“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”
Hebrews 13:8
Hello Lovely readers! Welcome to another edition of “this and that”, just the real stuff of Everyday Living!
Have any of you stayed in touch with high school friends? A few weeks ago, I met these high school friends for lunch. Can you believe that three of us began first grade together?
1972, the year we graduated!
On January 22, I stood on my front porch in disbelief. Smoke was pouring from a very historic home, one that was built around 1860.
The twenty acres that we own had been a part of this old Southern home’s pre-Civil War history. The lovely couple that we purchased our land from had restored the home years ago and made it truly a showplace!
I cried as I snapped these photos. I felt that I had lost an old friend. We are grateful no one was injured.
The day following the fire, I left with Butch on a business trip to Columbia, SC. A very quick trip, I might add. I love riding along in his truck just talking and listening to our music. The “one thing” I look forward to on these trips, is discovering great places to eat (I call myself a foodie). Well that didn’t happen because we were on the Whole30 plan. Nor was there any time for sight seeing, except this church and cemetery. The church is the First Presbyterian of Columbia and its steeple caught my eye as we were leaving town.
We had to make a quick stop because there is something that intrigues me about a very old cemetery! I like visiting them but don’t wish to call one home! The English Gothic style church was built in 1854 and was spared on Sherman’s march to the sea. Many notable people are buried here including the parents of Woodrow Wilson.
I can’t resist a photo of beautiful iron work!
My sweet Katy surprised me with a beautiful hardback book of my tablescapes from 2017.
Taking photos from the book does not do it justice. She ordered this through Chatbooks…an app that creates books from your Instagram pics!
It makes for a great coffee table book!
My guys as they finished their hunting season last Saturday!
The end of a previous season. Guess a last day photo is becoming a tradition.
I couldn’t believe this! In the middle of shooting a tablescape, Butch walked in with his binoculars checking out the pasture for deer! He never knew I took his picture.
We had a couple of days of sunshine last week, and I ventured out to snap a few photos of the winter garden…
…basically bare and not much to see.
Butch has pruned and tidied up. Oh, how I look forward to the garden coming back to life in spring!
For Valentine’s, I bought the little princess a couple of sweet spring dresses. She wanted to try them on, and then stood in front of the pantry posing for a picture!
Three days a week we play and play and play…all day!
She loves her Da (Butch)…
…and her baby doll!
We celebrated Valentine’s last week at our favorite restaurant. But, the 14th is always spent dining at home.
Dessert was a sweet biscuit, with mascarpone chantilly, and first of the season strawberries…delicious!
Thank you for reading and sharing in our everyday living. You, our readers are simply the best!
Linking with:
Pieced Pastimes, Life on Lakeshore Drive,Coastal Charm, Dwellings-Heart of Your Home, Savvy Southern Style, French Country Cottage, Stone Gable, Confessions of a Plate Addict, Worthing Court, Between Naps on the Porch, Cedar Hill Farmhouse, A Stroll Thru Life, The Charm of Home, Katherines Corner,Petit Haus, Follow The Yellow Brick Home, Vintage Mama’s Cottage, Marilyn’s Treats Eclectic Red Barn, Share Your Cup,21 Rosemary Lane,The Vintage Nest, The Essence Of Home, Feathering My Empty Nest, Kingsbury Brook Farm, The Red Painted Cottage, Love Of Home,My Soulful Home, Celebrating Everyday Life, Little Farmstead, Starfish Cottage, Rustic & Refined,The Freckled Rose, Life and Linda, DIY 180, Celebrate & Decorate, Sweet Sensations, The Dedicated House, Jodie Fitz, The Design Twins, Happy Nester, Modern Glam Home, Shabby Fufu, Desingthusiasm, Imparting Grace, Calypso in the Country
Hello!!
I hope your Valentine is as special to you as you are to me!
Ryoma.
Happy Valentine’s Day sweet Pam. 🙂
Thank you, Stacey❤️
Pam, love the ‘now and then’ photos of you and your friends. 🙂 How sad for the homestead place adjacent to your property! Great gift of your tablescapes from Katy. Now you need one of your garden in all seasons. I did that several years ago and still enjoy perusing it. Have a great weekend, in spite of all the rain we’ve been having…
Yes, great idea a book on our garden!
I cannot tell you how much I love this post! The gathering of old friends and the joy of being together; the sadness of seeing the historic homestead burn, the fun of a road trip. I love old cemeteries too and this one was really pretty, nicely maintained and sounded really interesting. What a thoughtful gift from Katy — I’ve never done Chatbooks, just Shutterfly. I should check them out. And my favorite might be the unawares photo of Butch with the binoculars. That’s such a perfect slice of life and I just adore photos like that. What a fun post!
Thank you Jeanie!
Love your “This and That” How fantastic and thoughtful for Katy to create such a wonderful book for you!!! So great to still be in contact with your high school friends…we love doing that and wish we could do it more often…
Your Valentine dessert looks wonderful!
Thank you Shirley!
Love the pictures of you and your high school friends. How fun is that. And the “little princess” is so precious.
Aw, thank you so much Marty!
Love this post and the fact that you play, play, play, three days a week. It’s got to be good for your heart and Ella Mae’s. It was easy to pick you out of the line up as you still look the same.
Thank you dear Alice!
What a joyful post. Your book of tablescapes from Katy is a wonderful gift. Keeping these friendships for so many years is so important in our lives and something to be cherished. You have a couple of handsome guys in your life…..and most importantly the beautiful Ella Mae. Seeing her just warms my heart. Thank you for sharing your personal life in this way. So sorry about the house lost by the fire.
