down but not out

This picture was approved by Bubba.....

Last week while on a humanitarian effort this happened. He drove home all busted, bruised, and bleeding. No doctor for him....no way. So after five days this is how he looks.

Better, I guess, but not much. He hasn't complained and says the injuries are not as bad as they look.

Tomorrow we are going to move to the beach for the next two weeks. He will swim in the warm, salty ocean to further enhance the healing process.

Any condolences can be left on this blog........

post # 400

I cannot believe that I have written 400 of these posts.
And the biggest surprise of all is that people read them.....almost 13, 000 since last October.

Who are you and why do you read?

I have always wanted to write a book, but I don't really have that in me.....but there is great joy in writing these short sketches almost every day.

I looked back the other night to my very first blog back in June of 2007. I wrote about the graves at Arlington cemetary and the tiny American flags that had been carefully placed on each one.

David has a new blog now......it is called the "Savannah Project" and it looks great. He will chronicle his ministry as it takes off here in Savannah. Excuse me if you just read an uncompleted post.....I had to go to another site to get his address.

Here it is.....http://savannahblog.wordpress.com/ Correction

O readers, I am finishing up studying the book Revelation in the Bible, and the one word I can use to describe it is comfort. I have found such great assurance and peace in it's pages.

"Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He shall dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be among them.

And He shall wipe away every tear from their eyes, and there shall no longer be any death; there shall no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away." Rev. 21: 3&4

My message has always been.......read and study your Bible every day.....it has not changed.

Cathy

newest cook in the family

Cooking.......it has to be done. Everyday we have to eat. If we don't eat we don't live.

I want to introduce to you the newest cook in the family.........Lucy.

This is her exquisite new pink kitchen.

She cooks and cooks in this kitchen for her doll Kettie and anyone who will come to her tea parties.

This morning she and I had a date for lunch and shopping while Harry went to the hospital to have his MRI done. She was dressed in this adorable pink dress with a pink bow in her hair and these..........black boots.

I thought to myself, "People will stare, but what do I care?"

They were removed before we left and replaced with flip - flops. That's a whole different story.

We don't have any information about the MRI yet by the way.

I got my camera back yesterday after two weeks in the shop and it is still not focusing as you can clearly see. It will have to go back again but not until Jake and Eli leave.

They are coming for a week next Friday and we will be at the beach. For the first time we will try to get the whole family together in a picture.

Can anyone tell me how to get my "enter" off of double space? Somehow it has gone from single spacing to double spacing and I don't know what I hit to make that start. Every now and then I am reminded of what a computer novice I am.

"Because he holds fast to Me in love, I will deliver him; I will protect him because he knows my name. When he calls to Me I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him and show him My salvation." Psalm 91: 14 - 18

This is God speaking about what He will do for His people..................

fresh butter beans

I live in the south.....the deep south.

Here we never buy butter beans in the frozen section of the supermarket.

Okra grows best in damp soil and is prolific in the late summer....the slimier the better.

A pecan is a pe "can" as in a "can of coke."

We grind our corn and make grits or we eat it fresh from the cob with lots of salt and butter and it has to be the "silver queen" variety.

The most amazing peaches come from South Carolina in August and are best enjoyed by just biting into their savory, dripping goodness.

Sweet Tea with lemon is the drink of choice.

Fresh tomatoes are red and ripe and taste like fruit.

Watermelons are devoured in large chunks right after they are cut open. They are never made into tiny balls and placed back into the rinds to be eaten with toothpicks.

And scuppernongs send me right into orbit with the first delightful burst out of their brownish shells......they are my obsession. I could eat them until I drop over in exhaustion.

Summer in the south is food....delicious, just plucked or picked, waiting to be enjoyed at a table full of friends and family.

Allow me to share a love song with you********************

Muskrat, muskrat, candlelight
Doin' the town and doin' it right
In the evenin'
Pretty pleasin'

Muskrat Susie, muskrat Sam
Do the jitterbug out in muskrat land
And they shimmy
And Sammy's so skinny

And they whirled and they twirled and they tangoed
Singin' and jingin' the jango
Floatin' like the heavens above
It looks like muskrat love

There is more but this will do for now.

written by Willis Alan Ramsey in 1971

My friend Sandy was discharged for home today.....fairly amazing I would say.

