Deer Me!!!

While watching TV last night, Mark called me to come and look at something.  There stood 3 deer in the pond drinking.  In just a few minutes 2 more joined them.  I quickly grabbed up my camera to catch this moment.  I took the pictures inside the house through the windows.

 I think the one by the boat hears my camera as I snap their picture.

 They are very alert creatures.

This deer just stood there for the longest time.  It was almost like he was staring at me.  I am sure they could see me in the house.

This one stops for a second...I think he hears me as well.

I love watching them as they stroll around the back yard.  The twitch their tails and their heads snap to attention at the first sound they hear.  I am surprised that I got as good of pictures as I did.  I love watching the wildlife out the sunroom windows.  It makes it seem more peaceful in the world.





Happy Things!!!

These are just a few things that makes me have happy thoughts....it isn't all about the elaborate things in life that brings happiness, it is the little things.

I just love to plant flowers and watch them grow.  This year, we really had a Spring, and I have gotten that chance to plant my little heart out.  I have kind of gone wild with planting and some of my beds are a little crowded, but they will be gorgeous when they are bigger and all bunched together.  I went yesterday and bought some verbena.  I am keeping within a pink/purple theme this year though.

 These are the hummingbird petunias.  See the long throaty stem on them.  My hummingbirds love them.

I really love being in the yard except for the heat and mosquitoes.  Anything I see just appeals to me so much.  I was out yesterday morning when I spotted some things that just tickled me to death.  Like I said, it doesn't take much to make my heart happy.

 I found some mushrooms growing in our yard yesterday morning.  I immediately thought about a book I read while in elementary school about a frog that lived under a toad stool.  It told all about his adventures in life.  I remember wishing I could live under a toad stool.  Ah, the minds of a child.

Our plum tree has plums on it again this year.  Now the tricky part is getting to them before the birds or something else gets them.  They are usually delicious.

I absolutely love my church and the people that make up the body of believers at Riley's Creek Baptist Church.  It has been so refreshing to be a part of a church that has a genuine love for one another.  Help is always there when you need and even when you don't realize you need help.  After some experiences in life, I treasure this more than anything.  I can hardly wait to get there on Sunday and see everyone and hear a great sermon.  I love our Pastor as well, he is such a nice man.  It means a lot to have a pastor that you can call on when you need them.

This picture was taken by my Aunt Carolyn....she is working on a secret project...SHH!!!

I loved this next thing yesterday, because it was soooo hottttt!!! I love a swimming pool, and I had it all to myself.

Thanks to my aunt for letting me come and swim!!

I love lots of things, but these are just a few things that I did yesterday that made me soooo happy:-)

Eclectic For Sure!!

This is just an eclectic blog about things that have happened in the last little bit or things that I just find fascinating. This will also be a rambling blog as I have been up since 3am and a little bored.  I did manage to do 2 loads of laundry and shelve 3 boxes of books this morning...so at least my time was put to good use.

We have 4 hummingbirds so far this year....at least that is how many we have counted.  I have really enjoyed them so much this year.  Even though those little things fight on each other, they are still fun to watch.  I have spent hours at our back door trying to get just the right picture of them, and that has not been easy for every good picture I take,I delete 20 fuzzy ones.  They only come to the feeder one at a time, but the other ones buzz and hoover close by.

 I was shocked at this picture I took.  I am no budding photographer, but I don't think that I did too bad.

Our bucket garden and flowers are doing really well.  We actually have 3 grape tomatoes on that plant and blooms, blooms, blooms on all the other plants.  Our squash and pepper plants are both budding out.  I planted lots of flowers this year...more than I have in such a long time.  I think this is due to the fact that the outside of our house looks so good since we had new siding put on the house.  Other years, we would plant and the flowers were pretty, but it made the house look even worse.

 I love this container of flowers.  These were just the left overs I had after buying way too many, but I think they turned out gorgeous.

I went crazy buying petunias this year.  Why, I don't know, because I hate dead heading these things.  I did find a hummingbird petunia this year...will have to take a picture of it later and post.  The hummers love it.

I have done some treasure shopping in the last little bit.  I actually hit the jackpot and found me some clothes.  Some top name brand capris for only $1 and $2 each.  A nice purse for $1 and 2 brand new pictures to go in my new bathroom for only $1.50.  While shopping for myself, I always keep my eyes peeled for anything that I think I can sell on Ebay.  This past week I found an Iwata Airbrush.  Not sure what that is exactly, but for $2.50 I brought it home.  I am happy to say as of this post it is at $56 on Ebay with 29 people watching it and it still has over a day left on bid.  Let me say for every one thing I pick up like this, I pick up lots of dud's in between that make a small if any profit on Ebay.  Not always lucky on picking up things that makes me a big profit, but it is nice when that happens.

My best find lately for Ebay.  Wish I could find something is profitable everytime.

