♥ Giveaway Goodies in the Mail ♥

It's always a pleasant surprise when our mail lady actually pulls in our driveway and honks her horn.  That means there's something that she's got for us that won't fit in the mailbox!  And that's usually a good thing!

I recently was one of the lucky winners of my blogging friend, Allison's giveaway (Sew Many Girls).  Much of it was a surprise to me!  I was thrilled to get this package in the mail.  Thanks, Allison!  :)

I was so anxious to decorate with my giveaway goodies that I forgot to get a picture of them all grouped together before I had them placed around my house.  So I'm going to show you where their new home is now.......

These darling homespun tulips on a rustic twig are now in my dining room in the crock on my hutch.  Love these! 

The adorable pinwheels, also on a rustic twig, I placed in a crock on the wooden crates in the living room. 

The little Americana rag doll is tucked cozily inside an Americana basket on the side table beside the couch.

And last of all, Allison also included a pennies mat kit!  I'm excited to give this a try!

Thanks again, Allison!  :)

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I have another wonderful guest joining me tomorrow for a Sunporch Chat.  I hope you will stop by and join us in the morning!  I'll have cake and coffee waiting on you!  :)

 

♥ Tammy ♥

Pinned it, Made it! Monday ~ Week 38 ~

Hi!  Welcome to the Pinterest Party.....Pinned it, Made it! Monday.  I'm glad you stopped by and I hope you can join the linky party this week.  It's all about sharing something you've made or tried out from Pinterest.  :)


This week I have yet another recipe to share.  It's called Meatball Sub Casserole.

Here's the pin from my What's For Dinner Pinterest board:

Source:  Gooseberrry Patch

Meatball Sub Casserole

1 loaf Italian bread (cut into 1-inch thick slices)
8-oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
1/2 c. mayonnaise
1 t. Italian seasoning
1/4 t. pepper
2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1-lb. pkg. frozen meatballs, thawed
28-oz. jar pasta sauce
1 c. water

Arrange bread slices in a single layer in an ungreased 13" x 9" baking pan; set aside.  In a bowl, combine cream cheese, mayonnaise and seasonings; spread over bread slices.  Sprinkle with 1/2 cup cheese; set aside.  Gently mix together meatballs, spaghetti sauce and water; spoon over cheese.  Sprinkle with remaining cheese.  Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.  Serves 4.


Words from Tammy  -  The only changes I made to this was that I used Italian meatballs instead of regular ones.  I thought Jason would like those meatballs and he did.  He absolutely loved this dish!  He said he'd give it a 9 1/2 on a scale of 1-10.  I liked it but would have liked it better with regular meatballs.  Oh, and I think this feeds more than 4.....unless you eat really big helpings! 

I almost forgot to get a picture of ours.  It was on the table and already being served before I remembered, so you get a picture of part of a Meatball Sub Casserole.  :) 

Now I hope you can join the party this week!  If you're just stopping by to visit and gather Pinterest ideas, that's okay too!  Gather away!  :)


To participate in Pinned it, Made it! Monday, here are the guidelines:

1) Just do a post about what you’ve pinned and made from Pinterest, then come back over here to Country Girl at Home and link that particular post (not your blog in general) on this post below.

2) I don’t mind if you link up more than one post….multiple entries are fine.

3) You must add my Pinned it, Made it! Monday button on your post or sidebar of your blog linking back to Country Girl at Home. You may get this button code on the page at the top of my blog labeled “Buttons”. Just copy and paste the code into your post.

4) Be supportive and visit blog entries. I do ask that you visit at least one and leave a comment there. And don't forget to leave me one here! :) We all love comments, don’t we? It’s encouraging and uplifting!

5) By linking up and participating, you give me permission to use your entry photo if I decide to feature an entry.

