Anticipation!

With August's "dog days" behind us and today being the last day of the month, I am counting down the hours until...

SEPTEMBER! How I've always loved just the thoughts of the month...ushering in cooler mornings and evenings, the rich colors of Autumn beginning to emerge, the sounds of marching bands and football fans, the seemingly unending chirping of insects, school buses in our neighborhood, the planting of Fall flowers, longer times on the porch sitting beside Mike, drawing warmth from him, sharing what the "Grands' are learning in school and getting to be a part of that, wearing sweaters and sweat shirts and colorful socks with my clogs, packing away summer's clothes and flip flops and turning our home into a mini-Fall paradise...ahhhh....

just a bit of Heaven on earth!

Thoughts of quiet and much less activity

It's nearing 11 PM and the festivities of the past few weeks are now warm memories, some of which are mingled with a tired body and a few aches here and there.

I could never be a "party" person...too much work! We've hosted or been in charge of three parties within 8 days and then today was a spur of the moment covered dish at church.

Thank goodness we had lots of people who helped out! I did very little other than helping set out food, making coffee, and getting to know a newcomer. Mike worked much harder!

Mike and I arrived home and very soon succombed to a lovely nap. However we awoke slightly groggy and I've been in a fog ever since.

Can hardly wait to crawl back into our cozy bed and enter into sweet slumber.

Tomorrow???? Well, I'll do some laundry, straighten up a bit and read and relax. It will be a quiet day, hopefully!

Party pictures!

#9 is....

A GIRL!!!!!!!

Almost time!

Yes! It's the Tropical Get-A-Way for the Treasures!

We will be hosting two assisted livings this year, Weddington Park and Woodridge.

Tonight we will transform our sanctuary into a tropical paradise, hanging flowers from the ceiling, setting up our tables and decorating them, etc.

The party's Friday @ 2 PM! Come join us! :)

"In the Pink!"

The phrase "in the pink" usually means that everything's great...hunky dory and all that stuff!

This isn't the case for me at the moment.

"In the pink" means that all the white things I washed are now PINK!

Somehow someone slipped a RED tee shirt in my pile of clothes and hid it very well. I scooped up the laundry, threw it in the wash and when the washer did her little song and unlocked itself...voila! Pink clothes!

Okay, to be perfectly honest I have to be the "someone" 'cause nobody else was here. There go my white capris, my two white shirts, and sorry, Mike...your underwear...hey, just one pair though! I tried throwing them back in the wash with chlorox but that didn't work so now I guess I have to dye them.

How long have I been doing laundry...a very long time! Hopefully next time I will carefully sort each piece. What a diabolical waste! :( boo hoo

What a FUN weekend!

Here are some of our 45 and up group from church.

The others that came are in the livingroom or kitchen.

We had the BEST time! We shared childhood memories of Captain Kangaroo and our local Charlotte children's show that aired on WSOC TV-the famous Joey the Clown with his Joey trees!

Three of us had been on his show!

We ate delicious food and laughed until we cried.

Talk about "merry hearts"!

Mike had the rest of the good pictures but I can't seem to get them put on the blog. I'm sure it's the computer and not me!

We ended the weekend with Captain America and April and the four older grands! The youngest liked it ok but it was "too unbelievable". The oldest didn't like the laser stuff and the rest of us just liked it for what it was. But the best thing about the afternoon was just being all together!

The promise of Fall

The Dogwood leaves are beginning to turn and I am coming across some golden maples strewn across our driveway.

The promise of Fall... that's what I always say when I see early "color"...

a promise that Autumn is on her way!

I do believe it's my favorite time of the year! I love the richness of the earthy colors, the bold oranges and reds. Just does something to me!

And I am "chomping at the bits" to decorate our home with colorful Fall leaves, Autumn wreaths, seasonal flowers, autumn scents and pumpkins of every size!

I am really having to restrain myself for I usually wait until the last week of August to turn our home into a magical autumn land, hanging the autumn flag, the outdoor wreaths. Our Anna always decorates her home in early August and this time April was persuaded by Makenna to add a few autumn touches while burning candles, sending those wonderful autumn smells throughout the house.

We are all awaiting one of the most magical times of the year! It's as if God reaches down with His paint brush and adds a bit more color each day. I find myself constantly seeking out His handiwork and I feel incredibly blessed to watch autumn unfold right before my eyes!

Autumn's majestic richness...selah...words just don't seem to do it justice.

Never a dull moment....nor quiet, either!

Where to even begin! Yesterday, after visiting all the Treasures, I picked April and the kids up. After a delicious lunch at La Strada, and "adventures" at Target and Harris Teeter, we all came back to our house.

And here, the action never slowed down...not until I took everyone home!

Had a lot of fun and learned a new game as you can see!

Going to have to get this one for us!

Stayed a while at their house to visit with the "grand" dog, Toby and our "great-grand" dog, Oscar.

Heard Oscar cried for me after I left!

