My day today....

Started out like any other day, morning chores, which include feeding my dear old cat Tux, changing his water and the morning things that need doing inside prior to starting the day. This morning while outside there was a chill in the air which I loved and then I noticed the beautiful spider web!!! Now I'm not really a fan of spiders but I've always loved to admire the work of a writing spider and this little bugger must have worked all night on this because it wasn't there when I locked up before bedtime!! Couldn't resist taking a picture of it's handy work!!!




Wouldn't you know it when I went to empty Tux's old water to replace it with some fresh I forgot all about Ms. Spiders masterpiece and ran right into it!!! I really felt bad and somewhat guilty that I had destroyed what she had worked on last night, but she was unharmed and I figured would get back to work as soon as I was out of her way!!

Even though the discovery of the web this morning was quite a treat (although my boys whom are all grown would not agree, they hate spider webs) it was just the beginning of my day...the real treat was having lunch with a former coworker and a dear friend in celebration of my birthday!!! Hey I figure I'm at the age I can celebrate all month long!!! The next really, really, really big treat was spending 3 hours with a dear friend who is in the hospital!!!!

My dear friend is a wonderful, beautiful, God loving woman who has taught me so much about life and living it each day, helping others and doing what God has planned and intended us to do!!! She came to me, I'm thinking about 12 years ago and stated that she had been praying every day for God to lead her to someone to help with her Sunday School Class, someone who loved children and would be willing to teach young one's the word God wanted them to hear and she felt that was me, was I willing to help? I agreed, and if anything worked on my life and my heart, it was and still is that Sunday School Class!! God certainly knew what he was doing when he led me in that direction!!! Ms. Helen and these precious children depended on me each Sunday morning to be there, no excuses, no whining, get up, get there, they're waiting!!!

I had a wonderful 3 hours today talking and remembering all of our "children" who have been in our class and has grown into such wonderful young adults, about she and her sweet husband who has gone on to his "home" in heaven, the changing of the season and how Fall is our favorite time of year, her anticipation of coming home to her house on Wednesday, and how her dear family is decorating the house for fall, and how she is "ready to go HOME"!!!! I left that hospital room today feeling really good, and was so very thankful that God gave us this time together to talk, laugh, remember and give thanks!!!! Most importantly that God sent this dear woman into my life, to teach me, lead me and to mentor me in my walk with our Savior!!

She mentioned she loved homemade applesauce, luckily another friend from church gave us some good old fresh apples, so guess what I'm doing tomorrow while my clothes are drying on the line??? You guessed, making applesauce to take to my dear friend!!

I've been blessed with such dear friends, former coworkers, where we have formed a bond that cannot be broken, and we are always there for one another, former classmates where we have reconnected through the internet, and then my dear church family and friends!!!! How could a woman be blessed anymore than her God, family and friends???

Sunday School Class will always be Ms. Helen's class....I'm just the keeper of the flock!!!

I Love You Ms. Helen and you will always be in my heart and in that classroom with me as long as I'm able!!!!

A few pictures made with my new camera!!
Make sure your speakers are on.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

I've come along way Baby!!!!

No, I'm not referring to a choice of cigarette, although for some of you reading this you may remember back when cigarette ad's were still in magazines, billboards and TV, but like so many other things those are memories from the past.

I'm talking about my birthday present I received last week from my husband, a brand new sparkly camera!!!! Yeah baby, I've come along way in the ownership of camera's!!! The first one I remember was my parent's Kodak Brownie and once I got old enough they let me take the pictures!!! Oh how grown up I felt standing behind that camera peering down into the lenses and taking pictures!!



Then came my very own, mine ole mine, the Polaroid Swinger!!!!! That was back when mini skirts and shin-dig boots were in style and I still had the body to wear them!! Just couldn't miss an episode of American Bandstand and Shin-Dig!!!! Back when the Beatles first came to the US and Elvis was still rockin and rolling!!! The Edge of Night was my favorite soap opera and it came on at 4:00 in the afternoon. We got home from school just in the nick of time for a snack and catch the day's mysterious story!!!!



There's been quite a few camera's in between that Swinger and now, but I got that same excitement with my birthday present this year at 54, as I did when I received my first very own Swinger!!!

Introducing my brand new (well actually about a week old now) Sony Cybershot!!!!!



