Precious Gifts

 
Today Lorrie Davis Netzley & Craig Netzley dropped in to spend a few precious hours with Keith & me:)
Our third contingency of former UMC youth kids from upstate NY coming here!:)
Could we have asked for better gifts, than to have at least 4 of our friends/youth from our 'honeymoon days' in NY come to see us this fall, our 40th year of marriage?!

I have yearned to see our kids throughout the years, dreaming of a reunion, but have lost touch with many. I prayed for them, wondering how each was faring, especially our last group of young ones that we knew the shortest amount of time--left behind....

Today, if I had not been in the midst of Christmas mayhem in the center of Hallmark when Lorrie & Craig walked in, I would have wept buckets....of joy! I must admit a few tears were shed:)
Lorrie & Craig, after spending most of the years married to other spouses or divorced from a spouse, were married this August, so are newlyweds:)

Craig's sister 'Dia' & her son Brett brought Craig & Lorrie to us:) (They live about 40 minutes away). Bless you Dia:)

At first I couldn't connect with Keith; his new Droid battery had run down:( But Skye found him to tell him the news. Then I needed to track down my manager Yvonne (who was at the bank) to plead for a lunch hour in the midst of the busiest day of the season:(
But, all worked out. Keith appeared in no time, and Yvonne sent me off to enjoy lunch if I promised to bring back potato soup for her.

We ate outside at Panera's (no room inside). It must have been 50 degrees today, but we didn't care. We talked & talked & listened & grinned & laughed & loved it all:)!
Sadly, at some point I had to return to reality & report back to work, so hugged all with great reluctance, then dashed back to Hallmark. But Keith took everybody home where the reunion continued for another couple of hours:) Everybody got to meet Skye as well:)

Craig & Lorrie's group ate & dreamed the folk music of the late 60's & early 70's. We spent hours practicing music & presenting folk services:) They were a talented bunch of kids!
Our church sponsored a coffeehouse (mentioned here before) the youth group participated in, volunteered in recycling at the town dump before it was politically correct, were always part of the Community Easter Sunrise Service----basically we simply liked doing things together!
The youth group was our family.

Lorrie was our next door neighbor while we lived in Olive Bridge:) Her mom & dad made us feel right at home from the start. We even helped Mr. Davis cement a swimming area for his newly laid out campground. A wonderful family:)

Beth, Janie (& Louise), Craig & Lorrie, the LORD sent you to us & we needed to see you! Each visit has been a precious gift to Keith & me:)

It melts my heart that you cared enough to stay in touch. It makes me weep to think how sweet our time together was 35-40 year ago, & continues today when the rare opportunity arises:)
Bless y'all.
Praying we'll all be united one day singing "Cum Bah Yah" & "Michael Row The Boat" & "Sloop John B", "Blowing In The Wind", etc.:)

Exmas by C.S. Lewis

... and beyond this there lies in the ocean, turned towards the west and the north, the island of Niatirb which Hecataeus indeed declares to be the same size and shape as Sicily, but it is larger, and though in calling it triangular a man would not miss the mark. It is densely inhabited by men who wear clothes not very different from other barbarians who occupy the north- western parts of Europe though they do not agree with them in language. These islanders, surpassing all the men of whom we know in patience and endurance, use the following customs.

In the middle of winter when fogs and rains most abound they have a great festival which they call Exmas , and for fifty days they prepare for it in the fashion I shall describe. First of all, every citizen is obliged to send to each of his friends and relations a square piece of hard paper stamped with a picture, which in their speech is called an Exmas-card . But the pictures represent birds sitting on branches, or trees with a dark green prickly leaf, or else men in such garments as the Niatirbians believe that their ancestors wore two hundred years ago riding in coaches such as their ancestors used, or houses with snow on their roofs. And the Niatirbians are unwilling to say what these pictures have to do with the festival, guarding (as I suppose) some sacred mystery. And because all men must send these cards the market-place is filled with the crowd of those buying them, so that there is great labour and weariness.

But having bought as many as they suppose to be sufficient, they return to their houses and find there the like cards which others have sent to them. And when they find cards from any to whom they also have sent cards, they throw them away and give thanks to the gods that this labour at least is over for another year. But when they find cards from any to whom they have not sent, then they beat their breasts and wail and utter curses against the sender; and, having sufficiently lamented their misfortune, they put on their boots again and go out into the fog and rain and buy a card for him also. And let this account suffice about Exmas-cards.

They also send gifts to one another, suffering the same things about the gifts as about the cards, or even worse. For every citizen has to guess the value of the gift which every friend will send to him so that he may send one of equal value, whether he can afford it or not. And they buy as gifts for one another such things as no man ever bought for himself. For the sellers, understanding the custom, put forth all kinds of trumpery, and whatever, being useless and ridiculous, sell as an Exmas gift. And though the Niatirbians profess themselves to lack sufficient necessary things, such as metal, leather, wood and paper, yet an incredible quantity of these things is wasted every year, being made into the gifts.

But during these fifty days the oldest, poorest and the most miserable of citizens put on false beards and red robes and walk in the market-place; being disguised (in my opinion) as Cronos. And the sellers of gifts no less than the purchasers become pale and weary, because of the crowds and the fog, so that any man who came into a Niatirbian city at this season would think that some great calamity had fallen on Niatirb. This fifty days of preparation is called in their barbarian speech the Exmas Rush .

But when the day of the festival comes, then most of the citizens, being exhausted with the Rush , lie in bed till noon. But in the evening they eat five times as much supper as on other days and, crowning themselves with crowns of paper, they become intoxicated. And on the day after Exmas they are very grave, being internally disordered by the supper and the drinking and reckoning how much they have spent on gifts and on the wine. For wine is so dear among the Niatirbians that a man must swallow the worth of a talent before he is well intoxicated.

Such, then, are their customs about the Exmas. But the few among the Niatirbians have also a festival, separate and to themselves, called Crissmas , which is on the same day as Exmas. And those who keep Crissmas, doing the opposite to the majority of the Niatirbians, rise early on that day with shining faces and go before sunrise to certain temples where they partake of a sacred feast. And in most of the temples they set out images of a fair woman with a new-born Child on her knees and certain animals and shepherds adoring the Child. (The reason of these images is given in a certain sacred story which I know but do not repeat.)

But I myself conversed with a priest in one of these temples and asked him why they kept Crissmas on the same day as Exmas; for it appeared to me inconvenient. But the priest replied, “It is not lawful, O Stranger, for us to change the date of Crissmas, but would that Zeus would put it into the minds of the Niatirbians to keep Exmas at some other time or not to keep it at all. For Exmas and the Rush distract the minds even of the few from sacred things. And we indeed are glad that men should make merry at Crissmas; but in Exmas there is no merriment left.”

