legacy

My folks are here.  They got to Virginia really late on Thursday night...after like 17 hours of drive time.  It took them a LOT longer than we thought it would.  I was more or less a nervous wreck all day.  When I'm expecting company I get nothing done.  I have so much excitement building in me, it leaves me worthless.  I just can't wait to get my hands on them. 

My list of  must do's is pretty long.  Everyone I meet gives me a "you must do this...you must do that" list.  I knew the apple orchards in Charlottsville was one of those must do's.  The problem is I knew that if that many people were telling me to go that everyone else would think it was a great idea too.

The line for food.

It was worth every second we waited in line.  Apple cider donuts...a little bit of heaven right here on earth.  They were pipping hot right out of the fryer.  So good!!!  If I close my eyes and concentrate I can still taste it's gooey doughy goodness.  Ahhhh.

This is completely off the topic, but speaking of donuts do remember that Dunkin' Donuts commercial, the one with the guy walking in a trance muttering to himself, its time to make the donuts??  Well Honey says that ALOT!  The message in church was related to that.  It was about pursuing dreams and living with passion.  Not like the donut man just going through the motions day after day.  The pastor said to figure out what you are passionate about you should ask yourself two questions.  What do you LOVE?  What do you HATE?  Figure that out.  Where there is no vision the people perish.  We need dreams and visions.  We need purpose! 

After searching high and low we finally found some apples.  They were pretty picked over.  Most of the apples were way at the top...out of reach.  Signs told us to go deep.  I thought that was cool.  So we went deep and finally found some good ones.  It was kind of sad to see all the rotten ones wasted laying on the ground.  I guess they fell off when people were picking them.   

We've got fruit coming out our ears now.  If you have some apple recipes to share I'd love that.  I have a few tricks up my sleeve.  One of my favorite desserts is strawberry shortcake.  I'm thinking apples would work pretty good in that too.

Right by the orchards is an old restaurant called Mitchie Tavern.  Apparently it's about 200 years old.  WOWZA!  We waited in line there too.  Or I should say dad and honey waited in line.

 

The girls all went shopping.  They have three really cute log cabin type buildings on the grounds where we goofed off for an hour or so.

 

We went to Thomas Jefferson's Monticello home also.  Well we were really close to his home.  We got as far as the visitor's center.  Tickets to tour the house were $37 a piece and we just didn't feel like spending the money.  We'll go back another time.  We did watch a movie about his life, and I left feeling so inspired.


It amazes me how one person can change a country, a nation...impact the world forever.  It completely tied into the message at church about dreams and pursuing your passion.  If you were to die today what legacy would you leave?  What work, passions, contribution would your life make?
 

I was sitting there trying to figure out what I LOVED and what I HATED.  I know that I love my family, my creative outlets of blogging and art...the Lord of course.  Are these life changers?  Will these things be my legacy??  Will they carry on and make a difference after my time here is gone??  I certainly hope so.  I'll never be a Thomas Jefferson, but my legacy...my circle of influence can be just as important.  How about yours??

Have a blessed day.

168.  vista views

169.  the smell of my dad's cologne

170.  the sweetness of my mom's brown eyes

171.  mashed potatoes and gravy

172.  God's masterpiece in the changing of the leaves

173.  a spare bedroom...vacant no more

174.  someone to show the house off to

175.  coffee with my folks in the morning

happiness versus joy

Okay for the most part this post is going to be about something entirely different than the pictures.  Hope you don't mind.  It's obvious we went to the pumpkin patch.  It was good fun.  Love me some critters and a farmy feel.

Instead of sitting on a bench for a half hour I decided to join the peeps in the maze.  Can I just clarify that I HATE corn mazes!  First of all I'm slightly claustrophobic.  I despise feeling lost and I'm allergic to dust.  So remember how sick and snotty I was recently??  In spite of that, I did the corn maze.

Much to my amazement I lived to tell about it.  I didn't have an asthma or panic attack and die right there in the middle of a gigantic corn puzzle.  WHEW!

And it was sort of pretty.  Who knew little flowers grew on cornstalks??  I didn't and I grew up smack in the middle of nothing but fields:)

Okay so today Big Chick brings in the mail.  I've been anxiously awaiting a package from my jewelry supplier.  I had placed a big order for metal blanks to stamp cuffs etc...  When she brings me the envelope it's EMPTY!  Nothing but a receipt inside...and mind you it was a large dollar amount on that receipt. 

I wish I could say that I handled it well, but I didn't.  My heart started racing.  I think I broke out into a cold sweat.  I was like oh NO...someone STOLE my stuff!!!  I felt like my head was going to explode. I called my honey, my mom, a couple of friends.  I was in a complete hissy fit mode.

Earlier in the day I was more or less on cloud 9.  The sun was shining, the weather was GORGEOUS.  I had my transitions class, and we had eaten out for lunch.  I was hopeful and happy inside.  It was such a good feeling and then BOOM! 

My peace was gone!  I picked up my Jesus Calling devotional and it just happened to be on "Happiness versus Joy".  Did you know happiness depends on our circumstances?  It's when everything is going perfectly.  It's fleeting. 


True joy is very different.  It doesn't depend on this world or whether you are having a great day or not.  It is dependant on the Lord and knowing that He is in control.  Staying close to Him equals joy in every situation.

Well knock me straight out!!  I'd allowed satan to steal my joy.  Crap!  I want more than anything to live a life where I get it.  Where I'm walking in truth.  And I know those things, but it's so good to be reminded that regardless of the stuff that happens, because let's face it life is full of unexpected BOOMS, regardless of that I need to remember He's got my back.  He's in control and there is a reason for all of it.

