My Mother's Daughter

Fountain

In beautiful Western North Carolina we have been blessed with lots of rain... on a recent Friday I went hiking beside the Laurel River in Madison County... The trail runs along the river as it flows toward the French Broad River. In years past I walked this trail during a dry summer, where the river was low and we walked on the rocks in the river bed...
Not this time.
My good friend, Courtney, her dog, Chance and I traveled along the trail soaking up the scenery. We hoped to see some brave people riding the water in kayaks. All along the way we came across streams of running water trying to make its way to the river. This old water fountain is a beautiful example. Water is running along the side of the fountain, and out the man made tube at the bottom of the fountain.
It didn't take long for our shoes, feet and legs to become wet. Oh, it was a glorious day. The sound of the river was awesome. We walked until we couldn't go any further, not because we could not, but because we had to turn around, in order to make it back in time to meet the school bus. Just after turning we saw a group of kayaks coming down the river - three of them. They got out on the side to scout down river to see what they were going into... AND then we saw three more kayaks - one of the guys did a cartwheel in the kayak.... totally cool - to watch - I don't wanna do it!

Parts of the trail we walked on had been under water earlier in the day!
I feel so blessed to live here...

Spring Flowers

In western North Carolina the weather can't decide to stay warm, or be chilly. One day it snows, and the next day it is in the sixties. I took some beautiful pictures of my bleeding hearts and lilac bushes. I thought I would share them with you.


I am pleased to say that the snow did not destroy the blooms, they are still very beautiful!

When I started blogging I wanted to see all the beautiful things people were making and I wanted to stretch my creative juices.... but alas, it just seems that at the end of the day, I have no energy to do the things I want to do... I am sure many of you can relate to what I am saying.

With the new face of spring, new beginnings are possible. I am reminded by my Lord that Easter is a beautiful example of new beginnings. Because of what Christ did on the cross, we do not have to go to the priest, or have a mediator to go to God for us, we have direct access to God through Christ - new beginnings are possible because of Christ....

We had baptism at church on Sunday - and the picture of death, burial, and resurrection is so real. We are dead in sin without Christ, His death on the cross, burial and resurrection are what makes it possible for us to have life in Christ and know that we can one day be in heaven with the Father. When we are baptized we die to sin, are buried and raised in newness of life. Such a beautiful picture of what Christ did for us. Baptism does not save us, but because Jesus did it, we should follow His example and publicly show the difference that Christ has made in our lives.

As God's creation shows His great imagination and creativity, I pray that God would reveal some creativity in me...

What Once was LOST - Now is FOUND!

Well, it has been a really long time since I have blogged.
This absence deserves an explanation.
I have admitted to you in the past that I have been struggling with some depression issues, which are much better now. But that is not the MAIN reason I have not been blogging.
I also noted on a previous blog that Firefox messed up on my computer and I lost all of my 'favorite' sites to visit.
The first week of January I went to a conference in Nashville, TN. It was a great stay at the Grand Olde Opry Hotel. The Lord blessed me with a great room, overlooking the Cascade Lounge, 6th floor, with my own balcony, with all the Christmas lights still up. Oh, how beautiful. I couldn't wait to share the pictures with you. When I got back home, somewhere along the way I LOST my camera. I have been sick. I have looked in every conceiveable corner in my house, and looked everywhere at church/work, all to no avail. Finally last week, I broke down and bought a new camera, just like my pink Cybershot Sony camera. It was on backorder, so they took my information and was to send it to me asap. I just received a phone call yesterday morning that the camera was not only not available, but it was discontinued. They offered to take it off of my card, and I asked if I might be the floor model at the store, they told me to ask them....so about a hour and a half after I took the call I went down to my office, and started sorting through some things that I haven't used in awhile. The first box I opened had my camera in it.....It was FOUND! My husband told me if I bought a new one it would be a sure guarantee that mine would show up. I was so excited, it was such a good day!
I knew that God knew where it was, I am so glad that He let me find it....just like I was once LOST and now am FOUND!
God is so good!
All the time God is good!

The view from my balcony! The water sounded so beautiful!

What Once was LOST - Now is FOUND!

