tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-61043145797228952272024-02-20T08:04:23.911-05:00Ilene HolmesUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger25125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6104314579722895227.post-43761080020467936542015-04-06T08:42:00.000-04:002015-04-06T08:42:03.663-04:00Bamboo is not for the faint of heart.
Spring cleaning of the Bamboo Garden - should be easy right? It's just a grass, so it should not take more than an hour, right? Wrong in the extreme! Yes, it's a grass, but, left on it's own for even one year, it can make a solid mass of tangled branches twenty five feet tall. After mowing the grass, my husband and I went to the bamboo garden to do some cleanup that we thought would easily be done in one hour. That's not what happened. In fact, it took at least 3 hours for both of us. It required me getting on a ladder and climbing onto the roof, where I hung out, leaning over the edge, for 3 hours, often until my arms and back were wracked by spasms. At times the bamboo trimmings were so thick we could hardly see each other though we were less than 3 feet apart. It took every yard waste can we have, eight in all, stuffed full, with one of them approaching the 75 pound limit that the trash collectors will agree to lift. It took at least an hour to get them into the cans, and of course the tools were not sharp enough to cut through the bamboo which had grown tough, so in many cases, it took numerous strokes to cut them. And let's not even talk about how my back feels after all those hours of bending, cutting, and lifting. The yard waste cans clogged the alley where we hold the trash until collection day. Moving the cans to the street required wearing gloves and long sleeve shirts, but still we have lots of scratches and cuts on our arms.
So why do we bother? Well, for one thing, if we don't the bamboo will overtake us, and that is something we will have to confront every year, which becomes more frightening as we are now in our sixties. At times like this we regret putting bamboo in our garden. But then, we sit down in our plum garden, and watch the bamboo that is still left moving freely in the breeze, each culm swaying gracefully and unencumbered by its neighbor. Gone are the dead, dried out and tangled branches. From the dining room, we can see the sky through the bamboo and the arbor that provides support to the bamboo. We know that the bamboo is no longer draping over the chimney, ready at any moment to turn into a torch to destroy the home we have so lovingly created.
Bamboo is not for the faint of heart, or for those who want low maintenance gardens. I insist on low maintenance. This was my ONE breach of that principle, and I hope it was my last. Do I love the bamboo? Yes! But I hate it too. Such is life with bamboo. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6104314579722895227.post-45689346725238458862015-02-01T12:15:00.000-05:002015-02-01T12:15:31.160-05:00Persimmon Pie RecipePersimmon Pie
Recipe from the Kitchen of Ilene Holmes
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Dry Ingredients:
2 c All-Purpose flour
1 c Sugar
1 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Cinnamon
½ tsp Allspice
½ tsp Salt
¼ tsp Ground Nutmeg
Mix dry ingredients well, with a whisk, in a large mixing bowl.
Wet Ingredients:
2 c Persimmon Pulp
2/3 c Whole milk
2 Large Eggs
2 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
Pour persimmon pulp into a medium mixing bowl. Pour 2/3 cup whole milk into a 2 cup measuring cup. Add 2 eggs and vanilla extract to the measuring cup. Using another (dry) whisk, mix it together well, then pour it into the persimmon pulp and whisk it again until well blended.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients in the large mixing bowl slowly, while turning the bowl and whisking all the ingredients together until all are well integrated. Pour the batter into a prepared graham cracker crust. Place in center of oven. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour. Center will rise and then fall when the pie is taken out of the oven. Test the pie by inserting a tester into the center and then feeling the tester with your fingers. If it is sticky, and not wet, it is ready to take out. Cool it before serving. Some people like it a little bit warm, when the pie is still light and fluffy. After it has cooled thoroughly, it will become stiffer and more compressed. Garnish with whipped cream and a sprinkle of nutmeg.
If you prefer to eat it as 2 inch bars, make 2 graham cracker crusts, press the crust into a sturdy 12X17 cookie sheet with sides about 1 inch tall and bake for 10 minutes in a 350 degree oven. Cool the crust while mixing the batter. Double the batter recipe and pour the batter into the crust on the cookie sheet. Bake for 40 minutes at 350 degrees. Cool thoroughly in refrigerator then cut into 2” squares. It will yield about 48 squares. You can use a quilter’s ruler to cut the squares evenly.
