happiness is.....

being loved

bright red flowers on the table

receiving an unexpected e-mail

love that never dies away

playing with my ipad2...like that toy a whole lot!

hearing just now that abh & mark got power

gus leaning in for a kiss

eating a big bowl of blue bell vanilla ice cream
with shell and a cherry

sitting on the beach staring at the ocean

all clear on my mamogram today

ironing while listening to my tunes

writing this blog...

drifting off to sleep at night in the bed while
reading a great book

knowing God and His Son Jesus Christ

these things and so many more i am thankful for

o august, don't go away.....
i'm not ready for summer to end.
cathyc

welcome to the house

This old sewing machine belonged to my Uncle Dan & Aunt Clyde.
He restored it for me.
Bubba recently added the granite top.
It now sits at the top of the front stairs
on the "porch."
My Dad grew the begonia
and
My Mom gave me the staue of "bashful girl."
Just a little sentimental I am.

Anna went back to Green Bay yesterday.
We enjoyed having her here so much.

As soon as I get the bed back together
I will start to look forward to my next guests,
whoever they may be.
There is now a flat screen TV for your enjoyment.
I just love having friends & family stay here.

"Let love of the brethren continue,
Do not neglect to entertain strangers,
for by this,
some have entertained
angels,
without knowing it."

Hebrews 13: 1~2

Can you just imagine this?

*amanda & mark still have no power or running water.

ocean thoughts

To be in a quiet place...

the only thing you hear

are the waves

crashing onto the shore.

Peaceful

restful

calming.

Dolphins playing in the surf...

jumping,

soaring through the air,

chasing a fish and missing it.

Watching

the fish

get away in a frenzy of bubbles.

Walking in the cool water,

looking

for what the storm

washed ashore.

Praising God

for the blessing

of living near the ocean.

Seeing Him

in everything there.

*see previous post for latest on ABH & Mark.

hurricane report

amanda & mark's morning coffeee on the grill.

they are fine.

power out since 9:00 last night.

more later.

(thank goodness for cell phones.)

8:30 pm...

still no power or running water for Amanda & Mark.

They took off to Virginia Beach to stay at Mark's parent's house.

tybee~yesterday morning

Irene passed us by yesterday.

Like a well bred lady,

she waved and was on her way.

Worried a little about Amanda & Mark, Jake & Eli.

Just heard from her that things are getting rather rough.

They are riding her out at home

and hoping that the power doesn't disengage itself from their area.

Personally,

I think that the media hype

on this storm has been way over the top.

I see on

http://www.myfoxhurricane.com/

that another wave is starting across.

Well,

it's that time of year.

Psalm 77:17~18

The clouds

poured out water;

The skies

gave forth a sound;

Thy arrows flashed

here and there.

The sound of Thy thunder was in the whirlwind:

The lightnings lit up the world;

The earth trembled and shook."

I came across these verses yesterday

and could not think of a better way

 to describe the events of the last week

on the east coast of the

United States.

Big dinner party tonight celebrating Anna's visit.

Cooking a huge pot of green beans

 Anna picked out of her vegetable garden in

Green Bay 

and brought to

Savannah

on the airplane in her carry-on.

We were all shocked that they made it through.

cathy

picture by Zephani Moss

anna's here

After missing her flight
and waiting in Detroit for four hours,
Anna finally arrived.
She is delightful....
sweet, helpful,
and Lucy, Harry, & Gus love her.

No boat tomorrow..... :(
Our predictions are rain, wind, thunder,
and extremely high surf.
The tide is springing this weekend
which may cause some flooding so....
we are going to Jacksonville to
eat at P.F. Changs.
Anna loves it!

Tybee made the Washington Post today.
check it out.....
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
click on the camera and picture #13.

Amanda & Mark
seem to be in the center of things up there in Lanexa.
we will be watching that area closely.

Longer ~ loving me some Dan Fogelburg
c

keep veering east irene

I know
that I am in complete denial
to think
that we can still
go out in the boat on Friday. 
No matter what Irene does,
the ocean will be choppy and rippy that day....
no sane person would venture out.
We'll see,
but I'm doubtful.

I now have an IPad 2.
Bubba ordered it for me.
Notice in the picture above
that it is encased in a beautiful pink cover.
Chris came yesterday
and got it all set up for me.
It is fun and easy to use.
For it I am very thankful.

My friend Sandy and I went
to see the movie The Help today.
the acting was exceptional.
Worth seeing.

She brought the mermaid to me
from her trip to the mountains last week.
The girl with a tail
will soon find a spot to hang down at the condo.

