On a Mission from God...

No, it's not one of the Blues Brothers, but Father Wells Warren, just back from South Africa. He went there to do a wedding. He was away for two weeks, returned Friday, and had another wedding yesterday. I believe he is going for a record! An Episcopal priest who can recite Shakespeare's sonnets with such perfect timing and grace that they seem to be part of the Prayer Book's wedding sacrament is bound to be in high demand!
While I should have been at St. Dunstan's this evening at six, I was learning how to use all of the online resources, webinars, and interactive programs for students that is just one more task in getting acquainted with my school's newly adopted literature books. Of course, I had to register: create yet another USER NAME and password for each of my two books! There are some positive aspects, yet it is just one more way to make sure we teachers are never idle!! Just when I was ready to throw the laptop off the table, thinking all I had wanted to do today was make a new post on my blog, and end the day with some inspiration and solace at my church, I thought...at least check Facebook--check on your nieces and far away friends....and Father Wells.
And so I found that it is true for other professions: We are all living our lives with the internet ...and tonight... I have to say for the better. Let's hear it for Father Wells who has begun posting his sermons online. This one is well worth your time...and I am especially grateful that I had a chance to read it. Now I can go to school tomorrow - clean and bright in spirit - polished by these words (click to read tonight's sermon).

What is your mission this week?

SOUTHERN LIVING....eat your heart out!

After visiting nearly every flooring showroom in Lee County, hauling home sample after sample, being in love with the travertine castle floor look, wide plank antique hickory, or just the same oak floor as the rest of my home, I finally made a choice. And yes, I am happy to report I DID get one "Our Old House" project underway and completed this summer. I finally settled on a very practical product and Home Fashion Center of Opelika (the town where Hoke missed the turn in Driving Miss Daisy) took care of the rest of the work! Ladies and gentlemen, please allow me to introduce our new kitchen floor!

Here's the view from the dining room.

The new one is in the same color family as the older floor we had for over twenty three years, but it is several shades lighter and seems to really draw in the mid-afternoon sun beautifully. The whole room seems to take on that Faulkner "Light in August" quality...a soft and sunny brilliance. Of course, much credit and many thanks go to my good friend, neighbor, and interior painter extraordinaire: Bob of Bob's Bread fame. Not only does he paint trim work and plaster walls to perfection, but the man can bake the most wonderous sour dough bread you have ever tasted. We can't wait until our Christmas loaf arrives!

Here's a certain slant of light.

Gracie wanders in for a major stretch! She loves to lie on the cool floor
and sometimes even the air vent, but she would not be still for a picture!

This is the view from the garage entrance!

Yes, this is going make a nice welcome home for the Graystone gang!
Cup of tea, anyone?

Arabian Tails & Breakfast Cereal

A few posts back, I shared some photos of my trip to Tennessee. We were there to attend a wedding. Adding to the delight of this event, we stayed in a restored cabin, and visited with several beloved cousins, one of whom raises and pampers Arabians in her spare time.

My trip to Pulaski would not be complete without a stop along Sorgham Hollow Road to say hello to my cousin Melody and her horses. This is the landscape of my childhood summers now made even more beautiful by the antics of this frolicking family swishing their tails, prancing, and playing to the camera!

These decided to keep busy searching for sweet grasses...

while this sweetheart came to say hello.

Then everyone wanted to be at the same place at once!

"This is my good side...take the picture, ok?"

As is often the case, today I set out to do a bit of reading on this ancient breed and stumbled onto a fascinating connection between the Arabian horse and Kellogg cereal! In the early 1920's W. K. Kellogg established a horse farm in Pamona, California as a retreat for himself and his family from Michigan and as a place to raise Arabian horses. He would go on to make it a gift to the state of California and to establish a library at Cal Poly in Pamona devoted to the Arabian horse. Click here to explore this story. I highly recommend the 1995 Founder's Day Highlights video and the 1932 audio featuring Will Rogers as master of ceremonies for the presentation of this historic property to the state!

If you just want to read up on the breed click here! For the WikiPedia scoop, click here!

To visit the W. K. Kellogg Arabian Horse Library click here!

And by the way, Melody told me she may be planning to sell some of these darlings!
Now that is just about as commercial as I will ever get in the blogosphere!
Speaking of commercial, which Kellogg cereal is/was your favorite?
I am a Kellogg Rice Krispies kind of kid! Snap, Crackle, Pop....
with strawberries & blueberries & cold, cold, milk in the summer time!