Rest Awhile

Come to the New Blog!

2011-11-02T10:55:00.003-04:00

Greetings Friends!

I don't reside here anymore. Found it (mildly shamefully) difficult to post to a blog addressed as "paminflorida" since Pam is not in Florida anymore!

The new address is www.thankfulexpressions.blogspot.com

I can post thankful expressions from anywhere!

So... please come join me there!!

Oh, look out!

2011-03-04T15:37:00.008-05:00

Grandma has gotten her hands on a Flip Video camera!

(You might want to pause the blog music on the right.)

Since they take so long to load... I only posted 2.

And... I just realized I haven't posted a still shot of him since he was 6 months! Here he is at almost 14 months. My precious little love bug.

I miss blogging, yet I haven't felt very bloggy the last several months. When I find a plethora of words, I'll be back.

Remember the Rock Slide...

2010-07-19T15:57:00.002-04:00

Last November, I blogged about the major rock slide that occurred very close to my home.

Here's that clip again:

They finally cleared it. What was originally thought to take about 3 weeks, took more then 5 months!

I went over there recently to check it out and was rather awe struck by the scar left on the mountain.

I couldn't help but gasp a little when I first saw it.

The DOT guys were still there working. Thankfully, though, it's at least open to traffic now.

They say that the road couldn't withstand the weight of the boulders and it was crushed and swept into the river along with trees and rocks.

As I was walking and exploring, I came upon this suspension bridge. For those of you that have whitewater rafted this river, you'll recognize this area as the drop in. No, you don't go over this ferocious dam!! There's a gentle ramp beside it.

Anyway, it beckoned me. While the entrance was gated and looked like it should have a "Do Not Enter" sign posted, there was none (I looked closely) and the door, rather then being locked, was swung wide open. I took that as an invitation.

As I stepped off the platform and onto the bridge, it was swaying in the breeze and bounced beneath me with each step I took. It was a little unnerving. Nevertheless, I went all the way to the middle.

I stood there for a few minutes, pondering this angle of the mountain and the river as the water rushed over the dam below me. I took a few shots, then looking back toward the entrance I noticed a man standing there waving me back. Uh oh, I thought.

As I got closer I just shrugged and said, "I guess that's a no-no." He grinned and nodded to confirm the obvious. I told him I looked for the warning signs and he said that just the night before it had been vandalized. "I've been posted here to make sure no one enters. I guess I'm not doing my job very well!" We both laughed and wished each other a good day.

It's hard to tell how massive it is from back here, until you realize that driving on the road below it is a black dump truck and blue semi truck. See them? They almost look like they're driving on the suspension bridge I was just on. Now, that's perspective!

Things That Make You Go, "Whoa!!"

2010-07-17T16:13:00.002-04:00

Let's talk about my Big George Tomato plants again.

It was April 12th, I believe, when I told you how proud I was of my little seedlings. And how amazing it is that "in about as much time as it took Zeila to "grow" her puppies (in utero), I'd have gigantic tomotoes."

Well, yeah, that would have been really amazing if it had happened. What's more amazing, is that it takes 3 or 4 times longer to achieve mature, fruit producing tomato plants than it does for a puppy to grow from conception to warm, pudgy, furry, precious, yummy-smelling little snugglers! Shows you how much I know.

Zeila could have conceived, birthed, nurtured and weaned her pups by now... and I still don't have tomatoes!

What I do have is super huge plants with dainty little flowers on them.

Whoa! Those are some super huge tomato plants. They're taller then me - but no fruit yet. Hmpf.

That shot was taken less than 48 hours ago.

This morning I made a dreadful discovery...
Somewhere between yesterday afternoon and this morning, these guys appeared.

(not my photo - see copyright info)

The devastatingly destructive Tomato Hornworm. Whoa! Big, fat and ugly... and very hard to see because they blend so well with the stems and leaves.

In about 14-16 hours' time, they ate half my tomato plants! Amazing how quickly they work.

We (by we, I mean Joe) plucked off 7 or 8 of these guys that were 4 to 5 inches long and as fat as my thumb. Seriously. Eeeew! I couldn't bear to touch them... and I'm thankful for that because when Joe grabbed them (we first confirmed they wouldn't bite or sting), they oozed this slimey green goo. Blech! He didn't squish them, either... it must be some kind of defense mechanism. {shiver}

There are also a couple of these.

(again, not my photo)

Whoa! I had no clue what utterly disgusting, stomach-turning sight this was. Google search reveals that it's the hornworm with braconids. "Braconid wasps are considered beneficial bugs to your garden." These are their cocoons whose host is the hornworm.

Check out this link about them... pretty interesting, though gross. Anyway, we let them stay put.

Ack. Enough of that!

Here's something better.

Whoa! Look at that size difference!

The first time I saw Kingston's hands when he was just a day old, I was awed by their size. They were such big - wide and long - hands for such a little guy. They immediately made me think of his Grandpa Joe's hands.

Kingston has a lot of growing to do before his hands get as big as his grandpa's!

Then, of course, there is this.

I last posted a photo of him when he was 3 months old. His mommy took these of him when he turned 6 months. I just love the serious ones... his eyes are so expressive.

The smiley ones will melt you, too, though. Whoa! He is one handsome little dude!

My Summer Afternoon

2010-06-19T14:12:00.002-04:00

I'm out on the porch, reading and absorbing the book I mentioned the other day, A Woman's Call to Prayer by Elizabeth George.

The porch is shaded and there's a faint breeze. One of my dogs is out here with me and he found a sunny spot to lay in. He does adore sleeping in a sunbeam!

Here he is... remember this one?

Every now and then he decides to get up and see if he can get away with wandering off to the woods to rustle something up. He's very trustworthy, but still... that's a no-no, so I go check on him and encourage him to rejoin me. The movement on this upper deck causes the furry ones below us to rouse from their slumber and protest their separation, as they're relegated to the downstairs patio and fenced area. Poor ol' souls!

When we all settle back down I pause for a bit, before picking the book back up, to listen to the music - the music of nature. We're in a wooded setting and the birds' songs are amazing; a myriad of chirps and tweets, near and far. Below our house (we're on a hill) a small creek runs through our property out at the edge.

(early Spring, pre-leaves)

The sound of the moving water combined with the birds' singing and the slight rustle of the leaves from the breeze... it's pure music! Even the drone of the buzzing bees adds depth to the melody. And just for dramatic effect, our neighboring rooster throws in his occasional cockle-doodle-doo! The butterflies, though silent, flutter by and add their beauty to the song.

As I sit here listening and enjoying nature's version of quiet, I keep thinking about this recipe I came across recently. I'm not some big foodie that has recipes swimming in my head all the time - it's just that this one is so bizarre... it's Queen Ann's Lace Jam! Weird, right? I don't know if I can bring myself to make it. I can't get past the "...and somewhat flowery" description of it's flavor. Blech. That doesn't sound appetizing.

However, we do have Queen Ann's Lace all over the place right now - and you can bet that I don't pass by it without contemplating harvesting some (about 2 packed cups worth)... just to see!

Oooh, we just had a strong gust of wind. Honestly, those trees in the distance look like they have holy hands lifted in praise to their Creator when they sway like that against the backdrop of the summer blue sky. "... Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy" (Psalm 96:11)

Okay, I'm going to get back to reading.

Happy Summer! ...and may it afford you many opportunities to be still!!

"Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him." (Psalm 37:7)

Longing

2010-06-13T02:47:00.005-04:00

“He satisfies the longing soul, and fills the hungry soul with goodness” Psalm 107:9

Yesterday I started reading a book by Elizabeth George, A Woman’s Call to Prayer. In the second chapter she quoted that verse.

It made me pause and consider the things that cause our hearts and souls to long…

My greatest heart’s desire right now is to live in close proximity to these three.

It grieves me that our daily lives are not intertwined. I can't conceive of the notion that if things stay status quo, that sweet little boy wouldn't be able to come over to his grandma and grandpa's house just for a bowl of ice cream (because he knows we always have his favorite stocked), or that we wouldn't have the privilege of taking him to the park or zoo for the afternoon while his mom and dad do whatever their hearts' desire. That I can't suggest to my daughter on a whim that we grab our cameras and go for a hike, or ask the three of them to come over for dinner and a movie... you get the gist. I don't care if the Lord moves us there, or He moves them here, or He moves us all to Timbuktu - I just yearn for us to be nearby each other.

Some long for a certain job promotion; or for recognition of a job well done and for their efforts to be rewarded. (While the center of my prayers these days is to obtain a decent job, it is not a longing of my heart and soul, it’s merely a necessity… albeit, an important one.)

Some may be lonely and yearn for companionship; a soul mate. Others perhaps have an empty nest and long for children to fill their home.

Some longings may be of a more whimsical nature. I have a few of those!

I long to photograph (nature, particularly, it seems), to paint (with acrylics and pastels) and to write (even if the only thing I ever complete is the telling of my grandmother’s story). Sometimes I think if I didn’t have a creative outlet, I’d just shrivel up. The thing is, though, I don’t want to just dabble in those things, I want to become really GOOD at them (classes, teachers and mentors will surely be required). After all, if I’m going to do a thing, I want to do it well.

The trouble is, our longings and desires can get us out of alignment... and we become so intent on fulfilling them, that we forget to seek God’s will - or at least we seek it only half-heartedly. Sometimes I find it hard to remember that His will is always for my best. Presently, God has me just standing firm in Him, waiting for His clear direction; that is, the longings haven’t changed, but the clamoring has. While I sometimes feel disappointed, I don't feel desperate because I know He is trustworthy, and I’m confident that if I’m never afforded the opportunity to hone my creative skills (what will be will be; these things take time and money, after all), and even if I never again live in the same town as my precious kids and grandkids (this one would require an extra measure of grace), I’ll survive. I may even be content, because… if “I delight myself in the Lord, He will give me the desires of my heart.” (Psalm 37:4)

Turn your eyes upon Jesus
look full in His wonderful face
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
in the light of His glory and grace.
(hymn written by Helen M. Lemmel)

Whether soulful or whimsical, what do you long for? Do you need realignment?

“Seek first His kingdom and His righteous, and all these things will be added to you as well.”
(Matt. 6:33)

(These guys are at this lake every time I visit. I like that.)

Big George Tomatoes

2010-04-12T21:03:00.002-04:00

Do you remember me telling you about Mountain Man Bob? It was in this post that I introduced him.

In it, I mentioned the Big George Tomato he gave me... it went like this:

Recently, he brought me a huge tomato from his garden. It's called a Big George and when you slice it for a sandwich, it's bigger than the slice of bread! Oooh, it was tasty. He told me how to keep the seeds so I can plant them next spring and have Big George tomato plants of my own. The plants he's enjoying these days came from plants of his father's decades ago! And where did his dad get his seeds? Get this! From the wife of the man who rode the last horse and buggy mail route in the United States (which was right here, of course... Bob's family was on the route)! 1940s. Seriously. And now I have some.

Well, a little over a week ago I planted some of those seeds I saved... about 18, or so. I've kept them on the kitchen window sill, which is sunny and bright, and have been diligent in keeping the soil moist, but not overly so.

I'm very happy to announce that as of this morning, I have eight little shoots sprouting from the dirt. Right now, they're only as big as alfalfa sprouts, but I'm about as proud as a new mama of my strong little seedlings!

In about as much time as it took Zeila to grow her puppies (8 weeks), I'll have tomatoes bigger than my fist! Nature is super cool... to God be the glory.

You wanna know what else? I made another blueberry recipe today. Blueberry Iced Tea! Ooooh, delicious! Do you like Raspberry Iced Tea? This is even better!

Okay, calling it a day. I think I'll go catch the latest episode of House... I keep saying it's getting too predictable (the "I just had an epiphany" gaze he gets toward the end of every show is getting a little annoying), but I'm not quite ready to give it up... We'll see what the next couple of weeks brings. Oh, and then I'll see the latest DWTS. (I love DVR!!)

I have a feeling that the blog will be sorely lacking photos in the near future... thanks to dial-up. I'll upload when I can... but, whew, it's slow!

Enjoy your evening and when it's time, sleep slow and soundly!!

I Love Blueberries

2010-04-10T17:48:00.002-04:00

I didn't realize how much I love blueberries until I moved to NC where fresh blueberries are so abundant in the summertime. Blueberry season is just around the corner {happy grin}, yet we're still eating blueberries out of the freezer that I picked last summer... we had piles of them!

Lately, I haven't been using them for more than blueberry pancakes. I don't think I can eat pancakes plain anymore. There's something wonderful about the combination of the tart berries with the sweet syrup.

Since picking time will be here before I know it, though, I went in search of more ways to use up the berries I still have (about 8 quarts!). The other day I found a pie recipe I wanted to try... Polly's Perfect Blueberry Pie. Oh my! Perfect, indeed!

They say that for good health it's recommended to eat 6 smaller meals a day rather than the typical 3... increases metabolism, etc., etc... Do you suppose it's still recommended if 3 of the 6 "meals" are blueberry pie slices? You're thinking, "Oh, no, you couldn't have..." Ah, but I did! I had a slice for breakfast (what... they're rich in antioxidants!), I had a slice between lunch and dinner, and I had a slice between dinner and bed. I couldn't help myself. It is CRAZY GOOD!!

If you can get your hands on a couple of quarts of fresh blueberries this summer... you've got to make this pie.

Polly's Perfect Blueberry Pie

Ingredients
Crust:
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 to 2/3 cup salad oil
3 to 4 tablespoons milk
Pie Filling:
1 quart fresh blueberries, washed
3 tablespoons cornstarch
3/4 cup sugar
Dash ground cinnamon
Dash freshly grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon lemon juice
4 teaspoons butter

Directions
Crust:
Into a 9-inch pie plate, sift together the flour, sugar, and the salt. In a glass measuring cup, whisk together 1/2 cup salad oil and 3 tablespoons milk with a fork. Pour that over the flour mixture in pie plate and mix with a fork until all flour is evenly dampened. If it is still too dry to work with your hands, mix a little more oil with a little milk and add to flour mixture. With your hands press the dough evenly against the bottom and up the sides of the pie pan, allowing the excess to fall on the counter. (This will be the top crumble crust and is about 1/3 of the total crust mixture.) Sweep it into your hand and reserve in a small bowl. Crimp the edges of the bottom crust or use a fork dipped in milk to flatten the crust along the rim.
Berry pie filling:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
To the washed berries add cornstarch, sugar, cinnamon, and freshly grated nutmeg. Stir gently.
Place the berry mixture in the bottom crust and sprinkle lemon juice over it. Then with an ordinary teaspoon, place little 1/2 teaspoons soft butter evenly over the top of the berry filling.
Crumble the reserved crust on top of the pie.
Bake for 45 to 50 minutes. Check it after 30 minutes. If crust is getting golden but pie filling is not quite congealed, tent the pie with aluminum foil to keep crust from getting too brown.

- - - - - - - -

That's how the recipe went... but here's what really happened - By the time I pressed the crust into the pie plate, I didn't have enough for the crumble. You can't have a skimpy crust, afterall. So, I made half of the recipe again and set it aside solely for the crumble. I recommend doing it that way... the crust and crumble is really delicious.

I also added more berries and accompanying ingredients accordingly. Just thought it needed a boost. Whoa. I was in berry pie heaven.

Today, I made a blueberry coffee cake ala Paula Deen. Now, Joe is swooning over it the way I was the pie!

Lookout blueberry season, we're armed with recipes!

Back to Blogging

2010-04-09T18:25:00.010-04:00

Oh, my goodness. It's been THREE months to the day since I last posted to the blog. Jeepers creepers. Time flies... whether you're having fun or not.

The last time I was here, I posted from Vermont when I was there to meet my precious little grandson. And precious he is! Wanna see what happens in three months' time?

Check it out...

He grows! And he is still seriously adorable - and he is still the deep thinker he was when he was just a newbie. His mama took this picture of him three days ago... the day he turned three months old. Is he not the most handsome thing?

Okay... wait. I have to show you that he's not always serious; he has a killer smile, too. Here ya go:

"Hi you handsome smirky smirker!" I could just gobble him up!

So, why have I been gone so long? Changes.

I don't work where I did, and I don't live where I did, the last time I was here.

We have relocated to a lovely home 9 miles down a country road, away from main-stream Murphy (and away from high speed internet), where roosters crow morning, noon and night, rain or shine, light or dark. I really thought they only did that to announce the dawn of a new day. My childhood story books always led me to believe that the farmers woke up to start their long farming day when the rooster crowed, then the rooster's job was done (and I never gave a thought to their role in the chicken coop). But then again, I've always been a city dweller so I'm not familiar with these things.

I have to say that in this environment, the continuous sound of the rooster is appropriate... even comforting. I don't mind hearing them all day (and night) long. But I admit that I am thankful they are far enough away from us not to be intrusive... they're more like a background sound... sort of mood-setting.

Okay, so that's where we live now. As for work; I'm still among the many, many unemployed in our country. But, sparing you, I won't pontificate on that situation.

Our hope is to soon be in Vermont so I can take my own unending pictures of that beautiful boy and his parents, and not have to rely on the pictures his mom takes (which most of you have already seen on Facebook, anyway).

That's that. I hope to blog more often. Although, in our new ultra rural location, we have to contend with a dial-up connection. Here's hoping it doesn't inhibit my ability to hang out here more often!

Time to go make dinner: mushroom swiss burgers, sauted mushrooms and baby spinach, and homemade sweet potato chips. ~Those are good, and so easy! Slice the potato(s) as thin as you can (and it would be a whole lot easier with a mandoline, but I don't have one). Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray and put the chips on it in a single(ish) layer. Put a pea size dollop of soft butter on each chip (okay, admittedly, that part can be tedious), sprinkle with salt (and whatever other spices you like) and bake in a 375 oven for 20-30 minutes, depending on how crispy you like them. Mmmmm, mmmm, good.

