Thanksgiving Blessings

It was our turn to host Thanksgiving for my side of the family. We were missing a couple of people but we still had a nice dinner and enjoyed time together. In the last several years I have not been all that into decorating like I used to but because my Wonderful Daughter and my Husband were taking care of the food I spent a little time putting the table together. I think it came out nice considering I threw it together with stuff I had around the house in about 15 minutes.

My daughter made the yeast rolls, and a pumpkin pie and helped her dad with the turkey. My sister's family brought the vegitables and stuffing. That is why the table is a bit empty for this shot. After they arrived things got crazy and I forgot to take more photos.

After my family left for home we went to my husbands family to visit and take part in their 2nd round of Thanksgiving dinner. We skyped my daughter in Chicago, played games and checked out the ad's for tomorrows shopping. (I will not be participating in the madness but my young nieces are getting psyched up for the big day.) So all in all a very good day spent with family.

I am Thankful for...

a daughter who loves to cook!

technology that lets us talk to our loved ones far away.

that my daughter in Chicago had a friend invite her to their family dinner so she wouldn't be alone.

for the guy in her apartment building who baked her a pumpkin pie since she didn't get a piece of the one she helped make while here last week.

that I do not have any desire to join the madness at 4 A.M. to get deals that really are not deals anymore.

And on a really serious note, I am thankful that my husband is still with us, that I have a loving close family I am so proud of and that God has truly Bless our home!

Hope you all had a great day and enjoy the weekend.

Heaven on Earth Emporium

A few months ago a new antique store opened in our town and when I went in for the first time I was mesmerized. Donna Blackmon, the owner, has done a wonderful job putting her items in color coordinating displays as well as themes. Some of my friends say there is to much and it is overwhelming but I find myself just standing in front of the different displays enjoying all the items displayed together. It makes me want to buy several pieces instead of just the one. I have so many images that I will post about her shop for several days.

I love white so I am starting with her white collections.

I wish my girls were little again and I could put some of this stuff in their rooms.

I have a linen addiction and I just love looking at work like this. Am I weird? If we didn't have TV and Internet maybe more of us would still be sitting by the fire in the evenings practicing our needle skills... Or maybe not.

How about this collection. Beautiful baby gown, and more linens! I know our economy isn't at it's best but I hope enough people just can't leave her store without purchasing a few items and Donna is able to keep the store she has worked so hard for open!

I will feature different color themes over the next few weeks. If you see something you are interested in that you collect, you can reach Donna at heavenonearthemporium@yahoo.com.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you enjoy my images as much as I have.

Happy Fall

Fall is rapidly coming to an end here in Southwestern Ohio. I just finished a very productive week photographing seniors and children outdoors. I am so grateful we had sun and higher temps. Next week we will see.

Great walk with Cooper on the golf course. Beautiful colors! I love all the seasons but Fall has to be my favorite..

I just wish it lasted longer.

Hope you all have a great week and Halloween!

Are You A Bookaholic?

Bookworm
Hi. My name is Jenaveve, and I'm a bookaholic Books are ace - agreed? Well I found this little bit of fun via fabulous Valerie, a fellow bookworm. And here's my take on literary rituals...
This is what popped up on my blog list and I had to check it out! I'm having a difficult week this week so I'm just going to cheat and pass on this fun questionnaire. If you love books too pass it on with your answers.

Do you snack while you read? If so, favourite reading snack?I like to drink a mug of mocha but I usually do not eat and read.

Do you tend to mark your books as you read them, or does the idea of writing on your books horrify you? I write all over informative and inspiring books. Helps me retain information. I don't mark in fiction books.

How do you keep your place while reading a book? Bookmark? Dog ears? Leaving the book open flat?Bookmarks...I love pretty ones and I make beaded ones but for some reason I seem to use any piece of paper I have close.

Fiction, Non-Fiction or both? Both. Love to read lots of stuff. Just depends on the mood I'm in. Also depends on what my bookclub is reading.

Are you a person who tends to read to the end of chapters, or are you able to put a book down at any point?I like to get to the chapter end, but sometimes I'll stop at one of those little breaks within the chapter. All good books need a few of those. Don't you love books with really short chapters though? You can stop any time. I hate really long chapters.

If you come across an unfamiliar word, do you stop to look it up right away?No not very often.

What are you currently reading?Not really having much time to read right now :( but I'm in a bit of a spiritual mode right now. Reading Tramp for the Lord by Corrie Ten Boom, and Teresa of A'vila-The Book of My Life.

What is the last book you bought? Oh My! Well I have had to stop going to book stores right now because of finances and the fact I have tons of books I own and have yet to read. But I did buy a .25 book at my library "The Gilded Chamber" by Rebecca Kohn. It looked interesting. Haven't read it yet.

Are you the type of person who can only read one book at a time or can you read more than one at a time? I can only read one book for enjoyment at a time but I usually have an inspirational or helpful book going on at all times too.

Do you prefer series or stand alone books?Stand-alone; I like to many books to get tied down. I'm also a slow reader so I'd never get any where. I do read some series books though but not one after the other.

