Happy New Year!

Things have been very quiet around the "ole mountain cabin" for the last few days.......you know the period of time when the Christmas crazies are over and you haven't really got into the new year spirit yet......your thinking of that new years resolution(s).....your taking down the remains of the last holiday......maybe your looking for all those receipts that you'll need for the IRS.....your pondering what you did and what you didn't do in 2008......and your fighting the fear of the unknown in 2009.....i'm trying very hard to count the blessing that 2008 brought to our family

My parent moving to the mountains

Their house being built up the road from us

Our son moving to the mountains and his return to school

Our daughters & SIL's move to GA .... the continued success of their business...plus the health and happiness of the boys

My new job with the park service

The view from our front porch

The good friends from FL that have stayed in touch and the new NC friends

But, mostly i'm amazed at the little everyday blessings that God keeps working in my life and yes, Lord i'm listening to that little nagging voice in my head........my goal for 2009 is to find a home church...

Like Mia in the picture...i've just been looking out the window.....in 2009 i'm going to open the door and get out there.......in this area .....that seems to be the buckle in the Bible belt.....i know i'll find a place in which to count my blessings..

Happy New Year..................................brboomer

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Back to the Norm??

Hope everyone had a great holiday........ours was very quite.......just a few friends and family........wish it had been a white Christmas......temp was in the mid-60's......had to open the windows while the bird was in the oven....City Boy was walking around in shorts and complaining .....this is why we left Florida!!!! Then he opened his new laptop and i've only seen him for meals since...........Here's Max getting a taste of the stuffed mailman from Grandma........

Here's Mia giving me that "Crazy Max....can you believe he's chewing up his mailman?" look....... What she doesn't tell you is ....her's has already been destuffed, chewed up and thrown away......

And I've spent the last few days........canning tomatoes and making more pickles......at least City Boy is not bringing home more eggs...............

Merry Christmas

Hey...Guys!!!.....I don't think he's gonn'a fit!!!!!!

Oh....Man!....now what do we do??!!!!!

Happy Holidays................................................

I Think, I'm Done

Well........I think I'm done!!!! Made it to the "Wal Marts" before 8am and bought the last of the loot........Now the real fun begins...................Cooking!!! City Boy just called and he's got another load of mini-cucumbers....sooo....I guess tomorrow I'll be buying mustard seeds.......
Anyway.........From Our House to Yours...............................


Happy Hanukkah!

Merry Christmas!!!

And .......A Happy New Year!!!!!

Enjoy your holidays.....brboomer, City Boy, Male Child & the 3M's

Santa Watch

OK...Max..........One more time.........he's fat and jolly, has a white beard, is wearing a red suit with a funny hat and is driving a Dodge 4x4.........now keep watching!!!!!

and try to be quite so the cat doesn't find us!!!!

I Win.......I Think!!

This seems to be the year of "scaling back"......we decided to lessen the Christmas crazies this year and just enjoy family, good food and friends!!! Christmas is not about who gets the most, it's about God's gift to us......
Anyway.....after last years disaster with a new house and a new cat........a cat that waged war with me about the Christmas Tree.....she loved to knock off the ornaments and try to climb to the top for that fake "Dove of Peace" resting up there......and i kept pulling her out of the tree and re-decorating....only to have her try again......and again......and again......
This year i'm trying a new twist to the "Miss Kitty vs Me" Xmas tree war.....two......count'm two trees.....she doesn't know quite what to do...Hee,Hee....Ha,Ha.....I think i may have won the battle this year!!!!

Does that face look like it's plotting a sneak attach???!!!

One Moment In Time

I don't know how things are at your homes ....but, the pre-holiday insanity has hit here with a big bang!! Everyday seems to bring another problem......another trip to town.......another gift to buy......another card to send......another cake/dozen cookies to bake......I know this is all part of what we call the "Holiday Season" and i'm not complaining......just some times it gets to be a bit.....much?

Sunday morning there was one moment in time that made me realize that there are bigger problems and bigger insanity than what's going on in my house......

