The Scenery...

This is a fruit tree we saw on the plantation in Jamaica. I can't remember the name of it. Anyone else know? They opened it up like a bell pepper, but ate the middle...

My favorite flower in Jamaica...

The coconuts were plentiful...





Did someone say Guacamole??

Pecan Lane

Quiet, peaceful and perfect...

This picture is of a special street in the town of Barnwell, South Carolina. It takes atleast 3 hours to get here, but I go as often as I can. When I study this photo, I can see past the empty street to a picture in my mind that is perfect. I see a happy couple taking quiet strolls, holding hands, talking about the past and dreaming about their future. Laughing and singing, playing and teasing, the perfect way to relax and unwind from their busy day. I also see children riding bicycles and scooters, motorcycles, or 4-wheelers down the bumpy road. Balls being tossed in the air or just lying on the ground, maybe even hidden underneath an arm while the children buzz around. I see squirrels playing in the trees and hiding treats deep inside some leaves. I see many different kinds of birds singing and sharing while sitting up high on the huge branches. Lots of Pecans, Magnolias, Dogwoods, Pines and Oaks... wonderful trees all woven together as a canopy making this shady path seem so inviting. I definately can see rest, happiness and love but most importantly I can see home... 

The Chicken Coop

I came across this wonderful chicken house while driving thru a North Augusta neighborhood. It is interesting to me how the people who built it took great care and made such a great place for their chickens! The streets were lined with very expensive houses on the banks of the Savannah River.  One was underconstruction and was open with no one around...and...YES...of course we went in!! Oh my!! How huge it was! It even had an elevator! The people live large and I guess...so do the chickens!!

Amazing

I am so excited to share this picture! It is probably one of my favorites! These are my two boys with my best friend. He took them on a walk through the woods one Sunday afternoon. I trampled along behind them... just to take pictures.  I really love the intensity in their faces. I love that they are listening to him explain and explore. I should have taken a picture of the tree they were discussing. I wish I had. It was crooked and all of them had different theories about how it got that way. It is wonderful to see this bond between the three of them. He allows them to have an opinion and listens to why they think what they do. They talk about all the options and then he may suggest what he thinks really happened. It is AMAZING how much love and respect can come from just a walk in the woods. I hope one day they will walk together in the woods again, so I can tag along behind...just waiting for that special moment. ~Sunshine~

Cook House

This picture was taken by my daughter while visiting in Barnwell, South Carolina. I am standing on the porch with my best friend. We went house hunting that day...trying to find just the right place for him to "hang his hat". I have never heard of a cook house before, but I enjoyed so much visiting it. I can see many different things happening here...lots of laughter, food, family, friends. The furniture was gorgeous and I bet you could get some of it if you made an offer on the entire property. It was a beautful place and I am sure it will make someone just the perfect home one day. After awwing and oooing all over the place, we were off to the next house on the list. What a wonderful day we had searching and searching! I love the memories that were created on this day!

Mommie and Daughter Day

Today was a Mommie and Daughter Day...

It is amazing how close a mom and daughter can be when trouble comes to one of them. I have experienced my share in the last few years and my daughter has been right beside me through it all. She was my shoulder to cry on, my strength to go forward and sometimes the wisdom I needed when no one else was there. I thank God for her every single day.

This week and especially today, I have had to be that strong force in her life to help her deal with a hard situation. Tonight, she thanked me... for yes...taking her cell phone and her computer. I hate to see her in pain and I hate to see her sad, because I feel all of it right along with her. Right decisions and wrong decisions, we can seem to work them out together. Between all the tears, we can find a few laughs, a bunch of hugs, even a late afternoon nap.

Let me encourage all of you to love your daughters (and sons) with that never ending love, always understanding love, that stern love that they need during those tender years. I will cherish this week for many, many years to come.

Thank you Olivia Grace Campbell...I love you!!

Freedom

Battered, bruised and broken...we breathe.

Forward, finally and forever...we feel.

Power, pain and plenty...we ponder.

New, now and next...we need.

Tired, tattered and together...we tread.

Walking, wishing and wanting...we wander.

