Tuesday 4 ~ Great Architecture

 

Great Architecture

Tuesday 4

Welcome back to Toni Taddeo's Tuesday 4. She would be delighted you are here to join in and so am I.


The photo to the right is the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Newark, New Jersey. It is the largest cathedral outside Europe . Not only is it beautiful inside and out but has a magnificent pipe organ It's cornerstone was laid in 1899.

As buildings go she is a masterpiece of great workmanship.

1. What are some beautiful buildings in your neck of the woods?

We live in a small town that has an older historical area with several lovely old homes and churches, but the main part of the town currently is out on the highway and the majority of the new homes in use today are either older ranch style homes or manufactured homes.   
Click HERE for a previous post on historical buildings in our town.

This is one of the historic old homes found in the historic section of our little town. I don't know any information about this house, but I do love the style of it with its two storied porches. I am not even sure if this home is still occupied.  It doesn't appear to be in use on a regular basis.

2. What buildings of renown have you experienced or would like to experience? The Louvre? Maybe Versailles? Things closer to home perhaps?

Many years ago our family visited the Biltmore Estate while on vacation. Our sons were very young at the time and really weren't old enough to appreciate the value and beauty of what they were seeing. I would love to go back again someday and see it again without having to worry about keeping my three young sons under control and away from touching things that shouldn't be touched. LOL.

The Biltmore Estate in Asheville NC   

Internet Photo

We also visited Jekyll Island, Ga., many years ago, and toured the "national historic landmark district" known as an exclusive winter retreat for the wealthy back in the late 1800's/early 1900's.  HERE is a LINK to more information and pictures of those homes.  Again, when we visited there our sons were quite young, and I would love to go again some day and visit it without having little kids tagging along. LOL.  Jekyll Island isn't very far from where we live now, so maybe we will get to go there again someday.


3. What do you think of the current trends in modern buildings?

I am not fond of modern architecture at all. So often it lacks style and beauty and designs of interest. I believe you can still design modern buildings that are both functional and beautiful if you just use a little more creativity.

4. If you could choose any style home you would like, what would it be? Victorian, Farm House, Craftsmen, Ranch, Georgian, Tudor, Cape Cod?

Although I love old Victorian style homes, they are no longer practical for me. I do not want a house with stairs or so many rooms.  I prefer a more open concept, where I can see what's going on from the kitchen into the living areas, and the dining area also to be connected and open.  At this stage in my life, a more rustic style of home, like a log cabin style home (but it doesn't have to be log...just that style) would suit me just fine.  Although I do love the Farm House style and also a cottage style.  I will have to find some photos to share.

Here's a few pictures from my Pinterest site that are examples of what I am talking about:

Cabin style:

Cottage style:

Farmhouse style: (but must have a first floor master suite).

Cabin style...a place where friends and family and maybe even "new friends" love to gather...

Location, location, location! 

And no matter what style of house, it must have porches, preferably with a view of water and/or mountains!

No matter where or what the home, it's only a home if God and Love both reside there!

Okay, folks, that's it for today's Tuesday 4. I hope you enjoyed this. Now let's go see what others are sharing, okay?  Toni Taddeo's Tuesday 4.

Tuesday 4: October

 

October

Welcome to Toni Taddeo's Tuesday 4. So glad you are with us and I hope you will enjoy this week's questions. Let us know if you have any ideas for themes.

(Per our hostess Annie:) Here on the sea coast the weather is very chilly. We are in the low 50s by night and the low 60's by day. Leaves are turning and will be falling soon.

Here where I live in North Central Florida we have had two days in a row starting out in the low 50's, and only getting into the mid 70's. That is pretty nice fall weather for us this early!! Our leaves won't change until next month probably. We don't have a lot of maple trees like you do up north, so we have to watch for them here and there. They usually don't fall until late November and December.

1. What does this picture make you think about?

It makes me think about a lovely cabin in the woods...a place where I would love to be especially in the fall!  It makes me think about my father's family's cabin in Pennsylvania, which my Dad helped his Dad build back in the 1930's, while he was just a teenager.  Their family used to spend their weekends and vacations at the cabin as often as possible, since they lived near the city of Pittsburgh and the air quality was not very good there back in those days due to the steel mills.  This picture was taken of my nuclear family back at that cabin in 1992, when we went back there to celebrate my parents' 50th anniversary. The cabin was sold to strangers back in the 1950's when my grandparents retired and moved to Florida. But that family welcomed our family to come and visit the cabin while we were all there in PA. for the anniversary celebration.  Nothing much had changed in all those years!  I've written about The Cabin many times in the past. It was truly a special place.