And when I asked him why they endured the Rush, he replied, “It is, O Stranger, a racket, using (as I suppose) the words of some oracle and speaking unintelligibly to me (for a racket is an instrument which the barbarians use in a game called tennis ).

But what Hecataeus says, that Exmas and Crissmas are the same, is not credible. For the first, the pictures which are stamped on the Exmas-cards have nothing to do with the sacred story which the priests tell about Crissmas. And secondly, the most part of the Niatirbians, not believing the religion of the few, nevertheless send the gifts and cards and participate in the Rush and drink, wearing paper caps. But it is not likely that men, even being barbarians, should suffer so many and great things in honour of a god they do not believe in. And now, enough about Niatirb.

C.S. Lewis, God in the Dock,
"Xmas and Christmas: A Lost Chapter from Herodotus"
(1st published in Time and Tide, 1954)

Christmas Russian Tea Mix

This is the recipe I mentioned in my last blog.
Wonderful on a chilly winter day, especially during the Christmas holidays.
Makes a nice gift:)

RUSSIAN HOT TEA MIX
2 c. Tang
1 c. instant tea
1 tsp. cinnamon
3/4 tsp. cloves
1 tub Crystal lemonade (can substitute sugar free)
1 pkg. Wyler's lemonade (can substitute sugar free)
1/2 c. sugar ( or Splenda may be substituted)
Combine ingredients and store in jar until needed. Add mix per individual taste with hot water and serve.

Merry Christmas to one & all.

A Yummy Quick Recipe for Christmas

I have always loved pecans!
If they are in any dessert, or salad, or dressing, the more the better:) Even a handful of fresh plain ones are tasty:)
So tonight I looked online & found a microwave rendition of a favorite of mine. It turned out so well, I made two batches:)

GLAZED ORANGE PECANS

1/4 c. orange juice
1 c. sugar
2 c. pecan halves

Combine orange juice and sugar in a 7x12 glass baking dish; mix well. Stir in pecans. Microwave on ROAST for 6 minutes. Stir and continue cooking on ROAST for 8-10 minutes or until syrup crystallizes. Spread and separate glazed nuts on buttered cookie sheet to cool. Yield 2 cups glazed pecans.

Store in a pretty jar or tin & give as a gift, or, serve at your next party, or--take time this December to visit with a friend & sip Russian tea & nibble glazed orange pecans:)
A Christmas treat!
Edna, do you remember?
Merry, Merry:)!

A Wild & Crazy Time In December---a 36 hr. adventure for Janie & Louise, and Keith!

 

Photo is of Seth, Janie, & Louise at The Lucky 32:)

Tuesday, December 8th:
1. Regular routine of walking Wyatt about 7pm.
2. Last minute cleaning before friend Janie (part of our youth group in NY) comes. We haven't seen her in 34 years! She's bringing a neighbor/friend. They found a special deal on Jet Blue for a round trip ticket for $99 (cheap)!
3. Nancy's mom's Memorial Service at 2pm at Jordon Oaks.
4. After work Keith has a Dr.'s appt./consultation at 3:30pm.
5. Meet Keith at Dr. Jordon's office after Memorial Service. He complains of feeling terrible, a pain in his upper abdomen. The wait is so long, I leave after 45 minutes since Janie & friend Louise are arriving at the house about 5pm.
6. Keith arrives home at 5pm. Says Dr. Jordon sent him for x-rays & is trying to admit him to the hospital---she suspects gallstones.
7. About 5:30 Janie & Louise arrive. Oh happy day to see Janie again!! And meet Louise:)
8. Then Seth & Cameron arrive to meet the girls & go to dinner with us (Kelley wasn't feeling well).
9. About 6:30 I drive Keith to the hospital (right across the street from The Lucky 32) & the boys take our guests on to the restaurant.
10. It's raining & chilly.
11. I meet our dear friend Janie & friend Louise at dinner, being entertained by Seth & Cameron:) We had a delicious "Southern" dinner:)
12. Afterward we visit Keith, now situated in the Short Term Care unit, being given an antibiotic & pain-killer intravenously---and feeling much better:)
13. About 10pm we leave the hospital, Seth going on home & the girls & Cameron & I visit while I mix up an egg, cheese, sausage casserole for breakfast. Cameron's day at work sounded pretty dicey. Four of his team have been laid off & he is worried:(
14. Bed at 11:30. The girls have been up since 4am! I've been up since 6:30am. We all sleep soundly as the rain pours.
15. Wake up at 6:30am to walk Wyatt but it's still raining hard.
16. Enjoy casserole, coffee, biscotti together, then head to Western Wake to check on Keith.
17. Visit for 2 hrs. Pastor Andy drops by for a while.
18. Nurse thinks the surgery won't be till evening since Keith is considered an "add on", so I decide to go on to Southern Seasons in Chapel Hill with Janie, Louise.
19. We spend 2 hrs. at Southern Seasons, one hr. shopping, the other hr. having lunch at the Weathervane--the food was wonderful but the best part for Janie & Louise was eating outside on Dec 9th (the sun had come out & the weather was mild)!
20. Have to say goodbye to Janie & Louise--they are going on to see Duke Chapel & Duke Gardens & fly home, while I drive back to sit & wait for gall bladder surgery with Keith. Must admit it was hard to leave them.
21. Cameron, Seth, & Kelley come to the hospital after work. Seth & Kelley bring supper.
22. Keith is finally taken to surgery at 7:30.
23. By 10pm Keith is out of surgery, then in recovery for about 1/2 hr. All went well, & Keith is alert enough to talk, but fades in & out of consciousness.
24. We all head home about 11pm. I spend the first night alone in our house of 22 years. I sleep on & off.
25. Wake up Thursday morning, walk Wyatt, shower, then drop the deposit keys off at work (Yvonne is hoping not to come in). Toni has graciously offered to work for me if I will come in at noon for an hour or two. She has a hair appt. she'd like to keep.
26. When I get to Western Wake the surgeon has told Keith he can be released as soon as the paperwork is finished. I find the nurse Wendy to speed things along.
27. At 11am we head out the door & go across the street to our Harris Teeter pharmacy to pick up Vicodin for Keith's pain management. He's joking about being "House":)
28. I drop Keith off at home, get him settled into his recliner, then dash to work.....
29. By 3:30, I am napping on the couch, Keith's sleeping in his chair, & Wyatt is snoring away between us:)
30. Whew!!! Worked 9-5 today, tomorrow 12-7pm. While Keith's recuperating, I need to figure out when I can recuperate:)!
31. But, above all, what a blessing to see Janie again, to meet Louise, & for Keith to be so well cared for throughout his attack & surgery.

