Wednesday, April 29, 2009

They say there's one born every minute....

Or is is second??? Whichever, I ordered a pair of K*ds from K*ds online and paid $35.00 for them.....and yes, I know that was too much to begin with but I was having a little need for some retail therapy, so there you go.

I received them in the mail and when I opened them and tried them on, I happened to notice the bottom of one of the shoes...see below....! They had obviously pulled these shoes from a store where they were $26.98!!! Yes, I was quite offended! You'd think somebody would be assigned to checking to make sure all price tags agree.

I sent them back.




Sunday, April 26, 2009

I was so honored to receive this award from Tonja over at Gatherings. I really love this award because the people I've come to know in the blogworld are all sisters in Christ and wonderful prayer partners! Tonja is always an encouragement to all who go to her site even when she's having a hard day or month! :) So thanks, Tonja!!









This is a special award that should be given to your best bloggy girlfriends. Those ladies that have become a good dose of encouragement to you and are sisters in Christ. They are real women, living real lives with the courage to be transparent in their walk with the Lord. Stop over and let them know what a blessing they are. Everyone needs a bit of encouragement!




I want to pass this award to Katie , Emily , and Mary Grace who have long been encouragers for me!!
I have said it before and I'll say it again, the women I have met (of course, I didn't meet Katie, Emily or Mary Grace here) in blogland are powerful prayer warriors, always ready to throw down what they're doing and pray for any situation. Thank to you all!
While I'm talking, I just have to say what a gorgeous, sunny day it is here in Florida! I stuck my toe in the pool while ago and it is still too cold for me to actually submerge my body into, but soon......very soon! If the sun stays out and it stays this warm, the water will just get warmer and warmer.
But speaking of exercise, I think I'll go ride my bike now!

Saturday, April 25, 2009

Love these!

Run, don't walk, over to visit my friend Sara and take a look at the canvases she has for sale on her site! Until recently, she has only given these wonderful pieces of art away, but after months and months a little nagging on a lot of people's parts, she has graciously begun offering them for sale!

Yesterday, when I got home I had two packages at my front door with the canvases I ordered. Aren't they beautiful??? Pictures don't do them justice, they are much prettier in person.

I am trying to figure out where to put them in my house now....so that they will all be seen by whoever is visiting! That's how much I like them.

I think they would also make great gifts! So, what are you still doing here? Hurry on over and order your special canvass today!





















Go Ask Sadie Giveaway!

So who doesn't love a gift card for $50.00 to Target or Amazon.com????? I know NO ONE who doesn't love Target!

Well, my friend Sheryl (for this blog purpose, known as Sadie) is having a give a way over at her site!

You will notice her button on my side bar. This lady has some good advice, so if you have a question, just ask!

You won't be sorry!

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

We're officially home!

We're home! Isn't getting home after a vacation, no matter how good, great!? This is the story of our After Tax Season Vacation in words and pictures.

We actually got everything done Thursday and got most of our stuff into the motor home, so we were able to leave pretty early Friday morning. Once we got the dogs settled (they have anxiety issues) in my lap, the trip was very pleasant. I think I woke up 3 times before we got to our final destination. I don't know, something about the passenger seat and two dogs in my lap just makes me sleep!

We arrived early in the afternoon.....I said to Russell.....didn't you say your friend told you this was a 5 star park??? To which he replied, yes, but he did tell me they got there when it was raining in the night and left first thing the next morning.

I think I may have mentioned this about twenty times once before, but you do know who ranks the parks don't you????? The park owners! O.K. it wasn't that bad. In fact see for yourself!





That's the view looking from our motor home across the back of the park and across the street. There was a really beautiful farm with horses and cows and a lake.

This is Russell putting the shades on our front windows. It got so windy later that our awning rolled itself back in. The next thing any good R.V.er does is wash down the front of the R.V. He did. Actually I guess that is what he did before he put the shades on. Isn't this fascinating!??? I'll bet you're riveted to your seat!!


The Country Store.....now that's a nice little gift shop/restaurant right on the edge of Callaway Gardens. We ate breakfast there the morning after we got to Pine Mountain. We sat at a table looking out over the mountains and it was a really good view. We didn't actually go into Callaway Gardens....we drove to the gate and they said $15.00 per person and we asked what there was to do.....the really nice lady said well, there's the butterfly exhibit and..... we decided to turn around and go into the little town of Pine Mountain and see what was there.


