Playing In The Dirt...Again

We all worked in this past Sunday.

 Me, Massey and even Tim. With three people, we knocked it out in about an hour.

The fire pit was a major project for me last week...

 but think it looks awesome now!

Tim used a chain saw, electric trimmer with a metal blade for all the taller plants, trees and shrubbery. while Massey bagged the trimmings before weed eating around the many trees and flower beds.

We've been borrowing my brothers' JD until I bring my own Johnny Dear down from our Georgia house to live and work with us. His is a Cadillac compared to my Pinto and I'm a nervous wreck the entire time I'm cutting. I start out with the blade up high and in first gear, just to make sure I don't hit any hidden rocks or roots.

Our yards back in Georgia I know like the back of my hand and could almost cut them blind folded.

I'm still getting used to this big and lush yard full of greenery, ferns, vines and vegetation. I walked the entire yard before even starting the mower, picking up loose rocks and noting where all the big exposed roots are.

Then I drove like a granny, taking wide slow turns and never getting too close to the brick border surrounding the entire front yard.

All you have to do is hit one rock and it can put a mower not only out of commission but sometimes in a shop with a hefty repair bill.(been there done that)

I got in touch with my repairman back home in Georgia and he's going to tune up my Lil Johnny Dear, put a new battery , spark plug and filter on him before I go pick it up in April.

My brother had loaned us his weed eater as well, along with the blade attachment since my weed eater is in our old garage along with Johnny, my battery powered chain saw and several other of my gardening tools.Tim did most of the trimming. I bet that weed eater weighed half what I do and is certainly taller than me.

It was a bit much for me, even with just the string cutter attached. I'm glad I borrowed his though, because I've been saying I wanted to invest in a good sturdy weed eater that would last me for years and years.

I always went to Lowe's or Home Depot and got one of the $75.00 ones. If I'm lucky, it will get me through maybe two summers.

I told Tim, after cutting with it for less than five minutes that it was simply too heavy and long for me to handle. I felt like I'd been wrassling after thirty seconds.

I'll just stick with my El Cheapo, which I can swing around like a boss all day long.

Using a larger one will put me in a yard with both my parents like in the above picture.

My age has never really bothered me before. It still doesn't.

What bothers me, is having the almost sixty year old body of a woman who's slung and carried heavy plates and trays on a daily basis for almost four decades.

At least its kept me fit for the most part. I wish it had helped with gray hair and wrinkles...

 but it didn't.

I guess I'll settle for whatever God gives me...

just as long as He keeps on giving.

He gave us a decade long test of faith.

 We felt like giving up, and that's okay.

The important thing is not to.

It truly amazes me when people worry or fret about the silliest problems.

Actually they're not even problems, but  inconveniences. 

There's nothing that rubs me the wrong way like  people who complain about everything.

It makes me feel like saying "If you have everything to complain about...maybe you should instead focus on being grateful you have so much in the first place."

I know we do.

Each and every one of us.

I may be old but my time on this earth, every single day, is gold.

Even if you have a myriad of problems going on and feel overwhelmed, there are literally millions and millions of others with problems which make your own seem like a hang nail.

And if you happen to be that person I may (or may not) know, with problems so huge (literally or physically) it overwhelms your entire being and  existence...

what kind of person would I be, to not put you ahead of myself when I worry or pray?

There's always another side to a story.

We've luckily always been able to swim to shore, even if we had to tread water first, then dog paddle.

This world is a literal "Hot Mess" but I have faith in the goodness of humanity, and the fact us good guys totally outnumber the bad, and...

#Majority Rules.

Till next time, 

(an always grateful)

 COTTON

Hospitality Central

I've never had a big kitchen before...

But now I do.

And a breakfast room with a fireplace to boot.

I love to cook for people,  but enjoy it so much more when I can be surrounded by the ones I'm cooking for.


And now I can!

It's an older home, like its current owners. It was built in 1967, when I was seven, and Tim was five.
Over the decades its gone through several transformations, additions and even do-overs.

Just like us!

Last weekend we had one of Tim's high school friends and his wife over for dinner, and had a great time.

This past weekend we had one of Tim's childhood friends, now a dear family friend, stay for a few days.

We acted like we were all college students on Spring Break...

It was awesome.

Next weekend we have another two dear friends from Georgia, coming over for dinner while visiting OTown.

Our house is far from palatial or fancy, but sure feels like home...the minute you walk in the door.

Bonus points, my brother lives three house up, across the street, directly on the lake.

He has the perfect Lake House.

And now we have the perfect dining hall, a three minute walk away.

I am more than well aware, that we have been blessed beyond belief.

For an entire decade we barely scraped by, but did so, with tons of help from more than countless friends, strangers, and family.

This girl knows how quickly life can change.

On a thin dime, and when nobody is expecting it.

