Enjoying Good in Labor...

Unbeknownst to me, Mark and Matt began their day together by running out to purchase a log splitter. They had a goal in mind~



















They planned to spend their birthday doing manual labor~!
Well, sort of!














Earlier in the year, our oak tree was trimmed, and we kept the branches for cutting and burning. In addition to this, my parents gave us wood from their back yard, so we had a good pile of wood to split...one by one, piece by piece.














So, bright and early, they were at it, and Matt was good at it!!
"Hi ho, hi ho..."














With a few good pumps of the arms, and movement of the hips, the hydaulic press did the trick....














Some logs proved to be a little harder than others, so he told us we needed some exercise.














Fortunately, the novelty of a new piece of equipment was encouraging and everyone took turns splitting logs, but sadly no one volunteered for a photo shoot! When one got tired, another took over. Even Kat and I took turns, and yeah, John made sandwiches... I love team work!




















At the end of the day, it was almost disappointing for the fun to end!














This pile of wood speaks volumes to me...
"Home is where the heart[h] is", which is truly our reward!!














As worn out as we were, we cleaned up and headed out to celebrate God's continued goodness!

Happy Birthday Mark and Matt~
I'm so very grateful the LORD has blessed us through the two of you~
(How did I not get Dad's photo?)




















There is nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labor. This also I saw, that it was from the hand of God. Ecclesiastes 2:24

I'm thankful for my faithful, loving husband and sons whose hands are not soft!
Even John stated at the end of the day, "This has been a really good day!!"

SMILE~

He Never Changes...

Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands.














They shall perish, but thou shalt endure:














yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment;














as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed:














But thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end.














The children of thy servants shall continue, and their seed shall be established before thee.

Psalm 102: 25-28

What a comfort~

Note: Photos captured on our recent time away in the North Carolina mountains.

Rejoice! Give Thanks~

(The beautiful rest stop in South Carolina before crossing the North Caroline line.)

Rejoice ye pure in heart;
Rejoice, give thanks, and sing;
Your glorious banner wave on high,
The cross of Christ your King.

Rejoice, rejoice, rejoice,
Give thanks and sing.

Bright youth and snow crowned age,
Strong men and maidens meek,
Raise high your free, exultant song,
God’s wondrous praises speak.

Rejoice, rejoice, rejoice,
Give thanks and sing.

Yes onward, onward still
With hymn, and chant and song,
Through gate, and porch and columned aisle,
The hallowed pathways throng.

Rejoice, rejoice, rejoice,
Give thanks and sing.

With all the angel choirs,
With all the saints of earth,
Pour out the strains of joy and bliss,
True rapture, noblest mirth.

Rejoice, rejoice, rejoice,
Give thanks and sing.

Your clear hosannas raise;
And alleluias loud;
Whilst answering echoes upward float,
Like wreaths of incense cloud.

Rejoice, rejoice, rejoice,
Give thanks and sing.

With voice as full and strong
As ocean’s surging praise,
Send forth the hymns our fathers loved,
The psalms of ancient days.

Rejoice, rejoice, rejoice,
Give thanks and sing.

Yes, on through life’s long path,
Still chanting as ye go;
From youth to age, by night and day,
In gladness and in woe.

Rejoice, rejoice, rejoice,
Give thanks and sing.

Still lift your standard high,
Still march in firm array,
As warriors through the darkness toil,
Till dawns the golden day.

Rejoice, rejoice, rejoice,
Give thanks and sing.

At last the march shall end;
The wearied ones shall rest;
The pilgrims find their heavenly home,
Jerusalem the blessed.

Rejoice, rejoice, rejoice,
Give thanks and sing.

Then on, ye pure in heart!
Rejoice, give thanks and sing!
Your glorious banner wave on high,
The cross of Christ your King.

Rejoice, rejoice, rejoice,
Give thanks and sing.

Praise Him Who reigns on high,
The Lord Whom we adore,
The Father, Son and Holy Ghost,
One God forevermore.

Rejoice, rejoice, rejoice,
Give thanks and sing.

Ed­ward H. Plump­tre, 1865

Happy Thanksgiving, Dear Friends~

Charleston Harbor

A few weeks ago, we left town to head for the mountains of Asheville, NC.
To cut the driving in half, we decided to stop and spend the night in Charleston.
What a beautiful place!


Before heading out for some sightseeing, we relaxed by the pool while watching Katherine and John swim. The Residence Inn provided dinner, so we didn't break away before sunset.

