Photo of the Day--Nature

I took this shot last fall (07) on the back deck. I love how the background blurred like it did. Such a beautiful spider!

Just Rambling:

Still working on "Photo Album Project"! I've filled like six albums since I started this project a couple of weeks ago having to start with the year 2000. No embellishments on the pages, just slapping them in there and going on to the next event. But taking pains to create pages that are pleasing and arranging the photos to that end. Olivia and I sat down and looked at what I'd done so far when she was home for Merlefest. It's such an account of our lives! A history. Some events were difficult to look at and remember. Especially Bella--very, very hard. And other things I won't go into here.

I've several topics I want to eventually blog about: my parents, my nieces and nephews, the store--The Vintage Home, our west trip of 07, nature photos, 12-step work, old favorite photos of Jug, Olivia, Grant, --hmmm, that's about all. I think I'll do the store next. I have a good bit of pics of our getting the store ready to open last May (07) but want to take current photos before I start this project. It's just an amazingly beautiful store! Michelle is so very talented! And even though I'm no longer a partner in the business, I still feel such a part of it; am invested in it and want very much for it and Michelle to succeed! I love going down there and visiting with Michelle and seeing what is new and Michelle and I having tea and a cookie! So stay tuned for blogs on "The Vintage Home"! Please visit Michelle's blog: www.thevintagehomeofwilkes.blogspot.com

Photo of the Day--Kim and Mel

Me and my sissy...taken Thanksgiving 2005. I like this picture!

Photo of the Day--Olivia and Gabby

This was taken this past Christmas (2007) in the window seat of the dining room. Olivia's canine best friend, Gabby is such a mess! What a personality this little mutt has! As stated earlier (in posts labeled "Pets"), Gabby was acquired from the vets--a litter of four pups they were hoping to find homes for and not have to put down. Gabby appears to be a unique mixture of Welsh Corgi, Jack Russell, Rat Terrier or some such. She's small, 'bout 20 pounds and full of energy! Very smart and trainable. She's Livvie's constant companion. In this photo Olivia's calming overly excited Gabby with a little pacification of her thumb! Can you believe this? Gabby actually sucks on a thumb or finger! She'll get up in your lap and if she's feeling tired and sleepy will root about hunting for your fingers or thumb until she's finds them and then she settles down for a little nap! And if you start to pull your appendage from her grip, she'll not let you! She must have been weaned too young! Sweet, sweet, sweet! Another great dog, canine companion.

Photo of the Day--Suzy and Maddyson

My sister Suzy with her granddaughter Maddyson. This was taken in November 2007 at our house. Isn't that the cutest child? Maddyson looks just like a female version of her daddy, my nephew, Adam.

Photo of the Day

When I changed the Photo of the Month, this photo which had been the April photo was deleted so am uploading again so it'll be here on the blog somewhere.... A bit of history to go with this photo---this was taken at my parents house and I'm not sure if we were engaged yet or not--but probably were. I just marvel at how round and full both our faces were with our youth! And weren't overweight either--both of us probably weighed our least. I'm in my first bout of ortho here too. Can't remember which niece or nephew's monkey that was--maybe one of them remembers. So I'm a very fresh 'bout 21 year old and Jug is about 28. He kept this full beard from the seventies until one day in 1987 (when Olivia was a toddler) he came out of the bathroom, no warning whatsoever, clean shaven! I just about died. He looked so weird to me!

More history--so we're at my parents, and I want to share that my parents, Gladys and Smith just loved Jug. He was always so comfortable with them. That's just his nature, Jug is not intimidated by ANYone really and when he met them he just called them Smith and Gladys and talked to them like he'd known them all his life. They ate it up! And the fact that he was so good to me, unlike previous boyfriends was a plus too! When Jug and I met in '79 I was living in an apartment in North Wilkesboro, Myers Park precisely, with Mel but when we got engaged in the fall of 1980, I moved back home. I wanted to be with my parents one last time before starting married life. Well, we were kinda accustomed to doing as we pleased when we pleased answering to no one. My parents were old-school and I knew I couldn't just not come home....so I told Mama, ah, so, ah, on Saturday nights, I'll be spending the night with Jug, that okay? And she was like, yeah, that's okay. They just loved him so much! And Jug loved them, especially Daddy. Daddy taught Jug how to make jerky and what a heritage that has been. They made and sold jerky in the early 80s and had quite the little business going supplying mostly bars with jerky that the drinkers couldn't get enough of--and all was well until the state inspectors got wind of it and shut the business down since the jerky was not made in an inspected kitchen. Jug still dreams of selling jerky for a living...maybe one day!

