:00

Missy loves to go for walks.

While we stayed at Black Bear Resort,

she and I took several walks around the area.

Of course I took my camera.

Below are some signs we saw.

I loved the golden foliage.

At the bottom of the next photo

is Missy...always sniffing at something.

Below is a shot of the gazebo at the pond.

A view from inside the gazebo.

A view of the inn.

And last, a view of our cabin.

Hope you enjoyed our walks.

Will be back soon with another tid bit.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARLEE

2009-10-27T19:15:00.008-04:00

October is my favorite month of the year.

Not only because I love the fall weather,

but because it holds some special days.

It is the month we take our fall vacation....

which I look forward to all year.

October 8th is our wedding anniversary.

It was our 43rd this year.

October 31st is my youngest daughter's wedding anniversary.

October 23rd is my youngest daughter's birthday.

October 22nd is her youngest daughter's birthday.

Marlee turned 13!

She has grown into a very pretty young girl.

For her birthday, her sister, Shayna....

our young artist,

painted a portrait of Marlee.

She did this in her art class at school.

She took a picture of Marlee with her to school.

Marlee was seven years old in the picture.

By looking at the picture, she painted the

portrait onto canvas and gave it to her

for her birthday.

I think she did a good job.

The picture below is of Marlee

holding the portrait.

Below is a picture of Shayna

with the portrait.
They are both pretty girls....

my granddaughters.

I'm so proud of them.

What do you think?

VACATION TID BIT #3

2009-10-21T15:28:00.005-04:00

The town of Davis is a very small, old mountain town. On the main street going through the town, the buildings are very old and consist of restaurants, bed and breakfast, and other tourist attractions. There is one old building that I just had to take a photo of. The building contains the Davis Post Office and The National Bank of Davis, as well as housing other businesses.

What is so interesting about this building, is the side view.

Do you see that tree growing out of the chimney? I wasn't the first to notice it, but John brought it to my attention. Obviously the chimney is no longer used....but, I wonder why the are leaving the tree growing there? You'd think that the roots would eventually cause the stones to break apart, or maybe the roots are just growing straight down the chimney.

VACATION TID BIT #2

2009-10-19T12:34:00.014-04:00

This is my second tid bit of information about my vacation.

We stayed at Black Bear Resort, which is located in Canaan Valley.

Canaan is not pronounced like the Canaan in the Bible.

The accent is on naan and all a's are long a's.

You can go here to learn more about Canaan Valley.

I always have to take a picture of Blackwater Falls. I have many good memories of times in the past that we stayed in the cabins at Blackwater Falls State Park. Our grandson always went with us when he was just a little boy....oh, how the time has flown by.

On this visit, we noticed that the park is in the process of building more cabins.

You can visit here and here to learn more about the park.

That is my tid bits for today....more to follow.

I'M HOME

2009-10-17T21:26:00.008-04:00

We got home from vacation yesterday. I had a very good time and will share a photo and tid bit with you each day.

The first interesting thing I want to share is a photo of a road sign that just blessed me. The sign is located on the same road as the resort where we stayed. If you can't read it, click on it to enlarge. When I saw this I just couldn't come home without a photo of it.

Canaan Valley in Tucker county of West Virginia is my favorite place to visit. I have even said that I would love to live there. I love the terrain, the wildlife, the beauty, the peacefulness....just everything about it.

I'll be back tomorrow with another photo and interesting tid bit.

NORMAN ROCKWELL

2009-10-08T12:18:00.004-04:00

When I was a kid.....

a long, long time ago....

I remember that we had a

subscription to a magazine called

"The Saturday Evening Post".

Each magazine's cover was a painting

by Norman Rockwell.

Do any of you remember those magazines?

I recently helped a friend get ready to

move back to her home in Maryland.

She gave me a few of her things that

she wasn't going to take with her.

Below is a photo of a

Norman Rockwell

collector's plate....

"An American Mother".

I think it is really nice.

I must clear off a spot to display it.

BRAGGING AGAIN

2009-10-04T18:30:00.007-04:00

I just must do some more bragging.

My oldest granddaughter, Shayna,

who is 16 and a junior in high school,

is very talented.

She plans to be an art teacher.

Below are a couple of photos

that she downloaded from her phone

onto my computer today

when she visited.

The first is an oil painting of a pear.

It sure does look like a pear...

very good.

The second is a self portrait.

It was done by pasteing

pieces of newspaper together.

This just amazed me.

I want to see the real thing,

not just the photo of it,

but she doesn't have it.

She entered it in a contest

at Marshall University

in Huntington, WV.

She was the only one in her class

to submit an entry.

Her teacher said that it was good

and should be entered.

Have you ever seen anything like this?
Isn't it good!

I am just so, so proud of my granddaughters.

Each of them are talented.

A WALK AROUND THE YARD

2009-09-30T22:03:00.008-04:00

Oh, what a nice morning for a

walk around the yard....

while Missy and Huey

romp around under

the chestnut trees....

watching the squirrels.

The old Mail Pouch thermometer

showed an invigorating 56 degrees....

I'm lov'in it.

My fall flag is blowing in the breeze.

My little fall buddy looks happy....
just leaning on the well.

Just look at this azalea plant.....

it has produced one little flower....

peeping out for one last look before winter.

The ornamental grass is showing off

it's pretty new fall attire,

which will soon become all fuzzy.

The burning bushes are beginning

to sport their fall color....

and will soon be all red.

My heart is praising God

for all the glorious beauty

this wonderful season brings.

PROUD MAMA

2009-09-29T13:43:00.008-04:00

Just had to post about

my granddaughter's achievements.

