Day One Hundred Thirty Six 2013

Wishing my daughter Kelly and her husband Kerry a very happy 5th wedding anniversary today! This old-timey photo was taken in Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg, Tennessee, sometime in the summer of  2006 [I think].

This was taken yesterday. Son Knox joined the Kimbrough gang in December, 2011. They’re having fun celebrating five years together [and counting] this week in the Smoky Mountains. Wishing you all the best of everything today and always. I love you!!

Day One Hundred Thirty Five 2013

My grandpeeps, Shelby and Elijah, gave this to me for Mother’s Day. They painted their feet and stamped this big clay pot, making pretty butterflies. Isn’t it great? I love it. I potted a couple of red flowering plants today ~Verbena~ which  possess the virtues of heat tolerance and an extremely long bloom season. Plus, I’m hoping the red will attract a Hummingbird or two.

Day One Hundred Thirty Four 2013

My daughter Holly gave me this beautiful Hummingbird feeder for Mother’s Day, plus some Hummingbird food mix. I filled it up today and placed it where I can keep an eye on it. I’m told I should plant some red flowers, as Hummingbirds are attracted to that particular color. I plan to do that soon. We’ve had one Hummingbird come to our yard the past two years, so maybe he/she will visit my new feeder. And maybe invite his/her friends to lunch.

Day One Hundred Thirty Three 2013

Keep your face always toward the sunshine - and shadows will fall behind you.
~Walt Whitman

Day One Hundred Thirty Two 2013

Happy Mother’s Day!

They are the best of me ~ my daughters Kelly and Holly. I’m thankful for them every single day and love them probably more than they’ll ever know.

Daughter Kelly and her son Knox

Daughter Holly and her daughter Shelby and son Elijah

Happy Mother’s Day to my daughters who are the best moms ever. And happy Mother’s Day to me, because I have the best kids and grandkids any Mama/Granny could ever ask for!

My mother, Hampton Gailbreath Mabry, passed away exactly two weeks before Mother’s Day last year. I miss her and would love to have the opportunity to wish her a happy Mother’s Day and tell her how much I love her.
Happy Mother’s Day to all of you who are called Mother, Mom, Mama, Mommy, or Ma. It’s the sweetest name on earth!

Day One Hundred Thirty One 2013

Lunch with peeps at Gondola Pizza House ~ from left: grandson Elijah, daughter Kelly, grandson Knox, hubby Neil, granddaughter Shelby, and daughter Holly. Yummy pizza at probably the only place in town at lunch today that wasn’t swamped with TTU graduates and their families [although Gondola had several tables already reserved for large groups. Timing is everything.] Happy Saturday, everyone!

Day One Hundred Thirty 2013

G R A N D P E E P S !!!

Granddaughter Shelby

Grandson Knox

Grandson Elijah


Hope your Friday was grand!  Happy T G I F, y’all!!

Day One Hundred Twenty Nine 2013

On a beautiful day like today, it would have been a crime not to spend at least a few minutes of it outside, so Neil and I headed to Dogwood Park to eat some lunch and bask in the sunshine.

It was one of those days that brings out the smiley face in everyone and everything.

There were dozens of people in the park, especially around the fountain, even though you can’t tell it from this picture. What a blessing to have such a beautiful place to just be in this town.

Grandson Elijah told me on the way home from school this afternoon that three girls told him he was the cutest boy in the class. He was very pleased with that information. Can’t say that I blame him.

We watched Elijah play T Ball this evening. Enjoyed the perfect weather and the honeysuckle-scented breeze that was blowing. We also enjoyed watching his team win, 24~6. Elijah hit a home run when the bases were loaded. He and his team played well.

After the game, Neil and I treated ourselves to a DQ milk shake and a Moolatte and decided we’d enjoy them even more while sitting in Dogwood Park and watching the fountain change colors. And we were right. Hope you had a happy Thursday.

Day One Hundred Twenty Eight 2013

Peonies are budding in my back yard.

Neighbor kitty Lily followed me around while I snapped some pics. She’s always on the go~a constant blur.

I wish we had more of these dark purple Irises. I really like that yellow stripe.

Peony bud looks like a swirly little planet. The flowers smell so good.

I have no idea what these are but I like them. They grow on a vine.

Azaleas are one of my faves, too. God sure knew what He was doing when He made flowers, didn’t He?

Day One Hundred Twenty Seven 2013

Flowers are restful to look at. They have neither emotions nor conflicts.     
~Sigmund Freud

This is what’s left of the one and only bloom on our lilac bush. Pretty little purple petals dashed on the rocks. Bummer. I took this picture with my cell phone camera set on solari color. It’s a neat effect.

Day One Hundred Twenty Six 2013

We’ve had a very expensive week at our house. Last Monday, the starter died on our [late 20th century] car and had to be replaced. Saturday, Neil discovered our water heater was leaking [and had been for some time apparently], so that had to be replaced. To complete this trilogy of unfortunate events, we were forced to replace our TV [after lots of denial, as in ‘maybe it’s the cable’]. Folklorists say the concept that three bad things happen together is an ancient superstition that remains a strong modern belief and is based on the psychological need to believe that a bad cycle will end. I’m not a superstitious person, but right now I’m feeling that psychological need to believe. I'd say wish us luck, but that would be superstitious.

Day One Hundred Twenty Five 2013

Use what talents you possess; the woods would be very silent if no birds sang there except those that sang best.   
~Henry Van Dyke

Day One Hundred Twenty Four 2013

PROM NIGHT



This is senior prom night for my seventeen year old niece, Sarah. Isn’t she gorgeous? I told her she looked like a princess. She’s a natural beauty, inside and out, and I love her to pieces. I hope she has the time of her life tonight. Two weeks from today, she graduates high school and heads off into her future and, I think, the most fun part of the journey. Love you, Sarah!

Day One Hundred Twenty Three 2013

T  G  I  F

What better way to celebrate TGIF than to hit Cream City Ice Cream And Coffee Shop for a sweet frozen goody after school this afternoon. Granddaughter Shelby and grandson Elijah were happy about the whole idea. Neil, on the other hand, could be Grumpy Cat’s twin.

While they were deciding on their decadent treat …

… I already knew I wanted/needed/had to have a scoop of Cookie Dough [and this picture simply does not do the yumminess of it justice at all].

We got comfy in the back room. Elijah said this was his favorite chair and he wanted to take it home, but I’m sure the Cream City folks might frown on that. Friday never tasted so good!

Happy TGIF, y’all! Hope yours was most excellent.

Day One Hundred Twenty Two 2013

TODAY …

Neil and I got to enjoy a yummy meal at our favorite Thai food place, which finally reopened this week after being closed since the end of March.

We got to watch grandson Elijah play T Ball. (His team lost 30 ~ 18.)

We got to be with peeps ~ dugout daughter Holly and granddaughter Shelby and coach son in law Jerry.

We got to enjoy a beautiful sunset and spectacular cloud formations on the way home from the game. It was pouring rain from those dark clouds somewhere in town.

And we got to enjoy coming home to a clean front porch, which took the better part of this afternoon to scrub off  the dirt and pollen and tree seeds (which refuse to go away). So thankful to have had the energy to ‘getter done’ and very thankful for this life that God blesses me with each day. It’s all good. Hope you enjoyed a blessed Thursday.

Day One Hundred Twenty One 2013

Pretty In Purple





All the other colors are just colors, but purple seems to have a soul. Purple is not just a noun and an adjective but also a verb - when you look at it, it's looking back at you.
~Uniek Swain