Harry is doing very well on his new medicine and has had no more seizures. He happily swam in the pool with us yesterday.

God has richly blessed everyone that I have been praying for with great news and swift recoveries. Thank you for all of your prayers.........could I ask you to keep praying?

And by the way....if you are ever in Savannah, come sit around our table with us.

with much love and thanksgiving....cathy

the water in the marsh

High on my list of sights that take my breath away is when the tide brings the water up into the marsh.

Most of the green marsh grass is covered with glistening silver.......the water creeps up to the point where it makes me wonder if it will inundate everything.

It takes a very high tide to bring the sea in as far as it came this afternoon. Again, I thank God for all of the beauty that surrounds us.

Living on the coast is such a gift. I cannot get enough of the pleasures that it gives.

Do you feel the summer slipping away? Have you noticed that the darkness is coming earlier each night? There is always for me a deep sadness that accompanies the coming of the dark and the cold.

I went to the hospital to see Sandy today. I made my way to the CCU and she had already been moved to a room. It is amazing how well she has done.....even the doctors can't believe her progress. I just attribute it to prayer because God is the one who heals.

We had no rain today......only wind and lots of really heavy humidity (the amount of water vapor in the air; moisture, dampness is the official definition). Fay may have spun over by the gulf, but her tropical touch is still here in Savannah.

Lastly, how many of you remeber the song "Muskrat Love"? I heard it today for the first time in many years......I love that song!

Wish I could remember the words.

to all who read.....thanks, cathy

at last a respite

We have had enough rain here in Savannah to last until winter.

For the last two hours the skies have held their moisture. I am not sure that it is over, but its nice to have a respite.

I have loved and enjoyed the last three days......the storm named Fay that wasn't here in Savannah, but was having such an impact.

You know it is God who controls the storms....not mother nature, whoever she is.

Psalm 89:9 "You (God) rule the raging of the sea: when its waves rise, You still them."

God is very powerful you know. There is no created being who can still a wave.

My friend Sandy is doing well. She is in a lot of pain, but they had her up early this morning sitting in a chair. Kelly said she looked good and her numbers are good. Please keep praying for her.

Harry seems to be doing well on his medicine and was glad to get out of the confines of the hospital room. We know he is in God's hands too.

I stayed home all day today because of the torrential rains, which is a rarity for me. I love resting and reading on a rainy day. After talking to Lucy for twenty-four hours straight it was time to be quiet. Yes, she even talks in her sleep.

Let's be thankful tonight for our blessings from the Lord. Even on our sickbeds we can rejoice in the good care He takes of us. As we wait patiently for our bodies to knit back together or our medicine to take effect we can rest in His faithfulness and lovingkindness to us that is new every morning.

blowing a gale

We went down to the beach this afternoon to see what the storm named Fay was doing.

On the balcony of our condo we could hardly stand up the wind was blowing so heartily.

The waves were robust encouraging some surfers and other brave souls to enjoy the water.

We brought all of the deck furniture inside. (just in case)

I think we are getting the tail end of her.....I love it.

I didn't get to take any pictures because my camera is in for repairs.

Sandy made it through the surgery and did very well. They only had to do three by-passes instead of four. The doctor told the family that she was headed for a heart attack so we are glad that they caught the artery damage in time. Thank you all for praying and continue if you will. She has many hard days ahead as she begins her recovery. It was good to be at the hospital this morning with her family.

Our little Harry was hospitalized this afternoon unexpectedly. The doctors are putting him on medication for his seizures and he needed to be monitored. Please keep him in your prayers as well.

Lucy is spending the night with us.....I just finished reading her six books and then down she went.

It has been a very long and sobering day. I am spent....ready to go to bed and relax with my book.

I have done a lot of praying for sick friends and family in the last few weeks. I know that God hears my prayers and acts on them because of verses like this one......

Psalm 62:8 "Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a
refuge for us."

Pray everyone; pray.....God hears and is glorified when we bring our hearts desires to Him.

the prayer of a righteous person

James 5:16b ".........The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working."

I would like to ask all of you to pray fervently for my friend Sandra. Tomorrow at 8:30am she will have surgery to repair three or four of the arteries to her heart.