Eariler this month, she entered the

Pre-Teen WV America Scholorship and

Recognition Program.

This took place in Morgantown, WV,

I knew she would do good.....

She is really smart.

She brought home three trophies.

She was chosen as one of the semi finalists......

obtained the highest score on the

knowledge assessment test,

and was 2nd runner up in talent.

As you can see below,

her talent is violin playing.

She played "Country Roads".

Isn't she a pretty girl!

She will be 13 on October 22nd.
Way to go, Marlee!
MaMa loves you!

COME ON DOWN

2009-09-26T20:48:00.006-04:00

"I see you up there.....

come on down so I can chase you."

"I see you down there....

I'm staying up here until you're not watching."

Huey loves to chase the squirrels.

Our chestnut trees are full of them.....

chestnuts and squirrels.

They sometimes come down

to get them on the ground.

Huey has almost caught them.

It is very entertaining....

sitting on my front porch and watching.

A SURE SIGN

2009-09-24T22:30:00.012-04:00

A sure sign of fall....

The chestnut trees are full....

The ground is covered.
I picked up two buckets full....just in front of my porch.

Those hulls are very prickley....

I use a pair of tongs to pick them up.

John uses leather gloves.

He picks them up on the hill.

They are mostly empty hulls....

The squirrls and deer eat the nuts.

I gathered a few that hadn't been eaten yet.

In past years, I used to gather the nuts....

There are always lots of nuts.

I would save them to take with us on vacation.

We would feed them to the deer in the parks.

I know it is against the law to do that,

but we did.

This year, we won't be doing it.

The squirrls eat them during the day....

and the deer come out at night....

even Huey eats them....

so, there aren't enough to gather.

CHECKING IN

2009-09-18T08:20:00.012-04:00

Just checking in.

It has been a while.

I've been visiting you.

Sometimes I comment.

Sometimes I don't.

Sorry.......

I know.....

I don't like it when visitors don't comment.

You must forgive me.

I do enjoy visiting you, though.

I just haven't been "with it" lately.

I've had a lot on my mind.

My 1st blog anniversary was September 15th.

That was this past Tuesday......time flies.
I've got to get "with it" again.
Must clear my cluttered mind.

It is time to decorate for fall again.
That is something I've always loved.
But haven't been too enthused about it yet.
Have only begun to get my decorations out.
I was all "into it" this time last year.
I posted lots of pictures.

I am looking forward to vacation.
Going back to Canaan Valley.
Staying at Black Bear Resort again.
October 10th - October 17th .
Just enjoying the scenery…
fishing…..walking….exploring.....
enjoying the peace…..
I think that is what I need….vacation.
Just away from it all for a while.

Until next time…..

THIRTY THREE

2009-08-29T22:02:00.005-04:00

August 29, 1976...

in a little country church...

I gave my heart to the Lord.

I will never forget that night.

When I got up from the alter,

I was surrounded by the whole church body,

singing "Oh How I Love Jesus".

A load was lifted from me.

I could see with new eyes.

God's love filled my heart.

Without the Lord in my life,

I don't believe I'd be here today.

He has brought me through many hard times.

He has blessed me with many good times.

He has blessed me with a wonderful family.

He has given me special friends in blog land.

He has supplied my every need.

I praise God for His Word,

and the drawing power of the Holy Spirit.

If thou shalt confess with thy mouth

the Lord Jesus,

and shalt believe in thine heart

that God hath raised Him from the dead,

thou shalt be saved.

Romans 10:9

I would love to hear about your salvation experience.

GREAT SATURDAY

2009-08-26T22:39:00.003-04:00

What a great Saturday.

I gave up yard selling

to go fishing!

The weather was great.

The breeze felt wonderful.

Such a great day for fishing.

Making the day even greater...

my granddaughter, Holley,

got to go with us.

She loves fishing too.

She caught the first...

and biggest fish!

Just look at that smile!

We had a great time!

BLOWING THOSE CANDLES OUT!

2009-08-24T15:11:00.004-04:00

My dad turned 85 on August 20th.

On Sunday, we treated him (and us)

to an ice cream cake......

DELICIOUS!

OUT BY THE FIRE PIT

2009-08-14T09:56:00.011-04:00

Oh, how I love sitting outside

on a not so hot evening

with a fire in the fire pit

by the fish pond.

Huey likes to join us.

We had an unexpected visitor...
he flew down from the sky
like a hellicopter,
landing on a chair.
Huey was currious.

He got a little closer to inspect.

He followed it around as it moved

along the chair,

keeping a little distance.

Following on around.

Up on his hind legs

for a closser look.

Well, here, our visitor decided it was time leave...

taking his flight so fast I didn't get a

picture of his retreat.

That was so much fun....

just watching Huey.

OOPS

2009-07-31T22:04:00.004-04:00

Please scroll down to my "Growing Owl Collection" post.

When I took the photos of the owls to put on my post,

I overlooked one of my favorites.

I have now added it at the bottom of the post.

It is also an unusual one.

AMONG THE FLOWERS

2009-07-30T09:27:00.011-04:00

Have you ever noticed the flower beds

along the interstate highways?

They are just so beautiful.

My daughter's talented photographer friend

takes photos of these flowers.

She places a special "flower" among them

and snaps away....

making beautiful photos.

Below, I have posted a few different shots

of a special "flower" among the flowers.

That special "flower" is Holley....

my eleven year old granddaughter.

Aren't those precious photos!

GROWING OWL COLLECTION

2009-07-29T23:02:00.019-04:00

I thought I had a large collection of owls…..

until I happened upon a yard sale last Saturday.

