HOME AGAIN...HOME AGAIN...JIGGITY JIG....

Good Morning sweet friends....I AM HOME...it feels so good to be out of the hospital ...back on my feet...in this place we call ...HOME...I have missed you all very much thank you so much for your prayers during these long weeks...I am feeling better every day as I try to gain my strength and stamina...so how have YOU all been while I've been gone...I haven't been on my computer at all till this second so I'm a bit behind with visits to your blogs...now that I'm feeling up to it I will stop by in the days ahead to check in on you...

I need to stand up and walk around a bit now as it's taken me the better part of an hour to get this far...but I just want to leave you with a thought from my heart this morning....LIFE IS PRECIOUS...I am blessed beyond words ...but the reality of what God has done for me is nothing short of a miracle...It wouldn't feel good to post this morning without thanking him from the bottom of my NEW HEART for his loving mercies over me...thank you Lord....also for the outpouring of love and support I've received from my amazing daughter and loving husband....and the rest of "my faces"...okay...that's all the gushing I'll do for today...till next time dear ones....have a blessed day....Karena

Are you out there friends

Hi guys... Am still here in the hospital posting for the first time from my iPad ...things are going along I will be repaired on Wed. sorrymI don,t have any pic,s to share with you ...soon I hope till then blessings.and big hugs...Karena

I Wanted To Let You Know.....

Good morning ladies...I have missed you all for a week or more ...I wanted to let you know I am going to be "Resting" from Loblolly for a short time...I am writing you from the hospital...I had a heart attack last weekend that has left me needing bypass surgery to repair my heart....I have been here for over a week now as they work hard to get me to a level they call "Therapeutic"...so I have the best chances during my surgery...I will be back as quickly as I can...I've come to love my little blog...and all of you too....God Bless you all till next time...big hugs....Karena

No Snow...But I DIdn't Care....

Well we had no snow on Sunday as predicted...there was a momentary sigh of disappointment....but I recovered QUICKLY because this past weekend was FABULOUS FOR ME...I know it's 3 days past but I've had doctors appointments that took up my days early in the week ...plus my man was off on Monday for President's Day ...So it's been hard to sit for some quality posting time....never the less I DO have time now ...the reason I didn't care if it snowed or not...was that I was able to be with our daughter and her sweetie both days ...Saturday they called my sweetie and I while we were doing errands to ask if we would like to go have lunch with them...I said....YES....then on Sunday we met up at our house to drive together to Williamsburg ....we were heading to the Yankee Candle Co....before we left my angel of a daughter walked in the door holding something...she said Momma I have a gift for you...then she pulled this picture out of Terza..."my boy"....now if your thinking ...Karena you already have Terza's picture on Loblolly...you would be right...but THIS picture is actually a drawing my daughter had done for me....one of the people she works with has a daughter that draws....I HAD TO SHARE THE TALENT of this young lady...she captured the details of this photo so beautifully ...this is the same photo I have posted ....look to the right of Loblolly....fab right ???? Thank you angel for thinking of your momma...I LOVE ...LOVE ...LOVE...MY GIFT....XXXX

We had a wonderful day together.. Yankee Candle Co. was busy but so enjoyable...below is a picture of a new candle they came out with...it is called "Ember Light"...the special thing about it is ....it smells just like a fireplace is burning.......nothing makes me smile like the smell of a good fire...sometimes you can't have a real one...this candle fills my need for that smoky smell just Fine...the picture above is of a LIPSTICK PLANT....If you look the leaves present a succulent kind of bud that looks just lipstick in a tube....I'd never seen one before...isn't it pretty...

Well girls I have come to the end of my post...I'll leave you with some flowers to brighten your day...I hope your all well and full of happiness today...God Bless you ...thank you for stopping by my Loblolly Life....till next time...blessings and big hugs...Karena

Guess Who Might Be Coming To Visit....My Friend...SNOW....

Happy Saturday everyone....Well....we had a BIG surprise at the end of the day yesterday...we might get ...SNOW....I'm so excited I'm almost giddy...yes it's true there's a big front coming through later tonight a cold front that suppose to be a real ...PIP....I'm keeping my fingers crossed...whatever we do today will be EXTRA fun for me looking forward to...SNOW...my daughter and her sweetie will feel exactly the same since were all West Coast kids...well that's really all I have to say for today...no knew pictures to share or anything...but I thought you'd like to know I am OVER THE MOON WAITING FOR SNOW.....blessings and big hugs till next time....Karena...oh by the way I know I've used this picture before...but it is the only one I have of snow...(thanks for understanding)....

