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

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!

Holy Week

Well, Holy Week is upon us.

My Saturday cleaning job at Navarre Beach kicks my butt so much that I wasn't able to make it to St Sylvester's at 11 am as I usually do. Happily, I've found a 5:30 pm mass at the cathedral in Pensacola that I can make it to. Also, as I said previously on my blog, I've been remiss in my practice of lent and hope to salvage what time I have left. The following link I found helpful to see what's happening in the Western FL panhandle as far as Lent requirements and Holy Week are concerned - hope others find this of use as well: http://www.pnj.com/article/20090404/LIFE/904040304/1004.


Also, I want to post a bit from that link re. the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Pensacola, especially because of my own need for sort of an 11th hour confession service:

"- Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, 1212 E. Moreno St. Holy Week: Mass with palms, 4 p.m. today (Saturday, April 4) ; 8, 11 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Sunday. Formal blessing of the palms by The Rev. John H. Ricard, 11 a.m. Sunday. Communal Penance, 3 and 7 p.m. Monday. Chrism Mass, blessing of the oils to be used in Baptism, Confirmation and Anointing of the Sick with lunch to follow, 10 a.m. Tuesday. Parish and RCIA Seder supper, 5:30 p.m. Wednesday. Mass of the Lord's Supper with The Rev. Ricard, 7 p.m.; 8 to 11 p.m. Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, Thursday. Good Friday, reading of the Passion and Eucharistic, 3 p.m.; Stations of the Cross and Veneration, 7 p.m. Friday. 438-3131."

It seems that God always provides, even in my disorganized ways. I just came into the church last year, and sometimes I don't get everything done. I'm not making an excuse here, just stating reality. The changes in my life, even in my sloth and disorganization, are undeniable, and a testament to God's amazing provision and Love through his son, Jesus Christ.

Our Father...

Photo by Phyzome from Wikimedia Commons of a Red Bellied Woodpecker.

Note about bird photos: I will often post photos of birds common to NW FL because of my love of birds and because of one of my favorite passages from Matthew 6: 25-34. Basically, God's provision is illustrated in this passage (Matt 6:26) from the NAB:

Look at the birds in the sky; they do not sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are not you more important than they?

BTW, I gave up worrying for Lent :).