Category / Family

All about family

by Brandi Talmadge

🌟 Big Announcement! 🌟

Hey friends!  I’ve been sitting on this news for a while, but it’s finally time to share – please join us in welcoming our newest fur baby to the family, Miss Daisy Mae 🐾.  The pictures show her during and after rescue.

As responsible pet parents, we rescued her from Lovable Paws Rescue, and we couldn’t be more excited to give her the love and care she deserves.  We kept this news quiet for a bit because when we first brought her home, she was in very poor health. 😢  The neglect she endured from her previous owner – who callously dumped her and said they “didn’t have time for her” – broke our hearts.  While I’m thankful they made the right choice by letting her find a loving family, it’s hard to understand how some people can treat animals like disposable objects. 😞

On a happier note, Daisy Mae found her forever home with us on 4/6/24 – the same day as Mike and my Wedding Anniversary, just two days before my birthday! 🎉  While we didn’t get to celebrate with the usual fanfare (our world was turned upside down caring for her medical needs), she has brought so much joy into our lives already.

Unfortunately, it hasn’t been an easy road. From severe neglect, we also had a serious flea infestation that took six months to finally clear up.  It was a battle, but we’re happy to say that the fleas are officially gone! 🦟❌  It’s only been two weeks since our house & business became flea-free, and you wouldn’t believe the relief on our pets’ faces after months of nonstop itching.  Daisy, along with our other fur babies Ryker and Lucy, have been through a lot these past six months, including allergic dermatitis from flea bites, which caused painful itching and scabs.  Ryker and Lucy are fully healed, and Daisy is on the mend with treatment.

Recently, we also had a scare when Ryker started limping and struggling to get up from rest.  He’s been on pain meds and is slowly recovering from a muscle strain, but we’re hopeful for a full recovery soon! 💪🐾

If you’ve made it this far, thank you for reading our long update and for supporting us in our journey. 🙏  Please, if you’re looking to add a pet to your family, adopt – don’t shop!  The overpopulation of pets is a huge issue, and too many animals are waiting for a loving home in rescues.  Breeding pets for profit only worsens the problem, and many of those animals end up abandoned once the “newness” wears off.  A pet is a lifelong commitment, not something to be tossed aside when it’s no longer convenient.

Let’s work together to change the narrative – please consider adopting a rescue animal and giving them a chance at a loving forever home. 🐶💖

by Brandi Talmadge

Goodness is Stronger than Evil

I’m seeing more evil out and about than I’ve seen in my entire lifetime . . . felt it important to share a word of wisdom that goodness is stronger than evil!

Scripture states, “Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good” (Romans 12:21).

⭐️ Spread goodness and do something nice for someone today‼️

About the Image: I captured this image in our new hometown . . . The historic Church of the Cross graces the May River bluff on Calhoun Street in Bluffton SC. Built in 1857, soon followed by Federal troops burning down most of the town in 1863, sparing the church that stands beautifully to this day. 🙏🏻

by Mike Talmadge

Secretary Desk Refinished

This desk was my grandmother’s Martha Talmadge somewhere prior to 1960. Then handed down to my father William G. Talmadge somewhere in the mid 70’s.  I remember this in my bedroom when I’d visit on the weekends.  In 2016 my father obviously got this crazy idea to paint it black and I think added the bottom shelf at that time.  I can see where a cross brace used to be, now this shelf.  He apparently found the wood (pine) for the shelf from something old from the Electric Storage Battery Company (now Exide battery company). He signed the bottom 2016 when he painted it.  After inheriting a few years ago and spending more than 30 hours stripping down and oil finishing it, it is now back, close to the origin condition.  They don’t make furniture out of solid oak anymore.

by Mike Talmadge

Who Needs Eggnog

https://youtube.com/watch?v=MhdGBjUkIpg%3Fsi%3DTFEeaVffxNGbzczi

Join Mike and Brandi from Thought Out while they make Eggnog. PLEASE like, comment and subscribe!

by Mike Talmadge

Sunset at Windmill Harbour – Hilton Head Island

The Talmadge’s enjoying a beautiful May sunset .

Windmill Harbour – HHI
by Brandi Talmadge

It’s Been Awhile . . .

Our lives have been such a whirlwind the last year that this blog came in very last place.  Mike and I started this blog as a way to share our lives with family and friends and personally for me it’s a nice way to journal our lives in a non-daunting format.

With the purchase of our new home and the ever expediently growing business we run, it’s left very little time for other things in our lives.  I’m always amazed at how God changes things in our lives when we least expect them and always for the better, even if you don’t think so at first.  With this preface, the following two major changes in our lives was the work of our creator of which both I personally put a fight up against at first.

