Waterfall Whispers and a Hodgepodge

Waterfall Whispers and a Hodgepodge

Joining Joyce at:

here

 1. What's one piece of advice you would you give a recent or soon-to-be graduate? 

You do not have to have your whole life figured out the minute you walk across that stage.  Many people think graduation means you are suddenly supposed to know exactly who you are, what career you want, where you will live, and what comes next.  Real life rarely works this way..  Give yourself permission to grow into your future.  

2. May 15th marks the birth date of L. Frank Baum, author of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. At this point in time are you more in need of brains, courage, heart, or a trip back home? Explain. 

Oh...the cowardly lion!!  He spent the entire journey believing he lacked courage, when in truth, courage had been inside him all along. I know that I already have the courage to walk the road I am now on....  Courage is choosing to move forward even when fear is sitting beside you. 

3.  "There's no place like home" is an oft repeated line from Baum's book. When was the last time you felt the truth of that statement? 

Honestly, anytime I return home after being gone for several days, I feel it. I may enjoy the trip, the restaurants, the visiting, and all the excitement, but there is something comforting about pulling into my own driveway. Home is where my favorite chair sits, where familiar smells linger, and where I can completely exhale. Nothing quite compares to sleeping in your own bed and waking up surrounded by the little everyday things you love most.

4. May is National BBQ Month...do you own a grill? Who does the grilling at your house? What's your favorite thing to throw on the grill? What's the last thing you grilled? 

Oh yes...we own a grill, a smoker, and a pellet grill.  These are all NEW since last year, and have never been used.  Sam has always done the outdoor cooking but has not felt well enough to do so.  I enjoy burgers as well as ribs and brisket.  HMMM... not sure I can remember the last thing that was cooked on the old grills.  

5. What's a memory you replay in your head when you need a little joy? 

One memory I replay often is the sound of my grandkids laughing and playing outdoors.  These moments still warm my heart.  I have a digital picture frame that rotates photos (all day long)...Goodness...each time I walk past it and I see the old photos of the kids growing up, memories pop up.  I sometimes carry those memories with me for the rest of the day.  

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

My random thought this morning is about a picture that I recently took.  The sound of the water tumbling over the rocks made the world fill a little less loud while I was standing there enjoying the fall and the roses.  Places like this are so peaceful and as I watched the water flowing over the rocks without hurrying, I couldn't help but think how the rocks themselves, have sat there through storms and all kinds of seasons that change over and over again.  They just are!!  Yet...everyday, they bring smiles to faces over and over again.   

This little corner of beauty feels like a reminder to me that life does not always have to be at full-speed.  Just keep a smile on your face and keep moving.  

Happy Hodgepodge Day....

Shug....

A Story from the Porch

 A story from the Porch.....🍑

I love old stories from the past and I have decided that once a week, I am going to be posting a Porch Story!  I want these stories to be in my blog book for my grandkids and great grandkids to read about some day.  

This weeks story is about my paternal Grandmother...."Ma Bertha"

I hope you all enjoy... 

"A Peach Limb and A Whole Lot of Love."

Growing up, we (grandkids, siblings, cousins) didn't need time-outs or long talks about our behavior.

We had my grandmother.....  "Ma Bertha."

If we were cutting up or acting like we didn't have good sense, she didn't go searching for a solution....she would look right at us and say:

 "Go out there and cut me a peach limb."   There were many times I wished the old peach trees would disappear!!

Let me tell you....that walk to the yard would change your whole attitude real quick.  We knew what was coming and because I knew what it was, I would always take baby steps out to the peach tree and back.  

The funny thing is, you didn't dare come back with a tiny limb.  If you did, she would send you right back out there to get a limb that "meant business."   You know what I mean?

Usually it wasn't just one of us, but  the whole crew that would end up getting a couple of licks with that peach limb. 

Not out of anger...Not out of meanness...But out of a kind of love that believed you needed to be set straight before the world tried to do it for you.  

Looking back, I know that it wasn't about the switch itself.  It was about respect and about learning right from wrong. It was about knowing somebody loved you enough not to let you be undisciplined. 

These lessons have stayed with me a whole lot longer than any kind of "gentle reminder" ever would have.  

 If any of us got caught laughing because someone got an extra lick, then this was not a happy moment for any of us.  We would all end up getting another lick and it was not comfortable.  

Do I have any scars from those old peach limbs?  No...not a single one.

What I do have is a bundle of memories tied up with deep East Texas roots, front porch lessons, and a grandmother named Ma Bertha who believed children ought to know how to behave.  I say front porch lessons, because this is the very place where all the action would take place.  I'll never, ever forget that Front Porch...

