Sunshine on my shoulder….

I welcome the sunshine on any thing today. I want to spread it on my morning toast.  It’s so uplifting to see it bright and shiny, bursting through the morning. Makes you think of spring and its rebirth of nature, love, and us! I can remember being in the hospital in high school. It was late February when I went in for a week…a long restless week, and in a matter of just seven days the earth had sprang forth new growth; green grass, bulbs shooting up for flowers to show their faces, and blossoms on the fruit trees…Beautiful is nature’s canvas in spring! And the birds…they were singing as if they were on stage at the opera…songs of praise, joy and happiness. They owned the world! As I look outside this morning I see sunshine and blue birds, my favorite right up there with the house wren. They are flittering around trying to decide which house in my backyard to rent out for spring. They will soon begin to build their comfy little nests and welcome little babies into this world; showing us that life continues all around us no matter what is going on in our lives. The sun is warming up the freshly tilled dirt in my garden where new seeds are planted…I’m hoping to see sprouts soon.

Spring is a celebration!

A time to say good-bye to winter’s blah colors and coldness. I am so ready for this goodbye! Goodbye winter Hello spring…you are welcome here! I am ready for you to splash all your beautiful pastel colors on the countryside; setting a budding backdrop for us to covet. On my brisk walk to our mailbox which sits at the road at the end of our long driveway, I see the promise of spring everywhere. The bulbs are sprouting up; I see little blades of green in the brown grass, and new growth on the limbs of the bushes. There’s coolness in the air just to let you know winter is still here and he’s not giving up yet. The sky is a watered down shade of blue with a few transparent clouds scattered about. I place my bit of love in the mailbox, lift the red flag and begin my stroll back to the house; breathing in the freshness and soaking up the sun. I wish I could bottle it up today and save it for one of those gloomy days that are still yet to come...

My bubble of beautiful spring thoughts is burst by my TV which is on behind me as I write this post. I’m totally disgusted and sickened at the show that is on; Wife Swap. One wife spends $34,000.00 a year on her appearance and clothes and the other wife has not shaved under her arms in 6 years and her whole family uses the same bath water. They choose to live this life style.  Oh my! Do they make this stuff up for TV or is this for real?

Gosh I feel the need to be productive;

leaving you with thoughts of spring and some love...

"In the hope of reaching the moon men fail to see
the flowers that blossom at their feet"
~Albert Schweitzer

Until spring arrives….

My word for 2010-Experience

I experienced a life style shocker

I had a fire to put out!

My fire was started post 4:00 in the afternoon on Friday. It was sparked with some ruby red grapefruit…..yummy and delicious, sweet and cold! It was my snack to hold me over until later. I had plans! Plans with the bestie. She and I were going to the movies with some of the girlies to see Dear John…Yes Dear John!

And yes it was great! Luckily we purchased our tickets on line at Fandango because all the shows for Friday night were sold out! It was a beautiful romantic love story which left you hanging at the end but with a creative mind and a common romantic sense you can figure out your own ending! And Channing Tatum…eye candy!    Yes I know I’m old enough to be his mother…       It was a Dear John letter movie where I fueled my fire with buttered popcorn and topped it off with ice cold coke! Yum…what’s a movie without popcorn and coke? Boring! Now I don’t think I know anyone who can eat a large movie popcorn and drink a large movie coke…So we shared in pairs. Two cokes and a bag of popcorn for $15.00…insanity I say! After settling into our seats in the semi-nose-bleed-section, smack dab in the middle of the theater, the place began to fill up quick! The bag of popcorn was so big and bulky that we actually spilled half of it on the floor like a 4 year old and I could not even reach my hand around the drink. Again, like a four year old, I had to use two hands, sit up straight and put on my big girl panties.  Napkins and buttered popcorn just go together but no matter how many napkins you use, you still feel greasy!

After the movie was over and the bladder was comfortable again…the fire had to be punched up a bit. A quick trip to Target and off to Chili’s we go for a quick bite!

A bite of each appetizer that the four of us ordered. Boneless Buffalo wings, queso dip and salsa *my fave*, cheesy spinach artichoke dip, and endless chips… OMGosh…it was so good! OMGosh it was so HOT! Good and hot! 