There, I found an enormous collection of owls.

I didn’t ask, but from what I gathered from the

conversations, the owner had died and these

were among her belongings that were being sold.

I think I would have liked to have met this lady…

we most likely would have had a lot in common.

I knew I didn’t need any more owls.

Besides, I didn’t know where I would display them,

as I have so many collections already.

But…..

there were some that I couldn’t resist buying.

I’ve posted them below.

First of all, I just love this very large white owl.

It is very heavy….20 lbs., and 18” tall.

I can’t figure out what it is made of…..

my daughters say it could be ivory.

Do any of you have any idea?

This is a very unusual carving.
There is an owl inside of each owl.
The material looks like jade.

This is a nice large brass owl.

This owl is also made of brass…
but attached to a base.

This is a set of two small white owls.

This is a set of five really small owls…
carved out of wood.
I think they are cute.

This is a nice plaque by
Coppercraft Guild.
I remember hosting a
Coppercraft party years ago.
I have several items,
including The Last Supper.

This is a set of four coffee mugs.

This is a set if six glasses.

This is one of my favorites that I
overlooked when taking the photos.
It has carved out looking holes
in the front and sides.
There is a hole in the back so that
a candle can be placed inside.
It is 10” high and 7” wide.

Now, I have to find a place to display them.

What I want is a curio cabinet to place

all of my owls in.

MAGIC

2009-07-28T16:03:00.005-04:00

Magic Lily.

Just want to share these photos

of a few magic lilies.

I have lots and lots of them

in my yard and by my pond.

These photos really don't do them justice...

they are just magically bautiful!

Do you have any magic in your yard?

GRANDDAUGHTER'S VISIT

2009-07-14T15:14:00.015-04:00

Last week my granddaughter, Shayna,

spent several days with me

before leaving for the beach on Saturday.

It had been a long time since she was here for a stay,

so I really enjoyed having her.

She is a typical teenager, staying up late at night,

and sleeping until afternoon.
One day she tried giving Huey

a very much needed bath…..
but he wanted out of that tub!

We treated her to a Husson's pizza one night,

and went to Captain D's another.

We made a craft that I had picked up at a yard sale.

We painted butterflies red, white and blue,

and decorated the garage and storage building.
John made a birdhouse out of an old mailbox and
we painted it and put it on the garage….
notice the “AIR MAIL”….an idea we got when we
saw one that someone else had made.

One evening we hiked on the hill to see where the
old coal mines had been drained and sealed up….
You can see in the pic below how Shayna
stayed way ahead of us.

When it was time to take her home on Thursday,

I got a little sad....or, I should say a lot sad.

I didn’t take a lot of pictures, shame on me.
But I will share what I did take.

Hope you enjoyed my pics.

A WALK AROUND THE YARD

2009-07-03T21:26:00.012-04:00

Just wanted to share a few of the things
that I see as I walk around the yard.

The Rose of Sharon bushes are in full bloom.
The Ornamental Grass is growing bigger.
The Touch-Me-Nots are also blooming.
The Hibichus are blooming.
The Chestnuts are starting to grow.

I enjoy walking around the yard when I take
my little dogie out each day.
I like exploring the new growth
of the flowers and trees.
What do you see when you walk around the yard?

Stand still, and consider the wondrous works of God.
Job 37:14

GORGEOUS

2009-06-30T10:41:00.010-04:00

GORGEOUS: Very beautiful; splendid; magnficient

I had the privilege of going fishing late yesterday afternoon...

staying late into the evening.

I just had to share with you the sunset.

The heavens declare the glory of God;
and the firmament showeth His handywork.

Psalm 97:6

I cannot view such beauty without my heart

filling with praise to God.

From the rising of the sun

unto the going down of the same

the LORD'S name is to be praised.

Psalm 113:3

I hope you enjoyed my pictures of a gorgeous sunset.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

2009-06-25T10:41:00.004-04:00

Several years ago....
I won't say how many.....
on June 25th.....
my baby sister was born.
Happy Birthday Janet!!

Thanks for being not only my sister...
but my friend.

I love you, Sis.

PLAYING CATCH UP

2009-06-22T22:33:00.025-04:00

My daughters and sister keep pointing out that

I haven’t posted for a long time…..so……

I thought I’d let you know I’m still here.

I’ve been visiting your blogs….

even leaving an occasional comment….

just haven’t been inspired to post.

I will try to catch you up on things and

post some pictures I’ve taken.

I stopped going to Weight Watcher’s

meetings…no transportation….

but still stick to the plan….most of

the time….still losing weight…slowly.

I made reservations for our October

vacation at Black Bear Resort, in

Canaan Valley, WV.

Had a doctor visit…A1c is great

I visited a couple cemeteries with my sister.

I babysat my granddaughter a couple of days.

I went to our family reunion.

I got my hair cut and ears pierced.

I planted some flowers.

I also sit on the porch and watch the birds...
and whatever other creature might come by...
and smell the chestnut blooms....ooooh!
And there is where I read.

I’m still having my night time visitor…

I have a new addition to my angel collection…

another gift from my cousin, Vera.

Isn’t she sweet! (Vera and the angel)

She is also a candle holder.

I caught this couple during a “private” moment.

Those are a few things
that have been happening with me.

I'll try not to get behind on posting again.....hopefully.