Martha Campbell

 

Rest in peace, Martha, mother of Nancy, mother in law of Jeff, grandmother to Jennifer, great grandmother to newborn Tanner, & friend to many:)
97 years young.
Sunday, November 22nd, 2009 is your graduation day!
The race is run, good & faithful servant.
Till we meet again....

November thoughts

 

November.
A time of reflection.
A time to think of planning & preparing for the holidays:)
A time to stroll through the countless colorful leaves, unhurried.
The last few fluttery leaves left on the branches appear delicate & wispy-like.
Bare limbs gracefully reaching, twisting, outward.

A season of changeable weather.
Gray skies often cover the landscape.
Cold rain seems especially daunting, dreary.
Wind sweeps in once in a while, bringing a chill & the promise of colder days to come.
But sunny skies still reign in NC during November; brilliant blue skies & glorious sunrises & sunsets.

Retail is headlong into the Christmas season, leap-frogging over gracious & forgiving Thanksgiving.

November can be a sad time; last year one of our church teenagers, Matt, was murdered around Thanksgiving--still so heart wrenching, so heartbreaking:(
This year's news; in a neighboring county an innocent 5 year old girl sold & murdered:( Hard to grasp such tragedy.
Grief seems harder in November.

Bazaars dot the calendar, Christmas Open Houses, Thanksgiving, the Raleigh Christmas Parade, all special events that give us comfort & cheer us on:)

A time of rest for the Earth.
A time we should slow down & be thankful for our blessings, but, will we take the time?



(Photo taken from Lake Pine trail last week)

A November Walk

 

Lake Pine early yesterday as the November sun's rays stretched across the steam-covered lake & leaf-carpeted trail.
Glorious walking!

A Visit From The Past

 
Yesterday, out of the blue, I received a Facebook email post. Beth was looking for Keith & me:)
Little Beth, young---or that's how I picture her still in my mind, long dark hair, a few freckles, a smile, & twinkling dark brown eyes:)
One of our youngest youth group kids, from NY:)
Surprisingly, a few of the younger ones are the ones that have touched base with us through the years....

We found out later she had Googled my name & found my home church's website (ironically designed by my sister!).
Amazing:)
I called the cell phone number she had left for me. She's been in Durham working with the UMC Judicial Board this week. No voice mail. But, she saw I had called & rang me back when she finished her meeting. I knew her voice immediately! We both chattered over each other & giggled & laughed we were so excited to connect!

She was busy writing summaries or something to that effect all afternoon, had plans for last night & church this morning, but she could meet us for lunch.
Lunch, in Durham, near Durham??
The only restaurant that came to mind was Crackerbarrel...near the airport.
Would that work? She asked her friend, Belton Joiner, who was her transportation.
He said he could find it.
Belton Joiner, a former Raleigh area UMC District Superintendent--I recognized the name:)

I asked my boys & Kelley & Holly to come & meet Beth.
But disappointing to me, the place was so busy we had to sit separately:( Maybe that was the way it was supposed to be...
The three of us, Beth, Keith, & I sat at our table for more than 2 hours (the kids said goodbye/glad to meet you Beth & disappeared at some point). We were intent on catching up, knowing our time was limited; I'm not quite sure if we knew what we ate... She had to meet her next ride at 4:30.
A whirlwind conversation, but so encouraging, so uplifting, so precious.
To know dear people with which we shared 4 years, or less, still thought of us, still took the time to look us up, still crossed their minds---that moves me, warms my heart:)

Beth, we're proud of you! So gutsy to become a lawyer, to raise a daughter single-handedly, to crusade for Justice & Reconciliation:)

Till we meet again:)
May the Lord bless you & keep you.
)

October Beach Trip

 

Keith & I spent this past weekend with our friends Judy & JE and Linda & Dean on Oak Island:) The weather was primarily overcast, we had showers now & then, but among friends it was a lovely time!

Ahhh...
We packed our bags & our bikes & headed southeast early Friday afternoon for a leisurely road trip to the coast:)I was so ready after a tiring week! I think Keith was feeling exactly the same:)

And on the way down we stopped by my Aunt Isabelle's for a brief, but sweet, visit. She met me at her door with a "I wasn't sure I'd ever see you again!". Now that's worth a few minutes any day, any time!! She is as sharp as ever, reporting on most of the nieces & nephews as well as her 10 children, all my Robeson cousins:)She had been crocheting, sitting in her chair by the window waiting for whatever the day brought:)

Linda & Dean & Keith & I arrived near Southport about the same time that evening, so I called Linda, Linda called Judy & JE, who hopped in their SUV & drove inland to meet us at a Southport waterfront restaurant for supper. Such a pretty place at dusk to dine on such delicious seafood!
Afteward we followed Judy & JE's onto the Island.

Judy & JE have built a beautiful home near First St. &, as often as time allows, they are 'in residence':)
Judy could actually hang out a B&B shingle since she & JE invite family & friends to visit year round. Plus she's a great cook; she plans & bakes brunch for her guests each morning--or she always does for us:)!! Homemade bread, breakfast casserole, pound cake, coffee, fruit salad, etc.:)

Most importantly, we catch up on each others' lives with 'us girls' reminiscing about our younger days growing up together, Judy & Linda talking 'grandma stuff' & knitting (which they're both learning to do) & gardening--while I soak it in:) Lord willing I'll talk grandma things someday, don't plan to knit, & gardening is something I admire but it's not one of my passions.....listening is fine:) The fellas watch whatever game is on & seldom talk; they do now & then.

This is our third time of re-uniting at the beach & what a blessing each visit has been!

Judy's health is stable at this time, but she is dealing with a serious diagnosis, which makes each of us concerned about how she's faring. JE says she's doing so well her Dr. may publish a paper on her positive response to treatment:)!
(So many of my family members have dealt with the same health issue that I tend to feel I'm in it with her--but, having a high percentage of contracting an illness is different from being diagnosed; that is truly another story)
Judy is handling her situation with such grace & optimism, & any of her struggles she covers well.
How grateful we are she's doing so well, but know it's a hard, daily battle!!
Judy, you're one of my hero's!!
You are amazing.

JE, Dean, Linda, & Keith & I are simply dealing with the aches & pains of growing older....we can't complain too much, but will share our latest ache if the subject comes up:)
LOL!