This weekend was the Blingo Cruise sponosored by Park Lane Jewelry, to which I am huge fan of their jewelry (okay, I love all jewelry...I confessed).  My mom, Aunt Carolyn and I set out on this girls day out, and we were not disappointed.  I won twice in Blingo, mom and aunt Carolyn also won and mom won a door prize...a gift certificate for a pet grooming.  She loved it, not so sure Abbey will like it.  We took off on the party boat full of bling...I was in heaven.  It was so nice and elegantly set up with a great buffet (jewelry and food...what else could you possibly want).  It was fun to spend some time out with some ladies.  Heather Clayton and her mom, Michele went as well and sat with us.  I got to see a live pelican up close, and you know I had to take a picture of him.  It truly is the little things in life that make me happy.  The Park Lane Jewelers put on a great event.  No selling on the cruise, just winning lots of prizes and some beautiful jewelry.  The other thing that I loved is that they made sure everyone on the cruise won a piece of jewelry, so everyone went home a winner.  I love this group of jewelers (no, Sandi...I am not signing up to sell.  LOL  Well, not yet anyway.)

 The girls (that makes us sound so young. LOL) are ready to go and win us some new bling on this Blingo Cruise.

This pelican was just way too cool to pass up a photo of him.

  Heather and her mom, Michele.  They won was nice looking bling as well.  Heather and I always modeled some bling in the fashion show.  They didn't let us keep it though:-(

 The two pieces that I won playing Blingo.  You got to choose your own piece.  Notice that I picked the 2 biggest pieces that were offered.  LOL  If you know me, you know that I love big jewelry.

Standing at the boat as our lovely day ended.

This has been a great week.  Didn't get everything accomplished that I wanted to, but there is always next week.  I plan to start this week out in somebody's pool....LOL  I am praying for a sunny day today.  I have been invited to come and swim at so many pools, and I really hope they meant what they said, because ready or not...I am coming.  LOL  This blog has been typed from 5am to 6am since sleep has eluded my body (this is so if you see typing errors you will understand.  LOL).  I see an early breakfast in my future and then I am off to see what kind of mischief I can get myself into today.  Tootles!!

Found Discarded!!!

Our church is redoing its library this year.  In the hall way at the church are piles of free books from the old library.  We spent Monday morning going through all those discarded books.  I found several that I love.  I especially love poetry and I found 2 Helen Steiner Rice books.  I wanted to share 2 of the poems in her books that just jumped out at me.

Show Me The Way

God, help me in my own small way

To somehow do something each day

To show You that I love You best

And that my faith will stand each test.

And let me serve You every day

And feel You near me when I pray

Oh, hear my prayer, dear God above,

And make me worthy of Your love!

~Helen Steiner Rice

I Think of You and

I Pray for You, Too

Often during a busy day

I pause for a minute

to silently pray,

I mention the names

of those I love

And treasured friends

I am fonest of.

For it doesn't matter

where we pray

If we honestly mean

the words that we say,

For God is always

listening to hear

The prayers that are made

by a heart that's sincere.

~Helen Steiner Rice

 

I really love poetry and there are so many good ones in these two books, and I only shared 2 of them.  You never know what kind of treasure you are discarding in life.

A Little of This & A Little of That!!!

The one thing I love about this time of year is all the smells that the earth produces.  Fresh cut grass, hay being cut and baled and honeysuckle.

Honeysuckle is probably my favorite scent this time of year, along with Carolina jasmine.  It is never over powering but you just catch a whiff of it now and then.  As a child, I remember going out and eating the honey out of the blossoms.  I did this along with chewing sour grass.  What memories!!!
I love flowers and this Spring has not been a disappointment of bushes in full bloom and flowers showing off.  I stand amazed at how beautiful God has painted this earth.

The bush above is at my mother in laws.  I think that it is a type of rose.  It is beside the old fashion rose bush, but I am not quite sure about this one.  I just know that it is gorgeous and this picture doesn't do it justice.

I went to do a little treasure hunting today.  Not anything major was found.  I got some little toys for the toy box here for .15 each, and found a glass canister to put in some left over cereal for a dime.  The one thing I did find was an unique lipstick holder for .25.  I love it!!!

 It holds 5 tubes of lipstick.  Not a bad deal for a quarter.

I thought that it had a unique flair and look to it.  I love anything that will help get you organized.

I found this book called "My Soul Thirsts for God" reflections on the Psalms.  I have really enjoyed reading it, and I have learned so many new things.  This was one of my favorite quotes in the book, "We often ask God to accompany us through life's dark passageways.  But instead of dismissing Him when your special needs are met, cling to Him as if your life depended on it; because IT DOES!!!!"

That reminds me of the times we use God as a band aid or a quick fit to our problems.  We want Him so close during the dark times, but just as soon as we see the light at the end of the tunnel; we start tossing God off like a worn garment. 

I have had friends like this as well.  They know I am married to a pastor, and when things are going crazy in their life they call, email or text wanting us to pray for them.  And I do pray for them.  We have communication almost daily during their crisis.  Just as soon as life is going more their way, I don't hear from them too much and eventually I don't hear from them at all.  I often feel like a band aid friend.  Remember their jingle?  "I am stuck on Band aid, because band aid stuck on me."  I will stick with them as long as they want to stick with me.

