Uplifting, Encouraging, and Fun blogging.

Oh Happy Day! It’s FRIYAY! We’ve made it through another week. My how time flies. And don’t blink because the weekend will be over oh so fast. I hope each of you enjoy it. Today I was outside and realized that one of my bushes is beginning to turn purple. I don’t know the name of the bush, some day I will figure it out, but I know when it begins to barely turn purple that’s my sign it’s going to turn fall soon. This makes me just squeal. I love it!. Isn’t it funny how our eyes turn towards the trees and bushes to let us know that the seasons are changing? I don’t know where you are but here, we have four lovely seasons. It’s evident in our area which season we are in. Trees are something else. I think why Bob Ross ( my absolute favorite ) always adds “happy little trees” to all of his paintings. They are just good things.

Growing up, my sister and I would spend almost every weekend with our grandparents. I have told before about how beautiful their yard was. Filled with dogwood trees. They also had a plum tree and a good ole crab apple tree. That tree was completely full of crab apples. I remember eating one of those apples once. Only once. Don’t ever do it. That was the worst stomachache I believe Ive ever had. It was like instant stomach virus. And it was so sour. It almost tasted like a sour candy. Yes, at 45 years old I still remember the taste of that apple. My papaw tried to warn me not to eat it. I wasn’t going to be satisfied until I did. You live and learn.

Although I have that one bad memory I have so many wonderful memories of that crab apple tree. The tree was right on the fence line of the neighbors which were great friends of my grandparents. It was a time when they knew all of their neighbors and you were friendly. Honestly, I can’t tell you the name of all of my neighbors. I’m friendly just not the way they used to be. Every night these neighbors came and sat on the porch and talked until the sun was almost gone. No phones, no electronics, just talking. They would share a watermelon or a cantaloupe and would share the loot from the garden for the day. It’s just what country folk did. I miss those times when everyone was friendly.

My papaw mowed his yard twice a week. He was obsessed with a perfect lawn. And it was picture perfect. Almost an acre and he pushed it. No riding lawn mower. After he mowed, we would run out into the fresh yard and visit the neighbor at the fence while he sat and “rested”. Here’s the tale of the crab apple tree. There were a zillion apples on the ground always. My sister and I would hunt a twig. Not just any twig but, one that was strong and bendable. It had to be just the right size around and it couldn’t be dry. I can’t tell you how many twigs were thrown right back on the ground because they didn’t make the cut. After selecting the perfect twigs, my sister and I would give them to our papaw to “sharpen the end”. He would take out his old pocketknife and whittle the end until it had a perfect point. Then it was on like donkey kong lol. We would load an apple on that stick and compete to see who could fling it the furthest down the yard. Those apples would fly down that hill. Sometimes we would throw a curve apple and it would hit the garage. We got a good tongue lashing for those (he was pretty particular about his garage too). I think we spent two hours an evening on Fridays and Saturdays flinging apples each summer.

It’s something how those are some of the best times that I remember as a child. A simple twig and crab apples gave us hours of entertainment. Can you imagine what a kid would think of that today. No phones or electronic games or computers. We spent time outside. We ran and rolled around on the ground. We screamed and laughed. We completely wore ourselves out. Our bathtub water would be brown at night lol. And if you don’t know, that’s how you knew you had one fun day, when your bathtub water is brown from the dirt and grime. If I could wish anything for young children today it would be that they could experience that type of childhood. I hope they can pick twigs and fling crab apples. One day, if I am ever lucky enough to have grandchildren, I will make sure that they get that opportunity. I may have to find someone with a crab apple tree to pick a bushel but, they will have that experience.

I hope tonight’s little tale has jogged a good memory for you. Feel free to comment and tell me about your great memory. Have the greatest weekend and happy dreams!

P.S. Those photos are really us. I’m the older one and that’s my little sister. And look on papaws head. You got it! Thats a crab apple on a twig. What a great life. I sure miss that little papaw of mine. He looks so hateful right there blahaha. I don’t think we ever left him alone for 5 minutes.

Always…….Brooke

Top of the day to ya! Lol. I’ve always wanted to say that. I hope this day has been filled with blessings and grace for each of you. We all need a little grace. This morning I was getting ready for my work day. Now y’all know I work from home so my “getting ready” consists of making sure I look presentable enough that if an emergency zoom meeting is called I wont scare my coworkers. Yes, I’m the gal that wears a presentable shirst and my Bob Ross pajama pants to work in. I aint gonna lie. That is me more days than not on my work day. What I wear doesnt effect the quality of my work. I stand by that. Anywho back to this morning. I looked in the mirror and thought to myself “wow were getting to look our age gal”. Its okay. I’ll take the aging better than the alternative. Thankfully my husband is a okay with me getting older. He is too lol.

