Yard Strolling ~

Tags

Gray Squirrel, Nature's Love, Owls, Sauntering, Statues of Stone, Walnut Cottage, Walnut Trees

Yesterday while sealing a few minutes for myself I strolled out into my front yard for a look around, just sauntering as it isn’t a very big yard, and wanted to take a closer look at what I see everyday without actually seeing it.  How many times a day do I cross my lawn, walk up the path to the house, come and go?  Do I really notice any of the sights I see so many times per day?  Some might call it ‘taking time to smell the flowers’ except I have no flowers.  I have a little boy who loves to pick flowers so any that should pop up whether a dandelion, day lily or other always get picked straight away.  But that’s alright because they end up in a little glass knickknack on the ole kitchen window sill.

What I do have in my yard is a very scraggly old and crooked remnant of a walnut tree. I have seen some beautiful walnut trees in my life, and you should know, this tree doesn’t even come close to measuring up.  It has a mind of growing toward the house in a zig-zag way, looming over the roof and depositing walnut hulls all over once per year.  It looks more like a two pronged walnut stick that is one hundred feet tall.  No smaller branches, very few leaves; I am not sure how it has survived all these years and I anticipate its demise each time a strong storm passes through, but yet it stands, for now.

The right side of the lawn seemed to be blooming yesterday in cracked walnut shells like the one pictured above.  I almost didn’t see them for taking for granted what is always there.  When I bent down to take a closer look, the little heart, nature’s love called to me.  It gave me pause to remember how strong nature can be, and the grace that created nature itself.Another aspect of my yard is the ever present gray squirrel; not one or a few, but hundreds of these little furry creatures scamper through the yard, up and down the trees, over the rocks across the lawn always scurrying digging little shallows wherever they think they deposited their treasures. Friendly enough we don’t try to pet them or catch them, just watch them as they come and go.  They don’t mind us as they lived here long before we did.  We gave them the name of Fred.  Fred one and all, each one we see we greet and they seem to know we are speaking to them.

I think these little and sometimes quite plump fellows find our yard and surroundings as a safe haven.  Our neighborhood is not young so the houses and yards are established with large oaks, hickory and pines. Squirrel nests abound galore, multiple in every tree.  We seem to co-exist with each other quite nicely. Sometimes they nibble things they aught not nibble when the eats are scarce.  They do have a fun past-time of popping a squat in the branches above our entrance door.  This is their shelling place.  They must carry all of their nuts to this one spot to shell them.  Quite smart they are as they keep the goodie for themselves and drop the shells beneath.  However, what is beneath is our heads!  I think I have almost heard them giggle as if it is a game to see how many times they can ding us.  Of course, during this time the front stoop is always covered with shell droppings and they are forever getting stuck in the bottoms of ones shoes, but a little sweep now and then clears them all away.

Another wonderful natural beauty in our yard is our boulders.  Tons by tons in size and volume of these remarkable statues of stone exploding from the earth like enormous private barriers.  Both sides of our lawn hold these wonders; it makes one feel protected and safe.  Ever slightly changing with the seasons they always have a slightly different look.  The children have climbed on these friendly monsters since they first saw them years ago.  These massive friends have given them more enjoyment than any video game ever could.  Shown here is one of our largest covered in stunning green moss and white lichens.

Lastly, is a rare glimpse of our friend Mr. Owl.  This is one of a pair who reside in the enormous Oaks.  He and his owl-mate were here when we arrived and don’t mind us very much.  They are not quite the type one can classify as a ‘pet’ but they do keep us company with their hooting.  Actually, we love to hear them converse among themselves.  Above is a very difficult shot to obtain as they don’t show themselves in the open very often combined with our heavy tree foliage crisp clear photographs are hard to grab.  Here he appears to be peeking at me, yes, he knows I am there.

Hometown Gallery of Art ~

Tags

Art, Colors, Family, Imagination, Painters, Painting, Ryan Karpinsky, The Art Station, Walnut Cottage

I like to paint, the way the brush feels in my hand.  The strokes of color brought to life by imagination; what I feel, who I am, what makes me happy and content, what soothes me.  Painting.  I am an artist, if I believe I am.

