What a great country.

Our travel through the states has been beautiful the mountains in North Carolina and the rest stop in Tennessee, it's breathtaking. When you go through the mountains in North Carolina and Tennessee you find out how small you are. I truly feel free there. I'm like a child that is hiding under the covers in bed. Safe and comforted. Than when you enter Tennessee this is the rest area you see. It makes a true statement of being in the mountains.

See you soon.

Carol

On our way.

Away we go, oh my gosh, it's 5:00 am and we are backing out of the driveway. Austin was ready to go and so are we. I'm never on vacation until we leave home. Now I am on vacation. We have 12 hours to go and the weather is wonderful. Both John and I love early morning driving. I was blessed to marry someone with so much in common. Through North Carolina, Tennessee, and Indiana. Our stop will be in Illinois. See ya later.

Pray for our safe travel.

Carol

What the heck is this?

Austin as worldly as he is, is about to experience something new...travel. Today when I brought the suit cases down, he ventured over to see what they were. It must be as important to put your head in the suit case as to just sniff the outsides. He is now ten months old and will experience the biggest challenge ever. Seventeen days on the road. He has been welcomed by friends and family to sleep in their homes. He has learned to sleep in his kennel when we are gone, giving us peace of mind and also our hosts. He will carry his bed with him, so he can rest his head comfortably at night and feel he is safe. He is ready...but are we?

This will be an experience for us too. To protect him along the way, to make sure he is safe from heat and all that the world has to harm him. This will prove to us wether all we have trained him to do and not to do will make him a welcomed guest.

He probably will post in the blog along our way. Pray for our safe travel. We will be leaving home with all security in place and excitement in check.

God bless all of you for your visiting my little blog.

Carol

Be still my heart.

This picture was in a Minnesota newspaper. Photographer unknown to me. But I think he or she is blessed to have gotten the shot. I hope you like it and tears come to your eyes as they do mine. Thanks to all that serve, to protect our freedom.

How does your garden grow?

I have gotten e-mails from family that wonder how the garden looks especially since the pumpkins are so big. Then the rest of the garden must be huge. I have to say that it's really beautiful. I wonder what it's going to look like in a few years when the plants have grown and everything has settled in.

So, this morning Austin and I took the camera out for a few pictures before the sun hits the garden. The sun is way too harsh on the garden and the photos never look so good.

God bless you all on the beautiful Thursday morning.

Carol

Austin is growning up.

Everyday, Austin is one step closer to being a worldly dog. I watch as his world get bigger, a road trip with window privileges. Not losing his cookies on the trip. His wondering around behind John when work has to be done on the yard. Without a need to run. And staying in bed a little longer when his prior day was too hectic.

For me it's knowing this little spirit is my charge, or should I say our charge. We are his security and his care takers. We make sure the water is fresh in his bowl, he gets his heartworm medication and comes out of the sun when we know he is warm.

But in return he gives us, unending love, attention more than we want some days but mostly he makes us laugh. I know his spirit is ours and that we are his. He is now truly part of our family. He gives back more than he takes.

He is nothing like Timber and I am pleased he's not. I could never replace Timber and I know she is happy and at rest. She loved us and made us proud. She was an extension of us. Now Austin is learning the skills and because he has learned so much he will reap the freedoms Timber had. We are blessed again.

Great dogs take loving humans. Be a good human.

Carol

What a pumpkin...no a squash

Happy Sunday to all who stop by. For us it's a normal Sunday, coffee, breakfast, God and than time for our loves. Today isn't very unusual, except for the laughing hangover we got last night in our garden.

Last fall we put all sorts of veggies, like the pumpkins after Halloween was over, and decorator squash after Thanksgiving, into the area that would become our makeshift garden this year. In the spring pumpkins came up. We decided to leave them and see what came from them. John and I always love surprises. As you can see the variety is worth the time. The pumpkins look like squash and everyone has it's own personality. I hope you enjoy it also.

God Bless those who believe and those who prefer, have a great day.

Carol

I thought it would be easy....

I have been working with Printmaster card designing software for years. I have used it for the printing and artwork. I have put off getting upgrades thinking I had everything I really needed in my older program. One sunny day an ad came in with a deal I couldn't resist. I said yes. I was suppose to be able to download it, but instead I got the CD. I should have seen it coming.

I downloaded it and decided to un-install the old program. Yiks, the old program was 600 mg and the new 2600 mg. Ok, right there I knew I was going to be in trouble. My computer is slow and old. I took a breath and started the process of learning a new program. Freeze, freeze, etc. What was I thinking? Compulsive buying, I know better than this.

While working and not freezing I realized what this new software would do. Great art and special papers to print. I have now decided to use it sparingly until I get a new computer and using my old software when doing just print.

I have to say that I am feeling pretty good. I have not only survived the process but learned how to use everything without throwing the computer out the window.

I always never say never. And I didn't. I posted a card I did on it with help from the old software. What do you think? The bird is printed over background artwork, the shadow behind the bird is also part of the software. This is so cool.

Carol