Update at the bottom of this post!
***There is a giveaway at the bottom of this post, but I'm going to make you work for it ; )

So read on, and then follow the instructions before you comment.

When I started this bloggy adventure in August of 2005, I had no real plans for what I would do about my anonymity. I started "Homeschooling in the Peach State", used peachteapots as my user name because I love to collect teapots, and I'm from -- well . . . the "Peach state", duh.

Peaches are great. I like them on cereal. I like them in pies, cobblers, and especially in smoothies.

Yet with the association of "peach" the fruit also comes "peach" the color.

I not a big fan of the color peach . . . . I can't wear it. I don't like it used in decor in my home. I really don't like to be associated with it at all.

The color peach brings back icky memories of wearing a peach qiana (yes, that really was a fabric back in 1978) bridesmaid's dress in my cousin's wedding. The guys wore brown tuxedos( think of how this would have horrified Franck) and our dresses actually had cowl necks. Think this only with a full length clingy skirt and white platform mary jane style shoes. I was a picture of loveliness. No, thankfully I can NOT scan any incriminating photos.

So, back to the original reason for this post in the first place:

I never intended to become a fruit. It just sort of evolved out of control. The time has come to tame it.

I have a perfectly fine real name. I would like to do some branching out of sorts in the internet world, so I need to sound a little more credible than introducing myself as one of these.

Many of you already know my real name, but for those of you who don't (all three of you). Why don't you take a wild guess, and I'll send you some yummy body lotion -- from Bath and Body Works.

****So that those of you who do know my real name can play too . . . if you correctly guess my middle name, you will also get entered into the random number generator and have a chance at smelling good, too.

I will give one gift to the correct guess of my first name and one gift to the correct guess of my middle name. The names of both winners will be randomly chosen from the correct guesses and revealed on Friday, November 2nd, at 12 noon EST. If for some chance no one gets the name correct, I will still choose two winners on Friday regardless. Just leave a comment with a way to contact you. You don't have to have a blog, but leave an email address. This contest is open to US and Canadian addresses only.

There's just one caveat -- it will NOT be a peach fragrance. Along with all the other peachy issues -- I'm not a fan of the bottled fragrance or anything that is supposed to smell like peaches.

Give me a real peach or a basket of them -- Yum!

Peach in a bottle? Ick.

So, to join in with the Fall Y'all Giveaway, I am offering something to make you smell real good for your correct guess as to who is hiding behind the Peach.

Go on over to Shannon's Bloggy Giveaways site right now to join the untold masses of people just giving tons of cool stuff away for free!!

***Update: My name did not exist before 1740. It was made up for someone fictional, though I rarely use it in its full form, and it has nothing to do with the name of my state. Sorry "Georgia" guessers!

Labels: contest, friends, giveaways, rejoicing, stepping out

Hey y'all! Don't forget to head on over to the "Fall Y'all!" bloggy giveaway starting October 29. That's this coming Monday.

I had an absolute blast participating in the Dog Days of Summer Giveaway back in July, and it is a great way to get extra traffic to your site . . .

Especially good timing when you want to try to make money for the appropriate coverage of the ah . . . feet of your children.

I'll be taking part again this next week, and you'll want to come check out my little twist on the idea of "giveaway".

Let's put it this way, I'm giving away more than I ever have in the past two years of blogging.

So, head on over to Shannon's and join in the fun. I guarantee you'll become slightly addicted by the end of the week. I won a lovely tea cup last time, and I smile real big every time I use it.

On His Adventure~

Labels: cool things, fall, friends, giveaways

For other Wordless Wednesday posts, go here and here. Enjoy browsing those lists, I know I do. By the way, this is my dear friend, Jen, during her visit a week and a half ago already. I am in the red : )

Labels: friends, photos, special visits, Wordless Wednesday

Ok, all of you faithful "Thursday Thanks Tank" readers, I have got a bit of a twist for you this week. I want to direct you here to: "A Word With You" by Ron Hutchcraft. Today's entry is entirely appropriate for a "Thanks Tank" kind of day. Go read this and come back ready for the filling of the tank. Go on!

