WRALL wins World Series Championship!!!!

Okay, if you live in Georgia or anywhere in the southeast United States you've probably heard by now that for the second year in a row, a Georgia team has won the Little League World Series. For our not so big town, this is REALLY, REALLY big! These 11 & 12 year old boys not only played an amazing defensive and offensive game, they are a class act. If you didn't get to watch them play, you missed a blessing! They showed sportsmanship that would make any parent and coach proud. We know many of these boys and their families and it was an honor to watch them play and even more enjoyable when they won and did it so graciously!

This is a beautiful photo of Dalton Carriker praying before he got up to bat when he hit his walk-off homerun to win the game. The team manager and two of the boys on the team attend our church. I'm telling you they are all just GREAT young men.

One of the most impressive things they did was after they won and celebrated a moment or two some of our boys noticed the Japanese team members crying on the field. Our boys tapped each other on the shoulder and they all ran out to the boys from Japan (who lost for the 2nd year in a row at the championship game level) and hugged them. It was so touching and I was so proud I couldn't stand it.

The boys flew in to Atlanta tonight and as you can see from the picture I took below, we were all there to greet our home-town heros. They even had a police escort from Atlanta all the way home! It was a hot and extremely humid, muggy night but the rain held out for us and it was an honor to be part of the community support for these great athletes! They set a wonderful example for others to follow and they should be proud. I KNOW I AM!

I have lots to post but had to dedicate a post to our boys! Go WRALL!!! ~ Hugs ~ Kim

Painting, Miles and Passion...

I thought I'd post of few things I painted this weekend and so you the start of something else I started working on. First of all Steph had an order from work for a welcome sign with sunflowers but has been so busy she hasn't been able to get to my house to paint it. She called me desperately requesting that I paint it for her. She does a beautiful job on her sunflowers so I hoped I could do one that was as good as hers. I even signed her initials before spraying it with acrylic because I wasn't sure if her friend expected her to paint it or not. She told me later that it would have been ok for me to put mine. Oh well, I had fun painting it.

Without flash...

...with flash.

I painted this apron to wear to my painting class on Saturday. I have gotten just a little bit of paint on nearly everything I own so I decided that I needed something to paint on consistently. I wanted it big and bold so when I got paint on it, it would show too much. Well, I certainly got big and bold. It's a nice apron with 3 pockets. Here is the Calla Lily picture frame I painted in class. I struggled with it at first but was diligent and pretty happy with the outcome. I decided to put a picture of me at 1 year old with my beloved great-grandmother whom I lovingly called "Memomer Partridge". She babysat me a LOT when I was a baby and a young child. She passed away when I was 16 years old so I knew her very well and have so many wonderful memories of times spent with her. She would always make me my favorite, "Chicky and noodles". I also remember taking a baths at her house in her vintage claw-foot tub. She'd also play with me hours on end making tents and reading books in them. She had the most gorgeous hair and she'd let me brush it for her. She was a special woman in my life and I miss her dearly.

One of my coworkers asked me to make a sign for her Mom to put on her door at her nursing home. So, I painted this tonight. I love the colors and the yellow is beautiful against the green. This is without the flash...

...this is with the flash.

Here is my latest project. This is going to be a birdbath...hopefully!

As you can see, they are tera cotta pots and a saucer.

I painted all three pieces with Wicker White Outdoor paint.

The same lady that wanted the Sunflower Welcome Sign wants a birdbath with Sunflowers also. I believe Steph said they are wedding gifts. I'm excited to see how these come out! Check back to see the work in progress. I hope to be able to work on it some this week but I'll have to see how my week progresses.

