Tuesday, April 30, 2013

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!!!!

Monday, April 29, 2013

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.


Sunday, April 28, 2013

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.


Saturday, April 27, 2013

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.






Friday, April 26, 2013

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

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

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!!


Monday, April 22, 2013

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.

Sunday, April 21, 2013

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

Saturday, April 20, 2013

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


Thursday, April 18, 2013

so true......


Be careful which words you choose....
you have to live there for the rest of your life.
Thanks Margaret...

Monday, April 15, 2013

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.



Saturday, April 13, 2013

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.

Thursday, April 11, 2013

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.





Monday, April 8, 2013

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.
 
 
 
 

Saturday, April 6, 2013

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.

Wednesday, April 3, 2013

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!!!

Monday, April 1, 2013

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.