coffee owls

 

I saw this on facebook this morning

and had to share.

Just look at those faces.

I love the wild-eyed one that drinks

expresso.

The half-caf cracks me up.

I love facebook

because it makes me chuckle

all during my day.

 

So..I'm tired and going to bed early.

Must be the decaf owl

that

is my problem!

 

 

something I've never done....

 

Robbie & Elizabeth

 are getting married this Saturday.

 

Outdoor wedding,

very simple.

Family and close friends,

hopefully no rain.

Looking forward to a fun time.

 

Elizabeth has very sweetly asked me to be the

wedding coordinator.

I am honored and just a little nervous.

This is the person who keeps everything going smoothly.

Am I up to it?

I said yes.

Pray for me on Saturday at 6:00

that I will keep my cool and get the flow going.

 

Bubba and I were talking last night about this....

God gives him and I so many opportunities to help other people.

What a blessing!

What a great gift at our age to be useful and needed,

to be healthy and strong,

clearheaded

and able

to

have so many opportunities to serve.

 

David spoke a few Sundays ago about

dying well.

I will be looking forward to seeing Jesus

from this day until the day I die.

I want to be reading His word and praying until then.

But, more than that,

I want to grow old well.

Busy, content, joyful....

Doing things for others as I pray our way to

the Celestial City

as Jake & Eli call it.

(They are reading Pilgrims Progress)

 

Thank you Elizabeth, again,

I'm honored!

tybee lighthouse at dusk

 

Just returned from an awesome bike ride.

I am panting just a little

but that is a good thing....

got my heart rate up.

 

The weather in Savannah, Georgia,

has been uncharacteristically

fabulous for August,

 which is normally so hot and humid

that you want to stay inside.

 

A weekend like this in August is a blessing for sure.

 

Which leads me to this.

I am starting to detect a little less daylight every day.

sad for those of us who love the summer

with it's long days of sunlight.

 

God made the seasons, though,

and each one is to be cherished and enjoyed.

I am looking forward to fall...

crisp days and cool nights,

Those brilliant blue skies and orange leaves,

pumpkins,

the smell of fires burning

and, as all the kids look forward to all year long above anything else...

the pumpkin patch.

 

Can you imagine

how dull it would be

 if the seasons never changed?

 

God created everything for our pleasure and enjoyment.

To Him all praise is due.

 

"Choose you this day who you will serve,

as for me and my house,

we will serve the Lord."

Joshua 24:14

 

David finished preaching through the book of Joshua today.

Thank you.

I learned so much and have been richly blessed.

mom

 

i love what old pictures do

 

Every now and then

I find a photo that brings back so many

memories.

 

Back in the mid eighties,

my mom and dad took all of us on a

Caribbean cruise.

My mom's mom had passed away and left a little inheitance.

It went to treat us to a wonderful week at sea.

 

We had a tiny little room in the belly of the boat

and we thought we had arrived in

paradise.

 

Two bunk beds (four beds),

a table in between,

a sliver of a closet,

and a bathroom the size of a dime

was our home away from home for seven wonderful days.

The bathroom was all in one...

toilet, shower, and sink served all our purposes.

No room to turn around.

 

I took a closet full of clothes

and was encumbered with them all week.

Amanda smuggled in her life sized Raggety Ann.

We took books and beach towels...

a full array of shoes and hair fixing tools.

It was crazy how much stuff we took.

 

But oh we had a ball...

so much laughing and eating and touring and laying in the sun.

On our first stop in Porta Playta, DR,

someone tried to buy my dad's new tennis shoes right off his feet.

 

Puerto Rico was my favorite and we have been back once.

(We flew down for a week)

 

We dressed up for dinner

 and the Captain

sat at our table the first dress-up night.

 

It was wonderful...

so much good family time.

So many great memories.

I love what old pictures do!

 

 

does it give you great pleasure?

 

"When you read your Bible, what do you think of it?

