mail order.....

Talk about the things I found at Dad's house....

these neatly packaged 

Yoshi Blade Ceramic Knives

were in a package that had never been opened.

Now.....

I cannot for the life of me

 figure out what my Dad thought he would do with these

Yoshi Blade Ceramic Knives.

Toward the end of his independent days at home 

he was barely able to warm in the microwave the food I provided for him.  

What in the world was he going to do with these?

They have some strange rules attached to them as well.

DO Not is written in all caps....

DO Not chop, cut frozen food, or hard cheeses with the

Yoshi Blade Ceramic Knife.

DO NOT use for carving poultry or meat with bones....

What in the world can you do with them?

The Yoshi Blade Ceramic Knife

possesses a revolutionary white blade 

that is made of zirconium oxide,

the second hardest material known to man next to the diamond.

So if it is so hardy,

why cannot it be used for anything other than cutting through soft butter?

Mail order scam?

Maybe....

Bubba wants the Yoshi Blade knives.

They are yours!!!!

the circuit of the sun

Because I love God's word...

because I think His words are so eloquent,

I share this tonight about the sun.

"The heavens declare the glory of God; 

and the firmament 

shows His handiwork.

In them 

He has set a tabernacle for the sun,

which is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber,

and rejoices like a strong man to run its race.

Its rising

 is from one end of heaven, 

and its circuit to the other end;

And there is nothing hidden from its heat."

Psalm 19:10

"The heavens declare the glory of God."

Just look up!

You can know God 

by observing the beauty and order of the heavens 

and the firmament that He created.

Love how God describes the circuit of the sun.

to love and be loved

I love to read.

I love to read about history.

I particularly love to read about World War II.

Not the battles to be sure,

but the people, the era, the struggles to survive

in one of the darkest portions of the past.

Today is a complete day of rest.

Church and then home...

to the bed...

under a lightweight blanket

to finish the book that you see pictured above.

Set in Paris, France, & Budapest, Hungry,

this story kept me mesmerized,

at times horrified,

but mostly enchanted..... 

reading about people 

who at all odds

 survive a war that millions of others did not.

Love...

I know this about love.

When there is love between two people,

it cannot be put out.

No one or anything can destroy it.

If the physical heart survives and lives,

so will the two hearts that love each other.

Love cannot be extinguished.

Time, distance, nor tragedy can put it out.

Love will see you through and bring you out on the other side.

To love and be loved

 is the most amazing blessing in the world.

the blessings of the Lord.....

.....are too numerous to count.

The adoption garage sale netted over 1,200 dollars

thanks to the generosity of friends and family.

After three days of mind-numbing work,

we are done!

On this beautiful April morning,

amid the gentle breezes from the nearby ocean,

the people came,

and the people bought almost everything we had.

Brandi, Bridgett, and Monica,

we couldn't have done it without you.

To think that you would give up your Saturday morning!!!!

Thank you so much.

Lucy did well at her lemonade stand as well.

Her donation bucket was half full.

Harry found a toy gun and spent his time going around

shooting people.

Gus, sweet boy, shopped with his shopping cart.

Archie,

people really turned out to help get you home today.

Maybe it won't be so long now.

Again thank you all....

our church family, family-family, friends, and strangers.

All who donated and bought.

All of you are God's servants on this earth.

william archibald cleland

 

just turned 5 years old.

He lives over in the far reaches of China.

He used to be an orphan,

but not anymore!

 

He has a family now!

David and Erika are adopting him.

We are very excited!

 

Tomorrow we are hosting a

garage sale to raise money to bring Archie home.

 

It will be in Savannah, Georgia,

140 Summer Winds Drive 31410,

tomorrow,

Saturday, April 27th,

starting at 7:00 in the morning.

 

Please plan to come.

We have lots of wonderful things

with more coming in today.

 

Hey....

we will be at the house all afternoon

if you would like to drop off items to be sold.

We would be so grateful!!!

 

And,

Please come tomorrow to shop and fellowship.