This is Main Street, Pine Mountain, GA! There were some quaint little shops....I bought a couple of nick nacks and we walked around. We were actually looking for a church since the next day would be Sunday.


Interesting fact.....there are NO Presbyterian Churches within 100 miles of Pine Mountain. So the next day we didn't go to church.....and we're ashamed!


In this greasy spoon little cafe where that scary man in the booth behind ours was glaring at me....I guess he thought I was the paparazzi, I asked a man who had obviously come in to have lunch after church if there was a Presbyterian Church around and he said, No, mam, we don't allow none of them in town.
I said that man is a Baptist and Russell said how do you know?? Well, simple, I was a Baptist for 20 years and honestly (this is really true), I can tell if someone is a Baptist. Anyhow, he was a very nice man, as I'm sure the glaring man was too.....just in case he reads this.....:)
Monday, we took a trip over to Warm Springs to the Little White House. There were lots of interesting things there. We watched the updated movie about FDR and walked around the property.
The sidewalk below had the flags of all the states and a plaque with a little information about each state.



Katie, I took this picture just for you.....I know how much you love Rhode Island!


If you worked here during that time, this is where you lived.




If you visited, you stayed here in the guest house! They are both tiny and not so very comfortable.







Below is the little White House where FDR lived when he was in Warm Springs. He apparently had a great fondness for Georgia.....but I think he came here often for the treatments he got in the Warm Springs for his polio.
I'm sure some of you, if you're as old as I am, remember taking the first Polio vaccines. We got ours at our elementary school. The vaccine was on sugar cubes so everyone was glad to take their medicine! :) It didn't seem odd at the time, but think about it......people lined up taking sugar cubes with red stuff and eating them, then walking out and going home.





I'm pretty sure it was actually at this house that FDR died. He died while sitting for his portrait.



We then toured the little town of Warm Springs only to discover the town was having a festival, complete with horse and buggy rides! Sadly, we didn't take the ride.




We lined up with the throngs to eat supper at the Bulloch House.....we just didn't think it was that good.....if you want good fried chicken the little cafe above was great! Then we got back to the motor home just in time for the......

RAIN. Which meant red, muddy clay. .....which meant I had to wash the dogs feet every time they had to make a trip outside. I remember making fun of a woman several years ago because she litter trained her puppy. I would have apologized profusely if I had talked to her Monday!!! Seriously, what a great idea! Although I think it is too late for my own dogs.
Russell got on line.....oh, no, we go nowhere without our laptop!, and looked at D*stin.....a state park we really like there. They had ONE spot left.....one! So very early on Tuesday morning, we headed back to Florida!
Now, THIS is a 5 star R.V. park! It's so nice, has trees and the beach! Even though we weren't in an ideal spot, it was still great!




They even have a trolley that will take you to the boardwalk that leads to the beach. We walked once, then rode our bikes the next couple of times. The only sad thing was that since we were going to Georgia and since the weather was supposed to be cool there, I had no shorts.....but that was o.k. it is still too cool for this Florida girl to get in the water!




The picture below is looking down the road at one of our favorite spots in the park. It even has a fountain. We've never actually stayed in that particular spot, but we were next door once.





And then there's ....................................this........one of God's most absolutely beautiful creations, the beach! Just the sound as you get near is soothing. We took our shoes off and walked a little ways.




This picture of my sweet husband is looking toward the boardwalk. I'm not sure if you can see it, but yellow flags were flying, which means caution in the water. There were very few people on the beach.....a few were fishing.





If you can click on the picture below, you'll see that it says stay off the sand dunes. ......When Russell and I were children, the sand dunes were much bigger and we would climb to the top and roll down. We would then run into the Gulf and wash off the sand. That was such fun! I'm really sorry that children can't do that now. They have also planted new sea oats to help keep the beach from eroding.




The beach was so gorgeous! It's really worth clicking on the pictures to see the sparkling white sand!




Out of order, but this is where we left our bikes to walk on the boardwalk down to the beach.




Early this afternoon, after a short walk, we loaded up and headed home saying goodbye to our vacation.





Our time away was so relaxing. Russell has been working such long hours for so long that it was a pleasure just being together.


Remember, if you want to camp in a really nice campground, Topsail is your place!
































Monday, April 20, 2009

Georgia's off our minds!

