as we say good-bye to november

I have some very beautiful Christmas music playing in my house.
That music stirs my soul for the sights and sounds of Christmas.

Before we leave November behind I want to touch on thankfulness once again.
I write a portion of the Psalms out every morning (much to my delight) and I am amazed at how many verses are devoted to being thankful. Here is a small sampling..............

"Praise the Lord! I will give thanks to the Lord with all my heart."

"Give thanks to the Lord for He is good; for His lovingkindness is everlasting."

"Open to me the gates of righteousness; I shall enter through them, I shall give thanks to the Lord."

"I shall give thanks to Thee, for Thou hast answered me; and Thou hast become my salvation."

"Thou art my God, and I give thanks to Thee."

"Save us O Lord our God, and gather us from among the nations, to give thanks to Thy holy name."

"Let them give thanks to the Lord for His lovingkindness, and for His wonders to the sons of men!"

When we examine in God's word who He is and what He has done for us, our response should be to fall down and worship Him and give thanks to His holy name every day for the whole of our lives.

Being faithful to give thanks in all things brings the good blessing of joy and peace in our hearts & minds.

My nap today was a three hour one. I finally crashed hard after all of the festivities of the holiday.

The boat parade last night was awesome. It was raining a little, but that didn't matter. After the parade there were fireworks, but they fizzled in the rain. Next year we want to decorate Frankie's boat and be in the parade. What do you think?

goodbye.....c

the day after the day after thanksgiving

Our Thanksgiving Day was perfect.

After praying early that all would go well, we got off to a fast start and didn't stop until we fell into bed that evening.

We think that this was the best turkey we have ever fried. Bubba dropped her into the boiling vat of peanut oil at about 8:00am and she was golden done by 9:30 am.

The best part of the morning was when Frankie came to drop his turkey into the vat. At the same time Bubba got my skewers and started dropping lengths of fresh sausage into the oil to fry. When Frankie's turkey was done he invited everyone out to do a "turkey picking."

If you have never dug into a turkey straight out of the vat, you have really missed something.
The crispies are the best part to me. The sausage was amazing cooked that way.

Let me explain....Frankie is my brother. He and his family were not at our gathering this year, but he wanted to take advantage of our oil to fry him a turkey to take home and eat as leftovers.
He was kind enough to let us partake and he named his turkey the pre-bird.

Of course all of us who partook of the pre-bird and the fried sausage were not as hungry when it came time to have the dinner, but that's okay, it was so worth it. And the leftovers have been so good.

We all lingered over dinner, laughed a lot, and then had coffee and desert. The festivities didn't end until almost five o'clock and our dinner was at one.

Things I'm thankful for right now:

God in my heart
my family
raindrops
good food
Rita's rum cake (we finished the last of it at lunch today)
looking forward to Christmas
a nap that I am getting ready to take
a warm day

We are going to the other side of the river tonight to see the boats parade on the water all decorated for Christmas with lights and sparkly things. They have closed part of Broughton Street and have made an ice skating area. I can't wait to see all of this.

Because the frying party was so much fun, Bubba wants to have a gathering where we get the oil really hot and start frying what we want....maybe chicken, chicken wings, sausage, bacon, (mitch said that bacon was delicious done this way) shrimp, and on you could go. We'll have to see.

Blessings everyone from me....

what happens when we're not thankful?

God, through His inspired writers, has a lot to say about being thankful in His word.

He says to "be thankful in all things."
He doesn't just suggest the above, He commands it.

Why?

Because God knows that the Christian life will be difficult and that we need all the help we can get. To be thankful is to be content in Him.....to agree with Him about His will for us.

The opposite of being thankful in all things is to grumble and complain about what God is doing in our lives.

Being unthankful makes us bitter, it makes us forget to show love to those around us, it makes us ugly inside and out. Being unthankful drives people away.

I am going through the most difficult time in my life right now, but I am thankful in it. I know that God is working in my life and in the lives of those involved. Every morning before I start my day I must read God's word and pray................

Psalm 16:8 "I have set the Lord continually before me; Because He is at my right hand I will not be shaken."

Without this I fail......I literally have to stop dead still in my day and remind myself of this verse.

