It's December Already!!

I can't believe it's already been two weeks since I last posted here!  And.....it's DECEMBER already!!! Okay, who keeps turning the clock forward when I'm not looking?!?!?!

Have all of you seen fields full of cotton ready for picking?  Have you seen cotton after it's been taken to the cotton gin and packed?  Well, years ago, when Nigel's cousins were visiting us from England, we passed a cotton field full of the ripe boles and they were amazed!  What we take for granted around here is not something so common elsewhere.  So, the other day, while passing the cotton gin, I took these photos.  I couldn't find a field of cotton, as all of it has already been picked.  Maybe next year I'll get one for you. 

Weird looking, isn't it?  It's so beautiful in the fields, but here it is, packed down at the cotton gin.

More of the same

Looks like snow, doesn't it?  But before I get too poetical, remember that it's BLOODY HARD, NASTY WORK picking cotton!!!!  Been there, done that and I have no use for the T-shirt!! It's miserably hot and humid (100 plus degrees for weeks on end) when its ready to pick; you have cuckleburrs (sp?) ripping your fingers to shreds as you try to pull it from the bole.  Best of all, you get to meet our lovely state bird - the mosquito!! The bloodsucking little mite has a field day with you.  So......I guess you could say that other than these few minor problems, growing and picking cotton is quite lovely!

Have a great weekend! Trust me, it won't last long, so make it a great one!

Love and Blessings, Jan

Weekends End Too Quickly!!

I understand time passes much quicker the older we get, but does that have to include the weekends as well?  Quite frankly, I enjoy the week days passing by quickly because I'm at work!  Tacky, but true, even though I do enjoy my job for the most part.  But I LIVE for my weekends!!  And in about 3.328 seconds, it's GONE!!  What's up with that?!?!  It's the same with our evenings!  You blink twice and - HEY PRESTO - you're back at work the next morning!! Geeeessssshhhhhh! 

So I've decided to petition for a two-day workweek and a five day weekend! Simple enough; just reverse the schedule we have now.  We'd all be much happier.......well, perhaps most of us would.  And just think of the fun we'd have!!  And the "projects" we'd get completed!  And the places we'd go and the people we'd see!!  Yes, I think I'm definitely headed in the right area!

So.....see you all on the weekend . . . tomorrow!  May God Bless, Jan

Another Blog for Fursdon House!!!

I don't think insanity runs in our family, but maybe we just hide it really well.  Why?  Well.....knowing I have so much spare time on my hands (NOT!!), I've created another blog.  It's name is Mulberry Cottage and it's solely about my Cabinet Doll House! 

Yes, I've gone back to the land of miniatures once again!  And I have to admit I'm having a blast!  Only this time, not only am I going to revamp the entire cabinet doll house, I'll have this blog to chronicle my changes. Additionally, I plan to write a book about it one day!  See what I mean?  I'm nuts!!  But I'm NEVER bored, so it's okay. Here's the link: http://www.mulberry-cottage.blogspot.com/.

A faster way to get there is to click on my button on the right hand side of the blog, that looks like this:

By the way, this little Gingerbread House is only about 1 1/2 inches square and sits in the palm of your hand!  It also sits inside the Dining Room of Mulberry Cottage!

I've only just started the blog about a week ago, so it's still in its "infancy", but I have B.I.G. plans for it and I hope you enjoy it as much as I am, revisiting such a magical world and getting to "play" to my heart's content!

Take care and have a lovely day!
May God Bless, Jan

Three Day Weekend!

Lovely three-day weekend with glorious weather!  It was the perfect opportunity for my latest project  -  repainting Husband's pirates - Blackbeard and Precious!  They aren't exactly cut out for outdoor use and although I only have "after" pictures of Precious, I remembered to get Blackbeard's "before" and "after" photos. See what you think!

Mr. Scruffy

Mr. Handsome

Scruffy 

Handsome 

Scruffy 

Handsome -

After repainting them, I put on a heavy coat of polyurethane to better protect them while they're outside.

Precious

Yes, that's fresh lipstick, but it wasn't my idea! She came with red lipstick already on!  