We ate, we talked, we laughed, the girls shopped, the guys watched football, Dean ran, JE walked, Linda & Judy walked, Keith & I rode bikes, we played Sequence, we ate out, we nibbled goodies, we drank coffee, & tasted Lu-Mill wine--and talked some more!:)

Such a relaxed time:)
I can't say I slept great (simply not sleeping in my own bed), but being with friends with no expectations, no time limits, no alarm clocks, no watches, is so peaceful....:)

After saying goodbye to Judy & JE about 1:30 this afternoon, Dean & Linda & Keith & I stopped by the Lou-Mill Winery in Dublin on our way home. We sampled their selections & bought Christmas wine, jelly, salsa, & tasty Scuppernong cider:) Keith & Dean hefted our boxes of wine & goodies to our cars, we said our goodbyes, & headed toward Aberdeen & Raleigh.....a pleasant way to end the weekend:)

Nothing like sharing a few days with friends that know you through & through & like you in spite of it, that care for you & your families & want a full account of all the goings-on, that support you through thick & thin, & always welcome you with open arms, no matter how long it's been since you've seen one another:)

Judy & JE, Linda & Dean, thank you!
Take care till we meet again:)

"What happens at the beach stays at the beach"---the details, that is:)

Grand Torino

 
Last week Keith & I put in our Netflix movie Grand Torino, not knowing what to expect. I'm not sure we even read the basic premise.
But this little movie packed a powerful one-two punch; a tough story, filled with crude and offensive language, (for those of us who live a pretty sheltered life), with the most tender, bittersweet, sacrificial love ending.

It affected me to the core.

We can find the greatest love in the most unlikely places, from the most unlikely folks!!
My clean and safe world is not where God lives and shines for the majority of people on this Earth.

Am I open to being surprised at every turn?

Autumn

 

This chair is at the home place, Sandrock Acres. A Mr. Briggs made it many years ago:)

Winter is an etching, spring a watercolor, summer an oil painting and autumn a mosaic of them all.
- Stanley Horowitz

Maggie May/Liz

Years ago, back in the early '70's, Keith & I met a girl I always associate with the song "Maggie May". I think of her every time I hear Rod Stewart's song:

"Wake up Maggie I think I got something to say to you.
Its late September and I really should be back at school.
I know I keep you amused but I feel Im being used.
Oh Maggie I couldnt have tried any more.
You lured me away from home just to save you from being alone.
You stole my heart and thats what really hurt.
The morning sun when its in your face really shows your age
But that dont worry me none, in my eyes you're everything."

I heard it today on the car radio.
"Maggie May" was popular then & Liz, her real name, was like no other person I had, or have, ever met!

After we moved to Stone Ridge, NY, in 1969, a coffeehouse was opened in the tiny village, located in the back of a large white historic church, Rondout Valley UMC. We attended Rondout Valley where we volunteered as youth counselors--actually the pastor drafted us as soon as we arrived since we were the youngest adults in the congregation. Keith & I grew to love those kids like family:)

The Stone Ridge JayCee's sponsored the coffeehouse held each Friday night and church folks helped as well, even our youth group. It was offered as a place for the young people to congregate since it was a rural area (Kingston was 10 miles away). I recall one of the JayCee's, Larry Lohman, a policeman in Kingston, would always be around every time the coffeehouse doors opened, ready to talk with any of the young people that dropped in. A friendly, jovial fella.

Some of the sponsors would go into Kingston each Friday afternoon and collect day-old donuts from Dunkin' Donuts which were then served that evening along with coffee, soft drinks, etc.--all free. I can vividly recall Keith and I doing the donut "run":) Maybe I remember so well because we did it often; maybe because I was just tickled to get into town!!

Liz dropped in.
She liked the coffeehouse:)
She was the most unlikely friend I'd ever make, but we became friends. She was a pothead who lived with other potheads in an abandoned house in the woods close to town. She never smoked in front of me, but even as naive as I was, I knew she did. (I didn't know where she lived for a long time, but found out eventually, and the conditions horrified me; just nasty!)
SUNY at New Paltz was not far (where I was attending), as well as Ulster County Community College, so maybe originally she came to the Stone Ridge area to go to school. Or, maybe she traveled to Woodstock and never found her way home again.

Liz had long tangled, unkept, brown hair, was terribly thin since she seldom had a real meal, looked older than her years, and her teeth were beginning to deteriorate--most likely because of drugs and lack of nutrition. She didn't have a job and didn't attend college, seemingly someone's throw away daughter.
Sad.

If she didn't come to the coffeehouse one Friday night, we'd worry about her.
Larry would try to find her.
I can't remember which happened first; if she finally quit coming and we couldn't track her down, or we moved away. To this day, I wonder what became of her. I wish I remembered her last name. Keith can't recall it either:(
The years have robbed us of details.

I pray we gave her at least one bit of encouragement, one place that people cared for her, one hint that life mattered.
Liz, I remember you.

On the Eve Of a New Decade

 

This coming week I will turn 60 years old. I love birthday celebrations dearly (ask Keith & my family!), but this one has a new feeling for me.
In the 21st Century anyone's 50th decade still places them in middle age (or that's how I've felt), but turning 60 is another matter; it has a different connotation...the adjective 'Senior citizen' becomes attached to your name, for the duration.

I thought this devotion by Max Lucado was so encouraging & so true.
I pray my latter chapters will be filled with Godly wisdom, discernment, family & friends, sweet joy, & contentment in all things:)

Daily Devotional by Max Lucado
“the One who came still comes and the One who spoke still speaks”

"The Oldest and Choicest

Even when you are old, I will be the same. Even when your hair has turned gray, I will take care of you.
Isaiah 46:4 (NCV)

Growing old can be dangerous. The trail is treacherous and the pitfalls are many. One is wise to be prepared. You know it's coming. It's not like God kept the process a secret. It's not like you are blazing a trail as you grow older. It's not as if no one has ever done it before. Look around you. You have ample opportunity to prepare and ample case studies to consider. If growing old catches you by surprise, don't blame God. He gave you plenty of warning. He also gave you plenty of advice.

Your last chapters can be your best. Your final song can be your greatest. It could be that all of your life has prepared you for a grand exit. God's oldest have always been among his choicest."

From: He Still Moves Stones
Copyright (Word Publishing, 1993)

Leaves

 

Leaves

How silently they tumble down
And come to rest upon the ground
To lay a carpet, rich and rare,
Beneath the trees without a care,
Content to sleep, their work well done,
Colors gleaming in the sun.

