Hunting



taken by my fellow hunter Brenda Preston

First bow hunt morning in my stand

Dove hunt 2010

It is so quiet. Not silent, just peaceful. The sounds you hear are the ones you expect. Birds, crickets, squirrels scurrying, chipmunks. In the distance, the roar of a truck or an occasional train or plane can be heard. The wind breezes in and the trees speak with their leaves. They say welcome, sit down, rest awhile and soak in the beauty of nature. Wait for the ghostly appearance of the doe. The smell of leaves who have seen better days, now mingle with soil and rain. The smell is exactly the smell under the oaks in mama Guidry's yard. All I need now is the scent of coffee and a big swing to be fully transported back in time. One carnivorous friend asked me the question I sometimes asked myself. "You killed something?" Yes me, sensitive, emotional, grandmother of 11. It is all so different when the hunting switch has been flipped on. The weird thing is that it brings out the survival mode not the killing one. I feel stronger, more courageous. It's not because of the weapon I carry, but the accomplishment of being able to provide from the wild as God intended man to live. Only in hunting can you feel that strength, knowing that you can do what it takes to "make it". Hunting is the noble art of taking responsibility for ones own survival. Not a common thing in this day of drive through chicken. My friend's refrigerator was filled with lamb chops, chicken and a beef roast. None of that a problem for her. Let someone else do the killing. I was the same up until a few years ago. The thought of taking the life of anything was abhorrent to me. I love life itself and everything that God has given to enjoy. I understand if one is a vegetarian and is bothered. But in my opinion, don't judge hunters while you are munching on ribs. LOL! You hear hunters say " You just hire assassins to do your dirty work" in reference to the nay sayers. I can only say that after taking the life of an animal, I literally stop and pray. I thank the animal for sharing its life with me. I appreciate that it will be nourishment to our bodies. I thank God. I promise the Spirit that I will not kill in vain, but only to further the circle of life. Thank you Lord for the beauty of the hunt.

Flower Garden

In early spring the cherry tree blooms

My mail lady tells me that she looks forward to the new "do" every year! LOL

Peonys, roses, azaleas and foxgloves

My Lilli, the sweetest flower!

Graham Thomas

Pearly Gates

Bella Roma

Flower gardening nourishes my soul. It begins before the first plant is ever bought. Starting with rose catalogs, magazines, web pages, I drool over the possibilities. I have so much hope for my yard. Every spring I have amnesia of the summer before. That's when the dry heat of the Georgia kind, scorches rose petals and impatiens alike. It is the process that I love, the planning, buying, digging, planting. I used to joke that I had to get my fix every day, stopping by to get a six pack. A six pack of annuals. The roses I grow are chosen for their scent, color and size. I started out with three or four bushes and the count soon became thirty something. I’ve scaled down a little. It’s like having children. You know them all by name and each one is special for a different reason.  I can't say that I love to water. My sweetheart had a sprinkler system put in for that. My daughter in law, Alison Woodall, shares this love of gardening. She takes pictures of her yard at its best, saying that it reminds her of better times. She encouraged me to do the same. I love sharing a bouquet with family or friends. For me, gardening is exercise, therapy, and prayer. It puts me in touch with the original gardener of Eden.





Pearly Gates and Lillian Hays

Lillian Miia Hays



I would love to know what she's thinking!



What can I say about Lilli? I don't think that I can do justice to her. You have to meet her. She is funny, spunky, sweet and smart. I love her happy attitude and smile. Her energy is as high as Papa Woody's, who's heart she has totally captured. She melts mine when she asks for something to eat. The child loves to eat. True to her Cajun roots! When she was born, Allison, my sister, called me after visiting the new baby girl. She said "Stephanie, she is perfect." She was. Her head was perfectly round and she was absolutely beautiful. She was her daddy's little princess. I took her shopping one day, recently. I called her mother and said " Oh my! I can't wait until she is 15 to watch you take her clothes shopping." She is a mess. She wraps you around her little finger. The one waiting for my childhood birthstone ring to fit on. It's a promise I have made to her. It sits on my kitchen window sill, along with the other little treasures of my life. My first picture taken with Woody, my frog scrubby holder that Samarah made for me, the earrings from Rosalind, and a couple of  Lego toys waiting to be returned to Isaac. These are the simple joys of my life. Ones that are only special to me. But that is what makes it YOUR life. "It's your life", people say. She is.



