Joy of the Generations

Has it really been a month since my last blog post? Yeah, I've kept a journal for at least 20 years and there are gaps in that too. I decided long ago to give myself permission. Otherwise, it becomes like so many other things in life; we focus on not measuring up and simply step back and let the opportunity to participate pass us by. I'm here! And there. And everywhere.

Here's some pictures of the way I'm spending my time between running 2 businesses. If you want to actually read words and thoughts, for now I'm over at my LifePoint blog.

Collin is 3 months old

Addison will be 2 in July

Ava is 6 weeks old

Nonna and Pappa are happy and thankful!

I Smell Heaven....

I'm fresh from the land of hope. I'm convinced that God sends babies to remind us of that heaven is very near. They come with the scent of heaven and soften our reality. The world is full of chaos but small gifts bring great joy. A few scenes from the last week....

In Like a Lamb - Out Like a Lion!

I figured I'd better show up here before you wrote me off as a blog quitter.
March has been more than a whirlwind so thought I'd journal a recap....

1. Our first grandson was born Feb. 28 and I have been back and forth a lot, cooking, snuggling and thoroughly enjoying the fact that he's less than an hour away. I'm beyond delighted: 2. My mom got to come up with Uncommon Blonde when he was only 1 week old to take the Newborn photographs. They stayed with me and it was a very special weekend!


3. A close family member (who doesn't like to be "uncovered" on blogs and Facebook) was hospitalized with a dangerous, life-threatening situation. Emergency surgery resulted in answered prayer and she is recovering.

4. I spent most of last week in Atlanta on business and was challenged, stretched, inspired.

5. While driving home, I narrowly missed several crazy spring storm cells. Even drove through the mess left by baseball size hail that was piled up like snowbanks along the side of the road. Surreal. I passed through it all safely.

6. Returned home to find another family member battling a scary health issue and went into gear to help there.

7. This weekend brings a regional retreat. Sound relaxing? Well, maybe if I was just attending but minor detail - I'm in charge.

8. I think I can take a breath next week while I pack and start the waiting game for a call to go south when Uncommon Blonde goes into labor with her second daughter.

Busy is in my DNA so I'm not complaining. God is good. I am grateful. Just not blogging much but thinking of you and looking forward to visiting you soon. Thanks for coming by.

A Wonder~Filled Day

He's here!

Our first grandson arrived safely Monday after 18 hours of labor.
I was exhausted.
Isn't he amazing?
7 lbs 15 oz of sheer joy.

I'm headed to the kitchen to prepare some casseroles to take over. It's only an hour from here and I'm thrilled. That may seem far to you but that's only 60 minutes.
My heart sings.

Lady in Waiting

I would think since this is our second grandbaby I would be all relaxed as we move into the last days before we get to meet him. Not so much.

I wonder if I'm on pins and needles even more since our Rosebud arrived 10 days early. The official due date is Feb 24th. He looks like he's ready for me to hold him, don't ya think?

Did I say I'm excited? Oh yes I am! Here's the beautiful mommy....

Finely Tuned

I found a tuning fork when I was hunting through a drawer looking for something this week. I got it from my dad's stuff when we were cleaning out after he died - in December twenty years ago to be exact. My memories of the pain he suffered have faded but my memories of the smiles, glances, wisdom and words are as fresh as the frost was this morning.

I wonder how many instruments he tuned by the tone produced from this tuning fork. He could not only tune any instrument, he could play almost every instrument. But that's not what made him unique. He dedicated his gift to bringing out the talent and gifts in his students.

My sister shared an email this week that a guy wrote her... he took the time to share that dad was someone who made a lasting impression on his life. He recalled dad giving him rides home with his cello in a car that was so rusted out that you could see the pavement whizzing by beneath your feet. He recalled his fascination with that, but more important, he remembers the kindness.

Dad was the king of the land of frugal and always said a car is meant to get you from point A to point B and style wasn't a part of the equation. As I teenager, I remember being embarrassed by his cars. I also remember how hard my sister and I laughed when the "hearse" that came as we dealt with his death was an older station wagon. Obscure, unobtrusive but effective. How perfect.

His life still resounds in my heart and provides the tuning fork for so many of my decisions. The tone is true. And is unchanged by the passing of time. His love endures - what a gift.