       

I have known a few artists in my life, of many different distinctions and mediums.  These are the people who come to mind when particular memories ring back from years ago.  I remember a very talented painter from high school, Candy, who could paint anything – I wonder where she is today?  Such talent at such a young age.

   

I knew a musician from high school, David, whose talent far surpassed his age at the time as the music he played sounded as if was a work of art.  Today he is a very successful composer and virtuoso of music.  I have seen sketches and drawings completed by Gale, and her children, who all seem to possess a way of taking the ideas from their minds and perfectly placing them on a canvas or sketch pad.

   

My family is comprised of artisans in one form or another; my daughter who can so eloquently speak the french language and strum guitar, my sons who can each draw and depict intricate designs on the smallest piece of paper and they appear as masterpieces to me.  My husband creating works of art in his shop, whether a boat or a settle or cupboard.  I myself have dabbled with paints, but usually it is painting a room, or a piece of furniture, or a boat when I take up the brush.

     

During a recent outing I stumbled upon, and I do seem to be doing that more often – almost as if finding hidden treasures all around me, here in my home town an art gallery, The Art Station.  I have a schedule, children, a family and work so I just don’t have time to throw-in spontaneous excursions very often.  When I do, I try to make them count.

     

Walking in the door I was enveloped in color and canvas, sculptures and true pieces of art.  The owner, Ryan Karpinsky, greeted me and took the time to show me around the gallery.  In what felt like a private tour of the entire layout, the paintings were amazing and truly made me want to reach for one of the brushes, a blank canvas and some oils, which I have never attempted, steal away to a corner and just explore what I could do.

   

Tucking that thought in the corner of my mind for another time, we discussed art lessons for my son, and schedules.  Ryan was polite and personable, excusing himself to take a few business calls, he would return to show me the art of a different resident or local artist.  Ryan and Roy Lindsay Woods are The Art Station’s Resident Artists and featured works by Nat Cole, Ken Shermer and Collin Martindale are also on display.

     

Not surprising that my camera was by my side, I asked if I might take some photographs while visiting the gallery, and was delighted when given an open invitation to photograph all that I wanted. So I did!

   

I have reviewed the photos several times that I took that morning and each time I do something else comes to the light of the canvases; a view that I didn’t see the first few times I looked.  With Mr. Karpinsky’s permission, I am displaying here some of the shots I took in an attempt to share the beauty that was shared with me.

   

Thank you Ryan for your time and conversation.  I look forward to visiting The Art Station again, if only just to take in for a second time the beauty that awaits and the colors that appeal and draw you in to the heart of your gallery.

     

Happy Birthday Reflections ~

Tags

Birthdays, crepe streamers, Family, Handmade Gifts, Happy Birthday, Storytime, Walnut Cottage

Birthdays come but once per year, not everyone is glad to see it come and most are happier once the day has passed.  Some choose not to observe the day at all.  Birthdays bring upon us a mountain of emotions from sad to happy, excited to suspenseful and all other feelings in between.  There are also those milestone birthdays we come to where friends and family find it humorous to make us the center of their jokes, with all of that over the hill paraphernalia that the greeting card companies and party supply stores make a fortune from.  People look upon past birthday events especially from their childhood and also feel the same range of memories and emotions depending upon whether the birthdays were a happy or sad occasion for them, something they will always remember whether it was a good or bad time in their lives.

Having recently celebrated my forty-first birthday I feel that I have passed enough of them to speak on the subject.  As a child, you weren’t in control of how the day was celebrated.  Hopefully, your parents did their very best to make it a happy occasion for you and hopefully, you were taught enough manners to appreciate whatever effort was made, even if it was lacking.  If you look back upon those past birthdays with saddened heart or little fondness, my apologies to you and I wish for you, someday, the birthday of a lifetime, balloons, streamers, the works.

During my childhood I was very fortunate to have parents who thought the day should be celebrated with family, friends, gifts, sleep-overs, cake and ice cream, every single classmate, parties, streamers, hats, balloons, magicians; my list could continue indefinitely.  I remember my mother and I hand making my birthday party streamers every year; the kind where you take two different colors of crepe streamers and twist them together to make these infinitely long piles of crepe.  Once strung all over the house how lovely they were.  Thank you Momma!