So my fire is fully fueled and blazing, the esophagus is talking to me, and the tummy is screaming help. At 4:00 this morning it was really raging … a 4 alarm visit with the pink stuff. Now you know how I love pink…but not this shade of pink. Downing a good dose, I prop myself to return to lala land on three pillows. The forest is burning down! The price I have to pay for loving hot spicy food!

Jackie’s 5:00 alarm is going off…the real alarm, the one that wakes you…just when I was finally resting again and the fire was somewhat under control, smoldering at best. 5:00 on a Saturday you ask? ...yes, to go Hog Hunting. Now you can say this with your best British accent and it sounds better than my sweet southern drawl of Hawg Huntin’. Hog hunting…? We have not lost a hog…we don’t even own any! It’s a guy thing, a hunter’s thing…a sportsman’s thing. He can have it! Anything like that, that requires you rise at 5:00 in the morning…he can have it! Plus it’s too cold outside.

Well needless to say I could not go back to sleep after he left. I hope he finds those lost hogs. I stay up and began to write this out and my stomach is reminding me once again it wants some fuel. This time I think I will stick to something safe, mild and easy…toast and a boiled egg. Eggs over easy toast!

I’ll finish the to-go-box of Buffalo wings for lunch.

Am I a glutton for punishment or what?

As the sun comes up it reveals a periwinkle blue sky…a promise of more rain? 
I’ll take what God gives me because each day is a gift and I have unwrapped this one with a smile and a beautifully colored sky.

Keeping it real and uncomplicated…be true to yourself

My word for 2010-Experience

I experienced heartburn.

Sweet Things

Trying to keep my thoughts positive and of sweet things since Valentines Day is coming up. But despite all the gloomy rain, feeling deprived of sunshine…etc… it’s been hard, but I try. From working on our taxes, such a dreaded chore;  to a stopped up kitchen sink…both of which I have recovered from. After all the numbers were crunched and a bottle of that drain-o stuff;

All’s good!

There are certain things in life we MUST deal with. There are times I don’t know where I’m headed, but I know I’m headed somewhere. I just pray somewhere is good. I’m on to the sweet things in life.

Life is sweet!

When I’m gone from this earth and have made my way to heaven, I want to be one of God’s angels that have an assignment back on earth…you know like on "Touched by an Angel".  I want to return with a mission and instructions from God to help some lost and weary soul find their place. That would just have to be so rewarding and sweet; plus they get to zap from one place to another in a matter of seconds…and they have that angelic glow over there heads! So Cool!

******

Here’s a sweet thought and vision stuck in my head. My daughter Holly has a young kitty…Baby D. He ate tomato soup the other night. She said he lapped and lapped so hard that he splattered soup everywhere. After he was full-o-soup he looked up at her with red soup spots all over his little face. LOL Can you imagine the site plus imagine a cat eating tomato soup! Oh yeah...he loves boiled peanuts too and hates to go outside! Strange kitty! Here he is with a sweet clean face:

My sweet little friend Southern Cinderella presented me with another award.

She had this sweet message for me:

"Cora at Heartfelt and Homemade* I started reading blogs about a year ago and always wanted a blog of my own, but felt as if my life was boring or I had nothing interesting to talk about. I saw Cora one day in WalMart and we started talking about blogging and how she has one. Cora told me I should create a blog. If it weren't for her, I wouldn't be Southern Cinderella! Thanks Cora!  ~ Lindsay"
Thank you Lindsay for those sweet words…and I’m glad you finally jumped into the blogging world with me. Isn’t it fun?  She is young and fun...please pay her a visit!

******

Now for a sweet thing that was pretty bad. I made some cookies the other night…The Gooiest Chocolate Chuck cookies. Sweet they were, Gooey they were not! They turned out too cakey like. So I will not share the recipe...I will spare you all.

Remember Valentines is just around the corner. Get your cards ready to share, make your list and buy your stamps. Remember that sweet one in your life, young or old. And who doesn’t like chocolate? Chocolate of all kinds: with nuts, without, cream in the center or maybe a cherry...dark chocolate, milk chocolate, mint, raspberry, or Godiva. Ok have I got your sweet tooth’s attention yet and started a craving? Warning: Just don’t make The Gooiest Chocolate Chuck cookies!

And who doesn’t like to be loved?

Share a little of yourself with someone special this month.

Send a sweet message in a bottle dropped in the ocean to someone dear to your heart.