As we age we begin to think a tad more about our health. I have taken measures to try to cook a little healthier and we have tried to eliminate things that we can that cause us stress. We also have tried to find something for exercise that we both enjoy and can do together. If you excercise with a partner, you can keep each other accountable. We have come to love riding bikes. We ride mountain bikes. Not the trails that require you to wear a helmet and have technical gear. I mean I have no desire to break my hip or my face lol. We prefer the more scenic trails with less treturous ground. Our bicycles are older and dont have all the bells and whistles but, the gears all work and the ride is smooth. We do try to make it a work out, so hills arent an issue and when we go we try to get atleast 15 miles in.

I always talk about what a beautiful area that we live in and I cant help it. Its true. We are so blessed to have places where we can ride that are safe and scenic. My favorite place to ride has a trailhead in Abingdon, Virginia. About a 40 minute drive from home which is okay. That drives means we can stop for a meal on the way back home. (always plan rides where you can stop for dinner on the way back. I mean, you gotta replace what you’ve burned lol). The Creeper Trail is absolutely the perfect ride for me. We can easily get 15 to 20 miles in on this trail. The scenery is breathtaking. There are tons of bridges, so many that they are numbered. Plenty of places to stop and rest and even take a packed lunch. If Abingdon Virginia isnt far from you, do yourself a favor and go for a ride on the Creeper Trail. You can even rent a bike. Make sure you take your camera. You wont regret it.

Every day I am thankful that my husband is my riding buddy. Even though we dont get to go every single week, we do go often and we encourage each other to give it our best and to push hard. As we get older we have made a promise to continue to ride. We both feel so much better each time that we go. My physician told me that if you excercise even 2 hours total per week it will help your joints more that any medication that can be described. I believe it. If I dont get my walks in or go ride I can tell. My hands and feet hurt so much more than normal. Movement is so imprtant especially as we get older. So find your way to move. Find something that you can enjoy. It’s exercise so its no going to be easy. But you can still enjouy it. Just being outside in the beauty is enjoyment enough for me.

In my daddy’s words “if you quit, you’ll quit”. If you stop moving you will become immobile. So dont do it! Keep moving. Have the best evening. Happy dreams.

Always…….Brooke

Happy Tuesday. Is it only Tuesday? I feel like it should be later int he week than that. It sure has been a busy one. Today I just wanted to take a second to show you a thing of beauty. Thats all. No long story just a beautiful photo and a word of encouragement for anyone who feels like they need it.

I know I’ve said that I work from home every day. I’m at my computer 10 hours a day so on my breaks and lunch I try to get some steps in by walking in my yard. I am lucky enough to have a large enough yard to get those steps in. I have a beautiful black eyed susan that is right now blooming in my yard. A dear friend cut some clippings from hers a few years ago and gave them to me. I planted them and they have truly taken off. I think the best flowers come from starters given by friends and family.

Some days don’t you think you just need to clear your head? Like all of the noise and the demands of the day are going to cause you just to explode. Sometimes I feel like screaming because you just feel like a number. Then when you’ve just about had it, the good Lord sends you a sign. As if to say “look at this. Look what I sent to you to let you know that I am here. I’m listening. I know today is tough but, I made you so much tougher”. Today He sent this beautiful butterfly. My husband and I call them “flutter bye’s”. It’s a little thing that we say because we usually can’t see butterflies up close because they just flutter bye. Today God said this one isn’t going to flutter bye. It’s going to sit right here on this beautiful black eyed susan and let you look at it. And it did. It sat. Long enough for me to even get a photo.

Some days are hard. And some days I know that you want to pull your hair out. It’s okay. But, let me remind you that you are so much stronger than anything that ole day put in front of you. Find something beautiful. And just admire that beauty. Breathe. And for goodness sake dont you ever think about giving up.

Enjoy the photo below because today she didn’t just flutter bye.

Always…….Brooke

Happiest of Tuesdays to all! Man, that weekend flew by. They always do for us. Our weekends are typically filled with activities. This past one was a little slower as we had a funeral service for a very dear friend. She was our “another mother” and my momma’s best friend. It’s been tough but, it’s the circle of life and that story is for another day. We did, however, go to dinner on Saturday. That’s our typical “out to dinner day”.

We all know this typical conversation: Husband: “where do you want to go to eat?” Wife: “I don’t care. Whatever you are in the mood for.” And then you are back in forth for 15 minutes until your “date” is pretty much no longer a date lol. Yes, we do this sometimes but, my normal answer is usually just: “I don’t care, you pick”. If you aren’t a picky eater that typically solves it. There’s a little tip in case you are in the never-ending cycle of where to go. I can usually find something on the menu no matter where we go. I do however speak up and say if there are particular restaurants that I don’t like. He already knows most of them and won’t even make that suggestion. Oh, the joys of being in a relationship for a while and you know each other. One type of food that we can always agree on ……..Pizza. So much so that we sort of have made it a game to go to pizza joints that we have never tried or haven’t been to in a while and we’ve been rating them. It’s a fun little thing to do. I mean, who doesn’t love pizza. And, for the most part, you can mess a pizza up too badly. I did say for the most part, because there are a few that I just can’t.