Full to the Brim and Spilling Over

What a week it was. I was “disconnected” for the most part because of the presence of those nearest and dearest to my heart. Here are some of the highlights, blinking through my mind like directional lights leading to supreme joy….

1) Rosebud is speaking in understandable sentences at 16 months, which totally floors and entertains me.

2) Uncommon Blonde gave me a blog book of all my 2009 posts for my birthday and that was a really neat gift that keeps on giving for several reasons. It gave me fresh inspiration to keep on blogging, no matter what. I also was encouraged by Builderman who very rarely looks at my blog as he read through pages and pages of posts and commented on how much he enjoyed it.

3) With three adult children living out of town with diverse schedules, we all managed to convene on Friday for the full Thanksgiving festivities. We just changed the day since Luke was on duty at the fire station on Thursday and it worked just great.

4) We got our Christmas tree up on Thursday (usually decorating happens on Friday) and it was super fun to see Rosebud’s delight all weekend.

5) We usually shop on Sat. morning but we pulled that off on Wednesday and discovered that all the Black Friday sales were already posted and we didn’t fight any crowds. Who knew??

6) Sesame Street is teaching and entertaining another generation of children. Addison loves it and I do too! Did you know Elmo gets email now? So funny.

7) My hands are shriveled up from all the dishwater they swam in. I only made one new recipe that bombed (Butterscotch Cashew bars were nothing like the ones I’d tasted) but we had so much food that was no big deal. Here’s the fact of the day: Heat makes objects expand. So there you have it, I haven't gained weight, I'm just overheated!

I have to be honest and say I cried tonight with missing my children and the sweet, sweet kisses of Addison who says, “Nana, I wu wou.” My heart is at least two sizes bigger.

My Prescription

It's been one of those days. If it wasn't one thing, it was another. Sigh. One of those days that just needs to be cancelled.

However, we have a no-fail prescription we keep on our refrigerator that works every time I need a pick-me-up.

There now, don't you feel better?

I definitely do. The icing on the cake is she's coming for a whole week at Thanksgiving.

Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human face.~ Victor Hugo

Two Sizes Bigger

My heart is two sizes bigger. Last month when our family all gathered for a weekend of laughter and love, I was surprised with happy news when Addison came out dressed in this shirt: If you can't read it, it says, "I'm the Big Sister."

I was momentarily confused, as I knew that our son and his wife had brought the shirt when they came and we had known for 2 months that they are expecting their first baby in March. So when I read the shirt, I was thinking, "they must not have had a "cousins" shirt." They laughed at me and said, "No, the shirt is correct, Mom". And immediately my heart grew another size bigger.

Joy. Thanksgiving. So much to be thankful for. I had to wait to share until Uncommon Blonde had announced it.

Now our little pumpkin will have company.
2011 already holds so much promise, my heart is growing every day.

Walking on Sunshine

October gave us an absolutely beautiful weekend for Parent's weekend festivities at FSU. I don't attend many football games, so it was a fun experience to do the whole football scene on Saturday, made even sweeter by a win.


Enjoyed the grand tour of Cupcake's new home away from home. Very traditional Southern manor and quite lovely and full of life.

Some of her new sisters. I'm learning a new language... they call Big Sisters just "Bigs" now. And the girl on the left is her "grand big." Fun.

Of course, the best part was just hugging and hanging out with our girl! It's good for a mom's heart to see your heart's delight doing well.

House of Tomorrow

I've been reflecting on the gifts that the generations hold, both young and old. My dad treasured the words of Kahlil Gibran and when I was a teenager, often comforted both of us with the image of himself as the archer me as the arrow.

"Your children are the sons and daughter of Life's longing for itself. They come through you but not from you...You may give them your love but not your thoughts. You may house their bodies but not their souls, For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, which you cannot visit, even in your dreams.

You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you.

For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.
You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth..." ~Kahlil Gibran

Friday Friends

I met Shelly of Chicago a couple of years ago when she helped me with ideas for a trip we were planning. We share a love for travel, food, Jesus and blogging, for starters. She's started a Friday Favorite Food meme and I decided it's the perfect time to point you in the direction of Amanda's new WTFrills Blog. She is an amazing cook. Simply amazing. For recipes, themed party ideas, crafts and endless creativity, she's the go-to girl.

