Monday, March 30, 2009

Oh Boy, What A Treat!!

Isn't it just wonderful when someone prepares a delicious meal for you? To walk into your own kitchen and have fabulous aromas lingering in the air and making your tummy growl?
These two lovely young people (my youngest son, Mr. S. and his sweet girlfriend, Miss K.) are just so thoughtful and quite an impressive pair in the kitchen! They found a recipe for Paula Deen's chicken pot pie on the internet, made the list, went shopping and came home to get busy in the kitchen. Miss K. came all the way from New Hampshire and she said that before she left for home, they wanted to do something nice for my husband and I.
They even set the table and my son was proud to find the cherry napkins that I had stashed away.
Thank you, Miss K. and Mr. S., for making such a fabulous feast for us!!!
You really outdid yourselves and the pot pie was PERFECT! Right down
to the creamy sauce! Yum!!!
Y'all should give this recipe a try. You may have to unbutton the top of your trousers afterwards, but it is well worth it!!

Thursday, March 26, 2009

Just Waiting....

...for some flower action 'round these parts.

These little vintage charmers look mighty sweet even

without fresh flowers.

~~~ Have a happy weekend. xx ~~~



Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Bits O' Spring

Spring is my favorite time of year.
I love the newness and rejuvination.
Birds.
Butterflies.
Fresh air.
Flowers blooming.

I added some spring accents to the garden window. A little bird's nest, an iron bird, old tole tray, an antique doorstop and my favorite cast iron urn hang out there for now.

What is your favorite season?

~~~~~~~~~~~~

He placed me in a little cage,
Away from gardens fair;
But I must sing the sweetest songs
Because he placed me there.
Not beat my wings against the cage
If it's my Maker's will,
But raise my voice to heaven's gate
And sing the louder still!
~~~~~~Streams In The Desert, March 23rd, 2009

Sunday, March 22, 2009

A Cheery Little Group

The color red...so cheerful...so bright.
A little arrangement that just makes me smile.

Thursday, March 19, 2009

Sitting Still

Feeee....where are you going?

"To find me a place to soak up this wonderful sun!", says Fiona.
"Is that ok, Momma?"

Yes...yes my dear.

~~~

My Bible Study friends recently gifted me with a copy of Streams In The Desert. It is a daily Journal filled with thoughts, quotations and spirtual inspiration.

My friend Wave asked me if I was going to make any New Years resolutions. I told her no because I don't really do that sort of thing but I did tell her that this year I would like to focus more on doing things for our family and our home. Kind of slow down a bit if you will.

Jordan passed away on Feb. 4th and the message from Streams In The Desert for Feb. 5th is as follows.

Sit still, my daughter! Just sit calmly still!
Nor deem these days - these waiting days - as ill!
The One who loves thee best, who plans thy way,
Hath not forgotten thy great need today!
And, if He waits, 'tis sure He waits to prove
To thee, His tender child, His heart's deep love.

Sit still, my daughter! Just sit calmly still!
Thou longest much to know thy dear Lord's will!
While anxious thoughts would almost steal their way
Corrodingly within, because of His delay --
Persuade thyself in simple faith to rest
That He, who knows and loves, will do the best.

Sit still, my daughter! Just sit calmly still!
Nor move one step, not even one, until
His way hath opened. Then, ah then, how sweet!
How glad thy heart, and then how swift thy feet
Thy inner being then, ah then, how strong!
And waiting days not counted then too long.

Sit still, my daughter! Just sit calmly still!
What highter service could'st thou for Him fill?
'Tis hard! ah yes! But choicest things must cost!
For lack of losing all how much is lost!
'Tis hard, 'tis true! But then - He giveth grace
To count the hardest spot the sweetest place.

J. Danson Smith
addendum: Yes, sweet Chas, Psalms 46:10.
Thank you, as this is what Christ tells us to do, too.

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Prayers For Kim & Her Family

This post is for our sweet friend, Kim (Daisy Cottage). My heart breaks for her and her family for the loss of her mother's husband, Dan.
Please stop for a moment and say a prayer for their family. We all know and love our Kim through her lovely blog. I had the pleasure of meeting Kim in June of 2008 and she is just as sweet in person as she is on her blog and she adores her family.
....tears for you....
((((hugs from California to Florida, Kim)))))
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tomorrow is never promised to any of us......take today and savour it....love each other.....always be kind and never let the sun set with an angry heart.
xxxx

Monday, March 16, 2009

Happy 21st Birthday, Mr. Doogie! Happy St. Patrick's Day, too!!