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6104314579722895227.post-24083406745265317112014-11-24T17:36:00.000-05:002014-11-24T17:36:57.296-05:00Jigsaw Puzzle, XiuFeng Park, Yiyang, Hunan China<a href="http://www.jigzone.com/puzzles/0D14AA390CF?z=29&m=62250986F2.761C12A"><img src="http://www.jigzone.com/im/pCut/29.png" alt="Click to Mix and Solve" style="width:400px;height:300px;margin:4px;padding:0;border:1px solid #999;background:transparent url(http://www.jigzone.com/puz/zemThumb?p.up.C.YO.L0.2wuc0:jpg)"/></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6104314579722895227.post-48292156647246305362014-10-30T13:58:00.002-04:002014-11-11T09:24:41.155-05:00Now you can look at my scrapbooks on dropboxIn order to do this for the first time, you will have to download the Dropbox application. When you do that, you can create an account and it will give you space to store your own files, including photos, which you can then sync and share with others. I hope you will enjoy the tour of the albums. Please let me know what you think after you have viewed them. Some pages appear in more than one album. <br />
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<a href="https://www.dropbox.com/sh/bzpw8ivygwcx6y9/AAC-uNczWpwK_yFiW_FA4JiIa?n=351825072" target="_blank">Ilene's Scrapbook</a><br />
<a href="https://www.dropbox.com/sh/ohucg7tfcirhhiy/AABrqvdQkrS3nhb0FGleYjFba?n=351825072" target="_blank">Beijing 2005-2006</a><br />
<a href="https://www.dropbox.com/sh/ab5u69smk7fkb47/AADHElsCwBE9DHMcqZ_-_UPua?dl=0" target="_blank">Larry's Scrapbook</a><br />
<a href="https://www.dropbox.com/sh/kprvrd3oacco0lj/AAAVTV3wwqIw2geZJHzmfwCEa?dl=0" target="_blank">Vacations</a><br />
<a href="https://www.dropbox.com/sh/f5u5i54wnar7khc/AAAUMMuCoTolQTMdPDAURujfa?dl=0" target="_blank">Wedding Album</a><br />
<a href="https://www.dropbox.com/sh/ivbr2pyvumu5whk/AAA-PCMxJez85Z1fpk-XTPvya?dl=0" target="_blank">Jacqui's Scrapbook</a><br />
<a href="https://www.dropbox.com/sh/1qjgn2da6og4c08/AACeELeZ9rNJACCeMaQEy44-a?dl=0" target="_blank">Leah's Scrapbook</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6104314579722895227.post-37035180629116545432013-06-24T22:34:00.000-04:002013-06-26T15:13:23.682-04:00Breezewood, our Garden Beneath the CrestIn 1995, I hired landscape designer Jewell Seymour to design a Japanese Garden for the hill behind our house. My husband was in seminary at that time, and thought I was crazy to spend our scant resources on a landscape design, but I knew it would be important to us to have a sanctuary. Being a pastor is emotionally draining, with the pastor attending to people at the best of times and the worst of times and sometimes he might experience the highs and lows on the same day. During those times, he has to control his emotions and care for the people who may not be in control of theirs, while maintaining a clear head to help guide them through tough choices. No matter how he objected to the expenditure, I knew he would need this garden. Besides, I had already signed a contract and the design was well under way before he even knew that I had made the agreement.<br />
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Since then we have worked together, in what seemed like an endless stream of projects, to transform this yard from a grassy hill, baked by the sun, covered with weeds, and severe drainage issues, to a lush Japanese Garden. During this process, we also transformed the house from a simple ranch into a totally unique and wonderful home that suits us perfectly, but that is a story for another blog.
We planted the trees first. Every time we had a little extra money and enough time and energy to plant, we would buy a tree, and plant it where the designer had put it on our design. We rarely paid full price for plants. We waited for sales, late in the fall, when the nurseries were discounting their inventories by about 70%, so we were able to buy them at 30%. In fact, this is the best time to plant the trees, because they are dormant and easier to plant. At first the garden looked funny with a few trees spread over the hill in spots that did not make sense. When we finished planting the trees, we planted bushes, and then flowers and groundcovers. In fact, I do not like flowers very much. I prefer flowering bushes and trees that we can view from the house.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Let's take a tour of the garden we built together</b></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">The west entrance to Breezewood</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">The west gate was a Christmas gift from Larry</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Welcome to the Plum Garden</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">We have a plum garden with no plum tree!</span></b></td></tr>
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In the summer of 1997, my husband built an 800 square foot deck that wraps around the back of the house. The biggest area of the deck is called the plum garden, where we have a grill, dining table and chairs.<br />
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We had a persimmon tree at the corner of the deck, that hung over the table. In the autumn, that tree was covered with plump orange persimmons. Unfortunately, the persimmon tree died, and has not been replaced.
We originally had a plum tree at the same spot, but we moved that to make room for the persimmon tree. When the persimmon tree died, the plum tree had really taken hold in its new spot outside the fence, so we decided not to move it again.<br />
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The plum tree was a gift from an old friend, who had found it growing wild in her garden. I dug up that wild plum tree and moved it to this garden. Though it has been moved several times, it now produces a good crop of yellow plums that we share with the neighbors. Neighborhood children like to come over and look at the plum tree in the spring while the fruit is developing. I tell them to be careful around the delicate tree, and teach them how to know when the fruit is ripe enough to pick.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>We love this deck, but then who wouldn’t?</b><b> </b></span></td></tr>
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The second largest area of the deck is outside the dining room, which has two chairs where we like to sit together and look out at the garden.
