Flowers, Friends and Family

Hell's Fire Iris

As you know (from all of my posts recently from our yard),  Spring has been very good to us here on the Cumberland Plateau.  Right now,  we still have some Azaleas blooming,  some Roses beginning to bloom,  our Rhododendrons are blooming,  AND lots and lots of beautiful IRISES blooming...    I think  (as of now) that we have 16 different varieties of Bearded Irises blooming.   I showed you two of them (Autumn Bugler and Honey Glazed) in a previous post.  Today,  I'll show you a few more of our Irises.... Hope you enjoy seeing them.   Be sure to click on them for larger views...

Clarence Iris

Blatant Iris

Waltz Across Texas Iris

Hemstitched Iris  (my favorite out of this group)

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Max,  Teacher Betsy, Sharon

On another note,  you have to read this story!!!!!  I started teaching high school in 1965.  This was my first job after graduating from college in 1964.  I taught Choral Music and Math at West High School  in Knoxville, Tennessee from 1965-71.   I loved my first job ---and loved the students that I taught...

Anyhow--to make a long story short,  through Facebook,   I caught up with a couple of my favorite students.  Max and Sharon were 'sweethearts' in high school.  After they graduated and when I left Knoxville,  I lost total contact with them.  This past weekend,  they came to Crossville to camp---so we met back up --after 43 years...

What JOY for me!!!!  This couple did get married at age 18/19,  and are still very much in love after all of these years.  They have 2 married sons and I think, four grandchildren now.  Both Max and Sharon are retired and live in Maryville, TN.   They are such wonderful people --and I'm so glad that I could catch back up with them. 

They were so complimentary of me ---and what a difference I had made in their lives.  That makes me feel so good --since none of us know how we can affect others as we go through life.  I do know that I loved teaching ---and tried to do a good job sharing my deep love of music with all that I taught.

The funny part now is that I'm only about 9 years older than they are... As their teacher,  I'm sure they thought that I was much older back then!!!!! Isn't that a hoot??????

Thanks Max and Sharon for the wonderful visit!!!!!  I am so proud of the great Christian people you became. You two have obviously done alot to make a difference in the lives of others.  God Bless You both.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Dawn and Jeff

Besides meeting Max and Sharon this past Friday,  George and I also spent part of Saturday  with son Jeff and his fiance, Dawn.   I don't know if it's because I am so happy in my marriage or if it's because Jeff had a rough first marriage,  but I am SO excited for this couple.   It's almost as if  "I" am getting married all over again!!!!! ha

Dawn is 'everything' a mother could ever ask for as a bride for her son.  These two are like George and me----they are good for each other and compliment each other.

The picture above is one of MANY pictures they made to use as 'engagement photos'... Isn't it a great picture???? I'm sure I've mentioned this many times,  but their wedding will be in October!!!!

Have a great day ---and thanks to so many of you for finding my two  surprises (the heart and the teeth) in my last post...  I often wonder how many people actually 'read' my blog --and how many just scan it.  (I hate to admit it, but I have been guilty of scanning blogs too on occasion when I am in a hurry!!!! ha)

Hugs,
Betsy

Fall Branch Falls, near Blue Ridge, GA

On our Valentine's Trip to North Georgia,  we visited a neat waterfall on 2/13/12 near Blue Ridge, GA.   FALL BRANCH FALLS  is a two (or three)-tiered falls which is about 50' high...  There was a short hike ---and one thing which was interesting was that on one side of the creek was private land with some mountain cabins... And on the other side was the Chattahoochie National Forest...  I kept thinking how much I'd love to have one of those cabins near that waterfall!!!!

Once we got to the waterfall,  there was a viewing platform where we could see the entire falls...  We had never seen this waterfall before --and were thrilled to find it..  IF you love waterfalls and are in the Blue Ridge area,   check this one out...

Hope you enjoy our photos from this waterfall... Above is a picture of the waterfall taken below the observation deck.  Be sure to click on all pictures in order to see them larger.

George took this picture of me as I wandered around the creek below the observation deck..  Even though it wasn't raining,  it was a damp, cold day!  I decided to wear my rain jacket --but George didn't want to wear his.

Here is a picture showing some of the ICE still around the waterfall.  Remember,  this was February 13th and we had had some cold weather.  Do you see the upside down heart in that ice???  Think that was there since Valentine's Day was the next day?????

I took this picture of George from the observation deck --while he was getting more pictures from the creek level.

Here's another photo of my 'creative' water ---from up close and personal.   Do you see those TEETH --smiling at me?????  Actually,  you can almost make out a distorted face.....  My My!!!!!!  How 'bout that?

I love this picture of George that I took while we were on the observation deck.

Here is another picture of FALL BRANCH FALLS ---using my zoom lens.

Finally,  here is a picture of George and me taken at the observation deck at Fall Branch Falls with our tripod... We had this entire area to ourselves ---so you can imagine how much we enjoyed being there.

Hope you had a great weekend.  We had a wonderful time with family and friends,  and luckily (as opposed to other areas of the country),  we had a beautiful weekend weather-wise also.    Prayers for those in the path of all of those storms.

Hugs,
Betsy