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Sunday, December 31, 2006

2006

One of my dearest friend's survived a massive heart attack January 28th, thank God!
Discovered CSI re-runs
Mastered the Hallmark register, yeah!
Walked miles at Lake Pine about 5 days a week, loving every minute
Read many good books, including a few by Donald Miller, C.S. Lewis, Nicholas Sparks' Three Weeks With My Brother, Charles Frazier's Thirteen Moons, Heaven by Randy Alcorn, etc.
Continue to read Oswald Chamber's devotion My Upmost For His Highest
Studied Isaiah
Took a plane trip to WI with family in September
Visited NC mountains in August with K to celebrate 37th anniversary
Assigned 2 care receiver's in Stephen Ministry
Gained weight--ugh:(
Visited Mama in Pinehurst twice a month
Spent a harrowing night evacuating from chemical spill in town in October--whoa!
Spent 4 days at the beach with dear friends in October
Loved seeing C buy a townhouse next to S&K
Chartering new territory in C&C, courtesy of GOD
My Skybird gets a buddy named Alfie
Uncle Ewell died in the fall
Daughter in law's K's two grandmothers died
Saw the movie Cars
S&K adopt Westie named 3---so cute!
Painted bathroom yellow/primer fumes unforgettable
Visited Monet exhibit at NC Art Museum twice--amazing!

Saturday, December 30, 2006

With the Family Clan

I must say one of my favorite gatherings is with my in law's, the Mc's:) A bunch of folks who are always interesting & funny, who enjoy doing things together, & are happy to be with each other. And this isn't easy with the cousins having such a wide range of ages (from 32 to 12) & being from WI., Pa., and N.C.:)

We've just returned from spending this Christmas week together and it was a pleasure--everybody shopping, eating out, eating in, playing Scrabble, opening gifts, talking, watching movies, the guys repairing Grandpa's lights and P.'s car radio, the 3 siblings recalling school years, nephews talking to aunts, aunts talking to nieces, cousins to cousins, great aunts & a great uncle dropping by, all while Grandma & Grandma enjoy the hustle & bustle around them:)

Sunday, December 24, 2006

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve---a day filled with wonderous expectations of Christmas Day! Too often it's better than the reality of Christmas Day----in our limited physical view.

But in our spiritual view----a day of pondering the awesome fact that Jesus came into our world as helpless as we are, that He left Paradise to come to us, Spirit wrapped in flesh as we are, to a mother & father who had no idea how to parent, much less how to parent the Son of God!

Is that amazing love or what!
And that was only the beginning!

Friday, December 22, 2006

Scrooge

"Bah humbug" on this mild weather.
Now I'm not ordering frigid stuff, but I would like to put in a request for a little frost, a few light snows, and at least a few months of crisp days and chilly fireside nights. Summer is becoming a bully and crowding in on my "sweater, coat, gloves" time.
I'm listening for those sleigh bells & kid's sledding....

Wednesday, December 20, 2006

Christmastime

Skipped walking,
sent out Comfort & Care email & emailed sister,
met dear friend at Perkins & exchanged gifts,
ran back home to start yeast bread,
realized forgot to take care of Manager's gift,
left bread to rise,
cashed a check,
picked up Manager's card & took care of gift,
stopped by the carwash (a mistake on a busy day!),
waited,
waited,
drove clean Cruiser home,
punched down dough,
checked out stocking gifts & put them together,
wrapped 2 gifts,
shaped dough,
am checking on emails....
and it's only 2:30.
Whew!
Still have to visit a friend,
then bake bread!!
And supper may/may not be in this equation!
This is a day off work in December:)

Monday, December 11, 2006

Skybird & Alfie

Skybird is my devoted cockatiel. He likes me and only me & wants me in his sight if possible! Alfie, our newcomer cockatiel, is shy and doesn't trust me yet.

I began thinking about this a few days ago. Skybird lives for my attention.
Now it took a long time for him to trust me, but once he decided to, he trusts me completely and would be content sitting on my shoulder all day long, just being with me. The perks: he has the freedom to go upstairs with me while I shower or iron or wrap gifts, the freedom to sit on my shoulder while I'm at the computer, and the freedom to perch on top of his cage nearby when I'm busy in the kitchen. Now Alfie doesn't get that freedom because he hasn't learned to trust me and therefore won't come to me even when I coax him over and over.

Isn't that like faith in the Lord? If we put our trust in Jesus, we yearn to be in communion with Him continually, and in turn, He will take us to places, situations, & relationships, we'd never go on our own. We become free because of being with Him.

I'm hopeful Alfie will gradually trust me; then he will have freedom like Skybird.
Can I be so trusting and devoted to Jesus as Skybird is to me--to be with Him, therefore free?

Wednesday, December 06, 2006

Tis the season

I've found the best time to shop right now is after 9pm at night. Target stays open till 11 pm and Borders is open till at least 10 pm. I had to find a black Sharpie pen for Skye at this strange hour tonight--to finish a class project due tomorrow! What a pleasant surprise to find so few people out and about:) Something to consider for those who hate crowded malls and stores:)
Wishing you a peaceful and calm December, and late night shopping:)

Thursday, November 30, 2006

Three:)

Our McFarland clan has a new addition as of last Saturday.
K.& S. brought home a puppy, a West Highland White Terrier, a gift to one another for their first anniversary:) Well, if she isn't the cutiest baby I've seen in a month of Sundays! She barks rarely, actually makes few sounds, but leaps and jumps, and "kisses" every human face within reach! A ball of "happy"!
And her name?
Three!?
But she's really number 1 in our books:)

Is this November?

Bah, humbug!
I'm going to complain a little about this weather; too warm, too humid, too close, to be one day away from December. When you put out Christmas decorations it's not natural to wear flip flops and sweat:( I'm counting on December being a little more seasonal so I can wear a jacket and socks! Is summer trying to sneak in and take over every month?

Thursday, November 23, 2006

Thanksgiving 2006

Ahhh, Thanksgiving dinner has been cooked and baked (& I didn't burn anything!), eaten and savored, SI. & KA. came early and lingered till mid-afternoon, C. stayed till 6:30 this evening, SC. flew S.'s airplane & played C.'s guitar game over and over, then RK. washed all the dishes, so I couldn't ask for more (except maybe a caterer):) Tasty leftovers are in the frig, the kitchen is clean & I have a quiet evening to rest. Tomorrow I work all day in the first day of Christmas madness; we'll be off & running to the countdown to Dec. 25th....but tonight it's calm and peaceful. Thank you Lord for your good gifts:)

Thursday, November 16, 2006

Rain

How do I love rain? Let me count the ways:)
I love it when I'm able to sit inside and listen to the patter of the drops on the roof, especially a tin roof---calming.
I love rain when the temperature's mild and, umbrella in hand, I go for a walk--soothing.
I love rain when it's wintertime and it lasts for days, while I'm warm & cozy inside with a book or sleeping or computing---relaxing:)
I love rain when it falls gently---peaceful:)
I love it when it's pouring, washing over everything, cleaning the air and everything in it's path---cleansing.
Is it my Scottish blood?
I seem to be in the minority on this:)
Let it rain, let it rain, let it rain:)

Saturday, November 11, 2006

Christmas shopping/giving

I love to buy and give presents, so Christmas is an exciting time for me in many ways, especially the giving part. Except my adult children and my husband are so hard to buy for.

