A Marriage Made in Heaven ...

The year was 1943, and America was in the midst of World War II. Times were tough and the future uncertain, to say the least.

He was a handsome young sailor, barely 19 years old, and she was his pretty little 17-year-old high school sweetheart. They were deeply and madly in love ... and nothing would do but that they get married.

Halloween fell on a Sunday that year, and at 9:30 a.m., between Sunday School and church, they were married at the First Methodist Church in Monroe, Louisiana. And from that day forward, they have honored and fulfilled their wedding vows by devoting their lives to each other, for better, for worse ... for richer, for poorer ... and in sickness and in health.

Today my parents are celebrating their 65th Wedding Anniversary, and are still just as deeply in love as they were that Sunday morning in 1943, if not more so. Of course, in 65 years of marriage there were some hard times ... and some sad times ... but their unwavering faith in God and their abiding love for each other gave them the strength to endure them.

My mother's favorite Bible verse is Corinthians 1:13:7, and I think it exemplifies their love and the life they have shared together:

Love bears all things,
Believes all things,
Hopes all things,
Endures all things.

It is difficult for me to put into words how truly blessed I feel to have these two sweet people for parents. They have been an inspiration to me and my family throughout our lives, and I hope they know how much we all love and admire them.

Happy Halloween, Y'all ...

I know I'm a day early with my Halloween post, but I have a very special one scheduled for tomorrow.

Last week I wrote a post about Vicksburg, and while I was out taking pictures for it, I came across several houses with pretty Halloween and fall decorations. Here are my favorites ...

I love the simplicity of this arched blue door.
It looks like it belongs in a little Bavarian village ...

I like this pretty red door, too.
Especially the flag ...


This one makes me shudder ...
Another pretty door ...

Isn't this cute!

Oops! ... I bet that hurt!

I hope all of your little "Trick or Treaters" have a fun and safe Halloween. I'm going to try to get a picture of our little granddaughter Avery ... she's going to be a "butterfly fairy."

Sincerely,

Lest We Forget Them ...

Lord, please hold our troops in your loving hands. Protect them as they protect us. Bless them and their families for the selfless acts they perform for us in our time of need. Amen.

A Trip to Mrs. McGregor's Garden ... Shreveport, Louisiana

During a recent trip to Shreveport, Louisiana, I discovered a charming little garden and home decor shop called "Mrs. McGregor's Garden." I loved the name and couldn't resist checking it out, and stuffed my camera in my purse just in case they would allow me to take pictures.

When I walked in the door, I knew they had me. Everywhere I looked I saw something I would have bought if I had a place for it ... and, of course, had the money to buy it.

I walked around for a few minutes, then stopped at the check out desk and asked if I could take some pictures for my blog. After I explained what a "blog" is, the nice ladies gave me permission, and I began clicking away with my camera.

This first picture is of the elegant display that greets you when you walk in the door (be sure and click on the pictures to enlarge them, so you don't miss anything) ...

Isn't that a gorgeous blue chair on the left, and
look at the beautiful large Santa in the top right corner.

To the right of the entrance I discovered this pretty display.
I especially like that mirror on the old mantel,
and this exquisite chandelier was hanging above it ...

A few steps away was this pretty arbor
decorated with baby's breath and vines.

It gives you a feeling of walking down a garden path strewn with all kinds of decorative treasures, and these unique "pod" candlesticks caught my eye ...

This beautiful porcelain tree reminded
me of Italian-made sculptures ...

And I love this distressed chest and the elegant lamp and the arrangement of greenery and berries ... and isn't that a pretty gilt mirror behind it!

My heart skipped a beat when I spotted this pair of distressed wooden doves. In fact, I hinted to my husband that I'd like them for my birthday which is coming up soon. I'd love to use them on my mantel or sideboard for Christmas ...

After admiring the doves for a while, but not liking the price tag on them, I continued my browsing and came upon this pretty "Fall, Halloween, and Thanksgiving" display. Be sure and notice the pretty little pilgrim figures ... Wouldn't they be perfect in a Thanksgiving centerpiece! And look at that twig basket hanging on the old blue door in the background ...

