Pearl Harbor Day

The attack sank four US battleships and destroyed 188 US planes. More than 2,200 sailors, Marines and soldiers were killed.
US Navy, File/AP

Lord, lead their souls to heaven, bless all those involved and bless all families involved. Bless our troops, our leaders, and our nation. Amen

Here's a pic from a month or so ago of my sweet niece Natalie and her beau Chris. Chris will be going into the Air Force in February. God bless him...

Peace

Advent Pic - The Visitation

From Photobucket...

The Visitation is the visit of the Blessed Virgin Mary with Saint Elizabeth as recorded in the Gospel of Luke 1:39-56. It is also the term for a Christian feast day commemorating this visit, celebrated on 31 May in the West (2 July in calendars of the 1263-1969 period) and 30 March in the East. (Wikipedia)

I like the thought of Our Lady with Saint Elizabeth. Both were with child (Mary with Jesus and Elizabeth with John the Baptist). Because I am so close with my own family, I can relate to the bond between the two of them. I don't know if The Visitation is normally associated with Advent, but as a similar picture was on the cover of The Magnificat this month, I figure it's ok to use. Imagine the significance of that meeting. So much of their religious lives were concerned with the coming of the Messiah, and these two humble women were to play major roles in an epic turning point of all time! The sharing, waiting, and responsibility of the very moment in time that is The Visitation is remarkable...Advent. Praise the Triune God in his power and majesty regarding his work in these two astounding women - the work of his hands.

Peace

Advent 101

Why is Advent Important

Preparation for Christmas is an important theme for Advent, but more is involved. Advent gives us a vision of our lives as Christians and shows us the possibilities of life.

The vision of life that Advent gives us is twofold; it looks back to the first coming of Christ at Bethlehem, and it looks to the future when Christ will come again. In the interval between these two events we find meaning for our life as a Christian.

First we celebrate Christ-become-human. We view his life and experience his presence as a human being in our history. Christ came to show us what life can and should be. He gave us true and valid principles by which we can live true and valid lives. But Jesus knew that the human heart could not live in isolation. He formed the Church around the concept of a people held together by love. In that community we discover unlimited possibilities and meaning. Alone we can do nothing. Together we find real meaning.

When Christ left this earth, he did not abandon us. He remains with us in his Spirit, the Church, the sacraments, the Scriptures and each other. He lives in community with us and keeps his vision of life before us.

When Christ comes again, his presence will no longer be hidden behind the signs and symbols of the liturgy or the words of the Scriptures. His presence among us will be revealed in all its fullness, a presence that will never end, a presence that will perfect and complete our community.

This is the "greater significance" of Advent. In these few short weeks we take in the sweeping panorama of time - from Christ's birth to his Second Coming. The season of Advent brings us the magnificent vision of life and hope for the future given to us by Christ.

Advent is our time to become more involved, more caught up in the meaning and the possibilities of life as a Christian community. Thus we are preparing not only for Christmas but also for Christ's Second Coming. This means that when he comes again, we will be awake and watchful. He will not find us asleep.


© Liguori Publications Excerpt from Advent - A Quality Storecupboard The Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer

Advent is upon us!

Hey my good peeps! I've been away for a couple, three months because dial up was so slow. I have since learned to reduce the size of photos, making them load faster (They don't need to be ENORMOUS like I usually use). I have so much catching up to do.

Here's a pic taken by my cousin Philip's wife Mandy. It's my Christmas card photo!

Random Recent Happenings

Cousin Karen and I picked 9 lbs of scuppernongs at the Robinson-Floyd Vineyard outside of Chipley, Florida. Great fun.

For Mama Gladys' birthday on August 25th, cousin Karen hosted a dinner with her parents, Uncle Tom and Aunt Lorraine, and my parents. Knowing Mama Gladys would like noise and lights to celebrate, we tried to recreate it for our cameras. This pic is part of those efforts.

A tableau of a Navarre visit: Cheryl busy managing/organizing something, Matt on his computer, Mom drinking coffee, Joy exercising, (I would either be on my computer or drinking coffee while watching the news).

