Monday Ramble

I've been so busy that I haven't even had time to blog.

Not fair.

Here's the short list of what's happening in my life:

All Stars practice (the Hubster coaches, Perri plays) has been going full swing. Since we're also hosting District Playoffs, lots of work going on at the ball field, too.

Perri left for 4H camp on Thursday. No cell phones allowed. Several kids smuggled them in anyway and last night she texts me that:
1. She's STARVING. The food in not edible (several adults have told me the same thing) and she's living on granola bars and orange juice.
2. Her cabin is FREEZING. It's been in the 90s around here and all she took was her Snuggie, but someone in the cabin is obviously hormonal or something and she says you can practically see your breath.
3. She got stuck in a 'boring' cabin. There are only 2 boring cabins at camp and of course she was assigned to one of them.
4. Camp is fun anyway! :)

The first All Star game is this evening and I'll be taking my girl a nice hot, home cooked meal. And an extra blanket.

We booked an actual.........DRUMROLL, PLEASE!..........

VACATION!!!

It has been five years since we took a real vacation and I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to some beach time.

Toes in the sand

the lullaby of the ocean putting me to sleep at night

fun with the kids

You can't imagine how excited I am! :)

I am busy planning our 4th of July celebration for this Saturday, too.
Lots of friends and family, good food, fun games....
bookended by Ripley's HUGE parade that morning and stunning fireworks that night!
We LOVE the Fourth!

Today isn't all happiness and light though. At about 3 o'clock this morning our state lost one of it's greatest allies.

Senator Robert Byrd passed away at the age of 92.

A very sad day for West Virginia. :(

And now I must get busy. Hopefully I'll have time to come back here tonight after the game. I hope to take some pics that are fit to post...I'm not a great action photographer. At. All.

Need to work on that.

Hope everyone has a terrific Monday! :)

Kindred Connection...Goin' Hollywood!

I'm joining Kristen over at Windy Poplars for Kindred Connection again this week. It's the Movie Edition! Won't you join in? : )

1. What was your favorite movie as a child?
As a really small child, it was The Wizard of Oz. It aired only once a year and it was really something to look forward to! My nephew (he's less than three years younger than me) would come to the house to watch it with me.

2. If you could live in any movie as your fictional world, which one would it be?
Under the Tuscan Sun. I absolutely adore the Italian countryside and the little cottage that Diane Lane's character bought and renovated. I love the friendships that she formed and the person she became while overcoming the pain of betrayal.

3. Have you ever seen a midnight showing, or hosted a movie release party? Tell us about it!
YES!!! I attended my first midnight movie last fall and I told all about it here. Getting ready to see another next week! : ) It is lots of fun to share with my daughters.

4. What movie release are you most looking forward to this year?
Quite honestly I'm not sure I even know what is coming out this year. I usually only hear about new releases when I see trailers at the theater and the only things I've seen lately are kids' movies like Shrek and Toy Story. (Both EXCELLENT, I might add!) : ) I did see a poster for Ramona and Beezus and I think it will be GREAT as long as they stay close to the books! : )

5. Are you a theatre goer, renter, or wait-and-buyer?
Totally depends upon the movie. There are some I know I want to see on the big screen and there are others I think I'd rather view at home. If I am unsure that a movie is worth my entertainment bucks, I will surely wait for it to come out on DVD.

Some more bloomers...

NO!!! NOT THAT KIND!!!

I am referring to the new blooms in my yard. It has been sweltering hot and we haven't had much rain, so I've been watering daily and hoping for the best. Thought I'd share with you the latest buds to burst forth and show themselves.

This is the bee balm mentioned in a couple of my earlier posts. I can't remember how long they actually bloom but I'm hoping they last a while. I love the color they add to the spot they're sharing with some of my 'green' plantings.

I used to have hundreds of glads. Literally HUNDREDS. After a few years they had multiplied so and we had rearranged them many times. We ended up tiring of them and we gave away most of what we had. We kept only a few, knowing they would repopulate soon enough. Well, as luck would have it, the ones I kept have not multiplied as profusely and now I have only a small handful. AND they are scattered about in odd places due to the fact that some of them were not moved intentionally but were scattered by a small rototiller we used to work some better stuff into the red clay soil. I need to take the time this year to arrange them a little more nicely.
This is my favorite of all of my glads. I adore the color and it almost matches my front door! : )

Poor little Jackmanii. This clematis grows out back off the end of our deck and I'm afraid it isn't a very good spot for a clematis who doesn't like the heat of day and would rather 'keep her feet cool'. She has struggled here for years and I hope to find her a new home where she'll flourish. I just need to enlist the Hubster to break out the tiller and help me prepare a spot.

