Hugs From My Heart

It's Saturday...

Now this is a good idea!!!

Have a great Saturday.

I know I will.

Hugs From My Heart

One Of The Best Gifts Ever!

I stopped by the "new" place today to check on the mail.

This package arrived, all wrapped up real pretty like.

I can tell you I already knew what it was, and I couldn't have been more excited or grateful.

It is a photo taken of our four peeps last year, early fall.

The photographer Justine Johnson is amazing!

I can honestly say that if we had a fire, and I had to grab something before I ran out the door... this photo would be it!

Justine captured our peeps like she knew them.

Like they were her family.

That is a gift.

This girl has it.

I am so grateful for her talent, because even though I might take photos of others from time to time, I haven't had a really good, I can see and feel the love, kinda photo of our kids in a long time.

Justine caught that.

The love our peeps have for one another.

It brought tears to this mom's eyes.

Thank you Justine.  <3

YOU ROCK!!

See more of Justine's amazing work here.

If you live in Maine, or if you want her to travel to you, and need amazing photos of those you hold dear...have her do it.

You will NOT be disappointed with her work.

It will bring tears to your eyes.

Promise.  ;)

Hugs From My Heart

Downton Disappointment

Did you see last nights season finally of Downton Abbey?

Normally, Blue Eyes watches some kinda zombie movie at the same time that Downton is on, and I would watch it today, on my laptop.

Works for us.  ;)

But Blue Eyes knew I was sad after having to say bye to Sophie, so he told me to watch Downton instead.

He's just that good.

Anyway, the first thing he said to me in bed this morning was, "how was your show last night?"

SOOOO STUPID!!!

I couldn't even remember anything of the whole show except for the last maybe 2 minutes.

I found that I wasn't the only Downton lover who was upset about last nights season finally.

And then I read this,

Monday Morning Blues, Downton Style

which you can find, here.

She explains it all, and even though I still didn't like the ending, I understand the "why" behind it.

So, this will spoil the show if you haven't already seen it.

Don't read until you do.

And yes, I will still watch next season.

After all...

Hugs From My Downton Abbey Loving Heart

It's Monday.

It's Maine.

And it is so cold again today.

Like, stay in the house cold.

It's a weird day today.

Can a person be so grateful and so sad all at the same time?

If a person can, I do.

Have I told you that we are moving?

Yes, once again.

It's good though.

But part of moving included finding a home for Sophie, my almost 5 year old dog English Springer.

And find one, we did.

The best.

She will be loved on, cared for, and happy, happy, happy.

But, I miss her more than I thought I would.

See, I was brought up in a house that you just do what needs to be done.

Deal with it.

And I did.  And I will.

We were basically taught, life happens, it can be hard and sad but you can't live in "sad."

And I won't.

It makes me more anxious to move because she, Sophie has never been to our "new" place, and so I'm not use to having her there.

And you know, I am right in the smack of in between living here, and there.

Things are off the walls here, on the walls there.

Blue Eyes and I are making small trips with some boxes of things we can bring now.

My house here, is a mess.

Our new place is so clean.  (there is nothing in it making it easy to be clean)

(There is no purpose for the above photo of Katelyn. It just made me happy last night when I was feeling sad and saw it posted on FB. She is a sweet daughter, and seeing her fills my heart with so much love.)

This was her at 6 months.

So on this extremely cold Maine monday...

I will do more packing.

Find a good book to start.

Give myself permission to be in that place of  in between houses, and missing Sophie.

But not to stay there.

Remember all I have to be grateful for.

Nothing to complain about.

Besides, this girl has the day off, and probably no gas in her car, so that means she is home with me all day.

And I know that will make my heart feel so much better.

Hugs From My Heart

Old Lucketts Store...

She sounds like my kinda gal...

Meet Cheryl, the newest member of the Lucketts family.  Cheryl is an accomplished chef who owns the Cowbell Kitchen, our now permanent food truck that's right outside our steps in the parking lot.  Welcome Cheryl, we're so happy to have you!

Here is a little about Cheryl in her words...