My husband K. doesn't care what he gets and usually has no suggestions! And the kids aren't as easily satisfied as they were in they were younger. Finding the right thing for them is difficult and it makes shopping pretty tough.
My friends are EASY, my sister and sister in laws are EASY, my mama's EASY, and I am thankful!

At least Amazon.com is specific and and most of the kids use it for their lists, but you have to be on the ball and order things early!

K. never looks at my wish list that I'm aware of, or, he looks at it the week before Christmas. Isn't that interesting. This year I bought his gift to me, or the big one, so he won't have to shop much---wasn't that nice of me? I know I'm excited:)

Saturday, November 04, 2006

Am I confused? Or what?

On Halloween night I went in to work at Hallmark, excited that I might see some cute ghosts and goblins dropping by throughout the evening:) Instead I spent the entire time decorating a Christmas tree. Evidently all the kids were elsewhere ringing doorbells. (Were they afraid to come in because of the Christmas lights?)

Now, if you know me, you know I enjoy seeing tiny happy 'trick or treaters' who are excited about costumes and candy. And, I love, love, love Christmas!!
So it was a STRANGE night for me:(
I felt like Halloween slipped by me.

Hallmark warps your mind as to which holiday is going on this time of year:( We begin displaying Halloween stuff in August, Thanksgiving and Christmas items show up in September...and gradually Christmas takes over before Halloween!
I have plenty of friends who hate October 31st, but I'm not one of them. Then again, I was being PAID to do one of my favorite things, decorating a Christmas tree. But on Halloween night?
93.9 has been playing Christmas music since November 1st! I LOVE Christmas music, but--- what happened to Thanksgiving??

Wednesday, November 01, 2006

Glorious Color!

Remember back in an August blog, I mentioned how 'fallish' my Lake Pine walking trail was then. The weather had been dry, the leaves were turning reddish brown and crispy, falling and swirling around.
But this week, today, it is REALLY FALL, and BEAUTIFUL here in Apex:) Wow, I feel the glory of God in the brilliant colors of the trees. My early morning walk was a taste of heaven:) The leaves painted in bright golds, deep reds, bright reds, peach-colors, orange-colors, burgandy-colors, burnt sennia-colors, and yellows, everywhere!!!
WHOA:)
Makes me joyful, grateful, thankful!!
God's artwork has no comparison!

Monday, October 30, 2006

Sweet haven/restoration

Three girlfriends and I are just back from spending 4 days/nights at the same beach house at Emerald Isle that Pastor A. and his family enjoyed the previous week--see his blog for details:)
It is a sweet haven:)

Five of us ladies go to C.'s beach house yearly. C. is so gracious to invite us and is such a wonderful hostess:) One of our group has remarried recently and did not join us this fall since she is still honeymooning--we did miss her!

We began retreating together for prayer a few years ago when we served on our church's women's board. We are different ages and have different interests and different talents, but we truly enjoy one another's company and love being together! Love of the Lord is our bond, and it's a blessing to spend time catching up on each other's news, good and/or sad, and praying together for friends and family.

We read, walked on the beach & gathered sea shells, talked, ate seafood, shopped, biked, ate some more, slept in, talked late, played Scrabble, did the cross-word puzzle, worked on Bible Study homework, ate again, walked on the beach again, laughed, read the newspaper, joked, painted birds on a stool, drank coffee, shopped again, and prayed, not necessarily in that order:)

The beach in October is amazing, sometimes calm, sometimes turbulent. The sunsets are amazing, usually brilliant orange, peach, and purple. And the sky is amazing, crystal clear with not a cloud to be seen, or, dark and windy with rain blasting against the windows (that happened on Friday)!

What a refreshing vacation:) We all soaked it in, every minute. I'm ready to order up another one any time:)!! Thank you C., K., and N.:)

Sunday, October 22, 2006

A Beautiful Fair Day

Yesterday, Saturday, a beautiful cool fall day, Keith and I headed out to the NC State Fair, jackets in hand plus my backpack. We got to the Fairgrounds by 9:45, found a parking spot along Beryl Road, a Jeep-sized space, then made our way along and across the railroad tracks to one of the ticket gates on Hillsborough Street. We've been parking along Beryl Road for almost 30 years (whoa!).

First stop, the poultry exhibit, my favorite. Not sure why, except most of them, hens, roosters, turkeys, guineas, peacocks and ducks, are so animated and upbeat-sounding, crowing, cackling, strutting their stuff as much as they can in their tiny cages.

Then through the cattle building and stopping briefly to watch some cow being judged--evidently people are only allowed along the perimeter this year after the ecoli scare last year. Next we walked into to a new building where the prize winning farm produce was displayed on one side, while on the other side goats were being judged. Not sure about the produce being with the animals, but---I guess the produce won't be eaten.

Next, the Village of Yesteryear, housed in an unique round brick building. I love this place, it's my third favorite exhibit, but usually it's so crowded it's hard to see what's going on. We got there before there was a crush of folks but still it was so busy we (at least me, the short one!) had to peep through the first line of curious lookers. Crafters and artists sell their wares as they form and shape their various pieces of art; potters, basketweavers, tatting artists, dulcimer makers, quilters, rug-makers, wood-carvers, etc.

After walking uphill to restaurant row, we stopped at the Cary UMC church booth for a delicious hot dog and hamburger, onion rings and fries, drinks, and a nice rest. We looked at a brochure/layout of the grounds and chose our next stop--the pottery tent, my second favorte place!!

We dodged people and rounded Dorton Arena to reach the pottery tent. It must be put together by Angela's brother, since quite a few pieces of his pottery were on the shelves:) We bought 4 Christmas gifts here! Pretty stuff, good prices, NC made:)!!

To wind up our Fair trip I looked over the quilts & cross-stitch entries--a treat to the eye-- while Keith waited outside resting his feet:) Then we toured the Jim Graham building filled with commercial vendors, but most importantly, the artwork and photography entries! My fourth favorite Fair "must see":) Keith & I think we could do better than the judges here:) Some of the best pictures did not get ribbons:( Still, it's wonderful and inspiring to see there are talented people in our area:)!

Finally we ended our day at the Folk Festival tent where bluegrass and clogging were 'showing their stuff'. A plus here; rows of chairs were a welcome sight for the weary Fair-goers:) Snacking on sweet fried dough, we enjoyed the exuberance of the entertainers, if not the talent:)

Bypassing the midway is becoming more and more the norm for Keith and me, unless it's to watch the wild and crazy rides and riders, but there's plenty to do and see without the games and rides:)
We had a grand time!!