In the morning, this area is very sunny and in the afternoon it becomes shady. We have many sitting areas, so it is usually possible to find a comfortable spot to sit at any time of the day or night.<br />
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This has been the spot for many a quiet conversation, a place to take off work-boots, take a break from work to get a drink and a place to plan the day’s work in the garden.<br />
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The third, smallest and most private area of the deck is right outside the master bedroom, and it is called the bamboo garden. It is visible from the dining room and the master bedroom, which was added in 2004. It is shaded by an arbor. On one side of the bamboo garden is a container garden of bamboo plants that stretch up through the arbor. We can reach the bamboo garden through a door from my bedroom, and like to go out there early in the morning or late in the evening, to drink coffee or wine, listen to music, or read. Sometimes we go out there in our pajamas, but we have no concerns about safety or security because that garden is completely private. <br />
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This is a photo of the bamboo garden taken on January 1, 2008, when I was in China teaching English at Hunan City University. I think Larry missed me and took that photo to remind me of how beautiful our home is, so that I would come home as soon as possible and not sign up for more teaching contracts in China.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">The bamboo garden is a great place for healing </span></b></td></tr>
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In 2011, I broke my arm. It took me about a year to recover, during which I had a lot of physical therapy to regain the use of my right arm. I had to do a lot of stretches and exercises at home. It was very hard for me, even though I knew I needed to do it. I asked my husband to hang the stretching pulley from the arbor in the bamboo garden so I could do my stretches there. He didn’t think I would use it but hung it anyway. When I began to use it I noticed that I could turn 360 degrees to look at any part of the garden while I stretched. I began to listen to music there, so it became a pleasure for me. While I did my stretches, I would think how much I missed working in the garden and see all kinds of projects that needed to be done there. I had yet another reason to stay there, stretching my arm and shoulder, knowing that I had to recover to get to work again in the garden. So you could say that my love for the garden healed me. </div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I<span style="font-family: inherit;">n the spring of 2013, we opened our garden for a tour. In the three weeks before that tour began, Larry and I worked in the garden all day and nearly every day, as much as the weather would allow. I h</span>ad never worked harder and …</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>I had never enjoyed life more </b></span></h2>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: large;">The bamboo Garden, Spring 2013, after the rain. </span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The bamboo is especially beautiful after the
rain, when the weight of the water causes the bamboo to drape over the arbor
and form a misty curtain. <o:p></o:p></span>Droplets of rain are visible on the arbor and dangling from the tips of the bamboo leaves.<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Some of the
2x2 boards were left out of the arbor to allow the bamboo to grow up through it
and use the arbor as a support. The
arbor is at 8 feet high, but the bamboo is about 3 times that tall. When it snows, you can hear snowflakes strike
the bamboo, as they make a jingling sound like tiny little bells.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"> <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I have always
been sensitive to the moaning of the wind, which makes me jumpy, especially at
night.</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Then Larry gave me the Chimes of
Partch from Woodstock Chimes.</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Now
instead of keeping me awake on windy nights, the wind strikes the chimes and makes a deep rich sound that lulls me to sleep.</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The console
is mid-century modern. We preserve it by
rubbing it with linseed oil at least once a year and have placed it under the overhang where it is protected from falling
rain. The console serves as storage for
small gardening tools and candles, and is a great buffet or bar when we are
entertaining. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The triptych is bamboo painted on black lacquered wood and purchased
from Z Gallery. In the corner of the
bamboo garden is a rain barrel that we leave open in the summer to provide a
trickle of water into a ceramic bowl for the dog. </span><br />
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From the bamboo garden, you can cross an arched wooden bridge to begin the ascent to the top of the world, or at least to the top of our world. It is here that you get to see the real beauty of the Japanese Garden as it cascades down the hill toward the house. The path to the top of the world is five feet wide and was designed this way to enable two people to walk side-by-side, so they can both enjoy the garden with no one walking ahead of them as they would on a narrower path. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwqM6sCHAm2b7cxW3cAhykoVrtGLGuvsYQWoF4Fflvz-sZ0UDXbstHcCtEY7UMf3ez9JATaaXh91uhhTS6oqPjuNGw2qRN7nkZRLEciflmhoWOfAx4Rub3s9PvbNccnBVCpn51RxpXU4gT/s1600/IMG_2167.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwqM6sCHAm2b7cxW3cAhykoVrtGLGuvsYQWoF4Fflvz-sZ0UDXbstHcCtEY7UMf3ez9JATaaXh91uhhTS6oqPjuNGw2qRN7nkZRLEciflmhoWOfAx4Rub3s9PvbNccnBVCpn51RxpXU4gT/s400/IMG_2167.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">The path is framed by Natchez crape myrtles</span></td></tr>
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To the right of the stairs is a stone wall that Larry built while I lived in Hunan China. The wall is 30 feet long and includes a curve that echoes the curve of the wall at the top of the stairs. To the left of the stairs is a stone wall that Larry built in the winter of 2012, right after he retired. Above that is another short knee wall that encloses the path above the quince. In all, Larry built 150 feet of dry-stacked stone wall in about 6 months. The walls were constructed of nine and a half tons of stone, which means he carried nineteen thousand pounds of stone from the driveway and up the hill. <br />