Is there a specific book or author that you find yourself recommending over and over?I do have several books and authors that I love and recommend. They are on my Library Thing here.

How do you organize your books? (By genre, title, author’s last name, etc.?) The only organizing I really do is, 2 bookcases full of (to be read books) and 1 of (already read keepers). I Lie, just looked and I do have some stacked together. Some by genre and some by author. The rest are just lined up waiting...
Let me know if you've played too so I can swing by and check out your reading habits. Have a great week! Read a book or 2!

Woopsie...My Bad!

Nothing like giving nothing away!

I didn't think to check my Etsy shop before I posted the offer to give you a 5x7 of any image in my shop that you like. To my horror, today I went there and found it empty except for my pillows! LOL
So once more. I really want to give some gifts away. So I will keep this offer open until Wed. Oct. 7th.
Pick out your favorite image and I will send you a 5x7 for free. I am doing this to celebrate my 50th birthday and the fact I still have my husband after he had unexpected open heart surgery. Life is about living and giving and that's what I want to do.
Please visit my shop at http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6212569 and pick out your favorite print. Leave me a comment here and email your address to cooper585@earthlink.net and I will mail your your free 5x7.

Please, don't be shy. I will be disappointed if I can't even give my work away!

Happy Birthday to Me!

It's my Birthday today and I want to celebrate!

After this crazy week I just want to do something special for those around me so I am using my birthday as an excuse! I am turning 50 today and I have lost my mind :}.

For my blogging friends I would like to send you a 5x7 of any image you choose from my Etsy shop. Go to http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6212569 and look around then choose which image you would like. Let me know in a comment here and where I can contact you for shipping info and I will get it out to you soon! You have until Sunday evening to leave your comment.

I appreciate all of you who check in and especially those who comment!

Have a great day on me!

I'm off to a relaxing place! In my mind at least :)

Thankful!

So, I'm sitting here knowing I need to update my blog. I'm tired and over whelmed. It has been a very long week and I am so far behind in work and house work and getting with people but as I sit here just trying to relax and read some of my favorite blogs I am reminded that nothing last forever and what I feel I need to do is not an emergency and can wait. I need to stop trying to be perfect. I need to take time for myself or I will not be able to take care of my family.

Let me explain just a bit of what has been happening here.

Monday evening a week ago my husband and I were getting ready for the Monday night new episodes of our favorite TV shows. It is the only night I really watch TV. I was finishing up some work in my office when my husband comes to the doorway with his hand on his chest. I ask him "Do we need to go to the emergency room?" and what you hope not to hear , he says.
Yes.

I want to add a bit of comic relief here coz it really is funny and so typical of me. My husband has had afib or what ever it is called in the past, so I thought it may just be that but a bit worse so I go back to get decent clothes on, pee and brush my teeth. Then I was thinking "I better get a book. You know how emergency rooms are. We may be there forever" when he kinda yells out " Where are you!"
Woopsie! I better just go.

Then I see his face again and know this time it is different. So off we go around the corner to our local hospital. Literally, it is 2 minutes away. He makes me leave him at the ambulance entrance coz he doesn't want to wait for triage and registration. I drop him at the door and go park. This door is locked and he has to bang on it for them to let him in. (He knew this, I did not) But he gets right in, bypassing all the paperwork. He is so sneaky.

Skip to next day

He has a heart cath. It is not good news. He has bad coronary artery disease. They want to do several bypasses the next day. They go back and put him on a balloon pump to keep his artery open until they can operate the next day.

Another funny scene. When I get to the hospital Wednesday morning he is on his blackberry conducting business, in his hospital room! It is 3 hours before open heart surgery and he is working on a bid for a job! We teased him that we were going to give the Doc. the phone to answer any important calls and wake him if it was an emergency. If it wasn't, just tell them "His heart isn't in it right now." We really are bad. Our pastor said that now I can't accuse him of not having a heart and I said yeah but I now know for a fact he has a cold, hard heart!

We have been going through some very trying times for the last couple of years and the last few months have been the worst but God has given us a peace and has provided all we have needed so I had faith in God that He would see us through this also. We had family and friends praying and sitting with us and I just knew he would come through this.
Sometimes we have to go through difficult times in order to grow and trust God. I have always heard this said but until you start to live it you really don't understand. It has been a really rough go for quite some time now and we keep wondering when the tide will turn. But I wouldn't give anything to change any of it because of how close we have grown and our trust in God has changed. It has all been worth it.
I am thankful for what God has brought us through and because of all of this I do not battle fear or anxiety anymore. After almost 50 years of not living for me but doing what I thought everyone else wanted. I am finally free. I have a hard head and it took a lot for God to finally make me see but He is so faithful and He never leaves us!

Today is day 3 at home and my husband gets stronger and better each day. I am learning to take each moment as a gift from God and cherish the time God gives us. I also say in stressful times, It is what it is, and I go on.

God has been showing me how to appreciate all that is around me. This is why I take so many photos and why I share them with you. I want others to see the beauty of everyday that is all around us. I will continue to just put up images that move me hoping that somehow they will speak to you too!