Ranking pizza! Yes, its fun. You should try it. We rank on a scale of 1 – 10. 1 being the worst and 10 being the best of course. We have not eaten any pizza that has made it to a 10 lol. We try not to do the chain pizza restaurant as there are many family-owned pizza places in our driving are. We also dont mind to drive a little way for pizza. I do have to say that some of the “chains” are pretty good. For instance, we really do like Johnny Brusco’s and if I am ordering delivery for me, it’s Papa Johns all the way. They both rank pretty high up there in the “7’s” range for us. Buuuuuutttt, don’t get me started on the worst pizza on the planet in my opinion which is Little Ceasers. If I could give a negative rating, there I would. To me that is one pizza joint that has mastered the difficult are of messing up a pizza. It is surely a big “0” for me.

Saturday on our dinner date day, we decided it was time to rank another pizza. We wanted to tr somewhere new, and my husband had heard some reviews from friends about a pizza joint in Roan Mountain, TN. Roan Mountain is a beautiful place. It has a state park and each year they host several festivals including its most popular “The Rhododendron Festival”. It’s exactly what it says. It is a festival to celebrate the beauty of the blooming rhododendron in natural form. It is very well attended. Roan Mountain is a super small town. If you blink you will miss it. There are only a hand full of restaurants in the town and we have been to a few. They have all been pretty good. The area is about a 40-minute drive for us but, its mountainous and beautiful so it makes it worth the time. If you live close to the are then make this drive. You won’t regret it. Especially in the fall.

I got off subject a little lol. So back to the pizza. As I said we made the 40-minute drive and found the restaurant. Smokey Mountain Bakers. I was in love with the name from the start as they are not only a pizza parlor but, also a small bakery. They make fresh breads, cookies, cakes, cupcakes, scones, and turnovers daily. They open each day at 8am because they also serve breakfast using all of those bakery goodies. They have a wood fired brick oven and to me that says delicious all over it. I love things that have that charred, burned edge. Can I just say when we pulled up there was a tiny little voice in my head that said “maybe this wasn’t a good idea”!

Oh know you just read that are wanting to know why. Details….details please! Did your momma ever say to you “don’t judge a book by its cover”? Yeah mine did. And most of the time momma was right. We pulled into the parking lot which was pretty much a grass and muddy field with very few gravels. The lawn was unkept and I literally thought we were at the wrong place. Had there not been signs I would have probably left. It was strange as you almost turn in to someone’s driveway to get to the front door of the restaurant. And when I say restaurant I mean a half barn, half house that looks like in needs a good bath lol. There is however a beautiful sunflower garden in front of it that were absolutely gorgeous.

I sat in the car for a moment and looked at my husband and just said “this will either be horrible or a real gem. Let’s go see”. As soon as I opened my car door I was hit in the face with the smell of delicious yeasty bread and garlic. I was already feeling better. Let’s speak of the decor in this little hole in a wall first. Like I said, this is a wood fired pizza oven place. So its appearance was a little smoky. The floors were uneven and there is no air-conditioning. Yes, I know you are going to start turning your nose up at the thought of that and so did I. But only for a moment. The wire shelves were full of fresh bakery items that looked amazing. It’s a paper plate kind of place so don’t expect anything too fancy. The windows were open and there was a constant breeze as there always is on Roan Mountain. It was very pleasant. They have a deck that has seating as well. The place was very busy. (Tip: if you pull in and it’s that packed, it must be good).

All of the pizzas at Smokey Mountain Bakers are 12-inch pizzas. They have a selection of gourmet pizzas of you can pick your won toppings. We had already decided to order 2 pizzas and if there were leftovers we could bring them home. Is there really anything better that warmed up pizza? Nope! I ordered the “high on the hog” which was piled with pork toppings. Bacon, sausage and ham. My husband ordered a “BBQ Chicken”. He loves bbq chicken pizzas. I’m not the biggest fan but he loves them. It took them no more that 10 minutes to get our pizzas to us and they were super busy. Y’all!!!!!! This pizza! It was piping hot. The crust had those big air bubbles in it where it was put in that fire. The sauce was amazing, and the cheese was stringy and good. I even really liked the BBQ chicken one and I swear the bbq sauce had to be homemade. We couldn’t even talk to one another. I was cramming pizza in my mouth as fast as I could get it in there. I just was staring at this food like I had been on a starvation diet and my brain screaming “get in my belly”. I watched patrons around me doing the same. I was also being nosey and trying to see what their pizzas looked like lol. We purchased a blueberry scone, which we halved for dessert. My mouth literally is watering as I write this. We brought home a few pieces which were warmed up and eaten the same night. We also left with homemade granola bars which are made with pumpkin seeds instead of nuts (nut allergy here so that was amazing) and a lemon blueberry tea cake. Yea I bought a little cake even though I am a baker. And I’m so glad I did. It was all absolutely wonderful.

