A Moment

So I was sitting on the back patio contemplating the deep question "what's for dinner?" when I saw a red tailed hawk fly into my backyard and land in the bald cypress tree right in front of me. It was beautiful and amazing and just as fast as he landed, he took off again and was gone. I've never been visited by a red tail in my backyard before...it was neat!

Taste Test

So, it was brought to my attention recently that Tasha resembles Olivia...whatya think?
Either way, cuteness RULES!

KitchenSPLODE!

Soooo, I was really tired last night and decided the kitchen would wait until the morning, but not before I noted to my husband that it looked like a bomb went off. I sleepily stumbled into the kitchen this morning to find comedic evidence of my kitchen bomb. Hope your laugh is as hearty as mine.

Nostalgia in the kitchen

So one of our favorite meals for dinner is breakfast!
I had a craving this week and a pint of blueberries just screaming to jump into some pancake batter. I had promised the hubster I would make a big breakfast spread and that it was!
Blueberry pancakes, homemade biscuits and gravy, fruit salad, bacon and scrambled eggs. YUMMY!
I have always used the same recipe for pancakes as long as I have been cooking and as I took my cookbook out to retrieve the recipe I was hit with a waive of nostalgia. This was my very first cook book that I got for Christmas when I was about 8 or 9 years old.



I remember pouring over the recipes, excited to try each and every one and I think I did. I was always so pleased with myself as a young cook as I would measure and pour and mix and blend.
As an adult, I love to cook and even more, love to feed people. I know this desire was heavily influenced by all the many years I watched mama in the kitchen as she prepared meals for our family just about every night. There may have been chaos in the rest of our lives, but there was always dinner on the table and and for many years, we were all at the table together to enjoy her culinary creations.
I have managed to find many of the most coveted family recipes by both mama and my memaw and cherish them. I love that cooking bring me so much joy!

History Lesson

As I sat out on my back patio this evening, enjoying the lushness of my backyard oasis , my mind wandered to my mother and my grandparents and how they have influenced my love of digging in the dirt. I started to think about all of the treasures that I have and the history they carry and the legacy that they have born in the next generation of an endeared family passion.
I thought I would take you on a stroll into my garden to see where these treasures have been and where they are now. Grab your laptop and head out to the porch swing with an ice cold glass of tea and enjoy a small taste of the history of some well loved gardens.



This is my special
angel. Mom gave it to me the first
year I started gardening. She still takes a very
special place in my gardens today.



While I have yet to find a proper home for my
wagon wheels, they sit patiently waiting for
their contribution to gardening legacy.



Here they are at "WindDreamer", at mama and Daddy's
house in the country.





This sundial is from mama's garden where I grew up...
It was so new a shiny then.


And in my garden many moons later.....



The kettle, as I like to call it, is one sturdy piece. It weathered
the house on the hill in the country(as seen here)
and still looks great today.



Shadier home now in my garden



Now this fella is REALLY old. 45 or 46 years. He was the first
piece that my parents bought together for their first garden.
I will have to go looking for the early shot of this guy.




You can see him from a distance in one of mama's country
gardens. Oh, and the birdhouse was made with the skilled
hands of my papaw. I still have it, although it basically needs
to be rebuilt. I refuse to throw it out. One day I will have the
time to get "her" refurbished and out for the birds.


Mama's bird bath and angel at WindDreamer.


Mama's birdbath was in bad shape and did not make the move,
however, the angel did and keeps my ferns company.




The little girl has been a favorite for as
long as I can remember. She always graced
mama's gardens as shown below at the
house I grew up at.



And now, she graces the top tier of Mama's
Memorial Garden in my yard.


My duck is another favorite and much coveted
garden statue that was mama's. This was taken at
the house I grew up at.



And now gracing the company of my nandina's
that came from my grandparents garden.






The Bunnies were always at the front door to greet you
in the country.



And now peak forth from the rosemary ( for remembrance)



And the roses in mama's memorial garden.


Now, I've caught some slack for keeping this ol
rickety bench in my backyard, but this holds so
much history of love and comforting memories, that
I refuse to let go of it. It has character and has
perservered through harsh weather and puppy teeth.
Oh the stories it could tell of laughter and quiet moments,
amazing sunsets and many nights of star gazing....


It is one of the magical places I go in my mind when
I need to escape that brings me an overwhelming
sense of peace. It does in many ways to me, carry forever
the essence of WindDreamer.


May we never lose sight of the beauty that surrounds us
and the peace it can bring to our souls.