Joyfull Living

If you are a mother, you will understand that your heart will travel to wherever your children are. Our oldest son and daughter in law moved early this year to North Georgia. He has always loved the scenery in the area and felt a draw to there for many years. We rejoiced when he found a job and then a house in the area he longed to be in. This is our first child to move away so of course we take to road north to visit often!  Our hearts are so in love with this area. The visits in fall simply reinforced that feeling! Trees that change colors, brisk cool walks outdoors, riding down red clay dirt roads and family all together were some of the things that made our Thanksgiving extra special this year.  Here are a few reasons that Georgia is on our minds and in our hearts!

The first cool snap of the year recently hit the deep south.  It was a day I had been waiting for!  My favorite time to walk is early morning and as I stuck my head out to feel the cool air, excitement filled my heart.  For the past several months, the focus for walking clothes was comfortable and cool. This day, I chose a beautiful jacket which was warm and cozy and began my walk. Walking down the driveway, watching the rising sun and feeling the cool air on my face was fabulous. My warm jacket felt great as I began the walk. It didn't take very long for that cozy jacket to get a little warm. With a long way to go, I unzipped it to get a little cooler. Well then, at the bottom, it began to swing and the zipper pieces flew into my hands with every stride. Finally after getting too hot with it on, it came off.  Then it was where do I keep it? Before long, I was cold again!  Returning home from an almost miserable walk, I determined that 'warm and coz...

If you ever want to know how others see you, ask your children.  They can be brutally honest! My teenage son likes to play a game of guessing who is on the other end of the phone. By the tone of my voice he can narrow it down to three friends who may be on the other end of the call. It's a combination of being known so well he can decipher my voice modes and picking up that voice tone that is used with familiarity.  Those 3 friends are ones I can be totally myself with. They understand me completely and we can share openly together.  Those close friendships are wonderful and a vital part of a woman's life. We need friends who understand us, who we are comfortable with and can share most anything with. Friendships are important, but also require time and effort to cultivate. It takes being intentional and purposeful to keep a friendship alive. Therefore, we should choose our friends very wisely. Who we surround ourselves with makes a big difference in who we wil...

Cold and Flu season is coming up fast!  Now is the time to be prepared instead of waiting until sickness strikes. I recently made up a batch of honey garlic.  We try this time of year to incorporate more garlic into our diet due to it's wonderful benefits. It is sprinkled on salads, mixed with butter and parsley for a spread, added while cooking to a variety of food dishes.  But sometimes it helps to get a good dose in to ward off an oncoming illness. Garlic is a powerful immune-booster. It is very effective against  bacterial, viral and fungal infections. Honey also has anti-bacterial, anti-viral, and anti-fungal properties, so when you combine the two, you’ve got a great aid to help you fight sore throats, colds or the flu.  When infused in honey, raw garlic becomes far more palatable.   At the first sign of a sore throat (or a cold or the flu), we are ready to start popping honey infused garlic.  One clove a few times a day is an effect...

Happy November! I LOVE November, well actually, I LOVE all fall months!  But November is special because some anticipation is building for the upcoming  holidays.  It's ok to begin browsing the Christmas section at the store (which has been up for a few months now!), it's a time to plan for some family time at Thanksgiving and while all that anticipation is beginning, it is a time to slow down and count your blessings. There are several detailed plans that encourage us to count our blessings from sharing a blessing a day to 30 day gratitude devotions, to writing notes of thanksgiving to others.  It's never been easier to count your blessings!   This year I found something a little different.  It is Thanksgiving Journal Prompts . Through writing I've learned 'prompts ' are little nudges of creativity that can jump start the thought process and focus the direction of writing. It reigns in focus and encourages deliberate intentionally on...

As October fades away, there is one more story to share for National Pregnancy Loss month. Physically there are three methods of miscarriage - naturally, a d&c procedure and an ectopic pregnancy which requires surgery.  Interestingly enough, all three of mine were different physically, covering each of these methods.  After two healthy children and two miscarriages, I became pregnant. Surely this won't happen again was the thought as we cautiously began the pregnancy.  A call for a doctors appointment was put off until after 6 weeks, which was when the other miscarriages had happened.  Sure enough, spotting began and inwardly devastated, put on a non-emotional face as we headed to the doctor.  I'll never forget sitting up with that hardened, protective shell on as the doctor walked in. It was the same gentle doctor from my last miscarriage and he walked in and in the most tender voice said "doggone it, Joyce".  I just melte...