the mighty eighth museum

I had never been.

Lucy's class took a field trip this morning.

She asked me to go as her guest.

The Mighty Eighth Museum exceeded my expectations.

I didn't know that in the early 1940's, 

a small group of men met in Forsyth Park

 to plan how they could help the Untied States 

defeat the big and powerful Nazi Party 

led by the small but very evil dictator Adolf Hitler.

The Eighth Army Air force

did more than their part to add to the fall of the Third Reich of Germany.

They flew these huge bombers, 

made of of aluminum,

 riveted together, 

so heavy they could barely take off,

long distances,

freezing,

 in compromising positions,

to drop bombs on the infrastructure of the war in Germany.

Many of them didn't make it home,

but many accomplished their goal and came home as heroes.

The museum is dedicated to them.

I loved it...so did Lu.

So glad to have had this experience with my granddaughter.

She knew I would love it because my daddy fought in World War II.

Something our guide said 

must have given Lucy

 the heebee geebees!

loucinda...

Its all about you and me tonight.

The best I can remember,

I always had my hair in a pony tail

and you were often in pigtails.

Pigs and ponys,

dark hair and blond,

we were the best of friends

in a serious way.

This even looks like Tybee,

there under the pier.

I am so excited about our upcoming meeting

and time to just sit and talk.

There is so much I want to tell you,

and so much I want to hear.

Lifelong friends are the best!

Just think,,,

we are living our dreams.

Our playhouse days were just preparation.

Grandmothers now we are,

but in my heart, nothing has changed....

just two girls wanting to take good care of our babies,

and have a marvelous time in the process.

See you in June, sweet friend!

cathy's new shirt

Bubba took this picture of me yesterday

so that I could model my new

Saturdays & Sundays

shirt.

It looks a little crooked, 

but you get the idea.

I love the evenings of

April.

You just cannot stay inside.

I am going to be able to pull every one of the weeds

growing so proudly in our grass

because I just love 

being outside.

The deer have already destroyed the few things I've planted.

No need to waste my money on flowers again.

They even eat the ones that are

"proven to be deer resistant."

I will learn to be content without flowers.

Oh, and by the way...

there is a bird's nest in our mailbox paper slot.

They built one there last year

and came back again.

They can have that safe place,

because neither one of us care anything at all about

the newspaper.

Thinking Out Loud ~ Ed Sheeran

I like!

big enough

"I have been feeling very downhearted lately,

and what I want to write about

is the sea.

It contains so many colors.

Silver at dawn, green at noon,

dark blue in the evening.

Sometimes it looks almost red,

or it will turn the color of old coins.

Right now the shadows of clouds are dragging across it.

and patches of sunlight

are touching down everywhere..

White strings of gulls drag over it like beads.

The ocean is my favorite thing, I think,

 that I have ever seen.

Sometimes I find myself staring at it

 and forget my duties.

It seems big enough to contain everything anyone could ever feel."

"All the Light We Cannot See"

Anthony Doerr

I am done!

Overwhelmed....

lost a friend,

want to start reading this book all over again.

It spoke my heart!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I love to go away on short trips,

but it is always so good to get home again.

I love my bed,

my pillow,

my percolator,

my favorite chair,

my backyard full of green grass.

Nothing compares with the comfort of home.

Thankful tonight for this place of rest

that God has given us.

the family...

Yes...

the whole large Italian family,

including the matriarch and the patriarch.

Just kidding.

Or maybe not.

All of the above is true 

except for the part about us being Italian.

We were all able to meet up 

for one lovely,

 amazing night down in Orlando this past week.

cannot believe how many there are!

We accompanied David and Erika to

Disney World.

Archie got his cast off 

and we immediately hit the road to celebrate.

He did great,

and we all had a ball.

Thanking God tonight for our family,

for good times,

lots of laughter

safe travels,

 a straighter leg,

good food,

and all of the joys that children bring.

wonderful things.....

I have reached the age where I know exactly what I like.

A diversion.....

I love having really good hand soap

at my fingertips.

So many times a day I wash my hands.

Why not let it be an experience

of exotic smells and soothing softness?