This is the row of lilies planted at each fencepost along the back yard. These can all be seen to the left of our house as you're facing it. These are the lilies that were given to me by a friend who said they'd taken over their driveway and he was sick of them. He gave me an entire truckload, most of which ended up along this fence line. : )


Old fashioned Snow-on-the-Mountain. I got the seeds to start these from an old-timer who hated to see the variety lose favor because of more formal gardening design. If you've never seen them in person, know that this picture does not do them justice. They start out solid green and then develop those lovely, white-edged, leafy 'flowers' ALL OVER. When they're in full bloom, I'll be sure to snap a pic or two. They do tend to take over any area where they're planted because as they begin to fade, the little seed pods they form burst and scatter. I'd be happy to gather seeds and send them to anyone who'd like to add them to their garden. : ) These stand 2' to 3' tall and they are so very pretty!

And I'll finish off with a shot of yesterday evening's sky. The sun had just disappeared behind the hill and the beautiful colors of the sunset hadn't yet begun to appear, but as I looked up through the pin oak out back, I just thought it was a very pretty scene. : )

Summer relaxation? Not so much....

It has been a busy few days around here. We had a death in the family and had to travel a few hours to and from the service. Perri has had daily All Stars practices and she's also preparing to leave for 4H Camp on Friday. When I have been at home, I've had so much to do just to keep up with the house and yard.

What is it that made me think that when school let out and summertime was upon us I'd have time to relax?

Silly me.

Still, I guess I wouldn't have it any other way. I know someday I'll miss the hectic schedules and always having somewhere I need to be. So I'll just take it as it comes.

I simply wanted to check in and say hello and I haven't forgotten that you're out there. I'll try to snap some pics today and write something nice to post tomorrow. For now I will leave you with this:



Hayden enjoying his first trip to the beach. :) Oh how I wish I could be with him!

You're gonna LOVE this place!

If you love quilts; comfy, cozy decor; beautiful colors; inviting spaces...boy, do I have a place for you!

If you've never checked out her blog, you really need to stop by and see Brenda's Cozy Little House

I absolutely adore her style and I think you'll enjoy having a look around, too. : )

Happy Father's Day to all the loving, caring, terrific dads out there!

Tomorrow I'll be busy celebrating the fathers in my life and missing my own Daddy terribly. If you still have your father here with you, cherish each moment you are able to spend with him. Daddy's are priceless. : )

Happy Father's Day, Daddy!

My Daddy, Mom, brother Ronnie, sister Peggy and me at Mom and Daddy's 50th wedding anniversary celebration in 1995. (And pay no attention to the date int he corner of the pic...it was June 20th!) : )

And so it grows....

A little garden update...

The unknown flower I posted about here is now beginning to bloom. Suddenly and without warning IT HIT ME! It is bee balm and here are a couple of pics. In the next few days the flowers should open completely and I'll do my best to remember to post a pic. It's a very pretty bloom!





These are the two containers I planted a few weeks ago. The first is on the chair by the front door. Just LOOK at that licorice plant! It is going to take over the entire porch, I'm afraid! ;)


This one was moved to the side porch, by my rocking chairs. It is filling out nicely, too and has been blooming profusely.


And here are some lilies by the front porch. I LOVE these things. I have them planted by all the fence posts in the backyard, too.

Guess I could have pulled off that one dead bloom hanging there before I snapped this shot.

Now I can't wait until my black-eyed Susans open up and spread their cheer!
LOVE LOVE LOVE those things!

So tell me...
How does your garden grow?
: )

Be My Guest!

~You are hereby cordially invited to a tour of my Guest Room.~

{I was fooling around with the camera and snapped a few shots of the guest room. I don't remember posting pics of it before, but if I have please forgive me for being repetitive. I don't want to bore you but I was just thinking once again how grateful I am to have this furniture of my grandmother's. She was my best friend when I was growing up and will always hold a very special place in my heart. : ) }

The bedroom suite is solid mahogany and I have the original paperwork. I'll have to dig it out sometime and get the actual purchase date. The only thing I can tell you at the moment is that it is very old.

First the bed:

No, I didn't go out and buy an old pic to hang above the bed just to make the room look vintage. This is a pic of the Hubster's great, great grandparents. How cool is that? His mom had kept it stored away for years and I was thrilled to hang it in our home. :)

The nightstand:

The lamp was purchased on one of our early trips to the Amish Country because I thought it just looked right for the room. I love the fringe around the shade and the base is a heavy iron and very ornate in design. The teapot is actually a music box. :)

The mirror:

Obviously this piece didn't come with the bedroom suite. The Hubster had it when we got married and even though the wood doesn't match, I just like it in that room. The gown hanging there was another Amish Country flea market purchase, just because I thought it was pretty. :) The heart shape you see hanging over it is a sun catcher sent to me by a dear friend and made by her daughter. :)

If you look in the reflection on the mirror you'll see the dresser. You know...the dresser I forgot to photograph.

The chest of drawers and Ginny's pic:

As for the picture on top...Remember Ginny? It had hung in her daughter Glenna's room and I must have commented on it at some point in time because when Ginny passed away, she left it to me. It is a rather sweet picture, and the frame is extremely ornate.

