a puppy and a kitty

Lucy and I spent some time sitting on the front stoop to give out candy to Halloween trick or treaters. None came so we closed up shop and came inside to get ready for bed......Harry was long gone. I let her have one of the blow pops while we were waiting. You can see by the picture how happy that made her.

Lucy and I watched "Finding Nemo" after supper......such a good movie.

I am very tired tonight......going to bed now......at 8:00. Just wanted to say Happy Halloween with these pictures.

cathy

"God laughs"

Psalm 2: 1 -4

Why are the nations in an uproar, and the peoples devising a vain thing?
The kings of the earth take their stand
and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and against His Anointed;
"Let us tear their fetters apart, and cast away their cords from us!"
He who sits in the heavens laughs, the Lord scoffs at them.

In the big scheme of things, God finds what is going on in our nation very amusing. The Bible tells us that God laughs as the nations rage.

God is in ultimate control of everything that happens on this earth...............Satan rules, but God is in control. His laughter is a righteous anger and derision, it is Him ridiculing those who would be so bold as to set themselves up as gods with great power and authority over Him.

In the coming days we should make our ways to the polls to cast our vote for the next president of the United States. We as Christians are duty bound to be discerning as we exercise this privilege. Scripture commands us to "be subject to the governing authorities."

Romans 13:1 "Let every person be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God."

We must decide who would be the best leader of our country.
A lot of important, weighty matters hinge on this election.

Dig deep
Search for the truth
Vote wisely
As Jake says while pointing to his head, "Think! Think! Think!"

In view of all of this my vote will go to Senator McCain.

mickey mouse and the horse

It's Halloween again and I will reveal the costumes chosen for a certain few little ones that are dear to my heart.

First of all there is Eli, disguised as the ever famous Mickey Mouse. Eli loves Mickey and sleeps with him every night. He also is a faithful watcher of the Mickey Mouse show.

What else for him to appear as this year but Mickey Mouse himself.

He begs to wear this costume and preens when he is in it.....standing at the mirror and gazing at himself for long periods of time. The perfect Halloween costume.

Jake, on the other hand, loathes his costume and the picture above proves it. Amanda and I found the horse costume at Target and could not bear to leave it in the store.

When we arrived home and showed it to Jake he started crying and refusing to put it on. We finally convinced him with lots of neighing and galloping around the house, but he was never happy.

We did get him in it, but he refused to hold onto the reigns making the horse's head hang limply at it's side.

It went off with them in the van this morning in a bag. Jake told his momma on the trip that he was sure his daddy would say he didn't have to wear it. We'll see what happens.

I kind of see it as an "albatross" around his neck. Amanda sees it differently......she says the costumes are for our amusement. If that is the case it sure worked. We belly laughed for quite a while.

lol....cac

some pictures from the farm

I am tired and sad tonight. My little boys and Amanda are going home tomorrow.

Jake just told me he loved me and said, "I'll see you in the morning."

I love being around Amanda because she keeps me in stiches of laughter all the time.

Eli is so amazing as he is learning to communicate. He makes my heart so glad.

Just one question:

Why do the people I love have to live so far away???? I guess it just makes the time we do have together so much more precious.

c

a special birthday

Yesterday we were entertained at the First City Club in honor of the 80th birthday of Mr. Irvin Deal. Irvin is Estelle's husband in case you didn't know. Mitch and Rita were our gracious hosts.

In a lovely setting next to Johnson Square in beautiful downtown Savannah, we dined on a delicious array of southern comfort food. Fried chicken and ham, macaroni and cheese, collard greens and biscuits with southern jelly, and a tossed salad completed our entree.

Sweet tea with lemon and steaming mugs of hot coffee and a large birthday cake rounded out an afternoon of fun, fellowship, and good food.

The guest of honor and his lovely wife were dressed in matching colors, but said they did not coordinate on purpose. As you can see in the photo above, they looked mighty spiffy.

