PEACE!! Merry Christmas 2010

winter alleady?

We drove over to Madison County last sunday...snow on the Tenn. border was all we needed to hear...took the windy snow covered road up to Max Patch...beautiful part of the country...took loads of barn pictures...thanks to my chauffer for always driving Ms Bear where she wants to go!

Halloween 2010

We had a fun time downtown.."normal" or "costume"...our Trunk and Treat at ACUM Church, costumes around Biltmore and just overall good time in Brevard at their Festival...what a great sport Gene the Court Jester was to put up with Sammy and The Bear...you deserve an award and may someday get one!...125

AND WHEN ALL MY LIFE IS DONE...

Thanks for the call last night OLD FRIEND....you said you sometimes keep touch with us by way of my blog...well this post is for you OLD FRIEND...so very VERY wonderful to hear how happy you are...finding love is one of life's greatest joys...6 years..congratulations to you both....please play the OLD FRIENDS video in the last post and KNOW that without a doubt you are a couple of my oldest and dearest friends...
STAY WELL
STAY HAPPY
Love ya...

Old Friends - Willie Nelson, Roger Miller, Ray Price

Elvis Presley - Amazing Grace

Some days are stones....continued..

Talked for a long time today with one of my best friends..she has recently gone thru surgery on her back...I pray each day for her recovery..and for her well-being. I do not believe that we are asked to do in life more than we can really accomplish.
With out pain we can never really see the sunshine. Some days are diamonds...some days are stones...sometimes the hard times..won't leave us alone!
This is my mantra on days when I stumble..so many people have health problems as they age..this ole' lady is one of these people..but I have so many things to be thankful for.I appreciate my family always being there for me...no one ever asks..what did you do today?...never been a contest for House Beautiful around here and these days for sure...may we always remember to thank the ones we love..and thanks to the Lord who watches out for us always...He is always there...lest we forget!

Some days are diamonds....

7 months...where has the time gone???

Well...the time has sure rolled on...summer now into fall...we had a very busy summer...short as the time was for the girls to be out. The twins volunteered at the WNC Nature Center and Jen spent each sunday at the Carl Sandburg Home.We swam...played in the fountains downtown...played with the pups...took alot of naps...did crafts and over-all had a wonderful time with all these activities.
Gene and I spent our 44th anniversary at the Pisgah Room at the Pisgah Inn. Bear, Ho, Emmma, Hope, Gene and Ann all had birthdays.Will attach some pictures.
Hope to be back on track to blog our lives...will make a committment to do this...stay tuned...

Purple Pinky Post

Love

Love is patient and kind.
Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude.
Love does not demand its own way.
Love is not irritable and it keeps no record of when it has been wronged.
It is never glad about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out.
Love never gives up, never loses faith,is always hopeful and endures every
circumstance.

I Corinthians 13:4-7

If Tomorrow Never Comes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95ZWS1ty2-g

click on the above link:
Will they know how much I loved them?
Say each day how much you love them!!
Is the love I gave them in the past gonna be enough to last... if tomorrow does not come?
125...you know who you are!

Hold Tight

Have had two messages from dear friends this weekend... One's husband was Dx with cancer and the other one's husband had a severe stroke and died today...
PLEASE go tell the one you love what they mean to you TODAY..."we are not in charge"..we are not guaranteed tomorrow...The song..If Tomorrow Never Comes..is close to my heart today....I know for a fact that I sometimes take my husband for granted...he has always been there for me and the family...one friend's words spoken last night on the phone, haunt me today she said.."not my Jack"...we NEVER want to lose someone we love...
Take a few minutes today and tell the ones you love that you love them and appreciate them!

Crazy Week

Ever think that a week MUST have been longer than 7 days???
This was that week and more.
Long time in writing about the pictures I had posted...Charlie and Maggie..and Ann..
Maggie is a 10 year old Westie...one day in Arkansas..Gene called and said that s girl he worked with had rescued a couple of Westies and they had a litter...who knew how much love he would be bringing home in that little white ball of fluff...it was winter with a big snow on the ground..to this day Maggie refuses to go out in any wet weather...Miss Priss for sure...Maggie was named for Maggie Glenn an old Johnston aunt...little did I know that we would one day bring her to the Johnston farm and she would live right off the street named for that aunt's husband's family...she being a Terrier was a true Terror....only in the last few years has she settled down at all..she is a wonderful mouser...none gets past her!...Her constant companion for 8 of her early years was Mack our wonderful old globe trotting basset...he is still missed and he has been gone two years...sometimes I think I still see him all sprawled out..THEN...in May 2008...I was given Charlie...Told Gene I wanted to go see what the puppies looked like...well..that was a given...he was mine right from the start...Charlie should have been named Bad Boy right from the start...he loves all of us and is MY dog until nighttime..and then he and Gene do the male bonding rituals......I want to raise ShihTzu but can not handle three dogs so hope that will be in the future plans...My Ding did not believe in selling dogs and I agree somewhat so probably will just be raising them to give away..
Now for the final picture...my girl...This was taken Christmas morning...Doesn't she look happy!!! I am so proud of her...she does a wonderful job taking care of her girls...It is about time for some real joy for her...Thanks to Jonathan for helping make that smile...about time for SURE!!!!
Lets raise that glass of Johnston wine to a quiet weekend!

Still Crazy After All These Years!!!!!!

125

Ann's Girls

Jen, Sam and Tori at home...

Tim, Ra and the Girls

Tim, Robyn, Hope and Emma taken on our recent Family Fun Day Christmas Vacation Style.....aren't they wonderful!

Martin Luther King Jr. Day

WORTH REMEMBERING

I look to a day when people will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.
-Martin Luther King, Jr.

Happy 2010

Can you believe it? Embarking on ten years past 2000...sometimes it seems like 20..lol..
We headed to Atlanta for a day of fun on 1-2-10...blowing snow when we left the Farm....really cold...not much warmer in Hotlanta. We had such a fun day with everyone...(pictures to follow)...the Georgia Aquarium is such wonderful place..bless Gene's heart as he pushed the ole bear around all day..and to Tim for those final uphill pushes back to the car..sure Gene appreciate that. We went to World of Coke..another fun place...loved the holiday blend except for those long lasting gingerbread burps..too much info for sure you say..lol...ate at that wonderful Mexican place and then home to pretty much the same temps as we had left....brrrr...well..it is winter!
Love that we can spend the day..all eleven of us and then still be speaking the next day...comes from having the bestestestest family ever! 125 to all