Everyday Living

Simple + Southern Sunday No. 27

~ Simple + Southern Sunday

“Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!” Psalm‬ ‭139‬:‭23-24‬sss24 “The love of God is greater far than tongue or pen can ever tell;
It goes beyond the highest star, and reaches to the lowest hell;
The guilty pair, bowed down with care, God gave His Son to win;
His erring child He reconciled, and pardoned from his sin”
-Frederick M. Lehman
1A lovely church with English Tudor style architecture! 2Unusual sunrise with a misty fog on our pasture!1A red barn-always demands a photo!IMG_8269Little birds on the loropetalum outside our dining room window!  Can anyone identify them?IMG_8273 Deacon is so proud of his new friend, Mr. Turtle! 2This beautiful old two-story mansion (near our home) was built in 1842.  Five thousand acres were purchased from the Cherokee Indians for the plantation!IMG_8494 Risotto with asparagus, Black Forest ham, mushrooms, and parmigiana-Saturday dinner at home!4 The world-renowned Fox Theatre was originally conceived in 1928 as a Shriners’ headquarters! Quickly it was sold to William Fox (movie mogul).  The 3,622-pipe Moller organ was the crowning addition when the theatre opened its doors on Christmas Day in 1929.  Butch and I have attended several plays and concerts in the splendid movie palace.  However, the most memorable concert was taking my Daddy to hear Johnny Mathis with a full orchestra performing a Christmas show in the storied Fox!!IMG_8444 New York City’s got nothing on our little downtown hotdog stand! barnMiniature log cabin completely handmade by my late uncle!flowerWe love sharing our week in pictures with you on Sundays!

“I was glad when they said to me,
‘Let us go to the house of the Lord!’”
Psalm 122:1

final-closer-both-1Linking 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

Visiting Visby

~ Travel

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God”
‭Colossians‬ ‭3‬:‭16

Visby is one of Butch’s favorite villages that we have have been privileged to visit.  We only spent a day, but leisurely walked the perimeter of its city wall and took in the medieval history, local culture, and breathtaking beauty of the sea!  Visby stakes its claim to be the best preserved medieval city in Scandinavia.  It is the capital of Gotland, Sweden’s beautiful “holiday island”, famous for its soft sandy beaches, dramatic cliffs, distinctive grey-fleeced sheep, and wild orchids.  The island lies between Sweden and Latvia in the Baltic Sea. The town is a Unesco World Heritage Site.  Lace up your walking shoes for a little stroll through this quaint Scandinavian village! Arriving from the sea, the old town’s skyline greets you!  The most notable structure of the city is the stone wall built during
the 13th century!  The spectacular town wall is about 2 miles long and was built of
limestone.  There are 44 towers dotting the wall!  Lovely homes line the cobble-stone streets!  One of the 44 towers The preserved historic buildings of Visby-merchants’ homes, storehouses and warehouses-reveal its heritage as the largest trading hub in the Baltic Sea!  Overlooking rooftops, to a spectacular view of the sea!  Visby Cathedral was built as a church for German traders.
Construction started at the end of the 12th century!  The cathedral has a massive square tower and two smaller ones!  Views of red tiled roofs, medieval ruins, and the Baltic from the hilltop
where the church is located!  The Visby Cathedral is the only medieval church still in use, with
twelve other churches in Visby preserved as ruins only!  Behind and to our left, is the open-air ruins of St. Karin’s Church.  Our beautiful ship, Marina (Oceania Cruise), is anchored in the distance! The limestone wall is beautifully preserved!  The old town center of Visby!  The beautiful colors of Scandinavia!  The town is sometimes spelled Wisby! Roses abound all over Visby as it is often called the city of roses!  The ruins of St. Karin Church date back to 1233 dominating the central square of the old town!  The church was the first Franciscan monastery founded in Sweden!  The skyline of Visby is dominated by St. Karin Church with its
arcade of towering arches!  Visby is a popular vacation destination for Scandinavians during the summer!  The harbor remains the epicenter of Visby!

Thank you for traveling with us. Where would you like to visit?  We love reading your comments!

final-closer-both-1Linking 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 

Tablescape Tuesday: Snowballs in Spring!

~ Food & Entertaining, Tablescape Tuesday

“Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable”
‭Isaiah‬ ‭40‬:‭28

Last weekend, our snowball bush was in full bloom and I knew I had to take advantage!  After a little brainstorming, I was able to use what I had on hand (many elements on this table have been seen on the blog before) and in my yard to pull this one together!  Repurposing items such as the ice cream/sundae glasses can show creativity and no cost is involved!  I do know that setting a table can be intimidating, but hopefully today’s tablescape will inspire confidence to use what you already have to set a simple but elegant table!   So today is a good time to give it a try! You never know, you might just have snowballs in spring on your dining room table before you know it!   Happy tablescaping!


Dinner for six!


As the saying goes-less is more-well, sometimes!READ MORE