 |
| Jon Eric, Jonathan, Karly |
 |
| Jonathan, Karly, me, Jon Eric |
 |
| Jonathan, Karly, (love of my life) Tim, Jon Eric |
 |
| Jon Eric & Jonathan |
Hope you enjoy the day with family and loved ones!
Valarie
Monday, May 28, 2012
Freedom & Remembrance
Three of the four kids were here to celebrate with a Memorial Day holiday..... we had the delectable BBQ dinner. May we never forget to honor our country and those who fought to honor it.....
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Flags....
Putting a few flags out this morning for the holiday weekend -
hope you are getting your nest ready for the holiday!
Valarie
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Summer Sunday
Since 3 of the 4 kids are close by this summer, I am planning frequent dinners on Sunday. All of the kids are so busy with new careers and one left in college it's nice to catch up with them once a week and enjoy movies, new recipes, memories ... & enjoy the summer.. These are the recipes I tried out on them!!
 |
| Turkey Stuffed Bell Peppers - |
 |
Recipe here .. INGREDIENTS
|
 |
| Spinach Salad - Spinach, fresh cherry tomatoes, pine nuts, mandarin oranges, dried cranberries - Toss & serve! |
 |
| Blueberry Banana Pie Yes, this is a store bought pie crust but the filling is homemade.... DirectionsHope you try the recipes out... The kids were here for dinner Sunday night - we had a blast! Valarie |
Saturday, May 19, 2012
Life stuff..
I have been out playing with family - watching my GRANDson play baseball...
and cheering him on with his baby brother -
Back home cleaning the kitchen at the blue cottage
And being thankful for such a beautiful family & cottage living!
Happy Day!
Valarie
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Blooming...
 |
| Glimpse of my flower buckets for this year... |
 |
| Hosta, Impatients, Ferns, Petunias |
 |
| White picket fence arbor entering side yard... Thanks for stopping by!! |
Monday, May 14, 2012
sun is setting...
 |
| Sun is setting and we just had a rain shower... Thankful for simple blessings- Valarie |
Sunday, May 13, 2012
Happy Mother's Day! What is A Good Mother?
Sharing.....
For a number of years, a Russian peasant woman held the record for having the most children. She bore 69—including numerous multiple births. She was most certainly a mother. (And undoubtedly a tired one.) But, I can't help wondering, was she a good mother?
What is a good mother, anyway?
A good mother doesn't nag — much. Only the essential amount and only about essential matters. Like where to squeeze the toothpaste, how to hang up pants without making eight creases, the inadvisability of 20-minute showers, and which noises are easily produced but socially unacceptable.
A good mother has a speech that begins, “When I was your age, kids had it much harder. My mother didn't take me everywhere. I didn't have all these things you kids take for granted....” She belts out this national anthem of motherhood regardless of the indifference of the crowd. She can make herself heard over a blaring CD player by teenagers hanging opossum-like over a bed with a phone plastered to one ear.
A good mother cooks, cleans, and launders without expecting to be appreciated. She knows that only in TV commercials do kids get excited about fragrant T-shirts or seeing their reflection in the china. In real life most kids have lost the directions to the laundry room and would be content to eat off paper plates or pizza boxes eternally.
But a good mother is much more than just a resident reminder service, cook, cleaning lady, and laundress. A good mother is a launching pad with a soft lap: hardheaded about discipline (especially compared with “everyone else's mother”) and soft-hearted about everything else. She motivates her children to help them reach their full potential and praises them whenever she catches them doing something right.
A good mother gives her children more than a balanced diet and a roof over their heads. She teaches them how to feed their souls and gives them a spiritual foundation on which to build. She directs them into the right paths and prays for them when they occasionally wander off onto others.
A good mother cares how her children turn out. She doesn't just wait for them to get out.
Stationary companies have tried to glorify motherhood by producing syrupy slogans on plaques. One of the worst is: “God couldn't be everywhere, so He created mothers.” That phrase may sell a lot of trivets, but it just isn't so. God is everywhere, and mothers can't be. I know because I've tried.
Maybe God created mothers because He needed someone to keep every generation reminded of His presence. Good mothers have been doing that for thousands of years, ever since Eve held her first wriggling infant in her arms.
Motherhood doesn't need to be sentimentally glorified with ridiculous statements, but it does need to be respected. It is a high calling, a God-given challenge.
The writer of Proverbs 31 described the woman who, like his mother, was a good mother: “She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come. She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue. She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children arise and call her blessed” (Proverbs 31:25-28a, New International Version).
As important as mothers are to us, it is amazing how often we take them for granted. Mother's Day is a good time to arise and call your mother blessed, but any day will do as well — as long as you do it before it is too late.
Legendary Alabama football coach Bear Bryant used to remind his players: “Be sure to call your Mom.” Then he would add wistfully, “I wish I could call mine.”
