Buds, blooms...

Do you remember me talking about my Gardenia buds?  Well, they are finally blooming:)  This was a gift from my Daughter:)  Such a pretty bloom!  I will enjoy these blooms for years to come!  Thank you Tracy and family!

I think I will make a bouquet, they make the house smell heavenly!  Enjoy your day dear friends, sending HUGS and PRAYERS your way!

Butterfly, snake, jug, thanks and visit...

Look who joined me while I was sitting outside last night!  This beautiful butterfly flew around and landed really close to me, and stayed there.  I felt like it was a message from my Mama in Heaven saying she loves me and misses me too!

Well, another guest decided to visit!  YIKES, a black snake!  Yes, I know that the black snakes are the good kind but they still creep me out!  He slithered away, goodbye!

Yesterday, I made a stop at a local antique shop looking for a 5 gallon jug!  My Daddy gave me one MANY years ago for my pennies, well it is full and I needed another one!  As you can see I found one, a little pricey but it is now ready to fill up!  Heavy jug in the car and off to have lunch with my Niece Britani!  She is a joy to be around, SO kind and loves her Ganky:)

My SWEET Daughter sent us a gift of Omaha Steaks to say thank you for helping them pack and unpack!  We have had 3 meals from this collection of yumminess and more left!  Thank you Tracy and family for this sweet gift that we have enjoyed so much!

NOW, if you miss me... I will be hugging and catching up with 3 of my Grandchildren that I don't get to see often enough!  They are getting WAY too big and I can't wait to see them running toward me to give me hugs:)

That's it for my yesterday!  Enjoy today, sending HUGS and PRAYERS your way!

Mama would be 94 today...

Today is my Mama's Birthday!  Yes, my Sister Barbara was born the day before her birthday... what a wonderful gift to her!  My Mama would be 94 today, she passed away at the very young age of 63!  I miss her every day and learned so much from her in her short time with us.  This picture is outside under the old oak tree.  We spent lots of time out there.  My Daughter Tracy was giving her a sweet hug, my sister-in-law June to the right!  I cherish the memories, oh sweet memories...

My Sister Barbara enjoyed her birthday lunch yesterday and SO DID I!  We sat there a long time and got in some good chatting:)  

Off to Crawford Ga for a Softball game in the 90 degree heat.  It was a scorcher, we lost but what a great game.  Both girls at bat, Alex on the left and Avery on the right!

And what could make the 90 minute ride home a little better?  THIS:)

I hope you all have a beautiful day!  Still hot here with high humidity!  Fortunately, much of what I have to do today is inside!  I have some errands to run and that's about it!  Sending HUGS and PRAYERS your way!

76 years old today...

It's my Sister Barbara's 76th birthday!  She is the sweetest, most kind-hearted and giving person you would ever want to meet!  She would give you the shirt right off her back and I love her more than there are words to express.  She and I talk EVERY DAY of EVERY WEEK of EVERY MONTH of EVERY YEAR!  I am thankful for you my Sister  

Last year's Birthday lunch, our Aunt was in the hospital and wasn't able to be there.  This was one of the last lunches we had!  Foo Foo would always plan for the next lunch and I guess when she passed away, we just stopped doing it!  Everyone is busy, some have jobs, some aren't feeling well or out of town.  I will take her to lunch today at her favorite place to eat:)

Old picture...  My favorite picture of ALL time!  Barbara and ME:)

2009-LOVE this picture too:)

2015 lunch at my house!  What a sweet group we had that day!

SO... if you have a Barbara in your family, you are lucky... as am I!  I feel blessed and treasure her!  Have a blessed day dear friends, sending HUGS and PRAYERS your way!

Snuggles, smiles and back home...

Distance isn't so bad when you are at the other end of it:)  We took a road trip to visit this little family!  My Granddaughter Autumn, her Husband Seth and their little angel Brooklyn!  We babysat for them to go to dinner and celebrate Seth's b'day!  I snuggled with Brooklyn a LOT, rocked, sang and enjoyed every minute of it!

After the Parents left for dinner, we went inside for some more pictures:)

She is the cutest little one and has totally stolen our hearts:)

Autumn and I got some shopping in and YES, I enjoyed that too:)

Brooklyn taking a little rest in her crib, only for a moment:)

This little lamb was Baby Autumn's and now it is Brooklyn's!  Before Autumn was born, her Mama and I would put this little lamb in various spots throughout the house!  I have had possession of this little cutie for almost 23 years... it now has a new home!  