I feel compelled to mention the loss of a wonderful young man, Miles Alpern Levin. He was diagnosed with a rare form of pediatric cancer just over 2 years ago and the Lord called him home early this morning. He was only 18 years old but in those few short years and especially in the last 2 years of his life since his cancer diagnosis, he made a huge impact on thousands of lives. Those who had the joy of meeting Miles in person received a special gift but even those, like me, who just knew of Miles through his Care Page, his CNN interviews and other public appearances, were touched. He showed great courage, strength, insight and decided no matter how long he had left on earth he wanted to make a difference in the lives of others and he did!

There is a comment on his page that links to a beautiful powerpoint presentation, What WILL Matter. If you have a few minutes, please take the time to watch. It is at the very least thought-provoking.

~

Steph, Brian and I taking a "Network" class on Spiritual Gifts at Lifepoint in the spring. Due to some conflicts with the facilitator and other extenuating circumstances we finally had our follow-up meeting today after church. I'm going to try to meet with Brother Joe this week about starting a ministry that allows me to focus on my spiritual gifts of Mercy, Helps, Encouragement & Craftsmanship along with my passion for the elderly. Our church is so young (4 years) and has a fairly young congregation so that is an area of ministry that hasn't been looked at a whole lot. There are a lot of areas we discussed today where we can serve God and serve others and I am so excited about this opportunity. My passion for the elderly stems from knowing all of my grandparents and 3 of my great-grandparents. The elderly are so wise and so often neglected. Our world has become so fast-paced and busy that we forget what is important. I'm hoping to help change that in our community. Take care and stay tuned for updates on this ministry as well as more painting and family updates. Hugs ~ Kim

Tennessee . . .

I'm finally posting about our trip to Tennessee. We had a GREAT time and it was so relaxing. At the last minute we decided to take Bryant. He was very good and really enjoyed himself. We saw our friends, Paul, Tracy & their daughter, Katie. Wayne and I have known them for over 20 years and worked with both of them way back when. They moved from Georgia 10 years ago and it's taken us that long to make our way up to see them. Franklin, TN is rich in Civil War history which is one of Wayne's passions.

Here we are in their front yard before going to our first stop of the day. I really enjoyed spending the weekend with Katie.

She is so grown up and such a beautiful young lady.

She's very athletic and plays on a volleyball team and is a cheerleader for the high school.

It was SO HOT. We were hoping to get some relief from the heat but it was 100 degrees there too which is not normal! Here are the guys trying to locate something at Ft. Granger while while the girls "vegged" in the shade!

We had lunch at the Mellow Mushrom and I was intrigued with the painted brick. I wouldn't have thought of doing that but it looked really cool!

After lunch we visited the Carnton Plantation which was also used as a make-shift hospital during the war. We had a historian take us through in small groups and went in to great detail about the furnishings, some original, some period pieces, some replicas; out buildings; details of significant events that happened in each room as recorded in diaries and various other documentation. This is the front.

Here is the back porch of the Carnton Plantation. This is VERY rich in history and standing on the soil and in this home it is hard to believe that less than 150 years ago hundreds lost their lives in that very spot defending their beliefs.

The Carnton Plantation had one of the most beautiful and diverse Gardens that I've ever seen. It had a huge Grape Arbor that lined the back fence.

When you walked through the arbor the smell from all of the clusters of grapes was so strong that it made your mouth water. There were clusters of grapes EVERYWHERE! I thought this was interesting because there are so many colors on one cluster.

The butterflies loved the grapes too.

Does anyone know the name of this flower? It was so unusual that I had to take a picture.

Adjacent to the Carnton Plantation is the cemetery where 1496 Confederates are buried.

I LOVE this picture that I took of our friends while we were at the cemetery.

Wayne and Paul also visited the Carter House which is another Civil War site while the rest of us went downtown shopping. Bryant probably wished he'd have gone with the guys! The only thing I purchased was a new Christmas Ornament. I collect ornaments from the different places we've visited. I didn't start this until later in life but I love pulling out my ornaments each year and recalling the memories that are attached to that keepsake.

Paul & Tracy live in a neighborhood that has a HUGE pool, a tennis court, picnic area and pond. It is right across the street from their house.

