Wishes for a Happy Mother’s Day… even if you aren’t one!

[Image: Villapenna.com]

Wishing all you Mother’s out there a very happy Mother’s Day! You’re the best… I’m sure a lot of sacrifices are made, but its all worth it, right?

I would like to say THANK GOD for my mom, Sheila, and for Fred’s mom, Bobbie. Fred and I couldn’t have hand picked better moms. No chance. None. Zip. Zero. Nada. We love them more than anything… we are very blessed and we know that.

Now for those of you who aren’t yet a mother, or cannot be a mother.  I get it.  I understand. I know how you feel. Motherhood clearly isn’t in the cards for everyone. I wish it was, but it’s not. So, be positive, move forward, spend time with a niece or nephew, neighborhood kid or volunteering where so many kids need a positive influence in their lives. And… more important… don’t worry if you can’t be positive quite yet. It took me a long time…

…and hey, I’m the best darn dog mom you’ve ever seen… he he…. (Charlie when we first got him in 2009)

Believe me when I say… dog moms make lots of sacrifices too! (Caught in the act! Note empty toilet paper roll… nice Charlie… couldn’t have paper on a roll for two years!)

I swear tile is creamy white… not sure why it appears tan… eeeek.

E N J O Y   T H E   D A Y  ! !

Love you moms!

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Tribute to a friend…

It is with a heavy heart that we say farewell to a friend… “he has begun his journey“. Pain and anguish are no more which is a relief. His smiling face will be missed. His brilliant conversation will always be remembered. The last time we saw Scott was on Monhegan Island, ME. We met for dinner several nights over the course of the week. We shared conversation that covered most topics we could think of. We talked until they turned out the lights and then continued to talk. Family, interests, hiking, climbing (Scott), cooking, books, movies, other friends… you name it, we covered it. I am sad to know those conversations will never continue, at least not here on earth… but I guess that gives us something to look forward to once we begin our own journey.

Monhegan Island is a beautiful place and holds wonderful memories for us. It seems like some of the friends that we’ve met from there are some of our very best. Despite distance, they’re the ones that we keep in touch with. They have touched our heart. Maybe its the week spent on an island with no outside communication to dull your mind… no TV, no radio, just friends, talking, catching up and learning about each others lives. In a “normal” place you probably wouldn’t sit around that long just talking. But on Monhegan THAT is the entertainment, and for that I am so grateful. Strong relationships are forged in a very short period of time. We truly care about each other, and when one hurts, so does the other. Now, that care extends to his family, who was right there by his side…

I found a North End Market receipt in my “Monhegan” book, Scott had written down the name of a movie he really enjoyed, called MAN ON WIRE. As well as a book, RAZOR’S EDGE by W.S. Maugham. I haven’t gotten around to either, but I think we will make a point to do so. A tribute to our friend…

Scott may be gone from this life, but will never be forgotten – the lives he has touched are forever changed… he has made an impression on so many people’s lives. When you are fortunate enough to run across someone special, take the time to get to know them, keep in touch and never take that time for granted. Life is truly short. Cherish your relationships no matter how deep they are. Go out and touch someones life today, in a positive way. Be thankful. Feel blessed.

Peace and prayers to Scott as well as his family. We look forward to seeing you again my friend!

Below, a photo… entitled “I Wish“… a Monhegan tradition, when you leave the island you toss your bouquet into the water… if it comes towards shore that means you’ll be back…

It’s the little things in life…

Monhegan Island, Maine is an island rich in history. There are so many beautiful sites to see, the ocean, cliffs, artists painting, birds, flowers, and of course… the butterflies… they seem to be everywhere!

Have a wonderful weekend, get out and enjoy the beauty all around you… notice the little things that make you smile. Be grateful for them… Life on earth is a short blip on the radar screen… savor it…

Prayers of peace go out to our Monhegan friend, Scott and to his family…

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Charleston Photo: Downtown Street and a Trembling Lip…

I think that the location of this photo could easily be in another country. This is a street in Charleston, SC. Those trees are stunners aren’t they?? If you get a chance, come to Charleston, SC for vacation… if you live here, take the time to go downtown and walk around and see all the cool sights there are to see! You will be amazed. Trust me!

