Mosaic Monday

If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant; if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome.  ~Anne Bradstreet

After three months of being laid off and struggling with everything from the finances to finding another job, my daughter is once more gainfully employed. With a little networking, a few phone calls, an immediate interview and she was hired on the spot Friday and is starting her first day on a new job today. Our God is so Awesome. Lots of prayers went up and God's abundant love came pouring down. A huge amount of Thanks to all those that kept those prayers going up.

  May you be wrapped in a quilt of God's warm blessings until your springtime arrives.

  

Join me at the Little Red House to visit more blogs taking part in Mosaic Monday.

Mosaic Monday

To look at this house today, most people would just dismiss it as an old run down, forgotten house that is slowly being reclaimed by nature. However a closer look and a listening ear might tell a story of a happy young couple that once made this house their home. A home where they planned to raise their four children. A home filled with love, happiness and laughter. A home where music was plentiful. A home where evening entertainment for the children might be shadow puppets done my their mother.

Life can turn cruel when you least expect it though. My husband's father was 37 years old when TB took his life. Suddenly J.D.'s mother found herself a single parent with four children to raise on her own. J.D. was 9 years old and remembers the day that his daddy died and how he felt as he watched him being carried away. 

The shell of the house that was once home to J.D. and his brothers and sister still stands. The memories that they share, keeps their childhood home from fading into the landscape.   

  

Join me at Mary's Little Red House For links to more Mosaic Monday participants. Have a blessed week.

Mosaic Monday

'Meet Miss Lucy'

This weeks mosaic is of my grandpuppy, Lucy. She is a Cairn Terrier and an important part of my daughter's family and our lives. It is one thing when your own little four legged children are happy to see you, but something else all together when one that your only see once a month, at the most, thinks you are the greatest thing since peanut butter dog treats. Well folks that would be the welcome I always receive from my Miss Lucy.  She now tries to communicate with me verbally. I speak to her and she will roll and wiggle all over the place and make throaty noises using her mouth like she is trying to form words. I love you my furry little grandpuppy and think you are pretty great too.

No one appreciates the very special genius of your conversation as the dog does.  

~Christopher Morley

 

 Join me at Little Red House to visit more blogs taking part in Mosaic Monday. Have a Great Week.

Mosaic Monday

Our first significant winter storm of the season took place yesterday and continued through the night. I had planned on putting our Christmas tree up on Saturday, but just didn't feel up to it.  As a result, there sat a few well worn sad looking boxes containing the tree and it's decorations in the living room waiting for me to find the spirit to put it all together. That spirit came when I looked through the french doors to the deck yesterday morning and saw snow floating down. 

Of course along with the decorating of the tree comes the prep work of dusting, cleaning and furniture rearranging. Done. Done. Done. Tree up and decorated. Done. The Christmas Angel on top. Done.

While all of this was going on our little Paddy Girl just wasn't real sure what to think of all of this activity in her otherwise stable world. You need to keep in mind that this is her first Christmas with us. She also was a rescue puppy from the dog pound, so we don't know what she witnessed or dealt with last Christmas.  I am sure that her little mind was active asking questions like: Why is a tree being brought into the house? What's with all of those beads, shiny balls and colored lights. Poor baby, spent quite a bit of time curled up on J.D.'s lap. She knew he wouldn't let any of this strangeness that was going on hurt her.

Have a safe and warm week.

 

Mosaic Monday...... God's Canvas

I perhaps owe having become a painter to flowers.
~ Claude Monet

Why not visit "The Little Red House" and take part in Mosaic Monday.

 
Have a wonderful week basking in the warmth of the sun and enjoying the beauty of the world around you. 

 

Mosaic Monday "If Walls Could Talk"

My heart flutters when I see an old house that is slowly deteriorating and leaving no more than possibly a concrete foundation. Eventually even that will crumble and disappear. While they are still here I like to look at them and imagine the family that once lived there and what became of them. If walls could only talk what are the stories they would tell?

 

Is this the house that was home to an older couple who opened their door to all who came knocking in need of food and shelter? The same couple who never locked their door because everyone knew they had nothing worth stealing, but if someone wanted something that they had all they needed to do was ask and it was theirs.

   

Perhaps this house sheltered a family that included four young children. A family with so much love that it spilled over to neighbors and friends. All of that love could not be contained by walls. Could this house tell stories of laughter, joy and happiness? Stories that turned to sadness the day the father of these young children was carried away after losing his battle to TB?

  

I see Sunday dinner spread out at the table with mix match plates , complimented by mix matched chairs around the table. Fried chicken is piled high on the meat platter with mashed potatoes, gravy, Cole slaw and green beans with new potatoes as side dishes.  Apple pie is cooling in the window. Decades later all that is left is a shell of the old home place and those Sunday dinners with a family drawn together by love and respect for one another are but  echoes of the past.

I see a sadness that surrounds this home as generation after generation, news is delivered to this family that beloved sons who chose to serve their country died with honor during the time of war. Still years and years later the sons and daughters of this same family continue to serve our country and lay their lives on the line daily in the name of freedom.

Join us at "  The Little Red House"   For a list of more Mosaic Monday Blogs to visit. Be sure to take a few minutes and tell Mary Hello.

Mosaic Monday

I thought today I would take you on a spring adventure that we had in 2003 while we lived in Sulphur, Louisiana. About 25 miles south of there you will find a marsh that is inhabited by some of Southwest Louisiana's critters wild life. 