Things not going your way? Stop and be thankful for all of your blessings instead of fighting against God. I have heard someone say many times, "Where is God? Where is God in this?" He is right there but you can't see Him because you won't accept His way in Your life.

Never be too busy to be an encourager.....you never know who needs you.....c

thanksgiving in savannah

In the grand Thanksgiving tradition of the deep south, there will be blue and white hydrangeas on the formal table in the main dining room. Sitting on a white linen tablecloth surrounded by ivory bone china, crystal goblets, and sterling silver utensils, the flowers will be the centerpiece around which all else entails.

The casual dining room will be set around an antique green pot of scented rosemary, a favorite of the hostess. The festive colors of fall will be evident in the rustic pottery plates, serving pieces, and napkins that adorn this table. Pictured is my new Thanksgiving tablecloth which is sure to be a favorite of the younger set.

(I love this I guess you can tell.)

The appetizer will be a baked apple, raspberry, walnut brie served with french rounds.

The big turkey that I mentioned in an earlier posting will be dressed and seasoned by the host with a secret recipe of herbs and spices and fine white wine. Accompanying the turkey will be:

Broccoli salad

Cranberry salad with orange sauce

Cornbread dressing

Green beans

Sweet potato casserole

Hash brown casserole

Squash casserole

Fresh dinner rolls

Coconut cake and Rita's yummy rum cake will be served with coffee as the afternoon evolves.

We will start gathering at 12:30 and dinner will be served about 1:00 or after the appetizer has been enjoyed by all.

Very thankful, cathy

lucy in amanda's dress

She spent the night with us last night.
She and I sat in the big chair under a blanket and watched Winnie the Pooh.
She moved her chair close to mine so we could eat breakfast together. (literally)
She took her bath in grammie's big tub this morning.
She wore amanda's dress to church. (Amanda wore this dress when she was little)
I had to chase her to get this picture.
Thank you God for this precious child to love.

Getting ready for a large feast in one's home involves a lot of preparation.

While in Wal Mart on Friday I made an impulse buy....a Shark steam-cleaner for the floor. Erika put that thing together and steam-cleaned all of the hardwood floors for me yesterday. She also vacumned the stairs going up to the "man cave." What a nice thing to do! I am thankful for you.

Tonight I have poured over my recipes for all of the things that go with a Thanksgiving feast.
Bubba, who does most of the grocery shopping nowadays will bring home the things I have written down. He also chops onion and celery like a pro. On top of that he will fry up the big turkey and cook up a big pot of turnip greens and ribs. All of this will be done on outside cookers.

I have ironed the table linens and dusted the furniture and have cleaned the bathrooms so that all guests will think I keep my house this clean and orderly all of the time.

Wednesday I will cook all day and have my casseroles ready to slip in the oven on Thursday morning.

I think Thanksgiving is a labor of love and I am thankful to be back with my family in Savannah in a house that will accomodate anyone who would like to come.

It is our joy to open our home....may God bless all who enter to share our fellowship and blessings.

Thanking God in everything.....Cathy

"baby it's cold outside"

What is this? Do we live at the North Pole? The wind is freezing. We were going to the beach this afternoon, but we decided to cancel.

This will be a short blog.....I just had to tell my exciting news. Erika found an article this morning in the Savannah paper online that said PF Changs is coming to Savannh. Can you believe our good fortune?

A large residential and commercial venture is being built downtown on the river and Changs as well as William Sonoma have already signed leases to build there.

It is so true, "Good things come to those who wait."

love, c

she's a big one

We bought our turkey to fry today. She weighed in at twenty-two pounds and counting.
She is a big, bouncing Butterball. My taste buds are already craving the taste.

I am starting to plan and prepare for this Thanksgiving. The number of guests keep changing, but that is okay. There will be plenty of food for everyone. If fact, if you don't have a place to go, come eat with us.

Yesterday I went to Jacksonville, Florida with David, Erika, and Lucy. Bubba stayed home and kept Harry. We went to shop and to eat at PF Changs. The truth is that their are some of us who can only go so long before we have to have their food. We have all been PFC deprived since we moved back to Savannah.

