Jump for Joy!

Congratulations! You made it halfway through 2011. Today is July 1.

The first 6 months may or may not have been all that you anticipated on January 1.

The good news is...you still have 6 more months to make 2011 a great year!  It's a long weekend.  We can be thankful for our independence. Spend some time with family.  Enjoy the freedom of being an American.  Grab a watermelon, light a sparkler and relax a bit over the next few days.  I'm sure your deserve it. 

Not matter the circumstance, we are all blessed in some way.  Here's to jumping for joy for your blessings!

It's Good to be Back!

What a long, strange trip it's been.  We've all seen the aftermath of natural disasters on TV : hurricanes, tsunamis, earthquakes, floods....and tornadoes.   I can honestly say, you have no idea how overwhelming it is unless you survive one and see the destruction first hand.  As I drive through town now, it is hard to recognize neighborhoods that I travel everyday.  Trees have been sheared off, homes destroyed, power lines down. 

These pictures were taken on our street, immediately after the tornado:

This house is across the street and 3 houses down from us.  

This is in the yard, next to the house above.
They are forunate the tree on the left fell into their pool rather than onto their house.

On the other side of our block, behind our house.
People were trapped in one or both of these houses for a short time.

I'm thankful that our power and internet were restored after a week.  I went 2 days without coffee before we got a generator.  It wasn't that bad, but it was nice NOT to have a "lack of caffeine" headache finally.  I had a headache from the stress of the situation so a little coffee was really nice.  Even the powdered creamer wasn't so bad.  :)   I didn't realize just how physically tired I could be from emotional stress.  I guess I suffered from an adrenaline crash.  When it goes, so does your energy.

What's left at the intersection where we turn to go into our residential area.

Steeple at the Baptist Church.  Lots of damage here.

This sign was bent by the sheer force of the wind; estimated to be as much as 175 mph in this EF-4 tornado.

Another sign, bent by the wind.  {Sorry this one is a bit blurry}

Traffic lights at a downtown intersection as they were tangled by the storm.

The sky was INCREDIBLY blue that next day with perfect puffy white clouds.

I quickly realized how peaceful life is with no power and before the hum of generators filled our neighborhood.  The was no light pollution so the stars were brighter than I'd ever seen them.  The weather was a bit cool at night; perfect for sitting on the screen porch with my family...talking; around the light of a single candle.  The only sound was the sound of our voices.  It was nice to not have the distractions of TV, internet, phones...the world.  Don't get me wrong.  I couldn't have been Laura Ingalls Wilder.  I enjoy my creature comforts, but a break from them makes them not so routine any more and makes you appreciate time with family even a little more.

As I hung hand washed clothes on a makeshift clothesline, I was SO thankful that I had purchased a bag of wooden clothespins when we were at the beach a couple of weeks ago.  I bought them to close bags of cereal and potato chips while we were there.  Little did I know I would use them for their intended purpose only a few days later.  It was a good reminder that God always holds me in the palm of His hand...even when I don't realize it or think about it.

Life is returning to more of a routine.  The SG Etsy Shop opened back up today!  School resumed after 8 days out because of the storms.  People are doing daily things again...going to lunch, shopping, going to Walmart {yes, even WM was closed for a time after the storm}.  Power is on in most of the city, but not all.  Some people are still on generators and have no internet.  There is still a long, long way to go.  Storm debris still litters the streets.  Power crews are still here from all-over.  The guys from Texarkana, Texas have been on our street alot.   I thanked one of these gentlemen yesterday and told him how much I appreciated all they had done.  I think he may have been embarrassed by the attention.  He smiled and said he was looking forward to being done so he could go back home.  I don't blame him.

Home is a wonderful place to be!

Wordless Wednesday : sand

Wordless Wednesday : Fly Away Home

15 Years Ago Today

June 10, 1995

It was a day like many other days; except I was at the beach.  It's a good place to wake up; especially when the weather is perfect.  Bright sunshine, blue water, calming waves & gentle breeze.  My best friend and I had the perfect day ahead and made plans for later.

My friend and I walked on the beach.  We sat by the pool & sipped cold iced tea.  I did my nails {french manicure . . .  yes, I got paid by other people to do that, once upon a time} . . .  R E L A X E D!  It was heaven.

Later in the afternoon, I showered and went to a salon to get my hair done.  Since I did my own nails, it was nice to have someone else do my hair.  The stylist treated me to a glass of chardonnay, a nice conversation and the world was a happy place, but I had to get back to the room because my best friend and I had plans for later.

Our room was beautiful.  We stayed at a B&B, right on the beach.  It doesn't get much better than that!   It was time to get dressed for the evening.  My friend had already dressed and gone downstairs.  I had the room to myself.  :)

Since it was such an exceptional day, I wore a dress for the evening's events.  Not just any dress.
It was special . . . because I had plans for 7pm.

The dress was white . . antique white, actually.  Not blinding white, but not ivory either.

There were only the two of us, my best friend and I; along with the minister and the planner.  She coordinated everything long distance.  We don't live at the beach, but she knew the best place to stay, she knew who should do my hair, she ordered my flowers, she contacted the minister and she was in the background when my friend and I proceeded with our plans.

