Love deeply. Laugh. Cry. Talk to God. Be realistic about the to-do list. Stay in touch. Hug. Dream. Smile. Break Bread often with Family. Spend Time with your Girlfriends. Shop til you Drop! Extend Grace. Be Quick to Forgive and Slow to Anger. Walk. Breathe. Sing. Dance. Read. Eat Chocolate. Savor a Good Glass of Wine. Wiggle your Toes. Sleep well. Life is Good!

Sunday, August 16, 2015

Projects! And more Projects!!





As if I don't have enough projects in progress or standing by!
I brought the baby home last week!
It's not for the Grand Darlins'!   It's for me!!  Eeeeeek!


Virginia's Kellers' Farmhouse!

I know!!   I know!!!

My wheels are turnin'!  
My Pinterest Board is blowin' up!
Makin' a list!   Checkin' it twice!!

Got windows to change and doors to add.
Gotta add some walls for a bathroom and a utility room!
Considering an addition already!
I mean ... seriously ...  gotta consider:  art studio,
gardening, canning, Grand Darlins' playroom,  etc. etc.!!  
Stay tuned as work progresses!!!




In other news .....

We returned about a week ago from the annual 
Young Living International Grand Convention!
Holy Smokes!!!   New products released!!  
Awesome speakers!!  Texas BB!!  Win!  Win!
I'll post later this week about the new products!!  






                                                                     Big Hugs, Y'all!!



Thursday, July 2, 2015

KMc!! You always leave me droolin'!!






My dear friend, Karen, is a cook extraordinaire!! 
She posts the most wonderful looking food on Facebook!
I wish I could just reach into the screen and gobble away!!
I have a file folder saved on my computer just for her recipes!!
This is one of my faves!  Perfect for sweet or savory fillings!!

~

Basic Flaky Pie Crust
(single crust)
1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) cold sweet cream butter
(cut into 1/2" pieces)
1/4 cup ice cold water
In a food processor, pulse the flour and salt to combine. 
Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal,
with a few pea size bits of butter remaining.
Sprinkle with 2 Tablespoons ice water and
pulse until dough is crumbly but holds together when squeezed
(If necessary, add up to 2 Tablespoons more water, 1 T at a time).
Form dough into a 1" thick circle and begin to roll to fit your pan.
If dough is warm, tightly wrap in plastic and refrigerate til firm, 
one hour (or up to three days).
Place on floured surface and roll to fit pan.

Fill and bake as directed for the filling.

If your recipe is a no-bake pie, pre-bake 
the crust for ten minutes at 350 degrees.





This delicious crust hosted an out-of-this-world Tomato Pie!






Tomato Pie Recipe and Photo Credit:  Key Ingredient


It's also hosted fruit pies and a chicken pot pie!!
I've also used the same recipe for fried fruit pies!








Friday, April 10, 2015

Sweet Lilly

I haven't reverted back to my 'will I ever post again' self!
Been up to my eyeballs in baby-love!!
Our third granddaughter was born a month ago today!!

Meet Lillian Frances Johnson!

Lilly-Bug weighed in at 8# 6.6 oz and 21" long!

{sigh}










Wednesday, March 11, 2015

Success



To laugh often and much;
to win the respect of intelligent people
and the affection of children;
to earn the appreciation of honest critics
and endure the betrayal of false friends;
to appreciate beauty;
to find the best in others;
to leave the world a bit better,
whether by a healthy child,
a garden patch,
or a redeemed social condition;
to know even one life has breathed easier
because you have lived.
This is to have succeeded.

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson ~




Sunday, March 8, 2015

The Bucket List





Do you have one?   I'll be 55 this year and I'd never made a Bucket List.  I suppose it's because I never thought I'd have the time to do those things I'd put on the list while our girls were growing up.  And I further delayed it because I want to be present and available in the lives of our grandchildren.   During some late night reading I came across the suggestion to start a list of what I want my life to look like in five years.  At first I thought ... Why?  What on earth is there I'd still like to do?  I mean .. all I ever wanted to be was a wife and mother ... and have a garden and chickens like my grandparents had when I was growing up; to be the woman behind that awesome guy; to raise children that would honor their parents and their future spouses and raise children of their own ~ our grandchildren.  Then, I considered the things I'd still like to learn how to do; the places I'd still like to visit; the people I'd still like to meet.  And, Voila!   My list was beginning to form.  I was blown away as I started writing the first things that came to my head ... things that I remembered having said at one time or another that I'd like to one day do, accomplish or learn ... and still haven't.