Well, it has been a really long time since I have blogged.
This absence deserves an explanation.
I have admitted to you in the past that I have been struggling with some depression issues, which are much better now. But that is not the MAIN reason I have not been blogging.
I also noted on a previous blog that Firefox messed up on my computer and I lost all of my 'favorite' sites to visit.
The first week of January I went to a conference in Nashville, TN. It was a great stay at the Grand Olde Opry Hotel. The Lord blessed me with a great room, overlooking the Cascade Lounge, 6th floor, with my own balcony, with all the Christmas lights still up. Oh, how beautiful. I couldn't wait to share the pictures with you. When I got back home, somewhere along the way I LOST my camera. I have been sick. I have looked in every conceiveable corner in my house, and looked everywhere at church/work, all to no avail. Finally last week, I broke down and bought a new camera, just like my pink Cybershot Sony camera. It was on backorder, so they took my information and was to send it to me asap. I just received a phone call yesterday morning that the camera was not only not available, but it was discontinued. They offered to take it off of my card, and I asked if I might be the floor model at the store, they told me to ask them....so about a hour and a half after I took the call I went down to my office, and started sorting through some things that I haven't used in awhile. The first box I opened had my camera in it.....It was FOUND! My husband told me if I bought a new one it would be a sure guarantee that mine would show up. I was so excited, it was such a good day!
I knew that God knew where it was, I am so glad that He let me find it....just like I was once LOST and now am FOUND!
God is so good!
All the time God is good!

The view from my balcony! The water sounded so beautiful!

The Storm is HERE!

I did it! I started looking at the Storm blackberry from Verizon before Christmas, and they were always out of them. Today I went to my local Verizon store at the mall to LOOK at them. In order to see what the screen really looks like you have to have the salesperson take out a real one and the battery has to be installed. Of course, most of you probably already know that! The guy told me that if he got it out, I had to buy it...I said, "just looking today!"  Of course within the hour we were rapping up the sale, and I headed out the door with a new phone, cover and wondering what in the world I had just done.

I have tried to answer the phone, sometimes successfully. I have sent and received text messages, wow, typing is slow now. I was really used to the click click clicking on the old phone to send a message.

They were able to save pictures from my old phone onto the new phone. The pictures of my grandkids are so much prettier on the bigger and better looking screen. 

I hope I can master, or at least figure out some of the details soon!

The really nice salesman, he put his name in my contacts so I can call him if I have any trouble with the phone. His name is Zeke Verizon. Isn't that cool that his last name is the same as the company he works for, haha!

have a great day! It is funny that I am so excited about a gadget!

Your Dreams are your ticket out!

Mundane things happen all the time it seems. The song to "Welcome Back Cotter" is dancing through my head this morning. It seems like nothing creative has drifted through my head in months, and nothing is ozzing out of my finger tips either. I have pictures on my digital camera that I need to get on the 'puter so I can share them with you...I just don't seem to find the time to sit down and just do it! The most exciting thing that is going on in my life involves my granddaughters, and they are too precious to describe. Well, ok, I am going to try to describe yesterday. 

