Coffee, Weather, V-Neck

 

Sunday Morning ☕🍂

Well, y’all… this is coffee-sipping weather.

The temperature is hanging out in the low 70s, the sky is cloudy, and for once I can step outside without immediately wondering why I chose to live somewhere that tries to bake me alive half the year. 😂  It truly feels great out on the back porch.  

I love a cloudy Sunday morning.  It makes that first cup of coffee taste a little better....  Just a favorite cup, a comfortable chair, and a few quiet minutes to watch the morning unfold.

..........The cloudy skies, the cooler air, a warm cup between my hands, a warm blanket in my lap, and a grateful heart.  These are the good things of life. 

God gives us these little pauses. Moments to slow down, look around, and realize just how many blessings are tucked into an ordinary morning.

Today I’m sipping my coffee a little slower, enjoying this beautiful change in the weather, and thanking God for another Sunday. 

I'm pretty sure that this one cup of coffee will soon turn into two…. 😂☕🍂

🍁🍂🍁🍂🍁🍂🍁

Our kids have all be gone this weekend....they traveled out to West Texas to visit their kids...(my grandkids)

AND......

Sam and I have probably spent too much time in our recliners....watching TV. this weekend.   We did venture out to the mall yesterday afternoon to shop for a new suit for Sam.  

Wedding is coming up in about 4 weeks, so we needed to get this taken care of.  

We found him a very nice Navy Blue suit and he looks so handsome in it!!  Well, he's handsome anyways, but the suit really does look great on him.  

After we finished shopping, we decided to grab a late lunch at "Longhorn Steak House."  We split the hamburger steak with mushrooms....(I love their mushrooms) and Sam got a salad with no lettuce!!!

Yes, there is such a thing.  His bowl was filled with cucumbers, tomatoes, croutons and cheese...

I ordered their strawberry salad as my side.. It was so GOOD.

We came home and he slept the rest of the afternoon...

I made a pot of homemade Chili..  

💛💛💛💛💛💛

For all you sweet ladies out there....I need help deciding on a necklace to go with my dress for the wedding.  

This dress has a beautiful V-neck that is lined with stones.  

I need something that is heavier than a single stone, and something that will give me some coverage as well...

Sorry...me with no make-up!!

Any Suggestions???

Wishing you all a Blessed Day....

It's a beautiful Sunday, a wonderful day to Praise the Lord, and a sweet day for some rest...

Shug....

                              

Rain and A Secret...

 Happy Friday morning !! ☔️

East Texas finally go some much needed rain, and y'all, what a welcome sight it was.  We have had so many dry days and have been under a burn ban for a couple of months now.  

It was wonderful, hearing the raindrops on the roof and watching the ground soak up every drop. 

BTW...also pictured in this photo are the straps that secure the pool cover!  lol 😂

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I've been keeping a secret for about a year now and I am happy to say that I can now share it with you all.  

Yesterday was a really big day.....

Texas Parks and Wildlife purchased a huge portion of the Nursery Land!!!!  Papers were signed yesterday.  On what has been family land for over 80 plus years, will now be a soon coming ......Texas State Park and Wildlife (PARK)

The family kept a completely separate farm that is nearby where we can continue to fish, hunt and enjoy the outdoors.  

Come Spring....(April) the Pecan Nursery will actually close it's doors.  Sam will be retiring!!

This is all a little bittersweet, but yet it is a huge blessing for all.  

We are all so very excited!!!

Hopefully, in a few years when the park is completed, some of you can come and visit this beautiful part of the country...

Wishing you all a wonderful day...

Shug... 

 

Pumpkins have arrived..

The Pumpkins Have Arrived! 🎃

Well, y’all, the pumpkins have officially arrived at our local grocery store!

I walked through the doors.... they immediately caught my eye.... A huge stack of pumpkins—orange, white, green, striped, smooth, bumpy, big and little. I forgot for a minute what I had even gone to the store for. Of course, out came my phone. You know me…if it catches my eye, there’s probably going to be a picture. Or maybe 5-6.... 😂

Seeing all those pumpkins made me smile because it means fall is finally trying to make its way to us. I'm thinking that Texas has finally gotten the message that it's pumpkin season.

I especially love the unusual pumpkins. Give me the funny-shaped one with the crooked stem or the one covered in bumps. They aren’t perfect, but they sure stand out in the crowd.  The orange pumpkins really speak Fall, but the unusual ones bring a lot of character to the season. 

Maybe we could learn a little from those pumpkins. We spend way too much time worrying about our imperfections when those very things are often what make us interesting, memorable, and uniquely us. God never intended for us all to be exactly alike.

Life gives us a few bumps, too. A few crooked places. Seasons we wouldn’t have chosen. But then a new season comes along and reminds us that change isn’t always something to dread. Sometimes it brings exactly what our heart needed.

So yes, I went to the grocery store and came home thinking about pumpkins and life.  Can you believe that I didn't purchase one?  

Only me, y’all. 😂🎃

…I’m ready for fall. 

This recipe sounds pretty good.  These are next on my list to make!!  

Shug......    make it a great day y'all...

The Kitchen.. the heart of the Home

 The Kitchen Really Is the Heart of the Home ❤️

I’ve always loved the saying “The kitchen is the heart of the home.” And I think there’s a lot of truth in those few words.  

I even have a sign in my kitchen that says: "This kitchen is for dancing."  Over the years, there has been a lot of dancing...mostly my grandkids.

Trista and Tyler doing a little dance way back in the day!!

I honestly think there is something about having a space you love that makes cooking enjoyable. Where you bake fresh breads, cookies and cakes.....or where you enjoy building flavors into meals that your family loves.   

My idea of a dream kitchen isn’t necessarily the biggest or fanciest one.  Just plenty of counter space, good lighting, things within easy reach, and a big island where people can gather.  A kitchen where family and friends can pull up a stool and visit while I cook—or better yet, help!

Some of the best conversations happen standing around a kitchen island. Family gathers there. Friends wander in there. Grandchildren come looking for snacks there. Lots of memories are made in one simple space.   Old pans, dishes, even a tea picture... These are things that our kids and grandkids take with them throughout the years...  "Do you remember that old wooden spoon that Shug used to use?"  These are the memories I hope my grands take with them.

And maybe that’s exactly why the kitchen really is the heart of the home.

It isn’t because of the cabinets, the appliances, the countertops, or even the food.

It’s because it’s a place where we create, gather, feed, talk, laugh, and love.  I remember my grandmother's kitchen... Old? Yes! It was a huge open room with a table in the middle with plenty of chairs, cabinets all around the walls, and always, the smell of something cooking on the stove.

So now I want to know…

What is your favorite part of your kitchen...??

The design, the organization, or the love that pours in each time your family gathers?

Today....I'll be making a "German Chocolate Cake"

in my kitchen...  One of Sam's absolute favorite cakes!!  

Just for fun, I had AI design an open kitchen that would connect our living area to the kitchen....I enjoy watching the HGTV programs on remodeling homes and I saw a complete kitchen redo on a home yesterday....  Thought it would be fun to see what AI would come up with in our home.  

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I want to leave y'all this morning with this gorgeous photo that my Colorado kids just sent...

Pike's Peak has snow!!

Shug....