Friends, momma was right again. Don’t judge a book (or a restaurant in this case) by its cover. This place was fabulous! We will be making that drive again real soon. If you live withing driving distance, please do yourself a favor and go. You won’t regret it. Smoky Mountain Bakers, Roan Mountain, TN. My rating 8.8. My husband’s rating 8.2. It’s hard to get that from our pizza lovin palates. Go make the drive to support this local dive. P.S. the photos don’t do it justice!

Always……..Brooke

Well happy Monday! And happy start to a brand-new week. Remember; you can handle any ole thing that this week hands to you. Chin up. Y’all know how I’m feelin about summer……. I am over it. But, the summer days do bring a lot of beauty. The lawns are green and look amazing especially when they are freshly mowed. Our neighbors have some pretty great looking gardens. (mine was a dud this year. next year will be better). My local farmers market is filled with fresh veggies and fruit. The sky is clear and a blue. And the flowers are blooming and bursting with color. I just can’t complain much about all of that. It would just be so much better if it wasn’t hot as 3 hells lol.

The summer often makes me think of my grandmother’s yard. She was the queen of flowers. There were tons of dogwood trees in their yard. Perennial flowers everywhere that just jumped up with color every year. Pink, pink, and more pink. Because that was her favorite color. She was the envy of their street. People would slow down just to see the beauty of that yard when they drove by. Hanging baskets everywhere and one huge magnolia tree in the side yard with blooms as big as my head. Papaw cussed that tree every day. They are a mess to clean under. I certainly didn’t get her green thumb but, I sure wish I would have. That little gift went to my older sister Lorie. She can grow anything.

Summer and flowers. So many to choose from. So many varieties. What is your favorite flower? And let me just ask when is that last time that someone gave you your favorite flower? Does your special someone even know what your favorite kind of flower is? I would bet a lot of folks would say roses. And they can be arranged so pretty. I guess I’m in the huge minority here. I really don’t like roses. I never have. I do however absolutely love daisies. To me they are happy and vibrant. I am very lucky to say that my husband knows that daisies are my favorite flower. Although he doesn’t do the “deliver her flowers to work” thing, he does bring a beautiful arrangement home to me sometimes. He never has been the work delivery guy and I am A okay with that. I would rather have him do something for just me to see. I’m the luckiest!

Here’s your challenge for the week. Sometime, during conversation, let your partner know what your favorite flowers are. It may prompt them to bring you a little bundle of them. And, who knows, they may not even know what you like. I bet you will get a beautiful centerpiece for your dining table real soon. Look at the beauties that I got last week. The photo is in the post. (if you don’t tell them they won’t know). And if you don’t have a partner that is okay. Go to the store sometime this week and buy yourself some lovely flowers. You wont regret it.

Always…….Brooke

Sunday! How did you get here so quickly! Sometimes doesn’t it feel like your week takes forever to progress and the weekend is gone in 5 seconds? It sure feels that way to me sometimes. So, who’s family lives by the old saying “Sunday is a day of rest”? We try to except my day to rest is a little different than most. It’s my day to cook and meal prep for the week. It’s also my day to make sure the house is tidy. My husband watches sprots all day and typically doesn’t move from his recliner. Now, I know that cooking and cleaning a little doesn’t seem like resting but to me, that is resting. All week my face is in a computer screen so being in the kitchen is kind of nice.

I always talk about how a person should do something that he or she loves. To do the things that make you happy. Sunday for us, is the perfect day for us to do that. Do you have something that you enjoy doing that literally makes you smile when you think about it? This last year I have found something that I have become so passionate about. Last fall I decided that I wanted to learn to sew. My little sister got married last September in our back yard by our creek. I wanted so badly to sew my own dress to wear. I found a dress on Pinterest that I fell in love with. It was very retro and I wanted something similar. I begged my mom to make the dress for me. She knows how to sew and has made several sets of curtains for me. She just didn’t want to tackle a dress. So, she gave me one of her sewing machines and told me to give it a shot. I started literally learning to sew a straight line. The I was able to make a tote and some key fobs. Once I saw that I really loved the peace that being behind that sewing machine gave to me, I knew immediately that I was going to make that dress. With the help of a friend who has sewn for years, I was able to pick my pattern and work through the basics. I made the dress! And I wore it. It wasn’t perfect but I was very proud of it.

