cff 2013 | Simple and Serene Living

Friday, November 29, 2013

and now I'm over it

I always love the first real snowfall.

You wake up in the morning and there is a pretty blanket clinging to the trees.



Even the Magnolias don't seem overly surprised at their new white coats.



Yes, the trees seem perfectly okay with a snowy blanket.



And yesterday as I drove to Shaker Village for a Thanksgiving dinner, the icicles clinging to the cliffs were beautiful. I wish I could have taken photos, but there was no where to stop on the two lane winding road.

When we arrived, there were still patches of snow, which added a feeling of authenticity to the subdued historical surroundings.


The first snowfall of the season always seems so wonderful. I can't wait to get out there and take pictures. To feel the crunch of the snow beneath my boots. 


Then when we get back from our lovely dinner the reality sets in. This is my car, which is parked outside. It is covered in a layer of snow and ice. The doors are frozen shut. The scraper is inside the car. 


An old song pops into my head "Baby it's Cold Outside", and I realize I am so over it. There are months of this cold and snow ahead. Old Man Winter has raised his head too soon. 

That's when I went inside, made some hot chocolate, and closed the blinds. Time to look at some gardening books.




 

Monday, November 11, 2013

the gate

(This is a repost from Veteran's Day 2012)

The gate of life is always open



It beckons to us and where it will lead we never know



but we go through that gate, each day in our journey of life, and follow the twists and turns of the road ahead. Because we know that even as we travel over bumpy patches, there is so much surprise left on the road ahead.



Thinking this official Veteran's Day of my late father who kept on the road of life with dignity each and every day, until he passed through that final gate.





 

Sunday, November 10, 2013

talking with the trees

Okay, I haven't gone completely around the bend (although there are those who would beg to differ), but sometimes I just feel like I want to commune with nature or in this case the trees. 

I look at the trees and wonder how they feel about losing their wonderful coats. 

Some of them are completely bare,


while others still sport leaves of yellow,


or red.


or orange.


Do you think when they are standing side by side that they compare their leaves? Does the one that still has its autumn coat boast to the one that is bare?


and does the one that is bare say, "but wait, you will soon be like me"?

I wonder. I think I will go outside and listen. Maybe I can catch their whisperings.


 

Monday, November 4, 2013

pursuing the simple life.....natural cleaning

Does your cleaning closet look anything like mine?



EEEEKK!!!!

I would like to say that it is an embarrassment of riches, but what it is is just an embarrassment.

I hate all of the toxic cleaners that I have been using, and I am on a quest to replace them with natural green cleaners. 

I have a lot of allergies and I am concerned about how the chemicals in everyday cleaning products are making them worse. 

According to the American Lung Association ".... chemicals released when using cleaning supplies contribute to chronic respiratory problems, allergic reactions, and headaches." You can read more about that here.

We all want our homes to be clean, to smell good, and to be germ free, but at what risk are we using all of those disinfectants and bleaches. I think I became a bit of a germaphobe because I have a daughter with a primary immune deficiency. She doesn't have the ability to fight off germs the way the majority of us do, but she also doesn't want to be exposed to all of those toxic chemicals. So even though she is now grown and living on her own, I still want to use products that will keep my home relatively germ free without feeling like I am living in a toxic wasteland. 

I have been doing some research on using products that I already have on hand. That is a good thing because it will save me money.

source
You can get information about using toothpaste, lemon, vinegar, and much more here. I love that hydrogen peroxide is disinfecting. 

There are also some great natural and eco friendly products that you can buy. Two that I personally like are:

Seventh Generation

via

and Method.

via

So now I am on a mission. Hmmmmm!!!!! Now how do I dispose of those old toxic products. Guess I will have to research that next.



Full disclosure: I am not being compensated in any way for the mention of these products. I just like them, but free products are always welcome in my life.

 

Monday, October 28, 2013

bragging rights

We interrupt today's regularly scheduled post to bring you this special announcement.

It's here. It has arrived on the shores of this great country. 



I purchased my copy this morning. 



I am such an excited and proud mama. 



Did I mention I am EXCITED and PROUD?



Did I mention that she has the cover and she gives step by step instructions so that you can make your own.


Did I mention how cute she is and how EXCITED and PROUD her mama is.

Oh, and if you think you might want to browse more of her art work you can find it HERE.

A lot of what is on there is reserved, but she does make special orders, and she tells me she will be having a giveaway of the succulent that is featured in the magazine. I'll be sure and post that when she announces it. 

Bragging rights are great.


 

Wednesday, October 23, 2013

hey, where did it go?



I feel robbed. 

I feel that there has been an inappropriate changing of the seasons. 

What happened to my fall? 

I want it back!!!

Could you please check your mail to see if I accidentally mailed it to you.


Yes, there is a cold wind whistling down the pike my friends. So, I have decided to stoke up the home fires (translation: turn on the gas fireplace) pour a cup of the old earl gray and do some blog visiting this afternoon.

My much hardier kinfolk are probably laughing like crazy at me right now.

Oh well, I never listened to them anyway.


Monday, September 30, 2013

one last gasp

Just when you have finally said good bye to summer. Just when you have donned your first fall clothes. Just when you have purchased your first pumpkins. You come across these.



Sitting proudly in a planter. Snubbing their nose at fall. Saying, aren't I the prettiest shade of geranium you have ever seen?



You sigh, pull your summer sandals back out of your closet, pull on a pair of shorts one more time, and vow to have just that shade of salmon colored geranium on your patio next summer. 

So tomorrow I will face the reality of fall again, but today I am going to raise my face up to the warm sun and pretend it is summer for just one more day. Because PSSSTT!!! tomorrow is October.



 

Friday, September 27, 2013

who is crystal

As I walked the lonely beach one morning on my vacation, I saw this bench.


And I wondered. Who is Crystal? Where has she gone? 


Does she still come here to sit and watch the sea?


If I sit, will she join me? Will I feel her presence?


Like a long lost friend? One who has passed on but still hovers to share the beauty? To watch the endless changing of the tides?


Yes, who is Crystal? I wonder.



 

Monday, September 16, 2013

what's a girl to do?

Do you ever have a To Do list that is so long that you just want to chuck it all, crawl under your covers, and read a good book?

My day is definitely like that today. I want to sit and dream. I want to squish my feet down into the sand again. (Good thing I repainted my toenails right after I took this, because boy, they sure were looking bad)



I want to walk down a long lonely stretch of beach at dawn, while the sky pinkens.



I want to sit on a porch rocking away the hours as I listen to the sound of the waves.


I want to take a ferry ride over to Ocracoke Island


and eat fresh fish on a picnic table under a brightly colored umbrella.


I want to shop for seashells from an old row boat.


I want my only conversation to be with a lonely little shorebird. 


What I don't want to do is this To Do list. But as Mama always said. "Laura, it won't get done by itself."

SIGH!!! Mama's always right. How annoying is that.



 

Monday, September 9, 2013

the sun also rises

over the ocean


and as it does


it brings not only the promise of a beautiful new day,


but the knowledge that a whole new chapter in life is about to begin.

Wish I could transport you all here to enjoy this with me.