Barr-Co 

makes wonderful, all natural

 hand and body products.

For years and years I have used this

big chunk of  

olive ~ lavender soap that is made in France.

Bubba always says to me,

"You smell so good."

Could there ever be a better compliment

from your husband?

The little purple soap on top is 

lavender ~ travel size.

They didn't have the olive ~ lavender in the small size.

That will be tucked away in my suitcase

 for our trip tomorrow.

But O, this best of the best...

It caught my eye.

I picked it up ~ I put it down.

I said, "No Cathy, you don't need that."

A pink leather journal

filled with fresh ~ never written on pages

just waiting for the first word.

It came home with the soap in a fancy bag filled with tissue paper.

You know how I love words.....

It had to be.

Wonderful things ~

sometimes its that kind of day.

speaking of days....

It was a perfect 10 in Savannah, Georgia.

Not a cloud in the sky,

sunshine,

cool temps,

no humidity.

We don't get many of these....

I'll be in the yard till the sun goes down.

love....

...sitting on the back porch watching a good storm go by.

Lightning and thunder and wind....

this one was top notch!

My flash makes it look like the sun is shining.

I forgot to turn it off.

I love this time of year!

The best time to be outside in the yard

planting and weeding,

and making it all look beautiful.

When it gets hot its too late,

but right now it is perfect!

Praying for Archie and David in St. Louis.

This is their eighth trip since January.

Tomorrow the cast comes off.

Hooray!!!

Also praying for Sarah Kate and Jay in China.

Just imaging

what it will be like when they see

little Max for the first time.

So nice to be home, quiet, praying.....

 enjoying the beauty

 of our backyard.

God is merciful and kind, 

full of love and compassion,

always ready to forgive and cleanse our hearts.

He hears our prayers,

He inclines His ear to us.

He loves us with a pure love.

We have His very own personal book that He gave to us....

every day it is full of new truth,

"God gives rain on the earth...."

Job 5:10

happy birthday cam #5

We sure did enjoy your party!

The monster truck cake that your mommy made was delicious.

We had hamburgers and hot dogs cooked on the grill.

So delicious!

The bounce house was a surprise for everyone.

You sure are a cute 5 year old!

Your granddaddy fixed a monster burger.

You got lots of presents to open and enjoy.

Your friends and family enjoyed your party so much!

she was......

......my matron of honor,

Sandra Splawn Rushing.

We've been friends since forever.

We met at church when we were teenagers

and have been running around together ever since.

Also, we both met our husbands, 

Robert and Bubba, 

there at the church too.

When we graduated from high school,

we both went to college to become schoolteachers. 

All during college, we double-dated

and were more or less 

inseparable.

She and Robert

 got married almost a year before 

Bubba and I tied the knot.

We had so much fun with all of the parties and the weddings,

 first hers, and then we did it all over again with mine.

After we got married,

we taught school and played house.

We traveled some and we were at each others house constantly.

We had babies together too.

We were pregnant at the same time

and we birthed our last babies

only three weeks apart.

This is David and Kellie.... 

I took her out to lunch today to celebrate her birthday.

We looked at each other and said,

"We've been together a long time and we are still going."

We are grandmothers together now.

We talk about silly things,

our kids

and the grandchildren that fill our days with delight.

We might mention our aches and pains

but we don't camp there long.

Mostly we count our blessings 

and thank God that we are still friends.

Happy Birthday Sandy!!

It's been a whirl!

lovely things....

....handmade by God.

A vase of tulips 

sitting on an antique table.

A late afternoon thunderstorm

making our grass so green and shimmery.

Sunlight shining through a window

casting shadows in the room.

Raspberries and blackberries

sitting on the counter

in moma's crystal berry bowl.

The ocean....

I never get over it.

I think there is salt water in my soul.

When I come upon it from afar,

I whisper to myself,

"There it is."

The ocean literally excites me 

every time I see it

Bubba said this to me the other day....

"When I die I know what you will do the next day.

You will go out

 and buy a cottage right next to the ocean

and you will spend the rest of your days hanging there

loving every minute."

Without a pause I said back to him,

"You know me so well."

Thanking God tonight

 for all of His beautiful works of art.

