Thursday, December 25, 2008

I hate walls

Not all walls, but most of them. Hate ém. They are so blatant about restricting your view and excluding you from the room on the other side of the wall. They just seem so unfriendly. Often when I visit someone's house, I am looking at all the walls that I wish I could tear down for them and free them from being so restricted. I grew up in a house in which I desperately wanted to knock down some walls, but my dad was not brave enough to do it. He didn't see the possibilities like I did. I would mention it to him often, but he always said it couldn't be done. Whatever. I can't live like that, at least not anymore. I am finally staring down a wall that must come down and free me from being told I must cook in a lonely kitchen while my family plays on the other side. I can hear them, but.......

Do you have any walls in your life that are keeping you from your full potential? Tear ém down, hun. The freedom will make you sing, maybe even dance! I guarantee (with my best Justin Wilson accent).

Merry Christmas Ya'll!











Just wanted to wish ya'll a Merry Christmas -- I hope you had a great holiday with your family. We had a very nice time at home with lots of good things to eat, we are all healthy and we each got a nice gift or two. Santa was slightly skimpy this year, but no one seemed to mind. It seems the couple of gifts the kids received were exactly what they wanted. Andrew got his first gun from Paw Paw Bill - a .22 caliber rifle. Chris got a speaker for his I-pod, Michael got an MP3 player and James got a very cool nerf gun. We had an abundance of good attitudes and fun was had by all. I got a really cool rooster for my fridge top, so I'm happy too. And poor Keith got a new wallet but no money to put in it. Merry Christmas!








Thursday, December 18, 2008

Rain, Rain, go Away!

You would think after a two year drought we wouldn't mind a little rain, but we have had rain and grey gloom for over a week now, with no end in sight until Monday! I feel like I'm in Butler, PA. And it's not cold either, which makes me feel like I am in Louisiana. Can someone please return our perfect Georgian climate to us? We all miss it and want it back.

Monday is going to take forever to get here.

Sunday, December 14, 2008

Honoring our Soldiers


On Saturday, Chris, Andrew and Journee, along with their squadron and a few other groups, braved the 20-ish degree weather and laid beautiful Christmas wreaths on over 1,000 graves at the Chattanooga National Cemetary. There were many decorated military men and women at the ceremony and it truly gave you that huge patriotic feeling. All 3 kids talked about how they were so glad they did this wonderful act of service for their country and how proud they felt. They had to salute each grave as they lay the wreath; that's a lot of saluting. Truly, it was a wonderful event, but more importantly, these kids are learning how to honor those who have fought to keep us free. I am very proud of you guys!


Look Who had a birthday!

Happy 15th Birthday, Chris! Hope you enjoyed it! We made venison lasagna, deep, dark chocolate cake with caramel frosting, homemade eggnog, and meringue cookies. I cheated and bought some really great artisan bread from a local organic foods store. It had the perfect amount of celebration and it was very nice to have Journee to enjoy it with us. Here's to many more, Chris!

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

It's not like me to be this quiet........

....but I sure have been. I guess I am busy doing many productive things and have been aborbed in it. Ever since I moved the sewing machine to where I can actualy use it, I have literally been sewing constantly. I've made tote bags, pillow cases, table runners, an apron, and a tree skirt. You can't have a naked tree! Many times I am just using scraps, thus not spending tons of money but still accomplishing something. Gotta love that!

The businees has been, um, busy. And that's a good thing! But I fear it is a short lived busy and it will slow down again once all the partying is over. People still party, you know, even in a downturned economy. Not me, though. I think every day should be a party, so I find a way to be festive every day. Just ask my kids who think I am a nut. I love to cook with foreign accents, shake my behind to Jingle Bell Rock and well, many other things that we try to keep within the family walls...... I've paid them lots to never tell. They should be able to go to Harvard no problem.

I hope you are enjoying this festive Christmas season, and if you're not, well come on over and we can surely find something fun to do. That is, if you don't mind me calling you Mario as I toss pizzas......

Men in Uniform




We all love men in uniform, don't we? Well check these guys out!


Saturday, November 29, 2008

When Life Gives You Mashed Potatoes........




.........make perogis!!! Oh my, did we have fun making perogis this evening. We had plenty of leftover potatoes from Thanksgiving, so I added some cheese and Andrew and I got busy! Oops, Keith helped, too! It is so much more fun to make them with someone else, unless that other someone else is John K.... He gets rather bossy in the kitchen, and the last time I made perogis was with him. We love yah anyway, John!!! Come on over and we can make some more - I am not terribly scarred from the last time. (LOL!!!)

