Spring Memories

Hello All! :)

It's a little funny-feeling that Spring is a memory now. And we're into summer... which has been surprisingly cool and balmy here in mid-Georgia. No blazing heat yet for us! :) (I'm not complaining about that though, no sirree.)

Without further ado, pictures I took at Callaway last time we were there.

As always, if you steal them without asking I will be mad at you. Please ask before you plunder. Just because I was too tired to put a name or blog url on them doesn't mean they're yours for the taking. :D

Everyone else (which means the pure-in-heart), Enjoy!

(Oh, by the way, I was also too pressed for time to edit any of these. Behold the raw beauty of images captured with my Olympus Pen E-PL1.)

An Easter Lily. Pure and white.

The estimable Sibley Horticultural Center, all decked out with dozens of Easter lilies!

A beautiful orchid. I think I have about twenty photos of this plant from twenty different visits... I seem to photograph it each time I see it. :D

The whole crew on the bridge at the Azalea Bowl. :) Minus me. I took the picture. :D

We were late for the Azaleas, which were unseasonably early this year due to our warm Spring. But a few lingered, and I had fun searching for them amongst the bushes like pretty little treasures. :D

I loved these pansies, they were so gorgeous in the early morning light. (We'd been there since sunrise, so I was able to take pictures in the delightfully diagonal morning rays.)

We were delighted to find the Mountain Laurel nearly in full bloom, something we usually miss during our Callaway visits. These are so pretty!

I also feel a special tenderness towards this flower because my middle name, Lauren, actually means "place of the laurel trees." ;)

Bokeh! (Bits of light) Ahhhh. Lovely.

A Native Azalea.

I kept dashing off the path we walked to snap photos of random bits of things like those fresh, new Maple leaves. My brothers looked slightly askance at me dodging hither and yon like some crazed butterfly, but at least they didn't interfere. :D

And... yours truly! I make no excuses for my appearance save that I had to get up at about 5:00 in the morning to be ready for the sunrise service. Blub. Have I mentioned that I'm somewhat of a night owl? My sweet Daddy snapped this shot for me outside of the Ida Cason Memorial Chapel. (Thus the reason you can actually see my hands.)

I will probably be missing in action for the rest of the week and the rest of next week, because next week I'm headed off to North Carolina for my third and final homeschool convention of the year! Wow. :) As always, there's lots of prep work to do.
This one should be fun though, it includes a homeschool alumni and college-age board game night AND a dance. Yup. I'm looking forward to that. :) A lot.

Hope you enjoyed the pictures! Which was your favorite?

On Life, Writing, and Happy Things

Hi!

So... it's slightly embarrassing that my last post was on Easter Sunday and this one is a few days before Mothers' Day. Not that I don't have a good excuse (besides Pinterest) ... I've been otherwise occupied (let's see if I can get through this post without using that word that starts with B and rhymes with 'dizzy') making jewelry, going to a homeschool convention, and selling jewelry. :)

Like this ring.

Incidentally, do you know how hard it is to self-photograph your hand with a ring in anything like an attractive position using your other hand, without using a tripod?

I turned 21. I'm a real grownup now. :D

I finished a 72,265-word novel. Ashburn. For a hint about what it's like, see this pinboard.

I've also begun book 2 of the series, titled Bryce. (Yes, it has a pinboard too.)

I am very much enjoying my writing these days. On the advice of a really good friend, who heard it from our mutual really good friend, I began carrying a notebook around in my purse for on-the-go inspiration lightning bolts. I've also been carting my laptop along on trips in its chic matching aqua sleeve and writing in hotel rooms and waiting rooms. :D Writing looks like it's going to be a much better future stay-at-home-mom career than selling handcrafted jewelry. :)

*Begin Rant*
Blogger has completely ticked me off with the new dashboard design. It took me a precious ten minutes to figure it all out all over again. I could have been doing important things during that ten minutes, people. Plus I think the look is really ugly. I didn't like the old look either, but this one is awful. :P It's so white and boring and blah. Blogger has become Blah-ger.
*End Rant*

I felt so sorry for my blog the other day that I petted it and played with it and gave it a makeover. Do you like it? If so, I'd love to know. :D If you don't like it, be nice and don't mention it. :D

I have a post appearing on Meditations of His Love, about "The Line". So do check that out if you'd like. :) If you leave me a comment letting me know you read it, I'll reply with a comment. :)

When I next return, I hope to share some more pictures of the shiny jewelry I've been designing, and some shots I took the last time we were at the jaw-droppingly gorgeous Callaway Gardens.

 So... leave a comment if you still follow me! :D I'm curious about how many lurkers I have. :D Say hi, I won't bite. ;)

There's An Empty Cross

Hi Readers!

I just wanted to stop and share a very special song with you. Tomorrow is Easter Sunday, a day of the year when many people step outside of their everyday, humdrum lives to ponder the fact that Jesus died for us and rose again on the third day. I personally don't celebrate it by decorating easter eggs and nibbling on chocolate bunny rabbits, but I'm glad that we take some time to thank HIM for His Ultimate Sacrifice.

