Sunday, January 4, 2009

The Duck and the Prince

Prince Jagello (yag-lo), Jag for short,
arrived at the Kentucky lake house
and spotted a new duck...
inside the lake house...
under the chair!
'Grrrrrrrrr'
Rrrrffff Rrrfffff!!

Yes, it's a duck!
Hey Mama! LOOK!
There's a duck in the house!




Mama, I'm going to sit on my bear rug, by the fire,
and you need to do something about that duck!


I really don't like that duck, said the prince...







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




Thursday, January 1, 2009

A Beautiful Thursday

I love the drive to the lake house.
North Alabama has beautiful rolling hills
and I-65 takes you along a pretty area of
gentle rolling hills and pastureland.
From the heart of old Nashville,
we turn West for a short distance
and, once again, North.
We travel the Tennessee back roads
right into Kentucky, an hour and half out of Nashville.
This is our 'off-the-beaten-path' road
that leads right to the door of the lake house.
As I took an afternoon walk today,
the crisp, cold Kentucky air
was filled with the scent of smoke.
The old tobacco barns are still smoking and curing the tobacco.
It's a most unique scent
combined with wood smoke from firewood.
The lake...
reflecting the sunlight
and sparkling like diamonds...
And, the twitter of a few birds...
crunching leaves
and a 'splash'...



Ice and leaves...



Back inside the cozy lake house,
the smell is divine!
A bacon-wrapped pork loin slow baked in the oven
all afternoon.
It was sooo tender
it melted in your mouth like butter.
And the Black-eyed Pea Soup was delicious, as well.
It was full of smoked bacon, collard greens, onions, tomatos and potatos,
seasoned with a Tuscan seasoning.
The cornbread...
What can I say?!?
What's not to love!!?!!




HAPPY NEW YEAR
Blessings
*****Yaya*****



Sunday, December 28, 2008

Quiet Moments

Give yourself permission to slow down,
if only for an afternoon.
After the hectic rush of the holiday season,
we should all pamper ourselves.....
Slow down...stop moving...
Take a scented bath by candle light,
put on those new flannels
and that, oh so soft, old cashmere sweater.
Put your new fuzzy socks on those well-pampered,
soaked,scrubbed, rubbed and lotioned feet...
Curl them up under you,
as you sip your spiced tea
while reading your new books that were Christmas gifts.
Snuggle deep into your favorite chair
with a soft throw.
We have a stack of new books
and I cannot wait to read them all.
"Seaside Style"
"The Last Godfather"
"Now You're Cookin' Tuscany"
"The Sharper Your Knife,The Less You Cry"...a cooking book in Paris!
and,
"Mrs. Wolf amd the Servants"....life with the Bloomsbury Bohemian Artsy folks.

Happy Pampering!
Blessings
*****Yaya*****

Thursday, December 25, 2008

I Want To See Christmas Through Your Eyes...

There is nothing like the magic of Christmas!
On Christmas Eve,
the old country house is full of laughter, excitement...
delicious food, wine...
family...
and story telling.
The boys get snug into bed
and
'Twas The Night Before Christmas"
is always read.
And, every year,
we actually hear the sleigh bells!!!
Oh we do!
It's true!!!
And then in the blink of an eye,
we awake
and,
GASP!!!
LOOK!!!
Santa came!!!
WOW!
AWESOME!



































Merry Christmas to all!



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





Monday, December 22, 2008

Papa's Tradition

Papa is always in some far away land,
but he always makes it to the country house
in time to go to the woods and
find the perfect Christmas tree.
A cedar was the tradition when I was a little girl...
the scent is wonderful.
Today they set off into the woods
and returned with the
perfect cedar tree.
Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the waaay...
Oh what fun it is to ride in a one horse open sleigh....
Hey!
Yaya, here's the christmas tree!
Yaya, I have a reindeer on my sweater....look, Yaya....
Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way...
Oh what fun it is to ride in a one horse open sleigh...
Hey!

Okay, let's take it in and stand it up...


Y'all did GOOD!!!
Thank you, Papa, Mose, Beck and Tom...
Once they stood it up and strung the lights,
we all decorated the big Christmas tree.
Santa is loading the sleigh and about to head this way...
Now he will have a beautiful tree to place the gifts under
and I know two little boys that have been very good this year.....



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



Sunday, December 21, 2008

Natural Christmas Decor








There is so much beauty in nature....
Red berries, cedar, blue spruce, pine and pine cones
all tied together with left-over red ribbon from last Christmas.....
Cost?
$0.00
Perfect!


Are you ready for Christmas?!?!

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

Saturday, December 20, 2008

Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow



Oh the weather outside is frightful
but the fire is so delightful.
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.....
Here in the deep South it is heavy rain.
I love hearing the rain pour down on the metal roof
of the old country house.
I wanted to stay in my flannel pajamas
and snuggle deep into our wonderful featherbed
and pull the down-filled blanket up to my head.
The delicious smell of coffee coming from the kitchen
and the alarm clock that sounds like churchbell and chimes
told me it was time to get up and get busy.
Christmas is almost here
and there is much to do.
Pies, cookies and cakes to bake,
and yeast bread too.
Casseroles to mix
and gifts to wrap....
and company is on their way!
Have a great weekend, y'all.