We ate outside and went ahead and ordered everything we love:

crab wontons with plum sauce
spring rolls
crispy fried noodles with sweet and sour sauce
garlic noodles
kung fu shrimp
spicy chicken
brown rice
and yes, the fortune cookies

Here is mine....."every person is the architect of his or her own fortune." This is not true as God is the one who ordains and orchestrates our lives. Fortune cookies are fun, but rarely reliable.

Oh my goodness, it was so good. I will not want it again for a while, but when I do it is only 2 1/2 hours away.

The shopping area was wonderful. On the way home Lucy conked out and when she woke up we sang nursery rhymes all the way back to Savannah.

I want everyone to be working on their thankful list all the way up to Thanksgiving. Of course we should do this every day of our lives, but Thanksgiving is a special time to start a list.

And if you will, let me know what you are thankful for...........

Give thanks with a grateful heart. Everything we have comes from God.

Cathy

a fire in the fireplace

One of the loves of my life is a fire in the fireplace. I made that desire come true tonight.

This house has no natural gas coming to it so the fireplace has sat empty since we moved in last March. Now that it has gotten so cold and dark, I have been longing for the warmth of a cozy fire.

Today I started thinking seriously about what I could do to make that happen. Suddenly I thought, fireplace logs. Hooray!

I got myself over to the nearest Wal Mart and purchased a whole box of three. After dinner I got one out and read the instructions, but not before I had ripped open the packaging and handled the greasy mess that it was.

Then I read the instructions that said I was to put the log on the grate in the package and light the seam. Oh well.....too late for that piece of info to do me any good. I did rewrap the log and light the seam which soon resulted in the glorious picture that you see above.

There it is in all of its glory;

giving off its soft glow
flickering on the wall
offering warmth on a very cold night

Okay...I know it is not the real thing.

But I will say this, It is better than nothing.

I've looked ahead to see that this Thanksgiving will be cold and you can know for sure that several of these will be burned on that wonderful day. Family, good food, and a fire to gather around. It doesn't get any better than that.

Praise God from whom all blessings flow.

Very thankful, Cathy

first freeze

I cut these Gerbers just a little while ago. They will be the last of the season.
Bubba bungeed a box (how about that alliteration?) on top of them but we will see if they survive.

Tonight it is predicted to be 24 degrees......too cold - too soon.

We arrived home from Virginia at about 4:00 yesterday afternoon. We stopped at our favorite Maurice's Bar-b-que and picked up a pound of ribs to have for dinner last night. They were yummy good as is everything else they serve.

I am receiving lots of e-mails telling me to be careful "out there." They say that crime is getting worse and that we are "not safe anywhere."

I refuse to live with that kind of mentality.

This world that we live in is and has always been ruled by Satan himself. All of the evil that has ever transpired has been a result of sin. Murder and robbery and the such is as old as mankind and has always existed.

We must be wise.....vigilant to pay attention to what goes on around us. We must be careful where we go and when we go to certain places. We must continue to take all of the precautions we have always taken to keep ourselves and those we love safe.

But to live in fear is against the principals of the Bible:

I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety. Psalm 4:8

The fear of man brings a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord shall be safe. Proverbs 29:25

It looks like Mark and Amanda will recoup almost everything they lost Friday night because they have renter's insurance and the things that were stolen were deemed to be household items.

David and Erika will not get their navigation system replaced.

It is amazing at times like these how thankful we become that the things that were lost were just things. It is frustrating, it is a violation against your self when someone goes into your vehicle or your home and is among your possessions, but we can overcome by thinking God's thoughts about the situation.

Amanda's Bible was in the bag with her computer and was stolen. That very night she prayed that the robbers would somehow be convicted to read God's word and that it would cause a change in their hearts.

She also told me that it was so good that she and Mark were at a biblical counseling conference with about twelve other people from their church. Such an amazing opportunity to act rightly in a very tough situation!

No one can take away from us that which is most important and that would be our future life with Christ in heaven.

See to your eternal soul today "while it is still day." Cathy

somewhere.......

Somewhere beyond the sea,
Somewhere waiting for me,
My lover stands on golden sands
And watches the ships that go sailing......

Its far beyond the stars,
Its near beyond the moon,
I know beyond a doubt,
My heart will lead me there soon.

