Color Inspiration Blog Post

I visit this amazing blog, Between Naps on the Porch, almost daily.  She is a decorating queen in my book.  Today, she has a wonderful post that I think you might be interested in if you are planning a decorating project.  You can check out her post HERE. I have enjoyed playing around with the My Image Inspiration - seeing what colors would go with an inspiration piece.  Have fun!


Until next time... ~Pamela

Family Ties

The Knopf's and Gibbs'
I LOVE my family!!!

Oh, there is nothing better than the sound of my grandchildren's laughter! When we lived in Jacksonville, we took for granted that we could see our children and grandchildren just about any time we wanted.  They lived about 6 miles from our home and we usually got together once or twice a week (except for Adam and Lindsey - they were living in Alaska).  I would often babysit for Stephanie when she needed me to and loved every moment.  Now that we are two hours away, our time together is spread out - I haven't seen them since the first part of January.  

This weekend, Rennie and I are making the final preparations for their visit next week.  It is their spring break and they will be with us from the middle of the week to the weekend. There is so much I want to do around here but have so little time to do it.  I think it is the small decorative touches that make a house welcoming to guests.  Spring has definitely arrived and I want the house to represent that.  Little bits of pastel colors and Eastery (is that really a word???) things sprinkled around...here and there...  A new wreath on the front door and spring flowers potted in the white ceramic containers on the porch, will be there when they arrive.


I am looking forward to hearing my grandchildren say my name, for Julia, the oldest grandchild, to ask for cream (she likes whipped cream sprayed on a spoon and it will always be a treat at Mama's house), to make homemade waffles for them, to play games, to take them to the park, to laugh and play, and to enjoy my family.  I am forever grateful to the Lord for blessing me with my children and grandchildren.  Oh how I have missed them.  The only things that will be missing is Adam and Lindsey - hopefully we can Skype with them.  Nothing makes you more complete than family ties!


Until next time... ~Pamela

Love Where We Live!

A song comes to my mind today as I take my walk.."On the street where you live..."  As I began my walk today, I am thinking of so many things - people I need to pray for, things I need to do before a class this afternoon, a list of cleaning duties before my kids arrive next week, my blood sugar, my weight...blah, blah, blah, and oh, what I would write on my blog post today.  My mind never shuts "off".  Of course I may seem a little "off" to some, but the brain never seems to take a break.  I'm always thinking - that's why my sleep is so erratic - and if you could peek inside my head, it would look like a DVD or an old VCR tape on fast forward!  My problem is that when I get a great idea, if I don't write it down immediately, it quickly goes out my ears.   I hate when that happens!!  Poof, gone, never to be thought of again - grrrr.

Today, I wanted to share some photos of the area in which I do most of my walking.  I had my phone with me, so I snapped a few pics for you to enjoy.  Just up the street from our home is this magnificent place we love, Blue Jacket Park.  There are always people walking around the park, walking their dogs, rollerblading, playing soccer or tag football, riding their bikes, and I have even witnessed yoga and exercise classes taking place here. I think it is one of the most calming and wonderful parks around the Winter Park area and we're so blessed to be able to enjoy it anytime we want to.  

This fountain is so beautiful to me.  There are several benches placed around it so you can enjoy reading, listen to your iPod, or just watch and listen to the waterfall ..aaaahhhhhhh...  But if listening to the waterfall makes you feel the need to visit the restroom, you are out of luck - yipes!

So many fields to run and play in - what a great place for a picnic with the family!

Park benches all around - so sweet!

I love this bridge!  I think it is a great spot for a photo shoot.  Just to the right of it is a ball park - there are several of those here.

If you walk around the entire park to the lake and back, you have walked 2 1/2 miles (a total of 3 miles from my house, around the park, and back).  The scenery is so calming.  Birds are singing, the houses that surround the park are so incredibly beautiful and some of them are huge!  You pass happy people and playful doggies, and especially today, the sky is such a gorgeous shade of blue.  I think it is so cool how God paints the sky a different color each day just for us!  He's so cool like that!

You can see the lake at the end - BEAUTIFUL!!!  I'm always happy to see it because I know that I'm half way around the park - almost done!

At the end of the park is a beautiful lake.  One of thousands in this area.  There is a walking path around the lake as well and we always see people walking or riding their bikes around it.  What a great atmosphere to get some much needed exercise.  This morning the water is so peaceful.  There are ducks swimming around near the shore, quacking away, as if to say, "Oh what a beautiful morning...Oh what a beautiful day..." There goes another song again, ha!

Those little black specks in the water are the singing ducks.

More gorgeous houses are built around this lake.  Who would not want to see this every day??

There have been times when I would look at the houses that line the streets of Baldwin Park (the neighborhood near the park) and wonder what those people do for a living.  Do you ever think about that?  Do you ever look at a beautiful, huge, home and wonder who lives there?  Are they happy? Do they really appreciate what they have?  I do.  


A beautiful, blue, two-story house in this neighborhood sits empty and has not been occupied the entire year we have lived here.  Abandoned, alone, no family to enjoy it, no laughter or memories being made in it.  Secretly I wish I could live there (sometimes), then the reality of it all hits me square in the face - do you really want to clean that thing???  In all honesty, no.  I love our smaller, downsized cottage home with less things and less to clean.  It is always fun to dream, right?  

So cute, but so alone...

On another note, one of my thoughts this morning was sort of an epiphany...my weight, my blood sugar numbers, and my blood pressure numbers are not going to "move" unless I "move"...duhhhhh  Why does it take me so long to really get something?  The more I walk and move, the more my numbers will be brought into the normal ranges. They are slowing coming down!


I am really looking forward to when school is out at the end of next month so I can walk every morning.  The part I will not look forward to is walking alone because Rennie will be returning to work in Alaska at the end of April until the end of September - bummer!  Another summer with just me and our four legged furry children.  Oh well...there is nothing I can do about it, so I just have to adjust!  My goal is to walk everyday, seven days a week.  Hopefully by the time Rennie returns, my numbers will be low and stable.  Go Pamie, Go Pamie!!!


I hope you are having a wonderful week.  Get outside if you can and enjoy the beauty that God has given us.  Be thankful for what health you have, be thankful for your life, and live it to its fullest! 

Until next time... ~Pamela