Hope to see you there!!!

cathyc

a thousand words in a picture

Found this old photo the other day.

Remember when you took your film to the store to be developed?

You had to wait a week to get them back,

and oh the anticipation.

This set of prints came in a little book.

I keep turning up jewels.

So much to say about a picture.

First of all,

this is my mom and Othell Yates.

They were the best of friends.

What I remember most about these two was the 

laughter......

they talked and giggled 

and made each other practically roll on the floor.

They truly enjoyed each other.

That's Othell's daughter Mary Jane

 standing with her hands on her hips,

and me,

in my bathing suit and Keds,

blond hair in pigtails,

reaching down to pet the cat.

Must have been going to swim somewhere,

but mom and Othell obviously were not in swim attire.

We are standing in front of the little tiny cottage 

that my Hodie and Papa

 lived in on Wilmington Island.

It was the tiniest house ever....

Papa was a bartender at the Wilmington Island golf club

and they lived in this abode on the grounds.

I love the little white picket fence and the front door.

Old photos...the best memory makers ever!!

when a good plan goes bad

It was covered in pollen.

It needed to be washed down,

but how?

There is no spigot on the porch.

Buckets of water brought in by hand seemed unreasonable.

Bubba had what he thought was an inspirational idea.

Why not take a long hose,

hook it up to the washing machine spigot,

stretch it through the house,

turn it on,

 and wash the porch with the spray nozzle.

I went along with this plan,

but with a little trepidation.

While he was scooting off the furniture etc.

I was vacuuming the outdoor chairs and wiping them down.

When I heard a loud gushing sound.

I thought....

"boy is that water pressure strong."

I went about my work.

Wow!....This is working out so well.

Our neighbors downstairs are from India.

They speak very little English.

When the doorbell started ringing incessantly

I thought,

"Who can that be at a time like this?"

Well...

The hose had busted,

water was shooting out all over the laundry room

and running quickly out into the hall

at a very fast pace.

Our downstairs neighbor was having a

 "hissy fit"

right on our doorstep...

water was pouring through the ceiling into his house.

Bubba went to survey the damage,

 and the wife

was speaking very loudly and quickly in another language.

I have spent the last two hours cleaning up the mess.

Seems as if the damage downstairs was minor.

Our porch is very clean

but at a cost.

So much for inspirational ideas

and quiet afternoons.

little things that mean alot

First of all I want to say,

as I get older and hopefully a little wiser,

life takes on a whole new meaning.

Life is short,

at times very hard,

but it is also filled with much joy.

Finding treasures from the attic bring back so many memories.

As we pass from one generation to another,

the things from the past are important...

they tell the story 

and make everything fit together.

First picture....

A crocheted donkey.

Erika found him in the attic and brought him to me.

He was filthy,

covered in the debris of the attic.

I washed him and he came might near falling apart.

Last night I took my sewing kit to him.

I sewed his broken places,

glued on his blue button eyes,

and trimmed his tangled mane and tail.

He looks great...

standing proudly on the shelf in the children's room for

another generation to enjoy him.

Second picture....

THE water bottle.

For as far back as I remember,

that water bottle was always in the refrigerator,

filled with ice cold water.

We ALL drank out of it.

After a long bike ride on a hot day,

I couldn't wait to get back home to the water bottle.

Third...

Momma's crown pin.

It is missing quite a few jewels,

but it reminds me of her so much.

So out of character for my mom to wear a crown pin,

but wear it proudly she did.

I wish I had asked her its origins

when I still could.

Lastly....

The evening purse.

It belonged to my Hodie....

circa the 1920's.

So elegant, so beautiful.

Just perfect for that era.

I love the big blue jewel at the top of the chain.

I love to write!

I love to write!

Thank you for keeping on reading!

Cathy

sitting in a spot of sunshine

Sometimes I sit here in this little square of sunlight.

Especially when it is cold outside...

it just feels good to seek out the warmth and the beautiful rays.

It's a good place to read,

 to pray,

to contemplate life 

as given by God for me to enjoy.