...till next time.

UPDATE: Forget what I said about pea-sized dollops. In the past I was being OCD about making sure each chip had it's fair share of butter. Thankfully, I'm over that. I didn't have the patience tonight, so I just melted a couple of tablespoons and drizzled it over the pan. So much easier and just as tasty.

Grandma's Little Superstar

2010-01-09T16:08:00.003-05:00

I don't even know where to start. The heart is an amazing thing with it's ability to never run out of room for love. It has surely expanded for this little man.

Is it any wonder. Look at how precious he is.

Here's those hands I love. Look how masculine they are... and big for his size. He has really long fingers with long, narrow nail beds. Very, very handsome.

Oh, my little cherub. He is so good. He has taken very well to nursing, sleeps like a champ, and is super easy to soothe. "Just let me rest against your warm chest and feel your heartbeat, and I'm happy!"

This is one happy grandma!

He's Here!!!

2010-01-06T12:18:00.002-05:00

This will be short... my heart is swollen and I can hardly type through the tears.

But I knew you'd want to see this precious little boy.

He made his appearance this morning at just after 7:00, weighing in at 8 lbs. 14 oz. Exactly 3 pounds bigger than his mother was! Nic says he has lots of hair and "is perfect!"

These are his pics... I think from his phone:

Such a beautiful little bundle!

This one! Oh my... what a precious moment. The lump in my throat is growing and the watery eyes are starting to stream!

I'm on my way there.... flying at about 20,000 feet, even as I type this. Just this once I indulged in the "in-flight wifi." Had to. I knew there were pictures of my grandson waiting for me in my email!

For those of you that were also following on Facebook. I have not been able to access my profile page to respond to the many comments I received in answer to our request for prayer... but THANK YOU! It means so much.

Okay... I gotta go and just ponder all this in my heart before I really start blubbering and causing a scene in zone 4 of flight 1856!

Love you!

Oh, for heaven's sake!

2010-01-04T19:34:00.002-05:00

I thought I'd have a picture of a gorgeous baby boy by now...

Problem with that is the baby boy has not made his grand entrance yet. There are no complications; both mommy and baby are strong and healthy. It's just a long, slow labor. It stalled for a while last night and she was able to get 6 hours of (sporadic) sleep!

Shortly after midnight tonight, my precious daughter will have been in labor for 48 hours. Mercy! I've never heard of such a thing.

I was hoping she'd take after her mama. I had her in 3.5 hours.

Nic tells us she's doing fabulously, though. Remaining calm and managing the pain very well. They started pitocin at noon today and that has helped to kick start the contractions. He said that they are closer and stronger and she's making progress. "... she has to stay in her 'happy place' longer now, though."

More tomorrow... and THEN I will have happy news and an incredible picture to share!

Waiting

2010-01-03T20:57:00.000-05:00

....Semi-Patiently!

The time has arrived. I'm about to become a grandma!

Here's my darling girl at the hospital... look at that low belly!

I was hoping to be there in time, but our little guy decided to come a week early.

My son-in-law sent these from his phone. Thanks, Nic!

He may have a January 3rd birthday, or he could have a January 4th birthday. Either way, rest assured there will be a post sometime tomorrow of a beautiful baby boy.

And soon thereafter (Wednesday) I'll have that precious pun'kin in my arms!

Bump Update!

2009-12-23T13:15:00.004-05:00

Here's my girl at 37 weeks!!

Whoa! I don't remember being that big - of course, she was a mere 5 lbs. 14 oz. at full term.

My little peanut grew to be 5 inches taller than me, though!

Here are current stats (as borrowed from her blog...):

How far along? 37 Weeks 3 Days

Total weight gain: 28 pounds!!! [Mom's note: Even though her belly is so much bigger than I remember mine being, she's only 4 pounds heavier than I was] Back to Kristiina: I had a 2 pound increase this week. It kinda washes with the 1 pound increase I had for the 2 week period last appointment. Yeah, that's it! Actually, I think it's because the boy dropped. Since I've had the extra room, my appetite has been out of control. I never feel full anymore. I made myself a 1.5 lb. steak last night and still went back for a giant bowl of cereal. Yeah, cereal has been another big craving lately. I just can't get enough! I told Nic that I could easily see how some women gain 60 pounds! If I felt like this the whole time, I would be a blimp!

Maternity clothes?: Ha! Barely. I rarely leave the house anymore. There's so much to do here and very few reasons to get me out in this winter weather. I have my favorite jeans, several sweaters and shirts to rotate through but at home I'm in tshirts and pj pants. :-D A girl has to stay comfy!

Sleep: What sleep? I kid, kinda. I'm good until about 3 or 4 AM. Then hips ache, arms/hands tingle, full bladder begs to be emptied and contractions kick in. I think the contraction have something to do with a full bladder and lack of fluids those hours that I'm sleeping. As soon as I relieve myself and quench the desert in my mouth, they go away. I do sleep with a liter of water on my nightstand but I don't wake up until the contractions are starting. I still don't know if that's good or bad. All I know is the end is near!

Best moment this week: Nic telling me about his Daddy bonding time with the boy while I was asleep. Such a sweet moment!

Movement: Yes but much less. Of course this isn't a concern to the doctor. He is clearly running out of space in there. I still feel him several times a day and much more in the evening and when I'm getting ready for bed. It wont be a concern unless I feel him less than 3 times in an hour. This boy far surpasses that!

Gender: Boy! Without a doubt!

Labor Signs: What signs don't I have?! I've lost the plug, have dropped, get regular contractions through the night, you name it, I've had it! The only thing I'm lacking at this point is actual labor!

Belly Button in or out? Out by about 1/4 of an inch. Barely anything.

What I miss: Oh many, many things! Belly sleeping, sleeping at all, sitting on the couch comfortably, sitting at all (I can't rotate my hips since he's dropped. I just perch on the edge of chairs) ribs that don't ache, peeing like a normal person, normal sized ankles, hands that don't tingle, feeling my finger tips, typing without a million type-o's, being able to walk upright without back aches, getting out of the house, being productive, having energy, hmmm....I should probably stop now.

What I am looking forward to: The opposite of everything listed above! ;-) Oh and having a precious little boy in my arms.

Weekly Wisdom: The end is hard no matter what! The outcome is worth it!

Milestones: Dropping! Woo-Hoo! Another step closer!

Fundle height: 37cm

Mama's waist size: 42 1/2 inches! Holy crap!!!! It's amazing what a woman's body can do. I look forward to seeing what happens post partum!

I'll arrive in VT on the 6th, she's due on the 10th... I hope our little boy will wait for grandma to get there!

Snow Play!

2009-12-22T10:37:00.003-05:00

They were absolutely elated and revved up by our snow fall.

They ran and leaped like giddy children who just learned it was a snow day!

My Sweet Things - they were so fun to watch!!!

All Grown Up

2009-12-17T16:33:00.004-05:00

I just thought you might like to see the mature Sara.

The just-born pup from the previous post is a big girl now...

Told ya she was just as pretty and precious as can be!

Okay... here's one of Mama Zeila playing with her grown up pups.

You can't see much of Sara in this one. Her back and rear end is behind Zeila. The three heads you see are Emma, Blaze and Riley. Emma and Riley are both bringing mama a toy to play with (yes, Emma's empty water bottle is considered a toy at our house).

We have Papa, too, and they all play so well together.

In the next day or two I'll post pics of the snow-day play... they had a blast!

I [Heart] Faces - Pets Only

2009-12-15T10:08:00.004-05:00

My blog friends, Angie and Amy, started a photography contest/tutorial blog called I [Heart] Faces almost a year ago (wish I knew how to type a heart symbol in here, that's what it's supposed to be). The blog says that this is Week 49! Whoa, time flies.

When they first announced they were doing it... I thought, "Ooo, that will be fun!" Then I realized I don't do faces. Really. I hardly ever get pictures of people unless it's a special occasion ...and then they're not WOW portraits, they're just memory catchers (which is a good thing, but not what you enter in a contest).

This week I learned that the theme is Pets Only... now, I think I can muster something up in that category {{grin}} ...I have pets!

One of my favorite pet photos was taken before I had a DSLR, and while I surely don't expect it winning any awards, it always makes me smile.

See if it makes you smile...

This is my Zeila girl giving her little Sara (runt of the litter) a sweet mama-doggy lick about an hour after she was born. That darling pup is now 2.5 years old and is pretty and precious as can be!

Whew! And I'm happy to say that a full year didn't pass, and 2009 didn't go out, without my submitting at least one photo to the I [Heart] Faces Blog!

Check.

Better Late Than Never...

2009-12-11T09:23:00.005-05:00

A summary of my Thanksgiving...

(You'll want to pause the blog music on the right... there are videos below.)

Since I'm away from family and Joe is out of town, I thought it was going to be a quiet holiday. I was hoping to find a place - a soup kitchen or shelter - where I could volunteer, but I couldn't find one. Some of the local churches were preparing a charity meal, but they were well covered and didn't need help. Maybe if I had traveled to a larger city I'd have had better luck.

Instead, I decided to invite my co-worker and his family over to our place. Two other friends; property owners at Wilderness Creek Falls, came, too.

Here's our gang: (Oh, by the way, I can't take credit for these pics. I took about 3 all day and they turned out lousy! Mindy and Chloe took these.)

We had such a nice day. A good 10 hours of food, fun and fellowship! It helped me not miss being away from home and loved ones so much.

Here are our property owners... and now friends; mother and daughter, Mindy and Chloe. Dad, Rory, was in Florida. ...oh, and Kody, of course! He just turned 16 years old.

This is Brittany and Josh. Josh is Rick and Cheryl's son... I work with Rick; he's our Construction Manager.

Here is another Brittany... Rick and Cheryl's daughter... with Cheryl. Rick and Cheryl will soon be first-time grandparents, too. Brittany just found out they're having a girl - due in April!

We're having fun carving the turkey! ...me, Dean, and Rick.

We don't have a big dining table... just our round one that seats six. So, I made a make-shift table that would fit everyone. Just added a folding table, but it worked... we ate together.

Here is Rick and Cheryl's youngest, Jake, with Chloe.

What the heck is with my hair? And my rings, where are my rings? ... I don't like to wear them when I'm in the kitchen, but I always forget to put them back on. (They're in my pocket.)
And... have you noticed that our predecessors put wood paneling in every single room of this house?! Maybe someday we'll paint it or replace it. That would be a worthwhile goal...!

With full bellies, we lingered around the table for awhile. Kody loves Rick.

So, somewhere in the midst of our chatter, we talked Chloe into a giving us a song. It was easy... she loves to sing, and she's terrific! What I didn't tell you, is that she's a star in the making. She's already a TV celebrity; your tweenagers may recognize her from Nickelodeon's Slime Time, but she's now focusing on her singing career with a debut CD soon to be released. I'll be in line for one!

Check it out (there's conversing in the beginning, and a futile attempt to get Kody to sing at the end, but the middle...Wow):

Pretty awesome, huh? She's a performer extraordinaire, and also sang Etta James' At Last for us! She said she wished she knew us back when Kristiina and Nic got married... that she would have loved to sing at their wedding (this is after the "At Last discussion" got started), and I said, "Well, guess what song they danced their first dance to?!" Chloe did a bang-up job with it. A cappella, no less!

What a good day we had!

And just cuz I mentioned it... here's that first dance, again:

Today's Favorite Pic

2009-12-02T12:49:00.004-05:00

I change my favorite pic often these days with the many bump and sonogram updates I receive. (For some amazing 3D pics of our little man, check out Kristiina's blog).

This is my new favorite picture.

Doesn't it just scream Vermont?! It was taken the day after Thanksgiving when Kristiina and Nic went to the tree farm to choose their Christmas tree. The one pictured here is the lucky winner. It's now standing in their cozy living room, strung with lights, and awaiting adornment.

This bump update marks 34 weeks. They had a doctor's appointment yesterday and all is well.

I said I'd share some pics from the baby shower... my perspective of it. I'm only posting two because our connection was lousy and they're both very blurry. But I was there, anyway!

There I am in the lower left-hand corner. ;-)

And here's a recent sunrise. See the leafless trees in the foreground... it's beginning to look a lot like winter. Our weathermen say we can expect snow on Saturday!

Ciao-Happy Wednesday.

Look Familiar?

2009-11-17T14:22:00.004-05:00

(

No?

How about this? ... it's the ears!

He's our handsome Jake, the O'Brien Family's first dog. We loved him... he was soooo good. He passed away almost 3 years ago. Still miss him.

This little girl, whom we found at the job site across the street, is about 1/5 Jake's size - but those ears immediately made me think of him! (You're right, Kristiina. They're opposite Jake's.)

We're fostering her until we can find the PERFECT home. She deserves a perfect home (where she'll be utterly spoiled and pampered), as she is beyond precious, lovable, loyal, trained, well-behaved, and is a very manageable 15-ish pounds.

Until then, we're calling her Ada (eighta! wink, wink!!)

Major Rock Slide

2009-11-10T18:23:00.004-05:00

We had one just up the road from me today!

It's one of my favorite scenic routes along the Ocoee River on Highway 64 (yup, like I said, just up the road from me), and I'm now blocked (for at least three weeks) from gaining access to my beloved Goforth Creek.

It's the route I take to Cleveland, TN, which is where I have to go if I need (want) something other than Walmart... which isn't near me either, actually, but is 25 miles in the opposite direction! Anyway. I don't need anything at the store and I was just at Goforth Creek a little over a week ago, so... I guess three weeks will be okay for me. But not for some! It's a major thoroughfare 'round here!

Check out this video. Someone actually caught the slide on camera! (The latter of the two that occurred in the same location... one at 6 am, and one at 1 pm.)

http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2009/nov/10/video-second-slide-keeps-ocoee-gorge-blocked/?localvideo-news

For those of you that have been to visit me, you'll recognize this spot. It's at dam 2 which is the drop-in for rafters and has that major waterfall over the dam, and just 2 miles from Goforth. I was just there a few days ago taking pictures... walking on that same walkway where you see the TDOT crewman walking.

Here's one I was able to embed, not as informative as the link, but you can see the slide:

Thankfully, no one was hurt.

Technology

2009-11-08T15:41:00.002-05:00

I'm thankful for it today.

Though Kristiina is a thousand miles away... I'll participate in her baby shower today via Skype.com... online video. Hooray!

I would prefer to be there in person, but I've chosen to save up my dollars for the arrival of our little man in January! This will be the next best thing to being there...

Do you Skype? You should... when you can't be there in person, it's a pretty nifty substitute. Plus, it's free!

Here's a pretty autumn picture for ya...

I'll let you know how the shower goes... maybe I'll even post pictures!

Caveat: It's a nifty substitute when the computer/internet works properly. I was only "present" for some of the shower and stomping, huffing, and shaking my fists at the computer the rest of the time. Waaa!

Textures

2009-10-28T10:22:00.004-04:00

Sunday I went on an outing with a photography club out of Blue Ridge, GA. It was a fun day and we saw some beautiful sights!

I took two of the shots (not necessarily the best ones... just random) and played around with textures in Photoshop.

Here's the original photo of the road leading to Bald River Falls (I kept them really big so you can see the textures):

And here it is with the pencil texture added to it:

This one has the watercolor feature:

And this one is sponge:

Do you have a favorite?

This is the original photo of Tellico River (near the falls):

And here it is with the watercolor feature added:

For this shot, watercolor is the only one I played with.

What do you think... do we like textures?

Then and Now

2009-10-27T15:49:00.003-04:00

Well...

Then as in "last August" and

now as in "last week."

Check it out...

Remember this?

It was taken last August when my girl came for a visit.

Here's that same overlook taken last week. I wish my punkin' were standing there rubbing her baby bump.

And there was this.

I was shocked that the leaves were starting to turn in August!

Here's that same row of trees... at the same overlook, taken last week.

Yes, the red really is that red. I did not photoshop enhance these!

And just because I mentioned The Bump... here's an update on that as well!

28 weeks.

Ta-da! Happy Day.

Seven for Sunday

2009-10-12T10:22:00.003-04:00

... even though it's Monday.

I took a long drive yesterday after lunch along winding country roads dotted with little white churches. The sun shown intermittently through the trees while the breeze blew spent, though colorful, leaves from the trees. It was kinda dreamy.

Here's some of what I encountered...

We still have a way to go before we reach peak color...

These four horses were happily grazing, though all were interested in what I was up to.

A bit of sunshine and blue sky could have made this a "Wow" shot, in my opinion.

I ended up all the way to Monroe County, TN, traveling the Cherohala Skyway. I believe this is the Tellico River.

This is Bald River Falls. A 100 foot drop.

The bridge where the peepers are located is from where you view the waterfall.

And this is 10-week old Marley with his human, Lucas.
"Aw." I said. "Named after the dog in Marley and Me?"
His response, "No, named after Bob Marley." Oh.

It was a nice day... and now we're back to rain, rain, rain!

Beautiful Skies

2009-10-09T13:17:00.002-04:00

I'm drawn to them. I love them. I have dozens... hundreds of pictures of them.

Misty, muted morning skies... bright blue daytime skies... colorful, vivid evening skies...

This is a sunrise from my balcony.

Another sunrise from the same balcony a few weeks later.

Was on a hike and the bright puff of white cloud caught my eye.

A sunset from Lot 51 at Wilderness Creek Falls.

Another sunset from Wilderness Creek Falls... this one is Lot 53.

