Rested and Refreshed

Join me at Inspired by Life…and Fiction where I blogged about our recent getaway!

A $20 bill straight from heaven

Ever had one of those moments when the veil between this world and the next seems to lift ever so slightly, and you feel a "hug" from the other side? 

That happened to me recently. And with a $20 bill, of all things. 

I was out running errands. Nothing huge, just Target, then Costco, then grabbed an Ice Dream cone from Chick-fil-A (an errand staple, of course), then ran by the bank, all while missing Mom. I was thinking about how she worked in a bank for so many years, and how we used to laugh and have such fun together while shopping and running around town. Then... 

As I was counting my money, I noticed a twenty dollar bill that looked distinct from the others. Different print. And it was older. I looked at the date on the bill and teared up. 1934. The year Mom was born. 

Don't you love it when God gives you those special moments? When the Creator of time and space and everything that exists cares enough to reach down into the routine day of a saved sinner and let her know that he hears, he sees...everything. 

When was your last "hug moment" from the Lord?

Blessings on your day, friends, 

Tammy

"Jesus with skin" people in your life

Hey friends, I'm writing from Atlanta.

I drove down on Sunday to be with my sweet dad who's been suffering from TIAs (mini-strokes) and other related issues. It's so hard to see those you love hurting.

On Sunday when I arrived, he was not doing well at all, but what a difference the past 24 hours and YOUR PRAYERS have made! Thank you for offering prayers for his strength and healing.

The TIAs seem to have stopped (though, as many of you know, there's really no way to stop them completely, they're the body's warning sign of blood clots), and his issues of dizziness, nausea, and splitting headaches are subsiding as well. He's actually eating again and took three shorts walks yesterday. His balance and mobility are improving each time. He might be coming home today, we'll see.

This pic is of him on Monday afternoon talking on the phone with a fellow retiree and former co-worker from Life of Georgia (where Dad worked for 36 years). I love that he still has these friendships in his life all these years later. Doesn't he look great for what he's been through in recent days?

The three of us last night before I went back to their house

I'll likely head back to Nashville today. Esta (Dad's sweet wife) will take excellent care of him, I know. I have a first draft due next Friday and can hear the clock majorly ticking inside me. But I'm so grateful to have had this precious time with my dad. I've thanked my Heavenly Father repeatedly for giving me an earthly father who looks so much like him. It's made such a difference in my faith walk to have had Godly parents. I'm so grateful.

I'm also grateful, friends, that (as Eleanor says in A Beauty So Rare) our together forever started here. I appreciate you!

Who in your life has been a reflection of God the father and of Jesus for you? 

Tammy

Pet Affection

I got a birthday card from Jack, our little silky terrier yesterday (with Joe's help). Bless them both! 

Don't we love our pets? (and husbands too!) : )

Arranged Marriage: the gift that keeps on giving...

Don't knock "arranged marriages." I'm just sayin...  

In celebration of her newest release, THE WEDDING DRESS, author and sweet friend Rachel Hauck is hosting several authors on her blog this week...in their wedding gowns. 


So step back almost 28 years with me and find out why I'm such a fan of arranged marriages! AND who was hiding in the backseat of our car as we left for the honeymoon!

Click to read more

Leg Wrestling Over Antiques

Late one night last weekend, my daughter Kelsey called me and said, "I've found the prettiest antique desk!" So I quickly got online to La Vie En Rose Cottage's Facebook Page and viewed it, and it was a beautiful little desk!

Next day, Kels and I went to look at it. And while the above desk is lovely, it was a tad small for her needs. But when we turned around, we saw this one! 

An 1850s restored desk with hutch with original drawer pulls and hardware, and it was love at first sight. For us both! I thought about challenging her to a leg wrestling match in the parking lot, but the loving mother in me won out––though just barely––and she bought the desk!

You can't see it in this picture but it's got some pretty antiquing on it and has some wonderful little cubbies. The desk is being delivered to Kelsey's house tonight, and I can't wait to see it again, and then after she has all of her "pretty things" inside.

There's something special about owning a piece of furniture or item that's seen some years and that's touched so many lives. This desk was originally in a seed store up in New England, the Connecticut area, for about sixty years then went home with the owner when the store finally closed and was sold. It stayed in their family for many years. Then the desk "somehow" made its way South, then just recently, the desk found its way (thanks to Jenny Light, the owner of La Vie En Rose Cottage) to a beautiful little antique boutique in Nashville, and––tonight––is finding its way to the home of a young woman who plans on taking great care of it and passing it down to someone else some day.

Here are some glimpses of other items at La Vie En Rose Cottage....