It occured to me that I have been making perogis for over 30 years! Yikes! I used to make them with my lifelong friend, Marj (love yah, M)and her sister in their basement. They had an extra kitchen in the basement and we would concoct all kinds of good things to eat down there. Not to mention the yearly tradition that her mother and aunt had making hundreds, maybe thousands of them every winter. What a great life!

Anyway, they turned out great and now that I can get some people to help me make them, perhaps I won't wait so long next time.




Thursday, November 27, 2008

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. No gifts to worry about, it's not hot and it's all about being together with your family. I really miss the Thanksgivings my mom used to do. She would work for days on end and miraculously have it all together at just the right time. I used to love to set the table for her and arrange everything nicely. She would let me iron the napkins and table cloth - what fun! It is a time for me to reflect on spending all that time in the kitchen with mom and to hopefully provide my kids with some fond memories, too.

My mom's tradition was to make sure everyone had their favorite pie and with 12 kids to make pies for, those are a lot of pies. I do the same thing with my boys - they each pick a pie and I make it, or they help make it. I made apple, pumpkin, lemon and peanut butter!!! I only want a bite of each - I am pretty much off of sugar and now it is just too sweet for me.

I no longer make stuffing since marrying a southerner. It must be cornbread dressing for this guy. I like cornbread dressing, but I sure do miss that savory stuffing from years ago. I will occasionally make it, but since I don't make it very often, it is not as good as it could be. The cornbread dressing is very good and I put much love into it.

I hope you are filled with much thanks for the blessings in your life and I hope you are surrounded by the people you love. The food is merely a bonus (to me).

Friday, November 14, 2008

If you give a mom a desk....

...she's gonna want to put something on it and in it. And if she puts something on it, it must be useful for the things that will be in it. Once she puts that something on it, she's gonna want to use it. If that something is her sewing machine that has been held prisoner in her closet and only given reprieve for special sewing projects, she's gonna go bananas and spend many hours consumed with sewing things. And if she is consumed with sewing things, you better watch out: your jeans and your shirts all look like scraps to her. And if everything looks like a scrap and no one has any clothes left to wear, well, you better call before you visit so we can grab a blanket to cover our nekkid selves up! So, the moral of the story is, don't let your wife get her hands on a desk for her sewing machine.......

Sunday, November 9, 2008

Civil Air Patrol and other military stuff

Andrew and Chris are in their first year of Civil Air Patrol, which is an auxillary of the US Air Force. If you know my boys at all, you know that three of them live and breathe anything that is military. Andrew is a Civil War and World War ll buff. He has studied for hours on end about them, all on his own. My dad would have been so proud to tell his war stories to someone who actually loved that part of our history. Andrew knows all about the weapons, uniforms, gear and especially the D-Day invasion at Normandy. That is his favorite area and has studied it very deeply. He is also very well versed on the Civil War, and we are always feeding his craving about it by attending reenactments, and going to CW museums.

Michael is not into reading about the history aspects of the military, but he quite simply just likes guns and battles like a typical boy would. Andrew let him borrow his authentic WW ll helmet for Halloween and he was very thrilled. he also has several other authentic pieces we got from the Army surplus store.

James is almost a carbon copy of Andrew on his love of CW and WW ll history, but he has not delved in as deeply as Andrew yet. I am sure he will be reading more intently when his reading ability reaches the level it needs to read Andrew's books.

Chris is not into the military at all, but he did join Civil Air Patrol to learn about aviation and aerospace. He is also interested in the missions they go on in our local area. If your small engine plane goes down or if a child is lost in the woods, the Civil Air Patrol is a first responder. They are trained to search and rescue people and are prepared to sustain themselves in the wilderness for up to 72 hours. I think he also likes the academic challenge that comes with it. He loves to learn things thoroughly and be a fountain of knowledge. You would be impressed with how smart he can be, not just book smart, but common sense smart. Those things seem to come naturally to him.

None of us have any idea if this program will lead any of them to serve our country in the Air force. Honestly, my boys are more Army minded, but they are being open minded about it and plan to use this opportunity to learn new skills and to experience exciting things. In the coming months, they will have the chance to go up on flight missions and who knows??? We could have a pilot in the making........

Late Halloween pics







The Lego Store




We went to the Lego store yesterday - what a GREAT PLACE!!! We took the scenic route through the mountains - it was fabulous. The leaves were incredible and driving through a couple of old towns that were sandwiched between miles and miles of farms. I really enjoyed the drive, which was very relaxing to just sightsee while Keith drove.