I am WAY behind on reading blogs, I just didn't have time!  We are looking forward to visiting our "out of town" Grand-babies next weekend before their school year starts.  I was trying to get all the way up to visit my new Great-Nephew but plans have changed and we will have to delay that visit a few weeks.  Enjoy your day dear friend, I am loving sitting in my chair this morning, drinking my coffee and making a list of things to do today!  Sending HUGS and PRAYERS your way!

Good morning...

I hope you all have a gorgeous day!  I am on my way to see my Granddaughter and her little family:).  SO excited to see little them all😊

Sending HUGS and PRAYERS your way!

Yum recipe...

I stayed in yesterday and stayed busy much of the day!  Dinner time was looming and I had leftover chicken and mashed potatoes, hmmm perhaps I will make these:)  I remember my Mama making them and thought I would give them a try.  I forgot to take a picture but let's say they looked similar to these, wink:)  Were they yummy?  YES they were and my husband said it over and over.  I love it when I try something new and it's a hit!  Potato pancakes recipe HERE!

Gotta get moving!  I am needing to see my Great-Grandbaby and they aren't just down the street!  Have a blessed day dear friends, sending HUGS and PRAYERS your way!

Hot , rainy game and a b'day...

Sisters on the same team:)  Left is Alex batting and right is Avery!  I love watching these girls play ball.  It was hot and rained a little but we got the game in.  They lost but played hard and prayed afterwards!  

Tracy sent me this pic, she knew it would make my heart happy!  These girls just having a good time and loving each other:)  

And here they are many years ago...  Just look how they have grown, sigh!

Happy Birthday to my son-in-law Richard!  We love you Richard and hope you have a wonderful day!

Have a blessed day!  Sending HUGS and PRAYERS your way!

Soon, really soon...

I don't check every day but often:)  I am watching my new gardenia buds waiting patiently for them to open.  It's the little things that make me smile!  Tracy and family sent this gardenia on my birthday and it is planted out by the pool.  Soon, really soon... it is going to open!

This plant brings me joy every year!  I call it my "Aunt Louise" plant!  My Sister Barbara shared it with me many years ago when she lived next door to my Aunt Louise's old home place!  I cherish it and the memories, it will also be blooming soon.

Up early, having my coffee and getting my day going.  Spending the day at my Daughter's new house and ballgames this afternoon:)  Enjoy your day dear friends, sending HUGS and PRAYERS your way!

Missing this family and a b'day...

Missing this little family!  Brooklyn is 6 weeks old today and I am not doing so hot being 5 hours away from her!  I feel a road trip coming soon:)  She is changing every day and I am thankful that Autumn sends lots of pictures every day!

Happy Birthday to my precious niece Suzanne!  I hope your day is extra-special!  Love you tons!

Enjoy your day dear friends, sending HUGS and PRAYERS your way!

Sunday blessings...

Not much exciting happening here!  I spent my Saturday doing some much needed cleaning!  I am thankful for another Sunday, sweet peaceful Sunday!

Enjoy your day dear friends, sending HUGS and PRAYERS your way!

Depends on where you are...

Yep, depends on where you are:)  That's what the weather forecast is for today and the days ahead.  It may or may not rain where we are!  It is still hot, so a little rain will be a welcome sight!  

I am heading to spend the day with my daughter!  Hope all of you have a wonderfully blessed day, sending HUGS and PRAYERS your way!

Just a little "Don't Worry"...

Just a little "Don't Worry" for anyone who needs to read it:)  I ran across this while clearing out WAY TOO MANY EMAILS!  Not sure who wrote this, but it is worth the read!

Too many people put off something that brings them joy just because they haven't thought about it, don't have it on their schedule, didn't know it was coming or are too rigid to depart from their routine.

I got to thinking one day about all those women on the Titanic who passed up dessert at dinner that fateful night in an effort to cut back.  From then on, I've tried to be a little more flexible.

How many women out there will eat at home because their husband didn't suggest going out to dinner until after something had been thawed?  Does the word 'refrigeration' mean nothing to you?

How often have your kids dropped in to talk and sat in silence while you watched ' Jeopardy ' on television?

Because Americans cram so much into their lives, we tend to schedule our headaches.  We live on a sparse diet of promises we make to ourselves when all the conditions are perfect!

We'll go back and visit the grandparents when we get Steve toilet-trained.  We'll entertain when we replace the living-room carpet...   We'll go on a second honeymoon when we get two more kids out of college.

Life has a way of accelerating as we get older.  The days get shorter, and the list of promises to ourselves gets longer.   One morning, we awaken, and all we have to show for our lives is a litany of 'I'm going to,' 'I plan on,' and 'Someday, when things are settled down a bit.'

