Wow...where does the time go!

Gosh...seems like forever since I posted to my blog. I so enjoyed the visit with my son...he's awesome! We had a great time ~ took some great hikes and the weather was perfect! All of the dogwoods are blooming and they are just gorgeous. The pink ones are my favorites:The Transylvania Tailgate Market started up again this past Saturday! It was a gorgeous day and we had a great turn out. This is my awesome friend Paula, sporting her new necklace [it didn't have a chance to make it to Etsy]:I have been busy making bracelets! They are all in the shop ~ check em out! And, if you decide you want one, just type in "blog reader" in the comments to seller section at your time of purchase and I'll give you 22% off [in celebration of Earth Day!] ~ you can either wait for an updated PayPal invoice from me, or I'll refund the difference to you, whichever is easier for you. But remember to type in "blog reader", since this offer is only for you! And, the offer ends @ Midnight Sunday, April 25th.

Times flying! I gotta get busy making stuff for the Earthfest this Saturday @ Brevard College! So, if you live close, please come by and say hello, or just hang out. There will be great music and awesome burgers from Everett Farms that Anne will be cooking up!

♥ & PEACE always ~ Kathy

"The greatest cosmetic in the world is an active mind that is always finding something new" ~ Mark Meek Atkeson

Cherries, Snakes & Trees ~ oh my!!!

Hey everybody!!! I had an emergency website to design, so I've been wrapped up with that the last couple of days. And then, something is going on in my neck & shoulder that has my left arm numb & fingers tingling. I went and got that worked on today, so hopefully {fingers crossed} that's on the mend.

Did you know that trees don't need roots to grow? Last Spring Wayne cut down several little trees here and there that were just in the wrong spots. He cut the branches up into small enough pieces for the wood stove. So yesterday I was out looking for Henry and look what I found in the wood pile:A brand new little tree growing out of a piece of limb! Isn't it the craziest thing! It has a new place now, right out in the garden amongst the strawberry plants. And the cherry tree is loaded down! It's fun to watch the birds get up in the tree and shake the cherries loose and then little Mr. Chipmunk is waiting on the ground to grab them and run off before the birds can fly down to get them. I can only imagine how exciting it must be for the little animals that get "special treats" only now and then. I enjoy watching them eat the fruits, more than I do eating them myself. I did eat a couple of cherries today though, right off the tree! They were nice and cool because of the rain water ~:)And look who I found today!!!!!Yep, Henry! He was hanging out by the garage trying to stay dry. We've had so much rain lately! But I'm not complaining just yet, since we've needed it for so long. In fact, it's raining right now!

Well, I gotta run for now and figure out what's for dinner, but before I go, I have to congratulate Jen!!! She won the earrings from my last post!!! Be sure & check back tomorrow, when I'll be posting the next give away and it's going to be something brand new in the shop!!!
Whoo hoo ~ I promise you'll love it!!!

♥ & peace always ~ Kathy

"There's always something for which to be thankful." ~ Charles Dickens

The Giving Tree....

*Yay* ~ I've been on somewhat of a "mission" the last few years to find this book for Wayne. I wanted to find it at the thrift store, so it would further validate the whole story of "The Giving Tree". Wayne had never heard of this book before and I couldn't wait to read it to him. So I'm looking around @ "Goodwill" and I see this tiny green book binder peeking out of a large stack of books that they had just gotten in and had not put up on the shelf yet. I just knew it was "The Giving Tree" ~ and sure enough, it was and, it was only 50 cents! I hurried home to read it to Wayne and "sappy" me gets about 3/4 through the book, reading it aloud to Wayne and I started to cry {ridiculous, I know, but I think it comes with age} ~ so, he had to finish the rest of the story, but ended up reading it aloud to me. It's a wonderful story and if you haven't read it, or have never even heard of it, I'll tell it here ~ enjoy:

"The Giving Tree" ~ by Shel Silverstein
Once there was a tree...
and she loved a little boy.
And every day the boy would come
and he would gather her leaves
and make them into crowns and play king of the forest.
He would climb up her trunk
and swing from her branches
and eat apples.
And they would play hide-and-go-seek.
And when he was tired, he would sleep in her shade.
And the boy loved the tree...very much.
And the tree was happy.
But time went by.
And the boy grew older.
And the tree was often alone.
Then one day the boy came to the tree
and the tree said, "Come, Boy, come and climb up my trunk and swing from my branches and eat apples and play in my shade and be happy."
"I am too big to climb and play," said the boy.
"I want to buy things and have fun. I want some money. Can you give me some money?"
"I'm sorry," said the tree, "but I have no money. I have only leaves and apples. Take my apples, Boy, and sell them in the city. Then you will have money and you will be happy."
And so the boy climbed up the tree and gathered her apples and carried them away.
And the tree was happy.
But the boy stayed away for a long time...and the tree was sad.
And then one day the boy came back and the tree shook with joy and she said, "Come, Boy, climb up my trunk and swing from my branches and be happy."
"I am too busy to climb trees," said the boy. "I want a house to keep me warm," he said. "I want a wife and I want children, and so I need a house. Can you give me a house?"
"I have no house," said the tree. "The forest is my house, but you may cut off my branches and build a house. Then you will be happy."
And so the boy cut off her branches and carried them away to build his house.
And the tree was happy.
But the boy stayed away for a long time. And when he came back, the tree was so happy she could hardly speak. "Come, Boy," she whispered, "come and play."
"I am too old and sad to play," said the boy. "I want a boat that will take me far away from here. Can you give me a boat?"
Cut down my trunk and make a boat," said the tree. "Then you can sail away...and be happy."
And so the boy cut down her trunk and made a boat and sailed away.
And the tree was happy...but not really.
And after a long time the boy came back again.
"I am sorry, Boy," said the tree, "but I have nothing left to give you ~ My apples are gone."
"My teeth are too weak for apples," said the boy.
"My branches are gone," said the tree. "You cannot swing on them -"
"I am too old to swing on branches," said the boy.
"My trunk is gone," said the tree. "You cannot climb-"
"I am too tired to climb," said the boy.
"I am sorry," sighed the tree. "I wish that I could give you something...but I have nothing left. I am just an old stump. I am sorry..."
"I don't need very much now," said the boy, "just a quiet place to sit and rest. I am very tired."
"Well," said the tree, straightening herself up as much as she could, "well, an old stump is good for sitting and resting. Come, Boy, sit down. Sit down and rest."
And the boy did.
And the tree was happy.
~ The End

Enjoy your weekend!!
♥ & peace always ~ Kathy

Spaghetti Legs....

...from hiking down to the base of this awesome waterfall today! It's "Rainbow Falls" and I'm sure at different times of the year/day, etc., there would be some awesome rainbows to be seen! I have to say that, although this hike was really, really awesome, it's by far the most treacherous one we've done so far:

Even though this picture is not that great, you can get the idea of what the "trail" was like! Parts of it actually had rope that you had to use to "hoist" yourself up and down! But what a treat when you get to the bottom:{if you click on the picture you can see Wayne & Tom}

So after stopping at a quaint little Mexican Restaurant on the way home {where we grazed like cattle that hadn't eaten in a week}, we stopped at the lake to gaze in awe at the marvelous colors of the trees, water & sky! It just don't get much better than this...ahhh....so Happy Halloween Eve! I'm off to soak in the hot tub, so we can take another hike tomorrow! Gotta take advantage of this awesome weather & gorgeous colors.

♥ & peace always ~ Kathy

"It's not the years in your life, but the life in your years that counts." ~ Adlai Stevenson