One last thing--the wall hanging behind us was done by my paternal grandmother, Annie Bess Palmer Hudson. Think I've written already about how talented she was. This was one of those prints on fabric that she'd sown around the images and then stuffed them to make it 3D like. How very tacky I thought it was back then but it was all the rage, I guess, in the sixties. Wonder whatever happened to this piece? I'd love to have it now!

Merlefest 2008 Part Three

Michelle and Joan. Still quite over-exposed--hate that, would be a great photo otherwise. They hung all weekend! And became Merlers for life, I think!

Every year Jug and I celebrate our anniversary at Merlefest. This year marked 27 years! Doesn't seem possible! We have both actually been known to forget the day and it's difficult for me to be indignant about it when I forgot too! I got flowers and an absolute tear-jerker card and I gave him a journal (from The Vintage Home, of course!). Told him he needs to record all the epiphanies he's been experiencing lately!! Seems there's great growth potential in mid-life!! Life is just good, ain't it?

Fell in love with The Carolina Chocolate Drops this year. A fabulous group--very humble and genuine--and very talented! Please visit their website: http://www.carolinachocolatedrops.com/

Meaner looking pretty in her new Merlefest dress. Marina is a bit camera shy and I have to really coax her to get her to relax. Longer she hangs around Camera Kim, the more she'll relax. Grant and Olivia have grown up having every step documented with flashes and Mama saying, "let me get the camera and you do that again"!! They don't even flinch while I click away.

Merlefest 2008 Part Two

Nice nature shot. This was in front of the Walker Center. The grounds at Wilkes Community College are fabulous! And as stated earlier, most all my photos from the weekend were over-exposed but I adjusted the lighting in Photoshop and got them tolerable!

Me by the tulips. It was very hot Thursday and Friday hence the "oh-so-not fashionably" upturned jeans. Also note the fabulous burlap bag---these can be purchased at the oh-so-fashionable store on Main Street, Wilkesboro: The Vintage Home. www.thevintagehomeofwilkes.blogspot.com --please visit!!

"Meaner" (Marina) and Grant. Grant sat with us more this year than ever! Yay!

Jug and Grant confer over the schedule. See what I mean about the "interesting" views/shots I get when I have the telephoto lens in use? Also--Jug's goatee--while putting old photos in albums recently I came across some really good pics of Jug when he was sporting a goatee some years back and while at that time I wasn't too keen on the facial hair, I thought he looked so handsome in these particular photos and when I told him---well next day he quit shaving!! I think it compliments him!

Merlefest 2008 Part One

Another great Merlefest! Jug practically lives just for Merlefest! He is literally there from the moment the gates open on Thursday until they close on Saturday. We all enjoy it but he relishes it! This first photo is Jug with two of the members of Blue Highway. Sorry about the over-exposure. Wish I knew what I was doing using the fancy camera I have! I had it set on 1600 iso and didn't realize it and it was too much for outdoor shots--good setting for indoor if you are trying not to use a flash. So ALL the pics from this day were mostly over-exposed--scheech!!

A good pic of Jug as we lay on the grassy hill at the Hillside Stage. I had my telephoto on the camera all day so I'd be ready to zoom in on subjects far off which always makes for some interesting views! Can't you just see how very happy and content this man is? He just loves Merlefest!!

And me on the same grassy knoll. This was actually a series of about six shots--had the camera set so that you could take quick shots one after another (this is called something--can't remember what) but have just included two of them. I was just zoning and relaxing trying to rest up while I could! Merlefest is exhausting!

Toward the end of the six shot series. I could hear the camera just clicking away and was grinning at Jug because he couldn't stop it! We have such a good time at Merlefest! We just savor it!