At other times, they wildly fly
Until they nearly reach the sky.
Twisting, turning through the air
Till all the trees stand stark and bare.
Exhausted, drop to earth below
To wait, like children, for the snow.

by Elsie Brady

DPAC/Brian Regan

 

Last Friday Skye came home from Boone, Seth got off work early & picked up Kelley, Cameron picked up Holly, I got off work a few minutes early, & we rendezvoused here with Keith--he usually gets off work before any of us.
All this to see/hear Brian Regan:)

After eating supper at Panera Bread (& Skye catching up to us), we carpooled to Durham to the new Arts' Center to spend the evening with our favorite comedian:)
The DPAC is new & this was our first concert there. It's pretty cool--lots of glass & a great overview of downtown Durham:) The Center is located beside the Durham Bull's ballpark so it's pretty easy to find.
Friday evening was misty & gray, & the lights by the ballpark & from the DPAC sparkled & glistened, shining across the city of Durham.
And situated near the entrance to the Center is an impressive beam of light shooting straight up from the ground to the heavens! (Guess you can find the DPAC by this light if you forget your GPS:))

After being seated in the 2nd balcony, Leigh Pittman (a friend & neighbor), there with all her family, threaded her way through the crowd to thank Skye for introducing them to Brian's humor:) It was great to see her/her family--we waved to Joe, Katie, & Sam:)
Seth's friend Choppy sat with us too, with his 4 lady friends:)

I won't go into any details of the show; I will say check out Brian online: brianregan.com.
If I had to describe him, he's like Jack Benny & Bill Cosby rolled into one:)
We laughed for 2 hrs.!
He made me laugh so hard my stomach hurt!!

A GREAT way to spend a night, especially with family & friends!!

"You too"!

Autumn

 
Rain on a September day.
Welcome rain:)
Arriving in intermittent showers.
Colorful fallen leaves water-flattened against asphalt.
Welcome droplets.
Splashing onto dry ground.
Sweet clean scent of rain.

A Williamsburg Gift

 
Friday, September 11th, Keith & I set out on a 40th anniversary trip to Williamsburg, courtesy of dear friends (& ecstatic newlyweds) Alex & Kathy Fuller.

Keith sent off for biking information from the Va. area, the boys & Kelley agreed to watch Wyatt, Keith put in for days off & I arranged to be off work Friday AND Monday (thanks to Yvonne & Lauri!:)

Three whole days!
What a gift, what a treat!
And with our bikes.
We've ridden the Jamestown trail, then Historic Williamsburg yesterday, & today, Sunday, we biked part of the Yorktown trail.
For icing on the cake, the weather's been perfect:)

In between, we've enjoyed lunch at The Cheese Shoppe & a steak/seafood dinner in Willimasburg, Ben & Jerry's in Yorktown, a quick stop at The Prime Outlets this afternoon, a hot tub, no responsibilities, & only one request from anybody--Skye:)!

Ah, why return to everyday life??
Especially when we've found plenty of fairly flat shady bike trails that could take at least a week to explore:)

Beginning September On The ATT

Tuesday afternoon, September 1st, after far too long, Keith loaded up our bikes & we headed out to the ATT. We parked at White Oak & biked north into Chatham County's new section, towards Durham. The Town of Cary is building this part of the ATT Rails To Trail, and, for us amateurs, we appreciated the smooth ride on the paved section. They have about 1/3 of the path unpaved for horse riders & joggers, etc., & the other 2/3rds for bikers & walkers, etc.:) We rode until the trail became pure red dirt then turned around. We ended up putting about 9.5 miles on Keith's odometer.
The weather has been so pleasant recently, the trails are calling our name!
Hope to see you outside:)

Purity

 
My Bible study "sisters" tend to have a number of things in common, which is neat since we do have an age span of 10-almost 20 years.
All of us are moms.
Some of us are single.
Most of us have at least one college age student.
And 2 of our group have daughters that are now living with The Boyfriend.

Which leads to my pondering....
Do our Christian kids understand purity or holiness? Do they believe it's important to God?
(Us adults don't grasp it all either, but for this blog, it's about the young adult kids)

Now I know that living together has been the trend for a number years for young (or any age) people who "aren't ready to make a commitment". And throughout the last 30-40 years the idea of abstaining from sex before marriage has taken a massive beating, even in the most conservative of families. Doing a "trial run" is the thing to do to see if you're "compatible", and no one bats an eye (or at least not publicly)!
And especially since young folks are waiting so long to marry, abstinence is extremely difficult to maintain without spiritual fortitude (and that's not foolproof).

As Christian moms what do we say when our son or daughter lays down the gauntlet & proclaims that "'sweetie' & I are moving in together"?
What is a wise, God-inspired, response?

I have survived one of my kid's "wild hair" times. It was not pretty. I pleaded with God for wisdom for ----- & for me! More was involved than just living together, so it was tough! Did I say it was TOUGH?!!! UGH!
Wedding plans were made even as I silently pleaded with God to bring it to a screeching halt! I asked every friend I knew to pray for the situation, and miraculously, in time, the relationship fell apart, thank God!!

I don't have the answers.
As an older mom, I should have some sort of wisdom to impart.

But this one is where mom gets to talk to God a lot, and in between listens for His advice--she tries to be quiet enough so she can hear what He says.....
Remember, God loves our children more than we do.

My few suggestions:
Enlist prayer warriors, and fall on God's mercy---then pray for purity of heart for everyone.

Encouragement/Life-giving Words

This is one of my very favorite excerpts from Max Lucado.

"Words of Strength

When you talk, do not say harmful things, but say what people need—words that will help others become stronger.
Ephesians 4:29 (NCV)

Before you speak, ask: Will what I’m about to say help others become stronger?

You have the ability, with your words, to make a person stronger. Your words are to their soul what a vitamin is to their body. If you had food and saw someone starving, would you not share it? If you had water and saw someone dying of thirst, would you not give it? Of course you would. Then won’t you do the same for their hearts?
Your words are food and water!

Do not withhold encouragement from the discouraged.

Do not keep affirmation from the beaten down!

Speak words that make people stronger. Believe in them as God has believed in you."



From: A Love Worth Giving
Copyright (W Publishing Group, 2002)
Max Lucado

Wedding Joy

 

Today, this rainy August afternoon, Kathy & Alex were married before a church filled with joyful friends & family:)
Our Peace church family has been so tickled over Alex & Kathy's romance & engagement:)

Great joy:)

Since Keith & Skye were the official photographers (& I was the assistant) I have no pictures yet to post of Kathy & Alex. But I will, asap:)

I quickly snapped this photo as Kathy & I dashed from the ceremony in the sanctuary to the fellowship hall reception---which involved some rain dodging:)

A day filled joy:)
Lots of laughs & giggles & smiles:)

A wedding filled with great joy!