We walked over there several times during our visit.

The fish were small but they were plentiful. Bryant would put his baited hook in the pond and 10 seconds later he'd have a fish! Of course we let all of them go but it was good fun.

Wayne and Bryant enjoying the slide at the pool.

Paul with their Miniature Pincher, Drifter. He was the most lovable dog. He would literally jump into my lap and "hug" me. You might recognize my painting in the background. I took all of my framed paintings, that I haven't given away, and let Tracy pick one for her birthday that was in June. She chose my Hibiscus with the "Cayman Blue" background. I loved that painting and had so much fun doing it but I can't think of a better person to "adopt" it.

Paul and I got up earlier than the others in the house each morning and shared coffee and conversation. Our first morning there, Friday, we talked about many things going on in our lives and among them was church. I told him that we had been attending a new church since February of this year and how it had changed our lives. He told me that they had been attending a local church most Sundays that sounded similar to our church and asked if I'd like to go. I was so-o-o excited since I knew I would really miss Sunday at our church. We worshipped through singing with their Praise band and were moved by a wonderful message about the "labels" that we often wear like guilt.

He reminded us that God's will is NOT for us to carry around guilt. If God punished us for our sins then what Christ did for us on the cross didn't count.

"Don't feel guilty about feeling guilty. "

• Conviction makes you come to God.
• Guilt makes you run from God.

He then quoted something from Max Lucado:

"If God had a refrigerator your picture would be on it in Heaven!"

Check back on Thursday night to find out how I did at Weight Watchers. I promise not to sleep through the meeting this week! Hugs ~ Kim

Nice Matters Award!

I had quite a surprise yesterday when I went to Sandy's blog and saw where she had given me the "Nice Matters Award". I know this may seem silly to some of you but that meant so much to me. Sometimes the little word "nice" when describing someone, is taken for granted or considered boring. The dictionary defines "nice" using words like, pleasing; agreeable; polite; delightful; friendly; amiably pleasant; & kind. These are all characteristics that I've tried to instill as important values in our children. So, if I am not considered "nice", then I would be a hypocrite. So thank you, Sandy, for reminding me how important it is to be nice, kind, friendly, etc. and resist the temptation to be the antonyms of nice like, unpleasant, unkind, & careless.

~

Which brings me to my next duty of bestowing this honor on another blogger, Linda. Linda is Sandy's sister, whom I've never physically met but feel as if I've known her for years. She has blessed me along with so many others with her insights about life and spiritual journey. Both Sandy and Linda are amazing women whose life's journey has crossed my journey in life and I thank God for them and their cotinuous blessings. They have another sister that I've never met but I KNOW she must be just as awesome as Linda and Sandy. Kudos to your parents for raising such wonderful "nice" children!

I hope each of your reading this is someday awarded the Nice Matters Award. Nice does matter and I encourage each of you to be kind to your friends and family as well as strangers you encounter each day. You never know how your random acts of kindness might affect others and make a difference in thier life. Hugs ~ Kim

Painting

I had a request to show more of my art so I'm going to try to get caught up on that. We've had a lot of family activities this summer so it's been fun sharing pics from our celebrations and vacations.

~

Before I get a bunch of comments on my Weight Watchers weigh-in, I didn't go tonight because came home from work and fell asleep for 2.5 hours. I'm going to try to go on Saturday morning but if not, I'll get get there next Thursday. I'm not trying to duck out so don't worry, but I'll get back on my regular Thursday weigh-in next week.

~

I framed all three of my paintings from Saturday, July 28th and wanted to share them with you. Unfortunately this is on a white background so it doesn't show up very well, but it's very pretty.

Same with this one. However this topiary looks beautiful. I think I'm going to paint another one with slightly different leaves to hang on the other side of the room.

Remember back at the craft show on June 30th I received an order for a Ladybug sign? Well, I think it's finally ready to deliver. This is the original design . . .

