The Ways of Her Home

Embracing the homeward call

May Teatime: Hummingbird Scones

Good morning, friends! I have a recipe for you today! I've mentioned before that my daughter and I get together with our friends, Missy and her daughter, about once a month (or every other month) just to experiment with some tea and scone recipes. We take turns meeting in each other's homes and making a new recipe. It's kept pretty simple with usually just a scone and maybe one other small store-bought treat. But the main point is to get/give feedback on the scone and brainstorm how we might tweak the ingredients to make a better scone. My daughter and I hosted in May. We've pretty much gone to just putting everything out on our coffee tables instead of doing a formal dining setup. It ... Read more

Snapshot Saturday: Colors of Summer

Happy weekend! In scrolling back through my photos from the week, I was struck by the brightness and color of the season. I'm starting with my favorite little snapshot of the week. During an early morning check of the garden the butterflies were all aflutter, but I managed to catch a quick snapshot of this pretty one with her yellow wings, resting briefly on the dome of a peachy zinnia. I went out one evening to clip some blooms and loved how pretty they were just piled in my basket in every shade of pink. The tomatoes just amaze me with their colors changing through a range of green, yellow, orange, and red. It's just fascinating to observe the progression each day. I ... Read more

San Antonio Trip

A couple of weeks ago we headed west to see our daughter and son-in-law in Texas! He was in between semesters and had the week off and she was able to get some days off her work as well. They live in Waco and had enjoyed a visit to San Antonio last summer, so they recommended we all take a couple of days to see that part of Texas. It was so much fun! I have a lot of photos, but I decided to go ahead and pack them all in one post so I can move on to other topics next week. But before we left Waco, we got to see our girl sing with her local chorus. It was an Irish themed program, and it was phenomenal— with a bagpiper! Having watched her perform in piano recitals, band and choral concerts, ... Read more

Summer Garden

I'm so happy to have a summer garden this year! I haven’t had a true garden (other than some herbs and flowers) for several years because I haven’t been able to get it planted early enough. We live in the Deep South, and it has to be started in very early spring so it will be well established before the heat of summer hits. My husband and son built me some new cedar boxes back in March and filled them with soil, ready for me to plant, grow, and harvest to my heart’s content. I planted everything (some seed, some plants) on April 1st and now I'm enjoying some homegrown veggies and herbs. My husband expanded the gated area on the side of our house to allow for more garden space while ... Read more

Pretty Things

Happy Monday, friends! I've been a little lowkey around here for a few months but not because anything is wrong or because I've been too busy. Actually, we had such a pleasantly slow spring for the first time in several years! As I entered my fifties a few months ago, I told my husband that I just wanted to be quiet for a bit and listen to God, slow down, block out other noises, think, and be purposeful moving into this new decade. I truly like where I am in this season of life! I enjoy having grown kids and I also enjoy still having a young one. I've been blessed with more time with my husband, more time with some friends, and even a little time for myself. I'm not talking about spa ... Read more

May Flower Luncheon

I got to participate in something new last week which I enjoyed it so much! The assisted living facility where my son and I call BINGO put on a lovely "May Flower Luncheon" for the lady residents and I had the privilege of being a table host. The table hosts were asked to set and decorate their table with their own dishes in any style of their choosing that would go along with the flower theme and also serve the ladies at their table. Not only do I enjoy setting a table, but more so than that, I really love these sweet ladies, so this was an easy YES for me! I decided to go for a garden theme with floral prints, birds, and potted flowers. It was a mixture of something old, something ... Read more

Auburn’s Botanic

After staying overnight in Pine Mountain, Georgia, we woke Sunday morning to this pretty sunrise! We got ready, checked out of our hotel room, and headed to breakfast at Country Kitchen for pancakes and coffee--delish! We could have driven back to our home church that morning, but my daughter had a bridal shower to attend in Auburn where my sister's family lives, so we went to their church with them and then enjoyed lunch all together afterwards. After lunch, we had a little time to kill before my daughter needed to be at the shower, so we went to walk around Botanic, a beautiful garden center, complete with greenhouses, restaurants, coffee/bakery, and gift shops. It is just the ... Read more

The Azalea Bowl

Continuing on our springtime visit at Callaway Gardens, the Azalea Bowl wasn't quite at its peak when we visited last weekend, but it was still a lovely walk just the same. Another week or two and this place will be exploding with blossoms! After walking through the Azalea Bowl, we continued onto other trails and then later checked into our room at the Callaway Lodge before heading to a delicious buffet at the Piedmont Restaurant. Too bad I didn't get a photo of my plate(s). Prime Rib, seafood, sides, salads, and the most amazing dessert bar ever made for a scrumptious birthday feast! ... Read more