The first outlet mall was almost too huge. W didn't even get to see the whole thing. It was obvious that it was mostly clothing shops and stuff that women like, so we ventured forth to the destination that the kids have been waiting over 2 years to see - THE LEGO STORE! First of all, the mall was very futuristic looking, which the boys loved. Secondly, somewhere within its walls held the store that we have been day dreaming about since we knew it existed. It was almost a tease to know it was 100 miles away and yet we never seemed to have the opportune time to visit it. We really had to just make the time and do it.

They had many colors of bricks to choose from and many kits that you can not find at Walmart of Target. The kids said it was worth both the wait and the drive. I suppose we will be going back again........




Monday, November 3, 2008

This is the week!

If you have been waiting to come visit when the leaves are changing, this is the week to come! The colors are incredible - I can't even describe how many different shades of yellow, red & orange you will see. Our woods look like a masterpiece!

You would also be in luck get some good cooking because I have been conjuring up some really good and interesting things to eat! I plan on making dozens and dozens of homemade eggrolls tomorrow with a friend of mine. I also see homemade chicken and dumplings on the menu this week and probably a huge pot of meatballs with fresh sub rolls! Or, just send me your request and I'll cook whatever you are craving and we can eat next to the fireplace! How cozy!!!

Saturday, October 11, 2008

It's beginning to look like fall

The fall colors are sneaking up on me. I will drive down the same road once or twice a week, and the next thing I know, the whole tree is orange. Or yellow, or red. For the most part, everything is still green, however, on the fringe, you can certainly see fall colors sprinkling their dots all about the landscape. Now, if only the cooler weather would also do some sprinkling..... We are still in the 70's and 80's during the day.

My friend Naomi let me borrow her Mantis tiller. I was beyond sceptical, to say the least. I mean we basically live on a rock that exploded, so it is splotchy patches of grass with millions and millions of rocks in all sizes. No way would that teeny-tiny Mantis work on our ground. I don't say this very often, but I was WRONG! That thing is da' bomb!!! Not only does it spit rocks out like watermelon seeds, but it pulverizes our ground like a coffee grinder does coffee beans. Seriously, it does. I am a tad depressed that I haven't had one for the last 16 years that I have been shoveling like a prisoner through tons and tons of soil. Ya'll know how much I garden, so I really am trying to get over the fact that I have wasted tons and tons of time shovelling when I could have been Mantising. I'm pretty much over it, as long as I don't think about it too much.

And about those rocks, anyway..... Do you know right before we moved here, one of the things on my want list was, um, rocks. In Louisiana, nary a rock exists. It was harsh reality for me to accept at first, and again, I got over it like I always do. But when we were talking about our move, I prayed for lots of rocks, because I missed them so much. Isn't God just the comedian??? I could tell you of many times I prayed for something and God gave to me beyond my wildest dreams. For some reason, He thinks I really meant it when I jestfully said I wanted to be surrounded by gorgeous men (4 sons and 1 hunky hubby is more than any girl can handle). And what about the time I prayed that I would live in the mountains and be able to take the kids on lots of fantastic outdoor hikes and picnics? What an awesome God we serve!

Corn Tassel


An unusual place

A friend from church took us to the strangest place last week. It was a replica village of the town Corn Tassel, TN. It was built on a hillside of boulders in an eldery man's front yard. He has spent over 20 years adding stores, churches, houses, barns, etc. It also is adorned with all the details that any town would need - people, horses, vehicles, and lots of other things that don't even seem to go in a town, but still look great in all their rusty splendor. It was huge, too. It was probably over forty feet long and had 3 different levels. I thought it would make a great I Spy book.........

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

A perfect day

We had such a great day on Sunday. Church was very inspiring, to me at least, and then we spent the day on top of Lookout Mountain. In fact, we hiked along the very distinctive apex that you can see almost no matter where you are in the valley. It was very beautiful, but you know how I get, I was a little nervous because there were some very scary cliffs. Fortunately, the message at church was about faith. It really nourished me and I was better equipped to relax. We got some ice cream cones at a very quaint Lookout Cafe and just enjoyed being together as a family and doing something new.

By the way, the view was indescribable...... come see for yourself.

The Summit of Lookout Mountain



Friday, September 19, 2008

Do you know what a good boy looks like?





Here have 4 very good boys!!! Are we blessed in the Braud home or what?

Splashing in the local crick




Yes, I call it a crick, but that is my NW Pennsylvanian dialect coming out in me. What can I say? I still cling to a few PA words and sayings, but certainly have given up a few, too.

Guess who visited us today?


