Having a moment, before and after

I got caught up in traffic madness in Atlanta last week and have not been visiting blogs at all, so I'll be catching up while I adjust to the "New Normal" of navigating to and from work without I-85.  For those who haven't heard about it, more here.

Meanwhile - a few scenes from the wedding weekend:

The day before the wedding, my sister and I were watching a crew set up for the wedding from her bedroom window (setting up tables and chairs for the reception, stringing lights on the outdoor cook shed, where the band would play, etc.)  She said, "This is like a Steel Magnolias moment!" 

Remember the tree from the prior post?  There it is ahead, waiting for the big moment, as guests arrive.

I've never seen this property look so park-like.  They consider the property to be a deer sanctuary - hunting is off limits, so it's not unusual for them to wander through.  I imaged them off in the woods, during the ceremony, peering out at the festivities.

The church pews were loaned to the bride by a friend, for the family to sit in during the ceremony.  I loved the mason jars with baby's breath hanging on the edge of the pews.

And after the ceremony, as the family awaited being photographed as a (big) group.  The hunting buggy in the background there brought the bride and her father to the ceremony spot.  It's from the plantation where she works.

It was all so gorgeous - one of the most beautiful weddings I've every attended.  And the reception was great fun.  The best part was seeing a couple so dedicated to each other and the looks on their faces when she was walking forward to marry him.

Fresh and lovely, serenity and in residence

I often end up standing in this spot at my sister's home in northern Florida.  It's where my car is parked and I was getting into it last Saturday morning.  The morning was fresh and lovely - I couldn't resist.

We were heading to an event place in their sleepy little town for a bridal shower for niece Amanda.  I loved the serenity of the blue bottles in a window.

Great nephews were in residence for the weekend, too, as you can tell by the lone tricycle left standing.  I managed to capture a photo of my brother-in-law with the two little ones on the golf cart - you can see them there beyond the tree with BIL's dog Moby leading the way.  And a few minutes later, I was heading north home.

Last Saturday, the night before and no resolve

Last Saturday afternoon at my sister and brother-in-law's home in Jefferson County, Florida (the very northern part in the "panhandle.")  My sister was occupied with Christmas errands when I arrived, so I sat on the front steps and just listened to the quiet.  The loveliest thing - camellias bloom in December and these were in their full glory.

I don't see Moby all that often, but thankfully, he likes me.  He is a good, fierce guard dog, when needed.  He wandered around the house and his tail started wagging when he heard my voice.  His birthday is Christmas Day, so I brought him a special treat for his birthday, as well as Christmas.  That's kitty Pete in the driveway - just going over to inspect my car.

My sister calls these "Auxiliary Stockings" - the knitted ones hanging on the mantel are too fragile for all the heavier things we like to put in them.  I had fun labeling them and even more fun putting things in them.  I had a lovely time with my family and it was fun seeing the excitement of the little ones that Christmas had come.

Thinking of my blog friends on the drive home, I pulled over to take a photo of the cotton, all wrapped up in big bales.  The white spots you see on the side of the road, are pieces of cotton that drifted away - you see a lot of that in southern Georgia.  The bales will be picked up at some point and will end up in our clothing and other linens.  

And speaking of blog friends, Grannie Annie turned this photo that I posted in November into a "digital painting" - posted on facebook.  I was delighted to see it and I love it.  Thanks for doing that, Annie!  (Posted here with permission.)