Ok, now you're back.

Well, Ron regularly makes me stop and think, and his words spoke to me especially today as I was of this mindset:

Labels: blessings, friends, fruit, gratitude, thanks tank

Kim, at Season's of My Heart, bestowed this lovely award on me yesterday. I am truly humbled and honored to receive it. My goal with this blog is to be intentionally thankful and live each day a little less encumbered by fear than the last. Thank you, Kim, for thinking of me. I am going to pass this award on to several women who inspire me and bless me with their thought-provoking and God-centered posts:

Kim at Lifesong
JMom at Lots of Scotts
Tealady Tammy at On the Wings of My Heart
Thank you, ladies! For more information about this award, check out Management by God.


Yesterday was not just about online, intangible gifts. I also received a fabulous package in the mail from my favorite Oklahoman Halloween Decorator, Melanie. No, my present was NOT something Halloween-themed. I think she keeps her stash close to her heart for her own fabulous neighborhood display. Here it is:


Melanie did a bang up job on my tote, and I will proudly carry it all over my little town -- especially to the library. How I love me a good tote!

You need to go visit her and find out how you can get your own. Just tell her I sent you, and I bet she'll give you a price you can't refuse.

Thank you, thank you Melanie, for heeding my pleas and for going above and beyond the call of virtual friendship : ) You're the best!

Labels: awards, friends, giving, gratitude

I, along with a couple other folks I think are pretty great, just received the Thoughtful Blogger award from GiBee, one of the most thoughtful people I've met out here in Blogland.
Here is how GiBee described us:

"These women are compassionate, sympathetic, caring and hospitable bloggers, and I am honored to call them friend. They are always willing to listen, and always willing to pray for you and with you when needed. Their thoughtfulness goes deep, whether through the written word on their blog, or through an email, or through a wonderful note that pops into your mailbox when you least expect it, but most need it."

I am humbled and truly appreciative of such an award. GiBee, you are a treasure, and I am grateful to call you friend.

I have decided to pass this award on to:

Kate, because I see her thoughtful spirit through the lens of her camera as well as the window of her homeschool classroom.

and,

Jane Anne, at Gravity of Motion, who is a new friend who encourages and inspires me through her posts about family and thankfulness.


You are both dear ladies who make this blogging circle a better place ; )

Labels: awards, friends, inspiration

"You are better off to have a friend than to be all alone, because then you will get more enjoyment out of what you earn.

"If you fall, your friend can help you up. But if you fall without having a friend nearby, you are really in trouble.

" As the saying goes, 'A rope made from three strands of cord is hard to break.'"

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10, 12 (CEV)

Labels: fearless friday, friends, God's Word

This has been a fabulous week of visiting blogs, bookmarking, and entering for all sorts of giveaways. I have had a blast, and I hope all of you have, too.

Here are my winners:

For the "Too Terrific Tags" Stampin' Up! Stamp set, the winner is:

Labels: blogging, celebrations, contest, friends, giveaways

Chilihead is hosting "Inquiring Minds Want to Know" Carnival. If you want to participate, go sign up on her Mr. Linky here!

Tell Your Blogging Story

How did you start blogging?
I started reading blogs right around the time we started thinking about homeschooling. I wanted to get other's opinions and expertise on the world of homeschooling, so I scavenged for any tidbits of info. I could find. I found a blog that encouraged me and bookmarked it. One day my DP was reading along with me and said, "You should start a blog. You have just as much to say as she does."

So, in August 2005, I started "Homeschooling in the Peach State", which then turned into "Peachy Keen Homeschooling," which morphed into "Just Peachy" when I quit blogging about homeschooling much at all. Then, back in March I decided to return from Typepad to free blogging and changed my focus again, marking the debut of "Without Fear".