 

Does it seem highly relevant to you and your life,

or does it seem

detached and remote?

 

Does it fill you with hope for the future,

or does it fill you with

 anxiety

about what is to come?

 

Does it give you great pleasure to read it,

or is it a difficult duty

for which you struggle

to find the time in your

daily life?

 

Just asking...

 

quote by Martyn L. Jones

quaky duck

 

Today was the day

for crowns & extractions...

dental work...

9:00 am.

 

Left in plenty of time....

I'm the colonel's wife you know.

42 years in the military 

 taught me well.

 

Interstate 16...

parking lot into town.

Took another route....

equally as bad.

Bubba is driving me in today.....

thankfully,

or maybe not.

 

Arrive at the dentist's office late,

frazzled,

stressed from the harrowing ride,

unprepared for what lay ahead....

two hours under the drill.

 

There are floor to ceiling windows in the torture chamber.

As the doctor lays me out to administer the shots in my mouth,

I look up and out of the windows.

There are white fluffy clouds

rolling across the sky like a moving picture.

 

I lay there for most of the time

gazing at the show....

being entertained by the

Master's creativity in the sky.

I saw Lassie, and Nemo, and a bride

among other things.

 

 Home now resting.

A little pain, but not that bad.

Just thankful it is over

and that I got to see

amazing things made out of cottony clouds

in the blue sky.

 

 

 

Gus's day in court

We took an early morning trip downtown to the courthouse.

Today was Gus's official day in court.

Now, everything is absolutely legal...

all the i's are dotted and the t's crossed.

His name is officially

August David Cleland

and his birthday has been officially decided.....

October 16, 2010.

Gus was somber the whole time.

It was as if he knew what was taking place.

The orphan

who was abandoned on the streets of Ethiopia

has a permanent home....

a father and a mother, a sister and a brother.

The judge was quiet and condescending.

He wanted what David and Erika wanted.

Some papers were signed

and it was over.

Time for our picture with the judge (above),

and we were ushered into another room to wait for

documents.

Bubba and I were glad to be a part of such a

 momentous occasion.

Afterwards we all went to I-Hop for pancakes.

Happy Day.

Thankful for this little boy and all he means to us.

Glad he bears our name

and has all the rights and privileges of a natural born son.

Adoption is wonderful.

God has adopted us to be His in Christ Jesus.

God is our Father.

He loves unconditionally.

Good news...

want to share it with you tonight.

before & after

First of all,

let me say that this is not

Lucy & Harry & Gus's fault.

David & Erika

 have taught them well

to clean up their toys after play.

Yesterday,

 when it came time for them to go home,

 I forgot to remind them

 to tidy up the room.

Just about everything in the closet was out.

It is still like that at this very minute.

I love that they have so much fun back there.

The top bunk has become Lucy's reading hideaway.

I found her up there with several books,

wearing her backpack,

engrossed in a story,

while Harry,

her loyal subject,

was busily at play on the floor.

It won't be this way forever,

I know that,

but being able to be these kid's grammy

is one of the best things

I've ever done.

Love these words...

"Grammy, can we go on a bike ride?"

Thank you,

Thank you Lord for these blessings.

everything i have comes from....

God!

The next breath I take.....

the shrimp I just ate.

The storm yesterday.

The sun's dying rays.

The ability to think & comprehend,

life without end.

My hands that do work,

 eyesight to read.

Ears that can hear my grandbabies prayers.

Health for my body,

my husband ~ my friend.

A soft place to sleep,

a warm bath to begin.

Flowers and birds,

soft kitty cats,

trees that give shade on a hot sunny day.

Music and people

to laugh with & love

all of these come from My Father above.

"Every good gift and every perfect gift

 is from above,

and comes down from the Father of lights,

 with whom

 there is no variation or turning." 

 James 1:17

sleep little baby

This is Gus...

He will soon be two years old.

I think he is cute.