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Ten white Loropetalum frame this section of the garden in an arch that mimics the arch in the two stone walls nearby. Each Loropetalum has been pruned into a vase shaped shrub. Most gardeners keep the Loropetalum clipped close to the ground in a mound, but because of the way these have been pruned, they provide shade. Notice that the branches droop after the rain, so that it has a weeping effect. In the spring, the Loropetalum are covered with a foam of creamy white flowers that look like the head on a beer and their sweet scent fills the garden. <br />
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The hillsides in the garden have been planted with Asiatic Jasmine (Trachelospermum asiaticum). It will fill in all the open areas, making the garden easier to care for as we grow older. It will also stabilize the hill against erosion and control weeds, thus eliminating the need for mulch. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">The path switches direction around a witch hazel</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">And the visitor encounters the art studio </span></td></tr>
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The art studio was constructed to resemble a tea house. The open cage next to the studio will soon be converted into a shed. Care will be taken to make it a beautiful building consistent with the architecture around it. We plan to pave the entrance to the studio and the area beside it, which will have a rain chain and a rain barrel in it, in the same style as the paving around the Japanese Tea House at the Sarah P. Duke Gardens in Durham.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvZN1UW3gKFJhDu3_rbp44sXI1gy9djJqJ25bk22G9kxYhPH1f4D43TLylmzuJXUY1bGsGF-juV9bPxOmv9Whp0x14Mb8s5VNwwSn1jpexYKQ7YtLLPED1FzWZYgEszFUjEKYMfXxPDVBA/s1600/IMG_2242.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvZN1UW3gKFJhDu3_rbp44sXI1gy9djJqJ25bk22G9kxYhPH1f4D43TLylmzuJXUY1bGsGF-juV9bPxOmv9Whp0x14Mb8s5VNwwSn1jpexYKQ7YtLLPED1FzWZYgEszFUjEKYMfXxPDVBA/s640/IMG_2242.JPG" width="358" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Hypertufa troughs guide visitors to the studio door</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Exiting the art studio</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Stairs ascend to the top of the world</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">A sitting area where we can look over our rooftop</span></td></tr>
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This area is big enough for our small family to sit here comfortably. At Christmas, after dinner together, we took hot drinks to the top of the world, lit a fire in the fire-pit and sang Christmas carols. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgJj0_OjGrFJ8bZGnIQmejIsGuCEvKLukCMzqkP_bRklGv2F-7lwbf4Q29s7l0HJcXmE_Ohpu4Z1_uqA7zH0NoHm_tltZfMvvqprQn5BHOnELvqnpebhRD9QTJqEUQw4vxG3jg-OMJq9v_/s1600/IMG_2255.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgJj0_OjGrFJ8bZGnIQmejIsGuCEvKLukCMzqkP_bRklGv2F-7lwbf4Q29s7l0HJcXmE_Ohpu4Z1_uqA7zH0NoHm_tltZfMvvqprQn5BHOnELvqnpebhRD9QTJqEUQw4vxG3jg-OMJq9v_/s640/IMG_2255.JPG" width="358" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Planted with Hawthorn, Juniper and Hemlock</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">The south wall under the Loropetalum arch</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Forest pansy softens the setting sun </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">The west gate </span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Now that we have left the Japanese Garden, </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">let's see the veranda </span><span style="font-size: large;">on the front of the house </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">that was built during the winter </span><span style="font-size: large;">of 2009-2010. </span></div>
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The veranda was built as a means of controlling the extremely hot sun, as the house faces west. Before we built the arbor, it was impossible to control the heat in the rooms on the front of the house no matter how much we spent on window coverings, and believe me I had tried every possible window covering, to no avail. No matter what I did, it was always at least ten degrees warmer on the front of the house than it was in the back. If visitors had to wait even a couple of minutes at the front door, they got roasted!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="text-align: start;">After we put the arbor up, all that changed. </span> </span></td></tr>
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I pointed out to Larry that it would be nice to have a deck under the arbor. Of course, that took a lot of convincing, especially because it was at the end of a heavy load of projects that we undertook in 2009 to replace the windows and doors. Thanksgiving 2009, the deck was completed. Then I tried to convince Larry that we needed some furniture, and again he balked, but by March of 2010, we had purchased comfortable chairs and a love seat.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvQWFiJ7t5-3RqlN3mj4bvCjoGgHSZEoR4MvAG9a3yTFc-v5VbsCmUGgBWQp6EYv-55IdfdvuvNmgKBe_kw2qB7nyqsvngAyD9XZgyEvIdV4Q4QiCPRroCdk8njANdC6kbr8MPi4IwHncm/s1600/IMG_2272.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvQWFiJ7t5-3RqlN3mj4bvCjoGgHSZEoR4MvAG9a3yTFc-v5VbsCmUGgBWQp6EYv-55IdfdvuvNmgKBe_kw2qB7nyqsvngAyD9XZgyEvIdV4Q4QiCPRroCdk8njANdC6kbr8MPi4IwHncm/s400/IMG_2272.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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The trellis at the end of the veranda hung in the mixed border at the JC Raulston Arboretum until they needed to take it down to create a gate. The Border Babes took it down. I was working with the Border Babes that day and learned that the trellis would go into a recycle pile, so I inquired if I could buy it. Now it has been refitted into our veranda, and some remnants have been retained so they can be used in another area.
It has become a real gathering place.<br />