Photo of the Day--Mel and John

These were taken this past Christmas (07). That's my younger sister Mel and her beau John Corneck. We love Yankee John!! We tease him that's he's just a Yankee redneck and he agrees!

Photo of the Day--Mindy and Aimee

My nieces--Mindy Hudson on the left and Aimee Hudson Vaughan on the right. They are my brother Jim's daughters. Let's see, Mindy's 30 and Aimee should be 28 if I've got my dates right. Beautiful young women! Mindy lives in Greensboro where she is able to do lots of musical productions--she got her degree in Musical Theatre from Lees McRae and is one very talented singer and dancer! We love to go see her perform! And Aimee is married to Brian Vaughan, a policeman in Huntersville. Aimee got her degree in Biology (I think) from Western Carolina and just recently completed the nursing program and is working in the neo-natal unit at Carolina Medical. They are both huge dog lovers--Aimee has two pound puppies and Mindy has Toby, also a pound puppy. This photo was taken Thanksgiving 2007 at my house.

Photo of the Day--Bella

Believe I mentioned that I've been immersed and consumed with the "Putting Photos in Albums" project? I seem to have a pattern of going eight years! Last time I was caught up it 2000 and at that time it had been since Grant was a baby about 1992. Scheech! It's very time-consuming. And I got into Creative Memories in the late 90's and trying to embellish every page just makes the entire process way too time-consuming--which is probably why I had procrastinated and not kept up this project. So this time I'm not bothering with all that fussiness and embellishing the pages--just slapping them in there. Still, the task is daunting and is taking a lot of time. Seeing this old photographs that tell the story of our lives the past eight years as been at the least nostalgic and turns me inward. So much has happened in these years! We moved to Finley Park, we loved and lost Max, Grant and Olivia grew from a little boy and a moody middle schooler into a moody teenager and a mature and level-headed young woman respectively. Then we moved from Finley to Mo.Falls and completely changed our lives again. Ah, such is life!

So as I'm searching for all the pics and perusing them on the 20 or so CD's I have them saved on, I am constantly reminded of our beloved Bella. She's in so very many of the pictures. She was just always there mostly just an observer and constant protector of her family. She loved us so very much. This project provides me with, I guess, the last phase of my grieving process. Remembering her, cherishing her and letting it go. I still yet, even after, what--ten months, sometimes just in the corner of my vision and just for a very brief second or two think I see her. Hmmm....and just maybe it is the spirit of Bella still here with us!

This photo above depicts Bella as she would be most anytime she was not in the house with us. It's the view of our property from the front of the house looking out across the pasture. She would lay like this so often, just the mistress of all she surveyed, guarding, protecting all that was Shumate! Doesn't she just look regal? Both these photos were taken in the fall of '05.

Photo of the Day--Olivia "Casting" Jeremy

Just some photos came across that depict the "casting" process Livvie uses to create the lifesized portraits like she did for her senior show work. Here she's casting Jeremy. She wanted to feature her great high school friend in her senior show but it was too hard to get up with Jeremy for any further sittings. Knowing Jeremy, I'm surprised he sat for this messy, time-consuming process! But he loves his Livvie! That's Aaron provoking Jeremy.

It takes 45 minutes for the "stuff" (can't remember what its called--senior moment) to set up.

Those are straws brave Jeremy breathes through!!

A real trooper! And a very handsome young man!!

Remodel--Fireplace 2

The mantle was so very heavy! I believe it's slate--but I'll have to ask Jug to be sure. He had to rent the "lifter thingy" to get it up there--it was extremely heavy.

The muscle men pose satisfied with their work!

The result.

Remodel--Fireplace 1

Finally found the fireplace pics. Blogger only allows a maximum of five photos per blog therefore the two fireplace blogs.

Little history: Jug has a lifetime of construction starting when he was seven years old! His father, Ven, and Shumate uncles were brick/block layers. Ven took little Jug with him to work during the summers as their "helper". But it was not a cute little title for a little boy--he actually was worked like a pack mule. He hated summers. All his boyhood friends got to play all summer while Jug worked like a man. He couldn't wait for school to start back every year so he could rest! But he learned a trade and he learned strong work ethics--and he learned to cuss like a sailor!! Funny--my brother Jim tells me (Jim worked with Jug and Ven during the 80's some) that Jug and his daddy would cuss and swear so that his ears would burn but I've never heard Jug talk like that!

