Everyday Living

Small Town America: Down By The Bay

May 21, 2015~ Travel

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope”
Romans 15:13

For most of us, when we think of the Gulf Coast, we think: “beach”! Places like Gulf Shores, Orange Beach, Destin, and even Panama City may come to mind. We do have some of the whitest sand and most beautiful shorelines imaginable, but let’s come back north a few miles to the bay area. There are two little gems that Katy and I visited this past weekend that some of you may know-Magnolia Springs and Fairhope, AL. It was a weekend full of shopping in cute stores, eating good food, and taking in beautiful scenery! Come along with us on this little get away to true small town America! Magnolia Springs is truly a small town with a population of less than 800 The Magnolia Springs Bed and Breakfast was an enjoyable stay with friendly innkeepers! The home was built in 1897! I love a secret garden and path! Magnolia Springs is nestled within the curves of the Magnolia River! A majestic canopy of giant oak trees line the streets as well as camellias, azaleas, and of course magnolias! The Magnolia River remains the only river route mail delivery in the continental U.S.! Who doesn’t love a garden gate with a basket of flowers! Jesse’s Restaurant with a glassed-in porch and fine dining with a casual atmosphere! An appetizer of fried green tomatoes with goat cheese, gulf shrimp and creole remoulade! Fresh redfish with succotash! Excellent and so fresh! The boats at The Grand Hotel. This photo was taken from inside their covered walking bridge! Love this nautical gate as seen on the drive to Fairhope! Fairhope is such an artsy town! Flowers lined the streets, all color coordinated! Old Glory flying over the bay! A team of Tanzanian dancers were just in front of the Fairhope pier. They were filming for a gospel video and we got a little sneak peak! With the ray of sunshine coming down and their hands raised to the heavens, I am reminded…
“Let them praise his name with dancing…”
Psalm 149:3-4
This salvia was right at the overlook spot for the bay. There were many walkers, runners, and people just out enjoying their day! There were some gorgeous church buildings! This little chapel with its red door sat right off the road, and of course we had to stop for photos! Notice the windows! This was taken walking down the walkway towards the chapel. We had dinner at Pinzone’s, an Italian restaurant in downtown Fairhope-alfresco style! This restaurant “breathes Italian heritage with old world architecture, cobblestone walks, and Italian inspired food!” Fresh pears complemented with gorgonzola cheese on Tuscan flatbread. The hint of cinnamon that you see sprinkled on top added excellent flavor! Everything about this town is cute and quaint-even the Welcome Center! The Fairhope Flower Clock sits at a very busy intersection, so please imagine trying to get photos of it! It was quite the sight! We had to take a break from all of the shopping for a Heath Ice Rage from Page and Pallette Bookstore! Notice the matching baskets hanging in front of the downtown clock! A beautiful gazebo that caught my eye as we drove past! This fountain was next to the gazebo pictured above-the landscaping was beautiful! Ended our day in Fairhope with a beautiful view of the sunset and dinner at Sunset Pointe at Fly Creek Marina! And look at this public library in another small town just north of Fairhope, in Loxley, AL…isn’t it the cutest?!

What about you? Do you have any favorite small towns that you’ve visited?

Linking with Pieced Pastimes , It’s Overflowing , Be Different Act Normal , Silver Pennies , Life on Lakeshore Drive , Thoughts From Alice , Pink When , Mod Vintage Life , Coastal Charm , My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia , The Dedicated House , Dwellings-Heart of Your Home , Savvy Southern Style , Ivy and Elephants, French Country Cottage , From My Front Porch To Yours , Stone Gable , Confessions of a Plate Addict , Worthing Court , Between Naps on the Porch , Cedar Hill Farmhouse , A Stroll Thru Life , The Style Sisters , The Charm of Home , The Winthrop Chronicles , Cornerstone Confessions , A Delightsome Life , Imparting Grace , Craftberry Bush , Posed Perfection , Katherines Corner , My Romantic Home , Chic On A Shoestring Decorating , Rooted In Thyme , Share Your Cup, The Enchanting Rose, Alabama Women Bloggers, 21 Rosemary Lane, Northern Nesting, Oh My Heartsie Girl, Cozy Little House, Rattlebridge Farm, The Turquoise Home