I agree that as we progress through life it isn’t that our birthdays become any less important to us, it is just that as adults we fill our lives with so many obligations that it is sometimes difficult to fit anything else in.  A birthday to many is a luxury and to others their children take up the slack where birthdays are concerned.  My idea of birthday gifts has also changed over the years.  No longer do I wish for store-bought items.  Now, my ideal gifts are all handmade and from the heart.

As we age, it becomes more of our own responsibility to make our birthdays what we want them to be.  If someone, anyone, family, friend, co-worker or stranger should ask you what you want for your birthday, or what you want to do, or how you want to celebrate the event, tell them.  Don’t be bashful or expect them to read your mind and plan the perfect party for you just to lead to your disappointment when it doesn’t go as you had visioned, or doesn’t happen at all.

My day started as a morning trip to the Children’s Story Time at Poor Richard’s Book Shoppe with our host and storyteller Crystal O’Gorman; columnist with Modern Parent Online.  It never hurts my feelings to thumb through shelves of books so I felt right at home.  Within an hour or so we had made new friends, heard and read stories and purchased a few “oldies” for later reading.  A pretty good beginning to my birthday day.

I was asked this year what I wanted to do for my birthday, and I gave it some actual thought.  Standard suggestions were given by family including going out to eat to celebrate.  I definitely knew that going “out” to eat was not an option. Why do that anyway?  The result is to gather your family and friends, decide on an establishment, a time, the attire, etc., then head out to a busy restaurant, eat a substandard meal with over priced iced tea and a lack-less conversation that can barely be heard above the noise and confusion occurring around you.  You eat, have some cake, pay the bill, give kisses and farewells and thank yous, get back in the car just to think; what in the heck just happened in there?

I delicately suggested that we skip the hullabaloo of dining out, and have a private, special, family luncheon.  You know the kind, almost like a picnic inside, since it is January and we are in the south?  I requested handmade everything.  Handmade cards, handmade sandwiches, handmade deserts, etc.  Elated to the brim of my birthday hat that is exactly what I received!

Momma and Mamaw made sandwiches.  Egg salad, corned beef, Swiss-ham and poppy-seed mini-sandwiches, southern sweet tea and Spanish green olives for garnish.  We had ice cream, homemade banana pudding and white chocolate truffle cake.  Delicious and perfectly planned by all!

Dave made me a Betty Crocker cake, all by himself with a side of beautiful flowers.  Huckleberry one made me a heartfelt card with a personally written poem, which was as honest as it was beautiful, even though she had to interpret the French parts.  Huck Two, artist that he is, provided me with his own version of a colorful handmade card with sentiments inside truly from the heart as well.  Little Huck, well that little fellow worked an entire evening in the shop to make me a personalized bench, seat, or footstool, whichever I may need it for.  Big project for a seven-year old!

We finished the day with a very casual family photograph.  I am proud of my family for knowing what birthdays are really about and making me feel so special and loved~

Culture Just Around the Corner at Poor Richard’s Book Shoppe

Tags

Art of Spoken Word, Arts, CP Maze, Culture, Music, Poetry, Poor Richard's Book Shoppe, The Art Station, Walnut Cottage

I believe we all experience different needs with each passing year or birthday, and with my fourty-first just around the corner, I decided it was time to come out of my introverted shell.  What I needed was an old-fashioned dose of people, culture, art, music; anything that would help me to become the person I want to be, or better at the things that I already know how to do.

I recently happened upon a local bookstore, Poor Richard’s Book Shoppe, and had a delightful phone conversation with the owner.  Promising myself to visit the shoppe, I tucked that “to-do” in the back of my  mind.

This past Thursday was the first event that I was available to attend and it happened to be 2nd Thursday’s Poetry and Spoken Word, “The Art of Spoke Word”.  Now, I am a lover of poetry, usually the old classics and long dead poets are my favorites; however, my daughter and I ventured out to this event in person to see exactly what I have been missing.  This little shoppe tucked away in our downtown was packed, standing room only, and yes, I stood for over two hours just to take it all in.  The self-taught musician, John Morris, was playing Roxanne, his favorite guitar not the song, as we walked in.  Moving a little closer as we were able, we were mingling around individuals from all walks of life young and old.  John Morris continued to play throughout the night which we greatly enjoyed.

