Memory Lane, Wedding and Winner, Winner, Lobster Dinner

In a couple of trips down memory lane (because I just realized I've never downloaded the photos), here's a photo of Kit Carson, nursing Sam P. Spade, Secret Agent Angel. Sam is a sweet boy; he knew the kitten was too young to be abandoned so Sam allowed Kit to nurse for the emotional benefit. I still had to feed Kit kitten milk and chow until he was old enough to eat 'big boy' food.

Beloved Sistah, Stephanie, pins a corsage on Mom at her 80th birthday celebration, October last year.

Here, Steph pins JW, her son who was married Saturday.

~ Steph and Mom ~

~ Jerry (JW's Dad), my Daddy, JW ~

~ Jerry, Stephanie, Daddy, JW ~

~ Steph, Mom, Dustin, Stephanie's youngest son ~

Nothing like being late to your own party, is there? My reason (because, let's face it, excuses are a dime a dozen and over priced at that!) is...this past weekend my nephew was married on my 62nd (yeah, I really am that old!) birthday and the wedding was fabulous! He married Katie, a beautiful young woman, a nurse by profession, and just as lovely on the inside as out.

~ Katie ~

~ Mr. and Mrs. Williams ~

~ first dance ~

It was a lovely wedding and there are a lot more photos but not tonight. Now, it's time for the Pacsafe winner and then aspirin and bed for me.

Last Monday, at 5:00, using random I pulled the names of three people who left me no way to get in touch with them so they didn't win the Pacsafe travel bag. Finally, Judy's name was chosen and she's been sent an e-mail and has 24 hours to respond. If she hasn't responded by 5:00 Tuesday evening, another name will be chosen. Whew! I never realized it was so difficult to give something away -grin-.

(My apologies for the varying font sizes...exhaustion forbids me to figure out what I've done wrong.)

Blessings ~ family ~ weddings ~ JW and Katie ~ wonderful memories ~ 

Sabbath Keeping

"The Lord shall open unto thee his good treasure, the heaven to give the rain unto thy land in his season, and to bless all the work of thine hand: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, and thou shalt not borrow."

~ Deuteronomy 28:12 ~

"I don't know that there are any short cuts to doing a good job." ~ Sandra Day O'Conner ~
"Service is what life is all about." ~ Marion Wright Edelman ~
"We have always been trained in the past to a life of service and I am afraid that as these new changes come about there may be a loss of real values. " ~ Empress Nagako ~

"Take each good day and relish each moment.

Take each bad day and work to make it good."

~ Lisa Dado ~ 

"Never turn down a job because it is too small, you don't know where it can lead." ~ Julia Morgan ~

"Laziness may appear attractive,

but work gives satisfaction."

~ Anne Frank ~ 

"I thank God for my handicaps, for through them, I have found myself, my work, and my God." ~ Helen Keller ~

"I believe that in our constant search for security we can never gain any peace of mind until we secure our own soul." ~ Margaret Chase Smith ~

"Jesus saith unto them, 

My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, 

and to finish his work."

~ John 4:34 ~ 

Prayer Keeping ~ Whitney ~ Katie and JW ~ Mary and family ~ Donna ~ Noreen ~ Gretchen ~ Sandra ~

Sabbath Keeping

"Nevertheless, though I am sometimes afraid:

yet put I my trust in thee."

~ Psalms 56:3 ~

"Now it is you alone that I love,

you alone that I follow,

you alone that I seek,

you alone that I feel ready to serve,

because you alone rule justly.

It is to your authority alone that I want to submit.

Command me, I pray, to do whatever you will,

but heal and open my ears

that I may hear your voice.

Heal and open my eyes 

that I may see your will.

Drive out from me

all fickleness,

That I may acknowledge you alone.

Tell me where to look

that I may see you,

and I will place my hope in doing your will.

Amen."

~ Saint Augustine of Hippo ~

"Bring out that creature," said Aslan. One of the Elephants lifted Uncle Andrew in its trunk and laid him at the Lion's feet. He was too frightened to move.

"Please, Aslan," said Polly, "could you say something to-to unfrighten him? And then could you say something to prevent him from ever coming back here again?"

"do you think he wants to?" said Aslan.

"Well, Aslan," said Polly, "he might send someone else. He's so excited about the bar off the lamp-post growing into a lamp-post tree and he thinks-"

"He thinks great folly, child," said Aslan. "This world is bursting with life for these few days because the song with which I called it into life still hangs in the air and rumbles in the ground. It will not be so for long. But I cannot tell that to this old sinner, and I cannot comfort him either; he has made himself unable to hear my voice. If I spoke to him, he would hear only growlings and roarings. Oh, Adam's sons, how cleverly you defend yourselves against all that might do you good! But I will give him the only gift he is still able to receive."