Today, over a year later, I am still sewing. I have made many jumpers and items of clothing which I wear. I have also started making pillows and a lot of other items. This past Christmas I gave all sewn gifts to the women in my family, and I even sewed their giftbags. Recently I was asked if I would do some hemming for some folks, and I agreed. I am now currently working on pillows and aprons using retro patterns and materials so that I can sell them at an upcoming craft fair. Never in a million years would I have ever dreamed that I would sew even a button back on a shirt let alone that I would fall in love with being able to make my own clothing.

Recently, I have started going to thrift stores and antique stores to find vintage fabric. My eye is always on the lookout for the gaudiest looking patterns that I can find. All the browns, greens, and oranges that I can find. It’s gotten so bad that my momma and my siblings are all looking for fabric lol. If you have a family like mine, let’s just say you are super lucky. They’ll support your hobbies and begin to contribute to your stockpile.

Speaking of family, I had one of the coolest aunts ever. She was an eclectic old gal who could do pretty much anything. She worked at a bank which would make you think she was pretty boring but, she was a fire. Her name was Ellen and she was my daddy’s oldest sister. Much older. She was about 20 years older than dad. I truly say she was my spirit person. She wore bell bottoms and polyester. She wore hair ties and mary jane shoes. She and my uncle never had any children but, they loved us, and they loved life real big. They traveled everywhere with the senior citizens center. And she did “stuff”. She made dolls, she did pottery, she knitted, she crocheted, and she sewed. She could sew anything. She was always “old” to me. In fact, she died only a few years ago and was 94. A few months ago, my mom gave me a bag of vintage fabric and sewing items that were hers. I have loved every second of going through and using the items in that bag. I found some quilting squares that she had sewn and never made in to a quilt. After washing them and cleaning them up, I was able to make them in to pillows for my siblings. I gave them to them this week and they loved them.

Sunday is my sewing day. My day of rest behind the sewing machine. After my few little “chores” of meal prepping and cleaning, my rest is truly to get behind that sewing machine. Friends, go find what makes you happy and do that. Do it as much as you can. This little life that we have is so very short. Enjoy it all that you can and do what makes you happy. You may find that folks around you will benefit too. Nothing is better than a handmade sentimental gift. Have a blessed Sunday evening! (P.S. This is one of the 4 pillows that I made from my aunt’s vintage quilt panel. The design is had sewn and I love them. I think Aunt Ellen would be proud)

Always…….Brooke

Happies of Saturdays to you and yours! This morning while I was getting ready for my day a song came on my Pandora that immediately reminded me of my daddy. I won’t lie I did shed a tear or two. I’ve said before but, we lost our daddy 10 years ago this coming Christmas. He was surely something. He was a bearded burl of a man with a very quiet voice. He was scary looking to most people who saw him from afar. His long hair and beard covered face was intimidating to most people. He led a quit life. He worked harder than 3 mules and he instilled that in all four of his children. He believed right was right and wrong was wrong no matter who you were. He loved our momma fiercely all 49 years of their marriage. And he was our protector and provider. He was just so much. And that’s why we miss him so.

Isn’t it funny how a song can jog a memory? Ole Willie Nelson singing this morning did that for me. I don’t know if it was because it was so early this morning but, all I could think about was the sunrise. The start of a brand-new day. A fresh start. Every sunrise is that you know? No matter what yesterday was or gave to you, todays sunrise is just a reminder that you survived. You did it! You made it through all of the stuff that yesterday threw at you! Good for you. Now, don’t dwell on that because this sunrise brings you a new day and it is going to be fabulous! Aaand if it isn’t, tomorrow brings a new sunrise and you will get through today as well.

So, picture it……..Tennessee……..1983-1995 lol. I mean who doesn’t love Sophia! Well, that picture is my childhood. The era in which I grew up. Hence why I love the 80’s. Childhood for me was the best. I know it isn’t for everyone and for those of you that had a rough one, I’m sorry. It is; however, over and like above, you survived. Now it’s time to adjust your crown and carry on. For the next few minutes just live this memory through me. Growing up there were so many little trips that we took with our momma and daddy. We live in an area that is close to so many fun things. Day trips were a must. You dont live in the beautiful hills of Tennessee and not day trip. However, one summer trip every year was what we looked forward to. Every summer we spent a week in Myrtle Beach. Our grandparents often went with us, and we stayed in a hotel/condo where my parents became family with the owners. Later on in years, after the owners passed away, we would stay in a hotel right on the ocean. This is where my memory was jogged this morning.