My oldest granddaughter, Callie, is in preschool until noon. Her mom had to work yesterday, and Callie had decided that my mom, granny, would pick her up at noon, cause nana (daughter's mil) needed a break. Which of course came out Callie's mind and not nana's. My mom picked her up, they went shopping, Dollar store, Goodwill, who knows where else. Callie asked granny, "Nana's birthday is soon, can we pick up an inexpensive gift for her, please?" Now, Callie is 4, where does she come up with this stuff, "inexpensive?" She picked out a hairbrush, they got a gift bag and put tissue in it. She was so excited to have a gift for her nana. Granny brought Callie to me, and the plan was for me to take her home. She was at my house for a couple of hours, so never stops talking, my oh my, my ears are tired when she goes home, but I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. She wanted to do some 'scrapbooking' which she has neither seen me do that, or her mother, though I used to do it all the time. I gave her a magazine and some scissors, I gotta get some left-handed ones, she is a lefty. Anyway, a family trait is when concentrating, really concentrating, the tongue gets stuck out of the corner of the mouth, or twisting and moving the mouth, she has got it...when she was cutting out of the magazine her tongue and mouth was working every which way. I told my son to sit beside me and watch Callie cut, he says, I can see from here. I told hiim, not what I see you can't. He knew immediately when he sat down to look at her face. It is just too precious. When we left for me to take her home she asked what I was gonna do after I took her home. i said go to the store and then fix papa something to eat. She says, "How about a hot dog?" i said, "He had that last night!" "Umm!" she says, "How about a sandwhich?" I say, "He had that for lunch!" "Umm! How about a burger?" "Hmmm! That might be an idea!" It actually ended up being chilli, but she thought she had helped me pick out papa's dinner. For all of you out there who have grandchildren, I know you understand this...and for those of you that will someday, someday you will...People have said, you love your grandchildren more. I just don't believe that is possible. I love my children, and my grandchildren. The responsiblity part is different. I don't have to do dishes, I don't have to do laundry. If I want to play outside while they are at my house, who cares...moms and dads have to accomplish the tasks of having a home, having a career/job and being a parent. It is a difficult task...for me, the mamaw all I have to do is love and hug, and try to help teach and mold along the way.

When the mundane things of life get overwhelming, it is such a blessing to think of the blessings that God gives us along the way, and one of those things are my grandchildren.

Have a blessed day!

PS - the reason I have time this morning to write is cause the Maytag repair man, oops, I mean furnace man is servicing our unit this morning...so I sit here and wait for him to finish...

Brrr It's cold outside

Well, it has been awhile since I have even attempted to blog. It seems like my life has taken on its own direction, and the things I have enjoyed doing so much, have gotten kicked to the curb. I am wondering if I am affected by SAD (is that what it is called, Sunshine Affected Disorder?). Well, probably not that, but when I get home at night and get dinner out of the way, I just don't have the energy to do much else. Dark means bedtime to me, and this weather.....geesh, is it cold. Yesterday, here in Western North Carolina it was cold, but no wind....today, whole different story, the cold and wind...I know it is not really all that bad, compared to what some of you are dealing with, just makes me want to huddle under the covers and drink coffee, or just turn the lights out and go to sleep! 

I just wanted to take a minute to blog tonight, in case anyone is out there reading blogs tonight. I have missed hearing from so many of you, and missed checking on you. I hope, and pray, that my life comes to some kind of smooth place in the road soon, and that I will be able to join you back on this blogland journey.

I will try to write more often...

The Giver

I picked up a book yesterday, that so captured my attention, that I must share with you my thoughts and concerns. A friend had shared with me the name of this book, and a growing concern from a few parents that their fifth graders were reading this book, in a private Christian school. Some of the things they described, I didn't think were appropriate for 10 year olds. So I got my copy of The Giver at a local second hand store. The book is written by Lois Lowry, who is an award winning author of children's books, surely this parent was wrong. I want you to understand that I am very conservative in my thinking and beliefs. I understand that this book is fiction - but my oh my - what a sad state of what childhood stories should be about. 

In the book the people live in a world without pain, there are no wars, no hunger, no disease...a world of sameness....everyone has a purpose and a job that is chosen specifically for them, and assigned when they are twelve. There are no individual birthdays, there is one celebration every December for all birthdays, from one to twelve, after that age does not matter and is not important. All of the babies are born to birth mothers, who never see their baby, they are raised for one year by a nurturer, and then are given their name and assigned the family unit they are assigned to. The very old live together, the very young live together, the adults with children have family units, and when the children grow up the parents then go to a place for childless adults. No one is hungry, everyone is the same...every morning dreams are discussed and every night feelings are discussed. No one is rude. This world is free of choices, there are none. The very old are 'released' to the Elsewhere, and the young that do not adjust to nurturing, or twins who are identical (the smaller weight child) one is kept and one is 'realeased'.  I am so disturbed by the thoughts of this book, I must write. In this society the people have chosen to not have memories, to not have pain, and to allow one person to be the holder of memories, so that when decisions must be made that he can draw on wisdom from past situations to determine what is the right thing to do. The receiver of memories (I can not capitalize these words - and act like that it is something really important) holds all wisdom and knowledge of the past. The young man in the story is chosen to be the next receiver of memories and the giver (the one who has the memories  must pass them to him), has a library of books, that no one is allowed to read or see, except him, and the one he is now to train to be the receiver of memories. In the story it becomes obvious that not only is everyone the same in the world of sameness, but there is no color, there are no hills, there are no seasons, there is no weather, there is no sunshine, no warmth, no cold, no snow....everything is the same.

