Around our Home in December/January

Today I will share with you some of our birds, deer --and a beautiful picture (above) I took of our sky one evening in December, 2012.  Isn't it gorgeous?  We had so much rain and dreariness in December --that when we did get a pretty sky (here and there), we had to get out and take a picture...

We see deer around our home ALOT all year long... Recently,  I'm sure they are hungry --so we seem to see them more on the golf course fairway behind our home.  Even though there's not much for them to eat in our yard now,  we still spray Liquid Fence to keep them OUT of the yard.  BUT--I love deer.  Aren't they gorgeous?  There were about 4-5 of them that day--and they were staring at me.... ha

One of the deer came a little closer ---so I could get a better shot with my long lens.  Isn't he just gorgeous?

And on another day,  another group stopped by --and I got this picture of one of them who came a little closer into our backyard.  Love those big ears--although they aren't nearly as large as the Mule Deer.. Have you seen them?

I showed you some of my Backyard Birds in THIS post on December 17,  so today I will show you a few more of my little Darlin's....  I've talked about all of our Goldfinch this year... But--we also have some HOUSE FINCHES around... Here is one (above) of the Male House Finches... I love his RED colors.

The Bluebirds have been coming around alot lately --as do most of the birds when it's winter and COLD... This is a gorgeous picture of a male Bluebird --with a Goldfinch and a Tufted Titmouse I think to the left.  EASTERN BLUEBIRDS are still some of the prettiest little birds around I think.

Here is a picture of two Bluebirds at the suet feeder...  Bluebirds ---as do most of the birds--will eat most anything during the winter.   They seem to like the suet and also the fruit/nut combination in the plate feeder.

I love our little DOWNY WOODPECKERS.  Like the Red-bellied Woodpeckers,  they are with us year-round---and love the suet...

Here is one of my all-time favorite birds,  the huge PILEATED WOODPECKER.  They (like the Red-bellied Woodpeckers) make alot of NOISE before coming to the feeders.  AND --even though they are very large birds,  they seem to be able to handle themselves quite well at the feeders...  Sometimes they come to this feeder and hang on --and other times,  they come to the other suet feeder...

Finally,  here are a couple of photos I took of another favorite bird,  the NORTHERN FLICKER WOODPECKER...  I love these birds --and was lucky to catch him on the deck...

Here's one more of that gorgeous Northern Flicker.  He's looking up at the suet feeder waiting his turn for some dinner!!!!!

Hope you enjoyed seeing pictures around our home this past month or so... There's never a dull moment living here in the mountains of Tennessee...

On another note,  prayers for the family of Leontien--who lost her battle to cancer on Wednesday.  Many of us have followed her on Blogger --and have prayed for her.  She certainly fought the good fight.  I'm not sure I've ever seen anyone fight as hard.  God rest her soul.  She is now out-of-pain and with God....

Have a great weekend and I'll see you on Monday.

Hugs,

Emoticons

Christmases Past (2001-2008)

2001 Christmas Tree

I had some fun going through old Christmas pictures since George and I got married.... SO---today I thought I'd share with you a picture from each Christmas between 2001-2008.   Hope you enjoy them!!!!! (When I do this,  I always find out how much better photos are now than they were years ago... SO--some of the earlier pictures are not the best quality! Oh Well---hope you like them anyhow.  Some will enlarge--and some won't.)

The picture above is our first Christmas tree in 2001... The angel is almost as large as the tree... ha ha....  We were living in our little townhouse in Hendersonville that first year.  This little tree now sits on our front porch every Christmas.

2002

I couldn't find one single picture from our Christmas in 2002.... I know that we bought our new house that Fall---but didn't officially move here until the summer of 2003, when I retired from my job.  We visited the new house here alot on weekends ---and I loved to cuddle up near the fireplace!!!!!  SO---here's a picture taken sometime that winter.