Driving home from Blue Ridge, GA, this sight kept capturing my attention in the rearview mirror. Finally, I had to just pull over a get a shot of it!

Happy Friday!

Should I Be Afraid?

2009-10-07T09:54:00.002-04:00

I'm not the kind of girl that squeals and flails and flees in terror at the sight of a bug. But then, I've posted enough bug photos on here that you probably already knew that.

I'm wondering, however, just how much respect I should give to these furry creatures...

For the last two weeks, I've seen them all over my house... OUTSIDE, thankfully.

It must be furry spider season! They're in the corners of my doorways; their webs cross and block my stairway leading down to the office (and I gently remove it with a long stick so I can pass, while the spider panics and crawls furiously to the rhododendron bush); the other morning, there were even two webs (and two fat spiders in the center of them) on my car - bumper to rear windshield!

Okay, so I don't squeal, flail and flee... but I do shiver a little at the sight of them. Icky - Eeeew.

Any insights on what kind of spider this is? ... and should I be afraid?

Sweet Baby

2009-10-01T10:17:00.004-04:00

She's my homeless friend. She resides, so to speak, at one of the local beer joints and is there every day, rain or shine.

I pass by every Sunday on my way to church and have taken to stopping and giving her some lovin'. She likes it! She nuzzles my legs with her head and talks to me if I stop!

She has the potential to be a beauty, but is in desperate need of a makeover... or just a bath would do wonders!

She looks like a golden to me... you think?

Would you look at that face? When I pet her, I can only touch the white fur on her face because she is smelly! Oh, but she loves it so much!

If only I had room for one more. Then again, what's one more when you already have seven?! But then I'd see another one and say what's one more when you already have eight... and on it would go.

She seems content, actually, living at the beer store. By the looks of her, she gets plenty to eat. The merchants and patrons must be feeding her... if it weren't satisfying her needs, she wouldn't stay there, right?

"Wait. Where you goin'? You'll be back next Sunday, right?"

"Yes, Sweet Baby. I'll be back next Sunday ...and I'll bring treats."

My Emma Girl

2009-09-17T10:21:00.009-04:00

The other day... last week, I decided I wanted to take a walk after dinner. I thought it would be a good idea to head up to the spec house and check on the progress. I was curious to see how far the framers had gotten.

I also thought it would be a good idea to take one of the dogs with me. I didn't care which one, so I decided the first one to respond to, "Who wants to go for a walk?" would be the one that got to go.

Turns out it was Emma. Not surprising.

The next time I get a good idea... remind me to think again.

Oh, it was beautiful. A lovely evening for a walk.

It was also 10.4 miles, one way, mostly up hill! Okay, it's not that far, but it felt like it. Whew!

As we approached the house (though, actually it was still out of sight...)

(...as we only made it as far as the fire pit),

we both discovered that the guys hadn't left yet; we could hear their air guns echoing off the mountains.

At first Emma was curious.

She slowed her pace... then she stopped. She stood tall and her ears perked up.

Then in a flash she turned and lunged toward me. She stood on her hind legs, with her front paws digging into my shoulders (she's that tall when she stands on her hind legs) and attempted to climb me with her back legs, as if to say, "Pick me up! Pick me up, mama, I'm scared!!"

Poor girl (I had to laugh, though, she was so funny!). I settled her down and we abruptly turned and headed in the opposite direction.

When we were far enough away from the scary noise, I had her rest for a bit.

She was tired and panting, and probably wishing I had brought some water.

"I'm still a little nervous, mom."

"Can we go home now?"

Well, that was fun. I wonder if she'll be as eager to go next time?! (Of course she will.)

Allow Me To Introduce Bob Thomas

2009-09-03T08:23:00.006-04:00

...affectionately known by Joe and me as Mountain-Man Bob. We count it a privilege to have made his acquaintance and now deem him a friend.

Bob grew up here in this beautiful region of the country, as did several generations before him, and he is a wealth of invaluable knowledge and information.

When Joe and I were reeling from the car-struck wild turkey episode (remember that one?!), Bob is the one who wisely advised us it's not a good idea to eat meat that's been hit... "at least he never does," he said. You see, when Joe went out front to see whether he could save the turkey or have to put it out of it's misery, several trucks came by asking if Joe was going to keep it because they wanted it. Most passed it up claiming they didn't have time to clean it, but the last guy... the one who ended up with the turkey, again asked Joe if he wanted it and, of course, Joe said no. The guy then said, "Well, wring his neck and toss him in back." Joe said, "I'll toss him back - you wring his neck!" And off the guy went with what we supposed would be the evening's meal. We were dumbfounded.

It was also Bob who told me that anti-perspirant is the best thing to clear up poison-ivy. Just spray it on and "it'll dry it up right quick." Well, remember those awful pictures of my blistering, weeping, poison-ivy-ridden arm? I was skeptical then, but I later learned that I tried it too late. You need to use it right away, when the red, itchy bumps first appear. Ohhh! I have since done it numerous times...and I'll be darned if he's not right! Immediately the itch disappears, and within a couple of hours the bumps are gone as well! No kidding.

Of course, in the Cherries and Berries post, you know he's the one that advised me on the cherry-picking. He also told me the tree isn't producing like it should because it doesn't get enough morning sun. Well, nothing I can do about that...

Recently, he brought me a huge tomato from his garden. It's called a Big George and when you slice it for a sandwich, it's bigger than the slice of bread! Oooh, it was tasty. He told me how to keep the seeds so I can plant them next spring and have Big George tomato plants of my own. The plants he's enjoying these days came from plants of his father's decades ago! And where did his dad get his seeds? Get this! From the wife of the man who rode the last horse and buggy mail route in the United States (which was right here, of course... Bob's family was on the route)! 1940s. Seriously. And now I have some.

Last week he brought me a handful of buckeyes. I thought they were chestnuts... they look just like them. But he said, "No, these aren't edible. They say you just keep one in your pocket and they're supposed to bring you good luck."

Joe, too, highly esteems him. As newcomers to this area, we have so much to learn about our surroundings, and I can't tell you how much Joe appreciates all he has learned from Bob. For example, he was helping Joe identify the myriad trees on the mountain; not from their leaves, but from their bark. Joe was so impressed.

Joe knows his way around an engine pretty well, and Bob's knowledge of the engines on his heavy equipment fascinates Joe. He says there isn't anything Bob can't fix himself. He also enjoys how quick Bob is with a story or a joke... has a new one to tell every day!

His fame is stretching far and wide! The other day Kristiina and I were discussing a peculiar vine in her yard. She's not sure what it is and bottom-lined it by exclaiming, "I could just take a picture and send it to you to show Mountain-Man Bob." {grin} Yes, and he'd probably know what it is. As a matter of fact, Kristiina, I mentioned it to him and he says it sounds like gherkins.

There is a short biography written about Bob Thomas in this book, published in 2000.

In it, the author quotes Bob on the history and the future of the logging business. That was interesting! It speaks of his sons and grandsons, and how the business is a "family affair" that also includes his brother and cousins. (It astounds Joe that even the little guys, his grandsons, know how to use, and use well, the big, heavy equipment!) It tells the story of how Bob met Billie Sue, his wife of 45 years. We so enjoyed reading it... of course, we know the "cast of characters" and that made it all the more pleasurable.

Bob and his crew (family) are the ones who planned and cut in all the roads in the mountain development across the street that I keep referring to. Goodness! It takes such skill to do it right and not just hack it up... of course, they take such care because they respect and appreciate the land and trees. They're over there now working on the third phase of the development and it looks beautiful.

Here, Bob is busy pulling pork at our recent "Pig Roast Picnic" for the property owners, while Rick, our Construction Manager, looks on.

And here, he's discussing our home models with one of the owners.

Almost daily, I enjoy the pleasure of a laugh or a lesson... or both ...from Mountain-Man Bob. And sometimes they're accompanied by those precious little gifts; like the tomatoes, buckeyes and the gourd (yes, Mary, I got to keep it). He's a treasure... so interesting, and completely humble and unassuming.

He's quite a guy, that Mountain-Man Bob!

Sounds Like A Blog Post

2009-09-02T10:46:00.005-04:00

... since it's full of true confessions; such as dogs eating off dishes, talking to myself and using southern slang!

This past Monday I, and a few select others, received an email from my mom with a newsy update about how she spent her Sunday.

I responded with this...

"Sounds like a fun Sunday! I can't believe Zoe [her dog] and what she's willing to eat. You know how I always let Dexter lick my plate clean (sorry to those that think it's gross... I promise I wash it real good after - he's my pre-rinse!)... well, I've decided he's definitely a "meat and potatoes man." I've known that he won't eat anything out of the garden if it's raw, and he's fussy about it if it's cooked. I have just learned that he doesn't like avocado, either. Saturday, I diced one up and ate it plain with salt and pepper... my favorite way to eat avocado! Dex totally snubbed his nose at the tiny remnants on my plate! Even though it's produce, I figured he would have gone for it because of the softer texture. Nope!

Anyway, my Sunday was nice, too... church in the morning, then home for lunch. I had some green peppers and broccoli I wanted to use up so decided to throw them in a pan with olive oil, added some garlic, added a can of diced tomatoes and a can of tomato sauce (not spaghetti sauce), threw in some oregano and powdered onion... lots of fresh basil. Tossed in some cooked whole wheat rotini, sprinkled it with parm cheese. Mmmm, mmm. It was kinda like a vegetarian goulash, and I liked it! I told myself, "You did good!" (Since Joe's not home, I talk to myself when I'm not talking to the dogs! Me and the dogs... we're good company.)

Then I dusted and vacuumed the house. In the evening I went back to church for a concert. The Joy -something- Quartet (men). They were good. I kept thinking of dad, remembering how he used to appreciate good harmonizing. I think he would have liked it; I'm not sure how he felt about southern gospel, but I know he would have liked the singing. They were a little too southern gospel for me... Gaither-ish, and I've never really cared for the Gaithers. I still enjoyed it though... you know, when in Rome... and it sure beat laying on the couch watching TV."

Then a few minutes later, I had a follow-up:

"Mountain Man Bob was just here... He brought me a gourd with a neck on it 3 feet long! He thought I'd get a kick out of it.

Here's the thing, though... I was chatting with him and used "I'm fixing to..." in a sentence!

Yes, I did! I can't believe I did that. It must have been last night's toe-tapping, hand-clapping, shoulder-to-shoulder southern-ness rubbing off on me...

Oh my goodness."

And following is my comeback when she said I'm turning into a true "suthun" gal:

"Yeah... well, I'm comforted by the fact that I still use the term "you guys" (very Syracuse) when addressing more than one individual... even if it's a group full of women.

If I start saying "y'all," "all y'all" or "yuns...(youins)" I'm in trouble!!"

And I'll never say "I growed up..." Goodness, that's so common here. No one grew up; they all growed up!

- - - - - - - - - -

Besides that, check out these two pics I took on Saturday...

Does this look like October, or what?!

Is anyone else experiencing this kind of leaf changing yet? They say it's not even happening like this in Vermont yet! I don't get it! Candy doesn't understand why it's so early, either.

Hmmmm???

Did I Say That?

2009-09-01T21:00:00.003-04:00

Did I say that after Vogel State Park it was time to call it a day?

Ooooh, no, no, no.

We stopped at home, let the dogs out... I think we scarfed some leftovers for supper (Mountain Man Bob would be so proud... I said supper, not dinner, because dinner is what one would eat at lunchtime... at least that's how it is 'round these parts! :) )... we grabbed our sweaters, and headed for Buck Bald to watch the sunset.

Here's a big surprise:

We took lots of pictures! ;-)

Whoa, but it was windy and cold up there. As soon as it dipped, we were out of there!

Then {big sigh, and a heavy heart}...

Morning came and it was time to go to the airport. Time always goes too fast.

Aaaand, that's a wrap.

Our Last Full Day

2009-08-31T16:13:00.001-04:00

Sunday... much more relaxed.

We had breakfast and headed off to church, but not before snagging a few pictures (of course).

Here's Kristiina in her new dress from Old Navy giving me... what else?... a belly shot!

Gotta love the self-timer!

My precious girl.

After church and a quick change of clothes we opted to have lunch at The Daily Grind in downtown Murphy. Come to find out, 99% percent of the shops and restaurants are closed on Sunday. (Note to self for future reference.) Hmmmm, what now? We decided on a pizza buffet. Very so-so, but at least we were full.

Today's adventure ...mild adventure... would take place at Vogel State Park in Blairsville, GA. It was a longer drive than I expected (it had been recommended, but I hadn't visited it yet), but that long drive was such a pretty one that we didn't mind.

We sat on a swing for a while and just enjoyed the lake view.

She got out the big lens to capture a dragonfly. Beautiful!

My girl doing her thing!

Beautiful lake for fishing and swimming.

Oh! What's this?! We walked around the entire lake and at one end, found a short path to a waterfall!

It was a nice aftrenoon, and now...

Time to call it a day!

Waterfall Finale

2009-08-30T15:45:00.004-04:00

I realize that no one besides Joe, my mother and Kristiina may be interested in seeing this detailed account of Kristiina's visit... so sorry.

Bear with me - just one more day to go after this waterfall finale post!

So, having had our fill of Goforth Creek, we headed further up River Road to have a picnic lunch by Lake Ocoee, then decided to go back in the direction of home. We wanted to photograph the waterfalls at the property across the street from us.

But first, on the way we made a quick detour to Horseshoe Bend Park. I wanted her to see the Toccoa River and the serene surroundings.

Here's a family enjoying watching a family of ducks.

This river is popular for tubing and fly fishing, though the fishermen are not thrilled when it's full of tubers... it scares the fish away.

Okay, on to the last of the waterfalls. This is at the "Waterfall Park" which is the common area in the development. We just had a pig roast there last month for property owners.

This one is on the property, too. On the other side of the mountain where the rental cabin is.

"Thank you, Kristiina, for yet another belly shot!" (I couldn't get enough of them.) {grin}

Whew! That was a full day!! It ended with dinner and a quiet evening at home.

Me 'n Miz Preggers

2009-08-29T18:05:00.006-04:00

...experience Goforth Creek.

Enjoy the highlights from this segment of our Saturday (last)... but as you go on our photo journey with us, I want you to have the proper visual:

I'm in my slip-on, keds-style sneakers (inappropriate), and Kristiina... well, she has a swollen belly, both of us have packs slung on our backs, tripods tucked under our arms, and cameras hung around our necks.

Now, imagine us climbing, hopping, jumping, balancing, slipping, sliding, and skidding. Our shoes are soaked, the seats of our pants are muddy, and we're laughing our fool heads off!

Got it? Okay, off we go!

We're climbing out to the middle of the creek to capture these...

Contemplating the next shot.

We did finally get out of the creek and onto a trail!

But we didn't stay on the trail for long... "Hey, crazy pregnant lady! Be careful!"

Well, there you go. Thanks for indulging me; that was a boat load of pictures. But we love Goforth and it's so diverse, it takes a lot to give you the full effect.

You might think that does it for Saturday since we spent HOURS there... but we're not done yet. We packed the day full of fun! Stay tuned for part 3, the final waterfall jaunt.

Our Adventure

2009-08-28T10:04:00.001-04:00

Saturday was our adventurous day! After breakfast, we started at the Ocoee Whitewater Center.

We took this little path, a portion of which is actually the old Copperhill Mine Road, used in the late 1800's for hauling copper ore by wagon train.

Now, it's just a pretty foot-path and gives us access to this...

That's the Ocoee River bed, and is how it looked when Mom, Aunt Mega, and Alana were here in May.

When Kristiina and I ventured there this past Saturday, however, the dam was open and so...

It looked like this! And every few minutes, kayakers and rafters would come into view.

Here's Kristiina photographing a kayaker as rafters whiz past her!

We enjoyed watching them do their thing in the ferocious whitewater.

Here's a couple now who just made it to the safety of calmer water. I think these were the two Kristiina was watching, above.

It appears they're taking a moment to pose for us as rafters continue on to the next rapid... but I think they were really just resting for a bit.

See that bridge in the distance... we're headed there next.

Whoo - there's a lot of activity on the river today! Kristiina and I have both done whitewater rafting on this very river (years ago... I haven't done it yet since living here). It is sooo exhilarating (with perfectly serene moments, as seen above)! If you ever get the chance, give it a try!

Kayakers watching their friends maneuver the rapids.

The Whitewater Center. There's a restaurant, gift shop and conference center which can be reserved for various gatherings, including weddings. It's a beautiful building inside and out. The second level has dozens of rocking chairs on the deck overlooking the river. Tranquility.

It was a fun, busy, action-filled place that day, with something for everyone... hikers/bikers/kayakers/rafters/photographers and spectators!

Okay, by now it's only about noon, and we're off to Goforth Creek which is where our physical activity began... hiking and rock-hopping the creek. I'll save it for tomorrow, but just wait!

So, You Wanna Know What We Did...

2009-08-26T12:52:00.008-04:00

Well, Thursday evening I picked up my Biinaboo from the airport at about 6:30. I cried when I saw her with her swollen belly. Okay, I didn't get all blubbery... but I got teary-eyed, for sure!

What a beautiful sight to behold; my child, with child. It grabbed my heart.

We went directly to Turkey Creek Shopping Center in Knoxville where they have an Old Navy store with a maternity department on site. She found an adorable dress, a pair of jeans and a couple of tops. That was fun!

Then off to find a bite to eat. We ended up at Brixx for pizza. We split a small pie (half margarita for me and half pepperoni for her) and had tiramisu for dessert. Mmmmm, good. We discovered they serve Harpoon beer... brewed at Harpoon Brewery right there where Kristiina and Nic live in Windsor, Vermont. I've been there a couple of times for lunch (at the brewery). So, I had to have their Summer Brew for the sake of nostalgia. Kristiina was surprised to see they ship it so far south.