Happy New Year, my friends (a little early.)  I'll be around at your blogs the next couple of days.  I hope you have a lovely weekend.  Any resolutions?  None for me.  I'll end with my three favorite resolution quotes: 

- I do think New Year's resolutions can't technically be expected to begin on New Year's Day, don't you? Since, because it's an extension of New Year's Eve, smokers are already on a smoking roll and cannot be expected to stop abruptly on the stroke of midnight with so much nicotine in the system. Also dieting on New Year's Day isn't a good idea as you can't eat rationally but really need to be free to consume whatever is necessary, moment by moment, in order to ease your hangover. I think it would be much more sensible if resolutions began generally on January the second. ~Helen Fielding, Bridget Jones's Diary

- Good resolutions are simply checks that men draw on a bank where they have no account. ~Oscar Wilde

- Drop the last year into the silent limbo of the past. Let it go, for it was imperfect, and thank God that it can go. ~Brooks Atkinson

Good sport, rise and shine and soaking it in

The extended Thanksgiving holiday in northern Florida was beautiful and warm.  The sunflowers are from the crop in the lower fields and my great niece Kloie made the Thanksgiving card, using her hand.  I love that kids still do that!  The round, green cylinder on the right is the birthday hat she made for my brother-in-law, who was a good sport and wore it in the restaurant, where we celebrated his birthday the evening before Thanksgiving.  Passing wait staff said, "Happy Birthday, Pepaw!" as they passed. 

The sun rising and shining through the Live Oaks on Thanksgiving morning.  

My sister got the idea for this structure for swings via Pinterest and had it built.  We christened the new brick fire pit in the center on Saturday night by toasting marshmallows over it.  The night sky was so beautiful that I could actually see the stars (something that gets lost in the city skies where I live.)

It made nephew Curtis smile that I was walking around snapping photos with my phone on Sunday morning, right before departure.  I was soaking up the beauty, I said.  And I was trying to get his dog Hank in the photo - there he is in the background.  Hank loves roaming this property - it's like a giant vacation for him - being on the farm.

Taken for granted (not), sentimental nod and sister time

- More beauty from my sister's home in northern Florida, taken last weekend.  I stopped at this spot and marveled at its loveliness.  My sister says she tries not to take the view for granted - I have to say, I never do.

- You can barely see the old Gulf Oil sign posted on the barn.  When they bought this property, the barn and some other old out-buildings were already there.  They kept them and built their home in the middle of the property.  Their family has always been in the oil distribution business and they started out with Gulf, so the sign is a sentimental nod to the past.

- And another beautiful spot - about eight hours north of there, in the Nantahala Forest.  I ran across this photo when I was looking for something else.  This is where I am today - along with my two sisters.  We are having "sisters only" time. 

And Sunday, August 7 is National Sisters Day, so this is working out!

Celebrating life, bridge over peaceful waters and hustling

I was in Orange Park, Florida over the weekend to celebrate the life of a beloved uncle who passed away last week.  He was my late mother's younger brother and such a happy man that he would have loved the party my aunt threw for him on Friday night.  The service was on Saturday morning, but since I walk on Saturday mornings with my friends, I tried to rally sister and cousin for an early walk with me.  They could not be persuaded.  So I asked the hotel desk if there was a path along the St. Johns River and there was!  Off I went.

- The birds were singing so sweetly as I started out on this peaceful morning, that I titled this photo Three Little Birds, after the Bob Marley song, because serendipitously, it came on my iPod at that very moment.  And I sang a little of it out loud, since no one was stirring.  Click on the red link there to hear it if you don't know it.  "Don't worry about a thing, 'cause every little thing's gonna be alright."

- Ah - I found the river behind a home that was empty and for sale.  That's the Buckman Bridge that connects Orange Park, Florida with Jacksonville, Florida.  What a glorious view in store for some lucky buyer.  I had taken a wrong turn and missed the river path, so backtracked and found it:

- Love the Spanish Moss dripping from the trees that is all over northern Florida.  A peaceful walk, listening to tunes.

- And toward the end, I encountered people running - I found it on the internet - it was the "Hula Hustle 5K", which explains why some runners were wearing grass skirts and leis.  :)  Click to enlarge.

A cheerful sheriff's deputy, who was directing runner traffic, directed me back to the hotel.  And everyone was sorry they didn't go with me, after they heard about the view.  :)  I loved it and was just as happy to be alone.

Legacy, the view and busy boy

- Camellia blossoms floating in water.  My sister gathered some for the buffet at her home on Thanksgiving day, from the hundreds in the camellia bushes in front of her house.  The bowl belonged to her late mother-in-law, who always used it the same way for holiday gatherings.