He bowed his great head rather sadly, and breathed into the Magician's terrified face. "Sleep," he said. "Sleep and be separated for some few hours from all the torments you have devised for yourself." Uncle Andrew immediately rolled over with closed eyes and began breathing peacefully."

~ C. S. Lewis, The Magicians Nephew ~

"Brothers {and sisters}, we do not want you to be ignorant
about those who fall asleep, 
or to grieve like those who have no hope.
We believe Jesus died and rose again
and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus
those who have fallen asleep in Him."
~ 1 Thessalonians 4:13 ~

Happy Resurrection Day! 

Prayer Keeping ~ Whitney and family ~ Gretchen and family ~ Rainey ~ Mr. Claud ~ Roy ~ Peggy ~ Alan ~  Mags ~ Terry ~ Sandra ~

and this explains why I, sometimes, feel like a wandering cow...

(for the Pacsafe Travel Bag giveway go here; good until 5:00 p.m., April 6.)

"Creatures, I give you yourselves," said the strong, happy, voice of Aslan. "I give to you forever this land of Narnia. I give you the woods, the fruits, the rivers. I give you the stars and I give you myself. The Dumb Beasts whom I have not chosen are yours also. Treat them gentle and cherish them but do not go back to their ways lest you cease to be Talking Beasts. For out of them you were taken and into them you can return. Do not so."
~ C. S. Lewis, The Magician's Nephew ~

Blessings ~ the merry month of...April ~ C. S. Lewis ~ Narnia ~ the dumb and the talking beasts ~ God's creation ~

Travel Tales and Pacsafe Giveaway!

"I am not the same 

having seen the moon shine on the other side of the world."

~ Mary Anne Radmacher ~

~ Dave and I in Russia ~

Dave and I began traveling in 2008 when "Dr. Jammy", a professor at Bluefield State College, asked me to go to Russia and teach Agritourism which is, simply put, agriculture married to tourism. Dr. J. had written a US State Department grant, which was accepted, and there was room in the budget for me...woohoo! Dave went, paid his own way, and for that I am forever thankful. Long story short...Dave and I flew into the Sheremetyevo International Airport where we were...not greeted...hmmm. Dave plopped me down to guard our luggage while he went in search of our group who had flown in the week prior. He didn't find them but he did find a couple of men who looked like "alphabet soup guys". Of course, I wouldn't put my hand on the Bible and swear to it but there's a certain swagger (and sometimes bulges, iow guns) that ABC (what I call alphabet soup) guys, maybe women but haven't met any of them, have that sort of screams CIA, FBI, DHS, NSA and, in this case, KGB. gulp.

~ Dave and I in the Sahara Desert ~

One man spoke better English than I do Russian (I know about six words in Russian) and said, "Jammy said you come with us." I looked at Dave...umm, I don't think so and now that I've thought about it another second, I know we're not going with you! The Russian gent showed us a photocopy of our passports and I said, "I need to speak with Jammy." Only then did he led me to a phone booth and dialed an out of country number for Jammy. Turns out there'd been a slight problem which resulted in more than a weeks' delay and Dave and I were to get in a van and these men were going to drive us five hours to another city. GULP.

~ Dave and I, with Pacsafe purse, in Alaska ~

It turned out, as far as teaching, I was on my own for a day or three longer than a week so Dave and I made the best of it. We had each other, we had each other's backs and life was very good, fun and exciting! Although, our Russian/English translator did have a slight problem with alcohol...meaning he was gripping the table so hard his knuckles were white and this at 10:00 in the morning. That man could put away some alcohol and if that sort of thing impressed me, I'd be very, very impressed with his abilities. However, I was never really quite sure what he was translating. No one ever got angry with me, some were really excited and I hope that was in a good way -grin- and, in one word, the trip was fabulous! That was the first time I'd ever had a passport and, four years later, I had to get a new one because the old one had so many stamps that border guards and customs folks were peckish when they had to thumb through the pages looking for an empty spot to stamp. Oh la, get over it!

~ Dave and I, with Pacsafe purse, in Tarifa, Spain ~

Over the years, I've gotten better at packing and, toward the end of our travels together, Dave and I had one rule...never carry more than we could run with. Dave could travel for a month with his "man bag" (as he called it) and an under the seat case that he could fit three pairs of pants, three shirts, socks, undies, some toiletries and a few other goodies. I had a Pacsafe purse and a twenty-one inch carry-on suitcase on wheels and we each wore travel vests with about a dozen pockets where we'd stuff things we needed at hand. Now I have added another rule which is..."if it don't roll, it don't go" which is horrible grammar but helps strengthen the point. (I've strolled London streets, alone, at 1:00 a.m. searching for my hotel and loving/cursing my rolling suitcase for the noise it was making over the cobblestones.)

