Taking It Easy

It was a beautiful day to spend working with the horses.

This is Rascal, Kali's horse.

Actually, Mark worked and I watched.

I spent the morning at the podiatrist having my achilles tendon issue re-evaluated. 

Walking is a major pain right now, so I'm spending a lot of time sitting. 

(This is Gus. Our primadonna, or prima-don as the case may be.)

So I rode out and sat and took some cell phone pictures of the boys. 

Ha! Sawyer is sticking his tongue out at me! 

Actually he was hoping to get some more treats. 

They all were.

Gus always hope for more treats. And he thinks licking the camera will help his cause. Silly Gus!

Then the girls wanted treats. 

No idea why Luna is hiding behind that post!

I swear I think they were plotting against me.

"Let's frolic and be all cute and stuff.

Maybe the lady will give us more treats!"

Sawyer was all like, 

"Grow up, girls!

You have to act all nonchalant, 

like you don't care.

Then she'll give you all the treats you want."

Keep dreaming, Sawyer!

And, back to my ice pack I go.

Prayers For Colorado

Many of our speech/debate/communications families live in Colorado Springs - in the area of the fires. They are pictured in this photo. We are concerned that one of the families may have already lost their home, others have been evacuated and are awaiting news. Please lift a prayer for these people we love so much! For their safety, for their homes, for their jobs, for calm and peace. Please pray for the firefighters, for wisdom and equipment and abundant supplies of water. Pray for rain, no wind, stamina, strength, and success. Thank you - we are drying out here in Florida from our floods. Our focus is now on our friends and family in Colorado.


(I made this collage to be my cover photo on Facebook. That would explain the open space towards the left bottom - room for my profile pic.)

Tropical Storm Debby

This is a test. I am trying to figure out how to post photos from my iphone onto my blog. I think it's going to work - yay!


So. We had a little storm blow through. Actually, Tropical Storm Debby came through and it sat on Florida for hour after hour after hour. It's been raining for so long now. We headed out to check on our horses this morning. This is the main gate leading into the pasture. Mark is standing in water about 9-10 inches deep.

(Instagram picture - hence the frame. Sorry.) Then you move into the fields. What a mess!

Back by the barn is a section of ground that is dry. That's where we moved the horses to. They are now in the back pasture with my donkeys. 

Sadly, this is the road we had to drive down to get to our property. Not even kidding.

That's Scott and a buddy riding a 4-wheeler through the water. There's one place where they lost the 4-wheeler underwater.

Climbing out of the hole in the road. Seriously, it was waist deep there in the middle. What a mess! I've never seen this much water up around the houses and fields. And it's still raining. It's supposed to rain every day this week. I can't even imagine what it's going to be like come Saturday.


All these pix were taken with my phone. Hopefully the quality is acceptable. I didn't want to risk my nice camera out around all the water. Now, back to the art process!

Guess Where?

Looks like a tropical paradise. I can tell you this is not far from home.

I actually have pictures of this same spot - taken on our
honeymoon! Yes, I should find some of those and post them :).

Something you really can not tell from this picture is this . . .

. . . this beautiful tropical locale is found indoors! And we were visiting there to attend this . . .

. . . one of the best breakfasts you will ever eat! 'Ohana! Located at the Polynesian Village, Walt Disney World, Orlando, Florida!

It's all you can eat fare. Hawaiian pineapple bread, fresh fruit, bacon, sausage, scrambled eggs, fried potatoes, Mickey waffles, and some awesome guava/papaya/something to drink. (And I'm probably totally wrong on what is in the drink - but it's amazing!)

While you eat, four of the Disney characters come to your table and hang out for a little while. 
Photo op time, autograph time. Fun time!

This particular morning we were joined by Stitch and Lilo, Pluto and Mickey!

We had a wonderful time!

Lilo and Stitch are always favorites!

What a beautiful hotel, with some wonderful scenery! We had a great breakfast, took a couple photos, 
then moved on to Downtown Disney for the rest of the day!

Cedar Key, 2012

Just spent a few days in Cedar Key. Lots of sun, heat, water, and fun.  Hope to post more pictures soon. 
Right now my editing is being hampered by Tropical Storm Beryl. Not good!