Happiness, health and home...we honor.

Silly Putty, Sugar and Sweetheart...we share.

Looking, laughing and loving...we land.

Freedom

~Sunshine 5/26/10~

My First Fishing Trip

Not the best picture of me...but what a fish!! Ha ha ha...

This a picture of my first fishing trip ever...and the catfish I brought back with me. Some very special friends were "babysitting" me that day and I enjoyed it very much! Thanks for sharing your day with me! It was the best! I hope we get to go again really soon. It was a tasty treat for supper!

Dreaming...

2010 Chevy Camaro

Dreaming about my favorite car today.

This one actually belongs to a friend of mine.

Wonder if she will ever let me drive it?

Hang on....

Ripley the Rain Frog.

It was already dark and the crickets were chirping. I can't seem to remember exactly why I was outside that night, but maybe it was to cook on the grill. I noticed this frog was hanging on the back of the lakehouse door. Each and every time I opened or closed the door, he continued to hang on. Even after I tortured him by taking picture after picture, blinding him with the flash...he still hung on! Click after click, I just wasn't sure I was getting the one picture I wanted. After I marveled at him for a while, I went inside not thinking about him anymore. Maybe assuming he would go away somewhere and play. Lots of time pasted and I had forgotten all about my friend Ripley, the frog outside.

Later that evening I was resting on the couch, enjoying the dinner that was prepared and some TV. All of a sudden, I thought I saw something fall from the ceiling. Not knowing what it was and being afraid, I pulled my legs up on the couch. Oh no! I thought I saw it move again. What was it? I couldn't see it...and then it moved again! It was Ripley!!! He wanted to come in and watch TV with me! YAY!!!

After much laughter and fun, I finally caught my new friend in a food container and sent him on a new adventure to a different place in the yard. I truly hope I didn't hurt him in the move, but he hopped off as if it had been fun getting to know me.

I hope everyone likes the picture as much as I loved this moment in time. Maybe it will remind you to HANG ON whether your door is open or shut and just maybe...help yourself to a little relaxation...ha ha ha...

Have a great day!

Sunday waltz in the woods...

These are pictures from my Sunday afternoon waltz through the woods. It was a gorgeous day with the sun shining so bright! I had a great time capturing a glimpse all the beauty in the woods. I hope you enjoy the pictures too!

I love all the pretty colors that I found! It was hard though! Everything was mostly green...If it had color, I took a picture of it! I wish I was back there walking now!

The Best Day Ever!!

Wonderful day doing my favorite thing!

Just Empty Thoughts

Tonight, I am sitting here quietly on my bed, just waiting for sleep to come. My dog is snuggled up at my feet, my sons are tucked in their bunk beds and my daughter is probably laying on her bed texting with all her friends. It seems to be so lonley here this week even with the kids surrounding me. I am not really happy and not really sad, just here existing with all the world around me. I have thought about many different things this week. Things that I don't understand, things I can't control, things I love, things I do not like, but still confusion enters my frazzled mind. As I try to figure out my life and the paths I seem to wander down, I came across this wonderful old house and had to share it.

It looks a little lonely and a little sad...kinda the way I feel tonight. I think with some TLC from just the right person, it would spring back to a wonderful home with people enjoying life. If the walls could talk, I bet it would tell stories of days gone by. Children running around playing under that big tree. The porch with a grandma in a rocking chair with sewing in her lap. The smell of bread in the oven. Laughter and happiness bursting from everywhere. Just a simple wonderful life!

Just Backwards...

Is your life a little backwards? Do the things around you get you all twisted up and going the wrong way?

This is exactly what happened to this dock. One cable broke and the rain storms came and came and came. As the water rose, it twisted the dock around and around until it was floating backwards. Finally, the water went back down and the dock was left sitting backwards on dry land stuck in the mud.

I feel this is so relevant to our lives. It is a clear picture of what happens in life to many of us everyday. We can be knocked down and broken in a very small simple way, but we don't stop and take a moment out to fix that tiny problem. Then, we are unable to continue on to enjoy life. We find our lives are running us around and around until we are crazy and end up backwards… just like the dock.