One thing I have often heard, and even said is, "everything in life is not fair". This statement could not be said about the world of this book, because fair does not exist.

Let me tell you now what troubles me most about the book. In the book the old people who do not contribute to society any longer are released - in other worlds killed - though the people in the book don't know that - or choose not to know it! Children who are not adjusting well before the age of one are 'released'. In the book there is a visual of the 'releasing procedure' for an identical twin. The child who is smaller in birth weight is injected with a needle in the top of the head, I can only assume it is a saline solution, something like the solution used in abortions, and the child jerks and becomes lifeless, and then is wrapped in a blanket, put in a box, and dropped down a chute, much like a laundry chute. Though the book did not discribe the 'releasing' for the old, i imagine that it is much the same, with a lethal injection to stop life, because there is no value in that life....how very sad when a society of people have the right to choose value of life. I know that in many countries euthanasia of the old is already legal, and maybe even the taking of life of the disabled, we are killing the unborn by thousands and thousands in this country. I will never be able to accept that it is okay to end the life of anyone, young or old, because we percieve that they will not be able to make a contribution to society. God alone knows why He allows sickness and disease, well, acutally it is because we live in a sinful world. I of course am not saying that people have a sickness or disease because of sin in their own life, but our world is filled with sin, and it effects us all, to some degree or another. How do you or I get to choose who lives or dies? 

I continue to be desturbed over the content of the book, please do not take for granted what your children are reading at school, read for yourself and see how easily our children are being deceived, we have become so decensitized to pain and death, life is so very fragile, and important, and valued.

Tell someone, young or old, today that you love them. Value the life that God has chosen.

thank you for bearing with me as I share my thoughts.

Grove Park Inn Gingerbread Winner!

If you didn't see the winner on Good Morning America on Christmas Eve, please let me reveal to you the winning entry for the Grove Park Inn Gingerbread Winner!

I realize now that the picture is not nearly as clear as I would have liked. The winning entry is not a house at all, which is distressing to many, a carosel! It is a lovely example of creativinty. Everything int he picture is edible. Which is amazing. I went to see the 'houses' just after they were judged, and loved seeing how they were put together. I enjoy going every year. I went a week or so later with a group of people, and was amazed to see that many of the structures were beginning to sag and even fall apart. The icing and materials used to 'cement' the structures together sit under lights 24 hours a day, and they begin to dry out. I am hoping that by the time the winning entries took their trip to New York that they were still in good shape. I would think that a little touch up would be possible, I hope so.

Be sure to watch the Food Network Channel next holiday season as they always have a special on the seclection of the winners. 

To say the very least, this holiday season has been the most unseasonal for me. I did NOT get a tree up this year, which has never happened, though last year I didn't get one up until the 23rd, and that would not have happened if it weren't for my sister, thanks girl! This year, no lights, no bows, no ribbons, no cookies, no gifts (okay, that is not true, the granddaughters got gifts...) I can't blame it on the economy. I have struggled with 'things' and am really wanting to get back into the things I have enjoyed so much this past year. Please bear with me and return to visit again...maybe over coffee, I take cream and sugar, how about you?

Hello Blogger friends - Gingerbread houses at GPI

I am going to try to get back into blogging. Once you take a break it is hard to get back into the 'mode'. I did loose all the bookmarks when Firefox messed up! That is a little distressing to me. I am going through emails and trying to update my address...so I hope to be stopping by to visit some blogging friends...

I recently went to the Grove Park Inn to see the Gingerbread Houses that are on display. It is awesome to go and check out the great creativity that so many people put on display. It is hard to believe that everything that is used to make the gingerbread houses have to be edible. Let me show you a few of the entries...see what you think.

Perfect pictures can be taken at this photo op spot.

Look for winners next time! Have you made a Gingerbread House?