We certainly had a good time, although we would have liked to stay another week or so - hahaha! 
Didn't know this storm was coming through, it's probably a good thing we aren't still there. 
Cedar Key hasn't historically done well with storms!

Easy-to-Make Desktop Collage

Want to make a desktop collage to run as your computer wallpaper, but don't know how?
Recently, I received a newsletter from Scrap Girls which gave simple step-by-step instructions to making a desktop collage.
I used photos from a family photo shoot and compiled this collage. Nothing fancy, nothing hard to do.
Just an opportunity to give this family something beautiful to look at every time they sit down at their computer.

For myself, I used photos I had taken at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Orlando.
To make your own desktop collage, check out Scrap Girls here: http://www.scrapgirls.com/NL/SG_News_120202_Thu_Collage.html
You need to scroll about halfway down into the article. Scrap Girls sends out a daily email, if you are interested,
with digital scrapbooking tips, examples, instructions, and they even have a store.
Have fun making your desktop collage!

Mobile Shots at the Ranch

We were at the ranch just before sunset tonight. I wish I had my camera there because the light shining through the trees was wonderful. Oh well. Cell phone photography, here we go! The above picture is of Sawyer - with his face in a feed bucket, as usual.

This is Gus, Mark's bad boy. He's actually behaving better lately, so I can't complain.


Rascal. Kali's horse. Kali is coming home in a couple days. I imagine seeing Rascal is going to be one of our first stops!

Tribute and Thanks

I've been working on pictures from Alma, Georgia, lately. I received an email from a cousin telling me about a monument
I missed when I was in Georgia. Mark went back up to the hunting camp yesterday and took these pictures for me.

The people of Alma, and Bacon County, established this monument to honor the soldiers who fought in World War I, World War II,
the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Persian Gulf War, and those who were prisoners of war - from the Bacon County area.

Honor and thanks to each person listed: those killed in action, those taken prisoner of war, and one medal of honor recipient.
The reverse side shows those who fought and returned home.

Those serving in the Vietnam War and the Persian Gulf War, including my cousin, Danny Conrad, who was in Vietnam.
Thanks for your service, Danny. I didn't know you fought in Vietnam, I guess I was too young at the time.
I'm proud of you and thank you for your sacrifice.

The back side of the monument - where many of the names are listed. All from this one county.

With our busy lifestyles, we forget to stop and remember those who fought to allow us to maintain the freedoms we have here in the United States. Thanks, Danny, for telling me about this monument. It's proper that we remember and say thanks. And it's proper for us to pray for our soldiers out there fighting right now, and for their families, and for their safety. We should say "thank you" every chance we get - so, thanks, Danny! You made a difference!

I Had a Birthday This Week

My birthday was this week. Another year older. Seems like just yesterday I had a birthday, too. Strange how they seem to be coming faster.

As you already know, Garfield is my favorite comic strip. It has been since June, 1978, when Jim Davis started publishing the strip. I moved away from my parents' hometown in October,1982. Every day from then until my dad died in December, 2005, Dad would cut the Garfield comic out of the newspaper and either save them for me, or occasionally I would receive a card in the mail filled with Garfield strips cut from mom and dad's newspaper. For years I kept them stashed in a huge box.

Well, that was more than I planned to tell you when I started this - haha!. I guess that kind of proves the point of this strip :). Wait. Was there a point? Oh yeah, I had a birthday and can totally relate to this comic today, having grown old with Garfield, I thought it was fitting.

Meet Jordan - Our New Granddaughter

Meet Jordan Nicole. She's our new granddaughter. Jordan was curious about what we were doing.

Isn't she beautiful!

This is her mama, Nicole . . .

. . . her daddy, Dale, and . . .

her big brother, Wyatt.

Jordan is well loved!



Tiny little hands.

Tiny little feet, kept safe in daddy's hands.

All this modeling is tiring work!


This lovely christening gown was handmade by great-grandmother Bea.
Beautiful detail, lovingly made for a special day for this special little girl.

You can never kiss them enough. Babies are a gift straight from God. Lovingly placed into the hands of the parents.
To love, to cherish, to nurture, to safeguard, to point to God. Be thankful every day that God has entrusted
His children into our care. We love you, Jordan!