Welcome to JOYFUL REFLECTIONS. Also welcome to MARCH!!!! My header picture this month is a photo I took of the pretty Crocus blooms in our yard... The Crocuses and Daffodils are the first signs of spring here in Tennessee. I am definitely ready for SPRING...

Monday, January 25, 2016

A Tennessee SNOW --Jan 22-23, 2016

Oh --how I LOVE LOVE LOVE snow!!!!  (1/22/16)
Well---you must know that this ole 'snow-loving' lady would certainly have a blog post about our Tennessee Snow this past weekend...  OF COURSE!!!! ha ha ...  First of all,  apologies to all of you up north who have experienced WAY too much snow from this system--and to all of you who have MUCH more snow that we ever get.... BUT--to me SIX INCHES is just perfect....

Here in Tennessee,  we don't get a lot of snow,  and the one we just had is one of the prettiest ones (clinging to all of the shrubs/trees/bushes) we have had in a few years... I remember some heavier snows here when we first moved here about 2003...  BUT--the past several years,  we just haven't had much,  to MY disappointment.

This past week,  we had about 2 inches of snow on Wednesday.  Then on Thursday,  the temperatures warmed up and we had RAIN.... Then on Friday night--we had LOTS of RAIN,  then SLEET and then SNOW... It snowed here on Friday afternoon--and continued all day on Saturday (off and on)...   BUT--it was bitter cold with a stiff wind on Saturday... SO--since I had had dental surgery last week,  other than to take some pictures and feed my birdies,  I stayed inside.

Sit back and enjoy the pictures --knowing that you can enjoy seeing snow from the warmth of your home... Grab a cup of hot tea,  hot chocolate or coffee!!!!!  Some of the pictures were on the 22nd as the storm was getting started, and some were from the 23rd....


I love the little red berries on this snowy bush (1/22/16)



The snow was really coming down at this time, and just getting started.  (1/22/16)



I love snows that cling to the trees/bushes/shrubs... (1/22/16)



Our TINY little SNOWMAN (accidentally created when we were cleaning snow from the deck)  1/22/16



Want to come and sit with me on our BENCH in the front yard?????  Brrrrrrrr.... (1/22/16)



Here's a close-up of the snow hanging onto each branch.. (Glad it wasn't ICE--like we had last year!)  (1/22/16)



Our home surrounded by snow  (1/23/16)



Our Holly Bushes in front  (1/23/16)



Our front yard;  I love seeing the designs in the rocks in the flowerbeds.  (1/23/16)



Shrubs along the upper side of the yard in front;  Interesting how the winds have blown snow on the  house!!!  (1/23/16)



Beautiful shrubs with snow on them;  Similar to my present blog  header (taken a few years ago); (1/23/16)



Taken from our deck--of the back yard and golf course;  No golfers out today!!! ha ha   (1/23/16)



Close-up of the Holly Bushes in the front yard  (1/23/16)



Snow on the big tree in our back yard (looking toward the golf course)  (1/23/16)



Icicles on the heated Bird Bath on our deck;  The birds love this birdbath when the ponds are all iced up....They have to have water in addition to bird seed.   (1/23/16)



A COLD Rhododendron in our backyard;   We had such a WARM December that many of our Rhody Buds BLOOMED early.  You can see a couple of the bloomed out ones in this picture... Bet this Rhody won't be as pretty this coming Spring!   (1/23/16)



The front sidewalk along our garage area;  (1/23/16)



One more picture of our pretty little home --surrounded by snow;  (1/23/16)



Sitting in my recliner,  drinking some coffee,  enjoying the fireplace ---and the view of the snow coming down;  LIFE IS GOOD....  (1/22/16)
OKAY---that's enough... Hope you enjoyed the pictures --from the warmth of your home!!!!!  I am recovering from THREE dental surgeries (on 1/19) ---but am doing GREAT...  Amazing how much they have improved through the years when it comes to  dentistry..  BUT---with improvement comes more COST....  Yipes!!!!!!   Oh ---the joys of getting OLD... ha ha

Have a wonderful day/week... Can't believe that it's almost February!!!!  Mercy Me!

