Seeing

Fall sunset
on the obelisk chimney of the
 Confederate Powder Works.

In Bloom

Confederate Rose (Hibiscus mutabilis).

A southern passalong,the Confederate Rose, has been blooming in the Augusta area since the beginning of October. The enormous blossoms look like a cross between a peony and a hibiscus and only last a few days.  Some forms bloom white and turn pink, while others bloom pink and remain pink.

The leaves are large, as are the tight rounded buds that pop up all over the shrub.  Petals are tissue thin, similar to crepe paper, and arranged in a ruffly ballgownish form. Propagate by taking cuttings now and placing them in a bucket of water until spring when you should see some roots, then plant for spectacular fall color and cuttings to share. 

November?!...

I'm not sure if I'm ready!

A Treat

Fall eye candy...

Have a fun and safe weekend!

In Bloom...

Mushrooms.

Life from death.

But ask the animals, and they will teach you,

or the birds of the air, and they will tell you;

or speak to the earth, and it will teach you,

or let the fish of the sea inform you.

Which of all these does not know

that the hand of the LORD has done this?

In his hand is the life of every creature

and the breath of all mankind.

Does not the ear test words

as the tongue tastes food?

Job 12: 7-11

Expectations

“Blessed to be a blessing”.

I often contemplate this thought

and reflect on how I am not living up to it.

In contrast,

last week a dear long-time friend lived out this maxim---

 and completely blessed our family

by allowing us to use her "cabin" for 5 days.

 In a small way I would like to extend that blessing to you by sharing this special place.

This wonderful "cabin" was built in Pennsylavania

 in the late 1800's and moved to this site in Georgia in 2001.

Amazing wide timbers with chinking,

 huge stone fireplaces inside and out,

and cozy rooms...

We had dreamed of quiet, contemplative mornings,

 afternoon reading, and naps

 while the boys were working during the day at the pumpkin patch.

But God had a better plan for us---

the rains fell all week and the pumpkin patch stayed closed.

While we spent the days

 four-wheelin', making fires, visiting friends, playing cards, and having meals

---all together. 

Five days of special memories.

Thank you.

Coweta County Fair

"Where the quarterback dates the homecoming queen---

The truck's a Ford and the tractor's green,

And Amazing Grace is what we sing.

Well there's a county fair every fall

And your friends are there no matter when you call.

Yeah It may not sound like much but it's

Where I'm from"

— jason michael carroll

Time away

We're off for a week...

 to work at Uncle Bob's Pumpkin Patch.

Moonrise

Freedom.

For worship today,

we attended a beautiful

Kirkin' of the Tartan

at Reid Memorial Presbyterian Church.

"Amazing grace, how sweet the sound,

That saved a wretch like me.

I once was lost but now am found,

Was blind, but now I see."

In Bloom

Yellow rose.

Finally.

It's always exciting and always welcome---

that first chilly morning. 

We left the windows open last night

and had to pull the quilts up and

... maybe...

slept in just a little longer

 savoring the warmth of the bed and the cool air.

 Soon, the day will give way to the warmth of the sun,

but for now it's an oatmeal morning.

Faces

A kind friend

let me borrow her sweet children

 for an impromptu photo shoot.

Immediately

they became busy doing garden chores...

discussing important matters...

 and introducing me to their

---almost here---

baby brother.

Fall in the South...

Football.

"I was a little different.
 I still say I'm a little different,
because success to me is not having the most money,
or having the biggest car or the biggest house."
Herschel Walker

A Blaze of Color

Pyracantha cascading down a hill alongside the Calhoun Expressway.

Oops!

I was stunned to realize
it had been more than a week since
my last post. Like everyone else,
school is in full swing for us
and has completely occupied our time.
I'm thankful
that most of that time is spent here
...at home.

Seeing

Sunday Morning at Valle Crucis

In Bloom

I was privileged to take part recently, as an exhibitor and photographer, in "Celebrate Beginnings" honoring the anniversaries of the Newnan Reading Circle (1909) and the Driftwood Garden Club (1959). The afternoon consisted of a small standard flower show, botanical photography exhibit, and Victorian Tea.
One of my photographs surrounded by the horticulture competition.

My favorite part of the exhibit was the
"Expressions in Color".
"Novices" interpreted a piece of artwork in their floral design:

Degas' "Dancers at the Barre"Claude Monet's "Water Lilies"
Francoise Gilot's "Two Women Reading Poetry"
Andy Warhol's "Soup Cans"

And the botanical photography...