 

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Thanks for stopping by and have a great week!  :)

 

♥ Tammy ♥ 

♥ Salmon Falls Prims Giveaway ♥

If you haven't seen it yet, Sara of Salmon Falls Prims is hosting a wonderful primitive giveaway.  If you're an Americana decor fan, you'll REALLY love it, as I do!  Sara made this sign and I think it's perfect!  As a matter of fact, my heart may have skipped a beat when I saw it.  lol!

Click here to enter

Click on over to Sara's blog on the link under the picture to enter.  She gives you several ways to be entered.  And although I'd REALLY REALLY love to win it, I'm being really nice here and telling you about it!  :)   (Or maybe I just wanted more chances to win).  Well, I had to be honest............

Okay, you can go check it out now!  :)  Thank you, Sara, for hosting such a generous giveaway! 

I'll be back later this evening for the Pinned it Made it Monday party! 

♥ Tammy ♥

♥ Update on Bedroom Makeover ♥

When we start a new project around here, it seems like something always slows us down, but I guess that's pretty much the normal for everyone.  Also, we should have learned by now to only have one project going at a time.  But it seems we haven't learned that lesson yet!  In the midst of this, we have been doing some projects outside as well, or at least starting on them. 

But........the bedroom is painted.  The floors are down.  The trim is stained and back up.  The furniture has been moved into place.

Now it's time for the fun part......decorating!  The furniture was inherited from Jason's dad.  See the brass hardware?  It's getting a makeover.  I also just purchased bedding yesterday.  It was meant to be.  :)  I'll have to tell you more about that when the bedroom is all put together. 

So there's still work to be done, but this part is the part I really enioy!   :)

Have a great weekend! 

♥ Tammy ♥

Faithful Friday - "Family, Faith, and Inspirational Movies"

If you're like us, you get discouraged and even disgusted with the content and language in movies these days.  I know that we're always on the search for movies that we feel good about our family watching.  We want movies that build faith and character and inspire us to live our lives in a way pleasing to God.

I thought I would share some of these.  I know we're not the only ones looking for family, faith, character-building, or inspirational movies!  (Thanks Susannah for inspiring me to share these)!  :)

Some of these movies we have rented from Redbox, some are from Netflix, some we've purchased from our Christian Bookstore (Family Christian or Lifeway), and a few from Walmart as well.

** Subject matter in some of these movies may not be suitable for young children.  As the parent,  please use your own judgement for what's best and appropriate for your family. **  There are a few on here that contained subjects that we weren't ready for our little one (5 years old) to be exposed to (especially the 180 Movie). 


First I'm going to share the ones we've watched.  Here they are, in no particular order.......

Upside
What If
The Woodcarver
Gifted Hands 
Rust
Abel's Field
October Baby
Courageous
Facing the Giants
Flywheel
Faith Like Potatoes
New Hope
To Save a Life
Fireproof
Seven Days in Utopia
Beware of Christians 
One Nation Under God 
The Ultimate Gift
Letters to God
Last Ounce of Courage
Home Beyond the Sun  
The Grace Card 
Safe Harbor
Uncle Nino
Miracle in the Woods
First of May
Lost and Found Family
Sarah's Choice
Escape
Amish Grace
180 Movie
Flag of My Father
The Secrets of Jonathan Sperry
The Perfect Game
Monumental
Island of Grace
A Greater Yes
Love Comes Softly Series
Marriage Retreat
Me Again
The Shunning
Fifth Quarter
Meant to Be
Marriage Retreat
Brother White
In the Blink of an Eye
Beyond Gates of Splendor
End of the Spear
Children of an Lac



Here's a list of some on our list to watch........

Heaven is Waiting
Backroads and Lilies
Disconnect Reconnect
The Last Brickmaker in America
What Katy Did
Accidental Activist
The heart of Texas
Hidden Places
Fallen Race
The Runner from Ravenshead
WWJD
The Miracle of the Cards
Second Chances
Unconditional
Just Where I Belong
Behind the Mask
A Mile in His Shoes
Ring the Bell
Though None Go With Me
Paper Dream



If you know of anymore you'd like to add to the list, please share!  :)


It's so nice to watch movies that build up instead of tear down.  And it's wonderful to have good things to ponder.  :)

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.  