Many turned out to offer well wishes to Mr. Irvin who seemed to be enjoying the festivities immensely. We were all most impressed that he blew out his large "80" candle on the first try.

Birthdays are special celebrations. We were all glad to be a part of this one.

Thanks to Amanda for staying home and babysitting our four grandchildren.

Again....many more Irvin!

Cathy

in the bushes

This is our newest game. After we eat supper, we go out back and play "in the bushes." Grammy has to be a part of this game.

Lucy and Jake run and hide in the bushes by our house and I have to go and find them. They are always very obvious, but I have to pretend that I don't see their sweet faces grinning from ear to ear. They become ecstatic when I finally spot them. This game goes on and on until I drop from exhaustion.

The evening meal for Jake is always spaghetti. The first day he arrives, granddaddy makes a big pot of this tasty dish. He eats it every night he is here without fail. He never tires of it and he downs it in a flash. The clean-up of him, his clothes, his seat, the table, and the floor is extensive. Then he asks for a sippy cup of chocolate milk. What a mixture.

Bedtime is 8:00 sharp. There is a routine of potty chairing, teeth brushing, medicine taking, bath and hair washing, in a tub filled with bubbles and lots of various kind of fish. Then he gets read to. Right now it is the book "At the Beach" that has caught his fancy. It must be read two or three times at least.

After the prayer and the last kiss goodnight and his sweet "I love you" grammy and granddaddy, we turn out the light and do a little jig.

My body groans with tiredness. It begs for relaxation....I'm in bed before nine and sound asleep soon thereafter. What is amazing, though, is that in the morning I am ready to start it all over again.

All you have to say is "I love you" and I am yours forever.

Sweet dreams little man, I love you too.......grammy

after the storms

I spent some time on the beach today while Lucy, and Jake, and Bubba were napping.

Much to my surprise I found that the beach was in the process of being renourished.

Every year the storms take a toll on the beach and wash much of the sand out to sea. Huge machinery comes and sets up shop on the beach to funnel this sand back up onto the shore.

All of the entrances to the beach from our condo were blocked off and I had to lug my chair and my book a long distance just to find a place to set up camp. Soon I found myself walking on the little bit of beach that was left because of high tide.

Much to my delight each mammoth wave was delivering up beautiful, whole conch shells, star fish, and other interesting items. In one of the pictures above you can see a sampling of my treasures.

Lucy is spending the night with Jake tonight. We spent a good bit on time after dinner skipping stones into the pond behind our house. Both of them have a right fair pitching arm.

Several thoughts on Jake's "Royal Potty." It plays music when a deposit is made. It goes everywhere we go. Sometimes it plays music when no one is near it. Lucy has taken a liking to it. Granddaddy is the one who ends up carrying it.................they love it and they use it. That's what counts.

Grammy is tired tonight.....very tired. I'm going to bed right now. I'll clean up the toys in the morning.

night, night......g

fall is finally in savannah

I put it off as long as I could but I can put it off any longer. Fall has finally come to Savannah.

With lows in the forties and highs in the mid-seventies it is as delightful as can be.

Genesis 1:14 "Then God said, "Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years."

How can anyone deny the existence of God when they look at the order of His creation? I praise Him tonight for the beauty of His handiwork...

the fall flowers

the beautiful changing colors of the leaves on the trees

the brilliant blue sky

the angle and brightness of the sun

the crispness of the air

He, the Lord God who made the Universe, is too awesome for us to comprehend. All we can do is fall down in amazement before Him.

We took a walk just now.....Erika and I with three babies in a wagon. Two spilled out and then there was one left riding.....Harry, who kept wanting to ride standing up. I marvel at the work of God these little ones are. They are sponges for knowledge. They soak up everything they hear and see. What a privilege it is for me to walk through this life with them.

Jake is spending the week with us. Tomorrow we are picking up Lucy and heading for the beach. We will play in the sand and on the playground for hours on end. Warm sand and sun and a heated swimming pool. Should be a nice day.

