Closing the Door on 2017

At the risk of sounding redundant, I just can't help but say it again...

...you probably already guessed it.

Where did this year go?

I just don't ever remember time flying by as quickly as it does now. 

I guess it's God's way of letting us know that we're getting ---o--l--ol---d---OLD...
...there, I said it!

But this will be my mantra until the day I die...

or how about...



And then there's always this truth...

How would YOU answer this question?

How old would you be if you didn't know how old you were?
~Satchel Paige
I'll have to ponder that one for a bit. 😉
~
As I look back on my posts from this year,
it would seem that most of them were in the format of a hodgepodge.
Like it or not, I really try to make them as newsy as possible...or maybe you haven't noticed :)
But scattered among the usual trials and blessings that any new year brings,
2017 brought about more much needed updates to our home, some sweet surprises,
a milestone or two and the heartache of losing a beloved family member.
~
We began the year by having the whole house turned upside down by getting new floors...

...springtime brought about an opportunity to meet a sweet blog friend, Deborah...



...our oldest grandson, Dacey, graduated from high school in June...

...Jim earned his red, white and blue card by turning 65 in July...

...and late this summer my oldest brother Bob, lost his battle with cancer.



As you know, plans were put in motion for our upcoming retirement and move to TN.
The thought of that seems to have taken my brain captive on most days even though I try not to let it.
I've said before...we can have our plans but ultimately, it must be in alignment with God's.
So far, no doors have slammed shut so we continue to move forward.
~
As I was taking down the Christmas decorations yesterday,
it became more real that it would most likely be the last time I would be doing that here.
I specifically sought out the mini tree that I had among my other decorations,
anticipating that would most likely it would be the only tree I would have room for next year.

So here we were are...New Years Eve, 2017.
Whatever God has in store is yet to be seen but of this I know...
...2018 will most likely be a very HECTIC INTERESTING year!
~
I want to take this opportunity to thank you all for your love and support throughout the year
and that 2018 brings you many wonderful blessings!

The Year That Was

"Time is the most undefinable yet paradoxical of things;

the past is gone, the future is not come,

and the present becomes the past even while we attempt to define it,

and, like the flash of lightning, at once exists and expires."

~Charles Caleb Colton  

2016...the year that was.

How can this be?

When I was young, just the thought of putting a '20' in front of the year seemed like science fiction...

...and now here we are, seventeen years into it!

Every year I ask myself how in the world did this year fly by so quickly...

and every year the answer is the same.
It. Just. Did.
~
"Time is nature's way to keep everything from happening at once."
~Ray Cummings
~
I have started this post about five or six times,
Then I decided I wasn't going to post at all because I was running out of time.
Then I decided I would just forego all the of the photos and and links for the re-hash of 2016.
That's where I left it.

Yes, in 2016 there were vacations, family gatherings, the addition of a new fur baby,
a girl's weekend getaway at the beach, holidays to celebrate and many, many photo ops.
But I don't even have the words to express how grateful I am for the changes that 2016 brought.
Prayers that had been prayed for many, many years have been and are still being answered.
Everything else that happened in our family pales in comparison to that one big thing.
Of course, that one big thing is Aaron's sobriety.

~

I want to thank each and every one of you that have prayed for him, for me and my family.
And thank you for reading my posts and continuing to support me.
You guys are the best!
~
Oh...and this wonderful old watch...

...this one that you have seen throughout my blog since the beginning...

...well, it is finally with it's rightful owner.
Aaron was next in line to have this watch and then to pass down to his first born one day.
We have been safekeeping it for many years, as I'm sure you certainly understand why.

A week ago on Christmas Day, Jim gave the watch to Aaron.

It was time...no pun intended. (well, maybe)

Although this is a wonderful thing, I'm going to miss it!
I really have enjoyed taking photos of it in different surroundings.
~
The bad news is time flies. The good news is you're the pilot.      
~Michael Althsuler
~
So my friends, another year has come and gone and although I say this every year,
I hope to make 2017 the best year yet!
Hey, if I can improve one just one thing, it will be better than the last!
It is my prayer that each of you have your best year as well.

♥♥ May God richly bless you in 2017! ♥♥



Much love and hugs,

Looking Back: Reflections of 2015

Wait...wasn't it just a few months ago that I was writing a re-cap of 2014??

I have stopped trying to figure out how time flies by so quickly.

All I know is this...

...there are the same amount of hours and days as there were last year and years before that.

We just seem to get so busy, don't we?

January found me starting over, as usual and craving a fresh new beginning for the fresh new year.

I don't know when I've ever started a new year without making a resolution of some kind...

...although I have to admit keeping them is usually quite a different story :(

I'm still working on that.