 

Philippians 4:8

 

 

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For more Faithful Friday posts, click on the Faithful Friday button above.  Or if you'd like to share a Faithful Friday post, you can also link up with Joy there! 

 

 

Thanks for stopping by!  :)

 

♥ Tammy ♥

 

 

 

♥ Kildeer Eggs ♥

I just love all the new life that comes with spring!  About a week and a half ago, when one of my piano students was leaving, she noticed a kildeer egg in our driveway, just a little off to the side of the main driving path.  Since then, I've noticed there is another one!  I tend to get a little excited over these things!  :)

I have to say thought that I've often thought that these birds aren't very smart.  They will lay their eggs right barely on the edge of the road, or in this case on our driveway.  It's so close to where we drive and where piano students pull in and park that we were worried those little eggs might not make it.   And see how well it blends into the rocks? 

Can you see them?

So, bless his heart, Jason put up a little blue flag out there to mark them so we could help mama kildeer protect her eggs.  I have already warned our mail delivery lady and she says we're not the only ones on her route marking kildeer eggs!    That made me smile!  :)

I may not think mama kildeer is very smart as far as where she chooses to lay her eggs, but she really is a good mama.

She doesn't like me coming around, getting that close to her babies. 

She's headed out to try to distract me.  Love those spindly legs!

She is mighty protective, squawking and playing out the broken wing scene for us time after time. 



Can you see here out there pretending to have a broken wing so I'll look at her instead of her babies?



We try not to linger very long around the eggs so she can get back to warming her eggs.  But I have a certain little 5 year old boy that is very curious about those eggs.  I have to watch him when we go outside because he is a little obsessed with them.

The incubation period is about 28 days or so, and we're not really sure how long the eggs have been there, but I'm thinking in the next week, or two anyway, we should have two kildeer babies.  Actually around here, we call them "kildees". 

I hope we're as blessed as we were about 4 years ago.  We watched  a mama kildeer (and the daddy on watch nearby) protect their eggs, and actually witnessed one of the babies making his debut into the world out of the egg.  And watched them struggle to stand on those long spindly wobbly legs.  It was a beautiful thing.  And believe me, that was a very protective mama.  She contorted herself into a very ugly creature to attempt to scare me away....she didn't like that camera near her babies one little bit! 

If you'd like, you can read that post, Don't Mess With My Babies, here.  It's quite a nature lesson, if you've never witnessed that before!

I'm hoping we get to see these babies....we're watching closely for any changes.  They don't stay in the nest long after they arrive.  If we are blessed enough again to get photos when they arrive, I'll be sure and share them with you.

Thanks so much for stopping by.................. and remember to take time to notice God's creations all around us.  I'm always amazed at the beauty and the details of each and every thing He created for us to enjoy.  :)

♥ Tammy ♥

♥ Chats on the Farmhouse Porch ♥

Good morning friends! I really enjoy reading Patrice's Chats on the Farmhouse Porch. She comes up with questions every Tuesday for any blogger to jump in and participate, so we can get to know each other better. I remembered today.....so I'm jumping on board! This is her 90th week doing this.....that's a long time! Way to go, Patrice!


Okay, here are the questions for this week.......

1.  Do you prefer to drive or be driven?

Hmm...I guess I would have to say that I prefer to be driven, providing it's a driver I trust. If my hubby is with me, most definitely I'd rather him drive. I enjoy sight seeing along the way or even looking at magazines if I get the chance and if we're on a long trip, reading aloud a book for the family to enjoy together.

