Friday Randoms

Sharing a picture of my girl being silly while I look slightly disapproving.  

If you haven't been bitten by the travel bug, then these photos will surely inspire you to take flight.  

This photo confirms that I am not brave enough to live on the Shetland Islands.  

If you want to sit by a crackling fire, but don't want the the mess, then this is the thing for you.  

Leaving you with some Rhonda Vincent for this Friday.  

Linking up with Tanya today!  

Thankful Thursday

Sharing one last Christmas scene before this holiday is over. 

 Thankful this Thursday for patience.  With our internet/phone service out of service, it is apparent that there are many people in my same situation, who have been without service much longer than I.  Also thankful that I can use an alternate location to catch up with all of you.    

On a more positive note, I have spent time doing other things.  I even watched a little television.  Not something I do much anymore.  Housework caught up, laundry finished, and I even topped off the salt and pepper shakers.  How's that for using my time wisely?  

What are you thankful for this Thursday?  Share a post and link back here using the image below.  Visit others and make new friends!  

<div style="width:100%;text-align:center;"> <span style="margin:5px;padding:5px;border-radius: 5px;border:1px solid lightgrey;display:inline-block;"><a rel=_nofollow href="http://www.itsasmalltownlife.blogspot.com"> <img style="border: 1px solid gray;width:125x125px;height:125x125px;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/7W8fKQ68rijDCLvSW2PN3qgFxGitRz6b_2T9vgzcMnJuNq-jPIirq-Tk8p_Jr8V1IS8moDC3RCUNGMw-Y_ESOC1FSHAcKFule-1GJ2Vt7Y9V-8FPNW6d_R_WQ5MKLEUOxXWp2nwmoUjR227aoncdbE9qUe-xZ3joN2-Q-qimNE-r8OOzi2A4Lai26JZp0ya_NWUBe7uC9XxNJR5SP-OwHtSSi6j65gE6_Siowby_ZYUaXHNtXui-Uj4Gj2AnJjHwSUhpKjfMIvSlBMkwpx6sNIGe-bsdT2BzK18_QlhxZZliQoOMOd0Ma3zYGblRGwYFNGoKblP4wwW-3x3oWz4aSRVpxMMfnidbgOOS2r6kLAwy4A_WGfMr-ktyVEhIodi8wmEQfRAGZ5OgjeKpVVZyMOUSevKy-_y4OeymfduxwlRL0qcGL9eh_dlmQS87NR4lCsGrWw6W2Ryrk4iLP0bBXgRwNNwQYW9vKqwWz5iECnePsIqwc74RMsbbqBNo9-JmYdtmXgpjOswJ3T_Opb1-DBCiLYvqb1VwCb6DG3BqItq-2IQ5aZWUMpBi94yQ1cPPqY0tmfzu1iOWVJ4oeMUhUL9C0SMnLtCYd8rgpCzWkdUI1fCd=s185-no"> <p style="allign: center;"> </p> </a></span></div>
Instructions: Select all code above, copy it and paste it inside your blog post as HTML



   

    An InLinkz Link-up

   

No Service

Photo courtesy of Google images.  I wish I had taken this photo!  

I have been away for a few days enjoying the company of my parents and some sunshine.  

It was wonderful.  

However, we arrived home yesterday to no telephone landline service, which means no internet service for us.  Yes, I live in a rural area where a landline is still required to have internet service.  

*sigh*

It's a drag.....

So, I will be posting this week, but may not be able to comment much until the repairman arrives at the farmette to work his magic.  

I sincerely hope each and every one of you had a exceptional holiday with those most important in your life.  

Merry Christmas

Wishing you, and yours, a very Merry Christmas.  

"I will honor Christmas in my heart and try to keep it all the year."  

Charles Dickens 

Friday Randoms

My small town square is all ready for Christmas.  

I will admit that I would enjoy the cocktail weenie tree (wrapped in bacon, seriously),

but a tuna Christmas tree?  

I love a good snow day, but I am a teacher and I get the surprise day off.  Here are a few places that would be great to spend a snow day. 

Apparently William Faulkner not only knew how to write, but also how to mix a fine hot toddy.  

Leaving you with a trio of Christmas carols for you to choose from on this fine Friday.  Here is one......this is number two.....and voila number three.  

Enjoy!  

Linking up with Tanya.  

Thankful Thursday

Thankful this Thursday to have all Christmas preparations complete and in order.  I even placed our mail lady's gift in the mailbox for her to receive in, we'll say, about an hour from now.  How can I forget her when she provides us with great service, offers to help round up cows, and leaves us personal notes in the mailbox.  

