Thursday's Thought For The Day

Look through eyes of hope and see a butterfly inside the caterpillar; hope knows that beauty is waiting to be born in the unlikeliest places.

Blogging For Katrina Victims

Tomorrow all bloggers have been asked to pick a charity and post it on their blog to help the hurricane victims. My charity will be . You can click on the charity of our choice or go to the links provided here and choose your own. You can also go to this site and sign your blog up to take part in this very worthy cause. Thank You.flood aid hurricane katrina

Crazy Cat

The cat "Dimples" has been under foot all day but I have put up with it and even babied her. She has been acting "needy" for some reason. Well, I sit down to have more cantaloupe and ice tea when the phone rings. I get up to answer it and come back to a cat trying to steal my supper (too hot to cook). Now my cats do not go hungry. There are feeders in the house and on the deck not to mention all the cat snacks they get during the day. I think Dimples is trying to become a human. She ate part of my tomato sandwich at lunchtime. Sits with me and watches TV , is sitting again here on the desk as I type and even goes with me to the bathroom. I cannot go anywhere out of her sight and I guess now I cannot eat anything unless she gets to eat and drink it too.
---------------------------------------------------- <- that was the cat laying on the keyboard. I raised all my children now I have a cat that acts like a baby

Postcard Update

My link to the postcard swap didn't take and Robyn has updated it so you can pick from postcards, christmas stockings, and other items or ALL. So here is the new site to sign up or just check out:
Vintage Mail and Swaps

Lonely?

For some strange reason this morning Dimples is sticking to me like a needy child. I woke up with her nose touching mine as she looked at me with big sad eyes. I let her outside and sat down to have fresh cantaloupe for breakfast. Here she came crying. No way a cat will eat cantaloupe I thought.... Wrong! She ate 3 small chunks as fast as I gave them to her. I went outside to feed and water the dogs and iguana and she was with me every step. I left her sitting in the yard as I drove to take some bags to the dump. She was waiting on the deck steps when I returned. I washed a few dishes she was sitting by my feet. I was hanging out some rugs I had washed, she was walking right beside of me. I picked the tomatoes and she was licking my hand as I reached for each one. I sat down to read the paper she crawled in my lap. I tried to talk on the phone and she is trying to lick my face and bumped my hand with her head to pet her. I sat down here at the computer and where is Dimples?
You guessed it... sitting in the mail basket on the desk! She is wanting all of my attention today!Guess I will have to take a break from things to sit and cuddle her. She doesn't want Whiskers anywhere around me either....... Do cats have PMS?
(just kidding) Anyways..... Have a very wonderful day, hug your loved ones, count your blessings, and continue to pray for the hurricane victims

Wednesday's Thought For The Day

Making a difference is as close as the hand. Just as each of us has a unique fingerprint, we also have unique talents that can leave a mark where it is needed.

Need To Be Thankful

This afternoon I was touching up my painting job I did in the dining room when the phone rang. My elderly neighbor Fran called to ask if I heard about the tornados. I didn't have the tv on so told her I would call her back. The tornados were in areas 2 hours west of us and heading north so I called her back and told her that we were safe and not to worry. She ask if they do come here are you coming over? I will keep watching Fran and if they say we might even have a small chance of tornado I will come over. Going back to my painting the phone rings again in a few minutes..... Fran again.... can you just come over and visit for a while? I have coke to drink but nothing stronger. (LOL) I told her to give me a few minutes and I would come over and sit with her. Hanging up the phone to clean up my brushes I was muttering to myself about having to stop what I was doing and go sit when I could be getting things done that I wanted done. I go to Frans and we sit and watch the news. They are showing people that no longer have a home. A man that watched his wife disappear while he held onto their children when the flooding broke their house apart. They had been on the roof all night. The news reporter talked about there not being any drinking water, no electricity, no dry shelters and food shortage. They weren't even trying to collect the dead because they were still trying to rescue people trapped in their homes or stranded. All of a sudden my going to sit with my neighbor didn't seem such a big deal after all. Here is a poem by William Cullen Bryant that I read when I came back home tonight after I had said a prayer.

