The old year is coming to an end and I am beginning to wish more all the time that winter was as well. Today was the sort of day where the wind chill made me shiver all the way to the insides of my bones! Brr! My husband was off so we took a drive up to West Baden here in southern Indiana. It is a huge hotel with an impressive atrium with elegant furniture and an awesome view. Visitors are welcomed . You do not have to spend the night to enjoy the view and there are tours offered. in the Spring and summer the flower gardens are beautiful as well. There are little shops , a Star Bucks, places to eat and more especially if you do spend the night. My husband and I were talking about doing that sometime. It's pricy but there is a lot of upkeep involved I am sure ad salaries to pay. The thing is with the money we save on gas taking a long trip it would help pay since we only live a half hour away.

Aw good old winter, what a way to begin a New Year!. The picture above is Patoka Lake which looks do much different any other season of the year. Today was gray and with the trees bare of leafs it looked desolate. The weather is a big part of why we chose to spend some time at the Hotel in West Baden. There's this huge room and everything is so beautiful. It is climate controlled !

Today was really nice. Things have been so busy with the Holidays.

December had it's joys and it's sorrows. I lost 2 of my Aunts within the same week before Christmas. It seemed ironic December 6 the year before it was my grandma now her daughter (my Mom's younger sister who was 67 and also aunt Carol on my Dad's side. There's just no way of knowing in life what a day holds. Best thing is to embrace those we love with love and kindness and not to fret over the stupid things that sometimes tear people apart which have no eternal value. Only love remains and the greatest treasures are the simplest things.

In December my daughter Michelle got formally engaged to her boyfriend Jason who she met at college and started dating in her senior year 4 years ago already! We welcome him into the family after getting to know him well and his faith in God and love and gentleness with Michelle . We are all so excited! Her ring is beautiful. It's been a long time coming but he did it well taking time to save and pay for it!

There are some photos from Christmas time and also my recent birthday with all 4 of my grown children.

I know I have so very much catching up to do here. I took the longest time to remember my password to Google Blogger! Maybe this next year!

We saw this on our way home tonight. Here's to hoping you all have a Happy New Year 2014

Autumn

Autumn has arrived again and the leafs are starting to change color more with each day.
I love the crisp cool air and the scents of the woods and crunchy leafs and how they feel and sound under my feet.




I know I have been out of commission lately as far as blogging this is just a tiny start back and we'll see where it goes from here.

Enjoy your weekend everyone!

Going North

I know I haven't posted a lot but I just haven't been able to get into it sorry! Going away for awhile to my home state & to see family and attend my niece's wedding/ Perhaps that will bring some needed refreshment. Happy 4th everyone see you when I get back.

Father's Day

This is my husband and I's lovely daughter Michelle with him on Father's Day. We also had our oldest son and his family over. My husband worked on a playset all day Saturday and the kids had fun on it Sunday. We got it from our neighbors who got a new one for their children , They thought we would like it for our grandchildren since we have lots of them. They were right and so generous.

I'm sorry I haven't been on Blogger much.

Our oldest son varnished and personalized some ores for my husbands fishing boat.

Miss You Daddy

I miss you Daddy and love you with all my heart, always and although it's been a year since you left us in the physical sense you are always with me and the love lives on.
Thank you for being such a hard working dedicated man of God . for loving me and all our family . I have been blessed by the best.

Happy Mother's Day

Just stopping by to wish you all a Happy Mother's Day!

A Place Of Light

Let the pain and the sorrow be washed away.....

Sometimes I just need to close my eyes maybe not so much in a literal sense but in a way that I am not focusing on those things that bother me. Pet peeves, what a funny name to describe "things" It almost seems to imply that it's something that we take care of, feed, shelter , play with or let play over and over in our minds. Do we? Do I?

That is one reason I love this song. There is a choice to be made. "There is a river whose streams make glad," Psalms 46:4

There is a place of rest, joy and healing but we must make those steps forward focusing on the beauty and the grace of God's love and not dwelling on the negatives. God dwells, lives in a positive place, a place of light.

Job 33:28 ‘He has redeemed my soul from going to the pit,
And my life shall see the light.’

Psalm 4:6 Many are asking, "Who can show us any good?" Let the light of your face shine upon us, O LORD.

Psalm 18:28 " You, O LORD, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light."
Psalm 36:9 For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light.
Psalm 43:3 Send forth your light and your truth, let them guide me; let them bring me to your holy mountain, to the place where you dwell.
Psalm 89:15 Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you, who walk in the light of your presence, O LORD.
"There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
Psalm 97:11 Light is shed upon the righteous and joy on the upright in heart.
Psalm 104:1 Praise the LORD, O my soul. O LORD my God, you are very great; you are clothed with splendor and majesty. 2 He wraps himself in light as with a garment; he stretches out the heavens like a tent 3 and lays the beams of his upper chambers on their waters. He makes the clouds his chariot and rides on the wings of the wind.

The holy dwelling places of the Most High. God is in the midst of her, she will not be moved;
God will help her when morning dawns."
Psalm 46:4,5
Isaiah 42:16 I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them.
Isaiah 60:19 The sun will no more be your light by day, nor will the brightness of the moon shine on you, for the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory.

My prayer is to walk and to live in this light and to allow the positives of God's living Word to speak life and hope to the places in my emotions and mind that need healing.

Bright and beautiful thoughts on a gray day

The pictures are at at Lincoln Living Farm. My grandchildren were really enjoying the animals. I just love this place and I can't wait to visit it again. I'm ready for a nice get together at Lincoln. Spring and summer time fun and picnics. Yeah!





Have a bright and beautiful day!

This one and that one

I meant to post my last blog in this location (sunlit pathway) but it's over in Sunlit Trail with a Dog which I have just recently started writing in so if you have time you can check it out at I'm not sure how it's going to work having the 2 places but it's something I am trying out just because I seem to post so much dog stuff. Have a great week everyone!


Hope you can find the way :)

http://walksinthesunshine.blogspot.com/2013/05/the-process-to-prize.html

Droopy, Drowsy but Determined

I know it makes no sense , the three D's in my title but I am determined I will get passed this, just not determined enough YET to not somewhat enjoy the lazy feeling.
Part of me says , "Get up and get going, just do it," and part of me just doesn't care.

May be part of it all is a lingering cold, bronchitis or I don't know what. I guess I should call the doctor but I keep thinking, a few more days. It will work out in time.

I joked with my husband that maybe I have developed an allergy to people outside of my own little home. Perhaps the Spring pollens are not helping. Southern Indiana is a bad place for allergies! I think I'm over this crazy cough until I get out and start coughing at the most embarrassing times or places. I cancelled out on a couple ladies outings, Bible Study & Prayer Connection. I've tried 2 weeks. I had to get up and take a walk to the water cooler both weeks and have a good cough. I tried to hold it back until my eyes started watering and my face grew red for lack of breathing . I wish for no one else to come down with this thing. I'm still getting outside walking my dog . We've been taking our time this week and not going so far, I often walk to the neighborhood park. She likes it there and we can cross over to the field and I take her leash off her and just let her wander awhile. She has been a good girl. It's OK to cough when no one is around to cough on. I cannot seem to get into housework as much as I need to. I can't get to the gym because I don't want to cough there. Two weeks of this is wearing me out but it is getting better than it was. Would a 5 hour energy drink help? Just kidding really or maybe not!



I'm still missing my Dad a lot. It comes in waves. I think just not feeling good isn't helping but May 16 is when I lost him last year. This is the month.