" For God himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything." Acts 17:25

About Me

About Me

About Me

Welcome...I'm delighted that you chose to visit! I started this blog in March 2010 and I am so happy that I did. It has made me more aware of the many ways that God is blessing my life. I have made some special friends who bless,teach,encourage,and entertain me! My desire is to be an encouragement to you. I hope you will tarry for a while and that you will come back to visit often.

Friday, September 20, 2013

bon voayge...I hope!



Tomorrow, we head south to Port Canaveral
 to board this ship on Sunday.
Hopefully, things will go as planned...
no airplanes involved this time! :-)


google image

Look forward to telling you about it!

Thursday, September 19, 2013

today's gifts





Here are a few of the things I am grateful for today:

231. the "nip" in the air
232. a new trip to look forward to!
233. the testimony of the faithful in the midst of suffering
234. birthdays...mine and others!
235. a hubby who finds bargains
236. a loving, serving Sunday School class
237. music that speaks to me where I am
238. sugar-free Hershey chocolate bites....happy, happy, happy!
239. being debt-free
240. knowing God loves me...all the time!

"No power in the sky above or in the earth below-
indeed, nothing in all creation
will ever be able to separate us from
the love of God that is revealed to us
in Christ Jesus."
Rom 8:39
NIV

Monday, September 16, 2013

he can "can"!

Hubby is a pepper man.
He loves black pepper, bell peppers, jalapeno peppers
and cayenne peppers.
He planted cayenne peppers in his garden this year 
and they have been very productive!
He has enjoyed them with his meals and wanted
to preserve some.
So, he went on line and found a recipe for picking peppers.
When I asked him why he picked this particular recipe,
he pointed to the first word in the tittle of the recipe...
EASY!! :-)

And it was...3 ingredients plus peppers.
In no time at all, he had 8 pints of peppers!
Voila!!


He waited a few weeks, opened a jar and tasted one.
He said they are better than the fresh ones!

So, he is a"happy canner"!

When he retired, he pretty much took over the dish washing chore.
Now, he is canning...wonder what he will try next! :-)

Saturday, September 14, 2013

a little bit like home



Ronald is always there to greet us when we take our turn
cooking dinner for the families staying at his house.
We are so blessed to have this ministry here in Middle Georgia.
They care for hurting families by offering them
the comforts of home. 
I am so thankful for the opportunity, along with my friends,
to serve those families four times a year.

Tonight, we met a four year old named Lexi and her mom.
Her little sister, who is one month old, has been in 
 hospitals since she was born.
She has multiple problems, but her mom said,
"She is fighting!"
We saw pictures...she is a doll!
Praying for her, her family and her doctors
and hoping she gets to go home soon!

Friday, September 13, 2013

the big 6-0!


Yes, I celebrated a significant birthday this week. 
I had the opportunity to take the day off from work
so that made it easier to really enjoy the day.


Hubby took me "browsing" again!
This is a huge warehouse full of interesting things
located in a" town within a city"....
Payne City inside the city limits of Macon.
I don't quite understand that...but I like this place!

Then we went to lunch.
Our daughter recommended this place...
a small local Italian restaurant where they
make their pasta fresh in house.

She and her family met us there.
 

Little E wasn't too interested in eating..
which is unusual for her.
 

But she was happy to be there...
love that grin!
 

It was a neat little place.
The food was good and the company was sweet!


When we got home, we booked a cruise to
St Thomas and St Martien! (woohoo!)
Later, Hubby picked up our dinner...
wings from Sonny's BBQ (my favorite!)
and turtle cheesecake...yum!

A surprise visit by a dear friend, phone calls from my 
sons, DIL, and grandson, a picture text from my Tenn girls,
many other calls, texts, and facebook messages all
contributed to making my day very special.



Hubby knows I love daisies..."they're such a happy flower!"
And I loved this birthday....it was happy, too!

Monday, September 9, 2013

plan b


Well, we heard from the insurance company and they denied our claim. It seems they only cover
sickness or death! So, the Alaska trip will have to wait until next year. Hubby starts his seasonal job in Oct, so we only have a couple of weeks to make a plan and go somewhere else....or not! If we are going, I would like to go where we have never been... and there are lots of places we have never been! Hubby doesn't want to go as much as I do...willing to go but not excited about it. Really had his heart set on Alaska and is uninspired to plan something else. So, I'm going to do some research and see what I can find. Any suggestions?