MYSTERY SOLVED

2009-05-26T15:01:00.007-04:00

Visitors by night.
For quite some time now,
we have been having visitors during the night.
Our bird feeders have been vandalized.
Suet cakes disappear.
Bird houses torn down.
Huey barking....barking….barking.
Finally….the mystery has been solved.
Late one night, we were sitting on the porch.
Huey began barking at something.
I ran for my camera and turned on the outside light.
I ran outside to where Huey was.
Huey was looking up….
I looked up.
I snapped a few pictures,
hoping they would take in the darkness.
Can you see it?
It was a BIG one this time.
Maybe the daddy or mommy
of the one that was on the porch before.
It was sitting way up there on our old TV antenna.

I’m sure it was in the bird feeder that is beside
the antenna pole.
Huey saw it and it jumped over to the pole
and climbed up to the antenna.

Another exciting evening.

ANGELS AMONG US

2009-05-26T13:56:00.031-04:00

I don’t remember when I started collecting angels.
I do have a big collection.
Most of my angels came from yard sales.
Some came as gifts.
I want to share these with you.

First of all…I want to share
my favorite angel verses:

Psalm 91:11
For he shall give his angels charge over thee,
to keep thee in all thy ways.

Psalm 34:7
The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him,
and delivereth them.

Luke 4:10
For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee:

Hebrews 13:2
Be not forgetful to entertain strangers:
for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.

********************************

Now…my collection……

This first angel is the latest addition
to my angel collection……
it was a gift from a very special blogger friend…
Thank you Denise.

I hope you can read what it says on
the bottom of this angel.

Now begins my collection.
A trinket holder.

A little trinket holder...

a gift from my daughter.

The heart says, "A Mom is Love".

Isn't she sweet!

I have two sets of these small angels.

The one in the middle is crocheted.

The tall one is a December angel,

my birthday month.

These are teeny tiny.

I like these cuties.

These two look very old.

The small one in the middle is a candle holder.

Guardian angels.

The tall one plays music.

One of my favorites with the lion and lamb.

These three play music.

This one plays music.

Wow....did you count them?

"67"

NEW ADDITIONS

2009-05-26T13:12:00.008-04:00

On Memorial Day,

I met with my sister, Janet,

from Writing in the Blackberry Patch,

and my cousin, Vera,

from Intouchwith,

at the Edens' Family Cemetary.

You can view Janet's post

about that visit on her blog.

We had a good visit there in the cemetary.

I hadn't been there for a while and it was

good to visit again.

Janet, who is so lucky to get to go

yard selling a lot more than I do....

gave me something to add to my

growing owl collection.

Isn't he cute!

Thanks again, Janet.

I have placed him above my

computer where I can see him.

Vera walked to her car and came back

with a bag, saying that she has

something for me.

She had been yard selling over the weekend

and saw something that made her think of me,

and got it for me.

It's a real McCoy!

Thank you, Vera.

It just blessed my heart

that she thought of me.

It is a wonderful feeling (blessing)...

just knowing that you are thought of.

I have placed him on top of my frig

to watch over all.

Janet was amazed that I knew nothing

about "McCoy" cookie jars.

She has one of her own that she also

found at a yard sale.
Well, it's not important to me....

I just collect owls.....

among other things....

like angels that I will be posting soon.

I'd love to see your collections.

MASKED BANDIT

2009-05-21T09:33:00.004-04:00

It happened late last night.
I am on the computer.
John is asleep in the living room chair.
Missy wants me to take her outside.
On the way to the door I hear Huey barking.
I hear a commotion on the outside porch.
Sounds like he is in trouble.
I run on to the door while yelling at John.
I turn on the outside light.
I open the door…still yelling at John.
Missy and I go out onto the inside porch.
Huey is on the outside porch…still barking.
I’m still yelling for John.
Huey is trying to climb up the outside doorway.
I look up and scream for John this time.
John finally makes his way out.
Missy runs back inside…scared to death.
John says….
“That’s what has been getting Huey’s food.”
Most of my fear is gone now.
I have to get a picture of this.
I run inside for my camera.
I open the outside porch door.
I step out just enough to snap a photo.
He is looking right at me.
Oh, he is so cute!
Can’t be very old.
He is so afraid.
Poor little thing.

John gets Huey on the inside porch.

The cute little critter escapes...fast.

Huey goes back out....zoom!

He's back on the trail.

It's been a long time since I've had

that much excitement.

I rather enjoyed it.

JUST THINKING

2009-05-18T10:36:00.006-04:00

Another Monday...all is quiet here now....

peaceful.....my mind is wondering.

I had a good Sunday with all of my family...

celebrating Tania's birthday....

thinking back over the years....

she was my first.....

we had a lot of good times together....

we were like buddies....did everything together....

Terri came along when she was five....

loved having a baby again.

I had to go to work before she was two....

hate that I missed out on so much with her....

they can tell me so many things that happened

when they were young that I can't remember....

there is so much that I can't remember.....

I asked why was that....

Marlee..my twelve year old granddaughter

explained what she had learned in school

about the brain....and why I couldn't remember.

I love my grandchildren so much....

they are all so smart....and good kids.

Holley is eleven...getting ready for her class trip....

going to Williamsburg, VA....

just got her first cell phone....

she is getting so "grown up".

Shayna is having problems with poison ivy....

she is such a pretty sixteen year old girl....

and so compassionate....like her mom.

They are all growing up so, so fast.

Johnny came yesterday also with little Lily....

Sierra had other things to do....

I'm so glad she let Johnny bring Lily....

she is growing so much....

I don't get to see her often at all....

it's so hard to believe that my "little Johnny"

is a daddy.

My girls grew up so fast...

my grandchildren are growing up so fast...

that means one thing....I'm getting old....

maybe I shouldn't think so much.

Hope I haven't bored you with some of my thoughts

as I sit here alone this Monday morning.

I'd love to hear your alone thoughts.