~ Dave and I, with Pacsafe purse, in the Azore Islands ~

There are some things that, in addition to passport, credit cards and money, always, always, always go with me on my travels: my Pacsafe purse or wallet, my Macabi skirts (look silly on me but love the convenience) and Mephisto walking shoes. As an aside, Mephisto shoes are expensive but I bought mine on sale about ten years ago and they still look new and an added plus is Mephisto will resole the shoes when needed. I have literally been in those shoes for more than twenty hours and my feet were the only part of my body that weren't screaming in exhaustion. They are...the best shoes I've ever worn!

The Pacsafe purse is a dandy and looks new due to the care it's been given. It's not new but it is now out of production.It has two straps with a velcro strip that encloses both straps and gives a cushion when thrown over the shoulder. The sleeve in the front of the bag is open, top and bottom, so it can be put over a suitcase handle and rest on top, letting the suitcase bear the weight.

The opposite side of the bag has a large pocket, with velcro, where travel tickets, agenda, maps, book, etc. may be stored within reach.

Inside the bag are more pockets with velcro, slots for credit cards, identification, pens, two elastic pockets on either end of bag and an inside sleeve that zips shut and is the length and height of the bag. This zippered sleeve is where I kept passport, boarding passes and other things that needed safe keeping.

Safety features include top zipper locks to keep anyone from dipping into the bag

and locks to secure the bag to a chair or table.

What makes Pacsafe THE bag to carry can't be seen because it's the eXomesh beneath the fabric shell (that may be cut) and prevents the bag's contents from falling out or being removed. Click on eXomesh for full story on the many security features. I know a woman who was targeted for a slash and grab in Rome; she was getting off a bus and a man offered his hand to help her down the steps. She accepted but didn't realize his true intent was to step into her personal space, slice the bottom of her handbag with a box cutter and steal her wallet. By the time she realized what had happened, it was over and he, with her money and identification, had disappeared. I never travel without my Pacsafe bag or wallet (sometimes both); they give me added security for keeping my money, credit cards, identification and my precious passport safe.

The Giveaway: You must be a follower of this blog, you must leave a way for me to contact you, you must answer this: where is your dream vacation/holiday and why? If you win by random drawing, you'll receive the Pacsafe bag shown in this post and a few goodies for good measure that will aid in your wanderlust. A week from today, Monday, April 6, at 5:00 p.m. a name will be decided randomly. You'll have 24 hours to respond to the e-mail stating you've won; after 24 hours, another name will be drawn.

May you use for many travels in good health and happiness!

Blessings ~ travel ~ Pacsafe ~ Macabi ~ Mephisto ~ Dr. Jammy ~ travels with Dave and now by myself ~

Sabbath Keeping

"The righteous perish and no one ponders it in his heart; 

devout men are taken away, 

and no one understands that the righteous 

are taken away to be spared from evil. 

Those who walk uprightly enter into peace; 

they find rest as they lie in death."

~ Isaiah 57:1-2 ~ 

"The life of the dead is placed in the memory of the living." 

~ Cicero ~

"It is not death a man should fear,

but he should fear never beginning to live."

~ Marcus Aurelius ~

"Love never dies a natural death. It dies because we don't know how to replenish its source. It dies of blindness and errors and betrayals. It dies of illness and wounds; it dies of weariness, of witherings, of tarnishings." ~ Anais Nin ~

"Death ends a life, not a relationship." 

~ Mitch Abrams ~

"Whoever said that loss gets easier with time was a liar. Here's what really happens: The spaces between the times you miss them grow longer. Then, when you do remember to miss them again, it's still with a stabbing pain to the heart. And you have guilt. Guilt because it's been too long since you missed them last."
~ Krtistin O'Donnell Tubb ~

"When his wife was at his side, she was also in front of him, marking out the horizon of his life. Now the horizon is empty: the view has changed."
~ Milan Kundera ~

"Death is no more than passing from one room into another. But there's a difference for me, you know. Because in that other room I shall be able to see."
~ Helen Keller ~

"One lives in the hopes of becoming a memory."

~ Antonio Porchia ~ 

"He gives light to the sun."

~ St. Patrick ~

"Die not, poor Death, not yet canst thou kill me.

From rest and sleep, which but thy pictures be.

Much pleasure, then from thee much more must flow,

And soonest our best men with thee do go.

Rest of their bones, and soul's delivery.

Thou art slave to fate, chance, kings and desperate men.