OUR HOME

The final choice of our home is interesting in the way of it’s location within Shelton.  You see, there are four sections within the City of  Shelton and the section this house resides in is the furthest away from any sort of ease of convenience and because of that, White Hills was the last area in which we were willing to purchase (at first).  We actually drove past the home we now own in our early days of looking and we both said “hmmm….nope, it’s too plain and it’s too far away from everything.  I say that loosely speaking in the sense that we’re really “only” 15 minutes from many conveniences.   Well after months of looking and the timing coming right down to the last minute to find a home because our other home had sold, we reluctantly decided to look in the “ever so far away” White Hills section of Shelton.  We drove down our street to this home that we declined so many months before and on this day it was perfect in so many ways!  Our eyes and hearts had been opened this time around and I know for me that I really didn’t know what I wanted in a home or which location I wanted until that very day we walked back onto this property.  My, can I tell you what a perfect location this home is for us!  We’ve quickly come to love living this far out from the daily hub bub, beeping car horns and loudness that comes with busy downtown areas.  Instead of pesky cars and loud noises we now have beautiful deer, wild turkey and so many species of birds to look at and listen to.  On many days, I look around and am amazed that we actually own all of this abundance.  I never thought I’d actually own “woods” and it’s gorgeous walkable woods with a running brook, gigantic Connecticut rocks, and wild ferns.  We’ve been hard at work all this year too with landscaping the land around our home.

MY PERSONAL CAREER

Thought Out Company is doing so well that it requires both Michael and I full time.  Within the last year or so I was given the “clearance” by Michael to go full time for our business but I had such a struggle in actually leaving “my” career, the thing I’ve advanced at and have done so well with for my entire adult working life.  It has always been there for me, I depended on it, it kept my head above water and supported me through thick and thin, when I was alone and had noone but myself to depend on.  It was extremely hard for me to find it in my heart to actually “want” to leave my personal career.  I had fear of what will I do if if if if…..UGH well let me tell you it took this last year for me to go through my own internal process of finding my way through this huge career move.  I woke up one day over a month ago and finally realized and actually felt in my heart that I really am an essential part of the success of our personal business and with that exact moment I knew it was time to leave the medical field “my career” and take on this exciting move to assist in the advancement and full success of our business.  And so it was still with a heavy heart that I gave my notice to Orthopaedic Surgeons and not long after my position was filled by another body and I formally went full time for Thought Out on Friday, November 19th.  Within one weeks time of this change my personal whirl wind days have already changed, I have more time for things that have gotten pushed aside for far too long (years!).  I get giddy just thinking about it all, even sitting here typing to our blog is something I haven’t had time for in the last year.  I love waking up, getting ready for work at the Thought Out office knowing that every single thing I do is to benefit our family.  It’s truly an act of God, the patience of a supporting husband, and the flexibility of my heart that has allowed this abundant change in my personal career. I owe a great deal of gratitude to my husband for allowing all of this to unfold and come to reality.  He is one of a kind and a man that will make anything happen once he’s set his mind to it.  Love that man of mine!!!

The pictures featured today are from a family walk on Oct 30th at East Village Park.  This is a great park for all of us living in the White Hills section of Shelton.  I had interrupted him during one of his outdoor wood chipping or tree planting excursions to tag along with Scottie and I to the park for some play time.  Love him for being so tolerant of my spontaneous requests.  It’s a rarity that he says no to me which makes me love him even more.

by Talmadge House

The Smallest of Gifts = The Soul of One’s Heart

Memorial Day on our boat this year was indeed special!  Bridget & Jeremy blessed us with their presence and in tow was one of the cutest little girls on the planet, Isabella.  And to my surprise she anxiously awaited my return to give me this special surprise she had made especially for mua.  One doesn’t “need” their own children to experience the compassion, love and thoughtfullness only a child can give.  I find it straight through my nieces and nephews whom are some of the most loving children I know!

Along with the beautiful flower Isabella so graciously picked out of her dance rehearsal bouquet she wrote a letter with a picture of our boat and how much she loves visiting us on the boat.  My sister allowed her to sound out and spell the words by herself.  By the way, I think the now dead flower looks just as lovely as it was alive, it’s just a different color now.  hehe

It says “Aunt Brandi I Love it” with an arrow pointing at her drawing of the boat.  The part that looks like the sun is the wheel of the boat and I believe the two little lines to the left of the wheel is the captains seat.

This is the backside of her letter saying she loves me and loves being at our boat.  Don’t you love how she spells “at Brade” meaning “aunt Brandi”.  Then she writes “I love you at Bran” . . . the “bran” cracks me up because I’ve always despised being called Bran for short.  Sounds like a box of cereal or something.  What a sweet thought to give a gift to her auntie that usually only mom’s experience.  From the soul of my heart, Thank you Miss Bella you make me smile!  You’re so sweet I could put you in my coffee.