Vice President Dick Cheney visited an old Civil War battlefield near us and wewere able to be there. It was very exciting seeing all of the secret servicemen and the huge motorcade that accompanied him. He gave a short, yet meaningful speech about his great grandfather that fought on this battlefield. I used to work in Washington, DC and am no stranger to motorcades and men in dark sunglasses. The kids were awed by it all and I am thankful they got to experience this. Praise God that the war ended with a United States - I would hate to think what this country would be like had we actually divided.

Sunday, August 31, 2008

Gustov

Well, to all of my wonderful Lousiana friends, I hope and pray that Gustov runs out of steam and spares all of you. Since we can not get local coverage, the reports we are getting may not be accurate, but it looks like it could be pretty severe for New Orleans and Baton Rouge. Ya'll are more than welcome to come stay with us, but in the meantime, we will be praying for each of you by name and for all of your household.

Not to be mean or anything, but it sure feels great to not worry about hurricane season any more......I used to dread being stuck at home alone with the kids while hubby was at work.

Jazzed

I'm jazzed. I am so excited about John McCain's pick of Sarah Palin for Vice President. From what I know about her, she is awesome. A person of virtue, integrity and determination. She works to fight corruption, even in her own party. Alaska has been turned completely around in the right direction, since she has been governor. She has five children, with her last "late in life" baby having Downs Syndrome, and she seems like such a dynamic lady - I can't wait to get to know her better. Hats off to you, Mrs. Palin, and hats off to Mr. McCain for making such a gutsy, jaw-dropping selection. I think we are in for some great politics this fall.

Friday, August 15, 2008

Harvesting

We have been harvesting plenty of yummy apples the last few weeks. The variety that is ripe at the moment is the best! They are lovely shade of green, pink and red. Hardly any of them have worms! I picked some this morning and Michael and I peeled and chopped a whole crockpot full to make some apple butter. It is so good!!!! There are still plenty of apples left, but I need the hubby to get the ladder out - and the ones up high are really big. I want to make apple pie filling and freeze it for the winter. I have had friends come over and pick as many as they want, and we still have such an abundance.

We have had the best time this summer with lots of goodies growing in our yard. We have had wild blueberries & blackberries, plums, grapes, pears and apples.

If you give me a little notice, I can whip you up a hot apple pie, and we can have some coffee. YUM!

Wednesday, August 6, 2008

Back to school.....

....or, did we ever stop going to school? Summer is still alive and well in Georgia and when I look back, I don't really see a concrete line drawn between schooling and not schooling. The kids and I are always learning together, and most of it is empirically learning. Isn't that really the best way to learn anyway? How much do we really retain from books? Be honest, I bet you can't remember what you read yesterday.

This year would mark our 10th year of officially homeschooling, but in reality, we have been learning since Chris was born. I had an epiphany a few weeks ago when I was enjoying some grand conversation with M. She is a fellow homeschooler, but has never formally schooled her kids. Hhhmmm. Why can't I do that? I am totally fried of trying to teach the unwilling, so this sounds like a great option to me. No more math books to correct (THANK GOD!) and no more diagramming of sentences!!! Freedom. I can taste it and it is better than any meal I have ever eaten.

I did encourage the kids to select some topics that interest them and get their juices flowing. Chris wants to learn computer programming and also rhetoric, so we are searching for something there. Andrew is uncertain, but is pretty sure that he will come up with something. Michael wants to continue doing math books (go figure) and James want to learn Spanish. I just want harmony to permiate the house. Harmony.
If you call me and I can't stop singing, you will know why.

Saturday, July 26, 2008

Counting down.....

Well, it looks like we are counting down until Vlad returns to Belarus on August 1st. It has been a wonderful visit, just living our simple life. We have been swimming, bowling, hiking, berry picking & apple picking in our back yard, jumping, tennis playing, picnicking (SEVERAL), pool shooting, visiting, gaming, and just being together. We've visited the science museum and hope to squeeze in the zoo on Wednesday. Vlad has helped gather eggs & shuck corn. He loves to help me in the kitchen but he claims to not like anything I am fixing, until he tastes it, then he changes his mind. I am exhausted, but in a good way. Actually, in an excellent way. It is my fervent prayer that Vlad has learned many good things and can take home enough hope to share with his mother and brother. I also pray that we reflected the love of God to him without words, but in love and deed.

Vlad, we will miss you very much and hope to see you again some day. Keep studying English and keep trying new foods.

SPLASH!

Doesn't this look refreshing?

Fun swimming hole....



Our new favorite place to swim. Nice clear, cool water, beautiful cliff views and a waterfall. What could be better?

Sunday, July 13, 2008

The King and I

Vlad and I. He feels like a King in America, but has such a lovely, humble spirit. God Bless America for our freedom. Vlad is only 9 years old, but he knows what freedom looks like.

