In the Garden…In the Kitchen

…two of my favorite places to spawn some photo art.

In the garden I walk in my flip flops, I pick the harvest; I pull a tiny weed or two.
I pluck a flower and snap a picture to capture its smell forever.

In the kitchen I preserve the taste forever. I smell the aroma of fresh goodness mixed with some sweetness. I stir and stir until all is perfect.
I stash it away for another day.

  

I love to create works of art from the blessings that flow before me. 

Grab your camera and click away in your daily doings! 

You will not only have fun but you will create wonderful memories.

Jumping Rainbows, Lassoing Dreams, and Wishing On Stars

...so says Cinderella.
Without my dreams and hopes, life seems rather dull. It’s like total boredom, never reaching for anything, never stepping out on that limb but always sitting at home on the couch…waiting.  Waiting for what?  Different desires come with age. My dreams are not the same as they used to be as some of those dreams have been fulfilled throughout the years.  I’ve strattled a few fences along the way…do I do this or do I do that, this way or that way?  I’ve fallen off only to get back up, put on my big girl panties, the pretty lacey ones, and move on again.
Standing at the intersection of life with 3 other ways to go, has been a test. Do I go straight ahead or turn to the left or to the right? As long as I didn’t come to a dead end, I was usually OK.
Looking ahead now the dream is looking at 59½.  I know there are those of you who know exactly what I am referring to and can relate…but for those of you who are way too young, let me explain: Retirement age…not that you cannot retire before then…but you cannot draw on your retirement funds you worked hard for until that age. Its part of that government control stuff you know. Oh they give you ways that you can get to your money with penalties and taxes, that way they still control your money while getting a chunk of it for themselves. So unlike Cinderella with her fairy godmother who is always watching out for her, I think I will just wait it out.

It sounds like I’m wishing my life away to get to that age…not so; it’s just the dream, brewing in its early stages that I cannot reach yet.
In the mean time I will jump a few rainbows, climb one or two and slide down the curve hoping to land softly in that pile of gold at the bottom. I will stand in the dark night gazing into the starry sky making wishes on every twinkle.  I will lasso the moon because I know that I can reach that far.  I will dance in the rain with my tongue hanging out to catch the sweet drops and taste the present moment. I will live in that moment; I will live in the right now.

My dreams come true

 Growing up

Dating

Being an artist…starving one but still one

Graduating high school

Going to college

Getting married

Working

Buying a house

Buying some land

Having a child

Being a Mama

Watching her walk and talk

Selling the house

Building our new home

Raising our child right

Still working

Building a nest egg

Watching her grow up

Sending her to college

Watching her walk the aisle to her love

Being happy and blessed

Retiring

Living well and comfortable, not money rich

My dreams of hope

Being a Grammie

Living long enough

Hubby retiring

Living in each moment

Traveling

Being healthy

Living easy

Spending that money I waited for

Helping and giving

Living in eternity one day

My dreams were/are pretty simple really…nothing fancy or wild, nothing out of the ordinary, just plain simple everyday typical things of life. I have been blessed.
I have made it through the rain…thus far. Sometimes I got drenched and caught a cold, sometimes I fell in the mud puddle instead of jumping over it or sometimes I simply enjoyed the coolness of it and sometimes I danced. And I know that it will continue to rain every now and then on my parade but it is up to me to decide if I will keep on dancing.

Notice how my future dream list is shorter….what’s up with that!?

Cinderella and I need to chat or either she needs to share her fairy godmother!

"Dreams are illustrations... from the book your soul is writing about you."

~Marsha Norman~

I hope that all your dreams come true!

Loving me some Adele on the playlist….

Life is Simply Good

A lazy Sunday afternoon led to a busy Monday. One where I…
Picked more peas before the sun reached them from behind the tree tops
Picked more lettuce before it takes over my carrots
Did some laundry
Swept the last of the dogwood blooms from the deck, spring is gone here, it’s hot.
Shelled those fresh peas
Hiked to the mailbox
Saw the first snake this year
Found my blood pumping fast through my veins…from the brisk walk or the snake?
Find myself listening to music and the dryer
Am washing sheets
Am making the bed
Am folding towels
Had a fight with a wasp in the wren bird house
Find myself thinking of the family who lost someone
Am thinking of the two gone, so young… too young
Am reflecting,
Wondering,
Asking why,
Praying,
And thanking Him

God blesses us all, each and every one of us,

with many blessings, yet some just take

those blessings and live as if there is no God.

What the crap?

My blessings for today include

The sun that came up

The privilege of another day

Breathing

Walking

Doing my chores  *heehee*

Singing birds

Loving my daughter and the one she loves

Food that is plenty

Peace in my heart

I’m stuck on Nicholas Sparks books lately…currently reading True Believer after finishing Nights in Rodanthe which is a great book as well as a movie, each different in their own way; including the ending. I’m looking forward to watching American Idol this week after last week’s shocker elimination. Didn’t see that one coming...but hey America voted and she did lack that bit of "wow" factor!

