A beautiful Day in our Neighborhood

I didn't actually get to go out of our neighborhood today, but I did take a walk down the road. The sky was about as blue as I've ever seen it. Maybe it just looked that way because of all the gorgeous white snow.

Pyramids

I love the way the snow piles into pyramids on our deck railing.

My Cow Friend

Steve took me out driving a couple of days ago just for fun and so I could take some photos. I saw this super cute cow and asked Steve to stop and let me get her picture. She came runnig right up to me. And we kind of bonded a little bit:)

Connecting with my Dad

I created this image for a group on Flickr where a word is picked each week. We are supposed to post an image that conveys a meaning of the word. This weeks word is connection. Daddy has loved photography for as long as I can remember. He has many of his old cameras in a case at his home. He used to take classes at the community collage and he built a dark room in his basement. He doesn't take pictures any more and doesn't really remember taking classes or his digital camera. However when you ask him about his older cameras, he can remember all about it. He can tell me how it works, the speed of the lens, what type of film it used. It is nice to be able to connect with my dad in this way. As you can tell from these pictures, he is enjoying looking over this old beauty.

These Hands and Feet Gratitude 4/52

I cannot express how grateful I am for these hard working hands and feet. You see, they belong to my husband. He has selflessly worked hard for over 32 years to support me and our children. He generously gives what he earns to his family without asking for anything in return. For my husband, I will be forever grateful!

More Grandkids:)

Isn't Oliver just the cutest:)


And a thoughtful look from Madeline.

Reading the Bible

Madeline's parents read a Bible story to her every night. So she likes to pretend to read her Bible to you. She says "Let's read the Bible. Listen! Jesus. The end" So sweet.

Looking Up

A Bit of Oliver Cuteness!

Little Cook

I had the pleasure of having several meals prepared for me by this cute little cook. Sometimes however, I was the dog and had to eat it off the floor:) Madeline is a very fun little pretender!

The Cemetery

Late in the evening I rode with Steve to the nearby town of Fincastle. It is very old and historical. This cemetery in up on a hill and I think it is very cool.


Another view at the cemetery in Fincastle. This cross is huge! It doesn't seem to be a tombstone, but rather a marker for a family plot. There is no name or date on this cross.
I love how it seem to stand taller than anything around. I love this cross but I am eternally grateful for "THE" cross!


This tombstone is for a man named Kyle. Born 1809, died 1874. As you can see, this tree has grown up and surrounded the tombstone. The tree is gigantic! I know the picture looks crooked but, the tree is actually leaning. I don't think this 100+ year old tree is in danger of falling yet because it's roots are so huge. I'm not sure however, what may be happening to the grave under this stone.

It's coming!

Look what I found today! These are daffodils poking their little heads up:) I found these at my Dad's house today. Spring really is on it's way!

Proof

I know this isn't a pretty picture but it is certain proof of a pretty day here in Roanoke! After weeks of freezing weather, it was so nice for it to be warm and sunny enough to go to the car wash!

Cat

You know I'm missing the grandchildren really bad when I start posting photos of the cat.

Winter, but....

with the promise of spring! The red berries on the dogwoods are gone now but these little buds show that spring is definitely going to come again:)

Chantilly Lace - Winter and Summer

This is a hydrangea bush called Chantilly Lace. This is a winter time view of a left over bloom with snow all behind it. I like how it holds it's little petals all winter. Below is a photo I took of it in the summer when it was in full bloom.

A Gift

This is a gift I finally got to give to a good friend today. She has wanted this vintage "bird" feeder for some time. I think she was pleased. I kind of fell in love with it too, and if there had been two, I would have gotten one for myself. It's so much fun to give a gift to someone that you know they really wanted:)

Circa 1962

I know this is not a beautiful image but it is special to me. I just wanted to share it's story. This is the kitchen that my dad and granddad made for me when I was 5. As you can see I got it for Christmas. My parents had it hooked to real running water for me. We never did that for our children:) It has been played with for many years. Now that our grand daughter is big enough to play with it, my husband fixed the parts that were bad and repainted it. I still need to paint the "brand" name back on the fronts. You can see my dad's test labels still on the back. He went with the bottom one. It is so special now to see our little Madeline enjoying my childhood kitchen. Still no running water, but she loves that the burners light up:)
And sorry for yet another collage.

Crockpot!

There is nothing like good smells coming from your crockpot on a cold wintery day! I am thankful for a warm home, plenty of food, and great friends to share it with:)
Hope you all are not too bored with food pictures!



52 Weeks of Gratitude: 2/52

The Proof is in the Pudding

Here is proof that I actually did make pudding from yesterday's bananas:)

Apples and Bananas

I went to the grocery store today. It looks like I am finally going to start eating healthy again. But don't be deceived by this photo. My husband wants the apples and I'm going to make banana pudding with the bananas. It's looking like my diet won't start until next Monday. No good diet ever started on a Friday anyway.

Clean House

After a week of guests, the dirt in our home had reached a dangerously high level! Believe it or not, that's a good thing. It has taken me many years to realize it's best to just relax and enjoy the people instead of worrying about housework. I wish I had figured this out when my children were little. Now that everyone is gone, it was time to dig out. Thanks to the help of my husband, Christmas is put away, towels and sheets are laundered and the floors are clean. It's a good feeling. But don't get me wrong, I'm thrilled I had family here to clean up after:) That's the best feeling of all.

From Warmer Days

This was taken at the end of October when the days were MUCH warmer.

52 Weeks of Gratitude

I am starting a project on Flickr called 52 Weeks of Gratitude. You just post a photo to the group once a week telling about something you are grateful for. This is my first entry.



I am grateful for all the firewood we burned this past week. I'm grateful for my husband who kept the fire going for the whole week because his Madeline wanted it:). I'm grateful for the warm family time we shared by the fire this week.

Happy New Year!