And dost with poison, war, and sickness dwell;

And poppy or charms can make us sleep as well

And better than thy stroke, why swell'st thou then!

One short sleep past, we wake eternally,

And death shall be no more; Death, thou shalt die."

~ John Donne ~ 

"Death leaves a heartache no one can heal,

love leaves a memory no one can steal."

~ an Irish headstone ~ 

"For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."

~ 2 Corinthians 4:17-18 ~ 

So many deaths this week of Palm Sunday; if you have a name for the prayer list, please let me know.

Prayer Keeping ~ Gretchen ~ Terry ~ Roy ~ Peggy ~ Alan ~ Sandra ~ 

Sabbath Keeping

~ Morris Knob, Tazewell County, VA ~

"Be not wise in thine own eyes;

fear the Lord,

and depart from evil."

~ Proverbs 3:7 ~

"Lord I know not what to ask of Thee; 

Thou knowest what I need;

Thou lovest me better than I know how to love myself.

O Father, give to Thy child that which he himself knows not how to ask. 

I dare not ask either for crosses or for consolations; 

I simply present myself before Thee. 

I open my heart to Thee.

Behold my needs which I know not myself; 

see and do according to Thy tender mercy...

~ Francois de Salginac de la Mothe-Fenelon ~

The expression of Christian character is not good doing, but God-likeness. God's life in us expresses itself as God's life, not as human life trying to be godly."
~ Oswald Chambers, My Utmost For His Highest ~

"Knowledge of God's word is a bulwark 

against deception, temptation, accusation,

even persecution. 

~ Edwin Louis Cole ~

"What men stand most in need of, is the knowledge of God." 

~ Fenelon ~

"Be the type of person who leaves a mark...not a scar."

 ~ unknown ~

"True wisdom consists in two things: 

knowledge of God and knowledge of self." ~ John Calvin ~ 

"The world is perishing for lack of the knowledge of God 

and the church is famishing for want of His presence." 

~ A. W. Tozer ~ 

"I hold that we have a very imperfect knowledge of the works of nature till we view them as works of God, - not only as works of mechanism, but works of intelligence, not only as under laws, but under a lawgiver, wise and good."
~ James McCosh ~

"Of all treasures of knowledge,

the most vital is the knowledge of God,

His existence, powers, love and promises."

~ Spencer W. Kimbell ~ 

"God will not suffer man to have the knowledge of things to come; for if he had prescience of his prosperity, he would be careless; and, understanding of his adversity, he would senseless." ~ Saint Augustine ~

"Sometimes you're delayed where you are

Because God knows there's a storm where you're headed."

~ unknown ~

"Nothing reveals character more than self-sacrifice. So the highest knowledge we have of God is through the gift of His Son." ~ William Torrey Harris ~ 

"Refuse to be content with just the knowledge of God.

But insist on experiencing His presence.

~ Kerri Weems ~

"People will always have opinions about you.

But you live for God, because He's the only one

Who has intimate knowledge of you."

~ unknown ~ 

"For this very reason,

make every effort to add to your faith goodness;

and to goodness, knowledge. ..."

~2 Peter 1:5 ~ 

Do you have a name to be added to the prayer list?

~ Prayer Keeping ~ Roy ~ GJ and Bill ~ Peggy ~ Pat ~ Anne ~ Vicky ~ Sandra ~ 

Saint Patrick's Day and Prayer

The Prayer of St. Patrick

I arise today
Through the strength of heaven;
Light of the sun,
Splendor of fire,
Speed of lightning,
Swiftness of the wind,
Depth of the sea,
Stability of the earth,
Firmness of the rock.

I arise today
Through God's strength to pilot me;
God's might to uphold me,
God's wisdom to guide me,
God's eye to look before me,
God's ear to hear me,
God's word to speak for me,
God's hand to guard me,
God's way to lie before me,
God's shield to protect me,
God's hosts to save me
Afar and anear,
Alone or in a mulitude.

Christ shield me today
Against wounding

Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,
Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ on my right, Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down,
Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,
Christ in the eye that sees me,
Christ in the ear that hears me.

I arise today
Through the mighty strength
Of the Lord of creation

Blessings ~ my Christian faith ~ other Christians ~ Saint Patrick ~ saints gone before ~ prayer ~

Sabbath Keeping

~ Daisy Mae, she ain't nothing but a hound dawg ~

"With the merciful you show yourself merciful;

with the blameless many you show yourself blameless."