A lovely afternoon.

Light...a study

Several weeks ago, we made what is now becoming our annual end-of-summer-event to Stone Mountain for the Laser Light Show. Before the nighttime show, my boys climbed the mountain while I toured the Antebellum Plantation--"a collection of original buildings from around the state of Georgia, built between 1783 and 1875. Each structure was moved from its original site and carefully restored to preserve its authenticity and historical value."

Incredibly beautiful and inspiring structures
that give only a shadowy image
of the lives lived out within their walls.
Most striking was the
...light...
that illuminated the inhabitants for me.
Immortal souls who had lived, worked, played
under the eaves of these homes and
...maybe...
paused to see and feel the same shifting late summer sun,
as day drifted into evening.

The dictionary defines light as:
something that makes things visible or affords illumination,
an illuminating agent or source,
the radiance or illumination from a particular source.

The amount and type of light on a object
creates contrasts which gives form.
Light gives warmth, clarifies, and reveals.

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said,
"I am the light of the world.

Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness,
but will have the light of life."
John 8:12

In Bloom

Ginger Lily (Hedychium coronarium)

Light

The light of the evening sun changes things.
Ordinary becomes extraordinary,
everyday becomes special,
and plain becomes intriguing.
Some extraordinary, special, and intriguing places in Augusta as the sun makes its descent.

(Mayors Fishing Hole)

(Business in Olde Town)

(Calhoun Expressway)

Seeing

"Some people,
in order to discover God, read books.
But there is a great book:
the very appearance of created things.
Look above you!
Look below you!
Read it.
God, whom you want to discover, never wrote that book with ink.
Instead, He set before your eyes the things that He had made.
Can you ask for a louder voice than that?"
(St. Augustine)

In Bloom

Cotton.
A plant that has shaped and defined the South. A plant inextricably linked with the fortunes of mankind. A plant that has impacted, for good or bad, many lives. And a plant still grown today--real living history.

The flower blossoms creamy white and then changes to yellow, then pink and finally red.

The boll, starting tight and green, follows the bloom.
As the fibers inside the boll ripen and expand, the boll turns brown and the white fibers burst their bounds.

In Bloom

Twenty! Years!

In Bloom

This globe artichoke was not harvested and allowed to burst into a captivating sea anemone-like blossom. Captured while at Stone Mountain's Plantation and Gardens.

Sunshine

For some time now the clouds have been thinning.
This week the sun burst triumphantly through the puffs and wisps scattering them to the four corners like marbles spilled out of a bag onto a hardwood floor. The gale that has been scudding across our lives for the past nine years is our finances. Last April it became hurricane magnitude and threatened to engulf us—making us question ourselves and God. The pressure to “put our children back in school” and take myself off to the hospital to nurse others for a paycheck reached dizzying proportions. As the winds swirled round and round, and the rain pounded us we couldn't see anything but the monsoon we were in—nothing was clear. But God put a deep conviction in our hearts that He has a plan to prosper us and not to harm us—a plan to give us a hope and a future. When we focused on Him, like Him, we could rest securely and soundly in the midst of the tempest.
I have stayed home with my family.
The storm has not disappeared but the clouds have been breaking and when the rays of sunshine shoot through like pure gold, we see clearly. But like Peter, if we do not keep our eyes on Him we sink and angry waters overtake us. He has provided numerous creative opportunities that have supplanted our income which have also enriched our family life---a regular writing assignment, photography assignments, interest in my artwork, and this week three of my photographs published in a national magazine (World, page 75!). A tangible reminder of the plans he has for us.

Seeing

As with the commander of an army,

or the leader of any enterprise, so is it with the mistress of a house. Her spirit will be seen through the whole establishment; and just in proportion as she performs her duties intelligently and thoroughly, so will her domestics follow in her path. Of all those acquirements, which more particularly belong to the feminine character, there are none which take a higher rank, in our estimation, than such as enter into a knowledge of household duties; for on these are perpetually dependent the happiness, comfort, and well-being of a family.

(Mrs. Isabella Beeton,The Book of Household Management, 1859)

In Bloom

“Let's go to that house...

for the linen looks white and smells of lavender,

and I long to be in a pair of sheets that smell so. “

Izaak Walton, The Compleat Angler , 1653

Seeing

"If your heart is straight with God,
then every creature will be to you
a mirror of life
and a book of holy doctrine."
Thomas à Kempis

More In Season

Purple Hull Peas.