Great people are all around us, we just have to look.  

Share a post, this Thursday, telling what you are thankful for.  Please only share the url of your post, and not your main page.

In your post, link back to this post by copy/pasting the linked image below.
Visit others!






<div style="width:100%;text-align:center;"> <span style="margin:5px;padding:5px;border-radius: 5px;border:1px solid lightgrey;display:inline-block;"><a rel=_nofollow href="http://www.itsasmalltownlife.blogspot.com"> <img style="border: 1px solid gray;width:px;height:px;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/7W8fKQ68rijDCLvSW2PN3qgFxGitRz6b_2T9vgzcMnJuNq-jPIirq-Tk8p_Jr8V1IS8moDC3RCUNGMw-Y_ESOC1FSHAcKFule-1GJ2Vt7Y9V-8FPNW6d_R_WQ5MKLEUOxXWp2nwmoUjR227aoncdbE9qUe-xZ3joN2-Q-qimNE-r8OOzi2A4Lai26JZp0ya_NWUBe7uC9XxNJR5SP-OwHtSSi6j65gE6_Siowby_ZYUaXHNtXui-Uj4Gj2AnJjHwSUhpKjfMIvSlBMkwpx6sNIGe-bsdT2BzK18_QlhxZZliQoOMOd0Ma3zYGblRGwYFNGoKblP4wwW-3x3oWz4aSRVpxMMfnidbgOOS2r6kLAwy4A_WGfMr-ktyVEhIodi8wmEQfRAGZ5OgjeKpVVZyMOUSevKy-_y4OeymfduxwlRL0qcGL9eh_dlmQS87NR4lCsGrWw6W2Ryrk4iLP0bBXgRwNNwQYW9vKqwWz5iECnePsIqwc74RMsbbqBNo9-JmYdtmXgpjOswJ3T_Opb1-DBCiLYvqb1VwCb6DG3BqItq-2IQ5aZWUMpBi94yQ1cPPqY0tmfzu1iOWVJ4oeMUhUL9C0SMnLtCYd8rgpCzWkdUI1fCd=s185-no"> <p style="allign: center;"> </p> </a></span></div>
Instructions: Select all code above, copy it and paste it inside your blog post as HTML

An InLinkz Link-up

A Treasure for Tuesday

This bridge resided at a Civil War battle site, not too far from my farmette.  General John Hunt Morgan, and his troops, were defeated here in 1863, by Union forces. 

General Morgan burned the original wooden bridge during the battle.  At the time a replacement was built and in 1907 this steel structure came into being.  

It served well until 2014 when it was moved to a museum farmstead, just down the river.  A modern replacement is now in use, but this steel beauty will forever be memorialized at the farmstead.  

At the time of its replacement, some controversy surrounded the destruction of this bridge.  Many people wanted it to be saved and left in its original location.  Eventually it was replaced and merely moved down river where it no longer receives car traffic.  

Linking up today with Tuesday's Treasures 

and 

Tucked In for the Day

Only in Kentucky can you have temps in the 60's with a tornado watch one day and the next have icy conditions with a bit of snow and a high temp of 27 degrees.  

These photos are straight out of the camera to show how strange and gloomy it was yesterday.  

Dark clouds would hover and the winds would blow.  

Then, a bit of light would appear.  

It would brighten up for a bit, then more clouds would blow through the farmette.  

The Lady of the Yard is all set for the weather.  

So is our English Pointer.  

Here he is tucked into a bone wearing his new sweater.  

Today is a day for staying home and staying indoors.  The Christmas cards will get finished, a pot of chili will be made, and movies will be watched.  

"If the world seems cold to you, then kindle fires to warm it."  

Lucy Larcom 

Linking up with The Barn Collective.  

Friday Randoms

Just some stacked stones.  

Here are a few wedding photographs that are sure to make you crack a smile.  

I am out of the baby game, but I always find it interesting what names seem to be current. 

CNN's pictures of the year are worth your time.  

Leaving you with some Mumford and Sons for the weekend.  

Enjoy!  

Linking up with Tanya......

Thankful Thursday

Thankful this Thursday for the fact it is Thursday.  During the month of December my primary school is chock full of activities.   This, plus our daily academic regime, makes for a crazy month!  But, tomorrow is our last day before our winter break and we are all looking forward to it.

Also, can I say that I am thankful for the internet service to be working in full order?  Today our service provider had outages in at least two counties.  Since I live in such a rural area, I only have one service provider to choose from.  That does not equal happiness.

Better late than never, for this link-up.

Share a post telling what you are thankful for.  Please only share the url of your post, not your main page.  In your post, link back to this post by copying/pasting the linked image below.

