The Glorious Pile

I love slowing down and looking at houses! I don't really covet them as much as I admire the way they put everything together, from landscaping to the front door. I make special note of the architectural details and craftsmanship. I try to keep a catalogue of ideas so that I can try to tackle my own curb appeal at some point. I love the use of rocks, stone edging, ground cover, timber, lanterns and sago palms. It's nice seeing my house sandwiched in with these beauties. Don't worry, I'm always careful to make sure I'm not causing a traffic jam!

During my "One room per week" cleaning routine, I managed to clean the Kitchen and Den in 2 weekends. Mind you, they hadn't experienced a deep cleaning overhaul in many many moons, so hours went into cleaning them. As an added benefit, the weather was nice enough to open the doors and windows, play some french music, wash some clothes, recycle, bake some salmon steaks AND sort out tax stuff all at the same time! Judging from the contents of the vacuum and discarded dust cloths, I'll be breathing a bit better too. Maybe it's seasonal affective disorder or just being over-worked, but I just haven't had the time to put things back where they came from. It might not look like a huge difference to you but trust me, I'm so relieved that part of my home is functioning better because it's cleaner. At some point I'll want to wash the walls down, paint and do a deep tissue cleaning on the place. But for now,  I got a thermal blanket for my hot water heater a...

photo, courtesy of Deb Pae Robey Your Divine Valentine A Valentine may play a love song for you, but God sings you the sweetest love song in the universe. The Lord your God... will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing. Zephaniah  3:17 A Valentine may give you flowers, but God sent you the most beautiful rose of all. Jesus. I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys. Song of Solomon  2:1 A Valentine may bring you chocolate, but God provides you with something even sweeter, His Word. How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! Psalm 119:103 A Valentine may love you for a lifetime, but God loved you before you were born and will love you for all eternity. Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love...with lovingkindness I have drawn you. Jeremiah 31:3 Praying you're blessed by the  wonderful love of God   this  Valentine's Day  and ...

Oh Glorious Pile, how I've missed you! There have been things going on in the world, like a revolution in Tunisia and Egypt and all sorts of other stuff. Speaking of the African continent, did you know that there are 53 countries on the continent of Africa and it's coastal islands? If half of young Americans can’t even find New York, what hope for finding Egypt on a map? So, I decided to refresh my geographic memory and I stumbled upon Mauritania, Burkina Faso and Eritrea. Apparently overweight divorced women are praised and envied in Mauritania There's also the RICHAT STRUCTURE and a SHIPPING GRAVEYARD photo: courtesy of NASA photo: courtesy of Xavi Barneda photo: courtesy of Xavi Barneda Seriously, if the opportunity presents itself, I would move to Africa to be a full-time missionary in a heartbeat! Off the grid, working with kids and helping the poor...hmmm, I might need to re-visit that idea! photo: courtesy of Xavi Barneda

My friend Alecia Lauren has taken some incredible pictures at this event: The National Association of Catering Executives of Atlanta. I wasn't there and can't take credit for anything except for being impressed by Alecia's gorgeous photos and the creativity of the exhibitors. I don't know their names but here's a link to Alecia's Facebook page: Alecia Lauren Photography click on the words above. More Photos Here: and even More Photos: Makes me want to plan an event!  Hmmn, I will be having a milestone birthday in a few years, I need to start dreaming!