It’s with a trembling lip that I say ‘see ya soon‘ (can’t say goodbye or that trembling lip will turn into a disastrous mess, ha ha) to my parents who have been in town visiting this week. I moved to SC from MI in 1989, right before Hurricane Hugo (brilliant, eh?) with every intention of being here just a short time… then I met Fred. Awwww… the love of my life. It’s hard to live in a different city that is either an expensive flight or a 17 hour drive away… wish we were all closer in distance!

I’ll be back to normal posting next week! Catch you back here tomorrow!

Charleston Photo: WHAT’S THAT SMELL? Whew!

On my daily walk along the greenway in Charleston, SC I could see the wisteria beginning to bloom… no scent… yet. Then one morning on our walk we could smell it. There is no mistaking the scent of Wisteria, it’s heavenly. Especially when it’s all the way down a stretch of our walking path. What a nice spring treat! Smells nice and is beautiful with its pops of lavender peeking through the green vegetation… Oh, I love spring!

I have company in town, so I will get back to normal posting next week! Enjoy your day and I’ll catch you back here tomorrow!

Dogwood tree’s and Easter… Happy Easter!

HAPPY EASTER to you!

I thought this photo was fitting for today… it’s the dogwood tree in our front yard, here’s a little blip I found interesting (from a past post):

Many Christians consider the flowering dogwood’s showy cross-like inflorescences (“flowers”) to be religious symbols, due to their four white petal-like bracts bearing red dots on their tips; these trees are often in flower during the springtime Easter season in the Northern Hemisphere. Christian tradition claims the dogwood as the tree used to make the cross on which Jesus was crucified, and further, that dogwoods grew taller and broader until the 1st Century AD, making them suitable for use as crosses. In response to Jesus’s death on one, God permanently stunted the growth of the dogwood species to prevent them ever again being used for the same purpose. Today, very few dogwood specimens would provide sufficient wood to manufacture a cross by the primitive means of the 1st Century AD.

Catch you back here tomorrow!

THANK GOD IT’S FRIDAY!

Sometimes all you can say is THANK GOD IT’S FRIDAY!

It’s been one of those weeks! Looking forward to a good weekend… Rain or shine!

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Tiptoe through the tulips…

Ok, is anyone old enough to remember Tiny Tim singing Tiptoe Through the Tulips (youtube link if you’re curious)? I happen to LOVE tulips… and it certainly can’t be because of Tiny Tim, ha ha…

Anyway, I think it’s going to shape up to be another beautiful day here in Charleston! Get out and enjoy it!

Catch you back here tomorrow!

 

GOLOGIC 1,000 sq ft plan, too cute!

Taking a sick day, so read this from the GOLOGIC blog…
Isn’t this the cutest? And super green as well, green as in no electric bill green… whoa!

Build Like This: A Simple Approach to Building a Super-efficient House

by GOLOGIC HOMES
Mar 5, 2013

This month GO Logic is featured on the cover of Fine Homebuilding Magazine’s special winter issue focusing on Energy Smart Homes.

GO Logic’s 1,000-square foot, one-bedroom, two-bath residence, House on a Knoll, in Bath, Maine – completed back in 2011 – was among the homes featured in the publication.

The article discusses six key elements to building a super-efficient home: insulation, ventilation, windows, air-sealing, thermal bridging, and thermal mass.

The highlighted pre-designed home demonstrates how this approach toward high performance works hand-in-hand with comfort, flexibility and aesthetics at a low cost.

To read the entire article, check out Fine Homebuilding Magazine’s Winter special issue on Energy-Smart Homes, or get a preview of the article here.

1000SF Exterior

Photos courtesy of Brian Vanden Brink.

This post was from GOLOGIC Homes blog (click HERE)…

Won’t be long now… and beauty will be everywhere!

We’ve had a crazy winter… mostly warm, not that I’m complaining… a few zaps of cold, but warmer than I can remember since I’ve lived here (1989)! I don’t remember pollen in January… or mosquitos… or gnats… but we’ve got it now, and have had it since January!

It won’t be long now and the hydrangeas will be blooming, woohoo! Ours bloomed all spring and summer last year, big beautiful blooms. I love cutting a few and bringing them in the house, they last forever and add so much!

Azaleas ARE blooming now and soon they will be magnificent! We saw a pine full of pollen pods, and a dogwood with blooms the other day… one of the later flowering trees… I’m just hoping that spring will be SPRING, we certainly don’t want to rush summer Maybe we can have spring with no pollen? Wouldn’t that be crazy?!

Catch you back here tomorrow!