Have a fun day with your family!!
Valarie
Compliments of ... Vicki Huffman is a syndicated columnist and former editor with Thomas Nelson Publishing Co.What is a good mother, anyway?
A good mother doesn't nag — much. Only the essential amount and only about essential matters. Like where to squeeze the toothpaste, how to hang up pants without making eight creases, the inadvisability of 20-minute showers, and which noises are easily produced but socially unacceptable.
A good mother has a speech that begins, “When I was your age, kids had it much harder. My mother didn't take me everywhere. I didn't have all these things you kids take for granted....” She belts out this national anthem of motherhood regardless of the indifference of the crowd. She can make herself heard over a blaring CD player by teenagers hanging opossum-like over a bed with a phone plastered to one ear.
A good mother cooks, cleans, and launders without expecting to be appreciated. She knows that only in TV commercials do kids get excited about fragrant T-shirts or seeing their reflection in the china. In real life most kids have lost the directions to the laundry room and would be content to eat off paper plates or pizza boxes eternally.
But a good mother is much more than just a resident reminder service, cook, cleaning lady, and laundress. A good mother is a launching pad with a soft lap: hardheaded about discipline (especially compared with “everyone else's mother”) and soft-hearted about everything else. She motivates her children to help them reach their full potential and praises them whenever she catches them doing something right.
A good mother gives her children more than a balanced diet and a roof over their heads. She teaches them how to feed their souls and gives them a spiritual foundation on which to build. She directs them into the right paths and prays for them when they occasionally wander off onto others.
A good mother cares how her children turn out. She doesn't just wait for them to get out.
Stationary companies have tried to glorify motherhood by producing syrupy slogans on plaques. One of the worst is: “God couldn't be everywhere, so He created mothers.” That phrase may sell a lot of trivets, but it just isn't so. God is everywhere, and mothers can't be. I know because I've tried.
Maybe God created mothers because He needed someone to keep every generation reminded of His presence. Good mothers have been doing that for thousands of years, ever since Eve held her first wriggling infant in her arms.
Motherhood doesn't need to be sentimentally glorified with ridiculous statements, but it does need to be respected. It is a high calling, a God-given challenge.
The writer of Proverbs 31 described the woman who, like his mother, was a good mother: “She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come. She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue. She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children arise and call her blessed” (Proverbs 31:25-28a, New International Version).
As important as mothers are to us, it is amazing how often we take them for granted. Mother's Day is a good time to arise and call your mother blessed, but any day will do as well — as long as you do it before it is too late.
Legendary Alabama football coach Bear Bryant used to remind his players: “Be sure to call your Mom.” Then he would add wistfully, “I wish I could call mine.”
Have a fun day with your family!!
Valarie
Friday, May 11, 2012
follow me....
Hey sweet friends... will you hop over to my other blog and follow? Click
A fun blog of vintage trailer fun, happenings etc....
See you there!!
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
 |
| We had to move the fountain to the other side flower bed.... |
 |
| Fountain was here now replaced with vintage metal cart - water splashing on the side of the home = rotted boards.. lesson learned! |
 |
| Looking down the side yard... |
 |
| Love the sound of trickling water - |
 |
| New whirly thingy we got last week on our anniversary trip... when the wind blows it is really whimsy! |
 |
| Close up view of the twirly, whirly thingy! Happy Wednesday! Valarie |
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Lingering....
 |
| Ever have one of those mornings... when you want to linger... light a candle and enjoy home? |
 |
| Adding fresh frilly greenery in my silver pieces |
 |
| Candlelight and frilly greenery = smiles for my dining space |
 |
| You all know I have a fetish for chandeliers and burlap ruffles What makes you linger in your home and late to the office?? Hugs.. Valarie |
Friday, May 4, 2012
sneak peek -- MCKINNEY GARDEN & HOME TOUR!!
Will I see you there?
SAVE THE DATE AND PLAN TO COME! I promise you a day of fun in my city!
Valarie
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Back Home....
Arrived back home today....We had a nice time and enjoyed the time away..
Sharing the beauty of Gruene!
 |
| From our cabin that faced the river.... |
 |
| I did a whole lotta of this... feet propped up and watching the river go by.. |
 |
| The love of my life did a little fly fishing on the river.. |
 |
| We had a few adult beverages at Gruene Hall |
 |
| Love the old windmill |
 |
| Fabulous right ... on the grounds of THE GRUENE MANSION ... There is a swing in there so we did a whole lotta swinging too... |
 |
| The breezeway to our cabin |
 |
| This is the cabin we always stay in... this is where LOML proposed to me years back .. so we only stay in this cabin! Thank you Cecil... Thank you Gina at the front desk!! |
 |
| "OUR CABIN" |
 |
| Beautiful flowers everywhere!! Hope you enjoyed the tour!! Valarie |
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