<br />
Guests love to linger here to appreciate the garden. Sometimes it is hard to get them to come into the house. Neighbors stop to greet us and tell us how much they like the house.
We bought the bamboo blinds from Overstock.com, in the largest size they sell, but even that was not long enough to stretch from post to post. Lowering the blinds helps shade us as the sun bears down on the veranda late in the afternoons.<br />
<br />
We planted vines on the posts and the trellis, including Schizophragma, Trachelospermum, and Clematis. In time these vines will grow all the way up the posts and across the arbor, and provide shade and interest all through the year. All of them will bear white flowers. Some will have interesting seed pods. The bark of the schizophragma is interesting and it will form beautiful trunks in time.<br />
<br />
We just like to sit here, morning, afternoon or evening. If it is too hot here, we just move to the plum garden.<br />
<br />
Originally, when I hired the landscape designer, Larry thought I was crazy. He thought I should not spend the money, and he also thought he would not like the garden, that it would just be a lot of work and a burden. But I envisioned it as a sanctuary, and that is what it has become.<br />
<br />
Our little house looks humble from the street. People passing by have no idea what treasures are concealed behind the fence, and that is exactly as I like it. <br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjor0M7XuBKpPFgvrrQRnwHOmyZrUjrfvJhdfrP09peieiIqQWZOT433kKQdBgqd7JHFA4YRYdnhfrlqWyqNdHZ-3BmK_ZdItD0_o62GGkyPg7J8VABAYgkZOpQjhXjc7YyOiEJ0nrELAZr/s1600/IMG_9440.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjor0M7XuBKpPFgvrrQRnwHOmyZrUjrfvJhdfrP09peieiIqQWZOT433kKQdBgqd7JHFA4YRYdnhfrlqWyqNdHZ-3BmK_ZdItD0_o62GGkyPg7J8VABAYgkZOpQjhXjc7YyOiEJ0nrELAZr/s400/IMG_9440.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Are we finished? Of course not! Larry still has a lot of good years ahead of him to build things. It is how he expresses his love, and in this place I feel his love very clearly.<br />
<br />
On the wall outside the front door, there is a sign that says in Chinese characters, carved by my own hands, “Tian Tze”, which means “God’s Gift.” This humble house was a gift from God, lovingly nurtured and perfected by my husband and me into a sanctuary. It does not matter to me whether others see the value of my house.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">All that matters to me is, it is my home and I love it.</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6104314579722895227.post-55573991952892434952012-06-10T13:21:00.000-04:002013-06-26T15:14:06.239-04:00Ocean Isle Beach<table bgcolor="#ffffff" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="http://smilebox.com/play/4d7a45354e6a4d314e7a4d3d0d0a&blogview=true&campaign=blog_playback_link" target="_blank"><img alt="Click to play this Smilebox scrapbook" height="330" src="http://smilebox.com/snap/4d7a45354e6a4d314e7a4d3d0d0a.jpg" style="border: medium none;" width="420" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td><a href="http://www.smilebox.com/?partner=shareasale&campaign=blog_snapshot" target="_blank"><img alt="Create your own scrapbook - Powered by Smilebox" height="46" src="http://www.smilebox.com/globalImages/blogInstructions/blogLogoSmilebox.gif" style="border: medium none;" width="420" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td align="center">This <a href="http://www.smilebox.com/scrapbooks.html" target="_blank">digital scrapbook</a> made with Smilebox</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6104314579722895227.post-87444842873063358312012-06-10T13:05:00.001-04:002013-06-26T15:14:39.816-04:00Bald Head Island<table bgcolor="#ffffff" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="http://smilebox.com/play/4d7a45354e6a4d304f44453d0d0a&blogview=true&campaign=blog_playback_link" target="_blank"><img alt="Click to play this Smilebox scrapbook" height="330" src="http://smilebox.com/snap/4d7a45354e6a4d304f44453d0d0a.jpg" style="border: medium none;" width="420" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td><a href="http://www.smilebox.com/?partner=shareasale&campaign=blog_snapshot" target="_blank"><img alt="Create your own scrapbook - Powered by Smilebox" height="46" src="http://www.smilebox.com/globalImages/blogInstructions/blogLogoSmilebox.gif" style="border: medium none;" width="420" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td align="center">Customize your own <a href="http://www.smilebox.com/photo-albums.html" target="_blank">scrapbook</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6104314579722895227.post-41411089609305315412009-01-22T11:37:00.000-05:002009-01-22T11:38:18.934-05:00Smilebox - My apartment in Yiyang<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" bgcolor="#ffffff"><tr><td><a href="http://smilebox.com/play/4e7a45354e4467304e413d3d0d0a&campaign=blog_playback_link&blogview=true" target="_blank"><img width="386" height="303" alt="Click to play My apartment in Yiyang" src="http://smilebox.com/snap/4e7a45354e4467304e413d3d0d0a.jpg" style="border: medium none ;"/></a></td></tr><tr><td><a href="http://www.smilebox.com/?partner=smilebox&campaign=blog_snapshot" target="_blank"><img width="386" height="46" alt="Create your own scrapbook - Powered by Smilebox" src="http://www.smilebox.com/globalImages/blogInstructions/blogLogoSmileboxSmall.gif" style="border: medium none ;"/></a></td></tr><tr><td align="center"><a href="http://www.smilebox.com/scrapbooks" target="_blank">Make a Smilebox scrapbook</a></td></tr></table>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6104314579722895227.post-23747019597408008742009-01-22T11:00:00.001-05:002009-01-22T11:03:04.214-05:00Smilebox - Botanical Gardens<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" bgcolor="#ffffff"><tr><td><a href="http://smilebox.com/play/4e7a45354e444d304e513d3d0d0a&campaign=blog_playback_link&blogview=true" target="_blank"><img width="386" height="303" alt="Click to play Botanical Garden" src="http://smilebox.com/snap/4e7a45354e444d304e513d3d0d0a.jpg" style="border: medium none ;"/></a></td></tr><tr><td><a href="http://www.smilebox.com/?partner=smilebox&campaign=blog_snapshot" target="_blank"><img width="386" height="46" alt="Create your own scrapbook - Powered by Smilebox" src="http://www.smilebox.com/globalImages/blogInstructions/blogLogoSmileboxSmall.gif" style="border: