Quote of the Week

Be slow to fall into friendship; but when thou art in, continue firm and constant. - Socrates

Our animal friends represent one of the truest forms of friendship not only with us, but with each other as well.  We can learn a lot from them.

It took some time for their friendship to reach this level, but they are the greatest of buds, and Dood totally idolizes Rosie.

 

The Rose Garden: The Wedding

Six months earlier.  "She said yes, Mother!" Gerald shouted, ecstatically.  "Can you believe it?  She actually said yes."  Gerald knew his mother was lurking somewhere nearby.  She usually did when he was alone in the garden. 

Allison sat cross-legged on the floor in the living room amidst a mountain of catalogs and brochures.  Her blond hair hung in ringlets around her face as she bent over a cake catalog, murmuring "chocolate with vanilla icing, or butter cream with chocolate icing?  No, I'd rather have carrot cake."

Gerald had been watching from the next room, thinking she had never looked lovelier than she did now in her faded jeans and Bon Jovi T-shirt, representing Allison's favorite band.  They went to see them the month before in Atlanta when they had picked up her wedding dress.  She deemed "Thank You For Loving Me" as 'our song' and they danced in the aisle as the band played.

Spotting him she smiled.  "Gerry, have you talked to the photographer and videographer?"  "I want to make sure they can be here for the rehearsal dinner, too.  Did you mention that?"

"Yes, dear, we are on their schedule for Friday night, and they will be at the church at noon on Saturday," replied her future husband patiently.  "Everything is under control.  You have gone over every detail to the utmost and then some."

"Are you saying that I have obsessed over my perfect day?"

"Not at all, sweetheart, not at all."

"Well, I still have to choose the cake.  What do you think?  Chocolate or vanilla?  Traditional or carrot cake?  Maybe even carrot cake squares with little miniature candy carrots for decoration?  I like it!  It's settled."

"I love a woman who's not afraid to make a decision" said Gerald, laughing.

All brides have issues and obstacles to contend with to make it the perfect wedding, and there is seldom such a thing.  The food is overcooked or undercooked, or someone has one too many cocktails and causes a scene or botches the toast to the bride and groom.  And so after many months of planning, comparing prices, interviewing photographers, and sampling countless hors d'oeuvres, the big day finally arrives.  

As Gerald dons his rented tux, he fumbles with the tie.  Frustrated, he mumbled "how does this go again?"  Then he smiles, remembering their first lunch in the rose garden.  It is so fitting that they exchange their vows in that same garden.  That's why they planned a Spring wedding.  The vestiges of Winter have faded away, but the wrath of Summer was not yet upon them and Mother's yellow roses were in full bloom just as he knew they would be.  

Allison emerges as the music begins.  Dum dum de dum... Her bridesmaids lead the way, their matching pale blue dresses swaying as they walk.  The bride was a vision of loveliness in her gown of satin and lace, strolling down the aisle as if on air.  Her hands cradling a bouquet of beautiful yellow roses.  She chose to wear her hair down covered with a lacy veil dotted with seed pearls.

Allison's face was radiant as she turned to Gerald.  He, himself, beaming to rival the sun.  What a glorious day.  Gerald wishes his mother could be there, and yet, at the same time he knows she is.  After all it is her garden. 

The minister is speaking.  "Do you, Gerald, take this woman...?  Do you, Allison, take this man...?"

They recite the vows they wrote together to each other.  The minister pronounces them husband and wife..."you may kiss your bride" he said. 

"Ladies and gentlemen, may I introduce Mr. and Mrs. Gerald McLandon.  Congratulations!"

When they reached their table with their cake and champagne, Gerald notices a small box with a note at his place.  He opened the box and his eyes widened with a mixture of disbelief and amazement.  It was the diamond brooch that his father presented to his mother on their 25th anniversary.  The note said "For Allison".

Allison did, indeed, have the perfect wedding day.

If you haven't had a chance to read the first three parts here they are:
The Rose Garden
The Restoration
The Rose Garden:  Allison

Quote of the Week

Image Source: Mykl Roventine

"It came without ribbons!  It came without tags!  It came without packages, boxes or bags!"... Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before!  "Maybe Christmas," he thought, "doesn't come from a store.  Maybe Christmas... perhaps... means a little bit more!"   
- Dr. Seuss, How the Grinch Stole Christmas!