Hugs,

Saturday, January 16, 2016

Happy Birthday to my Son





My middle son turned 46 yesterday... I had fun going through all photos and choosing what to use... OH --the memories...  Can't believe he's 46!!!!!    Happy Birthday Mark.   Love you more than life itself.

Tuesday, January 12, 2016

Our Daily Walks on the Golf Course

Sunrise on Druid Hills Golf course,  Fairfield Glade,  TN  (12-20-15)
As most of you know,  George and I started a vigorous exercise routine last May (when we got our FITBITS).  We both try to walk about 10,000 (or more) steps each day --taking one day off per week.  We sometimes divide our walks into two shorter ones,  but sometimes we just walk one longer walk each day.  Our favorite place to walk in our area is on the Druid Hills Golf Course (behind our home).  Yes, we live on a golf course although neither of us play golf!!!!! ha....

We are only allowed to walk on the golf course when the golfers are NOT there.  SO--during the Summer --we would walk the back nine holes of the golf course late in the evenings JUST before dark.  BUT--after the time changed in the Fall and the days got shorter,  we had to adjust our schedule.  We now set the clock and get up about 6 a.m. and take our walks EARLY in the mornings.

I have NEVER been a 'morning person' ---but once I'm UP,  I am always glad that we took our walk early. In December,  we had very mild and wet  weather---so walking on the golf course was very different from our weather so far in January...

Last August,  I published one blog post showing pictures from our 'night' walks on the golf course.  Click HERE to re-visit that post, and to see a diagram of these walks.... SO--today I'll share some pictures from our morning walks in December and January... Hope you enjoy them!


One of our FEW colder mornings in December (12-20-15);  I was enjoying watching the sun come up!!!!!



Foggy Walk on 12-23-15



Interesting sky (12-27-15)



Can you believe that on DECEMBER 27, 2015 (like many other days in December this past year),  it was warm enough to walk in shorts and a short-sleeved shirt?????? Mercy Me!





LOOK what happened on 12-31-15!!!!!   It got cold FINALLY.



With the colder weather here,  the morning skies became even more glorious.  (1-4-16)



WOW!!!!  What a glorious sunrise (1-5-16)



I am always intrigued with the reflections in the pond.  This was taken on 1-5-16 looking away from the sun,  at the beauty behind us.



Look how TALL we are!!!!!!  Just think---if I was that tall,  I wouldn't have to worry about my weight as much... ha ha ha (1-5-16)



I named this "Winter Sky"..... I love the clouds and blue sky in this photo.  (1-7-16)



The 'opposite' of the picture above this one;  See the reflections in the pond of the "Winter Sky"???  (1-7-16)



Another pretty sky picture --after the sun got higher in the sky  (1-7-16)



"Red Sky in the Morning---Sailor take WARNING"----The day before the Winter Storm came!!!  (1-9-16)



Reflections in the Pond of that RED SKY (pictured above this one);  See how much I love reflections!!!!! ha  (1-9-16)



Our TINY snow on 1-10-16;  This is a picture of the holly bushes in our front yard... BUT--along with that tiny snow,  the temperatures dropped BIGTIME!!!!!  Brrrrrrr.



Icicles at the Pond (1-11-16);  This was our COLDEST walk so far (temperature 6 degrees when we left home)..... Yipes!



Looking at the snow on the cattails,  the reflections and some mist in another of the ponds we pass on our daily walks  (1-11-16)



And my favorite picture of that frigid morning (1-11-16) while we walked on the golf course;  I loved seeing that sunrise glistening on the snow....
WELL--- getting exercise is SO important for ALL of us (Yes---you too)... George and I are truly blessed to live in such a marvelous place where we can get the exercise needed,  but can also have SO much beauty around us...

Hope you enjoyed my pictures.   NOW---get out and take a walk!!!!!!

Hugs,