2.  What's your favorite kind of jam, jelly, or preserve?

That's an easy one.  It's most definitely strawberry freezer jelly!  My Aunt Betty used to make it for us every year. My mom and I made almost about 75 jars last year and my freezer still holds a few.  It's about time to make more!  My oldest son, Colt, didn't realize for the longest when he was little that there was any other kind.  He still frowns on any store bought jelly or jam.  For him, the ONLY kind is strawberry freezer jelly.  I have to agree with you Colt!  :)

3.  Do you have any special plans for this spring or summer?

Yes....hopefully lots of swimming for the kids and me.......probably many weekend trips to Alabama where we bought some land, clearing out trees and such.......and tackling some home improvement projects around here.  :)  Oh, and Luke is determined to learn to read more.  He's already doing great with his beginning reading.  He starts kindergarten (in homeschool) this fall, but I want to work with him exclusively this summer while Joy has time off.  He's looking forward to it!  :)

4.  Lots of folks are becoming aware of issues with food.  There are many articles, books, and movies on topics like allergies, GMO, pesticide use, bad or no labeling, over processed food, foods from other countries that may not have high standards, and many more topics.  What concerns you the most?  If nothing concerns you, have a cookie and skip to the next question. 

 Maybe I should be more concerned.  We have to watch certain foods with Joy's pancreatitis issue and we do.  Other than that, I guess I'm not one of those that are just really concerned or obsessed over that.  It annoys me when we are growing our own food and crop dusters fly over and spray the farm fields around us and those pesticides reach our food we're growing.  But that's another story.    (Thanks for the cookie, Patrice).  :)

5.  Do you use nail polish often?  Finger nails, piggies, or both?

Only during the spring and summer.....I keep my toe nails painted for those summer sandal and flip flop feet.  I rarely ever paint my fingernails.   I love bright vibrant colors on my piggies, especially red, orange(ish) hues and hot pink!  :)


That was fun!  Thanks, Patrice!  :)  Anyone can participate.....just click on the picture above to link your post!

Thank YOU for stopping by!  Have a great Tuesday! 

♥ Tammy ♥

Pinned it, Made it! Monday ~ Week 37 ~

Whew!  It's been a busy week for us.  I had big plans to share a pinterest project that was more of a makeover project, but just didn't get to it......maybe next week!



Today, for Pinned it, Made it Monday, I'm sharing another recipe from my What's for Dinner Pinterest board that I tried for dinner one night last week.  It's called Taco Pasta Bake.

Here's the original pin:

Source:  Valerie's Kitchen

Taco Pasta Bake

Servings: 8

Ingredients:

• 1 (16 ounce) package dry pasta of your choice (campanelle, fusilli, penne, rigatoni)
• 1-1/2 pounds ground beef
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 2 tablespoons prepared taco seasoning mix (see my recipe here)
• 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained
• 1 (4 ounce) can diced green chiles, mild
• 1 cup shredded Monterey jack cheese, divided
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided
• 4 green onions, chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• Sour cream, for garnish

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large pot, boil pasta a couple minutes shy of package directions.

Coat a large pan with non-stick cooking spray and place over medium heat. Cook ground beef with onion and garlic, breaking up with a spoon as it cooks, till no longer pink. Drain grease from pan and return to heat. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, taco seasoning mix, beans, and diced green chiles. Stir to combine and allow to come to a low boil. Reduce heat and simmer for five minutes.

Drain water from the pasta and return the cooked pasta to the pan it cooked in. Add meat mixture and 1/2 cup of both the shredded Monterey jack and cheddar cheese (1 cup total). Mix well.

Transfer mixture to a lasagna pan or large baking pan that you have coated with non-stick cooking spray. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and top with chopped green onions. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or till heated through and bubbly. Remove from oven and sprinkle with cilantro.

Serve with sour cream.