L to R: Daddy, Mom, Russell, Clifford, Doris, Pam (me)

While at our recent family reunion last week, my cousin Becky brought us some more pictures that were taken at the cabin many years ago, when my parents first met.  I hope you don't mind if I share them here because they are special and new to me too!

This was my Aunt Ruthie, playing the old pump organ that was in the cabin. I remember that organ from when I was a very little girl.

This was my Grandpa, standing on his hands on the big rock that was the landmark sign for the cabin. That is Aunt Ruthie peeking around the corner of the rock!

This was Aunt Ruthie and Aunt Marion (Becky's mother!)

And this one is really special. From bottom to top: Aunt Ruthie, my Dad, Aunt Marion, and My Mother. This was just after they had met...I don't think they were married yet.  They actually met at the cabin, and my Aunt Marion introduced them.

This was my mother taking a picture!  Apparently this was on the road leading into the cabin.

That is my mother on the left, and my father is out there running, Aunt Marion is catching the ball, and I'm not sure who the guy is in the outfield.  They used to play games like this at the cabin.

That is my dad holding the bat, and that is his Aunt Louise running into home. She was my grandmother's adopted baby sister, and was younger than my dad! 

That is my mother "sawing wood" and my Dad watching.  Again these were all taken at The Cabin back in the early 1940's. They were married in 1942.

2. If you could spend a week in that cottage would you do it and who would you bring along with you?

Well, judging by those old pictures above, it sure would have been fun to have spent time at the cabin with all of them. But of course they are all in heaven now and I wouldn't call them back to earth for anything.  So I guess since it has to be present day I would bring my hubby and our kids and grandkid(s).  If it was big enough, it would be fun to have the rest of our family there too, like we were at the reunion. But that might get too crowded. LOL.

3. What kind of meal do you think represents October best? How about cookie or cake or dessert?

Oh my! Anything hot and good...Chili, stew, soups, bbq, hot dogs cooked over an open fire, s'mores for dessert, hot chocolate, apple pie, hot mulled cider...apple cider donuts, pumpkin pie, I could go on and on...
4. Thinking of October, what song would go well with the month? What song would go well with this picture?

"The Autumn Leaves",  although that's kind of sad.  I'll have to think about that one. I'd rather have a happy song! LOL.

Thank you, Annie, for these good questions again. 

Joel 2:23 NIV

23 Be glad, people of Zion,

rejoice in the Lord your God,

for he has given you the autumn rains

because he is faithful.

He sends you abundant showers,

both autumn and spring rains, as before.

Friday Foto Friends-After Christmas Winding Down and Gearing Up for 2019

Hello My Friday Foto Friends.  Is anyone else feeling the "in between Christmas and New Year's slump"...?  Kind of like in a fog and trying to figure out what day it is and what should I be doing now that Christmas is over? I know I am kind of in "la la land"...from lack of sleep, adrenaline rush let down...whatever you want to call it...it's real. I saw others mentioning similar feelings on Facebook. (so it must be true! )

Internet photo

But we had a great Christmas...and we are expecting another big gathering this weekend, when my sister and her family come, along with some other special friends, and we have a pot-luck-finger food lunch and our annual "White Elephant Gift Exchange" party.  Always a good time full of laughter and fun.  I'd better get my act together before they arrive!  Meanwhile, here are some random photos from the week:

We took a ride and saw a huge  bear alongside the road, and I just had to take its picture:

Got a partial selfie in the process...do you see the bear? He's a quite a giant teddy bear, don't you think?  Actually he's made out of round hay bales...and I thought this was pretty clever!!

Also, I watched someone taking a bath this morning and thought you'd enjoy peeping along with me:

This is a Brown Thrasher, and he was enjoying his morning bath in the old frying pan of water that  we keep outside the kitchen window on the ground for the local critters to get a drink or a bath, whatever is needed.  Some birds prefer to stay low to the ground, like this Thrasher.  They rarely ever visit the other bird baths that are on a pedestal, so this is a good alternative for him after he "thrashes" about in the sand.

 He is definitely "thrashing about" in the water here...

 He looks up to see if anyone noticed...

Then he fans out his tail feathers to get them good and clean.  That was a refreshing little break from the monotony, wasn't it?