Now IF we had another beautiful day, maybe we would do a few rides, play a few games, scout out the horses and look at the garden exhibits--for a start:)

Tuesday, October 17, 2006

On a pretty autumn afternoon

Sunday afternoon, Oct. 15th, Keith, Skye, Seth & Kelley and I pitched in to help Cameron move back to Apex after living in North Cary for almost 10 years. He has bought his first home, a pretty townhouse with a front porch, beautiful hardwood floors and a fireplace, in Scott's Mill, right off Apex-Barbecue Road.

And the best part? It's right next door to Seth & Kelley:)
How neat is that?!

He had a number of his buddies over to help so, although the move was hard work, it was quick work:) We are happy for him, and hope that he and Seth & Kelley will enjoy being neighbors:) Maybe they can sit on their front porches and rock together:)

Friday, October 13, 2006

A Monet Friday

During the day Lorraine, Ralph and Keith and I made a last minute decision to try to see the new Monet exhibit at the NC Museum of Art here in Raleigh. The Museum was offering free admission today only. It officially opens Sunday and will cost $15 per person.

We decided to meet at the Museum at 6pm, NC State fair and Carolina Hurricane's traffic permitting. Ralph and Lorraine made it on time, but we had to deal with heavy traffic on our side of town so we were delayed about 20 minutes. After a 30 minute wait in line, we found Ralph and Lorraine and entered "Monet land".

Wow! It is so amazing! Beautiful paintings filled with stroke after stroke of color, color, color, sun-drenched light, diffused light, moonlight, sailboats, flowers, waterlilies, poplar trees, clouds, cliffs, cathedrals, hazy atmosphere, bright atomosphere, etc.:) There were a few pictures I had never seen before and one of those has never been on display in public until now! It's an impressive collection. How nice is that the NC Art Museum owns two of the better known ones:)

It was like candy for the eyes to me, an Art History major, and to Lorraine, an art lover and artist. Yum!!! We hope to see it again before the exhibit leaves in January--like icing on the cake (and hopefully less people!:)

Thursday, October 12, 2006

Donating Blood

Late this afternoon Skye and I met at the Cary Red Cross Center at Regency to donate blood.

Beth Barfield had arrived earlier and was ahead of us in line. Beth tends to be a slow donor so she gets to the Center before the rest of us:) Beth, Kathy Worrell, and I have given blood together on a regular basis for a few years now:) Kathy is taking a Broker's class this week and couldn't join us; she was disappointed.

I've been encouraging Skye to come along and try it. She said she'd think about it. And earlier this summer she donated with a few of her friends during the Raleigh Moravian Church blood drive. How neat:)

Giving blood is easy for me. I've donated most of my adult life, even donating platlets for a few years. Do you know only 20% of the population gives blood? I had hoped someday the boys or Skye might join me in helping with this worthy cause.

Today Skye and I donated together:) The nurse says she has good veins:)

Giving is a blessing:) Giving with friends is a wonderful blessing:) Giving with your daugther is a special blessing:)

Tuesday, October 10, 2006

October 10th, the Aftermath

Well now, the articles in the News & Observer make me wonder if we will have residual effects from the chemical fire, and the chemical plant owner is talking about re-building and opening again. Scary talk to those of us who live in Apex!

I bought new air filters today to replace the old ones. They look too flimsy to protect anybody from hazardous fumes. And my crawl space may be harboring low-lying toxic fumes as well. Do we open our crawl space doors and it's solved? Is that all we can do after such a scare?

I think most of Apex would agree that the "Peak of Good Living" should not include a hazardous waste holding site in the middle of town!
It'll be interesting to see if the citizens take a stand on this.
My bet is they will.

Sunday, October 08, 2006

The Rest of the Story

It's Sunday night, October 8th, and the explosion/fire in Apex is out, the evacuation orders have been rescended as of Saturday morning, and all of the community is breathing a sigh of relief that we have escaped a disaster.

After talking to a few neighbors, at least two families slept through the crisis Thursday night, completely unaware of the situation, and others decided to stay put overnight and leave Friday morning. There was confusion but, in the end, we are okay. Hallelujah!

Four of us who work at the Beaver Creek Hallmark opened the store Saturday morning after being closed all day Friday---a half hour late, but we did it:) Our manager has been in Colo. since last Wednesday and our assistant manager was evacuated to North Raleigh. All went well, but people seemed a little edgy after all the commotion.

I must say being startled with bad news Thursday night, evacuating, feeling like gypsy's for a short time, watching the TV reports constantly, and not knowing what would happen next, is tiring. Keith, Skye and I all have been getting a nap whenever we can.

Now the HazMat folks have to figure out what triggered the explosions and fire, clean up the residue, and make sure the ground water is protected.

Life can come at you fast and you do what you can, all the while throwing up a prayer.
Hopefully our town will learn from this.
And we know that our trust is not in town officials but in the One who is Soverign:)

Friday, October 06, 2006

October 5th, 6th Apex Crisis

Whew! What an anxious time in our comfy town!
We are home now after slipping past two road blocks and spending a harrowing & draining night away from home. Will we be safe here? Should we have returned? Will we be able to stay? Can we leave if necessary?

At 1pm this morning we evacuated Shepherd's Vineyard. This was a result of watching the local news for 3 hours and hearing reports about a hazardous chemical fire in a facility less than 2 miles from our neighborhood! After hearing a few policemen and firemen were sent to the hospital, Keith told us it was time to leave!

Seth had called about 11:30 offering his couch and floor if we needed it. Since he & Kelley were on the 'safe' side of town, west of the fire, we each grabbed a pillow and jumped into the Jeep and 'crashed' at their townhouse.
We dozed now and then as we kept one ear open for news updates all night long.

This morning Seth & Kelley headed out to Raleigh early for pre-wedding festivites with Kelley's brother John and sister in law to be, Shelly.

It is a rainy day. The hazardous waste experts say the rain will be helpful in putting out the fire. The wind has been calm, a blessing! The HazMat crews have entered the site and are accessing the situation--a good beginning! Gas readings were high at the Eva Perry library around dawn, but those readings & readings at other sites around Apex seem to be safe at this time.

We decided to scout out the area and find breakfast, and see if we could get back home to grab a few things we needed. The news reporters were set up across from Bojangles near Shepherd's Vineyard, so that's where we headed. After eating and watching the news crews, and seeing all the countless firetrucks, HazMat trucks and rescue squads parked at Laurel Village, we figured we'd TRY to get back to the house.

Three routes were blocked by policemen or patrolmen along 64. Then we discovered the Leith car dealer road open---a possibility! We drove through, then on to Olde Raleigh Road----still clear, and finally left onto Olde Raleigh where the roadblock cones were just beyond Shepherd's Vineyard Drive! Just past our road--an opening! Yey! We were in!

Home!
Our birds were still breathing, in fine shape---a good sign of no gas:)
Whoa, our computers!
A hot shower!
My toothbrush!
Food!
Thank the Lord:)

Now, the crisis is not over. The fire is still burning. The evacuation notice will not be rescended until the fire is out. Skye has left to meet a friend, but Keith warned her she might not be able to return if they realize our area is not 'quite' secured. She may have to camp out somewhere else tonight. Who knows??? Is it wise for us to be here??