Eating Seasonally

Our neighborhood's local market...

Isn't it beautiful?

Home again.

The evenings are drawing in.

There is beauty, comfort, and expectation in the continuity of Life.

The continuity of sunrise and sunset, the ongoing seasons, the magnolia bloom in the summer and the ripe apple in the fall.
Time to prepare as we glance toward the end of summer.

Another Detour

Off to the mountains for a week...

A Little Levity

In case you missed the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest on Coney Island yesterday... These two competitors squared off yesterday with the now famous Rae's Creek Hot Dog Eating Contest.

They would have been eliminated from contention in the first fifteen seconds!

(Maybe that's a good thing!)

Celebrating

Dear Friends,

Let us not take for granted the beauty
and blessing of our freedoms.
Freedoms gained by independence, not dependence.

Let us be ever diligent and watchful to guard these freedoms.
Freedoms that are never free.

"Nations grown corrupt
Love bondage more than liberty;
Bondage with ease than strenuous liberty."
~John Milton

A Detour

Recently, while traveling through Allendale County, South Carolina we noticed a dirt road designated by a National Register marker. We pulled off the nearly deserted sunny tarmac and onto the dirt road. The coolness of the encroaching forest enveloped us and led us down a green leafy tunnel. We could barely make out an old structure in a clearing at the end of the road...

Antioch Christian Church
1833

From South Carolina Department of Archives and History :
Antioch Christian Church was the second Disciples of Christ Church in South Carolina. Today, according to the South Carolina Disciples, it is the oldest standing structure of that faith in the state and has been referred to as the “Mother Church.” Antioch is also significant as an excellent example of the meeting house style of church architecture. The simplicity of the design is carried out in the interior. The walls are plaster, and the original pews of hand-hewn pine remain intact. The South Carolina Disciples of Christ renovated the church in 1976, although the interior was not included in the renovation. Included within the acreage is a cemetery where many of Allendale’s oldest families are buried. Listed in the National Register December 12, 1977.

Eating Seasonally

Blackberry cobbler tomorrow...if there's any berries left...

A World Apart (Day 4)

Some moments from the wedding on Spring Island...

A World Apart (Day 3)

Spring Island continued...

Sometime during the 1780's a descendant of John Cochran, probably Mary Cochran Edwards, built a tabby plantation house on this expanse overlooking Port Royal Sound and the surrounding marshes. Eventually flanking wings were added to the main structure in 1820 by George Edwards. A model of how it appeared mid 1800's before the Great War:
Tabby, a common form of construction in the Lowcountry, was made by burning oyster shells with oak wood then combining the resulting lyme with sand and water. This mixture was poured into molds forming large blocks. After building the structure the walls would then be covered in plaster.


Under the auspices of George Edwards this plantation became one of the most profitable, producing the much desired "black seed" or "long staple" cotton. This cotton was only produced on a handful of islands--Edisto, Hilton Head, and Spring--- and became known as Sea Island cotton. From 1850 to 1853 Sea Island cotton was the "most valuable agricultural commodity in the world". George Edwards died before the onset of the War Between the States. His son, James Edwards, was forced to flee inland when Federal pickets took control of his lands. The house burned at some point and was in continual litigation for years after the war.

Today, as you leave the home and head westward, you are traveling under the canopy of a great oak allee'. About 300 yards ahead of you is a emerald, mossy mound enveloped by live oaks with the ever present Spanish moss and Resurrection fern. The mound is topped by a large statue of St Francis of Assisi. I was told while on the island that this was built as a memorial to a daughter who had died at a young age. Later her sister was married here.

The wedding I am here to photograph will take place here also.

Prayer of St. Francis

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace,
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy;
O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

A World Apart (Day 2)

Continuing our tour of Spring Island... The River House is on the north western end of the island and over looks Chechessee Creek.
Interiors that do not feel like a "club" but a friend's attractive and comfortable home. In this area of the River House, the walls are lined with artwork by artists who have visited and been inspired by the many facets of this island.

In addition to the dinning areas and other pleasant rooms, there is a post office that exemplifies the graciousness of the buildings here---new, well done construction and amenities, but lovely old, time worn materials
Leaving the main building and going through the adjoining breezeway, you come to our favorite room. Lots of books about the island, nature, and history, interesting photos on the walls of the history of the island, and Spring Island's signature cookies!

