“Life, Love and Cluttered Closets”…by Lisa Smartt

This is probably the most fun family that I got to photograph last Saturday. While working with the boys, we got to wondering what kind of noise that deer make. They asked their Dad, who is a very knowledgeable professor and learned exactly what deer sound like. The boys’ Mom is a local “celebrity”…a public speaker and author of a wonderful book, The Smartt View…

If you’d like to buy a great little gift for someone special go to Lisa’s website…Lisa also speaks to many groups and would be a wonderful addition to any meeting. Her website has some of her columns that have been published and I know you will enjoy each one of them. You may even see yourself depicted in one of her stories.

Local faces who attended included this beautiful family and one of them is our own County Mayor…

Some beautiful happy faces…

This couple knew Jackie before she was born and farm her land for her…truly family…

A new friend that I got to invite to the party…

Old friends of Jackie’s…

Good neighbors that small towns are so famous for…

Friends that both Jackie and I have known for our lifetimes…

This lady was splitting her time between the party and her favorite Lady Vols game…decisions, decisions, decisions….Dear Lord, Please let me be this happy and fulfilled in the years to come!!!

A beautiful young lady sporting a new school shirt…Jackie and my alma mater…more to come about that tomorrow.

Family Portraits

This isn’t a formal portrait… just some great shots of a beautiful family (Mom wouldn’t pose).

The beautiful Grandmother in this series is the most giving person I know. Every year she helps the high school Marching Band in a million different ways. She is at every function and has been doing this for years. Thanks from a very grateful ex-bandMom who appreciates the dedicated hard work you have done!!!

People, People, People

What makes a wonderful party??? People…My friends Jackie and Lou held their annual Christmas Party today. I got to snap photos of the attendees…it was wonderful!!

Don’t you just love “people” photos???

The Hostess…Jackie…note the ceiling where the chandelier hangs, earlier this week…

ummm, yes…this entire section of their ceiling had to be removed…meaning that chandelier had to be taken down!!!

A major repair job had to take place and their annual holiday party had already been planned months in advance.

We photographed everything in the room and removed it…everything…including the chandelier.

Before removal, everything was already covered in dust…

This little beauty came down last!!! Jackie got the job of cleaning every single piece of it before it was re-installed….wwwhhheeewww I was so glad she was there to do that one. It went back up late Friday afternoon!!! The party was less than twenty-four hours later… and Jackie and I had to attend a school reunion at 6 p.m. on Friday night!

I took a lot of photos…just in case…

Everything finally fell into place at the last moment and the party was wonderful. We all were just a “little” tired…

Fresh garnish for the party dishes…can’t get any fresher than this, right out of the herb bed…

Waiting for a bath and then to the party table…

Lou makes the most divine strawberry punch!!!

Getting everything ready…

Being Thankful…

There are many things that aren’t like I think they should be in my family’s lives but I understand that He has a plan and I’m thankful for His plan. If I didn’t believe in Him, I would be lost, thinking that I was the one with the plan. It is such a peaceful state of mind when I realize that He is in control.

Today I’m thankful that it is His plan and I only have to listen and be patient. Patience is something that I struggle with and I am just now beginning to achieve. I am a WIP……Work In Progress. Some days I make good progress and some days I slip backward and have to start all over. I am the only person on earth that I can change.

This week has been a whirlwind of activities and work for me. I’m slowing down right now to think about what I’m thankful to Him for…I’m thankful that he is in control, not me. I am thankful to be loved.

I am thankful to love.

  I am thankful for simple pleasures that enrich my soul and make me wonder …how, when, why???

I am thankful for the miracles that I witness every day, like a sunflower blooming under the birdfeeder the week of Thanksgiving!

He lives there and I can walk out of my back door and see that earthly place and understand that He really doesn’t live anywhere…He is everywhere and I am thankful for that epiphany.

I am thankful for every time I see a miracle such as a slice of His moon…

In my same footsteps I turn and see this…I’m speechless and full of awe for Him.

The wonder of Thanksgiving week roses…

Remember that love thing I talked about…

THE END

Have a beautiful Thanksgiving Holiday!!!

Photos from my back yard…

White Squirrels and A Blue/Pink Hydrangea

This hydrangea is right beside my back door, it’s protected by the house on the north side and it sure wants to keep on blooming this year…these blooms are small but still beautiful…and they’re all on the same bush. See the little visitor in the bottom right shot.

 

 

I caught a few shots of  a couple of our white squirrels, they’re exceptionally hard to get good photos of. I was using a long distance lens so the close up is a bit blurry.

 

I’m editing this post to answer some questions about our white squirrels. We have many on our property and in our neighborhood. They are not common in the town where we live. A small neighboring town has them but that’s about it. They are a bit smaller than the ordinary brown or grey squirrels but they don’t seen to mind. I love to watch them so much and have had a lot of trouble capturing good photos of them. They play with the ordinary brown squirrels and we see adults and babies, they have their nests high in our trees. I’m always vigilant about keeping them safe and have had to make many little boys with their b b guns run. I just can’t stand for them to be injured or killed. I’m probably the mean ole lady in the brick house!!!

Sally and Mary’s blogs are great places to visit today!!!

Caution, dog can’t hold it’s licker!

Yep, that’s my Zoe…she loves kissing her peeps…

 

The reason she is always so shaggy is because she hates being groomed!!! We fight and we usually have a half clipped dog for a week or so until I get the nerve up to clip the other half.

Tootsie, we still have about the same green stuff going on, since we haven’t had a hard freeze yet.

 

Mandevilla and Potato vine are still doing pretty well because they are right up against the southern brick wall of our house.

 

Jackie still has geraniums and ferns doing well on her porch.

 

This is a close up of her Magnolia tree taken from the porch.

This old concrete pot is in the yard, unprotected, and still going strong.