These are vapor trails left by the jet jockeys from Norfolk Naval Base........they love to play Tic-Tac-Toe in the skys over my mountains........but, what they are really doing .....are training missions......it seems my mountains resemble the terrain in Afghanistan.......who knew!!??

Thanks to the men and women in the Armed Forces who send Sunday morning training to keep our country safe.....so that i can have my pre-holiday insanity......

I Love This Dog!! - Part II

OK....OK..... I finally gave in to the pitiful looks from the mountain Diva.....Mia May....she's my Jack Russell Terrier.....and is a little camera shy...but, allowed a few pictures so that she could get equal internet time........a little sibling rivalry with Max.....ya think!?
This is Mia looking pitiful...... can you tell she's got us wrapped around her paw?

Gott'a keep that Florida tan....even when it's 23 degrees outside.......outside not her!!

Now she's trying out the "Princess and the Pea" theory......

She's our sweet little, baby girl....just DO NOT get between Mia and her bowl at dinner time!!

I Love This Dog!!!

We've all heard the phrase....."the face only a mother could love"........

Well.......this is Max at his best....... When the camera appears Mia and Miss Kitty run for a hiding place......

But.....Max..... he just rolls over and smiles.......if he's awake.......maybe i'll teach him to wave and blow kisses!!!

Alert the Media!!!

For the family and friends that read my blog......there will be an announcement at the end that you may not be able to handle without strong drinks within reach......but first.........this year i decided to decorate the fireplace mantels with items i had received as gifts went i worked for the school district.....here's what happened........

Max supervising.....................

Mia hiding.....afraid i would put a bow on her...............................

Livingroom firepalce.....look at all those cookie jars, cookie plate, salt and pepper shakers, pictures, globes, candels.....Santa's (Who's the chick on TV??)

Fireplace in the master bedroom........stuff animals....kids like to give teddy bears......more cookie jars and a coke lunch box??!

An here's the big news.........................................after 32 years of marriage, 2 children and many, many holidays together.........................da...dah.......the May Family finally put up "outside Christmas lights!!!!!" Family....please don't faint!

Anyone have 1/2 Cup of Mustard Seeds??

Don't know why these pictures downloaded in the wrong order......any way....this is the finished product......4 quarts of Bread and Butter Pickles

Here they are cooking............................

Here they are soaking.....................................

Here's City Boy helping cut..........................

He did it to me again........!!!! Came home with a ..."DEAL"........44 mini cucumbers.......what'a do with 44 mini-cukes................can't eat that many before they go bad!!!!

Dragged out the "old, worn, torn" Betty Crocker cookbook.........pickles.......lets see........sugar...check, vinegar....check, salt.......check, celery seed......check, curry powder....check, 1/2 cup of mustard seed..... are you kidding!!??......trip to the store.......check!!!!

Trip to the store would not have been a bad thing....except it was SNOWING!!!

Snow quit just long enough to dash to the store and sign up for exercise classes at the Center for the Ageing......does this make me old!!??.......Hey....it's free...... that's a deal!!!

Now the next big question........do we keep them or give them away as gifts??!!

Dawg.....On The Table!!??????

It's tradition.......a dawg on the table~~~~~

I think this started one year when the butter dish met the floor just before Thanksgiving Dinner........My mom had made this little guy for the female child and her hot dogs.......(Mom was part owner of a ceramic shop at the time).....anyway in our haste to get dinner on the table , i grabbed this and put the butter in it......works well!!!

Every year for the holidays ....i drag him out and once again we have a dawg on the table for dinner!!

Female child.....if you are reading this ....NO!!! you can not have him back......keep the fish!!!

Post of few words!!

Finally got my quilt racks hung..........this one is one my fall quilts...

This one is going to the female child and SIL as a Christmas gift for their new house

This one keeps me awake at night!!!!

Started my day with the "City Boy" telling me my post are "TOO Wordy and boring" and i need to get to the point.......followed shortly there after with slicing my finger open chopping up onions for the dressing...good thing he went to work...i had a knife in my hand.....and ......well you know how husbands can be.....grrrrrrrrrr!!