Comfort

The power who pities man has shown
A blessing for the eyes that weep.
The light of smiles shall fill again
The lids that overflow with tears;
And weary hours of woe and pain
Are promises of happier years.
There is a day of sunny rest
For every dark and troubled night;
And grief may bide on evening quest,
But joy shall come with early light.
For God hath marked each sorrowing day,
And numbered every secret tear,
And heaven's long age of bliss shall pay
For all his children suffer here.

Post Card Exchange

Robyn over at Daily Parcels is getting a postcard exchange together. Several of us have signed up and looking forward to getting postcards in the mail from all over. There are even going to be theme postcard exchanges. Don't miss out on the fun... come join in. If you think its something you might enjoying doing go to Postcards and follow the directions there. Hope to see you in my mailbox!

My daughter-in-law emailed this to me today and I just had to share it.

I've never made a fortune, and it's probably too late now. But I don't worry about that much, I'm happy anyhow And as I go along life's way, I'm reaping better than I sowed. I'm drinking from my saucer, 'Cause my cup has overflowed. Haven't got a lot of riches, and sometimes the going's tough But I've got loving ones all around me, and that makes me rich enough. I thank God for his blessings, and the mercies He's bestowed. I'm drinking from my saucer, 'Cause my cup has overflowed. I remember times when things went wrong, My faith wore somewhat thin. But all at once the dark clouds broke, and the sun peeped through again. So Lord, help me not to gripe, about the tough rows I have hoed. I'm drinking from my saucer, 'Cause my cup has overflowed. If God gives me strength and courage, When the way grows steep and rough. I'll not ask for other blessings, I'm already blessed enough.

Chicken Stew

I was asked if I would share my chicken stew recipe. My MIL makes her stew with chicken,milk, flour, salt, and pepper. She teased me today when I told her mine that I made vegetable soup with chicken. I told her she just made chicken soup! Anyway here is the recipe I use when making chicken stew:
2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, washed, patted dry, cut into 1-inch cubes 3 medium onions, peeled, quartered 2 large carrots, peeled, cut into 1-inch-thick slices 2 potatoes, peeled, cut into 1-inch cubes 2 cans (14 oz. each) chicken broth 1 t. celery seed 1 t. dry thyme leaves 1/2 t. black pepper 8 oz. mushrooms, cleaned, halved 1 C. frozen corn 1 C. frozen peas In a 5-to-6-quart slow cooker, combine the chicken, onions, carrots, potatoes and broth. Stir in the celery seeds, thyme, pepper, mushrooms and corn. Cover and cook on low until the chicken is done and the vegetables are tender, about 7 to 9 hours, or on high for 4 to 6 hours. Stir in the peas and cook until they're done, about 15 to 30 minutes. 8 servings.

Saw my guardian angel today, right before dusk. Or at least I saw the white butterfly that was to be my sign he is watching over me. In 1998 my dad was in the final stages of cancer and had my stepmom call family members so he could say good-bye. I went and saw my dad everyday but when he tried to tell me goodbye I would change the subject. This went on for 2 weeks. Everyone had talked with him and said their goodbyes. I was daddy's little girl and he had always been there for me, how could I let him go? One day I was sitting with him and saw how much pain he was in and knew I had to say goodbye. I got up from the chair and sat on his bed and started to cry. I told dad that I didn't want to let him go but I knew it was time. He took my hand and told me if I would say goodbye he would always be my guardian angel. He would watch over me and I would know he was there. I ask how I would know and he said whenever I saw a white butterfly it would be him just dropping by to say hi and he hadn't forgotten me. I gave my dad a hug and kiss and we both cried and then I went home. I woke up at 4am the next morning and knew I had to get to my dad. He lived an hour away but my daughter Melody drove me. When she pulled up in the drive I jumped out of the car and ran to the door. My stepsister met me and told me my dad was dying. I ran to his room and took his hand. He looked up at me, smiled and drew his last breath. But he kept his promise to me and the day of his service my brothers and I saw a white butterfly land on one of the flower arrangements and just sit there. (it was a cold rainy Oct day). Whenever I am at the end of my rope, sad, mad or stressed and start talking to my dad, I feel him listening and know he is watching over me. This evening I was sitting on the deck looking at a box of pictures my brother Don had given me. There was one of my dad out in the yard with me climbing on his back. I looked at the picture and said a silent thank you to daddy for being there for me and giving me so many happy memories. A few minutes later he flew by just to let me know he was still here for me. I am so blessed to have had such a special dad in my life.

