happy halloween ~ 2013

from

Spiderman ~ Gus

Anikin Luke Skywalker ~ Harry

Pirate ~ Cameron

and

Laura Ingalls ~ Lucy

Hope all of your buckets are full of candy!

at long last....fire

On a hot afternoon at the very end of October,

I got fire in my fireplace.

The very first house that Bubba and I built together

had a wood-burning fireplace.

We had a huge stack of firewood right outside the backdoor,

and every cold night we had a roaring fire.

We would move from time to time,

but that was always a prerequisite to buying a house.

It had to have a fireplace.

Since moving back to Savannah at the end of 2007,

that hasn't been the case.

Can it really be six years that I've been without?

Anyway....

I'm very thankful!

Going out to get the golf-cart 

that we will use tomorrow night for Halloween.

Lindsey is hosting us at her new home on the Landings.

Can't wait for the fun and fellowship!

We are very excited.....

Fire in my fireplace 

and a spin in a golf cart all in one day.

Blessed beyond measure!

dinner on the porch

We are having in Savannah right now

what my friend Stacey calls

"San Diego Days."

The weather could not be more perfect.

Bubba and I had dinner on the porch a little while ago....

quiet and relaxing,

doors to the house open wide,

breeze blowing through,

golden waves of sunlight filtering through the trees.

Just got back from my walk around Autumn Lake.....

38 minutes from start to finish.

I want to stretch it to one hour a day.

My new walking shoes did a great job.

I need to get my Ipod loaded up with some sermons to listen to

 and I will be cruising for hours.

I am thankful tonight for Bubba.

God knew exactly who I needed to spend my life with.

Handpicked by Him for me....

He is always there for me with love in his heart.

"Let each one of you in particular

 so love his own wife as himself, 

and let the wife see that she respects her husband."  

Ephesians 5:33

ps....my gas logs are being installed tomorrow.

I have waited so long ~

I really can't believe that I will have 

a fire in the fireplace this winter.

"when they come to die"

I love this!!!!

"There is but one fountain of comfort 

for a person drawing near to their end

 and that is the Bible.....

chapters out of the Bible,

texts out of the Bible,

statements of truth taken out of the Bible,

books containing matter drawn from the Bible~

These are a persons only source of comfort when they come to die.

I do not say that a Bible will do good, 

as a matter of course, 

to a dying person, 

if they have not valued it before.

I know, unhappily, too much of death beds to say that. 

 I do not say whether it is probable 

that they who have been unbelieving and neglectful of the Bible in life, 

will at once believe and get comfort from it

 on their death bed.

But I do say positively, 

that no dying person will ever get real comfort, 

except from the contents of the word of God. 

 All comfort from any other source,

 is a house built on sand."

JC Ryle~

Read your Bible everyday, 

many times a day.

It will serve you well while you are navigating through this world of sin, 

and when you come to die!!

cac

you could see for miles and miles

Spent some time on the beach at Hilton Head today.

It was a little cool and breezy,

but very beautiful.

I love the beach in the fall.

This little fella was posing for me.

If you look closely,

you can see Tybee Island in the distance.

Bleached Pine Cones

They were absolutely beautiful.

Amanda and I saw them at the French Market

last week while we were having fun.

Small and white,

fully open and dainty.

she said,

"You could glitter them with gold."

My head immediately filled with visions of white pine cones 

glittering all over my house for the holidays.

I picked one up and did a study.

"I am not going to buy these;

Pine cones are a dime a dozen and I will make my own.

Take me to the craft store now!"

Famous last words....

I carefully chose 4 cones, just the right size.

This morning I put them in a big bowl,

covered them with water and bleach,

set them on the porch,

and viola....

When we got home from the beach,

they had closed up,

hardened,

and were exactly the same color as when I started.

I am not a crafter!

No ifs, ands, and buts!!!

"never seen such things as stars before"

I'm reading a book about a research doctor 

who goes deep into the jungle of the Amazon River

 to rescue a little boy who is deaf and mute.  

On the night she arrived in the remote little village,

 there was no earthly light anywhere.  

This is how the night sky was described.....

"Open your eyes doctor....look at the stars."

