Weekend Smiles

We spent the weekend

with friends in Virginia at

Smith Mountain Lake

~~~

Can't wait to tell you all about it,

but I only have time to share

my friend's beautiful sunflowers with you now.

~~~

Enjoy!!

~~~

~~~~~~~

~~~

Real Pen Pals

Shelagh recently set up a pen pal project for us bloggers if we wanted to participate. She joined us up with someone who had similar interests.

My pen pal, Cathy, sent her package all the way from Oregan to North Carolina. I think it is neat that we are from opposite sides of the United States.

She really surprised me with a photography book of Oregan, a set of notecards she made with her own photos (love those!!!), a long letter, and a card with flower seeds embedded in the outer wrapper. You soak the blue wrapper in water, then tear it up and plant it in a pot or in your garden. I can't wait to see what types of flowers will grow.

Thank You, Cathy!!!

And, Thank You Shelagh!!! What a great idea you had!!

100 Things I Love

His eyes from across the room,
Sweet Buddy who meets me at the door

like it has been a week since I’ve been gone,

Christmas Trees all trimmed up for the big day,

Sailboats tied to the dock,
Beagle Puppies, Fried Flounder,
Sweet Tea on a hot day,
Moma’s Thanksgiving Turkey Dinner,

Watching for nightfall on the back porch,
Waterfalls, Hiking,
The Blue Ridge Mountains,
Watching the light of the sunset filter through the trees,
Listening to your voice as the story of your life slowly unfolds,

Hearing the waves lap along the shore while

lying in a hammock at the lake,
Sweet, Long Kisses, Surprise hugs from behind,
Watching a baby sleep,
The moon reflecting off the ocean all the way to the shoreline,
Writing my thoughts out,

Art Museums, Good Friends,
Hearing Bossman say - “You did a Great Job!”
Holding your baby for the first time,
The color Red, The Coastline of Italy,
Candle-lit dinners, Kayaking,

Fly-Fishing, Motorcycle Rides,

Sharing popcorn while we watch the same old movies

over and over again, Champagne,
Seeing my son perform a concert in “Rock Star” mode,
Hearing my husband sing me a love song,
Goldfinches, Woodpeckers,
Birdbaths, Lilies,

A Chaise Lounge, Looking at Stars,
Mountain Streams, River Rocks,
Roses, Weddings, Snowcreme,
The feeling of being “In Love”,
The Sound of baby birds,

The sky before sunrise,
Searching for the ISS,
Nature Trails, Holding Hands,

Baby horses, Pecan Pie,
Any movie with Meg Ryan,

A Silver Maple Tree in the Fall,
The Wrens in the Blue Bird box,
A Sleeping Porch, A new dress,
Windchimes, Pin Oak Trees,
My son’s artwork,

A friend’s voice - just when you need it,
Long talks on the phone,
Real handwriting from a pen pal,
Wrapping paper and ribbons,
Clean, fresh sheets,

Your husband rocking your baby to sleep,
New art supplies, Wild blackberries,
Tulips blooming in the Spring,
The family gathering for the Holidays,
New Year’s Eve parties,

Fireworks over a lake, you get to see them twice,
Hay on the rolling hills near home,

A roaring fire in an open fireplace,
Christmas Morning, Sleeping In,
Taking a child to the Zoo or Aquarium,

Valentine’s Day, Rainbows,
Blue Eyes, Hot Air Balloons,
Baby deer that still have their spots,
Listening to a really hard rain shower,
The smell after the rain,

A man who loves me unconditionally,
A week’s vacation in a mountain cabin on a private lake,
Someone who really listens,
Roasting marshmallows over a flame,

Wooden boats,

A great love story,
Little girl’s Easter dresses,
Time to let my thoughts wonder,
The smell of the ocean,
Freckles across a child’s nose,
A field full of black cows,

When my son plays the Blues on his guitar,
Sea shells and looking for sharks teeth

A horseback ride along the river,

A sweet hug after a long time apart

~~~

Now, if anyone took the time to read through all of those, you know me a little bit better.

~~~~~~~~~

Today Sandy is celebrating her 100th post and wanted us all to join in the fun.

Kamana is also celebrating her 100th post.

~~~

It suprised me how long it took to come up

with 100 things I love,

but I wanted them to be from the heart.

~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Struggles of Life

This one is really for me, so feel free to pass over the thoughts I need to get out. After all, I started journaling online to work through all the thoughts that rage inside sometimes. I’ve been so inspired by our “community” of sorts, who blog regularly. Sometimes it seems like a place to put down just the good thoughts, but life so often hurts too.

We’ve had a couple of really hard weeks. They felt like they would stop my poor heart from beating for sure. We finally went to family counseling yesterday. We should have gone a long time ago. It is possible that my ‘superman’ son may be bi-polar. Yes, I knew he had some tendencies that resembled this, but I just didn’t want to admit it. Who wants to think you own son will have to fight a life- long battle that sometimes he will not win.

My husband was right again. He always is. If only I could just trust him in the beginning, life would go so much smoother. I just kept trying to fix everything. After all, it seems like it is my job to “finish” my son, as if he is a production of mine. Yes, I want him to be complete when he steps out into this world alone, but he is not mine to complete. I can only give him his beginning. I can honestly say; and he would agree, that I did all that was humanly possible to give him a good start.

My son, you have done well, you have held out strong among all the pressures of being a teenager. We couldn’t be prouder of you. You can do anything, you can make anything happen, more than anyone else I know. We are still here for you whenever you need us. I can’t save you and rescue you when you run yourself to the point of exhaustion. I can’t make you eat and rest so you will be ready for your next endless day of being all you can be. I can only watch what you will become and hope that you remember the strong foundation we laid for your life.

So I lay down my weapons, and will fight you no more. Please fogive me for trying so hard to help you, when I was really only hurting you further. I accept you as you are, a complete package, a whole person. You are whole because you truly are filled with love. Love makes us broken people whole. It is love that fills in the cracks of our broken hearts. So I offer you true, unconditional love for your whole life. I only wish you peace on your journey. I’ll always be here to listen, and love you always.

photo credits for both pictures of the beautiful NC seashore

goes to my brother, Craig Lipscomb

~~~

~~~~~~~~