May your sweet fall days be blessed as well.

God wants us to enjoy these lives that we have in Christ.

By the way, does anyone know when we "fall back?"

Cathy

ps This is a lovely little country church that we passed somewhere in NC. It was tastefully decorated for fall. Bubba stopped so that I could snap a few pics. I have lots of pictures of churches in my home.

You know.....steeples give glory to God as they point toward heaven.

the way it is right now

We are home................arrived a little after 4:00 pm.

Jake is sweetly asleep in his bed with his einstein pjs and rocket.

I just removed the previous blog because I was afraid that I might have put out too much information.

Sometime tomorrow I will try to pull it all together and blog again.

Don't give up on me.

Cathy

name this place in savannah

Let's see who is first to identify this famous building which has been turned into a four star hotel.

I am sitting here at my computer eating Cheetoes. I hate to admit as much, but I have a secret love of these tasty morsels. I haven't brought any into this house in over two years because I cannot resist eating them.

A couple of weeks ago Bubba walked in with two bags. At first I was stunned and then I asked, "Why did you buy those and bring them here?" His answer was unintelligible.

I eat just a few every day......practicing self control. The bad thing is that I've taught Jake and Eli to love them too. See how a bad habit gets out of control? Eli has uncontrolable urges for them and sometimes won't eat anything but.

Tomorrow we will go to Lanexa for dinner, pick up Amanda, and then on to DC. We will spend the night and return on Friday afternoon. Mark has volunteered to keep the boys while we go on this foray.

We will return home on Sunday with Jake in tow. He will stay with us for a week. We are very excited to have him all to ourselves.

There will be an interesting story coming from Amanda on this blog very soon.......no she is not pregnant. You'll just have to wait and see.

Well....my fingers and these keys are orange.....the downside to eating Cheetoes.

Tell me, if you will, if you have a secret food addiction. Now you know mine.

Cathy

in case you are worried

Don't be.

If you are listening to all of the lies being thrown around by our politicians, there is a possibility that you are feeling anxious about many things concerning what may happen in the future concerning our great country.

If you are reading God's word consistently you are reading the absolute truth from the heart of God.

If you are reading God's truth every day, you know that God's plan for us as believers is rock solid because He is trustworthy, dependable, and faithful in every way.

God tells us in His word that He has a plan for this earth from creation to restoration that is proceeding according to His will.

The earth and it's governments will not last, but God's will for His people will stand forever.

If you are watching your savings go up and down, there is assurance in that realm as well.

Here are two amazing verses:

"The Lord will not allow the righteous to hunger......." Proverbs 10:3
The righteous are believers in Jesus.

"And my God shall supply all your needs according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:19

These times require deep faith and trust in God and His Son Jesus Christ. We can't just "wing it" and hope for the best.

We do not know what may happen in the future, but we know that God is the one who ultimately controls it all.

Pray for our country....especially now. "Pray without ceasing." Beg God for mercy on our country. He sees and He know everything that is happening.

He wants us to be discerning. How do we do that? Read His word. Ask for understanding.

It is only in His word that we will find peace and rest in these troubling times.

Cathy

things I love right now

1. Rain glorious rain. Hard rain, unrelenting rain, loud and soft rain. Savannah has had several days worth. It makes for great sleep and good naps.

2. Facebook. What fun. Catching up with old and new friends. Seeing all of the pictures. Reading the status updates. Wow....I can't get enough of it.

3. Pumpkins. I have a collection and have placed them here and there around my house. We are going to attend a pumpkin festival over in Beaufort, SC, next week.