medium none ;"/></a></td></tr><tr><td align="center"><a href="http://www.smilebox.com/scrapbooks" target="_blank">Make a Smilebox scrapbook</a></td></tr></table>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6104314579722895227.post-90198714900518587562009-01-21T23:34:00.001-05:002009-01-21T23:34:51.402-05:00Smilebox - Silver Lake<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" bgcolor="#ffffff"><tr><td><a href="http://smilebox.com/play/4e7a45354d4445354d413d3d0d0a&campaign=blog_playback_link&blogview=true" target="_blank"><img width="386" height="303" alt="Click to play Silver Lake" src="http://smilebox.com/snap/4e7a45354d4445354d413d3d0d0a.jpg" style="border: medium none ;"/></a></td></tr><tr><td><a href="http://www.smilebox.com/?partner=smilebox&campaign=blog_snapshot" target="_blank"><img width="386" height="46" alt="Create your own scrapbook - Powered by Smilebox" src="http://www.smilebox.com/globalImages/blogInstructions/blogLogoSmileboxSmall.gif" style="border: medium none ;"/></a></td></tr><tr><td align="center"><a href="http://www.smilebox.com/scrapbooks" target="_blank">Make a Smilebox scrapbook</a></td></tr></table>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6104314579722895227.post-63777533706736669382009-01-21T23:28:00.001-05:002009-01-21T23:28:57.495-05:00Smilebox - My Hero<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" bgcolor="#ffffff"><tr><td><a href="http://smilebox.com/play/4e7a45354d4445784e413d3d0d0a&campaign=blog_playback_link&blogview=true" target="_blank"><img width="386" height="303" alt="Click to play My hero" src="http://smilebox.com/snap/4e7a45354d4445784e413d3d0d0a.jpg" style="border: medium none ;"/></a></td></tr><tr><td><a href="http://www.smilebox.com/?partner=smilebox&campaign=blog_snapshot" target="_blank"><img width="386" height="46" alt="Create your own scrapbook - Powered by Smilebox" src="http://www.smilebox.com/globalImages/blogInstructions/blogLogoSmileboxSmall.gif" style="border: medium none ;"/></a></td></tr><tr><td align="center"><a href="http://www.smilebox.com/scrapbooks" target="_blank">Make a Smilebox scrapbook</a></td></tr></table>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6104314579722895227.post-50378178595662641662009-01-21T23:26:00.001-05:002009-01-21T23:26:44.534-05:00Smilebox - NC State Commencement<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" bgcolor="#ffffff"><tr><td><a href="http://smilebox.com/play/4e7a45354d4441334f413d3d0d0a&campaign=blog_playback_link&blogview=true" target="_blank"><img width="386" height="303" alt="Click to play NC State Commencement" src="http://smilebox.com/snap/4e7a45354d4441334f413d3d0d0a.jpg" style="border: medium none ;"/></a></td></tr><tr><td><a href="http://www.smilebox.com/?partner=smilebox&campaign=blog_snapshot" target="_blank"><img width="386" height="46" alt="Create your own scrapbook - Powered by Smilebox" src="http://www.smilebox.com/globalImages/blogInstructions/blogLogoSmileboxSmall.gif" style="border: medium none ;"/></a></td></tr><tr><td align="center"><a href="http://www.smilebox.com/scrapbooks" target="_blank">Make a Smilebox scrapbook</a></td></tr></table>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6104314579722895227.post-43554089999024815192009-01-21T23:22:00.000-05:002009-01-21T23:23:01.724-05:00Smilebox - Virginia 2005 Tracking<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" bgcolor="#ffffff"><tr><td><a href="http://smilebox.com/play/4e7a45354d4441794e773d3d0d0a&campaign=blog_playback_link&blogview=true" target="_blank"><img width="386" height="303" alt="Click to play Virginia 2005 Tracking" src="http://smilebox.com/snap/4e7a45354d4441794e773d3d0d0a.jpg" style="border: medium none ;"/></a></td></tr><tr><td><a href="http://www.smilebox.com/?partner=smilebox&campaign=blog_snapshot" target="_blank"><img width="386" height="46" alt="Create your own scrapbook - Powered by Smilebox" src="http://www.smilebox.com/globalImages/blogInstructions/blogLogoSmileboxSmall.gif" style="border: medium none ;"/></a></td></tr><tr><td align="center"><a href="http://www.smilebox.com/scrapbooks" target="_blank">Make a Smilebox scrapbook</a></td></tr></table>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6104314579722895227.post-91939472275173669892009-01-21T23:19:00.001-05:002009-01-21T23:19:44.861-05:00Smilebox - Winchester 2005<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" bgcolor="#ffffff"><tr><td><a href="http://smilebox.com/play/4e7a45344f546b354d673d3d0d0a&campaign=blog_playback_link&blogview=true" target="_blank"><img width="386" height="303" alt="Click to play Winchester 2005" src="http://smilebox.com/snap/4e7a45344f546b354d673d3d0d0a.jpg" style="border: medium none ;"/></a></td></tr><tr><td><a href="http://www.smilebox.com/?partner=smilebox&campaign=blog_snapshot" target="_blank"><img width="386" height="46" alt="Create your own scrapbook - Powered by Smilebox" src="http://www.smilebox.com/globalImages/blogInstructions/blogLogoSmileboxSmall.gif" style="border: medium none ;"/></a></td></tr><tr><td align="center"><a href="http://www.smilebox.com/scrapbooks" target="_blank">Make a Smilebox scrapbook</a></td></tr></table>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6104314579722895227.post-35419742873976578232009-01-21T23:16:00.000-05:002009-01-21T23:17:09.441-05:00Smilebox - Ilene in her Thirties<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" bgcolor="#ffffff"><tr><td><a href="http://smilebox.com/play/4e7a45344f546b304e513d3d0d0a&campaign=blog_playback_link&blogview=true" target="_blank"><img width="386" height="303" alt="Click to play Ilene in her thirties" src="http://smilebox.com/snap/4e7a45344f546b304e513d3d0d0a.jpg" style="border: medium none ;"/></a></td></tr><tr><td><a href="http://www.smilebox.com/?partner=smilebox&campaign=blog_snapshot" target="_blank"><img width="386" height="46" alt="Create your own scrapbook - Powered by Smilebox" src="http://www.smilebox.com/globalImages/blogInstructions/blogLogoSmileboxSmall.gif" style="border: medium none ;"/></a></td></tr><tr><td align="center"><a href="http://www.smilebox.com/scrapbooks" target="_blank">Make a Smilebox scrapbook</a></td></tr></table>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6104314579722895227.post-18157305736322320632009-01-21T23:13:00.001-05:002009-01-21T23:13:39.516-05:00Smilebox - Orchestra Posse<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" bgcolor="#ffffff"><tr><td><a