This sign wasn't necessary where I was concerned, but I am sure that had the sign not been in place some idiot would try to feed or perhaps even try to pet the alligators.

I have always been fascinated with the fact that there is no fence or barrier of any kind between alligator and tourists. There is nothing keeping the alligators from running up the little bit of incline to the walkway and devouring a tourist or two for lunch. This is the first part of the walkway. As you wind your way through the marsh the walkway turns from concrete to wooden walkways that are raised slightly over the water.

 

  

My first visit to this marsh was with J.D.'s niece. It was a hot summer day when we went and all we saw was a couple of butterflies, 1 frog and a zillion mosquitoes. When J.D. and I went it was toward the end of March and we saw lots of alligators.

 

  

We were entertained watching Mama Gator giving her babies a piggy back ride. Or perhaps these babies have found this the safest place to be to avoid being a appetizer for Mama.  

Signs like this one are posted along the canal that runs parallel to the road that leads to the marshland. Yes, there are alligators that swim in those waters and yes, there were people in the water doing exactly what the sign says not to do.

If you are ever in Southwest Louisiana, this really is a nice stop in the spring. I would advise against it in the heat of summer and especially if you have a hip or knee problem as it is quite a long walk.

If you would like to take part in Mosaic Monday or you would just like to see some beautiful mosaics of photos taken by some very talented bloggers just drop by The Little Red House.

Thank you Mary for hosting Mosaic Monday.

Mosaic Monday

What is a weed? A plant who's virtues 

have not yet been discovered.

 ~Ralph Waldo Emerson, Fortune Of The Republic, 1878

We gathered the wild-flowers.

 Yes, life there seem'd one pure delight;

As thro' the field we rov'd.

Yes, life there seem'd one pure delight.

~George Linley

None can have a healthy love of flowers

unless he loves the wild ones.

~ Forbes Watson

 

My idea of gardening is to find something 

wild in my wood and weed around it 

with the utmost care until it has a chance 

to grow and spread.

~ Margaret Bourke-White

As one grows older one should grow more expert at finding beauty in unexpected places, in desserts and even in towns, in ordinary human faces and among wild weeds.

~ C.C. Vyvyan

I have found the beauty in our flowering weeds that thrive in and around the land that we have cleared and call our yard. It is almost like they are the scouts for the rest of the army of the flower world by checking out the dangers of frost and snow. We left about 3 feet of wild growth on the fence line of our property. Beginning with the spring months into September, we have a constant show of beautiful colors for the wild flowers and weeds that grow there. 

The weather has been really great the past few days and Paddy has had such a wonderful time playing outside. She tracks rabbits all over the yard, then she takes a bit of a break and gets back to work tracking those rabbits some more. The butterflies enjoy the wild flowers as much as I do. Yesterday Paddy deviated from her routine long enough to chase a butterfly. She is such a sweet little pup. She has added so much joy to our life and certainly keeps us entertained.

 

To visit more blogs taking part in Mosaic Monday visit Mary @ The Little Red House.

Mosaic Monday

Since today is Monday that means it is Mosaic Monday hosted by Mary. I hope you will join me today as I visit the wonderful blogs that take part in Mosaic Monday. You will find the links to those blogs at The Little Red House . I am finding it to be a great way to start out the week. 

Saturday we ventured out to the flea markets and my mosaic is of my wonderful flea market finds.

I have decorated our dining room with Native American items. You will also find these items throughout the house. Some of them I have had for many years, some are fairly new additions. I recently started looking for items that feature Native American children and have found those items are few and far between. For that reason alone I would have to say that this picture was the deal of the day. The fact that it cost me all of $1.00 made it even a better deal.

 

I am always on the look out for dishes, dishes and more dishes. I love stoneware, as well as the intricate designs on many china plates. The Blue Willow is one of my favorites.

 

I thought the blue design on this plate complements the Blue Willow design. I found my plates at the roadside flea market at $2.00 each. 

This plate caught my attention because of the tiny delicate violets painted on it. I have seen quite a few dish sets that I really liked, but when I look on the bottom I find the words "   Made In China"  . That is enough information for me not to buy it. Remember when the news came out that Fisher Price toys that were being produced in China contained lead paint? A man in Columbus was interviewed on the news about that time. He had bought one of the home lead testers to check his child's toys. In the process he decided to test some of their dishes that they had purchased at Kroger during one of their promotional sales. Sure enough those beautiful stoneware dishes contained lead paint.

I am finding it more and more difficult to remember things as I grow older. The last thing I need is to eat my meals off of dishes containing lead and risk even more brain cells being destroyed. If the dishes I buy doesn't say 'Made in USA' they don't come home with me.

 Another passion I ave when it comes to shopping flea markets and yard sales would be glass bowls. I found this little beauty amongst the dishes that I bought. It will be perfect for serving up a fruit and Jello dessert.  

Last but by no way least were the signs that I found. J.D. has made an improvement to the kitchen by making an alcove to put the refrigerator in. It is surprising how much space was freed up just by doing that. Our kitchen feels huge now. I thought signs placed on the wall above the fridge was just the ticket.

 

I hope you enjoyed your visit and that you will return for another visit with us soon here on J.D.'s mountain.

May your week ahead be blessed!