4. Amanda. She gets quite upset with me when I don't write my blog every night.

5. Fresh blue fin crab meat already picked out. To sit down and eat this delight is a true love......thanks Estelle.

6. Today's sermon. It was spellbinding about how "the heavens declare the glory of God."

7. The song, "I Adore You," by Melpo Mene.

8. The Bookmans, Erika's parent, coming to dine with us tomorrow night.

9. Candles. They shimmer and make shadows on the wall and make the earlier darkness more bearable.

10. Blogging and recieving comments.

11. The colors that Diane and Erika painted at Ole Mill.

12. The wonderful, beautiful, and free country that we live in.

13. Jake.....we will go to Virginia on Thursday to bring him back to stay with us for a whole week and we may even get to go to DC for a day.

14. The "Old English" dress that Lucy wore to church today.

15. You, of course......

"How do I love thee? Let me count the ways...................."
c

The slanted bed

We go to it every night.
We spend from six to nine hours there mostly when it is pitch black outside.
We cover it with the softest sheets we can afford.
It is a place of luxury for the senses.
We keep it very clean and smelling wonderful.
To slide between those sheets and finally relax is to be engulfed in paradise.

I am describing, in case you couldn't guess, the BED.

When we moved into this house, I purchased six inch bed-risers and raised our bed to new heights of glory. It was a masterpiece. Covered with a duvet and lots of pillows it was a joy to behold.

While visiting with my doctor a couple of weeks ago for a check-up he suggested that a bed slanted to a fifteen degree angle at the head would keep one in good health and happiness all their life long.

"Wow," I said, "that sounds like a good deal to me......anything for long life and happiness."

I waited a while to tell Bubba. I couldn't fathom giving up my high bed.

When I finally told him, he wanted to give it a try. We needed three 4 inch blocks to fix it all up.

Many years ago when our church was constucting it's new building he had picked up some scrap wood..........a good, solid, sturdy 4x4 was found and I was asked to stand on it while he used his power saw to cut three lovely four inch square blocks.

We took the bed apart and sadly removed the six inch bed-risers excitedly replacing them with the four inch blocks only at the head. The bed was put back together.

It was the saddest looking thing I've ever seen......but hey, this wasn't about looks, it was about health and happiness right?

The first night we both felt like we were going to slide off the end of the bed.

By the third night our backs and legs felt strained.

By the end of the week we were getting up super early because we just couldn't stand to be in the bed another minute.

Monday morning Bubba asked very kindly if "didn't I think it was time to give up with the slanted bed." He said he would keep on with it if I wanted too.

Monday night we were back on our six inch risers.

So much for health and happiness.....we just want comfort for our rest.

cathy

for jake, lucy, eli, and harry

Come to me you little ones,
Come to the edge of the sea.
Come and stand where the waves touch our feet.
Come and stand with me.

These are the glorious days my friends,
The time when all things are new.
The ocean holds endless surprises for us
As we walk by it's waters so blue.

So soon you will grow to be big girls and boys,
These moments are precious and few.
So come and stand in the waves with me,
Stand, be amazed, and enjoy.

by Cathy

pertaining to a previous blog

Take a look at the blog entitled, "i knew i would love it."

Click on the comments and read them.....it may be interesting.

Please, if you will, give your view on large aquariums.

I will probably blog later on.

Cathy

pansies, snap dragons, and a pot of my favorite rosemary

Lovely, are they not?

Yesterday I bought these plants to replace my summer garden which has started to look frightful and sad.

I like to look out of my window and see flowers. They are beautiful and cheerful and a reminder of God's amazing creative abilities.

Tonight Lucy and I were going to plant these lovelies, but it started to rain so we have to wait until another day. She had a hard time giving up our plans, but she did not cry and for that I commend her highly.

As I was reading my Bible this morning, I came across this verse:

"He (God) established the earth upon its foundations,
so that it will not totter forever and ever."
Psalm 104:5

Does this not thrill you right out of your chair?
I so love to read God's word and come across these kinds of verses.

Do we mere mortals ever stop and consider that this earth upon which we live is spinning on an axis in space and revolving around the sun every year?

This God who put all of life into motion is utterly and completely trustworthy.

He has been teaching me to trust Him in these last few years.
I am learning to trust Him by reading about Him in His word.

