Friday Foto Friends

 Oh my goodness! Friday is almost over and here I am just sitting down to try to write something to you. I might have mentioned a few days ago that this week was going to be busy, and so I didn't know how much I'd be able to communicate here throughout the week...and I was right about that! It has been busy, but all in such wonderful ways!  If you're a Facebook friend, you may have already seen some of these pictures I'm going to share with you, but there are also some new ones from today that are brand new.  So you might want to get a glass of iced tea or a cup of coffee and pull up a comfortable rocking chair and let's visit a while, shall we?

We'll start out with yesterday (Thursday), which was just so very special.  Since our "kids" are unable to spend Mother's Day with me due to work schedules, etc., Benton and Rose said they would like to take us over to the beach and then out to lunch yesterday.  So we left fairly early in the day, which, BTW, was a very HOT 93+ day, but thankfully there was a nice breeze.  We arrived at Crescent Beach around 10:00 a.m., which is just south of St. Augustine a little ways, and about an hour's drive from where we live. I will let the pictures speak for themselves:

Our first view of the ocean:

Flowers and grasses along the way on the sand dunes, all a necessary part of the protection from beach erosion...

My first step into the "cool" ocean waters....it really did feel wonderful!

Turn on your sound for a little "beach therapy"....

No, I wasn't wearing long pants...they were capris, but I ended up having to roll them up when the tide started coming in while we were walking in the water.

The "Three Musketeers" LOL.   All in serious need of some suntan! LOL.  (That's why you can't see my legs above!)

Oh, here's some cuties:

And this doggy was enjoying playing frisbee in the surf...

More birds:

And finally I managed to get some birds diving into the surf:

And no trip to the beach would be complete without seeing "Jaws"!  Thankfully not the real deal!

After we finished our walk on the beach it was getting time for lunch, so we headed down A1A highway, which skirts along the coastline through sleepy little communities along the way...well...I take that back...there's NOTHING sleepy along the beach anymore...except for these houses out on the shoreline, who are actually abandoned since the last hurricane that came through here. The beach erosion was so bad that it washed away their property, and the houses now stand empty and will be torn down because there's no way to fix the problem:

And there's actually no road left to get to them, so that's the bigger issue. It was all washed away.

Finally we arrived in what used to be a sleepy little beach town, "Flagler Beach", but no more. There are houses, condos, RV parks, hotels, cottages, etc., EVERYWHERE.  

These pictures are actually at the Flager Beach pier, which was washed away in the hurricane. They are still trying to repair it...but guess what...hurricane season starts again next month! I'm not so sure it's worth all the money they are spending to try and replace it...

But it is historical...actually I remember this pier and little beach front communityfrom over 60 years ago, when one of my school friends invited me and another friend to spend the weekend with her and her mother at their family's beach cottage! We were about 14, and we had the time of our lives! Oh, not to mention the cute boys who showed up with surf boards and tried to teach us to surf! Can't say that we learned all that much in the short time we were there, but it was fun trying...and did I say the boys were cute? When you're 14, even 14 year old boys look cute to you! LOL. 

I tried to figure out where the family cottage was, but the place has grown up so much since then there's no way I could figure it out. I just know it was within walking distance of this pier.

Finally we reached our destination of a place to eat. They were very few and far between, but this one sounded promising:

And it was in this hotel building where that porch is:

And this was the view across the street:

And THIS was my best view:

And next to me was my sweet daughter in love Rose:

And across from us her sweet hubby and my son Benton:

And here I was...as you can tell, I was quite windblown! Did I mention it was breezy? But that breeze felt wonderful since it was in the 90's.

Our food was really good...I had the grilled salmon and cole slaw...

And some seafood/clam chowder, which was really tasty:

It was a perfect way to spend an early Mother's Day!

Oh, we saw this BBQ place on the way over to the beach, and thought the sign was pretty funny:

And the party wasn't over yet. Last evening after we got home and (we took a nap, hence the bed head look), the kids came over and brought me this lovely planter that Benton made. It has some marigolds and a vinca plant in it, and I'm going to put it outside near my vegetable garden to help ward off the bugs.

Speaking of which, I didn't tell you that it has been raining this evening! Here's the current look at Still Waters Pond, which is damp on the top, but still has a LONG way to go before it will actually have water in it. However, there's rain predicted all weekend, so we are hoping and praying that it really gets down to business!

My vegetable garden is happy:

So now for Part 2 of the current activities going on.  Today was our church Ladies' May Fellowship Luncheon, where we invite ladies from other churches in our community and have a guest speaker and a nice luncheon.  It was really a lovely day, with about 65 women in attendance, which is a LOT for our little church. We had a soup and salad buffet, and it was really good.

Here's a smattering of pictures from the day:

Here's the table where I was sitting...(can you find me? LOL)

LOTS Of FOOD!!

Our ladies in worship and praise...

Our two youngest ladies!

A beautiful cake!

Our theme song was "Shine Jesus, Shine".