Send a balloon message high into the heavens for them.

Love is sweet.

We all have ups and downs in life.  Be they sweet or sour; happy or sad.  

Hopefully mine will be valuable lessons which will mold me

into the person Christ has hoped I would be.

When you are down to nothing ...

God is up to something.

My word for 2010-Experience

I’ve experienced sweetness.

Love is..

Hello February….

You are the month for Love.   Love Love Love

Welcome to my love life

Where you will find love

Love is holding hands no matter how old you are

Love is cream cheese and homemade jam on a toasted bagel

Love is having paints in many colors for smearing on the canvas of my life

Love is breakfast in bed with a rose on the tray

Love is cool breezes in summer that push the heat away for a few seconds

Love is my family near and far, just as they are

Love is my family of friends all around from everywhere

Love is a crayon drawing on lined paper posted on the frig

Love is bright and shiny stars that are the doorknobs to heaven

Love is sending a card by the mailman so they can hold it in their hands

Love is sweet candy nothings whispered in your ear

Love is red, pink, and white m&m’s with peanuts shared with him

Love is sharing an ice cream float with two spoons

Love is tiny finger prints on the bathroom mirror

Love is strawberries and chocolate……together

Love is the gift of a child and being called mama

Love is a song sang by someone special just to you

Love is that little note left for you to find, the one that makes you smile

 Love is two hearts that pitter patter as one

Love is being honest no matter how bad it hurts

Love is that smile that leaves you feeling warm and giddy

Love is life, life is love…a love that tugs at our heart strings and makes our heart swoon with pleasure. You cannot have love and be alone …love is meant to be shared and given away…
sowed like seeds…whirled in the wind.

February is...

Today and everyday I tell someone that I love them.

Yesterday I mailed some love.

Tomorrow I will love some more and make someone else feel loved.

I will smile at strangers, I will offer to help some elderly person and see the joy in their eyes. I will hold someone’s hand when they are hurting. I will listen with my heart and love with my eyes through a smile...Want some love?  Share some love!

Jesus is Love

~Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
~Jesus in John 15:13

The best thing about me is you!

My word for 2010-Experience

I’ve experienced love.

Oh yeah...Go here and see Amelia for a LOVELY give-away!!

The Value of You

Come have your morning tea or coffee with me.

Come sit round my table and chat with me.

Come join in a circle of friendship with me.

Come spend the day with me.

You are always welcome here!

I value your friendship, kind words, and your company.

~~~~~~~

Sharing a Word with you today….

What is it that makes you valuable?

What makes you feel important?

Wealth, education, popularity or leadership at work?

We must not let those things define our worth and value,

because things will most likely fail us.

Cars break down; houses burn down; profits sink down;

and with them, our self-worth falls down.

It’s sad but true, these things happen to the best of us.

But God declares that we're worth everything to Him.

We are not our own; we were bought at a price.

That price is the life of Jesus.

~1 Corinthians 6:19-20.

We are precious in God's sight -- we're His children ~Ephesians 1:5.

Almost every parent would agree that his or her child is

the most precious thing in the world;

and that's the way God feels about us!

It's no wonder God labels his people as his treasured possession.

~Deuteronomy 14:2.

We should not let our wealth, education, popularity, status,

or anything else define our value.

We must remember that we are worth

everything to God, because we're His.

He values us more than anything.

Notes gathered from  Weekly Wisdom

************ 

Thank you my dear sistas for being here for me!

You are valued here more than you know!

~~~~~~~~~~

We’ve been in the garden…..the last of our collards were gathered last Thursday…so fresh and tender…yum. After cleaning up the planting beds we re-fertilized with that yummy smelling stuff that comes from horses….you know organic fertilizer! It’s the best kind! We then planted onions and broccoli from plants we bought. Then we sowed seed of green onions and sweet little English peas. I can’t wait to see them grow.

We got plenty of rain on them from the storm the other night which also put

some folks out of electrical power. Therefore Jackie had to work and to

top it off someone crashed their car into one of the electrical poles

which had him working all night long in the pouring rain storm.

Oh well...someone had to do it.

Bless his heart.

***

Enjoy your day, keep it simple, real, and uncomplicated!

Put another pot of coffee on!

God’s Belssings,

My word for 2010-ExperienceI experienced horse poo.