Words from Tammy -  I only used 1 lb. of ground beef, instead of the 1 1/2 lbs.  I used 2 Tbsp of garlic powder instead of the 1 Tbsp of minced garlic.  And I didn't have cilantro, so I left that off  (which was just for topping).  Everyone just added sour cream to their liking.  We liked this and I will be making it again.  To my personal serving, I added a little Italian dressing.  I  think it would even be good to add a little before cooking it, but that might not be everybody's cup of tea.

Do you have something to share that you've tried from Pinterest?  We'd love to see it!


To participate in Pinned it, Made it! Monday, here are the guidelines:

1) Just do a post about what you’ve pinned and made from Pinterest, then come back over here to Country Girl at Home and link that particular post (not your blog in general) on this post below.

2) I don’t mind if you link up more than one post….multiple entries are fine.

3) You must add my Pinned it, Made it! Monday button on your post or sidebar of your blog linking back to Country Girl at Home. You may get this button code on the page at the top of my blog labeled “Buttons”. Just copy and paste the code into your post.

4) Be supportive and visit blog entries. I do ask that you visit at least one and leave a comment there. And don't forget to leave me one here! :) We all love comments, don’t we? It’s encouraging and uplifting!

5) By linking up and participating, you give me permission to use your entry photo if I decide to feature an entry.

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Thanks for stopping by!  Have a great week!  :)

 

♥ Tammy ♥

 

Faithful Friday - "A Beautiful Old Hymn"

Today for Faithful Friday, I'm sharing an old hymn that's been on my mind and playing in my head this past week.  I've always loved it and the lyrics speak volumes of wisdom!  I do love all the praise songs and the songs of KLove, but I miss hearing these old hymns every Sunday!

Let Others See Jesus in You........ (That's my desire)!

Let Others See Jesus in You

While passing thro' this world of sin,
and others your life shall view,
Be clean and pure without, within;
Let others see Jesus in you.
  

 Your life's a book before their eyes,
They're reading it thro' and thro'
Say, does it point them to the skies,
Do others see Jesus in you?


 Then live for Christ both day and night,
Be faithful, be brave and true,
and lead the lost to life and Christ.
Let others see Jesus in you.

 

 

(Chorus)

Let others see Jesus in you,
Let others see Jesus in you.
Keep telling the story, be faithful and true;
Let others see Jesus in you.

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For more Faithful Friday posts from other bloggers, just click on the button above.

 

Have a great weekend!  :)

 

♥ Tammy ♥
   

♥ Wordless Wednesday ♥

 

How would YOU caption this picture?  :)

 

♥ Tammy ♥

♥ Little Boys ♥

If you give a little girl sidewalk chalk, chances are she'll draw flowers, hearts, rainbows and such.

If you give a little boy sidewalk chalk, he takes a different approach.......he draws things like roads, stop signs, traffic lights, railroad tracks, and neighborhoods.   And so my little one did.  :)  He worked SO diligently.

Then a beautiful afternoon calls for getting dirty, of course.  He spent just as long playing with his construction equipment in the sandbox. 

And then what do you think he did?

He brought his mama "flowers" fresh from the yard. 

And of course, that definitely put a smile on this mama's face.  :)

♥ Tammy ♥

Pinned it, Made it! Monday ~ Week 36 ~

Hi there! 

We just got back from a weekend at my brother and sister-in-law's house in Alabama where we had a great time!  We always eat way too much when we're there, so it's a good thing we're not there THAT often.  While we were there, I thought I'd try a recipe for the gang from my Sweet Treats Pinterest board.  I decided to try candy stuffed croissants.   That's what I'm sharing for my Pinned it, Made it! Monday. 



Here's the original pin:

Source:  Something Swanky

The recipe is really easy.

Dessert Croissant Rolls

Ingredients:

1 package of refrigerated crescent rolls (makes 8)
Fillings of your choice (candy bars work well, any type of spread like Nutella, jam, or peanut butter, or any kind of chocolate, etc.)
3 Tbsp powdered sugar
1 Tbsp milk

Instructions:

Unroll the crescent roll dough.
Spread the dough with your chosen fillings.
Roll the crescent dough just like you normally would.  Place the rolls on a parchment lined baking sheet.
Bake at 375 degrees for 11 minutes.
Whisk together the milk and powdered sugar.  Brush over the rolls fresh from the oven.