Is this not just the cutest thing ever??

So I prayed about it.  I'm believing it's all going to work out.  That I will somehow get my stuff and quick...cause Christmas orders are coming:o!   I'm trying really hard to not give up my joy.  I need that joy.  It's mine, and I'm not going to let anyone or anything steal it!

Here are the pumpkins and mums.  They look so pretty!  Oh and did you notice we painted the front door red??  LOVE it red!  Reminds me of the Israelites covering their doors during the Passover.  Remember that in the movie the Ten Commandments?  Brought chills to me thinking of the death angel taking the first born of every household and those with the blood over their door being spared!  Wowza.  Anyway I love it!!! 


Oh and wish me luck tonight.  I'm hosting a neighborhood Bunco game at my house.  I decided I needed to be proactive in meeting my neighbors, so I just did it!  YIKES.  I'm really nervous, but I'm sure it will be great.

Have a blessed day.

147.  clean floors
148.  deviled eggs
149.  friends to pray with
150.  a husband who talks me off the ledge
151.  a glorious after dinner walk
152.  an opportunity to make new friends
153.  a God who's got my back

a day in Mayberry

It's funny how you can find yourself sitting in someone's house that you don't know...sippin' diet cola, eating lunch, talking a hundred miles an hour about mutual blogs that you read.  That's where I found myself yesterday. 


I drove somewhere I'd never been.  To a little quaint town in the middle of nowhere.  Picturesque farms, fields and barns zooming past my windows.  My final stop was a cute little "Mayberry" town where one of my readers invited me over for the day. 


 

Meet Amy and her brood.  She reads my blog and has a blog crush on me...ha!  Oh I love it;)  This sweet young thing with her adorable family.  I think I was the one crushing!  I'm working on her to start a blog of her own.  I have a feeling she'd have a lot to say.  Anyway she asked me to paint some art for her kiddos rooms, so I strolled through her beautiful old home...snapping pictures left and right.

Met her sweet friend Leah.  And basically felt time tick tick tickin' away.  Wasn't that me just a millisecond ago holding my sweet ones?  I had more or less forgotten the constant feeding, changing, burping cycle that goes on with young ones. 


It was surreal being the "mature" seasoned mom in the room.  When was the last play date I went to?  When was the last time I talked about baby clothes, diaper bags and homemade baby food??  It was really strange.  I kept telling them it goes so fast.  I'm sure they were wishing I wouldn't say that.  I remember those feelings too well.  I'd cling onto my girls...practically squeezing the air out them thinking it can't go as fast as everyone thinks.  They're brand new.  But it did.  My oldest is almost as tall as me.  They are having the body "talk" at school this week.  Things are changing.  Junior high is on the horizon, and seriously it freaks me out a bit.  What I wouldn't give for just an hour to hold them little like this again.





Oh and I don't know about you, but did your kids talk ALL THE TIME??  Mine did.  I'd forgotten how exhausting that is.  Good, but honestly draining.  Sometimes it's nice to remember where you've been.  It can actually make you appreciate the stage you are in and look forward to the future.   I miss my babies, but I also look forward to them grown.  Someday play dates and tea parties will turn into little mom and daughter get aways and shopping trips.  I hope.  That's something to look forward to.

Okay so there you have it.  Sweetness.  Breathe it in.  Get your baby fix.  We're going on a walk:)

After lunch we took a stroll in Amy's little town.  She lives within walking distance to the down town area.  I'd love that. 

Does it get any more Mayberry than this?  We walked in to this little diner/donut house and just ate the air.  I didn't get anything, but it could have been possible to gain weight by inhalation only.  Oh if we didn't have to worry about getting fat!  I swear I would have devoured at least three of those donuts.

It was a good day.  The sun was warm.  The conversation was wonderful.  The walk down memory lane...priceless.  Thanks Amy for sharing a little bit of your world with me.

Have a blessed day.

new growth

I woke up this morning emotional.  My first feelings were of complete disgust.  The sun was streaming in my windows though my blinds and it was only 6:00 in the morning! How dare the sun wake me up...ugh!   In the moments that it took me to throw off my covers and stomp to the bathroom my mood mellowed and by the time I got downstairs to make breakfast it had swung all the way over to complete gratitude and joy.

You see I live in the most beautiful spot.  My backyard has the most gorgeous views ever.  Even though our house sits smack in the middle of suburbia, the back of it faces a gorgeous farm and the most beautiful pasture you can imagine.  For this farmgirl is it complete bliss. 

You all know cows are one of my most favorite things in the world, and then with all the rain we've been having it's just utopia.  Everything is growing, thriving. ..bursting with an almost neon color.  Let's just say it isn't lost on me.  I appreciate color SO much.  I crave color.  That's why Winter about does me in.  Months of nothing but grey and white.  It sends shivers down my spine.

Anyway we are in a new season.  One of growth.  That's why Spring is my favorite time of year.  I love the thought of stretching...of digging deeper into the earth and taking root.  I'm going through a similar process.  I'm experiencing my own growth spurt.  It's just in the seedling stage right now.  The seed has been planted and it's all covered with dirt...literally;)  I have no idea what I will become...what the end result will be.  But I'm expected God to bring forth something beautiful.  I'm trusting that even though the process is painful the final outcome will be breathtaking.

Have a blessed day.

 

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