Partying at the Alford's on the 4th

I think the pictures explain it all. We had great food, plenty of fun and good fellowship.

Thank you all for coming and celebrating the birthday of our country.

Preparing for the 4th

Cute red, white and blue cupcakes that Jennifer and I made.
We got our toes done in red, white and blue for the 4th.

Mosaic Table

Keith laying out the pieces of tile and trying to figure out a good pattern.
Mom when she came over to help me affix the tile to the table.
The table grouted and almost done.
The table and chairs sitting pretty outside. They are so cozy and I love drinking coffee in the mornings.

Carl Gregory Yard Sale

Carl Gregory had a huge yard sale and the city employees were able to get free tables. So we signed on up and got some stuff together. I didn't have much but I made some good money that got me some good stuff for my guest room I am redoing.

Grandma's Famous Peach Jelly

Grandma has been making this great jelly since I was a baby and probably longer than that. So every year when June comes around and peaches are at the best it is always like a treasure hunt to find the best ones. Between me and her looking for the best peaches, I think we went to about 8 different grocery stores and farmers market and could find nothing but small hard cling peaches. That meant we needed to take a road trip. Grandma had to make jelly or the summer would not have been complete for her to not be able to pass the jars out to family and friends. So one Saturday; Grandma, Margaret and me went to Reynolds, Georgia and bought some big and ripe peaches from Taylor Orchards. These were the good kind, they did not stick to the pit so peeling them and mushing them the next week was a cinch.

39 Things You Can Do To Improve Your Life

1. Take a 10-30 minute walk every day. And while you walk, smile. It is the ultimate anti-depressant.

2. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day. Buy a lock if you have to.

3. Buy a DVR and tape your late night shows so you can get more sleep.

4. When you wake up in the morning complete the following statement, 'My purpose is to __________ today.'

5. Live with the 3 E's -- Energy, Enthusiasm, and Empathy.

6. Play more games and read more books than you did in 2007.

7. Make time to practice meditation and prayer. They provide us with daily fuel for our busy lives.

8. Spend time with people over the age of 70 and under the age of 6.

9. Dream more while you are awake.

10. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.

11. Drink green tea and plenty of water. Eat blueberries, wild Alaskan salmon, broccoli, almonds & walnuts.

12. Try to make at least three people smile each day.

13. Clear clutter from your house, your car, your desk and let new energy flow into your life.

14. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip, energy vampires, issues of the past, negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.

15. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class, but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.

16. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a college kid with a maxed out charge card.

17. Smile and laugh more. It will keep the energy vampires away.

18. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

20. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

21. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

22. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.

23. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

24. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.

25. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: Will this matter in five years?

26. Forgive everyone for everything.

27. What other people think of you is none of your business.

28. GOD can heal everything.

29. However good or bad a situation is it will change.

30. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.

31. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.

32. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

33. The best is yet to come.

34. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

35. Do the right thing!

36. Call your family often.

37. Each night before you go to bed complete the following statements: I am thankful for __________. Today I accomplished _________.

38. Remember that you are too blessed to be stressed!

39. Enjoy the ride. Remember life is not Disney World and you certainly don't want a fast pass. You only have one ride through life so make the most of it and enjoy the ride.

3rd New Year’s Resolution Update

The blogging my progress is helping. Here are my new results:

1. Lose 15 – 20 pounds by my birthday (August 10th) ~~ I have lost 14 pounds to date. I seem to be stuck but I will soon overcome it.

2. See grandparents at least twice a month ~~ I haven’t quite seen both of them twice but defiantly have picked up the phone plenty of times.

3. Don’t eat junk food ~~ I do this one about once a week, just to make sure I don’t go crazy and over indulge.

4. Write more letters instead of email. ~~ I do this one for sure.

5. Say my prayers before bedtime ~~ I do this one all the time now.

6. Recycle more ~~ I am doing this at home and work all the time.

7. Be cautious of how I treat people ~~ I am doing this one, most of the time.

8. Give complements, don’t be afraid to say them ~~ I love this one, and I am doing great.

The Alford's Beach Trip

This year we spiced things up and went to Gulf Shores, Alabama. The beaches were nice, weather hot and the food great.

Keith and I leaving for our hot date

Keith and Jamie playing with a kite

Me and Mason building sand castles

The beach view from the deck at the house

And last but not least Keith and I having tons of fun in the ocean

Yard Work

Since Spring has sprung Keith and I have been going full speed and faster if there is a such thing doing yard work. We have redone three of our four flowerbeds around the house, cleared and burned a lot of trees to prepare for moving the shop and we then moved the shop. We took it back further on our property so it is not sitting right on top of our patio any more. One of the new flowerbeds
The shop from the back door before we moved it
The shop from the back door after we moved it

We still have aways to go but maybe we will be able to enjoy a weekend with no yard work pretty soon.

Feaster Father's Day

My sister had the chance to come home the weekend before Father's Day, so we celebrated it on June 8th. We took my dad to Callaway Gardens and had tons of fun. We ate a picnic lunch while watching the ducks and turtles, took a hike to the Ida Cason Memorial Chapel where my parents got married 30 years ago, walked through the Cecil B. Day Butterfly Center and took the trolley to cool off and catch a easy ride back to the car. It was a great day!!

Me and my sister in the Cecil B. Day Butterfly Center

Me and my sister in front of the Ida Cason Memorial Chapel
A Paper Kite Butterfly
Me, my dad and sister in front of the lake by the Ida Cason Memorial Chapel