My grandchildren

We had the family over for pizza last night. Getting four active children to sit still long enough for a photo is one of the hardest things a grandmother ever has to do. I can't believe I got them to land long enough for a picture. Even more amazing, they are all smiling ... even if some smiles are distracted and some are forced.

Caleb and Shelby

Garret and Alexis

This one just says "We're up to no good." The oldest grandchild and the youngest grandchild.

Mamaw's girls.

Thank God for wonderful grandchildren.

Happy thoughts for the day

There are many things that can produce happy thoughts. Thoughts of loved ones, the excitement of being in love, holding a new born baby, visiting with children and grandchildren.

But there are words that can produce happy thoughts. Simply by saying them or thinking them, you can feel a sense of peace and contentment. These are my favorite top 5 "happy thought" words (in no particular order):

FAITH

HOPE

LOVE

MERCY

GRACE

So my wish for each of you today is

That you will LOVE the Lord with all your heart

That your life is filled with HOPE

That your FAITH will strengthen you

That you seek God's MERCY in all that you do

And that His GRACE is sufficient for you

May you each and everyone have a blessed day doing what you enjoy.

Carpe diem

Carpe diem. Latin for Carpe(imperative mood of "Carpere") =seize Diem (accusative case of "Dies.Diei")=the day, the present, the moment. I wish I would have thought of this earlier today. I spent the morning going to yard sales with my dear friends, Sherrie and Clara. We went to one at a church close to my house. They had some awesome deals. There was this beautiful table. It was long and slender, the kind you would put in an entrance way or behind a sofa. It had two small drawers and was in excellent condition. The price? $10.00. To back up, I need to tell you that the last time I bought new furniture home, Hubby said that we couldn't fit one more piece of furniture in the house. So I stood there with Sherrie trying to figure where in the world I could put it. One of the ladies from the church was helping us with ideas. We could not come up with anywhere it would fit. I was heartbroken, but at the same time wasn't sure I should bring home more furniture. So I walked inside to look around. It wasn't 5 minutes later, somebody bought it. Well, I'm home now and telling hubby the story about the beautiful table for only $10 and what does he say? "You should have bought it. We could have put it over there and pointed to a perfect place that I had not even thought about. I was so mad at myself. So the moral to my story is seize the moment. When you find that perfect deal....BUY IT. If I hadn't found a place to put it I could have given it to somebody else. I am sitting here kicking myself. I am not one to contemplate items when I shop. I know my budget and if I see what I want and it's at a good price. I buy it. I don't know what was wrong with me this morning. I know one thing, from now on, I will seize the moment before the deal gets away from me.

The Carousel Horse

I am getting things gathered up for our annual yard sale in May. As I go through the house cleaning, I find myself looking at doodads and knick knacks, thinking "I really don't need that. I never use it" or "I'm tired of looking at that."

I pick it up to put it in the yard sale box only to hold it in my hand and fondly remember where it came from and what it means to me. So it goes back on the shelf to collect dust for another day.

I have always been a huge fan of carousels. We went to Camden Park in West Virginia just about every summer when I was a little girl. I loved the carousel horses with all their gloss and shine. The vivid colors drew me as did the music coming from the ride.

About 25 years ago, I decided to collect carousel horses. As time went on, I grew out of that collectible phase. I didn't have a lot and I would occasionally put one in the yard sale. I have one left. And it was the first one that was given to me as a gift.

My mother got it for me for my birthday that year. I fell in love with it. It is a music box and rocks back and forth when it plays. Over the years, I have thought many times that it doesn't go with any of my current decor. I moved it from shelf to shelf over the years trying to find a place where it would be displayed prominently.

Now, I know my mother or any mother doesn't expect their child to keep everything they ever buy them. But I remember Mom's joy when she presented me with this newest addition to my collection.

As I sat here last night, trying to decide if it was time to just put it in the yard sale, I could picture Mom handing it to me with such delight on her face as I unwrapped. Then other pictures started to emerge.

I remembered when we built our house, putting it in a position of honor in my brand new bookshelves in my brand new house.

I remembered Garret spotting it when he was about 2 and wanting to see it. I would wind it for him and he would sit and raptly watch it and listen to it's lyrical sounds.

I remembered Caleb coming along and how he would go get it off the shelf and bring it to me and say "Wind it Mamaw".