"a friend loveth at all times."
proverbs 17:17
For that I am very thankful.
cathy

"mom, the floor was moving"

Last night,
just before I reached over to turn out the light,
I read the last page of the book
Cascadia's Fault by Jerry Thompson. 
Here's an exerpt......

"There's a crack (the Cascadia Fault)
in the earth's crust
that runs roughly 31 miles offshore,
approximately 683 miles
from Northern California
through Vancouver Island,
off the coast of British Columbia
that could generate
the earthquake and tsunami
that could devastate North America."

Needless to say,
earthquakes
have been heavy on my mind
in the last few days
as I have made my way through this book.

News this afternoon
of an earthquake in Virginia shocked me.
My first thought was,
"It's not supposed to happen over here."

My second thought was,
"What about Amanda?"

She was enjoying lunch with a friend at the Chik-Fil-A.
The first thing she noticed was that the wall was moving.
(Her arm was touching it)
Next she looked at the floor and it was moving too.
At this point she became dizzy and nauseous.
The light fixtures were also swaying.
Jake and Eli
were happily playing in the play place
and didn't notice anything.
As soon as it started it was over.

Was glad to hear finally that they were safe.

"....and there will be earthquakes in various places...."
Mark 13:8

Up there in the picture....
well, that's the San Adreas Fault out in California.
I thought you would like a view.

wassaw island

Friday,
can't wait for you to get here.
I am packing a picnic
and we are piling in Frankie's boat
to go to the island you see pictured above.

Wassaw is Georgia's most unspoiled barrier island.
It is also a National Wildlife Sanctuary.

The only way to get there is by boat....
and you have to get wet to get onto the shore.
So excited!
The last time I went out into the sound
I saw a gigantic sea turtle swimming by.

Tybee had a big blow this afternoon.
Two of the power poles
that carry electricity to the island
were blown over
and wires were hanging precariously close to the ground. 
Palm fronds were everywhere.
As we passed,
Georgia Power was just arriving.
From the way it looked,
people staying at the beach
were in for a long, hot, and humid night.

Dealt with my stacks this afternoon.
I feel liberated.
My ironing is a mountain....
I can't seem to get to it.
Love to only wear linen in the summer,
but when you wash it,
you have to iron it.
Oh well,
maybe tomorrow :)

sunday

A day of worship...
a day of rest.
True joy in hearing
His word proclaimed
and now going to witness
a precious soul,
prayed for
for years,
baptized into the family of believers.
It just doesn't get any better than that!

As for me....

"When I go to speak,
let me first think....

Is it true?
Is it kind?
Is it edifying?
If not,
may I have the grace not to say it."

Self-control,
A necessary and attainable virture.

grace & anna

This is a picture of my nieces Grace and Anna
performing in Green Bay on a recent
summer's evening.
Today, Grace is leaving to go to college at
Eastman School of Music in upstate New York
to study violin.
All the best, Grace, and may
God bless you and keep you in His perfect will.

You all know how much I love it when
my guest room is full....
Well, on Thursday
Anna is arriving for a visit to Savannah.
We are all very excited to get to spend time with her.
She is quite accomplished on the piano
and I hear, an excellent cook.
Can't wait to see you Anna!

Writing early today...
having a rather large gathering here tonight for dinner.
Cooking hamburgers,
and hot dogs,
and Bubba's famous and tasty wings.
Everyone else is bringing a side,
and me?
My job is to make everything look pretty
and go smoothly.

Quite a significant group and a big night!!!
Will reveal more about this as time progresses.

"Every word of God is pure;
He is a shield to those
who put their trust in Him."
Proverbs 30:5

choices to make

Yesterday was a lucy~grammie day.
I e-mailed her this message.....
"You be thinking about where you want to eat lunch."
I already know her favorite places,
so I wasn't surprised when she posted her options....

Logans
The Original Pancake house
(breakfast for lunch as we call it)
&
Red Lobster.

The choice was swift....
Red Lobster.
"We need to go check on the lobsters."

Starting out...
in the car all buckled in,
kids songs CD in the player....
and
just what you always desire,
a battery that was deader than a doornail.
Erika said that we could use her van so......

Unload,
move car seats,
get CD out of my player and insert in Erika's van,
transfer lucy's carry-on
get the Dora magnetic doll playset,
and off we go down the driveway
and we are on our way.