Course as Jug grew to a man he learned to lay the brick and block too. Eventually they expanded to laying rock during the recession of the late 70s, early 80s. Jug says that to keep work they knew they needed to find the folks that could afford to build during those hard times and the people that had money enough were wanting rock. They worked a lot in Winston during those years. Jug taught himself how to design and became the rock mason with his daddy helping him.

Another interesting bit of history: Jug and I were talking recently about his building/construction skills and how fortunate he was to have learned such a valuable trade. I asked him how that came about--just when had he learned to build? I knew he'd learned to lay brick/block and then later rock but what about carpentry? His father was not a carpenter. He said he'd just really watched the carpenters on the construction sites and just picked it up--he's a natural engineer--with an aptitude for how things work, taking something apart and putting it back together, that sort of thing. So I then asked him: "So what was the first thing you ever built on your own?" And his reply: "I guess it was our kitchen!" I 'bout fell off the chair! He was referring to our kitchen that we added on to our house on the lake right after we got married. I had no idea! I thought at the time that he already knew everything he needed to know to build our kitchen! And he was just flying by the seat of his pants the whole time! Just learning as he went!! Amazing what a little confidence and a bit of knowledge but a huge amount of desire to learn more can do!!

Jug studies and measures.... That's the hardwood floor lumber piled up behind him.

Grant and Olivia learned a thing or two about rock laying. We actually used man-made rock--it lays just like real rock but is much lighter and costs less too. Kim didn't lay a single rock! Painting was my contribution.

Jug's always said that rock laying was like fitting a puzzle together. See how they've got the rocks laid out like that? That's so they can scan the pile looking for that perfect piece to go in the hole they're filling. Jug's rock laying style has very little mortar showing and I believe he calls it "dry laying"? Or some such.

And on it goes....note Grant's graffiti. Can't remember what it says--I'll have to ask him.

More next post.

Photo of the Day--Suzy

'Kay--little background is necessary here to fully appreciate these photos that tell a little story.... on the right is my older sister Suzy. We're at the beach (Sunset) and it's June 2002. That's her future daughter-in-law Carrie Reid (now Kerley) on the left. You must also know that Suzy is NOT a drinker--period. She very rarely partakes and then just tea-totals. Well, this particular evening some of us were bravely taking shots of vodka. As a family, we are not big drinkers--we'll have it at holidays and cook-outs but nobody drinks very much. I came across these photos while working on putting photos in albums---had to go back to 2000. I had completely forgotten about this hilarious adventure!!

So here's what it looks like was happening to me: Suzy, "the big drinker"--NOT, says "yeah, I'll have one of those shots." So Carrie obliges. They tell her how to do the lemon first, etc. And she looks so nonchalant, so confident about doing this. Heh--little did she know!

Note: these are poor quality photos--they're a "photo of a photo" as they were taken before I was using a digital camera exclusively.

Now we have Suzy's other future daughter-in-law, Kara Felise (now Kerley) making sure Carrie does this right and that Suzy gets a proper dose! OMG--this just cracks me up!!

I must have missed the actual taking the shot photo! But think she's taken it here, looks like anyway. That grimace!! That's Adam Johnson in the background.

OMG!!! If you know Suzy, you can just hear her coughing, sputtering, gagging and carrying on!!! And Carrie's expression!! I just can't help but just crack up laughing every time I look at this. She can barely get her breath here! She, I'm sure had NEVER taken a shot of alcohol in her life and had NO idea! Oh! How I love my sissy! There ain't nobody like her!

So here she is still in the throes of the alcohol burning and setting her on fire and high-five-ing with Brian (my niece Aimee's husband) Vaughan. This is just priceless!! Hey--family--let's do this again!!

Also--as a side note: Need to post some recent photos of Suzy. She's lost another person in weight! Yeah--you go Suzy!! She's off all her meds for diabetes, hypertension and high cholesterol and is able to exercise now.