Some days are more adventuresome than others!
We are on alert on Apache Lane.

Wednesday, October 04, 2006

Getting older

October came in on Sunday, my favorite month.
A month filled with beautiful color and cooler weather, and the Fair! I just love it!

My birth month.

I have worked for a year now at Hallmark and I enjoy my job, but am feeling the aches and pains of being on the down side of my fifth decade. I stand for hours, lift and re-arrange heavy shelves, and move boxes, etc. Like all baby boomers, I fight 'tooth and nail' the idea that I am aging! Having any twinge irks me, even makes me mad:( I try to walk five days a week, and yearn to walk four miles rather than two, but lately my knees are starting to rebel:( In the last few weeks my left knee has been reminding me that I'm not 20 any more--ugh:( Pain wakes me up at night. Pain jabs through my joint when I step down stairs. I am insulted by this. My body is not cooperating.

Now, I'm not one to regret getting older. I am happy to be in my fifties:) I feel better now than, in many ways, I did in the past.
I love seeing my children as happy adults who like each other--- and I love when Keith & I get to spend time with them, I enjoy my dear sweet friends, and I really like the girls I work with (especially my manager), I love my church family, and my extended family:) I look forward to my walks, beginning an art class with my friend Lorraine in a few weeks, finding a great sale, and reading good books.

So, I will take a few Advil and Alieve and keep on trucking.
I am grateful for my 57 years:)
I am blessed.

Monday, October 02, 2006

A wedding trip

Our weekend trip was a refreshing change of scenery:) We enjoyed our quick visits to the new Detroit airport, a huge place filled with floor to ceiling windows, and shops and restuarants, as well at the small newly remodeled Madison airport designed with mission style windows & lights, & beautiful tile!

Right now Kendall & Kristen are on their way to Hawaii for their honeymoon, and Uncle Denny & Aunt Nancy are breathing a sigh of relief that all the festivities went smoothly:)

The Baraboo area is primarily rolling dairy farm land. The fall foliage was beginning to turn color and the yellow & red maples were already show stopping:) The air was cool and crisp and we loved it:)

On our way back to Madison Sunday we had time to tour the University of Wisconsin campus. It is on a hill overlooking a large lake and on Sunday it was a brilliant color of blue covered with countless sailboats enjoying the breezy day. We also took time to meander around the Capitol building downtown, taking photos of the huge marble building as well as the cow statues that are scattered around the grounds painted in every conceivable way----similar to our wolves in Raleigh a few years ago:)
A picturesque town:)

Cameron called about an hour ago saying he was back in the Triangle, passing by Chapel Hill as we talked. After having breakfast with Grandma and Grandpa this morning, he drove the 9 hours home.
So he is home, and we are home, and it was a blessing to be with the newlyweds and family, and then it is always a blessing to be back home safe and sound:)

And to dream of a new destination to visit in the future:)

Thursday, September 28, 2006

An short adventure/a happy celebration

Tomorrow morning, September 29th, Keith, Seth & Kelley, Skye and I are going to fly to Wisconsin for Keith's nephew Kendall's wedding:)

Cameron, our non-flyer, has gone ahead to Grandma and Grandpa's in Pa. and will drive them up to meet us in Baraboo at Uncle Denny's and Aunt Nancy's. Keith's sister Jeannie & her husband Ken and their family will travel with them (they only live 30 minutes away from Grandma & Grandpa:))

Skye and I love to fly, so we are eager and excited! Her first and only flight was to Italy two summers ago, and that was a biggie! Keith doesn't mind a plane trip. Seth & Kelley only do it because they need to---Kelley and Skye don't have the time to drive.

Getting together with the McFarlands is great fun:) We enjoy one another and all the cousins are close. That's unusual since we do live far apart; Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina. I think it's a result of having weeklong get togethers every few years:)

So today is a day of packing and finishing up last minute details. We have to be at the airport about 5am in the morning. So, our weekend will start early:)
A sweet time away celebrating with Kendall and Kristen and the McFarland clan:)!!

Wednesday, September 27, 2006

A September day

Monday, September 25th, my brother Mark and I traveled down east and south to the little town of Dublin, NC, in Bladen County, to attend the funeral of our Uncle Ewell, the last brother of the Robeson clan to pass on. (Our Daddy has been gone for almost 12 years)

It was a beautiful day, and it's always good to see dear relatives that we seldom see anymore. Uncle Ewell had lived a long and blessed life, having turned 91 in August. He was a Godly man who loved the Lord, his family, his church, and playing Scrabble. (I thought it was ironic I had a game of Scrabble in my car:))

The service was special. Two retired pastors spoke who had known him well. We heard the details of his life that Mark & I didn't normally see. He was a lay speaker and active in the community all of his life. We sang "Beulah Land" and "The Land of an Uncloudy Day".
I knew he was creative as well. He made grapevine wreaths and baskets in his later years after he retired from farming and running a grocery store. He also liked telling stories and would slyly "pull your leg", as the old saying goes:) All the Robeson's loved to laugh:)

We caught up on news from our many cousins, and enjoyed the fellowship of family. Uncle Ewell and Aunt Isabelle had 10 children, so you can imagine how much fun it was for our family to go to their house as we were growing up:) All ten were there and everyone felt the day was one of celebration.

A day of happy rememberances, a day to get reacquainted, a day to say good-bye to a gentle man who loved to grin and smile.
He always loved a visit from his neices and nephews too:)

Sunday, September 17, 2006

Grieving over a son

I write this with fear and trepidation.
I have not faced the ultimate pain of losing a child.
But I feel such sorrow when it happens in our community.
I take it personally.

Last weekend a student from Apex High school was killed in a freak accident. Oh, what a great tragedy to lose a child. Oh, what sadness to lose a young person on the threshhold of adulthood. Oh, the emptiness of losing someone so dedicated to helping others.
Then again, oh, the emptiness of a child if they were struggling to find their place in the world.

This past week I sent a card to a precious friend who lost her son in Iraq almost 2 years ago. Her son's birthday was September 13th. She is suffering deeply, fighting to stay afloat as she navigates through this sorrow. She's attempting to come to grips with this wound, a wound that will never go away.
People remembering Brad is some comfort, and she emailed me that it was good to get a card.

I have another dear friend whose son commited suicide more than 10 years ago. Oh, the pain and agony in that is hard to describe:( She allowed me into some of her deep pit. I must say that was a gift to me. That I could be with her and cry with her. There may have been a little comfort there. In time, and with God's mercy, she has come to a place where she lives with heartbreaking sorrow but is not controlled by it. Her big fear? People forgetting Paul.

How do we comfort others?
We pray, we give a hug or hold a hand, and/or cry. We send a card or a note, or two or three. We say very little. We listen. We call or email on birthdates and anniversaries.
We remember.