Why I am who I am…..

Born in Pekin, Illinois & raised in the home my parents built
Grew up loving the outdoors, camping, exploring, water skiing, canoeing
Most comfortable in the kitchen since I was a wee girl


Went to film and photography school in Philadelphia
Packed up once a drove the back roads in USA searching for….
Graduated from pastry school when I was 40 years young
Have lived in 8 states
Experienced both 5 star, 5 diamond & hippy, dippy kitchens
Beautiful food brings me to tears
A few years back I worked on a farm and it changed me forever
My beau of 16 years & I are lovingly restoring our 1930’s home along with Oliver, our
crazy Jack Russell

The Cowbell Kitchen is…..
My commitment to a locally sourced, seasonal kitchen
A place to find handcrafted, old fashioned, made from scratch food products
Lets me create beautiful and tasty food in an imperfect style
A thought that I have had to bring people together and put a smile to their faces via food
My vehicle to be free, creative & footloose
A natural setting to for simple, fresh, healthy & happy food

I want to go here...

Open daily 10am – 5pm

42350 Lucketts Road
Leesburg, VA 20176

703.779.0268
luckettstore@gmail.com

But stop by the food wagon before and grab some amazing eats from Cheryl first!!!

Anyone for a summer road trip?

We'll need to bring a trailer.  

:)

Hugs From My Heart

Brandon Heath - Love Never Fails (Live)

The first time I heard this song, tears came to my eyes, rolled down my cheeks, drenching the front of my shirt.

With every verse sung, I felt an overwhelming flood of love and gratefulness.  Love that had been given to me throughout my life. Gratefulness for a God who has given it, to me.

My brother of four, closest in age. The one I played and grew up with daily...Once again, tucking my mittens into the deepest part of my winter jacket on a cold snowy Maine day.

Never complaining.

Wiping my runny nose on his shirt sleeve, as if it were a tissue he had tucked in his pocket "for such a time as this."

~Love does not run.

A Dad who loved my mother passionately, deeply, and more every year...showing me what I would someday look for in my husband.

~Love does not keep locked inside

.

The older sister who would push us in Memere's swing on a sweaty summer afternoon. Teaching me Nursery Rhymes because she knew our Mom, had no time, nor the energy, to do it herself.

~Love is a river that flows through.

The first hand shake of my oldest brother, to my now husband.  The words, "Take care of my little sister", squeezed firmly into each shake.

~Love will protect.

Siblings.  Brought together by the reality once again, of death.  No one can see, what each of us knows the others, feel.  Our Mom and Dad. The love they instilled in us for one another... They are there to bring their oldest child, their first born son, with them.  Back with them.  Like our family had started.

~Love is the place they will fly to.

My frail and cancer ridden mother, in the last few days of her life...insisting on making me, (her baby), crepes.  Both of us knowing, neither of us wanting it, to be her last.

~Love will not cease.

The husband with beautiful blue eyes, that see me the way they did 30 years ago...whose kiss to this day, still takes my breath away.

~Love will sustain.

A friend, taking my hysterical call in the middle of her work day, to encourage me at those times when I didn't think Blue Eyes was so great.  Praying with me, and for me, until I did again

~Love still believes, when you don't..

The  indescribable, overwhelming, I would give my very last breath for each of you, love, I could only have for these four.

The joy in my heart, that I never knew, until they smiled their first smile.

~Love are the arms that are holding you.

And the love of Christ guiding them through my life.

Each moment, perfectly timed by Him.

My lifetime of love.

His love.

Never failing me.

Never failing you.

"Love is right here

Love is alive

Love is the way

The truth the life"

Hugs From My Heart

Lyrics...

Love Never Falis...Brandon Heath

Love is not proud
Love does not boast
Love after all
Matters the most

Love does not run
Love does not hide
Love does not keep
Locked inside

Love is the river that flows through
Love never fails you

Love will sustain
Love will provide
Love will not cease
At the end of time

Love will protect
Love always hopes
Love still believes
When you don't

Love is the arms that are holding you
Love never fails you

When my heart won't make a sound
When I can't turn back around
When the sky is falling down
Nothing is greater than this
Greater than this

Love is right here
Love is alive
Love is the way
The truth the life

Love is the river than flows through
Love is the arms that are holding you
Love is the place you will fly to
Love never fails you

Too Much Stuff...