That doesn't really bother me because I often think that sometimes it is the little things that you do that makes an eternal impact.  I don't believe in my heart that I have to do big or elaborate things to make an eternal difference.

If You're Happy and You Know It!!!

I just watched a news piece on CBS saying that Boulder, Co was the happiest place in America to live.  They factor in many reason, one being the economy, which doesn't seem to be struggling there like most places.  The other interesting fact is less than 10% of that town smokes and less than 13% are considered obese.  They are just happy people living in a happy town.  Over all, the states that were happy were Hawaii and Alaska.  Which to me seems to make sense...who wouldn't be happy in paradise.  Alaska, I might need to try it to see where all the happiness is coming from on that one (grizzles and snow doesn't shout happy to me).  Not one single southern city made the list of being happy.  I am happy here in the south, but are others around me that unhappy in life???  Is there something in the air around us making the majority of the people feel unhappy???  I don't think so!!! I think happiness is a state of mind.  You can get up in the morning and let everything that is thrown at you get you down and have you so depressed that you can't function or you can always look on the bright side of things and know that better things are ahead.  I am not saying that there won't be days that you just can't help but feel down, but it shouldn't be everyday.  Happiness is sometimes more mental than environmental or your circumstances in life. Sometimes unhappiness is a choice for some.  It is their attention getter or sympathy caller, and if you are in their world...it gets old fast.  There are times in life that not everything goes our way and bad news is given to us, but it is all about the attitude.  If you go through life always being the victim, always feeling sorry for yourself, always envious of others and always having the "whoa is me attitude" then you will live a miserable existence.  Early on in my life, I decided not to live that miserable existence.  Does that mean life has always been great and carefree??? NO!!!  I have lost children, my husband almost died from an undiscovered disease, we have been persecuted by others, my parents have had bad health news as well as my in laws and I could go on and on as most of you could do the same.  I could be sitting here now wallering in self pity, but I choose to face life with a smile.  God is my rock...with Him I face the world with a smile and a song in my heart.  Which brings me to the next thing that bothers me...Christians who are always down and act like they have nothing to live for in this world.  I am talking about Christians who are sour, always unhappy and have the bless me if you can attitude.  As Christians we should be the happiest people in the world.  We have life and we have it more abundantly.  He didn't say that the more abundant part would be a fancy house, new cars or a shiny boat.  Happiness should not be things that you can see and touch, but more on things you can't see.  If we could really see our future today...would we want to??  I wouldn't.  Why?  Because God's grace is sufficent for the things that I am going through at each stage of my life.  I rely on His grace and His strength to see me through these situations.  It as been said that happiness is controled by situations, but JOY comes from the Lord.  I remember a little song that we use sing in the preschool class...."The joy of the Lord is my strength."  He is our strength in those dark times....He says that we are more than conquerors.  If you really believe that, then don't live the defeated life.  If you're happy and you know it....clap your hands.

I Did It!!

If you read my blog from last year on Mother's Day, you will know that I struggle with standing or sitting when they recongize all the mother's.  The reason is that our children are in heaven, and not here on earth.  It has been something that I have struggled with for 16 years.

This year, I STOOD!!! For the first time in my life, I stood with all the mother's.  I was so nervous that I was shaking for some reason.  Mark had to lead the singing today and he was sitting up front.  Suddenly, I felt someone grab my hand and it was Chris who was sitting next to me...such a great church.  After I sat down his wife, Jan, patted my leg and Chris just kept patting me on my shoulder...such encouragement.  I am thankful for great friends like that.  Also, Mark and I were singing and then I was told the tape deck blew so we would have to sing acapella, but I didn't care....because I had STOOD!!!  We ended up having music and all went great.

 This is a slide that Mark gave me some years back.  It is twin girls and their names are engraved on the front and their birth/death date is on the back.  I wore it today for the first time in 10 years.  The main reason I don't wear it is to avoid the questions.  Most love it because it is a unique piece, but admiring it comes with questions sometimes that I don't feel like answering.  But I wore it proudly today.

My sweet husband gave me this card today, and it was a funny card...just the kind I like.  I also got a massage as my Mother's Day gift.  How sweet of him.  I loved this Mother's Day!!! Instead of dredging it, I finally embraced it!!!

How Does My Garden Grow???

Why in buckets of course!!!

After several people in our church had success with bucket gardens, we decided to give it a try this year.  Tomatoes, peppers, squash and zucchini is all that we did.  My grape tomato plant already has blooms on it.  This is also a way to try and not have the fire ants get in our garden.  Take a five gallon bucket and drill 1/2" holes  in the side(we did 4), add marble chips then garden soil and you are ready to plant.  We drilled our holes 2" from the bottom in the side.  That way they can drain, but still hold enough water for the the plant to drawl from in the days to come.

These are the old fashion roses that grow along our fence line.  I couldn't resist cutting some today and making me a bouquet to enjoy.