Friday, our first full day, it was supposed to rain on and off. So, we decided we should be someplace where we can duck in out of the rain, and opted for Blue Ridge, Georgia. We might have gone to downtown Murphy, but downtown Blue Ridge has a couple of art galleries we wanted to see. One of them was the Blue Ridge Arts Center, and the other was High Country Art & Antique. We stood and talked to the owner of High Country for quite some time. They're from Fort Myers, Florida (our old stomping grounds), and he has an interest in photography, so there was much to talk about.

We meandered up and down the quiet sidewalks poking in the shops, and stopped for lunch at a quaint little restaurant. (Mountain Man Bob would correct me and say we stopped for dinner. He doesn't use the word lunch in his vocabulary... the noon meal is dinner and the evening meal is supper. Just thought I'd share that...)

Anyway, it never did rain - but we enjoyed the day in Blue Ridge.

Surprisingly, we only took our cameras out once! It was when we spotted a man working on the train (that's the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway - it runs from Blue Ridge to McCayesville).

Not sure where the blue sky went... I don't remember it being so overcast. Maybe it's camera-user error. I need to work on lighting... my photos look awfully flat. But then, it's hard to photoshop them on one computer, and blog them from a another one. They look so different.

But, enough of that.

We were having fun...

Just wait till you see how adventurous Day 2 was!

What? Already?!

2009-08-25T14:14:00.004-04:00

I'm talking about the leaves turning! What? I'm not kidding... they are!

I know, I know. You were expecting a picture story book of my weekend with my precious girl. It's coming, but you have to be patient with me, because...

We did a whole bunch of this...

That translates to: walking/hiking - sightseeing (always with camera equipment) - and belly rubbing (her and me!)

And a WHOLE BUNCH of this...

I'll bet we each took more than 500 pictures over the course of our three full days together.

We have the same interests... especially photography (she's way ahead of me in her knowledge and skill, so I learned a lot!), and since this weekend was just her and I... we completely indulged in doing our thing!

So, you see... I have have much sorting and editing to do before I can get something from the weekend posted. And then I'll have to do it in segments; cuz I know you won't want to miss a thing! (slightly facetious)

But as for those leaves, here is something from this weekend...

I'm dumbfounded. It's August! Still summertime!

I drive down the street and, as I view patches of color like this, I'm mesmerized... just like I was in Spring.

See? Amazing... I really didn't think it would start so soon.

This weekend I was making my camera do all kinds of things neither it, nor I, knew it could do. It's settings were all over the place. Unfortunately, that resulted in many photos being too blurry, hazy, dark, bright... Eh, but that's the way we learn - right? Next time they'll be better.

But therefore, the leaf pictures are poopy - and I'm showing them to you anyway... just cuz I want you to see for yourself that it's already happening!

I'm realizing I lived without changing seasons for far too long!

Downtown Murphy and a Bump Update

2009-08-20T09:58:00.009-04:00

First, our charming little downtown...

A week ago Saturday, I decided to grab my camera and head downtown. Every Saturday from 10 am till 2 pm, they have a Farmer's Market set up, and I wanted to check it out.

Here's an adorable, old, country church. Episcopalian, I think. Love the red doors.

It has a belltower. :-) Cool! I wonder if they still ring the bells?

My church (First Baptist Church of McCayesville) still rings their bells. I hear them on Sunday, but I also hear them if I happen to be down there (it's in downtown McCayesvill, GA, which is actually a whole lot closer to us than downtown Murphy) during the week. A couple of times I have been dashing to the bank before they close at 5, and I hear the bells ringing. Something about that is so quaint and reminiscent of yesteryear. Don't you think?

Across the street from that old church is the old courthouse building. I mean... it's still the courthouse... it's just an old building.

Let's cross the street and take a closer look...

Isn't it pretty? I think it looks regal.

I love the clock tower... I wonder if you can step outside onto that balcony.

And I think the intricate detail is awesome.

And I love the pretty crepe myrtle growing next to it. Of the many, many, many flowering plants, shrubs, and trees in my yard, crepe myrtle is not among them. Too bad... I really like it.

A glimpse down the sidewalk - let's meander down there...

There are lots of little shops to wander in and out of; and I'm glad they decorate their sidewalks with benches, tables and flowers.

The first weekend we were in town, we had lunch here at ShoeBooties Cafe. It was good, and not too fancy-shmancy, but much more than a "cafe."

Ah, wandering further brings us to the Farmer's Market. Where, you ask? See those two green tents? That's it! Not really. {grin} There were about 4 green tents set up on the corner behind where I'm standing... and that was it!

I'm not sure why it's dubbed a farmer's market... there was only one farmer/gardener there selling his goods. The rest was artsy stuff... photography, paintings, jewelry, pottery, etc. I didn't mind... but it was a misnomer.

Upon turning that corner... you see this beautiful church at the end of the street. It's the United Methodist church. Another pretty one, isn't it?

There were more bookstores, antique stores, clothing and home goods stores to explore, but it was lunchtime and I was getting hungry.

So I ended up at The Daily Grind, where their motto is "Life is too short for bad coffee or cheap wine."

I'm seated at my table waiting for my turkey club wrap, just peering out the window watching the passersby...

Hey! There go Rick and Annette...(they're property owners at Wilderness Creek Falls and the first ones to break ground on their dream mountain home)! I didn't get to say hello... I thought it would have been tacky to jump up and rap on the window, glaring and waving! But I thought it was cool that I've now lived here long enough to run into (sorta) people I know.

Still waiting for my sandwich...

Upon entering the establishment from the sidewalk, you find yourself in the hub of a few little shops. The Daily Grind's entry is on the left behind that cart. There are tables in there, or you can sit at the bar, but I chose to sit in this outer area by the windows. I always like to sit by the windows, or outdoors.

Across the hall is a little bookstore, and down from them is a stamping craft supply store. Then at the end of the hall, you can go down a flight of stairs to the basement where there is a consignment store. Pretty neat.

Well... a half hour had passed, so I inquired about the status of my sandwich. It turned out my order got lost in the shuffle. Someone thought it was completed when it hadn't been. They apologized profusely... numerous times... numerous people! The manager provided me with a complimentary glass of pinot. That was nice... and tasty. And the sandwich turned out to be worth the wait. Quite yummy.

Ah... a Saturday well spent.

And for the bump update...

A lot can happen in a week... My, how we've grown! ;-) Biinaboo's bump at 19 weeks.

Today I get to drive to Knoxville to pick up my precious girl from the airport. Then we're going to go shopping for maternity clothes. She's been wanting to try Old Navy's brand of maternity clothes, but has been having a hard time finding a store that has a maternity department on site... it's all been online only. Well, I found one in Knoxville... so we're gonna check it out!

Then we'll spend the next few days together having a blast exploring, taking pictures, and of course, talking Baby!!

Mama's happy!!

Grandchildren are God's compensation for gray hair and wrinkles. ~Unknown

Bee-yoo-tee-ful!

2009-08-18T14:25:00.003-04:00

The heavens declare the glory of God, the skies proclaim the work of His hand. Psalm 19:1

Never lose an opportunity of seeing anything that is beautiful;

for beauty is God's handwriting.

~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Odds and Ends

2009-08-17T11:41:00.007-04:00

Tomatoes from my little tomato garden. I have two varities...looks here like I have three, but not really. I have 4 Roma plants (the top three) and 4 Juliet Hybrid plants, which are like little grape tomatoes, but slightly bigger. As seen on the right, they're usually shaped like the Roma, but smaller. Though I've discovered they can also appear very plump and round like the ones on the left.

It looks like another pot of creamy tomato basil soup is my near future! Candy gave me that tomato on the top left, from their garden. It was in a thoughtfully put together care package.

She wanted me to try some of her homemade vegetable soup, a couple of tomatoes from their garden, and a jar of her blueberry jam (made from blueberries that I gave her). So, rather than just share those three things, she provided a whole ensemble of things that would go with them to make a meal... the soup is a meal in itself, but with the tomatoes she provided bacon and lettuce for BLTs, and with the jam, she provided a little jar of peanut butter... and of course for both, a loaf of bread. I thought that was sweet of her.

My pretty Zeila! Love that girl.

Eeek. A giant green bug (grasshopperish, but bigger than I've ever seen) hanging out by my front door.

And these bees (at least they look like bees) have been hanging out in my thyme pot. Usually there's a dozen of them crawling all over the pot, inside and out. They don't seem to be eating it, though, and they don't care whether I'm around, or not. And... they only like the thyme. They leave the basil and parsley alone. Peculiar.

Tahra and Tom hanging out together (there's a lot of hanging out taking place in this post). Unfortunately, they chose to hang out near the ugly burn pile... and that's our ugly burn barrel (tipped over so it doesn't collect rain and rust worse... could it possibly rust worse?!) Yes, so they're so very ugly, but all mountain people have them. (And that's what we are now, you know.) ;-)

And you know what else? (This reminds me...) We don't have garbage service... none whatsoever. No "regular" garbage pickup. No recycling pickup. No horitculture pickup. Nothing. We have to put our stinky garbage in the car and drive it 11 miles to the industrial park... And we have to collect our yard and garden clippings in an ugly burn pile, as seen above. Geesh.

Frozen vanilla yogurt topped with fresh blueberries and homemade chocolate sauce, anyone?

It's Monday... new week - hope it's great!

Coffee and Toast

2009-08-16T08:59:00.003-04:00

So, this morning I had coffee and toast for breakfast.

Guess what kind of jam on had on my toast?

Did you guess blueberry?! Then you are correct! Doesn't look like blueberry, does it? It looks like raspberry. Oh well... it's definitely blueberry!

Enough of that... look at that adorable little french press. It's a french press for one! (Thank you, again, Gary and Diane!)

Joe is out of town, so the last couple of days the big press has stayed in the cupboard and I've used this little one. It's perfect. Makes 1 cup of coffee. All I need to get the day started.

Speaking of coffee, one of my blog friends, The Farmer's Wife over at Cohagen Chronicles (go check out her blog... she's funny and smart and talented and the mother of two beautiful little children... and of course, she's the farmer's wife!) anyway... she wrote this hilarious post titled the 10 Commandments of Coffee. If you're a coffee drinker... you'll enjoy it:

The 10 Commandments of Coffee (according to The Farmer's Wife)

1. Thou shalt have no beverage before coffee. In the morning, that is.

2. Thou shall NOT REHEAT old coffee left in the carafe, defiling the sacred cup. (And you know who you are....) There's always time to make one little fresh serving. Or to swing by a coffee shop, if thou art in a civilized geographical location.

3. Thou shall buy fresh beans, not grounds.

4. Thou shall not hoard thy fresh beans. Buy in smaller packages, and if they are in danger of going stale, have a coffee klatch to use them up.

5. Thou shall not covet thy neighbor's espresso machine. Make the best coffee thy can within thy means, and be grateful for thy French press.

6. Thou shall NOT consume or serve decaffienated coffee between the hours of 4 a.m. and 2 p.m.

7. Thou shall NOT BREW WEAK COFFEE. It is better to not brew coffee at all, than to dishonor the sacred bean in this manner.

8. Thou art prohibited from referring to instant granules and tiny tea-bags o'java granules as coffee. They also defile the sacred cup.

9. Thou shall consume coffee in conservative amounts on six days of the week, but on the seventh day, thou may pour an extra cup on the day of rest. (There are some, again, you know who you are, who abstain everyday except Wednesdays and Saturdays. Thou art twisted, sad individuals, and I am praying for you.)

10. If thine office coffee offends thee, step up and provide good coffee for the work force when thy can. They shall fall down and call you blessed, and thine influence will extend far beyond those generous carafes.

Silly and fun!

Off to church... have a great Sunday!!

All the Hoopla

2009-08-15T17:38:00.007-04:00

and celebration has my heart conflicted.

It's been a long time since my family has welcomed...well, anticipated, at his point... a baby into the family... we'll welcome our precious little one in January!

But never has my immediate family experienced such joy since the birth of his mother... Kristiina is an only child, and an only grandchild on my side. She's pretty spectacular...

...for more reasons than that...(!) but we'll stick with that for now ;-)

It makes me long for my dad. Mercy... in such a big way. His granddaughter was more than special to him, and he would have been beside himself with joy to welcome her son, his great grandson. If he were with us, he'd only be 65 now - very much able to share with that little one his joy, love, and knowledge. Oh, the knowledge... my dad was good at sharing life lessons! I remember them well, my husband remembers them well (from our dating years); of course, my brother remembers them well, and Kristiina remembers them well, I'll bet even Nic remembers them well. ...And we all remember them with loving admiration!

This is my dad, taken just a few months before he passed away, with Julian (and the ever faithful and loyal, Zoe). Julian is the grandson of one of my parents' dear friends from church. Little Julian knew my dad as Grandpa Jack. He was so sweet with him... Julian's eyes lit up a room when he saw Grandpa Jack.

How I wish those arms of my dad's could embrace my grandson, his great grandson.

{Sigh}, but that was not God's plan. So.... we carry on. And we hope that somehow, in that spiritual realm that we're confounded to understand, Grandpa Jack and our Baby DiOrio have made a connection and already established a loving relationship. It delights my heart to imagine it.

I heard this song today, Goodbye for Now, and it made me cry. It's been many months since I've cried over losing my dad, but today I did, again. Not so much because of loss, but because of hope. Praise God for hope.

I first heard the song when my cousin, Pekka, passed away several years ago; and it meant so much to me then.

Today, (though, not for the first time) I listened with ears turned toward my dad.

And I praise God that, through Jesus, we have the hope of an ultimate, eternal reunion. Pause the blog music, listen, and enjoy... and, of course... cry! - you won't be able to help it. Some of you knew him and will think of Grandpa Jack; and some of you will think of your own precious loved one who has gone on before you.... in either case, cling to the hope of forever.

Saying goodbye, again, but just for now.

A Healthy Baby Boy

2009-08-15T07:24:00.000-04:00

and Psalm 139

"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb." v.13

"I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well." v.14

"My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body." v.15

"All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be." v.16

Heavenly Father, it brings such peace and comfort to my heart to know that You see him, that You know him, and that he is the perfect work of Your tender hand. My heart's desire is that as You continue to form him, You'll give him good health and that the number of days You have ordained for him are many, that You'll make him strong in body, in mind, and in character, that You'll give him wisdom and discernment, and especially that You'll give him a heart that seeks after You, to Your praise and glory.

Oh, my joyful heart is overflowing!

Look again at that glimpse of his handsome face in 3D! I do believe he looks like his father. Kristiina thinks so, too. I love that face already and can't wait to kiss it!

I love these faces, too... See what you think... do we have a look-alike?

My precious Nic and Kristiina.

It's such a grand thing to be a mother of a mother -

that's why the world calls her grandmother. ~Unknown

The Big Reveal

2009-08-14T09:44:00.007-04:00

Okay, so here's how it played out...

You remember yesterday, I told you I got this package in the mail.

I couldn't imagine what was in it. It felt like a VHS tape, but that just didn't make any sense whatsoever. So, I really had no idea.

Then finally, at about 6:00 pm the call came... while they had us on the phone, we got the go ahead to open the package...

and here's what was in there:

Package 1 and Package 2

Ahhh, now it's starting to make sense... I'll bet there's something blue in one of them and something pink in the other...

Brief pause (and much excitement)... I'm instructed to open package 2....

drum roll.......

Baby DiOrio is a BOY!!! We're going to have a grandson. Words can't describe how thrilled and excited we are, anticipating the adventures that lie ahead.

... It promises to be a future filled with baseballs and footballs; of golf balls and tonka toys! .... of trips to the park and to the zoo... of digging for worms and making homes from mayonnaise jars for bugs (especially lightening bugs!! wink, wink)! It's going to be spectacular and I can't wait to see it unfold.

And aren't they just so clever and adorable for making the reveal so fun for us?!

Thanks, kids! Love you to pieces!!

It's Pink or Blue Day

2009-08-13T14:01:00.014-04:00

What's that, you ask?

It's the day of the gender ultrasound... we find out if it's a girl or a boy! The appointment is at 4:00, and everyone is jittery-excited! Kristiina is such a planner - she's completely nervous that our little precious won't offer a glimpse of the goods and she won't be able to find out. (She reads The Bump faithfully and has read so many stories of babies being uncooperative at that very important appointment!)

I received this in the mail today. Diane, the other grandma, got one, too! We've been given very strict instructions not to open it until they have the news... We're being eaten alive with anticipation!

Kristiina has a post on her Facebook Wall where people are casting their votes for a boy or a girl. It's pretty much a toss-up right now, but it's fun to see people's responses.

I don't have a clue at this point. When I first learned she was pregnant, I thought for sure it's a girl, but that suspicion is not as strong now. I'll be delighted either way... but for the sake of adding to the poll, I'll stick with GIRL! Afterall, Kristiina, me and my mom are all firstborn girls... may as well keep it going.

Do you have a hunch? Wanna cast a vote?

Here's a wildflower for GIRL...

or a life-size Tonka Toy for BOY!

(and clicking on the pictures won't do anything but show you a larger version of them... I just added them for fun.) :-)

I was talking to Kristiina yesterday about today's appointment and she was telling me the real reason for it. It's not just "let's find out if it's a boy or girl, for fun" ultrasound. It's standard procedure at this stage of the pregnancy to check the development of the organs and all things contingent on delivering a healthy baby. The gender discovery is just a bonus.

So, of course, whether we have a grandson or granddaughter, we're praying for good health and leave it in God's hands. Psalm 139 is one of my favorite chapters of scripture because of the portrayal of God's intimacy with us, and workmanship of us.