David and Erika

are having new carpeting installed in their house

today and tomorrow.

They and all of the kids

are spending the night here tonight.

The bunk beds are full

and Gus is bedded down in the crib in the alcove.

He is struggling right now.

He has pulled down the covering I put at the window

and he is jumping up and down on the mattress

at the speed of sound.

He keeps crying out

and I want to go scoop him up

but that would just delay the process

of sleep catching up with him.

Bubba

 delivered this edict to him....

"Quiet down and go to sleep now!"

We'll see if it works.

"Sleep little baby don't say a word,

Daddy's gonna buy you a mocking bird,

And if that mocking bird don't sing,

Daddy's gonna buy you a diamond ring."

oh no....

.....that crown i wrote about last night,

the one that has to be replaced

 with three crowns

for a very large amount of money,

well,

it just fell out of my mouth

and onto the bathroom floor

with a loud

ping

and thud.

Now I am left with a large hole

where a tooth should be,

 and a sharp ice pick like thing sticking out of the hole.

My tongue

 keeps wandering over

and feeling this strange situation.

So far no pain.

I really don't know what to do....

will probably decide to do nothing.

Hopefully this tooth saga will end soon.

crowns

Laying my head on my pillow last Thursday night,

I felt the first tinges of pain.

Surely not, I thought.

I have a party to throw, over twenty people to feed....

absolutely no time for teeth problems.

By Saturday morning.

the day of the party,

the crown on the top right side of my mouth

was hanging precariously by a thread.

I prayed that the Lord would get me through until Monday morning.

He did.

Today...

Dentist... looking into my mouth,

"yes my dear, you have a problem."

Okay,

does he think I'm nuts?

I wouldn't have given up my wonderful

Monday morning

and driven all the way into Savannah

to his office

if I didn't have a problem.

"You need a new crown."

and

"I have enough time we can do it right now."

Xrays confirm my need and then

out come the guns

I mean shots of novacane.

With my head almost on the floor,

the doctor looks again at the xrays, sets me up,

and says this.....

"My treatment plan has changed,

Instead of one crown,

you need a bridge

which consists of three crowns."

Stunned,

I look at him with my deadened face and said...

"How much?"

Amanda said it best when I told her...

"Are we still going to be able to go to Hilton Head?"

Next Monday morning at 8:30

I will be back in the chair.

I have a week to find a way to pay for it.

i like to make things look beautiful

Maybe you will indulge me a bit on this blog.

The first picture

 is a simple little flower arrangement

made with some of the

 roses

 that I bought for the shower.

The second picture is the children's table.

Three little girls to be exact.

One of my favorite round tablecloths...

khaki Vietre plates,

and Lindsey's footed glassware.

I asked Linds permission for the children to use her elegant glasses.

.Everything pops with my mama's pink linen napkins.

Next,

my mom's antique lace tablecloth

and her pink rimmed China which now

belongs to Lindsey.

Sally's Chantilly silver flatware add shine

and my Moonspun footed goblets

made everything sparkle.

Notice the small rose bouquets on all of the tables.

Next is the cake....

ivory icing and white roses.

Further back you can see a

wedding cake candle

and spun green cake place

 that was used at

Amanda & Mark's wedding.

Lastly,

two white antique tablecloths

with a lace topper adorn my

big farm table.

After 42 years

I still love my Moonspun fine

as much as the day I decided it would be mine.

It never goes out of style....

always looks elegant.

My silver is French Provincial,

very plain, like me.

My footed Vietre stemware finish the look

with tea lights and roses

down the center.

I love beautiful things...

so glad to have had the chance to do this.

Cathy

the bunk beds....

finally have quilts....

off white with khaki stars.

Kids room

 is all cleaned and straightened 

 for the shower tomorrow....

rarely does it look like this.

So, I was going to write but I am too tired.

Have to get to bed early

Guests arrive at 12:30 pm and I have to be ready.