Please click play and listen to this whole song. I think it will really touch your heart. It might possibly be my very favorite from this great album.
This tells the perspective from the disciples' point of view of the crucifixion and resurrection.
Awesome. It makes me feel like I'm there with them!

"Fire and wind now sweeping in... this tiny upper room.
So sing with me... I dare you to... 'cause there's an empty cross, there's an empty tomb."

He's alive. And He lives in my heart.
Won't you ask him into yours today?

Home from the Teach Them Diligently Convention ~ Jewelry Pics!

I'm ho-ome! *sings cheerfully*

Ahh, I can't tell you how good it is to be home again. I'm very tired from our long weekend, but it was a great success!

Where was I, you ask? I didn't tell you? Oh my! I was at the Teach Them Diligently Homeschool Convention in Spartanburg, South Carolina!

(I was so busy preparing for it that I didn't have time to blog for a few weeks!! Do forgive me!)

I wish I had the energy to write more in this post, but a picture is worth a thousand words, so I hope these will suffice...

My booth! Signature pink curtains, cozy carpet for feet that had to stand all day (mine) and new banner identifying the whole shebang.

 But I suppose I should start at the beginning. ^ The nice bed in our hotel room... Mama and Daddy slept well! :D I slept in the fold-out couch and the boys parked themselves in cots here and there.

 Our cozy little kitchen and table that became the makeshift office/laptop platform. :D MOHL girls, I emailed and chatted with you from there! :D

 A STOWAWAY? Yes indeedy - Survivorman snuck along for the ride and quickly made himself at home. (He's an inside joke in our family. We take turns moving him when nobody's looking... you never know where he'll pop up next!)

 Okay. Back to the booth. My brothers' booth was right next door. We had something for everybody! It was fun seeing people's reactions when they found out we were related. "You're one family?" "Yep." "Cool!" :D

 Closeup of the left side!

Closeup of the right side!

My view, all day, from my chair, looking out...

The chandelier earring rack, hanging necklaces, one of my mademoiselle stands, and the samples of the eBooks.

 Closer view of the very-dangly chandelier earrings...

Up-close shot of the spinning copper necklace stand...

The mademoiselles and the back half of the left side..

The wall of necklaces, bracelet stand, and otherwise right half of the booth....

 The earring trees! My Daddy made these for me. I am so thrilled with them... this year we changed to all-white stands instead of the dark brown ones and I absolutely LOVE the look.

 Another view... Hmm, you can see the cute 'cherry-drop' set on the white bust in this shot...

 The bracelet rack!

The eBooks on CD that I was selling! (Go HERE for more information about those!)

The princess-length serpentine chains with sparkly pendants... and a few spring-like necklace-earring sets! Those all sold! ('cept for the champagne-colored square crystal pendant)

 More jewelry! And cute jewelry bags that a friend of mine makes... I was selling those for her.

A closer look at the banner I designed for my booth....

*sigh* Was going to keep this one if it didn't sell... but it did. :D Oh well. Must not be meant for me.

 Wall of necklaces... part one,

Two,

Three,

And four! Many of these are now gone... sold! :D

I am so thankful that I did as well as I did. There were some very good speakers, which was great, but distracted people from shopping, I think... :D Still! I was very impressed with how the coordinators set up the convention, it was very well done and I will be coming back (If they'll have me) ;) ... if they have the convention again next year! :)

Oh! And........

 The Warfare by Duct Tape booth!

The eBooks my brothers wrote on creating their historically-based duct tape weapons! If you know any boys, chances are, they'd love this. More info at: WarfareByDuctTape.com

Off to rest and read...

The Best Ham and Potato Soup In The World

I could eat this soup by the pot-ful If I had an ounce less of self-restraint. It is seriously that good. I crave it if we haven't had it at least once a month.

I'm going to be really nice and actually share with you the amazing, super-easy, (hey, if I can do it, you can do it) wonderful recipe for this creamy potatoey goodness.

Delicious Creamy Ham and Potato Soup Recipe:



Originally found on Allrecipes.com, modified to fit our tastes. :)



Ingredients:
- 7 cups of peeled, diced potatoes
- 2/3 cup chopped celery (about 2 large stalks)
- 2/3 cup finely chopped onion (About 1/2 an onion)
- 1 and 1/2 cups diced ham chunks
- 6 and 1/2 cups of cooked ham broth ...

You see, instead of water, we fill up a huge pot of water ahead of time and boil the ham bone from our spiral-cut ham. It makes a savory broth full of healthy stuff that cooks out of the bone. It's also the secret ingredient for making a perfect pot of soup.

If you don't have ham broth, you can substitute water and 2 Tablespoons of chicken bouillion granules. But only if you're desperate.

Back to the ingredients!

- 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- A dash of garlic powder to taste
- 2 teaspoons ground white or black pepper, or to taste (We usually use 1 teaspoon of black pepper. But I prefer 2.) ;)
- 10 Tablespoons butter
- 10 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 4 cups of milk


Directions:
(The soup base)
1. Combine the potatoes, celery, onion, ham and broth in a stockpot. Bring to a boil, then cook over medium heat until potatoes are tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in the salt, pepper, and garlic.