Don't you love these kind of old doors? (That's Kelsey snapping a pic, btw.) They had several old windows, too, that have been restored and can be used to hang necklaces or other jewelry. People can think of such clever things!

They have LOTS of jewelry too. Both antique and "newly old."

I found a couple of vintage books while there...

A romance from the 1800s. Have you read this one about the red-haired, hot tempered doc? It's actually free on Kindle.

I read this Nancy Drew mystery as a young girl and it's fun to have a 1930s copy.

Allison, wherever you are, if you're ever reading this and you want your book back, tough noogies, gal! Just kidding! Well, sort of.  : )

Also, if you're looking for a specific antique item, Jenny Light is willing to take note of that, and––as she's visiting estate sales and rummaging antique shops––if she finds that item, she'll take a pic and send it to you, then you can discuss whether you want her to buy it for you. Pretty nice deal! You can contact Jenny here:

So, please share... What special pieces of furniture do you own? and what fun stories are behind them? I'd love to know!


Tammy

Me with my sweet daughter,  Kelsey

Write on your backsides and bottoms

Join me at Writes of Passage today, friends. I post over there every Tuesday and we have a wonderful time!

Blessings on your day,
Tammy

Dinner Party Time

I love hosting dinner parties, and we held a fun one last night!

My dad, Doug, and his sweet wife Esta arrived yesterday afternoon for a belated Christmas celebration, and we gathered family and friends so they could meet Esta, and so she could meet them. And we had a blast!

Here are some glimpses from the evening. Oh! And I'll go ahead and confess...I took NO pics of the food. I'm fallin' down on the job, I know. Guess I was too busy getting it all together. We had lasagna with all the fixings. Delish!

I'm not great at creating centerpieces. I usually just run around grabbing stuff from other rooms in the house until I have something that I think works. At least somewhat.

My fun buddy Gayle, sweet daughter Kelsey, and wonderful SIL Denise

Me and Esta (she and Dad are sooo happy together, which is wonderful to see)

Love seeing Dad so happy again. What a blessing!

We laughed just a little bit. : )

Then opened presents, with Jack "helping"

Our kids (Kelsey and Kurt) along with Dad and Esta

Some of the guys were MIA during picture taking time due to a certain football game with Baylor playing, so we'll have to nab their pics next time. 

And now for a funny (but useful) app that Kelsey introduced me to this weekend. It's called RunPee (LOL)! Have you heard of it before? I hadn't. Here's the gist (as taken from iTunes):

"The RunPee.com app tells you the best time to run and pee during a movie without missing anything important. Besides that, it lets you know if there is anything extra after the end credits and even gives you a synopsis of the first 5 minutes of a movie in case you're running late. The built in timer helps you see how the peetimes are spaced in the movie and quickly get a reading on how long you have to wait until the next peetime. The best part is that the timer will vibrate your phone before each peetime. Now you can sit back, relax, and enjoy the movie."

ROFLOL. I got so tickled. But really, the app proved useful during War Horse this past weekend, and it's free! So head over to iTunes and grab it (so you'll know when to pee).

Now tell me, what's a favorite app of yours?

Tammy

A favorite 2011 Christmas memory

Join me at Writes of Passage today where I'm sharing one of my favorite 2011 Christmas memories...

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

Great, now I have that song stuck in my head! : )

Hope everyone's enjoying a great start to their week and that you're ready for a very Merry Christmas. But ready or not, here it comes, huh? 

I just finished wrapping some last minute gifts and tucked them under the tree so, in that regard, I'm almost ready. More than anything though, I'm looking forward to the Christmas Eve service on Saturday and to sitting with other believers and adoring a Savior who loves us enough to have taken on our fleshly, fragile form and live among us. God with us. Emmanuel.

I've been thinking a lot about Elizabeth (from Luke 1) and her part in the coming of Christ. I posted about her on Friday, if you'd like to read those thoughts.

We attended a family wedding this weekend in Kennett, Missouri (where my husband's sister, Beverly Burcham, lives with her sweet family), and we got my niece, Brook Burcham, and her handsome fiancee, Jeremy Hughes, married in a beautiful ceremony with a fabulous reception afterward. Truly was a great family time.

Here's a glimpse of Brook and Jeremy at the rehearsal dinner on Friday night. So in love!

Pretty happy lookin' couple! And get this: they've known each other since they were around eight years old, and have been "together" for over ten years (liking each other and then eventually dating). So cool!

