Turkey Dinner Anyone?

The bag on the bird seed did say it was for "wild birds."

Large birds freak me out. It's a good thing the feeder is at the back of the property. Country life at it's best!

Sitting and Watching

My geraniums that are in full bloom outside my front door. Planted in handmade window boxes by my husband. They remind me of the many houses we lived in growing up---no matter where we were my mom always planted red geraniums.

Sitting, watching...and noticing something too! The bird that has taken ownership over our newly planted weeping cherry tree.

I absolutely love this time of year when the birds start singing early in the morning and don't stop until the sun has set. I love when a passing rain shower ends with a rainbow so close you think you can find the end of it. I love the sound of so many of our neighbors out and about working on their yards, walking their dogs and waving hello as they pass by.

I love to sit and watch!

I am linking up to Tuesdays Unwrapped at Chatting at the Sky

Rain, Rain, Go Away

We have spent A LOT of time inside the past few weeks. A LOT! With the flooding that occurred in Middle TN, a bad cold that knocked us out for a good week and then another round of rain this past weekend, we are anxiously waiting for the blue sky to make an appearance.

No, this isn't the phone she dropped in the toilet a couple of weeks ago. This is an old phone that we let her play with; however, she gets frustrated when it doesn't light up Mama's does when she pushes the buttons.

Reading her books is her new favorite thing. When she has her play time in the morning, she always ends up in her bedroom, in her rocking chair with either "Lovey" or Nellie (her doll) and a book.

In between the raindrops we had to get our garden planted. I thought for sure we wouldn't be harvesting tomatoes until November if we didn't get it done soon.

2 weeks later...oh look...it's a bean sprout!

And corn....we're going to have loads of it! Still waiting on the peppers, tomatoes, lima beans, watermelon, squash and cucumbers to make an appearance.

This weekend, again, while dodging the rain drops I had the amazing opportunity to see Angie Smith. She had a book signing ( I Will Carry You) nearby and I knew I couldn't miss the chance to see her. I took part in a Bible study she led and have seen her on several other occasions. The way we met is a bit unconventional when it comes to friendships; we know each other because my girls, Allison Elizabeth and Emily Ann are buried a couple rows over from her sweet Audrey. She is the real deal. The person, the heart, the passion...what you read on her blog is who she is is.

This picture was taken after Anna Claire decided to walk behind the counter of the store and pretend she was a sales clerk and before she picked up a Bible in the Spanish section of the store. I had to remind her that she isn't old enough to work yet and that she doesn't speak Spanish. :)

Over the past 7 days...

I have had a cell phone dropped in the toilet by the little person who lives in my house, our home computer get a virus, watched Fox News constantly in hopes that the oil spill in the Gulf isn't going to threaten our vacation..in the Gulf, and seen the lives of the people and the landscape of our beautiful city of Nashville be transformed because of flooding. To top it off, the little person that lives with us has come down with a nasty cold that has left the last two night of sleep...well, without sleep. I'm ready for the week to be over if you can't tell. In fact, I'm ready for next week to be over as well.

In the midst of all of this, there is still beauty, joy, peace and life. The little things, like the beauty of our rhododendruns that have bloomed after the hard rains. And the peace of rocking my daughter at 2:30 in the morning to try and ease her discomfort. Like the joy in knowing that no matter where we go on vacation, what matters is that we are together. And the bigger things too, the things that are life changing, like the beauty of the people of this city in the aftermath of devastation; seeing lives connect in a way that makes you wonder if they could have any other way, and hearing the news of 2 friends who gave birth to beautiful, healthy baby girls in the midst of rain storms and flooding.

It doesn't happen often, but some days it is hard for me to see the glass half full, to be thankful for the day to day. But today...today I choose joy, I choose thankfulness.