Happy Mail Day! Thank you, Vera Bradley

It was a very happy mail day, today! The latest issue of Vera Bradley Magazine came!!!

Photos of times past...

Do you have certain photos that when you see them, take you back to another time in your life more than others? This is one of those transporting photos...back to another time, another city, another season. I actually have a copy of this photo hanging by my computer and sometimes I just pause and stare at it. I look at the tiny details and remember that time. This photo is of my oldest DS and it is almost 10 years old. We lived in Columbus, Georgia in my most favorite of all the homes we have owned. Our backyard was a child's haven and we had this wonderful porch that led to all the fun. In this photo I see more than just my adorable oldest son...but I see the season of my DD with her purple jelly shoes and pink soccer ball to the left, I see the rose bush that was rotting when we bought the house but I (not painlessly) nursed back to health and trained to climb up the side of the porch, I see the table and chair set that DH bought me for my birthday the 1st year I was a Mommy, I see the bubbles that were part of our play time, the push car that I used to take DS1 for walks in. I am transported back to a sweet time...a time of a toddler in seersucker and sand.

Another Friend has finally started blogging....

One of my bestest buddies has finally started her own blog. A few of the many reasons we are friends:

she lives 2 minutes away,

we go the same church and share a deep, abiding faith in Christ,

our children share lots of activites,

her wicked sense of humor,

and, LAST but not not LEAST, she has a healthy respect for Retail Therapy as a high art form...oh, and she is braver than me....she and her DH are going to drive cross country with 4 kiddos in tow!

So, head on over and welcome her to BlogLand http://bulldawgfamily.blogspot.com/

What's on your coffee table?

I can’t resist a bit of amateur psychology…here are the 3 magazines on my coffee table (and, yes, I have subscriptions to all 3) ...Southern Living, Victoria and Garden & Gun.

So what do you think it says about me or my family?

More sightings of Spring...

I was out doing errands and saw a few more signs of Spring...

Spring teasing...

Aren't their faces, sweet?

Just look at these lovelies and you will know what I mean and why I am wishing Spring here. I know my dear friends from points north will just shake their heads at me but I can’t wait. These “affadils” (as my DD called them for years) are really gorgeous this year. I think this is their 3rd spring and it shows in how many more blooms they have shared.

Last year my normal urge to toil in the soil just wasn’t what it usually is. I don’t know, maybe I had an off year, maybe it was the drought that put a damper (ha-ha) on my gardening…I just don’t know. But this year, it was barely New Years when I started mulling over seed catalogs and pondering plantings. So, these sweet little yellow blooms have just kicked up my urge to head out to the garden center for some color. I will fight that strong pull, though, because so often winter returns with a vengeance to steal away the buds and blooms of spring (like last year when it came in one night and completely wiped out all my azalea blooms!).

I have several perennials that will be in their 2nd season with me and I am looking forward to seeing the rewards of my work. Spring fever also has me planning some trips to visit other gardens and indulge my love of gardening such as a picnic to the Botanical Garden at Clemson University (http://www.clemson.edu/scbg/ , the Botanical Garden in Athens, GA (http://www.uga.edu/botgarden/ ), the Atlanta Botanical Gardens (http://www.atlantabotanicalgarden.org/home.do ) and of course, I will most definitely have to have a leisurely visit at one of my all time favorites…Callaway Gardens (http://www.callawaygardens.com/ ) when the Azaleas are high form.

Anyone else having a bit of Spring Fever?

Drought....

This past weekend DD and DS#2 and I decided to walk around the lake a bit. I realize that doesn’t sound very interesting but to those of you outside of North GA ,you might be interested in knowing we literally walked around “IN” the lake. If you haven’t heard... North GA is in a severe drought and has been for the last year or so. Lake Lanier and others lakes in the region are practically unrecognizable. Though, loved by boaters and fisherman alike, most of the boat ramps are closed and it is dangerously low. Here is a link http://www.conservewatergeorgia.net/Documents/georgia_drought.html if you are interested is learning more.

Normally, the water line is up to those trees and makes it an island.
Yes, that is a boating buoying (is that how you spell that?) to let boaters know of more shallow waters...in a full lake you wouldn't see the bottom half or the pole! Now, if that isn't context I don't know what is.
DD & DS#2

BTW, the clams are dying in our lake!