So I decided that if a female pirate can actually look this FANTASTIC (yeah right!) and if she can come to our household with lipstick already on (as if!), then I'm painting her fingernails to match!  So there!  It's called "artistic license" and I have plenty of it! 

Enjoy and have a lovely evening!  May God Bless, Jan

The Gaylord Opryland Hotel, Nashville, Tennessee

I believe this to be the most beautiful hotel in the world.  It's the Gaylord Opryland Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee.  At Christmas time, it's absolutely beyond description, with decorations that defy the imagination.  The beauty and pageantry dazzle the senses and just when you think it can't get any better, you turn the corner and are amazed once again.  But believe it or not, Christmas isn't my favorite time of year to visit.  It's now, before the holidays, when you can truly appreciate it's unique beauty.  See for yourself.......

Large brightly colored Koi swim the waters of these beautiful "ponds".

 

Unexpectedly, water shoots from the rocks, bringing smiles to the faces of everyone present. 

A walk bridge over the waters allow you to stop and enjoy the show from many different angles.

 

One of several fabulous waterfalls!

 

I half expected monkeys to jump out onto the ledge and shake their fists at my intrusion!

The main fall - absolutely breathtaking!

 

 Believe it or not, this is the view from behind one of the falls! We're actually walking through a tunnel that runs underneath one of them. 

Tropical vegetation, ferns and brightly colored flowers surround yet another fall.

The main fall from another angle.  And the amazing part of all this is that you look up and realize there's a glass roof over your head!!  It's all completely indoors!  Birds chirp in the trees, fish swim in the waters, and you realize you're residing in a tropical paradise - right in the middle of Tennessee!

We were fortunate enough to stay here about 12 years ago; my husband's company was hosting special training and this is the hotel they chose! Even better, we had a room with a balcony overlooking all this!  And while Nigel was in training, I spent my days soaking up the beauty and serenity of this magical place.  It was especially nice in the early morning hours, before many people were up and about.  I've never forgotten it and am still, 12 years later, just as enchanted with it as I was in the beginning.

Have a blessed Veteran's Day!  Jan

Words to Live By

Wanted to share this with you.

Watch your thoughts, for they become words.

Watch your words, for they become actions.

Watch your actions, for they become habits.

Watch your habits, for they become character.

Watch your character, for they become your destiny.


Lovely! Have a wonderful evening and may God bless, Jan

What do I want my blog to say?

At first, I wasn’t going to answer this question because I thought the answer was included in my earlier post (23 October). Then I had a “re-think”. Does anyone else do this – make “snap” decisions, then regroup (if I’m smart) and go at it from a different angle? Usually it’s so much better when I do things this way; much more interesting.

So….back to the question at hand. Here’s what I, Jan Fursdon, want to say:

Love yourself. It’s that simple. And that complicated. But I think that’s where most of my own problems originate. I always hold myself up to a higher standard, always expect more from myself than anyone else. Then comes that nagging, soul destroying frustration when I don’t live up to those ridiculously high standards I’ve created which I don’t expect anyone else to live up to! Why is that? Is there some rule book that places this official demand on us? I don’t think so! So give it up!

Now I’m not talking about some wacky “love fest” where everything you say or do should be surrounded with hugs and kisses and globs of goo. But do some simple things for yourself. For one - stop picking on yourself! Give yourself a break! Make sure you give “you” the same chance you give everyone else (nothing more and nothing less). And when you fail – and you surely will because we ALL do from time to time – remember to forgive yourself the way you forgive others. Give yourself the same latitude, the same room to recover, the same encouragement to try and try again until you succeed. Don’t you deserve that? Don’t we all deserve that? I think we do. I know we do!

We’re all so hard on ourselves and it’s time to let go of all that nonsense! Embrace who you are as well as how you’ve come to be that person, that wonderful individual who is the sum total of so many different circumstances, different life experiences.

Be kinder than necessary, especially to YOU - because YOU deserve it!

May God Bless, Jan

Shades of Autumn

Just wanted to share these lovely photos of our back yard with you!

Have a lovely weekend everyone! May God Bless, Jan