My sister Rebecca,  who was the one that helped be begin  my blog page,
is in Spain with her son. 

They are on a school trip and hopefully having a blast. 

So she didn't leave her blog page empty, she asked for guest bloggers, and she accepted my request to be one,  Whoo Hooo!!!
 (It pays to have a famous sister). 

Her blog page is you'retalkingtoomuch.blogspot.com

It is Tiny window treatments for tiny windows....


So please check it out....  I would be so grateful, and to show her how important my friends are to me,  please leave her a comment.

Thank you

Love, 

Catrina

Lion, Tigers and Bears! Oh My!

You will recognize this beautiful girl as Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz.

She was caught in a tornado and twisted and turned and swirled around until she landed in the beautiful land of Oz.

I am now Dorothy...

I twisted, turned and swirled and ended up in the computer world of blogging.

I have lost My Courage,  My Thoughts, and My heart!

I began blogging in a whirlwind and loved it.

I am now setting here thinking,  what was I thinking,  I can't do this.

My method of writing is boring,  my thoughts are so simplistic and uninteresting,  I can't do this.

I don't know how to write exciting and full of humor,  I can't do this.

There are 9 million bloggers in the world,  what do I think I am doing,  I can't do this.

Then!  I remembered I had not lost my heart!

I still have a heart that wants to encourage, 

I still have a heart that wants to relate to others,

I still have a heart that wants to teach

I still have a heart that wants to share my life with others, so they can see they are not alone, 

that we are in this big ole world together.

I still have my heart.......  I can do this.......

But I need your help

You will be  the Good Witch that helps me find my way back home

You all can help me with all of this, my Good Witches......You are so knowledgeable and have insight that I don't have.

I would love if each of you that read this just share 1 idea.... maybe on how I could improve my pictures....

on how I could improve my manner of writing..... what you would like to see more written about....

maybe something that was a question for you, that you can teach me...

So what if I don't know how to touch up my pictures.....  I will learn....

So what if I don't have all the glamorous word techniques....  I am okay....

So what if I don't even know how to work my blog site.......  I will learn....

I still have my heart!

Love,

Catrina

Why Burn the flag?

This beautiful symbol stands for the home of the free

this symbol represents the United States of America...

For the first time ever, I was able to be apart

of a Flag Retirement Ceremony.

It was one of the most fascinating things...

People could bring their old flags in

and they would be disposed of properly.

To begin the process...

flags were brought in and the request to burn was given...

The men then took the individual flag and

requested permission to 'retire' the flag.

They approached the higher ranking officials

and were asked what the flag was used for....

The men answered the flag was used to fly

representing our country and its freedom.

The men inspected it and declared it had served its purpose

and was ready for retirement. 

The flag was then presented for retirement

All the while the bugler was playing.....

And then,  the flag was retired....

"Proudly it waves, old glory,  over the land of the free...."

If you ever have the chance to attend a flag retirement, 

do not pass it up.....

It is something you will not soon forget...

Or you can also plan to have one your self

 and you can find information at

http://www.americanflags.org/docs/etiquette.jsp?pageId=0690200091781119362389761

 Love,

Catrina

Enjoy Life....

We had a group come from the Greenville area

of South Carolina to help us with a sister

church, here in Ohio.

There were about 70 of them and they were die hard Clemson fans.

Clemson Tigers are the rivals of the Carolina Gamecocks.

So......  with my husband and I being from South Carolina,  we knew that.....

what did we do????

we posted Gamecock stickers all over their stuff....

the tables they ate at.......

the garbage cans.....   their bedding......everything......

WELL.......  they left this morning and this is what they left behind....

Orange.......

tiger paw

all over the yard...

This cracks me up.......

I love life....

and I love people

and I even love people that love Clemson.....

But I love the Gamecocks....

Enjoy Life!

Love,

Catrina



a little goes along way

Our Family lives with a limited budget,

so to update and refresh around the house,

we take old and make them new.....

I just reuse the same furniture,  of course...

but work to add dashes of new color...

I found this basket at the thrift store

and added color...

You can even start with small flowers (due to cost)

because they will begin to fill your containers in about two weeks.

Also, you can see where I added live flowers at the base of the old silk palm..

I planted this clematis in honor of my grandma, 

because she had one that grew on the edge of her porch,

and she would count the blooms every year...

This plant grows back every year and adds so much beautiful color.

If I lived in the south,  I would plant a confederate jasmine....  I love the scent they put off

and their look is out of this world...

but up north,  it dies off each year... sad huh? well... anyways!!!

I also use things from the house...

that I am tired of, inside.....

I then move it outdoors, because if it ruins,  it doesn't matter...

 

Also,   pick up things from yard sales,

 

I got this vine for 2.00 and it adds life to the porch

 

It is important to me that my home is a place

 

of comfort and it is inviting for those that come and visit....

 

I have worked to make my out side area the same way...

 

What does your home reflect of you??

 

It doesn't take much,  just a little TLC and a little color....

 

Go for it!

 

Love,

 

Catrina

Memorial Day, what is this day for?

I know Memorial day was this past Monday,

but due to circumstances in life...

I want to make sure everyone understands what Memorial Day is all about.

Some say it began with the North after the Civil War and some believe the South...

But it doesn't matter, what matters is that we honor the reason for the day.

What exactly is Memorial Day?

All I ever knew living at the beach was lots of traffic and a day off of work.

When our family moved north about 10 years ago

I was truly integrated into what Memorial Day was all about.

Memorial Day was officially proclaimed on May 5, 1868.

Flowers were placed on the graves of the confederate and union soldiers

at Arlington National Cemetery.

Today,  we honorarily place the wreath,  then.....

The Color Guard then gives the 21 gun salute 

for those that have given their lives defending our country and our freedom.

Over the years this holiday has come to represent

cookouts,  days off of work,  family gatherings,

hot dogs, hamburgers and picnics.....

but this day is for people....

 it is for us.....

This is not just about people from decades ago....

This is not just about bygone wars.....

This is about people today....

This is about families today.....

This is about protecting the freedoms of our children today....

This is about being able to live in a free country today....

This day, Memorial Day,  is a day to remember those that have given and those that are continually giving of their lives to protect the freedom we take for granted. 

Love,

Catrina