Really, this picture is for Sab who wanted to see a recent picture of me. See you at the table, Sab.

Monday, July 7, 2008

My "Summer Son"

Well, it has been less than a week, but things are going so well with Vlad. He is such a great little guy. He is learning some English (sandwich, good-night, no, coca-cola, and a couple more). I am learning some Russian and we are managing to communicate. He is very good natured and has a great sense of humor. He loves grilled cheese sandwiches and cereal. He won't try many new foods, but I always ask. I like to tease him and ask him if he wants salad (he does not want salad!). Yesterday we ate in a restaurant and he kept saying he wanted a sandwich. I assured him that he would get one. When my broccoli came, I told him here is his sandwich! It was very funny. He loves ketchup and thinks it is great to dip things in it.

He had a water gun fight with Michael & James. He got to drive's Keith lawnmower, "the big blue machine" and of course, he loves video games. He gets tired of typing things on the translator, but it is a good way to talk.

We are keeping life as normal as we can - we don't want him to think Americans only pursue fun all day long. We do plan to take him to a few sights, but not make it an every day thing. We are taking many pictures for him. He loves the trampoline and especially when Keith and I get in with him. He thinks that is great. Everything delights him - such little things! We are really enjoying him.

Little does he know, he gets put into the chore rotation starting today............

This is an American sandwich of boys, with a Belarussian in the middle!

Thursday, July 3, 2008

Vlad is here!

We got in LATE last night - 2:00am! Yikes, we never willingly stay up that late. They had been traveling for 29 hours, so can you imagine how tired they are??? Vlad is adorable and I can't wait to get to know him. I try to speak with a phrase book, but Russian is a very difficult language. I am not even sure if it is possible for me to make those sounds....... We are in for an adventure. He is still sleeping and it is 9:30am. Poor little guy!

I'll post a picture when I can. Please keep all of us in your prayers.

Saturday, June 28, 2008

The boys are back in town!

Well, we all survived a week of Chris & Andrew going to Summer Bible Camp at Fall Creek Falls, TN. I had mixed feelings before they went, but ultimately felt peaceful. It gave me lots of quality time with Michael & James, and for the most part, we had a very nice time, just the four of us. Michael & James are not real good at doing their jobs, and it was certainly the element of the week that wore me out the most. Michael did pull through during the times that I needed him and I am very proud of him for that. He filled Chris's slot at the store and carried groceries for my customers. We were very busy and he did a great job. He insisted that it was fun - I say that is a great attitude to have! Yesterday we got in a large truck shipment (over $2,000 dollars in cases) and he helped enormously. James tried to help some, but was more interested in opening up boxes with his knife.

The boys got home around 4pm and I had prepared a nice homecoming meal for them. I made jambalaya, freshly sliced peaches, watermelon and a spicy cold bean salad. It was very nice to have the family together again and to hear all about camp.

Thank you, Lord, for keeping the boys safe and for giving me the peace that a mother needs when her children are away. I praise You for it all.

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Another Teenager



Andrew just turned 13 on the 22nd of June! Happy Birthday, Andrew! We made a very yummy chocolate cake (a new recipe we all love!) and a huge pot of meatballs that we put on homemade sub rolls. Our freinds Clint, Clay & Chase were able to celebrate with us, making it so much more memorable! What a terrific bunch of boys - and believe it or not, they are all very Godly young men. How blessed we are!

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

The "bird" tree



I have told a few of you about my bird tree and you keep asking for a picture. The garden is finally full enough to make a decent picture - so here it is. I have 3 different colors of bee balm, yellow hollyhocks, blue-black salvia (the hummingbirds favorite), herbs, and many other flowering delights. I can not explain the pleasure we get while sitting on the screen porch and watching all the birds that come. We recently had some friends stay with us from Louisiana and I do believe they were enjoying the birds as well!

PS: Pictures do not do it justice, just come on over and see for yourself. We can throw something on the grill and sit a while.

Thursday, June 5, 2008

Braud boy #5 on the way!

He is due on July 2nd and we are so excited!! His name is Vlad, is 9 years old and is from Belaruse. He will only be staying with us for the month of July, but hopefully, he will return every year. It is part of an organization called The Children's Chernobyl Program of Chattanooga, http://www.ccpgc.org/index.htm. They bring children over every summer to help boost their immune system, give them fresh air and teach them about God. It is going to be an adventure, for sure. I am just looking forward to seeing the world from the eyes of a child who has never seen much of what we have in the USA. I hope we can be a good influance on him and give him hope. Their lives in Belaruse can be rather dim with all of the people dying from cancer from radiation exposure from the Chernobyl disaster.