Visit others!

                   

An InLinkz Link-up

Church on Tuesday

Christ Episcopal Church is located on St. Simon's Island, Georgia.  Worship has been continuous here since 1736.  It is one of the oldest churches in Georgia.  

The church grounds hold a cemetery with unmarked graves dating back to 1796.  Marked graves start with the date of 1803.  I have visited this church twice in the past couple of years.  Both times I have missed the inside visitation hours.

Not to worry, I shall return.  

Linking up with Tuesday's Treasures  

and

The Pick-Up Road

Today, around noon or so, I left to pick up the girl of the house.  She spent the night with a good friend, a friend who happens to live at the opposite end of our rural county.  

It's about a forty-five minute drive....want to come along?  

It will take us about twenty minutes to get to, "town".  Five minutes to get through this small town and then onward to a tiny country road.  A road with old trucks and tractors parked in a new barn.  

A road with tobacco drying racks sitting on a hillside.  

A road that used to be rife with busy farms and farmhouses full of life.  

My final destination is an old farmhouse, and I mean over one hundred fifty years old.  Sitting next to it is this newish barn, with the perfect shade of red.  

"Success is not a destination, but the road that you're on.  Being successful means that you're working hard and walking your walk everyday.  You can only live your dream by working hard towards it.  That's living your dream."  

Marlon Wayans  

Linking up with The Barn Collective

Friday Randoms

A seashell.....a face.....I don't know, you decide.  Whatever it is, I brought it home and it resides on a pile of beloved books.  

This man has Christmas spirit and some to spare.  

Have some time for travel on your hands?  Here are a few place to visit.  

Maybe one is close to you.  

Looking for a vintage Christmas tree?  

Here is a sweet aluminum version for your table.  

Leaving you with some Alison Krauss for the weekend.


Linking up with Tanya today.

Thankful Thursday

Thankful this Thursday for another Christmas with my parents.  As I move through life, it shows itself as the fleeting wonder that it is.  Moments become even more special than they ever were before.  

If your parents are still with you, then give them a call today.  If they are not, remember them at their best.  We all deserve that.

Take a moment and link up something that you are thankful for today.  Big, little, simple, or complicated, it doesn't matter.

Please only share the url of your post, not your main blog page. 

In your post, link back to this post by copy/pasting the linked image below. 

Visit others!  

                   

<div style="width:100%;text-align:center;"> <span style="margin:5px;padding:5px;border-radius: 5px;border:1px solid lightgrey;display:inline-block;"><a  rel=_nofollow href="http://www.itsasmalltownlife.blogspot.com">           <img style="border: 1px solid gray;width:185x185px;height:185x185px;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/7W8fKQ68rijDCLvSW2PN3qgFxGitRz6b_2T9vgzcMnJuNq-jPIirq-Tk8p_Jr8V1IS8moDC3RCUNGMw-Y_ESOC1FSHAcKFule-1GJ2Vt7Y9V-8FPNW6d_R_WQ5MKLEUOxXWp2nwmoUjR227aoncdbE9qUe-xZ3joN2-Q-qimNE-r8OOzi2A4Lai26JZp0ya_NWUBe7uC9XxNJR5SP-OwHtSSi6j65gE6_Siowby_ZYUaXHNtXui-Uj4Gj2AnJjHwSUhpKjfMIvSlBMkwpx6sNIGe-bsdT2BzK18_QlhxZZliQoOMOd0Ma3zYGblRGwYFNGoKblP4wwW-3x3oWz4aSRVpxMMfnidbgOOS2r6kLAwy4A_WGfMr-ktyVEhIodi8wmEQfRAGZ5OgjeKpVVZyMOUSevKy-_y4OeymfduxwlRL0qcGL9eh_dlmQS87NR4lCsGrWw6W2Ryrk4iLP0bBXgRwNNwQYW9vKqwWz5iECnePsIqwc74RMsbbqBNo9-JmYdtmXgpjOswJ3T_Opb1-DBCiLYvqb1VwCb6DG3BqItq-2IQ5aZWUMpBi94yQ1cPPqY0tmfzu1iOWVJ4oeMUhUL9C0SMnLtCYd8rgpCzWkdUI1fCd=s185-no">           <p style="allign: center;"> </p> </a></span></div>
Instructions: Select all code above, copy it and paste it inside your blog post as HTML

An InLinkz Link-up

Game On

Have you ever watched first Harry Potter movie?  Well, if you have you know that Harry lives in a closet underneath the staircase.  

