Wednesday, January 14, 2009

A Splash of Pink


Yes, I love pink and green...
It feels bright and tropical
on such a cold day.
And, when the oleander blooms
the entire yard is bursting with pink.
I hope you are snuggled in by the fire
on this very cold winter night.
Winter blessings while dreaming in pink and green.
*****Yaya*****

Saturday, January 10, 2009

Sitting On The Dock Of The Bay


Watching the time slip away.....
I'll be sitting on the dock of the bay
watching time.

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

Friday, January 9, 2009

Another Island Sunset


Approaching the island by boat
and seeing it in all of its glory...
Kissed by a sunset.
Blessings
*****Yaya*****

Alligator Watch


Ssshhh....
Is there really an alligator
living
in
the bird sanctuary?!?

Thursday, January 8, 2009

A Sunset Lullaby

Music provided by 'The Seabirds'.....

Where Dreams Begin

Being little.....
Wrapped in love.....
Encouraged to dream.....
And told to chase your dreams.....


Because you can do it.....

And always knowing
there is a beacon of light
to guide you.....
Someone believing in you
and
your dreams.....
Let your spirit soar.....
Flying.....
Flying.....
If you can dream it,
you can be it.






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



Wednesday, January 7, 2009

My Southern Sunset


Sunsets and salt air...
If one could only bottle and sell it...
It is more healing than all the medicine.
Sunset Blessings
*****Yaya*****

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

Gift From the Island

Peaceful Serenity

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

The Essence of Bliss

On this island I have had such a glimpse...
Such peace...
Such beauty...
Blissful Blessings
*****Yaya*****

Monday, January 5, 2009

Winter Beach Days


















Treasured days...
There are places that call out to one's spirit,
giving us their secrets,
mingling their magic into our lives.
Escape to an island...
the outer banks of paradise.


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

Sunday, January 4, 2009

On Island Time

Our little sugahbear, Jag
as excited as we are
to be on island time.....
Welcome.....
It always feels so good
when I step inside our little island cottage
and see
"WELCOME TO OUR BEACH HOUSE".....

My hand painted signs remind me to
"Relax By The Sea".....












Relaxing ocean breezes...
lazy island days...
books to read...
paintings to gaze upon and move the soul...
I love my "DD" painting...
Thank you, DD!
Now, to find the perfect frame.
This painting will always be one of my island treasures...
You can visit her island blog at

This makes me think of Katrina Key...
An empty stretch of island that was split from our island
during Katrina...
thus the name, Katrina Key...













Another oh-so-special painting,
painted by a dear friend.
It is suppose to be the two of us on island time!
I love it, Sandi!!
It will forever be a treasure...









And a lovely little journal to
jot down my
"Thoughts by the Sea".....










Coastal Living...
It's soul soothing...
Just what the doctor ordered.....
Aaahhh, ISLAND TIME!

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








An Island State of Mind

If ever you sleep on an island,
it will call to your soul
forever and ever.
Blessings
*****Yaya*****

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*****