"Beyond the spectrum of darkness

 she saw the bright stars

 scattered across the table of the night sky

 and felt as if she had never seen such things as stars before.  

 She did not know enough numbers to count them,

 and even if she did,

 the stars could not be separated one from the other,

 the whole was so much greater than the sum of its parts.  

She saw the textbook of the constellations,

 the heroes of mythology posing on fields of ink.  

She could see the milkiness in everything now,

 the way the sky was spread over with light."

I love descriptive passages...

beautiful words that thrill my soul to His creation.

God made the stars you know....

"Then God made two great lights:  

the greater light to rule the day, 

and the lesser light to rule the night.  

He made the stars also."  

Genesis 1:16

I wonder what the stars will look like from heaven?

perseverance

Before we left Jupiter, Florida,

on Tuesday morning,

Bubba and I were privileged to attend 

the chapel service at Jake and Eli's school. 

 A little birdie had told us that Jake was to get an award.

The award was for perseverance.

Perseverance

 is the ability to stick with a task 

even though it is difficult 

and to see that task through to the end.

Here is Jake,

among his classmates,

 after hearing that he had won this award.

Just look at his friends,

how happy they are.

His teacher is doing some high clapping.

My most favorite is his little brother,

Eli,

bottom left,

proudly smiling and looking on excitedly.

Jake jumped off the bleachers,

did a little jig,

and went on proudly to receive his award.

I love these boys!

Sometimes God calls on us to do difficult things.

Many times these things are painful,

and cause much distress.

Sometimes our task may be just to remain 

quiet and prayerful,

while He accomplishes His purposes

 in our lives and the lives of those around us.

I love how God works!

I remember,

it's probably been about six weeks ago,

I was praying and I said this to God....

"Things have sure been easy lately."

It wasn't three days before the bottom fell out.

You never know 

when that which you hold dear 

will be snatched out from under you.

Nothing is certain...very few things remain the same.

What do I do?

Persevere,

and let God do His work, in His way and in His timing.

Praise God from whom all blessings flow.

october on the coast

Hi friends....

My computer has been broken for a while.

Chris,

our faithful "computer doctor,"

has just restored it to health.

We got Jake & Eli home on Monday,

and came home yesterday

because 

I too am sick.

We were going to take a slow,

leisurely ride back up the east coast of Florida,

stopping along the way to enjoy,

but it wasn't to be.

Maybe at another time when "things" are better.

Until later....

cathy

boys in the new house

 

The white sofa is shrouded with a sheet.

They scrub around with dirty feet everywhere.

They come right from the backyard

into the house

and on to the sofa or my new white quilt.

It's my fault.

I shouldn't have done everything in light colors.

 

You know what...

I don't really care a bit.

It is a house not a museum,

and everything can be cleaned or washed when it gets dirty.

I would rather have theses children here

having fun

than anything else in the world.

 

We spent the afternoon in the yard.

I played ball with them

and Eli and I went on a nature walk.

We found a really huge nest way up high in a tree.

I think it was a squirrel nest,

but Eli said that squirrels don't build nests.

(I think he is very wrong.)

 

When they are done outside,

I put them in the big, deep sink in the laundry room

and scrub their feet.

They love it and I get wet in the process.

 

Look at that picture.

it is a little blurry, but it captures the fun and competition

between two brothers.

 

Went to the beach last night and tonight.

What fun we have had.

 

Me to Eli....Why do I love you so much?

Eli to me.....Because I love you and God loves us.

Precious memories.

I'm storing them up for my nursing home days.

 

 

eating cookies on the back porch

It was one of those old-fashioned evenings,

kids running barefoot around the backyard

playing hide & seek

and eating cookies on the porch.

Just look at Gus...

in utter and complete happiness.

His cookie was forbidden,

but he is eating it you see.

He didn't eat much of his dinner,

and the rule is....

"If you don't eat your dinner, 

you don't get dessert."

Well, 

I mistakenly gave him one anyway.

When his mom found out

 she confiscated what was left of the cookie.

He didn't like that at all,

and then he said...

"Jake made do it."

Three years old...

already blameshifting.

he's a hoot

The bunk beds are full and I am a very

blessed grammy.