Picture was taken of Isabella and I sitting on the bow of the boat.  I didn’t know Mike had taken this picture until I uploaded to find it amongst all the others.  She was telling me stories about a mouse of which I now forget how the story goes. I do recall her saying “he was the sweeeeeetest mouse!”

by Talmadge House

Time With Our Niece

I had the pleasure of having Isabella this past weekend.  It was an awakening experience, tiring, inspiring, exhausting, loving and everything else in between.  Isabella’s mom and dad took their first vacation away and spent a week in Italy (they so deserved this time)!  The following are snippets of this and that while she stayed with Uncle Mike and I.

Friday I picked her up from Daycare and off we went for our 1-hour drive to Auntie Brandi’s house and the little voice waffled through my car the ENTIRE way!  Was enlightening to hear the stories and the life of a five year old.  One of her stories went like this:

Bella:  Aunt Brandi, what if a ghost comes into my tent when I’m sleeping at your house and tries to get me?

Me:  I will wrap the ghost up in a blanket, tie him up and throw him in the trash.

Bella:  Aunt Brandi, if you feel something tickling your feet when your sleeping what do you think it will be?

Me:  I think it will be Scottie licking my toes.

Bella:  Naut Ah, it will be the ghost . . . teeeehehehehehehehehe

Me:  Silly girl

Saturday we went to see a cabaret show.  The picture above was taken before going inside the Downtown Cabaret Theatre to see the 1 1/2 hour show, The Three Little Pigs.  She was elated while Uncle Mike and I were umm amazed by the number of children they squished into this place and certain we’d come down with some sort of illness.  By the way the show was very good and I’d recommend it if you live nearby.

Sunday morning she asked for eggs with soft yolks and toast, this is the same breakfast she asked for Saturday morning as well.  She likes to put the egg on the toast (like poached eggs).  Upon placing her breakfast in front of her she proceeds to eat then the conversation went like this:

Bella:  Aunt Brandi can you cut the crust edges off my toast.  (mind you I had already put the egg on top of the toast and cut the toast into bite size pieces)

Me:  Why didn’t you tell me you didn’t like the crust edges before I cut everything up.  And by the way you ate the edges yesterday why don’t you want them today?  (I’m starting to realize that reasoning with a child is challenging)

Bella:  I ate the crust edges yesterday because I wanted to eat your food and not complain.

Oh WOW . . . a five year old with manners even if it was for one meal.

I notice she has two phrases she uses a lot right now

1.  “Are you kidding me?”

2.  “Wait just a minute”

We built a make shift tent/fort (she called it her room) in the middle of our living room.  She wouldn’t allow any of the animals in with exception of her stuffed animals.  She did make an exception for our cat Wilbur.  I think it was Isabella’s compassion after learning she had been in the hospital and wasn’t feeling well.  She petted her and displayed a great amount of empathy for Wilbur.  We played Candy Land, put puzzles together, watched Narnia and Hoodwinked, colored tons of pictures, watched Noggin cartoons in all the in between times, and made cards for all the actors in the upcoming Arial show at the Cabaret Theatre (by the way Bridget & Jeremy she says she wants to go with Dylan to see that show LOL).

Upon taking her back to her other home away from home Mike & I returned to an eerily quite home that oddly felt empty to me.  I was shocked with how much I missed this bouncy full of life little niece of mine and I had only had her for two nights.  It was a great time and I thoroughly enjoyed having her for the weekend.

by Talmadge House

Time To Schedule Time For Food And Beer!

Last year we had my father’s birthday party (video) at the East Side Resturant, everyone who joined had such a great time we figured we do it again (but without the birthday party).

Their website has been updated and worth checking out.

So now it comes time to schedule it.

Who is coming and when should we go?! Email us or leave a comment (we are thinking Feb 21 or 22).

by Talmadge House

New Year’s Eve Snow Fall

It couldn’t get much better than this (for me anyways) . . . a snowie New Year’s Eve Day!  Thought I’d take a picture of where Mike and I spent quite a bit of time this fall and planned on doing the same this winter.  HEHEHE . . . Well we haven’t been out there yet this winter and can you blame us?  Lets see . . . a nice warm wood stove inside or the wood chimenea outside on the cold snow covered earth.  Emmm . . . yeah, well we’ve been content by the inside fire thank you very much.

I sure did go to work today but left at 1:30 not so much cuz of the road conditions but more so cuz the entire office left at 1PM and well it is New Year’s Eve so out the door I ran!  I’ve got the chicken wings getting ready to be baked and a bunch of other finger foods lined up.  And of course we’ll have champagne but before midnight.  We like to eat and be merry all night long which starts right about hmmm . . . now.

2008 was a prosperous and healthy year and am praying 2009 promises the same.  Hope your New Year’s promises much prosperity, love and health.  Happy New Year’s Eve!