autumn life

on the way home from a vet visit with our oldest dog, maggie, i was driving slow so she could enjoy it.
she has been blessed with sixteen years of life. she doesn't really want to go for rides anymore but she and i were taking it all in the other day on the back roads of tennessee. we absolutely live in a gorgeous place and i so appreciate that about my life.

i haven't really been blogging much this summer or fall. in may my youngest broke my canon so i have been camera~less since then other than my little cool pics and my iphone. 

i used my iphone straight from the car window on these...so not to bad.

             driving around on the back roads of tennessee is like therapy to me.
             it calms me. makes me slow down and really breathe in the beauty.

 i love the wide open landscapes that are an integral part of what makes leiper's fork such a beautiful place to live and in the fall it just couldn't be any more lovely.

so happy to be in the season of autumn.

some time away from it all

my sister,  meems,  from hoe and shovel just left last week after a wonderful visit with me here in tennessee.
there is always so much to include in her visit. trying to decide exactly
 what to include is usually hard to narrow down.

we met up with gail from clay and limestone at nashville's famous 'loveless cafe'.

it was so nice having some time to catch up with gail and have a lovely face to face

talking a little bit about everything under the sun...including our gardens.

thank you gail for giving us such a generous portion of your day.

afterward we all ended up at a local nursery ( moore and moore garden center)  purusing the plants and of course buying some plants.

since meems was flying she wasn't able to buy any local flora but gail and enjoyed taking home some 

goodies. i believe among other things gail bought a lovely smoke bush/tree.

i needed a few annuals  (white violas, black & yellow petunias, and an interesting ruffled english ivy)  to add to some containers for my back patio.

it is always fun to go to a garden center with other gardeners.

that same evening we were able to meet up with my eldest daughter rachel for some dinner 

in franklin, tn @ papa boudreaux. we had some delicious soft shell crab, et to fey, red beans and rice.

the best part was watching meems and rachel catch up.

i love having grown children they are some of my best friends.

meems and i definitely sat around chatting it up as much as possible around my house, in the sun room, out back on the patio, on the front porch and walking around the yard.

 i love having a master gardener for a sister

but we never have enough time. how is that possible?

sun room fun.

on friday we headed out for a couple of days and nights away by ourselves.

this is a rare shot of the both of us arriving at the b & b,  the garden inn located in monterey, tennesse.

the garden inn's  front lawn

below is the view from our room. since tennessee had gotten some rain the weekend before we 

arrived the trees were all greened up except on single tree that was proudly announcing falls arrival. 

we were blessed with some cooler temps while meems was visiting.

on our was back to my house on a beautiful sunday morning we took a couple of detours.

one was a gorgeous nursery that happened to be closed. i took no pictures but meems did. if only it were closer to me i would be a regular visitor at johnson's nursery. 

i would highly recommend it.

the next detour was burgess state park and falls.

the lower falls was the first peek at what was to come.

                                                   then came  middle falls with it's beauty.

it was a great day for hiking and being with your sister.

 the upper falls was something to behold. we saw it from up above and then we hiked down below.                    
                        at this angle we were misted and it was quite refreshing.

                                                 the whole hike was picture perfect.

i loved having some quality time with my sister, meems. i already miss her terribly and can't wait for our next visit together wherever it might be.

 thanks dear meems for coming to tennessee to spend time with my family and with me. 

happy september everyone,

marmee

cherished moments

in these days after my dad went on to be with the Lord...i have found it hard to harness my emotions and thoughts.

i have enjoyed remembering past experiences and times spent with my dad

but at the same time have the profound knowledge we will not be making

any more memories together.

it has been a great comfort to me to absolutely know i will see him again...one day.

i do so appreciate the fact that i was blessed with a dad that gave his heart to the Lord and generously taught me about Jesus.

there are many memories of my dad, witnessing about his own personal testimony is a strong one for me. he was an active, rugged man with many wonderful characteristics.

when he worked for the railroad as an engineer just one of my fond memories was him packing his bible everyday into his leather grip that he took to work everyday. i remember thinking, if a man's man like my daddy can take his faith to work and share it with anyone at the drop of a hat...i want to be able to do the same thing.

there are too many words, memories, thoughts, to share but i loved my daddy and i know he loved me and that is the best gift a daughter can be given.

sweet~tooth

i don't really have much of a sweet~tooth. but everyone

likes something sweet once in a while.

i discovered this company online, took the plunge,

and ordered some very unusual marshmallows.

240sweet gourmet artisan marshmallows.

i served them after for dessert after our meal at dinnertime.

i kinda got some funny looks around the table that night.

but one little giddy girl couldn't wait for dinner to be over to

take a bite of something she had never seen before.

i have to say it was delicious. i think maybe i will even try to

roast one of these over an open fire...next time.

it is fun to try new things in the summertime.

summer days...reveled

they are full of sunshine...lazy moments....fresh flowers.

we have celebrated holidays & birthdays.

watched our grand~baby garnet's first year fly by.

there have been bike riding days, fostering dogs days

until they could find their forever homes.

barrett, fiona, and sammy.

one thing about these days is there is never enough time.

we have harvested many different times.

we have added four sheep to the farm.

enjoyed beautiful blooms...

herbs and lettuces.

been blessed with volunteer flowers that packed a punch.

eaten from the garden.

had our girl times.

spent camp weeks at kid on stage.

enjoyed the firepit.

wore our hair up...

and let our hair down.

spent time with friends.

and family.


time with our babies.

we have had traveling days.

tye~dying times.

puppy days.

watched sunrises....

sunsets.

we have had our share of bar ~ b ~ que and wine.

we have eaten al fresco, eaten out and eaten in.

spent saturday mornings at the farmers market.

getting amazing things to eat.

enjoyed sunflowers.

... dill blooming.

comos and skippers.

observed the tendrils of watermelon.

saw our veggie garden in full tilt.

took in countless blooms.

relished in the the eibles from the garden.

i love summer days.