 Again we have gone through a time of terror.

Two men,

hearts filled with hate,

feel powerful and invincible.

Thinking they had gotten away with their dreadful deed,

resumed normal life.

But not for long....

One of them is dead and the other seriously wounded.

Wonder what the one who survived is thinking now?

I thought of these verses that I wrote a couple of weeks ago....

"The man of the earth 

sits in the lurking places of the villages; 

in the secret places,

 he murders the innocent."

Psalm 10: 8

God is real...

He will not be mocked.

He is a righteous judge and He loves righteousness.

One day,

soon I hope,

Jesus will return and make everything right.

There will be no more sin.

"The man of the earth will cause terror no more."

Psalm 10:18

Can't wait...

Even though this life is wonderful,

(I contemplate that too when I sit in the sunlight),

I look forward to the day when the weight of sin

is removed from this earth.

We have a promise....

He keeps all His promises.

Jesus said,

"Surely I am coming quickly."

"Even so, come Lord Jesus!"

Revelation 22:20

so true......

Be careful which words you choose....

you have to live there for the rest of your life.

Thanks Margaret...

forever young (at heart)

My mother's Desert Rose....

I've always loved it,

now it is mine.

It is going to be displayed on my hutch,

as soon as I have time to take Easter down.

Teri, my sister,

is leaving on a jet plane in the morning.

She has been here for a week

and we have worked like horses.

We have been awash in wonderful memories.

I hate to see her go.

Didn't even get to go to the beach....

maybe later on this afternoon.

Lucy, Harry, and Gus arrived this morning.

They will be staying here for a few days.

Lucy got to go high-rolling with Teri and I today...

twice to see Dad's lawyer,

and once to meet with his stock broker.

While at the lawyer's office for the second visit,

she managed to eat a lemon, 

peel and all,

 blow on the glass top table,

clean it, and then look at herself there.

Bubba took Gus and Harry on his errands.

Everything went well

 until Gus poured his chocolate milk all over himself.

He is still sleeping.

I will deal with that smell etc. when he wakes up.

(I hear him now)

This is our secret to staying young at heart...

loving every minute of this life.

the look on your face

Just one look ~ 

If he never looked at me like this again,

it would be alright.

I love,

absolutely love,

this picture.

Thanks, Henry Cleland,

for adoring me.

The garage sale is over.

It was a huge success.

I am so tired I feel physically sick,

but it is done.

Thanks to everyone who worked so hard...

Frankie and Sally,

Lindsey,

Bubba,

& Teri.

Erika & Lucy

You all made it so much fun.

From the moment I rode up to the house yesterday morning

 and saw the man digging up the yard,

until just a few hours ago 

when they hauled the beat up washer and dryer out through the garage, 

I enjoyed every minute.

It was all such a hoot.

I love to laugh and laugh we did.

Grand total......

$1,075.00

We are blessed beyond measure.

Thank you God.

happy anniversary cathy & bubba

It's 43 years today and we have barely seen each other.

We have been working on the huge garage sale

at my parents house all week.

We have had to forego

our celebration

until such a time as we can schedule

some time to be together.

I hear there may be

some beach and crab legs in the near future.

You chose well Bubba....

and God knew I needed a strong man to keep me in line.

We have landed in a good place.

We are amazingly blessed...

and owe it all to our God.

Love to you!!!!

That's our dear friends

Robert and Sandra Rushing putting us in the getaway car.

We didn't get very far...

landed in the hospital ER on my wedding night...

but hey...

it made for a great story to tell.

"cause terror no more"

What the Bible has to say about the wicked.....

"All his thoughts are...

'There is no God.'

His ways prosper at all times.

He snorts at his adversaries.

The judgement of the Lord is out of his sight.

'I shall not be moved,' he says to himself.

His mouth is full of curses and deceit....

oppression,

mischief,

wickedness.

He kills the innocent.

His eyes stealthily watch for the unfortunate.

He lurks in a hiding place.

He lurks to catch the afflicted.

He catches the afflicted when he draws them into his net.