I

way back....

Okay,

I've been looking at our wedding pictures some this week.

There is so much in this one photo.

First of all,

this was our first home on 36th Street.

Year ~ 1970.

Look at the wallpaper

and the little paneled room off the back of the house

that once was a screened in porch.

We had hardwood floors

and I don't know where the table and chairs came from.

You all know how I love to throw a good dinner party.

Yes, now I have a small closet just for my tablecloths and runners. :)

Well,

this was the beginning, folks.

Evidently I had cooked up a roast and gravy

and who knows what else,

But,

we are eating off of our very fine china.

drinking out of real crystal goblets,

and we had gorgeous,

 pure, 

authentic silver 

to lift whatever I had cooked to our mouths.

There is a yellow rose in a silver goblet,

and silver candlesticks.

I look a little stiff and uncomfortable in that dress.

I think my Hodie had made it for me.

It was covered with daises.

I wonder if I cooked that whole meal dressed like that?

Maybe that's why I look sad.

Looks like only the two of us will be eating.

How sweetly romantic!

Anyway,

I've come a long way.

I can serve 30 now easily,

(with a little help from my friends.)

What fun to write about 

"the beginnings."

This may be our first Anniversary

now that I think about it,

(no date on back.)

Bubba and I are having a romantic dinner tonight by the way.....

hamburgers cooked on the grill

on this beautiful spring

evening.

I think we will eat on the porch

and I will definitely light

a candle.

the bell

I asked Bubba to take me to

 Trader Joe's yesterday afternoon before we left to come home.

I am definitely not an environmental wacko....

I just like several different kinds of cookies they sell.

I also drool over their cut flowers.

Anyway,

when I went to check out amid all of the

environmental wackos that WERE shopping there,

I inadvertently pushed my cart on the wrong side of the register.

To cover up my stupidity in this fast paced sea of environmental wackos 

who knew exactly what side of the register to push their buggies, 

I blurted out,

"Sorry, I'm a new customer."

Now, I've shopped at many other Trader Joe's in all of our travels,

In fact, I had been in that store two times previously.

But it didn't make any difference to the cashier.

All she heard was "NEW CUSTOMER."

In the next split second,

she was ringing a huge and extremely loud bell,

deafening me and sending me into shock.

All at once everybody in the store started clapping and yelling.

Not only did I feel stupid,

but my stupidity was called out to the store.

I was humiliated.

I couldn't wait to get out.

But, there was more....

she proudly awarded to me 

 one of the environmental wackos' shopping bags.

Bubba was waiting outside of the store.

The minute he saw my bag of cookies he accused me

of buying an 

an environmental wacko shopping bag

and he berated me for it.

All I wanted was to get in our ten year old van and head for home.

The cookies are delicious though.

Well worth the trouble.

45 years

Our wedding was forty five years ago this very day.

Above is my all time favorite picture.

It was not done by the

 photographer,

but is a candid snapped by who knows who.

We are caught up in a gust of wind.

Bubba has captured my veil

so that it won't cover the face of his new bride.

We look so happy.

I just love it!!!

He asked me to marry him at the beach.

We were sitting in the car looking out over the ocean.

I think I remember a moon out there.

He asked ~ I said yes.

My dad made us wait almost two years

until I graduated from college.

Looking back, it seems like yesterday.

I sum our marriage up like this,

We had fun!!!

We are still having fun!

We have grown from just the two of us

to the twelve of us.

Marriage is not easy.

Bubba and I have grown and learned together.

There have been times when

I have been ready to walk out the door 

never to return.

He has threatened to pack up and leave as well.

But that could never be 

because we took a vow before God

to stay together

 until death separates us.

To break that vow would be dishonoring to God.

The one huge blessing in our marriage

is that we love to talk to each other.

Everything is brought to the table and discussed.

There may be tears,

 rants and rages,

threats,

 and all the other craziness

 that comes out in a good battle,

but before the night falls,

 we can usually come to a resolution.

Bubba is a kind man,

a great provider,

my best friend.

He gives and gives himself to others.

I am thankful today that God chose us to be man & wife.

"He who finds a wife finds a good thing,

and obtains favor from the Lord."