Did you intend to be a blog with a following?

No, I never thought I'd have anyone read besides my husband and my best friend. That is all I had for about the first four months, then the "meetin'" started! I am thrilled with the friends I have made and the friendships renewed through this forum. I am blessed to have anyone who stops by read what I write. Yet, I hope it will remain a place for me to pour out my thoughts, my questions, and my musings.

What do you hope to achieve or accomplish with your blog? Have you been successful? If not, do you have a plan to achieve those goals?

I think if I had to narrow it down to one primary goal, I want those who come and read here to continually be reminded of God's blessings -- great or small. We all lead busy lives, and I pray my blog will call its readers to slow down for a moment and intentionally thank the One who gave it all. Those who comment on Thursday Thanks Tanks sure seem to understand and respond to that goal, so I would say God is successfully blessing my efforts.

A secondary, yet no less important goal is to keep my life verse and its message on the forefront of my reader's minds. God calls us to a life without fear, and I plan to encourage others as I walk my own fearless path.


Has the focus of your blog changed since you started blogging? How?

Somewhat. My blog no longer centers on my homeschooling journey, but it is sprinkled throughout all I do. I found I am not always the "funny story" mom, but I am always a thankful one. So my posts reflect the areas of my strength and my own personal focus here at home.

What do you know now that you wish you'd known when you started?

I wish I'd been more aware of how much of an addiction this habit could become. Although I don't know that it would have made a difference. Blogging has taught me a ton about myself, my habits, my time management, my relationship development skills, and more than I can record here. I am glad to know what I do now. It has given me the wisdom to proceed more astutely from this place.

Do you make money with your blog?

No. Sure wish I did. It would maybe compensate for the time I spend here. I'd love to be invited to make money from BlogAds, too. I would also be up for reviewing products so I can try cool, new things, too.

Does your immediate or extended family know about your blog? If so, do they read it? If not, why?

My immediate family all know about it and read it regularly. My kids love being spotlighted for something they have done, funny or otherwise.

My folks and my brother do not choose to have access to the internet, so they have never read my blog at all. My mom appreciates all the prayer warriors I have met and will share prayer requests that I can tell my blogger friends : )


What two pieces of advice would you give to a new blogger?

Be yourself! Find your own niche and write about the things you love. Don't try to duplicate what you determine is "popular" and go with that. Authenticity is what keeps readers coming back for more. (I guess that was four pieces . . .)

I am a better blogger now than I was in the beginning, simply because I have re-discovered my love for writing and reading. I no longer am concerned with the number of comments or whether people are telling anyone to come visit me. I participate when I can, and I enjoy it immensely when I do.

So, I do blog . . . I am . . . and I am happy. That's all I have to say about that.

Labels: blogging, creativity, friends, mind dribbles

***Update*** AGAIN!!! -- So far the total of your giving to help Heather and her family is at $8,986.00 as of 10pm Central time. Woo Hoo!! Y'all are incredible, and I know Heather is most grateful for everyone's gifts. Go here and read her response to all the lovin' and generosity.

Go today! Go today to BooMama's! Don't forget. You can make a difference for an entire family. You can make a difference for more than that. You can make a difference in the direction of many a person's life, just by taking part in something bigger than yourself.

Nothing crosses my mind right now without going through the "Heather" lens. All that I've been doing since the middle of last week has been viewed with Heather in mind. I mentioned her in a prayer request last week, and in the days since I have been praying for her each time God brings her to mind--which is frequently.

Go here to read up on the details of her situation. Read today's entry. I pray you'll be blessed. I know I was inspired and encouraged . . . all at a time when I have expected nothing from Heather. I go to encourage her, let her know I am continuing to pray, and I come away with a blessing from her faith in our loving and powerful God.