Shortly after 7pm on June 10, 1995 my best friend became my husband!

My fingers were swollen.  A hot day at the beach can do that to you.  Luckily, we were able to exchange rings.   Check out the manicure!   And yes . . . those are my real nails; no acrylics, no tips.

No, I didn't marry an old man.  I'm actually a little older than he is.   Thanks to his genetic make-up, he is follically challenged.  It's OK.  Thank goodness he decided that hair is overrated and now sports a chic bald head & van dyke/gotee.  He looks 20 years younger now than he did then.

Yes, I was goofy and wore pantyhose.  I KNOW!!!  YUCK!  It was way too hot and shortly after that I realized that everything that was pounded into my head as a child {you HAVE to wear hose with a dress; preferably control top} wasn't necessarily true.

And so it began . . .

our life together.

It was a wonderful day.
a day that changed my life forever.
a day I will always remember.
a day that began my journey with the most wonderful man in the world.

Happy 15th Anniversary to Sew Daddy! 
~~~lyd <3 ~~~

Beach Wedding

You just never know what you may see on the beach.

During our recent vacation, we were "guests" at a wedding.

We weren't invited, but I don't think the bride minded. :)

We decided to stay on the beach late that day; to watch the sunset.
It was quiet & almost deserted.

P E R F E C T!

Then we saw some guys in white shirts & khakis walk out on the beach;
followed by a photographer.

I knew what was to follow.

There was a small group of family & friends

 . . .  an us in our beach chairs about 20 yards down the beach.

She was beautiful.

The service was beautiful & simple.

That's the way to go.

It was very sentimental for me.

This wedding took place just a couple of miles down the same beach
where Sew Daddy & I got married almost 15 years ago.

I remembered how I felt 15 years ago.

Getting married on the beach is nice & you can't beat the pictures. :)

I don't know who this happy couple is, but I wish them MUCH happiness!
Thanks for letting us be The Wedding Crashers {from afar}

This I Know . . .

 . . . for the Bible tells me so.

What a comfort.  Written in the sand.  Easily washed away by the next wave.
Just like our sins.


He created the sand, the waves.
He created the sun that shone on this day.
He created the finger on the precious one who wrote this in the sand.
He created the feet that made the footprints you see.
He created the family that enjoyed this special vacation together.

God is good.  His fingerprints are truly everywhere.

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For more Fingerprint Fridays, visit Beki's blog.  It's awesome everyday; not just on Fridays! :)

Wordless Wednesday : The Beauty of a Shell

Back to Life, Back to Reality

Well, that week went by quickly, didn't it? 

I can't believe is Monday again?  I'm missing the sun, sand & relaxation already. 

Ok.  No whining. Chin up.  Work to do. Bills to pay. Laundry {always}.

and the best part of all . . .

LIFE IS STILL GOOD!

Calamari, anyone?

Ok, I tried it . . .  for the first & last time in my life. 

Little Gracious wanted to try calamari.  Sew Daddy has had it and likes it.   I'd never had it and had no desire to try it, but . . . the things you do for your kids.

So, I tried it.

It wasn't as bad as I thought, but still too chewy for my liking.  I'm "texture-sensitive" with food and the texture of this was not pleasing to me.  I had to concentrate on the marinara rather than what it was.

The little fried tenticles didn't help.  I almost felt like I was on an episode of Survivor when they eat the weird stuff.  LOL

Thank goodness the rest of the meal was better.  Give me a grilled grouper sandwich anytime!

Wordless Wednesday : at the beach

sun . sand . waves ::: life is good

Spring Break Announcement

---------------------------- ♦ SPRING BREAK April 8-18 ♦ ---------------------------

♦ Orders placed through end of the day Tuesday April 7, will be shipped by Friday
♦ Orders placed after Tuesday will begin production/shipping on Monday April 19
♦ I will leave the shop open so that you may shop during my vacation :)

I'll check convos & emails while I'm gone;

but not as often as usual; as you might imagine! ;)

This will be my view each morning

and

this is what I'll see in the evenings.

I'm looking forward to lots of family time & time away from our everyday routines.

Life is Good!

See Ya Real Soon!

If you live in the US, you are in the midst of one of the coldest, snowiest winters ever.   We haven't had much snow, but it's been so cold in the deep South this year.  Snow flakes are even predicted along the Gulf Coast tomorrow.  Now THAT is cold, my friends.  It just doesn't snow in Florida & Lower Alabama, but it will tomorrow. 

Wishing for warmer temps, a tropical vacation?  Me too!  That's why I made our beach reservations this week!  Can I get a WOO HOO!

It won't be long till my toes are in the sand.  It will seem like an eternity.  It always does, but at least the room is booked.  It's on my calendar . . . in INK!  Until then,  I'll stay bundled up, try to keep warm and think about how beautiful it will be.

Enjoy . . .

life is good

Guest Blogger at Pampering Beki : Fingerprint Friday

Welcome! I am today's guest blogger at Pampering Beki!

Beki is such a dedicated blogger and didn't want to miss Fingerprint Friday even though she & her family are on vacation. Her blog is one of my daily stops so I offered to help out with today's Fingerprint Friday post. The post is on Beki's blog, but I wanted to share it here for my readers as well. You can participate in Fingerprint Friday too. Just blog about your interpretation of God's fingerprints on your life or in your world. Then head over to Beki's to sign the Mr. Linky and be sure to visit the other great Fingerprint Friday posts!

