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Eight months in South Korea

One semester at Sogang University

An internship at Seoul City University

Thanks Mr. and Mrs. Tim and Korean Mom and Dad for extending your hospitality to her.

We are thrilled to have CC home. 

She is keeping me sweetly distracted.

Olive

South Korea Girl {CC}

South Korea Girl is not coming home for Christmas.

 It is good news though. Really. Many of you have asked about her in e-mails and in comments. She will complete her semester at Sogang University in Seoul this week. She studied Korean and Asian history. She loves South Korea. CC has been studying Korean for over a year here in Georgia but there is no substitute for total immersion in the culture.

She had been fervently applying for South Korean internships. She was interviewed for two in the last two weeks. Time was drawing near for her to fly home and it was making me anxious. Flying to South Korea is expensive and she would have to fly back for an internship.  

Being a mom I was caught up in the myriad of details. What about a visa extension? What about the plane ticket? What about approval from her home university? What about the cold winter?

CC was in perfect contrast to her mother virtually unconcerned about all of the above. She had met with a missionary couple and arranged to live with them if an internship happened. She arranged to help them teach orphans. She felt that God strongly wanted her to stay. She was and is resolute. I am proud of her faith and in awe of her.

She accepted an internship at Seoul University to work at a museum. 

She will be helping a man there with his English as they work and he with her Korean. We continue to talk and text, for free, via Kakao Talk. It is a free app that hardly ever cuts us off. The winter in Seoul will be nothing like CC has ever experienced. It can get in the negative numbers. We live in a state where coats are optional.

The image above is of CC (on the left) and her now roommate. I think they are adorable. Her roommate is from Georgia and also attends CC's home university. They did not know each other before this South Korean semester. They can continue their friendship when CC returns.

I tried to pull some images of Seoul and CC in the snow off of Instagram but could not. She is coffeeaddict0021. She takes a lot of pictures of Korean food, coffee and historic sites.

We will miss her terribly at Christmas but we will be fine. I will be fine. I am happy for her.
Thank you all for asking about her.

Please read my sponsored post from Kaplan and Blogher 
Thirty Minutes In The Day Of A Registered Nurse.  
It is a true story of a sick young man I cared for.

Happy Christmas
Olive

Picture This Moment

Picture a blond, skinny, blue eyed, young child looking about four years old (but actually six) running down a chain link fence and signing to her mother as her mother drives away from school. She's signing "I love you" continuously as she runs along the fence as if her mother is leaving her on the concrete playground forever. This scenario occurs every morning.

Now picture that same child, grown, but still petite at age twenty-two (looking fifteen) in line at Hartsfield-International Airport signing "I love you" in the security line as she prepares to fly off to university in South Korea. Maybe for five months or perhaps for an entire year. The mother or young exchange student have no idea when she will return.

This is when the mother cries. She pictures, the skinny child, the concrete, the fence, and not the TSA in their navy uniforms checking her in at the large shining airport. The mother then signs "I love you" back to her daughter.

That was my CC and me last week.

Can you picture what I have been up to?

Joy and Peace

Olive

Broome Closet Window @ Ridge Antiques

The Talented B and I are thrilled to announce we have

 another booth at Ridge Antiques in a large window space.

 This booth is big, sunny, and a better configuration than

 our other booth which we still have right down from this one.

We moved in yesterday and brought as many fall items that would fit.

B painted the blue dresser and the red table.

This is a beautiful Italian chair.

Please visit us at

Ridge Antiques in Ridge Spring, South Carolina. 

Ask for The Broome Closet booths. 

Plural.

Folks there know me as Terri, do not read this blog,

 and will know nothing of Olive or Olive Out. 

The owners have little use for computers.

It would be fun to have my worlds collide.

Beth and I feel thankful and incredibly blessed to have this opportunity.

Linking@Wow Us Wednesday

Many thanks to all of you who have emailed me asking if I was okay.

 I have missed all of you and blogging.

 I will be going into more detail about CC and South Korea in another post.

GETTING CC TO SOUTH KOREA was quite the project.

joy and peace

Olive

Chuckle Heads {Shelley and Gremmie}

This Chuckle Head has been renamed. 

We have named her Gremmie because she is more Gremlin like than I can convey.

 The name Cindy Lou did not fit her rambustious spirit.

Here Gremmie is biting Shelley. This goes on all the time.

 Shelley never hurts her. 

 These photos speak for themselves.

CC leaves for South Korea to go to university on the 28th.

The Chuckle Heads will miss her terribly. I can't think about it yet. 

We are having a dessert and wine going away party for her this weekend.

joy and peace

Olive

Crashing, Missed YOU, And Other Delights

Good morning my lovelies. I cannot tell you how much I have missed all of you. Visiting blogs is an integral part of my day. Like coffee. I love coffee. Thank you to those of you who checked on me. You are pretty and smart.