For those of you who like bloggy give-aways…here’s a great one: Becky from Junk to Joy is having her first give-away with some really fantastic things.  Just click on the link and go visit her.  While you are there, check out her Etsy shop. You will love it. …Ahhh for the love of junk!  Click on this photo:



Life is poetic and graceful

  Enjoy it fully

 And remember to thank the One who gave it to you

Simple Christmas

Christmas is not a holiday, a date on the calendar, or a week off work.

There is no need to get flustered, stressed, and bent-out-of-shape.

Christmas is a feeling...

One down deep inside the heart; an emotion that expresses love and kindness.

It cannot be found in the lights, the tinsel, or in all the hoopla of shopping and running around.

It’s a celebration of a gift that was given to each and every one of us.

It was the best gift that could be given and one that cannot be matched or out done.

It was wrapped in a swaddling wrapping, tied up in a bundle of joy and hope.

It did not cost any amount of money but remains priceless to this day.

It can be opened by anyone just for accepting it and is offered with no expectations only that we share it with others.

We only have to receive it, open our hearts, and let it fill us with its spirit…

The Christmas Spirit.

The love that came in a small package is such a great and simple Christmas pleasure. The simplest of pleasures given and seen and even felt at Christmastime.
As simple as…

A mother’s joyful tear as she watches her child
Colorful twinkling lights that shine in the night
The warmth that removes the winter cold from our hearts
The pure innocence of a little child
Believing without seeing
Homemade gifts, stitched, baked, crafted, loved
The wonder, excitement, and jingle
Carefully thought out Christmas lists and wishes
The unwrapping of love
Aromas that make the heart warm up
The reason for the season
A peace that passes our own understanding
Giving with no expectations
The gift, the ultimate gift

May you find that gift, not under your tree, but in your heart this Christmas!

Christmas Blessings,

Cora

And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled 'till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more. ~ Dr. Seuss



Sharing Something Simple…

I made these yesterday and they are oh so good. Here is my version of:

Southern Breakfast Burritos

1 lb. roll of Jimmy Dean Maple ground sausage

1 med. bell pepper, chopped

1 med onion, chopped

6-8 eggs

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

1 cup of chunky salsa

10-12 8” flour tortillas

1 cup grated pepper jack cheese

Brown the sausage in a non-stick skillet with the onion and bell peppers. Drain and return to skillet. Break eggs in a bowl and scramble with a fork. Add to sausage and cook until fluffy. Add half of the salsa to egg mixture, remove from heat. Roll a large spoon full of egg mixture in each tortilla topping with cheddar cheese before rolling up. Place each into a sprayed baking dish, seam side down. Spread remaining salsa on top along with any left over egg mixture. Top with the pepper jack cheese and bake at 350* until bubbly, approximately 30 minutes. Can be served topped with a dollop of sour cream and slices of avocado, black olives, etc. This recipe can easily be cut in half.

10/30 Today I am grateful for the simple.

The often ignored, overlooked, unseen, and disregarded...like

Weeds that flower, picked by a child

A smile from a stranger and the one that I share with them

Each breath I take

Sprouting seeds bursting the earth, another small miracle

Someone else’s feelings

The air around me that is; without being seen

That giddy feeling that makes me happy inside

Electricity that springs forth at the simple flip of a switch

The giving of time, love, friendship, courtesy, and respect

Natures beauty, if only we would take the time to look at it

Anything captured in the heart

Comments, you know you love them too!

Keep it simple, keep it real....

My Blank Slate

I have nothing…a big blank slate.
My mind is tripping over invisible thoughts.
It has been a week.
Kenny G is whispering out some beautiful calming tunes as I sit here and reflect. Gratitude comes to mind.
The cooler weather is a welcomed change and with it has come the ease of a new season; one of a more relaxed and gentle nature. It is cool and quiet. The mighty One is so good. He has showered many blessings all around.

A bounty of food was spread at church yesterday, everyone enjoying each other’s company at a crowded table full of love. Awesome food, good camaraderie, and desserts to die for…no hurries, no worries...slow and easy.
It was a homecoming…
122 years of praising God. The message was brought from a former member who had grown up in the church. A mere child of God now called to preach His words. Through him we were able to listen and learn how to become mighty men and women for Christ. Through our strength, risk taking, accomplishments, love and passion; we can become that warrior; even though we are sinners.
Strength- I am weak
A risk taker- I am not
Accomplishments- a few, not many, nothing to brag about
Love- some people are just plain hard to love
Passion- some, but not enough.
I admit my faults, I question my heart, I have a lot of work to do...
::::
But for today I am thankful. Thankful for the small unnoticed things that we often take for granted...like milk in the frig, a slice of bread, electricity, and a warm bed. Soap…yes I am thankful for that good ole stuff that keeps me clean! And…

finger licking goodness
:
the dapple playing across written words
:
laughter of playing children
:
lunch with a precious niece
:
curtains flowing ever so gently
:
afternoon slumbers
:
listening to Holly talk and talk and talk and talk and talk
:
snuggles under old worn quilts
:
a slamming screen door
:
that phone call that delivers an answered prayer of good news
:
when I smile and you smile back
:
hand written recipes of Grannie’s
:
oven roasted corn in the shuck
:
sitting on my porch

Well now, how did I do for filling my blank slate? My invisible thoughts turned to real meaningful things around me...simple things really.  ~The ever present beauty of the day. ~Sunshine giving gentle warmth. ~A jovial soul. ~That welcomed phone call from way over that way…all of this and more, brings happy gratitude.