~ Second Samuel 22:26 ~

"there is a God, there always has been. I see him here, in the eyes of thepeople in this [hospital] corridor of desperation. This is the read house of God, this is where those who have lost God will find Him...there is a God, there has to be, and now I will pray, I will pray that He will forgive that I have neglected Him all of these years, forgive that I have betrayed, lied, and sinned with impunity only to turn to Him now in my hour of need. I pray that He is as merciful, benevolent, and gracious as His book says He is." ~ Khaled Hosseini ~

"A God all mercy, is a God unjust." 

~ Edward Young ~ 

"For children are innocent and love justice,

while most of us are wicked and naturally prefer mercy."

~ G. K. Chesterton ~ 

"Who will not mercy unto others show,

How can he mercy ever hope to have?"

~ Edmund Spenser ~ 

"I have always found that mercy bears richer fruits than strict justice."
~ Abraham Lincoln ~

"One of the simplest of all Christian prayers, this consists in a single brief sentence, "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me." Ten words in English, in other languages it is even shorter--in Green and Russian, no more than seven words. Yet around those few words many Orthodox over the centuries have built their spiritual life, and through this prayer they h ave entered into the deepest mysteries of Christian knowledge." ~ Igumen Chariton of Valamo ~

"Grace is when God gives us what we don't deserve

Mercy is when God doesn't give us what we do deserve."

~ unknown ~

"Mercy.

That is the gospel. 

The whole of it in one word."

~ E. H. Chapin ~

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! 

According to His great mercy, He has caused us to be born again

to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading,

kept in heaven for you."

~ First Peter 1:3-4 ~ 

If you'd like a name added to the prayer list, please let me know and please, do not rely on my poor memory.

Prayer Keeping ~ Donna ~ GJ and Bill ~ Whitney ~ Peggy ~ Mary and family ~ Alan and Mags ~ Quinn ~ Noreen ~ Jacqui and husband ~ Sandra ~

Obituaries of Days Gone By

Thank you all for watching the beautiful video Gina made; every time I watch it I end up crying...for all the dreams that came to fruition, for all those good and bad times and for all those dreams that will never be now that Dave is dead. But, believing God has a plan Plan, I continue to trust Him.

Richard Lee, my cousin (and yes, we always use first and middle names in our family) sent me a very dear collection of photos, genealogy and papers on our family. The Hamrick's came to this country in 1654, landing at Fredericksburg, VA and making their way west until they arrived in what is now West Virginia. We have a fair amount of information on the family but what I wanted to write about is Abigail Hamrick's, my Great Grand Mother, obituary.

What follows is her obituary, her "spiritual" obituary which was very common back in the day but, for the most part, has unfortunately fallen into disuse. [As an aside my Great Grand Father's name was Sampson and his mother's name was Delilah...truly.]

"Mrs. Abigail C. Hamrick

Wife of Mr. S. B. Hamrick of Bernardstown, died last Wednesday morning of complication of diseases at her home there. She was born on Dec. 19, 1866, in Nicholas county; the daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. Robert H. Townsend and moved to Webster Springs with her parents when a small girl and was reared there. She was married to Mr. S. B. Hamrick in 1884 and lived all of her married life at Bernardstown; was the mother of twelve children, seven of whom are dead and five living. Four boys and eight girls. Three boys and four girls are dead. The children living are: Clarence Hamrick, Mrs. Grace Hamrick, Mrs. Gay Bennett, Mrs. Effie Gregory, and Mrs. Ruth Sakales, all of the Bernardstown community.

She has four sisters and one brother living: Mrs. Nellie Watson, Chicago, Ill, Mrs. Maggie Curry, St. Petersburg, Fla.; Mrs. Mae Skidmore, Webster Spgs, Miss Lyde Townsend, Valley Bend, Charley Townsend, Bolair. She has twenty living grand children.

She was converted after her marriage and joined the {difficult to read but her husband was a Methodist minister) Church and for forty years or more lived a devoted Christian life. She had been in poor health for some years. She was an old-fashioned mother  who always considered her first and best place was ever at the  home. The funeral was held Thursday afternoon by her pastor, Rev. A. F. Gregory at the home in the presence of hundreds of relatives, neighbors and friends. Interment was made in the family cemetery on the home place.

In the passing of Mrs. Hamrick her neighbors, friends and kinspeople sustain an irreparable loss. She possessed a loveable disposition which endeared her to all who were lucky enough to know her. She has joined friends who have gone before and is free from the ill of this life and her friends know where to find her.
To our good friends, her husband and children, we join the hundreds of others in extending condolences in their dark hour of distress but to the husband and father whom we know as a genuine Christian gentleman, we can only say, keep the faith and all will be well. May peace be your lot until you follow your loved one to the other shore, where death does not enter."

What a lovely woman she must have been, don't you think? I mourn the loss of such gentility; such a way with words. It gives comfort to those left behind, leaves a legacy and, for future generations, these are the ties that bind.

