Christmas Palm Tree

I love this.  There are several in the area.  SO pretty.

Shem Creek

 This afternoon Mr. Magic stayed at the house with Jake to relax.  Casey, Amanda, and I had a very late lunch at Shem Creek Bar & Grill.

Chilly Morning

It's a little chilly here in Charleston this morning.  Jake knows how to handle that!

Thanksgiving Day

We had a very laid back Thanksgiving.  We stopped at a Sports Bar this afternoon and had appetizers and drinks before our main meal this evening.  

Casey snapped this photo right before we left to go back to the house.

Thanksgiving in SC

Back in Paradise on Thanksgiving Day!  View from our bedroom window.

Nativity

 I have never seen a complete blow mold set of the Nativity - until today - three kings, two camels, two sheep, and a donkey.  They even have the Angel.  It is not far from Casey's.  I want to go back tonight to see it lit.

Gorgeous Sky

 The sky last night just north of Columbia, SC.  The sunset was gorgeous!!

Thanksgiving

We are off to South Carolina to be with Casey and Amanda for the Holiday.  My heart is filled with thanksgiving for family and friends.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING and BLESSINGS to all.

A Little Monday Humor

Rainy Day

Jake stayed snuggled and warm playing on his blanket on this chilly rainy Saturday.

Artist Trading Cards

 I've received these four lovely ATC cards this month.  The theme ~ "Gifts of the Sea".

Thank you, Carol, Mariette, Lorraine, and Susanne.

70th Birthday

 HAPPY 70th BIRTHDAY to our ROANOKE STAR!!

It has been shining over the city since 1949.

Photos credit: City of Roanoke ~ Government

A November Look Out My Window

Deep Fall

 We have reached that deep Fall state.  There is a golden-brown hue to most everything.  I wonder when we will see our first blanket of snow.

Goli Gummies

My GOLI GUMMIES arrived.  Very good taste.  It sure beats drinking that awful liquid apple cider vinegar!!

Buy the Season

 Thank you to everyone who came to the Buy the Season Holiday Open House!  It was one of my best open house sales days!  A lot of inventory went out the door and I've filled the shelves with more Christmas items this week.

I have an original painting and poetry book by my good friend of Akron, Ohio, John Sokol, available in my booth.

The painting ~ "Rose Garden"

The book ~ "In the Summer of Cancer"

Late Night Dinner

This Buck had some late night dinner in my neighbor's yard last night.

Rain

 Not so pretty out there today.  Rain and fog all day.

Violet Kopka Segalle

I posted this as a "Throwback Thursday" post in 2014.  I am posting it again today because I received the sad news that my cousin Violet passed away unexpectedly yesterday.  I have no details yet, but it is shocking and sad.  This post sums up how close Violet and I were when we were younger, before her family moved to California.

Rest in Peace, Cousin Violet

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Will Kopka, Audrey, Violet Kopka

Throwback Thursday ~ I am guessing this to be around 1952.  These are two of my many cousins ~ the ones I spent the most time with when I was young ~ William and Violet.  (That's me in the middle).  Violet was like a sister.  We spent as much time together as our Moms would allow ~ she staying overnight at my house or me at hers.

We had the greatest times together ~ sitting under Grandpa's huge willow tree eating Chef Boyardee Pizza that we made ourselves or walking down the street singing the Beatles song "Till There Was You", discussing our latest crush on the cute guy down the street, or picking up golf balls on the edge of the golf course late at night when nobody was around.  Violet's family moved to California in our early teen years.  Being such a distance from each other, our lives went in different directions, but I will always have those fond memories.

William and his brother, Andrew, stayed in Ohio, so I had contact with them.  William and I still talk and get together when we can.  We both have scars from running into each other (literally) while playing in the dark many many years ago.  William and Patrick were in the Air Force together and became very close.

Family ~ the ties that bind.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY in Heaven, Susie!!

Since this is your first birthday there, I imagine there will be a BIG celebration with all your friends and relatives who are there with you.  I know that will be a joyful event.

I miss you.  I miss your humor, your positive outlook, your long emails, your news and updates, your Christmas cookies, and those fun surprise boxes we would mail each other.  You were a force.  I think of you often and once in a while I break into a smile remembering something you said.  You will never be forgotten.

A Walk Down the Road

 Driving down the lane on my way home a while ago ~ this deer jumped out of the woods and walked down the middle of the road in front of my car for quite a way until she finally turned into the woods and ran off.