I purchased this book about a year ago at a local discount store, new for $1

I have yet to read it, but it sits on the TV stand staring at me daily.

Today, I picked it up.

I started reading it.

There is a reason for me picking it up.

We are moving.

Yup, back to town.

At the end of the month.  Well, the beginning of next month.

In other words, shortly.

It's not a bad thing, and nothing is wrong, it's just a decision Blue Eyes and I have made.

With that being said, I find myself once again looking at our stuff.

My stuff.

And wondering if I have too much of it.

You know, stuff.

When we moved last May, I spent a few days going through and getting rid of soooo much stuff.

Seriously.

Looking back, I could cry at some of the things I got rid of.

Not because it had any monetary value... more because it had emotional value.

To me.

Things that had to do with these guys...

And their growing up years.

I have never considered myself a hoarder.

And really, I'm not much on clutter either.  It tends to make me crazy.

But, I did have too much from our peeps growing up years.

It is something Peter Walsh calls "memory clutter"

He says that we are afraid if we get rid of things from our past, that hold memories, we are afraid that we won't remember.

And I have to say, He is so right.

Being the mother of these four people...well, it really was the third best thing in my life.

Having them grow up as quickly as they did, tends to still bring tears to this mum's eyes.

So I found myself packing away ALL of Katelyn's toys, books, and ANYTHING, that came from her childhood.

With the boys, it was just as bad.  All of their action hero's, Lego's...

The many books they had read and were their favorites, and those I had spent hours reading to them.

I felt like when I held their things, I was holding their childhood in my hands.


But I realized that I am not the only one with memories.

My peeps have them too.

They are not in a box in our cellar.

The memories that I hold so close to my heart, our peeps hold them close in their hearts too.

Their childhood was good.

So very good.

Perfect?

NO WAY!!!

Just good.

Simple.

Real.

Genuine.

Loving...whole heart loving.

Real.


And because I know, their memories are in our peeps heart, and not a box...

I will go down to the cellar with Blue Eyes... handsome, sexy, love of my life, Blue Eyes...

I will open each container, go through it all once again, and let go of what I can, to make our next move easier on those "boys" I have the privilege of calling my son's.

Because they were brought up well, and they will lift and move everything their Dad and I need them to move...

Because they love their Mum and Dad, as much as we love them, and I don't think there is anything they wouldn't do for us, or for one another.

I appreciate Peter Walsh and his work.



I believe with all of my heart, that it is needed.

Watch for yourself.

Learn and take away what you need.

Hugs From My Heart

It's All Ready February...

“Your real, new self (which is Christ’s and also yours, and yours just because it is His) will not come as long as you are looking for it. It will come when you are looking for Him. Does that sound strange? The same principle holds, you know, for more everyday matters. Even in social life, you will never make a good impression on other people until you stop thinking about what sort of impression you are making. Even in literature and art, no man who bothers about originality will ever be original whereas if you simply try to tell the truth (without caring twopence how often it has been told before) you will, nine times out of ten, become original without ever having noticed it. The principle runs through all life from top to bottom. Give up yourself, and you will find your real self. Lose your life and you will save it. Submit to death, death of your ambitions and favourite wishes every day and death of your whole body in the end. Submit with every fibre of your being, and you will find eternal life. Keep back nothing. Nothing that you have not given away will be really yours. Nothing in you that has not died will ever be raised from the dead. Look for yourself, and you will find in the long run only hatred, loneliness, despair, rage, ruin, and decay. But look for Christ and you will find Him, and with Him everything else thrown in.”
― C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

Are you familiar with C.S. Lewis?

I have some of his books, and am now starting to read them.

Good Stuff.

Pick one up.

Goodwill is a great place to start.

Hugs From My Heart