Tablescape Tuesday: Magnolias in May

May 19, 2015~ Food & Entertaining, Tablescape Tuesday

“The words of a man’s mouth are deep waters; the fountain of wisdom is a bubbling brook”
Proverbs‬ ‭18‬:‭4‬

Spring is blooming all over our Appalachian foothills…and I am enjoying being outdoors! A simple pleasure is to cut blooms and herbs to bring inside to grace tabletops. If something is blooming outside, it will definitely find its way inside my house. Three magnolia blooms and their waxy leaves were cut for us to enjoy as we had dinner with friends! Our Magnolia Grandiflora is in bloom and the smell is oh so sweet and southern for our table for four! Blue and white is always a favorite. It is clean and crisp and casual and elegant. It is versatile and can be mixed with yellow, red, green, or orange to provide that pop of color! The heavily scented magnolia bloom with its waxy green leaves is ideal to bring indoors (doesn’t bother my allergies)! I mixed different stemware for the tablescape! The Spode dinnerplates are from the Blue Room Collection-Traditions Series. The creamy white charger is my go-to! Three square vases with a single magnolia bloom in each along with a pair of vintage silver candle stands line the center of the dining table. The white detail of the Kate Spade napkins gathered in a sterling ring make a classic statement! The stripe placemats lend a casual feel to the table! The Spode “milk maid” pattern was first introduced in 1814! I only have six plates and each has a different scene! I love the texture and color of the underside of magnolia leaves! So simple…yet understated elegance! Do you collect any blue and white dinnerware? If so, do you mix with other colors?

The Details:
Placemats/Kate Spade napkins – TJ Maxx
Spode dinner plates – Tuesday Morning
American Atelier Chargers/Iced tea glasses – Horchow
Vintage Fostoria water glasses – from an estate sale

“A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver”
Proverbs‬ ‭25‬:‭11‬

All In The Family {Part One}

May 18, 2015~ Outdoors

“Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body”
1 Corinthians 6:19-20

As beautiful weather settles in with blue skies and warmer temps, I have found myself outside a lot lately. As most of you know we have started our outdoor landscaping project, (you can see progress here: Backyard Beginnings), and that has kept me busy outdoors. With nice days arriving, I have also been hard pressed to find an excuse not to be outside exercising! Do you exercise? In our family, we all exercise and each have our own story as to how we started and what keeps us motivated. Today, Butch and I will share, and make sure you stay tuned for part two as Seth, Allison, and Katy share theirs!

Pam’s Story

Exercise…most folks either love it or hate it! There is no neutral ground. Personally, I have a love/hate relationship with it! My exercise routine has had it’s ebbs and flows through the years! I was fairly active until Butch and I married and settled into our everyday living! We began camping as a young married couple and I learned to waterski, but that was about the extent of my physical activity! By my late twenties, I started a walking routine on our little country road and it became something I loved! The view that I was able to take in each day really helped too! I never will forget the day that I decided to run the entire distance which was four miles…I couldn’t believe I had actually accomplished this milestone. Talk about motivating! Running became a way of life! I ran 4 days a week…my four miles became a routine! In 1985, after many years of praying for a child, we were finally expecting! At this point, I went back to my walking routine. After the birth of our son, I tried to run and walk but it was hard to find time to exercise, and it was no longer a priority. Twenty three years later, in 2008, I found myself needing to lose weight and take better care of myself. At this point, I incorporated a healthy eating plan and started walking again. I lost the weight and guess what…I felt great! I continued the walking program until 2012 and decided I would throw a little running in with the walking. To my surprise, I ran a mile and walked a mile on that cold January day and within a couple of weeks I was running two miles! I even ran my first organized 5k in 2012! Today, I continue my two miles a day four or five times a week on the same road I began walking on many years ago…although now it is more of a jog than a run! Do I love it? Well, not exactly! It takes all the discipline I can muster to make myself go outside and start…but once I am out there, I am so glad! I have found it to be a great time to listen to worship music, pray, and a great time to reflect on the goodness of God! Butch has always been my inspiration for exercise…he is like the “energizer bunny”! I want to be able to keep up with him as we hike trails in the Rockies above Vail, ride horses in the Bitterroot Mountains of Montana, or run along the beach on the Emerald Coast! But most importantly, I get to run. What a gift of God’s mercy as a mature ?? year old, that I am able to run. I encourage you to start some form of exercise. You may not love it today, but in a year, you will look back and be so glad you started! “…but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint”
‭Isaiah‬ ‭40‬:‭31