My sweet little Dughall Piper is THREE (21 years old in "dog years") today! A day to celebrate this wonderful little lad who brings us love and sunshine to each and every day. Oh, I suppose he is now of "legal age" to have a Guinness - his favorite adult beverage (just like Jordan's).
His calm and kind demeanor warms our heart and we are so blessed to have him as part of our family! He is like a little man....just with a lot of fur!
His friends, Baxter and Teresa, just sent some doggie treats the other day (homemade I might add by the talented Teresa herself). Doogs and Fiona are enjoying them....can't you tell?
Even Miss Fee-Fi-Fo-Fum has learned to "sit pretty" for a treat. She is sooo smart, just like her big brother!
Of course, the doggies must have their Scottish attire so that they don't get any pinches today.
Little Maggie Dear gave Duhgall and Fiona some very special presents the other day and one of them are their St. Patrick's Day collars. Doogie is sporting his scarf that we gave to him. Let's just see how long he will want it on - OR how long it takes for Little Miss Fiona to tug on it. Oh, and if you noticed, Doogie's beard is looking a little less full these days as Fiona has a beard fetish. She thinks it is to pull on. Poor lil' Doogie!
Party animal loves to get down and busy with his presents!!!
Where is Doogie?
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY DUHGALL BOY AND
WISHING YOU ALL A FUN ST. PATRICK'S DAY.
CHEERS! IF YOU ARE LUCKY ENOUGH TO BE IRISH...YOU ARE LUCKY ENOUGH!







Friday, March 13, 2009

Yard Dogs

Hey, Mommmmmm!
MOM!!! Look at ME! Can Duhgall and I go out to play?It is such a nice day and there are leaves to rake out in the yard....
...and sticks that I can sink my teeth into....
...and, really....I can be of big help to you if you promise to take us outside!
Here....let me help you gather this pile up.
Ok...all gathered...now I can take a rest!
"Fiona,"says Duhgall, "I am sitting here supervising and you are NOT doing your part. Look, there is still a pile there you need to pick up."
"Wait a minute, Fiona, the pile is over here, NOT over there!"

Doogs is thinking to himself that she cannot stay focused on the task at hand.

"Doogie," I say to him....
"What Mom?"
"You are such a good boy and thank you for making sure little sister does her part."
Duhgall likes to be praised! He is such a good big brother to his little sister.....so much in fact that he yells out...
" Fiona! Run!" Little does she know that a giant frog is stalking her for his dinner!!!
Ahhhh....nothing beats a good sleep after a hard day of work!

Enjoy your weekend!

Maybe you will want to get out and play in the dirt, too!

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Hey! Duhgall Made The Press!

Where you ask? In the Great Scots Magazine!!
How? Well let me tell you how...
Last summer our friend, Wave, wrote an article about some of
my "Cottage Scottie Collectibles." Wave is a contributing writer to Great Scots magazine and writes for the MacTreasure department. Some of you may have seen Wave's house featured as Cottage Of The Month (January 2009) at The Old Painted Cottage. Wave's Scottish Cottage is full of Scottie collectibles as well as home to two of her own delightful lassies, Bonnie and Maudie.
The photo below is Duhgall (at the top) and his half sister, Maudie. (note: Maudie is Fiona's full sister - her "big" sister).
Isn't the cover of the magazine just precious? Dr. Joseph Harvill and his wife, Charlotte, do an outstanding job putting together a beautiful publication that is full of great information such as Health Watch, MacRescue, fun stories of Scottie antics, wonderful photos of Scotties from all over the world and an Angels page (in memory of beloved Scotties).
Below is the article that Wave wrote about collecting Scottie items along with some photos of a few of my little treasures.
Even if you don't own a real Scottie, you could at least own a little Scottie treasure to brighten up your home. Afterall, they are such jolly lil' ones!
One of the first things I do when I get my issue of Great Scots is to flip to the color photographs of Scotties from all over the world. My husband and I get so much joy looking at all of these wee ones!
If you would like to order this amazing magazine, the information is below. You can even order one issue to try it out.
Now for the Scottie enthusiast, you can go hog wild at Tartan Scottie - the Harvill's site where they sell alllll kinds of great Scottie paraphernalia. See the Cowboy Magic? We discovered this at a feed store when Doogs was a puppy. Scotties have a dense top coat and the Cowboy Magic really helps to brush him out without too much hesitation and biting of the brush. It smells delightful, too.