More than anything, I'm grateful for the time we enjoyed getting away...being together and benefitting from having Marriott points... : )) Free lodging and great food!



















By sunset, we were waiting on the shuttle to take us downtown to the harbor. Even in the dark, we enjoyed walking and touring some of the waterfront sights.

































Mark Stephen and I enjoyed playing with the camera that night, but found it didn't like a lot of distance or the dark, thus fewer decent photos to share! : ( Oh well, maybe next time.
Word has it, children can play and wade through this fountain...




















but not this one...The Pineapple Fountain, so beautiful!



























































The expanse of the harbor was awesome, and beautiful at night!







































Kaminskis Bakery was the place to be!














































We can't wait to return so we can spend more time touring, ...possibly in the spring, we'll see.~

Garden Harvest

Yeah! We enjoyed our first harvested veggies last night for dinner!
Green beans and Collard Greens!!













Wish you could have joined us....














Gardening, (until well learned), is hard work, but soooo worth the sacrifice of time and effort to work the soil, plant the seeds, water and pull weeds. Waiting is rather difficult also, but OH the JOY...is like having a baby!! Well, similar...soooooooo exciting!!














And there's still more to harvest!!
Thank you, Jesus!

Celebrating Twenty Four Years Together

I always enjoy the sights of the old city of St. Augustine!!!
Mark took me away for our 24th anniversary in September so we could spend a couple of days and nights together, alone. Is it really possible, we've been married for 24 years??
The retreat was much needed!!

We stayed in a hotel we found to be exceptionally beautiful and very welcoming.































Upon our arrival, we were met by a valet attendant named Tommy in this quaint covered driveway. Very eagerly, he helped us unload our belongings and whisked away our truck to a special parking spot. We found out later, the pool was directly above the driveway...Amazing!














The vintage cars added to the hotel's nostalgia!













When we unlocked the door to our room on the fifth floor, we found it to be perfect, and w/huge windows overlooking...













The Lightner Museum's courtyard...a beautiful sight.













First on the agenda, though, we opted to take our traditional Sunday afternoon nap before heading out on foot to one of our all time favorite restaurants. We didn't mind walking blocks away, even in the drizzling rain to get there...













We first visited Barnacle Bills when we were dating. A couple of times we joined our parents and older friends who traveled there for a fun meal together, so Mark said,
"We used to come here w/the old people. Now we're the old people." Ha~



















This is my 'good ol' husband'...just a few weeks in front of another birthday!! Ha~

Following our wonderful meal out, we walked back through the old city, then turned in for the night. We rested 11 hours before rising the next morning. Mark really needed it!! I suppose we both did!

The next morning, we enjoyed breakfast outside on the porch...



















while we watched the sights and sounds of the bustling surroundings.
I loved beginning the day that way together!

There was a park across the street...






































































but, sadly, even in the midst of so much beauty, there were still many homeless individuals, nestled under and around whatever bench or bush they favored. : (

As we began the day by walking, we enjoyed the cooler temps outside, knowing we'd enjoy spending the warmer part of the day inside touring the Lightner Museum.

Across the street on the adjacent corner from where we enjoyed breakfast, was
Flagler College













once known as the Ponce de Leon Hotel, inspired by Henry M. Flagler.






































Time allowed for us to capture and embrace every moment of our celebration, just as we wished! What a luxury!!

We walked the entire time we were there, and never once used our truck!
I'm grateful my shoes were equipped with comfy orthotics!!



























Our honeymoon spot...The Bayfront Wescott House







































The room with the beautiful balcony view!! I loved it!!
The cook was out taking a break when we walked up, and offered to take us for an inside tour of our room which had been renovated since our last visit in 2009...
































Right about this time, I realized my camera battery was low, UGH!! I'd not thought to check it the night before, so we headed back to our hotel room to charge the battery. We could do that!!

Yet, still blocks away, I found I wanted to photograph every street and corner we walked, so I pulled out my phone to capture a few photos, but not all of them turned out...sadly!
It was especially nice to take a short break while the battery charged.












Afterwards, we found a place to eat lunch, then eventually headed back out for a visit to The Lightner Museum, the expansive building we had a great view of right outside our hotel window.













The detail of the architecture is so beautiful to me!
I didn't have binoculars, but I had my telescopic lens...



















































So, I could get a closer look. Notice the date...MDCCCLXXXVIII!!