Mom fried some chicken at home using her new cast iron chicken fryer purchased at the propane store in Chipley (High Propane? Can't remember the name). The bread is a homemade angel biscuit, and of course the potatoes and gravy are homemade. Mom and Dad were laughing with one another about the cost of frying chicken at home vs. buying it from Walmart, grocery store, etc. Dad was trying to pin Mom down on how much the cost of the meal was and started the bidding at a ridiculously high price...I guess you had to be there...

Peace!

Hey Amy! We are long overdue for a phone convo, gal! Are you still thinking of coming for Thanksgiving? I think of calling you almost every day, and when I consult my watch, it's like 9 p.m. your time...

Puss Caterpillar

Cousin Karen's Bob was stung by a Puss Caterpillar last week. He and Karen were on the part of our property we call the Rassy (sp?) place. It's so named because a feller named Rassmussen (Rassy) Nelson used to live their a gagillion years ago. Bob was pruning some vines so they wouldn't scratch his truck when this tiny, dime sized creature fell on his neck and stung him. Karen was able to knock it off of him and into a container to figure out what it was. She put it in a jar with some oak stems and leaves and we were all able to enjoy this "science experiment" all week. It is now in the capable hands of the high school up in Allentown, PA where Karen and Bob live. Hopefully they can watch it cocoon and turn into a moth. I haven't gotten an update yet. After careful study (a google search) Karen was able to ascertain that this is the most poisenous caterpillar in the U.S. Oddly enough they are very common in the Southeast and from Texas to Maryland. My dad and Uncle Tom, his brother, in their 70's and 80's had never seen one in all their years on the place! Bob survived the sting but reported pain coming in waves and a general achy feeling. It can be very serious with symptoms of shock and a visit to the ER necessary. The pic is from the webmd website listed. There you will find a great "bad bugs" slideshow: http://www.webmd.com/allergies/slideshow-bad-bugs

Stuff I'm Reading - Flannery O'Connor

Joe McTyre/Atlanta Constitution, From "Flannery: A Life of Flannery O'Connor"

Flannery O'Connor seated beneath her "Self-Portrait With Pheasant Cock" in the living room at Andalusia, June 1962.


Hello all! I worked my 3 days, rested yesterday (was utterly wiped out), and am feeling dandy this day.


Is allergy season upon us? I was really stuffed up yesterday to the point of thinking I had a cold but Zyrtec seems to have worked quite well. FYI: for me it seems to work better than Claritin...


Anyway, I'm currently reading one of two novels written by a fave, Flannery O'Connor - Wise Blood. I've always been a sucker for Southern Gothic pieces (e.g. Tennessee Williams, Carson McCullers). This one has all of the shady characters one hopes to find in Southern Gothic literature and is heavy on the symbolism. I love to try and decode them and always find things to relate to in them.
Here are the opening lines: Hazel Motes sat at a forward angle on the green plush train seat, looking one minute at the window as if he might want to jump out of it, and the next down the aisle at the other end of the car. The train was racing through tree tops that fell away at intervals and showed the sun standing, very red, on the edge of the farthest woods. Nearer, the plowed fields curved and faded and the few hogs nosing in the furrows looked like large spotted stones. Mrs. Wally Bee Hitchcock, who was facing Motes in this section, said that she thought the early evening like this was the prettiest time of day and she asked him if he didn't think so, too. She was a fat woman with pink collars and cuffs and pear-shaped legs that slanted off the train seat and didn't reach the floor.

He looked at her a second and, without answering, leaned forward and stared down the length of the car again. She turned to see what was back there but all she saw was a child peering around one of the sections and, farther up at the end of the car, the porter opening the closet where the sheets were kept.

"I guess you're going home," she said, turning back to him again. He didn't look, to her, much over twenty, but he had a stiff black broad-brimmed hat on his lap, a hat that an elderly country preacher would wear. His suit was a glaring blue and the price tag was still stapled on the sleeve of it.
I also just finished "Letters of a Woman Homesteader" by Elinore Pruitt Stewart. I finally got around to reading this book. I've known about it for about 10 years after taking a Wyoming History class at the University of Wyoming. This, a true story, is a collection of the letters written by a widow from Denver, Colorado. She and her daughter head to a community somewhat close to Green River, WY to be the housekeeper for a rancher. She quickly marries the rancher but is adamant in her desire to homestead a piece of property on her own. She has a fantastic wit and way with words. I was also struck by this community's love of neighbor and their way of providing for one another's needs.
Peace!