Did you have any particular favorite or fun gift that you received for Christmas?  I received several wonderful things, but just wanted to share one or two with you for now:

I love pretty calendars, and this year I treated myself to this gift: (actually, the whole family will enjoy this all year long...so it wasn't just for me)

My dream has always been to have a cabin someday on a little lake...and as we continue to dream and look for our next home (if and whenever our current house ever sells) it would be my fondest desire to have a place like that. I doubt that it will be a "cabin" as there really aren't many such houses here in this area of Florida, but there are plenty of little lakes...if you can find a place that is affordable that isn't already over-crowded by all the other dreamers of living on a little lake some day. So, this calendar with pictures of "Cabin View" living may be as close as I get...but a girl can dream, can't she?

It's interesting that one of the month's pictures above in the calendar was of a group of swans. My hubby surprised me with these two beautiful cut glass swans. I think they are so lovely, don't you? He gave them to me, he said, for two reasons: One, The swans mate for life and this was significant for him to give to me, which was definitely not unappreciated by me...and the other was that the swan is a part of his mother's family crest. Her maiden name is Martin, and apparently there is a swan in the Martin family crest.  This was something that was very significant to her, and this year being the year that she has left earth for heaven, it was a special way to remember her.

Here are a couple of other special gifts.  Our youngest son loves to make things out of foil candy wrappers.  Every year (and every occasion) he creates things for people...and this year was no exception.  This is an "angel" that he made for me, but he apologized for the face.  The red hearts were on the wrappers, but he says he's not happy for the way the face turned out. But the angel is special to me.

 It goes along with the pink and gold angel he made for me a couple of years ago that is up on the shelf above.  I've learned one thing in life...when your child, no matter what age they are, (he's an adult) makes you a gift...you treasure it. This particular son has kept his guardian angel very busy throughout his life (and even this very week, but that's another story)...and to me these little treasures are very significant.

This creation was made for my hubby...and it is a Detroit Redwings Hockey Player from the past, Steve Yzerman, who was one of my hubby's favorite players:

 Again, our son created him using foil candy wrappers...and he captured every detail right down to the skates...

Now, switching gears,  this is another "gift"...again, something that I purchased with the intention of sharing it with someone else, but I am going to read it first...(I know, I should have bought TWO! but I'm cheap...or broke...)

Here is a quote from Ann Voskamp's introduction as she is explaining to her children about how stars are created from "explosions and collisions of elements. Stars are made from a breaking at their center..."  Ann goes on to think about this further:

"Breaking--then blazing.

This is the abundant way of the universe.

Brokenness multiplies into abundance...This seems impossible...unlikely.

And this is the unfailing way of God.  Multiplication happens out of brokenness.

And the sum is abundant life..."

"Weak is the real strong.

Brokenness is the real abundance.

Breaking--then blazing.

Dying...then rising.

Trust the abundant ways of the universe, the ways of Almighty God."

(Ann Voskamp, The Way of Abundance..A 60-Day Journey Into a Deeply Meaningful Life)

This may be a new theme for me for 2019.  I am thinking about my "One Word" for the new year...and haven't really settled on anything yet...however this is speaking to me and may develop into something...but we will have to wait and see in the New Year when I make my final decision.  This usually comes after much prayer and soul-searching to see where the Lord leads me.  This past year my word was "renew", and that has taken me on quite a path to spiritual renewal and revival in my heart...and preparation for a new life in a new place hopefully in the new year.  It will be interesting to see how the Lord leads again in this search for His Word for me in 2019.

Okay, friends.  I think this is whetting my whistle for some great new adventures in the New Year...how about you? What are your hopes and dreams and goals for 2019?  Maybe we will all be sharing those adventures with one another throughout the year here in our Friday Foto Friends!  I look forward to going along with you on your adventures!!  Have a blessed weekend and a Happy New Year!!!

Let us journey over to Deb's place at Breathing in Grace and visit with each other!!  I know I am behind in reading what you all have been doing this past week.  Hopefully we can get caught up eventually!!

My Little Secret Hideaway Dream - Updated 11-18-16

I wish I was writing to say that my dreams have come true and that I have built my "secret hideaway dream", but alas! It is still just a dream...  But I was telling some new friends about it today in my post http://pamelasopenwindow.blogspot.com/2016/11/friday-foto-friends-and-things-are.html, and several commented that they would love to come visit when I do get it built.  So that prompted me to re-post this original blog written on 10/28/2012, not too many months after we moved to this home in the forest.  The dream is still very much alive...but we are no closer to getting it built now than we were four years ago...still need money to do things like that...and since I retired last fall our funds are even tighter than ever. So I will keep praying and dreaming and waiting on God to show us the way to do this...and then I will definitely let you all know and we will have a big party in the little "secret hideaway" cabin.  I guess it won't be a secret hideaway any more after that!  Ha Ha!  Please pray with me about this, okay friends? Thank you!