And the Nature Center next door...

The architecture and interiors connect you to the island itself---the geography and unique flora and fauna. An abundance of life that has lured people throughout the years and so helped to shape and determine the history and culture here.

A World Apart

Last weekend I was incredibly fortunate to photograph a charming wedding on Spring Island. A 3,000 acre private island off the coast of South Carolina, Spring is one of the sea islands with a captivating history involving immense wealth, cotton, war, and the demise of a family and a way of life. But today new life wends its way in and around what has survived on the island. An Arnold Palmer golf course wraps around the tabby ruins, weddings and celebrations are held under the centuries old live oaks, and alluring new old homes are being built around the shrimp ponds and cotton fields. Join me for an enchanting getaway under the canopy of the oaks and Spanish moss...
After crossing Callawassie Island, you cross the bridge into Spring---



Many, many, many Live Oaks covered in Resurrection fern. During the South's hot summers, and little rain, this small fern will dry up, turn brown, and appear dead. As the first raindrops splatter the sturdy branches of the oak , the fern will uncurl and, once again, become green, lush, and full of life. When we arrived on Thursday these ferns were completely brown. A huge storm thundered in that night and Friday morning we were greeted with a deep greenness as we drove onto the island.
An old plantation building.


Sandy roads.
Delicate fronds waving gently in the sultry breeze.

To be continued....

In My Shop

If you're in the market for original artwork...beautiful photographs from my Limited Editions: Spring Blossom series available now. Signed, dated, and only one printed. Looking forward to being matted, framed, and becoming part of your life!

Eating Seasonally

The unadorned rubicund jewels of summer.

In Bloom

These two are constant companions and intense rivals, competing about everything---from who has the hardest chores to who has the best golf clubs. Best Friends who each won their age division in the first golf tournament of the season. And they argued about that!

In Bloom

Amazing how just a few blossoms can infuse the entire house with cheeriness and sweet memories---Gardenia jasminoides.

Eating Seasonally

Bodacious
Silver Queen
How Sweet It Is
Butter & Sugar
Ambrosia
Honey ’n Pearl
The names say it all---Georgia corn coming to your table soon.

Summer Reading

Have you seen this magazine? It's pages are intensely beautiful, thought-provoking, and God-honoring. A quote from the editor: "At Life: Beautiful we believe God is part of every minute of every day, and that through simple daily tasks, such as cooking, serving others, raising kids---and most importantly, coming to a full understanding of God's love for us---we can all live beautiful lives."
Yes.

Setting Sail

(Photo courtesy Captain Steve)

"Believe me, my young friend, there is nothing---absolutely nothing---half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats."
Water Rat to Mole, The Wind in the Willows

Our First Born is off for a week of sailing the Georgia coast with his Grandfather, Captain Steve. A week of "messing"---endless water, sunsets, birds, sunrises, big sky, and time together.

In Bloom

 

Sister Time I

"Our roots say we're sisters, our hearts say we're friends."

May 2009

Winter Park, Florida

Forced Branches

She is a living example of a forced branch.

She has suffered mightily.
She has experienced the darkness of the human soul.
Through God's loving and tender grace she has survived and blossomed.

Happy Birthday Mama!

In Bloom

I noticed on the way to Sunday School this exquisite specimen of Hydrangea quercifolia (Oakleaf Hydrangea) softening and cascading over the hard edge of a beautifully aged and mossy brick wall. We are very fortunate to attend Sunday School in one of the finest examples of Greek Revival architecture in Georgia---The Old Medical School Building.
The building is next door to our church; after our early service we leave our church building, walk the old brick walk, and enter this building built in 1835 and designed by architect Charles Blaney Cluskey. The exterior is pure Greek Revival, built of brick covered in stucco to resemble large stones, but the interior reveals a large central dome that is barely noticeable from outside.
My favorite part are these enormous stones making up the front steps---the top one worn into a groove by the generations of feet that have passed through these doors.

Remember and Honor

And I'm proud to be an American,
where at least I know I'm free.
And I won't forget the men who died,
who gave that right to me.
~Lee Greenwood

Streetdance!

We danced the Virginia Reel Friday night...

Friends,

Mothers and Daughters,

Brothers and Sisters,

Fathers and Daughters,

Mothers and Sons,

...into the night.

