Memorial Day

It is important that we honor those who serve and protect us.

And I'm proud to be an American,

where at least I know I'm free.

And I won't forget the men who died,

who gave that right to me. ~  Lee Greenwood

For love of country

they accepted death. ~ James A. Garfield

Although no sculptured marble should rise to their memory,

nor engraved stone bear record of their deeds,

yet will their remembrance be as lasting

as the land they honored. ~ Daniel Webster

With the tears a Land hath shed

Their graves should ever be green. ~ Thomas B. Aldrich

And they who for their country die

shall fill an honored grave,

for glory lights the soldiers' tomb

and beauty weeps the brave. ~ Joseph Drake

But the freedom that they fought for,

and the country grand they wrought for,

is their monument today and for aye. ~ Thomas Dunn English

Perform, then, this one act of remembrance before this Day passes-

Remember there is an army of defense and advance

that never dies and never surrenders,

but is increasingly recruited from the eternal sources

of the American spirit and from

the generations of American youth. ~ W.J. Cameron

Never Forget, Ever Honor.

Spring in Our Yard

I love Spring! I love the beauty of the sky, the new growth and colors and Easter. Sunday I decided to take some pictures of our side yard and breezeway. I love to decorate our breezeway. I think it makes a guest feel welcome and it's so inviting to drive up to our home and see a pretty entryway.

This is the view you see as you drive down our driveway.

We live in the country and are surrounded by pastures and beautiful trees.

We are slowly relandscaping the perimeter of the house beginning with the side entrance. Our Knockout Roses are absolutely gorgeous this year.

I decorate the French doors, the breezeway and the small baker's rack I found at a local antique mall. I just love this baker's rack, it fits perfectly beside my storage room and next to the walkway to the patio.

I also adore Mexican Heather and garden flags. I think the flags let a guest know when they drive up that they are always welcome and to come on in. I've collected small garden flags for quite some time and I'm always on the lookout for new ones. This Easter flag is one of my favorites.

One last look at a beautiful rose.

I hope you've enjoyed the pictures of my side yard and breezeway. I love my home and I'm always decorating something in the house or in the yard.

Happy Easter from our home to yours.

My New Camera

The day after Christmas Darrel and I were out riding around and decided to go to a local electronics store nearby. Lo and behold there was the camera of my dreams ON SALE with an added zoom lens and bag! Now, I'm not the best photographer, but with this little beauty I think I'll be on my way.

It's a Nikon D3100 and I'm in love! Of course, Darrel loves it, too. One of our dearest friends, Nickey, is a fabulous photographer and today they've gone fishing and the camera went, too. I can't wait to see the wildlife shots they capture.

This is the zoom lens.

Oh, the limitless possibilities! With football games, bridal showers and the wedding in March along with various other events I'll be a picture taking maniac!  I love my other Nikon and Canon, but this is a fabulous camera. Now all I need is some time to get to know my new camera and some pointers on "fancy cameras for dummies".

Christmas Morning Breakfast

I'm joining Susan over at Between Naps on the Porch for Tablescape Thursday.




A Christmas Morning Breakfast is a tradition Darrel and I have started for his immediate family. It's our way of doing something nice for his mother and sister and her family. His older sister, her husband and sons live out of town, so they aren't able to join us. We set the time for 8 AM so everyone could enjoy a leisurely Christmas morning.

This is how we greeted our guests

To the left we had a large poinsettia in a black, wrought iron plant holder and to the right there was a wreath on the French doors. I was in such a hurry, I forgot to take pictures of them that morning before the guests arrived.

Our den is just inside the door and I decorated the mantle with the same fresh greens I used on the baker's rack. We live in the country so fresh greenery is available all year. I used Leyland Cypress, pine, cedar, holly and variegated citrus. It smelled wonderful.

This was before we lit the fire. We haven't been able to have a fire at Christmas in years and we were thrilled to have a very cold, wintery Christmas day.

A closeup of the mantle.

Any time we have guests I want the table to be special. I used my Christmas dishes and a recent acquisition, my newest vintage tablecloth. I wanted to bring out the colors, so I used red, green and a touch of white in the dishes. I don't have glasses or coffee cups on the table because I set up a beverage station on the counter near the Keurig.

I absolutely love to cook and it makes me happy to share the fruits of my labor with family and friends. Our menu included bacon, grits, pumpkin muffins, sausage balls, fruit, monkey bread and breakfast casserole (out of view). I set the food station up on the bar and decorated it to match the table.

A few pictures of some of the decorations in the kitchen and den.

Our Bichon Frise, Keeper, has her own Bichon tree in the den.

The nativity in the living room.

It's so nice to spend quality time with family. Sometimes I wish life wasn't as hectic and busy and we spent more time just visiting and talking.

These are the times of which memories are made, to celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, with family and friends.

China: Christmastime by Nikko about 22 years ago
Chargers, Small Votives, Napkin Rings and Napkins: Target over the years
Flatware: Arlington by Reed and Barton
Tabletop Trees and Apothecary Jar: A local find
Red Candle Holders: Gift from a friend
Serving Bowls, Cake Stand and Platters: Carmen by Mikasa about 20 years ago
Santas, Gingerbread Houses: My own personal collection

Mountains

I recently took my second cruise through the Inside Passage in Alaska, a train ride into the Yukon Territory of Canada and a trip to Mt. Rainier in Washington. The mountains and glaciers are so breathtaking I thought I would share some of the many photos I took. On this trip I was able to visit Mt. Rainier for about 8 hours, something I really looked forward to and I wasn't disappointed! The snow was very deep due to a snowstorm the week before we were there.

Mt. Rainier

Endicott Arm Fjord

As we sailed through Endicott Arm Fjord the mountains towered above us and the fjord wound it's way through them. It is truly a breathtaking sight. The closer we got to the glacier the drearier it was, but it wasn't as cold this year.

Dawes Glacier

Endicott Arm Fjord

The glacier is two miles across at it's widest point. The tracks on the left are formed by scaly rock debris  from the mountain face that gets trapped in the ice over hundreds of years. We are probably at least a mile from the glacier.

Skagway, Alaska at sunrise

Along the Klondike Highway

Along the Klondike Highway

Sunrise as we sailed toward Juneau

Mendenhall Glacier Juneau

The entrance to Endicott Arm Fjord

The mountains and glaciers are absolutely breathtaking and pictures can never really capture the splendor that is Alaska.

First Table of Spring

Today I'm joining Susan over at Between Naps on the Porch for Tablescape Thursday. Stop by and enjoy all the beautiful tablescapes.

After all the rain and a very cold Winter here in Alabama I couldn't wait for the first signs of Spring so I could change my table settings and spruce up the house with brighter colors. I have been cleaning out a storage building where I stored a few sets of dishes and accessories. I thought I would share a Spring table I set with some of my newer pieces and some old favorites.

I love bright colors and for everyday use, a simple table. The sun was very bright on the day I took the pictures so I couldn't open the blinds or the glare would be unbearable. Let's have a closer look at the table.

I love these napkins. They are the newest addition to my napkin collection.

My beautiful Fitz and Floyd candleholders were a gift from my husband many years ago.

I hope you like my first table of the Spring. It's so bright and cheerful.

Dishes: Pier One

Glassware: Olde Williamsburg

Flatware: Arlington by Reed and Barton

Placemats: Target

Napkins: World Market

Napkin Rings: TJ Maxx

Fruit Candleholders: Fitz and Floyd

Flower Candleholders: Hobby Lobby

Plant: Springeri