Perhaps because it has so many more features than my last camera and I'm seeing my surroundings, life and people in a whole different light these days and looking forward to capturing it all on film for those who care to remember!! Life changes each day, before we know it the things that are so familiar to us today will seem ancient in just a few short years, so while I can, I will snap away and preserve some of these precious moments on film for all to look and say....oh I remember that or oh my gosh look how old fashion!!!

Now I've just got to learn how to use the thing!!!!



Nice picture of the ground don't you think? Stay tuned I promise they get better!!!

A Time for Reflection....

Well our vacation time has come and gone once again, but this year was different. Not in the way of location, after all the family time is always at the beach, and somewhere around Cherry Grove or Ocean Drive, S.C.. This year brought to me a time to just sit and think about all the changes that myself and family have faced during the last year.



Lost job, new addition to the family, college graduation, a move to a distance city, new careers, deepening of relationships, just to name a few. It all makes me feel very good deep within!! Not necessarily the lost of a job, but the fact it has opened my eyes to the beauty of my surroundings and how very important it is to protect it all, that my children have, and are growing into the adults I prayed they would for so very long, my husband and I are still very much in love and enjoy each other!! What wonderful things to reflect upon!!



Perhaps another reason for all this deep reflection is I was blessed to celebrate another birthday this week!! Yep I turned 54 years young!!! Yes I said young, although my grand daughter might consider me old, along with the members of my Sunday School Class (4 and 5 year old's), but in my mind I'm still young and still have a lot to do!! I came home from vacation with a renewed frame of mind...one that is anticipating the next chapter of my life....I feel deep within that my next project or job, as some may call it, is coming....no, I know it is, and I am prepared!! I have come to discover and renewed during this time my love of nature, writing, gardening and creating things with my hands, and I know God will lead me to a position using these skills that he has so profoundly reintroduced me to.

I'm feeling very good right now about my future, and fully intend to take some more mini vacations, after all I still have a lot of ground to cover prior to my next endeavor!! Got to head to the hills and visit my parents, a dear sister up north, and most importantly to enjoy each and every day that I am blessed with!!!



Take time each and every day to reflect, pray and give thanks for all the blessings each and every one of us have.....it's easy, just look out your door!!!

Our goodbye to the end of summer......

Putting the garden to bed for the fall and winter, getting ready to plant the Fall crops that I'm planning, and basically getting everything prepared for the changing season. It's keeping me very busy but the really important thing we do to say goodbye to summer is vacation!!!! Yes we go later than everyone else but there's a reason!!!! The rates drop!!!! When you're renting a beach front house for a family of 17 every dollar counts! The Hare family started this tradition in 2001 and we have kept the tradition ever since. Grandma Hare started this tradition after Grandpa passed and it was just something she felt in her heart to do!! After Grandma passed on to her blessed Savior in 2004 we decided, Gene, and his siblings and their spouses to keep the tradition going in honor of Grandma Hare. So each year we rent a beach front house for the whole family to come and go as they can!!

Each year our grown family seems to grow and yes go different ways but they do try to at least come and stay a day here and a day there, after all that's why we get such a big house. Regardless of whom comes for the week or just a few day's it's still family and we have a grand ole time, and there are us, the adults who will continue to make it happen for each one of them as long as they come!!

Now getting ready for our annual retreat is no easy feat!!! There is packing and planning to do. Lucky for us this year the house we rented provides all linens, yeah!!!! That saves a lot of room, and since we plan on taking the Honda to save on gas that really saves some space. But.....there is packing....when I think back on my younger years at home and preparing for vacation I'm reminded, all I did was pack my stuff and hey, I was ready to ride!!!! Oh how I appreciate Momma and Daddy for doing the rest!!!!

So far this is what I have packed, not to mention what I've already loaded in the car, chairs, canopy, umbrella etc.. Cleaned the car, went shopping and got the things for the first night, had to get a new battery for the car, just to name a few!!





And this is what dear hubby has packed so far!!!! Does anyone see anything wrong with this picture!!!!



Not to mention the big ole mess that has to be cleaned up before we leave....after all you never know!!! Hubby has indeed packed much more this evening, you know the important things....guitar, cd's, cooler, video camera, and all the things you can't live without for a week!! That's ok though!!! We have each other, family and all the things we need for a week of saying goodbye to summer!!

I pray for a very happy and safe Labor Day for all my friends and family, and that I will come home from vacation ready to take on whatever God has in store for me and my family with the changing seasons!!