Check out this beautiful dipiction of it (just verses 1-12) on E-water.net (thanks for sending that link, Mary Anne)...

Delightful Flash Animation about Psalm 139 - E-Water

Shared via AddThis

Check back tomorrow for the big announcement!

The Baby Bump!

2009-08-12T10:27:00.005-04:00

Taaa - Daaa! That's my grandbaby in there!!!

This photo was obviously taken with her phone and isn't the best quality (photographer's disclaimer)-she's having computer issues and therefore couldn't take it with her mega-camera).

We found out the exciting news on Mother's Day (Aw, she suspected it for a while, but for sentimentality, waited until Mother's Day to take the test. :-D). We were sworn to secrecy, however, until she was safely in the second trimester. She's now a little over 18 weeks and due January 10, 2010! And she's beginning to feel the relished movement - mostly flutters, with the occasional unmistakable kick! Nic hasn't been able to feel it yet on the outside... but soon, I'm sure.

We find out tomorrow whether we're having a grandson or granddaughter, provided, of course, that our little pun'kin cooperates and provides the requisite - ahem- viewing. ...I'll let you know soon if we should be focusing on pink or blue.
{{cheesy grin}}

We're ecstatic!!

There's no place like home, except grandma's. ~unknown

It is as grandmothers that our mothers come into the fullness of their grace.

~Christopher Morley

Nobody can do for little children what grandparents do.

Grandparents sort of sprinkle stardust over the lives of little children. ~Alex Haley

I Want to Lick the Spoon!

2009-08-11T14:46:00.000-04:00

It's a spatula, Dex...

And, yes, you can lick it... but stop biting it!

Crazy, cross-eyed alien gets busy.

Mmmnnnnum, mmmmnnnnuuuuummm-nnnyummy!

(Note scar on his chin - this is from where he recklessly jumped from our 5 foot stone wall and landed directly on his chin. Owwy.)

Ribbon-candy tongue has it pretty well licked clean!

Here's what was making him so happy:

I made this last night... the blueberry/chicken/pasta salad I mentioned the other day... and it had him at my feet, drooling for half an hour before I was ready to give up the utensils.

About 2 bites into it and I, too, was drooling and singing, "Mmmnnnnum, mmmmnnnnuuuuummm-nnnyummy!"

Holy moly... I had no idea that chicken and pasta combined with blueberries, feta cheese, and a hint of lime could be so deliriously delicious!

Creamy Tomato Basil Soup

2009-08-09T19:40:00.004-04:00

Oh my! If you like tomato basil soup, you've got to try this recipe. It's too good for words! I had a bunch of tomatoes I had to use up, so went in search of a soup recipe (of course, because I love soup... yesterday I made carrot soup - mmmm, good... but it's no comparison to this one!) Anyway, I found a few recipes online that I thought looked good, and ended up combining them to come up with this...

Use fresh ingredients - there are a few extra steps to get the tomatoes peeled and seeded... but it's so worth it! I'm sure it makes all the difference.

Okay, here goes.

Ingredients

3 T butter

1 lg. carrot washed and diced

1 lg. onion, peeled and diced

12 roma tomatoes

1/2 cup fresh basil, minced

little bit of sugar (less than a tsp.)

couple shakes of pepper (white or black)

salt to taste

1 cup chicken broth - I happened to have some homemade in the freezer

3/4 cup half and half

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil and add the fresh tomatoes. Meanwhile, have a sinkful of very cold water ready. After just a minute or two, transfer the tomatoes to the cold water. Peel the skin when they're cool enough to handle. It makes the skin slip right off. Cut and seed the tomatoes; set aside.

2. In a saucepan, heat butter over medium heat. Add in onion and carrot and cook till onion is tranparent, stirring frequently. Stir in tomatoes, basil, sugar and pepper. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Reduce heat and simmer, covered for about 10 minutes.

3. Puree... I used my submersible mixer right in the same pan. It left tiny chunks of onion, tomato and carrot, which I didn't mind a bit. But if you prefer it totally smooth, then I'd transfer it to a food processor.

4. Return to saucepan (if you used the food processor) and stir in broth, half and half and salt. Heat for 5 or 10 more minutes.

5. Ladle into individual bowls (about 4, depending on size) and garnish with basil leaf ...if you feel like it.

Mmmm, mmmm, mmmm! It's the best tomato basil soup I have ever tasted. Seriously.

Go make some.

Then go do a load of wash, the combination will make your house smell great! ...I think Glade should come out with a Clean Linen/Tomato Basil scent.

Enjoy!!

It's Blueberry Time!

2009-08-04T10:00:00.004-04:00

In the last couple of weeks, I have picked buckets full of blueberries.

Look at how plump and beautiful those ripe ones are!

Joe's parents were here last weekend, and my mother-in-law helped me pick our three bushes absolutely clean of the ripe ones... now it's time to get back out there and do it again!

This is from the day I canned 10 jars of blueberry jam and one of syrup. I was carrying my giant bowlful of stemmed and washed blue beauties outside when Joe simply gave me a quizzical look.

"I'm taking them outside to take a picture," I told him.

"Of course you are," he said.

I have canned... frozen... given away... and eaten, eaten, EATEN blueberries for weeks. I've had them by the handful, over my ice cream, in my vanilla yogurt, on my toast (jam version, of course). Yesterday, I even saw a recipe for a blueberry and chicken pasta salad that I'm tempted to try!

Unfortunately, Joe could take them or leave them. So far, he's left them... so it's all up to me!!

Thankfully, I love blueberries!

WHAT THE HECK IS THAT?!, part 2

2009-08-02T19:56:00.005-04:00

Joe and I were outside yesterday morning, when we heard a loud rumble. At first I thought it was going to be thunder, but then it sounded like a very loud explosion and was accompanied by shakiness, for lack of a better description. We had no idea what it was.

Come to find out... it was an earthquake. I had never felt one before, so I had no clue (and I didn't know they were accompanied by such a loud sound). Joe felt one once as a kid in New Jersey, but the way he described it, it sounds like it was more of a topsy-turvy, roly-poly feeling - like a crowd doing the wave at a ballgame.

Here's a news story... by the way, our house is just a sand wedge, as Joe would say (or is it a pitching wedge ??), from Ducktown, TN.

DUCKTOWN, Tenn. (AP) -- A minor earthquake rattled the mountainous area of southeastern Tennessee, western North Carolina and northern Georgia on Saturday morning, the U.S. Geological Survey reported.

The 3.2-magnitude temblor happened about 9:35 a.m. Saturday. Its epicenter was located about 55 miles east of Chattanooga, near the town of Ducktown.

Becky Cearley, a 14-year dispatcher with the Polk County Sheriff's Department, described the incident as "pretty intense."

"It shook the whole entire building for what seemed like forever, but it was just a matter of seconds," she said.

Cearley said although the Polk County 911 Center was flooded with calls by residents inquiring about the earthquake, no one was hurt during the earthquake.

"No one was injured and there weren't any damages reported but there were a lot of people calling curious as to what happened. Many people thought it was an explosion," she said.

According to Cearley, since her time as a 911 dispatcher she has experienced small earthquakes in Ducktown and surrounding areas before but nothing compared to the magnitude of the Saturday morning quake.

"We've had very minor quakes in the past but they were only short, little rumbles. Nothing like this," she said.

A dispatcher with the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office in North Carolina, just east of the epicenter, also said there were no reports of damage or injuries, but a couple of people did call wondering what had happened.

The U.S. Geological Survey received reports of light shaking as far away as Gainesville, Ga., about 60 miles to the south.

WHAT THE HECK IS THAT?!!!

2009-07-31T20:42:00.004-04:00

Joe shouts as he bends at the waist and studies the ground...

It's a common scene around here.

Then he stands and declares, "Florida has nothing on this place when it comes to bugs!"

And he's right!

"What the heck is that?!"

Go ahead and click on that picture and see it blown up to gigantic proportions... go ahead!

It was the color of an army tank and big as a golf ball!

Eeeew!

Lilies Everywhere

2009-07-21T09:31:00.006-04:00

Whew! I said it wouldn't take me 2 weeks to get back... but it almost did!

I have to show you this...

Our summertime lilies. They're everywhere...

...in people's yards, outside of banks and restaurants, and flanking every kind of private and public driveway.

Mostly, though, they're along the roads!

They line the highways and fill...and I mean FILL... the medians.

The state of North Carolina even planted some in front of our house... we have about a 2000 sq. ft. area filled with yellow and gold lilies.

Thank you North Carolina. We love them.

- - - - - - - - -

Joe and I have been animal caretakers and undertakers the last 2 days.

Yesterday while I was enjoying my morning coffee on the patio, I saw Tahra (our timid, hide-in-the-garage, don't-pick-me-up, cat) scurry toward the bushes. While I thought her posture was a little peculiar, I didn't think much of it because she has been, to our surprise, spending a great deal of time outdoors lately.

Moments later, I saw her hustle back toward the garage with something in her mouth. "Tahra!" I yelled, "put that down... Tahra, No!" I chased her to the garage and saw that she had captured a chipmunk. She dropped it but it was bleeding badly and couldn't get away, as much as it tried. "Dang it, Tahra!"

I grabbed a pair of Joe's work gloves and picked it up. I couldn't let it just lay there, bleeding on the cold garage floor with the wicked cat looming nearby. Poor little thing was frightened, at first, but then relaxed and just breathed deeply. I held it gently as it's breaths became shallower and in about 10 minutes, it stopped breathing. {hmpf}

Then, there was the cottontail rabbit. It was also yesterday morning that we discovered a little baby bunny lying on the garage floor. No visible signs of injury, but she was just laying there on her side, barely breathing. Geez, Tahra, what the heck?!

We scooped her up and wrapped her in a soft washcloth. She wouldn't eat anything or take any water, but she laid in my lap, seemingly contentedly, all day. She seemed to get a little stronger, lifting her head and moving her front paws - we thought she might be okay. At home yesterday evening, she laid on my chest while I watched TV. She never came out of it, though, and died this morning. {groan}

Sorry... I should have saved the cheerful lilies for the end of the post!

We do have a happy ending, though. Fifteen minutes after Joe buried the bunny, he came home with a stray dog. Fortunately, ........

....... pardon the interruption.........

Okay, now I'm crying. We just reunited the stray with her mama! It was precious.

What I started to say was fortunately, she had a collar with a current immunization tag. We called her vet and the vet contacted her owner, Anne. Anne called us and we learned that the dog's name is Diva and has been missing for 12 days. She was a long way from home! When Anne came for her baby, Diva, it was a happy, tearful, licky, waggly, roll-around-in-the-grass-together, reunion.

We're happy. So is Diva and Anne!

Two Weeks Ago Today

2009-07-09T11:27:00.013-04:00

Jiminy Cricket! It's been two weeks since I've posted anything.

I thought that when I arrived in this beautiful land, I would just have soooo much to write about; so much to share. And I do, but apparently for now it's to stay in the quietness of my heart because, truthfully, words elude me. Maybe I'm overwhelmed by the newness of it all. It's a lot to take in... in a really, really, wonderful way!

So, let me share in pictures... as I seem to do so often lately because, well, pictures are worth a thousand words!

This is Dexter's perch; his watchtower, from where he monitors all the goings on outside.

That is unless he needs to know what's going on out front; in which case, this is his perch! (Love seat has been Dexter-proofed by a blue sheet!)

We have snakes. This one is captured here tormenting my dogs. He was on the other side of the fence just spitting and hissing... literally sticking his tongue out at them while they went berserk!

Finally, he had had enough of that and he slithered away. Unfortunately for him, several days later he slithered into dog territory (their side of the fence) and it did not go well for him... it was a fatal mistake, as I discovered Severed Snakey. Eeew.

And that red clay dirt all over the stairs is from the day prior when the little punkins' dug a hole... a cavern... practically a tunnel... under the driveway, and threw the dirt all over the place. Just precious, they are! {{grumble}}

On the brighter side, I also discovered calla lilies in the yard. My heart sings. We have so many flowers. {{ethereal sigh}}

Our patio. I like to sit out here in the evenings (and I'm delighted that in July it's cool enough to do so!) and watch lightening bugs. They still intrigue me. In the mornings, I sometimes come out here with my coffee and bible study. The birds are happy and melodious in the morning! I enjoy the background music they offer.

Those chairs are from our Florida patio. Someday I'd like to replace those with wooden rockers... then we're talkin' NC porch!

Evening glow on the Queen Anne's Lace. Kinda dreamy.

I was meandering the property across the street, camera in-hand, of course, and stopped to drink in this sunset from one of the home sites. Beyond beautiful...

I think that's all for today. And I promise it won't take 2 weeks to return! Besides, there's 10,000 more where these came from, so stay tuned... ;-)

Cheers.

Pickin' in the Park?

2009-06-22T08:40:00.004-04:00

Is that what I said I was going to try to do last Thursday... attend Pickin' in the Park at Horseshoe Bend Park?

Well, it was more like Pickin' in the Yard!

Check it out!

I was wandering around in the yard with my camera seeing what new flowers were blooming, when I spotted this!

Could it be...

Yes, it is! I have some ripe blackberries!! I didn't expect this. I thought the blueberries would be ready first since someone told me that the blackberries usually ripen in August.

Ah well, it wasn't Mountain Man Bob who shared the info with me, so... next time I'll confirm it with him!

Whoo hoo!! I dashed in the house to get my little berry bucket and started picking! Darn those thorny thorns... my arms got all scratched up. Oh well, I didn't care. I picked and plucked furiously (because dinner was on the stove... oh bother. I had to stop midway and get eating out of the way.)

By the time I was done, I had filled my little plastic 1lb. berry container that I had washed and saved when my store-bought strawberries were gone.

And you know what? I have discovered that I can make a decent size batch? of blackberry preserves with one pound of berries!

I can trust that I have succeeded in picking one pound of berries since they fill my 1lb. container, right?

The exciting part is that was only a small percentage of what was ripe. I still have days' worth of picking to do!

UPDATE: I picked two more pounds of berries last night!! Oh, are we gonna have preserves!

Horseshoe Bend Park

2009-06-18T08:44:00.005-04:00

in McCayesville, Georgia; it's another one of our recent discoveries.

It's a lovely park situated on the Toccoa River where people enjoy fly fishing.

It's also a popular drop-in for tubing, which we're going to do as soon as it gets warm enough. Since we're told the water never reaches more than 60 degrees (typically it's high 50's year-round), it has to be really hot outside or it would be unbearably chilly for our Florida-bred bodies! Maybe this will be the weekend to give it a go since we're forecasted to have temperatures in the mid 90's!!

This young man - 10 years old - has only been fly fishing for one week! His uncle taught him the weekend prior and he's already hooked! We visited with him and his dad for a while when they were done fishing. Dad says he can't get enough of it.

The park is also a beautiful place to gather with friends for a picnic barbeque. Our church (at least it looks like it will be our church) is going to have a picnic here on July 5th after the morning service. They'll provide meat, drinks and utensils... we just have to bring a dish to share. Community - that's what I'm talking about. Should be fun!

Joe and I sat on one these benches by the river for quite awhile just enjoying the fresh air, sunshine, and observing that little boy practicing his fly fishing.

It surprised us when this little family of ducks came up to our feet. The babies didn't care a bit that we were there - they just wanted to find yummy morsels. Mama, however, was a little leary.

It was a nice, relaxing place to be... one we'll visit often.

...Maybe even tonight for their weekly Pickin' in the Park concert. ;-)

Lord Have Mercy

2009-06-12T08:25:00.007-04:00

on me and my stinkin' dog obsession!

Would you just look at this....

Here's another that would have come home with me if our dog-seams weren't busting! I'm so infatuated with this little munchkin I could about faint.

Seriously... have you ever seen anything so captivating ?!

(Okay, aside from your own babies... whether they be human, canine, feline...)

I can't stop looking at this picture. I'm completely mesmerized.

What an unusually beautiful dog!

He looks like he belongs in this dog family (which is my dog family - taken 2 summers ago)...

...except that the Lord was just getting started painting his beautiful coat when the little guy made his big appearance.

Oh, goodness-gracious... I'm a wreck. Just a hopeless, dog-lovin' mess!

He and his three siblings (who, like our four, look nothing alike) were at the Arts in the Park festival in Blue Ridge a couple of weeks ago hoping to be adopted. Having been found at the side of a road, they were being cared for and fostered by Second Chance, a rescue organization, until they find their permanent homes.

Incidently, when I told Joe how nuts I am about him, he said, "Why didn't you bring him home?" The funny part is, he was only half kidding. He's got it bad, too! It really takes restraint on both our parts... we have to be strong for each other! When I come across a little pup like this one that makes me go weak in the knees, he tells me, "No, no..." and vice versa.

Well, thankfully we both agree (that is, we're both fanatical)! Wouldn't it be awful if only one of us were afflicted with this dog-craze, and the other was all prudish about dog hair , dog kisses, dog antics, etc.?!

Cherries and Berries

2009-06-11T08:47:00.002-04:00

They're our latest anticipation.

Well, not the cherries anymore. Those are gone... eaten!

Mountain-Man Bob came over last week to check on the cherries for me. He said I could go ahead and pick the really red ones and probably have enough for a pie, then come back in a couple of days and the lighter ones should be ready to pick.

Mmmm. I grabbed a little bucket and started picking! I plucked and stretched and reached; I yanked on limbs to pull them closer, I even got the step stool but that was a bad idea since the tree is situated on a steep slope. I didn't fall, but my little bucket of cherries did. {groan}

By the time I picked every ripe cherry I could possibly reach, I only had a medium-sized bowlful. (Mountain-Man Bob is 6' tall... he may have been able to reach enough for a pie! Actually, so is Joe... but he wasn't around when I was picking...)