I spoke to her just a few minutes ago and she sounded strong and resolved.....

The verse above is a comfort.......we as believers (made righteous by the blood of Christ Jesus) are promised that our prayers have great power. We don't pray in vain.......we pray with the knowledge that God hears and puts power behind our supplications.

Our pastor on Sunday started his sermon with these words which I love....."We as believers must learn to highly value God's word and seek to understand it."

As I make my way slowly through the book of Revelation, I am truly amazed at the blessing of understanding that the Lord has given me. (I am starting chapter 19)

God's word is for us....He wrote it so that we could be aware of His plan from the beginning until the end........and it is a perfect plan, exciting, taking the best of care of His chosen ones.

Please pray with me tonight for Sandy........

cathyc

the oddity shop

I just got finished looking at my son David's blog.

I know you say, he hasn't blogged much lately, but I will take whatever I can get.....especially when they are about cats.

On his post I was surprised to find a cute cat with four ears......an "oddity" to say the least.

Which in turn got me to thinking about a job I had when I was at Savannah High School.

The shop was on Waters Ave. not far from my home.

My friend Linda and I took turns helping the owner after school and on Saturdays.

The name of the shop was, The Oddity Shop, and "that" it was.

It was stocked with everything from coffee pots to adhesive tape.

The lady who owned the shop was an "oddity" herself. She had red hair and these beady little eyes that watched us like a hawk. She smoked incessantly.

She was definitely three sheets to the wind most of the time.

My tenure with the "Oddity" shop ended when she accused one of us of stealing a coffe pot. Like a just turned sixteen year old would have any use for a "pot" of any kind.

She closed her business soon after we left.

I haven't thought of any of this in such a long time, but that woman still gives me shivers up and down my spine.

Thankfully my jobs got better as time went on.

"the witness in the sky"

An impasse......that is where I am.

A deadlock, a bottleneck, a dead end of sorts.

I am in a situation that I cannot make sense of........there is absolutely nothing I can do but pray and read God's word.

In my life there has always been one more thing I can try, but not anymore. If God doesn't do something, nothing will change and I have to accept that.

Last week I was reading in Psalms and I came to these verses:

"His descendents shall endure forever, and his throne as the sun before me. It shall be established forever like the moon, and the witness in the sky is faithful." (these verses are speaking of the Lord's covenant with King David - Psalms 89: 36&37)

Later while I was praying, I asked God to give me a sign that He was remembering me in this trial that I am going through with my father and my family.

Now I know that we don't ask for signs that prove that Jesus Christ is God's Son or anything like that, but I just asked Him for a brief touch of His glory in my sadness.

This was very early in the morning and I went about the rest of my day not thinking much on what I had asked of Him.

At dusk later that same night as I was closing the blinds in our bedroom, I looked out, and over
the trees was the most beautiful moon I have ever seen.

It literally took my breath away as I remembered the verse I had read in Psalms and my prayer that morning....."the sun.....the moon......the witness in the sky is faithful."

God sent me to that window just in time to see His magestic answer to my prayer. He is faithful, just like His witness in the sky is faithful.

I am at an impasse, but God is not. He is busy accomplishing His will in my life in this situation.

To God be the Glory.........Cathy

new pots and pans

This is a picture of Lucy and I earlier this summer when we were in Chicago.

Today this sweet little girl and I went shopping together. Why? Because she needed some new pots and pans.

One of the things Lucy received when she moved to Savannah was a new play kitchen. It is pink and very pretty..........but she didn't have anything to cook with.

So.....today was the perfect time to fix that. I picked her up at about 11:00 and off we went. We both had our sunglasses and our purses.

First we went to pay Aunt Dottie a visit......then we went to eat lunch where the big gorilla is hanging on the wall, and lastly we went to shop for the needed pots and pans.

She stayed very focused. She did not ask for any other toys. We only shopped for what we needed.........a delux set of pots and every other pan that we mothers need in our own kitchen.

As an extra added bonus she received a set of "gin shu knives." (No, just kidding) She got all of the utensils that she could ever need to cook with.

We made our purchase and headed for home.....she was a perfect lady the whole time. As I kissed her for her nap I was filled up with joy for my blessings.