Thursday, September 5, 2013

them thar hills...


...are calling me again! But, this time it's
the hills of Tenn calling me to watch our 
grandgirlies play soccer!

google image

Hubby and I leave tomorrow.
Can't wait to see those girls...
and their mom and dad, too! :-)



Wednesday, September 4, 2013

puttering around



On Sunday, in Franklin, NC, we passed this little place.
One U-turn later, we were in their parking lot!



Inside we found this replica of an old airplane...


and this classic...the truck I mean! :-)


A caboose...appropriate decor for a "whistle stop"!


It was a big place with lots to see. I bought a framed print
for our bedroom.The frame needs a coat of paint
and then it will be perfect.

Saturday, after visiting Moccasin Creek, we did a drive-thru
in Helen, Georgia's Alpine Village.
We have been there many times, but it has been a while. 
I didn't really want to shop there, but  
thought it would be interesting to see how it had changed.
 Sadly, it is much more commercialized and, boy, was it crowded!
So, I snapped a picture and we kept going!





In Clayton, we spotted an indoor flea market
 and decided to check it out.
There was furniture, collectibles, thousands of albums,
jewelry, leather goods and this...


This was definitely a "one stop shopping" flea market!!

We ventured downtown to find most of the stores closed 
because it was Sunday. 
But we spotted an ice cream parlor and made a bee-line
for it. On the way, Hubby saw a shop across the street
with his name on it!
Had to get a picture of that!!


There were other shops and another flea market.
It was fun poking around and finding some treasures.
Sometimes, you just don't know what you need until you see it! :-)
What we did need was a little get away...
we got that...and it was fun!! :-)

Tuesday, September 3, 2013

the mountains were calling my name

We made our way north to Dillard in the beautiful
Blue Ridge Mountains of Georgia
and had four days of rest, recreation
 and relaxation.
Funny thing, it looked more like we were in the Smokies.



I was disappointed that the fog and mist hid much 
of the beauty of the area. It's hard to appreciate
the grand vista in these shots.
Below we are at Black Rock Mountain State Park...
the highest state park in Georgia.
We've never camped here and
probably never will... it's a long, steep drive
to the top!



Moccasin Creek State Park is a popular park. 
So popular, in fact, that we were never able to get a reservation
when we were camping with our kids.
We usually stayed in another campground about 3 miles 
down the road. We always spent some time at the park, though.
This creek, that runs along side the park, (and onto Lake Burton)
 is fed rainbow trout from a state fish hatchery next door.
Only children 11 and under and adults over 65
 can fish in the creek. Our boys caught their first fish there.
Now that Hubby is old enough to put his line in,
 we may try at least one more time to get that elusive reservation!



Sunday, we made the short drive to Franklin, NC
(about 16 mi) turned right and headed to Highlands
in search of waterfalls.
Cullasaja Falls came first...
you can't get close, but there was a place to park
 so you could view it from the road.
Pretty!


 Second was Dry Falls...interesting name for a water fall!
We walked down some steps...a bunch of steps...
and were able to walk behind the falls.
Cool...and Damp!



This welcomed us into Highlands...
a beautiful view!


 Amazing!


 Below, is Tallulah Gorge. I couldn't get a good picture,
so this is from Google.  It is 2 miles long and about 
1000 ft deep. The Tallulah River runs through it and
there are several waterfalls to see...if you are brave enough
to venture down one of the trails to the floor of the gorge.
We camped at the campground here a few times.
We stopped in to visit and they have "refreshed" the sites.
We may be paying them a visit in the future, too!


In 1970, Karl Wallenda, "The Great Wallenda",
walked across the gorge on a high wire.



That would have been a sight to see...
and the tickets were only $6!!

We had lovely weather... a little rain, but very little
and the temps were comfortable.
We saw some other interesting things and ate some tasty food, too.
More on that next time!

Sunday, September 1, 2013