A Bridal Tea

 
Yesterday, Saturday afternoon, a few of us gathered for a Bridal Tea to honor our dear friend/mother/mother of boyfriend, Kathy:)
Our small group of girls shared a special time together relaxing & enjoying a calm, delicious, High Tea at The Pineapple Tea Room in downtown Apex:)

Next Saturday things will be much different! It'll probably be a little hectic before the wedding ceremony commences at 2pm:)

Surprisingly, Kathy's mom & dad are hoping to come. Her mom's been recuperating from a stroke for a year, so it's amazing they are going to try it:) Which means her sisters will be able to attend also:) Kathy's excited!

Here's to you, Kathy Gosnell Worrell:) By Saturday afternoon, you'll be Kathy Gosnell Worrell Fuller. May your life be richer & "fuller" than you have ever dreamed! Hang on to Alex's coattails at times--he's has more energy than the Energizer Bunny:)
Alex, cherish Kathy & honor her in every way:)
And let her rest now & then:) Maybe even let her sleep in late (which she LOVED to do before meeting you!):)

God bless y'all!

A Respite

 

A special gift of a weekend retreat....what a wonderful thing!

Our dear Kelley's extended family graciously allowed us use of their delightful mountain town home for the weekend while we moved Skye into her Boone apartment for her senior year at Appalachian.

Last Friday, after assembling a desk & a chest of drawers, & arranging for a mattress & frame to be delivered, we ate a delicious supper in Boone, then headed to our weekend retreat.

From the rocking chairs on the shaded deck to the white-washed cathedral ceilings to the quilt-covered comfy beds, it was the perfect place to rest, read, (enjoy my morning coffee 'which' Keith delivered to me in bed:)--will mark that down on my calendar in RED!), cook breakfast, and watch TV:) We lingered there Saturday morning, resisting any urgency to get out & explore, go shopping, or finish decorating Skye's apartment:)

And situated right between Boone & Blowing Rock:)

A blessed respite:)
Thank you to Kelley's family:)

Woodstock

After getting married, Keith & I moved to NY, close to the town of Woodstock, and within a few weeks, the Woodstock Festival took place about 30 miles from us. The crowds grew daily as people flocked to the area. We were happy enough just watching the TV news about it:)

In September I began my junior year at SUNY New Palz while Keith worked third shift at IBM.
Sometime that fall Rev. Randall from the local UMC showed up at our cabin door to ask us to be counselors for the church youth group; that group became our family:)
That winter Keith brought home a sweet puppy we named Missy:)

And, gradually, we turned into hippies:)

40 Years Ago, In The Summer Of '69

On the afternoon of August 3rd, 1969, one of the hottest, most humid Sundays ever in the Sandhills of NC, Keith and I were married in Roseland UMC by the Reverend Green.
And there was no air conditioning in the church--whoa!
So we got off to a steamy start!

My college (Sandhills Community College) girlfriends were my honor bridesmaids. My sister Christy, Keith's sister Jeannie, and my childhood friend Linda were bridesmaids. Another friend from college, Helen, was my Matron of Honor. Jim Maness was Keith's Best Man and Joe Biggerstaff was an usher, both college buddies. Another Sandhills CC friend, Felton Smith, played the organ, and he was excellent:)

This photo was taken the previous evening at the home of my Aunt Gala and Uncle Cliff who so graciously and generously hosted our Rehearsal/Reception party. It was a fun night, and I recall having a terrible case of giggles all evening!

God has blessed us abundantly through the years:) We have 3 great children, Cameron, Seth, and Skye, and a dear daughter in law Kelley (married to Seth). Cameron's girlfriend Holly is a special part of our family as well.

Happy Anniversary Keith:) I pray we'll have 40 more years of health, happiness, and laughs:)

John Adams Again

Last night I finished reading John Adams by David McCullough--finally!

At excellent book about an amazing man who saw the vision of a nation independent of Great Britain, and acted on it. Together with Thomas Jefferson and George Washington, these three men were divinely brought together in time to formulate and execute the birth of a nation!

Adams was a God-fearing gentleman who never hesitated to give the Supreme Being His due.
He firmly believed that no man should own slaves, and even as his peer Jefferson heartily agreed with abolishing slavery, Jefferson, unlike Adams, owned slaves until his death.

A quote from Adams:
"The doctrine of human equality is founded entirely in the Christian doctrine that we are all children of the same Father, all accountable to Him for our conduct to one another, all equally bound to respect each other's self love."

Ironically, John Adams & Thomas Jefferson died the same day, July 4th, 1826, on the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.

I recommend this book to all lovers of history and to lovers of the well written word.
Now, to see the mini series based upon it:)


(I read McCullough's Truman a few years ago and thought McCullough told his story equally well:))

Malcolm Blue

My Uncle Malcolm died Thursday evening.

The photo here shows his oldest brother in the foreground, Uncle Barney, sitting with him on the front porch of the home place. On a Sunday afternoon when I was a child, this porch was the gathering place of my mama's brothers (my daddy was allowed there too:))

He was the last sibling to survive of the family of John Patrick Blue & Christian Ann Stewart Blue of Lobelia, NC.

An end of a generation raised in the Depression, who lost their father to a stroke in 1937 (when my mama was 12 and Malcolm & Clarence were younger) and pulled together to support each other during that extremely difficult time, the Blues were hard workers, plain God-fearing Presbyterians, who loved their Scottish heritage and spoke of that place (Scotland) as if they had seen it.

Uncle Malcolm himself was a printer by trade and worked most of his life for his brother, my Uncle Cliff, who owned The Sandhill Citizen newspaper in Aberdeen, NC

Tragically, of this Blue family in their latter years, Cliff, Malcolm, Catherene, and Clarence struggled with Alzheimer's Disease. Their mama also, "Chrish", ended her days with the same disease.
Barney and Marshall did not, thank the Lord.

This Sunday Uncle Malcolm's funeral will be held after the Stewart Reunion at Cypress Church, near Vass, NC.; his Stewart family, his home church, the place and people he loved. And he will be buried there in the cemetery where most of the Blues and Stewart's are buried. My mama use to love to walk among the grave markers there and tell us about her beloved relatives who had "gone on before her".

Rest in peace, dear Uncle Malcolm. A humble man, a quiet man, who was devoted to God, his church, and his family.