OUTDOOR WEDNESDAY #2

2009-05-12T20:38:00.027-04:00

Outdoor Wednesday is hosted by Susan
at A Southern Daydreamer.
Please join and share what’s outside your door,
or you may read other posts
by clicking HERE.

Have a great Wednesday!

Another walk around the yard today.

Oh how I love a cool day!

Hope you enjoyed our little walk today.

Come visit again next Wednesday.

A DAY TO REMEMBER

2009-05-11T10:43:00.018-04:00

Mother’s day, 2009....
a day I won’t forget.

For over a month before mother’s day,
my daughters were creating
a surprise gift for me….
They were real sneaky about it.
I usually know when things are
happening around me….
but this time…I didn’t even suspect.
The gift that they created
really touched my heart….
even now when I think about it….
I’m teary eyed.
I love my girls….
they grew up so fast….
and now have families of their own.
What they did, showed their love….
I am so proud of them….
and will always cherish the
wonderful picture book
of memories.

I will share a few pages with you.

The front cover...

Me with Terri...newborn...

Tania holdng up birth announcement.

Front inside cover.

My girls when they were young...
my grandchildren when they were young.

No, I didn't wish for twins.

My girls and their family.

My first great-grandbaby, Lilyana Grace.
Born 03/16/09.

Back inside cover.

Back cover. All my grandchildren.

I love my family.

Thank you girls for giving me one of the

most memorable mother's day ever....

I love you.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY

2009-05-09T15:37:00.003-04:00

Just want to wish each of you mothers
a very nice mother's day....enjoy!

Love you all!

GUESSING GAME ANSWER

2009-05-07T20:01:00.007-04:00

Ok....I guess....since no one wanted to guess...
I'll have to tell you the answer.

The only comments I got were from my sister...
Janet from Writing in the Blackberry Patch and...
my cousin, Vera from Intouch With.
They wouldn't guess because they knew the answer
and didn't want to give it away...so......
for all you others......
the "old" picture is of myself and...
my sister, Janet.
We were just messing around that day....
and both had on wigs....
oh what I wouldn't give....
to be that size again...
the year was 1971....
I was 23 yrs old...
been married for four years...
and already had one daughter.

Love to see one of your "old" pictures.

OUTDOOR WEDNESDAY #1

2009-05-06T12:04:00.017-04:00

Outdoor Wednesday is hosted by Susan
at A Southern Daydreamer.
Please join and share what’s outside your door,
or you may read other posts
by clicking HERE.

Walking around the yard....

Don't know what these are called...

do you? Are they bluebells?

These are about ready to bloom.
I don’t know what these are called…
some kind of a “wort”, I think.
I love the blooms……
I’ll post them later.

Look at the BIG buds on the peonies.
Iris by the pond.
Closeup of white azealea bush.
Closeup of pink azealea bush.
Look what the rain did to my azealea bushes!
Hosta along the back porch.
Daddy bluebird....babies are inside.
Mommy bluebird....they've been feeding the babies.

GUESSING GAME

2009-05-06T08:30:00.005-04:00

While looking through old photos....

I found one that I wanted to share.

My regular followers just might

be able to guess who these two

young girls are.....give it a try.

I'll be back to let you know who they are.

DISCARDED

2009-05-01T21:44:00.005-04:00

MaMa is feeling discarded.

A few years ago....which feels like decades....

my granddaughters spent about

every weekend at my place.

We would drive down on Friday evening....

they would spend the weekend.....

go to Sunday School with me....

on Sunday my daughter would come pick them up

or if she couldn't.....we would take them home.

They are older now.....

the weekend stays have ended....

Shayna works or has plans with her friends....

Marlee has plans with her friends....

I miss that.

MaMa is feeling discarded.

So....this evening I decided that if I was going

to get a bouquet of Sweet Williams this spring......

I would have to pick them myself.

I did.

They smell so good.

But I still miss the girls.

SPRING VACATION

2009-04-28T10:20:00.069-04:00

Every spring….in April....

we visit a place in Wayne County…
Cabwaylingo State Forest.

We have done this for probably the past fifteen years or so.
Most people vacation in the summer….
going to the beaches….
not me…..too hot!
I prefer cool spring weather….
forests….old log cabins….
old fireplaces….walks and hikes….
wild flowers….wild life….fishing streams….
solitude….peace and quiet.

This is our favorite cabin to stay in.

The date "1936" is engraved

in the stone on the porch.

The view from the front porch…..

I love to sit here and listen to
the running water…..
so peaceful…..soothing……
and relaxing.

I got a shot of Missy on the back porch.

I so, so love a fireplace.....
that was our only source of heat.
John had to get up several times
during the night to tend to the fire.

Each day Missy and I took walks.

We saw deer and squirrel….
they ran before I could snap a picture.
Missy tried to run after them…..
her lease wouldn’t let her.

We saw a lot of wild flowers…..
See that may apple pushing
it’s way right up through
a dead leaf!

white trilliums

don't know what these are called.... Missy exploring.

John did a lot of fishing but only caught
three trout one day and one trout another day.
The stream was stocked the week before….
and the locals had about fished them all out.

I didn't catch any trout....but.....

I caught a snapping turtle….
John had to use the net to get it on the bank…
It was heavy and he was surprised
that I got it in.
Set free……
heading back to the water.

One day we drove to Laurel Lake….
about 20 miles away…..

I thought this was interesting…..
I’d never heard of petroglyphs before.
Go here to read about them and also about the tunnel.