"Keep the faith and all will be well. May peace be your lot until you follow your loved one to the other shore, where death does not enter." Words to live and die by; wise words then and wise words now.

Blessings ~ family ~ spiritual obituaries ~ the faith of our fathers and mothers  ~ may peace be your lot ~ 

Thistle Cove Farm Video

Hi all...while I cannot download this from home (bandwidth "issues"...remember), if you're able, please click here and let me know what you think...pretty please! Gina, Whispering Cove Farm, has done a marvelous job! 

Your advice, comments, suggestions are gratefully welcome; wanted to add the video is ten minutes...an eternity in youtubeland...and is also used as a memento for me (when transfered to cd). I told Gina, "It's so beautiful, I don't want to sell!" -lam- The sales price is listed on on this site and it's possible this video won't be shortened as I simply don't have the expertise and Gina is busy trying to sell her home here. 

Still, thank you for your kind suggestions; just wish I were smarter or, better yet, wish Dave was alive so he could help -lol-.

Blessings ~ Gina ~ youtube ~ video ~ photos ~

Sabbath Keeping

"Where there is no vision the people perish."

~ Proverbs 29:18 ~

"I pray for you, that all your misgivings will be melted to thanksgivings. Remember that the shadow a thing casts often far exceeds the size of the thing itself (especially if the light be low on the horizon) and though some future fear may strut brave darkness as you approach, the thing itself will be but a speck when seen from beyond. Oh that He would restore us often with that 'aspect from beyond,' to see a thing as He sees it, to remember that He dealeth with us as with sons." ~ Jim Elliot ~

"One of the most tragic things I know bout human nature is that all of us tend to put off living. We are all dreaming of some magical rose garden over the horizon-instead of enjoying the roses that (bloom) outside our windows today."
~ Dale Carnegie ~

"The only thing worse than being blind is having sight but no vision."
~ Helen Keller ~

"Those who look behind

will never see beyond."

~ Sherry K. White ~ 

"I'm most proud of the blessings God has given me, in my life. He's given me the vision to truly see that you can fall down, but you can still get back up. Hopefully, I'll learn from my mistakes and have the opportunity to strengthen and improve the next thing I do." ~ Martin Lawrence ~

"The visionary lies to himself, 

the liar only to others."

~ Nietzsche ~

"Not all dreamers are winners, but all winners are dreamers. Your dream is the key to your future. The Bible says that, "without a vision (dream), a people perish." You need a dream, if you're going to succeed in anything you do."
~ Mark Gorman ~

"We can only see a short distance ahead,

but we can see plenty there that needs to be done."

~ Alan Turing ~

"If the doors of perception were cleansed, 

everything would appear to man as it is - infinite."

~ William  Blake ~ 

"Nothing is more imminent than the impossible...

what we must always foresee is the unforeseen."

~ Victor Hugo ~

"Our vision is so limited we can hardly imagine a love that does not show itself in protection from suffering. The love of God is of a different nature altogether. It does not hate tragedy. It never denies reality. It stands in the very teeth of suffering. The love of God did not protect His own Son. The cross was the proof of His love - that He gave that Son, that He let Him go to Calvary's cross, though "legions of angels" might have rescued Him. He will not necessarily protect us - not from anything it takes to make us like His Son. A lot of hammering and chiseling and purifying by fire will have to go into the process."
~ Elizabeth Elliott ~

"And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams." 

~ Acts 2:17 ~ 

Prayer Keeping  ~ Peggy ~  GJ and Bill ~ Alan and Mags ~ Pat and family ~ Noreen ~ Quinn ~ Donna ~ Sandra ~ 

Just Plain Baccy...not Waccy Baccy

In central Virginia, folks still grow tobacco but it's changed a lot since the days I used to work on my uncle's farm. He grew acres and acres of tobacco and the entire family helped. The men would go to the field and strip the leaves from the stalk, load it on a wagon where it would be brought to the barn. My uncle's oldest daughter, my cousin, would string and I would hand off. Meaning, I would take 3 stalks of tobacco, put them in one hand, smack the top with the other hand...to make them even...hand them to my cousin and she would string on either side of the tobacco stick. She could string as fast as three people could hand her tobacco and was absolutely amazing.

All this happened just outside the tobacco barn and as each tobacco stick would be filled with tobacco, the teenagers would stand at the ready to take each full stick into the barn and hang from the top of the barn down. A fire would be lit, and would stay lit, until the smoke cured the tobacco when it would be removed and taken to a central warehouse to be sold.

