Sunday, December 5, 2010

Friday, November 26, 2010

Thanksgiving 2010














Tyler's first Thanksgiving. Though if you can see the cups clearly, you'd think it was Christmas! Jessi, Bryce's wife and Tyler's mother, made the dinner including turkey and pumpkin pie. I went to nursing home and had Thanksgiving dinner with my husband, stayed a few hours. Got back home just as she and Liz, my daughter and Jessi's mother-in-law, had our dinner on the table. It was so delicious. Think I'll let her do it every year! Of course, we all had to take naps afterward. Maybe we should eat turkey more often.

Saturday, October 16, 2010

Beautiful time of year


Autumn has arrived in East Tennessee. I don't have to go any further than my own backyard to see the beautiful evidence! I thought we wouldn't have much of a leaf show this year due to the lack of rain all summer. But from this and other pix I've seen on the local news show they are going to be pretty spectacular. Especially in the higher elevations. Would love to drive over to Roan Mountain, that's where some of the great shots were taken that they have shown on air. Guess I'll be content to see the season change from my back porch.

Monday, August 23, 2010

Oh no, moment

I was relaxing in my hotel room for a few minutes between sessions of the Killer Nashville Writers' Conference. The sound of a siren came through the window, not unusual, emergency vehicles had whizzed up and down Cool Springs Blvd. regularly since I'd arrived. The hotel being just off I-65 probably contributed to their frequency. I got up, walked to the window and saw a fire truck, lights ablaze, coming up the driveway of the hotel. Uh oh, not a sight you really want to see when you're looking down from the 11th floor. I'm pretty sure their ladders don't reach that high. I was somewhat reassured that I wasn't hearing any alarms going off inside the hotel. A few seconds later an ambulance with flashing lights came up the driveway behind the fire truck. I watched for several minutes but saw no others screaming up or down Cool Springs. Okay, I know when a large structure like a hotel, hospital or high rise office building is involved they usually send people and trucks from every station for miles around. And in many municipalities fire departments send out a truck and firemen/women trained as paramedics as first responders. So probably no fire. Someone in the hotel must have fallen or had a heart attack. Unfortunate and I hope they're okay, but I am relieved I don't have to grab purse and rush to the stairway.

Sunday, July 4, 2010

Founding Fathers twirling


I'm ticked off. This must be the only country in the WHOLE world where governmental and other entities deem displaying the country's flag either illegal (CalTrans, Sonol, California), large flag painted on cement retaining wall after 9/11 and overlooking Interstate painted over with gray paint. Or 'against regulations', (Homeowners' Association of Northern Virginia so-called upscale subdivision), where a 90+ year-old veteran was taken to court to try and force him to remove his American flag flying in front of his home.

And the ONLY one where this would be allowed, ANOTHER country's flag flying above our own upside down flag. Words cannot express the outrage I felt when this happened and even now.
On this birthday of our country and the freedoms it gives us, bought with the blood of men and women willing to die that we might have and keep those freedoms, let us see a new outpouring of patriotism and love of country. Let us not wait for another 9/11 to make it happen.

Sunday, May 30, 2010

Honor our Veterans


It used to be called Decoration Day when I was young. After church there would be 'dinner on the grounds' and then flowers placed on graves. Now on this day we honor those who have fought and many died for what we seem to value so litttle and will barter for 'political correctness'. Our American freedoms. Farmers and businessmen laid down their plowshares and ledgers, picked up arms and fought the Revolutionary War to secure that freedom for us . I pray that they and those who have died for that same cause since then, did not pay that ultimate price to leave us the precious legacy of freedom and we let it slip away.

God bless all our veterans, those who live and those who rest in the places pictured here - Honor them

Saturday, May 15, 2010

And the beat goes on ....


Seems a long long time ago this picture of six young girl cousins was snapped and yet it doesn't. Some are many miles away from where it was taken, including me. I rarely see the ones who are not my siblings. I hope they're doing well and as happy as they can be. I may have missed a chance to see one just a week ago!

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Ahhh, spring!!!



Oh, what a beautiful morning, oh, what a beautiful day! Mother loved nothing better than to be out digging, transplanting flowers and plants in her yard on a day like this. This is a Sweet William plant I brought from her yard in Georgia. It has mostly thrived in Tennessee's higher elevations, spread out and came up in several other places along my carport. Then for a couple of years I thought I was going to lose it to some kind of fungus or blight. Tried different things but the thing that cured it was good old vinegar and water sprayed on the leaves. In a few weeks it will be blooming like this picture again.

Sunday, March 28, 2010

Everybody talks about


the weather, but nobody does anything about it. I think that's a Mark Twain quote, not sure. But I am one of those talking about the weather! One day of sunshine, two or three of clouds and rain, or oh, no! possible snow! We've all heard of a rain dance, is there a sunny day dance? If so, bring it on. Daffodils/jonquils are popping out, that's a good sign. April 1st is coming up, surely we'll start getting more sunny days. Then, Easter and that dreaded traditional Easter cold snap. I've gotten so tired of being cold I've said I would not complain of the heat this summer. I hope I can stick to my word. Gonna try and have a small raised bed garden this year, I'm itching to get out and dig in the dirt. Country girl coming out, I guess.

Saturday, March 13, 2010

Anthology with my story -





The long wait is over! Over a year ago a short mystery story of mine, Reservoir of Death, was accepted for publication in the commercial anthology, The Mystery of the Green Mist from L&LDreamspell Publishers. The book includes great stories from nine other talented L&LDreamspell authors. It is available for purchase on Amazon or may be ordered from your favorite bookstore if they happen not to have it in stock. It is available in paperback and Kindle editions. Here's the link.

Sunday, February 28, 2010

House on highway






Several years ago when I drove down to Georgia for a family visit I would go off the Interstate at Cleveland, TN drive twenty or so miles east and take Hwy 411 to Cartersville, GA. This was partly to miss all the highway construction going on in Chattanooga and partly nostalgia. Before multilane traffic arteries crisscrossed the country US 11 and 411 were two of the main north-south routes into the GA/TN Appalachian region. Perhaps it would be more accurate to say northeast/southwest routes through the region since they follow Tennessee's slanted eastern border. So when I headed south to Georgia I actually drove in a westerly direction for much of the way. But I digress.

One spring some few miles after crossing into Georgia on the non-interstate leg of my trip I noticed an unoccupied house on the side of Hwy 411. It had some fairly large writing spray painted in red on the side facing the highway but I could only read one word, "Keep - ". I figured it was vandalism. But on another trip in winter when the vegetation had died back I could make out that the words were "Keep out" and "Not for rent". I had my camera with me on that trip so I pulled off and took some pictures. There had to be a story there. I always thought I might dream one up incorporating the house but so far have not.

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

After Christmas





Link the kitty liked it but putting away the decorations is not as enjoyable as getting them out. And even that has lost some of its charm for me as I get older!









Friday, January 1, 2010

Well, it's not quite gone. Hope everyone has a happy and prosperous New Year.