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

Friday, December 19, 2008

The Magic of Santa Claus

Santa and his reindeer are getting ready
for their magical journey on Christmas Eve.....
Oh to see Christmas through the eyes of a child.
It truly is magical.
The reindeer take flight
with lightening-fast speed.
They must have wings!
It won't be long
and on the roof they will land,
then down the chimney
Santa descends,
filling stockings with toys and joy.....
Santa must work with his elves every day.
These good-hearted helpers
know just what to do.
They make trains, skates and dolls,
balls, toy soldiers and books...
The workshop is a miraculous place.
Horses that gallop and dollies that walk,
And teddy-bears ready to cuddle and rock.




Who Santa Claus is,
there's no need to tell.
Children around the world know him so well.....
Jolly old Saint Nicholas,
Lean your ear this way!
Christmas Eve is coming soon!






'Giving' is the secret of Christmas cheer.
Blessings
*****Yaya*****




Winter Time In The Country

Looking at the beautiful Currier & Ives
"Winter In The Country",
causes one to reflect on yesteryear.....
Another era, another time...
A time when life seemed much slower.
We have come a long way
and gained so much,
and yet, it seems to me
that
we have lost something along the way.
Do you miss those olden days
when everyone gathered at Grandmother's house?
Of course.....
But,
I am now Grandmother...Yaya...
Times have changed
but not the tradition.
I can't wait for our children and grandangels to arrive!!!
Merry Christmas to all,
and to all a good night.
Christmastime blessings
*****Yaya*****

Thursday, December 18, 2008

Winter Wonderland

I wanted to share another
Currier & Ives
placemat from my mother's collection.
It sets such a mood.....
Oh to dream in winter white.

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

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Currier & Ives

To gaze upon certain things of beauty
can speak to one's soul.
The prints of Currier & Ives
have always filled me with a sense of 'home'.
Somehow, they seem comforting.
As I rambled through storage boxes this past week,
I came across an antique set of six
Currier & Ives place mats.
They belong to my mother
and I recall her using them in my childhood.
I haven't seen them in years
but what a treasure.
They now have a place on the dining room table
and I can't stop looking at them.
I wish for you,
comforts of home and family...

Christmas Blessings
*****Yaya*****

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

O Christmas Tree

A little Christmas tree
just for the dining room...
All dressed up in shimmering gold,
snowwhites and crystal.....
O Christmas tree,
O Christmas tree,
your leaves are so unchanging.
Not only green in summer's glow,
But in the winter sleet and snow.
O Christmas tree,
O Christmas tree
I always want an angel atop the Christmas tree...
From angels bending near the earth,
to touch their harps of gold:
Peace on earth, goodwill to men,
From heaven's all gracious King.
The world in solemn stillness lay
To hear the angels sing.....

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

Monday, December 15, 2008

All Through The House






























The word Christmas calls up cherished memories.
Oh the happy anticipation...
I always experience the happy anticipation,
the memories and that wonderful longing for the magic of it all.
Christmas always has to do with the getting ready for,
as much as the day itself.
Preparations for the great day start way in advance.
It's a ritual here at the old country house.
Nothing is thrown together quickly.
I take my time and play with everything...
ribbons, pine garlands and cones, crystal and china.
Polishing until everything is all a glow.
I love the decorating...decking the halls.
By the time Christmas Eve arrives,
all will be ready for the arrival of Christmas magic!
The kids and grandangels arrive with their gorgeously wrapped boxes
and the little wee ones listen for sleighbells.
Oh the excitement!!
I just love an old fashioned country Christmas.
It's Christmastime, y'all!!!

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





Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Christmas Is...

Magic...
Sweet-smelling cedar...
A dusting of fresh snow...
Pinecones...
Candles so bright...
Ribbons that shimmer...
Silver bells...
Giggles of little elves and children...
Bundles of cinnamon sticks wrapped in red plaid ribbon...
Apples and oranges and fruitcake...
Pretty pine garlands...
Rock candy...
Mama Peggy's peanut brittle...
Gingerbread...
Silvery tinsel...
Walnuts...
Ruby red ornaments, shiny and bright...
A crackling fire and the smell of woodsmoke in the air...
Reindeer in flight...
Presents under the tree...
A star for the Christ Child...
Angels...
Sweet gifts of love...
A glass of wine and a long winter's nap.

May Christmas be a time of great blessings for all.....
Yaya

Sunday, December 7, 2008

Boughs of Holly

Wrapped in the soft warmth
of a golden glow,
and the quiet of a cold December night,
we are snug unto ourselves.
The world is put on hold for an evening.

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

Saturday, December 6, 2008

Time To Deck The Halls

"It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas".....
With Christmas music playing,
I am beginning to decorate the old country house.
When I finish,
everything will be all dressed up
with ribbons, magnolia leaves, cedar, pine garlands and more.

Inside, all is abustle
with Christmas boxes scattered all about.
So much to do
and so little time.
Trees to put up and decorate...
Tables to be dressed in their Christmas best...
Stockings to hang...
Christmas china to wash...
Silver to polish...
Gifts to wrap...
Baking ...
and baking...
Lights to string...
More Christmas shopping...
Eggnog to drink!
Blessings
*****Yaya*****