Saturday, May 17, 2008

May days

We have been enjoying our May so much! The weather has been incredible and the bird watching has been even better! But first let me wish my youngest son a happy 8th birthday!!! We made him a scrumptious lunch today, and of course, a cake. He chose to have fried shrimp, so that is what he got! I also made some"to die for" hush puppies! For his cake, I made a fresh from scratch fudge cake and decorated it to look like the Confederate flag. He loved it!

My garden spot is looking great with every color bloom you could want. I have such a fantastic variery of plants, it really helps me to not bored. The kids have helped me so much in the garden - it has been a pure delight! We planted two balck raspeberry bushes for Mother''s Day and I think I am going to get some blueberry bushes, too.

Today, Keith and had a surprise visit from two Great Crested Flycather's. They landed on my feeder tree and just looked at us and flew off. They are so beautiful, and are rarely seen. We have several mating pairs of house finches, gold finches, white breasted nuthatches, chickadees, titmice, and a lone male indigo bunting. I am keeping my eye out for rose breasted grosbeaks, as they should be migrating through any day now. It is a birder's paradise here and I couldn't be any happier when watching my feathered friends.

Just when I think I can't perfect my pizza crust any more, lo and behold, I learn another trick to make it even better. Lately, I have been setting the oven to 550 degrees and that really makes all the difference. You must preheat your stone and put the pizza directly on the hot stone. I have also learned that hard red wheat works best since it is higher in protein and gluten. If you want to come over for pizza, give me a call. I'm always ready to throw some pizza into the oven.

We are finishing up school over the next two weeks - we are doing a lot of life skills, like phone etiquette, bill paying, first aid, and much more. I was sick of the books and thought we should focus on other things that are just as important as books. Oh, we went and saw "Expelled" the other day and the kids really loved it. Go figure, I have kids that love documentaries. It was very eye opening and thought provoking - go see it!

Well, I will try and post some pictures of my bird tree, but I wanted to wait until the blooms come in a little heavier. Be patient.

I hope your May days are filled with the kind of joy that the simple things in life bring. It it my prayer that God will touch you in a special way as you marvel at all He created for us.

Friday, April 25, 2008


One of our favorite waterfalls that we like to hike to and just sit there and reflect on His majesty.

Friends in Town


Last week, our very dear friends from Louisiana were in town. They bought a cabin up on Lookout Mountain in Mentone, AL. It is only a 45 minute drive from our house, and we are all anxiously waiting for them to move here permanently!!! Her twin sons got to come spend a few days with us after we met them at the canyon for a quick hike down to the waterfall.


The boys had a great time together playing airsoft guns, jumping on the trampoline and of course playing Wii. They play so well together, I don't think I had to intervene once. It was such a joy having them with us, and we have really felt their absence. Michelle says they may be back in September, let's hope!!! She and I have some shopping to do!!!


Saturday, April 12, 2008

Little Lost Hen

Our Buff Polish hen seems to be lost. We let her and her Golden Polish cousin out to play, and when we weren't looking, we discovered that Woodstock was gone. We searched for hours in the woods, up and down the roads, in the neighbors yards - everywhere. We are all just sad.

I know she is just a chicken and if you want to be a real farmer, you shouldn't get attached to your animals. But we aren't real farmers, we just love animals. The boys name them all and handle them quite a bit.

Woodstock was also very special to us because in the fall, some possums broke into the chicken yard and killed two hens, and left Woodstock for dead. She was barely breathing, very bloody and had lost her entire tail feathers (OUCH!). We put her in isolation and nursed her back to health. It took weeks before we were even certain she was going to live, and months before her tail feathers grew back. It was pitiful, yet victorious because she lived, and she has even laid many an egg for us over the last few months.

I wish we could find out what happened to her today. We never found one feather indicating she was snatched by an opportunistic hawk. I feel very down trodden knowing she is either dead or alone in the dark......... I wonder if that is how God feels when one of us is lost??? No, I imagine that feeling is MUCH worse.

Monday, March 31, 2008

Yo-Yo Attitude

How do you deal with a yo-yo attitude? You know, where you get your attitude adjusted and where it should be, and the next thing you know, you are back to having a bad attitude again. It is very much like my weight - I have gained and lost the same 5 pounds at least 10 times this year. I will get to where I am eating the right things, in the right portions, and then Easter comes and every malted milk egg in the house hops into my mouth......

I seem to be doing that with my attitude. I will read the right verses, pray the right prayers, make the right changes, and then, wham, I am back to needing an attitude adjustment. It can be so frustrating because I truly do want to have the right attitude. I want to be thoughtful and caring and hospitable and attentive and all those good things, but I keep back sliding. Is this just how life is, or is there a secret that I have not unearthed??

