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

not so faux

Y'all know we just had the whole house painted recently.  Ummm and yes I did let a y'all out just then.  It's contagious...what can I say;)  It's really hard to pick out that many paint colors at once and get them all perfect.  It's impossible right??  So I shouldn't feel bad that one of them was so ugly that I couldn't keep my hands off it?   

I really wish you could actually tell what this color looked like.  It was an icy green/blue.  Imagine a 1955-1960's cafeteria green.  I think it was Benjamin Moore's Green Italian Ice or something to that extent.  It didn't do a thing for the room.  Crud!  And I paid to have it done...double crud!

Okay so this is the part where I get embarrassed.  I didn't just want to repaint the whole thing because I paid for it to be painted and that felt wasteful, so I thought I'd just go with it and make it something wonderful.  I went to Home Depot and bought a Martha Stewart faux finishing kit.  I thought, okay I can do this.  I'm artsty...how hard can it be??  Let me tell ya...it was HARD!  Like really really HARD! 


I took some left over gray paint and hand brushed it on and then took a piece of steel wool and pulled it down over it to leave a "raw silk" look.  The middle of the wall looked really cool, almost like expensive wallpaper.  The top and bottom of the wall, where it met the trim and ceiling, looked awful.  So I thought I'd try to cover it up and fix it.  I was going for a cool love, peace, happiness, joy graffiti look.  The idea was great, but the actual look not so much.  And don't tell me it looked good I don't want to hear that nonsense;)

Honey and I poured over paint samples again not really agreeing on anything...now gun shy because of our mistake.  Finally we decided on Benjamin Moore's Atmospheric.   I loved the color, but he thought it was too similar to the ugly one.  I won!  And it turned out wonderful.  Thank heavens:)

I still have little touches to add to the room...like framing the mirrors and a couple more Janet Hill prints. LOVE HER!!!  And remember the hand mirror collection I started??  I finally found a place for them, even though Honey thinks they look old ladylike.  Personally I think they found a home. 

Have you ever messed up a room??  Do tell:)

Have a blessed day.

162.  mom and dad come tomorrow!!!!

163.  freshly painted walls

164.  a new group of crafty friends

165.  sweet potatoes

166.  the scale inching down

167.  outdoor fireplaces

plans

My heart is FULL!  Full and overflowing.  This weekend was cram packed with good things.  Plans.  It's been awhile since we've had plans and these were good ones;) I'll start with last night because it was just too stinkin' fun.  Do you guys "boo"?  In Minnesota every October someone always started a boo thing in our hood. 

 (neon effect in Picnik)

We dress in black...put on our hoods and ding dong ditch our neighbors.  We leave a fun goody bag on their porch and RUN like the wind.  It's so fun.  Then they spread the love and carry it out with two more neighbors until we all have a little boo sign in our front windows.  It's sharing the boo love I guess.

(My friend Cheryl...moved here a year ago from Atlanta.)

I had the wonderful opportunity to attend a blogging event at a local restaurant this weekend.  A very thoughtful reader sent me a link to a sweet tea social and I couldn't sign up fast enough.  In fact I invited all the sweet bloggers who have reached out to me since I've moved here. 

(click here to see who was there)

It was just nice to have somewhere to be.  Does that sound crazy??  I had plans.  It was written on my calendar.  I got dressed in something other than workout clothes and I set out to meet new friends.  Friends who BLOG!  Gotta love that. 

Then right after that I hurried home and we had a b-day celebration for Little Chick.  It's not her birthday yet, but we like to spread it out for weeks on end;)  I knew that the birthday thing was going to be a little tricky this year because we left all her friends back in MN.  So we thought we'd have a party with the sweet neighbors across the street, a week early because my folks are coming soon:)))  She has just fallen in love with their little girl.  They are connected at the hip. 

It gave us a chance to bond with the neighbors and embarrass ourselves all at once.  I cannot believe how bad I stink at bowling.  Humiliating!  Anyway it was great fun.  Their girls had never been.  It's so fun being apart of a new experience.

Big Chick brought along a friend too.  So it worked out really nice. 


At some point over the weekend it occurred to me that I have people here finally.  I've worked really hard.  REALLY HARD!  But all of sudden I've got groups of friends.  I feel FULL.  I'm not friendless anymore.  I actually know people and they are getting to know me.  That feeling of belonging is starting to happen and it's the best feeling in the world:)

Speaking of which...see this lovely lady?  Her name is Charity and she is a waitress at Johnny Rockets.  I took the girls there about a month ago and we just hit it off.  For some reason I just immediately loved this gal.  So after bowling we went there for dinner and Charity was there.  She remembered me.  Took care of us all night.  Even remembered what we all ordered from before.  LOVE that!  She made me feel known.

Have you ever been there?  It's like a giant party.  They have 50's music playing and all the servers come out and dance several times a night.  Even the cooks get down.  It's so much fun.

THIS was by far the best part of the night.  Charity made Little Chick stand on a chair so they could sing to her.  She was so embarrassed!  I loved seeing her feel special.  I loved all eyes on that precious little girl. 

She's been talking about her birthday for months.  There is a whole lot more celebrating to come:)  I'm all over it...makin' those plans! 

Have a blessed day.

154.  having plans

155.  having friends

156.  making my little one blush

157.  waitresses who remember what you ordered

158.  music that makes you tap your foot and want to dance

159.  blessing your neighbors

160.  BUNCO WAS A HIT!!

161.  my jewelry order is being resent with extras thrown in for my trouble!!!!!

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