Back Road Beauty: In Green...

This caused me to hit the brakes...just had to stop and take a shot. 

My telephoto is broke...waiting for the new one.

Let's Go For a Drive...

I am so glad that some go to great lengths to preserve what was once the 

beauty of rural America. 

So glad it is preserved and many times still very much in use.

Aren't you?

Just Missin' Summer...

It's always about the end of January before I let myself even start to think about it.

But it's months away!!

But at least I have some pictures to remember it by...

Brrrr!!

WINDY & COLD!  Not much snow!

He Loves Me...

Look at what he brought me!

I don't know what this tin was for, do you?

The inside is lined in black, and is pristine inside.

The crackled look and half the missing label just makes me love it more!

Back Road Beauty: The Blue Hour

The other night I left right when the sun dipped behind the western horizon.

I drove a while out in the country with my camera.

It's the time of day called the "blue hour"...with some of the most beautiful light you've seen in winter, and especially when there is a fresh snow on the ground.

The blue hour makes anything ordinary extraordinary, but I think I've told you that more than enough...

Barns, sunset...the blue hour...all of it, just gorgeous.

And I relaxed, decompressed, and had the best ever mental health therapy just as the sun said good-bye at the end of the daylight.  

I sure do hope you've enjoyed these shots, too.  

And I hope your day is beautiful, too....don't forget to peek out the window at sunset, you never know what you might be missing.

Walking Through the Year: Miles Walked in 2012

Evergreen garland draped over the top of a china cabinet.  Love this idea!

I love the way the shutter is turned on its side, and lays on the mantel as a backdrop 

for Christmas decorations!

I took this picture because I LOVE the way the sunlight shows the green glass off.

I am drawn to painted pieces, and loved this white china cabinet.

IF ONLY my husband would let me paint some of our pieces! 

He thinks it's a travesty!

This many cubby-holed piece had me in love.

I love the stool collection underneath it as well.

I cannot start another collection, but I enjoy looking!

Jamie bought Audrey some of this set for 

her first REAL tea set, beautiful and matches her 

bedroom colors.

Now that I am back home, 

and I hung my new calendar...

I finally got my miles for 2012 added up.

I record them on my wall calendar, daily.

I do this now each year as a motivation, 

logging miles each time I walk.

I then total each month.

I keep a running total.

Then, at year's end, I look at my grand total.

Then, I try to compare something geographical 

to the number of miles walked.

This year's grand total was 488.

The Mississippi River is about 500 miles long.

This method, for me, has worked as a great motivator, 

and that is why I am sharing it with you!

HAVE A GREAT DAY!

PS:  Photos from an antique jaunt I took with my iPhone when I was visiting my daughter's family.

The Magic of the Ordinary

 Peek-a-boo with Papaw!

Puzzles after breakfast.

Audrey's got her game face on!  

This face CRACKS NINNIE UP!!!

Silly time!

Lots of play time!

Whenever Papaw leaves, he hides money in each of their rooms.  

This time, I was here when they got to hunt them.  Fun times!

On her little potty.

We started to work on potty training with Levi and look who started to join us!

Little Miss Priss did GREAT this week and she goes potty every time we put her on.

Good thing Mama had two potties!  :)

I had to teach Levi the proper use for training pants...haha!

This is a vintage doll bed Jamie found at an antique store while shopping for
vintage kitten decor for Audrey's 1st birthday.  

Jamie also made her little sheets, pillow, and quilt for a Christmas gift, 

using all reproduction vintage fabrics for them.

I love the little decal and the little "abc blocks" in the headboard.

Levi LOVES the bed his Papaw made for him that I brought down here in the fall.  He calls it his "Papaw bed".  He did make the transition very easily from the baby bed to his "big boy" (toddler) bed.

I have spent the last two weeks immersed in my grand baby's glow.

I just thought I'd share a few images and a few anecdotal stories to tell you what I've been up to. 

It's been pure bliss, I've enjoyed every minute, and tomorrow I head back home....the trail of tears.  Saying good-bye is the worst!

Levi told me today "Ninnie, I will miss all my PEOPLE."  He calls all of us from Michigan who visit him as "his people".  He's right, we are his and his sissie's people, too.

My husband and older son left here a week ago, and myself and my younger son got to stay another week.  After his Papaw left last week with his Uncle Mark, he asked:  "Where did my people go?"  I had to explain to him that they had to get back to Michigan and back to work.

This morning when we all got up, I explained to him:  "Tomorrow I won't be here when you wake up, Luke and I will go back to Papaw and Uncle Mark in Michigan."  He responded "Ninnie, I will miss all my people and I want my Papaw!"  

That is the truth, and we shall miss him and his family, too.  

I have learned this from living so far from my babies:  the time spent immersed in their lives 24/7 is the best part of the separation. It's the silver lining I had to look for.  

The worst part is not being here from day to day, in the small ways, but so much of the enjoyment while we are here is waking up with them and being with them until they close their eyes at night, reading them stories, putting them down for their naps...being present for their meals.  It's all so good.

I will see you next week.

 xoxoxox