Yesterday, on one of our car rides, Jake, in the backseat started belting out this song in the clearest, sweetest voice I have ever heard.

I turned around in amazement and he asked me to join him in song. I told him that I didn't know all of the lyrics. Today I looked them up so that we can sing together.

This is a fitting song for a grammie and her grandson to sing together because we both love the beach and the night sky so much.

Jake and Eli have the stars and the moon on their ceiling that we ouh and ah over every night at bedtime.

The magic is seeing it all again through the eyes of a child. I wouldn't miss this for the world!!!

grammie

Hi Lucy and Harry................I miss you!

sleep little baby.......

We took the boys over to Newport News this morning to go to Sam's. It was about forty-five minutes from Lanexa. I told Bubba that Eli would probably fall asleep on the way home.

This is a dreaded happening because it ruins the much coveted, long, afternoon nap that most babies take. This two hour span gives the adult in charge time to catch a breath before they wake up and it starts all over again.

Well, Eli did exactly what I predicted......he drifted off to dreamland. There is nothing one can do to stop this from happening. You can sing, and clap, and stand on your head saying nursery rhymns, but in the split of a second they are out like a light.

We made a quick plan (this never works) but we made it anyway. " Bubba, you gently extract him from his carseat and I will unlock the door. You take him upstairs and lay him ever so carefully in his crib without removing his shoes or his sweater." And then you hope like there's no tomorrow that the plan will work.

It doesn't.

He stays happily in his bed for a short while and then starts crying to "GET UP." Bubba appears, takes him downstairs, and tells me to rest.

Things finally quiet down after about 30 minutes. Bubba has gotten him to lie down on the sofa by him and he is finally drifting off......HAPPY DAYS ARE HERE AGAIN!

About that time it sounds like the back of the house is being beaten down. It is the UPS man delivering about 100 boxes for the church which is closed on Friday afternoon.

Bubba, who is also just drifting off comes off of that sofa like a shot and Eli is wide awake again.

I go get the little fella who is fit to be tied, put him back in his crib, but no sleep comes. Finally, I bring him to my bed, cover him with a down feather comfoter put my hand on his back, and watch him fall asleep.

What a joy to witness those big blue eyes get heavy and close. I love him so....

Amanda just called from Pennsylvania......someone broke into their van while they were in a session and stole everything they had....both computers, the boys two DVD players, and bags full of merchandise from Macys that Amanda had bought for her E-bay business. Every picture she has ever taken of Eli was on that computer and they are all gone. David had called earlier to tell us that someone had stolen their GPS system.

It makes one angry and sad.

just a little bit

We have survived our first day.
"Finding Nemo" has been silenced.
Eli has been given penicillin, advil, and eardrops.
Jake took his eight-minute breathing treatment.
I forgot to brush their teeth.
Bubba has collaspsed on the sofa.
And I have come to my blog.

I need to write "just a little bit."
I always feel that I disappoint my readers if I go for days without posting.

Jake is learning the children's catechism.
Hearing these in a child's voice warms my heart:

Jake, who made you? God made me.
What else did God make? God made everything.
Why did God make you and everything else? God made me and everything for His own glory.

That's the beginning of wisdom, folks.

I love you.....c

brilliant blue

Good morning to all who read......I pray this will be a wonderful day for everyone.

We are going back to Virginia today to keep Jake and Eli while Amanda and Mark go to a conference.

I leave you with the colors of fall in the picture above. God does wonders, doesn't He?

Adios.....cathy

It hurts....it really hurts

The situation with my family is so sad.

My insides have literally hurt for the last few hours. I usually do so well with controlling my thoughts, (in Christ of course) but sometimes I lose my battle. You would have found me today on the floor begging God to have mercy on my sinful self for my thoughts of despair.

The sermons of the last few months have been life-saving for me. Listen to this:

"I have set the Lord always before me; because He is at my right hand I will not be shaken. Psalm 16:8

If I set the Lord continually before my face with scripture and prayer and good books and meditation on the promises of God, I do well. My thoughts are stayed on Christ and in Him there is no despairing. I stand firm trusting that God is fully in control of this situation with my family and will deal with it in his way and timing.