- The view from the back door.  The family enjoys this pool, but I love the view beyond it.  When my sister was lamenting that she has such a drive to civilization (grocery store, etc.), I pointed out what she gets to see every morning.

- My new great nephew on his awesome activity mat.  He seemed the most enthralled with the blue octopus hanging there.  He and I named the donkey lying on his lap Bo, because that will be easy to say.

When I left northern Florida on Saturday, it was so warm that I was wearing a t-shirt and flip flops, but changed to sneakers and hoodie when I stopped for a walkabout two hours north of there on the way home.  :)

White Christmas, closed doors and caught

- Atlanta saw its first white Christmas in 130 years. The snow started falling on Christmas afternoon. This photo is from a gallery of uncredited photos sent in to 11alive news. It was fun for me to see the residual effects of snow on the ground and a few swirling flakes as I encountered it on my return to north Georgia yesterday.

- My farm Christmas in the Florida panhandle was quietly fun. The Christmas tree had to be barricaded in the dining room because somebody kept trying to climb it. :)

- But he got a fun mouse for Christmas that could be operated by remote control. He had caught it here.

Shining through, vortex and picture project

- The sun shining through the branches of a Live Oak tree in Jefferson County, Florida.

- On Thursday, 42 relatives make the rounds hugging each other (sometimes multiple times) as we say our goodbyes at the close of Thanksgiving day. One cousin by marriage calls it being caught in a "love vortex."

- Going through piles and piles of family photos with sisters and laughing at our hair styles over the years. We wonder if we will be laughing at our current hair 20 years from now.

Refuge, ravishing and there's always next year

- Sunday morning at my sister's house and the view from the back. No other houses as far as you can see. They used to have cows in that lower pasture, but getting water to them became a problem. Now the property is a wildlife refuge of sorts - deer routinely wander through.

- Finally getting a much needed pedicure. The most fun of the whole thing for me is choosing the color my toenails will be painted. The OPI line has the most delightful polish names - I chose a lovely deep red polish with the name "Ravishing Dahling."

- Halloween update - no trick or treaters. But I might have missed the little ones - I got home from Florida a little after 8pm. This time I was prepared with Starburst candy and Gummi Bears. They are in my plastic pumpkin for next year. :)

Miles from nowhere, like a song and new outfit

- A packed dirt road in the wilderness of northern Florida. It leads to my sister and brother-in-law's home and acreage, as well as to other farms and plantations. There is a controversy right now that a newcomer to the road wants it paved. No one else wants that. The road adds to the charm of the area, I think.

- We still have my father's SUV and I feel close to him as I drive it to meet the family at my sister's church in the country. He loved this area, with its miles and miles of farmland, grazing cows and giant live oaks. The last family member who drove it left the radio set to a country music station and it seems fitting to hear Kenny Chesney sing about the boys of fall while I drive the truck of a man who always bought Fords.

- A little boy in the childrens' choir my sister directs throws his arms around her legs and looks up, asking "Do you like my outfit?!?" He has a new one especially for this morning since he will be singing with the others in front of the church for the first time.

Moby on the lake, sharing and fallen

Photo by ALM

- My sister and brother-in-law's dog Moby, keeping vigilant watch on swampy Lake Miccosukee in Jefferson County, Florida. My niece and brother-in-law took him on this boat ride at one of her favorite places in the world. Her other favorite body of water is the nearby Wacissa River, a spring-fed river. A company wants to start pumping water out of it to bottle and sell for drinking water. I am proud of my niece for her responsible activism for the opposition.

- A wee girl walking with her mother in the early morning darkness. The mother has shed her jacket and given it to her daughter, the sleeves so long on her that they drag the sidewalk.

- Sweeping all the fallen maple leaves off my back porch makes me recognize it really is no longer summer. So the blue and white striped throw rug is rolled up and stored away until it is warm again.