I took my camera into the restaurant
to take pictures of the lobsters.
Hours later I realize that my camera is not in the car.
(one of my most prized possessions)

Called Bubba.
Poor guy, he got saddled with the dead battery problem.
He was at Pep Boys
which was close to Red Lobster.
He went there,
He found it,
I rejoiced with gladness.

Life....
you've just got to love it!
cc

nevertheless

Asaph

had gotten himself into a pretty bad way

by looking at the wicked

and presuming that God showed them unmerited favor.

Asaph

decided that he had kept his heart clean

and his hands washed for naught.

Asaph

admitted that his heart was pricked

and his soul embittered

as he thought on these things.

Asaph,

thankfully,

caught himself in the act of destroying his soul

and altered his course.

Asaph

went into the sanctuary.

I love this!

Asaph

was made aware of his sinful thoughts and deeds

and turned his gaze and his thoughts

back to Almighty God. 

(God was merciful to reveal this to him) 

Asaph

repented and returned to the truth about himself and his God.

~~~~~

The word nevertheless ushers in the great grace of God.

Asaph said,

"Nevertheless I am continually with Thee."

"This is the astonishing thing,

that I am still with Thee. 

That Thou dost still permit me to come into Your presence."

(How many times have I felt this way)

This Psalm is a beautiful picture of

The amazing grace of God.

~~~~

"You hold my right hand,

You guide me with your counsel,

and afterward

you will receive me to glory."

But as for me,

it is good to be near God;

I have made the Lord God

my refuge,

that I may tell of all Your works."

Psalm 73

The text between the wavy lines

was taken from

"Faith Tried and Triumphant"

by Martyn Lloyd Jones.

roses in glass bubbles

suspended from the sky.
The roses are real
because I touched them to find out.
More beautiful things from the Tybee Wedding Chapel.
"Love is in the air", literally.

Back to Psalm 73
In verses 1~22,
the psalmist, Asaph, is in a state of true despair.

Listen to a few of his complaints.......
~my feet had almost stumbled
~my steps had nearly slipped
~i was envious of the arrogant
 when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

And on and on he went about the ungodly....
~their bodies are fat & sleek
~they are not in trouble as others are
~they set their mouths against the heavens
~their tongue struts through the earth
~always at ease
~they increase in riches

Focused upon what he perceived
to be the increase of the wicked
and the injustice of God on their behalf,
the psalmist described himself as thus....

~my soul was enbittered
~i was pricked in heart
~i was brutish
~i was like a beast to You.

How often do we find ourselves in that sorry state?
Missing our blessings,
wandering around in the
"slough of despond," (Pilgims Progress)
the wilderness, (Exodus)
because we think
that someone has it better than we do.

to be continued.....

Off to celebrate Rita's birthday
with Mitch & Estelle & Irvin.....

a vignette from the wedding chapel

Love the antique rocky horse and lace tablecloth.
In this shot you can see the heart of pine flooring.
The kinds of things I love
captured so eloquently.

This Bible on my desk
is my most treasured possession.
The notes and markings make it mine alone.
To use another feels foreign to me.
I've probably been in this one for
ten or fifteen years.

Early this morning I found this written
by the margin of the following verses....
"I love this through life."

Here is what I love....

"Nevertheless,
I am continually with Thee;
Thou hast taken hold of my right hand.
With Thy counsel Thou wilt guide me,
And afterward receive me to glory.

Whom have I in heaven but Thee?
And besides Thee,
I desire nothing on earth.
My flesh and my heart may fail,
But God is the strength of my heart
and my portion forever."
Psalm 73: 23~26

Those are beautiful words of life.
Those are words that sustain me in the darkest night.
Those words are life, and hope, and my future.
I will praise Thee O God forever and ever!

No wonder I wrote that in the margin.
cathyc

sometimes your heart just breaks

Last evening
we made a big bowl of homemade chicken salad......
the perfect dinner to end a hot summer day.
We invited David and Erika
and Lucy, Harry, and Gus to join us.
This picture was taken just before we ate.

About two hours later Harry was in the hospital.

After dinner,
he got to go to a "big boy" party with his dad.
He was swimming in the pool when a seizure hit.
Blessedly, a friend saw it happen
and immediately pulled him out of the water.

Much later, thankfully, they let him come home.
I was there watching over Lucy and Gus.
Harry came in smiling and telling me all about his adventure.
He had a tiny tweety bird bandaid on his little hand
where they inserted the IV needle.
David told me later that he never cried.

God was merciful and kind to us last night
in regards to Harry.
We are thankful beyond measure.

the wedding chapel at tybee

A couple of years ago
a church facade
was built on Tybee Island
to be used in filming "The Last Song."