I am thankful that I realize my weakness, and I guess like most people, I will have to battle this monster for quite a while. Surely one of these days I will have mastered the yo-yo???

Saturday, March 29, 2008

Louisiana Friends in Georgia

On Monday, I was so blessed to have some friends from Louisiana come spend the day at our house. Kim and her children came, along with MaryEllen and her children. MaryEllen had been visiting Kim, who now lives in Huntsville, AL. Kim is now expecting baby #5!!! I just have to say that with having 10 kids in the house all day (it was cold and somewhat snowy) they were all incredibly well behaved and everyone seemed to have a fun time being together. They played games, ran outside, gathered eggs, ate lunch, played Wii, built trains with Legos, etc.

I haven't seen Chloe & Grant since we have moved, and they were both much taller and getting older looking faces. Neither one of them seemed too fond of the country life, while most kids that come to visit can't get enough of the chickens and the woods. Chloe & Grant made it clear that they were not interested in such things. They were good sports, though, and I think they managed to enjoy themselves.

Kim's kids seem much more interested in gathering eggs and running around in the woods. Anna Grace has really picked up some vocabulary words since we saw her two months ago. She is not shy at all and would often step in the room and say something very clever and it would make us all laugh. I can't wait to see them again!!!

It is still very surreal to me that Mark & Kim live in Huntsville. They are originally from NE Tennessee, and thus are closer to home now. But when I think of them, I think of LA and our wonderful church that we worshipped in together. That brings me to another point - our church. Oh my, how I miss it!!! I know Kim is feeling a lot of my pain as she is trying to adjust to a new church family. Our church in Baton Rouge, affectionately called South, is just plain unique. In every way and any way. In fact, I don't even think it is duplicatable. It is not perfect, but it has a real feeling of family and I always felt that it was full of joyful servants.

I made many friends while there and participated in almost everything. I loved being there, I loved our life group (miss you, Eddie & Judy!!!), I loved our song service, I loved our Bible class teachers - everything, or at least almost everything. And the longer I am away from it, the better it looks. We are in a church family over here, but it is nothing like South. It is friendly and full of people who love the Lord, but it lacks in so many areas...... We have one fantastic Bible class teacher. One. And he is 80, so who knows how long he will be with us. But he is one of the most energetic and captivating Godly man you could ever meet. Our song service frustrates me much of the time as they sing everything way TOO slow. We need George Myer or Shelby to come teach us how to sing a little faster. Please send them..... I'll put them up at our house and feed them very well, just send them. Oh, okay, I will quit complaining, I do feel blessed to find a lovely church in which we can serve God and worship Him. I know that in itself is something I should be very thankful for........

In June, we will have been in Georgia for 2 years. I could never imagine how at home we would all feel by now. And for that, I know I am truly blessed.

Thursday, March 13, 2008

To move or not to move.....

...that is the question of the day at our house. We love it where we are, but we really want to be more secluded and have more land. We do live in a fantastic location, but we only have 3 acres and our neighbors are closer than I would like. We knew when we moved to this house that it was not our permanent home - gosh, we only house shopped for a day and a half when we found this house. We grabbed it since it was the best option in our price range. No regrets; it has been a great 20 months, but we are really getting the fever to find our forever home. Or at least our next long term home until retirement.

It is lots of fun looking at houses and dreaming about the possibilities. I want to get some sheep and maybe a beef cow. Who knows what else??? I do feel very blessed that there are so many places to choose from around here with acreage, and many of them have a view of the mountains. I'll keep you posted on what we decide..........

Friday, March 7, 2008

Chattanooga

We spent the morning in Chattanooga on Wednesday. Andrew & Michael had a 3 hour art class at an art museum, leaving Chris, James and myself with some time on our hands. It was a very brisk morning, and we had no where to go........

Our first stop was a coffee shops called Rembrandt's. Being in the art district, I think that was a great name for a very quaint coffee shop. The shop was in an old building, loaded with great architectural details. I LOVE seeing master craftsman's woodworking accents and mouldings. And the coffee was quite good, too. 20 minutes gone, 2.6 hours to go...........

Let's walk to the aquarium, if it is open, we will go in! Drat! It is 9:15 and the aquarium doesn't open until 10:00. We are all wishing at this point that we had worn winter clothes. Let's go to our favorite book store. If you ever tour Chattanooga, you must go to THE book store. It is wonderful for any book lover. She has the largest collection of old books, and out of print books I have ever seen. She suggests we tour the FREE art gallery and outdoor art gallery.

