There is just something about New Orleans, "The City that Care Forgot", that touches my core and strikes every creative and artistic note in my being. Is it the 186 year old trolley or the Mighty Mississippi?
The music wafting through the streets?
Perhaps the potpourri of fabulous architecture or the recorded history of this vital port city dating back to the 1600’s?
Or maybe…just maybe it is the beignets at Café du Monde or a ‘muffaletta’ at the Central Grocery?
How about Jackson Square or Royal Street?
I don’t know the answer and I can’t explain it. However what I do know is that we are created to find that ‘place’. That place that draws, tugs, and pulls from our inner most being. That tug to create, design, imagine, build, paint, write…
Lindsey, Sammy, Sadie, and I had the distinct and satisfying pleasure of spending 6 hours, yes JUST 6 hours in New Orleans last month. We strolled the quarter and ate beignets. We marveled at the iron lace and ducked into the chandelier shops on Royal. Time stood still for us that day as we soaked up the things we love and that inspire us. Please take time to discover your “place”. After all… “We are created in the likeness of the Master of Creativeness". Genesis 1:26 ~Jeannie
If I have the choice between living my life and writing about it…I’ll live it.
Our choice to combine households (The Walton Lifestyle) began out of necessity 1½ years ago. As our lives settled back down we realized what a blessing this lifestyle is and chose to continue with it. That required a larger, more accommodating home so early this year we went house hunting. Once we found a house we all agreed upon, then came the arduous task of merging lock, stock and barrel. As is the case with many thing, it was a much larger undertaking than thought. Hence-- 6 months later, several gallons of paint, copious amounts of elbow grease, AND 6 weeks of out -of -town guests we feel almost normal again…rather our ‘new normal’.
One of the most unexpected blessings of “Walton” living is that it allows Lindsey and I to exemplify the immeasurable joy and quiet beauty of a mother/daughter bond. God has given us much opportunity to model our lifestyle in action and to our delight and His glory we have been able to inspire and encourage other adult mother/daughter relationships. The blend of personalities makes each relationship unique in its challenges but so worth the effort.
So as I sit in the quiet of the morning pondering how to fully express myself, a pink sheet of paper slides from my notebook with the simple but powerful words ~ I LOVE YOU~ from my 5yr old grand-daughter “Lady Sadie”.
Ladies and dear friends, seize the moments and nourish your mother, your daughter, your sister, your niece, your friend. Each woman in your life if a gift!
OH….if only I had a photograph of this evening as this is a memory I don’t want to forget!
Last week I took the ‘little gent’ shopping as I was with his mom when she spotted a necklace that she loved. Our evening was ‘too brisk’ for Florida, however it lent itself to the Christmas spirit. We scurried into Charming Charlies and quickly located the beaded beauty that his mommy had spied. He proudly told me he had $7.00 in his purse of which he would use $5 for this necklace because he still had to get something for his dad too. As we approached the checkout counter he decided to get his money out. With beads in one little hand and his purse in the other, he plopped down right in the middle of the floor. He pulled out a tight roll of bills. As he unraveled each bill the little green pile stacked up. OH friend, if only I could freeze this memory. His beautiful brown curls circling his head, the small pile of money, the necklace laying on his knee, shoppers pausing for a moment to see a child experiencing the true spirit of Christmas ~ I have to admit my throat swelled with emotion.
As we stepped back outside hand in hand, holiday music and the lighted palm trees enchanting us, the ‘little gent’ said to me with a precious, sweet look, “Mema, my dad’s right, it does make me happier to give!”
Ladies, as we draw this year to a close, Lindsey and I will be spending our time with the most important people of our lives….our family. This is our final post of 2010 and it comes with the warmest wishes of a fulfilling and meaningful holiday. ~ Jeannie
Bon Bon’s, Mouse King, Herr Drosselmeier, Sugar Plum Fairy… Last year we attended a Nutcracker Ballet for the very first time. Mom and I and the ‘Little Lady’ awaited the day with great anticipation. We were not to be disappointed. The exquisite costumes were fashioned in Russia. The dancers had skill and precision from hours of practice, driven by a passion only known to a ballerina. The Beauty on stage that night was breathtaking and talked about all year long. Now once again, our tickets are purchased and we count down the days when we will dress up and enjoy the event all over again. This time we have a very special guest who will be joining us. This Beautiful Lady will make our entourage 4 generations instead of 3. She is my precious Grandma Pearl who has influenced my life in the most wonderful way. (That makes Great-Grandma for the ‘Little Lady’.) She flew in from Kansas for this unforgettable occasion. We won’t even be able to capture the Beauty of the night on film, but oh, we will try… ~Lindsey
Festivities are in the air and I’m sure today we have all started preparing in some fashion or another for our beloved Thanksgiving! Family arriving from far away, thawing the turkey, making the homemade dinner rolls, “dressing” the table we’ve had planned out for weeks to be a special and memorable treat. We have been diligent practicing with the ‘Little Lady and Gent’ at tea parties to use their “bestest” manners, ‘Please pass the rolls, Oh, the sweet potatoes are delicious’. Always remember not to smack those lips and yes, the napkin is for your face and your face is not to be wiped on your sleeves. Each of us carries with us our own traditions for our families that we have created or learned from our mothers and grandmothers before us. Teaching the ‘Little Gent’ for the first time about our pilgrims and the First Thanksgiving has caused me to be in awe more than ever before how privileged we truly are, the hardships they endured for our freedoms and comforts now! Among all the vast differences and how things have changed between 1621 and 2010 I am touched by our similarities… Still overflowing from our hearts is a gratefulness for life well lived amongst the struggles we endure today. Still we gather with dear friends and precious family for laughter and fun and Still we prepare an abundant and special meal to be enjoyed by those we love. May we all enjoy this week and remember old memories as well as create new ones… We would so much enjoy hearing of your traditions for this Day to be Thankful! ~Lindsey