As I sat out back on the screened in porch

Monday night with our good friend, Rick, on his last night here...we had music playing softly, so you could still hear the crickets, birds and frogs. The ceiling fans were circling overhead, just like the hawks and ocassional bald eagles above us in the sky.

It was all I've ever wanted out of my adult life.

I certainly don't deserve (or even want) a mansion. I just want a home that feels like home, with a yard that's lovely to play in and look at.

Our house in Newnan was a wonderful "home" for over twenty years. I still miss it.

We moved out like gypsies, leaving a lot of our stuff there simply because we didn't have room to take it with us.

We lived in a tiny (and I mean tiny) rental sardine can for over two years (expecting to be there one).

I tried and keep it clean as a whistle (three dogs, never gonna happen) because it was mainly a depressing place to be inside of for more than an hour or so. It was a more than tremendous downsize.

For all of us.

But last night as I sat out back with our old friend, I told him this...

 "If I had to go through every single thing from the past decade of my life again, to get to this very instant, I'd do it again in a heartbeat... and would be more than well worth the wait."

This is the the kind of life you need to aspire and live.

Til next time... an extremely grateful COTTON

And P.S.

Visit  us anytime.

Getting Used To Country Life

We've always lived in suburban  subdivision, with gas stations and stores less than five minutes away.

Now the closest store or gas station is fifteen minutes away. Convenient enough but far away enough to keep the hustle and bustle at bay.

The past few days I've gotten home from work around four and before ever even going inside the house, I walked inside the gate into the yards and simply sat in a lounge chair, taking in the quiet, spectacular beauty of the nature preserve where we were lucky enough to purchase our forever home. Hawks soar overhead, floating on the breeze and on lucky days you catch a bald eagle circling above. Even Ziggy has gotten used to the sand hill cranes strolling slowly down the street in front of our house.

Who wants to go inside immediately after getting home when you can sit a spell in these yards?

Especially on a sunny, warm and balmy day...in early February.

Granted, some peeps don't enjoy yard work (or having to pay someone to do it)  so this wouldn't be the ideal place for them.

For this girl...

it's a dream come true.

When we lived in Newnan (above) our yards were always immaculate...front and back.

My nephew one time commented to my sister, "Aunt Kelly's front yard looks like a putting green."

Yes, and Thank you !

Four hours spent in a yard can make turning in your driveway every day a delight.

I don't care how hot it is. I can always go inside for a break and hydration. 

It's just my thing.

Massey took this pic of me headed to my parents gravesite to clean up a bit, years ago when we lived in Georgia.

The last things left of mine in Georgia, besides the house itself are my yard tools, chain saw and my Johnny Dear.

I guess I'll borrow my brothers' truck one weekend and travel up to bring it all down here in one load.

Yes, I'm the crazy one who loves, loves, loves yard work.

Back in Georgia I used to cut the yards of people who moved out and had their houses up for sale in the neighborhood. One house sat vacant for almost an entire year and I cut it twice a month every summer.

I can't tell you how excited I was to discover bananas growing at the top of one of the many banana trees in our yard.

Don't ask me what the alien looking thing dropping down from the bunch of bananas is, but assume it was a pod or seed at some point.

I also have azaleas in abundance, still in bloom since we moved in the first week of December. There are birds of paradise blooming, wisteria, camelias and plants I've never even seen before.

Everyone is super friendly, and neighborly. Several people have stopped by when walking their dog to introduce themeselves and one woman even  wandered the property with me, pointing out more fascinating plants or features.

We went to an HOA chili cookoff around the middle of January so we could join the (voluntary) HOA at the gated Isle of Pines park, on the lake across the street from our house. They have a huge pavilion, restrooms, catwalk, dock, basketball court and boat ramp. For ten bucks a year you get a key to the park and can go there any time. Every Friday night around sunset, residents pack a cooler and enjoy watching the sunset over the lake together, with an adult beverage or whatever they want to bring.


While there, we met the man who did all the tile work in our house and several others who knew the woman who lived here before us.

More than a few of them said they had been to a party at our house, more than once.

If only this fire pit in our back yard could talk.

Or this porch.

Or this Tiki bar.


We've already added the the go ahead lights.

The house was built when I was seven years old.
In other words, solidly built.

It's no mansion, far from it.


It's simply "Us".

There's room for all of us and room for visitors.

One of the (many) things I love about this house, is that every single window has a spectacular view.
How lucky is that?

You don't see other houses , we only have one slim view of the top of the house next door when you pull in the driveway. We can hear one family behind us when they have company over on weekends and from their musical selections think we'll end up being friends as well.

It was a tough decade.

Not gonna lie.

I've never needed or wanted a mansion.

I've wanted a home that suits me.

Guess who got that home?!

Til next time...

COTTON