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Water

H2O

It's one of the most simple, yet complex things in this world. Most of the planet is covered by it. Our bodies are mostly composed of it.

We drink it, we bathe in it, we cook with it.

It comes in bottles. It falls from the sky.

Water. Simple. Complex. A basic necessity, like so many others, provided by our Heavenly Father.

I love this simplicity of this picture from the beach. The gentleness of the waves, the color of the sand, the sun.

What a blessing and a reminder that God provides our every need.

I DO!

and 14 years later, I'm still glad I did!

An Anniversary Message to SewDaddy:

{it's not too mushy; you all can keep reading if you like}

You've earned a gold star.
I know it's not always easy being married to me.
I mean, what's not to love, but I do occasionally have my moments!

Sometimes.

Not often.

Less than I used too; I've mellowed.

Rarely.

Once in a blue moon.

Almost never.

Ok, maybe a little less than you.

.........

........

hmmm, maybe I should get the gold star? ;-)

I will always offer a kiss & a hug.
through thick & thin

no matter what

you are there for me

supporting me, encouraging me, loving me

I am SO blessed and I look forward to going through the rest of

my wonderful life
with YOU!

May we enjoy many, many, many, many, many, many more years of happiness together!

I love you, SewDaddy!
Happy Anniversary!

Wordless Wednesday : In a Tight Spot Here

Found It!

Have you been looking for this?

I'm happy to say that I found it while on vacation at the beach.
Isn't the beach a wonderful place!
Ponce De Leon has nothing on me. ;-)

If only there were a real Fountain of Youth. As I move farther away from "youth" in years, I realize that the real Fountain of Youth is found within. If you feel old, you will be old; no matter how old you are. So, over look those tiny lines & ignore the crows feet. I'm learning to love my laugh lines because it means that I SMILE alot! :)

I don't look my age, so that's a good thing. It makes looking in the mirror each morning a little easier. LOL It's not just my family; even my doctor told me that so it must be true. I'm happy to finally be at a point where I can say I've learned my from experiences. Yes, I still make mistakes, but I'm SO much wiser than I was in my 20s . . . even early 30s.

To sum it up, I have to say LIFE IS GOOD.

Go Fly A Kite!

Ah, first day back to real life after a week at the beach. That's always a big step after having no schedule for a week; eating what we want & sleeping late. Hakuna Matata . . . no worries. :) We had a wonderful trip; lots of family time and new memories made. It was one of our best vacations ever!

If you've spent any time on any beach, you know it's a wonderful place to people watch. During our week, one of the people we watched each day was Kite Man. We looked forward to his arrival on the sand each day because we knew we were in for a treat. When I was getting all the pictures off my camera, I realized that I hadn't snapped pictures of all of his kites. I wish I had! It was really a spectacle to behold. He had a tribal mask kite, a red hot chili pepper, lots of windsock-looking contraptions and who know what else.

He brought everything to the beach in golf club bag and most days set up a 10x10 canopy for his family and himself. He was truly a professional. He must have used clothesline for string because considering the gusts, the weight of his kites and all that he was flying, ordinary kite string would have never worked. Have I said he was a professional? We actually wondered if he owned a kite shop . . . or maybe kept one in business! LOL The string was wound on one of those big orange spools that you wind heavy duty extension cords on. I don't know how long the string was, but the kites could fly up to about 8 or 10 stories high. You could see them all over the beach.

This is one of his creations. I believe the top kite had a span of about 7 or 8 feet. Apparently the round addition is his signature piece because, even when he had multiple kite lines in the air, he always had one of this round, spinning pieces on each line. Most days he also had an American flag flying too. I loved that!

The long tail here must have been over 50 feet long.
We saw him get this one in the air and it just kept unrolling.
It was so long I wasn't able to capture the entire length while standing on the sand.

So, wanna meet the Kite Man?

Ta-daaaahhh!

Here you can see the big orange spool and the heavy duty kite string

and the golf club cart. :)

So, Kite Man; although I don't know you or where you are from; should you ever find my blog, I'd like to thank you for the beautiful kites and the entertainment you provided for us each day.

You surely enjoy your hobby and we do too. Thanks for sharing with those of us lucky enough to be on the beach last week!

Winding Down

What a wonderful week at the beach. It's been filled with fun, family memories and much needed relaxation. :)

It's winding down now; almost time to head home. That's OK too. If we stayed much longer, we wouldn't want to get back to real life. :)

I've taken so many fun pictures on the beach, read a great book and of course, did a little shopping. More to come when I return to the real world.

Happy Weekend!

Happy Easter

HAPPY EASTER!

He is Risen, indeed!

We are on vacation, but still marvel in the wonders of our Lord. He created this; the view from our window this morning.