When anyone calls my 'seize the moment' friend, she is open to adventure and available for trips.  She keeps an open mind on new ideas.  Her enthusiasm for life is contagious.  You talk with her for five minutes, and you're ready to trade your bad feet for a pair of Roller blades and skip an elevator for a bungee cord..

My lips have not touched ice cream in 10 years.  I love ice cream.  It's just that I might as well apply it directly to my stomach with a spatula and eliminate the digestive process  The other day, I stopped the car and bought a triple-Decker. If my car had hit an iceberg on the way home, I would have died happy.

Now...go on and have a nice day.  Do something you WANT to......not something on your SHOULD DO list. If you were going to die soon and had only one phone call you could make, who would you call and what would you say?  And why are you waiting?

Make sure you read this to the end; you will understand why I sent this to you.

Have you ever watched kids playing on a merry go round or listened to the rain lapping on the ground?  Ever followed a butter fly's erratic flight or gazed at the sun into the fading night? Do you run through each day on the fly?  When you ask ' How are you?'  Do you hear the reply?

When the day is done, do you lie in your bed with the next hundred chores running through your head?  Ever told your child, 'We'll do it tomorrow.'  And in your haste, not see his sorrow?  Ever lost touch?  Let a good friendship die?  Just call to say 'Hi?

When you worry and hurry through your day, it is like an unopened gift....Thrown away..... Life is not a race Take it slower.  Hear the music before the song is over.   

Have a blessed day dear friends, sending HUGS and PRAYERS your way!

A new little one...

A sweet little Great-Nephew and his new baby brother!  Yes, our family is growing!  My Nephew Bradley and his Wife Tiffany welcomed their little boy yesterday morning!  Tanner Wayne, and is he ever cute:)  He looks JUST like his big brother Connor to me!  Congratulations Bradley and Tiffany!

The furniture came and is in it's place.  I need new throw pillows and a new side table, more on that another day:)  I am trying to get used to it, trying really hard... I don't do change well as some of you already know.  We are having our morning coffee and getting the morning started!  Have a blessed day dear friends, sending HUGS and PRAYERS your way!

Can't wait for the next one...

First game and a huge win.  They hit, they walked, they scored... 17-0 was the final score!  It sure felt good to sit in the stands and watch them play!  Alex and Avery, GREAT game!  Can't wait for the next one:)

Up early and having my coffee.  Furniture is coming this morning and I gotta get ready!  Have a blessed day dear friends, sending HUGS and PRAYERS your way!

Let the games begin...

First game today!  Alex and Avery are both on the School Softball team and YES, the first game is today!  I am SO excited to sit in the stands again!  Autumn played since she was 5, school ball and thru college.  We followed her all over the country, I have missed it and can't wait for today!

I have a dentist appt this morning with a new hygienist:(  She better be gentle with me, I will be nice to her (until she hurts me:) and will certainly miss Jennifer!  Have a blessed day dear friends, sending HUGS and PRAYERS your way!

Happy Sunday...

The sun is shining, my coffee is hot and it looks like a glorious day ahead.  I hope you all are having a peaceful Sunday morning!

Enjoy your day dear friends, sending HUGS and PRAYERS your way!

Dreaming of slower times...

Anybody else feel like time is flying by TOO fast?  I can't believe that the calendar just keeps flipping, month by month!  I wish that I could get "time" to slow down a bit.  I enjoy each day but would like to go back to my childhood when the Summer seemed to drag on forever and a day seemed to be a week long.  I know, I know... I can't do that, but a girl can dream about slower times:)

Have a blessed day dear friends, sending HUGS and PRAYERS your way!

One month old today...

One month old today!  Little Brooklyn has been with us for ONE MONTH!  I love this little girl SO much and her Mama is taking extra good care of her.  Autumn sends me pictures every day and it helps make the distance a little closer.  Pa and I love you Brooklyn and can't wait to see you again real soon!

I sent Autumn this card recently:)  I have always called her Baby Girl and well, this card was made just for her!

I am heading out to spend the day with my Daughter finishing up at their old house.  Have a blessed day dear friends, sending HUGS and PRAYERS your way!

I don't always enjoy being retired...

It has been 16 years since I left work, WHAT?  No way that it could be that long, but it has.  For 30 years, I left before daylight and got home near sunset.  Sometimes my commute was 60+ miles one-way.  Why am I telling you this today?  Well because I am happy that I don't have to hustle out to go to work, just being thankful:)  Instead of rushing out, I am resting with my coffee!

Furniture was ordered yesterday and it will show up on Tuesday:)  I am excited after 16 years to have something new to break in:)  We built our house the year I retired and have been sitting on the same sofa for that long.  Can't wait.  Now I have to find some new throw pillows.  Perhaps I will get out and do a little shopping later today.  Have a blessed day dear friends, sending HUGS and PRAYERS your way!