Thank you dear Dianne, I love your grand mother’s heart!
Great post!Such happiness…Sweet friends,wonderful book and the cutest princess…Love seeing your blessed treasures!Hugs,dear friend.
Thank you and hugs, Maristella!
Pam, I loved reading your lovely post this morning! How wonderful to have your beautiful tablescapes compiled into a book! That is such a thoughtful gift! I hope you enjoy your day!!!
Thank you my dear friend!
Happy Valentine’s Day! That little spring dress is so sweet, and I love that she was posing for you!
Thank you Leslie Ann. She has me wrapped around her finger?
That is so nice to still be in touch with your school friends, I have moved so much I have pretty much lost track of everyone, and promised myself that my children would not have that experience. I am so enjoying their friends from as long as preschool days, grow older, marry and have children…now their children are friends with my grandchildren and that is so much fun! Such a shame about the historic home, was no one living there? I bet when you opened that Tablescape book you were thrilled!!! What an incredible gift! I know you and Butch had a wonderful Valentine’s Day, and that sweet Ella Mae is quite the poser! Hope to see you Sat!
Jenna
Thank you Jenna. It is special to see your children’s friends grow up, marry, and have children! The house was occupied by a grandchild, but he is working out of town. The sweet couple who restored it passed away many years ago. The home had fallen into a sad state.
Pam,
Every Wednesday night a group of GHS 1972 Girls get together for dinner. Last night we ate at Pruett’s. Nina Breeden Blackwell, Beauchamp Aldridge Young, Kay Ingram Driskell, June Jackson Cox, Debra Leeth Staton and myself. Spouses come and sometimes we have a few of our children and even grandchildren. We love our time together! We always have fun. Last night we ran into Becky Moore.
Jenny Moon
Jenny, how special that you all continue that tradition each week. How long have you all been getting together? I remember everyone in the group! We should all get together sometime!
How beautiful and varied is your blog today. It is cheerful, fun and beautiful.
I regret when something old like that house is destroyed … but there is always the counterpoint as are the images of Ella Mae that is the symbol of what grows and to be discovered.
I love the Pesbiterian church with that tower that wants to reach the sky, it is really very beautiful.
I love the picture with your companions of those beautiful past times, where we had a lifetime to choose from.
I love the photo album with your beautiful creations …
Well … I love everything!
Dolores
I just watched (for the billionth time!) “First Wives Club” again, and the photos of you and “crew” reminds me of the opening scene!
Such a lovely post this morning, Pam. I so enjoyed the photos of you and your friends. There is nothing quite like having friends you have walked through life with. I am fortunate to have one and I treasure her dearly. Loved the beautiful Presbyterian church and the cemetery. And what a wonderful gift from Katy – she must be a truly thoughtful soul. Of course in my eyes – Ella once again steals the show.
Have a lovely day and weekend.
Sandra, you are always so sweet to comment on Ella Mae! Hope your weekend is as special as you!
Love your “this and that”. Beautiful pictures Pam. Oh I love your coffee table book. What a nice gift to receive. That little gal is a beauty. I know you all have a wonderful time with her. Grands are the best! My husband loves to visit cemetery’s such as putting flowers on a grave, he will walk all over the cemetery. He got that after his precious mama. I can remember her wanting the family to go to cemetery every year after Thanksgiving dinner. She would say, “we need to go visit some people we know and meet some we didn’t know”. LOL! Hope you are having a great week Pam. Hugs and blessings, Cindy
Cindy, the story of your MIL is too funny! I know your understand the need for this grandmother to post pics of her angel! Love and hugs❤️
Lucky you! <3
Sorry, I forgot to leave my name. It’s also, pam. 🙂
Thank you Pam?
This is such a wonderful post, Pam. The pictures of Ella Mae are precious, and I can see that she has changed some since we were there in December! She is just beautiful. And the photo of your high school friends is a treasure. So sad about the loss of the historic home, but glad no one was hurt in the fire. And I agree with all of the other comments about sweet Katy’s gift; so thoughtful. Love to you all!
Thank you so much, Patti!
Pam, what a fun post! What a blessing to gather friends from childhood. And what a sad moment to see that lovely home burn down. Your little darling is just that, a darling. They grow up so fast, every moment with them is precious. Wishing you a beautiful weekend, friend. Xo Lidy
How nice to get together with high school friends. We do that about four times a year and it is always fun.
How terrible and sad about the old homestead! So sorry!
Wonderful gift from Katy! That was a gift of love that you will cherish. I’m glad to hear about Katy’s new blog.
Ella Mae is getting so tall. Fun pictures.
Writing this on my phone as we are traveling. Very cold and rainy where we will be. Very warm at home.
Thank you Bonnie. Enjoy your trip!
Cute, adorable, memorable pictures all rolled into a precious post!
That grandbaby is getting big!!!!?I remember her being a baby!! That cute Valentine dress! So adorable! And those Uggs!! I luv them!!!
The Valentine’s dessert sounds scrumptious!
All in all, one of my favorite posts! Love you much, my friend! ❤️
Love you, Esther. Thank you sweet lady!
The world is always smaller than we imagine it to be. My brother’s second wife is a women I was in Junior High and high school with but he was convinced she was significantly younger than I.
Pam, our garden is buried in snow right now. I can’t wait until I can get out and work in it! I love the book Katy had made for you. How fun to spend so much time with your sweet princess! Thanks for sharing with SYC.
hugs,
Jann
Jann, I know you can’t wait until gardening season!