But... same story on the trout there….
but we enjoyed the drive…..
We had to travel through two tunnels.
I don’t like tunnels.
These tunnels were very old….
one was very long……
the date engraved at the top is “1914”.
They were only one lane and you had to
make sure there wasn’t an oncoming vehicle
in the tunnel before entering.

the other was not so long.

Another day took a drive to the top of a hill
where one of the campgrounds is located.

Yea! Cell phone service!
I could call my daughter and check on Huey.
I didn’t like leaving him home alone….
but my daughter was to check on him each evening for me.

We drove on and found an old cemetery….
Ferguson Cemetary.
This old tombstone was hard to read…..
the date looked like in the 1800’s.

I liked this plaque that was placed on another grave.

“I am not gone,
my soul lives on, but in a better place.
Surrounded by the light of God
in all his glory and grace.

Ed Ferguson
6-29-14 11-6-04

We stopped on the way back down at a picnic area
to do some exploring.

Look at that tree holding onto that rock.

John and Missy checking out the “out house”.

Some violets growing right on the rock wall.

Some burgundy trilliums.

Look at that BIG nest!
Don’t know what kind of bird nest that is.

Below is a statue of a conservation worker
located near the group camp area.
The inscription reads……

C.C.C. WORKER

HONORING THE YOUNG MEN
WHO SERVED IN
CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS COMPANY
3532 AT CABWAYLINGO STATE PARK

1935 - 1938

USING SHOVEL, TROWEL, HAMMER AND SPADE
THEY MOVED EARTH, PLANTED TREES, CRAFTED STONE,
AND BUILT STRUCTURES THAT REMAN AS A LASTING LEGACY
OF SERVICE TO THEIR COMMUNITY AND NATION.

DEDICATED IN GRATEFUL REMEMBRANCE
AUGUST 27, 2005

That concludes my vacation post.

Did you find it entertaining....interesting.....or boring? lol

I know it sure was a real job getting this all together.

I'd like to hear about your vacations too.

I'M BACK

2009-04-25T21:47:00.002-04:00

Hello to you all.... I'm back.

Vacation was great.

But you know how it is

when you get back.

Unpacking, putting away, laundry,

grocery shopping, and etc....busy, busy.

And....a phone call telling me that I have

to teach the Sunday School class in the morning.

I am taking a break right now.....

just to check in with you all.

I've got to catch up on all your new posts

and will get back with you next week

with a post about my vacation.

I missed you guys.

FINALLY CLEAN AGAIN

2009-04-16T12:09:00.012-04:00

Last week, John decided it was time

to clean the fish pond...it was yucky.

Cleaning the fish pond is a major job.

Since we don't have a drain,

the water must be pumped out

as much as possible....then the

rest is dipped out. John gets in

with his wading boots.

Of course before getting all of the

water out...the fish must be caught.

He catches them in a net and puts

them in a holding tub. That is a job

when the water is dirty....and there

are over 30 fish to be caught.

They are reall packed in the holding tub.

After the pond is cleaned....water

must be carried in five gallon buckets

from the rain water barrels.....that is

a lot of water and a lot of carrying....

which almost fills the pond.

Now it is time to put the fish back in...

a lot easier than taking them out.

In the beginning.....several years ago....

when we first made the pond....we had

only a few fish. We bought them at a

store that sold them for fish bait.

Those fish grew much bigger.....

a few years later....my granddaughter

discovered that we had babies! We

were so excited but also afraid that

they would not survive....but they did...

and grew and grew....we had too many

fish for our small pond and had to

give some of them away.....we still

think that maybe we have too many.

The pump runs year round

so that they will have air in the water.

I get a lot of enjoyment out of the fish.

I love to sit by the pond and watch them.

They are many colors....orange...black....

white....and some are mixed colors.

Do any of you have ponds....

self-built or natural?

LOSING AGAIN

2009-04-14T09:06:00.001-04:00

After last week's weigh-in,

I was determined to do better.

Yesterday, I had a loss of 1.5 lbs......

not much....but better than nothing.

It was a good meeting....

I got encouraged.

We have a great leader.....

she is a Christian.....

so are a lot of the members

who meet the same time I do....

several are lifetime members

who have already met their goal.

It is going to be a long road

to reach my goal....

if I can just stick with it.....

GREAT EASTER

2009-04-13T20:27:00.004-04:00

I went to church Easter Sunday morning.

The Easter contata was fantastic....

the choir just out did themselves.

God has blessed our church so much....

so much talent and dedication to God.

After church, it was home to prepare dinner.

All of my grandchildren visited......

even my great-grandbaby......

I got to hold her a lot.....

she still sleeps most of the time.

The other grandchildren had an egg hunt.....

it has always been a tradition with us.

They love it....but usually can't find all the eggs.

We took our first five-generation picture.....

I'm the enourmous one in blue.

There were three different people taking

a picture at the same time......

I didn't know which one to look at....

I think we are looking at different ones...lol

I don't allow my picture to be taken....

but for this one I had to give in.....

for the sake of five generations.

APRIL SNOW

2009-04-07T19:42:00.005-04:00

I've always heard that

April showers bring May flowers.

Well, what about April snow?

The weather this April

has been more like March weather.

Just look at those big snow flakes!

It was so pretty.

I just had to run out today and get some photos.

Are you getting any snow in April?

WHAT HAPPENED?

2009-04-06T15:43:00.009-04:00

After a great loss of 4.5 lbs. last week,

my weigh-in at Weight Watcher's this week

wasn't so good.

I gained 1/2 lb.

I don't know what happened.

But, I know what I must do.

I must do better.

I must start exercising.

I must make it a habit.

We talked about self-control today.

I must practice self-control.

Exercising alone is hard for me.

