It's Fall , Ya'll !!!

            It has been a gorgeous week-end and boy , did I need to see and smell and feel all the beauty of Fall. It has been a very busy month this October and am looking forward to this week . It's my birthday on Tuesday and my Mr. and I are taking a little day trip . My daughter and her hubbie are coming to stay with us for a few weeks on that same day . I have the bug to do some baking , some painting and maybe some sewing . Back to fall , its my favorite time of the year . There is an electricity in the air , some excitement that is so delicious ! I want a sleeping porch like the one my grandmother had growing up, so I can breathe in all that wonderful cool , crispy air all night long and wake up to coffee perking and bacon on the stove . I want to hear the crunch ccrunch of walking thru the leaves and fallen acorns . I crave sweet potatos and roasted veggies and soup.... lots of soup ! Though I don't really care for Halloween , it has turned into such a commercial thing , I do love watching the faces of the small children as they don their costumes and learn how to trick or treat . These are the faces of my Fall , what are yours ? I pray you have a Christ - filled , beautiful week this week ! xxxooo Suz

Little lambs of God

          

                       I hope you had a wonderful week-end . The weather here was perfect , and I got to relax and laugh a little , play a little , and of course enjoyed teaching my little Sunday School class today . The children range from 1 1/2 years to 4 years and I love every single one of those precious lambs ! They are getting in the routine of class again and I am always stunned when they sit down to their snack I have laid out and automatically bow their heads and fold their chubby little hands . I am blown away that these little ones know what to do , thank their Creator for what they are about to recieve . We should all learn from them this simple thing ....... being grateful for what is set before us ....... and then digging in to the wonderfulness of it all ! God bless your week , xxxooo Suz



pic via marina castilla

 20. gathering with friends for a meal
21. the beauty of fall
22. buttermilk cornbread
23. an elderly friend's recovery
24. a good night's sleep
25. a brother's birthday
26. a peek at twin sisters , newborn
27. a good tired , after too much fun today !

Finding Friends

                         We have new friends .... and they are our cousins ! I had no idea that we had family in town and we were so blessed to discover them a few weeks ago . Janna and Logan are newly married and an adorable couple that we met up with for supper at their nest .A wonderful meal was served , thank you Janna , and a ball game for FSU was lost , sorry Logan ,but it was good to find family so close. Thanks again guys !
                           I am so glad for a day to myself , Sunday School was taught , worship and praise was had and now I am enjoying a quiet , rainy day at home . I may not make it off the couch ! What do you like to do on days like this , I'd love to know . Thank you all for the sweet comments on my last posting , it was a hard week for me , but God is good and I am in his hands . So ...... have a great week and keep your eyes lifted upwards . xxxooo Suz

10. a wonderful breeze
11. another cup of coffee
12. to see my sweet brother Allen
13. a day off
14. little children
15. Jesus on the cross , for us
16. the color pink

this is my continueing list of gratitude while I am reading " One Thousand Gifts "

Happy Birthday Danielson

                 Today is a bittersweet day for me , and I guess it will always be .  It is my  youngest brother Daniel's birthday , he would have been 47 years old .  He passed away two and a half years ago by suicide and I still can't believe he is gone  .This is a picture of my Aunt Jane and Dan in Picadilly Square in London in the early 70's . Unbeknownst to us ,on this same trip , Dan decided that he wanted to ride the underground by himself and when he couldn't remember which was his stop , he just kept on going ! Mama thought he was with Dad , and Dad thought he was with her ........ well , it was an adventure for all of us . Dan always had such a sense of adventure and he never knew a stranger , I loved that about him . After our Dad passed away in '98 , Dan always wanted to visit his grave on this day , so he and I would pack a fried chicken lunch , stop and get flowers and spend 6 hours driving to and from the site . We would talk and catch up , smoke cigarettes and just be an older sister and her little brother together . So , this was  Dan .... a marine , a lover of country music , a wicked sense of humor , a sweet shy smile , maker of a mean pot of boiled peanuts , loved his family ,  and we loved him . I pray his sweet soul is at rest and he is safely in the arms of Jesus . xxxooo , Suzanne

Order in the court !

       Ok , I need this . I love having resources right there at my finger tips . In real life , I am searching 3 drawers for a certain item , a junk drawer ( hey it could be considered junk ) , my desk ( thats probably where it needs to live ) , or the kitchen junk drawer ( no excuses there ) . I think I have too much stuff . In my quest for simple abundance I am becoming more aware of what all I have ..... and all I have is more than I need . So the next couple of weeks I'll be cleaning out even more things , maybe eliminating a few junk drawers and achieving some peace of mind in the process . Now ,where did I put my car keys ? xxoo , Suz

5. laughter shared with friends
6. a childs hug
7. praying with a sick friend
8. a little nip in the air

Let the sunshine in !



room via Amanda Nisbet

 Today I am cleaning house and windows and trying to let  some of this beautfiul weather inside my home . Today has been a good day for me, I slept in , I had cup after cup of hot coffee outside by my fountain , started cleaning and organizing things , had lunch with my sweetie and now I can play on the computer ! It has been a busy couple of months and it is good to slow down a bit . I am reading a great book called  "1000 Gifts " and it is all about gratitude , seeing God's love for us in action . I decided to start my own list and will add on to it here on my blog . I hope your day has been fruitful and blessed , xxoo Suz

I am thankful for .............

1. the breeze blowing thru the leaves
2. groceries in the pantry
3. hot coffee with cream this morning
4. sleeping under a down blanket this morning

I know the plans I have for you ....



The Soniat courtyard

 This courtyard is one I am very familiar with , the Soniat in the residential part of the French Quarter in New Orleans . My mom and I stayed here on one of my many post surgery visits to the city . I love the old southern architecture with a french flair , the open staircases that lead up to a hallway of rooms , the breakfast of piping hot cafe au lait and crossiants that are delivered to the rooms each morning . It is quite beautiful . I'm happy to see it flourish after Hurricane Katrina hit years ago . I have been thinkiing and praying for the people suffering up in New England with Irene . I know it is devastating , its seems like everything familiar is gone to them , but one thing remains constant and neverchanging and that is God's love for us and what has been done for us . God doesn't cause these things to happen , but he equips us to get through things , he gives us the resources and gifts we need to persevere and flourish again . I pray for these people and others that are homeless , alone , sick , or just need  a shoulder to lean on ........ God's grace is there if we just open our eyes . God bless your week .xxoo, Suz