Sunrise! Staying on the ocean was bliss. We loved it! I still love it! Teenagers. We were teenagers and we liked to sleep in and stay up late. Can I just say something to you if you are a late sleeper at the beach? Don’t do it every day. Every morning, while we were sound asleep, my daddy and papaw were up before daylight. They would grab their coffee and cigarettes (yes, they both smoked, don’t do that, it’s not good for you) and they headed down to the ocean to watch the sunrise. Daddy told me that it was a time for him to just talk to my papaw. It was my momma’s father. Dads parents passed away when I was 16 and 18 months old. I never really knew them. And it had been many years for my dad without his parents, so he came to love my mother’s parents as much as he loved his own. He talked about what the sun would look like coming up over the ocean. He never really said it but, I think it was daddy’s of time of seeing God. He never really talked about that much but, I know that he had a relationship with the Lord in ways we didn’t see. All he ever said to me was that I was missing out by sleeping in. He said I should get up and watch the sunrise. I never did. Not while he was alive.

We don’t go to Myrtle Beach anymore. It has gotten so commercialized and is tailored more towards a younger crowd. We do go to the beach every year. In fact, my husband and I go twice a year. We go in May and October which is less crowded, and we prefer the less busy, slower lifestyle of Hilton Head Island. In fact, one day (within the next 5 years) we plan for that island to be our second home. This year in May, I finally did it. I got up at 5:30 am and I walked down to the ocean and decided to watch the sunrise while I got my walk in for the day. Two miles into the sunrise and two miles back to our condo. And I did it not just one morning, but twice. Can I just say it was breathtaking! All those years that my daddy talked about the beauty of the sunrise over the ocean, and I finally did it. I will get up and watch that sunrise more than two times from now on when we are there. It was like God was just showing off. It was like daddy was up in heaven looking down on me saying “I told you, you should have listened”. I was overwhelmed with emotion, and I cried. I’m sure the other people on the beach thought I was crazy and I don’t care. Even though dad wasn’t with me physically I know that he was right there with me. Smiling because he was right.

Please do yourself a favor and watch the sunrise over the ocean. If you have any faith in your heart, you are going to be amazed. He shows off in a big way. The sunrise anywhere is pretty amazing. I’ve since watched the sunrise right here in little ole East Tennessee. It’s just as beautiful. Just grab your cup of coffee or juice (not a cigarette lol) and sit outside and watch. I promise it will give you a sense of warmth and it’s like a breath of fresh air. You won’t regret it! Do it soon. P.S. the photo below is one I took of the sunrise over the ocean in Hilton Head in May of this year. The photo does it no justice.

Always…….Brooke

Howdy! I hope everyone has the best day! Well, I’m getting ready to say something that some folks loathe hearing and they will squeal and complain lol. Y’all I am OVER this summer heat! I walk outside and immediately begin sweating like I’ve been on a mile walk. I work from home, so I go outside on my lunch break to get a few steps in and to get some fresh air. The air right now feels like I’m breathing the heat waves coming out of my oven. Fall and Spring are most definitely my favorite seasons. Second would be Winter and lastly Summer. I don’t like to wish life away but, I get impatient waiting for fall.

Does your heat pump in your house give try it’s very hardest all summer the way mine does? The poor thing is out there just wearin itself out trying to keep this home livable for us. Last year we purchased and extra until that we put in the back half of our house just to help the ole gal out. It is the best monies that we have spent in a very long time. Our house is about 1500 square feet upstairs and the same amount down. It’s an older home and so is the heat pump. When it was installed, I believe it was just to heat and cool the upstairs. Now that the entire downstairs is finished it works its little heart out keeping us cool. With that being said, I wanted to share some tips on how we keep our house cooler. First we bought the extra small air conditioner. It does not increase our electric bill very much at all and it give the heat pump some relief. We cut the temperature up some during the day because I am here working and I sit at a computer most of the day. So 73 degrees in here is just fine durung the day.

My second tip is to keep the blinds closed. We have huge windows on the back of the house. The evening sun is beautiful but, it shines right in those windows. Two years ago we bought vertical blinds to put on the big windows. It made a huge difference. My kitchen and dining room stay 10 degrees cooler with those blinds.

Speaking of the kitchen, here’s my third tip. If you are a work from home or stay at home momma or daddy (like me), and you like to cook meals for your family, you must learn to use a crock pot or air fryer. These two appliances are staples for me in the summer. My oven will heat up the whole front portion of my home in about 10 minutes. I’ve learned to cook hearty, delicious meals for my fellas in the crock pot and air fryer. I typically cook 5 to 6 nights a week. We usually go out to dinner once on the weekend. So, the crock pot has kept my house so much cooler this summer. I am also a baker. I love making cakes, pies, cookies and all the goodies. Here my little trick for that. Early AM cooking. My son works nights and I cook his breakfast every morning when he comes home (yes, he’s spoiled, and I hope and pray I can cook those meals for many years to come). I have the oven on anyway, so I throw whatever cakes I need to make in there while I’m cooking his breakfast. I sometimes cook their dinner that early as well and just put it in the fridge to reheat when they get home or dinner. Let me say that spaghetti and lasagna are 10 times better reheated. It’s a win win!

