I read somewhere recently that you should never tell someone, that you've been "busy."

Because it's "negative" and "makes people feel bad."

Hummm......

I will try to improvise and not use that word.

Instead I will use this word.

"Wedding"

Do you get it?

Can you feel the craziness?

(My husband & I attending our son Caleb & his Fiance's "Honey Do" shower!)

It's been several weeks and months of building up to the "Blessed" event.

(Caleb & Kolin Mahan)

Which was held last weekend.

We had showers to attend, a "Rehearsal" to hold,

 and a Rehearsal Dinner to host afterwards.

You know how these things work.

(My husband Don & I at the Mahan Rehearsal Dinner)

Finally it was the "Big Day."

(Our new DIL, Kolin & one of her Sisters)

(Me)

The Mother of the Groom was so happy!

The Daddy, & Son, & Mama

(Gabrie, Caleb, Joshua, Luke,

Ariel, & Kelsey)

The Groom's & his Brother's, and Sister, and Brother in Law, and Cousin from Iowa, before the wedding.

(Ariel, & her husband, Joshua)

The reception was beautiful and elegant.

The entire wedding was fabulous!

And they lived happily, ever, after.

That is after their honeymoon to Orlando to Disney World,

&

Universal Studios.

More next time!

Mercy!

Yes, it has been 3 months since

I've worked in my "Secret Garden."

But trust me, I have a million excuses.

I could bore you and give them to you.

Or I could just move on.....

Which is probably the wise thing.

In the Springtime,

when you see this happen.......

and this,

and this,

WHOOPS!

This last one didn't have anything to do with Spring at the Mahans.

However, I loved the Queen's Hat and coat

AND she matched my Azalea bushes so perfectly,

that I just had

 to throw her in here somewhere. HA!

Anyhow, when you see those beautiful big Azalea bushes blooming

at our house...then it's probably March.

Which ALSO means that it is time for...

"The Annual Mahan St. Patrick's Day Party!"

An event that we have been holding for nearly 12 years.

(Roxanne, Joyce, Marsha)

Every year we wear ourselves out preparing for this event.

And I hear my husband Don Mahan tell me the day before when we are cleaning and working in our yard like mad.....and hurting in our bodies,

(Various friends and neighbors)

"This is the last year we are doing this!"

HA! HA!

I say...because we never can seem to stop doing this.

Partly because our friends ask us every year to do it...because they love the food we prepare.

And partly because love to host this.

Specifically because we live in South Louisiana and holding an

"Irish" gathering is very different.

Because the flair here is always very much "Cajun French."

(The Clark's and Don)

So that must get our "Irish" up so to speak.

Traditionally, we make all the boiled

"Corned Beef"

cooking it up in our HUGE "Crawfish" pots! HA!

And yes, we know that the people don't really eat that in Ireland..they traditionally eat ham.

However, the Irish Immigrants did eat this when they came to America

 and Americans continue

 to eat this every year on St. Patrick's.

We also serve, boiled cabbage, potatoes and carrots.

Potato rolls, and a host of various desserts.

Which usually end up being something

"Green" in color.

Our guests are a huge BLESSING and help to prepare

these items for everyone to share in.

(Our daughter Ariel and I last year)

So we hold to that menu pretty much every year.

Afterwards....for those who linger.

We have "Tea and Scones"

with Lemon curd and Jam......

Someone usually always wears a Kilt...

"someone" being my husband

Don Mahan that is!

My friend Roxanne brings beautiful

 home made Irish breads every year.

This year she made a gorgeous

Irish Brown Bread

that was to die for.

Everyone LOVED it!

All of our children...

Ariel and her husband, Gabe and his girlfriend,

Caleb and his fiance (wedding is in May)

Luke on the end with his girlfriend.

Another shot of our boys minus our daughter and

her husband who had to leave.

Gabe, Luke, Caleb

I don't think I have mentioned to any of you yet,

 that when we were England, in October,

 we also went to visit this place.

IT was so green.

Just like Ireland.

But it wasn't Ireland.

Maybe this photo will help you guess where we went.

Figured it out yet?

Another fabulous land of Castle's and Legends

and KILTS.