Capturing a Moment

Late one evening last week, before the sun had sunk into the trees on the westerly end of the creek, I made myself leave the undone dinner, unwashed dishes, and unset table. I walked out into the middle of the backyard. It was the time of evening where you could feel the warmth of the day in the pools of sunlight, but in the shadows you could feel the coolness of the night.
I faced the creek...

Then I turned ninety degrees to our neighbor on the right...

And then one hundred and eighty degrees to our neighbors on the left...

"We are perishing for want of wonder, not from want of wonders."
(G.K. Chesterton)

Painting Leaves

One watercolor technique for painting leaves is to lay a yellow wash then, either while the paint is still wet or dry, paint over the yellow wash with a blue. Here, after sketching out this tea olive branch, I painted a deep wash of Gamboge Yellow. Don't forget to leave any white you made need. I left some for the tiny blooms at the top of the branch.

After drying, I put on the next layer---a mixture of Phthalo blue, Ultramarine Blue, and Prussian Blue---letting the colors run and mix together. While still wet I used a sharp instrument to make the veining.

A botanical study of Osmanthus frangrans. You can see the finished piece in the next issue of Newnan Coweta Magazine!

The Widows Home

This property in downtown Augusta is a living witness to the beauty and tapestry of God's grace throughout the years. It began serving this community in 1818 when the first city hospital was built, later becoming Georgia's first School of Medicine. The present building, The Widows Home, was built in 1871 and was a place Confederate widows and their children could call home.
Today two young doctors who founded Christ Community Health Service of Augusta have a vision ..."In response to God’s Grace we desire to be a part of the redemptive work of Christ to the economically, socially, and spiritually impoverished communities of Augusta. We envision an incarnational ministry through a community of Believers who use their particular gifts to care for the poor and who bring them into their fellowship. Our primary means for accomplishing this goal is through a health clinic which provides excellent care physically, emotionally, and spiritually."
What an exciting opportunity for many to serve and be served,love and be loved! My boys helped on one of the many workdays and came home happy, hungry, and dirty. The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' (Matthew 25:40)

In Bloom

The temperature dropped into the 40's early this morning after a storm blew through leaving us with a Blackberry Winter---an unusually cool spell in early to mid May. I was wrapped up against the wind while photographing these blossoming shrubs...

Oleander (Nerium oleander)

Gardenia (Gardenia jasminoides)

Hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla)
But I ended the day with a cozy fire---an unexpected pleasure this late into the spring!

A Passion

What other people may find in poetry or art museums, I find in the flight of a good drive. ~Arnold Palmer

My Second Born agrees.

In Bloom

While downtown photographing a Trumpet Vine(Campsis radicans) that had engulfed an old warehouse, I was approached by these two salesmen hawking "antiques." Although they assured me their wares were in high demand and should be carefully examined I, on the other hand, tried to convince them of the incomparable beauty and value of the blooming vine before us. Needless to say, they were not swayed. But not being ones to miss a business opportunity, quickly and hopefully asked if I would "donate" my camera to their cause.

In Bloom

Old hands that have--touched in joy, raised in anger, written in love, clasped for comfort, hugged in desperation, submitted in prayer. Hands that have experienced Life pulled out the old recipes---the old standbys, the favorites, the ones everyone always asks for. They baked their cakes and pies for the famous cakewalk at St. John Towers Retirement Community to raise money for their new van.

Yes...Life is good!

In Bloom

Over the weekend we transplanted these cheerful little zinnia's into the

perennial bed that borders our patio.

Happy faces!

Friends

This little chartreuse anole
---and his chartreuse family---
love our patio as much as we do!

"Girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes..."

Just when we think the entire world has gone crazy, we can be comforted by the simple things.
A girl---pretty in a dress, a boy---handsome in a suit.
Having fun dancing...with 1000 other teens!
This beautiful tradition has been an institution in Augusta since 1935
and is an amazing feat of skill and organization presented by Social, Inc.
And...our First Born wants to do it again---even more amazing.

Sacred Heart Garden Festival

Four gracious homeowners and a church opened their lovely gardens to us this weekend...

A delightful afternoon---thank you for sharing!

Country Sill in the City

"This is the season when the country kitchen's window sill is likely to be its most interesting. A city kitchen window sill can retain its austere order year 'round. In the country the kitchen window sill is a catchall, a laboratory, a treasure cache."

Celestine Sibley, A Place called Sweet Apple

A House

Last week while birding the sod farm in a tiny Georgia town we passed the hulk of an abandoned plantation "Big House". Austere, but hauntingly beautiful in the spring sunshine, it stood as a sentinel to past lives. As I approached the rounded curve of the portico, a huge owl flapped its wings above my head and soared out into the cloudless sky.