Everything looks so beautiful.

I will share pictures tomorrow.

I will say this...

I think I missed my calling.

Should have been an event planner.

But I do so love to teach.

Goodnight &

sleep tight!

cathy

thirsty?

"As the deer pants for the water

so my soul pants for Thee,

O God. 

 My soul thirsts for God,

for the living God."

Psalm 42: 1 & 2

The more time I spend in God's word,

the more I desire it. 

Being in God's word makes me thirsty for more.

When Jake and Eli are here

I am not always able to beat them up.

The day starts with a bang and we go full steam until night.

When they go to bed, I fall into bed as well.

I would not trade this time with them for anything in the world.

I say all that to say this....

It is always so good to get back into His word.

My day just goes better...

I am able to focus on Him when I remember what I read to start the day.

I go dry without His word.

I get thirsty.

I am driven back to it as

a "deer that pants after water."

What a beautiful picture.

Seek Him in the Bible every day,

many times a day.

It gives life to the soul of man.

Thirsty?

Drink deeply from the living word of God.

today is....

National Lighthouse Day....

It is always on August 7th because

this day

honors & commemorates

a beacon of light

that symbolizes

safety & security for boats at sea.

I had no idea there was a National Lighthouse Day

until today.

On August 7, 1789,

through an act of Congress,

the Federal Government took over responsibility

for budgeting

and operating our

nation's lighthouses. 

The government recognized

the importance

to ships at sea

to find safe harbor

during fog & storms. 

 Over the years,

 lighthouses have saved many ships

and an untold number of lives

because of their

 powerful and sweeping lights.

In the picture above you see the

Cockspur Lighthouse.

This is the smallest lighthouse in Georgia.

The first Lighthouse was built here in 1772

and the current lighthouse was built in 1857. 

It has been deactivated

because of erosion

 causing it to sit on an unstable spit of land

that is covered with water at

high tide.

I can see this lighthouse from the deck of the condo.

I am so glad to know that today in National Lighthouse Day. 

 Every year from now on

I will celbrate this day

because I love the beach and lighthouses so much.

today is erika's birthday

This is Erika, David's wife.

I love her.

She is holding baby Lucy

 who is sleeping away.

Just want to say...

She has added so much joy to our life

since David brought her home.

I have and continue to learn so much from her.

She is another one of God's blessings

to all of us.

Happy Birthday, dear one.

I am so glad you were able to spend it with your family.

Have fun on your trip and

God bless you always.

Just saying this....

In the original picture,

that great big,

 white,

 fluffy heart

was no where to be seen.

In the picture above,

 it is beautiful,

and white,

 and glowing.

I don't know where it came from,

but I think it is

quite appropriate.

Love to you on this your day.

Many more....

from me

we cannot be without

Don't just read God's word......

treasure it in your heart.

Think about it all day and on your bed at night.

Talk about it with your husband,

your children

and your friends.

Let it be your guide,

your wisdom,

your comfort,

 your encouragement.

A person I know has

a 92 year old mother who is laying on her deathbed.

In the moments when the pain is not all-encompassing,

you can find her there reading her Bible.

It will be what takes her into eternity

when she goes to meet

Jesus her Savior.

A true believer cannot be without God's word.

eli's mickey mouse

Eli drew this Mickey Mouse.

I love his imagination.

Mickey is skinny

with huge hands,

only one ear,

and a backwards foot.

He got those two white buttons in there though.

I'll be back to writing again soon.

The problem with the blog site persisted all week,

but things seem to be getting better.

cathy

hi everybody

I'm not going to write much tonight

because somebody

has been messing with my blog today. 

 I don't even think you have been able to read it at all.

So...just in case you can get to it and read....

I thought this was profound about a

lighthouse.

I also thought that it is wisdom for us people as well.

Be so filled with the truth of God's word that

just your presence 

lights the way for those who are around you

in this dark and sinful world.

Love that thought!

cathy