Here we are outside of Edinburgh Castle!

Yes,

we went to SCOTLAND.

I will share more of that........next time.

So you will have to just come back again.

Hopefully, I will do this in a shorter time frame.

I know, I know.....

3 month spans between updating is ridiculous.

I'll do better next time.

Cheers!

Joyce



This New Year...........

Here we are well into a New Year.

Which seems a bit odd to me because,

I don't really remember "exiting" the old one.

Things became very busy and "foggy" at the end

of 2011 for us.

But here we are...and it's now 2012.

I'm sure you have many things to look forward to....as do I.

This year I have already enjoyed a brilliant new resource book.

 Last week I received a "Belated" Christmas gift from a friend.

She knows I am a huge "fan" of Jane Austen.

Upon opening this gift I nearly,

 "screamed like a GIRL!"

What a fabulous gift to give someone who adores Jane Austen.

Which would be me!

This past October my husband and I went to England and while there we traveled one day to the city of "Winchester."

Winchester is very much the imaginable English stereotype city that one might

dream of.

Quaint, beautiful, old and with a sweet, little river flowing through it.

We loved Winchester.

Such a serene little town.

However, someone I really admire lived in Winchester.

This was her last known home.

Initially, I didn't know this.

Once informed by our soon to be "hostess" and dear friend. that we were going to be visiting Winchester along with a host of other little nearby villages 

She told me of this huge "Cathedral" we were going to visit while there

 so, me being me, I researched the city.

And then I nearly passed out.

Because this is the Cathedral where Jane Austen is buried,

along with a host of hundreds of other people, including her Father.

It was so surreal inside.

You think you will just look around a bit and read the signs and look over things, and be about your merry way.

But the enormity of the building, the all the facets, and details inside of it overtakes you and holds you captive.

I can't imagine worshipping in such a place.

Yet, at one point I felt a very STRONG,

 overwhelming sense of worship wave over me while inside of this church.

I think part of it was the thankfulness that I felt for being there.

 I also think part of it was just the Majesty of the building, and hoping that men had done this work truly to the "Glory of God" and not some man or men. And regardless of wither they had or hadn't....

I was going to give Him honor and glory in that place.

What I did know in those moments was that I was giving God total praise for giving me the opportunity to feel good in my body that day, while being with my dear husband to view the wonderful city of Winchester, and all it's delights.

More on Winchester next time.

Blogger willing.

A Time And A Season

Wishing you all,

A VERY Merry Christmas!

This year has gone by so fast.....in fact,

to my husband and I, it seems as if the

past 2-3 months have been crazy.

However this past month has nearly a

blur.

We have had a death in our family recently.

My Step Father has passed away.

So my husband and I will be flying to the Midwest

in the next few days.

Please pray for my Mother and for my family, during this

time if you will.

I must say, I am usually READY to start

the New Year by this time.

And this year seems no different......

Wishing you and yours,

 a very wonderful,

prosperous, healthy,

and

Happy New Year

to come.

Be blessed,

Joyce

Goodnight London

The time had finally come.

This was  to be our very
"last night"
in London.

Although we were excited about moving onto the

"next"

adventure during our trip and very much wanting

 to see two sets of "friends" of ours.

We were dreading the thought of packing up 

and leaving this town we had been calling

"home"

 for some 5 days now.

We lingered over

 a lovely dinner at a

restaurant we found while out walking

around once getting off "The Tubes," after spending our entire day in

the "Notting Hill" area.

It was dark by then, and we were very much

 "taking in"

 all that we could

on this our last evening in

London.

(Roast Beef, Roasted Potatoes, Mashed Potatoes,

Green Beans and Carrots,

 and Yorkshire Pudding)

We feasted on this dinner.

Sharing this lovely meal at a restaurant that 

we had found while out walking in the dark, while trying to

"stretch" out the remaining hours we had.

It tasted fabulous!

And to our delight...

The restaurant was "decorated"

for Christmas!

I was one "tired"

but very "happy"

American.

Once we were finished.

We walked back to our hotel.

Looking one last time at the lights

of Victoria Station at night.

And once in our bed.

We dreamed, sweet dreams.

Our stomachs full, 

our hearts were warm.