I must pray for help and commit

myself to do this for my own good.

I'm hoping for a better report next week.

AWARD

2009-04-02T09:29:00.013-04:00

Thank you Denise over at Samaritan Women.
It is such an honor to receive this award.....

I feel so undeserving.

Here is what is said about the recipients of this award.

“These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends.They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers.”

Deliver this award to a few bloggers

who must choose a few more bloggers

and include the message.

I pass this on to Becky over at Twisted Fencepost......

and Sharon over at Sit with Me Awhile........
and Linda over at This and That.

These ladies have such uplifting blogs.

Becky loves God's creation and takes nature pictures

around her farm and tells interesting stories.

She is a very loving and caring friend.

Sharon loves the Lord and makes this evident in her posts.

Her blog is so interesting and uplifting.

Linda is a grandma like myself and loves her grandchildren.

God's love in her heart shines in her posts.

THANKFUL MONDAY

2009-03-30T16:13:00.004-04:00

Mondays are my Weight Watcher's
weigh-ins and meetings.

Today, I had a surprise at weigh-in!

I lost 4.5 lbs. . . a total of 15 lbs
in four weeks.

Now, that is encouraging.

Of course I have lots more to lose.
And results like this will help me
to stick with it.

Thank you Jesus!

When something good happens,
One of the first thoughts in my mind is
"Thank you, Jesus."

Why can I not say that aloud?

Is it because Satan tells me
"No one else does . . .
what will people think?"

I am always thankful to God for everything,
but I tend to keep His praise inside . . .
and only thank Him silently.
He deserves more than that.

I need to make a change.
If it is in my heart and on my mind,
why not let the world know it?

The "world" sure lets everyone know
what is in their hearts and on their minds . . .
and that is not usually a good thing.

Don't know why I said all of that.
I was just intending to post my weight loss.

The "thank you Jesus" just came out
and one thing lead to another.

Are any of you like me?

Share your thoughts with me.

OH SO PRECIOUS

2009-03-23T20:27:00.000-04:00

I want to share . . .

with all of my blogger friends . . .

photos of my great-grandbaby.

The photographer is a friend of my daughter,

and she does excellent work.

The link below will take you to a page

where you can sign in to view the proofs.

When you get to the page, you will need

to type in the pass code, which is Lilly.

You can click on the thumbnails to enlarge.

Here is the link:

http://www.lisajenningsphotography.com//photocart/index.php?vp=1&do=photocart&viewGallery=10022

Don't you agree with me?

Aren't they just precious?

LOOK WHAT I GOT!!

2009-03-23T20:05:00.005-04:00

Monday . . . Weight Watcher's Meeting.

I so look forward to Mondays.

That means time to weigh in . . .

and hopefully more weight loss . . .

and closer to my goal.

It hasn't been easy . . .

especially fighting temptations.

I haven't been good with exercise.

but . . . I did get my first award.

I have it on my refrigerator . . .

to be a constant reminder that . . .

I CAN DO IT!

I have lost a total of 11.5 lbs. in three weeks.

HELP, PLEASE

2009-03-20T12:31:00.002-04:00

What am I doing wrong?

When I visit other blogs,

I can click on the photos and they enlarge.

However, this does not happen on my blog.

What am I doing wrong?

I've asked a couple of bloggers,

but I still don't have the problem solved.

What am I doing wrong?

Now, I'm asking you all.

I'm anxious to see how many comments I get.

Hopefully, I will get the help I need.

Thank you, my friends.

LILYANA GRACE PICTURES!

2009-03-17T21:29:00.007-04:00

These are photos taken at the hospital today.

Isn't she just precious!

She is coming home tomorrow.

EXCITING MONDAY!!

2009-03-16T21:01:00.010-04:00

Today started out like any other day.

John got up early to go fishing with his nephew.

I got up thinking I would go back to bed.

I didn't have a good night's sleep for coughing.

I would then get up in time to get ready

to go to my Weight Watcher's meeting.

Then . . . the phone rang.

The call that changed my plans.

I figured it was Roger calling for John,

to see if he was ready.

It was Tania calling . . . Sierra was in labor

and Johnny was taking her to the hospital.

My new plans were to head for the hospital.

Holley is on spring break,

so her dad brought her over

so she could go to the hospital with me.

We got to the hospital at 11:00 a.m. and waited,

and waited, and waited some more.

I had to leave for my Weight Watcher's meeting.

I lost another 2.5 lbs., making a total of 9 lbs. for

the two weeks that I've been on the plan . . .

praise God!

Now back to the hospital for more waiting.

Finally . . . at 2:20,

little Lily is born.

It wasn't an easy birth . . .

she had to be pulled out.

But, praise God, she is a perfect little girl.

I finally got to go in to see her and hold her.

There aren't words to explain how I felt.

She looks just like Johnny did

when he was born.

I only had her for a few minutes and . . .

the nurse took her away.

I didn't get pictures . . . so a pictureless post.

They will come home tomorrow and I will

get pictures just as soon as I can.

I can hardly wait to see her again.

That's it for now. . . . but more to come.

I'm still excited!

UPDATE

2009-03-12T11:52:00.005-04:00

Just an update on the great-grandbaby.

Doctor appointment was Wednesday.

No change in her condition.

If she doesn't deliver by the 20th,

doctor suggested inducing labor.

Sierra was happy about that.

But, I think that is not a good idea.

The baby is not due until the 27th.

My labor was induced with my first baby,

but she was two weeks late.

I just don't know about inducing before due date,

with no reason other than maybe convenience

for the doctor. . . . I don't know his reason.

Is this a good thing or what?

