Love Jar is Full

"Home is not where you live but where they understand you." ~ Christian Morgenstern

I spent a lovely 8 days in Georgia. It's been a while since I was able to just go and.. be. I went alone, and at first, it was not what I wanted. Then I was able to adjust and just relax.

If you have been following along, it took less than 24 hours for me to unwind. I now know that swinging on a swingset can bring out the little child in me. I am telling you now, if I ever find myself in my own home again - a cool swing is essential.

I made it home yesterday, early afternoon. I came into an immaculately clean home, candles burning, and the egyptian. He seemed a little aloof at first, which is his way. But within a few hours he warmed up again. He had to let me know that life does not stop for me. Okay, okay - I get it Mr. Passive Aggressive. ;-) By the end of the night, we had a delightful time, chatting, smiling - he even offered to share his Cheetos. LOL

With that being said - my little love jar is no longer empty. I am loved by my husband, by my family and by my friends. All else will fall into place.

Here are some of the last (I promise) pictures of my life and times in Georgia.

If you are not aware, Georgia is known as the "Peach State." I think I forgot how wonderful Georgia peaches are - until we took a side trip to Lane Packing. Rose Lane (the wife of Mr. Lane) was a co-worker/friend of my mother's. Her family owns the largest peach distributing farm in Georgia. If you get a peach from Georgia - more than likely, this is where they came from. Mom bought a 25 pound box for $15.99 Excellent price. YES - she made homemade peach cobbler my last night in town. Best in the world!

Another thing Georgia has in abundance are pecans. (We pronounce PEE-CAN.. not pe-cahn.) Everyone has a pecan tree in their yard, and pecan pie is essential at family get-togethers.

Glorious Georgia Peaches!

There is the website on the bag - so you can order your very own!

How about some dessert wine?

Down here they pickle everything. Canning etc is very common. How about pickled peaches?

Then of course jelly and preserves..

Cider is awesome.. though I am more partial to Apple Cider, which I suggest going up to Helen, Georgia for.

Muscadines and Scuppernog grapes grow wild in Georgia.

My Granny always had Chow Chow on the table. Most good southern homes do. It's a pickled relish of sorts.

I do love my black eyed peas. Here is a Black Eyed pea dip - tastes remind you of basic bean dip.

Ever had southern caviar? Look it up!

Those famous sweet onion everyone loves come from Vidalia, Georgia.  Here are some wonderful dressings most people would kill for!

Migrant workers in the plant.

A favorite sweet in the south. I even remember in Chemistry we got to make the  brittle in class!

We put hot sauce on everything down here.

We took some of this home with us. Was amazing.

We stopped by the cafe for a bite.

Hoep you can read the sign!

We had fun sampling all of the different products.

My dad and Autumn trying a few out.

My dad and I relaxing on the front porch.

Mom and Dad and lunch

Autumn and I at lunch.

Autumn was admiring the peach pies.

Hilarious!

Yes - that's home made Peach Ice Cream in a Waffle Cone. It's not right to be so good.

Different types of cobblers made from the berry and fruit in the orchard at the farm. (The groves are right behind this building. When I say fresh - I mean fresh.)

Did I mention, Autumn got a new puppy on Tuesday night???

She and I got to enjoy some time in the pool with friends.

I took her to the lake!

I caught up with an old friend!

Went to watch an other old friend play in his band!

Made friends with a duck - that happened to enjoy BBQ potato chips.

I thought this was classic - a red pick up truck with a University of Georgia sticker and the tail of the bed full with boxes of peaches. LOL

My friend with her two kids and Autumn.

Lake time for us!

I took her horseback riding.

Meet Mr. Lovebug

My sister painted the sign - I suggested the Casa part.

Yep - my love jar is full.

How is your jar these days?