First Christmas in our Home ---2003

That tiny tree (with its big angel tree-top) looked even smaller in our new Great Room...  BUT---we didn't buy the new tree until 2004.... SO---this was Christmas in our new home in 2003... NOTE that there was some snow outside... (We had more snow here during those years than we have had the last several.)

New Christmas Tree in 2004

We got the new tree in 2004----and have used it ever since.   You will have to go back and look at the first picture of this tree I posted in Monday's blog post.... There are TONS more ornaments on that tree in 2012... ha  (NOTE---there's snow outside!!!)

2005

Two silly people celebrating Christmas together------Who are those people??????

2006

Here's the ribbon (and garland) I used to use on the lamppost.... I loved that old ribbon ---but through the years, it turned orange in the sunlight.... SO---since it didn't look like Christmas anymore,  we got rid of it.  I bought a new one this year--but don't like it nearly as much... (Those are our winter Pansies in that bed.  We plant them every year.)

2007

This was the first year we bought our lighted garland and bows for the deck....

Another 2007 Purchase

Also in 2007,  we bought our first lighted wreath for the front of the house.  (We now have 3 out there.)

Treetop Angel---2008

Lastly,  in 2008,  I'll show you the angel which sits at the top of our tree --and has --every year since we bought the new tree in 2004.... I like her much better than the big one I used to use on the tiny tree... (The big one now joins the other angels in their area!)

Hope you enjoyed sharing Christmas Pasts with me today!!!!  Christmas is just so special to me ---in so many ways!  Praise be to God that Jesus Christ was BORN --and that we can celebrate this birth all month!!!!

Because it is December and since there is alot going on,  George and I are taking a week off from blogging.  Hope you have a fabulous week---and we'll see you on Monday,  December 19.  Don't be naughty.....  Someone is watching you!!!!!

Hugs,

Emoticons

Christmas at our Home

Our Christmas Tree 2012

For those who have followed my blog for several years,  you know how much I love Christmas...  I love decorating inside and outside.  I  am not an elegant person (never have been---never will be)----so my decorations are just things that we love... Many are little things which someone made at one time... To me,  decorations bring back memories---and Christmas is all about MEMORIES....

Today,  I will share some of the little decorations around our house now.  The picture above is our tree.   When George and I got married in 2001,  one tradition that we started was sharing some ornaments with each other... That tradition has continued ---and as you can tell,  our tree is FULL of lots and lots of ornaments we have give to each other.   (George says that we need a new tree --or a bigger one--- IF we get many more ornaments on it.... ha ha )

All of these pictures were taken on Dec. 2, 2012.  Be sure to click on the photos for enlargements.  Hope you enjoy seeing some of Christmas at OUR Home!!!

See the little log cabin on the left?  That was a gift that I gave George the first year we were married.   Before we bought this house,  we talked about owning a log cabin somewhere....  My dream was to be in a log cabin somewhere on a mountain in winter during a big snow storm!!!!! WELL-----we got more practical and bought this little home here in Fairfield Glade...  That little tiny log cabin (pictured above) is our ONLY log cabin!!!!!!! ha ha

AND---NOTE the big snowball next to the log cabin.... That was a gift from a friend when she and her family lived in Colorado.  It is a Colorado Snowball!!!!!  (This is the kind of Christmas decorations I LOVE.  Like I said,  you won't find ELEGANT here!!!)

I collect ANGELS ---and have quite a collection.  The picture above is one of my little Sweetie Angels.  Isn't she adorable????

The angels I have collected more recently are the WILLOW ANGELS... You can see some of them in my new header picture at the top of the page.   I have a total of 12 Willows now---and love them all... Here is a picture of some of my other angels---including the Willows.   I love all of my angels ---and have so much fun getting them out this time of year.

We love our Nativity.  This set came from George's family.   It proudly sits on our coffee table --reminding everyone what the real meaning of Christmas is.  (Behind the creche is a tiny tree with candy canes,  and also some candles...  I love candles at Christmas also!)