You'll notice the lovely button adorning this post. Click on it, or go to BooMama's for the details, but suffice it to say that you will have an opportunity to be a part of blessing Heather, her husband, Mark, and their family this Wednesday. BooMama is hosting the showering of love April 18, and you can be a part by joining all of us to defray some of the enormous costs facing this dear family during this tragic and difficult time. Give as little as $1 or give a lot, or simply assure Heather of your continued prayers.

Thanks y'all! I know I can count on all of you who grace this blogland to pray and to rally around this precious family!

UPDATE~~~ You can also join in a contest to benefit Heather as well, by heading over to Beth's at I Should Be Folding Laundry. She has a great idea going, and you'll be glad you ran on over! Linking arms with others all over the internet . . . we can surely have an impact.

Labels: friends, giving, prayer

I have been reading my friend, Morning Glory's blog almost from the beginning, because I found her through her daughters, Beth and Karen.

She is witty. She is fun. She is a fabulous mom and grandmother. Morning Glory is not old enough to be my mom, yet she's lived enough life ahead of me to lead the way gracefully and with finesse. I like her a bunch, and I am grateful to have her on this path of faith a bit in front of me.

She has generously dubbed me a "Thinker" and has granted me the"Thinking Blogger Award". She got it from An Ordinary Mom, who says this means I know how to think and write in such a way that causes others to think. I'm incredibly humbled and extremely flattered. Anyway, the purpose of this award is to “Pay it Forward” to five other bloggers that inspire me and get me to thinking.

So, following Morning Glory's lead, here are my five picks and why they stir up the "fluff" in my Silly Old Bear's brain (in random order):

• Shannon at Rocks in My Dryer has been one of my favorites from the very first day I ventured outside of my own little, bitty blogging window to the world. She is fun, yet she is organized and helpful in the midst of all the chuckles she sends our way. She is the absolute guru of memes and probably never guessed in a million years what WFMW would do for her blog traffic. Way to go, girlie! I have laughed with this dear woman and cried right along with her, too. She makes me think just about daily: about being a better mommy, better wife, better friend, and most importantly the best lover of Jesus I can be.

• Momrn2 at My Quiet Corner has become one of my dearest friends here in this place we call the blogosphere. We comment. We email. We talk on the phone semi-regularly, yet never long enough. She inspires me and encourages me. She convicts me and points me back to Scripture through her posts. She is someone who I would regularly invite over for coffee if we lived close. She and I share many things in common, yet we are different enough to be interesting to the other. I am so thankful she and I have crossed paths in this forum. My hope is that we'll meet one day face-to-face.

• Kim at Lifesong shares my heart for adoption and finds herself fully in the midst of the waiting period to bring her sweet daughter, Lydia, home from China. Kim's posts regularly inspire me and bring me new perspective in my faith. I thoroughly enjoy her tips on homeschooling, raising four lovely and God-fearing children while patiently awaiting a fifth, being a Godly wife, and keeping an orderly home.

• Shalee keeps her diner hopping while serving up delicious morsels on a regular basis. She is spunky and most of her "entrees" come complete with a side of sassy that doesn't offend me at all. Just when you think you might never stop laughing at one of her tales, she comes up with something that stops you in your tracks and makes you ponder for a day, maybe two. I can only hope that someday God will see fit for me to hug my little firecracker friend around the neck.

• My other blogging buddy, Chilihead, has been making me laugh OUT LOUD for over a year now. She is a bonafide celebrity in our home, and her children's sweet faces grace our refrigerator. She is bawdy and loads of fun. I love hearing about her "Wild Thing" and "Max". She always enlightens me with new topics I've never experienced anywhere else. Many days I walk away scratching my head. Yet, I am thinking, definitely thinking. Most of all, I am devoted to making sure I someday see her without those glasses.
  
  
  So, those are my five Award Winners. Your responsibility, if you choose to accept it is to take the little banner/award and "pay it forward" to the people who cause you to think. Let someone know that what they say day in and day out matters to you.
  
  These lovely women have all said something that mattered to me.

  Labels: awards, blogging, friends, thinking