Off we go, back up to the art district, only 6 blocks up the hill. The art gallery was indeed the best eye candy EVER!!! But, gosh, don't even think about touching anything or you could wind up the owner of $5000 piece of junk art. Or worse. The gallery did have some obviously beautiful, unique and delectable pieces. I would love to take a tour sans kids, for my nerve's sake. I LOVED it and received much visual pleasure.

Next we toured the outdoor gallery, full wonderful sculptures, gardens and a sweet rock-lined waterfall. It was quite fun - we loved trying to guess what the sculpture was.......... all this and a bluff view over the river. Ahhh!!!

Ok, let's go get the brothers....... What? Only 11:00?? I more hour to go. We decided to walk the zig-zag hill. You HAVE to walk it at least once, right? It was quite fun and brought us back down near the aquarium. It is such a fun city to walk around in, especially since you really have no fear of crime. We went in a really fun Fair Trade shop and saw many delightful, handmade items from people around the world. The hand knit finger puppets from Peru were exceptionally fun!!! Very intricate and whimsical. I could have bought 30 of them easily, but thankfully only 1 made it into the pocket of James.

I am not sure what part I enjoyed most; the galleries, the coffee, the fun walks (even across a glass floored bridge), the shopping, the awesome architecture, the zig-zag walk, or just being with Chris & James................ For me, it was the perfect morning.

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Our Newest Family Member


We just added a new member to our family, and I can tell you it has been love at first sight for all of us!!!
"Pumpkin" (or Punkin if you are from Pennsylvania like me, or if you are Rush Limbaugh) arrived this afternoon after being cared for by our good friends, who found him in the church parking lot. He is so silky soft, like mink! He immediately began playing, purring and claiming his spot on our laps. I think he has tried out everyone's lap at least once! We are so delighted with him and look forward to many years of sharing our life with him!!!


Come on over and meet him - I dare you to not fall in love with him!

Monday, February 25, 2008

Spring is Near

I am very excited about spring coming. I have been planning, on paper, my new garden spot. Keith has a connection at work and is able to get me some FREE topsoil. I love free stuff! He also has a stone connection and will be able to get me some stepping stones at a reduced cost. I am going to make a huge herb and flower garden just off the patio. I have been collecting native seeds, many of them given to me from different friends.

Keith said he would cut down one of the cedar trees in our woods so I can turn it into a bird feeder stand. I get many fabulous birds here in the summer that I used to only get in the winter in LA, when their plumage was dull. I get gold finches, titmice, downey woodpeckers, white breasted nuthatches, rose breastes grosbeaks, chickadees, etc. Birding here is paradise!!!! I also get the great pileated woodpecker - quite the sight and sound!!! Blue birds surround our property (in flocks!) and seem to stay all year long. We have several empty bluebird houses waiting for their first tenants. Maybe this year they will get some occupants......

If you ever want to come bird watching, our screened in porch is a great place to start!!! Come on over!

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Okay, I will try this blogging thing

I read several blogs on a regular basis, mainly just so I can keep updated on how people are doing without having to make a phone call. Phone calls are wonderful, but when you homeschool 4 kids and run a business, you have to limit the phone calls. I love reading about things my friends are doing and places they are going. At times, I feel a little bit like I am invading their privacy, in a sort of voyuristic sort of way. But I am pretty sure they realize other people are reading their ramblings, I mean updates.

My purpose in this blog is to update people on what the Brauds are doing, where we are going and stuff like that. I am going to try and refrain from expressing my political views and tangents likes that - I feel like they are op-eds and don't really allow for banter......

We have been in Georgia for over 18 months now, and I can honestly say it was a move that has been a huge blessings to all of our lives. Not just the gorgeous scenery, or the fantastic climate or the blessing of living in the Bible belt, but the whole ambiance has been nourishing to me in many ways. In many ways, I feel like an uncaged bird. I feel more at home here than in Louisiana and love that the vast majority of people assume you are honest, because they are honest. How refreshing. Ahh....

On with the show! I hope to not be dull or repetetive or caught up in the details. If you want details, give me a call instead. I am going to be pithy, and not blog you down with boring, meaningless ramblings.

Feel free to leave your comments!

Monday, February 18, 2008

No, this isn't our backyard

The waterfall is not in our backyard, but it may as well be. We can drive to it in 40 minutes! There are so many waterfalls around us in Georgia and Tennessee - we are truly blessed.

I don't know what I was thinking by creating this blog, because I really don't have time for stuff like this, but my family seems to think I should make the time to do it. We shall see - I hope I don't devote too much time to it, because that will mean I am neglecting more needful things.....

Welcome and Enjoy!