~

February took us to Tennessee for a week to care for those sweet youngins,

 as their mom and dad went off on a cruise to celebrate their 10th anniversary...

...and a little DIY project was completed as a surprise for them on returning home.

~

March came in like a lion, blessing us with a beautiful blanket of snow.

There you would find me tromping through the yard, carrying my camera and a vase of flowers...

...you know the rest :) 

And as predicted, it went out like a lamb as we flew to San Destin, Florida,

  a birthday surprise for Jim's older sister for her 75th birthday.

Sadly, we lost our precious Hunter the day before we were to leave.

Needless to say, we began our trip with heavy hearts.

April brought a special delivery as I was blessed to receive one of Stephanie's lovely giveaways

and spring arrived in all of it's splendor and the many photo ops that accompany it.

I also reconnected with an old friend from junior high on facebook...

...she actually had the other half of these photo booth pictures!

~

In May, I finally got up the nerve (and energy) to paint my kitchen cabinets...whew!

I was quite proud and relieved at the same time that I didn't make a big mess out of them!

~

And the month of June found me traipsing through the fields of thistle 

and dreaming of fried green tomatoes :)

Home improvement was the name of the game as July descended upon us...

...and it is to this day, still a work in not-so-much progress.

Don't even get me started on this subject :(

~

In July we returned to our Old Kentucky Home and then on to Ohio for my family reunion.

It was a joy to see all of my siblings and meet up with an old friend from childhood!

~

The old glider got a facelift in August and our brown house became red...with a new front porch.

And of course, I found a few moments to chase a butterfly or two.

~

I turned another year older in September and spent some time on the road less traveled,

thanking the Lord along the way for his goodness, grace and mercy...

...and for the many other gifts he has given to me.

And then it was October...aahh...my favorite month of the year...

...and time for some yummy soup after a long, hot summer.

 I also participated in Stephanie's tea cup exchange for the first time and it was so much fun.

~

When I think of November, this is what comes to mind...

...from brokenness to blessed.

God is so good.

~

El Niño has created many strange weather patterns for us this December

and Christmas Day was unbelievably warm...almost hot.

And speaking of hot, we did a good job of keeping the roads hot as well...

...celebrating a family Christmas on the run!

~

The Lord has certainly had his hand on my family in 2015

and there just really aren't enough words to express my gratitude.

I do want to say thank you to any and all who read my simple words.

Your expressions of encouragement and kindness fill my heart

and I am blessed to "know" each and every one of you!

~

It is my prayer that your 2016 will be filled with God's love, peace and grace.

Happy New Year, friends!

Gee, ain't it funny how time slips away?...a look back at 2014

I'm not even going to ask the question.

I already know the answer but I don't quite understand how it happens.

OK...you talked me into it...I'll ask it:

"WHERE IN THE WORLD DID 2014 GO IN SUCH A HURRY??!!"

I mean seriously!

I don't know that I ever remember a year passing by as quickly as this one has...

...and I have heard many others saying the same thing.

~ 

How does this strange phenomenon happen?

We all know that there were 365 days in every other year just as there were in 2014.

I knew I could probably rack my brain for eternity and never figure it out,

so I did the next best thing...I Googled it...

...and I wasn't so sure that I liked the answer that I got.

 ~

Without getting into the details, because my simple brain just doesn't understand them,

every site that came up basically sang the same song...

...it seems to have something to do with us me getting...older...

...okay...OLD...there, I said it!

An then it hit me...it must be because I turned 60 this year...lol!

 ~

So, now that I got that out of the way, let me share with you some highlights of my speedy 2014...
...if you care to indulge me.

I'll be following the lead of several others by summing it all up with mosaics.

~

 So the winter months of 2014 were highlighted by the anticipation of snow...

...and once we got a small taste of it...literally,
I then found myself  swiftly searching for the signs of spring!
And speaking of spring, we gathered at the cabin in March for a combo holiday with the TN bunch.
While the folks here in NC were suffering major power outages due to Ice Storm Ulysses,
we were playing in about 8 inches of snow!

The summer months were all about us enjoying the outdoors.
A trip to Nashville and a much anticipated visit to Carolina Beach with the grandsons...
...and also enjoying the cabin in Fancy Gap all the more...

...knowing that our times there would sadly be coming to an end soon,
and they did just that at the end of September.
~
The arrival of fall always excites me, as I know it does you...



...the colors, the smells, that chill in the air...we all just LOVE it, don't we?
~
That brings us to the much anticipated Christmastime...
..which is always so full of activity that it should have it's very own season!

Here are a few glimpses of our Christmas near Nashville with Adam and his sweet family.
They were able to move into their new home just a few days before.