Proverbs 18:22

*My anniversary roses...

and he is taking me away for the weekend....

somewhere close ~ not far from home.

happy birthday archie

William Archibald Cleland,

 aka Archie,

turned seven on this beautiful April day.

He was so full of excitement that we thought he would pop.

The only thing he asked for was a Mickey balloon.

His granddaddy got it for him.

He got lots of fun gifts and was very patient waiting for them.

His Nonnie and Boppa came all the way from

North Carolina

to join in the festive occasion.

This little guy 

who lived his first six years in China 

couldn't be more happy being in our family.  

His love for his people shines through his eyes.

As soon as he gets that cast off,

we are going swimming.

His fondest wish is really going to come true.

Love you little guy!

Grammy.

about moving on

This is the beautiful steeple on the Independent Presbyterian Church

in downtown Savannah, Georgia.

This is where Lucy and Harry

attend school.

Note the blue, blue sky,

and the green, green leaves on the trees.

Springtime in Savannah.

Not to be missed!

Steeples point heavenward where God and Jesus reside,

and are meant to bring glory to Them.

The Holy Spirit lives in the hearts of believers here on earth.

Our Helper, our Comforter,

Jesus sent Him 

after He went back to heaven 

to enable us to live the Christian life.

This coming Sunday will be David's last day at 

Cornerstone Church of Savannah.

He will be accepting a position at another church in Savannah,

Community Bible Church.

He and Erika are excited about this new ministry.

For me personally,

these last three and a half years have been amazing.

I love all of the people,

the children and the babies,

I have loved being in a small church....

being intimately involved in people's lives,

praying constantly for the church,

watching and waiting to see what God would do.

I have loved the songs we sing.

I am so glad to have been a part of

the beginnings of Cornerstone.

Bubba and I can count on two hands 

the number of days we missed.

To sit under David's teaching

was one of the biggest blessings of this mother's life.

Clear and concise,

completely understanable,

challenging, 

convicting,

encouraging,

at times unbearably hard to listen to

as my inner sins and motives were disclosed.

But always truth,

verse by verse,

chapter by chapter, 

book by book.

I have learned so much.

We believers grow and change.

We try with God's help and His guidance

to discover and follow His will for our lives,

to be at the places where He needs us the most,

at the time those opportunities present themselves.

So there, David,

I will be praying for you as you start this new chapter....

but always.....

"Preach the word!

Be ready in season and out of season,

convince, 

rebuke,

exhort,

with all patience and teaching."

II Timothy 4:2

(Ich Liebe Dich)

our Easter celebration

The table....

set with the colors of the Easter eggs.

Sally made me a peep cake!

I love it!

The children's table....

Still love this work of art with the 

Calvary children's Sunday School chairs.

Harry & Archie...

in their matching outfits and their new flip flops.

Note the nice short cast.

David was the winner of the egg hunt.

He found the golden egg buried very deeply in the ground.

Note the disappointed hunters standing around.

My Lu Blu.

making big bubbles before dinner.

Gus stopping to show me his eggs,

but he is in a big hurry to move on and find more.

Bubba explaining his egg hiding techniques.

What a wonderful day.

A celebration of the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.

"He is not here, He is risen, just as He said."

Matthew 27

good friday

I spent much time today 

meditating 

about what Jesus did for us 

over 2000 years ago.

I concentrated on Matthew 27.

Jesus suffered greatly on our behalf.

He was a man.

He felt everything we would have felt

 in the days and hours 

leading up to His crucifixion.

He bore the pain of our sin 

without murmuring and complaining.

What He accomplished on the cross that day

forever changed the course of history.

I've thought a lot about the people

 who were keeping a vigil 

by the cross.

What about those 3 hours of darkness

from noon until three pm?

There was an earthquake,

the rocks split open.

Saints even rose from their graves 

and walked into the city.

How traumatic, and scary, and sad 

that Friday so long ago 

must have been.

I believe many hearts were changed that day.

I believe many said 

with the centurion who was guarding Jesus.....

"Truly this was the Son of God."

Matthew 27:54b

What do you say about Jesus this Good Friday?

He died for you too!