Saturday, November 29, 2008

The Duchess Of Earl And A Gift From France

To Yaya
From The Duchess Of Earl.....
A very special person
came to visit
my little place beneath my Southern sky.
She delivered a gift,
all the way from France.
It was a very sweet surprise
as I opened my invitation from the Duchess of Earl.
No, 'twas not for tea,
but
an invitation to play
'Random Things Meme'!
Thank you, Duchess, for visiting my place beneath my Southern sky,
and thank you for thinking of me
and including my lil' blog in your list.
Y'all can visit her special place at
Now,
this has caused me to think,
and
think some more...
for
I am to choose seven special blogs
(you are all special)
and
pass along the tag.
I am also suppose to tell you
seven random and/or weird facts about myself.
Okay, very quickly....here are seven facts about me.
1. I once saw a UFO!!! Really!
2. I have spent many hours sunbathing by the South China Sea.
3. One of my favorite Southern meals is pinto beans cooked with ham,
iron-skillet fried potatos, cornbread, sliced sweet onions
and
iced sweet tea.
4. I once considered tasting snake wine, while in Vietnam.
5. I once lived on a cliff in Bethioua, Algeria,
overlooking the blue Mediterranean Sea.
6. I once shared my homemade cookies
with wild monkeys in Tipaza.
The big leader of the monkey pack
smelled my cookie and tossed it to the ground,
making a horrible monkey face.
Why, I have NEVAH!!!
7. I have been in the tomb of Cleopatra Seline,
daughter of Mark Antony
and
Cleopatra, queen of Egypt.


It is amazing
that in this day and time,
by the click of a mouse,
we can visit and travel around the world and back,
from the comfort of our leather armchair,
by the fireplace,
in our cozy den...
all while sipping our favorite wine
and listening to our favorite music.....


It has been most difficult to choose,
but
I must pick only seven,
so say the rules.
Okay, I'm sending out my tags
from beneath my Southern sky.....
Pamela, Edward and Apple at http://www.fromthehouseofedward.blogspot.com/ .....
The very pregnant Southern Belle at http://www.londonsouthernbelle.typepad.com/


Here are the rules for A Random Things Meme.....
1. Link to the person who tagged you and post the rules on your blog.
2. Share 7 random and/or weird facts about yourself.
3. Tag 7 random people at the end of your post, and include links to their blogs.
4. Let each person know that they've been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.
I may not know you personally,
but I know the beauty of your spirt.....
Blessings
*****Yaya*****


Friday, November 28, 2008

Ushering In The Holiday Season

A wonderful smell fills the air of the old country house.
Turkey
Ham
Chicken & Dressing
Sweet Potato Casserole (for the girls)
Creamed Potatos (for Tom & the boys)
Mac & Cheese
Spinach Casserole (for Jodie)
Corn Casserole
Cranberry sauce
Yeast Rolls
Spinach Salad
Green Bean Casserole
Mixed Vegetable Casserole (Mother's old recipe)
Coconut Pie (for Mother)
Chocolate Cake
Wine
Tea
Coffee

Indian Tree China













Yes, I always go to Yaya's for any holiday meal.



HAPPY THANKSGIVING


Blessings
*****Yaya*****

Friday, November 14, 2008

Lamp Glow

Don't you just love a rainy, foggy night?
I do. I also love the cozy feeling
of lamp glow on such a night....
Don't you think every woman needs a beautiful dressing table?
Place beautiful pieces of crystal on it
and a beautiful lamp nearby....
Add an amber bulb and you have a mellow 'lamp glow'.....

Rambling thoughts from the country house.....
Let your imagination soar
for it is your souls blueprint for success.....
Know the things you love
and surround yourself with them.....
Make the place you live
the place you love.....
Throw conventional design rules out the window,
shake that hair free
and live in a space
that speaks of adventure, journeys
and everything
that you dream of.....
'From a junk gypsy'
Love your space.....
Blessings
*****Yaya*****

Thursday, November 13, 2008

A Simple Path

Embrace a child.....
Desire to inspire.....
Live your life with such perfection
that the inspiration
you
provide others will set them
on the same marvelous course.....





Rambling thoughts from the country house.....


Life rays...your beautiful energy,
drifting out and into the universe. It is there. It is real.
As real as the sun, the moon and the stars.....
Let your thoughts reach out
and grasp the stars.
Make every day of life count.....



Take time to think...especially before you speak.
Take time to pray/meditate.
Take time to laugh/be kind.

It is the source of power.
It is the greatest power on earth.
It is the music of the soul.


Take time to play/talk.
Take time to love and be loved.
Take time to give...
Mother Theresa...from "A Simple Path"




Blessings
*****Yaya*****

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Serenity In The Countryside

Fall is here in all of it's jewel-tone colors.....
Leaves of gold, amber and rusty red
are drifting in the wind.....
Falling, falling.....

When life feels as if you are in the fast lane,
it's time to escape...
Get away from it all.
Seek rest, peace and tranquility.
A remote place, hidden from the world...
The island cottage is closed.
As I drove North, into the rural Alabama countryside,
the landscape started to change.
The gentle rolling hills glowed in brillent autumn color
and the air felt different.
When at the country house,
you can almost feel the quiet.
Breathe...
The air seems pure and intoxicating.
Today it is cold, damp and gray.
The perfect setting for a fire and beautiful lamps with an amber glow.
Such is the charm of the rural countryside.
It feels enchanting.
I love the feeling of driving through the gates
and closing out the world.
Flannel-clad, I love sipping hot tea or hot mulled wine
while sitting on the porch
watching the fog roll in over the pastures.
Is that a distant murmur of a quail?
With the fireplace blazing away,
the night has arrived,
casting a misty golden glow into the grayness of this perfect fall day.
Blessings
*****Yaya*****

Saturday, November 1, 2008

"Summer's End"....


"Summer's End"...
An old book by Danielle Steel,
or "Islands", by Anne Rivers Siddons,
causes one to 'feel' an island.
The smell of woodsmoke and salty air...
A gulls cry in the gray sky...
Rain dancing on the old tin roof,
and Lena Horn singing "September Song"...
Swimsuits are wrapped in tissue paper
and tucked away in drawers...
Drawers that are scented with fragrance sachet.
A scented candle flickers,
and distant chimes ring in the island breeze.
We walked the beach at sunset,
wrapped in old sweaters,
sipping hot mulled wine,
and savoured the moment of
the summer's end.....

In the coastal South,
the weather can be warm & beautiful
right on into fall.
But, when the last October moon,
travels across the Southern sky
and the first November sun rises,
that, for me,
truly marks
"Summer's End"
Blessings
*****Yaya*****