May the LORD comfort Aunt Herminia, cousin Ann and Chester, cousin Jim and Scarlett, and all the family.
We grieve with you.

You can read more and see more photos of the Blues/Stewarts at http://drpepper.jamawkinaw.com/memories.htm

John Adams

 

I've almost finished reading the book "John Adams" after dilly-dallying far too long (months and months!). I'm a David McCullough fan, so it's not lack of enjoyment or interest. I simply like reading various types of books at the same time:)

In honor of a Godly man & President, who cared deeply for and helped formulate the new republic of the United States of America, here are two excerpts from McCullough's book.
The first quote is written by John Adams to his beloved wife Abigail, and the second is "a benediction for the Capitol, the Federal District, and the city of Washington" (all newly built after moving the seat of government from Philadelphia to DC in 1800)

To Abigail from the new President's House:
"I pray heaven to bestow the best of blessings on this house and all that shall hereafter inhabit. May none but honest and wise men ever rule under this roof."

The benediction:
"It would be unbecoming the representatives of this nation to assemble for the first time in this solemn temple without looking up to the Supreme Ruler of the universe, and imploring His blessing.
May this territory be the residence of virtue and happiness! In this city may that piety and virtue, that wisdom and magnanimity, that constancy and self-government, which adorned the great character whose name (Washington) it bears, be forever held in veneration! Here,and throughout our country, may simple manners, pure morals, and true religion flourish forever!"

Amen!

A Celebration of a Romance

 

Saturday, July 18th: A Wedding Shower for Kathy:)
My dear friend.
A lovely gathering of close friends & family.
A brunch at Carol's home--Carol, our mutual friend, with the gift of hospitality:)
Pretty flowers; pale pink glads & bright pink roses:)
Good food; breakfast casseroles, fruit, cakes, cinnamon rolls, fruit tarts, coffee, juices:)
Much visiting & chatting!
(Sad our friend Lisa did not make it:( Lack of communication I suspect)

Kathy sits & tells her & Alex's love story:)
She opens sweet cards.
Eventually she opens boxes of soft, lacy, lingerie:)
A precious time together celebrating answered prayer. A year ago Kathy asked her Community Bible Study to pray for a Godly husband.
And the Lord sent Alex:)

Our Peace Church Family rejoices!!
Friends rejoice:)
Family is joyful:)
Hallelujah!

Justice: dedicated to Michelle Muir, Justice Girl, & Cindy Corbin, Who Needs To See Justice

 

"Lookin' out across this town
Kinda makes me wonder how
All the things that make us great
Got left so hard behind

This used to be a peaceful place
Decent folks hard workin' ways
Now they hide behind locked doors
Afraid to speak their minds

I think we need a gunslinger
Somebody tough to tame this town
I think we need a gunslinger
There'll be justice all around

Someone let the fences go
Wild eyed bunch moved in you know
Shootin' up the streets shoutin' everybody down
Dogs all runnin' loose

Wrecked the papers, closed the school
Tired old judge got roughed up too
No one left to make a stand
They whisper, "What's the use?"

I think we need a gunslinger
Somebody tough to tame this town
I think we need a gunslinger
There'll be justice all around

I think we need a gunslinger
Somebody tough to tame this town
I think we need a gunslinger
There'll be justice all around

I think we need a gunslinger
Somebody tough to tame this town
I think we need a gunslinger
There'll be justice all around"

[John Fogerty]

Michelle, guess you might eventually need some boots & ammunition to go with that cape!
And Cindy, praying you will see justice, whatever shape it takes!
Heard this while listening to my iPod this morning--thought of you both:)

Am I Doing What I'm Called To Do?

 

A few weeks ago, at a wedding reception, a friend from way back asked if I was still doing any artwork. He had a miniature painting I had done twenty years ago, which he still admired.
A loaded question for me. I ponder it often. I have art supplies galore but take no time to paint or collage, or draw with my pastels, do a watercolor, or quilt. My energy these days goes toward working at Hallmark (and am involved in Stephen Ministry and Comfort & Care).

Now I love working at Hallmark, love my co-workers & my manager, love 98% of the customers:)
But...which is my calling, my God appointed calling as I look back on close (very close) to 60 years?

I have said often enough, and believe it, that if a person doesn't use a God-given talent, God will take it away. Then again, I believe being invested in people is the only lasting, eternal, thing we do here this side of Heaven. So, I try to evaluate my priorities every now & then.

Sunday, Andy preached on the 4th commandment, "Honor the Sabbath Day and keep it Holy. Six days shall you labor but on the Seventh day, you shall rest."
This week he focused on the labor part.
He said, in summary, "Work is a sacred activity, a holy, religious, activity.
Work enables us to be imitators of our Heavenly Father.
Work enables us to be producers, to be creative.
Work enables us to be givers.
Work is a way to love our neighbors."
I soaked it in.
Good stuff:)
True stuff:)

Andy quoted from Jacques Maritain of Christian Art: "If you want to make a Christian work, then be Christian, and simply try to make a beautiful work, into which your heart will pass; do not try to 'make Christian'".

So, work is an honor and a joy if we do it unto our Heavenly Father, and to bless our co-workers, friends, and neighbors.
And, if the Spirit nudges us to be creative, we better do it as well, for the work of art blesses God and those around us!

SO, to all my family & friends, encourage me to pick up those paintbrushes and pastels, or my needle and thread---on my days off.

The Bride To Be

 

My dear friend Kathy is getting married August 22nd, a month & a half from now:) To say she's happy & excited is an understatement!

About a month ago, she & I spent a morning looking for a wedding dress, one suitable for a second marriage. We found this beautiful aqua dress & jacket! It looked gorgeous on her:)

In her excitement, & surprise at finding one so quickly, Kathy didn't think of conferring with her daughter Robin, & placed an order for the dress:)
Robin was, rightly, disappointed. To rectify the situation, Kathy & Robin met the next afternoon at the same dress shop & chose another dress, somewhat similar in style yet a more traditional color.

So, I figure Kathy gave me the chance to take part, then Robin got to play the most important part--that of choosing THE DRESS:)

But, honestly, this dress looked so great on Kathy, I felt I had to share it:)
What a blessed time for a precious friend:)
Thank you, Kathy, for letting me share in your joy!

Top 50 Songs of 1969

Is this a mixture of styles, or what??
I think of "Sweet Caroline" as our song (Keith & mine), since my middle name is Caroline:)
Not sure about the sweet part (standing on shaky ground with that word), but the rest of the lyrics fit our story:)

I included the top 50 to get in a Beach Boys' song, Keith favorite group:)
I loved The Beatles & CCR:)
Number 41 became one of our favorites, & we finally saw Arlo a few summers ago at Regency here in Cary:)

Evidently "In The Summer Of '69" was not even thought of til 1984, when written by Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance.