Words from Tammy:  I made something similiar to this sometime last year that just had chocolate chips in it.  I liked the idea of putting candy bars in them and especially the idea of the glaze on top.  We opted to try it with reeses cups.  I bought the mini ones and my helper (and niece), Shauna, chopped them into fourths for me.  We used 4 cans of crescent rolls....we had lots of mouths to feed!  It took about 3-4 of the mini reeses cups chopped per crescent roll.  And I adjusted the powdered sugar/milk ratio to accomodate the bigger recipe.  :)

Also I didn't use the parchment paper.  I just sprayed the baking sheet with cooking spray.  They turned out fine this way.

Then we just rolled them up.......

When they came out of the oven, I put the glaze on them..........

Then they were ready to enjoy..........

These were good!  They are sweet and rich, but really good.  We had some left over and my sister-in-law had a couple with her coffee the next morning.  I'll be making these again and maybe trying out different candy bars inside just to experiment. 

Now it's your turn!  I can't wait to see what you've been making from your Pinterest boards!

To participate in Pinned it, Made it! Monday, here are the guidelines:

1) Just do a post about what you’ve pinned and made from Pinterest, then come back over here to Country Girl at Home and link that particular post (not your blog in general) on this post below.

2) I don’t mind if you link up more than one post….multiple entries are fine.

3) You must add my Pinned it, Made it! Monday button on your post or sidebar of your blog linking back to Country Girl at Home. You may get this button code on the page at the top of my blog labeled “Buttons”. Just copy and paste the code into your post.

4) Be supportive and visit blog entries. I do ask that you visit at least one and leave a comment there. And don't forget to leave me one here! :) We all love comments, don’t we? It’s encouraging and uplifting!

5) By linking up and participating, you give me permission to use your entry photo if I decide to feature an entry.

 

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Thanks for joining me today for Pinned it, Made it! Monday.  Have a great week!  :)


♥ Tammy ♥

Faithful Friday - "Grow Where You Are Planted"

For Faithful Friday today, I'm sharing (again) from one of my favorite devotion books, His Princess (Love Letters from Your King) by Sheri Rose Shepherd.  

A wonderful devotion book!  :)

These devotions just seem to speak to me especially when I need them.  I hope they do the same for you!  :)


My Princess.......Grow Where You Are Planted

I know you sometimes wonder if your life has any real worth.  But I assure you that I can use you to impact those around you.  Just as I used Paul in prison, I will use you wherever you are or whatever circumstance you are in.  Let me water you with My holy Word, and you will begin to bloom wherever you are planted.  Come to Me in prayer and let Me empower you with My spirit.  Even if you can't see the harvest of your hard work now, I promise that others will one day look back at the time you were in their lives and remember your acts of kindness, words of wisdom, and love for them.  So for now, My valuable princess let Me help you blossom in a world that is searching for the meaning of life.

Love,
Your Kig and Gardener of Life

And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.

 

Romans 8:28

 

 

We may never know how many folks lives' we personally make a difference in, but we have God's promise that He will use us right where we are.  We just need to be faithful to letting God use us and just bloom right where God plants us!  :)

For more Faithful Friday posts, click on the button above.  Joy started this linky party so others could share and encourage from their Christian Walk. 

 

Have a great weekend!  :) 

 

Blessings,

♥ Tammy ♥

♥ Bowl of Memories ♥

This month last year, we were going through Jason's dad's things after he passed away.  Making decisions during that time is never easy.  It was tough going through all of his things and letting some things go, especially for Jason and his sister. 