Although a children's tale, it has a great lesson for people of all ages.  There is more to Christmas than boxes and bows.  Even the Grinch figured it out, and it is said "That the Grinch's small heart grew three sizes that day!"

Something for Everyone?

Just in time for Christmas, Scotch introduces the stiletto tape dispenser.  Available in other colors and styles.  I guess there is indeed something for everyone!

A Holiday Project

Every now and then we start and finish a project.  This is the guest bathroom in my parents' house - otherwise known as the big bathroom when I was growing up.  I've written before that I still have this house, and it has served many purposes since I inherited it.  The most important was when my best friends lived there for a while.  It has provided extra storage, served as a backup when our power was out and is a place we can fix up and maybe move into.

We started Phase I of this project on the Friday after Thanksgiving and the carpet was laid down Tuesday night.  The project consisted first of taking up the toilet and reseating it so that it was level and no longer threatened to unseat its users.  Nothing in an older house is as simple as it should be, but I am pleased at how quickly this came together.

Next we bought a carpet remnant and my handy hubby made a paper pattern and cut it to fit.

 

After months of seeing the plywood covered by a few throw rugs, here is the nearly completed Phase I.  All that remains is a window treatment and a few decorations.

Phase II will consist of painting the cabinets (built in vanity) which are to the right, and replacing the sinks, counter top and faucets.

Stay tuned for more exciting home renovation projects.

Quote of the Week

When the Japanese mend broken objects, they aggrandize the damage by filling the cracks with gold.  They believe that when something's suffered damage and has a history it becomes more beautiful.  - Barbara Bloom

None of us make it through this life unscathed, so we wear our cracks with pride.  They are like a map of our life showing where we have been and how we got there.  We are indeed beautiful in spite of, or perhaps because of, our history.

Happy Thanksgiving

Image source:  blacksnowcomic.com

Happy Turkey Day, everyone!

Quote of the Week

Talk about your blessings more than you talk about your problems. - unknown

While ignoring your problems won't make them go away, it is always better to focus on what is right in your world than to constantly dwell on what is wrong.

Dolphin Watch

Mammals of the deep

Swimming with beauty and grace

Bringing smiles and cheers

Down by the River

Semi-wordless Wednesday!  

Dinner at Skippers Fish Camp on the bank of the lovely Darien River.  Tasty!

Quote of the Week

Be a good listener.  Your ears will never get you in trouble. - Frank Tyger 

This seems like sound advice, and a true statement. It is only when the mouth gets involved that you step onto shaky ground.

The Waiting

I sit and wait.  The waiting becomes unbearable.  I wonder will my suffering never end?  Suddenly I hear a deep rumbling growl.  Startled, I look around...nothing.  Tick, tick, tick.  I hear the clock slowly, painfully clicking off the seconds one by one.  Just when I think I can't take another minute - Ding!  Pizza!

Written for Friday Flash 55.

A Day in Lake City

As I alluded to in a previous post, there was more to my Lake City detour than just a waterfall.  The main purpose was to meet up with my friend Sara Healy, whom I met through the wonderful world of blogging.

We met through her site, "a sharing connection" about three years ago when I first participated in one of her story photo challenges.  I don't think I've missed a post since.  A sharing connection is funny, thoughtful and thought provoking.  Sara puts herself into each photo story challenge, offers words of wisdom and delights us with her fictional stories.  She has also been a great inspiration to me as I explore the world of writing.

So after a number of emails and Google searches for a place to meet, we finally settled on a date and time, each coming from a different direction.  We spent the night in Brunswick, GA and they drove in from Tallahassee, each about two hours. 

I had been looking forward to this for a long time, and I will tell you that Sara is just as delightful in person as she is online.  We had a wonderful double date with her and her boyfriend.  The long-awaited lunch took place at Mike's Cafe & Grille.  

I was worried about being late, so we ended up at the restaurant about a half hour early.  We walked in and when the hostess asked "two for lunch?" we told her we were having lunch with another couple that we hadn't met so we chose a table where we could see the door and keep an eye out for them.  Even though we'd never met in person, it was instant recognition, like greeting old friends after a long absence.