Thought i'd share some of my quilts with my blogging friends.....been quilting since i was a small child....Granny and Aunt Bessie had a quilt rack that suspended from the ceiling and the women folk would quilt in the hours between fixing lunch and supper......thank you Lord for the invention of the long-arm machine.......................

Welllll..........i tried to keep it short..................!! Enjoy your weekend.................!

Last Day!!!

OK.......OK.......I couldn't do it.......I could not make this my last day!!!

I've had so much fun and learned so much this season ....I just could not leave!!
Agreed to volunteer at the mountain park at least one day a week......I'm such a push-over!!

Today, we are having left-over pot luck.....all the staff, that is working today, is bring in the left overs from yesterday's dinner!!!!.......Whoa......this should be interesting......and what a way to get rid of all that left over green bean casserole.............since i did not cook yesterday, i went home and made potato salad......hey!....i'm a Florida girl......we have potato salad on Turkey Day.....

Talked to the female child last night.......they made it to Ohio just as the snow started....by Wednesday morning there was 6 inches on the ground and all the south GA boys were out playing in the frozen stuff.......snow forts....snowmen.....snow dogs.....snow ball fights...anything to come inside soaking wet....dryer at MIL's house seems to be running 24/7....ahhhhhh....the joy of grandsons!!!.....Today.....she and MIL....with SIL...are hitting alllll the stores for the Black Friday sales.......NOT ME.......online shopping...that's my style!!!

Annnnyyyywwwaaayyy......gotta go pull up that Goggle homepage and start shopping!!

Enjoy your ...."Black Friday!!!"

The three "F" Words

On this day of thanksgiving ....i am thankful for my three favorite "F" words......
some of you have your minds in the gutter.....get it out!!!....I'm not that kinda girl....

1. Family

2. Friends

3. Fellowship

On this special day enjoy all three......and......gobble till you wobble!!!

I'm working today.......I'll celebrate on Saturday........

Last Day

Well.....here it is ....my last day at the mountain park for this season......gonna miss this view driving up the park road each day.......2 more days at the river park and then freedom until March!!!

Thanks to Rangers Tom and Tracy for allowing me to share their pictures with all my blogging friends..........from now until next spring just pictures taken by me and the male child......sorry!

Word for the day....."bittersweet"........hate that it has almost come to an end......but, looking forward to the time off......soooooo....i've decided to adopt the attitude of .....Let it snow........Let snow.......Let it snow!!!!

Enjoy your Turkey Day.....remember to give thanks to the One who provides all.......The One from whom all blessing flow............

Max

Another bad hair day!!!!!

Nothing but snow....ice......and wind today!!

Maybe tomorrow "boomer" will make it into work.....

This is my question!?

I had planned a cute little blog about Christmas shopping in the high country for today, complete with pictures and funny quotes.......taking you to our local Farmer's Market for crafts day.....

Got up early.....temp was 18......dressed in mannnnnny layers...started out to pick up Mom and good friend, Chris....... we arrived at the market just in time to see the vendors packing up...cause being outside.....it was TOO COLD!!!........well, started to take some pictures...got one and then the batteries in my camera died!! We'll try it again next weekend........

Moving on ......we ran across the street to the local pet store "Happy Tails" and made appointments for all the critters.......Santa Paws is coming and you HAVE to get a picture taken!! Then we checked out the "Emporiam," a back street "Christmas Shop" and then the high light of the day.....LUNCH OUT!!!!

During lunch we compared notes and realized each one of us had to go to the food store sometime that weekend....why not go together?!! To our surprise as we looked at our lists....each list had T-paper, written by our husbands....................here's the question...."What is it with men and T-paper?!

At my house when the last roll can be seen.... it starts........we need t-paper........when are you going to the store? we need t-paper....... you know we are almost out of t-paper and on and on and on.......well this time on Thursday...trying to plan ahead...i checked the bathrooms....2 extra rolls in masterbath.......2 extra rolls in the guestbath....yelled down the stairs to the male child....."How many rolls have you got?".....Male child yelling up the stairs to me....."Three...we're probably gonn'a need some"...(he's his father's child).......OK....I think we can last until Saturday or Sunday...unless some horrible stomach ailment hits the house......THEN.....WAIT....on the list...a written reminder!!.....T-paper.........