In the background was the largest piece of stretched white canvas I’ve ever seen leading my eyes to the gentleman sitting not too far away with paint brush in hand.  We were to experience live music, be intrigued by an artist in person, have the honors of guest poet  J. Scott Wilson and left speechless by the featured poet C.P. Maze.  At one point John Morris offered for my eldest Huckleberry to play his Roxanne if she so liked, and gracefully she declined.

Our guest poet for the evening, C.P. Maze was as personal as you could have hoped for, and the talent streaming from his lips truly left me speechless.  Throughout the session, John Morris continued his musical accompaniment which intermingled with the poetry and the painting.

The artist taking his canvas and depicting his feelings of the atmosphere and event that was occurring in the book shoppe was mesmerizing.  Ryan Karpinsky from The Art Station, from just a few doors down was the featured painter / artist of the evening.  In the span of two hours this artist had created a master work of art, right there in the book shoppe before our very eyes.

The finale was the auctioning off of the masterpiece.  Shown below is the artist, Mr. Karpinsky and the owner of the new masterpiece.

In the span of two hours, I had completed what I had set out to do.  I experienced and lived live arts, culture, music and socialization with real people all at once, all in one location, Poor Richard’s Book Shoppe, and loved every minute of it.

Here Is New York ~ E.B. White

Tags

1920's, 1940's, Charlotte's Web, E.B. White, Gardner Park, Here Is New York, Literature, Reading, The New Yorker, Walnut Cottage

E.B. White was an esteemed, loved and talented author who published his first work in 1925 for The New Yorker Magazine.  Author to three beloved children’s classics; Stewart Little, Charlotte’s Web and Trumpet of the Swan published in 1945, 1952 and 1970 respectively.  Notably White was one of my favored authors during my childhood.  He lived and wrote each of these three books before I was born yet such an impression was left upon me through his words that I know them by heart today.

Countless times I have read these books to myself and with my children and have enjoyed watching my huckleberries read these timeless classics, sometimes more than once.  I believe it was the goose from Charlotte’s Web who they loved to hear me impersonate, if a goose can be impersonated.  In any event, over and over again my huckleberries would ask for me to re-read the parts where the goose stuttered and continually repeated herself or when the gander tried to spell a word for Charlotte.

I remember the very first copy of Charlotte’s Web that I ever purchased.  It was in May 1978 at the Gardner Park Library Book Fair. This I know because the date was hand stamped in the front cover by the librarian whose name was quite possibly Mrs. Ray.  This original copy of mine now with yellowing clear tape across the cover proudly sits upon one of my many bookshelves today.  Over the years it has been opened so many times that tape was needed to just hold it together.  Why do I keep this old ragged book?  Quite simply, it is no longer for reading as I am not sure how many more reads it has left, but as a remembrance of what words meant to me, thoughts, ideas and imagination.  There are several other copies, newer and less used that keep it company on the shelf but the purchase of my first E.B. White book at age seven will forever be one of my fondest memories.

Of course, at such a young age I had no inkling of who E.B. White was or of his notoriety; I only knew that this book with a cover depicting an ordinary little girl holding a humble pig while gazing up at a spider’s web captured my attention.  Mr. White was yet to capture my heart and mind with the words that lay in the pages ahead.  I should also give just credit to Garth Montgomery Williams for his wonderful illustrations in both Charlotte’s Web and Stuart Little. 

As humans we tend to forget that we can continue to grow and learn long after we have graduated from whatever learning institution we set our sights upon and while never having officially researched E.B. White or his works I was unaware that he had penned any other books until one day while roaming the shelves of a local venue, I happened upon the words Here is New York ~ E.B. White written on the spine of a small book.  Extremely elated to find that he had written more than children’s literature I was literally ecstatic.  My family, quite used to my excitement when I bring home books, new to me but usually quite old, sat and listened to my ramblings on how finding this book transpired.