Longing For Springtime .....

Do you ever wake up ...Longing for something....I did this morning...I am longing for blooming Azalea bush's....roses in lots of colors ...trailing wildly ...unkempt...left to bloom carelessly....but stunning just the same...I am longing for spring...

This feeling is not unusual for me....I come up on it quietly....step by step as we live the season of winter...January is behind us...February is half over....the passing of Valentines Day always sets my feet on this path....the anticipation of...SPRING...

I was also aware as I opened my eyes that I was longing for Garden weather...temps that woo you...fill your senses with heady smells of blooming flowers...setting your eyes on lush vines crawling up a fence...tending to flower beds.....

I am longing for Victoria Magazine too....the Spring issue... as I opened my email this morning I had a message from The Cottage Journal if you've never heard of it ...the link is here...cottagejournal@acemail.hoffmanmedia.com

 

 

Phyllis Hoffman is the creator of all things "Victoria"....she created ...The Cottage Journal....to bless us with beauty ...design ideas...and lush pictures in our very own email....I joined right away...there is always a link to the next issue of Victoria too...which I love...

inspiring eye candy during a season that is mostly void of color... lush gardens...no walking out our back doors into our own ....so I live vicariously through the FABULOUS photos I am always guarenteed in any issue of Victoria...but none as fullfilling as the SPRING ISSUE....let me assure you the 2012 issue for spring is not a disapontment...I peeked ...and I can't wait until it hits the shelves....

One of the other things I ALWAYS LONG FOR IS....BOUNTIFUL...on Abbot Kinney Rd in Venice Beach California....so far from me....I look through all the magazines I've saved with articles of Sue Balmforth's deluxe ....soul filling...store....I miss being able to hop in the car and find myself at Bountiful's front door....ready to take in ...and fill myself up ...with any possible display...vignette.. or...product I could wish for...the experience lasts... I was there in 2004....a long time ago...still it fills me up

The next thing I long for is a comfortable chair...a long day...set aside for lounging luxuriously on the beach....with a perfect breeze blowing...sea gulls singing...food and drink in the cooler...and my faces next to me to enjoy the kiss of a sunny day...wishing you all the same...blessings and big hugs till next time...Karena

Counting My Blessings....& Valentines Too....

Hi There you beautiful girls...thank you so much for popping in...I have been away for a bit from my blog...I've been trying to find a doctor that could help me find what "Ales" me...finally on Friday with my wonderful daughter's help I found out from a new doctor I have something called ..."SHINGLES"...I guess it's similar to chicken pocks or measels but on the inside....thus my intense pain...I was given medicine ...sent on my way...and I should be healing as we speak...Such a PRAISE TO MY LORD...thank you Jesus....So yesterday was Valentines Day...did you all have a romantic interlude of flowers...candy...special surprises...and lots of "Sweetie Time"...

I had plans with my sister and her husband to come here for a Shrimp dinner...I scurried yesterday after an appointment to the mall to get my man a surprise...then on to the grocery store to buy fresh shrimp from my favorite store here called "Harris Teeter"....then onto the flower aisle for some flowers that would dress up our table....then home again to get everything ready....

The pink box's on the plates are filled with "Fudge"....sorry to say I didn't make it from scratch...but I did get the best I could find at the Mall while I was there...they sweetly wrapped them in these wonderful pink box's with red stretch bow's...PERFECT...for my table...just an extra sweet thought for my faces...

I love flowers...any kind of flower...if they're blooming then they're for me....

This is our Salad...bib lettuce and some romaine...with Mozzarella cheese on top...

The house was twinkling with pretty romantic lights....

In lots of places to create a warmth ....a kiss of romance as you strolled through the house....

I cooked the shrimp in butter and garlic with Old Bay and some Greek Seasoning I love...it was ...DELICIOUS....I served steamed butter sauce string beans...a baked potato ....the salad I showed you...with fresh strawberries...the meal was a success and our time together made me count my blessings....big time.....we all were happy little eaters....for desert I served sugar free Eskimo squares...covered in chocolate....I hope you all had a wonderful day...filled with surprises....I will be home today taking it easy...but I will be thinking of you...my goal is to post more often on Loblolly...if I can...look for me...I am trusting the Lord to help me ....till next time..blessings and big hugs...Karena