This morning, while watching the news, I remembered the list and picked it up.  There are 109 things on that list.  One Hundred and Nine.  I wrote that list near midnight last night over a half hour period.   There is nothing on there about being famous or recognized for this and that.  Probably the most lofty thing is to ride in a hot air balloon.  Ya know what?   I've never had the desire to ride in a hot air balloon.  Or at least, I never thought I did because of my gut wrenching fear of heights.  But, it came to the forefront of my mind, so it went on the list.  That list entertains ideas such as 'run a marathon' ... a goal I likely won't accomplish (barring an orthopedic miracle), but it's there, nonetheless, because it came to mind when I considered first 'where I don't want to be in twenty years' .... I don't want to be in a nursing home, unable to walk or do for myself.  So the opposite was, of course, run a marathon!

I've always been a list maker, but a written Bucket List was never something I wanted to do, because  ... well, I had responsibilities.  It seemed selfish to want to do things my family wasn't included in or had the same aspirations for.  Well, if they want to bungee jump or ride roller coasters, who am I to stand in their way?   I'll be right there cheering them on and fervently praying.   Note:  Neither of those activities are on MY list!  So, getting on with it ... whether it be real or virtual, onward march!  If I live to be 104, I figure I still have a little over 49 years left to mark some things off this new list of mine: part To Do List, part goals, part dreams!

  What are you waiting for?  Grab a pencil and paper and write down at least five things you want to do before you draw your last breath ~ or call it 'What I want my life to be like ten years from now' or just make up a title !!!  Do it now!  Even if the list has to start with things you've already accomplished ... Begin!



                                                                                                Learn to swim  
                 East Coast Road Trip              Milk a cow      
                                                                                                                         Make
                 publish a book          Learn French        Sushi
      Visit all 50 states                Knit a pair of socks

            live           Spend a month in Europe        Make Cheese           
           in the                                  Open a homeless shelter
           country        travel first class                Ride a horse
                   use a chainsaw
         Run a marathon   Raise Chickens & goats  




Visualize what your life would look like if nothing stood in the your way.   It's not enough to have a vision in your head ....   It's not enough to have some vague semblance or hazy daydream of what you'd like to accomplish someday.  You have to actually take the time - whether it be five minutes or five hours - to write it down.  Taking the time to write down your vision of the future not only forces you to self-evaluate and to decide what is most important, but it also motivates you to act on those dreams.  Writing them down makes them real.  And once they are real, you can't ignore them.
Ruth Soukup ~ Living Well Spending Less



Wednesday, February 25, 2015

Catching up ...



Holy Smokes!   I've been gone THAT long?   
It's been over 18 months since I've posted!  Dang!
I'm gonna share some photo moments to catch y'all up!
And, then we'll move forward!!   Geesh!!  18 months?!!
#mylifeisablur  ~  #ouryearinpictures



Keller turned Four 7/13!!






2013 Garden!






Harper turned One 10/13!!





There were a few canning projects in 2013!







Small Child got married December 6, 2013!
(pssssst .... Caroline came 'home' for the wedding!
)










~ 2014 ~

Keller Bug got her own garden!!



... and she lost a lot of teeth last year!





Easter Celebration!!





April 2014 .... Darius Rucker (aka Hootie) Concert!!






Keller turned Five 7/14!









Big announcement 7/14!!








Gardening 2014 ... right on thru the winter!










My Summer Helper!!







Summer Fun!









I joined the Dauphin Island Art Gallery this year!









Harper turned Two 10/14!!






Holidays!






Keller and I spent several days creating this Gingerbread Village!




Soooooo Big!!




~ 2015 ~


We took on a new camp project - The Gila House Re-Do!




and a few Island sunsets!




Day at the Camp aka Little River Luxury Lodge ....  the lil' huntress! 2/2015





and while they were hunting .....

Jen and I were attending a conference in Nashville!
Yes!  Young Living!  No comparison!

Remember all those previous posts?
Insomnia (15+ years, hormonal issues,  anemia,  etc. etc. etc.)
Well .....  guess what?!!  We've been using Young Living essential oils 
for a year now and I've rid myself of all prescriptions 
except my thyroid med ... working on that one!











There were lots of other fun times and fillers with friends and neighbors and extended family!

including a family reunion ...




And that pretty much brings me to the present ...

Lindsay and Isaac are awaiting a closing date for their first home!
They are also expecting Lilly to arrive anytime!!
Jen and Tyler will soon be celebrating TEN years of marriage!!
Keller will be graduating from Kindergarten in the next few months!
And Harper just gets cuter everyday!!




~