And speaking of Ginny...

This is a photo of her mother when she was a little girl. Isn't that priceless? We figured that this had to have been taken just before the turn of the century (1900).

These remaining photos:

are my grandparents and the Hubster's grandparents. They're on a little table that was also my grandmother's and the doilies were handmade by her, too.

Sometimes walking into this room is like stepping back in time. It's a great place to store the treasures that mean so much to my family and me, and a wonderful way to teach my children about the family they never got to know. : )

Random Positivity

I like being positive. It's just that there are days I have to work on it a lot more than others.

Every single day I take a moment and think of at least three things for which I am grateful. That's never very difficult and I always come up with more than three. The difficult part is to not let those thoughts immediately escape your mind.


Today I'm needing some random positivity. Basically I want to remind myself that I have plenty in my life that makes me smile. I think that every once in awhile you need to think of it that way. Here is some random positive action that's going on in my life. Hope this helps you think of and appreciate your own! :)



First there is my front porch swing. (This pic is not mine, but right now mine needs a new coat of paint and some new pillows, so I thought I'd use this pic I found on the internet instead.) I spend a lot of time on the front porch swing. As a matter of fact, that's where I'm writing this post. :) Somehow life just seems simpler when you ponder it on a front porch swing.



Watermelon is currently available in my favorite local grocer's refrigerated section! :) I look forward to ripe, sweet, juicy watermelon every year. My Daddy shared his love of it with me and every time I enjoy a slice I think of all those times he and I shared some on the front porch while I was growing up. Sweet. :)



I'm always ALWAYS ALWAYS grateful for my family. Always. They are my world.

Including this guy.
Going on 14 years now. : )

Today I am especially grateful for the lessons I'm learning from this guy. This is my Tucker Man. He is a treasure. : ) Just looking at life through his eyes is priceless. He has this wonderfully positive outlook and the childlike simplicity with which he views the world is something I envy. Oh to be a child again! But right now, more than anything, he is teaching me how to move on. To let go of bad feelings. To FORGIVE. He has the most forgiving heart I've ever known. He knows that people are going to let you down and it's up to you to choose your response. I didn't post about it here because it hurt BOTH of us so much, but he was recently mistreated pretty badly by some people he thought were his friends. He could, like me, let it eat him up inside and wonder what he could have done differently to stop it from happening at all...but instead he chooses to just GET OVER IT.

No one knows how much I admire this kid.


Now, what kind of positivity do you have happening in your life? :)

A Few of My Purchases

I've been a regular Susie Homemaker today

(except my waist isn't that tiny)

and thought I'd take a blogging break.

I promised to show you guys some of my Amish Country purchases and now seems like as good a time as any. These first two are signs I got to go somewhere on the wraparound end of my porch, where my rocking chairs are located. You can see it here.

I LOVE those old tin signs that served as advertisements back in the day. I used to have the link to a company that sold them in bulk but I lost it when my old computer crashed. I'm going to have to find them again so I can buy some others to go along with this one. If you'll notice, this one is for "WILLIAMS" poultry food. :) I'm sure there are many others out there with the name Williams on them, too, so I'm going to hunt them down.

This sign I got for my kitchen. (DUH!)

This little guy will appreciate it one of these days. : )

And then there is this PERFECTION that I thought I'd better show you before I devour every last crumb.

This is Sun Dried Tomato Bread from Kauffman's Bakery on Bunker Hill.
I have three words for you.

OH. MY. GOODNESS.

Note the emphasis on GOODNESS.
This stuff is absolutely mouthwatering and one of my favorite things. Ever.
As is witnessed by the fact that half of the loaf is already gone.
And the jagged edges.
You see, when I eat this there is no knife involved.
I simply tear into it with my bare hands.

Very unladylike, I'm afraid.

But I've decided that's okay because it makes me happy!

Hope you've found something to make you happy today! : )

Monday Morning Blues

Well, not really blue, I don't suppose. Maybe I should call it 'Monday Morning Letdown' instead.

Unlike some people I typically enjoy Monday mornings. I just bid adieu to the weekend and ease my way back into the weekday routine.

But today I'm a little out of sorts.

Actually, I am pouting like a two year old.

There. I admitted it.

But somehow that doesn't make me feel any better.

You see, yesterday afternoon we took my baby girl and dropped her off at camp.

And that tearful dude definitely represents me, not Perri. If anything she would have been just fine if her dad and I had simply slowed the vehicle, shoved her and her suitcase out the door and then fled the scene.

Yeah, she's at that age.

I will survive the four days she'll be gone. We get to pick her up on Thursday afternoon and I'm sure that when we arrive at the campgrounds I won't be allowed to show her any sign of recognition, let alone give her an oh how I've missed you! hug.

But that's okay. It's only a 10 minute drive home (yeah, she's THAT close) and then I'll get my hug.

Or I just won't tell her where I hid her laptop.

Hey, a mom's gotta do what a mom's gotta do. ;)