Howdy!

I've neglected me blog -ARG!


We've all been really busy as of late. A week or so ago Matt and Joy were finally here. Sweet Matty B. is in the picture. Note the classic Van sneaks. He informed me they were first made in 1966, the year before my birth. We spent about half of that week in Navarre and half in Chipley. We had good fun basically just being together.



Last week is a bit of a blur. I'm getting into the swing of my job and all is well there. It's strenuous, but I'm getting the hang of everything.



This week has been all about the produce. Cousin Karen and I went to Robinson-Floyd Vinyard in Chipley and picked 15 lbs of scuppernong grapes (sp?). That same day Dad and I went to cousin Bill's and got four 5 gallon buckets of pears. Needless to say, the pears have kept us busy today. Mom is making preserves with 1/2 of them, and cousin Carla will use the rest up in Atlanta. I will hopefully post more pics tomorrow. Dial up just is very slow when posting pics and what not. I try to get to the library at least once a week to post more pics and post more quickly.

Stay tuned for future topics (Mom's B-day party, Puss Caterpillar, Catawba worms). I know all of you CAN'T wait!

Panhandle Pastimes

Repairing the sewer pipe at the Lake Eufaula lot. Dad and a buddy put the sewer pipe in previously, but Dad was afraid it wasn't a good seal on one seam. We dug it up and fixed it.















After a morning of work last Thursday, we went fishing and the light was so good late in the day that I snapped off a few pics. This was the same day of the video on my previous post.















Our catch!















I think this was a fish fry we had last week. My cousin Kathy was visiting from Pennsylvania. She was very happy with her fish.















Everybody fixin' their plates at the same fish fry (we have one about every week).






























I found an old mouse toy and Coco was quite taken with it.
















Peace!

Noodle Fishing

Hey, here's a grand video I took of my Dad and me noodle fishing for catfish at Lake Eufaula last Thursday.

Quick update: I started my new job and it went very well. I'm working three 12 hour shifts. I met some very dedicated folks and some beautiful old folks. It is physically demanding and, of course, the learning process is a bit trying. Otherwise, all is going as planned. I'm set up to start volunteering at Habitat for Humanity in a few weeks, and I went to church this a.m. (Tuesday). At St. Joseph the Worker in Chipley, Mass is every Tuesday a.m. with a Bible study to follow, which I plan to start soon. Today was a Communion service only, as Father Sean is on vacation and the gentleman who led was very learned re. Old Testament history and the like. There were 1/2 a dozen or so of us there.

Anyhoo, I'm at the library in Chipley and my battery is running low, so Peace Out!

What's for lunch Mama Gladys?

Mom fixes lunch every day unless Dad is busy with Disaster Relief (Southern Baptist organizaton), busy with his latest project. or fishing.

This was the fare last week sometime: BBQ'd chicken, creamed corn, sliced tomatoes, french bread, speckled butter beans with okra mixed in. Of course, sweet tea is the beverage.

(I'm heading to all of the plates o' food photographed right now to call them "What's for lunch Mama Gladys?")

My Sentiments Exactly

Being out at the compound is like my safe pasture. We all have like mindsets and there are few surprises. We are definitely not without our issues, but there aren't too many new ones :). Here is Coco the wee min pin with her perpetual grin at Mama Gladys and Grandpa's.

Fish Fry Lead Up

Here Dad was teaching me how to fry fish and hush puppies in the barn kitchen (I love the barn kitchen). See previous post. Dad rocks!

We are very fortunate in our family to get along. The day we had the fish fry, we had all already gotten together for a dandy breakfast of scones, biscuits, sausage (provide by Caleb and Leanne on their last visit), blueberry preserves, coffee and tea...

We were celebrating the visit of Kathy who flew in from Pennsylvania the day before.

Please keep Uncle Wally and the Comegys in your prayers. Uncle Wally is dealing with colon cancer. The man knows how to keep positive!

Housekeeping

All of the following groups of words mean the same thing. They are synonyms, that is. Sometimes when referring to stuff in our family, it can be confusing because we use different words for the same thing.

The following words refer to the whole property south of Chipley, FL:

Granny's

The Farm

The Compound

This is the 100 acres that was homesteaded by our "people" sometime in the 1800's. There are 4 houses on the property now. The following is a list of what they are all called:

1.