Three women....three list.....three husbands with the need of t-paper......between us we have almost 100 years of married life and none of us could answer......."What is it with men and t-paper?"......

Soooo, being the good little homemakers that we are....we went to the store and each bought the 24 pack!!!


Maybe it'll last till next weekend......................................brboomer

The Twins

These are the twins we've been watching since early in the spring.......when we first saw them they were very small...still had spots ....and mama would not let them come into the yard to feed......soon the three of them were coming on a regular basis .......they have learned to ignore Mia and Max barking, Miss Kitty sitting on a rock eyeballing them and all the OOOHHHH and AAAHHHH's from the summer family visits.

This picture was taken about two weeks ago......and sadly we have not seen mama in awhile......but, the twins know which yard has cut-up apples, deer corn and a comfortable grouping of trees to spend the winter in........don't know yet if there's one of each....boy and girl....two girls....or two boys.......i think i'll call them Micki and Minni, staying with the "M" theme................................Enjoy your Sunday!!!!

Front porch ....back door!!

Lately the weather has played a big part in my daily life......well, once again Mother Nature took over my day!!! Woke up today with 3" on the ground, temps in the teens, no wind and more snow on the way!

Now the decision of the day.......go to work?.......not go to work?!!! No traffic on our road....hummmmmmmm......finally at about 7:30am.....a truck!!!! Hey, he seems to be driving OK......i'll wait till it's a little lighter, then try!! Called the mountain.....told the rangers if i'm not there in 45 minutes...send out the rescue squad!!! Off i go!!

Made it all of a mile....in that mile had nothing but snow covered roads...one mountain man, in a little car, that almost side-swiped me......and many, many horses and cows giving me that "turn back, my friend!" look........when i hit the ice, i found a semi-clear driveway and took the animals advice....smart ....those critters!!

Be careful out there.....I can't say it enough.....if you're out in this nasty stuff.....BE CAREFUL OUT THERE!!!!!

On a brighter note.......thanks to Joan and Hollie for my Marie Anntoinette (sp) Award.......i'm not sure what to do with it at this point....but, now i've got alll day to figure it out!!!

Have a great day.......i'm staying in...where it's nice and warm!!!

Thankful Thursday

I must start by saying I'm thankful for all the wonderful people I work with...as my job comes to a close for this season I appreciate them more each day.....the rangers in their effort to keep our natural resources protected and the office workers who keep the rangers on their toes...everyday is a learning experience, an adventure, a day filled with laughter, a day filled with true team work.....I can not thank them enough for sharing some of their pictures with me for this blog.......

Next on my list is God's little gifts......sometimes i forget that each day is full of "God's little gifts".......it may be the last wiggle of a doggie tail as you walk out the door for the work day or that check in the mail......you know the one......the one you thought would never come!!!.....or a simple smile from a toddler....... go out and take the time to enjoy them........

Grandkids.......i love my boys.......there are three of them......12, 10 and 5......what a crew.....i don't know how my daughter does it.....she homeschools, works as a OB/GYN nurse and helps run her husbands' business....check them out .....StandridgeStation@blogspot.com......

Betty........Betty is what i named all my stress and worries......i can talk to Betty.....she whispers in my ear......she keeps me on the straight and narrow in my effort to be more frugal....however, when i really get tired of her voice....i can tuck her away in a corner of my mind.....I think she is one God's little gifts to me........I love you, Betty!!

My hubby..."the City Boy".....he truly is a city boy....i love him for wanting to make me happy in my desire to move to the mountains......in his excitement in learning all the new/old traditions of the mountains, for sweeping the stairs in the new house(another story, another time) and for putting-up with me for 32 years!!!! Thanks, honey!

Have a joyful Thursday....................................

View From the Front Porch - first snow!!

