Seasonal Surprises~

With the late Spring like weather one can't resist the Nursery and home and garden inventory. I always begin looking for some new plants and especially herbs yes, even in January! We found a few healthy little offerings at the Lowe's garden center today. Ted got a few little pots of lettuce and some much needed bags of soil and some replacement parts for his sprinkler system.  Now I have to decide on a home for those little pots of English Lavender. Lavender is so hearty here, it withstands the brutal summer heat and the occasional freezing temperatures we usually get for at least a few days.  I love it not only for the delicate blooms but for little posies to drop into natural 'made by me' potpourri .  Oh yes, we know there can be lots of surprises with the weather from now through early April.  We just can't resist taking the chance. It's just beautiful outdoors in the deep south. on January 31st.

All Our Girls-Plus Pop

L>R : Loretta, Rita, Pop, Carol, Dylan, Deanna, Samantha

Only The Best~

A Few Of My Favorites

Why Save

Ordinary Baskets?

  

 What defines a basket as Not Ordinary?

• The Quality
• Distinctive Shape/design
• Unusual Size- large or small
• Age/condition

Sometime during our Texas years 1985 - 2006

The Top opens up and it's divided into two sections
Jasper, Texas (28)

HAPPY THINGS~

New Flowers in Bloom

Snow in the deep South

Christmas Lights & Christmas Music

On the road with hubby going ANYWHERE

Our children walking through the door

A Grandchild's voice on the phone

A pedicure

New Clothes that fit and make me FEEL PRETTY

Cutting fresh flowers from my own yard 

Fresh Herbs just steps from the kitchen door

Seeing my little Sis, my younger Brother and  Cousins

Time out for a friend who cares enough to make time for me!

Visiting with PHS  class of 1959

One on One  time with our children..that means their spouses too OF COURSE

 



It Makes Me Sad~

• Pictures of family gatherings with some families missing
• Remembering our 50th  Anniversary
• A Rainy day for someone's funeral
• Little Children neglected or ignored in public places/ shopping etc
• A husband [ or wife] demeaning a spouse
• A wife tagging behind her husband  either b/c she thinks she should or he's inconsiderate or ashamed of her
• Old people in NURSING HOMES
• Older people being ignored in a conversation
• Wasted Opportunities


• Remembering times when I carelessly talk too much


2010

Encouraging Words~

Every woman wants a husband who calls her sweetheart, kisses her like he really means it, holds her like he never wants to let her go, doesn't cheat on her or lie to her, wipes her tears away when she cries, doesn't try to make her jealous of other women but causes other women to be jealous of her. He  makes her feel like the most loved woman in a room full of women,  is not timid to let other men  know how he really feels about her. His wife adores him and he feels like the luckiest man in the world. Yes, I know many people think this is over kill..just "too much sugar for a dime"   but it has long been my deliberate intention to build up my husband with encouraging words.  During the first 10 years of our marriage I noticed women around me always griped about their husbands..hence my resolution to do the exact opposite.

He was the first man to call me "Darling" and the first sweetheart I ever called "Darling"..after 52 plus years, he  still is "My Darling, My Silver Fox, My BEST."

Frivolous Wishes for This Year~

That's an easy one: I would wish to have one entire day to spend [ visiting, shopping, lunch] with each one of our daughters-in-law. Why not our daughter? That goes without saying..but she's 18 hours away in the state of Iowa. I will be blessed if I  get to see her this year....will take what I can get.  As far as the three sons- I have to settle there too, but I do hold dear to my heart any quality time I get with our sons.  Oftentimes after family gatherings I think back remembering the time and cannot recall more than perhaps 5 or 10 minutes one on one with several family members..so apparently even though we enjoy tremendously the big special ocassions this is not always the time for quality time...fun without a doubt but what about the things we had intended to share or ask about?
 

As we so often say "It just doesn't take a lot to excite or make us happy these days."

Just Thinking,

Jonell

I Needed One More~

Who can remember where and when I found the larger DRIP O LATOR - I can't. I've always loved it even though I only recall actually using it two or three times but when I spotted this little teapot in a unique antique store/flea market in De Funiak Springs, Florida in December I knew I had to have it even if I couldn't wrangle a better price from the dealer. I forgot to mention it fits my criteria these days for adding to the volume in my attic - It's small enough to fit in one hand. Now, I have to actually have some tea from it..that makes it necessary, right? I don't know what NOT collectors do for fun, do you?

 

The recent 'find' ...others I acquired beginning

in the early 1970's when we were in  W.Ky.

The very first one [ in the collage]  btm 

 Right photo/left.

Beside it on right is from our years in S.E. Texas

but the top for that one [ the drip part] I found  years

 later while visiting my sister in  Western Kentucky.