I will take a picture of Lucy in her kitchen as soon as I get my camera back from being repaired.

with love, g

seahorses

I remembered right where they were.

There were three of them......one gray and two orange.

Today we took Lucy and Harry to see the fish at the aquarium at the oceanographic center on Skidaway Island.

The seahorses were right where I last saw them twenty-five years ago.

Many of the books that I read to my grandchildren are about or pertaining to things in the ocean. We read about the seahorse creature all the time.

These tiny creatures seem almost mystical to me. I am fascinated by them.

God in His intricate detail created this tiny, amazing, beautiful little fish for our enjoyment and to bring glory to Himself.

How are you tonight? Are you facing a difficult time in the next few days? Look to God and rest in Him tonight.

"Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer;
listen to my plea for grace.
In the day of my trouble I call upon you,
for you answer me.
For You are great and do wondrous things;
You alone are God."

This has been a very difficult week for me. The suffering has been great.......the temptations very strong. My doubt and unbelief unbearable. I am comforted by the verses above.....I hope they do the same for you.

O the depth of the love and the mercy of God for us is beyond my comprehension. c

and a very large watermelon

Hi....my name is Cathy and I am a recovering stomach virus.

One minute I feel fine and the next minute I am under my soft and warm hedi-haun (what David called his blanket when he was a little younger) freezing to death.

This morning i had to go fasting to have my blood work done for my normal yearly physical.

I have a feeling that my cholesterol levels and such will be amazing as actually I have been fasting since last Saturday night when all of this began.

As I left the laboratory after a very bad stick and a terrible bruise, I started craving fresh peaches.

Those of you who abide in Savannah know about Polk's Produce Market.....I was drawn there as a martin is drawn to a gourd. This is what I bought:

a basket of peaches
a basket of scupponongs (they are just starting to come ripe and I love them)
a basket of tomatoes
a basket of yellow squash
a basket of okra
six ears of silver queen corn
2 lemons
and a very large watermelon

I came home and ate the peaches as if they were going out of style.

Later, as I was talking to Amanda, she asked if I might be pregnant rather than recovering from a stomach virus.

Anyway.....tomorrow night.......David and his crew will be invited to dinner and we will enjoy everything I bought today.

Except for the sccuponongs which I will keep for myself and the peaches which will be gone.

Heaven knows I must be getting better.......cathy

on being sick and things like that

One phenagin was all it took to knock me and the vomiting out. Unbeknownst to me, Bubba had accumulated a few extras of this medicine from Amanda back when she was so ill with her pregnancy.

At 6:30 am yesterday morning after suffering all night, Bubba presented me with the gift of one of these pills. I slept on and off all day long. I know that was the best pill I have ever taken.

I am better today, the fever is gone, but I still feel sickly.......I can tell all is not right with my innards.

What is interesting about an illness like this is what it does to my mind. Everything seems to be the worst it can possibly be in every situation that could possibly be going on in my life. I needed a cleansing today....a shower and a return to God's Word.

It takes daily worship....reminding myself of what is true and right and good. A day off and an illness gives Satan plenty of room to roam about my brain and cause me to think disparaging thoughts.

Knowing that this is a dangerous time for me I love this verse:

"Submit therefore to God, resist the devil and he will flee from you." James 4:8

Another of God's practical promises that can save one from despair.

getting better, cathy

Thanks for comments, e-mails, and phone calls......you all are the best!

not feeling so well

I guess I fell prey to David's Romania bug along with little Harry.

For about 24 hours I have felt like death warmed over.

I keep trying to get up and then finding myself back in bed sleeping.

The fever and the headache is unrelenting.

I keep hoping to overcome....

Bubba has been very attentive......checking on me and offering food.

If I could come back to this computer in a few hours and see lots of get well wishes maybe that would do the trick.......

until then.....sick cathy

bubbles

Remember how much fun they were when you were a child? It seems by these pictures that nothing has changed.

I paid $1.50 for the bottle of bubbles....they used to be 25 cent, but they still ilicit hands in the air joy for a little girl. I get excited by them too, but more so by the look on her face.

This afternoon we had a very loud electrical storm that knocked our power off. It's kind of a helpless feeling that comes over you. You reach for lights, and gadgets that are rendered powerless by a event of God. Your normal routine is changed very quickly.