These kids are my delight!

Nights like this,

I wouldn't trade for anything in the world.

happy birthday gus.....

You are three!

Truly,

king of the castle!

At three Gus is a big ball of

super excitement.

We had his party on Monday.

Because he had been sick for a few days,

no one knew what to expect,

thankfully,

He didn't disappoint.

He went running from his cake to his presents

almost shivering with glee.

Gus is growing,

a tiny little guy he is,

 but he is getting bigger and stronger every day.

Most all of his teeth have come in,

and he is talking non-stop.

And....he loves all sports,

any ball, in any form.

We gave him a T-ball stand

with a bat and ball.

He stayed for the night after his party.

My favorite moment yesterday morning 

was when he went by me singing

"Hallelujah,

Praise the Lord!"

David and Erika,

you have taught him well.

Granddaddy and I love him so much!

Happy Birthday, little Gus!

just saying hi and hello....

on this beautiful night in October.

We had a wonderful dinner

at 

Bella's Italian,

my favorite,

and then shopped for a gift for Gus.

That golden boy up there is turning three this week.

He is heavily into sports,

so one of his gifts has something to do with that.

Looking forward to the coming week...

Jake and Eli and Amanda are coming for a visit.

Keeping it short tonight.

Just wanted to say hi and hello

and goodnight ~ sleep tight.

God is watching over you,

you know,

He never slumbers or sleeps.

There is never a time that He forsakes us.

Thankful for Him!

granddaddying....

A sweet, sweet moment

looking for turtles in the lagoon. 

I cherish these times with our grandchildren

more than anything in the world.

All five of them are special and unique in their own way.

Not one of them is loved more than the other.....

grace gifts from our Father above. 

I speak often of having the "joy of the Lord."

In the last few weeks,

I have grappled with this concept.

God has finally given me His wisdom into this truth.

Bottom line is this...

much of the time I don't feel joyful at all.

My heart hurts at so much sin and all that sin encompasses.

This week I realized....

  this joy is not something I feel,

 it is a truth I know deep down inside about God.  

This truth is......  

no matter how bad life gets,

 no matter how much pain I feel,

 no matter how my heart grieves and heaves,

God is in control,

God will see me through,

and one day,

the burden of sin will be lifted 

and all will be how He planned it to be at the beginning of time.

I may not feel joy...

but the joy is knowing the secret things of God,

what He has told me in His word.

I know how the story ends

and that revelation is 

the transformation,

the hope,

the everlasting,

 eternal joy that will one day be mine.

I may not feel joyful right now,

but one day soon

it will all be "counted as joy."

"The joy of the Lord is your strength."

Nehemiah 8:10b

maybe?....

....we should ask for help,

Bubba.

It was a beautiful day

yesterday,

in beautiful Orlando, Florida.

We went to Sea World with David & Erika,

Lucy, Harry, and Gus.

I got to see the whales and the dolphins,

the polar bears, the Beluga whales,

and a huge walrus.

We touched the sting rays

and watched beautiful birds fly through the air.

My favorite was seeing the penguins up close and personal.

As with any day at a theme park,

there is a lot of walking.

It was really hot.

In the middle of the day 

we took the boys back to the hotel for naps.

After the park closed,

after the last piece of pizza was eaten,

after we were overly exhausted,

I asked for one more thing....

"Bubba, 

will you take me over to 

Downtown Disney 

to buy a gift for Gus' upcoming birthday?"

He said yes.

We had a great time looking around the shops,

and then,

it was time to go home.

We were both, need I say more,

done for the day.

Walking happily out to the car,

chatting about our fun time,

but ready to get back to the hotel and in the bed,

it dawned on us that the car was missing....

we couldn't find it anywhere.

The parking lot was a zoo with people flooding in from all directions.

Cars were parked helter-skelter everywhere imaginable.

After walking around the lot for about forty five minutes

on legs that had walked at least 

25 miles that day already,

I finally said, 

"Bubba, maybe we should ask for help."

Swiftly from there,

We were rescued by a darling girl in a limo golf cart.

From that vantage point,

I quickly spotted the Tybee sticker on the back windshield of our van.

