Beauty

 

There is no need to go to India or anywhere else to find peace. You will find that deep place of silence right in your room, your garden or even your bathtub.
 -- Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

Here is beauty captured in a moment.  This rose is just one of the many flowers adorning my garden this time of year.   It brings a sense of stillness and calm when I enter .  My love of gardening comes from my Dad and Grandfather, where tending to our plants were an everyday task.  One that we always looked forward to come spring.  My garden as of late consist of only flowers.  Over the years I replaced vegetables with different colors of beauty.  To me, this rose speaks for itself why.

Tennis Team

The high school tennis team finished up the season with a sports banquet last week.  The team this year went into the playoffs for the first time in the school's history.  They lost out in the second round but everyone was very proud of  how far they went.  With Brian just finishing up as a freshman, we have a few more years of watching him on this team.  He is an excellent player and I for one don't like to be on the other side of the net of him! 

Congratulations Brian!  Can't wait to see you playing in the summer league!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In my deepest thoughts
imagining you near,  
I close my eyes
and like slow motion rain 
you appear before me.
I see your smile
and go to a place that I want to stay....  

If this world revolved around us
with heartaches exiting in the wind,
there would be no room for wondering
just the clearing of the mist.  

I shiver with the thought...  

Mother's Day

A mother is a person who seeing there are only four pieces of pie for five people, promptly announces she never did care for pie.
- Tenneva Jordan

I grew up thinking I was so different from my mother and that I would do things my way when I had gotten older.  I did grow up to do things the way I wanted, as my mother stood by in amazement.  She would always say "Carol does her own thing"! 

Am I different than her?  Yes, but not really. Probably more like her than not.   I think we all come full circle in learning this.

I found myself cleaning up the dishes at my son's apartment the other day to help out and realized I'm just like her!  She would always come and visit and start cleaning my house.  I would take it as "don't I do things right?"  while she's thinking of just relieving my workload.

I see now that I follow her in the important things that really do matter in life.  The unending love and support that she gave us is now passed to my own children through her teaching and example. I have her faith, her strength and her will to help others.  I have her nonstop work till you drop attitude, her always putting her family  in front of herself way of doing things along with the comfort that we felt  just knowing that she would be there no matter what. 

I can finally say "Yes, I'm like my mother, what's wrong with that? "

Happy Mother's Day Mom.  :)

Retreat Weekend

Brian and Kelly went on spring retreat last weekend about 3 hours north from here with 50 other teens from our church.  This was Kelly's last retreat with LifeTeen since she will be graduating this year and it was Brian's first trip.  She has tried many times to get him to go but he always refused.  I think this time changed everything for him as he plans to continue with the youth group in the fall.   

This cross of stained glass was made that weekend for them.  Each teen wrote their name  on the front of a stained glass piece, and also what they struggle with in life on the back.  This was in conjunction with a session group focusing on life's struggles and how they can be overcome.  Kelly and a couple other seniors carried this cross into church for mass when they returned from the trip.  It was beautiful. 

Academic Team

Dan and his Academic Team had their final competition last Saturday.  This group of nine students were picked from over 500 classmates to represent our school at the Academic Bowl.  There were 18 schools participating in this event.  It was exciting to see the students answering questions and trying to win 1st place.  Our team did extremely well, although missed being in the final rounds by just a few points.  But, watch out for next year, we will be back strong and ready to achieve the goal at hand.  Congratulation team!

Simplicity

Everyone should carefully observe which way his heart draws him, and then choose that way with all his strength.
            -- Hasidic Saying  

My favorite flower is the daisy.  These particular ones were given to me last week and they look beautiful on my counter.  Yesterday as we were heading out to dinner, I noticed on the side of the highway that there were thousands of wild daisies.  They too looked beautiful in the sunlight.  There is something about this simple flower that always made me smile for as long as I can remember. 
Let's see now.....he loves me, he loves me not....he loves me  :)

Earth Day

 

 

 

 

This  photo was taken yesterday after a quiet afternoon rain.  It left the flowers crisp with freshness and shining beautifully  in the sun.  It's no wonder why I love to be outside after a rain.  :)

Speaking volumes

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I cannot live without books.
            -- Thomas Jefferson  

They say you are what you read.  I do think you can tell a lot about a person by the books that they acquire and read.  I thought of that they other day as I walked thru my bedroom and scanned my books quickly.  This basket is filled with some recent material that I have read the last few months and  is constantly  replenished as weeks go by.   They consist of  art, religion and inspirational books,  novels,  Einstein's letters, Health, More and National Geographic Magazines, along with one of my favorite books by Mitch Alborn. 
This short list describes my likes and interests.  A quick glance that  speak volumes. 