Those peach limbs didn't leave marks on my skin (well...maybe for about 15 min.)....but they sure left lessons in my heart.  I now remember how Grandparents helped shape who we became.  

Funny how life works!!!

The things that felt so big back then becomes stories that we laugh about now.  And the people we once feared disappointing becomes the very people we miss the most..  

My grandmother...Ma Bertha...was definitely the kind of grandmother that you rarely see these days.  She was old-fashioned to the core and strong-minded.  She was raised in a generation that believed in hard work, respect and telling things exactly like they were.  She didn't feel like we (grandkids) deserved to be entertained every minute of the day and she sure did not tolerate backtalk.  She loved us and she loved her peach trees!!  lol.

Believe me...I never see a peach tree that I don't think of her.  

Shug...💛

* I should add that my grandfather and his first wife had 11 kids and when his first wife passed, he married my grandmother (Ma Bertha) and they had 4 kids.  I feel that Ma Bertha had plenty of experience in discipling kids.  She knew how to discipline, but she also had the sweetest heart.  

A Mother's Day to Remember

 I am hoping that everyone enjoyed a lovely Mother's Day this past weekend.  It was Sam's full intent to make sure that my Mother's Day was the BEST, and he succeeded  with all of his heart....With the help of the girls...everything was great.  

He gave me a beautiful card with a very sweet message, and he also purchased me a new Chair.  It will be here (hopefully) tomorrow.  He also arranged for our family to enjoy a Sunday morning Brunch at a very nice place near by...

Lago Del Pino....our table overlooked the gorgeous lake tucked behind the restaurant.  One thing that made the morning special was watching the sunlight as it danced across the water.   It's shimmering sparkles  made the whole scene feel so peaceful and so very pleasant.  Definitely a view that excited us all...

Two of our granddaughter's (Tori and Mylee) were able to be there and joining them was Trista, Shanda and our son-in-law, Tom.  And of course....Sam and I.  

They gifted me with flowers and a sweet card that  held a gift certificate to one of my favorite shops.  Blessed?  I am very Blessed with a family who loves me dearly.

Flowers and more flowers.....

After our wonderful meal, the girls and I went into town to enjoy Pedicures and manicures....

So relaxing!!  I selected pink polish for both my toes and my nails..

And then.....it was off to the Mall.

We shopped for Wedding Shower dresses, Graduation dresses and SHOES!!

Now for the food......↓↓

Raspberry French Toast....

Jalapeno meat loaf with cream potatoes and veggies...

and I failed to get a picture of the Fried Cheesecake....

Sam and His girls...

"This is us"....minus Tom who was taking the picture...

We missed the other 13 family members who could not be there...

We will see them all in July..

I'll leave y'all today with this:

Shug....💛

Happy Mother's Day and a Tribute

Mother’s Day always stirs a thousand memories in my heart. Today, more than ever, I find myself thinking about my mother… a woman who was as beautiful on the inside as she was on the outside. She had the kindest heart, one that overflowed with love for her family, her friends, and truly anyone who crossed her path. She loved flowers, gardening, sunshine, and simple things that made a house feel like home. If there was dirt beneath her fingernails from working in her flower beds, you could bet there was also joy in her heart.

It has now been twenty years since she passed away at the age of 72… the very age I am now. (It has been 8 years since my dads passing) That realization feels tender and bittersweet. I often wonder how quickly life moves and how precious every season truly is. My mother lived a life filled with giving, sacrifice, and unconditional love.

Her own mother, my grandmother, passed away at the young age of 44. Because of that loss, my mother helped raise her two younger brothers while she was still raising her own family. She stepped into responsibilities that many would have found overwhelming, but she carried them with grace and determination. Family was everything to her.

And then came another heartbreaking chapter in our family story. After the tragic accident that took the lives of my sister and her husband, my mother and daddy opened their hearts and home once again to raise my two nieces and nephew. They never hesitated. They simply loved harder. That is who my mother was.

She was not only a mother to four children… she became a mother figure to so many others along the way. Her life was built on service, compassion, and devotion. She gave without keeping score. She loved without limits.

When I think of her today, I picture flowers blooming in the sunshine, a garden lovingly tended, and a woman whose hands were rarely still because she was always doing something for someone else. Her legacy is not found in riches or fame, but in the lives she nurtured and the love she poured into all of us.

I miss her deeply. I always will.

This Mother’s Day, I celebrate her beautiful life and thank God for allowing me to call her “Mother.” What a blessing she was to our family… and what a legacy of love she left behind.

🌺🌺🌺

Wishing you all a very Happy Mother's Day...

shug...💛