While we were working the tobacco, Mom and her sister were preparing lunch for all the workers, perhaps two dozen of us. There were family members, neighbors but most of the workers were black men and women and we all ate together, generally a couple of meats, lots of veggies, salad, biscuits, corn bread, a cake and a couple of pies...it took a lot of calories to keep everyone working.

Now, it's done differently and I wonder if people feed workers anymore. When Dave and I were renovating the house, I fed the workers using a charcoal grill, Coleman two burner camp stove and a few coolers as refrigerators. They thought they'd died and gone to heaven!

Madge, at The View From Right Here, hosts a photo party and when I ran across the above photo, thought I'd tell the story. Have any of you worked in tobacco? It's hot, nasty, dirty work but, when working in a crowd, it's also a lot of fun. (That's what I keep telling myself, especially as I didn't get paid...I was family.)

Blessings ~ Madge ~ my family ~ those wonderful meals 

A Lot of Something About Nothing Much

Nancy, at A Rural Journal, hosts Random 5 Friday "where you share 5 random facts about you, your day, your pets, your kids, whatever!"

1. Remember this kitten? He's the little one I picked up on the side of the road when the "mean people" dumped him. For a long while, he was simply called "Kitten"; when I asked about names, Theo as in Theodore, was suggested as were Ted and Teddy yet none of those seemed quite right. One day I called, "Kitten, kitten" and he turned, looked at me and said, "That's Kit Carson to you, Missy." Ah, so it is...Kit Carson and he's a mean lil' cuss due to the fact he's a kitten and terrorizes the household.

2. The dogs, at least Daisy, has enjoyed the snow...traitor! Temperatures were supposed to get above freezing today; someone should have mentioned it to Mother Nature. I believe today's high was 31 which did little to melt the two inches of ice that was covered by a skiff of snow and made everything more than a little interesting. Thank God I didn't fall but had several barely missed opportunities.

3. For the past few nights, I've been watching the first four episodes of Downton Abbey and is it just me or could anyone else smack that dreadful, conniving "ladies maid" O'Brian and Thomas, her sidekick? If it was Julian Fellowes intent to annoy the absolute socks off me, he has succeeded admirably. By the way, Mr. Fellowes was one of my absolute favorite characters in Monarch of the Glen; he was a tad peckish but played the part beautifully and remembered fondly. On March 12, Kate (why isn't her name spelled Cate?) Middleton is visiting the Downton Abey set and will have photos taken with the staff. One presumes the staff of the set and not the staff of Highclere Castle (the real name of Downton Abbey); for more tidbits, visit Lady Carnarvon's, the mistress of Highclere Castle, blog here. One last tidbit, Lord Fellowes also wrote Gosford Park, another English favorite and he received an Oscar (I believe).

4. I'm also a huge Midsomer Murder fan and think John Nettles, or the character he plays, Tom Barnaby, is a delight. Truth be told, I think he's a hottie (or is that terrifically old fashioned term?) and I'm grateful he'll never be the man that would make me move forward from Dave (wicked grin). If you've seen any of the Midsomer Murder episodes, you've heard that haunting music...yes? The instrument is called a Theremin and played by Celia Sheen here. The Theremin is the first electronic instrument and invented by Lev Theremin, a Russian scientist and the instrument is played without being touched! Ms Sheen uses her hands to make the sounds that cause the music...bizarrely beautiful...and did the music for the series for fourteen years! Click here for others who use this fascinating instrument.

5. This is Mom with her first great-grandchild, my great-niece. Have you heard the saying, "A baby is God's opinion the world should go on?" In these trying times, a baby, aside from God, is the only hope we have for the future.

P.S. One post next week, I'll have a giveaway for a Pacsafe handbag. If you're not familiar with Pacsafe, they are anti-theft and now, RFID secure bags, purses, wallets, etc. This particular bag is great for travel as it cannot be cut open; unfortunately, it's not RFID secure but...it is free to the fortunate winner. More information and photos later.

Blessings ~ Nancy ~ Mom ~ BBC ~ Random 5 Friday ~ weird music ~ Kit Carson ~ a baby ~

Thursday, It's a Sleety Day

On Thursdays, TexWisGirl hosts Good Fences at The Run*A*Round Ranch and since I've got the great fence under water photo, decided to link along. As an aside, some years back I used to live in Richmond, VA where there was a restaurant called Texas-Wisconsin Border Cafe (now closed) but were well known for good food, especially chili and Legend beer. (My mind slips, quite easily, from something to nothing, wouldn't you agree? Rather like those several, many, a lot of folks who come to mind because they are as substantial as fog and twice as vague. For some, holding onto a thought is as tenuous as chewing an oyster.) But I digress.

