Happy Wedding Anniversary

Today is our 40th Wedding Anniversary!  So please allow me this post to say a few things about the wonderful man I had the good sense to marry........

*He is not only my husband but also my soulmate, my best friend, my mentor, my "other half."
*He is a wonderful father, grandfather, and friend.
*He is strong, sure, positive, fearless, young-at-heart, fun-loving, trustworthy....and so many other things.
*He loves me in spite of all my flaws.
*He at least tries to understand my moods!
*He is a good provider and never questions how or why I spend our money, trusting me to know when to spend and when not to.
*He doesn't share the remote very much, but would if I asked :)
*Everyday (usually more than once) he tells me he loves me.
*He always kisses me good-night.
*He always compliments me on how I look or the meal I prepared or something I have accomplished.
*He snuggles really good!
*He goes shopping with me and never complains about how long I keep him waiting.
*He's a Christian man who attends Sunday School and church with me almost every Sunday.
*He's funny and laughs often.
*He's still sexy at 61...and has these beautiful blue eyes.
*He helps with chores around the house and yard...definitely not lazy.
*He is generous to anyone and everyone...would give you the shirt off his back if he thought you really needed it.
*He is tender-hearted about many things but tough as nails about others.
*He is EVERYTHING I could ever ask for in a husband.
So....to the man I married "thank you" for EVERYTHING; thank you for loving me, marrying me, and growing old with me.   I  LOVE  YOU and appreciate you and I hope we have many more years together:

"If you live to be a hundred,

I want to live to be

a hundred minus one day,

so I never have to live without you."

 Winnie the Pooh

Farmer's Wife

Every summer I spend a little time playing FARMER'S WIFE.  My husband grew up on a farm and still has dirt running in his veins.  He often tells stories of the many days he spent helping his grandmother with all the chores that farm wives are expected to do....so to make him happy I put on Grandmama's apron and start to work.  No, I do NOT milk cows or churn butter but I am rather adept at getting veggies ready for the freezer. 

I do cheat....I buy them already shelled!  (Grandmama would never have done that.) 

Between 3:30pm and 7:30pm I put up 5 bushels of peas of various varieties and butterbeans.  Aren't they pretty?

DH usually helps but he was out of town so I was on my own.  I did something different this year, however.  I decided to "blanch" them in the microwave....and I will definitely do it again. 

I've read that blanching vegetables this way gives them better color, better taste, and more nutrition. 

It was definitely less messy and not nearly as hot as doing it on the stovetop.  Although it's a lot of work and probably more expensive than buying them already processed at the grocery store, there's just nothing like a pot of "fresh" peas or butterbeans with a pot roast...or southern fried chicken....or vension cubed steak....OK, I'm getting really hungry!

But the best part of all is knowing that I have made that FARMER-WANTA-BE that I'm married to one happy guy. He also thinks I look cute in that apron!

STORMY SUNDAY

 

We had a small storm in our neck of the woods late yesterday afternoon.  We had just returned from our yearly family reunion where we had eaten very little

with full stomachs when what we thought would be a small rain shower came up.  In fact I went to sit on the front porch and enjoy that sweet smell of rain when it falls on a parched earth.  A little thunder began to roll, which I tend to like.  There's something peaceful and enjoyable (to me) in an occasional thunderstorm.

I sat listening to the raindrops falling on the roof and thought I almost heard the flowers and plants saying "ahhh" as they drank in every drop. 

Mr. Chatter came to join me and we were enjoying a quiet moment.....

when all of a sudden there was the BIGGEST, LOUDEST clap of thunder I think I have ever heard.

You have never seen two semi-old folks move that fast!

This was followed by watching a somewhat large limb fall from one of our pecan trees and having the electricity go out.  In fact it was out until 12:30 a.m. and by that time we were getting downright warm hot!  We don't really appreciate air conditioning until we don't have it!  Of course, that meant no TV or computer either so we tried to find enough to talk about to while away the rest of the night until dear hubby fell asleep in his recliner.  I played Solitaire on my laptop until the battery died.  What in the world did people do before electricity???  (Went to bed EARLY!)

This morning the world is back to normal and I'm sure it will be another HOT day in the south.  I'm planning on having the grandkids and me get out the golf cart and pick up fallen sticks and branches in the neighborhood. 

Isn't it nice to know the rains will come (hopefully) to quinch the earth's thirst followed by the sun to warm us and remind us of God's love?  That's the way it is with life, too....the storms come, the storms go, and life goes on and we can go on refreshed knowing that we came through once again.

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY to my HONEY

I wanted to take this opportunity to say

HAPPY  FATHER'S  DAY

to my wonderful husband.  I am so thankful that

YOU

were the one God chose to be the father of my children, both

the awesome son that we've raised and the beautiful daughter that's waiting for us in Heaven. You were and are a

GREAT  DADDY!

It's Like Christmas in June

I'm one of those people who almost never wins ANYTHING.  But that has recently changed!  I'M  A  WINNER!  Kim at The Twice Remembered Cottage hosted her 4th annual Cottage Charm Giveaway

and 68 wonderful blogger friends participated by giving away some mighty pretty things.  I was the fortunate winner of gifts from Donna at

and here are the BEAUTIFUL things she sent me:

Everything was wrapped up so girlie-like in

Pink & White....

Look at all these sweet things!

Would you believe I love old photographs...even when I don't know the people in them.  DH tells me though I need to write on the back "these are not our family"!

That lovely fan will come in handy for our recent 110 degree weather....and the lovely vintage linens will add to my collection.

The little teapot is actually a kitchen timer and the grandkids have already tried it out.

Thank you SO MUCH, Donna! 

I will treasure your generosity.

Now here's the thing.....

I won something else!  Have a look-see...

These pretty things came from Francie at

The Scented Cottage Studio.

She has a monthly giveaway for followers of her blog and I guess I got "lucky" 'cause I won!

The picture has the cutest quote from Dr. Seuss:

Be who you are and say what you feel

because those who mind don't matter

and those that matter don't mind.

(I tried to teach my son to be HIMSELF and not always follow the crowd...I'm trying to teach my grandkids the same thing.)

Francie also included a lovely little envelope filled with the sweetest smelling potpourri.  Thank you, Francie!

I've still got something else to show you!

I recently participated in a fun event sponsored by

Cindy (the nicest TX gal) at

Rick-Rack & Gingham

Cindy had a KITCHEN SWAP...and it was so much FUN!

I was the lucky recipient of these wonderful gifts from

JANELLE at

Sweet  Bee  Cottage!

You can tell Janelle was really thinking of me with all the cherry treasures!  Don't you love the plate?  I do!  And evidently she is also very creative.  She covered a miniature clipboard with scrapbook paper and then topped off the note pads with matching paper.  As if that wasn't enough, she also covered the clothespins to match!  Just TOO cute!

And I can't wait to try some of those awesome recipes.  Janelle, thank you SO much...and Cindy, too!

It's been like having Christmas in June...but guess what!  I also won something else in Kim's Cottage Charm Giveaway!!!  I just haven't received it yet so I'll save that for another post.

I've been one lucky gal lately!

Either that or the Good Lord knew I needed a little pick-me-up!  Thank you, Lord, for those little events that happen in life to perk us up when we need it!