Granny's

Carla's

Comegys'

2.

Tom and Lorraine's

3.

Ralph and Gladys'

Mama Gladys and Grandpa's

(Mom and Dad's)

4.

Aunt Anne's

Aunt Lola's

Tommy and Susan's

The house in Navarre that my family owns is known as:

Cheryl's

Navarre

The house where we all go in Seagrove, FL is known as:

Old Charcoal

Seagrove

Aunt Lola's

The Beach

Here's a pic of a fish fry we had last week. I decided to try out the timer feature on my camera. It's not the best pic but you get the idea. We had the fish fry up at Aunt Anne's. (I tend to refer to things by the original names - Aunt Anne passed in Feb. 2007).

The Coffee Cup in Pensacola

--- Here's a pic I forgot I had. Cheryl and I were in Pensacola early one morning after taking Natalie girl to the airport. We always wanted to eat at "The Coffee Cup". In the background is Creola, the cook who has apparently been there for 37 years, according to a newspaper article in the lobby.

---I'm in Chipley this week. Dad has kept up the old homestead property like a park and it's supremely peaceful to walk Coco around outdoors. She and I took a boat ride yesterday on the pond, her first ever boat ride. She was a bit scared but calmed and was looking over the side at the water.

---My sweet boy Matthew is arriving tomorrow - hooray! First I have to take a basic ed test (TABE) at the vocational school in Chipley to get the ball rolling with LPN school, a program that my new job will pay for. Starting o-ver a-ga-ee-in...Sung like the Reba tune!

---Quick aside: Nat's beau's Mom (Michelle) and sisters stopped by the other day and it was so nice to talk with them. They are moving to Texas to live with Michelle's in laws while her husband is deployed to Iraq. Besides Chris she has 3 daughters including one newborn! Living in Navarre puts you up close and personal to what folks go through for our freedom. God bless our troops and their families.

---Peace...

(This is my first ever post using dial up -- patience IS a virtue.)

In other news...

I FINALLY landed a job.  Geepers it's been a tough 8 months.  I will be working in a Nursing home in Jackson County, Florida.   Pay is low and benefits are very good.  I can work three 12 hour shifts which is what I wanted.  So hooray!!!

Weekend Wrap Up

Well, I ended up scooting to Chipley at the end of last week after all. There were some jobs over there I wanted to check out. I applied in Chipley and Graceville, FL. I've decided to move to Chipley and cancelled my interview in Gulf Breeze this a.m. I truly don't want to start another job and up a move again in a year. We plan to sell our house here in Navarre in a year, after Natalie girl graduates.

I took Coco with me to Chipley and she did great. I will be taking her with me to Chipley when I move. She does much better having "a person", as she's a bit high maintenance.

I also took her with me to Seagrove Saturday Night. Cousin Joan, Cousin Lee, Aunt Lola and I had a stellar Saturday night and Sunday at "Old Charcoal". Other than Coco barking at the early a.m. joggers, we had a lovely time. Apologies to Lee who got in from work at 2:30 a.m. Oops. Cousin Joan and I went to an early Mass at St. Rita's and Aunt Lola served a dandy breakfast and coffee upon our return. Beautiful, unseasonably cool weather to boot!

I'll leave you with one of my favoritie Bible stories from John 21 (NAB):

1 After this, Jesus revealed himself again to his disciples at the Sea of Tiberias. He revealed himself in this way.2 Together were Simon Peter, Thomas called Didymus, Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, Zebedee's sons, and two others of his disciples 3Simon Peter said to them, "I am going fishing." They said to him, "We also will come with you." So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.4 When it was already dawn, Jesus was standing on the shore; but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.5 Jesus said to them, "Children, have you caught anything to eat?" They answered him, "No."6 So he said to them, "Cast the net over the right side of the boat and you will find something." So they cast it, and were not able to pull it in because of the number of fish.7 So the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord." When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he tucked in his garment, for he was lightly clad, and jumped into the sea.8 The other disciples came in the boat, for they were not far from shore, only about a hundred yards, dragging the net with the fish.9 When they climbed out on shore, they saw a charcoal fire with fish on it and bread.10 Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish you just caught."11 So Simon Peter went over and dragged the net ashore full of one hundred fifty-three 5 large fish. Even though there were so many, the net was not torn.12 Jesus said to them, "Come, have breakfast." And none of the disciples dared to ask him, 6 "Who are you?" because they realized it was the Lord.13 Jesus came over and took the bread and gave it to them, and in like manner the fish.14 This was now the third time Jesus was revealed to his disciples after being raised from the dead.

