Country Living Southern Style II

Do you know people who say they hate Christmas?   I do and it makes me sad for them.   Thanksgiving and Christmas are my favorite holidays.   Autumn is my favorite time of year.   To me, it is the most wonderful time of the year.   It is a time to give thanks for all we have been blessed with, a time to remember what and who is important to us.   My family hasn’t been able to have “Christmas” as we have been accustomed for about six years now, but I am not bitter nor angry.   I still find reasons to be thankful and grateful.   I am thankful that my children are old enough now to understand why they don’t have gifts under the tree, but I am most thankful that I raised them to appreciate life and what they can do for others.   Tears come to my eyes as I think about things they have said or done over the years.   I remember one Christmas when my son was about 8 years old, it looked like we were not going to have much of a Christmas at all.   I sat down and explained to him tha

I guess my biggest regret for the last couple of years is losing friends.  One never likes to lose friends.  I am a fixer and the more I try to fix, I really tend to mess things up.  I really need to learn this lesson:  Let go and let God!  It is so hard for me to let go of people.  No matter how badly things might go between us, I tend to want to hang on and take their abuse (and sometimes dish out mine as well, I am no saint).  I tend to let my anger get the best of me sometimes. I never used to be so angry, but it seems the older I get and especially after some of my medical diagnoses, the anger came, the depression came, the pain came.  I really kind of went off the deep end for a bit and while I still don't feel like my old sweet kind humble self, I am beginning to feel some better.  I give that credit to a great doctor and my Heavenly Father, not necessarily in that order. I think one of the biggest lessons I have had to learn as of late is that some people are only mean

This is my entry for the Community Photo Challenge (http://communityphotochallenge.blogspot.com/).  The challenge actually calls for tulips, but since I don't have any, I will use my valentine rose, my Hubby brought me on Valentine's Day.  My Mom always says, "One rose means I Love You."  So, I guess he loves me. :)

The latest Community Photo Challenge is Perspective.  I took this photo of a friend's daughter, Brittany, standing up on a brick wall over her.

February 7, 2012

A beautiful January sunset...

Pictured are two of my great nephews, Kaleb and Brice.  Brice turned 3 on December 27th.  We had his 3rd birthday party at my sister's house (his grandmother).  It seems like he was just born and now he is three years old already!  My how time flies anymore!  He is the most precious little boy.  I was babysitting him not too long ago and one of my cats, Fonzie, was lying on my bed.  Fonzie almost always has a surly face like somebody peed in his cheerios or something.  Brice took one look at that grouchy face and then looked at me and said, "Can't we make him happy?"  I rolled on that one. :)  Toooooo funny!

In the previous post I wrote about my children moving back home.  We had to purchase a 24 x 16 foot shed to store my children's belongings in, plus some of our own.  There just isn't room in a 14 x 70 mobile home for three homes' furniture!  I am going beserk waiting on the shed.  I have a very narrow path right now between the living room and kitchen to get through.  I absolutely cannot wait for that shed to get here.  They called today and said they plan to deliver it next Wednesday.  With today being Wednesday, that means I have to wait a whole week before I can organize things. :-P  I think I shall be a basket case by then!!!!!!  Give me patience, Lord, and give it to me NOW...PLEASE!!!!!!! :-O

Photo of my babies taken Christmas a year ago --My Hubby and I became empty nesters for the first time in March when our youngest, an 18-year-old daughter moved out.  She turned 19 in May.  She lived on her own for all of 10 months and is moving back home.  Our son moved back in September.  He's been on his own for quite a while.  So, we are busy totally redoing our modest 14 x 70 mobile home to accommodate all four of us.  So just about the time Hubby and I were learning there are actually perks to being empty nesters, we are a family of four living under the same roof again.  I had a hard time with my youngest leaving.  I am happy she is coming home.  It will be nice to be a family of four again even though I know it is only temporary.  My family is EVERYTHING to me.  So...our adventures continue...

SUNSET-One of my favorite parts of the day...