Hanging by a wire!

I've been intrigued by the popular mixed media jewelry I've seen in catalogs and on Etsy, so this weekend I finally pulled out my supplies and old collection of beads and tried my hand at it. I don't think I'll become a professional, but they turned out kind of neat. And I found I had several chains that would work with them! So here is my 4th of July jewelry experiment!

This was a shell necklace that I had purchased in Charleston a couple of years ago. I added the moon-shaped charm that was my grandmother's and a few other odd pearl beads. Kind of cool, I thought!This pendant I made from a huge gold earring that was my sister Susan's with a locket that was my grandmother's (Mattie Cook Stockley). I added a little flower and a couple of beads.I've been wanting something in browns and had this gold chain with the brown beads linked in already -- just had to cut down the length. Then I added the ring from somewhere and a cluster of assorted beads.

We've had a facelift!

No, not me -- my home! Our siding (which was supposed to last over 20 years) was beginning to look irridescent when the sun hit it. So we took this chance to change out the rails on the front porch and, finally, get rails going down the steps. I love it.

Matt Rosser did the work, and he's been great to work with! Highly recommend! He's going to paint our patio next!

The Birthday Surprise

My mom's birthday was June 27, and my brother Walker and his wife Frances decided to come for the weekend and surprise her. He told Mom to expect a surprise package on Saturday. Hoping we wouldn't give her a heart attack, I called to tell her I had some errands to run and would stop by and take her to lunch!



When we got to her house, Walker went to the door and rang the doorbell. When she knows I'm coming by, she'll leave the door unlocked and I'll knock and walk on in. Well, Walker rang the bell again, and she called out, "It's open! Come on in." He still rang the bell, and she got irritated and went to the door and just stood there in shock.


She said she looked at him and thought, "That looks like Walker." It was so funny -- and we were glad we pulled one over on her! The weekend turned out great. We had a great lunch at Chee Burger Chee Burger and took her to the Old Mill Restaurant for dinner that night! And came back to her house for some ice cream birthday cake! So, happy birthday surprise, Mom!

Call me CiCi . . . or "Crip"

My ankle/leg has been hurting for at least six weeks now -- I've limped all over Alaska -- and everywhere else. Had x-rays done before our trip which didn't show anything. Well, today I had an appointment with an orthopedic doctor, more x-rays . . . and I have a stress fracture in the lower part of my leg. Woopee! Now I'm in a "boot" for six weeks. At least now I know what's wrong -- and that it's really something and not just arthritis. Don't know how it happened. I didn't fall, didn't twist it. Who knows. The boot actually helps it to feel better; it's just a pain to take off to drive (it's my right leg) and then put back on. Anyway, now I'm a crip for a few more weeks, but hopefully it will heal and I'll be good as new again!

Tonight we Skyped with Casey and Kate -- and Kate said our names for the first time! We were so excited! You'd have thought she quoted from Shakespeare or something! CiCi and PawPaw -- what wonderful words from a 16-month-old! Almost as good as the first time my kids called me "mama"!

Anna in Africa

While Stacy and I were having a good time cruising Alaska, our daughter Anna was travelling for a different reason . . . on a mission trip to Africa with SERV Ministries in Atlanta.

On her blog, Anna wrote on June 8, "As most of you know I have been in Africa on a mission trip for the past two weeks with SERV Ministries International. I will try here to briefly, somehow give you a vision of what we did and saw. If you would like to read more about our time there, check out the postings on SERVs blog while we were there." Read about her trip on her blog.

You can also read about their travels and mission work on SERV Ministries blog. It's humbling to read about the basic needs of the people in Kenya, and what we take for granted here in the U.S. And Anna said they were truly happy for what they receive and the blessings that God gives them. She said one lady who was poor and hungry passed up meals so they could be given to her neighbors. That is sacrifice. Thanks to SERV Ministries, Anna and the rest of the team that served the people in Kenya.

The Last Frontier . . . By Boat

Alaska was so cool . . . in more ways than one! The scenery is beautiful . . . snow-topped mountains, georgeous waterfalls, green everywhere . . . whales, seals and bald eagles everywhere! We had a fantastic time, but were glad to get home . . . except the temperature! It was in the 60s and 70s during the day and 50s at night! Perfect!



We got to Seattle in time to take a half-day tour the day before our cruise ship set sail. Our 3-hour tour with All Seattle Tours was great with our tour guide Joe giving a great narrative with all the sites -- he was funny too. It's a very interesting city -- funky and arty. I got to see the Fish Market and the oldest Starbucks and the Sleepless In Seattle house!

So we boarded the Carnival Spirit on June 1 for the trip up to Skagway and then back down to Juneau and Ketchikan. It's the 7-day Alaksa Cruise, and it's some beautiful country -- and the ship is beautiful. I highly recommend upgrading to a balcony room -- it's worth the extra money and you get to wake up to beautiful views! We were supposed to end at Victoria, British Columbia, but weren't able to dock because of wind (they said). That was a bit disappointing -- I was looking forward to seeing the gardens there -- but hey, they did give us an $11 refund! I was expecting at least a free drink!

Jeremy Lee at Wiregrass Travel booked our cruise for us -- and I HIGHLY recommend consulting him for any cruise or travel you're interested in! He helped with our sighseeing excursions at the cities we docked at, recommending Shore Trips which was less expensive than Carnival's side trips. At our first stop in Skagway, we did the Whitepass Rail and Summit tour up into the mountains on a train and back down by bus. In Juneau, we took the Mendenhall Glacier tour; and in Ketchikan we did the Ketchikan City and Saxman Totem Village Tour. All in all, a great time! Now, where do we go next? Hmmmmmm.....

Must love pigs!

I just realized it's been over a week since the kids were home and I haven't even posted the photos of our amazing granddaughter! It was absolutely the best weekend -- we celebrated niece Jessi's upcoming graduation (on the 27th) and Anna's birthday (on the 20th) -- and got to spend time with Kate (now 14 months and getting cuter all the time!) Kate had an entire family to show-out for -- and she did perform!



It's so much fun to see her laughing and running everywhere! She has this little stuffed pig they call "piggy" that she refuses to let go of. So I got up in the attic and found Casey's pig set that my sister Susan gave her when she was little. It's a mamma pig and three little piglets -- and I washed them and cleaned them up before their visit. Kate loved the pigs! She would bring me the bigger mamma pig and then try to carry all three piglets, all the while saying "Ph, ph, ph!"

Casey and John are bringing her up right -- she can't say CiCi or PawPaw -- but she can say "War Eagle" and "Auburn"! That's my girl!

Anna left on Monday for her mission trip to Africa with SERV Ministries. Prayers are appreciated -- and you can follow their trip and mission through SERV's blog. I got to talk to Anna today on the phone, and they are having an amazing time giving out food and ministering to the orphans. So proud of her and her dedication. I hope to one day join her on a mission trip.