One thing that I spotted and just fell in love with was this simple mixing bowl.  First of all, I loved it because it's red!  And then Jason told me that he remembered his mama making cookies in it for his family!  That made it all the more special.  You can tell it was well used because some of the red is rubbing off in places.   I love that bowl!  I will use it to make cookies for my family and will treasure it always.

And another thing I was excited to bring home from Jason's dad's kitchen........a little pecan crusher!  You see it over on the left corner of my stove on the end.....with the little black handle?  Jason remembers his mama crushing her pecans for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners making pecan pies, candies, and everything else you use pecans for during the holidays especially.  He remembers her letting him help her crush the pecans when he was little.  How special is that?  I just love it too!

 

I know those are little things, but those small items that say family and love are the best!

I didn't get a chance to have a mother-in-law for long, since she passed away when Jason and I were married a little over a year.  But Jason's dad was at our house for dinner or something just about every weekend.

I just thought I'd share a couple of special memories.......Isn't it amazing how such a small thing as a bowl can hold so many memories?  :)

♥ Sunporch Chat ♥ with Mildred of Maple Lane ♥

Good morning friends!  Welcome to my sunporch!  I'm so glad you stopped by.  I have a sweet guest here today.  Mildred (of Maple Lane) is a very sweet lady whom I've enjoyed getting to know this past year. 
 

 

 

Mildred loves lemon chess pie (which is also my brother's favorite) and coffee so that's what I'm serving today. 

 

So grab yourself a hot cup of coffee and a piece of lemon pie, and enjoy your visit!

 

Meet Mildred.....

 

 

 

1) How long have you been blogging and what/who gave you the desire to blog?

 

 I began blogging in 2008. At the time, I was caretaker to my mother who had been diagnosed with dementia. I discovered that blogging allowed me to make friends and visit interesting places without leaving home. God has truly blessed me with prayerful, loving and supportive blog friends from all over the country.

 

One of the very first blogs I read was 'Spot On Cedar Pond' by KathyB. Kathy was very supportive/encouraging of my desire to start a blog and she and her family hold a very special place in my heart. Kathy lives in Washington and spins the wool from her very own sheep.

 

2) How did you choose the name of your blog and why?

 

I came up with the blog name, Maple Lane, because Autumn is my favorite season and maples are so colorful in the fall of the year.

 

3) What variety of topics do you post on your blog (examples - home decorating, family, gardening, recipes, adoption, homeschooling, crafting, etc....)

 

Most often, I blog about family members; beloved pets; Georgia places of interest or restaurants we visit; gardening; and favorite old hymn lyrics.

 

4) Tell us a little about yourself and your family.

 

My husband, John, and I have been married for twenty years. I am 55 and John is 60. 

 

 

 

We are blessed with several nieces and nephews and 4 great nieces!

 

John with great niece, Ellie.

 

 

During my college years, I was a church pianist and taught children's Sunday School. I also worked as an Administrative Assistant before staying home to be a full-time caretaker to my parents and husband.

 

5) How would you describe your decorating style?

 

I love many styles of decorating and enjoy when blog friends share their home interior photos. I would describe my decorating style as traditional. I am blessed to enjoy many vintage keepsakes from family members and I try to showcase them in our home.

 

 

This maple china cabinet belong to my mother and displays her china, Wembley Harmony House.  Both the cabinet and the china are from 1947.

 

Inside our last home, Nalley Valley

 

 

6) What's your favorite color and why?

 

My favorite color is purple. I especially love brilliant hues of purple in the garden: azaleas, lilacs, roses, irises and glads. I spent many happy hours with my grandmother in her garden when I was a child. I developed a love of flowers from her. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7) Tell us a few of your favorite things (collections, things that make you happy, etc.).

 

I collect vintage china and Italian porcelain. I have tea sets, coffee sets, lemonade sets and chocolate sets! John and I also have collected cookbooks from places we've visited over the years.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

8) What do you like to do in your spare time (hobbies, crafts, etc..)?