Since we don't have a mantel,  George and I hang our stockings on a bookcase.... Wonder if Santa will fill my stocking this year?????  Have I been naughty or nice????? Hmmmmm.

I love wreaths... I think I have about 6 different wreaths... Four are outside;  another one is on the front door;  and the one above hangs over our fireplace.

There are many more 'pretties' to show ---but I'll stop today,  and share only one other photo.   This shows a little more of our Living Room  (which is really a large Great Room ---Living/Dining combined).  You can imagine that one of my favorite things to do is to sit in my recliner with a roaring fire going in the fireplace ----enjoying the Christmas tree and Christmas music..... What a LIFE!!!!!!

Hope you can relax and enjoy this Advent season as much as I do.

Hugs,
Betsy

Life on the Cumberland Plateau

Our little home  during Fall (2012)

As you probably know,  life for us has been VERY busy lately....  First was the big trip out west in September.  That was followed by my son's gorgeous wedding.  THEN---we went to Ohio to do some hiking with our good friends, Neal and Patti...  After coming home from Ohio,  we enjoyed a weekend here visiting with cousins/family/friends who were visiting in the area.

Then,  if all of this hasn't been enough,  we took off to the Smokies last Tuesday to see the Fall colors....   In between all of that ---this is a busy time of year for us in our yard.  We both have spent many hours (with many more to come) blowing/raking/mowing leaves.... Autumn is a pretty season and I love it ---but when those leaves start coming down,  there's alot of work to be done. 

Anyhow---to make a long story short,   I apologize for not visiting your blogs very much lately...  I do try to keep up--but it's not easy.  There just isn't enough hours in the day right now!!!!! Oh Well..... Life moves on no matter what!!!!

Today I will show you a few pictures I took in and around our yard on October 23.    AND--I'll share a few pictures of our visit with  my cousins/family on October 20/21.   Hope you enjoy seeing more of our crazy lives here in Fairfield Glade --on the Cumberland Plateau.  Be sure to click on the photos for enlargements.

I take alot of pictures of our little home --and love to compare them during different seasons of the year.  We had a 'quick' Fall here this year.  Trees seemed to stay green for a long time but turned quickly when they did turn ---and even though there are some reds and yellows around,  the primary colors right now are the browns/golds....  I won't say that we have had a beautiful Fall here ---like we saw in Ohio or the Smokies, but nevertheless,  it is still pretty!!!

Thought you'd enjoy seeing my little Fall decorations up close and personal.   Can you see the big ceramic pumpkin on the porch????  I got that one on a visit to Kroger's one day.  The employee there was setting up a pumpkin display --and accidentally dropped some of them.  We stopped to help him pick up the pieces.  This one only lost its lid ----so he gave it to us FREE of charge.  I bought some Fall flowers and put in it for decorations... Neat, huh?

Here is our pretty Maple in our front yard... I love the colors of the Maples in Fall.

Here is one of the MANY Burning Bushes in our area... This is a very popular bush and there's at least one in most every yard!!!!!   They are gorgeous in Fall.

AND---here's a picture of our front yard looking up the hill/street.  Note that there are a few more ROSES still blooming.  That is our neighbor's big white house in this picture.  Note the leaves on the ground.... That was AFTER we raked and blew them!!!!! Those leaves are really coming down now, just like rain... ha ha

As I said above,  we visited with two of my cousins and their families twice weekend of Oct. 20/21.   This picture shows all eight of us enjoying a meal together at the Cumberland Mountain State Park Restaurant on Sunday, Oct. 21.  We had a wonderful time together.

Here are my two cousins,  Carol (Michigan) and Bonnie (Florida).   Carol and Bonnie are 1st cousins since they have the same grandmother.   I'm a cousin on down the line since their grandmother is my mother's mother's sister.... (Figure that one out!!!!! ha)

Bonnie,  Betsy,  Carol

Finally here is a photo of the three of us cousins...  Since I have so little family left,   I love these gals ---and enjoy being with them so much.  Tennessee is a great place for us to meet since one lives in Michigan and one in Florida!!!!!!




