cff July 2013 | Simple and Serene Living

Sunday, July 28, 2013

back in a few


I will be taking much of this week off to help with a family crisis. I will miss all of you, but promise to catch up as soon as I am able to return.


 

Friday, July 19, 2013

early morning sounds

Early morning is definitely my favorite time of the day. Everything feels so fresh and new. It is as if the flowers are stretching as they look forward to another day of sun and a drink of water.




and although I love all of the sights of early morning, one of the best things is the sounds of early morning in my neighborhood. 

the singing of birds.

the chirping of cicadas.

the hum of a lawnmower.

the laughter of a family as they eat breakfast on their screened porch.

the swish of tires as a bicyclist rides by. 

the thump of a newspaper as it hits a front porch.

the peaceful drone of an airplane as it passes overhead. 

Yes, I love the sounds of an early morning summer day.

They speak of continuance and of promises. 



I wish I could bottle them up to savor on a cold winter day.

Linking today with:
Be Inspired at Common Ground
Pink Saturday at How Sweet The Sound
A Favorite Thing at Mockingbird Hill Cottage



 

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

so what.....let it go

I have always been a worrier and a people pleaser. By that, I mean that I worried ad nauseam when someone said something mean to me or I felt I might have inadvertently offended someone. 



What did I do wrong? 

What can I do to fix it?

Why don't they like me?

WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY?



Enough already.

Life is too short. 

Walk away from it, Laura.



And so now I do. Because I know what kind of foot prints I want to leave on this earth and not everyone is going to agree with me or like me, and that is okay.

So to the man who cut me off in traffic today and then gave me a dirty look. No worries, I've already forgotten it.



 

Tuesday, July 9, 2013

KISS MY CHEESE GRITS CASSEROLE

Do you remember Flo from Mel's Diner?



Whenever someone did something she didn't like she would yell "kiss my grits"

When my oldest daughter was three, we took her to Disney World. While there, we decided to go to a rather fancy restaurant for dinner. She decided that she wanted a cheeseburger and no matter how much we told her they didn't have cheeseburgers and offered her alternatives she wasn't buying it. 


Finally with typical three year old frustration she threw up her hands, and as she went over backwards in her chair, shouted

Kiss My Grits

Oh boy!!! There was lots of giggling in the restaurant, but as for me, I decided that maybe there was a bit too much T.V. watching going on. (okay, I was giggling behind my menu)

Peanut butter and jelly, anyone?????

You don't have to be from the south to love grits, but if you are from the south, I bet you have a favorite grits recipe. 

Mine is Cheese Grits Casserole. 





Recipe:

Ingredients:
  • 4 cups water
  • 1 cup uncooked old-fashioned grits
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup 2% milk
  • 1/4 cup butter, melted
  • 2 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1/8 teaspoon paprika

Directions
  • Preheat oven to 350°. In a large saucepan, bring water to a boil. Slowly stir in grits and salt. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 5-7 minutes or until thickened. Cool slightly. Gradually whisk in milk, butter and eggs. Stir in cheese, Worcestershire sauce and cayenne.
  • Transfer to a greased 2-qt. baking dish. Sprinkle with paprika. Bake, uncovered, 30-35 minutes or until bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Yield: 8 servings.

Source for photo and recipe: Taste of Home

I think I just heard the sound of rain outside. It can't! It wouldn't!

KISS MY GRITS!




 

Monday, July 8, 2013

welcome back old friend


Thursday when I left Atlanta I was in water world. For the next seven hours driving I was in water world. When I arrived home in Kentucky, you guessed it, I was in water world. I was beginning to sense a theme. Friday and Saturday continued to be extremely rainy and I noticed that most people, like me, had given up on rain gear and were just getting wet. Fortunately my naturally curly hair just gets curlier.

Yesterday there seemed to be what felt like a miracle. 


The clouds began to part, blue began to appear, and yes, that ever elusive yellow orb appeared. 

Isn't it amazing how your mood is elevated when the sun appears. I suddenly felt like it was summer again. I was able to photograph items for my shop for the first time in days and I couldn't wait to see what was happening in my garden. 

Everything is so overgrown I could hardly find the bird feeders. This is what used to be the secret garden. I blogged about it here. It has virtually disappeared, and would need a machete to clear it out again at this point.


The hostas are blooming, but they are pretty beat up. I am not sure if that is from all of the rain or if something has been eating on them. I am going to start putting my used coffee grounds around them to see if that helps.


All I have to say is "Welcome back summer, my old friend. I missed you and I'm so happy to have you back where you belong."



 

Friday, July 5, 2013

up in the air

You know how you think things are figured out, and then everything changes.


I guess that is called life.

I had planned to move to Atlanta in a couple of months. I was looking for jobs and a place to live. 


But then life interrupted. My son-in-law who is a film editor lost his job. His company sold and they brought in their own people. There are only so many places in this country where film editors can work.

Fortunately some of the clients he had are following him and he is able to freelance. But, he is also entertaining a job in Dallas.


So, where does that leave me. There is no point in me moving until I know where they will be. That means I will be staying in Kentucky for the time being and looking for a job here and figuring out where I will be living. 

Lots to do, but I know it will all work out.There are certainly worse places to be than up in the air.

I want to apologize for not responding to everyone or commenting on a lot of blogs this past week. I was having a wonderful time in Atlanta and didn't have my computer. I did take lots of photos and will be weeding through them in the next few days. The three in today's post were from a walk I took while there.



 

Tuesday, July 2, 2013

FRENCH FARMHOUSE HOME DECOR LOVE

When I think of a french farmhouse, I think of old world rustic charm combined with romantic. 

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A place that has withstood the ravages of time and is still beautiful.

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Where shutters are thrown open 

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to breathe in the fresh scent of flowers

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a place to wander through fields of lavender.

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where you can fill your basket to overflowing

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A place where old baskets abound

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where old linens hang on doors

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doors that hide centuries old secrets

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a place that is beckoning me in.

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Join me for more french farmhouse love on Pinterest.