 I have been battling a crashed computer, a snake, and moving the CC from her apartment which is quite an undertaking (it took 12 hours).

See the snake? He was on the ornamental tree that is in the center of the flower garden on Wednesday morning.  I was in my pj's, half asleep, standing on the deck and heard the birds in the tree going kinda crazy. He is, a harmless to humans, approximately 36 inch long rat snake. He eats venomous snakes so he was allowed to stay despite the threat to the birds.

I am happy to be in possession of a brand new sparkly laptop which I must learn to use. Some of my photos are lost in a cloud somewhere over the ocean.  I brought that college kid home for a reason. I will be paying y'all a visit. Missed you and big hugs. Need a snake?

joy and peace

Olive

Tired Always Follows Sick

I am sick and tired this month. Tired always follows sick as the brilliant Bill Cosby reminded us. April has been tough and nearly overwhelming for me. The Boston Marathon Bombing Terrorist attacks followed by the tragedy in the town of West, Texas. I despair every time I hear another parent claim their grown child is as innocent as a white dove. I had parents of convicted murderers tell me that all the time when I was a Director of Nursing for the Georgia Department of Corrections. 

We all are in potential what every criminal is in actuality. I learned that there is a thin fine line between criminals and us. I hear you shouting in protest "But I have the sweetest child." I am sure you do. Please, please, parents never claim your children can do no wrong. Hold them accountable for their mistakes. It may be the greatest gift you give to them.

If you think this blog shallow or too focused on all things pretty just know that I have spent far too much time, working as an RN in challenging locations, and need this pretty refuge. I seek the solitude of gardening and making our home comfortable for a reason. If you have not read my Hold Everything Lightly Series at the top of the page you might want to consider it.

Our daughter, CC, has a dear friend whose mother died, last night, at age 52, of breast cancer. She was surrounded by her husband and children. We know she is no longer suffering and is with Her Lord. CC is hurting and is away at college and unable to comfort her friend. Here again April has been a difficult road to travel.

Hug Someone You Love Today

Olive

One YEAR Of Puppy Love

One year ago today we brought home this roly poly part German Shepherd puppy who could not stay awake for nothing.  We love him with a shattering kind of love. He is spoiled and we do not care. Our houses will not be fully clean again and we do not mind that either.

Here he is today, with Joe, in the same swing. He was trying to play with me and the camera instead of sitting and posing. He weights about eighty pounds and that is about where he is going to level off we think (hope). He does climb into our laps frequently. He learned that from Clovis. He loves to ride in the truck and detests being left behind. He is a sight riding beside me in the Mini Cooper. CC always asks what her Shelley Boo is doing when she calls. She thinks he is the best thing going since Starbucks opened.

In other totally unrelated news I fell on the deck today while staining a frame. Shelley and Joe did come to my rescue. I am fine but sore all over and going to bed shortly. Needless to say I lack coordination because I cannot stain a frame and stand upright at the same time. We did go to a lovely country wedding (will post log cabin pics Monday) last evening but no spirits were involved. I wanted to get this post up in honor of our boy.

big puppy hugs

Olive

Saturday Friends&Family

Fancy, my dear friend and her grandson walking down the curvy road from our house to her house. We had been sitting on the ground, in our yard, digging in the dirt. He thought it was great fun.  All kids should dig in the dirt. This big kid certainly loves too.

Thank you all for commiserating with me about my ever so slow way of finishing a painting project. I am happy to know I am not alone on the I-May Never-Finish-A-Project front. 

CC leaves in the morning after church. Her spring break has been swifter than painting with chalk paint. Today we shall stay home in our pajamas and talk, talk ,talk some more:-}

Happy Saturday

Olive

Green Chair Green Basket

The green chippy chair I found for three dollars and a wicker green funeral basket (this one still has it's galvanized liner)  filled with dried hydrangeas from our Nikko Blue are now in front of the sunny bay window. The green chippy chair makes every item I place on it look better. The chair is one of my favorite thrifty finds.

A large old basket with handles happily sits beside the chair. Somehow I must pile items in front of the bay window. I often place throws in the basket but spring is here and we no longer need throws. I snapped these images today because I actually dusted, vacuumed, and mopped the floors. Shelley's hair gets in every nook and cranny but he is Big&Sweet and I really do not mind.

Yesterday CC and I stayed out all day and I never picked up the laptop. We ate Vietnamese food for lunch which is our favorite Asian food and then we shopped at a large Asian market. If CC is home that is simply what we do. The schedule for the week is full, full, full.

Linking@Wow Us Wednesday

Be Inspired

joy and peace

Olive

Church Pew

 Cades Cove, last summer, inside a beautiful country church. 

Think of all the souls who worshiped from this pew. 

We had a beautiful time in church today, with CC, between the two of us. 

Good times y'all.

To see more Cades Cove images click here and here.

Happy Sunday

Olive

Eastertide~Vintage Postcard

All Good Wishes

for a

Bright and Happy

Eastertide

That is my lone vintage Easter postcard.