MY SECOND MEETING & WEIGH IN

2009-03-10T22:37:00.005-04:00

Well girls, I made it through the first week. . . .

and had a weight loss of 6.5 pounds!

I've been doing pretty good with my points. . . .

always some left over each day.

I won't say it isn't hard. . . . it is. . . .

hope it gets better.

I have to keep this up.

"BEFORE" PICTURES

2009-03-08T19:16:00.010-04:00

Not much time left.

Due date is March 27th.

We are guessing sooner.

Wednesday exam showed 1 centimeter dilated.

Friday evening. . . . off to the ER.

Pain down one side of stomach.

Exam showed pulled ligament.

Exam also showed 2 centimeter dilated

and 50% effacement.

Sounds like it's getting close to me.

Full moon comes Tuesday.

What do you think?

Posed in front of our new storage building.

It looks like little Lilyana is about ready to make her deput.

SPRING IS SPRINGING FORTH

2009-03-07T20:17:00.016-05:00

Today was a wonderful day!

My daffodils are blooming!

I think Mr. Frog is welcoming Spring.

Huey enjoyed the day too.

The temperature was 80 degrees.

We stayed home and worked all day.

My hubby worked on the storage building

that he is almost finished with it..

I even helped him some today.

Poor thing. . . .worked on his 65th birthday.

I cleaned off the back porch. . . . . a major job!

I carried things into the storage building.

I cleaned some inside.

I was on my feet most all day. . . .

which is a no no for me. . . . my back is killing me.

Thursday and Friday were good days also.

We went fishing and the weather was great,

although a little windy. . . . I got a little burned.

Sorry, no pic of me.

Hubby and I both love fishing, especially trout fishing.

He didn't know I snapped this.

He'd kill me if he knew I posted it.

I know you won't tell.

The ducks enjoyed themselves.

Even the "ugly duck".

Hope all of you had a good Friday and Saturday.

And, have a good Sunday tomorrow!

HE TOUCHED MY HEART

2009-03-04T09:08:00.014-05:00

My heart was so touched.

I just about cried.

Such a little thing.

But it meant everything to me.

Not just the beautiful gift,

but, him thinking of me.

No special occasion.

Just something he saw.

He thought of me.

And he bought it for me.

Oh the joy that filled my heart.

Just to know that I came to his mind.

There isn't words to express the love

that I've always had for him from

the moment I first laid eyes on him.

He has always been special to me.

Now, he made me feel special.

No, girls,

I'm not talking about my husband.

My grandson.

Just look what he gave me.

Isn't it beautiful!

And, it even has birds on it.

He knows his ma ma is usually always hot

and has to have something fanning her.

But, what was so special is that he thought of me.

I will cherish that in my heart for as long as I live.

The most important gift. . . .

He thought of me and. . . .

HE TOUCHED MY HEART.

DOCTOR APPOINTMENT

2009-03-02T21:23:00.005-05:00

Not good.

Or, should I say,

I haven't been good.

NO WEIGHT LOSS.

Of course I knew that before I went.

Will have to wait for results of

A1c and other labs.

Probably not good either.

She sort of gave me an ultimatum.....

lose weight or have by-pass surgery.

This has been a favorite subject of hers

for my past several visits.

I told her I didn't want the surgery.

She suggested I try Weight Watchers.

OK, OK, I'll give it a try.

It can't hurt matters.

Hopefully, it will help matters.

I just hate having to pay $12.00 a week

for something that I should be able to do

all by myself.

But, since I haven't succeeded

in doing it all by myself,

I suppose I will have to give in.

Had my first meeting today.

I don't know if my feeble mind can

master the point system.

Sounds like a lot of figuring to me.

Wish me luck........PLEASE.

BABY SHOWER

2009-03-02T21:17:00.006-05:00

After a lot of preparations,

and anxiety of having everything ready,

it was time for the baby shower.

And, all was ready before the first guest arrived.

My daughter, Tania, the grandma-to-be was a big help.

Among those in attendance were the

first time mommy-to-be,

first time grandma-to-be,

first time great-grandma-to-be,

first time aunt-to-be,

and other friends and family members.

Games were played which had brains working.

It was good to hear the laughter,

letting me know the guests were having fun.

Then time to eat before gift opening.

There was homemade potato salad,

homemade meat balls,

little smokies in bq sauce,

turkey pinwheels, cheese cubes,

black olives, baby pickles,

crackers, and nuts, fruit salad,

and of course, cake.

Below is a close up of the cake that I made.

Then, for the awaited gift opening.

Mommy-to-be was so excited.

She was showered with many nice baby things.

My grandaughter, Holley, is the aunt-to-be,

caught below on the left edge of this photo.

Below is a blanket that I made for her

with an iron on applique.

Below is Tania, opening the gift that I got for her,

the special grandma-to-be.

Below is the diaper cake made by Tania,

with the help of Holley.

Below is the plaque that I made, using
a photo frame and backed with black felt.
I added bows and ribbon.
My talented nephew, Andrew, made the
letters out of wood, and I painted them pink.
The butterflies, which I already had,
I painted pink also.

Now all the "to-be's" are waiting for the reality.

The birth is predicted for March 27th for

Lilyana "Lily" Grace.

You can expect a post after her birth,with lots of pictures.

WHITE SUNDAY

2009-02-22T12:43:00.020-05:00

Oh what a beautiful sight

to wake up to on this Sunday morning.
When I looked out my kitchen window,

I just had to take some pictures.

If you click to enlarge the pictures,

you will see some birds.

Did you find the two cardinals in the above pine tree?

Hope you enjoyed my snow pictures.