I never go into a shop that I don't find something that I'd like to get for our three-year-old granddaughter Avery ... and Mrs. McGregor's Garden was no exception. I loved this cuddly-looking green stuffed monkey and cute little long-legged bear. I resisted both of them, but I know where to find them if I change my mind ...

After "ooooohing and ahhhhhing" over the monkey and bear, I discovered these precious little squirrels (how I ever got out of there without one of these little fellows, I'll never know). Aren't they adorable! ...

I really like that amaryllis and cardinal picture behind the squirrel, too. And look at that faux long-needle pine tree ... it looks very real.

Here are a few more things that got my attention as I browsed ...

I love this lamp with the black leather shade.
Be sure and click on it to enlarge it ...

And look at these adorable little lambs on wagons ...

No garden shop would be complete without angels
or cherubs, especially for the holidays ...

I love orchids and can't believe I didn't
buy one of these beautiful little arrangements ...

I've been looking for a hand-carved wooden goose to go on top of
my china cabinet in my dining room, and was delighted to see these ...

The price was reasonable, but I was afraid it might
be too long for my cabinet, so I didn't get it.

And that brings us back to the entrance where I thanked the ladies for letting me take pictures of their beautiful shop. I had taken some of the outside, too, but accidentally deleted them with some other pictures I took of our Shreveport trip. If you would like to read more about Shreveport, please read my A Weekend Getaway Gone Awry post.

I hope you enjoyed visiting Mrs. McGregor's Garden as much as I did, and if you're ever in the Shreveport area, be sure and stop by ... they're located at 3240 Line Avenue.

Sincerely,

Photo Tour of Vicksburg, Mississippi - Part II

I'd like to begin this part of my tour of Vicksburg, with a couple of interesting houses that are "off the beaten path." These houses are not grand, at least not on the same scale as some of the antebellum mansions and "turn of the century" homes in Vicksburg, but they're unique in their own way.

The first house is the Beck House," an Italianate residence which was constructed in 1875, and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

While the majority of Vicksburg's historic buildings are well-maintained, there are some that are in danger of being lost forever through neglect. I'm afraid the Beck House is on the "endangered list." It was restored in the early 1980s, but has fallen into extreme disrepair over the last ten years.

I love this elegant old house and every time I drive by it, it makes me sad to see it literally falling apart. It would probably cost a small fortune now to restore it to its original condition.

Here are some photos which show its ornate architectural details, as well as revealing its sad state of disintegration (you can click on the pictures to enlarge them).

My husband loves the old carriage house in back of the house ...

I love the chimney, especially
its cross-like design in the center ...

I hope someone will come along soon and fall in love with this beautiful old house and restore it to its former glory. It would be a shame for it to be lost forever.

On a more positive note, the second house I want to share is across the street from the Beck House, but it appears to have been blessed with tender loving care through the years. It was built in 1886, and is also listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

I would describe it as a "Victorian era" house, with its gingerbread trim and three-color paint scheme. I think it's very pretty and patriotic looking, and I love the big star by the door. Perhaps the present owner is from Texas?

Not every house comes with its very own cannonball ...

Even the mailbox is painted to match the house ...

A tour of Vicksburg wouldn't be complete without pictures of the Mississippi River Bridge, and I'd like to share a few of mine with you. This is the one I have in my current header for my blog ...

And these are my most recent ones which I took late this afternoon after my husband and I had dinner at one of our favorite restaurants down by the river ...

That's kudzu in the foreground of this picture ...

Just as we were getting ready to leave, I happened to notice a light on the railroad bridge and was excited to get this shot of the train as it reached the Vicksburg side of the bridge. It was right at dusk and it's kind of hard to see, but I think it's neat ...

I hope you enjoyed my tour of Vicksburg, as much as I enjoyed sharing it with you. I love Vicksburg, and I've only scratched the surface of its awe-inspiring historic places, breathtaking beauty, and southern charm. During the next few weeks I hope to share more of it with you.

Sincerely,