Considering my personal library to be quite vast it is not uncommon for me to return home from a book outing with more books than I can carry at once.  Some acquire shoes – I acquire books.  With absolute honestly I can say that with today’s hectic schedule and juggling sessions of soccer practices, games and tournaments, karate classes, guitar lessons and Krav this full-time working mother of three feels it an accomplishment to find another square inch in my home to house my books for future reading and to take time to breathe!

My bookshelves overflow with volumes of literature; Classics, American, English, European, Children’s, Poetry & Prose and then some.  When I pass a bookshelf and spot a book that I have been meaning to read but time hasn’t allowed, it is like finding that treasure all over again.  Such is the case with Here is New York.

Last week I clutched the book on my way out the door should I find time to squeeze in some reading.   I should clarify that White’s original writing of Here is New York was penned in 1948 as a magazine article for Holiday, an American travel magazine published from 1946-1977.  The book I now possess is the seventy-five hundred word essay that E.B. White wrote with a new introduction by Roger Angell, White’s step-son.

Scattered as my thoughts often are it was my hope to read this book while waiting at the little Huckleberry’s karate lesson.  The book after all is small, only fifty-six pages cover to cover and that included the introduction which begins as page seven.  Easy read…not hardly.  The book was entrancing, it was poetry, it was love, it was difficult to understand through some spots, only due to my ignorance and due to the fact that people, writers of today, do not write as one wrote in the days of E. B. White.  I found myself re-reading sections, looking up words, imagining the history of New York; what it might have been like in 1925 when E.B. White saw it for the first time as well as in 1948 when he revisited for the sole purpose of writing this specific essay.  I decided that one reading just wasn’t going to allow me to achieve all that I wanted from this book.  I finished the book, waited a few days, then reopened it and began again.  This time everything I felt the first go-round was amplified in my mind.  I truly felt as if I were there in 1948 walking the streets with E.B. White, seeing the sights he beheld, hearing the sounds especially ‘the Queen Mary and her mournful horn’ even those and gazing upon those profound landmarks that haven’t existed in New York for some generations.

I finished the book, for the second time with a feeling of wanting to revisit New York myself.  While having been a traveler there twice before, I was much younger and simply could not appreciate all that I saw myself.  This time I want to visit New York and take a deeper look to see if it is possible to imagine what New York was like eighty-six as well as sixty-four years ago as E.B. White experienced it.

Breathe and Pick Up Some Sticks ~

Tags

Fresh Spirit, Goals, Leap Year, Lists, New Year's Day, Picking Up Sticks, Planning, Walnut Cottage

Happy New Year’s Day to everyone!  Day one of three hundred and sixty-six days, thanks to Leap Year, in which to do so much.  Over three hundred different opportunities to make a difference in your life, in the lives of family, friends and loved ones, and even to those you’ve yet to meet.

This is the time of year, this very day, when people begin anew with a fresh spirit, a new out look on life, ideas of love, thoughts and plans for adventure and those resolutions.  People everywhere feel as if the slate has been wiped clean, the air is crisp and clean with a brighter outlook and a chance to do more and be better than the previous year.

I am not a big resolution person, I prefer to view them as goals, and scale them throughout the year.  Sometimes it can almost be overwhelming as one forgets that it all doesn’t have to all happen or be planned in day one, on New Year’s Day.  And resolution is such a stiff and stuffy word that it can often lead to disappointment rather than accomplishments.  Remember, you want to begin slow and move forward from there and for this very reason I like to take a different approach.  Keeping in mind that simple is best, start slow, make a few plans, set goals very small easily accomplished goals and them some larger ones that are a take a little more effort to achieve, but try your best not to overshoot the goals making process.  Plainly put don’t set your sights on accomplishments that you simply can’t achieve.  By doing this, you will end up feeling that you have let yourself or someone else down.  This is the feeling to avoid and the best way to do this is to be both specific and general in the goals you set for yourself for the coming year.

Lists are also a great way to get to where you want to be as they are a daily reminder of what you have completed and what is still left to be done for the day, week, month and year.  Again, the lists can be small or large, but make them doable! Tadalist.com is one of my favorite websites for making my lists. Paper lists are great, but this free and easy online version makes your to-do lists easily accessible from almost anywhere.