I know I need to send a card to the family of the student that died.
Every word sent in comfort is a balm of tenderness in the darkest of times.

Saturday, September 09, 2006

Sandrock Acres on a September Saturday

Just spent the day with part of the Robeson clan celebrating Mama's 85th birthday. A fun day. A tiring day. My brother Lindsay was the gracious host. We had a cookout and, with my brother in law George's help, Lindsay cooked the hamburgers and hot dogs. Seth picked up the KFC:) Cameron brought drinks. My sister Christy and her daughter Michelle and I made the potato salad, deviled eggs and cole slaw:) My nephew Jake and his wife, Krystal, had made a beautiful white two-tiered birthday cake topped with a young photo of Mama--it was so pretty and delicious!

Christy's twin daughters came for a while, Amy & Michelle. And cutest of all, Christy's twin granddaughters Harley & Kendyll (8) and Chrissy (5), all who kept darting in and out and around and about:)

From the time Keith and I drove into Lindsay's driveway with Mama, she didn't recognize where she had lived for 50 years. She wondered if we knew the folks who lived there?
She refused to believe it was her birthday. She was frustrated when we gave her cake and presents. Actually, she was agitated most of the day:( We think there was too much going on, and she didn't understand why she wasn't in Lobelia, her childhood home, with her Mama..? (That monster Alzheimer's always rears it's head somehow:( )

After Mama opened her gifts and while Christy and Keith kept her company, the rest of the McFarland crew, Amy, George and Lindsay hiked to the creek and up the back rise along my property lines. It was a beautiful day for it:) Plenty of spider webs everywhere though, so Lindsay and George took turns leading the group waving a stick back and forth to remove the invisible clingy nuisances. Thankfully Lindsay had used the bushhog to mow a wide path throughout the brush and weeds which made our walking easy. The wide meadow, my favorite place on the farm, was freshly mowed also. It looked tempting enough to draw us over to play ball or tag or catch fireflies--which is what we did as kids:)

Cameron, Seth, Christy, and Lindsay played horseshoes for a while when we returned from our walk (Seth was the champion:)). Then it was time to go. Mama couldn't be put off any longer. She had been ready for an hour or two and was getting antsy. These days she's not content anywhere long.

So a nice day came to an end.
It was meant for Mama, but, in the end, she was only with us in spirit.
Today was a day for the rest of us:) I will remember it fondly as time shared eating, hiking, visiting, playing, laughing together on the farm:)

Tuesday, September 05, 2006

Wrestling with a monster

I spent part of today with a dear friend. She graciously asked if I'd accompany her to a doctor's appointment in Raleigh. I felt honored. It's not easy to ask others, even good friends, to join in on a time consuming trip to the doctor. Her husband was out of town and she can't manage to do things like she used to. It's very frustrating to her but she doesn't show impatience and seldom complains.
She's a lovely, graceful, sweet person. She is elegant, tall and slender, in the prime of her life.

But a monster has stolen her independence.

It has robbed her of her balance, her quick thinking, given her slurred speech and numbness in her fingertips. It gives her sleepless nights filled with great pain.
This monster is scary, lurking around the corners of her and her family's lives day and night, night and day. It pushes her down, takes away her appetite, makes dressing a chore, ties her to a walker and, more and more, to her home. It reduces her to living moment by moment, seeking God's mercy.

The monster?

MS!

I have another precious, kind, friend who suffers from a different form of MS. She struggles to carry on, unrelenting in her daily activities. She is still mobile, driven to help others. She serves her church with great devotion, a woman of faith. Oftentimes I marvel at her energy! She's not one to sit still, but she has found within the last year that this monster demands she use a cane once in a while, and it demands rest. So, now and then she listens and does become still for a time.

MS----the culprit, the evil one. One day, in God's mercy, it will be cornered, arrested, and put to death.
What a day of rejoicing that will be!
Till then, friends are good medicine:)

Saturday, September 02, 2006

Little acts of kindness

Today I visited my mama. She lives in Pinehurst at Carolina House, an assisted living home, in the Discovery unit. I try my best to go down weekly. Sometimes we go out to lunch, sometimes we drive around Aberdeen or Southern Pines or Pinehurst, sometimes we drop in on my sister and brother who both live on the family farm not too many miles away, or, every now and then, we go shopping.

When I headed south from Apex this morning I decided, spur of the moment, I would take Mama shopping at Walmart for only the second time since she's moved to Carolina House. One big reason to go: it has a wheelchair. I have scoped the Sandhills area and found only 3 places with a wheelchair for customers; Belks, Goody's and Walmart.

One big reason not to go: the last time we went to Walmart, it was difficult. The handicapped parking was full, which meant I had to pull up in front of the store, run in and find a wheelchair, help Mama into the chair, then leave her while I found a place to park. I worried about her forgetting where she was or who she was with while I searched for a space. I finally had to settle on one in the "lower forty":( Seems in a retirement community Walmart tends to be busy all the time! After we finally got in (and Mama was relieved to see me return!) we got along fine, but I was exhausted, and we had only begun!

Today was a treat. The Walmart Greeter gave us his 'best' chair. Then a dear lady stopped and held the wheelchair while I helped Mama from the car. She wheeled her into the store and stayed with her until I parked. And the closest handicapped parking space became availabe just when I needed it---Somebody was looking out for us:) The wheelchair was easy to maneuver and could turn on a dime:) We had a grand time checking out isle after isle of items in every size and shape and color. We bought a blue brush, a blue knit shirt, and pink and blue socks--she loves pink and blue:)

A day shopping at Walmart can be quite a gift, especially when strangers perform little acts of kindness:)

Wednesday, August 30, 2006

Memories of FRAN

Well, it's come to me lately that we are closing in on the 10th anniversary of Hurricane Fran--that vicious 'lady' that slammed through the Raleigh area in September 1996.
If you know me, you know I love rain, and crave rainy days that don't come often enough for me in North Carolina. They are peaceful and calming. Now hurricanes and tropical storms usually bring the gift of rain in our region, except they often are accompanied by tremendous winds and even tornados. Not good!

On September 6th, 1996, Fran arrived, roaring in around midnight, with a vengence. Greg Fishel had forcast the possibility, but he didn't realize we were going to experience a direct hit. Somewhere between 12:30 and 1 pm, as the wind began to howl, a tall pine tree beside our house was twisted by a downburst and broke into three pieces, crushing my Pontiac van and Seth's Celebrity, stabbing through the living room wall just missing the fireplace, and spearing the roof countless times. It ripped off the gutters and the fashia boards on the front of the house, and the railing on the front steps. (Little did we know it would stay that way for 6+ months!) Next, a second pine fell, blocking the driveway and smashing through our shrubs and crepe myrtle!
The power died soon after. Keith and Seth went to the attic and attempted to make a few temporary patches with trash bags to keep out the pelting rain. Then we huddled together in the living room and hunkered down for the duration; Keith, Seth, Skye, Charlie and me, scared silly! Shivering and praying! Our Basset hound Charlie whined and trembled, hiding under our feet--he was no fool! He knew it was serious!