Remodel Master Bath

Well.

Rather atrocious, huh? Very 80's! Great tile workmanship, I guess, but OMG, just horrible! So busy, just too much. We completely gutted this bathroom. Except for the inside of the shower--we got a bit lazy and just left the tile in there.

Doesn't even look like the same room. Master Craft did the cabinetry--same as in the kitchen. We (as in Jug and helpers--Kim didn't lay a single piece) laid all the tile.

A LOT of mirrors in this space! It was like the "Funny House" at the carnival. Mirrors reflecting mirrors everywhere you turned.

This is my side of the bathroom. Not crazy about the upholstery on the little seat but haven't gotten around to recovering it. Need to do that.....

The medicine cabinets I found at Metrolina (FABULOUS flea market in Huntersville that Michelle turned me on to) and I striped them. Not sure I really like having two there together like that but it'll do.

Remodel Master Bedroom

Master bedroom before. Notice the sliding glass door on the right. I know this is a bit confusing but that lead into what is now the living room. The living room now was a "aviary/sunroom" for the previous owners and was surrounded by sliding glass doors. So we closed the sliding glass doors up here in the bedroom. Took out the carpet and replaced with hardwood.

I'm most comfortable with rich, warm tones of green, red, brown. Just feels "homey" and relaxing to me. That's the front "Crackle Barrel" porch you see out the windows. Also note the trunk in front of the bed. This is a family treasure. My paternal grandmother, Annie Bess Palmer Hudson made one of these for each of her eight children--my father, Smith Hudson was her youngest child. She was a very artsy-crafty lady! She was constantly making something. I remember well her wall art of colorful cut glass and beads and she made purses of the same materials. Back in the 70's it might have been all the rage--don't know--but I remember thinking as a teenager that they were the tackiest things I'd ever seen! Wouldn't I love to have some of her work now! I do have one of her oil paintings and Mel has a three-piece painting that was intended to be a fireplace screen. Granny Hudson was very talented/gifted artist. Daddy was too--we all have some of his water colors.

The small round table in the left was also made by Granny Hudson. I acquired it when our Aunt Bet died and how I cherish it! It's so in vogue now! It's sea shells or oyster shells that have been immersed/covered with that shellac that does like a thousand coats in one coat?? Something like that--just love it. And the chair is a treasured piece too. My mother had it when she started her adult life--no idea where she acquired it but it was just one of the very few things she kept over the years of her life. She was definitely NOT a pack-rat--hated clutter and old things and was not sentimental about much of anything. So I really treasure having this old chair--with it's original upholstery.

The oil painting above the bed was purchased at an auction--don't know the artist but I just like it. After doing a couple of (very bad) oil paintings myself a couple of years ago now, I appreciate art so much more! It's so very challenging!!

That's the bathroom through the arched doorway. More pics of the bathroom in another post.

Same view after. Master bath pics next.

The smaller pillows on the bed my friend Michelle (please visit her blog: www.thevintagehomeofwilkes.blogspot.com ) made them all for me. Man, is she ever talented!!

Photo of the Day--Grant and Olivia

My babies. Taken 2006 in the window seat in the dining room. I have several photos taken over the years of the two of them together like this. They're six years apart in age and because Olivia had had six years as an only child and got all our attention she was able to accept her little brother when he came along. Accept--yeah, but she still had her moments of intense jealousy! I remember one instance when Grant was still just an infant hearing Olivia in the shower just sobbing and saying between her dramatic sobs: "I wish they'd just send him back!!" Funny! Regardless she considered him to be HER baby and she loved holding him and playing "Mommy". When Grant would wake and cry, Olivia and I would race to him! Course then there were the years of Grant's toddlerhood that a day didn't go by that I didn't hear: "Mama make him stop!" And "Grant! Stop that!!" He was forever interfering in her prissy little girl play. I think she has such a capacity for love and love her brother she certainly does. She's always nurtured him and petted him.

I've been uploading remodeling pics, a few a day, until I got to the master bedroom. For some reason I hadn't taken "after" photos of the master bed and bath. Well, no reason I can't take them now--except I'm such a lazy slug I haven't made my bed yet to get these photos!! Will soon!!