After all of the Hollywood types
had packed up and headed west on Highway 80,
I set out on my bike
to find and inspect what they left behind. 
What I found intrigued me and does to this day.

When I heard that the remains
were to be used as a wedding chapel on the island
I was impressed.
Months ago I posted a picture on this blog of the church
being hauled down Butler Avenue on a flatbed truck.
(see Tuesday, July 10, 2010)

Well, today that church came to its fruition
and I, along with my friend Sandy, were there to witness.
The ribbon on the door above
was cut to much hoopla and flash and good old Southern charm.

There, under the hanging oaks and heavy humidity,
we cheered and had unwipeable smiles.
From the beautiful roses,
to the rough hewn heart pine floors,
and the intricately beautiful molded ceiling,
we were awed and amazed.

And in the midst of so many different people,
a pastor prayed a prayer of dedication
and called upon the name of our precious
Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

It just did us good to see such a thing.
cc

*lots and lots of lightning tonight,
but i can't see the big ole moon
because of the clouds.

a seven footer

You all know how much I love lizards...
Well this story is even worse.

Evening before last a seven foot alligator
was spotted in our area.
A neighbor out walking her dog
saw the beast laying over
next to where the marsh begins.

Now I know these guys are native to the
southeastern part of the United States,
but I had always pictured them down in Florida
or over at Hilton Head...
I can't imagine why they would
want to come here,
especially with a Wal-Mart so close by.

Every time I go out now
my eyes are continually searching for this guy.
And oh no,
what if he has babies
(not him but his wife)
and the whole place becomes overrun with them.

Here's the deal....
I am going to claim my
"Be anxious for nothing" verse
and forget about him.
Chances of an attack are minimal
and if it happens,
well....
it just happens.

"Be anxious for nothing,
but in everything with prayer and thanksgiving,
let your request be made known to God.
And the peace of God
which surpasses all understanding,
will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
Philippians 4: 6&7

old & gray

From my readings this morning......

"O God,
Thou hast taught me from my youth;
And I still declare Thy wondrous deeds.

And even when I am
OLD & GRAY,
O God, do not forsake me,
Until I declare
Thy strength to this generation,
Thy power to all who are to come."
Psalm 71: 17 & 18

So glad to have the opportunity
to tell another generation
about our great and mighty God.

and this is what they said

I went down to our condo at Tybee today to check things out.
Yesterday, today, and tomorrow
are the only days this summer that it has not been rented.
I always hold my breath when I open the door,
but it looked great....
the view out the front still takes my breath away.

My first stop is always
to sit down on the sofa
and read the guest book.
These two comments made my day.....

"The climb to the top of the Tybee Island lighthouse,
172 steps, 98 degree day,
but so worth the climb.
He proposed and I said yes!!!
O Happy Day!
Condo was very comfortable
and we will be back!"

and my favorite....

"If you feel inclined
to do a vaction home swap
we have a small chalet in Vermont
near the slopes,
but you would have to exchange your flip flops
for some warm wellies. 
Delightful condo!"

sounds like a great idea to me!
cathy

these are a few of my favorite things....

Vietri dinnerware,
some in the shape of fish,
gracing a table on a weathered deck
down by the sea.....
that picture
is the essence of what I adore.

We just had
a major thunderstorm move through this town.
Bub and I rode to the beach to eat
and watched it take shape on the ride home.
What a light show!
Better than the fourth of July.

I don't know why I get so excited about storms.
(another of my favorite things)

Here is the last Ethiopian Blog from David.
Thought you would enjoy......

http://ethiopiancleland.blogspot.com/

This picture was borrowed from Vietri on facebook.

a long way to go to get there

I snapped this picture on our "sunset boat ride" last week.
As you can see,
getting to the dock and the boat
is not an easy task for these
riverfront dwellers.
And, can you imagine what it must be like,
after a long and tiring day of fishing,
or skiing,
or swiming,
to climb back up to home and hearth?
I would croak halfway up.

Things About Past Posts....

I have never gotten back to my Pilates class....
felt like I needed to confess that
less you think I have been a diligent student
since I wrote about a month ago.
I got sick and then the boys came etc.
I plan to get startred soon.

Yesterday I gave the beautiful
 skirt that I wrote about
in a previous blog to Amanda.
That's what mom's do...
enough said.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This morning
I spilled my coffee all over my Bible.

A couple of nights ago
I fell into the toilet.
It was dark,
I was talking on the phone,
(the boys leave the seat up).
I said a questionable word as I went down.