Be Yourself~

Saturdays tend to be different than Monday-Friday.  I'm not quiTe sure why but it's true.  It's a bit like another new week but only one day long. Weird! I have figured out that most people in my email address book do not respond right away, if at all on Saturday. Even the two old folks at our house tend to operate at a different pace on Saturday.  No, we aren't just lounging on the deck staring at the tree tops nor are we "sitting and swinging" on the front porch.  I mention the different Saturday routine because I was pleasantly surprised to switch to the FOOD NETWORK  at the right time today [ Saturday ] to catch Ree Drummond's new show.  I managed to miss the first series when it began some time ago and was so pleasantly surprised to see that television has not changed her. She's still the Pioneer Woman Blogger I check in on regularly on the net [  http://thepioneerwoman.com/  ]

I must admit she stirs in me a little  heretofore resisted urge to try to attract  regular followers for my blogs:
http://mygrammashouse.blogspot.com  &  http://mershongeorgiagirl.blogspot.com  ]

From the beginning I have insisted to you and myself that my goal for these is not to gather a following. As I see the visitors   Like Gramma's House has [shown on my tracker] there are   visitors from many states and some international from places I  never heard of..none of these ever sign on as followers even though I see many  appear to be repeat  visitors.
The Pioneer Woman, Ree makes the suggestion on her blog that a blogger should write every day...I agree that sounds like good advice but this doesn't work for me,  my style and the type of content I post. I am thinking  just as  http://thepioneerwoman.com/    must stay true to who she is...Gramma at this address must do the same.

..Not to worry ~I don't need  readers to  encourage me..I'm not  doubting 'my plan'..just making observations-mulling things over as some would say.  My conclusions:

• Stay with photos taken in my own surroundings- don't use borrowed banners, etc from the enternet
• The Homemade Blog..idea..that's good/like that
• In order to write one has to have a life-both participation and observation..sometimes taking a blogging break..I cannot force creativity
• I choose NOT to use my blog to expose or carelessly embarass family members-not always mentioning loved ones by name..sometimes, but not routinely. 
• I choose not to elaborate on specific details of personal information when discussing children /in laws or our Grands. That way the focus is not as much on MY FAMIY but on what Gramma's thinking-
• These rules for my blogging do limit me in some ways  but I think it's A GOOD THING..perhaps my writing will improve and  have more depth. Perhaps??
• So There you have it-That's what's on my mind today relative to  BLOGGING ~What's on your mind? What works for you [if you are a blogger] and what do you appreciate [ if you are just a 'follower'?? IT'S YOUR TURN NOW.

No New Year Resolutions ~Lots of Spring Cleaning

No, No, not really spring cleaning folks - what I allude to is personal house cleaning-  I mean things in my life that I am convicted about changing or improving.  I'm hanging up a sign that reads: Construction Site - A Work In Progress.  That would be ME!

• I want to dig out and read through my old JOURNALS with the intent to edit, remove parts or destroy entirely * [ explanations to follow]

• Calendars - I like knowing what's coming up next month and three months down the road as far as appointments, obligations, events and travel. [ mmm this sounds like a "controlling woman" ] With that in mind I want to look ahead and decide which months will include perhaps day trips, overnight visits, or actual extended travel for fun and/or time with family. YES, I really do want to do that much advance planning..Money issues are  not as much an ISSUE with this kind of scheduling. No Surprises!

• Continuing with the Photo Project - organizing, labeling and sharing both copies and originals

• Front Porch Painting..we didn't do it in 2011 so this will be a must do

• Finish work on the deck

• Look at possibility of finishing up with the water feature, the backyard [hideout] arbor and the arbor centered in the patio area  [I have been hoarding a really special handmade CANDELABRA  just for this]

• Locate a KNOCKOUT ROSE bush on each side of the front porch steps

• Finish relocating specific small trees, plants or shrubbery to places where they will be more likely to thrive

• Work on my HERB BEDS outside the kitchen door

• Write more love notes

About Personal Journal Clean up>

*Think about the person you were 20-30 years ago...consider the way you felt about and reacted to things, people, life situations.  We change - thank God we do.  So many years ago let's face it we might have been "more about ME and my needs and quite likely with the passing of years we focus more on others around us and how our feelings & thoughts might affect them. Previously we may have recorded thoughts that were more about 'self gratification'.  Are you with me here?  In short I don't want to leave things for my family to read that could cause them to grieve..again. At 70 -soon to be 71 years old I think  It's a timely project to take on.  You don't have to agree with me.  Oh, by the way~ I try to keep this line of thought in mind as I write on my blogs.  My intent is never to carelessly expose or embarass family members..if so only in a fun way. You might say my goal is to definitely 'take the high road' in this 21st Century  version of Journaling!  Your thoughts please?

Christmastime 2011-The Harrison House~Brundidge

The Harrison House in Brundidge~ Only the five Glasses [ In Iowa] missing.Top left to Right: Loretta & Johnny & their Turner behin his Dad; The newly weds, Steve & Carol, Rita & David [orange shirt] with son Patrick in between and their daughter in law Sarah with their oldest son Ryan [right end of sofa] Left -Right seated: Loretta & Johnny's oldest son Ethan and their youngest Reagan then Gramma & Pop [ Jonell and Ted ]. It only took two hours, rearranging the furniture and Ryan's patience [ cameraman ] to get to this place. Steve, who is our oldest and Carol were just married November 2011. Ryan is in the U.S. Coast Guard and beginning Officers Candidate School early January-that would be as we speak. Patrick, Ethan and Turner are pursuing various endeavors in Montgomery, Boston, Mass. and Colorado but [Patrick] will soon be located in Atlanta which we all count as a good thing. Reagan is finishing up the last semester FIFTH GRADE this year. Way to go Reagan! We will blink and you'll be 6ft 3in - it must be in his DNA, you think? [ more to follow ]