Today my cousin Mike lost his battle with cancer. Mike spent his life working on the family dairy farm. The life of a dairy farmer isn’t an easy one. Imagine milking cows every single day at 4:30 am and then again at 4:30 pm. In between milking times, the day is filled with farm chores. …
Today is our 19th anniversary! Mr. SP and I met at the YMCA in February of 1993. We enjoyed being active then and still do today. We were married July 2, 1994. We honeymooned in Vermont and enjoyed a bike trip where we biked from inn to inn. Mr. SP’s brother had “Just…
Mr. SP just informed me that today is National Ice Cream Day. In celebration, we hope to spot the ice cream boat on the lake today. Maybe the boat will even pull up to our dock like it did a few weeks ago. What could be better than ice cream on a hot summer day?…
Happy Mother’s Day! I spent a wonderful day with my mom. We started the day at her church located in the beautiful Rockfish Valley. Humpback Rock, found along the Blue Ridge Parkway, can be seen directly to the right of the steeple. It’s a great hike with a pretty view if you are ever in…
We couldn’t have asked for a prettier Easter Sunday here in Virginia. Not only was it Easter, it was Mr. SP’s birthday and Mama’s birthday on Saturday. We celebrated Easter and the two birthdays at Walnut Avenue. Mama used Granny’s china to set a really pretty table full of good food. A southern meal isn’t complete…
This weekend we headed to Maryland to attend a celebration for my Great-Aunt Catharine who turned 100. After the birthday party, we headed to the family farm to visit with my cousin who couldn’t attend because the party was held during milking time. My cousin Mike is one of the nicest people you’ll ever meet. …
Can you believe that it’s the last day of 2011? The older I get, the faster time seems pass by. Our house is in the terrible transition of putting away Christmas. Cleaning up makes a terrible mess! Even with a mess in just about every room of the house, I had to pull out my vintage…
Yesterday my mom, aunt, cousin, and I had a fun-filled day of shopping and encountered no crowds and no traffic. We waited in no lines and witnessed no pushing and shoving to get a bargain. Admittedly, we didn’t get too many items checked off of our Christmas shopping lists, but we sure had a good…
I have read about Black Dog Salvage located in Roanoke countless times over the years and always thought that it would be a place that I would enjoy visiting. This company rescues and then sells architectural treasures from historic homes and businesses that are being demolished. I didn’t realize until this past spring that wanting…
A family friend shared a picture of his chicken coop and it’s too cute not to share. Russell is a talented craftsman and also quite resourceful. Knowing Russell, the materials that he used to craft this coop are most likely extras from other jobs or repurposed. Russell lives near my mom’s farm and I…
Happy Valentine’s Day! We really don’t make a big deal out of Valentine’s Day or our anniversary in this house. There won’t be a romantic night out on the town for us this year, instead we will have steak, asparagus casserole, and roasted cauliflower while we dine in front of the TV. Then we’ll have…
Another Christmas has come and gone. I love this time of year and am going to savor the last few days before it is time to take down the decorations and get back to “real life.” We had a wonderful Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and day after Christmas. Mama, my father-in-law, Mr. SP and I…