Home

"Home. The word circled comfortably in my mouth like bubble gum, swished around sweetly soft and satisfying. Home. Try saying it aloud to yourself. Home. Isn’t it like taking a bite of something lovely? If only we could eat words."
Sol Luckman

Me and my trusty Sony Cybershot!

The Lady Bankston Roses are just beginning to bloom. Soon we will have a riot of happy yellow blossoms, cascading over the fences and climbing the trees. Stay tuned...

Places of the Heart

Those of you that know me, have heard me talk about the lakehouse through the years. Some of you have been there. It is one of those places of the heart. It is where my husband took me one week after we met, where I grew to love his family, where I learned about "Yucca", where our children spent many a vacation swimming, riding the banana boat and playing "hide and seek" after dark, where I would sit at sunrise and watch the morning awaken, where I would float on rubber rafts and windsurfers, where I spent many an hour in the kitchen surrounded by women of the family and family friends, where I played lots of games around the kitchen table, where I learned to water-ski, where I learned that "debate" doesn't mean "argument" and where I would sit on that bench(or the one that preceeded it) and watch the children swim, the ducks float by, my husband windsurf or ski and sometimes just "chill". Most recently, it is where I celebrated my 23rd anniversary.

The lakehouse is part of who I am. Thank you Pat and Ken for providing this place of joy for family and friends! Thank you John, for making me a part of the family!

Unexpected Guests!

A couple of nights ago, Christy spotted three peacocks near the creek that runs behind our house. The next morning they landed in our back yard, where they hung out most of the day...even coming up onto the backporch and perching on the tables! I enticed this one for a closeup by tossing him a Cheez-it. We don't know where these peacocks came from but we certainly enjoyed their visit!

Happy 23rd Anniversary

to us!

Waking Up

to snow! I guess the groundhog was right.

"Sticks and stones will break our bones, but words will break our hearts."
Robert Fulghum

Devotion

Nathan...
and the band, taking a break from practice.
(photos courtesy of my husband)

Blossoming...

"Life without love is like a tree without blossoms or fruit."
Kahlil Gibran

Dining & Dancing

John and Nicole in her room at UT...the twinkle lights add to the cozy atmosphere. We took Nicole to dinner and enjoyed visiting and laughing with her. We even talked her into going ballroom dancing with us, for a little while. Good memories!

Our Tulip Tree

"Love proves itself by deeds, so how am I to show my love? Great deeds are forbidden me. The only way I can prove my love is by scattering flowers and these flowers are every little sacrifice, every glance and word, and the doing of the least actions for love."
St. Therese de Lisieux

Generous Hearts

I ran into a friend today and she asked how my life was going. I shared a bit...we spent some time talking, crying and rejoicing together. My friend asked if I owned an IPOD, as she uses hers to listen to encouraging talks and sermons. I said I didn't have one. We parted. A couple of hours later she calls to see if I could meet with her for a few minutes. We meet and she hands me two IPODS saying, "One is for you and the other for your husband." In less than 2 hours she had purchased the IPODS and downloaded a study on Daniel because she hoped the study would encourage us. I was speechless for a few seconds. Then I started crying and said, "Jill this is too much. You are so generous. How did you do this so quickly?" She said, "Susan I was so happy and excited to do this for you...please be blessed."

I am blessed beyond measure by all the generous hearts in my life. So many of you have given monetarily, emotionally, physically and in so many ways to me and mine. Thank you for your generosity. You inspire me!

"The rose is fairest when 'tis budding new,
And hope is brightest when it dawns from fears."
Sir Walter Scott

"Victor Frankl's Man's Search For Meaning is one of the great books of our time. Typically, if a book has one passage, one idea with the power to change a person's life, that alone justifies reading it, rereading it, and finding room for it on one's shelves. This book has several such passages."
Harold Kushner

"I swear I will not dishonor
my soul with hatred,
but offer myself humbly
as a guardian of nature,
as a healer of misery,
as a messenger of wonder,
as an architect of peace."
School Prayer by Dianne Ackerman

Randomness

Nothing better than contemplating life from this vantage point. I remember doing the same thing when I was Christy's age.
We had a bumper crop of pecans this year....the squirrels are happy!
The lyrics to this song pretty much say it all for me.

"The reason birds can fly and we can't is simply that they have perfect faith, for to have faith is to have wings." -- Sir James Matthew Barrie

"Don't ever take a fence down until you know why it was put up."
Robert Frost

Salsa Verde

12 fresh jalapenos, seeded and diced
1/2 large onion, diced and sauteed in oil till light brown
2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
Blend jalapenos, garlic and 2 tbsp. water until creamy. Add to onions and stir. Salt to taste. Cool salsa. Serve with chips and fritos. ENJOY!

"If there is a sin against life, it consists perhaps not so much in despairing of life as in hoping for another life and in eluding the implacable grandeur of this life."
Albert Camus

Happy Birthday Nicole!

You have brought us twenty years of joy!!! Thank you for being you.

Cheers...

to Yank, Melanie, Me and John!

I Spy...

a handsome guy!

“Playing chess is like looking out over a limitless ocean;
playing checkers is like looking into a bottomless well.”
Dr. Marian Tinsley

"Reflect upon your present blessings - of which every man has many - not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some."
Charles Dickens

Angel Spots

I think there is a book out about how those little spots in your photos are really angels or something like that...sounds a lot better than dirty spots on the camera lens. lol

Sushi, Anyone?

Nicole spent a couple of hours slicing salmon, avocado and cucumber, as well as preparing sticky rice for these lovely sushi delights!

Hubby and I, as well as 15 other couples, are taking jitterbug dance lessons at IN THE MOOD BALLROOM. Talk about fun!! Before class, I snapped this shot of the outside of the building. If you want to see the gorgeous dance floor and learn about the couple that remodeled this historic building, go HERE.

Life Is A Duet

My husband and I recently learned the duet version of "All I Ask Of You" and have had a lot of fun playing together. I am trying to figure out a way...as in find the moola...for hubby and I to get to New York to see the play, "Life Is A Duet". You can read about it here.

Adventure!

Sorry for the blurriness but the photo was taken at 5:40AM and I had been up since 4AM and it is Ana's first solo flight across the country and I am her Mom. That should explain the burriness. haha This morning Ana headed out for 7 days of fun in Seattle! Break a leg, Ana...no I take that back. Don't break a leg...just have a great time!!

Time Flies

Amazingly, it's been a year since I started this photoblog. A year full of joy and sorrow, highs and lows and lots of pictures! What an experience it has been to try and capture my little corner of the world for you and to share a bit of my heart...by photographing the people, places and things I hold dear! I have so enjoyed viewing my fellow bloggers photography and can honestly say I know each of you better because of it.

I intend to continue photoblogging for a while yet but wanted to stop and say THANKS! to all who have commented or visited my little corner of the world this past year.