Madison

David and I are at Pattie and Norman's house in Madison.  Lily is resting at Dr. Boswell's because she had trouble walking yesterday morning.  Phin is with us.

This is the beginning of summer of 2017...just went to an Alumni Wine and Cheese Party at MUW and we are hosting Dixie...Celeste Schular's puppy.

Picture of the family at Anna Wesley's first ballet recital!  We will be going to Hattie for Abby's birthday, her second, this weekend.

Mississippi

My mother always said that Mississippi was the best kept secret in the entire country; she referred to our state as God's country.

There are so many good things about the people and the place.  WHY do our legislators do the things they do?

I do not know.  But, I do know that the outcry will not settle down.  We the people of the state of Mississippi do not believe that HB1523 protects anybody's freedom.  It should be struck down BEFORE it has to go to court and be invalidated.

Saturday in Hattiesburg

I am doing this post from Lydia's new iPad. It is so cool. We had a ball at the zoo yesterday. Lydia is a courageous mom, going through the tunnel. This peacock brought back memories from my daddy's raising them. Lydia and Anna Wesley had a ball on the bug hill.  And the spider web was awesome. 

Tuesday before Easter

Well, so much for writing and posting a picture every day.  I guess each day is a new day and I could try harder to do this.

Much has happened.  Kaite is now in Newport News, Virginia, working for Busch Gardens.  Lydia is three days away from being a full time Mom and Mary Kay consultant.  Marianna is designing and building sets in Iowa.

I am tutoring and crocheting and trying to learn to quilt.  David is enjoying life without school, although he is having nightmares about lesson planning....

Hanque Hurley, my colorist, is meticulous in the way he approaches coloring my hair; we have fun and the best thing is that he works for bacon and coffee!

David and I worked hard on the play The Left Hand Singing.  This shot of the set is really preset; it didn't look like this in the end.  No white screen; rocking chairs where the other chairs are; a plant in the old wagon.

Abby  Abby  Abby

Lydia made a quick trip home to see Kaite and to celebrate their birthdays together.

We had a birthday lunch at a Thai restaurant during a monsoon.  We had the whole restaurant to ourselves for most of the time!  Abs loves that spoon!

Ash Wednesday-2016

Today is the first day of the Lenten season, a time to reflect, repent, be intentional in seeking a deeper relationship with the Lord.  Instead of "giving up" or fasting, I want to give forward and each day do something intentional.....be kind, thoughtful, giving....

I remember an Ash Wednesday service in Lawton, OK, at a Catholic church there; the priest said he was going to write a letter or a card during each day of Lent.  That resolution has stayed with me.  I remember as a child wondering what good it was doing for someone to give up cokes or chocolate for Lent.  How was that helping them, or anybody else?

Of course, as a child I was being raised in the Southern Baptist traditions, and we did not celebrate Lent.  I'd only heard of Lent from my elementary peers at school who were of the Catholic, Episcopalian or possibly Methodist persuasion.

It is also a time for thankfulness as the dishwasher repairman is on his way to our home to install the electronic part needed to get our machine up and running again.  WOO HOO!

Marvelous Monday

Evan thought it was 24 degrees, I got up and out and went to Water Aerobics this morning.  Feel so much better after stretching and exercising in the water.

Making My Dash Count

Hope to make my dash count this year.  Got home from Hattiesburg and was chilly for quite a while before Dad got the heat running.  Working on caps for Lee County babies.

I am really missing Anna Wesley and Abigail B. today; some days are harder than others.  We were a a daily part of their lives from August 17 to November 25 of this year.  It is so hard not to be able to see them every day.

David and I are enjoying having Marianna around for a short time.  It just feels so good to hang out with her.

So Thankful To Be Here

I am so thankful to be with Lydia and Jared and Marianna and Anna Wesley and Abby and David.  It is Sunday, January 3, 2016.  I am in Hattiesburg enjoying the last of the Christmas Break.  Want to post daily....#photo a day.....and be more reflective in the new year.   

If I can post a picture a day, and say a few words it will help me to see where my time and talents are going.  Am working on a visioning board on Pinterest and think I may try to do a physical one as well.  I am having to learn the blogging software all over again, as I haven't done this in such a long time. 

Making Christmas Cookies

                                                                                                 Bapa and Abby

Lydia and Anna Wesley

                                                                                              Bekah

The Yellow Mailbox

Retirement Year

Well, obviously I haven't posted in awhile.  David and I retired as of May 27, 2015.  Lydia and Jared had Abigail Bland on May 29, and life is just beginning. Anna Wesley is  two and a half and Abby is now two months old.  Marianna is now a Technical Director at The Old Creamery Theatre in Amana, Iowa, and Kaite is working as a Wig Mistress for the Scioto Society doing outdoor theatre, Tecumseh, in Chillicothe, Ohio.

Anna Wesley Outside  

Anna Wesley having a "Big Girl" glass of milk.

Meet Abigail Bland Pierce

Abby and Bapa

Kaite's Senior Art Show; Reflecting on 12 Still

 Last spring Kaite had her senior art show; I am looking for the pictures I took; they were not on my phone since my motherboard died on Mother's day, and the show was before Mother's Day.  Preparation for the show was something else....many hurdles to overcome.....but she did a fantastic job presenting her work and speaking to the crowd about evolving as an artist.

Elvis Festival

Tribute Artist Competition

    

     The next adventure was being a part of the Blue Team for the Elvis Festival in Tupelo.  Kaite and I volunteered at Marianna's request, and Kaite did photography and I ran lights; Marianna wrangled Elvi.

     We worked the Tribute Artist Competition and we stayed at the Townhouse Motel, at which I KNOW I stayed as a child when the State Swim Meet was in Tupelo.  Really....really weird.  It has been about 50 years since I was competing on the Maywood Swim Team!

January 3, 2012

Well here it is the 3rd, and I have already skipped a day....started back to school yesterday....enough said.  On the reflection, the next event chronicled on my phone was Mother's Day.  My daughters had some beautiful flowers delivered to me at school!  What a surprise it was.

Next was the MOVE from Marianna's old house  to the new abode!  End of May, first of June was very, very hot.  Jared and Lydia surprised us by showing up unannounced ready to help.  They were lifesavers.

Jared, Lydia, Marianna, and Samantha and child.......what a few days that was!

January 1, 2013

Lydia and I started this blog in 2010; inspired by the Cavanaugh's, we wanted to record the year in a photographic journal.  We petered out along the way. 

One thing my sister said to me was that we so often take photographs of people and events, but we don't record what we look at every day.  Why don't we do that?  I would love to be able to see and know more about the lives of people who lived before me; and what better way than a daily diary of photos?

 I am so thankful for a brand new year and a fresh start, so I am going to try again to record this year one day at a time, hopefully with more consistency and perseverance.

As I was trying to delete photos from my phone, I realized that I had chronicled 2012.  So I am going to start this new beginning by reflecting on the past, desiring to live more fully in the present, and setting goals for the future.

These are some of the first photos on my phone for 2012; Lydia and I chaperoned a trip to Washington, DC.  We had 96 6th and 7th graders and their family members traveling by train to and from DC and traveling by Metro while in the city.  It was an adventure, to say the least!  Lydia and Jared had just informed us the weekend before that they were expecting our first grandchild!

The Palm Sunday morning service at the National Cathedral......awe inspiring!

Day 24

So thankful for time with the family.

Thankful Day 20

I am thankful for friends in our life like Joe and Jamie.