href="http://smilebox.com/play/4e7a45344f5467354f413d3d0d0a&campaign=blog_playback_link&blogview=true" target="_blank"><img width="386" height="303" alt="Click to play Orchestra Posse" src="http://smilebox.com/snap/4e7a45344f5467354f413d3d0d0a.jpg" style="border: medium none ;"/></a></td></tr><tr><td><a href="http://www.smilebox.com/?partner=smilebox&campaign=blog_snapshot" target="_blank"><img width="386" height="46" alt="Create your own scrapbook - Powered by Smilebox" src="http://www.smilebox.com/globalImages/blogInstructions/blogLogoSmileboxSmall.gif" style="border: medium none ;"/></a></td></tr><tr><td align="center"><a href="http://www.smilebox.com/scrapbooks" target="_blank">Make a Smilebox scrapbook</a></td></tr></table>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6104314579722895227.post-30933667902640112732009-01-21T23:08:00.000-05:002009-01-21T23:09:00.903-05:00Smilebox - My Everything<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" bgcolor="#ffffff"><tr><td><a href="http://smilebox.com/play/4e7a45344f5467304e413d3d0d0a&campaign=blog_playback_link&blogview=true" target="_blank"><img width="386" height="303" alt="Click to play My Everything" src="http://smilebox.com/snap/4e7a45344f5467304e413d3d0d0a.jpg" style="border: medium none ;"/></a></td></tr><tr><td><a href="http://www.smilebox.com/?partner=smilebox&campaign=blog_snapshot" target="_blank"><img width="386" height="46" alt="Create your own scrapbook - Powered by Smilebox" src="http://www.smilebox.com/globalImages/blogInstructions/blogLogoSmileboxSmall.gif" style="border: medium none ;"/></a></td></tr><tr><td align="center"><a href="http://www.smilebox.com/scrapbooks" target="_blank">Make a Smilebox scrapbook</a></td></tr></table>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6104314579722895227.post-18083636902065255972009-01-21T23:03:00.000-05:002009-01-21T23:04:06.606-05:00Smilebox - Playing with the Pros<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" bgcolor="#ffffff"><tr><td><a href="http://smilebox.com/play/4e7a45344f5463344d673d3d0d0a&campaign=blog_playback_link&blogview=true" target="_blank"><img width="386" height="303" alt="Click to play Playing with the Pros" src="http://smilebox.com/snap/4e7a45344f5463344d673d3d0d0a.jpg" style="border: medium none ;"/></a></td></tr><tr><td><a href="http://www.smilebox.com/?partner=smilebox&campaign=blog_snapshot" target="_blank"><img width="386" height="46" alt="Create your own scrapbook - Powered by Smilebox" src="http://www.smilebox.com/globalImages/blogInstructions/blogLogoSmileboxSmall.gif" style="border: medium none ;"/></a></td></tr><tr><td align="center"><a href="http://www.smilebox.com/scrapbooks" target="_blank">Make a Smilebox scrapbook</a></td></tr></table>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6104314579722895227.post-27112593468065988642009-01-21T23:00:00.001-05:002009-01-21T23:00:38.303-05:00Smilebox - New River<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" bgcolor="#ffffff"><tr><td><a href="http://smilebox.com/play/4e7a45344f5463794f513d3d0d0a&campaign=blog_playback_link&blogview=true" target="_blank"><img width="386" height="303" alt="Click to play New River" src="http://smilebox.com/snap/4e7a45344f5463794f513d3d0d0a.jpg" style="border: medium none ;"/></a></td></tr><tr><td><a href="http://www.smilebox.com/?partner=smilebox&campaign=blog_snapshot" target="_blank"><img width="386" height="46" alt="Create your own scrapbook - Powered by Smilebox" src="http://www.smilebox.com/globalImages/blogInstructions/blogLogoSmileboxSmall.gif" style="border: medium none ;"/></a></td></tr><tr><td align="center"><a href="http://www.smilebox.com/scrapbooks" target="_blank">Make a Smilebox scrapbook</a></td></tr></table>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6104314579722895227.post-43724796077251646172009-01-21T22:54:00.000-05:002009-01-21T22:55:39.289-05:00Smilebox - Cascades 2007<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" bgcolor="#ffffff"><tr><td><a href="http://smilebox.com/play/4e7a45344f5459324d773d3d0d0a&campaign=blog_playback_link&blogview=true" target="_blank"><img width="386" height="303" alt="Click to play Cascades 2007" src="http://smilebox.com/snap/4e7a45344f5459324d773d3d0d0a.jpg" style="border: medium none ;"/></a></td></tr><tr><td><a href="http://www.smilebox.com/?partner=smilebox&campaign=blog_snapshot" target="_blank"><img width="386" height="46" alt="Create your own scrapbook - Powered by Smilebox" src="http://www.smilebox.com/globalImages/blogInstructions/blogLogoSmileboxSmall.gif" style="border: medium none ;"/></a></td></tr><tr><td align="center"><a href="http://www.smilebox.com/scrapbooks" target="_blank">Make a Smilebox scrapbook</a></td></tr></table>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6104314579722895227.post-28518882360431164302009-01-21T22:39:00.000-05:002009-01-21T22:51:29.166-05:00Smilebox - Lake Gaston<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" bgcolor="#ffffff"><tr><td><a href="http://smilebox.com/play/4e7a45344f5455334e773d3d0d0a&campaign=blog_playback_link&blogview=true" target="_blank"><img width="386" height="303" alt="Click to play Lake Gaston" src="http://smilebox.com/snap/4e7a45344f5455334e773d3d0d0a.jpg" style="border: medium none ;"/></a></td></tr><tr><td><a href="http://www.smilebox.com/?partner=smilebox&campaign=blog_snapshot" target="_blank"><img width="386" height="46" alt="Create your own scrapbook - Powered by Smilebox" src="http://www.smilebox.com/globalImages/blogInstructions/blogLogoSmileboxSmall.gif" style="border: medium none ;"/></a></td></tr><tr><td align="center"><a href="http://www.smilebox.com/scrapbooks" target="_blank">Make a Smilebox scrapbook</a></td></tr></table>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6104314579722895227.post-77059934485534156432009-01-21T22:31:00.001-05:002009-01-21T22:38:14.792-05:00Smilebox - Christmas Card 2008<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" bgcolor="#ffffff"><tr><td><a href="http://smilebox.com/play/4e7a45344f544d344d513d3d0d0a&campaign=blog_playback_link&blogview=true" target="_blank"><img width="386" height="303" alt="Click to play Christmas Card 2008" src="http://smilebox.com/snap/4e7a45344f544d344d513d3d0d0a.jpg" style="border: medium none ;"/></a></td></tr><tr><td><a href="http://www.smilebox.com/?partner=smilebox&campaign=blog_snapshot" target="_blank"><img width="386" height="46" alt="Create