I wrote in the car on the way there and then back again, and even stayed in the hotel room on Saturday night and managed to get a few more pages in then too. I...am...LOVING this story and am eager to share it with you, which will be next fall.  It's great because I actually know more about this story (as I'm writing it) than I've ever known about a story I'm writing before. And it's a good thing because there's lots to keep up with!

Before I duck back to Nashville 1866 again, I'll share some quick glimpses of Christmas around the Alexander home...

I know, I know... But the lions near our front door get ornery 

if you don't dress them up 

(Naila, this one's for you, babe, in memory of Colorado days)

Sweet blessings on your week and remember to take time to breathe and enjoy the time with family and friends. Who really cares if the house is perfectly neat or if that cake comes out "Southern Living worthy." The most important thing is being with family and friends and treasuring those moments, and lifting up our Emmanuel. God with us.

Tammy

Time to head home

As I mentioned on Monday, I've been "tucked away" all week long writing, writing, writing and have had a very productive week. I actually managed to get away this time, and Joe came along with me. It's been a definite working/writing getaway, but we've also managed to sneak in some fun during the past few days. Now it's time to head home, though, and as great as this has been, we're both ready for our own bed––and home.

If you've been reading this blog for a while, let me first say, thank you! And secondly, you may remember that Hilton Head was a favorite vacation spot for my parents when my mom was alive. Well, that's where Joe and I have been all week (interspersed are pics from our week), and it's my first time to come back here since our last visit in December of 2009.

After Mom passed away in August of that same year ('09), the entire family (my crew, Dad and my brother, Doug, and his family), the whole gang, decided to come here for Christmas that year, knowing Mom would have wanted us to keep up the tradition. But it was so hard...and we ended up leaving after about three days and haven't been back since. But knowing I needed some focused writing time (and in part to celebrate Joe's and my upcoming 27th Wedding Anniversary on the 15th), we decided to come here. And I'm glad we did!

I wasn't sure how it would be, being back here again where we shared so many great memories with Mom, but it's been a wonderful week. We've enjoyed lovely weather and walks on the beach. We've ridden bikes on the beach and around town too. And I've had some great writing time. So it's been a very successful and enjoyable week.

I love watching the birds on the beach. So cute!

But I can hardly wait to get home to my kids, and to Jack! Here's a pic of "Jack being sad because his 'mommy' is gone" that Kurt sent us earlier in the week. LOL! Believe me, as long as Jack gets his Kong with his treats, I guarantee you I'm not being missed overmuch.

It's time to pack up and head home! I'd appreciate prayers for safe travel, and for Joe not to strangle me when I ask him to stop through Starbucks on our way out of town. I'm craving some of Southern Plate's Cold Brewed Coffee but since I can't have that, Starbucks will have to do! 

Blessings this Friday,

Tammy

Burning brightly once again

As most of you may know, my precious mom went Home in August 2009 after a brief battle with gallbladder cancer. God blessed us with some amazing last days here together that I treasure and that I'll always carry with me.

My mom gave me her wedding ring before she passed, and that's something I wear everyday, and that I look at often as I remember her. Something else that I got when Mom passed was a Bundt cake candle. What is that, you say? It's exactly what it sounds like. A candle shaped like big Bundt cake, LOL. See?

Mom kept it on her sideboard in the dining room on a pretty white cake plate (which was "so Mom") and would burn it on special occasions. Well, in the past two years since Mom's been gone, I've burned that candle down to the nubs, loving the smell and thinking of her each time I lit it.

A couple of weeks ago, I decided I needed to throw it away. There was no use in keeping it anymore. But...I couldn't do it. I started crying there by the trash can and so I put it back on the cake plate and back on the sideboard. Then I started thinking…

I had no idea where Mom got that candle but I know Google, so I got on the internet and googled "Bundt Cake Candle" and found a company that made them. Ordered one that was similar to Mom's and it just came! Isn't it pretty?

And––I love this––as it turns out, it's the same company that made Mom's. (If only I'd turned the original candle upside down and peeled off the lace doily that Mom had put on the bottom that had stuck to the candle over time, I would've seen that. Duh!) But I love that little "happenstance."

I lit the candle for the first time yesterday and it's burning brightly as we speak....

I wish I could say that I threw away the old one, but...I'm not quite ready to do that just yet. I wrapped it in foil and stuck it in my hutch. Someday it'll be the right time. But not yet. And that's all right. Because I'm burning brightly again and the aroma of precious memories of a precious mom are filling my house. And my heart. 

Blessings on your weekend,

Tammy

P.S. I found the package of doilies in Mom's hutch after she passed, so I have a supply of those for many Bundt Cake Candles to come! Thanks, Mom.