Tuesday's Thought For The Day

One Candle, like a single word of praise, may not light a dark room, but it can kindle the candle next to it, and the next and the next until the room, like the heart, is bright.

Thought I had better get laundry out on the line so it could dry before the rain comes in. We are suppose to get showers this afternoon and rain tomorrow. Thank goodness we aren't getting anything from the hurricane. My friend Marian left Saturday for IL. to get away from Katrina. Keeping her in my prayers that all will be well when she returns. Finished the dining room this morning, now I just have to clean up my painting mess and put things away. Going to start on our bedroom next but am going to wait a few days so I can do more outside work. Plus I need to go to Lexington to get more of our things to bring down. We are back to having hot and humid days again. Fall has to be right around the corner. Had to take the puppy collars off of Jenny and Samson today. They are growing so fast! They are now wearing "big dog" collars. William is still in Denver and hopefully when he delivers today he will get a load headed this way and not back west. He wanted to be in for a family picnic we are having the 3rd for my uncle. Uncle Jerry is in the final stage of lung cancer and wanted a picnic so he could have the family all together one last time. He doesn't have a wife or children so its important to him that all of us nieces and nephews go. After that we have a chicken stew at my MIL's on the 10th and we should be done with family get togethers til Thanksgiving. Anyway, am off to get laundry off the line, and clean up my mess. Then I hope to sit on the deck and relax and watch the birds. Have a great Monday!

Monday's Thought For The Day

The sunflower wastes no time in speculation or worry, instead it grows with wild abandon as high as it can reach.

Dining Room

Daughter-in-law asked this morning what color I was painting the dining room and it was hard to describe the color to her. Its called canyon beige but that didn't really give her an ideal so here is a couple of pictures. No Sharon I don't have the room done yet but I stopped painting long enough to put my shelf up so the picture wouldn't be just a bare wall. So here's the color, you see it, now go work on YOUR blog!

Fall is Arriving at the Homestead

This is an old enamelware pitcher and bowl I picked up at my favorite antique shop
Love these patchwork pumpkins (no I didn't make them) I put silk sunflowers in a vase filled with potpourri
Cheated alittle here by adding silk flowers to my real plants
Scarecrow center piece for the deck table
Added silk fall leaves around the deck and a hanging scarecrow for door
This is a chair my daughter Melody had for years that I dearly wanted. She gave it to me last week and I sat it by the front door. Since the chair has birdhouses on the top I put a crochet dollie in the seat, added a birdhouse from daughter Maggie,some silk sunflowers , fall leaves, miniture gourd and pumpkin. Then finished it off with a scarecrow. I have only started decorating for fall so will post more pictures as I get things set out. Can you tell I love fall??? Now if the weather would just turn nippy so I could build a fire it would be a perfect day!

Sunday's Thought For The Day

Of all the loving gifts parents can bestow on their children, the one that will make them grow strongest is respect.

Christmas???

I have been reading blogs this evening and 3 of them have mentioned Christmas!! I am just now getting out the fall decorations and looking forward to "sweater weather" and everyone else is thinking Christmas. I have to admit that by Labor Day I usually have all my shopping done and have started wrapping. This year is going to be harder. Every year the children and their families come for our "Christmas Weekend" (usually the first weekend in Dec) and its always a different theme. One year it was gifts from our past. I spent a lot of time on eBay finding toys that the girls played with when they were young. It was a blast! Last year was Family Togetherness. I emailed a schedule to each family for the whole weekend. They even had time scheduled to shop but every minute was planned. We had an old fashioned hayride around the neighborhood singing Christmas carols for almost 3 hrs because no one wanted to go back home. We then sat around the fireplace drinking hot chocolate and watching Christmas Vacation. Breakfast was green and red pancakes. I go overboard on decorating so there are trees in every room including the bathrooms. One year we took a limo ride to Friends In Need Animal Rescue and delivered bags of dog and cat food. This year our theme is "Old Fashion Christmas". Gifts have to either be homemade or from second hand store. We will be doing our hayride again but since we have moved we will get to entertain different neighbors (sorry old neighbors) There will be trees in every room again but they will be decorated old fashioned. The stockings will be hung again (all 20) but will be filled with candies and trinkets from olden days. The meals will be cooked on the wood cookstove and will be a menu from Little House in the Prairie times. I am very excited about this theme but must get busy making my gifts! I had told my friend Robyn about a tea party tree I have. It has a teapot on top for tree topper and old cups glued to saucers and tied on the tree with ribbon thru the handles. I made it for a antique shoppe I worked for at the time and now have it at home. It will be in my dining room this year with some silk tea roses stuck among the branches. Gee, now everyone has me thinking Christmas and I really must get back to thinking FALL.. You know Halloween, thanksgiving, scarecrows and pumpkins!!!