~Thank you dear Lord…

What would you write upon your blank slate?

"Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it."

William Arthur Ward

Got to go buy some milk now…I’m out!

Give Me the Simple Life…..

Of traveling the back roads

Of the taste of homemade strawberry jam on my toast…
Grannie’s homemade muscadine jelly…and cornflakes for breakfast

Of sprouting life from tiny seeds…watching them grow…
and shelling sweet peas that I grew in my little garden…

Of awakening to a cool morning with the songs of birds…
and watching bluebirds build their home; awaiting to see the babies fly

Of long conversations with my child, most of the time about nothing important

Of being able…

slow and easy…

taking in every little detail…

sitting in silence…

unfussy...

Of sweet prayers offered by a kneeling child...
and seeing a child being baptized on Sunday morning

Of reading a good book and living through the characters…
sharing their feelings, experiencing…being there in places I've never been 

Of making memories, one moment at a time…
and remembering them

Of dirt roads, running barefoot, picking blackberries,
reminiscing walks with Granddaddy down that dirt road

Of a tight hug, a touch of a hand, and a kind gentle word

Of …slow…easy…comfortable… uncomplicated … undemanding

"Things are simple, it is us human beings that make it difficult."

~Caprice Bourret

I trust that you will find your simple space, slow down

and appreciate those simple little things…

take it all in…

Breathe…

Take a ride in the country and just experience how simple life can be!

 

Simply Showing January Who's Boss~

Joining Christina for

Simply Heartfelt~Simple love from my heart

 a butter cream sun unfolding my day

:

feeling the wind beneath my wings

:

open windows with spring floating in

:

rain songs

~

sacrifices made

:

warm beach sand reflecting on my face

:

closing my eyes, letting the silence take over

i hear love

experiencing life

while living loud

~

staying up all night just because they came home

laughing till I can’t breathe

because laughter is like sunshine to my ears

^..^ kitty kisses ^..^

~

rainbow colored soap bubbles

:

doodles in the dirt

~@~

love notes

~

soft rain drops on the water

spring painting its new canvas on the earth

:

sweet red and pink vintage valentines

paper cut hearts with pink glitter

~creating art~

the hum of my sewing machine piecing together some love

=========
polka dotted ribbons

-----------
a beautiful scarf hand knitted by her

~

evoo

licking the beaters

homemade pancakes with warm syrup

:

singing praises

pj’s on a cool Sunday afternoon after the heels come off from church

~

completion with a smile

:)

~cute rubber boots in puddles~

threads on wooden spools

+

balls of yarn

~

answers to those questions

?

written words on a page

:

a strong heart

~listening to my heart~

::swoon::

It honestly does not take much to make me happy.

Simple pleasures are all around us; we just have to stop

and “see” them for the first time and then appreciate them.

Keeping it real….and uncomplicated

My Simple Things and 16/30 Days of Gratitude

~My Simple Things~

Making someone smile

The space in-between

The smell of baby’s breath

Purring 

My cupcake printed PJ’s

Holly driving down our drive way

Warm toes/fuzzy socks

...with nuts

Mittens and scarves

Strolling to the mailbox

Old Polaroids 

A fresh clean home

Snow in the south

Holly sleeping in her bed at my house

Tickles and giggles

Homemade

Pixie elves

Hay in a manger

Lemonade on the porch  

600 thread count

Thrifty finds

Children singing

Laughing Cow Cheese

Losing a pound

Shutter clicks

Today

Candles

Seeds sprouting

Vintage Christmas ornaments

Giving of myself

Cotton candy clouds in raspberry blue skies

No cavities

Carrot noses

A warm bath 

The smell of crayons

Jingle bells

Pink

Believing

Paper chain garland

Flannel

The words I love you

My simple things are just that…simple. They are the things that I cherish, thoughts that make me smile; things that make me giddy, things that make me jump for joy at the mere sight of them.
They are often so simple that people over look them or not even notice them at all.

My simple pleasures make me happy. And also these are things that

I am simply grateful for too on this 16/30 Days of Gratitude.

You will find the originator of My Simple Things over at

Christina’s blog~Soul Aperture.  Please go over and visit with her...

you will not be disappointed, I promise!

And here's a list of others like me who are sharing their own Simple Things.

I am truly grateful for My Simple List of Things

 

Side note: I am thankful today that Holly made it back home safely to Louisiana...Praise the Lord!

30 Days of Gratitude