Memories to Cherish

  Kathy at the Delightsome Life  hosts this each Thursday and this being the fifth Thursday... anything goes....SO I am thinking of  our wonderful Memorial Day  outing...  

  Actually, this is becoming a glorious tradition with we  3 families.. Gerri and David  host  us a t their  wonderful  home on the mountain..  such a  glorious  place to get away from the  heat of the valley  and  relish good  times together .. 

Their home is  gracious and  comfortable..


And   they    share their  lovely home with  us  each  Memorial Day for  a great cookout and  time to  just be together!!!
  They along with  our  dearest  friend and sister, Dottie and  brother, Bill,

   enjoy the  loving  fellowship    that  we  receive  through our  close  Christian  ties that bind!!!!

  Last year's     wonderful  repast  along with this  year's   scrumptious    dessert!!...

The marvelous    views

  and the  warm  feelings of  sharing  our hearts together  make for  a  holiday of major  significance  to our  lives...  a time  we'll never  forget!!

Thankful Thursday

“Enter his gates with thanksgiving,

and his courts with praise!

Give thanks to him; bless his name”

~ Psalm 100:4 (NIV)


Today   I am so thankful  for many reasons...  
My family  is  so awesome....   My dear husband is the light of my life,   and  I am so  very fortunate in having him home with me now in his retirement....  what a blessing.
My parents  in Assisted Living  have turned a corner for the better, in  health and attitude,and for that I am so grateful.. our daughter and son-in-law  bless us in  so many ways....  but mainly in their strong faith and    wonderful family they are  building  in their home and in their lives together...
new  and old friends....  opportunities     to serve and share the light of the Lord... 
  the leading of the Holy Spirit  in making wise choices...even though I dont always   stay exactly on that path,   conviction always  brings me back....   praise the Lord, for that as well!

Simple is the Word

Simple is the Word

Tablescape Thursday
It's Thursday, and    time to consider  fresh new tablescapes...  even though  TT isnt up and running this week...  I am also  sharing on  Favorite Things Thursday..

I am  inspired by the    simplicity of the  late spring   hutch                 arrangement... 





,
 to  keep it simple for  our luncheon!
I picked these gorgeous  bird plates up at Marshall's for a song last summer...
    but for  luncheon .
  why not  something even more  simple and cooling for our  cooling  salads!
Besides, it is just the two of us....
  On   those hot muggy days,,  an intimate luncheon in the coolest room of the house....
  bring out the  small round  side table...  cover it with  my  gorgeous bird house cloth that  celebrates the    jewel-tones of  summer...

 and set  the jewel-green  glass  plates  and tumblers
  for an exquisite, cool  salad  luncheon....




 Simple is    a good word for this time of year when things  can become too hectic for  words, and    time is of the essence....
and   if it puts a smile on this face...  I'm  truly happy!!!!

Recipe for  the  Cranberry  Pecan  Chicken Salad
1 large can of cook  white  chicken   shredded
1/2 c mayo
1/2 c dried cranberries
 1/3 c  chopped toasted pecans
1/3/ c sweet pickle relish
  1/2 c or half   small jar of mandarin oranges  chopped
I  chopped hard boiled egg
1/2 c chopped celery
season to  taste  serve  chilled
  I have added  frozen peas  to this  right out of the freezer to speed up the chilling process  
Sometimes I use sugared  toasted pecans  which adds a  zingy sweetness to  the  mix... YUM!!!!

Profusion

Return to A Southern  Daydreamer and  more  Outdoor Wednesday!

A stroll around the backyard  yields  a lovely explosion of the colors of May!

Word Filled Wednesday

http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/

2 Corinthians 5:7

We walk by faith and not by sight.

God has  laid out  a path before us,  all with His glorious purpose for us in mind...   plans to  prosper us, not to harm us...  Oh, to stay on His  wonderful path and read the  harvest he has for us each and every day!!!

For more   WFW   visit here!

May Flowers

Join Shannon   on this    Cozy theme!

Today I am sharing a montage  of   the gorgeous colors and textures of my  May  garden!  This  year  we have been blessed with April   (Springtime) showers which have  been a huge boon to our May flowers!

Ralph Waldo Emerson  once said, 
" "The Earth Laughs in Flowers."

Our garden is definitely smiling!

  Thanks so much for  your visit....  

Blossoms of Heaven

Martha hosts this  beautiful site each week and since teatime is one of my  very favorite  pastimes,  today I  am reminded last week's  indulgence  ....

  

My blue mood   offered up an opportunity to  revel  in tea  with my  Royal Albert, Flower of the Month,  Forget- Me - Not cup.  I bought this cup a few years ago in commemoration of my birthday  coming up next month... 

 

I love the blue,,  such a sweet, wonderfully sentimental pattern!

This flower has been used  through time  to  share  love and  remembrance ...

 

In Evangeline, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote,

Silently, one by one, in the infinite meadows of Heaven,

Blossom the lovely stars, the forget-me-nots of the angels.

Newport's Treasures

Kathy of   The Delightsome Life  hosts this  beautiful theme each week...  and as an avid fan of  Victoria magazine,, I was  totally enraptured with this months  issue...

and the article on Seaside Grace and Charm....

of Rhode Island... Im sure it was in part due to the fact that I experienced Newport's charms last summer!

So excited about our adventure, I actually traversed the lengthy bridge to the glorious seaport with anticipation instead of my usual dread!

Another very unusual part of our excursion was that it would be done on sea....

but truly Newport is best seem from asea...

Once safely aboard our afternoon vessel, the fun and excitement began as we carefully manuevered out of our slip and into the harbor

 The  quaint village    is known best for its seaside  welcoming shops and  docks...

but  I think  Newport is  best known for their  magnificent mansions  along  it's  

undulating coastline!!  

Each architectural  wonder   displays the  grandeur of  a bygone era...   l  the genteel life of the  Victorian age.

 Around each coastal bend,  another majestic property  offered  a glimpse into that  privileged time!



 Mesmerized by the  beauty of such fabulous home,  our coastal  drive  following our    sailing,  offered  a few other  residences  of renown...



The next time  we  visit   Newport,  a  tour of these wonderful homes will definitely be  on our agenda....  For me, today, it has  been a refreshing  reminder of the  dazzling  day we experienced  last summer In Newport!

Afternoon Shades

"

Visit Mary at the Little Red House for more Mosaic Monday!!

I am also sharing on Blue Monday  with Smiling Sally!

Our dear friends,  Diane and Paul  have moved into our area,  and    we love to visit  them and sit out on their  deck...  what a view..  no matter the season, this view always  moves the spirit!
God's  creative palette is  so very    awesome...whether close  or  afar...

...
  the varying tones and hues,  light and dark,    are spellbinding....

I love how the  encroaching trees  seem to  pull up the covers  and  say "Adieu!"