By wisdom a house is built,
And by understanding it is established;
And by knowledge its rooms are filled
With all precious and present riches.
(Proverbs 24:3-4)

In Bloom

This is "our" rose, (Georgians, that is)--- Rosa laviegata or Cherokee Rose.

It was favored by the Cherokee Indians who planted it along the tragic Trail of Tears and gave it their name. It was used as a fence(!) in antebellum Georgia because of its vigorous and thorny habit. It is our state flower. It is an incredible sight: glossy evergreen leaves covered with fragrant, pure white petals, dotted in the center by bright gold, clambering up and over a 30 foot pine. I have spotted them here in Augusta wildly and happily ensconced along the Calhoun Expressway and Doug Barnard Parkway, as well as in a neighbor's yard sedately pruned around a tall Long Leaf pine. My son, the birder, has a "saying" when looking for a certain bird called a Ruff: Learn the Ruff, be the Ruff, see the Ruff.

So...Learn the Cherokee, be the Cherokee, see the Cherokee.

In Bloom

One last glimpse...

Good Friday Blooms

Last fall I shared my whiskey barrel planters:

ornamental peach trees, cabbage, kale, pansies, and tulip bulbs.

I had hopes of tulips and peach blossoms coinciding

AND

during Holy week.

Too much to ask? Here they are today...

I missed the peach tree's bloom time...

here in full bloom two weeks ago...

But for today...

an exquisite combination of color and texture to celebrate Easter.

Palm Sunday Lunch

Many people spread their cloaks on the road,

while others spread branches they had cut in the fields.

Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted,

Hosanna!
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!
(Mark 11:8-10)

Masters Week

In absentia due to...GOLF.

(Photos of Second Born at Masters practice rounds last year.)

We, along with the entire city, are preparing for the world to visit.
Every first full week of April many Augustans rent their homes to people--"patrons"--who attend the Masters golf tournament. This is our first year to rent and we have spent the week cleaning, raking, washing, dusting, mowing, and polishing for our guests. We hope they will be well pleased with their visit to the little house on Rae's Creek!

After the Storm

An ethereal bow,

rising out of newly green trees,

painted across the leaden, late afternoon sky.

Yellow Clouds

Here, in our neck of the woods, myriad amounts of this....

Turning into this...

All are anxiously awaiting the cleansing storms predicted for this afternoon!

In Bloom

Wisteria sinensis (Chinese Wisteria)

In Bloom

Abundant Camellia japonica spilling rosy petals over an old wall.

In Bloom

Slate branches with plum colored buds

unfurling into alabaster petals with just a hint of blush

against a dappled, silvery sky.

How great are his signs! and how mighty are his wonders!

His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,

and his dominion is from generation to generation.

(Daniel 4:3)

In Bloom

Studies of cut branches of Cornus florida (Flowering Dogwood)...

In Bloom

Stunning Tulipa fosteriana, more commonly known as Red Emperor.

Impressions of Windy Gap

The deep hues of family, laughter, rain, courage, silliness, tears, music, and Love...

reflected in nature and...the zip line.








Young Life Family Camp in Weaverville, NC

Home

In the midst of all our moves, I began to have a deep longing to "go home". The home I grew up in had long since been disbanded and shuffled to various spots about the South in the wake of my parents' divorce some 17 years ago. The yearning deepened with each move, and I, at times, would awaken in the night frightened, floating free--with no anchor, wondering where I was.

Late one night, as a perfect orb of moon hung in the summer sky, I dreamed the most vivid dream I have ever dreamed. I was traveling through a sea of high green grass waving gently to and fro. In the distance I could see my home. It was twilight, and as the sun disappeared, the warm glow of lamplight spilled out a golden welcome. I felt the anticipation of loving arms, interested faces, savory smells, and soft pillows.

Home.

I awoke to the owl hooting outside my window, and the moon low in the sky. I knew instinctively it was a vision--the home in the dream represented my real home in Jesus Christ, where I am eternally loved, accepted and secure.

Make two homes for thyself, my daughter. One actual home…and another spiritual home, which thou art to carry with thee always . . .
— Catherine of Siena

The Best Carrot Cake

Last weekend a storm blew down the creek leaving us with some very cold weather and the threat of snow. It was a great opportunity to finish off some winter vegetables.

