Fresh, Clean and Pure Friday 10/28

I'm joining up once again with Roz.   I love fall and Halloween.  The Hubz goes way overboard with all of our outdoor decorations.  I think (know) he loves seeing the neighbor children light up and get excited over all the pumpkins and knowing the party is getting closer and closer.  We throw a neighborhood party every year, I host at my house and we have a bon fire and everyone brings a dish, all are welcome and we just have a good time talking and watching the children.

Here are a few of our decorations this year.  When Halloween is over I will change out the Vampire and Witch for two Scarecrows.  They will stay up through Thanksgiving.  Many of the neighborhood chidren enjoy getting their pictures made out in thee front yard and we love it too. 

Enjoy!

Carol-the gardener


Hope you have a wonderful Halloween.  I'll be posting more pictures of the little ones after the party.

Carol-the gardener

Wordless Wednesday

A few weeks ago, we all went to the Peanut Festival held in Jay, Florida.  The country life there is just beautiful.  Fields and fields of peanuts, hay, cotton, pumpkins and sunflowers.  I hope you enjoy the photos I took.




Mr. Pistol Britches




Big Red Farmall Tractor and one little Alabama Fan




Baked Goods







Pumpkins on the Porch




He found a "good one".




Hiding in the vines.  It went home with me!




Antique tractor




Cotton Candy




Another day, at the Pumpkin Patch with his Pops




Sunflowers




Friendly goat




Large field of Sunflowers




Pumpkin Field or as we say "Punkin Patch"



Yes, of course, he made me go on the hayride too!



John Deere tractors were everywhere


Life was good this day!



Have a great week and hug someone way too tight!

Carol-the gardener

Shine the Light (Lyrics) - Sugarland



I was sent this song a few hours ago.  My daughter sent it to me via facebook.  She said, Mom this song made me think of you.  You have to listen to  it.  I love you.

That....made my day!  Great song. 

Hope you enjoy it.

Carol-the gardener

Just When

Just when you think you can't love anyone

He comes along.

Just when you think you can't stand any longer

He holds you up.

Just when you think you can't cry anymore

He will dry your eyes.

Just when you feel you can't find joy in anything

He sends laughter.

Just when the sky is dark and grey

He sends the sunshine.

Just when you think you are sinking

He will throw you a line.

Just when you admit you are lost

He will find you.

The trick is...you have to seek Him.



I Am Back Home and Logged In

I prayed for strength

I knew what was coming and how it could turn out

I denied what I was feeling.

The nurse came in and said there was a problem.

Our hearts began to beat harder and faster and breath was shallow and fast.

Then the Doctor followed.

He stood there and told us the bad news.

So cold, so unfeeling.

As if he were a mechanic speaking of a car that could not be repaired.

The room was void of oxygen.

We all had to get out.

I collapsed in my Husbands strong arms, my legs shaking.

The next few days are really a blur.

Plans were made for a lovely service to honor one of the sweetest, most kind women to ever walk the earth.

Flowers and pictures were  placed and beautiful music

filled the chapel.

Rays of sunshine spilling colors of red, blue, green and yellow

sparkled and filled the room.

We had to clear her things and place them in boxes.

The smell of the marker made me sick.

The sound of the tape hurt my ears.

Now, it is all over.

I am back home.

I am logged in to the world of blogging.

I really have nothing to say.

I feel so empty.

I know that life goes on but how?

How do you find the strength?

No one wants to hear or read depressing posts.

I wonder each day how many tears can I cry.

I am so exhausted I can't remember things, conversations.

Sleep would be a comfort if it were not filled with confusing dreams.

Sunshine and cool breezes should comfort.

Blooming fall flowers and pumpkins all around me.

Yet, all I want to do is stay in bed and cry.

I am home and logged in.

I miss her.

I miss her voice.

I miss her laughter.

I miss knowing she is a call away.

Tears flow like rain.

How do I find normal again?

Do it Anyway

People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered.


Love them anyway.



If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.

Do good anyway.



If you are successful, you win false friends and true enemies.

Succeed anyway.



The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.

Do good anyway.



Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.

Be honest and frank anyway.



The biggest men and women with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest men and women with the smallest minds.

Think big anyway.



People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs.

Fight for a few underdogs anyway.



What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.

Build anyway.



People really need help but may attack you if you do help them.

Help people anyway.



Give the world the best you have and you'll get kicked in the teeth.

Give the world the best you have anyway.

Wordless Wednesday 10/13

Wordless Wednesday

It was a grey day at the beach.

Carol-the gardener

Six days

She passed away on October 4, 2010.  The clock started ticking.  Eight days have passed.  Service was held on Saturday.  Sunday was a day for family, to be together and convince each other we would heal soon.  Be able to go on...that's what she would want.  Monday I was home for the first time in a week.  I collapsed.  I was exhausted.  Today we find out we have 6 days to have everything out of her apartment.  Six days people.  How can anyone expect family to be able to handle this. 

My oldest sister took my Mom back to Georgia with her today..we didn't want her to be alone.  My older brother flies home tomorrow to Colorado.  So that leaves three of us to pack up her life in things and move them all in six days.

Pray for us...

Carol-the gardener

A Song, A Prayer and Goodbye

Beautiful flowers and candles lit.
A stunning picture of her on the center table.
A smile stretched from ear to ear on her face.
Kind words spoken of how sweet she was.
How caring of others.
The reading of how life is like a garden.  (See below)
A song sung by her oldest Son.  I Come to the Garden alone. 
A hymn sung at my Memommie's funeral five years ago also sung by him.
Words from her Bible teacher and friend.
A Psalm read by her only Grand daughter.
Her ashes placed beside her husband's ashes.

The service was over.

I woke this morning with tears in my eyes.

Thinking how she was like whipping cream on a dessert to me.  She was life's whipping cream.  She made everyday so much better, special.  She made holiday's delicious.  The holiday started when she arrived.

My niece is here with me, and I wonder if I could ever be as good of an Aunt to her that mine was to me.  It is comforting to have her here.  Now it is my turn.  Time for me to be the glue for my family.


Life’s Garden



To plant a garden for daily living, plant three rows of peas:

Peace of mind, peace of heart and peace of soul.

Add four rows of squash:

Squash gossip, squash indifference, squash grumbling and squash selfishness.

Add four rows of lettuce:

Let us be faithful, let us be kind, let us be patient and let us really love one another.

And, no garden is complete without turnips:

Turn ups for meetings, turn up for service and turn up to help those in need.

Finally, a garden requires thyme:

Time for each other, time for family, time for friends.

Water freely with patience and cultivate with love. You’ll have much fruit in our garden, because you reap what you sow.

We found this in one of her seven bibles she used everyday.  Her Bible teacher told us she shared this writing just weeks ago with her study group. 
 
We all smiled.  Seeing and feeling her presence once again.  It felt good.  It felt really good.  She too was a gardener.

Fresh Clean and Pure Friday

We went to the pumpkin patch and picked a few fresh pumpkins, rode on the hay ride and had a beautiful Fall day.  We've done a little decorating around here too.



Fall Mums




I see you hiding.





Pumpkins on the Porch




This one's going home with me!





Pretty colors, shapes and sizes everywhere




Mr. Pistol Britches

Hope you all enjoy the pictures.

 http://carol-thegardner.blogspot.com/