Green Hills and Memories

The weather here has been FANTASTIC!  I couldn't order better.  Blue skies, not too hot, a breeze now and then.  No complaints from me. 
Hal and I took a little ride yesterday.  After breakfast he asked me what I had planned for the day, I had nothing planned...or nothing that couldn't wait.  Those dirty clothes will still be waiting to be washed whenever I get to it.  We took a little ride to the country.  It's the same route we used to take to my Mom and Dad's farm, and beyond the farm to where my Aunt, Uncle and cousins lived.  There are lovely gently rolling hills, in fact it's called the Irish Hills.    I never get tired of going out there.  Each farm, building or landmark brings back memories.  It has changed a lot over the years, it has become built up a lot with more homes and shopping.  People trying to get out of the city, but what they do is create the need to build another city.  Makes me wonder where it will all end. 
But, man hasn't taken over completely, there is still plenty of beauty to see.  The route, US 12 us dotted with charming little antique merchants, lush green farmland, sheep, horses, and what ever else farms usually have!  Oh and there are lakes....lots of lakes!

My daughter Sara, has always longed for the farm where she played as a child.  Her carefree days with her grandma and grandpa were filled with sunshine and special places to cozy into in that old farmhouse.  Later, my brother and his family moved into the farmhouse.   His children have told me that the farm was their favorite place to live also.  Some places leave our hearts full.  The farm was one of those places. 
I now wish I lived in that old farm.  It's not to be, but I have a heart full of memories, and can always take a ride to refresh them.  We stopped for lunch while out there, and all in all had a sweet day together. 
Makes me wonder why we don't do it more often.  I think we should.

~It is well with my soul.

I Spy With My Red Eyes

I went to a garden center the other day, it was full of wonderful plants and flowers - and people like me with red watering eyes and runny - or plugged noses.  I have never suffered with allergies, but I guess this is my year.  Have you noticed your allergies acting up too?  If so, you're not alone.  According the news reports, we're in for a more severe then usual allergy season.  This is what they had to say; "A new Gallup-Healthways report shows that this year's allergy season is, indeed, stronger than the last, largely because the winter was so warm this year and because of the higher pollen counts throughout the U.S.".
The experts give their advice for dealing with pollen and allergies. 
1 - Chill.  Stress is bad for allergies, and lots of other things too!
2 - Leave the outdoors, outdoors.  Drop your shoes on the porch before you go in.
3 - Close the widows.  Duh.
4 - Wash hair nightly to rid it pollen.
5 - Wash your bed sheets more often.  I'll remind my maid.
6 - Consider acupuncture.  No thank you.
I guess I'll leave the mascara in the make-up tray for a while, red eyes with black raccoon rings from smudged mascara is not attractive.  This to shall pass, and I still think it's better then shoveling snow!

~It is well with my soul

Sunday Scripture

                                                        

Exodus 15:2

The Lord is my strength and my song;

he has become my salvation.

He is my God and I will praise him,

my father's God, and I will exalt him.

~It is well with my soul

Meet The Harmonica Man

I urge you to take the time to watch this video, it's just over 2 minutes long.  His gift changed the lives of the school children he touched, what a legacy, and he became all the richer for sharing!





~It is well with my soul

Smells Good!

 I was reading that some men prefer the smell of bacon over the smell of a baby.  Now I like to smell bacon frying too, but the smell of a baby is probably my #1 favorite.

Pumpkin pie is also a favorite among men.  I asked my husband what some of his favorites were, and he said the smell of a campfire, Autumn, which is probably more of regional preference, vanilla, cinnamon, but nope...he never said a baby!

Beside the smell of a baby, I love the smell of lemon, honeysuckle, and the ocean.  Of course certain foods also stir up memories such as turkey roasting at Thanksgiving. 

A smell that I can't stand?  A pig farm! LOL!  Kind of funny since I really do like bacon!

I think a lot of what we like or even dislike are tied to old memories.  My Mothers house always smelled "clean".  It's even hard for me to describe what that clean smell was, and I've smelled sprays and candles named "clean", but they don't even come close.  My husband has always used Polo cologne.  Nothing reminds me of him like that fragrance.  It's comforting.

What's your favorite smell or fragrance?  Is it tied to a memory?  I'm curious!

~It is well with my soul

Letting Go and Finding Me

Mother's day is past, and mine was wonderful.  I think of my mother often and the great amount of influence she had on my life, some wonderful but not all, and not all her fault.  No one is perfect.   This is not a post about Mother's day, but more about two personalities, hers and mine and where the dividing line falls.
Because of a constant effort on my part to win her favor, and loving her so deeply, I've found I have put my style and beliefs aside and taken on hers.  It's been years since her passing and my eyes are just opening to wanting to recognize my own style, and be my own person.  I'm a late bloomer. 
My mother had great taste and style, but she also felt her taste was the only right taste, LOL!  I've always lived by her signature style when it came to home decor and the way she dressed.  I still do, because I believe most of it was worth emulating. There's nothing wrong with that, except when I've repressed my own taste, at the time for fear of her disapproval, and now because it's become habit.  This revelation came to me when I gave my living room couch away.  My first thought was, what replacement couch would Mom consider good taste? Turns out, we would be similar in choices, but the point is...I am my own person.  I need to please myself, and more importantly, I need to accept that I too have a opinion, and it just might be a good one - different from any one else.
I brought some of her furniture home after she passed away.  I don't have a lot because we divided it among the family, but some of what I do have - I don't really want.  I don't want it, yet I can't seem to let go of it unless it stays in the family.  I feel like it's an insult to her memory. How do I get past that?  By the way, she often said, "after I'm gone, I don't want any of my things to leave the family".....how's that for pressure!
I was mentally going over what I would take with me should I ever move, because if that day does come, it will be a move of downsizing.  I am relieved to say that there is nothing of such importance that I couldn't leave it except for a a few things.  It's so freeing not to be bound by earthly things.
My daughter Amy offered to store any thing I don't want, I just may take her up on that offer.  Then she'll have the responsibility of one day writing a blog and saying....what do I do with this stuff, I don't really want it!  That's family - at least ours anyway!

~It is well with my soul

Sunday Scripture

~It is well with my soul