Well....thanks to the many prayers that were sent my way.....the snow held off until Monday night....this was the view from my front porch on Tuesday morning.......it snowed off and on all day...the sun was high and bright , making the flakes look like sequins floating down.....(look at all those little Xmas trees!!!)

Not much by some standards........ but, enough to make me glad I'd done all the errands on Monday....with the help of "the City Boy"...(hubby)....we got everything bought and stored by noon! The temp never made it above 24 and when you figure in the wind chill factor..Burrrrrrr!

Tuesday after breakfast.... I retired to my sewing room and spent the remainder of the day working on one of the two quilts I'm trying to finish before the holidays......almost finished.....just the bindings left!!

Be careful out there!!

Change of Plans!

Some time during the night the weather forecast did a change of plans...Hooray!!!

Woke up this morning to the glorious sunrise seen above and just a lite "dusting" of snow....my driving worries were over!!!.........No wait!...are those snow clouds hanging over that beautiful sunrise??!!......Nawwwwwww!!....oh yes!!

Snow has just been delayed until late this afternoon and tomorrow...however, just got a radio call from the rangers that there is "black ice on the Mountain"....is Mother Nature trying to confuse me!!??

Winter is creeping in tonight!

Rain! Rain! go away!!
Come again some other day!

Be careful what you wish for!!!

In my little corner of the mountains we have had two days of rain....which is a good thing!! However, starting tonight winter is creeping in......the rain is suppose'ta turn into snow sometime tonight and spill 1-3" by tomorrow afternoon....not bad...really!! and i know that some of you get many more inches than that.....but, here's the problem.....this is my weekend to work at the park's Visitor Center, about a 40 minute (one way) drive for me......i'm a Florida girl!!! We don't have snow south of Jacksonville!!

Even after two winters in the mountains..... driving in the snow makes me a little freaky!.....i tense up..... forget i have 4-wheel drive..... and send continuous prayers about me and every other driver on the road to the Lord....Snow is meant to be played in...it's meant to make you sigh wistfully at it's beauty..... it's meant for animals to burrow under and to decorate all the trees in your yard.....it's not meant for me to drvie in!!!

Guess you can take the girl out of Florida ....but, you can't take Florida out'a the girl.....

I really do love it here in the Blue Ridge!!! There's no where else i'd rather be.....i really do love the snow......maybe it's my truck that doesn't care for snowy roads!!! Does Dr. Phil do Ford 4 x4's?

Sleeping Weather!!

Yesterday the weather..... in a word was........"Nasty!"

The kind of weather suitable for ducks, toads and salamanders....

or those yucky old trolls that live under a bridge!

The kind of weather that you put on flannel PJ's, find your favorite romantic novel and spend the day on the couch in front of a roaring fireplace.....with occasional cups of tea and then occasional potty breaks.....in between naps!

But, being a working household...we had to depend on the hairy babies to fill in ....they had no fire or PJ's and perferred treats instead of tea......but, the sleeping part.......... they've got that down pat!!

Thankful Thursday

In cruising around some blog sites, I have found a delightful thing called "Thankful Thursday"...in these difficult times it's hard to find time and reflect on all we have to be thankful for.....so I'm going to take a moment and "smell the roses!"

I'm thankful for.....the three hairy babies the Lord has sent me. They are all rescues from broken homes and came to us over a period of time when we were moving from Florida and settling into North Carolina....gave us more to love...and helped take away the stress of building another home.

I am thankful we had the foresight to build an apartment in the walk-out basement...we no longer have an empty nest.....last April the son moved from FL and is now staying with us....the idea was...this would give him the freedom to return to school and I am thankful to say he starts this January!!

I am thankful for todays RAIN!!!! After a summer of drought ...we need it so badly...the ground seems to be sucking it up with a straw!!

I am thankful my seasonal job will be ending the end of this month.....it's been fun, I've learned so much and made alot of new friends.....I will look forward to starting again in March....but, for now not having to drive in the snow and ice brightens my near future!

I am thankful for my new Blogging Friends....it's interesting that no matter where we live...as women we seem to be dealing with the same issues...it's nice having a world-wide support system...........................................Later, brboomer