So now I have confessed....

Amanda, Jake, and Eli
will go home in the morning. :(

I am going into repose for a week....
need to regather my wits
and stay out of toilets for a while.
cathy :)

speaking of storms....

One day
Jesus
got into a boat with His disciples,
and He said to them,
"Let us go across to the other side of the lake."
So they set out.

And as they sailed He fell asleep.

And a windstorm
came down on the lake,
and they were filling with water
and were in danger.

And they went and woke Him, saying,

"Master, Master, we are perishing!"

And Jesus woke
and rebuked the wind and the raging waves,
and they ceased,
and there was a calm.

He said to them,
"Where is your faith?"

And they were afraid,
and they marveled,
saying to one another,

"Who then is this,
that He commands even the winds and the water,
and they obey Him?"
Luke 8: 22~25

Who do you think this Jesus is?

We are having a storm right now
and they say that "Emily" may restrengthen.
Maybe we will get some action after all.
c

granddaddying

This man has dealt bountifully
with Jake and Eli this week.

From spaghetti
to hot and fresh Krispy Kreams
to the beach and the pool
and the pizza place
and the play place at the mall
and the fish tanks at the Bass Pro Shop
and for so much more,
Bubba has excelled in his role of
granddaddy.

Amanda arrived a little while ago
and my role this week as surrogate mom
has returned to just grammy.

I am thankful
to have had
this special time
with two little boys
who have made my days
full of laughter and love.

"For Thou art my hope:
O Lord God,
Thou art my confidence from my youth.

By Thee I have been sustained from my birth;
Thou art He who took me from my mother's womb;
My praise is continually of Thee."
Psalm 71: 5~6

My praise is contiually of Thee!

a strong tower

"The name of the Lord
is a strong tower:
the righteous man runs into it
and is safe."
Proverbs 18:10

That's Bubba and Jake silhouetted
at the top of the tower
looking out through the telescope.

This tower is very sturdily built.
I think it would survive
a mild to moderate hurricane
without very much damage.

Heavy pilings in the water,
Tough, treated lumber,
solid joists,
and strong metal nuts and bolts
knit it together with percision
and make it a safe place.

God's word tells us that
"the name of the Lord is a strong tower."
That it is,
"a safe place to run in time of trouble."

Who runs there?
The righteous.
Who are the righteous?
Believers,
those who put their complete trust
in the finished work of Jesus Christ.

"and are safe."
Those who run to the Lord
in times of trouble
will find safety and security in Him.

Safety in the name of the Lord?
Think and ponder
on the ramifications
of the truth of this statement.

Going to take a swim
in the cool pool
at the beach,
but it is thundering
and that may not happen.
At the very least,
we will eat fresh seafood
at the "Flying Fish."
cc

should we be concerned?

One of the hazards of living on the coast....
Hurricanes.
Accu-weather reports
that the tropics are ripe at the moment....
perfect conditions
for brewing up a big one (or two or three).

Our area has experienced a couple of
hurricane catastrophes,
but because of the indentation of
Savannah,
most just skirt on by.

My only face time with such a storm
was in 1979
when hurricane David roared through town.
The actual storm was so exciting,
but the aftermath
of having no electricity
in sweltering heat
for over a week
was underwhelming to say the least.

God controls the wind
and the ocean currents
and the lightning
and the thunder
and especially all of the ideal conditions
working together
to form the fury in the first place.
The storm goes where He pleases
and advances no further than that.

Also, He commands us not to worry....
"Be anxious for nothing...."  Philippians 4:6

So, we'll just see what this one does,
just like we've done
in all the past summers and into fall.

Taking the boys to see the big red telescope tonight.
The greatest joys of life
are always in the simplest of things.

Praise God from whom all blessings flow.

"green eggs and ham"

by Dr. Seuss.
I love all of his books...
love to read them out loud to the children,
adding emphasis and making them laugh
at all of the crazy funny words that he uses.

I had never seen a green egg before.
While at Amanda's this past weekend
she showed me these eggs
that someone had brought her
out of their hen house.

Lo and behold,
there among the white and cream and brown eggs
were these three green beauties.
I just has to arrange them
and take a picture
so you can see them too.

The wonder of it all...
To me God's works are a never ending source of amazement.
Just the variety of colors that He uses in His creation
overwhelm me with thoughts of His glory.

I floated in the ocean today.
Me and two little boys are very tired tonight.
They sleep...I will soon.

Thank you God for green eggs (and ham.)