(The white sauce)
2. In a separate saucepan, melt butter over medium heat (we usually do medium-high on our stove, seems to work more accurately). Whisk in flour and cook, stirring constantly until thick, for about 1 minute. Slowly stir in milk so as not to allow lumps to form until all of the milk has been added. Continue stirring over medium-ish (or medium-high) heat until thickened, about 4-5 minutes.

(The grand combining)
3. Stir the milk mixture (white sauce) into the stockpot (with the soup base) and cook soup for a weensy bit until it's all mixed together nicely. Serve immediately.

It's even better left over. I could eat it cold, it's so good. Mmmmmmmmm.

I hope you enjoy this soup! It's perfect for these right-before-spring, sort-of-chilly evenings. :)

I went somewhere with a friend my age this past Saturday, and she and I had such a wonderful time! I am still editing the pictures from our excursion, but once I get a nice collection I'll share them and tell you about what fun we had. :D Sound good? Okay. I'll see you then. :)

Interrupted by Rachel Coker: A Book Review

Note: I was not interrupted by Rachel Coker, the book she wrote is titled Interrupted. ;)
Just teasing!

Description:

Can love really heal all things? If Sam Carroll hadn’t shown up, she might have been able to get to her mother in time. Instead, Allie Everly finds herself at a funeral, mourning the loss of her beloved mother. She is dealt another blow when, a few hours later, she is sent from Tennessee to Maine to become the daughter of Miss Beatrice Lovell, a prim woman with a faith Allie cannot accept. Poetry and letters written to her mother become the only things keeping Allie’s heart from hardening completely. But then Sam arrives for the summer, and with him comes many confusing emotions, both toward him and the people around her. As World War II looms, Allie will be forced to decide whether hanging on to the past is worth losing her chance to be loved.

About Rachel Coker:
I am a sixteen year old homeschool student from way-out-of-the-way Virginia. When I was younger, I loved to read so much that the taking away of library privileges was a go-to punishment for my parents. Especially since I loved the library so much that I once concocted an entire plan to run away and live there among the books….

When I was in sixth grade, I wrote my first fiction short story for a school assignment and things pretty much rocketed from there. My mom signed me up for writing lessons for about a year, and I completed my first full length YA novel when I was fourteen. It is scheduled to come out with Zondervan in 2012.

I came to Christ when I was in my early teens, and am eager to discuss reformed theology with anyone who comes my way! Albeit, I am a bit of an arguer, but I try to keep a cheerful spirit! I love my Savior and enjoy learning more about Him and sharing what I have learned with others.

Rachel blogs here: http://rachelcoker.wordpress.com/


My Thoughts:

What I liked....

First of all, I was quite impressed that this book had been written by a fourteen-year old teen girl. :) The writing flowed nicely and drew the reader along without any pauses or boring lapses in the storyline. I thought the characters were interesting and likeable, (although I didn't really like the MC until near the end of the book) and seemed like they could have been real people. I particularly liked Charlie (However, I wish she had stuck with Charlotte instead of the nickname) ;) and Russell Wilkinson and his mother Debra. And Irene, Allie's new adopted "older sister".

I enjoyed the time period, although I think a little more description could have been added about clothes, cars, etc. that would have made it seem a little more like the WW2 era.

I liked the sayings Beatrice said throughout the book! (i.e. "I've always said that a girl who does chores has a future that soars.") I found them very amusing.

The description in the book is wonderful. You feel like you're really there, along with Alcyone, as she experiences the story. I loved Beatrice's house, especially. And the beach descriptions. (But then, I'm biased, being a beach girl myself and having grown up in Florida).

Overall opinion: I enjoyed the book!

What I didn't like...

- The bitterness. I found the beginning of the book depressing. The mental struggles her mother went through were sad... and I'm not sure if a brain tumor/cancer growth would have caused that? I don't know much about that type of illness though.

- The rejection. It seemed to me like Allie was mean to Sam for absolutely no reason, after he was so sweet to her. It made me really dislike her right up front. She was downright surly. I'm glad she finally straightened out in the end... but I won't say any more, for fear of spoiling it! ;)

- The holding-on. Alcyone was very distrustful of her new 'mother' and guardian because she was a Christian and Allie was told to distrust Christians by her mother, because her father had supposedly been one, and deserted them. Okay. I can understand that, although I think Alcyone would probably have formed her own opinion, not adopted her mother's opinion. What I didn't like was that there seemed to be no warming-up or transitioning on Allie's part whatsoever towards Beatrice (her adoptive mother) for an exceedingly long time. Maybe I was being impatient as I read the story. :D

But I would recommend this book, and I am looking forward to more stories from Rachel Coker. I hope she continues to write! :)
Blessings,


(I received an advance copy of Interrupted by Rachel Coker in exchange for my honest opinion. I was under no obligation to write a favorable review.)