Butch’s Story

I have always found it difficult to sit still for any length of time. I do a little better now as the years roll by but I have always been very active physically. Whether it’s work or a hobby, the level of exertion involved has never been the main determining factor when choosing an activity.

After Pam and I married, and she quickly developed her Mothers natural expertise in the area of food preparation; I soon realized I might need a bit of extra exercise beyond the normal. That was certainly one factor that contributed to my decision to join a local gym and get into weight training. I have remained active in weight lifting to various degrees for about 40 years now. It became another hobby. I was almost 35 when Seth was born and was stronger than at any other time in my life.

Realizing that including aerobic exercise was very important to overall health and fitness, I began to gradually add some jogging and stationary biking to my weekly routine as time would allow. Pam was very active in walking and jogging and encouraged me to do more. We were members of the YMCA for years and several guys I became friends with there were runners. A small group of us guys began meeting frequently for a morning run, often before daylight, and usually 4 or 5 miles. That was a great motivation and it energized the day. One guy was a marathon runner with many marathons to his credit, including Boston. I will always remember how he would adjust his pace to my level and run with me until I finished.

I had no interest in competing or even running in a fun run or event. I was strictly running to stay in shape, to feel better, and to chase away a few pounds. But one day while jogging alone, a notion struck me that I should run in an event. And before the day was over I announced to Pam I was entering a running event for the first time and I had decided on a marathon. Now who in their right mind makes 26.2 miles their first ever “fun run”? I never admitted it then but I think it was a pride thing. My next birthday would be the half century mark and I think proving I could do it was a factor. Not necessarily proving it to others but to myself. So I read books and magazines on how to prepare and with the help of my experienced friend I found myself registered and ready to go about 6 months later. I did run it in a decent time, averaging over 6 miles per hour for the distance. It takes an incredible amount of work and discipline both physically and mentally to be able to do that. I was over it, turned 50 a few months later, and have had no desire to tackle 26.2 again. Another (and more likely) factor in all this is having a 15 year old son that you love to do things with. You have to stay in shape if you want to participate in activities like skiing black diamonds in the Colorado mountains.

I still do my best to find time for running and lifting weights. I did both today. It’s more challenging than ever but possibly more important than ever. I consider it a privilege and a demonstration of Gods Mercy each and every time I can get out and get moving and do the things I do. This can change in an instant as I am well aware. An accident 8 years ago that I should have never survived much less find myself able to run again is a constant reminder for me of God’s Sovereignty and Grace. It’s a story of miracles that I may share more about in the future. I do believe that God, as part of His plan, allowed me to be in very good physical condition at that time and He used this as part of His work for me to survive. When possible, getting outdoors and enjoying creation is the best, but an inside workout is great too. I do not presume upon the future and for sure these bodies wear out and give up. That could be today, and if so, I can only be thankful. And if not, I’ll try to find a little time over the next couple of days to hit it again!

“…for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come”
1 Timothy 4:8