Yard Work

Today is going to be another nice day so the yard is calling my name. With hubby on the road most of the time I try to keep the grass cut, leaves raked, and work on clearing up the limbs, etc from around the out buildings. He always has lots to do when he does get home, at least I can do this. I love being outdoors so its not really a chore for me. This morning I am going to cut the grass and set out some small mums along the walkway and front porch. I have black-eyed susans to set at our swing and lantana's inbetween the dogwoods along the drive. I also have tons of raking and limbs to pick up. I plan on having a wonderful Saturday..... hope you have one too!

Thought For The Day

When we're young we all dream of changing the world, but it resists, so we move on to other things. It takes many years of living to discover that if we first change ourselves, the world will follow.

All the grandchildren are back at their own homes and I am finally back from driving too many miles these past few days! I have my paint for the dinning room and will spend the next couple of days working in there. I also found somemore lovely flowers and plants on sale so have to get them in the ground. We are having the best weather right now. Its not hot and humid or raining, just nice warm and pleasant. I actually will enjoy being outdoors doing yardwork. Everyone have a great day!

Thought For The Day

If you find stumbling blocks in your path, use them as stepping stones to move closer to the good in life.

Fayetteville, NC

One of my blogger friends has ask that we post pictures of our area. Being busy with grandkids and travel I haven't taken any pics, but have taken some from the Chamber of commerce of their favorite places to see when visiting here. This is the Market House built in 1832. The first floor was the market place and the 2nd floor was the Town Hall. The clock chimes the hour and the bell in the cupola still rings 7:30am for breakfast, 1pm for dinner, at sundown, and 9pm (once the curfew hour)

Ed

Edger Allen Poe built this home and outbuildings in 1897 for his wife. He became a influential businessman in Fayetteville.

Cape Fear Botanical Gardens has 85 acres of formal and natural gardens. There are 85 species of trees, 2,000 ornamental plants and a heritage garden with a 100 yr old restored house and outbuildings to provide a look back at the turn of the century. There are kitchen gardens and cash crops of the time.

Fayetteville is large because of Pope Air Force Base and Ft. Bragg Army Post. Population here is 302,963. I am lucky to live on the outskirts in a rural area that is only 5 minutes away from shopping. We live in a wooded area that keeps traffic and stress of the city away from us.

Thought for the Day

A garden is the perfect place to learn about patience, hope, and responsibility.

Thought For The Day

Wisdom is a river that runs deep and slow. Inspiration and intuition are lightning flashes reflected on its surface.