 

The day we took this picture last  Fall, Dan and I had talked about taking an extended trip with the canoe.   Talk has become reality, for our plans have been made.  In June, he and I are going on a week-long, 110 mile canoe adventure on the Chattahoochee River.  The  starting point is Buford Dam and 7 days later we should be in Franklin.  We will camp along the way with other paddlers who will be making this same trip.  We will leave everyone else at home as he is the only one that has the same interest as I do when it comes to the water.  This  should be a great learning experience for him as well as for myself. 
 I can't wait.  :)

Afternoon Tea

Yesterday, Kelly and I went to Tea Leaves & Thyme for our Friday girl time together. This is a traditional English Afternoon Tea Parlor in the historic downtown Woodstock, GA.    We had their famous scones, tea sandwiches, tea desserts and of course the freshly brewed tea of the day.  It was a nice afternoon spent talking and catching up on what's going on in her life.  This bonding time has become very good for us.  When she goes off to college next fall, I know we will both miss it.  In the meantime, I will enjoy the time we have now and start planning on what we will do next week!

 

You can make those promises with just as much passion the second time around. Such is the regenerative power of the human heart.
  -- Marion Wink  

 

 I found this tulip growing in what I thought was an empty pot from last year.  I had dumped it out in the fall, and what remained was the little bit of dirt that was stuck to the bottom.  Needless to say, a tulip bulb was forgotten in there also.  This container  was thrown in the corner of the yard with other discarded pots.   Of all the beautiful tulips that are in my front yard, I found myself drawn to it and captured this shot.   I thought of the care I gave to the other ones, while this one stood as if saying, I can do this on  my own.   :)

Brian's Birthday

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My third child turned 15 last week.  Brian has grown into a teen that I'm very proud of.  He is thoughtful and bright, humorous and fun to be with.  He is the one that would give the shirt off his back without a blink of an eye and not let anyone know that he did along the way.  He would let you win at something just so you wouldn't feel bad if he thought that you would.   Brian is in the 9th grade and waiting to get his driving learner's permit. He loves to play tennis and is on the court every chance he can get.  I see him growing up faster than I can keep up with!  Where is the time going?!  Happy Birthday Brian.  I love you!

The sand in my shoe

Be master of your petty annoyances and conserve your energies for the big, worthwhile things. It isn't the mountain ahead that wears you out - it's the grain of sand in your shoe.
            -- Robert Service
 

Monday I had my wood floors refinished.  What an ordeal that was.  They were supposed to be here between 9 & 9:30 but didn't show up till after 12:30.  I paced around the house all morning waiting, then paced some more as the sanding was vibrating the house.  I thought that was bad enough until the staining and sealing occured.  I have a  sore throat and lost my voice from the smell of the fumes.  Seems like everyone's throat has been effected but since I was here all day, mine is the worst.  This can't be good for us.  I finally was able to open the windows yesterday because it is nice outside and that helped with the air flow.  Today the second coat will be put on. 
I never thought I would be resurfacing the floor of a fairly new home of 6 years old.  Goes back a month and a half ago when we had one of the bathrooms overflowed upstairs and water ran all night. The water preceded down to the kitchen and then down further to the finished basement. (And no one heard the water running. ??)   Not a good thing.  The wood floor is only one of the repairs that needed to be done.  Thank goodness for insurance!
Now, where are they?  They were supposed to be here at 9:00!