Have a good morning...

Like this says "Have a Good Morning"!  It looks like another scorcher here in the South!  Remember when I complained about the rain, now there isn't any.  So I will be happy about the sunshine and stay as cool as possible:)

We are shopping for new furniture for our family room and I think we have found the perfect set!  Just gotta get it ordered.  Not much else going on around here and that's OK with me.  Enjoy your day dear friend, sending HUGS and PRAYERS your way!

Family, like branches on a tree...

After Church yesterday, a short stop at the furniture store and a drive-thru-lunch at McDonald's, off to the Funeral home!  My Cousin Donald was 84 years old and as handsome as ever.  His sweet wife of almost 64 years was kind AS ALWAYS!  Our family is HUGE!  All of my Daddy's siblings are gone but there are still lots of cousins, their kids and their kids etc.  I always enjoy visiting with this bunch of relatives, at our yearly reunion which is next month, or gathering to show respect for a loved one.  I sat and chatted, hugged those that I haven't seen in a while and visited with my Brother Leon and Sister-in-law Becky!  Life is short...  Make every day count!

Family "LIKE BRANCHES ON A TREE..."  Have a blessed day dear friends, sending HUGS and PRAYERS your way!

Floating...

Our busy Summer has kept us on the move and not much time to rest!  There was nothing on my "gotta get done" list yesterday, so this is how I spent much of my day.  The sun was shining, the sky was bright blue and there were just a few puffy clouds floating around.  Speaking of floating, that's what I did... float around lazily in the pool which has seen NO swimmers all Summer.  After the lazy day, I got busy pulling weeds and trimming.  The bottom picture is my Birthday gardenia from Tracy and family.  It is about to bloom and I can't wait:)

Church this morning and visitation this afternoon for my 1st Cousin who passed away yesterday.  He was 84 years old.  He and his wife have been inseparable for 63 years.  It has always been Donald and Phyllis, I am 64 and that's all I have ever known.  Prayers for this family!  

Have a blessed day dear friends, sending HUGS and PRAYERS your way!

Sunshine is the best medicine...

I have to admit, I was SO happy to see the sunshine yesterday!  The rain left us and the sun came out for an entire day:)  It was nice to leave the umbrella behind and replace it with some sunglasses!  Today looks like another nice day, partly cloudy with some sun and perhaps a scattered shower.  I'll take it:)  Perhaps I can get outside and pull a few weeds that are taking over... perhaps not:)

Enjoy your day dear friends, hope you see the sun where you are:)  Sending HUGS and PRAYERS your way!

Noah, 1st day and 30th B'day...

It has been the rainiest bunch of days that I remember in a long time.  It kept me awake last night pounding the side of the house!  I saw this sign on Facebook and thought it was appropriate for this rainy season we are in:)  Thankfully it looks like the rain is slacking off for the day and I'll be happy to see some sunshine!

THESE two start school today!  Only 1/2 a day but still the first day of this school year!  Aren't they precious in their school uniforms, looking fresh and happy!  AND posing on the staircase in their new house, just 10 minutes from school:)  
Alex 8th and Avery 7th grade

Thank you Tracy for sharing these pictures:)  You knew I would be waiting for them, didn't you?

Let's see what else?  OH yes... my Niece Kelly's first born Son Ross is 30 years old today!  It was a special day when Ross made his appearance.  He was as cute as he could be, had a room full of loved ones including my Mama:)  SPECIAL memories of that day, very special!  Ross and his wife Jennifer are expecting their first born Son in a couple months.  Reckon he will look like this picture, I bet he will:)

That's all I have for this morning!  I hope you all are have a beautiful day!  Sending HUGS and PRAYER your way!

HOWEVER far it is...

Sometimes you need to jump in the car and drive (HOWEVER far it is) to snuggle with a little one!  My Great-granddaughter Brooklyn was 3 weeks old Monday and is cuter every day, if that is even possible:)

I held her, rocked her and loved on her a lot:)

For a couple days, this is where you would find me...

Tuesday, Autumn and I took some pictures of Miss Brooklyn!  Here she is in her little bunny outfit that her Mimi (my daughter Tracy) bought her!  We had the best time dressing her up and taking her picture!

Isn't she sweet?  Resting after the photo shoot!

I'm back home with a happy heart!  I enjoyed my time with my Granddaughter Autumn, Seth and their little sweetie!  We had lots of good times and made sweet memories!  Have a blessed day dear friends, sending HUGS and PRAYERS your way!