The Harvills also have a lovely blog that is titled MacBlog. Stop on over if you haven't done so already. Who knows, maybe you will be enticed to own one of these wonderful dogs someday!!

Many of you have contacted me in the past asking questions about owning a Scottie. Let me tell you something, my husband knew I have wanted a Scottie for years and he was doing a little under cover research on them before buying Duhgall. He was trying to find me a dog for my Mother's Day gift three years ago but I walked in on him while he was on the computer looking up Scottie information. I honestly did not see what he had up on the screen but he tooted his own whistle and confessed. He said, "Honey, I just don't know if we should get a Scottie. They sound like little rascals to me." I told him that not each dog is like the other and you know the rest of that story.....I got my way! Two days later I had Duhgall!!

A bit about my knowledge of Scotties....

Scotties are loyal to their family. They will pick one "alpha" master, but will love the other family members, too.

They have big hearts and soul. Black eyes that will penetrate your inner being! I always say that Duhgall is a person with tons of black hair!! They are sensitive to your feelings. I cry each day over the loss of my son, Jordan, and Doogs is always right there by my side - like my little protector. It is my belief that they know things before we do.

They can be a bit aloof. By this I mean having you pay attention to them is on their terms. Not yours. Not all like to be held. Females tend to be more affectionate than the males. They like to be near you at all times and will lay at your feet, sometimes touching you - that is if they feel like it.

Known to be diggers. Ours aren't, but of course they are inside most of the time (we have a pool and they aren't allowed outside without direct supervision). Most Scotties aren't good swimmers.

Bred to hunt badgers and rats, hence their long noses that can get down into a hole!

Can be hard to potty train. You just have to be on them and stick to a strong schedule on taking them outside. Duhgall "got it" after we had him fixed. After 7 months, rolls of paper towels and many carpet cleanings I was ready to pull my hair out! Now little Fiona is so much easier. She goes on her pee pee mats but does have an occasional accident on the tile floor.

Shedding: Scotties have hair, like humans. They drop hair like us but won't leave you covered with dog hair. Brushing them every few days will help with the dog hair issue.

As for allergies, everyone is different. I recommend that if you are looking into getting a Scottie, you should go and hold one in person to see if you have a reaction to them.

Lastly, thanks to Dr. Joseph Harvill and Charlotte Harvill for such a delightful magazine!! I will be sending in some photos of Duhgall and Fiona to see if they will make the color pages!!!

~~~~~~~~

Taking each day at a time...

Thank you for your continued thoughts and prayers...

Hold your loved ones tightly....

xx

Saturday, March 7, 2009

Soooo Cooooool!

I love this photo. Our sweet friend, Heather, sent this to us. She said it reminded her of Jordan, our little fireman.This is the prettiest ice sculpture I have ever seen!
Isn't it just perfect and so beautiful? It just took my breath away!!

Fiona is doing fine. Duhgall is adjusting and loving having a little sister around to pull on his "manly" beard. Some of you have asked if she is doing good on potty training and YES she is! I think a little angel is whispering in her ear something like this, "Hey, you better be good and do what mom says!"


Please keep or sweet friend KIM (Daisy Cottage) in your prayers. Her mother's husband, Dan, is ill and just suffered a stroke. I know that so many of you LOVE our Kim and just keep her and her family in your thoughts and prayers.

Love to you!
added on March 8th: a sweet friend of mine, who just happens to be an expert in finding facts on google, sent me the link to the information on this amazing ice sculpture. I will also be adding the music that goes along with THAT post to THIS post. XXXX my dear friend ~~ YOU know who YOU are!!! ((((hugs))))
*** There really ARE angels among us and they are YOU!!! ***
For all of YOU who care for our family and who send prayers to Heaven for us.

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Cruisin' Together

On a quiet morning in January, my husband, Duhgall and I went to our favorite neighborhood restaurant for breakfast. Not "our" neighborhood, but one that we cherish our strolls through. Nothing beats a good walk to burn up the huge breakfast!! And nothing beats a good walk so honey can test out his new camera that I had mentioned some posts back. Come along....enjoy.

















Cherish YOUR special moments together and take some

time to LOVE those around you!!


xx
(PS: Continued thanks for all of the prayers and heartfelt comments. I just love you all!!!!!)