But if I ever let my thoughts on the subject take over I am doomed. Satan takes His opportunity to fill my head with his kind of thinking.

I know now to go straight to my knees to beg for mercy. I cannot wait and give the thoughts time to fester. I, in my own strength, cannot win this battle. God's power in me is what sees me through.

There is a promise in the next verse:

"Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices; My flesh also will rest in hope." (vs. 9)

In the gravest of circumstances we must always have hope. Without hope we shrivel up and die.

If we set the Lord always before us, we will rest in hope. I can lay my head on my pillow tonight and go to sleep with hope that one day all of this will be over. It is a nightmare, but I can sleep with hope.

It may not be over until I get to heaven, but I KNOW then it will be over.

I would ask for prayer tonight for my family.

thanks, cathy

this is the 450th time i have posted

Before the thunderstorm a month or so ago this was a thriving oak tree. It was outside of Nana's house in Savannah.

This is what is left of that tree. Lightening struck it and split it down the middle. This week the rest of the tree will be disassembled and the stump will be taken out of the ground. It will be as if it were never there lending shade and comfort to the area.

I always feel bad when a tree comes down. They are so majestic and so beautiful. They grow for a such long time. I love how you can know the age of a tree by counting its rings. A tree is God's creation. No man can make a tree.

At Nana's old house there was a tree that supposedly was a resting place for Sherman's army as he made his way through our lovely town.

One day a giant limb from that tree came through the roof and right down into the living room of her house.

Savannah, Georgia, is known for her oak trees. They are legendary in this city. They grow profusely and they get quite large. Moss grows in them and hangs down to give the town that old southern charm. They make canopies over our streets, they make the ground sparkle when the sun shines down through their leaves. In the parks and squares downtown they are proudly on display.

Trees have inspired poems. Lovers have carved their initials on trees as they pledge their love beneath their swaying branches. Many a picnic lunch has been consumed under the cool shade of their leaves.

Farewell, sweet oak, we will sadly miss you.

cathy

happy birthday aunt louise

The party was today.

We've been looking forward to it for quite a while.

We all turned out to celebrate Lousie Futrelle's 88th year and the year that all of us girls turned sixty.

Lou and I brought our granddaughters to the celebration.

Anna took great care of little Lucy and Lucy gladly let her.

What a wonderful time we all had.

Aunt Louise has been in my life since my childhood. She is grace and dignity personified. She is still tall and beautiful and she appreciates a good meal and good fellowship with those who love her. She was the best friend to my mom and my mom loved her so much.

Thank you Loucinda and Wally for hosting us and for being so kind. Anna, I am so glad to finally meet you.

The reunion was wonderful. Let's do it again soon. Time is precious now....isn't it.

I Love you all, Cathy

a mystery waiting to be written

I found this very interesting tombstone at a tiny little cemetary at Tybee today.

All three of these souls are buried in the same grave. Were they male or female?

They all had the same last name so probably they were related.

What happened to cause their death?

How old were they when they died? Everything about these Rotureaus is a mystery.

All we know about them is that they were alive and they washed ashore on Tybee Island in 1876.

Someone cared enough to give them a proper burial and put their names on a tombstone so that my imagination could be sparked.

I think I have found the material for my first novel.

c

off to the beach

Lucy sitting high up in a tree.

It's been a hard week for a lot of us, so we are going to the beach for a picnic, bike riding, beach walking, and playground time.

I just made potato salad and we will get chicken fingers from Spankys.

The weather is gorgeous......absolutely breathtaking.

We will be looking for more treasures on the beach.

That is what keeps me going....."something new and exciting to look forward to every day."

God provides the "good things." They are there for us to partake of if we will.

Check back tonight and I will tell you how it went.

c

not knowing what He ordaineth

The future has always been unknown to us. God ordained human life to be that way.

He gives grace for today only. He wants us to trust Him for what lies ahead.

I know that there were millions of people praying for a different outcome to this election. God in His wisdom chose not to answer in the way that seemed right to us.

"There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death." Proverbs 14:12

God's plan from the foundation of the world is continuing on as it has from the beginning. What happened on Tuesday is part of His unfolding of the future leading to the time when Jesus will return and set all things right again.