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Last Blooming Roses from our Yard 2012

LATER:  On Saturday,  October 27,  because VERY cold weather was coming our way,  George cut most of the remaining ROSES which were blooming in our yard --and brought them all inside...  I love having them inside --but hate to see Fall end.  We'll have to wait 'til Spring in order to have more rose blossoms...  Sigh!!!!

Hope you had a great weekend.  After such a warm (almost hot) week last week,  someone opened the freezer door--since it is MUCH colder this week... But--I love it!!!!  They even mentioned the "S" word (SNOW) on our TV weather report Saturday night... YIPES....  BUT--I'll stay warm--all snuggled up next to a big roaring fire in our wood-burning  fireplace!!!!

Have a great day.

Hugs,
Betsy

Our House gets New Clothes

I had another post ready for today,  but I'm so excited about our beautiful little home ---that I just HAD to share this with you...  IF you are on Facebook,  you saw my surprise yesterday--but that was only one photo.  Today I'll share several!!!!!

Our home is being painted... Maybe I should have waited until they finish,  but I am just too excited to wait!   I'm always apprehensive when choosing a paint color...  What if we don't like it?  What if it is too dark --or too light????  YIPES---what a decision!!!

I will show more pictures when they totally finish.  The painters haven't started the white trim yet --so that will take awhile.. BUT--other than touch-ups,  they have finished the green....  I love-love-love this green... It seems to be perfect for us and blends so well with our yard and the surrounding trees.. Hope you enjoy seeing the pictures today!!!!   Be sure to click on them for enlargements.

The green has a 'sheen' to it when the sun hits it.  It looks darker in the shadows... This is the front left side near the garage.  I love the way the ROSES are smiling ---just like I am.

Walking on around the house to the left,  I took this picture of the 'upper' side of the house,  near the upper flowerbed and the rock sidewalk.   The large window in the distance is George's little office area---across from the laundry room.  The smaller window is our kitchen.  The big sliding door goes into our 'Great' Room  (combo living/dining room).

You've seen the new deck (at the back of the house) in other blog posts recently...  If you missed the main post showing the new deck,  click HERE.   Both doors (on either side of the chimney) go into our Great Room... George and I read  our devotions together every morning on the swing (weather permitting)... The 'Bird Kitchen' is on the far end...   Beyond the deck  on the far end (out of sight) is one of our bedroom windows.    (The new deck will be stained in the spring.)

I don't think I have ever shown this side of our home.  This is the lower side of the house  where we have a half basement.   The two windows go into our bedroom... Since our bedroom is next to the Bird Kitchen (and since we put our bird feeders up at night)--the Northern Cardinals (and their loud chips) wake us up about 6:30 each morning begging for their breakfast...  There are 2 bathrooms in the middle (one off of our bedroom and one off of the hall).  The area to the left is the 2nd bedroom --which we use as our computer room...

 Now I am back around to the front of the house... This is the right side (from the front)--and inside the window is where we live most of the time---our Computer Room!!!!!  ha ha ..... There is one bird feeder next to this window---so that I can see some of the little birdies when I'm not close to the Bird Kitchen!!!!!

I'll close with one more photo of the front of the house.  Hope you enjoyed seeing the entire outside of our precious little home.  We love it --and it's perfect for a couple of retirees...   Sometime--I'll have to show you the inside --which is not nearly as pretty!!!!!!  Don't you just love our home and her new clothes?  George and I do----and I guess that is what matters...

Have a great weekend and I'll see you on Monday.   Tomorrow is George's Dad's 100th birthday party...  SO--like most weekends,  I'll be out-of-pocket.  His actual birthday is next Wednesday... We will be with him on that day also. Amazing man!!!!

Hugs,
Betsy