Peace...

Oh, Air Conditioner Man, Where Are You?

Our air conditioner went out last night. Someone will be here sometime today to fix it. It's actually not that bad. Strategic use of wet towels and fans are mandatory! I truly think I could live without air conditioning, even in the deep South. People were just fine up until the '60's down here without it. NPR had a rousing discussion on this topic just the other day. The economy played big and the thought that gigantic stores like Walmart and shopping malls wouldn't be where they are today without AC. Maybe that wouldn't be such a bad thing.

I'm staying around Navarre this week after all. So many places are hiring CNA's over here. I decided to check them out.

Thankful

Natalie girl arrived home Saturday. It's nice to have her back. The pic is of Natalie, Nat's boyfriend Chris, and Mama Gladys impersonating her favorite food network lady, Paula Deen. I guess the blond wig is from the girls' dance costume closet. Nat is missing her beau. :(

I'm off to apply for numerous jobs today - Catholic Nursing home in P'cola, 2 nursing homes in Gulf Breeze. one home health place in Navarre. I plan to head to Chipley this eve to apply at some spots over that way. Also there's lots of summer fun happening at "the Farm" and I want to be a part of it!
I do miss Wyoming but I love, love being back in the panhandle of FL!

Prayers for: MattyB and fam, Nat and Chris, the Billings family tragedy in P'cola - special prayer for Law Enforcement and agencies involved, priests, ministers, chaplains, troops...

Peace

Puttin' Up Okrey! (AKA Okra) -- What's for lunch Mama Gladys?

Well I missed out on meeting up with my pals Joy and Amy at Bald Head Island, NC this year (sob). I definitely felt a tinge of sadness this week since I couldn't make it. I'm glad I had family and fun to keep me busy.

Mama Gladys and I put up a bushel of okra. It took us, cutting as fast as we could go, 4 hours to finish it all up. Cousin Joan and I also picked a gallon of Blueberries each. Cousins Carla, Karen and Susan all picked a load of blueberries, too. A neighbor has a blueberry farm where folks pick and have a big time with their families. They offer a hayride and other blueberry fun. If anyone is interested I can get the info to you if you're in the Chipley, FL area. Anyway, when the season is coming to a close, he opens up the pickin' for friends and family.

Mama Gladys picking out some fine tomatoes at Fussel's near Chipley.

Mama Gladys cutting up okra.

I ate enough of this fried okra to harm a normal person. Mom used Aunt Lola's recipe where she dips it in buttermilk and dredges in flour. Yummm!

Green beans, fried okra, french bread, chicken and yella rice with sweet ice tea to wash it all down!

Dad, Mom, Cousin Joan and I all had a nice lunch together. Joan is having water because she is working on an alternative eating plan.

I didn't have my camera later in the day when we made homemade ice cream and ate blueberry cobbler (graciously provided by cousin Susan). Some of us then went for a moonlight swim and played with the lighted floating flowers. Fun time had by all!

Please keep Matty B and all the Wyoming folks in your prayers.

Peace!

tampabaycna.com

I'd officially like to recommend http://www.tampabaycna.com/. It's the one day boot camp I took at the end of May. Rev. Ariana Christiano takes you through a one day boot camp and sends you on your merry way with a bag full of cna goodies, everything you need to pass the exam the first time. She really stressed the importance of the little things (not cross contaminating, checking in with the patient throughout procedures, safety, etc). I took my test last Tuesday and passed. Yahoo a job with benefits is FINALLY in my near future! Thank God!

I kidnapped cousin Joan after the 4th of July celebration and turned my room into a makeshift hospital room. Gut busting laughter ensued and learning of procedures also. The other gal in the photos is Gertrude Saucy, the blowup doll, brought in for special procedures (read catheter care, etc).

Now we know why people don't sleep on the porch!

Cousin Joan and I started out sleeping on the porch the night of the 4th.