The wind moaned and roared, the rain came in buckets, and we could see the outline of the young pines bending down to the ground. Every so often we'd hear a pop when a tree split in two, or crashed to the ground, or into a house. We had a radio that was broadcasting the TV weather. That was a comfort. About 4am, the eye passed and the wind grew quieter. That night was one of the longest I've lived through! We certainly didn't sleep a wink! Do you know there were people that slept through the entire storm? Amazing!

At dawn, neighbors began appearing on the street, checking out how much damage had been done. The Vineyard was in shabbles! Trees, limbs, and debris were everywhere. Other than Seth, who headed straight to bed, we ventured outside and walked through the neighbor in bare feet, like zombies, in a daze, just glad to be alive! It looked like a bomb had exploded. I must say, we didn't sustain the worst damage, but our red house took the prize for looking the worst--all the gutters were dangling, the crown molding ripped away from the siding, the cars were smashed, and the rails from the railing were scattered over the yard like matchsticks! As the day wore on people would walk by and take pictures of our sad red house.

Then the chain saws came out. Whoa---nothing like fellas wanting to whip out their chain saws in a crisis! But what a wonderful sound, the roar of chainsaws--progress:) An old friend Bill and his son Brandon showed up to help cut and remove the limbs lying across the cars. What a blessing:) That was the first of countless kindnesses shown during that strange post-Fran September.

The rest of Friday, Saturday and Sunday people all over Wake County were scouting around looking for ice. I remember standing in line at the Harris Teeter at the mall for an hour or more waiting for bags of ice to be unloaded and put out on pallets. The power was off everywhere and food was spoiling. Some of the neighbors had cookouts so they could use up their meat. Some folks packed up and left town to stay with friends or relatives.

Sunday night around 9pm the lights in Shepherd's Vineyard flickered back on. You could hear everybody on Apache Lane and Smokewood shouting in unison "HURRAY!" A community celebrating! I'm afraid SO many areas didn't get their power back for a week or more. We were a blessed bunch!

We finally got in touch with Cameron Saturday night. He had been in Tenn. with a friend and missed the storm. Did he even know that Fran came through the area until I called; that is the question? I'm not sure to this day.

School was out for a week. Clean up crews came into Shepherd's Vineyard and Cary and Raleigh from everywhere; Florida, Charlotte, Texas, Pa., etc. They used cranes, backhoes, roadgraders, dumptrucks, etc., whatever could cut, saw, move, grind, or haul the debris! It took months and months! Many days I watched and took photographs.

Our small damage took almost a year to clean up and repair. But it does give me some 'inkling' of what New Orleans and Mississippi are still going through a year after Hurricane Katrina. And they they had such devastating damage. It will take years and years to rebuild. Can most people stand that stress? Only through the help of others, and knowing that God is their hope. So many friends and strangers helped us through that awful time, and I am so thankful.

Central N.C.is facing tropical storm Ernesto passing through tomorrow and Friday. He's welcome, at least for some much needed rain.....but that's really all we need. Alberto visited earlier this summer, gave us precious rain, but he left some flooding.
Do be careful the next few days, listen to Greg, and pray for a gentle visit from Ernesto:)

Saturday, August 26, 2006

Lake Pine & Fall

I love Lake Pine walking trail.
It's located right across Highway 64 from Shepherd's Vineyard and our house, so it take me 5 minutes to get there (unless I catch the stoplight wrong).

It's a winding path around a small pretty lake surrounded by trees and populated by Canada geese, a pair of swans and their one offspring, a blue heron, a crane or two, frogs, turtles, and mallards.

I've walked there now for 3 1/2 years, and am on the walkway by 7:30 almost every morning of the week. Once around is 2.2 miles, but I bump it up to 2.4 or 2.6 by adding on an extra side hill walkway--twice, or backtracking here or there and walking a portion twice. Now and then, I do a double loop and make it 4.4 miles; that takes an hour and a half, so I have to allocate time to do that.

I meet the same people every day, and some of us have become walking buddies. We don't know names, but most everybody smiles and says "Good Morning":) Every so often someone will even stop and chit-chat--especially about the swans and their "swanette", or the weather, or someone may ask what music I am listening to (I listen to my iPod), or confide how their garden is doing, etc.:)

Speaking of the "swanette", only one of three swan babies survived this year, and one day in June, he vanished. Oh, many of us were very upset over it's supposed demise! No babies survived last year, and that was sad enough:( I grieved for a week! Then, amazingly, the "swanette" reapppeared!! It was a miracle, I'm telling you! A fellow walker from church told me later that the Apex Park folks had taken him to remove a fish hook he tangled with somehow.
Whew! I knew the swan parents were glad to see their baby---they have worked so hard to protect this offspring!!

Right now it's beginning to look like fall, with the leaves turning colors and fluttering down, and they crunch under my feet as I walk. With the leaves skittering and flitting around, it reminds me of the movie "Little Foot" where the baby dinosauer calls the leaves 'tree stars':) How sweet to walk through the 'tree stars'!

FALL is my favorite time! I LOVE the leaves changing into every kind of red, orange, yellow, or brown imaginable. I LOVE swishing through the leaves.
(I even wait a while to rake my leaves in my yard, while most neighbors are racing to get them off the grass, to the curb and out of sight, quickly!)

I LOVE the humidity gradually dropping:) No more sweaty, sweltering mornings hiking at Lake Pine! No more stuffy, sultry air that makes you feel like you can't put one foot in front of the other one more time:(!

I LOVE the sky in the fall. It's so clear and blue during the day, and the sunset's are brilliant on a clear night:) Then, as a rain lover too, nothing's better than a showery day/night in September or October---it's soothing and calm.

The end of a long, long, dry, hot summer and the promise of invigorating cool walks is in sight:)
Hurray for September lurking around the bend, in fact, just past next week!

Friday, August 25, 2006

loquacious

I learned a new word this week.
It rolls off your tongue:)
I don't hear it in normal conversations in my circle, and have forgotten it from my college days, but it was used in the most tender and kind characterization of Mrs. Elizabeth Turlington West, my dear daughter-in-law's grandmother, at her Memorial service Thursday morning. She died earlier in the week after living a full and rich 96 years!
The service was at the historic Hay Street United Methodist Church in Fayetteville where Mrs. West was a devoted member for the majority of her century on earth.
Rev. Tyson elequently shared about the character of 'Elizabeth'. He made you yearn to have met this lady and to have heard at least one of her stories, especially of Fayetteville:) A friend of Elizabeth's, sitting next to me, offered that Rev. Tyson would fall asleep now and then listening to her:)

Now Kelley probably heard her share of stories from this 'loquacious' lady as a little girl growing up. She perceived her as a tiny 'Queen Bee', much in charge of her domain, and probably not too interested in what a young girl was thinking about or was involved in, but determined to tell Kelley something she wanted Kelley to know:) That may happen when grandmas are so much older.