Here are the lyrics:

"Lord, the light of your love is shining

In the midst of the darkness, shining

Jesus, Light of the world, shine upon us

Set us free by the truth you now bring us

Shine on me, shine on me

Chorus:

Shine, Jesus, shine

Fill this land with the Father’s glory

Blaze, Spirit, blaze

Set our hearts on fire

Flow, river, flow

Flood the nations with grace and mercy

Send forth your word

Lord, and let there be light

Lord, I come to your awesome presence

From the shadows into your radiance

By the blood I may enter your brightness

Search me, try me, consume all my darkness

Shine on me, shine on me

(Chorus)

As we gaze on your kingly brightness

So our faces display your likeness

Ever changing from glory to glory

Mirrored here may our lives tell your story

Shine on me, shine on me

(Chorus)

Graham Kendrick

Copyright © 1987 Make Way Music,

www.grahamkendrick.co.uk

All in all it was a beautiful day, filled with the JOY of the Lord. The theme of the program was "Wildflowers of Joy, Growing in the Spirit".   We are the "wildflowers", planted by God  and filled with His Joy, as He leads us day by day in our walk with the Lord and as we "grow in the Spirit".  What a blessing to spend that time with our sisters in Christ!

Okay friends, I guess that should cover the past couple of days! Now I hope I can get caught up with the rest of you and see what you've been up to. Hopefully tomorrow I will be able to spend some time visiting with you.  Until then, 

"Shine, Jesus, shine

Fill this land with the Father’s glory

Blaze, Spirit, blaze

Set our hearts on fire

Flow, river, flow

Flood the nations with grace and mercy

Send forth your word

Lord, and let there be light"

Amen!

Celebrating My Mom~Updated 2026

Hello Friends...I know most of you have already seen this post last year, but as today is the 20th anniversary of the day my mother left her earthly home to be welcomed into her heavenly home, I wanted to share it again. I can't really think of anything new to add to it, except that every year that passes I feel like I'm getting closer and closer to the day that we will be reunited in heaven, and what a joyous day that will be, when I am certain she will be waiting there at heaven's gates to welcome me home, along with JESUS, and then of course my father and our son Matthew and all those who have gone on before us.  What a day that will be!

Here's a song that expresses how I feel about that day..."What a Day That Will be..."

"(1) There is coming a day

When no heartache shall come

No more clouds in the sky

No more tears to dim the eye

All is peace forever more

On that happy golden shore

What a day, glorious day that will be.

Chorus:

What a day that will be

When my Jesus I shall see

And I look upon His face

The One who saved my by His grace

When He takes me by the hand

And leads me through the Promised Land

What a day, glorious day that will be

(2) There'll be no sorrow there

No more burdens to bear

No more sickness, no pain

No more parting over there

And forever I will be

With the One who died for me

What a day, glorious day that will be.

Chorus:

What a day that will be

When my Jesus I shall see

And I look upon His face

The One who saved my by His grace

When He takes me by the hand

And leads me through the Promised Land

What a day, glorious day that will be"

Here's the original post written last year on this day...

Today is May 7, 2025, and it is also the 19th year since my mother passed away on this day in 2006.  I know I originally wrote this post for her birthday, but I just felt like sharing it again today to remember her on the day she entered heaven's gates, and also because Mother's Day is coming up this Sunday, and so she's really on my mind!

 It's hard to believe she's been gone 19 years already, and I still find myself wishing I could call her up and just talk, or go visit her and enjoy one of her delicious apple pies (or coconut cream), or sit down at the table with her and my daddy and enjoy being back in my childhood home again with them.  But that will never be possible again on earth, but perhaps there's apple pie or coconut cream pie in heaven? If so, my mother is baking it!  

 On January 6, 2025 it would have been her 108th birthday!  I am updating this post from when I originally wrote it on January 6, 2021, so there may be some things edited and some new things added.  

This picture was only given to me recently   (back in 2020) by my cousin, and it has quickly become  my favorite picture of my mother. Here she is, driving the tractor on our farm in Pennsylvania  back in the early 50's or late 40's. We left there to move to Florida in 1956, so it had to be before then. She was so happy as a farmer's wife.  It's what she always wanted to be. My Dad was a great farmer, but in the 50's it became too costly to remain in farming unless you had lots of financial help. And so, with four hungry children to feed and clothe, they decided to sell the farm and move to Florida.  My mother was not a real happy camper about moving away from the farm and especially not to Florida, so far away from the beautiful farm country she loved and her aging parents in Ohio, but she loved her husband and followed him wherever he felt he needed to go.  And God took good care of us in Florida. She adapted...but to her dying day she still missed living on the farm.

These pictures have been added to my collection more recently, so I wanted to include them here for my own reference...our family on the farm, around 1952.  My brother Clifford, Russell, our dog Laddie, Mom, Doris, Daddy and me!

Again, our family, probably  1954...Russell, Clifford Daddy , Mom, Doris and me!

This is my next favorite picture of my mother, taken when she was in her 80's, on the 4th of July. Yes, my mother was always the patriot. She loved her country and was a very proud American.  Today I thanked the Lord that my mother is in heaven, far away from any world government.  She is living with the God Who rules heaven and earth, and one day He will make all things new. 