Home At Last

After what seems like a month away I am finally back home! Granddaughters birthday was fun, and family reunion was a great success. I always enjoy getting together with family and listening and telling tales from our childhood. The food was great but the family togetherness was the best. Also got to go to church with daughter (Megan) and fellowship with friends and neighbors from my past. Megan had problems with her car so I stayed an extra day so she could use my van till hers was fixed. I also babysat so she could work a 3 to 11pm shift at the nursing home because they were shorthanded. Took 4 of the grandchildren on an adventure around the old homeplace. We walked in the woods and looked for treasures. Found bird feathers, old bees nest, blackberries, wild flowers and an old thorn tree that I broke small branches off to make the kids each a gumdrop tree to take home. We came out of the woods at the old hay barn. No adventure is complete until you climb the hay bales and slide down, jump down or have a hay fight.... we did them all! Spent at least an hour there even though it was hot! The kids didn't want to leave. From there we walked to the old dairy barn and I told them stories about milking the cows there. We milked 150 twice a day but had electric milkers to do most of the work. They enjoyed hearing about their mommies growing up on the farm. Quintin and Gabby live in the old homeplace now so they were more excited to know which room in the house was which girls and mine. At the end of the day we had a picnic in the backyard (thanks to KFC) and layed on the grass and watched the stars pop out. Hope told me that it was her best day ever and I kinda agree with her on that. Today I went on to TN and picked up Raigun. She will be here a couple of days and already made herself at home. At least this time one of the cats stayed out for her to pet. Most of the animals around here run and hide as she is very "active" with lots of energy and loud voice when she is excited. She is gentle with the pets but they hear her and run before she has a chance to pet them. So life is good and things are going well. I am anxious to read everyones blogs and catch up so am off to read....... Night

Since I will be away Sunday here is the Thought for the Day... a day early!

The only reason there is sadness and strife in the world is so we can recognize peace and happiness when it comes our way.

Thought of the Day for Saturday

If you've discovered life isn't a bed of roses, rejoice. Between the thorns and the bees, a rosebed is not a very comfortable place to dwell!

Tomorrow morning I will be driving to Franklin to visit my youngest daughter Megan and her 2 children; Quintin and Gabby. Gabby is having a birthday party (she is turning 7) so grandma has to be there for the big day. Sunday is a family reunion on my dad's side of the family. My aunt Lola is the only living relative we have from dad's family. He and his brothers have passed away in the last few years so its up to the children and grandchildren to carry on the tradition. Its always fun to see family that you don't ususally see but at reunions and there is always the good food! After the reunion I am driving on to TN to visit my oldest daughter Maggie and her family: Brannon (her hubby), Kristine and Raigun (their daughters). Kristine starts school on Monday but Raigun doesn't start til Thursday thus she will be coming home with me for a few days. I will be taking her home on Wednesday so my next week will be mostly road trips .
But grandmas are suppose to be able to be there to spoil and help when needed. I will be away from computer for a few days but will have the fun of catching up on everyone's blogs when I return. Please have a safe and blessed weekend. Here is a pic of Gabby, the birthday girl. And her brother Quintin. Here is a pic of Kristine and Raigun. So you can see I will be having fun this weekend!

Last night and this morning I have been cleaning out my jelly cabinet ( a small wooden cabinet with 2 glass doors on top, 2 drawers in middle, and 2 solid doors on bottom). I have kept vintage glassware in the top and cookbooks in the bottom. I LOVE cookbooks! I have at least 200 cookbooks (not all in the jelly cabinet). I find them at thriftstores, yardsales, auctions, library book sales, etc. I just don't pass up a cookbook. I especially love the church or community made cookbooks as they have everyone's favorite in them so you know you are going to love it. Anyway after cleaning out and seeing the cookbooks I have here and knowing all the cookbooks I have still to bring here from Lexington I am trying to decide which ones to part with. Hubby and I decided we need to downsize and that will include cookbooks. We decided to do this when we were having to sort and decide what to do with mother's things after she died. That is a hard task and we don't want our children to have such a big chore sorting our junk. Plus we have way too much stuff anyway! I sorted the cookbooks in piles: Have to keep, really want to keep, like to keep, and can part with. The only trouble there is most of the books are in the first pile! My goal today is to look at every cookbook as who it would make a good gift to. That way it will be easier knowing I am giving it to someone that will love and enjoy it. I have a big folder of handwritten recipes of my mothers. She added ones she had clipped out of papers and magazines and some people had given her. I am going to make copies of all these and make cooking scrapbooks for my daughters for Christmas. Mother always had them and her other granddaughters over a few weeks before Christmas and they made tons of cookies, candies and goodies to divide and take home. My daughters put them in baskets to give as gifts to special friends and family members. I know that they will love having a "Nannie Cookbook". I am also going to keep 20 of my favorite cookbooks. That should be downsized enough to please hubby and me. I was always told that when you give a gift to someone its not really a gift unless you are giving something that you yourself love. All I can say is: I am going to be giving away ALOT of gifts!