Don't they look pretty in my little blue bowl? That's handmade pottery from Barbados Earthworks. We picked it up in Barbados when we celebrated our Silver Anniversary there in '06. Over on the side there's a Flickr Badge of pics from the trip. But I digress.

Actually, let me digress again. My pics just don't look crisp to me. They seem to when I'm looking through my lens, but then I see them big on the computer screen and I'm disappointed. Is it my poor eyesight that causes me to be unable to get a perfectly clear photo? I'm frustrated.

Okay, so anyway, I went back out in 2-3 days as instructed by MM Bob, but I was too late. All that was left on the tree were pits. The birds had already eaten them clean! Ah, well... our cherries were delicious (a little tart, but I like that) straight out of the bowl.

As for what's yet to come...

Look at these beautiful blueberries! We have three bushes like this one, full of berries.

Wouldn't these have looked even more appetising if I had sprayed them with water and given them a lustrous sheen? Mmmm...

I can't wait to pick them and have blueberry preserves, blueberry ice cream, blueberry cobbler, a bowlful of blueberries while watching TV, blueberries stirred into my vanilla yogurt...

The thing is, I'm not sure when to pick them (I'm new at this, you know). You'd think it would be obvious from their color; I think I'll give them a try once they get deep purple, and when it appears the birds are showing an interest in them! I think that's what MM Bob would do. I'll ask him.

Then, next up will be our blackberries!

These were delicate white flowers just a few weeks ago; and this shot was taken last week. I'm excited.

Look at what just one week of sunshine does! We have tons of these scattered here and there. I just wish they didn't have thorns. It's gonna be tricky picking them without bloodshed!

Lastly, my sweet little tomato plant (one of eight). It's just about 14 inches tall, but it has a little tomato on it!

Ummm, all that green in the background... that's telltale evidence that my tomato bed desperately needs weeding!

The thing is... we like going to see the sights so much better than staying home to do the chores!

Okay, okay. Giving my tomatoe plants a little breathing room is on my list for Saturday. Promise.

Can You Do This?

2009-06-09T15:55:00.003-04:00

That's all.

I was just wondering...

(This is Wiz. We met him ...and his people... at an overlook on one of our adventures.)

Say Hello to Tahra!

2009-06-08T10:41:00.010-04:00

The garage is still her domain, but she has finally come down out of the rafters!

She loves to sit here on this little scrap of carpet and watch the outside activities from the safety of her little garage-home.

Sometimes she even likes to stick her head out a little bit and smell the fresh air. Pretty brazen of her, wouldn't you say?! (Yes, I'm being facetious.)

I was truly surprised when I saw this!

That's what I thought... she's outta here!

Wait...

What's this? She's chasing after Dexter! Dexter, who (because he's special and doesn't let us forget it) gets to go do his business out front instead of out back with the others. The thing is, he's a senior and can barely tolerate puppy antics.

Anyway, she must really crave company if she's chasing after Dexter. That is soooo out of character for her. I just wish Dex would give her the time of day. "C'mon, Dex, be nice, at least offer a mere sniff." Eh, he can't be bothered.

Well, I'm thankful then, that this handsome boy has adopted us. He's a stray that thinks he hit the jackpot when he discovered he can not only find shelter in this garage, but there's free food and a pretty girl there, too!

Tahra seems to be happy with him, as well. We call him Tom... or Tom-Tom... or Tommy Boy... or Tommy-Tom-Tom... or Handsome Fella...

Hiking Goforth Creek

2009-06-05T09:56:00.008-04:00

Well, this post is just a big photo album of the day Joe and I hiked Goforth Creek a couple of weeks ago.

Hopefully on your screen, they're not too dark. They look one way on my computer at home, and much different on my computer at the office...

Anyway... come hike with us:

The first 3 or 4 hundred yards we were rock hopping up the river...

...until we finally crossed over on got on a trail.

A couple of miles up the trail, we crossed the river again.

Doesn't this look like two pictures stitched together? It's not. The right is lush and green and the left is barren and woody. Weird.

The creek got really gentle at this point.

Look at that forest floor covered in fern!

I wish I had also taken this shot with the fern in focus - I think I would have like it better than having the trees in focus. Next time.

Hmmm, wonder what he's looking at...

I like this one - we're headed back down the trail where the falls are rushing.

Pretty mountain ivy (somestimes called mountain laurel).

We both really enjoyed that hike!

The Exploding Rhodies

2009-06-04T09:51:00.005-04:00

Remember the other day... I was whining about how quickly Spring passed? Let me just show you why.

I posted this picture to reveal those tired, spent Rhododendron...

Well, can you imagine that the following picture was taken just a week prior?

This was taken from the balcony. Besides the rhodies, we have climbing rose on the left, and blooming peonies on the right (behind the wall, in front of the rhodies), and you can see just a little bit of the lilac shrub on the far right behind the chair.
This was all gone by the time the girls arrived. Boohoo. (Well, the roses were - and are - still blooming.)

Check out this succession...

This was mid-March. Look at those big, pointy buds (on the right).

Then this happened the first week of April! I thought I'd never see those beautiful buds open.

But lo and behold... this is mid-May!

(Why, oh why did Mrs. Smith plant pink on the right and nearly lavendar on the left? It jangles my senses. What could have been delightful symetry is now tainted. {sigh} )

We enjoyed these phenomenal, colorful shrubs for about 10 days.

Well, I'll know what to expect next year and be prepared to relish it even more!

The Little Church

2009-06-03T08:08:00.008-04:00

The first Sunday that Joe and I were in town, we visited this friendly little baptist church that sits up on the hill.

When we entered, a couple of gentleman greeted us at the door; we exchanged names and they welcomed us.

Joe and I found a seat. It was a small community church with about 30 in attendance.

A few minutes later, the service started. One of the men who greeted us stepped up to the front and began with the welcome and announcements. He was the pastor, and proceeded to welcome us from the pulpit... by name. "We'd like to welcome Mr. and Mrs. O'Brien to our congregation this morning." Hmmm, we were surprised by the intimacy of the welcome.

We were even more surprised when after the service, the pastor asked their guest speaker, a missionary from Mexico, to step to the back with his wife so everyone could greet them on the way out... "And Mr. and Mrs. O'Brien, why don't you join them? I'm sure we'd all love to say hello."

Huh? Uh, okay.

We haven't been back... and it would seem that's the reason why. But not really. We didn't mind. We're looking for a church that offers a sense of community, a familial feel. But that was just a little too small.

It looks like we may end up at First Baptist Church of McCaysville. It's the only one that has received multiple visits so far. It feels like home... it reminds me of what FBC Cape Coral was 15 years ago.

I've gotten used to contemporary services, but that's not common place up here. FBC McCaysville offers a traditional service where the choir (not praise team) still wears robes and the organist is situated on the right, with the pianist situated on the left. There are no guitars, and there are no drums. It's okay... gotta love those old hymns, rich with history and gospel truth.

Last Sunday we sang How Great Thou Art. One of my favorites.

When I consider the lyrics of this verse, and then the chorus; I realize it reflects my exact sentiments...

When through the woods, and forest glades I wander,
And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees.
When I look down, from lofty mountain grandeur
And see the brook, and feel the gentle breeze.

Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!
(history)

... and I realize how blessed I am that I live in such a place!

Happy Birthday

2009-06-02T09:41:00.003-04:00

to our Fabulous Foursome!

Seen here at about 4 weeks...

...our precious little meatheads turn 2 years old today - and while we might expect their puppy antics to soon be behind us... they'll always be The Puppies.

I don't have time today for a long post... but I couldn't let the Big Day go by without acknowledging it!

This was June 2, 2007, the day they arrived. What an exciting day that was; Kristiina and I were Zeila's "midwives," and in seventh heaven!!

For more on the Puppy Saga (and a bajillion pictures), see the post from last year that commorated their 1st birthday.

Have a terrific Tuesday!

Spring, It's So Peculiar

2009-05-30T07:55:00.002-04:00

I love the constant change in the landscape, the beautiful color and fragrance of the flowers. But, I'm disappointed that the rotation of blooming shrubs and trees is so quick. I wish they'd hang around and let me enjoy them a while!

For example, last weekend my mom, aunt and cousin (xoxoxo) were here, and one day when we were driving down my driveway, my cousin and I noticed some pretty weeping purple flowers at the edge of the woods. Neither of us were sure what they were, but they were so pretty!

Just this morning I discovered that they're wisteria! Oh, cool. To me there's just something etheral and dreamy about wisteria. I went to take a picture of them to show Alana again when I tell her about it (hi Alana!), and they're already starting to fade. Geesh!

Hence, this wisteria picture is not mine, but one I found on the internet.

That seems to be that way with all of them. Here a week and then they're gone. Take the rhododendron... I have been watching those buds grow for two months and was so excited when the first couple started to open.... I was anticipating enjoying them for as long as I waited for them. but alas, that was not to be. They bloomed for barely more than a week and started to turn brown and fall. Hmpf.

Actually, here we are in front of those poor, spent rhodies...

Here's what has come and gone in the nine short weeks that we've been here...

daffodils
bradford pear
crab apple blossoms
tulips (not in my yard, though. next year)
red bud
lilacs
cherry blossoms
irises
dogwood
peony
rhododendron
vibernum
azalea
lily of the valley

Right now the creeping roses are in bloom. Whoa! Have I got creeping roses! There are a few in my yard, but I just discovered when I went to take the wisteria pictures, that I have them all along the edge of the woods lining the driveway and climbing up the hill... that's about the length of a football field! There are tons of them!

Again, not my image. Hopefully soon I'll capture some worth sharing.

So, even though the various beauties are brief, the satisfying part of it is all the new discoveries. And, I'm thankful that they come in stages so there's always something in bloom.

I wonder what I'll find in bloom next week!!

By the way... Mountain-Man Bob stopped by yesterday. He came to check on my cherries for me. He said they should be ready to pick in about 2 days... if I want to, he said I can get the darkest ones today and probably have enough for a pie! I may be cherry-picking this afternoon!

I Want Chickens

2009-05-29T10:55:00.004-04:00

These are Glen and Candy's chickens... their hens on the left and roosters on the right. Aren't they pretty?

Here are some of the girls. Candy raised them from little chicks. That's what I want to do, too. Start handling them early so they're comfortable with us.

The thing with getting them when they're little, you can't tell if they're boys or girls. Like Forrest Gump's box of chocolates... you never know what you're gonna get. Glen and Candy got four handsome roosters from their nine chicks!

Yup, I need to convince my Mr. Douglas to build us a chicken coop soon so we can get started!

Farm-fresh eggs... Mmmm Mmmm Mmmm!

- - - - - - - - - -
The day I took the chicken pics, was the day we went to their house for skeet-shooting and four-wheeling.

This is the view of their property from the balcony. We were just there again for a BBQ two weeks ago... boy, oh boy, does it ever look different now! The landscape is totally changed with the trees full of leaves, the pond full, the garden growing... It's beautiful!

We decided to take the four wheelers over to their neighbors' house. They raise peacocks.

This one saw me coming near with a camera and decided to make his getaway. He hopped the fence and ran across the yard toward the woods. I was afraid he'd get lost, but was told they do it all the time. Candy said they often end up at their house hanging out on the porch beneath the balcony!

Country life... a different kind of adventure!

We Did It Again!

2009-05-15T14:10:00.003-04:00

We were out meandering... just seeing what we see, when we came upon a sign for a yard sale. Sometimes we like to pop in to those just to see what's being offered. Most of the time it's a lot of junk... but other times there are great finds.

So, as we pull up to the house we see that they're just wrapping it up. But, as always, we strike up a conversation.

In no time, we were invited up on the porch and provided something cold to drink.

We sat and chatted for two hours with the homeowners, Pepi and Lynn (this is Pepi)!

Okay, since this happened before at the goat farm, you're probably thinking we're buttinskies who don't know when to leave, but I promise that's not the case. "We really should go," we said. "No, no," they say, "Stay, have another drink."

Nice view from the porch, huh? This, by the way, is a sheep farm. {{grin}}

And there they are out in the pasture. "You want to see them up close?" Lynn asks. "Sure!"

They've spotted us.

"Mama, what are you doing bringing those strangers out here?!"

Lynn rattles their food container so they'll come in the barn.

"We can't, Mama, those people are there!"

"Okay, maybe if we run past them really quickly!"

Back outside, and they're wondering, "What are you still doing here?"

"Mama, what are they still doing here?!"

"You go home now." (I love the face on the white one.)

Okay, okay, we can take a hint. Let's go see Pablo. He's The Boss around here.

No, he's not a polar bear. He's a Great Pyrenees. Goat/sheep farmers do seem to love that breed. They are evidently great protectors of the herd.

And this is Snickers, Pablo's next door neighbor (she's not in the pasture because she's due to deliver a little one any day).

Meanwhile, with our having left the pasture, the sheep are able to relax.

And we're finally on our way home after a very lovely, unexpected visit with what have become new friends, Pepi and Lynn. We left with two jars of Lynn's homemade jam and one butternut squash that they harvested from their garden last season.

Two days after our visit, they popped in to let us know that Snickers had delivered her baby the night before... "Would you like to come take a look?" Absolutely!

Snickers with her little girl (unnamed at that point), less than 24 hours old. Snickers is shedding her winter coat. Pepi and Lynn say this type of sheep shed rather than needing to be sheared.

Aw, mama and her baby.

Snickers is coaxing her to nurse.

And, of course, before we wandered over to the porch for another long chat, we got to hold her!
Joe liked that a lot...

So did I!

Surprisingly, Snickers didn't seem to mind; though we wore gloves so she wouldn't be put off by our scent.

Meet Mr. Douglas

2009-05-14T09:56:00.001-04:00

Yes, this is Mr. Douglas. But he's not the one I'm talking about.

I have my own version of a city-dweller gone country ... my Mr. Douglas.

He's from New Jersey... right on the outskirts of NYC. He thought he was going rural when he moved to Cape Coral, FL. And, truthfully, when he arrived there nearly thirty years ago, it was pretty rural.

Now, it's filled with congested streets, too many traffic lights, and crowded neighborhoods...
at least, to suit what our taste has become.

So, off to the mountains we go where there's a bit more land to stretch out on.

Oh me, oh my, oh... a bit more land to take care of! The prior owners were getting up in years and hadn't done much in the way of yard work for several seasons.

Have we got out work cut out for us...

clearing, trimming, removing...

...the chores! {{sung Green Acres style}}

Then again, with the chores come those big "toys" to get the job done.

This makes my Mr. Douglas happy.

I'm a Conquering Warrior!

2009-05-12T10:39:00.001-04:00

That's right.

I donned the armor.

Equipped and prepared for battle, I took an offensive stance and faced my foe squarely.

{{ Drum roll...}}

The ivy went down and I came forth... unscathed!

{{ Hear the eruption of the Hallelujah Chorus! }}

It's all in how you approach it; it requires care and diligence. It's important to know your enemy. Last time, I didn't even know that vicious little plant was lurking (and couldn't really have identified it if I did know) and I forged ahead haphazardly. That foolish move caused me much discomfort!

But, having learned an important lesson the hard way, I came out on top this time!

{{ Cheers, applause! }}

Seriously, though... I've kidded a lot about the garden armor, but for those of you that have had your nose in the bible more than a handful of times... isn't this so allegorically God's armor and the unseen battles we fight in the spititual realm?!

Check this out...

Ephesians 6:10-18 from the NIV:

The Armor of God

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.

11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes.

12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.

14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place,

15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.

16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.

17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

Isn't that something.

So, as I prepare for the battle in the garden by putting on my so-called armor... it reminds me that to overcome the trials and tribulations of this world, I should also put on the Armor of God...daily.

Something Adorable

2009-05-11T14:54:00.003-04:00

This is a treat; guaranteed to make you smile.

A little boy and his dog...
or maybe that should be a dog and his little boy.

Thanks for sending that, Mom!

(Am I just being paranoid, or does it look like they're playing in poison ivy?)

The Flowers at My House

2009-05-05T16:12:00.000-04:00

This post is all about Spring and the flowers we inherited on this property...

There's 10 acres of "mostly wooded" land here. This shot gives a glimpse of the mostly wooded portion, with a lovely cluster of irises here at the edge. At the time, there were just two buds, now it's littered with them, and some are open.

When we were weeding last weekend, we didn't make it this far. You can tell that this bed needs to be cleared out. Take a closer look and see if you see what I see! Yes, it's my latest enemy... stalking me; taunting me, daring me to take another step closer!

It's appeared over here at the stairs, too. Oh, it looks delicate and innocent. But it's sinister!

And I don't know what this is, but it looks guilty and I'm not trusting it.

Anyway, on to more appealing subjects.

We have Lily of the Valley! These remind me of Syracuse. We had them all along the back of our house on Spalding Ave. Who remembers that? Summer picnics and the fields beside the house... those were the days.

Rhododendren getting ready to go nuts! (And a mountain-view, to boot!)

Rhododendren blossoms.

The stone wall out front which Joe is eager to pressure wash! We were clearing out and cleaning up this area (and still have much to do) when I got the poison ivy!

Here's a close up of the pretty orange flowers over there. I'm not sure what they are.

There's this flower with them... and I can't identify it either.

I think these are azaleas. If so, they're a bit sickly looking; like they've been around awhile. We might pull them after this season and plant fresh ones.

Ooh, my Zeila. She's our pretty, pretty, princess; and seen here with one of our big clusters of irises.

They're so beautiful and delicate.

Especially drenched in morning sun!

We're gonna have cherries!