This morning after a little sleeping in, and a few cups of coffee, the first thing I did was to bring out my new 2012 planner.  I began as most probably do, with what they know.  Sitting at the table with pencil, planner and my favorite coffee cup I wrote in the birthdays and anniversaries that came to mind of my closest friends and loved ones; then the scheduling of soccer practices and tournaments, guitar lessons, Krav Maga and Karate classes, holidays, teacher workdays and the specific vacation days that I need to turn in to the boss. Those things that I didn’t know for sure I made a list to identify this week.

All day things and ideas have tumbled through my head of what I expect of myself for this coming year, things I want to try, improvements to my thought processes, etc. This is where people get carried away.  Sometimes we have to take a step back, breathe and remember that we are only one person, and mountains we cannot move, not in one day anyway, and definitely not by ourselves.  Don’t be leery of asking for advice or help with your New Year ideas and plans.  Be sure to include those people who will be affected by these very goals and plans you are setting and making.

The important thing to remember is that you have made a start, and if you accomplish just one thing daily that you normally wouldn’t or didn’t do the last time you wanted to do it, then you are a success.  This could be as large of a something as cleaning out the gutters, or as small as a simple smile to someone who you know needs it.  It is something and it is moving forward and moving forward is a good thing, even if it is at a snail’s pace.

Later this afternoon when my head was a little too full of plans, goals, lists, and to-dos I felt a little breather was in order so I grabbed a bucket and headed to my naturally natural back yard for an old game of pick up sticks, literally.  It felt great to be outside, weather was breezy but awesome, and before I knew it I had three buckets and one old rusty wheelbarrow filled to the brim with sticks for my fireplace kindling.  It seemed that with each stick I picked up my mind cleared from all of those plans and goals and it all seemed to find its proper place in my head and in the right perspective.  I think my word for today would have to be moderation.

Happy New Year’s to everyone; family, friends and strangers and remember to be good to yourself this year~

The Christmas Puppy

Tags

Accelerated Reader, Bookadventure.com, Children, Christmas Spirit, Reading, The Christmas Puppy, Walnut Cottage

Having been blessed with three beautiful and intelligent children one forgets from time to time that they will not all three be the same, have the same likes and dislikes or the same characteristics.

Huckleberry one and two acquired my love of reading and of books, so naturally I presumed that Huck three would do the same…dead wrong! Rather than gobbling up books by the bounds as my older two children have always done, my youngest child is quite the opposite. When I bring out a book, take one off of the shelf, mention reading time, or say let’s read a book, I get the most outrageous looks from this child’s face. It is quite obvious that there is no interest what so ever in reading, none at all.

This is difficult for me in that I have thousands of books in my home, multiple copies of many of them, because they get read a lot, worn around the edges and sometimes even have to be discarded from over use. I find it a constant battle to come up with creative ideas and ways to involve reading in his life without making it be a chore. I want him to enjoy reading, looking at the pictures and imagining what is to come in the pages ahead.

The Accelerated Reader Program utilized by most schools has helped to incent him with AR points from books he reads and the comprehension of his reading but of course, as his momma, I want more. I want him to want to read. Bookadventure.com is a wonderful website for any child who participates in AR tests at school. It allows students and parents to visit and take sample AR tests from literally thousands of books and book quizzes. Bookadventure.com was instrumental with my two older huckleberries and I am now using it to help the wee one as well. Teachers and other mothers I have spoken with have offered advice that I just need to continue to work with him, to keep being positive and creative in my reading suggestions that he will come around and a few have even thought as I do that he is just pre-occupied with being a little boy in that he would much rather be outside collecting dirt covered rocks and digging holes in the back yard than be inside reading a book.

While on Christmas break from work and school this week sorting through some Christmas items, I came across the children’s book, “The Christmas Puppy” by Roberta Grobel Intrater, illustrated by Bruce McNally and thought, “Why not see what the little fellow says about reading this book.” It is after all about Christmas and a puppy, two things close to little boy’s hearts. To my wonderous surprise when I said. “Let’s read”, he said, “Okay” and he even had a smile on his little face. He didn’t look at the book as a daunting task the way he looks when he has to clean his room, or at the number of words on each page, something he always inspects, or that there were five chapters totaling fifty-seven pages. He simply said, “Okay”.