Yesterday, temps were well above freezing, perhaps even in the 40's and most of the snow melted. This morning, it's been sleeting since before dawn and shows no sign of stopping...today. The road that's under water is now under sleety ice and water and is life endangering but the only people out today are those who have to go to work, using SUV's, and neighbor's on tractors. Still, it's dangerous and, on days like today, I stay on the farm; no need to add another potential wreck to the treacherous mix.

The dogs have been having a gay ole time, dragging the two hind legs of a deceased deer around the yard. Perhaps some would look askance at such but it's a farm, they are dogs and 1 + 1 = 2. Maybe that's a giant leap for some but an easy stroll for me and for a lot of other farm dwellers. I saw Daddy John yesterday and he said one of last year's fawns was in his barn and looked half starved so was given feed.  The deep snows have been dreadful in length (more than two weeks of deep snow on the ground) and a lot of wildlife simply aren't going to survive.

These lambs will make it, due to size and good health. They're still on their mothers but have taken to going around in a pack of their own and will be weaned in a few weeks.

My exhaustion level is still high while the energy level is still low, and the pulled back muscles nag like a shrew while the dogs and I fight over their beds in front of the wood stove.

Dear Lord: I am quite ready to complain about the summer heat. Amen.

Blessings ~ still able after all these years ~ lambs and mothers ~ fences ~ sleet, because it's got to stop sometime...right?! ~

So Long, Farewell; It's Good to see the Last of February!

Scenes from February...making it not so very difficult to say good-bye.

Snow drifts (upper end) made it impossible to get the tractor out of the barn and on the lower end, the doors opened inward giving access to the tack room and hay loft.

High winds, with wind chills of 30 below zero tore a portion of the roof and work is due to start in the next week or so. This side of the roof is being totally replaced and will meld quite nicely with the rest of the roof.

Deep snows, then ice, then more deep snows

Due to heavy rains and spring thaw (and here I use the word euphemistically) Falling Rock has flooded the cave, leaving our road two feet under water. It's extremely dangerous yet I see cars crashing through like the surface is dry. Also, when they get through the other side, there's no evidence of brake lights being tapped to dry them and I wonder what happened when they got to that first nasty curve going downhill?

Today a driver delivered a load of silage to Daddy John but overshot and drove to the head of the Cove, a distance of about 2.5 miles. When he got to the end of Cove Road, he had to back down Cove Road, in reverse, in order to deliver the silage. I felt so badly for him but he was a champ, driving safely and with no ill humor.

The water is almost covering the fence posts and has torn down a section of fence and with tomorrow's three to six inches of snow expected, the fence might be pulled down totally; time will tell.

February has been treacherous, life threatening even and I'm glad to see the end of it. Hopefully the weather will remember its place and welcome spring with all due haste...gee, didn't realize that was going to rhyme...but I like it --lam--!

Blessings ~ warmer weather ~ rain, not snow or ice ~ someone to fix the roof ~ Downton Abbey because I'm just now watching the first four seasons and finding it enthralling ~ a daily nap which is helping my exhaustion ~

Sabbath Keeping

"But the meek shall inherit the earth;

and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace."

~ Psalms 37:11 ~

"When you focus on being a blessing,

God makes sure you are always blessed in abundance."

~ Joel Osteen ~

"Not what we have but what we enjoy constitutes our abundance." ~ Epicurus ~

"If God has given you the world's goods in abundance

it is to help you gain those of Heaven

and to be a good example of sound teaching

to your sons, servants and relatives."

~ St. Ignatius ~

"The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much, it is whether we provide enough for those who have little."
~ Franklin D. Roosevelt ~

"Abundance is a process of letting go;

that which is empty can receive."

~ Bryant H. McGill ~

"Talent is always conscious of it's own abundance and does not object to sharing."~ Solzhenitsyn ~

"You give because the love of God has been poured into your heart,
not to satisfy the law." ~ Sherry K. White ~

"Plant seeds of happiness, hope, success, and love;

it will all come back to your in abundance.

This is the law of nature."

~ Steve Maraboli ~ 

"The world is full of abundance and opportunity,
but far to many people come to the fountain of life with a sieve
instead of a tank car...a teaspoon instead of a steam shovel.
They expect little and therefore they get little."
~ Ben Sweetland ~

"God will overflow your cup, 

so grab the biggest one you can find." 

~ Rob Liano ~

"The enemy takes what isn't his.

Jesus gives from what is His.

Which are you more like?"

~ David McGee ~

"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.

I came that they may have life and have it abundantly."

~ John 10:10 ~

Prayer Keeping ~ Peggy ~ Pat and family ~  GJ and Bill ~ Noreen ~ Donna ~ Sandra ~