Although it was quite muddy due to rain and the new construction,
it didn't hinder us one bit from riding the Gator through the mountain trails!
Jim and I are looking forward to many things in 2015, one being able to return here in February.
 We will be caring for Parker and Olivia while Mom and Dad enjoy a ten year anniversary getaway!
This place is a photographer's dream and I hope to get some great shots :)
~
So, these are just a few highlights from my 2014.
I have been thoroughly blessed by so many of your posts this past year
and feel doubly blessed by your friendship and encouragement!

I pray that 2015 is your best year yet!
God Bless you all!

I'm sharing on Judith's Mosaic Monday



2013: Looking Back at my Blessings

As some of you know, I am pretty much a newbie at this blogging stuff. Back in June, after being inspired by so many great blogs that I had been reading, I decided to try my hand at it—a way of sharing some of my photos and thoughts.

In January of 2013...almost exactly one year ago, I had my eyes opened...literally...after having early onset and fast growing cataracts removed from both my eyes. My vision was already quite compromised due to having other issues since childhood and the cataracts drastically compounded those issues. After about a year and a half and numerous attempts to tweak my prescription lenses, a whole new world was opened up to me. Praise the Lord, my vision is now better than I remember it being in many, many years. It was like I was seeing everything for the very first time. I had always been quite the shutterbug but hadn't taken many photos for a while due to my dimmed and blurred vision. The vivid colors and brightness and clarity of the world just astounds me!

This was my facebook post (and my selfie :)) the afternoon after I walked out with my new glasses:

So....finally after about a year and a half of living in a very blurry world, I can see every leaf and branch on every tree, read the license plates of the cars in front of me, see all road signs and everything else one normally sees on any given day. Never again will I ever take my eyesight for granted. My eyes are healed and I got my new glasses today! Being able to finally see clearly was quite an emotional experience for me and I am so grateful! Praise God from whom ALL blessings flow!

After that, I began to notice the smallest of details that I had missed and wanted to capture the wonder of it all so I began snapping photos here, there and everywhere! I guess I became sort of consumed by it all and I wanted...I needed...a creative outlet. So began "My Favorite Things". Within a few weeks, I actually had a few followers and I was stunned that anyone would give my little blog a second look. Through my posts and photographs, my intent is to bring glory to my Father, not to myself.  

Here's a look back at some samplings from my 2013 posts...June through December.

June...

In June, I started getting up close and personal with weeds and chasing sunsets.

July... 

I took you on a tour of our mountain get-away in Fancy Gap, Virginia...



...I showed you how I repurposed linens purchased from Goodwill...



...and the Dollar Store into making cute aprons...

...was reminded by a leaf about beauty in living and in dying...

...and brought you my "stump garden"...among a few other things.



August...

...came and found me singing the blues...

...searching for and finding precious jewels...

...and being reminded of where I was going and where I have been.

 

September...

I went on yet another trip down memory lane...

... a nature walk with my best friend, Jesus...



...and we saw lots of these fuzzy little guys...

...and as we were having a wonderful time, I further realized I'd rather have him than anything...
...or anyone.

I was also made aware of what my life would be without Him...

...when I saw this abandoned house. Empty.

October...

 

...ah yes...October...spilling over with vibrant color galore...

...the farmer's markets abounding with goodness...

...the leaves...oh yes, the leaves...and tons of acorns.

And we certainly can't forget about the decorations! 

 

We had fun times on a foggy Blue Ridge Parkway with the grands, too!

October...also a bittersweet time, with the passing of my dear Aunt Clara...
...she had just celebrated her 103rd birthday the month before.

 

November...

There was also that foggy morning when I was reminded Who gives me my direction.

And as the last of the leaves had fallen, the frosty mornings came...

...it was getting close to, well...you know...

December...

...so much to do...so little time!

Decorating...

...remembering why we do this...

...remembering... He is the Light of the world!

Which brings us up to...

Happy New Year!

I want to take this opportunity to say thank you to those of you who have encouraged me and decided to follow. Never did I imagine how communicating with other ladies...from all over the place...could bless me like it has. Your blogs have inspired me, convicted me and taught me that as Sisters in Christ, we can all learn so much from each other. I do feel a kindred spirit with many of you and I want to thank you for your support and encouragement! I pray that 2014 brings forth wonderful things as God's blessings overflow! 

 

Sharing here:

http://www.astrollthrulife.net/2013/12/197th-inspire-me-tuesday.html
http://dearlittleredhouse.blogspot.com/2013/12/mosaic-monday-goodbye-2013.html
http://www.impartinggrace.com/2014/01/grace-at-home-no-87.html

http://thecharmofhome.blogspot.com/2014/01/home-sweet-home-151.html

http://www.sunnysimplelife.com/2014/01/from-farm-blog-hop-and-mocha-hot-cocoa.html