One of those closets underneath the staircase exists in this old farmhouse.  It is where I store all of the Christmas decor.  I can tell you, in complete honesty, that it pains me each year to delve into the cave underneath the stairs.  

But hey.....someone has to do it and it is now complete.  All trees are up and the lights are hung with care, but not by the chimney.  

A Small Town Classic

This barn sits beside our local ballpark and I have photographed it many a time.  As I passed it, just a couple of days ago, who did I think of, but Tom!  

According to the weather report, it might have a few snowflakes on its roof by the middle of the week.  Let's hope so. 

Linking up with The Barn Collective today.  

Friday Randoms

A totally random shot at the beach on St. Simon's Island.  A portrait....perhaps?  

The season for the dutch oven is upon us.  I have a wonderful, red, Le Creuset version, (thanks dad), and shall be using it for all of these kitchen projects.  

I am a sucker for a classic barn and these photographs certainly fit the bill.  

Here is a sampling of requests mall Santas have received.  You will need a hanky for a couple of them.  

Leaving you with some Mick Jagger for the weekend.  

Rock on!  

Linking up with Tanya today....

Thankful Thursday

Thankful this Thursday for excellent coworkers.  People who smile and mean it.  People who are always there when you need them, no matter if it is for classroom advice or life advice.  

I have a blessed situation and I try to appreciate it each day.  

This Thursday I would like to start the Thankful Thursday Link Up.  

How does this work?  

Share a post telling us what you are thankful for. 

Please only share the url of your post, not your main page. 

In your post, link back to this post by copying/pasting the linked image below. 

Visit others!  

                   

<div style="width:100%;text-align:center;"> <span style="margin:5px;padding:5px;border-radius: 5px;border:1px solid lightgrey;display:inline-block;"><a  rel=_nofollow href="http://itsasmalltownlife.blogspot.com/2016/12/thankful-thursday.html">           <img style="border: 1px solid gray;width:px;height:px;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/7W8fKQ68rijDCLvSW2PN3qgFxGitRz6b_2T9vgzcMnJuNq-jPIirq-Tk8p_Jr8V1IS8moDC3RCUNGMw-Y_ESOC1FSHAcKFule-1GJ2Vt7Y9V-8FPNW6d_R_WQ5MKLEUOxXWp2nwmoUjR227aoncdbE9qUe-xZ3joN2-Q-qimNE-r8OOzi2A4Lai26JZp0ya_NWUBe7uC9XxNJR5SP-OwHtSSi6j65gE6_Siowby_ZYUaXHNtXui-Uj4Gj2AnJjHwSUhpKjfMIvSlBMkwpx6sNIGe-bsdT2BzK18_QlhxZZliQoOMOd0Ma3zYGblRGwYFNGoKblP4wwW-3x3oWz4aSRVpxMMfnidbgOOS2r6kLAwy4A_WGfMr-ktyVEhIodi8wmEQfRAGZ5OgjeKpVVZyMOUSevKy-_y4OeymfduxwlRL0qcGL9eh_dlmQS87NR4lCsGrWw6W2Ryrk4iLP0bBXgRwNNwQYW9vKqwWz5iECnePsIqwc74RMsbbqBNo9-JmYdtmXgpjOswJ3T_Opb1-DBCiLYvqb1VwCb6DG3BqItq-2IQ5aZWUMpBi94yQ1cPPqY0tmfzu1iOWVJ4oeMUhUL9C0SMnLtCYd8rgpCzWkdUI1fCd=s185-no">           <p style="allign: center;"> </p> </a></span></div>
Instructions: Select all code above, copy it and paste it inside your blog post as HTML

An InLinkz Link-up

Much To Do

Southern gentlemen shootin' the breeze.  

Ever have one of those days when you put the bag of meal worms in the snack cabinet.  Yeah....bird food and people food don't mix well, but that is my state of mind.  

Much to do and little brain space left with which to operate.  

Did you know......

~ epsom salt makes better fake snow, than bona fide fake snow

~ some dogs like to chew an extra small hole in their new dog bed and pull out the stuffing

~ fake candles take too many batteries to operate

~ a young child who eats too many skittles will become quite unwell

I can't wait to see what will happen today.  

"If you have zest and enthusiasm, you will attract zest and enthusiasm.  Life does give back in kind."  

Norman Vincent Peale 

Back in the Saddle

This Thanksgiving holiday had on the road, something we haven't done for a few years.  My husband's siblings decided to converge at my brother-in-law's house located on St. Simon's Island, Georgia.  

Gosh, such a hardship for us. 

 Days of beach combing, sunshine, and warm weather, not to mention good food and family.  