. . . but she had me add some more things including the wording and here is the finished piece. It's a little busy for my taste but it is still cute.

Tonight I painted this for my friend (and boss) Tracy. I thought it came out pretty cute. She has a whole group of friends that come over every Sunday to watch the race and swim in their pool. I had already sprayed it with acrylic sealer so when I took the pic with a flash there was too much of a reflection. I'm sad about that because it really showed the beautiful cloros of the background.

I'm still going to post my Tennessee pictures and tell you all about our great weekend but it'll have to wait unti this weekend. Hugs ~ Kim

High School...wow....how long ago was that???

We are back from vacation to Tennessee and had a FANTASTIC time. No energy to post about the wonderful time we had in Tennessee along with the tons of pictures that I took, but I will in the next day or so. In the mean time to update my blog I'm going to post my High School Questionaire from Sandy's post. I even added some old pictures from high school to give you a laugh or two. Let me know what you think!

Julie over at EQUUS VILLA had this on her blog and well, I'm just following instructions since I read it. Hope you'll join in the fun!HIGH SCHOOL QUESTIONAIRE ~Everyone who reads this is officially tagged and hope you'll post your answers on your blog ~ let me know if you do so that I can come over and check out your answers.

1. Who was your best friend? Gina Mascirella, who was a bridesmaid in our wedding and came to visit Wayne and I when he was stationed in Aurora, CO after we got married. Unfortunately she passed away of bone cancer in 2000. I was devastated!

2. Did you play any sports? Well, I did Intramural Volleyball and some running. But I was in band (Flag captain) and for anyone who has ever been in band...it IS a sport!

3. What kind of car did you drive? I rode with Wayne and friends. I bought a 1976 Chevy Chevette for $2,800 about 6 months after I graduated.

4. It’s Friday night. Where were you? I was at a Football Game or band competition. If there wasn't either of those I was with Wayne if it was a weekend I was at my Mom's house.

5. Were you a party animal? Absolutely not! I was a goodie-2-shoes! Toilet papering was about as wild as I got!

6. Were you considered a flirt? Yeah, I guess I probably was. I had WAY more "Boy" friends than "Girl" friends.

7. Were you in the band, orchestra or choir? Band as a "Flagette" (no instrumental musical ability at all)

8. Were you a nerd? No. Our school had an AWESOME band so you were really cool if you were in the band (BAD football team)

9. Were you ever suspended or expelled? Oh my gosh...NEVER!

10. Can you sing the fight song? Ah-h-h-h-h, probably not without some help!

11. Who was your favorite teacher(s)? Mr. Baker, Band & Mr. Stamos, 10th grade Biology

12. What was your school mascot? Eagles

13. Did you go to the Prom? Yes, 11th & 12th grade with the same date - :o)

14. If you could go back, would you? I had a ball in high school but NO THANK YOU!

15. What do you remember most about graduation? I wore a yellow dress and knew that I was going to live with my Mom after graduation.

16. Where were you on Senior Skip Day? I don't think we had that WAY BACK THEN!

17. Did you have a job your senior year? No, except for the occasional babysitting job. I wasn't allowed.

18. Where did you go most often for lunch? The lunch room or outside.

19. Have you gained weight since then? Ah-h-h, ABSOLUTELY! Hasn't everyone? However, I'm working on taking it off!

20. What did you do after graduation? I remember that I graduated on June 12th, but I have no idea what I did. It obviously wasn't too exciting!

21. What year did you graduate? 1976

22. Who was your Senior Prom Date? Wayne (my husband since 1978)

23. Are you going/did you go to your 10 year reunion? Yes. Wayne graduated in 1975 and we have attended both of our 10th, 20th and his 30th. My class didn't have a 30th reunion. Ouch! Where has the time gone?!?! (FYI - OUr son had his 10th reunion this year!)

Hope your visit provided a few chuckles! Hugs ~ Kim