 I seem to have one vintage postcard for each holiday. 

CC arrived home late yesterday afternoon.

I  squeezed her a lot and she in turn talked incessantly. 

It will not be quiet here next week.

I am auto-posting this while Joe and I are out at Garage Sales.

 I will catch up with you tonight.

Happy Saturday

He is Risen

Olive

Vintage Easter Basket Two

This my second vintage Easter basket. Don't tell CC but this basket is for her. She is coming home tomorrow for spring break. I went with hot pinks because I also have this vintage tablecloth that has wonderful spring colors in it.

I had no idea what to do with all that pink filler so I piled it into the glass hurricanes.

This sweet bunny had to come home with me from a garage sale. Lest you think I keep everything much I buy thrifting is sold. By the way the chocolate in CC's basket came from Aldi's on the cheap. I go there weekly to buy fruit and vegetables.

Linking@Be Inspired

Happy Easter

He Is Risen

Olive

Vintage Easter Basket One

I found not one but two vintage Mexican Easter baskets recently. I bought this one, yesterday, at a local community thrift store that my sweet neighbor volunteers at every Wednesday.

The chalk lamb happily belongs beside the old Easter basket I think. In the next post get ready for a pretty vintage tablecloth and some hot pink accents with the second basket. I have not put together an Easter basket in ages. I am rusty but CC is coming home Friday and I thought "Why not?"

Linking@Be Inspired

Happy Easter

He Is Risen

Olive

R.I.P. Sweet Clovis

Clovis died peacefully this morning at 7:25 A.M. after a terrible night. He most likely had a neurological event yesterday afternoon. We did not leave him. Joe and I gave him water with a syringe and carried him back and forth from a floor pallet to the bed. He kept wanting to fling himself off the bed. We petted him and told him repeatedly how much he was loved. Is loved. Will always be loved. By all three of us. I am crying as I type this.

He was my constant companion. He slept on my chest or in the crook of my arm. He woke me yesterday by nudging my chin. It was a fine furry way to awaken. He could be grouchy but I have always liked grouchy men and I found his grouchiness amusing. He was smart. He would not walk into the kitchen in the morning until I gave him permission to do so.

Joe has been crying with me for he loved Clovis tremendously. Joe has taken the day off and we are going to drive to the yellow house to bury him in a sunny spot where he loved to soak up sun beams. Clovis would like that.

I have called CC and she is equally devastated. I still plan to spend the weekend with her. She grew up with Clovis. We got him as a kitten two weeks prior to my brother being killed by a drunk driver when CC was six years old. I clung to that orange kitten. He helped me through my grief. He will be missed more than I can say.

Goodbye Sweet Baby Boy

You were loved

Mama

~fight club~

Clovis is not happy with his mama today. He was not happy with me yesterday either. Such is the life for this kitty mama. He saw the vet, again, today. He had an injection for arthritis. We traveled to the old house to see the vet. Clovis has lost weight which is alarming.

 We think Clovis has lost weight for two reasons: joint pain and sparring with Shelley. Clovis is the aggressor. Shelley, being a youngster, wants to play and Clovis is not entertaining that idea. They will lay on the sofa bottom to bottom. If Clovis makes eye contact with Shelly-game on people. We are keeping them separate more often so Clovis can relax.

I will be traveling to North Georgia to the mountains to see CC on Friday. Joe will be home with the fight club. That also means I will be going to Pottery Barn, Restoration Hardware, Williams Sonoma Outlets and some antique malls. I will attempt photos with my iPhone.

joy and peace

Olive

Attention Morning People

Are you perky in the morning?

I'm not. CC, our daughter is certainly not. She does not form language well. She kind of growls at us. I bought this coffee cup for her at a thrift store.

I am having fun with the island to the degree Clovis, our cat, allows it. He eats on the island and I have tried to configure a cat friendly vignette on it. He is not a morning cat. He often gets up, eats and goes back to bed. 

Spoiled cat.

The large platter, ironstone platter, and cow creamer do not get in the cat's way. We would not want to upset him now would we? One day last week Shelley, our German Shepherd, was chasing him and Clovis nearly pulled this tray down on his head whilst executing a jump onto the island.  I have moved the tray to the center of the island for him since that incident.

Drama, we have it.

I also purchased this Organic Housekeeping  book yesterday and read half of it. That is why I did not post or pick up my laptop. Sometimes I get lost in books. Those are lovely days.

Today it will get to 74 degrees and I am going out to spread wood stove ashes around my hydrangea (trying to turn it pink). Then I am going to rake. Raking is an endless task here. There is absolutely no need to join a gym with all the garden tasks we have. I will be back tonight to visit with all of you. I am not picking up that book. 

Promise.

Linking@Tweak It Tuesday

The Budget Decorating Party

Wow Us Wednesday's

joy and peace

Olive