"He doeth according to His will in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay His hand." Daniel 4:35

God is sovereign over all things. That means that God is God in fact, as well as in name, that He is on the throne of the universe, directing all things, working all things, "after the counsel of His own will." Ephesians 1:11

This, dear friends, is what we believe about God and therefore we rest in Him. We don't worry about the future because we are in His watchful care as members of His family through the shed blood of Jesus Christ His Son and our Savior.

What are we to do? We are to pray.

"First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, in order that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior." I Timothy 2: 1-3

We must pray without ceasing for President-elect Obama, his family, his cabinet, and all who will surround him. Why? Because that is what God commands us to do.

This is still my prayer:

"Save us for the sake of your name, O God, that You might make your power known." Psalm 106:8

I pray that He will bring about a mighty reawakening in the hearts and minds of the people of this nation and that this will happen because we have been obedient to trust God and to pray.

It's going to be migthy interesting to see what the Lord is going to do!!!!!

two bad days.........

I have been trying to get a colonoscopy done for years. Every time, as the calendar inched closer to the set date, I would call the office and cancel.

Once I turned sixty, the doctors started hounding me....."Cathy, you need to get this done." I even tried to cancel the one set for today, but they wouldn't let me. So I said to myself, You, silly girl, can do this.

Yesterday was my preparation day and it was also election day. We were at the polls before seven and waited in line for two hours to vote. By the time we got home it was time to "drink the juice" and become good friends with the "potty chair."

I was a good girl too. All I had in the way of nourishment was some orange Gatorade.

Last night when it became evident that McCain was not going to win I told Bubba, " I am going to bed. I am too hungry and miserable to be awake. These election results are depressing." So off I went.

I got up at 4:00 AM this morning, came to my computer, and saw the results.....not good.

I was at my appointment ahead of time
They called me back
They did their prep work
They rolled me back
They put me out like a light

When I came to I was out in recovery being told that they were not able to do the procedure. They tried twice, but my heart rate dropped dangerously low.

So...............I went through everything and didn't get my colonoscopy done. I've been sleeping it off all afternoon.

They want me to go to the hospital in a couple of weeks and drink two ounces of castor oil and have an x-ray made. Just between you and me, I can't see that ever happening. Notice the change in the amount of castor oil. I heard 2 cups in my la la land state.

All of this and our man didn't win.

Two bad days.......but getting better. Murmuring and grumbling and complaining doesn't help a bit. I have things to do and places to be.....

God is still in control and that is all that matters!

Don't let this keep you from getting "the test."

Cathy

to think about

Tomorrow is Election Day for those of us who are honored and blessed to be citizens of this the United States of America.

We have all partook of the goodness of the Lord to have lived our lives in this nation, to be free from oppression......to have the opportunity to live our lives as we choose, to be as successful as our own circumstances will let us be.

From the beginning our country has been guided and governed by the principles set forth in the word of God. We have been free to worship God as we choose with no fear of death or disaster in doing so.

Everything has been good and easy and in this ease we have been lulled to complacency. We have come to take all that we have for granted.....we have developed a certain smugness in our self-satisfied condition, and in the meantime, things have changed.

We are face to face today with the reality that tomorrow everything that we have worked for and fought for, and taken for granted, and believed in could be taken away.

The passive and subtle removal of God from every venue in our land is almost complete. Even the churches are dead and dying because men who preach God's word are afraid they may offend.

Truth is avoided at all cost as the "LIE" flourishes.

We must as believers be prepared for what lies ahead. I have prayed diligently that the Lord will have mercy on this land, but God will not contend with us forever.

This is my prayer for tomorrow:

"Save us for the sake of your name, that You might make Your power known."Psalm 106:8

I pray for a mighty display of the glory of the Lord and His power tomorrow. Praise His holy name!!

writer's block

This is one of the photos we took while Amanda was here. We were on our way to church in the picture above. Jake and Eli did not want to be corralled into a session and would not look at the camera. So much for family portraits......

This early darkness has taken away my ability to put two sentences together that make sense. In view of this fact, I am going to quit trying for the moment.

I am just tired and I think I will go to bed to read.

I will, God willing, pull it together again soon.....tomorrow is another day.

Cathyc