 

When I was younger, I enjoyed baking; counted cross stitch; hiking in the north Georgia mountains; and gardening. These days, I enjoy reading; blogging; browsing antique and thrift stores; watching home and garden television; and playing with our pets. John was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes two years ago, so I am learning to plan healthier menus. I receive helpful advice via email from the American Diabetes Association.

 

9) What does your dream house look like? (Describe and/or include photo)

 

I especially enjoyed the serenity of our last home, Nalley Valley. We were surrounded by woods and the screened-in porch overlooked the creek below. We had a wide variety of plants and wildlife to enjoy year round.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10) If you could visit anywhere, anytime, where would it be and why?

 

I do not like to travel. I've always had a tendency to get motion sickness. If I could blink my eyes and land any where, it would be New England in Autumn.

11) Would you share with us a favorite homemaking/organizing tip or recipe, etc..?

 

My helpful tip is for organization and maintenance of daily medication. As we have grown older, the number of prescription medicines we take has increased. We were constantly dropping or turning pill bottles over when filling our weekly reminder boxes. I bought a plastic storage drawer to store pill bottles in and we fill up the weekly reminder box inside the drawer. The drawer "catches" any pills that we drop and we don't have to crawl around on the floor looking for pills that could potentially harm our pets.

 

12) Tell us something about yourself that we might not already know from reading your blog. (something unusual, etc..)

 

I am afraid of water and never learned to swim.

13) Mildred, I know you’ve told us that you downsized from a larger home.  Would you share with us any words of wisdom/tips/advice/suggestions/thoughts on downsizing and how to make the  transition smoothly?  I think this is something that a lot of folks are looking at these days.  (Feel free to share this in anyway from any angle you’d like….include pics if you want). 

 

Our last home had lots of steps that were difficult for both of us. We made the decision to search for a smaller home all on one level. John and I gifted some sentimental treasures to friends that we knew would cherish them. We had a couple of yard sales and we also donated a lot of household items to our local Humane Society Thrift Store. The proceeds from the thrift store help buy food/medicine for homeless pets.

 

14) Would you share with us your furry family members? I know how dear they are to you as they make frequent appearances on your blog.  :)

 

 

We have 5 cats (Kaboodle, Ditto, Magic, Trixie and Blue) and a wire-haired mini dachshund, Harriet. Four of the cats are rescues. Physical limitations keep us home much of the time and our pets provide us with entertainment and laughter.

 

 

 

 

15) Tell us a way God has blessed you and/or your family.

 

One of my favorite Bible verses is Philippians 4:6:  Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

God has blessed us in so many ways.  We are so thankful that the Lord led us to a compassionate and skilled surgeon to operate on John last summer.  We are thankful for the earnest prayers of our blog friends and appreciate the opportunity to pray for each of you and your family's needs.

We thank God for the new home He has led us to near the north Georgia mountains.  We are thankful that our present home is a perfect fit for the family moving in and their special needs child.  Thank you, Lord, for answered prayers. 

16) Share any words of wisdom and/or a favorite quote you'd like to leave with us.

 

I love this quote by Helen Keller:

"The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt within the heart."

 

 

Words from Mildred:  Tammy, it has been a pleasure getting to know you and your precious family through blogging. May God richly bless you all.

 

 

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

 Words from Tammy:  Thank you so much Mildred for joining me today!  One of the things that I've always loved about my visits to your blog is your sweet close relationship with your hubby.  I love all the outings you two share and make a date of.  :)  We also share the common bond of being church pianists.  I was for years also!  Thanks for sharing your life and home with us!  And may God richly bless you two as well!  :)

 

Thank you to all who joined us today on the sunporch!  Of course, I love your comments here, but be sure and stop by Mildred at Maple Lane for a visit too.

Ya'll come back anytime!   And God bless you all richly too!  :)

 

♥ Tammy ♥