(Unlike Mrs. West, my Grandma Blue wasn't a talker and didn't have many conversations with me that I remember. But, like Kelley's grandmother West, she was 60 years older than me (Mrs. West was close to 70 years older than Kelley) and not a warm cuddly grandma. What a generation gap that is!)

Ironically, Kelley's dad Paul, an only child, is rather quiet and not 'loquacious' at all! Guess he grew up listening:) Kelley is a listener too, like her dad:)

Now, I tend to be 'loquacious' at times, talkative, chattering, babbling, wordy. I do hope that word won't be what people remember above all about me though, especially since I'm a Stephen Minister, trained to listen! What is the old saying? Something like "Keep your mouth closed and people think you're wise; open your mouth and you remove all doubt that you're not!

I wish I had known 'loquacious' Elizabeth:)

Sunday, August 20, 2006

A Sunday morning

It's a bright August Sunday morning. Keith's at Peace, has been there since 7:30, to run the sound for the first service. Skye is up and gone as well, to check out the new College and Career leader, Tim, and his Sunday School class.

I'm taking time to catch up on answering my emails and read at least one article in the N&O. That article tells of a group of friends traveling through Scotland this summer. Included is a photo from the Isle of Skye.
It brings back fond memories of our 30th anniversary trip to England and Scotland in August of 1999. In reality, I had hoped, planned, and wanted to go there all my life. My mama talked about the Blues and the Stewarts and beautiful Scotland, especially the Isle of Skye, since I was old enough to remember! And with both sets of our families from that area of the world, it was a destination Keith and I hoped to see in our lifetime.

The plane trip itself from Pittsburgh to Heathrow was amazing to me, a girl that has traveled by air only a handful of times in my 56 years! But the pastoral scenery and quaint villages and large cities were far more beautiful and intriguing than I ever imagined---the land of poets and preachers.
It made me ponder what had forced so many people who loved their homeland (that 'fair' land) so dearly, to leave it and sail across the ocean never to see it, or their families, again....? A heart-rending choice:(

A place I hope to see again with Skye Chancel and Keith (plus Cameron, Seth & Kelley if they want to go)----on a bright August day:)

Wednesday, August 16, 2006

"CSI"

I've discovered "CSI" this summer and, after watching years of "Law And Order", I am hooked on this crime investigation series! Spike TV runs 3 shows in a row almost every night, and I'm in front of the TV to see them any time I can. It is an intriguing storyline, revealing the interplay between the "CSI" characters as they use scientific methods to solve each crime.
I am an unabashed addict:)

Monday, August 14, 2006

Patience

After Keith and I had spent a rare, relaxing weekend in the mountains celebrating our anniversary, a Monday morning wake-up is not easy!

Skye had asked last night if I'd go with her to Wake Tech to be her 'support' (and 'supporter', as in money:)) as she picked up her ID, parking permit, and books for the fall semester. I had the time and figured it'd be a good time to do some bonding and put in a "Mama" word or two:)

Well, it became a day of class 101, "How To Be Patient"!:)
We waited in line for an hour to have her ID photo taken and receive her parking sticker. It felt like two hours! I finally let the comment fall out of my mouth that I wouldn't recommend that she become friends with the girls waiting in front of us--and I won't go into that here! Let me leave it that I believe one girl knew she had a captive audience.

Next stop, the Bookstore. Amazingly it didn't have a line, so that was our present for the day! Hip, hip, hurray! But there Skye discovered she had signed up for a class she had taken two semesters ago, so we set out for the College Transfer office.

After walking across campus and realizing the office had, over the summer, moved to the building where we had spent most of the morning, we marched back the way we came. When we found the right office, Skye signed in and we began our wait there--- we waited, and waited, and waited. Waiting has a cumlative effect, don't you think?!! I'm pretty sure it does!! It became half an hour. Now the time crunch began, making us more edgy. Skye needed to be at the Y at 2:45 and we were thirty and hungry! It became 45 minutes. I had an appointment with Cameron and Edna to look at townhomes and apartments at 3pm....ugh:( Finally, after an hour, Skye's name was called, the solution was provided quickly, thank goodness, and we escaped to the car!!

All during this experience we mentioned how we should be patient, that everybody needed to learn patience, the it is important to be patient--and there we were, working out how to "do" that word for hours!!!
Were we learning how to do it?
I'm not sure waiting makes me better at it--I get better at being frustrated:( I tend to grit my teeth and tell myself to calm down. I think planning ahead helps. If we'd had a deck of cards, or each of us had brought a book.....that seems to give me a sense of not wasting time. But, as I said to Skye, "We should never wish away our lives away either", and maybe being impatient comes close to that.

Being patient is a hard thing to do well.

Wednesday, August 09, 2006

What a haircut

This afternoon Skye and I had an appointment with Dee, our longtime beautician friend, to have our hair cut. On the way over Skye decided, spur of the moment, that this was the day to give up her strawberry blonde curls for Locks Of Love, a non-profit organization that asks for donations of hair to make wigs for people, primarily cancer patients, that have lost their hair. Skye had been growing her hair out for many months and had checked online for donation information. So when we arrived at Upper Cuts, she told Dee 'LOL' required at least a length of 10 inches of hair. After brushing Skye's hair till it was smooth and silky and free of any tangles, Dee, with a good 3 or 4 whacks of a sharp pair of scissors, did the deed :) Skye must have felt 5 pounds lighter--she has such thick hair!!
Hopefully, when we have packaged and shipped her severed ponytail to "LOL", in time it will help someone feel much better:)

As this was going on, in the chair across from Skye and Dee, sat a pretty young woman in the process of getting her hair colored and styled. As her hairstylist, a friendly young man, combed and snipped and brushed and blew, she talked...and talked ....and talked!
Now I'm a Stephen Minister and am trained in listening (which doesn't mean I'm always good at it), but this fella had the patience of Job, I'm thinking! She went on and on, and on---she told him her financial situation, her woes, her dating dramas, her family problems, etc., etc.:( I finally willed myself to tune out and tried hard to focus on Dee shaping and drying Skye's hair.
After the young girl left I told the hairstylist I thought he deserved a nap after all that listening he had done! He agreed!! Listening to someone talk nonstop for at least an hour is emotionally and physically draining!! I do hope the young girl felt better when she left---she left us exhausted in her wake!:( It's like she shifted all her burdens off herself, and onto all of us in that room....then walked away.

I was afraid to say much by the time I sat down in Dee's chair:(

Shhh:) I need some peace and quiet (a quote by Seth)

Monday, August 07, 2006

A monster in our family

There's a monster that lives in our midst. It is so scary most of my family doesn't talk about it, we try hard not to think about it, and it has been looming and lurking around for for 10 to 15 years or more.
It steals, robs, and slowly kills.
Nothing can stop it, and it makes everyone shudder to think it might appear at their door.
Children and grandchildren cringe to think where it will strike.
If I think about it, I could 'take to my bed' and weep for days---and tremble in fear.
It has ravaged the lives of three uncles I have loved and, especially, my mama's life.

What is it?


Alzheimer's.