  
 

Isaac Hays

I love the song “Beautiful Boy” by John Lennon. I tell Samarah that I just thought I loved her! LOL When you have grandchildren, you fall in love with them with a whole new love. They are the joy of my life. I would give my life for them. I know from talking to other grandparents that this a common phenomenon, and you always think your grandchildren are the most special. There are the old adages “ you can spoil them and then send them home!” or “if I had known grandchildren were this much fun, I would have had them first!”. My favorite is “Grandchildren are your reward for not killing your children!” Thank goodness I never wanted to kill their momma. You think that they are the smartest, cutest, sweetest, most loving little angels in the world. I am no different. Here is my “Beautiful Boy

 

 

Isaac has the heart of a warrior. He is fierce in his sense of what is right and fair. Sounds like his daddy! He also has a heart of gold. A sweet little man, protective of his mother and sister. He loves his dogs, DS, computer games, Lego toys, playing chess and his new guitar. He picks songs out on the piano. He gets a natural talent from an angel up in heaven, watching down on his son.  He is strong yet sensitive. His mother is making sure that he becomes a gentleman. Enrolled in Cub Scouts, shooting his bow and just being a boy, will prepare him for a wonderful life ahead. Precious to me. My first grandchild, Isaac.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My Lover Smiles

Lilli decided that Papa would look cute with a boa. The sweet man can't tell a girl "No"! Well, usually!

  
Woody is the love of my life. He makes me laugh, cry, grow, learn, forgive and play. We share so many things. He pushes, prods, teaches, and enjoys all kinds of activities with me. We make a good team. He cooks and I clean. He is fast and I am slow. He is 10 years older than I am and acts 10 years younger. He is a talented  drummer and can do anything well, the first time. He drives me crazy and I love how he challenges me. We have so much sporting equipment, that we could open a used sporting goods store! LOL! We have bikes, roller blades, tennis rackets, bowling balls, darts, chess set, work-out equipment. We hunt, and shoot archery, We scuba dive, swim, water ski, and  I almost killed myself trying to snow ski. Next he will be sky diving and that’s where I draw the line. I know I have forgotten something in this “first” post about my love, but rest assured that I will talk about Woody again. He is a unique person, one that I am so blessed to know. A beautiful soul. My Woody.

My beautiful daughter

It would fill the page to explain the losses in her life, yet she keeps adding to the joy of mine. I am immensely proud of Samarah. Her faith, courage and serenity amaze me. I sound like a proud mother. I am. She was always special. As a child she was so easy to get along with. Composed and peaceful. Precious and beautiful. As a teenager, a graceful dancer and a loving friend. As a woman, a devoted wife, mother, daughter and friend. Sam has recently endured the heartache of losing Russell. He was her husband and father of their two precious children. Her strength to go on has been something to watch and learn from. Thank you Lord for giving me the gift of my daughter, Samarah Margaret Trahan Hays!

Rosalind's Rose

 

I believe in signs. Beautiful, wonderful signs. We call co-inky-dinks! Three days before I got the most horrible news of my life, I stopped by a nursery to look for the perfect rose to grow for Rosalind's wedding. She had said to me "Mom, wouldn't it be great if you could grow the roses for my wedding?!" Of course it would! I looked across a huge greenhouse, all the way to the back, one rose stood out. It almost called me to it. I walked over to it, looked at the name on the tag for future reference. She would have the final say. The name? "Pearly Gates". My dear friend Robin Guidry Hearn bought the climber for me when she came three weeks later. I've had these roses growing in my yard for the past eight years. Right around the anniversary of her death, they bloom like crazy! I pick a few and bring them to her grave, as any mother would do. It has seen many seasons, since. Luckily so have I. I never thought I would be able to lose a child. God's grace was sufficient unto my need. I learned to "choose" to see the beauty in the world. I also learned how to choose to be happy. I was forced to. The color at the end of the season, is the color of her cheeks. Seek and you will find.

My Life

My Life by Iris Dement. These are the lyrics to my favorite song. It was written and sung by Iris Dement. I told my family that I wanted it played at my funeral. Why wait until I am gone, to share how I feel about "My Life"? The title to the song. It pretty much sums it up!

MY LIFE

My life, it don't count for nothin'
When I look at this world, I feel so small
My life, it's only a season
A passing September that no one will recall

But I gave joy to my mother
I made my lover smile
And I can give comfort to my friends when they're hurting
I can make it seem better for awhile

My life, it's half the way travelled
And still I have not found my way out of this night
My life, it's tangled in wishes
And so many things that never turned out right

But I gave joy to my mother
I made my lover smile
And I can give comfort to my friends when they're hurting
I can make it seem better for awhile

You can click on the first sentence of the post (My Life by Iris Dement) to hear a snip of the song.

Beauty Begins

  The purpose of my blog is to share the most beautiful sights, experiences and quotes that I can find. The reason for this blog is to challenge myself to find the positive in life. It has been my quest since the death of my precious daughter, Rosalind on May 4, 2002. I knew then, that if I was to be happy, I must seek, see and choose the beauty in life. I must appreciate and enjoy what I had left. This blog will document the things I am grateful for. These are the things that bring beauty, joy and peace to my life. It is a place for me to brag, boast, praise and laugh. This butterfly picture was taken by my dear friend, Brenda Preston. Welcome to anyone who chooses to peek at my path. It has not always been a smooth or perfect one. But somewhere along it, I discovered the part about “Enjoying the journey”!
Flowers grown in my yard and given to one of my favorite “ladies”, June McPherson.