Honor to Whom Honor is Due

I know the title probably leads one to believe this will be a Memorial Day post. Lest one thinks I have forgotten the fallen troops who have so bravely given their lives for this great country, let me set that straight. I am deeply grateful to all who have given so much and am proud to be an American. However, this is not about Memorial Day but a time today to honor someone dear to our family.

This afternoon we drove to my hometown to attend a surprise birthday party for a sweet family friend who turned 80 years old. This lady truly is someone near and dear to many. She has three children of her own and several grandchildren and great-grandchildren. In addition to her immediate family, she has so many of us who have benefited from her wisdom and kindness over the years---too many to even count. I was honored to be invited to be a part of her celebration.

This sweet lady and her husband lived on our farm when I was growing up. For those of you who didn't grow up on a small farm in the South, this may sound strange, but to those of us who did, we know this is the way it was. The land owner (farmer) often had a family live in a house on the farm land and farm "on halves" with him. That's exactly what Margaret and her husband, Grantt, did. They lived in a small house on our farm. Even though intelligent, Margaret's husband had not had an opportunity to receive any education and couldn't write his name, only sign with an "X". However, they were such hard workers and made the most of every opportunity. Over the years and through much hard work, they were able to build a nice brick home. By this time, we were no longer farming and Grantt was working somewhere else. Grantt died many years ago, but Margaret is still doing well. Her children are all very successful and have good jobs, good educations, wonderful families of their own, and Margaret is the one who they credit for everything. However, they will quickly tell you it's not actually Margaret, but her prayers for them and God answering her prayers. Her encouragement, her steadfastness, her Christian example have led her family to a relationship with the Lord. She exemplifies the woman in Proverbs 31. Her children truly do rise up and call her blessed. So do the rest of us who have been blessed by this very special, soft-spoken, godly lady. Here are some pictures from her day.

The beautiful invitation done by her daughter.

Margaret when she walked in. I know it's a bit blurred but had to include this. She was really surprised!

There were well over a hundred people there to celebrate Margaret.

Margaret's older daughter and me-We were good friends and played together growing up. Sadly, we grew up in the days of segregation and went to different schools. However, we had fun playing together in the afternoons after school.

Margaret and Me

A Whole New World

Our new puppy, Spirit, has opened a whole new world for us. We've been to doggy parks and now a doggy beach. Other dog owners are so nice and always interested in a new dog. No one has been able to determine her breed---we've had all kind of guesses------border collie, Burnese mountain dog, Australian shepherd-----but no one has actually recognized her as an English shepherd because they're not at all common around here.

One other thing the doggy parks and beaches do is provide a place for my hubby to talk to people. He is a people person and loves to talk to complete strangers, find out their dog's name, history, age, etc. and tell them all about how we got Spirit. Today was no exception---among others, we met an older man with a yellow lab named Charlie. The man said he's been taking Charlie to the doggy beach every day for the last 11 years---summer, winter, rain , or shine. He was an interesting gentleman and obviously a dog lover.

We had been one other time to the doggy beach and there weren't many dog there, but today was a different story. Every breed imaginable was there almost. The big dogs didn't scare Spirit and she had a blast. She loves water so here are some pictures of her at the doggy beach.

Thrifty Treasures for Addison

This is my first time to post on Rhoda's thrifty treasures Monday because I usually don't go to garage sales although I love a bargain. However, our neighbor was having a garage sale and I had to check it out. What does one look for when one has a new granddaughter? Little girl things! So, I immediately spied this Barbie Dream House with ALL the furniture as well as a Barbie motorcycle, spa, and other Barbie related items---all for $13!! Now, that's what I call a deal. SO, now Addison has her first Barbie house and Barbies to play with at MomMom and Pops' house when she comes to visit! I'm so thankful to have a new granddaughter to shop for! Enjoy, sweet little Addison!

Be sure to join Rhoda at Southern Hospitality for more thrifty treasures.

Spirit at the Farm

Today we went to the Farm to mow. Spirit, our new puppy, had been with us one other time, but she mainly stayed in her crate that time. Today, we let her get a real "feel" for the Farm. Let's just say that even though she's a working, herding dog, she needs a little more work to get used to the animals. In fact, I think the cow was much more interested in this little black fur ball than Spirit was in the cow.

However, we walked down to the pond and that is where Spirit found what she loves most about the Farm. She quickly stuck her nose in the edge of the pond, then, she tested it a little more, and soon she was rolling in the mud!! Needless to say, she had to have a bath when we got home. When I was a child enjoying this Farm, I had an English shepherd dog just like Spirit. That's why I wanted to find an English shepherd puppy when we first started looking for a new dog. We hope this will be one of many trips to the Farm for Spirit to enjoy the wide-open spaces of the land that has now been "home" to five generations in our family.




Please join Susan at a Southern Daydreamer for more outdoor pictures.