1. Build Me Up Buttercup - Foundations
(Billboard High Chart: #3)
2. Sweet Caroline - Neil Diamond
(Billboard High Chart: #4)
3. Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye - Steam
(Billboard High Chart: #1)
4. More Today Than Yesterday - Spiral Staircase
(Billboard High Chart: #12)
5. Mah-Na-Mah-Na (Mahna Mahna) - Piero Umiliani
(Billboard High Chart: #55)
6. Son Of A Preacher Man - Dusty Springfield
(Billboard High Chart: #10)
7. My Way - Frank Sinatra
(Billboard High Chart: #27)
8. Proud Mary - Creedence Clearwater Revival
(Billboard High Chart: #2)
9. Something - the Beatles
(Billboard High Chart: #3)
10. Sugar Sugar - Archies
(Billboard High Chart: #1)
11. Stand By Your Man - Tammy Wynette
(Billboard High Chart: #19)
12. Touch Me - Doors
(Billboard High Chart: #3)
13. Honky Tonk Women - Rolling Stones
(Billboard High Chart: #1)
14. Bad Moon Rising - Creedence Clearwater Revival
(Billboard High Chart: #2)
15. Hooked On A Feeling - B.J. Thomas
(Billboard High Chart: #5)
16. I Can't Get Next To You - Temptations
(Billboard High Chart: #1)
17. Come Together - the Beatles
(Billboard High Chart: #1)
18. Grazing In The Grass - Friends of Distinction
(Billboard High Chart: #3)
19. Traces - Classics IV & Dennis Yost
(Billboard High Chart: #2)
20. Hawaii 5-0 - Ventures
(Billboard High Chart: #4)
21. It's Your Thing - The Isley Brothers
(Billboard High Chart: #2)
22. My Cherie Amour - Stevie Wonder
(Billboard High Chart: #4)
23. Hot Fun In The Summertime - Sly and the Family Stone
(Billboard High Chart: #2)
24. Someday We'll Be Together - Diana Ross and the Supremes
(Billboard High Chart: #1)
25. Everybody's Talkin' - Nilsson
(Billboard High Chart: #6)
26. Suspicious Minds - Elvis Presley
(Billboard High Chart: #1)
27. Everyday People - Sly & Family Stone
(Billboard High Chart: #1)
28. Crimson and Clover - Tommy James and the Shondells
(Billboard High Chart: #1)
29. Time of the Season - Zombies
(Billboard High Chart: #3)
30. Down On The Corner - CCR
(Billboard High Chart: #3)
31. Twenty Five Miles - Edwin Starr
(Billboard High Chart: #6)
32. Worst That Could Happen - Brooklyn Bridge
(Billboard High Chart: #3)
33. Love's Been Good To Me - Frank Sinatra
(Billboard High Chart: #75)
34. Ruben James - Kenny Rogers & the First Edition
(Billboard High Chart: #26)
35. A Boy Named Sue - Johnny Cash
(Billboard High Chart: #2)
36. Gimme Gimme Good Lovin - Crazy Elephant
(Billboard High Chart: # 12)
37. You've Made Me So Very Happy - Blood, Sweat and Tears
(Billboard High Chart: #2)
38. Give Peace A Chance - John Lennon
(Billboard High Chart: #14)
39. Get Back - Beatles
(Billboard High Chart: #1)
40. Wedding Bell Blues - The 5th Dimension
(Billboard High Chart: #1)
41. Alice's Rock and Roll Restuaraunt - Arlo Guthrie
(Billboard High Chart: #97)
42. Stand! - Sly and the Family Stone
(Billboard High Chart: #22)
43. Isrealites - Desmond Dekker and the Aces
(Billboard High Chart: #9)
44. Green River - Creedence Clearwater Revival (CCR)
(Billboard High Chart: #2)
45. Yester-Me, Yester-You, Yesterday - Stevie Wonder
(Billboard High Chart: #7)
46. Put A Little Love In Your Heart - Jackie DeShannon
(Billboard High Chart: #4)
47. These Eyes - Guess Who
(Billboard High Chart: #6)
48. Jingo - Santana
(Billboard High Chart: #56)
49. I Can Hear Music - Beach Boys
(Billboard High Chart: #24)
50. Memphis Underground - Herbie Mann
(Billboard High Chart: #44)

A Summer Of Weddings & Looking Back At the Summer of '69

 

The summer of 2009 is turning into a summer of weddings for Keith & me:) It's probably not an unusual number, but for some reason this summer each wedding seems to be a welcome, uplifting, break in routine for me. It's a time to think of hope & great joy; of a family being created, of the eagerness of two people embarking on a lifetime of dreams to be dreamed, and God willing, fulfilled together, even disappointments & sorrows to be weathered together:)

This photo was taken June 13th at the reception after Amanda Corbin's marriage to Justin, a handsome young Charlotte policeman. The previous weekend Caroline Hanson wed Nathan from Nashville, and July 11th Stephen Haynes will marry his sweetheart. All three are from our church family.
We've also been invited to Peter Lanier's wedding (son of longtime friends) which will be held in Boone the 18th of July, the same day that friends & I are giving a wedding shower for my dear friend Kathy who will walk down the aisle August 22nd:)

Maybe the reason I'm feeling nostalgic about these weddings in 2009:
Forty years ago Sunday, August 3rd, 1969, on the hottest day you can imagine (and the most sultry), Keith & I were married in a tiny country church in the Sandhills of NC. We were so young, 22 & 19. A simple ceremony & frugal; cotton dresses--white for me, yellow & orange for the bridesmaids, we carried daisies, had no photographer. Rev. Green officiated, a pastor from a nearby town standing in for my vacationing preacher. No reception. And then off we went to live in upstate NY, a place my mama thought was on the other side of the world!

What an adventure!
(Little did we know Woodstock would be such an historical event, as we moved into a mountain cottage less than 50 miles of Max Yasgur's 600 acre Farm 2 weeks before it all began!)

Forty years later (could it be that long!)I'm thankful to celebrate a milestone anniversary:) And to celebrate with 3 great children, a wonderful DIL, & Cameron's girlfriend Holly:) We are blessed.
Besides trying to find a B&B in the mountains for a weekend get-away in the fall, we're thinking of going to The Melting Pot in Raleigh with Cameron & Holly, Seth & Kelley & Skye--don't you think that's appropriate for a hot & humid August anniversary?:)