We chatted non-stop for two hours trying to cram as much in as possible.  We talked about food, wine, traded cat stories, and talked about their home renovation project (I hope that has been completed now), and of course, blogging.

Sadly, lunch was over way too soon - I felt like we had barely gotten started and could have gone on talking for hours.  We hugged, took pictures, and they headed home while we set out to see what Lake City had to offer.

Alligator Lake Park

First up was Alligator Lake Park.  Although we saw no alligators at the park, we did see a long-legged white bird hunting for its dinner, squirrels and dragonflies.  There was a playground for kids, and a wonderful screened in picnic shelter overlooking the lake.

Spanish Moss on a Live Oak

Then there was this old bearded tree.  At least all the Spanish Moss hanging from its limbs made it look bearded.  While I always thought that Spanish Moss was hazardous to trees, I find that is not true.  It is actually not even related to moss, and derives its nutrition from the air and rainfall.

Pretty Berries

I have no idea what these berries are.  I found these at Falling Creek Falls on a bush growing beneath a large tree.  They almost look like miniature grape clusters.  If anyone knows what they are, please share in the comment section.

Falling Creek Falls

Falls were not something I expected to find in Florida, the land of the flat, so I had to check this out.  While it doesn't have great height, only about 10 feet or so, it is still pretty and peaceful.  I posted the video of this recently.

Overnight at Cabot Lodge

Calling an end to our Lake City adventure, we looked for a place to bed down for the night before continuing on to St. Pete.  Thank goodness for smart phones, and Trip Advisor.  We found this small chain hotel only a few miles away.  Can you guess what was a big drawing point at the end of the day?  That's right!  They have a nightly social hour from 5:30 until 7:30 where they serve beer, wine and snacks.  There was a TV in the lobby and baseball fans were gathered around routing for their favorite team.

This was a lovely day, and our visit with my friend, Sara was definitely the highlight.

Quote of the Week

Even if something is left undone, everyone must take time to sit still and watch the leaves turn.

- Elizabeth Lawrence

No time spent admiring the beauty of Nature is time wasted.

No Alligators?

Lacking in anything creative today, I thought I'd give you a glimpse into Alligator Lake Park.

Beautiful clouds.

I have dubbed this the year of the clouds.  Everywhere I've been, including my own home town, I've seen the most amazing clouds, and pictures rarely do them justice.

Where are the alligators?

Yes, I had actually thought to see alligators. 

Explaining the importance of this area.

This is a major player in Florida's drinking water.

This is just one of the places we visited on our recent vacation.  Stay tuned next week for "A Day in Lake City" where I reveal the main reason for our little detour.

Halloween 2012

 Wordless Wednesday

Quote of the Week

How beautifully leaves grow old.  How full of light and color are their last days.  - John Burroughs

As beautiful as the leaves are in the green freshness of their youth, they gain their own identity in the twilight of their lives.

Intracoastal Sunset

I love sunsets, especially at the beach.  I usually focus on those over the Gulf of Mexico.  The most beautiful sunsets are those with interesting clouds to absorb and reflect the sun's rays.  This evening, however, the beauty lay in the other direction.

Here are some satellite pictures of the area.

I took the picture from the end of the Boardwalk facing the islands.

The drawbridge has been replaced and was under construction when these images were taken.

This was one way to get from our condo to the Boardwalk.  We love having such a great choice of restaurants within walking distance.  

This was truly a beautiful evening!

Falling Creek Falls

Who knew you could find waterfalls in Florida.  I think of beaches, swamps, beautiful sunsets and lots of seafood.  We usually spend a week or so in Florida every fall, and almost always discover something new.  This year we detoured to Lake City on our way to St. Pete (more about that in another post). 

While picking Google's cyber brain for things to do in the area, I found this lovely little side trip only minutes from the interstate.  It is an easy walk from the parking lot to see the rapids that culminate in a drop of about 10 feet, forming a caramel-colored waterfall.

This may not have the grandeur of Niagara, but it has a quaint charm all its own.  Falling Creek Falls was also the site of the first settlement in the area.

Quote of the Week

Here's to the corkscrew - a useful key to unlock the storehouse of wit, the treasury of laughter, the front door of fellowship, and the gate of pleasant folly . - W.E.P. French 

From the wine list of Commander's Palace in New Orleans, LA 

Good Friends, Good Wine, Good Times!