Warm creamy risotto accompanied by a wilted cabbage salad from Frank Stitt's Southern Table were delicious and comforting as the leftover fall leaves flew round and round the house.



But the highlight was The Best carrot cake served for dessert.

This is an old Southern Living recipe:

Best Carrot Cake
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 large eggs
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups grated carrot
1 (8-ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained
1 (3 1/2-ounce) can flaked coconut
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (I don't use nuts)

Line 3 (9-inch) round cakepans with wax paper;

lightly grease and flour wax paper. Set pans aside.
Stir together first 4 ingredients.
Beat eggs and next 4 ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Add flour mixture, beating at low speed until blended. Fold in carrot and next 3 ingredients.

Pour batter into prepared cakepans.
Bake at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 15 minutes. Remove from pans, and cool completely on wire racks. Spread Cream Cheese Frosting between layers and on top and sides of cake.

Cream Cheese Frosting
3/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (3-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
3 cups sifted powdered sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Add powdered sugar and vanilla; beat until smooth.

And yes, it is as moist as it looks!

Children

Children are a blessing.

One aspect of this blessing is how my children's interests have opened my heart and mind to new things in many areas. Two obvious, specific areas are my younger child's serious interest in golf and my older child's serious interest in birding.

I have just finished a pair of paintings commissioned by the older child for his room. The first was an Acadian Flycatcher, this one is an Eastern Meadowlark. After painting these birds I feel as if I am intimately acquainted with them and can't wait to see them happily adorning his room!

In Bloom

Drifts of pink...

Flowering Crabapple...I believe.

Eating Seasonally

OK---sprouts are always in season, always fresh, and always easy, easy... because they can be nurtured in 3 to 4 days on your very own windowsill. Here's how:

Purchase your choice of sprouts (I did alfalfa) at your local health food store. You do not need a sprouting jar---a mason jar with a small square of panty hose works great.

Measure 1 tablespoon of seed and place in jar. Attach ring with panty hose over the opening of your jar. This enables your seeds to get air and lets you rinse the seeds daily.

The first day you will cover the seeds with about a half inch of water. The following days you just rinse the seeds and empty the water.

And in several days...voila! Perfect for sandwiches, salads, and wraps.

In Bloom

Isn't this captivating? Running along one of the busier streets on the "Hill" in Augusta is an old wall complete with an alluring gate. If, during a few choice springtime weeks, you happen to glance over as you are speeding by to the next "thing" (grocery, children, or appointments) you will struck by...

a soft emerald green mossy path..



bordered by millions of diminutive delicate blossoms,



and tiny gossamer petals blushed with the palest lavender you can imagine...





And... an exquisite deep violet brush stoke up the center of the back of each petal.



I love the point that Gene Edward Veith makes in State of the Arts: "good art rewards close attention". How much more so the art of the Creator "rewards close attention"!

In Bloom

The South---encapsulated in a flower.

Camellia japonica.

In Bloom

I remember holding his hand...

his pinky was crooked and wouldn't quite fit with mine.

We strolled slowly...

he had been sick and couldn't quite get around as well as he used to.

I picked the choicest golden trumpets...
he fashioned them into a crown.

For me, Daffodils are Love...
embodied by my grandfather, Dar.

Eating Seasonally

We've been immersed in winter vegetables the past several weeks as I have been learning to prepare things like arugula, Brussels sprouts, kale and other greens. Expanding our repertoire of seasonal vegetables has been enjoyable for some (my husband and myself) and not quite so enjoyable for others (my children), but they'll learn. I adapted a spinach recipe we love to some rainbow chard, it was delicious with marinated chicken and brown rice.

Simple Spinach

large bunch of spinach, cleaned

2 to 3 tblsps real butter

2 to 3 tblsps chopped Vidialia onion

1/4 tsp sugar

1/4 tsp salt

Melt butter in heavy skillet, saute onion until translucent.

Add spinach, sugar, and salt, cook 3 to 5 minutes until wilted.

Simple Chard

large bunch of chard, cleaned and chopped
2 to 3 tblspns real butter
2 to 3 tblspns chopped Vidialia onion
1/4 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt

splash of red wine vinegar

Melt butter in heavy skillet, saute onion until translucent.

Add kale, sugar, and salt, cook 3 to 5 minutes until wilted.

Add splash of red wine vinegar.