In the following pictures are some special treasures that remind me of my Mom:

This first group of pictures was taken many many years ago, when my parents came to visit us in Ohio, where my husband was pastoring a church and working on his Doctorate in Ministry. My mother and I went shopping at some interesting thrift and/or antique shops, and we came home with a couple of beautiful antique hats.  We were having fun modeling them, and my youngest son also had fun modeling for us. (He'd probably not be real happy with me for showing this picture. LOL. )

In the first top picture Mom is baking a pie for us.  Most likely apple since it was fall and I am sure we probably found some good fresh apples at an orchard nearby.  My mother was the queen of pie baking. I've written about that before: The Pie Legacy HERE  Looks like she is threatening someone with that rolling pin!  She was feisty, that's for sure! LOL.

I still have both of the hats that we bought that day:

Every time I look at these hats I remember that happy time with my mother. Those are precious memories.

This next picture is a doll that I bought for my mother for her 85th birthday. She looked like my mother must have looked as a little girl...dark brown hair and pretty green eyes.  And she's holding a birthday cake and has a sweet little teddy bear.

The pictures beneath the doll are of my sister and our mother and me, taken at Mother's Day one year, and her birthday the year she was given this doll.

Below are some beautiful dishes that came from my mother's china cabinet.  The plates and some of the teacups and saucers were her Haviland China dishes. I am not sure if these came from my grandmother's dishes, or if these were just some that my mother had purchased through the years because they reminded her of her mother's dishes. Either way, they are wonderful and I love them.  

The two Chinese designed teacups and saucers above in front were definitely my grandmother's  (my mother's mother).

I love this tea towel that is framed and hanging in my special little dining treasure room.  You can read for yourself the note my mother typed and put with the towel when she gave it to me.  The only sad part is that her signature is fading out. It was written in red ink, and now it is getting hard to read. I don't want to write over it, but I may have to so it isn't lost forever.  

My mother knew how much I loved tea things and special keepsakes. That is why I framed this so I could keep it nice and enjoy it forever! Yes, she was right..."At any rate I know you will enjoy this bit of your Mother's past!! Much Love, Mom".  

My mother knew me well.

I know I was blessed to have had such a wonderful mother. Lately I've been hearing other people discuss their relationships with their mothers, and so often they were not pleasant memories.  My mother and I certainly had our "moments", especially when I was a teenager and tended to be quite sassy. There were times I didn't understand her moodiness at all (but later I figured it out to be menopause and then she also dealt with low blood sugar issues). But one thing I knew for sure, my mother loved me and all of her children fiercely.  If she fought with us it was because she loved us so much and wanted us to be safe and sound in mind and thought...at least in the way she thought we should think. She loved a good debate, which I discovered was a hereditary trait from her father and brothers...and loved to discuss politics and religion. She was very opinionated and didn't compromise on much. But that was one thing I respected about her. She knew her mind and she stood strong on principle.  

I will finish with a passage from our morning devotions found in I John 4:7-11

"Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God;

and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.

8.  He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

9.  In this the love of God was manifested toward us, 

that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.

10.  In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us 

and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

11.  Beloved, if God so loved us,  we also ought to love one another."

So let us love one another, regardless of our differences of opinion.

Here are a couple more pictures of my mother. 

These are her sisters Margaret and Belle, and Mom (Dorothea),  is the little one  with the cute chubby cheeks on the right.

And below, 

Margaret holding my mother (Dorothea), their brother Truman, and sister Belle

My mother around age 19:

My mother would shoot me for sharing this one of her with her new hair dryer on Christmas day:

Her family with their car back in the 1920's: Chalmer, Belle, Mom on the ground, Margaret in car, my Grandma, and Truman.  Grandpa was always taking these pictures, so he's not in them!

And one last one of her family: Margaret on ground, Belle standing, Chalmer in high chair, Truman, Mom (Dorothea), and my Grandmother. Their dog on the ground.

Here's a picture with my Grandpa Tedlie, mom's brother Chalmer home from WWII, and my mother, back in the 1940's.

Okay, that's enough family photos...but I just wanted to share a bit about my mother on this, her special day.  Happy Heavenly Birthday, Mom!  (Update: and Happy Heavenly Mother's Day, as well as the remembrance of the day you entered heaven's gates, 5/7/2006)

UPDATE: If you are blessed to still have your mother, please take the time to honor her in a special way this Mother's Day.  Life is short! We don't get to keep our mothers here with us forever!

And if your mother has also already entered heaven's gates, honor her memory in some special way. Regardless of whether or not she was perfect or always did everything right. No one is perfect. But most of us try to do the best we can with what we are capable of doing. And if there are still some hurts from the past, today is a good day to forgive.

Matthew 6:9-15

9 In this manner, therefore, pray:

"Our Father in heaven,

Hallowed be Your name.

10 Your kingdom come.

Your will be done

On earth as it is in heaven.

11 Give us this day our daily bread.

12 And forgive us our debts,

As we forgive our debtors.

13 And do not lead us into temptation,

But deliver us from the evil one.

For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen."

14 “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 

15 But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Amen.