Our giant family gets together at Seagrove Beach, FL and makes a day of it. We all crowd in at my Aunt Lola's beach cabin, enjoy each other's company, watch the parade, swim, watch fireworks...

The house was so full, we decided to sleep on chaise lounges on the porch, until a giant palmetto bug snuggled up my leg and onto my shoulder! We found lodging indoors after all (see pic). I think there were 7 of us in that room that night. :P

Nasty Giant Tomato Hornworm Caterpillar!

So, what do y'all think? Is AK gov Sarah Palin being thoughtful regarding her great state or political? Or maybe a bit of both? At any rate, it is unusual for her to just step down so quickly...

I went out to fertilize and check on my little pretties (container garden) today and saw there was this giant worm, 4-5 inches long, green, fat, horned - exactly the color of my tomato plant. I've included a video of my li'l garden. About a week ago I started noticing my cherry tomatoes were looking a bit shabby and some of the stems eaten off. Then I saw a bird (didn't ID it) atop my tomato plants. I thought the birds were the problem. After googling "giant green worm tomatoes", the answer became plain. This is a Tomato Hornworm Caterpillar that turns into a giant moth eventually. There is a great Yahoo answers thread on the subject, FYI. You can leave it be and let the birds take care of it, pick it off (blick!), or use pesticides, natural BT or natural lime to dust, among a few other things. I think I'll leave it be. I enjoy seeing the birds up close and personal, doing their thing, more than I like cherry tomatoes. :)

Oh, it also said you can plant sweet basil IN with your tomatoes, which I will try next year. I forgot to grow marigolds this year to take care of the aphids....

Adorable Video!

Well, I've either been studying for my CNA test or putting off studying for my CNA test.

I really want to live "off grid", as I stated previously. The purchasing of chickens and goats hopefully will occur in my five year plan. I must have something to fuel my methane digester, doncha know? Honestly, living "off grid" is more of a function of not being so great at making a buck than living green, but both are important. I've always been sort of a simple living kind of gal and agree that the love of money is the root of all sorts of evil, as the good book says (I Timothy 6:10).

Anyhoo, I came across this video from a sweet feller in Vietnam that I just had to share.

P.S.  Rest in Peace, MJ!

Oh, P.S.S  The Sun Shower is working great.  I've only taken one conventional shower since my last post.  My favorite part is pouring the remaining water from the bag over my head at shower's end.   I also use water from our underground sprinkler well, to have free water.  I want to see if I can live on way low conventional energy.

(Ok, I guess I have more to add - so much for the P. S. biz)

Continue prayers for Sid, MattyB, Joy, Mike and fam PLEASE!

Li'l Natalie girl is flying out first thing (5 am - yikes) in the A.M. for Tampa for 2 weeks to be with her beau and fam.  I'll try and post another pic of them soon.  Godspeed Nat!  I'll miss my cleaning buddy.  She's been joining me at the BBCJ (Backbreaking cleaning job) and we make quite the team!

Havin' a heatwave...a tropical heatwave...

It's dang hot here in the Florida panhandle. I think we got to 101 degrees today. As the ever positive cousin Joan says, "It hugs you." We did get some thunderstorms thoughwhich is always mahvelous.

I have been studying up on ways to live "off the grid". Really I just LOVE to camp and we are working toward making one of our family lots at Lake Eufaula a primo camping spot. I actually got to go camping some last summer and am gearing up to camp a lot this Fall (that is if I can land myself one of them there jobs).

Often I also dream of living a completely sustainable lifestyle. So, to feel like I'm doing SOMETHING to conserve, I purchased a sunshower from Walmart for $5.88. It holds 5 gallons. At least I can use the sun for heating my shower water. I'll let you know how it turns out. Pic is from photobucket and is similar to the model I bought:

Still having really hard times re. family in Wyoming. Please keep us in your prayers!

Mama Gladys

Mama Gladys (AKA Mom) is here in Navarre this weekend for niece Natalie's dance recital. I can't go because I have to work my BBCJ (backbreaking cleaning job). I am taking antibiotics for my sinus infection but they don't seem to be doing the trick, as I still feel AWFUL.