Those are just some of the tricks I’ve learned to try to help keep the house a little cooler during the hell on earth heat that we feel during the summer. Y’all I’m in East Tennessee and we are not anywhere near as hot as some of our friends elsewhere. I don’t envy you and I have not desire. The only time this gal likes the summer is when I’m at my sister’s pool or at the beach.

Stay cool and enjoy the rest of your summer days and nights! As for me BRING ON FALL! I’m sure ready for it! Have the best Friday ever. I hope its filled with love and so many blessings!

Always………Brooke

Hello and heeeelllooooo! For almost a year I stopped blogging and then I realized that I truly missed it. I missed being positive. I missed writing down my thoughts. So, I am back and so thankful. Today I said, it’s a new start and a brand-new time to spread as much positivity as I can. I guess I just needed a break. You ever just need a break?

This last year has been a lot of change for me. First and foremost, I quit a part time job that was literally causing me grief and a lot of anxiety. I won’t go into the details other than to say I was putting tons of hours into something that wasn’t appreciated, and I was missing time with the most important people in my life because of it. Well let me tell y’all, if you are pouring yourself in to something and it’s draining the life out of you…….QUIT! Run, run as fast as you can and get yourself the hell out of there. You won’t regret it. The freedom you get from that release is better than any little paycheck you might receive. I said this earlier in a social media post that I did, and it is so true. If something were to happen to you today, your boss would be interviewing to replace your position within one week. You can be replaced so quickly at work, but you are irreplaceable at home! REPEAT THAT A MILLION TIMES! You are irreplaceable at home.

I still work my regular 40 hour per week job. In fact this past year I was able to transition to work from home with my job that is the best ever. I’m here to get dinner started for my family. I’m here if I’m needed during the day. I’m here to get my Amazon order in the door lol (shhhhhhh I don’t order all that much). Besides my regular job I am still baking cakes and making goodies. What I’m trying to say is, getting rid of that one job (that was absolutely horrid) allowed me so much more freedom to be whom I need to be and to be there for who need me. Do it! Find a way!

Do you have children? I am the proud mother of a 21-year-old son. When he was young, I worked a myself silly. I had a full-time job and two part time jobs selling pampered chef and scrapbook supplies (yea I was a scrapbooker…was). I thought I was really doing the right thing. My regular job consumed most of my day and my other two jobs took up a lot of my evenings and weekends. I found time for my ex-husband and my son but not a lot. (Note: I said ex-husband). I was able to buy about anything that we “wanted” with the money from the part time jobs and we had “stuff”. We took trips when I had a free weekend and we all had nice things. Then when my son started in the later years of elementary school, I realized that I was missing out on so much. So much of his after-school activities and just the time that he needed from me. I eventually got divorced and changed jobs. I stopped the side jobs that took up so much of my time and learned to say no. If I can, you can too.

I guess what I’m trying to say on this my first blog back in the world is, sometimes you take a break. It’s completely okay. It’s okay to take some time to figure out what is important to you. I truly believe that everything happens for a reason and in its own time. Yes, I divorced when our son was 8. I do regret putting him through such a hard time but, I do not regret the divorce. I am now married to the most amazing man that I feel the good Lord ever let breathe. My son will agree as he loves him dearly. We have a great home life and I’m truly not deserving. My son lives here full time, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. He can stay at home as long as he needs. He works and pulls his weight, and he helps with any chores around this house that we need him to do. Finally, after years of not being there as much as I should have, I have plenty of time for anything that he and my husband need. All because I decided to make some changes and take a break from the things that didn’t deserve my time.

Today I want you to put your hand over your heart and feel that heartbeat. That my dear friend is a sign of meaning. That heartbeat means you are here for a reason. You are loved. You are needed. You are beautifully you. So, take care of yourself and take a break if you need to!

Have the best blessed night ever!!

Always……Brooke

Happy Sunday sweet people. Yesterday was the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 tragedy. My television and social media timelines were filled wit tributes and scenes from 20 years ago. I don’t know about you but, for me, it’s a little hard to look at. I absolutely remember what I was doing on 9/11/2001. Do you? I remember just being in disbelief when my boss came in to my office and told me what had happened. We then turned the television on and watched it all take place. I remember the fear I felt because you just sit there and look at it and there is not one thing that you can do. Just watch and pray. I remember going to my parents home on my lunch and loving on them. My little sister was taking a nap, she was barely 19 years old, and I just kissed her on the head and cried because I was so thankful for my family. I can’t imagine losing m loved one. Just a normal day for those victims. They got on a plane or went to work and just never came home.

