Content and Grateful

Let me start by saying how blessed I am - Jeff and I celebrated 35 years of marriage on Sunday. We decided to ring this one in with a quiet weekend. We didn't even go to a fancy restaurant. We have gone to Acre in Auburn several times over the summer, so I suggested we just go casual this weekend.  We drove up to our Auburn home Friday night and stayed until lunch on Monday. We spent one of the quietest and most laid back weekends in a while and I totally enjoyed ringing in 35 years that way. Does that make us old?

We did a little window shopping Saturday. I guess that is what you call shopping when you don't buy anything. That is what my mother called it anyway when I was a kid. We ate barbecue for a late lunch/supper and sat outside. It was very pretty this weekend. It had a touch of fall in the air even with the heat. I don't know, maybe it was something about the breeze and the tops of the oaks. We watched an Auburn football game on TV Saturday night. The game was away, so it was pretty quiet in orange and blue land. There was nothing calm about the second half though. Nail biter!

On Sunday we drove an hour and 20 minutes south to a canyon. Yes, SOUTH to a canyon. We took the dogs because the website said dogs were allowed. I want to go back to the canyon in the middle of nowhere Georgia to hike down into it WITHOUT the dogs. Gus just wanted off the leash and Lemony got a little tired. I took lots of water and all but at her age it was a bit much for her, so most of our hiking was around the rim. I told Jeff I definitely want to go back when it gets cooler and hike down into it. The story is it was formed because of poor farming. I thought it was quite interesting and want to research it more. It was called Providence Canyon State Park.

Me with Lemony walking around the rim.

Jeff with Gus just wanting to be set free.

Sunday evening we ate pizza and talked about how lucky we were to have gone to Auburn and met and how blessed we are to have each other.

I barely cross stitched or read the book that I took with me. I guess that is not all bad. I looked at lots of leaves. You know how you collect shells when you are the beach. Well, when I travel even that far north I just want to collect leaves. Leaves however don't last like shells. I just love all the different ones around. Even in our yard up there are so many varieties of oaks and maples. I couldn't help myself from picking them as they really were starting to fall. I also collect rocks when I travel. Trust me though I have plenty of shells too.

I acquired some old Southern Livings from 1982 and 1984. Y'all I have had as much fun reading those as anything lately. I love the old home decor and recipes. There are lot more black and white pictures but I have enjoyed these immensely. I have thought a lot about, "Are they better or am I just older?" The truth is I think I am older. The newer magazines have much much better ads and are much better written in some ways. It is the content that I have outgrown. I have pretty much given up all new ones. Many of the ones from a certain publisher just put the same houses in different magazines anyway. They never really have anything new in them. I took some of those with me and that is what I did with my at home time... Looked at old magazines.

Another interesting thing that happened is that the kitchen light above the island went out. It has been acting wonky for over a year. I have said I never really liked my kitchen lights. I changed out many of the light fixtures on the main level of this house when we moved in because many of them were very bright brass and very Victorian. They were just way over the top fancy for my taste. Finally I have an opportunity to change them out AND---

I went looking and told Jeff I really needed to think on it.

WELL, guess what?!!!! I saw nothing out there that I loved either. I think I am going to keep what I have. I have Tiffany shades. The one over the island had a ceiling fan with it. I don't think I EVER use it, so Jeff and a friend were taking it down yesterday and the friend said it would be very easy to just redo the guts to the actual light, leave off the fan and make it match the table one, so people all that to say I am keeping what I have.
Here are pictures of them.
I had to go way back in the blog to find pictures of them. Maybe I didn't like them so they were always missing from the pictures.

I miss that little Lucy girl there.

I didn't want anything too trendy and Jeff doesn't like anything that doesn't have a shade over the bulb so that ruled out anything with a candelabra bulb. We usually agree on things and if he is adamant about it "I usually" know he is right about it. That led to accepting what I have. I don't think I have ever liked the pink butterflies and other than that I don't hate them, so maybe I need to research how to change the color of the pink butterfly. You can see the pink butterfly in the top picture.
Sometimes you just need to know you can change it, but I have lived long enough now that I don't really see the need to be in style so much anymore.

Bring on fall now that Labor Day is over I say! I have been a lazy girl today. I didn't keep Tucker as his other grandparents were getting that privilege. I sat outside on the deck for about two hours this morning. I did my Bible study and just sat and soaked up the warm breeze.

The Spanish moss was so pretty swaying in the wind in my neighbor's yard. 

I think I just needed a lazy day. I plan to start thinking about some fall decor maybe soon. I know I am stitching up some cute little squirrels tonight, so stay tuned for a stitching update.

Sandy