your own scrapbook - Powered by Smilebox" src="http://www.smilebox.com/globalImages/blogInstructions/blogLogoSmileboxSmall.gif" style="border: medium none ;"/></a></td></tr><tr><td align="center"><a href="http://www.smilebox.com/scrapbooks" target="_blank">Make a Smilebox scrapbook</a></td></tr></table>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6104314579722895227.post-38390430175192855022009-01-21T22:21:00.001-05:002009-01-21T22:38:44.100-05:00Smilebox - Guilin<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" bgcolor="#ffffff"><tr><td><a href="http://smilebox.com/play/4e7a45344f5449344d773d3d0d0a&campaign=blog_playback_link&blogview=true" target="_blank"><img width="386" height="303" alt="Click to play Guilin" src="http://smilebox.com/snap/4e7a45344f5449344d773d3d0d0a.jpg" style="border: medium none ;"/></a></td></tr><tr><td><a href="http://www.smilebox.com/?partner=smilebox&campaign=blog_snapshot" target="_blank"><img width="386" height="46" alt="Create your own scrapbook - Powered by Smilebox" src="http://www.smilebox.com/globalImages/blogInstructions/blogLogoSmileboxSmall.gif" style="border: medium none ;"/></a></td></tr><tr><td align="center"><a href="http://www.smilebox.com/scrapbooks" target="_blank">Make a Smilebox scrapbook</a></td></tr></table>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6104314579722895227.post-14487601024767601512009-01-21T22:12:00.000-05:002009-01-21T22:17:59.412-05:00Smilebox - A Snowy Day in the Garden<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" bgcolor="#ffffff"><tr><td><a href="http://smilebox.com/play/4e7a45344f5441354d513d3d0d0a&campaign=blog_playback_link&blogview=true" target="_blank"><img width="386" height="303" alt="Click to play A Snowy Day in the Garde" src="http://smilebox.com/snap/4e7a45344f5441354d513d3d0d0a.jpg" style="border: medium none ;"/></a></td></tr><tr><td><a href="http://www.smilebox.com/?partner=smilebox&campaign=blog_snapshot" target="_blank"><img width="386" height="46" alt="Create your own slideshow - Powered by Smilebox" src="http://www.smilebox.com/globalImages/blogInstructions/blogLogoSmileboxSmall.gif" style="border: medium none ;"/></a></td></tr><tr><td align="center"><a href="http://www.smilebox.com/slideshows" target="_blank">Make a Smilebox slideshow</a></td></tr></table>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6104314579722895227.post-81282929901339646482008-09-06T17:54:00.000-04:002008-09-06T17:55:57.586-04:00When I get to HeavenWhen I get to heaven, I shall spend my first thousand years as a toddler. I shall have a head full of red curly hair, and spend all my time playing at the feet of God. He shall reach down often to run his fingers through my curls. Often, and for no good reason, he shall pick me up and look long and sweetly into my face. Sometimes he’ll raise me up and sit me on his shoulders, where I will ride for as long as I want. And while I am up there He shall declare, loudly, for all to hear, “Behold, this is my daughter, in whom I am well pleased.”I shall sit at the head of the table, for it is written, “He who is first, shall be last, and he who is last shall be first.” At every meal, a feast shall be laid before me and I shall eat until I am full. The table shall be spread with all kinds of flowers, nuts and fruits, and only the finest china and crystal. I shall eat Petto de Pollo al champagne, Lobster fra Diavola, Shrimp a la Grecque, and Mud Pie or Persimmon Pie, garnished with whipped cream and nutmeg, for dessert.I shall have a beautiful body and wear it unafraid. I shall sleep in the Garden of Eden, under the stars, and never worry about anything bothering me while I sleep.I shall wear dragonflies and colorful beetles as jewelry. My pets shall be Egrets.I shall meet all the people I have ever admired – Richard Wright, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Corrie Ten Boom, Martin Luther King, Jr., Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Leonardo da Vinci, Betty Freidan, and Margaret Mead. They shall tell me they have been waiting for me and we will spend as long as we want, discussing ideas as equals.Mozart, Verdi, and Paul Schwartz shall compose beautiful music for me.The men in Heaven shall all be handsome, sensitive, excellent listeners, and loving. If there is any work to do, it will ALL be done by men, cheerfully and competently.And when my earthly father pleads with me, “Just dip your finger into a bowl of water and lower it to my lips,” I shall say, “Do I know you.”<br />I testified at a grand jury at age 14 and sent a man to prison.I am a former foster child. I was broke and homeless at age 18.During the Vietnam War, I served in the Woman’s Army Corp.At the Presidio of Monterey, I insisted on going to the firing range with the men in my company, who were all required to qualify on the M16.Women were not required to qualify on weapons, but I earned an expert medal.I became a Chinese Mandarin interpreter, married a man who also spoke Chinese Mandarin and moved to Taiwan, the Republic of China, at 19 years old.During the year and a half that I lived there, I owned a monkey.I had my tailor make matching dresses for me and the monkey.In my 20’s, I rode a motorcycle as my primary mode of transportation.At age 28, I was the first person in my family to graduate from college.At 32, I bought a house for my daughter and I in Roanoke, Virginia.That house had a ghost that Jacqui and I called “Uncle Bill.”I learned to sew at age 14.Since then, I have made hundreds, maybe even thousands of garments,including stoles that my husband wears while leading worship services as a Lutheran Pastor.I earned a Master of Arts in Liberal Studies at North Carolina State University,studying Creative Writing and Women and Gender Studies.I wrote a memoir called Thorny Ground.I demand beauty and order in my environment, and listen to New Age Music almost all the time.I am a disabled veteran, now, but before I learned about the disability,I worked as a Programmer/Analyst in Investments for 24 years.I created a revolutionary design for a databasethat was used to invest $25M-$200M every business day. Despite my disability, I protect the interest of abused and neglected children as a Guardian Ad Litem.I love to scrapbook and do it as much as I can find time for.I am a feminist and an independent voter.Thank you, God for making me, ME!I wouldn’t want to be anybody else.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0