Yes, we left Georgia early this morning and moved to Destin. I must say Florida has it all over Georgia. Someone told us the R.V. park was a 5 star and let me tell you who gives out the stars......THE OWNERS OF THE PARKS!

If you want to go to a really nice place, you just can't beat Topsail Preserve State Park. It's probably so nice because it once was a mobile home park. We didn't get the best space, but this place is always full so we were lucky to get a space at all!

We did enjoy the Little White House in Warm Springs, but last night it started raining and you've heard of red Georgia clay? Well, try taking two little dogs out in wet, red Georgia clay. Plus they didn't have a good place to eat, and you know how important that one is!

On the way here, we went through Phen*x Ci*t, AL and they had apparently had a bad tornado yesterday sometime. Their bowling alley was all to pieces and a mobile home sales place too! I hope no one was hurt!

Anyway, here we are in sweet, sweet Destin! We have already been to eat at P. F. Changs and bought fudge at Kilwin's to have when our sweet tooth starts aching. That will be any moment now.

We rode bikes down to the beach, but forgot our locks so we didn't actually walk down to the beach to get pictures of the sunset. Tomorrow night.

Friday, April 17, 2009

A little R & R

Well, we loaded up the R.V. and headed off this morning. We are vacationing in Pine Mountain, Georgia, not far from Callaway Gardens.

God has blessed us with a few days to rest after such a busy time! No pictures yet! Our view is overlooking a beautiful horse farm.

So, we are off to walk around and see what's going on.

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

The end of the symphony....

Maestro has his baton held high in the air....he's on the tips of his toes......sweat making it's way down his face....it's the pregnant pause. The waiting family audience feels the end coming.....they know that when that baton comes down, all instruments will furiously, passionately play the ending and then suddenly, it's over!


The orchestra members take their bows, the maestro bows his head in utter exhaustion, then turns to sweep the baton towards the musicians. The wife in her strappy little black dress pajamas clasps her hands to her heart, the children dance. The dogs do flips.

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Tax season is over! I get my husband back!!!!





And let me tell you, the sound of silence after the music is beautiful.



Once again he's my.....well, I'll just let you listen to his love song to me!



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ehx2nWslDBM

Yep, he's my puppet!! :) In this picture, Russell was actually on stage with a ventriloquist in Branson. He was mortified and his mother and I laughed until we cried!

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Tomorrow, tomorrow....


Tomorrow, we put the pictures up because, after a long tax season, our CPA will be turning the lights off tomorrow night and taking the day off the 16th!
For 4 months now, my sweet husband has not seen me often out of my pajamas! He goes to work before I dress for the day and gets home after I undress for the day!
But after tomorrow he'll just work his regular 10 hours a day! :) O.K. maybe 9...

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

All Nature Sings....



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byIpfEVxhs4


Years ago, a friend told me about the pine trees. When they put out their new growth, which is always around Easter in the Spring, it looks like hundreds of crosses.
Coincidence?
Well, after all, this IS my Father's world!
Click above to hear Fernando Ortego sing.

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

It's beginning to look a lot like spring!

Spring is in the air! Along with thunderstorms and flooding, but it is definitely time to be thinking Spring!

So in that spirit, I put out my gorgeous Spring wreath. Yes, I took down my Christmas wreath....it really didn't look all that Christmassy. I know, I'm tacky! But it's up now and isn't it pretty. I got this wreath one year in the mountains and I really like it a lot. If you couldn't tell.





AND! I planted flowers in my planters. Doesn't sound like a big deal to you? Well, ask any of my friends and they'll tell you a gardener I am NOT. But in a burst of something, I ran down and bought several pansy plants, planted them in my planters and felt like I had just laid out and planted a garden!


A friend came by right after I planted them and told me they love COLD weather! Lucky for me, and my pansies, it cooled down and they've been blooming like no body's business!


Please ignore the fact that I needed to power wash the planters. But notice I had mowed the grass. I may not be a gardener, but I'm good at manual labor.


Good grief! I just noticed how cracked our driveway is!



So........ tomorrow our Bible study is on peace! According to Bible Gateway, the word peace is used 247 times in the Bible. I need each and every peace verse I can read this week. I have a little situation that could possibly be brewing and I'm really asking for peace. Actually, I already have a lot of peace about it and am so thankful!

And so in whatever situation you face today, I leave you with this......

And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7