(I knew that thing would come in handy for something)

and we were on our way.

Today,

both of our bodies are numb from the waist down.

the trouble with us....

I read this in the Dunkin Donut shop on Thursday morning.

(Bubba sent me away before the shutter men came.)

I was eating a pumpkin muffin and drinking their wonderful coffee.

It was my first taste of pumpkin this season.

This says it all....

The Trouble With Us

"Man and woman,

placed by God in a state of paradise and perfection,

felt that even paradise was an insult to them,

because there was subjection to God.

It was that original act of rebellion that lead to all their other troubles ~ 

that is the story of the Bible.

This initial act of rebellion produced fear in them;

once they knew they had done something they should not have done,

that caused them to look at each other with

jealousy and envy.

Then the children came,

and they were envious and jealous and so on;

sorrow came after sorrow.

And it can all be traced back to the fact

that men and women were really meant to live a life

in communion with God,

and that happiness, in a full and final sense,

is only really possible when they obey the law of their own being:

and that as long as they refuse to do that,

they can experience nothing but

 turmoil and unhappiness and wretchedness.

This, says the Bible,

is the state of the world away from God.

It rebels against God,

and therefore produces its own miseries.

It does not argue about that,

it just tells us,

and the whole state of the world is just a proof of that.

It is no use, says the Bible,

you can do what you like,

you can organize and scheme as much as you like, 

but while men and women are in a wrong relationship with God,

they can never be better."

{MLJ ~ Life in Christ}

As Augustine put it,

{Thou hast made us for Thyself,

and our souls are restless

 until they find their rest in Thee.}

Ah truth ~ so good to hear and know it!

13 days

Yes, it is still get in the warm water time

down in Jupiter, Florida.

These guys are always up for a dip in the ocean

after finishing school and homework.

These boys have been

on the beach

since they were tiny infants.

they have evolved

from being completely hysterical

at the sight of a wave

to

swimming in a wild storm with no fear at all. 

In just under two weeks

Jake and Eli

will be coming to our house for a little stay.

We are so looking forward to....

Captain Mike's dolphin cruise,

Gus's third birthday party,

a pumpkin patch adventure,

playing on the beach,

and.

just being together again.

Just a short blurb to say that the shutters are in.

They look great!

I am so pleased and thankful.

peter pan & wendy

This is Erika's picture from Sunday night.

Absolutely amazing.

Had to share with you blog readers.

Just the right light,

the beach provides the perfect backdrop.

Two kids having fun jumping off of the lifeguard stand

becomes magical.

Finally,

tomorrow morning,

hopefully,

the shutters will be installed.

This process has not been an easy one.

Patience finally ended this afternoon when the installer

called once again to put it off until

"sometime next week."

Inevitably,

there comes a time,

when the good will runs out and you have to make a trip

all the way up to 

Rincon

to talk to the chief bottlewasher of the company.

He got the message

and the installation of the shutters is set for tomorrow

with the promise of his oversight.

The time had definitely come!

In the meantime,

we watch and wait and hope

that his promise will actually come true.

10 ~ 1

Just watched a gorgeous sunset from the deck of our condo.

The evening was beautiful....

the sky so blue

it made the water shimmer the exact same color.

A tiny bit cool

with a gentle breeze

made it an almost perfect ten afternoon.

Look at the picture above.

I found it this past Saturday in an antique shop.

It is done in oils.

I had been searching for a

"stormy scene"

to go in our "bedroom painted gray."

It was sitting on a fake mantelpiece

 surrounded by some really awful junk.

When my eye saw it I knew it was a keeper.

I was afraid to look at the price tag,

expecting it to be "too much," but it was only

$34.95.

Bubba haggled for a discount,

and he got it for just over 

$30.00.

It is signed by the artist.

Other than a soiled linen border,

the rest of the weathered solid wood frame is in excellent condition.

Soon we will take it to a gallery downtown

to see what it is really worth.

Sometimes,

and this is why we love antique shops,

you find an awesome treasure

amid a pile of trash.

Two treasures....

this evening at the beach and my beautiful framed oil painting.

Thankful tonight....very.