First we had to make the drive, which took us through the devastation being caused by the forest fires.  This picture is the smoke, hanging in the air, in North Carolina.  

After a few traffic jams, we finally made it to our sunny destination.  

I spent a couple of days trying to photograph two Springer Spaniels at the beach.  I was not successful.  Their enthusiasm for chasing birds was quicker than my camera.  

This horseshoe crab was slowly making its way across the rocks.  It was moving at my kind of photographic speed.  

But, alas, my days of sunny weather have come to an end.  

I awoke to frosty farmland and my breath hanging in the air.  

I'm lovin' it.  

Happy Thanksgiving

Taking a moment today to send all of you the very best of Thanksgiving wishes, no matter where you may reside.  I so appreciate the time each of you take to visit my blog and even more to leave me a comment.  

I am taking a few days off from the blog-o-sphere to spend time with friends and family.  

I hope youwill do the same.  

I will return on Sunday with a fresh mind and thankful heart.  Next Thursday will begin a new Thankful Thursday link up, that I hope all of you will share what you are thankful for each week.  

Until then.....

Happy Thanksgiving 

Let's Take a Walk

I do love summer for all of its color and warmth.  

But, fall has a beauty all its own, with varying degrees of brown and bareness.  

Every now and again a pop of color shows its lovely face.  

If you are looking for some solid green, then moss is your friend here on the farmette.  

Sometimes some wonderful bokeh even shows up in random shots.  

I hope you take some time today to look around and find the beauty that surrounds all of us. 

"Autumn wins you best by this, its mute appeal to sympathy for its decay."  

Robert Browning 

Friday Randoms

Turkey time is almost upon us!  That means time to make the family Christmas card, time to buy gifts, time to decorate.....I am tired already.  Sharing a photo today of an historic house on our small town main street for this last month of fall.  

If you are feeling crafty this holiday season, then these mason jar crafts are for you.  Just so you know, a bag of fake snow can make a big mess. 

I am making this Bourbon Pumpkin Cheesecake for our school Thanksgiving meal next week.  I can almost taste it and haven't even made it.

Etsy has their top gift trends of 2016 and they are all worth your time.  

Leaving you with an informal, yet fantastic, cover of the classic song, "Feeling Good". 

 Enjoy

  

Linking up with Tanya.  

Thankful Thursday

Sharing a misty morning photo from the archives today.  The schedule here at the farmette has been busy lately, but I am thankful that we are all able to get out and enjoy life.   I am also thankful for photos in the archives for days just like this.  

"I look back at old photos and videotapes, and I go, Who was I trying to be?  Who was I doing this for?  

Marla Maples  

Limestone Love

Leading off with some more limestone this Tuesday.  

We have plenty of it on our small town square.  

Pictured is our own, Allen's Inn.  Built sometime between 1806-1812, it resides on the original town lot #23.  It functioned well until 1877 when a family took up residence and kept the property until 1944.  

These days this facade is its best side.  Though the building is intact, the interior has been entirely changed.  The public doorway was removed some time ago and the building isn't open for tours.  

Though I do confess a bit of curiosity and would love a peek at the inside, and to hang out where old Andrew spent some time......priceless. 

"We are not makers of history. We are made by history."  

Martin Luther King, Jr.  

Linking up with Tuesday's Treasures.  

Opening Weekend

It's been a busy weekend in this small town.  Opening day for rifle season has begun.  People harvesting deer are blowing up small town social media with their photos.  

The men of the house always enjoy this time of year as their group of friends/fellow hunters gather for a traditional breakfast, camaraderie, and some bragging rights depending on the outcome.  The daughter spent the weekend with a friend and this meant I had the entire internet bandwidth to myself.  (A big deal when you live out in the sticks.)  On the recommendation of the girl, I binge watched, Stranger Things, on Netflix.  

Not a bad way to spend the weekend.  

Linking up this sunset barn photo with, The Barn Collective.  

Friday Randoms

A cat mailbox, just because I found one.  

This is certainly one way to keep the house clean before hosting a holiday event.  

The Garden and Gun Good Dog Photo Contest winners can be found here.  Check them out, because how can you not?  

These are rated as the 12 worst TV shows of all time.  I actually liked Northern Exposure, back in the day.

Leaving you with Bruce Springsteen for the weekend.  I had to explain this song to my daughter, as the concept of only 57 channels doesn't computer with her.  

Linking up with Tanya......

Thankful Thursday

Thankful this Thursday for some time off with family.  School was out for a couple of days earlier this week and I had zero plans.  Just my kind of thing.  Some cooking/baking, long walks, and a chat with my Dad.  

Heaven