To digress from food for a sec, I have a confession. Some days I'm told I'm brilliant. And that's good to hear because other days I'm exceptionally slow. For example, Shelly's blog is called Life on the Wild Side. That puzzled me for years with it's incongruence to her quiet nature and distinctly not wild lifestyle. JUST last month I realized her last name is Wildman. Ding! That's the Wild side of her! And then there's Amanda's "WTFrills". I saw her recently and said, "Do tell what the WT stands for!" With the Frills. Duh.

Just knock me in the head- I'll be okay.

Since everybody is watching football these days, I'm sharing this fabulous Spinach Artichoke Dip recipe that Uncommon Blonde served recently when I was there. Oh. My. Goodness.
This came from Amanda's keyboard, to Uncommon Blonde's kitchen, to my hips. These calories come under the category of "worth every bite."

Spinach Artichoke Dip
2 pkgs. frozen creamed spinach, thawed
1 can artichoke hearts, quartered, drained
1 small carton heavy whipping cream
1 pkg. shredded parmesan cheese
1 pkg. shredded monterey jack cheese
1 pkg. cream cheese, room temperature
garlic powder to taste
tortilla chips for dipping

Add all ingredients (less chips) in a crock pot and heat thoroughly. Serve with chips and enjoy!


Be sure to do something this weekend just because you want to. Not because you have to.

The Sound of Joy

We had a marvelous long weekend with a houseful of laughter. Enjoy this short clip of the sound of joy. The message you can't see is that our son and daughter-in-love (pictured below) are expecting in March. I am deliriously happy.

It's Greek to me

I'm learning Greek. Kind of. Cupcake is now in her junior year at FSU. (Wow- time flies!) It so happens that all the girls she "hung out" with for the last two years graduated in May and moved away. She stayed in Tallahassee over the summer and she was extremely lonely. Going to a school of 40,000 students requires finding a nest in a smaller group, so she decided to participate in fall recruitment for sororities. Some family members were cheering her on and others were skeptical, saying "it's a set-up for hurt and rejection." The outcome has been terrific and she's having a blast, but that's not the point of this post.

I've been thinking about life lessons and I've come to the conclusion that if we're truly alive, we put ourselves at risk for rejection every day. When we're rejected, it stinks and it hurts but it's such a necessary part of giving, living and loving. The only way to avoid rejection is to not try anything new. Not an option, in my book.

I just read an interview of tennis champion, Martina Navratilova and she was asked, "What quality do you have that champions need?" Her answer was, I think the ability to fail. Not being afraid to put it all on the line and come up short. Most people don't have that."

So there you have it. Our children are champions because we've taught them that failure is just feedback. May you have the courage today to try something new and go somewhere you've never been. Now, how do you say that in Greek?

Sparks & All Stars

I have a friend who says that God created night and day so we can have a chance to start over every 24 hours. I agree, but I also reason that each day is divided into just 24 hours so we have limits; I think without constraint I would burn myself up like a shooting star. There’s so much I want to do!!

I bring you the quick version of what I’ve been up to… Last weekend I went to Atlanta to “Spark & Hustle”, a conference for women entrepreneurs. (Details Here)

The women I met there were nothing short of totally amazing. It’s impossible to introduce all of them at once (there were 200+!), but I must mention Shameeka, aka The Broke Socialite, who launched what has grown into a very successful business with her blog in 2005. She is a hoot and a half – had so much fun with her. Then there’s my courageous friend, Alyssa, of VintageBodySpa who flew to the conference by herself at 8 months pregnant because she is so determined to stay home with her new baby. Leeann Staples of MaddyMoo custom handbags gave us awesome gifts in our goodybags and the list goes on... Joyce Bone of MillionareMoms blew me away with her story of mom blogger to owning a 150 million dollar company. Huh? Yep- you heard that right. Phenomenal.

The message that was engraved on my heart is: pursue your passion and believe in the power of your dreams!!

I’ll leave you with another star that made her debut on the cover of Sarasota’s Style magazine this week. Her mother is my favorite blogger, (You've got to read this post titled "Emily Post Would Hate Facebook") Uncommmon Blonde is the most sylish of all because of this accessory on her hip! I know you recognize my favorite baby:

Have a great weekend!