In Bloom

One of the Oriental Magnolia's--Yulan, I think. Don Hastings in his Gardening in the South calls these Southern favorites "a blessing and a trial" because of their tendency to bloom early thus sometimes resulting in a tree of brown petals because of a late season freeze.

"A blessing and a trial"---There are many areas of my life that I considered a trial but through God's infinite grace became to be unimagined blessings. Here are some:

• our infertility for 3 years
• financial hardships since 2000
• having to move 4 times in 3 years in 2 different cities
• our small house (1700 square feet)
• my creativity
• homeschooling
  

In Bloom

Early morning hath gold in its mouth. (Benjamin Franklin)

Mesmerizing, arching, living, sunshine---Forsythia.

Georgia-February-What's in season?

Ideally eating seasonally means eating locally---from your own garden plot, if not, then local farms, but the supermarket works if the other two are not available. As a whole, our culture over focuses on food and eating, so I don't want to get too hung up on organics, local, etc---just try to do my best providing a variety of healthy fresh food with what's available and cutting out (as much as possible) processed foods.

Where to start? We are planning a spring garden, but for today---what is in season this time of year in Georgia? Georgia Organics has a Local Food Guide with a chart showing what is being produced on Georgia farms during the year long growing season. Here's the list I took to the grocery:

Arugula
Brussels sprouts
Cabbage
Carrots
Collards
Kale and other greens
Lettuce
Mushrooms
English peas
Sweet potatoes
Radish
Spinach
Turnips

Impressions of Epcot

Love

We love because He first loved us. (1 John 4:19)



Happy Valentine's Day!

In Bloom

Daphne Winter Jasmine

A quick glimpse of two delightful blooming shrubs before we depart for Florida. I fear Augusta will be in full bloom when we return. Adieu!

Eating Seasonally

This past June when fresh picked, local fruit began to appear at our fruit stand I started canning. Since this was my first attempt at water bath canning I felt total immersion was the best way to learn—literally. As quick as the strawberries, blueberries, and peaches could reach the fruit stand from the farm I was toting them home—gallons and gallons and gallons. It was work... messy, bothersome, and time consuming. But this is our sweet reward...

64 pint jars of divine strawberry jam,45 pint jars of piquant blueberry jam, and 45 pint jars of melt in your mouth peach jam arranged row by beautiful row in my pantry. And the taste is a......spoonful of summer.

Forced Branches

"---a Christian, above all people, should live artistically, aesthetically, and creatively. We are supposed to be representing the Creator who is there, and whom we acknowledge to be there. If we have been created in the image of an Artist, then we should look for expressions of artistry, and be sensitive to beauty, responsive to what has been created for our appreciation".(The Hidden Art of Homemaking, Edith Schaeffer)

Be inspired to live a beautiful life...in spite of your circumstances or because of your circumstances...wherever you are placed.

Lord, you have assigned me my portion and my cup; you have made my lot secure. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance. (Psalm 16:5-6)

The Little Black Dress

.
About a year ago I realized my dinnerware wardrobe needed some updating. My beloved blue and white dishes had dwindled down to a few chipped and mismatched plates. I was ready for a blank canvas---at a great price. I kept my eyes open for several months and finally happened upon some white dishes at my local Food Lion...$1.00 apiece. At that price I was able to buy 24, then found bowls at the thrift store for 25 cents each. Over the months I have gradually added to my set of Whites. Why White?

White dinnerware and pottery is the Little Black Dress of the kitchen. Like the quintessential cocktail dress it can be paired with ”pearls” and become fabulous for a formal dinner. Mix it up with flats and a Pucci scarf and you have the perfect casual for everyday. White easily consorts with all levels of society from Saturday thrift store shopping finds to antique English Ironstone received as a thoughtful wedding gift.


This adorable heart shaped ramekin is the perfect example of how versatile White is...individual portions of: baked macaroni and cheese, corn pudding, creme brulee, instant chocolate pudding or homemade chocolate mousse, asparagus souffle, m and m's, oatmeal, french onion soup, need I go on?. And the best part about this newest addition to my collection is the price...$1.00 each at Michael's!

The Rose

“Nobody sees a flower – really – it is so small it takes time – we haven't time – and to see takes time, like to have a friend takes time”. Georgia O'Keefe

Sweet Valentine Cards in my Etsy shop!

In Bloom

Spotted peeking over a stone wall, reminiscent of The Secret Garden...Flowering Quince: Chaenomeles speciosa. The color alone makes you catch your breath.