Yesterday, in honor of the 9/11 victims, my same little sister (who is now 39 years old) and I completed a memorial stair climb. Oh my goodness. Do you all have one of these in your area? Let me just say if you do, please attend. It’s not a race, you just go and climb. Our local event is held at Bristol Motor Speedway. Our home of NASCAR in our region. The organizer of our race is a local firefighter who happens to be my friend. He works very hard all year to get ready to put on this event and it certainly is top in its class as far as I am concerned. This year was our regions 7th annual. I wanted to use today’s blog to tell you a little about it in case you get the courage to attend one in your area. Caution: I advise you train a little prior to the event. Go to your local high school and get to climbing the bleachers! I made the mistake last year of not pre-climbing as much as I just ran. Well runners, this ain’t no 5k. The break down is this: 2200 steps. That means 2200 steps up. And you gotta go down to get back up. Honestly the down is harder for me than the up. Yes, I’m old and chunky and I have arthritic knees. But, if you practice climbing once a week then it’s definitely doable. P.S. you wont be able on sit in the toilet the next day without help lol.

The climb starts at about 9:30 am but my sister and I arrived about 8:30. We like to see the other 500 folks that are there to climb. Many many fire departments from the area as well as adjacent states attend as a group. As we stand there in our tshirt, shorts, and tennis shoes we watch these heroic firemen and women put on their full gear, including face masks in a lot of cases to climb a hot 2200 steps. It’s truly humbling to watch them get suited up. Police officers (in full uniform) as well as EMS personnel attend. It’s truly something to see. The opening ceremony consists of reminders of the time frame that there was impact at the towers, the pentagon, and in PA. There was a prayer from the fire department chaplain, bagpipes serenading amazing grace, presentation of our beautiful flag, and singing the national anthem. If those few tributes don’t tug at your heart strings and make you proud to live in the greatest country on earth then just wait, there’s more……..Sorry that sounded like an infomercial lol.

We began our climb on the outer stairwell of the speedway. At each platform there are pictures with names of the fallen hero’s who ran into a crumbling building to try to save the lives of the people in the twin towers. Color photos and their names. Y’all tears just fell as I struggled to get my breath trying to climb. Once we entered into the stands, with the heat just smothering you, all that you here are the 911 calls from the rescuers to dispatch dictating what is happening inside those towers 20 years ago. Y’all it is unreal. Marching and climbing up stairs with a fireman in full gear in front of me and another behind me carrying a firehose with the names of the fallen firefighters written on it. You keep pushing. If they can do it so can you. It motivates you. Up and down 4 times and then you repeat it for a total of 4 cycles. You just do it. You take a break when you need to but, you keep climbing. You want to quit and struggle to keep your legs from cramping, but you keep climbing. Each climber carried a small badge on their clothing with a photo and a name of a rescuer who lost his or her life. Each cycle you complete you look at that badge and you look at the photos posted in the stair wells and you feel how blessed you are and you just keep climbing. YOU JUST KEEP CLIMBING! The difference is, I got in my car and drove home. The man on my badge lost his life 20 years ago yesterday. He was someone’s son, brother,husband, and father. Think about it. You would have kept climbing,

When you finally finish (it took my little and I about 88 minutes to complete the climb) you walk over to a stage where a local fireman gives you a microphone so that you can say the name of the brave soul on your badge. You then ring a big bell in his/her honor. I struggled to say his name. Yes, I was tired and my legs were complete jello but, more than anything, I was saying the name of the man that was so brave that he gave his life for other humans. I was so grateful to say his name. Well if you read this entire blog you see now why I will ALWAYS make the climb. This is the second year for myself and my little sister to participate in the 9/11 stair climb in my town. I can promise that it won’t be my last. As long as I can put one foot in front of the other I will participate. And you should too. It is the most rewarding, humbling “race” that I ever do. And even though there’s no cut off time or first place, it’s truly a race against yourself. Your grit, your endurance, your emotions, and your heart will thank you.

One more little thing and yes I know this has been a long blog but the occasion deserved it. Remember 20 years ago after this tragedy happened? Remember how much love you were able to pour out from sheer thankfulness that you woke up the next day? All that love you showed your family and people in general…… that love is what you should be showing everyone now and always. For those who wanna know, I burned 1000 calories today in that climb and my step counter calculated over 6900 steps. I was at peak heart rate of 172 more than once as my watch went nuts wanting me to stop. Talk about a workout. It put a run to shame. Have a wonderful evening and much love to you all. ❤️Always