Holiday Views....

One of the best gifts in life is to see the beauty of the earth and all it has to offer....what a breath of fresh air to know how lucky we truly are,....Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all of my bloggers and their families..."See you Next Year!!"

The Angel and Nativity scene were from my family's home in Clifton Forge, Virginia.  Small Town with a big heart!

Mail and Wrap....Mail and Wrap...

Envelopes ready, wrapping is another story.....

Two New Ornaments!!

Two new ornaments for my tree, just got them today arent' they cute!!

Christmas Tree

I finally got my tree up last week, no presents under it yet!!

2 More Weeks...

December in Charleston South Carolina

We decided to take our visitors to downtown Charleston, SC. It was a beautiful day and pictures were everywhere!! These are just a couple of some of the things i tried to capture on film and I think they express how beautiful that Saturday actually was.

The gorgeous Oaks with the Spanish moss, hanging so delicately on them were taken right down at Battery Park. It overlooks the ocean and all the history that took place there. The size and the beauty of these oaks tells you how long they have actually been present which has been many years before you and I!!

There were many festive homes along the battery that i took pictures of, but the one that caught my attention first, was the unique pink home that matched it's garland to it's color. I thought that was great. Take a close look....it's leaning to the right...Can you see it?? These homes have been hear since the civil war... I guess i would lean too if i was that old!

I wish i could put more than 4 pictures per post, if there is a way please let me know!! Hugs and happy December!!

December Saturday...

I truly couldn't believe what a beautiful day we had this past Saturday.... bright and sunny with a cool wisp of air...hard to believe that flocks of birds were still standing by the ocean waiting for the fish to come so they could get a little dinner...I personally like the one picture of the seagulls in the V formation....that describes my family to a "V"! I also like the little guy just sitting, maybe he had a long day and just needed a break....The sun was so bright that day, in a blink of an eye they were there and then gone!! I do enjoy the loggerhead aka..sea turtle statue with his Christmas spirit!!

Happy Monday!!

First Race...in Martinsville..

So here they are..Martinsville Race...first time, very loud, but very interesting!! We got "pitt passes" so we were right there on the track, Crown Royal (#26) gave us "The Royal treatment"!! Fun times with friends! The race lasted awhile, but after everyone had left the track, except for a small group of us i got the picture with the sunset in the background, overall it was a fun day!!

Sand Sculptures...

So while i was around and about with a cup of coffee in hand, i saw these awesome sculptures on the beach right near our hotel! How amazing are these! Apparently there was a contest the weekend prior and they were still intact when we were there. Amazing! I thought a sand castle was hard enough...The winner was the angel and is competing soon in another competition. So glad i got these guys on camera!!

Fort Myers Florida....

So the few minutes i had to use my camera, when i wasn't loading a truck or packing a box, i went down to the beach and caught a few things. It was actually very busy for November and was surprised how many bathing suits i saw! There were a couple of days that i regretted wearing jeans, but overall it was beautiful!! On the way down, I saw Disney signs everywhere low and behold i look over and there is an electrical tower in the shape of Mickey Mouse!! Neat! The rest are just some beautiful things that i captured on a great sunny day at the beach! Cheers :)

I'M BACK I'M BACK!!

I've been a very neglectful blogger, but i appreciate my followers so much..i will be posting my pictures of the time i did have to take them.here's a tad of what happened.. .


..a 10 hour drive, there and back
...moving furniture....very heavy, with only me, my fiance, and a dolly..
....late nights, with nothing open for dinner...because we were packing
...buggggssss and hornets and lizards
...nosy neighbors
....broken uhauls..
.....no computers
....not tv's
......driving a huge suv with a trailer behind it...
....45 min back and forth to where we were staying and the house we were packing for 4 days
...saying good bye to a house that was made a home in 1982.....


All in all, i saw the sun, saw some stars, and saw appreciation for so many things....

to be continued..............

New Book...

So i'm reading this new book by D.H. Lawrence...any opinions on his books first one i've read...please let me know ;)

Thanksgiving is almost here, unbelievable.. I've been thinking of some good recipes to put on the line up. Growing up Mom did the cooking and it was delicious. There is a little sad part in my heart that mom isn't hosting the gathering anymore, i guess that is the part of getting older. I hope i can deliver the deliciousness that mom did. Anyway, here's to thanks giving...Give thanks to things that mean the most to you ......

Art Projects...

6 Cards...6 times the fun! Sorry if the picture is blurry, need a new camera desperately!! Santa!!! where are you???

"So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on is what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." "Corinthians 4:18"

Grandad drew that drawing of me when i was kid, picture included.. the last is one of my brother and grandad a year and a half before he got brain cancer...

Love you grandad....I will miss you, but in your words...."We will all be together one day"...xoxxo, your granddaughter, Mandy ..

Staunton, Virginia

We stopped here to grab a bite to eat and get out of the car for awhile, we've been here before, but always just passing through. I would LOVE to spend a day here. They've got neat little shops, great boutiques, antique stores, galleries, and some GREAT pubs!! A great little town of Highway 81 milemarker 221 in case anyone is in the area ;)

Autumn from the Blue Rigde Parkway....gorgeous

I took these when Audrey and I went for a drive on the Blue Ridge Parkway...it was so much fun and how vivid are these colors.. A great day to capture natures beauty..

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

So we finally made it back to south Carolina on Friday! all day Saturday i spent catching up with house work and getting my pumpkins carved and outside ready to go...i got everything up and running before the trick or treaters and it was so much fun! You can see i did one pumpkin with bats and the other is what i call my "Martha Stewart" pumpkin, i drilled holes into the flesh than poked Xmas lights through them, i think it turned out pretty good:) I can't believe that another Halloween has come and gone....