Read you Bible, people I love......read it every day. Set your goal to find out as much as you can about this God who "set this earth upon its foundation so that it will not totter forever and ever."

I love you so much......c

shamu and the mystery shadow

This is the picture I will blog under in a little while.
This blog is yet untittled.
All you can do is wonder who that is standing by Bubba.
Bubba does look extremely happy whoever it is......

Erika took this picture. She said that her thumb was over the flash. I think it is funny.
Most assuredly Bubba paid her beforehand to blot me out........yes it is me in case you didn't know.

Thanks for the comments....I crave them. In fact I think I will name this blog after the second comment because it made me laugh out loud.

Since I wrote and promised to finish this later, I have gotten very tired so this one will be short. I've cleared up the mystery.

I hope I don't recieive any animadversion for this blog, especially when someone sees it's title.

love to you.......c

i knew i would love it

It was overwhelming when we first walked in.......the amazing view of all sorts of fish swimming in schools and huge whale sharks floating right past our eyes. They are the largest fish in all of the oceans. Because of being in captivity, they are only half the size that they would be in the wild.

The acrylic walls of the tank are two feet thick....an amazing feat of technology.

I loved the Beluga whales the best. I posted a picture of them this morning. Some of these wonders were rescued from an amusement park in Mexico. They had a roller coaster in action over their tank. Needless to say, they were not in very good health when they came to Georgia.

What really made the difference was our backstage tour with Amy. She is the sister of David and Erika's friend from Chicago. She is the veterinarian for the Aquarium. She has worked at the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago and the Brooklyn Zoo in New York. She really knows her stuff.

We were allowed to walk on the catwalk above the big tank where the whale sharks swim. He would go round and round swimming on top of the water right under our feet. We could not help but be awed by this huge shark heading straight for us.

The animals are so well fed and taken care of that it lessened my sadness that they don't have the whole big ocean to swim in.

For the most part God didn't make it possible for us to see what is going on under the water. That is by His design. This Aquarium is a small glimpse into a wonderland that is mostly hidden from our eyes.

Thank you dear Lord for the beauty of the sea creatures that you spoke into existence.

And God said, "Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures..........So God created the great sea creatures and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarm according to their kinds." And God said that it was good.

Genesis 1: 20 & 21

i knew that i would love it and i did.......c

bubba's toothbrush

Other than using Bubba's toothbrush to clean the bathroom sinks this morning, I think I am almost back to normal after our visit to Atlanta.

I made a special trip to the laundry room to get an old toothbrush for the job, but inadvertently picked up Bubba's instead. I am glad I realized this mistake before putting it back for him to use later.

We left Atlanta at about 3:30 yesterday afternoon and arrived safely back home at 8:oo pm. Later today I will post again, writing about our visit to the Aquarium.

In the above photo you will see a beluga whale. Beluga means white, so there you go. This one's name is Nico. To sit and watch these whales swim is most relaxing.

Our trip was fun and the babies did well. We are truly blessed in all things.

cathyc

getting lost in atlanta

I lived in this city for eighteen years....I don't think that I ever got lost.
Maybe one time down around Newnan, but that doesn't really count.

Today when Erika and I got a shot at freedom to go shop without the babies, I got us lost.
We made it to Ballard Designs, but from there it was downhill all the way.
I knew when I could no longer see the skyline of Atlanta that I was headed in the wrong direction.

The sad thing is that we had Erika's Magellen.....the handheld computer that gives explicit directions.

She gets annoying some times with her droning voice, but she usually does a pretty good job of getting you where you desire to go. Not today.

We finally came out in west Atlanta on I 285.

We came back to our hotel in defeat.......the men could not believe that we were home already and the babies were still napping.

Oh well.....such is life on the road. It did pain me to waste all of that expensive gasoline.

Tomorrow we go to the Aquarium and then back home......

What a wonderful time we have had here in my old hometown.

I love trips!!!!!

Cathy