I told him that if we could read the entire book without fuss and muss that I would blog about it which also seemed to make him happy. It only took two evenings for us to read the entire book together. It wasn’t until the middle of the fourth chapter that he started counting how many pages were left, but he also began anticipating what was to come and how the story would end. By the time he closed the book he found that he was very proud of his own accomplishment, as was I, and he couldn’t wait to tell his Daddy what he had done. His summation of the story is as follows:

This book is about a Christmas puppy and a little boy who had Christmas Spirit.

New Days of an Old Christmas Tree

Tags

Christmas Simplified, Christmas Tree, Family Traditions, Walnut Cottage

I have read quite a few of my Facebook friend’s posts where they have completely undecorated their homes of all the Christmas paraphernalia, and are ready for the new year.  I have done this in the past, December 26th, and everything comes down, but this year our tree was different in its own right.  Our tree is not huge, only about six feet tall, and that is in the stand, it is artificial, something we almost never did in the past, and it has no lights.  The lights always seem to hold us up since it is not a pre-lit tree.  The tree goes up, then before any decorations can placed, the dreaded lights must be meticulously placed on the tree.  Last year, time was getting near, and we decided to forgo the lights in lieu of just the simple decorations.  This year followed suit in that we procrastinated putting up those silly lights.  We proceeded with only decorations again this year, no lights, and we have come to like it.  It just seems more old fashioned to me, more natural, more like something the forest animals would decorate in the clearing in the woods.  So I believe this will be our new family tradition, no lights on the tree.

Now that Christmas Eve and Day have come and passed I sat looking at the tree, just me and the tree, and I thought it looked downright beautiful, and have decided to leave it up all year-long.  Not with the Christmas decorations, even though they will stay on it for another few weeks.  I think I would like to experiment with a family tree for the year two thousand and twelve.  We can make homemade special ornaments and decorate the tree with each passing holiday or special event through-out this coming year, or with whatever decorations make us happy at the time.  The possibilities are truly endless for decorations, yes, there are the standard, St. Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, President’s Day, Memorial Day, Birthdays, Fourth of July, and etc., through-out the year, but the exciting part is that we will end making most of these unusual decorations ourselves in fun family projects, then be proud of our creations.  This can generate a new look at family time that we haven’t thought of before while making new memories, and being eccentric all at the same time.

We will just have to come up with some other use for the one thousand lights that now have no use in their conventional manner.  That is an idea to ponder upon.  For now, our quaint little tree with all of its non-matching, handmade over the years decorations will stand and be a reminder of the simplicity of Christmas, something we can all use a little more of.

Lewis Farm Eggs

Tags

Golden Comet Chickens, Lewis Farm, Ranlo NC, Walnut Cottage

I spent some time today at our local Lewis Farm in Ranlo and came home with a dozen of fresh brown and brown speckled eggs, produced on the farm by Golden Comet Chickens.  I compared them to what I had in the fridge and they were half again as large as the ones from the grocery store!  Simply couldn’t wait so an egg sandwich told the story.  These eggs were wonderful and yes, I really could taste the difference. Thank you Cathy, Chris and Andrew for your time and great conversations about the farm~

Stumphouse Tunnel Excursion ~

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Stumphouse, Stumphouse Mountain Tunnel, Sumpter National Forest, Walhalla, Walnut Cottage

STUMPHOUSE  MOUNTAIN TUNNEL EXCURSION

In July 2010 we stumbled upon a new place to explore, Stumphouse Tunnel, in Oconee County, close to Walhalla, South Carolina.  The area is also known as Walhalla Park.  This is located in the Sumter National Forest.  The day was full of so much that it will not all fit into one gallery.  There was the tunnel, hiking trails, and some of the most beautiful waterfalls I have ever seen.  Below are some photographs of the Stumphouse Tunnel and surrounding area.

Stump House Tunnel Excursion

Boy in the Dark

Deep in the Tunnel

Inside Looking Out

Stationary Railway Transport

Hidden Picture ~ Find the Toad

Sunny Day Portrait

Railway Wheel

Sooty Alabaster of the Boys

Little Boy Portrait

Deep Dark Tunnel

Trail Legend

Stump House Tunnel

Really Dark in Here!