The Lightner Museum was originally known as the Alcazar Hotel, another building inspired by millionaire Henry M. Flagler, a real estate and railroad developer and partner of Standard Oil, John D. Rockefeller. The hotel was opened on Christmas day of 1888 and then closed in 1932 after 44 years of use by the vacationing wealthy. It sat empty until publisher and hobbyist Otto Lightener purchased the property in 1947 upon which time he housed all of his collections of Victorian era relics. The museum was opened two years later, then eventually given to the city of St. Augustine upon his death. Mr. Lightner is buried in the courtyard.

































St. Augustine's founder, Don Pedro Menendez de Aviles

We could visit the museum inexpensively, thanks to Groupon!

When I realized how much we'd walked and gawked once we were inside, I asked, just to be sure, if I could capture some photos, and I was highly encouraged to do so. Yeah~!

This was originally the indoor swimming pool area, but it's now the Cafe' Alcazar.



















I was captivated by the architectural details of the building!
This rafter detail, over the swimming pool area, was beautiful!



















The expanse of the space and size of the crown molding...Wow!













































I wish this photo had not turned out so dark...it was beautiful!













This view captured me. The details of both inside and out seemed so perfectly complimentary and in unison with one another.













Aside from all the looking around we did, we enjoyed seeing all the
Victorian relics Lightner collected and filled this past hotel with. I'll admit, I probably oohed and aahed more than Mark.

If you appreciate antiques, you would love to visit this place...
The word 'antique' alone, always conjures up feelings of comfort for me!!
How do I explain?

For example, this work of art, is probably my most favorite of all the treasures we saw in the museum!!
A sampler, intended to be a showpiece in a young woman's home was awesome evidence of all the stitches she'd learned, and it serves perfectly as a testimony of her heart's desire while her hands were busy meditating on JESUS!
What a treasure...stitched by the hands of Sarah Ann James, November 22, 1822!!

































Crocheting...













I only captured this because Mark and I couldn't believe someone would go to such time and extreme to express such disgust for those they chose to be related to!













I was thrilled to see Mr. Lightner appreciated cats, as I do! >*.*<













A beautiful, handmade Bentwood cradle!




















Buttons! Yes, I loved seeing this collection!!



















There were three floors of collectibles, and each floor was a sight to behold!!
Just some of the glass collection...



















































































We attended a very informative and entertaining display of musical instruments we never knew existed! They were all mechanized dating between 1870-1920. This nice lady was very well versed and obviously loves her job. She beamed w/pride for demonstrating every musical instrument!



















































































...just to show a few!

Otto Lightner said...
"Even with no money, everyone could collect something"
and ...
"Everyone should have a hobby. Everyone should collect something".

I must admit, I was comforted... "Yeah, Meme, we're not junk collectors, we're Hobbyists!!"

Then the next priority of the day was to decide where we'd eat...again.
On our way back towards the Ancient City, we passed by the Castillo de San Marcos National Monument Fort.













After passing by some of my favorite attractions, such as The Oldest Wooden School House, ...
































we decided to find The Columbia Restaurant for an early dinner.
































I must admit, I wasn't too impressed w/the expensive bottle of natural spring water! Ugh!
Crystal Springs suits me just fine!



















a closer view...














Our second evening ended a little sooner than we desired because of a storm that was brewing around us...













A beautiful presbyterian church on another adjacent block, I believe, is the source from which we heard church bells striking the hour. What a blessed sound at this time of evening!














As much as I hated for the day to come to an end, I will admit, my feet were aching, and we couldn't wait to relax and listen to the rain!!
We benefitted greatly from yet another long night of restful sleep!!

As we prepared for our departure the next morning, I glanced out one last time at the Lightner courtyard and found this entertaining sight... : )













Even the local residents, humans and animals alike, benefit from special time together, time to get away from the routine to enjoy the pleasures of the old city. Ha~ I couldn't help but notice these dogs seemed very familiar with this enjoyable pleasure!

Before driving away from the old city, I had to see one final sight up close... the St. Augustine Lighthouse. Dr. Lindsay, our Beloved Pastor and Friend, not only married us, but encouraged us to always keep our eye on the One Light that matters...Jesus! He has been our Faithful Guiding Light through our 24 years of marriage.




















I'm extremely grateful for our 24 years together!!
I'm even more grateful for the examples of faithful, grounded, and sacrificial love our parents have lived out before us. They've weathered the storms in their lives, the same 'nothing new under the sun' difficulties which cause many couples to throw it all away.
Did they seek The LIGHT through their difficult days?

We continue to celebrate our love and purpose to keep our eyes on HIM, our Enduring, Faithful Guide and Light for the years we anticipate ahead!