I remembered Alexis discovering it and getting it off the shelf and bringing it to me. I remember the sweet smile on her precious face as she would sit and watch it rock and I would have to wind it over and over again.

I remembered Caleb and Alexis getting it down and winding it and saying "Shelby, watch."

I remembered Shelby standing their with binky in her mouth quietly absorbed in the sweet sounds and gentle rocks of the carousel horse.

Just as recently as Christmas eve when they were all over and the excitement of Christmas was upon them. I remembered standing in the door way and Alexis asking Caleb to wind the horse. He so gently got it down and carefully wound it up.

I remember all four of them for those few brief moments, stopping to watch it as it rocked back and forth.

So is it time to part with it? I think not. Too many wonderful memories go with this sweet carousel horse that I had resigned to a shelf that holds knick knacks I don't know where else to put.

With a precious new grandbaby on the way, how can I part with something that gives my grandchildren such joy and deprive our new one from delighting in it.

I think we will be finding a new place to display this great horse in all her splendor. I think she will be with our family for generations to come.

Inspiration

Do you have people in your life that motivate you to do more, be more and strive for more? I have a dear friend who is like that. She is such an inspiration to me. She is actually the one who even got me inspired to blog. Most people start their day with the morning paper. I start my morning by reading her blog. It is a mixture of spiritual and inspiring stories. (You should check it out...http://jeremiah-2911.com) She recently re-organized her craft room. Now it's gotten me into the mood to re-organize my room that I like to call the "craft-office-library-den-guest" room. Therein lies my problem. What to do in a room that has so many purposes. Currently, I have one wall that is my desk and file cabinet for my office. The other wall is my 3 piece book shelf unit that holds my collectibles (Emmett Kelly, teapots, beach stuff) and all my books (over 200 books, ergo the Library Room). Another wall has a couch that folds out into a queen size bed and a couple of slender dressers used to store some of my craft supplies. The other wall is a full closet which holds more crafts, excess storage and seasonal clothing. And anything else we can't find anyplace to store it. I have a 5' folding craft table that I store behind the door and get out when I'm going to craft. I have 2 medium and 2 small stackable wicker square trunks that sit in the corner. So, as you can see, I'm limited on rearranging. I would welcome any feedback. I may even have to "borrow" Debbie's organizational skills and get some help on this one. Deb...I'm so happy with the look of your new room. You inspire me.

National Park Week

April 17th - 25th, 2010 is National Park Week. Take time to enjoy the splendor of our Great Smoky Mountains. They have special events planned all week. You can find them listed at http://www.nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/events.htm. Living in our beautiful mountains, many of us become so conditioned to the day to day living that we fail to stop and enjoy their magnificent beauty.

We complain about the traffic, the tourists and the constant road work. But do we even realize how blessed we are to live in the foothills of such beautiful mountains.

When you come here on vacation, you have plenty of time to the explore natures beauty. But living here, our day to day lives get in the way. Many of us have views of the mountains, but don't always take the time to just sit and admire their grandeur.

The next time you are stuck in traffic, don't strum your fingers on the steering wheel impatiently. Take a moment instead to look up ahead and look at the gently rolling hills of our majestic mountains. They are the one constant in times of trouble and change. Enjoy the beauty and peace they bring to our visitors. People spend millions of dollars coming here yearly to enjoy what we have daily for free.

What color is my car?

My car is one of those odd shades that nobody knows what to call it. The official color is called bronze, but it doesn't look anything like any bronze I've ever seen. Some friends think it is a coppery brown. I have never been able to figure it out.

Right now...It is yellow. You guessed it, I have been pollinated. I am so over the yellow stuff all over everything. It was beautiful Sunday and I decided to eat lunch out on my patio. Well, first the chairs were dusty so I was going to have to wipe them down good before I dared sit in one. Next, the glass table top was a layer of yellow so it was going to have to be washed and dried (probably more than once) before I would even consider eating on it. I went to open the umbrella and just touched the tab to unfold it got pollen on my hands.

But when the white fluffy stuff started flying by from the poplar trees, I gave up. By the time I would have gotten everything clean enough to go out their, the sun would have been down and I would have been famished.

Not to mention the yellow I clean off would be replaced with poplar fluff. I give up. I'll eat outside in July.