The Cutest Little Tea Pot

My mom hosted a Tea Party in honor of Addison's first birthday. You're just in time to join in! (I'm SO grateful my sister captured the whole thing on camera.)

The teacups say "And her eyes went twinkle, twinkle"... and they did.

Wishing you a weekend be filled with sweetness and delight.

My Toy Story

I’m feeling a little blue, except I have so much to do I can’t live in the land of sadness. I’ve been unplugged for days and enjoying every moment of time with Rosebud.

Last week, I meant to blog about my mad dash to inhabit our home with toys. Cupcake had commented about 10 days before the arrival of our tribe for the holiday that “Rosebud is going to be bored here. You know, she’s VERY active now." Oh me, oh my! My home needs to be the most magical place on earth to our grandchildren so I becamse a woman on a mission. I've never been one to do the garage sale trail, but since we’d already ordered a baby SUV (just kidding – see photo below), I mapped out a plan and went toy shopping. Oh the fun I had! These toys now make me sad as I look out how they were abandoned this very morning…

She enjoyed a water play table on the porch...

We gave her a wagon for her birthday. When papa went shopping for a wagon, he got her the baby SUV variety. She LOVES it and prefers going fast. Hmmm - I think that's a genetic thing.

She helped papa get the corn for dinner.Of course it had to be tested for sweetness.

And isn't this the sweetest image?

Love is splendid. Goodbyes - not so much.
Hope you had a fabulous weekend.

Wordless Wednesday

The Lookout

Her Joy is Contagious

So glad you stopped by today for some happiness and grins. Our cuddlemuffin is coming next week and I'm more than ready. We'll be celebrating her birthday... hard to believe it's already been a year since she entered this world and brought SO much joy to all of us. I have a gallery of photos that I look at daily - so here's some updates for you:

The beaches in Sarasota are still clean. We treasure every day of oil-free waters. I have to sneak this one in... My beautiful girls!
All of our children and Miss A.

My Remarkable Man

March 29, 2003. This day had been planned for months. Actually years. We awoke to a beautiful sunny spring morning with a palpable feel of love in the air. Jim wisely decided he needed to head out early to the plantation where our daughter’s 4:00 PM wedding would be held to check on the progress of the tent set-up. The large reception tent was supposed to have been set up on Friday but at the time of the wedding rehearsal the evening before, it wasn’t even on site. I gave him the drawing of the set-up, dance floor, tables, buffet, etc., since every single item needed for dinner and a party had to be rented, and off he went.

A phone call a short bit later revealed that only one tent was on site and the two guys from the rental company that were lounging around had no information about when the rest of the equipment would arrive. I’m not sure if even Jim could describe the frenzy of activity that took place during the next 5 hours. He’d never set up a large pavilion tent, but he pulled the scraggly workers into a team as the equipment arrived in pieces, gave orders and turned into the “working machine” that he’s respectfully called by those who have worked with and for him.

As the afternoon progressed, our nervous bride kept trying to see the reception site from the carriage house where she and her attendants were preparing, but thankfully, the view was obscured by trees as I continually reassured her that everything was looking fantastic. I’d brought Jim’s suit with me when I came out, as it was clear that there would be no time to return to the hotel for a shower. He sponged off and changed with minutes to spare before the guests arrived.

Despite the distant sound of hammering during the ceremony in the garden, the reception went off beautifully and very few people knew the feat that Jim had pulled off that day. We didn’t even tell Jessica the details until weeks later. I shudder to think of what could have happened had he not been uniquely equipped to handle the challenge. (Incidentally, that vendor was never allowed to be on that site again.) As it was, the day was remarkable – the memory still stirs my emotions deeply.

This story so clearly depicts my husband’s role as protector, provider and one who loves us without measure. He doesn’t talk a lot, (I do quite enough for both of us), but he has faithfully shown us through his actions for the 29 years he’s been a father that we are the most important thing on earth to him.

Happy Father’s Day, Jim. Thank you for giving us your best, faithfully. You are steadfast – a solid rock that we’ve built an amazing family on. I’m thankful.