Easter Day

 

We had a nice Easter yesterday even though we were in a tornado watch most of the day!  After Sunday mass, we had a brunch here with a ham that tasted so good.  Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves and I would have to say ate too much chocolate.  Me included!  But, it was all good.  :)

  To will is to select a goal, determine a course of action that will bring one to that goal, and then hold to that action till the goal is reached. The key is action.
            -- Michael Hanson
  It seems as if the days are passing by with a vengeance.  I've had pictures and ideas for posting entries that have sat at the wayside as time slips by.  At the end of the day when all is done, I sit exhausted and writing is the last thing on my mind.  I am a morning person.  I wake at the crack of dawn with bright eyes and an energy that goes strong throughout the day.   My daily morning walk of over 5 miles just feeds that energy even more.  Today being Thursday, changed that schedule.  I had to be on the tennis court with my partner at 9am.  I contemplated walking half of what I do as a warm-up before the match.  I think I should have done that.  Today we lost.  Needless to say  I am also very competitive and that in turn made for a long day after the match.  Tomorrow I will find myself back on the court to work on  reaching my goal.   :)  

Fernbank Museum of Natural History

Daniel and I made a trip over to the  Fernbank Museum in Atlanta during winter break from school.  We went to see the special frog exhibit.  They have over a 100 live frogs from around the world in life-like habitats. 

 

 

This slimy green looking one is a Chinese Gliding tree frog.  They have webbed feet that help them jump through the air and then stick to trees with their adhesive toe pads.  To me they sort of looked like frogs made out of silly putty!   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This colorful creature is a Poison Dart frog.  The secretions are so dangerous that they are used in Columbia to coat  blow darts that are used to tranquilize prey.  These were my favorite of the exhibit because they were just so beautiful to look at.  Most of the frogs  blend into their habitat to survive.  These frogs seem to be saying  "I'm here,you want a piece of me?"  lol

 

Can't leave out the American bullfrog.  :)  I remember as a child going camping and catching these frogs.  One time in particular, I attached  a string to the back leg of a bullfrog  and walked it around like it was one of my pets.  Needless to say I wasn't allowed to take it home!  

 We also went to the IMAX showing of "Bugs, A Rainforest Adventure" and enjoyed that.   I'm feeling the urge to visit a rainforest on the next vacation!  :)  

 

 

This was a fun day for Daniel and I.  We both left the museum  wanting to own a frog to go along with the turtles and fish we already have at home.  Now, where's that string?  lol

 

 

 "If I could just see him, I could change his mind.  Even though he loves me, he can't give up his calling, he says.  All this time, I've known I wasn't a match for God.  Now God's making sure I pay for daring to think I could be."             The Sunday Wife - Cassandra King  

Our book for this month's reading club was The Sunday Wife by Cassandra King.  I enjoyed this novel with all it's different characters and was engrossed in reading  how their lives intertwined.  It was a witty, skillfully written novel that quickly became one that I would recommend.  It showed how destructive addictive love can be and left messages that we all could learn from. This novel made for a long and interesting discussion at the meeting. 
Oh, and the social part of the night was fun also.  :)

Snow in Hotlanta

Slow down and enjoy life. It's not only the scenery you miss by going too fast - you also miss the sense of where you are going and why.
Eddie Cantor
 

I awoke to a dusting of snow here in Atlanta.  Being a northerner and missing the snow, I ventured out on my early daily walk and took in the beauty of the flakes falling from the sky.   It's not the snow our family up north are getting(or my friends in Salem:), but it's unusual here and I'll take it.  All bundled up and smiling, I returned home with rosy cheeks and in a great mood.  
 What a way to start my busy day.  :)

Alpine Helen, White County GA

We took a ride about 2 hours north last week to go hiking.  We fell upon this unique alpine village nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains on the  Chattahoochee River.  This little tourist trap in the middle of nowhere was filled with people.  They had German restaurants,  wineries and many specialty shops along with the "alpine look" of the buildings and hotels.   I made a few purchases in the homemade candle store and the Nora Mill Granary that had stone ground whole grains.  We did the wine tasting at the Habersham Winery and visited the Nacoochee Village Antique Mall.  It was a nice little discovery for us on our way to the trails.