It has taken my mama's personality away, her dignity, her sense of belonging. She doesn't know her grandchildren anymore, and will soon forget my brothers' names and sister's name and mine, as well. My children will never know her as she was most of her life; a smart women who yearned to go to college and study art but couldn't afford it, a beautician because it was within her means, a gardener, a delicious baker of biscuits, fried chicken, potato salad, and pies, a farmer's wife, a postal worker, a writer, a Sunday School teacher, a lover of books, and creator of countless pretty quilts:) She loved family next to God, and the Blue & Stewart families were as real to us children as our own. Scotland was our homeland, where we "came from" and never we were never to forget it!
Now she searches for home, yearns for home and her mama, and it's not to be found on this Earth.

So, this fear of the monster---
Do we let that fear overwhelm us, paralzye us, or do we laugh over funny "Mama stories" and live in the knowledge that fear is not from the Good Shepherd?
God will not let us forget Him, or will He? Then again, if we do, I firmly believe He will never forget us--- and that's all that matters in the long run, in Eternity, right?
Because Heaven is where we are restored and renewed, and the monster is no more!!!

Sunday, August 06, 2006

A joyful wedding shower

Yesterday, Saturday, I co-hosted a wedding shower for a dear friend's daughter. What a sweet time. Mary, a friend of my dear friend, offered her home for the event. She is someone I'd met only a few times previously but, during the course of planning the event, have found her to be a delightful and humble person:)
Her home is brand new and is a ways from the Cary, Apex area. Located beyond the Raleigh city limits, up Creedmore Road, Mary's subdivision is set among horse farms, pastures, and many trees, making the last leg of the trek over so peaceful and calm after driving through city traffic:) Actually, I must add I love the pastures on Edward's Mill Road too:)

Wedding showers are usually a time of fun and joy, and this was no exception:) The chicken salad, rolls, and fruit were delicious, as well as the cake from Cary's Blue Moon Bakery (let me recommend them here and now--yum:)). The bride opened many beautiful and practical gifts (I LOVE to watch gifts being opened!) and all the ladies chit-chatted freely.
Friends and family rejoice to see the couple tie the knot:) Both moms like one another and have grown to be friends:) What a blessing!
My dear friend's husband, and the father of the bride, died a year ago---far too young:( He is sorely missed, but the happiness of a wedding is like a precious balm of Gilead. Don't you know he must be smiling:)

Tuesday, August 01, 2006

A Wedding in August

Keith & I are facing our 37th wedding anniversary this week. Our wedding day was one of the hottest, stickiest, most humid days you can imagine! And there was no air conditioning in that tiny country church--ugh! We all sweltered!!
I rode to Roseland church in Keith's mom and dad's camper. Now, not everybody gets to do that! And there was no reception afterwards--that's one regret I have. It just wasn't done back then in rural NC.
We had the cake cutting after the rehearsal the night before, which my aunt & uncle graciously hosted:) Now that was a fun night:) All my college friends and childhood friends were there. All that comes to mind today about that evening is laughing myself silly:) I'll have to ask Keith what he can recall.

I remember when we celebrated my mama and daddy's 40th, and thought that 40 years were SO MANY YEARS! We took them to the Raleigh Dinner Theater at RTP, had a delicous buffet dinner, and watched a play about a radio program. Sadly, my daddy didn't live to celebrate their 50th:( That was one of the comments I remember my mama saying on the day Daddy died, that "We didn't make it to our 50th":(

Keith & I plan to go to a neat cabin near West Jefferson the second weekend in August. Sweet friends own this heavenly spot overlooking the river:)
The mountains are where we honeymooned 37 years ago. That much Keith & I got right--the mountains are the place to be in hot, hazy August!

Monday, July 31, 2006

A 'Chili' night

A neat surprise at Chili's tonight--ran into Cameron & Holly:) Great fun to run into my kids out and about anytime:)
Us girls had a grand time chilling at Chili's:) We stayed a while after sharing Molten Chocolate Cake and Cheesecake to watch some of Angela's many Guatemula photos:)

A 'Chili' night

Tonight the Bevettes, my dear Bible study friends, are meeting for dinner at Chili's. What a treat, one of my favorite places to eat since I love Mexican food:) The atmosphere is relaxing (unless you're in the bar) and the food is great. We are celebrating Angela's return from Guatemula:) Nothing like having a meal with good friends! It's a cool way to end a long hot month--a night out at Chili's:)

Sunday, July 30, 2006

Such a delimma!

I have a dear friend who is traveling the road of divorce. Right now she is side-lined 'in the pit of despair'. Nothing has gone right for her during her courtdates or mediations over this long drawn out ugly affair (over a year) in spite of hours and weeks and months of preparation on her part. After hiring two seemingly inept lawyers (she was at their mercy), she is paralyzed with fear and is in a panic of losing everything:(
She is exhausted and has run out of steam. She's completely depleted:( A strong, bright woman who has a good career and is a beauty inside and out---a woman of faith who is wrestling with this nightmare and at the moment is flattened; cannot move, cannot eat, cannot think!

The father of her child is abusive with words from his lawyer and she must be civil to him since he is the father of her precious daughter (as our friend Lou said), and she is a Christian who shouldn't be vindictive....right?

What comes through is we have a war with injustice in this fallen world. I HATE injustice, but it isn't promised to us here on this earth, is it? God says He is Justice---but that's hard to wrap our minds around when you want to beat up someone for righteousness' sake! It's righteous anger, isn't it...??

O Lord, give my friend the sweet comfort of friends & family enfolding her to let her know she is never alone, that You hold her in Your Hand & care for her as no other does, that You know injustice!
Help me remember that too!!!
Because no matter how old we get, the world can make us feel like abandoned little kids:(

Saturday, July 29, 2006

Journaling

Saturday, July 29th, 2006:
I wonder if blogging will help me journal, something I've started and stopped a number of times over my 50+ years:( My mama, Catherene, was a good writer and, after coming down with Alzheimer's in the last 10 years, has left some of her recollections and thoughts behind. A precious gift for me & for my sister & brothers. We even read them to her time and again, and she laughs.

Keith & I spent the day taking my mama to a peach orchard where she and my daddy used to go numerous times every summer to get peaches. Peaches to make peach cobbler, peach pie, peach ice cream--yum:) Today was a typical hot, Sandhills July day & I couldn't get the idea of mouth-watering peaches out of my mind! We left Apex, traveled to Pinehurst, picked up Mama and headed to Derby with the help of a map. We found the familiar 'stand' pretty easily:) A pleasant surprise; they have added a small ice cream shop inside the old orchard packhouse. So we lingered for 'peach' ice cream around a plastic table and visited a spell (a Mama word). Mama was concerned that Bill (my daddy, long gone to Glory) needed to come get some peaches too!!
I bought a peck of the delicious smelling fruit on our way out, along with a smaller bag to leave at Carolina House of Pinehurst (where Mama now lives), plus a couple of deep red tomatoes. A nice day, all in all:) Good smells, good memories, good peaches!!