Fresh

I love the freshness of spring when all of nature seems shiny, new and bursting with life! I love the fresh scent of the earth -- all the flowers and grasses and trees. I love the sense of renewal and freshness that my own life takes on as the world around me once again awakens from its winter slumber. Ah, to be alive and experience this rejuvenation! It is like stretching after a long nap!

A Special Thank You

I have talked about my participation in the One World - One Heart event several times on my blog, and I have had the opportunity to highlight many of the wonderful, creative women who participated. I was so fortunate to win several lovely giveaways, and I was so happy to receive two of them in the mail last week!! I want to take the opportunity to send them a special thank you and to highlight their lovely websites.

From Susan at A Drawer Full of Dreams (http://drawerfullofdreams.blogspot.com/), I won a book, The Pull of the Moon by Elizabeth Berg, that I can't wait to read and a beautiful hat that she made herself!! Take a few minutes to visit her wonderful blog. I promise you will enjoy it! Thank you so much, Susan! I love the hat...the color of it is beautiful and perfect!!!

Christina at Papemelroti (http://www.papemelroti.com/) sent me the most beautiful paper products!!! I received notebooks and a memo pad, and they're just gorgeous! You MUST visit this website and view all these fantastic paper products! I will definitely place an order with them, as I absolutely love the items I won! Thank you so much, Christina!!! I have had so much fun using these!

One World - One Heart has been a wonderful experience for me, and I am so thankful for the friendships I have made through the process. Thanks again everyone!!! I'm looking forward to next year!

AND THANK YOU AGAIN, SUSAN AND CHRISTINA!!

I LOVE YOUR WONDERFUL GIVEAWAYS!!

Christ is Risen!

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

"And as the women were terrified

and bowed their faces to the ground,

the men said to them,

"Why do you seek the living One among the dead?

He is not here, but He has risen."

Luke 24:5-6 (NAS)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

OUR SAVIOR HAS RISEN!

Happy and Blessed Easter, Everyone!

Art: After The Ascension

Heather Hanchuk

Mixed media

40th Birthday - 80'S STYLE!!!!

Dear Husband turns 40 over Easter weekend, so this past Saturday, we celebrated this milestone with a birthday party with family and friends. We traveled back to the 80's, and it was a blast! The costumes were terrific...and some even surprising! But it was all in great fun, and we had so many laughs!! I fogot how long it took to get ready in the 80's applying all that makeup and teasing up all that hair! 80's fashion was a lot of work!!!

Travel back to the 80's with us for a moment...it's worth the trip!!

DH contemplating turning 40 years old!!

Making a wish

(Could it be for a new pair of parachute pants?!?!)

DH and me. He's stone cold sober, I swear!

Marla and Cecilia, two hot 80's chicks!

Beth and Sherry. Check out Sherry's shirt! Yes, that really is Mr. T!!

Cutie Vera (does she have this 80's fashion down, or what?!?!) and Johnny

Rick and Cindy. Check out Ricky's shoes: circa 1984 Stacey Adams!

Duran Duran Groupie, Connie

S.R. Butler High Girls: Connie, Vera, Cecilia, Laura, and Marla with the Boone's Farm Strawberry Hill...did you know they still make it?!?!

80's Frat Boy, Steve (check out the paddle and the "portable cooler), and 80's Brett Michaels wannabe, Matt!

Matt, you don't know how funny this is!!!! I had to look twice when you came in the door! Classic!

Steve and his pony.

Vickie (Madonna) and Dorothy (see her awesome, circa 1985 lace glove?!)

Cindy rocking the shades and the head band!

Jeff in his prom suit.

Marla and Cecilia

Lindsey in his authentic 1980's Ray Bans

Scott, ready for some Risky Business?

Charles and Doris, DH's God Parents. Isn't Doris' outfit adorable?!?

DH with his mother, Suzanne

Leah and Jeff

Cheryl and Justin

Rick and Cindy

Jeff watching karaoke

Sherry

Dana, Mike and Genny (with her 1980's Nascar jacket!!)

Vickie...err....Madonna looking good!

Dorothy sporting leggings, lace glove and that got-t0-have-it jean jacket!!

Cindy

Charles, Suzanne and Doris laughing at the karaoke performances.

Best High School Buddies, Rick and my DH

Dorothy and Madonna sing karaoke. Those nurses sure know how to have fun!!!

Rick

Paula sporting the fingerless gloves (aka gardening gloves that I took the scissors t0!)

Cindy and DH

Beth

Dorothy wowing us with her singing!

Thanks to everyone who came and made DH's 40th so special! We had a great time!!!!

A Simple Woman's Daybook, Entry #11

OUTSIDE MY WINDOW...
There is bright, happy sunshine after many days of rain, although it is rather chilly today. I have beautiful tulips blooming, and my clematis vines already have buds! The redbud trees are blooming, and dogwood trees are beginning to display their colors of white and pink.

I AM THINKING...
That I like the way the sun shines through the new sheers I've hung in our bedroom and gives the room a golden glow.

I AM THANKFUL...
for a day off from work to do some of the much-needed chores around the house.

FROM THE KITCHEN...
I'm thinking it's a night for takeout!

I AM WEARING...
a black, velour sweat suit. Comfy, comfy, comfy!

I AM CREATING...
an organized pantry in the kitchen. It was so crowded that we could barely tell what was in there! I'm fighting against the overwhelming urge to alphabetize my canned goods. Yes, I'm a type A personality!!

I AM READING...
New books arrived in the mail this week -- signed copies of four of Homer Hickam's novels. I am anxious to begin reading three of them. The fourth one, Rocket Boys, is one of my favorite books that I have read many times. You should, too! Beautifully written, heart-touching autobiography!

I AM HOPING...
that DH has a safe journey to Chattanooga.

I AM HEARING...
Purcell's Musick in the Fairey Queen playing softy in the room as sounds of the outdoors find their way inside through the open screen door...birds, a distant lawn mower, the soft breeze rustling the trees outside.

AROUND THE HOUSE...
I am doing some general "cleaning out" that I like to do every spring. Some things for Goodwill, some things for the annual yard sale we have in April...

ONE OF MY FAVORITE THINGS...
Our back porch that overlooks our back yard with a view of the beautiful trees, a few of them ancient, the nearby creek, all the critters that wander by, and the general peacefulness of our surroundings.

A FEW PLANS FOR THE REST OF THE WEEK...
A few last minute tasks for Michael's 40th birthday party coming up this weekend, more home organization, and some time in the yard.

PICTURE THOUGHT...
I love my purple tulips!!

The Weekend

Ah, the weekend is almost here. I love weekends, although I often end up doing more physically demanding work at home on the weekends than I do anytime at my job at the University. But there's something about being home that gives me such joy...even if I am toiling over floors or the kitchen sink or our latest home improvement project.

This weekend, I would love to spend the hours ....

Because there's absolutely nothing like a good...

But instead, I know that I will be doing a little...

and a lot of...

and perhaps ...

And if the weather clears up, I might even get in a little...And it's a good thing I have a long weekend, because after all of that, I will probably just want to spend Monday...

Have a happy and prosperous weekend, everyone!

Lost

I promise I am not lost even though I haven't been blogging for a while (and even though the pile of work to be done is so high that it sometimes makes me feel like it's a lost cause!). We have had such a busy couple of weeks, and it sometimes feels as though there just are not enough hours in the day...days in the week! I have missed my regular blogging schedule and chats with dear bloggie friends. But do not give up on me. I think I see a break in the "too much to do" forest!

Painting by Henri Rousseau, Woman Walking in an Exotic Forest. c. 1905. Oil on canvas.