Ponder on these thoughts for awhile…see if you need to take time to repair something small in your life before you get all tangled up and stuck in the mud.

Have a wonderful day my friends!

My Dad

This is my favorite picture!


As a little girl many years ago, I remember crawling up on my Daddy's lap. Although he was a busy man, he always made time to snuggle. It seemed as if he was able to make everything just right. Even as an adult, I am still  very childlike when it comes to thinking about my Daddy. He is a wonderful father to me, grandfather to my children, husband to my Moma and great friend to many people.


I have had the opportunity to share many great times with my Daddy over the years. He has enjoyed his share of many different hobbies. As a family, we spent a great deal of time in the garden planting and harvesting the food we ate. I remember sharing a sun ripened peach with him at sunset right from a tree he planted in our yard. You could always count on sharing a watermelon in the summer too. Most evenings for supper we would have corn, okra and tomatoes...all from our garden. Oh, it seemed like we grew everything, but these were the most plentiful.


There was always a coon dog hanging around for him to take hunting. Sometimes, he would even take us with him. Once he and I made a dog house. He said, "Hold the nail, just like this." So, I did...Oh man! Did my thumb hurt! He spent many long hours cutting timber to provide for us. He worked all day loading the railroad cars with lumber and then would do side jobs cutting it just to make ends meet. I understand the pressure now as an adult that he must have felt having 3 hungry children at home.


I am so very proud to say that we are family, but most importantly, I am proud to say we are friends. I love to spend time just hanging out with him at the baseball games, football games, playing cards or just watching TV. One of his favorite things to do is have weekly trips to the different thrift stores all over. I think he knows where all of them are! This is a great way he and my mom get quality time alone together. Sometimes, my children or even I get invited on their journey. On these adventures, no matter what I have to say, he will listen. He always gives his opinion and tells you what he thinks, but he will still listen to your every word. He is my biggest supporter and also my biggest reality check. I may not agree or like what he says, but he is respected for his wisdom.


As time goes by, I remember the joy of growing up having a simple life without a lot of fluff. Things like the green telephone with the circle dial that hung on the kitchen wall. We were never allowed to talk on it much. Our family would enjoy playing softball, basketball or even volleyball in the backyard or down the street. My Daddy would hit the ball so hard! But then, he would pretend to run in slow motion giving us a small chance to get him out. There weren't any gameboys, computers, cable TV or even a Wii. We only got a few channels on the black and white set, but it always seem to play Hee Haw and Wild Kingdom, Little House or Waltons and yes...Wrestling. Oh boy when the big color console television came! We thought we were rich!


I could write and write and write about my memories, but this is enough for now. I will think of some more and post them soon! I love to hear memories from other people, so come on and share!

Peaceful Winter Wonderland

This was the scene last Friday evening out on the street infront of my warm and cozy home. Snow was falling and even hitting the camera lens. It was a beautiful sight to behold. My children were gone for the weekend, so all alone I plundered outside to see the glory of God's handy work. It was a gorgeous treat to look down my path at the tiny church. I wish the steeple had been lit, then it would have been absolutely perfect. When snow falls in the south, our world stands still for just a few hours as soon as the first snow flake falls. It is almost as if God knows we need time to reflect and rest in A Peaceful Winter Wonderland!!!.

Morning Walk

As I walked down the pathway wondering what lay ahead,

It was way to early to be out of bed.

                                                                                                           

Nothing to hear and nothing to be said,

But lots of thoughts stirring in my head.

Pine trees standing so tall and so still,

My face feeling a slight chill.

Fallen leaves crinkling under my feet,

Not a one of them placed very neat.

Lots of ducks playing out on the lake,

Maybe waiting to see a snowflake.

Deep water seeming calm and clear,

Silently hoping I would see a deer.

Brown rabbit scampering into the brush,

Denver getting ready to rush.

The cool air and gray sky,

Just not wanting to say goodbye.

Standing there in awe of it all,

Sincerely having a ball.

Slowly back to the house I start,

Happy and content deep in my heart.

~Sunshine 1/6/2010