So nice to be loved!

Our first game of Apples to Apples!

I think Elliott and I won!

(Elliott's the very "intelligent-looking" one facing the camera!)

What a day! I must admit I was in bed before 9:30 pm!

A Perfect Morning!

What a wonderful cooler morning to sit on the porch, listening to birdsong,

the water bubbling in our fountain, and just enjoying the sweet presence

of our Father!

Sat there for several hours; so hard to pull myself away but alas the day calls

and there is much to do.

But after .... I'll return to that little bit of heaven on earth and bask in a good book...ahhhh

"Road work ahead"

The other day as I was out running errands, delivering school supplies, it seemed that every road I traveled was being worked on. It really began to annoy me a bit...every where I turned...

"road work ahead"..."one lane traffic". I began to become a bit impatient but "talked" myself out of it. Even sat in one place for 15 minutes!

I started to think...that's the way life is...the way we are. We are always "under construction".

We are always being "worked" on and we need to be patient...patient with ourselves AND with others. None of us has "arrived". None of us "has it all together".

But He Who began that good work in us...notice He says He began a GOOD work...that 's a good work in you and in me! He will be faithful to complete it!

"Road work ahead"! Thank goodness He's working on us, bringing us into maturity, changing us from glory to glory!

We just need to cooperate AND be patient!

"Brand new"!

Yep! It's that time of year! A new school year...brand new.

Stores are loaded with school supplies...pencils, notebooks, glue sticks, brightly colored folders...love it!

Love smelling pencils, notebooks, crayons, books! (no I don't go around just picking things up and smelling them). Reminds me of Captain Kangaroo when he did crafts on his show! I can still hear him cutting paper with his scissors and you could almost smell the crayons he used!

Anyone remember those days????

Had my cart loaded with school supplies for the grands and my mind whirring with educational activities I could do with them.

This is a new "season" for me as well. I will be helping with the grands schooling this year.

Have done a little in the past but will be more involved this year and I am so excited! Guess it's the "teacher" in me!

Things will change at the assisted livings for me. I will no longer go weekly to teach but I will go and visit as often as I can. This will be very different for I have been teaching at the assisted living for many, many years. I'll pop over for visits and take the grands to see them, delivering goodies that we will make for them!

Just new! Brand new! New start...a fresh start...just like God's mercies..."New every morning!"

It's a dark and ........

stormy night!

Lots of rain, wind, thunder and lightning!

Decided it was a night that called for candlelight...just in case!

"Suspended"!

Mike and I, for some time now, have been disgusted with most of the television programming.

We don't watch sitcoms, we don't watch the food shows, no prime time movie channels, no TVLand, etc. Actually it would be easier to list what we do watch and most of that is not very often.

So we decided to suspend our DirecTV for four months, to see if we miss our favorites or if we will just do away with it all together.

We have plenty of DVDs and still watch some of our VHS movies. Mike recently got the Ken Burns Civil War DVDs and we've watched a bit of them.

I do believe this will encourage us to read much more than we do. We have tons of books all over our house and so many we haven't even read yet.

Am giving up the old Waltons, Judging Amy, Sue Thomas FBEye (actually have those on DVD so I can still watch her anytime), my two favorite TV Bible teachers, Andrew Wommack and Joseph Prince but I can get them on my computer so really am not missing out at all!

The real deal is that we will be saving a lot of money every month! Just didn't think we were being good stewards of all that money for just a very few programs.

Love a rainy day!

What a wonderful rainy day!

Am loving it!

Turning on some lights and making it oh so cozy inside....ahhhhh.

Think I'll settle down with a good book!

Afternoon musings

My thoughts have been "all over the place" today. This morning I just felt dull; not sure why but my plan of action to alleviate the dullness was to get on the rebounder for a while and to pray.

Visited my friend, Sandi for some Bible study. Always enjoy her company and I came away encouraged and with a delicious iced coffee to boot!

After lunch, reading the paper, and stretching out on the couch, random thoughts invaded my tranquility...thoughts like "why do we think the worst of people"..."why do we take something so small and insignificant and turn it into a "mountain"..."why do I get so caught up in my appearance and the fact that I am "maturing" and hate to look at myself in the mirror some days"..."why do we compare ourselves to others"..."why can't I see people more through my Father's eyes"..."why can't I be satisfied with just pleasing my Father"...

My remedy to all these whirling thoughts was to pray to my Father and throw myself into cleaning bathrooms, dusting, running the vacuum and plotting my next course of action...

immersing myself in the Word, renewing my mind and allowing Him to continue the work He began in me. This of course is an ongoing, day to day, keeping my focus on Him, Who created me and knows me best AND loves me best! (Just as He loves each of His children-we're all His favorites!)

After all, we're the "apple of His eye"...such a perfectly lovely thought! And hey! It's the Truth!

Emma's "new" teeth!

Emma lost her two front teeth awhile back and we made her "new" ones!