Without the Holy Spirit a person is powerless to live the Christian life.

That is why when God calls us to be His, He gives us the gift of His Spirit to live inside of us and give us the power to believe His Word and to do what it says.

When the power comes back on after a storm, you know it immediately. Everything starts whizzing and humming again. When the power of the Holy Spirit is in a person, you also know it.

Galatians 5:22 The evidence of the Holy Spirit in a person produces these qualities:

LOVE - JOY - PEACE - PATIENCE - KINDNESS - GOODNESS - FAITHFULNESS - GENTLENESS & SELF-CONTROL.

Lord help us to practice these qualities in our lives every day.....

a most enjoyable birthday party

Today was Erika's birthday. Tonight we all gathered to wish her well.

Bubba and I made chicken salad. I made broccoli salad and a pineapple bake. It was just perfect for a sweltering August night.

It was one of those times when everything was blessed by the Lord.

I had prayed about this party early this morning. He was faithful to hear and answer my prayer. This picture is a little fuzzy, but it captures something very special......cathy

hilton head photo blog

Hope you enjoyed........c

kindness

I accidentally deleted last night's blog and it seems to be gone forever.

Tonight the computer will not let me upload my pictures.......I will try again when I finish writing.
Computers are wonderful, but they are also very tempermental......They need to be treated with kid gloves.

I have learned not to get angry at the machine and just go with whatever it wants to do.

As most of us know, life doesn't always go the way we want it too. There are events that come and completely change the course of our lives.......an unexpected illness, a death, financial difficulties, circumstances that cause you to rethink everything you've ever known.

Life on this earth is very tenuous to say the least....without Christ it would be hopeless.

As I visited a very sick friend today, I thought about how important we are to each other in the scheme of the living of our lives.

Jesus has provided everything we need for life and godliness. One of His grace gifts to us are other people. The people he has put into our lives to journey along with us.

Do we realize how important it is to nurture those people that God has given us to be our friends?

Are we kind to those people? Do we think of them often and pray for them? Do we know and care about the things that they are going through?

Kindness is one of the fruits of God's Spirit which inhabits true believers.

Kindness is a word I love to say......kindness is something I love to receive. I always tell Bubba......all I want is for you to be kind to me.

Kindness means benevolence, doing good to others, compassion.

It is a soothing word.......it roles easily from the lips. It should role easily from the heart as well.

Cathy

the pathway to the beach

This is the pathway from our beach house to the beach. Those are our blue umbrellas.......the ones we sat in all day long to enjoy the cool ocean breezes.

It was a most relaxing vacation and we arrived back home today filled with good memories of the time we spent at the beach. I have more pictures to send along in the days to come.

Bubba and I went to Harbor Town this morning where we walked around looking at the big yachts and stopping in a few stores. I bought two new books for my grandbabies. We had lunch at the Sea Shack.....it is off the beaten path, but it has some of the best seafood on the island. The lines are always long, but it's so worth the wait.

Out by the pool every morning I was able to have such a wonderful time with the Lord. His word is meant to build us up and strengthen us to face the day.

I read this one morning and I thought........I need to share this with my readers:

Psalm 84: 11 "For the Lord God is a sun and a shield; the Lord gives grace and glory; no good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly."

No good thing......."no good thing does He withhold. " from who?

Those who walk uprightly......who are those who walk this way? Those who walk in the righteousness of Jesus seeking God in His word and doing what it says.

Praise God from whom all "good things" come.

Cathy

still just relaxing.....

Not much blogging this week........ I needed a little time of rejuvenation to refresh my spirit.

We are still just relaxing and enjoying the beach.

It is amazing how sitting on the beach and listening to the surf hit the shore can take away all of one's stress and make you feel like all of the cares of the world are very far away.

May I encourage you to take care of your soul........If you can't sit on the beach, you can find a quiet place to read and study God's word and to pray.

Read Psalm 86......."unite your heart to fear the Lord." Fear in this verse means to reverence the Lord and stand in awe of him.

What struck me was the phrase, "unite your heart." Our heart becomes divided with all of the cares and distractions of the world.

When we seek the Lord and realize that whatever trial He sends our way is for our good and His glory, we can rest in the goodness of His provision for us.

from paradise.....cc