He crouches,

He bows down and the unfortunate fall.

He says to himself,

'God has forgotten, He has hidden His face, He will never see it.'

Why has the wicked spurned God?

He has said the Himself,

'God will not require it.'

Wickedness...sound familiar to you?

Probably!

Wickedness pervades this earth.

God's answer....

"The Lord is King forever and ever!

O Lord,

You have heard the desire of the humble;

You will strengthen their heart, 

You will incline Your ear

to vindicate

the orphan and the oppressed.

That man who is of the earth may cause terror no more."

The tenth Psalm.

emptyings

 

This is my mom and dad

standing in front of their almost complete new house on

Summer Winds.

1994

I think it was.

 

I don't know that there has ever been any

two happier people

than they were on that day.

 

Tomorrow my sister Teri is coming

and by Saturday afternoon

we hope to have most of it empty.

 

All that we work for and accumulate

in the course of a lifetime

is left behind

when it is our time to leave this earth.

 

Truthfully,

We cannot take it with us.

Not one single thing on this planet

 has any significance

when we come to die.

 

The only thing that matters on that day

is that we have trusted in

 Jesus Christ

for our salvation

 

We take that with us,

and when we bow before Him

our faith in His work on the cross is all we have to offer.

 

So....hard work,

exhausting days of labor,

emptying out the house that is no longer needed.

Sobering work to be sure.

 

Thankful for Jesus,

thankful for the blood He shed on my behalf

and yours.

 

Estate Sale

this Friday & Saturday

the 12th and 13th.

Friday.....8:00

Saturday.....7:00.

140 Summer Winds Drive.

 

 

 

 

some of you may remember...

Louise Futrell.

Yesterday, 

Bubba and I were guests in her lovely home

in Augusta, Georgia.

On her next birthday she will be 93 years old

 and you would never know it.

She still has the same 

elegance and grace that has always been her style.

Her living room 

is painted in the same shade of lilac

that has always been her 

trademark.

Just to her hear her voice

 and talk with her about old times and old friends 

made our day.

Bubba and I had lunch with Lou and Wally

 at PF Changs 

and what a delight that was.

Lou and I never get through with our converstions...

we need about a week.

Afterwards we visited with "Aunt Louise"

and then spent some time in their lovely home as well.

What a delightful trip.

Nothing like time with friends, 

friends who go way back...so much to share and remember.

happiness

Downtown Savannah

for dinner and ice cream cones

to celebrate

Lucy O'Quinn Cleland's

major accomplishment.

Yesterday she made

"Memory Master."

I know how difficult this was 

because I quizzed her on some of the material last week.

For almost an hour,

she recited back to her teacher

the answers to questions

about everything in this physical world....

far more that I know.

For a seven year old,

this was a major, major accomplishment

and we are so proud of her.

We are thankful that God has given her such a good mind.

We pray that she will always use it to bring glory to Him.

Lu Blue....I love you!!!

keep on celebrating

Believers were able,

 once again, 

to freely celebrate the resurrection of Jesus yesterday.

I don't know how much longer,

but yesterday the bells tolled all over this land 

because Jesus has risen from the dead.

He is alive!!!

Without the resurrection of Jesus,

there would be no Christianity, 

no hope for eternal life,

nothing at all except a dead faith.

I love a party.

Yesterday we celebrated Easter here at this house.

I cooked and cleaned and decorated 

and looked forward to those first guests coming up the stairs.

We ate, and laughed, and hunted Easter eggs.

I made my now famous pecan pie

and we feasted all over again

holding on to hot coffee mugs in comfy chairs

enjoying each others funny stories.

Every day 

should be a celebration of God's love and mercy toward us,

 His chosen ones.

Once a year is not enough to remember what He did.

Be thankful every new morn.

Give praise and thanksgiving for His gift of life

and forgiveness of our sins 

and the promise of eternal life.

Party on dear ones....

Life is a joyful occasion as we journey on to paradise.

Thanks David for the last words of your sermon yesterday

which brought this blog to life.