Anyhoo, Mom, as usual, "set us up" with something special. She bought Cheryl a pink hat for her walks and a bag of fresh cherries (Cheryl has a major thing for fresh cherries). For Natalie Mom made Nat's favorite coconut cookies and bought her some fresh asparagus. Mom took me out for lunch and got me some fertilizer for my container garden. She's purdy, aint she! This is a picture from when we went to Tampa last week.

For mom, we got pay per view "New in Town" which we all thoroughly enjoyed. We've had a nice day and are celebrating Mama Gladys! Pic below of "New in Town" is from IMDB.



Please continue prayers for folks in Wyoming: Sid (still hospitalized), nephew Matt, sis Joy, Joy's husband Mike and his family and all others involved...

Comic Relief

I have yet another sinus infection. This video makes me laugh. It's a guy using a Neilmed sinus rinse bottle. I own one of these and apparently need to use it daily. This just cracks me up.

Sufferin' Succotash!

Things are shaky at the moment for my family and me. Sorry I've neglected my blog. My nephew had a bad car accident Friday, May 29. All 4 kids are expected to be ok and I am so thankful for that. One is still undergoing major surgeries, however. The pic is from the Star Valley Independent in Wyoming.

My patron saint is St Catherine of Siena. Here's a prayer for the gifts of St. Catherine of Siena from http://www.st-catherine-medal.com/:

God of wisdom you made our sister Catherine burn with divine love in contemplating the Lord's passion and in serving your church. With the help of her prayers may your people, united in the mystery of Christ, rejoice forever in the revelation of his glory, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.

And, as always, "Jesus I trust in you".

Hi!

I can't believe I have another cold! It's only been a month since I had my last one. I was closed up in the truck, handing my dad water bottles while working, etc, last Thursday and caught his cold. Bummer!

Mom and I had a nice time "down state" and I took the one day CNA class in Tampa on Saturday (fasttrackcna.com). Now I will call for a date to take the test and study, study, study. I've been mostly sleeping since we got back Sunday and returned to Navarre today. Here's a short video taken last Thursday on Lake Eufaula.

Pics Explained

Hello. Thanks Amy and Mardi for the delightful comments. The memoirs of Amy shall be written - "On Greenish Pond". Mardi, there are no extra rooms in the barn, but there are plenty in the "big house". Me thinks we need to host a librarian week!

All the pics below in no particular order: Yesterday I mowed the grass and went to the beach to cool off and relax for a bit, thus the beach pics. The food item is of some fresh salsa I chopped up with mangoes to add on the side a few days ago. The odd pic of me was my failed attempt at taking a before-ish type pic of my girth, as I am eating better and exercising (have been for a week or so anyway). Mom called in mid camera timer which is why I am talking on the phone. And last but not least, my container garden of cherry tomatoes, basil, parsley, rosemary, eggplant, bell pepper, and lettuce. Michelle Obama, I'm following in your footsteps.

Peace!

Week in Pictures

Big Day Ahead

I love the barn kitchen at my parents'! See 3 pics below. My hope is that I can get it cleaned up and stock it with all my Mama Carmi's cookware (maternal grandmother RIP). She was a fantastic southern cook and cooked on green aluminum Club pots/pans -served it all up on crazy daisy spring blossom corningware dishes. No one wanted any of this every day stuff, so I have it all. It's my favorite!

Mom and I are heading down to Tampa on Friday so I can attend the 1 day boot camp cna class Saturday. It's called fast track cna or something to that effect. I'm really looking forward to this road trip with my mama. She has requested to eat in Ybor City which is the Spanish part of Tampa, celebrating it's 75th year I believe. I had never heard of it so googled it. Her dad (Daddy Mac RIP) was the high school band director in Chipley, FL in the 1950's and they used to go to Tampa for band contests, clinics and whatnot. She remembered having a big time in Ybor City.

Today or over the next couple of days I have to: thin my container garden, study the cna videos, clean out my car (milk from a problem milk jug spilled in it - yuck!), fold all of my laundry, call cleaning job folks to let them know I can't be there Sat, book hotel room in Tampa, exercise both days. Not too much. I'll fit it all in. The priority is the viewing of the cna videos!

Happy Memorial Day! Summer's here!

Barn Kitchen - View

random 024, originally uploaded by raejohn.

Barn Kitchen - Outside

random 023, originally uploaded by raejohn.