And we're gonna have blueberries!

Make that two different kinds of blueberries!

A healthy, happy peony bud. There are many of these!

Little wild daisies over at the other edge of the woods.

There are 4 or 5 shrubs of Chinese Snowballs (Viburnum) .

The Snowballs again.

Lilacs - the butterfly was a surprise visitor which is why he is, unfortunately, out of focus. He fluttered off before I could get a clear shot.

So, that's that. I am blessed!!

View at Your Own Risk

2009-05-01T19:49:00.005-04:00

Warning, what you are about to see may turn your stomach! You may actually lose your supper.

Joe was mortified that I'd be willing to show these to you. "Pam! Think about what you're doing!" He said.

But I figure, Hey, it's my blog... it's about me... my life. I may as well keep you apprised of what my week has revolved around. Right? Just consider yourself warned; it isn't pretty.

But if you stick with it till the end, I'll reward you with something really pretty!

Okay, here goes...

Careful now... I'm about to show you the result of Sunday's poisonous plant attack...

I'm making you scroll way down so that it doesn't immediately appear on your screen.

If you've scrolled this far, I can only assume you really do want to see it...

I knew curiosity would get the best of you!

This was Tuesday, the caterpillar stage.

At this point I went shopping for gauze and tape to wrap it because the weeping was starting to get pretty consistent. The ladies at the register thought I should go straight to the hospital and proceeded to tell me horror stories about their relatives' allergies.

Thanks, ladies, but I'm fine. My throat didn't close and my eyes didn't swell shut. I'm just itchy... and rather disgusting to look at.

This is today. The sub-dermis-alien-worm stage. It looks horrific, but I actually think it's improving. It doesn't itch as much, swelling has gone down, and the blisters have mostly flattened out.

They do still weep, however.

{{ Gasp. Gag. Cough. Sputter.}} ...I'm sorry. I told it was nasty!

Joe has already suggested I put cocoa butter on it... I'm thinking some vitamin E might also be in order, but I'm not doing that till they quit weeping. What I am doing is applying cool compresses, calamine lotion, and taking benedryl.

I'm fully confident that this will - in a few weeks' time - return to pretty, dainty, supple skin. I promise!

But, speaking of suggestions... Mountain-man Bob suggested I spray them with anti-perspirant. "It'll dry 'em right quick." (This is the same man who gave us tips on when to eat wild meat... "never eat meat that's been hit." Seriously... it came up; we had a discussion about it... remember the wild turkey that got hit out front?!)

Anyway, I actually bought anti-perspirant and sprayed it on my arms. I have to say, the skin seemed to pucker up a bit, and the itch/sting went away; they even had a shower-fresh smell! But, I don't think I'll do that again. It just doesn't seem right. I fear the weeping stopped simply because the spray clogged it up.

Nah, I'll stick with calamine...

Oh darn. I was at Ingles today and forgot to get Aveeno Oatmeal Bath... Piggly Wiggly didn't have it (of course).

Hmpf.

I also have the rash and smaller blisters on my other arm, my abdomen, behind my ear, on my neck, and under my chin! For me, this is a severe case of poison ivy and I was somewhat taken aback by it until I went to this site:

http://www.poison-ivy.org/

Whoa, Nellie! There's a link there called the Skin Rash Hall of Fame; now, those people suffered! They'd think I was a complete pansy if I submitted my pictures!

Regardless, the next time I tackle the yard, I'm wearing my garden armor!

Okay, I promised not to leave you with these disgusting images in your mind, and I have a reward for your sticking it out to the end...

Here's what I found when I was running errands today:

Scads of wildflowers in the median on the 4-lane (as the locals call it.) :-D

Now, isn't that better? Forget what you saw above...

Just focus on the pretty daisies. Think about the warm sunshine, the refreshing Spring breeze.

Ahhh....

Your Input is Requested...

2009-04-29T08:55:00.014-04:00

I'm in a quandary. It's a well-known fact that Pam is not in Florida anymore, yet my blog address says otherwise.

This is the Ocoee River, site of the 1996 Summer Olympics Whitewater Sports. The TVA did not have the water running on this day which is why you can see all the rocks. (I have rafted this river about 4 times, though not since we arrived here... still too cold!).

I can be overly analytical and the fact that you arrived here by clicking on, or typing in, Paminflorida.blogspot. com disturbs me a bit; it just doesn't sit well.

An errant leaf left over from Autumn floats gently down the Ocoee River.

When we began making plans to move to the mountains, I created a new site. It's found at Pamthemountaineer.blogspot.com

Much more fitting, wouldn't you say?

This is Ocoee Lake in Polk County, TN. The river feeds into it. It's just a few miles down the road from us; it's shore, and that of the river, make a beautiful scenic drive.

Having originated in the Northeast and moving to Florida before relocating here, we are classified by the locals as Halfbacks. Half way back from Florida to the Northeast; and there are a lot of us here!!

Another view of the Ocoee Lake, this one taken from the dam.

Therefore, the new blog is aptly titled...
Reflections of a Halfback.

This is the Apalachia Reservoir located just below the Hiwassee Dam. Again, located just a few miles from our house, but in the opposite direction.

But there's a part of me (the emotional part) that doesn't want to abandon the 10,000+ visits and 200+ posts located here on Rest Awhile.

So, what's a girl to do?

Remain faithful here at Rest Awhile where Paminflorida is a misnomer;

Or, move on over to Reflections of a Halfback where Pamthemountaineer is fitting?

Tell me... should I stay or should I go?

This was taken at my bank the same day I took the closeup of the tulips you've seen here previously. Cheerful, aren't they?

All of the scenic water shots were taken about a month ago. You should see how green everything is now... I'll show you eventually!

Another Seven

2009-04-24T09:50:00.010-04:00

You're thinking, "What do you mean, another seven... another seven?" You're probably a bit concerned about what might be transpiring in the O'Brien household... "Didn't she just say the other day that they were maxed?!"

Fear not. I'm talking about someone else's seven... and their story is ridiculously similar to ours!

They started with a beautiful white shepherd mix (who eluded my camera),

when along came Maggie.

Her beau, whose name I don't know, came too. They're big, beautiful, very fluffy, Great Pyrenees.

I don't know the circumstances of that adoption,

but it wasn't long before four precious pups were added to their number! Is this sounding familiar, or what?! Their four, however, look related...

...unlike ours! People still have a hard time believing they're from the same litter!

Maggie and her family live on a goat farm with their humans.

This is Savannah, one of the veteran adults on the farm.

And the mama to one of these littles ones.

Joe and I had been out exploring. We love to take long drives on the back country roads. This was the first weekend we were in town, hence the brown environment - hadn't had enough rain at that point!

We stumbled upon the seven beauties barking their warning at us and expressing their discontent, that we're nearing their home.

Of course, if you know us at all, you know that it wasn't long before we were out of the car, petting the dogs, chatting with the goat farmers and getting a tour of the farm! We spent about two hours with them and by the time we were headed home, we had exchanged phone numbers and promises to get together for dinner sometime!

"...Goodbye, city life!" ;-)

I Liked This

2009-04-22T10:08:00.008-04:00

I thought it was fun to watch (several times over), and I'll bet it was fun to dance!

(don't forget to pause the blog music - at right)

And you know what else I like... the friendly, neighborly people up here!

I was just sitting here in the office a moment ago, checking emails and voicemails, when in walks Kenneth, our helpful butcher (actually, he calls himself a meat cutter, not a butcher) from the Piggly Wiggly. He stopped by just to drop off a bag of ramps because he and Joe were talking about them the other day and Joe mentioned that he and I have never tried them. Now, isn't that nice?!

You harvest ramps this time of year from the mountain. We're told they grow at about 3000 feet, or higher. They're little root vegetables that are a cross between garlic and onion. Kenneth says they're loud and will stay with you for days. "Eat them together, and not just before you go to church!" He said if we like them, he'll take us to the mountain where he found them and show us where and how to harvest them. The perks of living in a small town!

I mentioned over on FB that I had found Ingles... my "Publix away from home," and that Piggly Wiggly had fallen in the ranks. But, that's the kind of thing that makes you want to keep going back... even if they don't always have what you're looking for. I'll go to Ingles when I have to (like when I need ricotta cheese), but I'll go to Piggly Wiggly because my friend, Kenneth the Meat Cutter, is there!

Phew! My office is starting to get a bit pungent!

Oh Dear... I have to put them outside!!!

Random Stuff

2009-04-21T13:02:00.005-04:00

These white blooms are on a Bradford Pear tree (it's not an edible pear tree). You see them all over this region. They bloom in March, and by the beginning of April all the little white flowers fall off and are replaced with rich green leaves. They're typically planted in a row and are used to line long driveways, etc. They can be very regal looking.

This is in the "puppy room." And this is why the puppies have a puppy room to retreat to when we are not home. The little buggers chose to play tug-of-war with one of their dog beds... you see it laying limply in the middle of the rug. Shame on us for not supplying them with ample toys to keep them entertained!

Thinking of my dad today. It's another anniversary day... the anniversary of his memorial service. What a day that was; a really great one, actually. Difficult, of course, but also heartwarming. It was nice to see the remarkable turnout (an estimated 400, plus!) and hear the testimonies of those who loved him so dearly.

That's all for today. It's a beautiful day here... I took advantage of it and went up on the mountain this morning to take a few pics, hopefully I can share those in a couple of days.

Have a Happy Tuesday!

Sleepin' in a Sunbeam

2009-04-19T07:41:00.001-04:00

My Dexie; he's a special character.

As the senior adult at our house he gets a lot of priveleges that the others don't ... sleeping on this bed, for example.

Doesn't this look like a nice way to spend a Sunday afternoon?

Snowy Pics, and A Bit of Spring!

2009-04-18T10:56:00.007-04:00

This was the early morning of April 7th at my house in SW NC! It felt really strange for this Florida girl to brush snow off my car handle before I could open the door...

The hearty rhododendron shrubs are covered! Didn't hurt the buds, a bit, thankfully! (Yesterday I took advantage of the sunshine and did a little trimming around the yard. I sacrificed a few buds, but those branches no longer impede the stairway!)

All white and gray... the sky really was that color!

You can barely see the cherry blossoms beneath the snow! It snowed off and on all day.

Yesterday, I was out running some errands and had to capture this highway median. The picture doesn't do it justice. It's an array of bright yellow, green, red, orange, and purple! So beautiful!

Here's another pretty median along the same road. You can tell the buds aren't fully open yet... I'll bet in another week or two, those trees will be nice and full, and colorful. I loved having a blue sky and sunshine yesterday!

I stopped at the bank and these greeted me at the front door. The staff probably thought I was a little coo-coo when, after bidding them good-day, I paused outside to capture this... I couldn't resist, though; they scream Spring and sing Oh, Happy Day!!!

It's another beautiful day, today. I think I'll make time for a little more yard work. I love getting out in the yard!

This evening, Candy and I are going to head to The Taste of Blue Ridge in downtown Blue Ridge, GA, where there will be local restaurants providing food, a wine tasting, a silent auction, and music. The event will benefit the Humane Society.

Meanwhile, the guys (who are not interested in mingling with the Taste crowd) are going to hang back and grill steaks for themselves... who knows what else.

Happy, Sunny Saturday to you!

I Would, If I Could

2009-04-16T21:20:00.008-04:00

Bring home every stray, or seemingly stray, dog I see. I'd have an endless number of dogs... if it were feasible. (Of course, it's not. We're maxed.)

My dad called it a bleeding heart; my dog condition, that is. That's okay... he was right.

I can't help it. I love 'em. And if I see one that needs love (which may sometimes come in the form of protection) I want to give them my love. I want to hug, and kiss, and nuzzle, and scratch, and coo, and bring them home to just pamper them silly!

So far, the only bug-a-boo I have about this region of the country is the people's carelessness with their dogs. They just don't go the extra measure to protect them. There are no leash laws, and therefore, you're constantly seeing dogs roaming anywhere and everywhere.

Just the other day I was driving down a four-lane highway and saw a big, beautiful dog in the median. I slowed... and cringed when I got past him and saw in my rearview mirror that he began to cross the highway and a car had to brake in order not to hit him.

I began to seethe, when not 20 yards more, I saw a dog in the median that had been hit. He didn't make it. Argh! Makes me boil.

It's so typical to see dogs wandering along the side of the road. C'mon. Be responsible pet owners, people!

My rompin', stompin', silly, scampering, seven are safe within their fenced yard. They have boundaries for their own good. Boundaries really are a good thing!
(That brown hill in the background is now every shade of green you can imagine! How I love Spring.)

Anyway...

And when they feel afraid, revealing their sweet and sensitive side, we've been known to let them climb in bed with us! Yes, there have even been times when all seven have inhabited the bed at once... of course, either Joe or I... or both of us, had to get up because there was no room! Then, of course, they follow us; so we run back to the bed eager to claim our spots and gleeful to have leg room... and they follow us. It's a vicious cycle.
(Ever see that old commercial where the guy is sleeping on the floor, then the camera pans up to reveal the dogs sleeping in the bed... I can relate!)

This was my darling punkins' first night in North Carolina. We threw mattresses down on the floor to crash and sleep hard after that long drive. The furry ones were having no part of sleeping downstairs by themselves... they began to cry (and who can blame them... all alone in a new place), so up they came!

I'm just saying... if you're gonna get a dog or two, know up front what you're in for and be willing to step up to the responsibility. You don't have to let them sleep with you... but show them you love them, and at the very least keep them safe!

{{Jumping off my soap box now.}}

(By the way...don't ya just love the '70s paneling? The prior owners did seem to love it! Us... not so much; it'll be receiving a makeover in the near future!)

A Year Has Passed

2009-04-10T06:00:00.014-04:00

A full year has passed since we gathered at my father's bedside and tearfully bid him "goodbye for now" as we watched him cross the threshold to new life, one void of cancer and other debilitating ailments.

We cried and hugged. We felt somehow abandoned; yet not alone.

"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. " Isaiah 41:10

We were in disbelief that we wouldn't again hear his voice, feel his embrace, benefit from his advice, be entertained by one of his stories; yet we knew it wasn't forever.

"Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep,or
to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope." 1 Thes. 4:13

We wondered how we could possibly survive tomorrow, and the next day, and the next; yet we knew we would.

"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in
weakness." 2 Cor. 12:9

I kind of have a sense of ... "Whew! Made it." It's a milestone of sorts. We got through this year of "firsts without him" and, though we'll always miss him, perhaps it's possible that future celebrations and occassions will have less sting.

Just days before dad died, he told me that he was confident I'd be okay because God was evident in my life and he knew I trusted Him to guide and direct me.

Well, much has happened this past year. We've endured heartache and trials; experienced losses and made major, life-changing decisions. At times, I yearned for his presence; needed him near; longed for his encouragement; wanted to talk... and not always when times were tough. Often it was to share an experience; a celebration; an adventure; or a laugh.

How many times did mom and I look at each other and say, "Dad would have loved this...?" Too many to count. Oh, and Joe wanted so desperately to be able to discuss that amazing Syracuse basketball game with him!

But Dad was right. I'm okay. We're all okay. We got through this year; and not just "got through it," we lived it and enjoyed it in spite of missing him so desperately, and I believe it's because...

God's grace is sufficient.

A precious moment and one of my favorite memories.

04-07-09

2009-04-07T20:06:00.007-04:00

This day seems to be one for remembering...

...remembering anniversaries. Joe and I had a second wedding ceremony many years ago on this day; a sweet and simple little ceremony on Sanibel Island at sunset. Also, a former co-worker is celebrating her 2nd wedding anniversary. She posted that she loves him even more today than she did then. That's a treasure.

...it's also for remembering losses. A blog friend lost her newborn one year ago today. She said they remember it more as the day she lived (2.5 hours) rather than the day she died. Angie has a beautiful way of putting her feelings into words. Her blog has become a soothing balm to women suffering similar losses and pain.

Foremost for me today, though, and all of the O'Brien family, is a day for remembering Grandma O'Brien; Joe's grandmother. We learned earlier today that grandma, at 106 years old, passed away early this morning. Until just recent years, grandma was a vital, independent woman, full of vim and vigor.

A particular story that always stands out to me is when she, in her 80's, had a big story written about her in the paper. She was walking home from the grocery store in Bayonne, NJ (she walked everywhere, never having had a driver's license), when she fell in an open manhole in the street. She either broke, or nearly broke, her hip. Now, it was over 20 years ago and I might not have the facts exactly right, but that's the gist. It was pretty spectacular coverage, complete with a picture... but all she could think about is that they printed her age in the newspaper for all to see! I would think at 80 something, who cares?! Well, she certainly did! :-) Gives me a chuckle.

Joe, scheduled to be in Florida this week anyway, is with his parents. I'm glad for that.

Grandma (Eileen) O'Brien - at 103
11-01-1902 - 04-07-2009

It's snowing!!!

2009-04-06T16:44:00.007-04:00

Seriously... and I thought Florida had weird weather patterns!

Yesterday and the day before, Joe and I enjoyed blue skies, sunshine, the sight of butterflies fluttering from one wildflower to the next, a long drive through winding country roads, the delightful realization (for me) that among the other vast flowering trees and shrubs in our new yard - we also have a lilac tree, amazing short-sleeve-weather-with-a-light-jacket temperatures (70 degrees), and an outside BBQ with friends, complete with 4-wheeling and skeet-shooting fun. We were relishing the onset of Spring!!

Today, snow flurries. What the...? I'm completely mesmerized and totally digging it; but still. Snow in April... in SW North Carolina? How bizarre! It's supposed to snow again tomorrow, and then back to sun and mid-60's on Wednesday. Okay!! We'll roll with it. (No veggie planting has taken place yet, thank goodness.)

- - - - - - - - -

Regarding the case of the missing cats. I have not only seen, I have held and petted, Tahra! She's well. Still skiddish and unwilling to leave the garage; but she is well. I'm thankful. Now, if I could just get some news on, or a glimpse of, Kissa... The thing is, she's the adventurer; she went exploring, I'm sure. I hope the old adage, "curiosity killed the cat" has not come to fruition here! I'm choosing to imagine she found a friendly porch with kibbles and warm milk. That's what I'm sticking to - we don't always have to face the probable reality, do we?! (BTW, since Tahra is not willing to leave the garage, I have provided her a warm, comfy "nest" to ward off the sub-freezing temps we're expecting tonight and tomorrow.)

- - - - - - - - -

Happy Birthday to my precious Mom! Today is her day! She is spending it with "her" middle school girls (the girls she has taught Sunday School to for the past several years). Since it's their week for spring break, they're spending it at the beautiful Methodist camp in Alva, FL, with a bunch of other church youth groups for a mini retreat (just 3 days). Should be fun! I always love chaperoning youth events; especially the sleepover, camp-like adventures. Makes you feel like a kid again! She loves those girls... so, I know she's having a fun birthday. I'm glad.

- - - - - - - - -

I'm devising a plan to trick my computer and be able to get photos posted here! Stay tuned for that!

But now, I'm off to let the dogs out. I'm eager to see how they react to their first snow experience!! It's not sticking yet, but as the temps drop, there will be a couple of inches on the ground by late evening. The "last potty break before bed" ought to be the best one. Hopefully, I'll get some fun pics of that adventure.

Caio.

No Blog Time!

2009-04-02T09:10:00.011-04:00

I know, I know... I've been MIA lately. We're busy, busy, busy getting settled and acclimated to the area, so I haven't had time to blog. The most I've been able to do is write little micro updates on Facebook.

For those of you who aren't on Facebook, I've copied and pasted those little tidbits of information and the ensuing banter so you can stay apprised of what's up with us!

Here you go...

March 17 at 12:38 pm (the day were travelling) - Wrote ~
Pam Rieth O'Brien says we were just about to leave Florida when Boo-boo had EXPLOSIVE diarrhea. Oh mercy - thankfully cleaning supplies were handy!

Responses:

Brenda Moody at 2:26pm March 17
Awww poor boo boo had a big
boo boo!!

Beth Long Plitnikas at 4:06pm March 17
Ew, yucko but gosh,
poor doggy - I guess the stress is getting to everyone! :-(Please have a safe
trip Pammy ♥ ♥ ♥

Karin Kissinger Colley at 5:18pm March 17
Hi Pam! Your
poor baby. I hope your Boo Boo gets to feeling better. Our pets enjoy routine,
and change makes them get all out of wack. I hope you have a safe journey :)

Laura Stanton Macias at 6:51pm March 17
i thought you were
gone already! ?

Ryan Gosselin at 8:27pm March 17
oh my!

March 20 at 10:08 pm - Wrote ~
Pam Rieth O'Brien and crew arrived safely in NC Tues evening. What a busy week it's been! Loving it, though... happy to be here!!

Responses:

Maria Fiore at 12:43am March 21
Glad you all made it there safe and sound. I heard about the adventure Cris had in her
vehicle with the car sick pup. Wish we had spent more time together before you
went so far away.

Ryan Gosselin at 1:03am March 21
Come back now.....You
had your fun...You are needed here.

Beth Long Plitnikas at 10:34am March 21
Glad to hear all went
relatively well - was the sick dog vs. car a big mess for your mom?? I guess
your mom leaves what, Monday? Tuesday? Good luck there, hope you & Joe like
working/living there!!!We'll miss you @ family visits Pammy. :-(Love ya ♥

Brenda Moody at 8:46pm March 21
YAY!!! So glad you had a
safe trip!

March 24 at 9:22 am - Wrote ~
Pam Rieth O'Brien hasn't seen her cats since Wednesday. Food is getting eaten and litter box is used (in garage), so that's a good sign. Hopefully, they're just exploring...
(status quo as of today)

Responses:

Kandice Purpura at 12:21pm March 25
I'm glad you made it ok. Keep the pictures and blogs coming!Love
you!XOXO

March 25 at 3:42 pm - Wrote ~
Pam Rieth O'Brien just discovered her sweet, furry punkins can be vicious guard dogs. They DID NOT like the cable guy entering their home unattended... Good to know; she's glad.

Responses:

Laura Stanton Macias at 8:14pm March 25
OH BOY! Did you have to pick cable guy out of punkin teeth?

Brenda Moody at 9:48pm March 25
Too funny....(mental
picture ) :-)

Pam Rieth O'Brien at 10:40am March 27
:-D Ha! - no... Joe got there in time. Knucklehead knew we had dogs and where they were. He walked straight in their room - stupid man. He respected those dogs for the rest of the
day!

March 27 at 10:35 am - Wrote ~
Pam Rieth O'Brien says a wild turkey...big gobbler... just got hit out front. Joe goes out to rescue it -or relieve it- when a truck pulls up, "You want him? [No.] Then throw him in back!" Seriously?

Responses:

Brenda Moody at 11:07am March 27
Well yeah.....never heard
of Easter Turkey Dinner??

Beth Long Plitnikas at 11:59am March 27
YEEEHAW!!!

Christina Rieth at 1:18pm March 27
Yep, we're talking
authentic "country folk" now!!

Beth Long Plitnikas at 1:21pm March 27
Dang, you'd better make
sure what you're eating when being served meals around there! hahaThat was
nice
of Joe to try to help the turkey. Turned into a real eye-opener for
both of you
though, didn't it?!

Darren Brown at 1:52pm March 27
Yum yum good eatin!!!!!yee
haw!!!!

Pam Rieth O'Brien at 3:32pm March 27
You're not kidding, Beth!
Eye-opener, indeed. :-) Mmmmm, road-kill. Actually, when Joe got to the
bird, he
wasn't dead yet...and what the guy really said was, "Well, wring
his neck and
throw him in back." Joe put him in the bed of the truck and
replied, "You wring
his neck!" He came back in saying..." I'm not cut out
for this!" Ah, mountain life! :-D We later asked another
long-time "mountain man" that
we have befriended if he would have eaten him.
He said, "No way, never eat
nuthin that's been hit. Meat that's been hit is
not good! "Well, that was
somewhat of a relief!

Beth Long Plitnikas at 3:37pm March 27
OMG, they actually have
a eat, not eat rule about "meat" that's been hit. Wow, another world
altogether!

Pam Rieth O'Brien at 3:38pm March 27
I know!!!!

March 30 at 2:23 pm - Wrote ~
Pam Rieth O'Brien ~ after 5 days of rain, the sun is shining...Thank goodness! No, we're not in the Sunshine State anymore! (Oooo, but you should see everything budding...It's Spring!)

Responses:

Beth Long Plitnikas at 2:33pm March 30
Saw the daffodils
from your mom's pix, sooooo pretty! You're LUCKY to get a real Spring!!

Pam Rieth O'Brien at 2:39pm March 30
I know... when we arrived
we were greeted with blooming daffodils and two bright forsythia bushes in full
swing! Next to those we have a tall cherry tree full of bright buds... can't
wait for those! Also out front are two huge rhododendren (sp?) bushes...and
there are tulips popping up everywhere!! The lady that lived here had a real
green thumb and we're reaping the benefits!

Beth Long Plitnikas at 2:43pm March 30
Wow, I'd LOVE to live
in a REAL place where things other than frickin palm trees grow!!Enjoy, enjoy,
enjoy & please share via pictures for those less fortunate! :-) (oh
actually, my crepe myrtle tree is starting to get leaves again so I do get some
of what you see everywhere). I'm so jealous. Can you tell? :-D

Darren Brown at 4:12pm March 30
Looks like you guys are
enjoying your new place......congrtas!!!! Joe should see if there's some trout
or bass in that there river!!!!!!

April 1 at 10:52 am - Wrote ~
Pam Rieth O'Brien ~ Last night the guys tilled a 12' x 40' garden spot for me, so I can, as Glen says, "grow some groceries." Now, I have to figure out what to do with it! Researching NC veggie gardening!

Responses:

Kristiina O'Brien DiOrio at 11:12am April 1
Oooh oooh toms, green beans, cucs, potatoes and herbs! Oh and some peppers
so you can make salsa. Hahahaha

Brenda Moody at 12:03pm April 1
Well......I KNOW you can
dig!! Remember our exciting day in Savannah?.......... Can you say poison ivy??
:-)

Pam Rieth O'Brien at 12:30pm April 1
Oh geez, Brenda!! I remember. LOL :-D

Beth Long Plitnikas at 2:08pm April 1
Suggestions: Rhubarb so
you can make pies with strawberries! All kinds of peppers, scallions, string
beans, zuchinni, other squash... Now I'm more jealouser than before!

So, that's that. Now you're updated. I'm taking lots of pictures, but having trouble with my camera software/home computer... so, until I can get that resolved, picture uploads will be few and far between.

Here's just a few:

The park area in Wilderness Creek Falls, the 500-acre mountain property across from us.

Another waterfall on the same mountain.

Sunset view from one of the homesites on the property.

A beautiful afternoon for a stroll!

We've arrived!

2009-03-20T21:21:00.003-04:00

The crew (Joe, Mom, the dogs and the cats) and I landed in NC Tuesday evening. This, of course, is my first opportunity to get on a computer. Ours are not hooked up yet, but I dashed down those stairs out front and am in my office. So convenient...

Whew! What a week it's been. I've been packing for practically 6 months, but when it came down to the very end... I didn't feel prepared. There's just so much last minute stuff to do! At 11:00 pm of the evening that we were supposed to go to bed early because we were leaving at 3:00 am, I began feeling very overwhelmed!!

Lost in a swirl of chaos, I neglected to charge my camera battery before we got on the road. Therefore, I have no pics to share. What a bummer. Mom took a bunch, though, so when she sends them to me, I'll share hers.

Joe drove the truck, of course, towing his car behind it; and Dexie road shotgun with him. Though Joe had him completely setup with three comfy dog beds for his travelling comfort, he barely slept the whole way! He was a good boy, though.

I drove our car towing a trailor with our John Deer on it, and had the three girls with me (Zeila, Emma and Sara). I've never seen those girls sleep so much! They were a dream to travel with! I kept catching the lawn mower in my peripheral vision, though, through the rear view mirror and never got over the feeling that some little green car was getting awfully close! It was a weird sensation.

Mom had the three boys, BooBoo, Riley and Blaze, with her. She said they were perfect... so well behaved. No trouble at all... except BooBoo's little (major, actually) diarrhea episode. Poor guy, we were just about to cross the Florida border when the castrophe occured. Nervous tummy? Car sickness? We're not sure, but it was explosive! Other than that, though, all was well.

We spent all day Wednesday unloading the truck, trying to somewhat organize furniture and getting the kitchen functional. We managed to do a little sightseeing with mom on Thursday since she intended to, and did in fact, leave this morning to spend a few days in Crystal River before heading back home.

After saying goodbye to mom, Joe and I took a little more time to explore the area this afternoon. We wished we had mom with us today, too; we saw such beautiful sights! We headed west on Hwy 64 toward Cleveland (and actually did get all the way to Cleveland, TN). The gorgeous part was driving along the Ocoee River through the Cherokee National Forest. Mmmm, so pretty!

Of course, I have pictures to share. But, I need my computer to upload them. This computer won't let me do it since my software isn't loaded. Darn.

I'll just have to hurry with getting my computer set up and share them later!

That's all for now. I need to catch up on my Names of God bible study (haven't looked at it all week!), since I'm late in getting this week's chapter posted.

Till then...

Elohim - God, Mighty Creator

2009-03-12T09:00:00.003-04:00

Well, here we go. The first installment on our bible study, Praying the Names of God. This chapter was easy for me to embrace. I fully recognize God as our Creator, and I delight in the fact that this name He uses to refer to Himself is a plural version, "Then God [Elohim] said, 'Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.'" (Genesis 1:26) I like that name because it gives validity to the doctrine of the Trinity. But that's a different subject.

Today, it's about creation... God's beautiful creation; sometimes it simply causes a gentle smile to warm my face, like when the little yellow-breasted birds and brightly colored butterflies flutter and flit about my patio. At other times I've been moved to tears by the sight of a majestic mountain range in autumn, and there have been times I heard the voice of God in my spirit when presented with a glimpse of one of His artistic sunsets. I can stand forever at shore's edge, and the sense of awe I feel never diminishes.

The smell of a flower, the warmth of the sun, the sound and the smell of the rain, the beauty in the changing seasons, the taste of my favorite foods, the wiggly wag of my dogs' tails, the rumble in my cat's chest when she purrs, the sound of my daughter's laughter, and the warmth of my husband's smile; these are but a few of the things I treasure as a gift from God, my Creator.

Enjoy this rendition of Louis Armstong's, Wonderful World, sung by Eva Cassidy. She's one of my favorite female vocalists (truthfully, there isn't an artist, male or female, whose CDs I own more of). God gave her a marvelous talent.

(Don't forget to turn off the blog music... right column. And make sure you click the little speaker on this photoshow if the music is not playing...there'll be a little red line through it.)

(Well, the way this music is loading with the Roxio photoshow is disappointing me. Depending on your computer, it may be fine; or it may take a long time to load, making the timing off; or, it may just not play for you - in which case you can hear it here. PS - all of these photos are ones that I have taken over the years, except the one of Joe, which Kristiina took, and the one of Nic and Kristiina, which the hired professional took.)

There's much angst in the world today, but if you strip away the jealousies, the power struggles, the selfishness, the carelessness, you'll find that what God created is good, very good. It's a wonderful world.

Thank you, God, for thinking enough of us to give us not just what we need, but also delighting in giving us joy in experiencing it. May I never take it for granted.

Three Years Ago Today...

2009-03-11T00:00:00.004-04:00

...we were enjoying a wedding celebration!

Happy Anniversay, Nic and Kristiina!!

Enjoy the memories...

(You'll want to pause the blog music when you view the video.)

"Who gives this woman?"

Exchanging vows.

We gained a son that day.

Daddy's little girl (dancing to Always Be Your Baby by Natalie Grant)

Mother and daughter... what a treasure she is.

See More from the day...

Prayerlife

2009-03-09T16:00:00.002-04:00

I'm doing a new bible study with my "Heart-to-Heart" girls titled 'Praying the Names of God' by Ann Spangler.

Today is the first day. The focus this week is Elohim... God, our Creator.

It'll be difficult to "do it with them" since I'll be 800 miles away, but when I had my last evening with them this past Thursday, picking up my new book to take with me to NC and sharing final, hearty hugs, we decided that I'd blog my thoughts about each chapter weekly, and they'll share theirs in the comments. I'm looking forward to seeing how that will play out.

In the meantime, I found another jewel in mom's photo albums... "One of the messages from Akseli Skutnabb's book 'Hanessa' (In Him)"

It's aptly titled 'Prayerlife.'

"Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask
or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto Him be glory in the
churches by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen."
Ephesians 3: 20-21

It is very comforting to know that God does much beyond that which we can
pray for or what we can think to ask for. If He would give us only what we
request, we would remain very poor. He does much more. He does not
need our requests and petitions. We need them in order to stay
alive. Many people ask why we need to pray at all since God would give us
anyway what we need. Yes, He would do that. But if we would receive
everything without asking for it, we would become very careless just like
children who receive everything in overabundance. In order that this will
not happen to us, God has given us the prayerlife. We have observed that
our enemy, Satan, is working hard to try to hinder our prayerlife.

Prayerlife does not basically consist of a multitude of petitions to
God. Prayer is much more a matter of stillness before God, waiting on
God. We human beings need moments when we quietly concentrate on listening
to what God wants to tell us. The oriental religions put much emphasis on
meditation, on the art of quiet reflection. The western world has received
that as something new. In a way it might be new for many Christians
because they are beginners in the word of God. But we need not go to the
orient to learn this art. If we would but understand our position in
Christ, the Holy Spirit of God would teach us to meditate on God's Word.

It is amazing what happens when we are still before God. We might not
be consciously aware of receiving anything at the time but we become richer and
we have received strength for everyday life, for life's temptations and
difficulties. We sink into a wonderful God-consciousness. We let God
control us. Without this, life would be very poor. Even though we
believe that Christ lives in us we would direct our attention only
outward. Christ would become a stranger to us if we would not practice
stillness before Him to hear what He wants to communicate to us.

The quakers have learned to practice stillness before God. It is a
healthy contrast to the world that makes too much noise speaking. there
are so few people who can be quiet. When they then should speak out, then
they stay silent. Jesus kept silent at the most important moments of His
life.

The early Christians called themselves "theoforus," the "carriers" of
God. How could we carry eternity in our heart without expressing it?
The Holy Spirit of God in us will manifest Himself through us.

"In order that Christ might dwell in our hearts 'by faith,'" we read in the
bible. Why does it say "by faith?" The answer is that we don't
always feel it. It is not a matter of feeling or emotion. When we
understand the meaning of the cross of Christ, then can we comprehend the truth
that Christ is in us and we are in Him. This is a matter of faith just as
the fact that every bornagain person has the Holy Spirit.

That's all we have from 'In Him.' The foreword, which I blogged about previously, and this portion regarding prayerlife. How I wish I could get my hands on this book. Not only this one, but Helmi's novel, as well. What treasures they would be. Granted, I wouldn't be able to understand them... but I'd have them translated. It'd be so worth it.

My search begins... (any idea where to start?!). Maybe it'll prove to be futile, but you never know till you try!