Original Post 10/28/2012:

"For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; In the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me; He shall set me high upon a rock.  And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me; Therefore I will offer sacrifices of joy in His tabernacle; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord." Psalm 27:5-6

Today something has been evolving in my mind and on my facebook page.  So I figured I might as well bring it over here and share it with you.  After all, it is all about "YOU", my friends in blogland and elsewhere. 

Someone posted this picture on facebook, and it triggered a whole lot of dreaming on my part, although I already had the dream...this just put more meat on the bones of the dream:

I don't have the credits for this photo. Sorry. It was on facebook. I saw it and I liked it.
So here it is. Please forgive me if I've taken something that is copyrighted. I didn't know.

Several people made the comment under this picture "Now THAT's MY idea of camping!"  And I said to myself..."Yes, that is exactly the idea I have had for some time...I want one of those in my yard!"  Now you may say that that is quite an extravagant idea, and perhaps a bit impractical. 

But let me explain myself.  For many years my husband and I have dreamed of owning our own retreat center.  It started way back when we were serving in the pastoral ministry, and we went through some very difficult times of stress, family illness, pastoral struggles, and general burnout.  Our dream was to create a place where pastors and wives could get away for a while to rest, recuperate, be ministered to instead of having to minister to others, and that it would be provided for them absolutely free. Then, when our teenage son became ill with a brain tumor, we experienced what it was like to have a seriously ill child and all of the fear, anguish, financial burdens, and heartaches that go along with that kind of a traumatic event, and we wanted to provide a place for families, caregivers, broken hearted parents, suddenly alone individuals...where they could heal, receive counseling, hide away for a while without worries about how they could repay us. At one time we actually created a non-profit organization for this very purpose, but it never developed. We still had too many of our own battles to fight...and although the dream was born out of our own need for such a haven of rest, we were never able to realize the dream and had to shelve it along with so many other wonderful ideas that appeared to be impossible.  Now that same son of ours is enduring cancer as an adult, and we are living this nightmare again...even though he is far away from us with a family of his own...and we wish we could do something more to help them. 

So now, we are living in a place that is out in the woods.  We were blessed with this home in a miraculous way...and although it isn't exactly paid for, it is like a dream come true in some respects.  It is a quiet place (sort of) out in a remote location, with lots of interesting wildlife and adventures. We don't have a lot of land, but enough of a lot that we could possibly fit a cute little cabin in a copse of trees off to the side, where one could sit and dream and write and read and "retreat" from the world.  I won't fool you...it's not perfect. There are neighbors fairly nearby, and cars do drive by out on the dusty road, and there are bugs, and real live bears, birds, bees and snakes.  But it has potential.  I can just imagine a rustic little cabin there under the trees...and I can see it being used for the glory of the Lord...to minister to others...to minister to US...to welcome friends and strangers who need to rest awhile...to provide a place of comfort, solace, and adventure to boot!

I've actually been spending my last couple of Sunday afternoons, sitting right in this spot and writing and dreaming about this little cabin in the woods.  I like to take pictures as I write...pictures of the birds, the flora and fauna, and well, stupid stuff like my laptop in my lap, and elusive birds in the tree who refuse to sit still long enough to be photographed.

The view from my laptop

It is relaxing and peaceful. After a busy, stressful week at work, it is respite for my soul.  It soothes my nerves, and heals my wounds.  The only thing missing from my original dream is a lake or stream passing by my front door...but there is a lake in the area, you just can't see it from here.  And there is a  lovely river for canoeing, fishing, sitting and dreaming...not far down the road.  And there is all of the Ocala National Forest at our doorstep...complete with paths for walking, 4-wheeling, hunting, with  natural springs galore throughout the region.  So the possibilities are limitless! 



Hey, where did THAT bird come from?

There I am dreaming and writing about my "dream cabin"

There is a tiny yellow warbler in there somewhere. See if you can find him!

Another view from my secret hideway

So maybe my dream isn't so far fetched after all.
I just need to build the cabin. It won't be fancy. It may not even have electricity...but that would limit it to fall and winter use in Florida. Summer would be brutal without air conditioning, even in the forest. So I guess we will have to have some conventions if we really are serious about helping people relax and rest.  It will need some kind of "facilities" for you know what, so that will require a little extra planning...but it is not impossible. We already have an extra septic tank on the property, running water, and electricity is easily attached.  We just need the means to provide the cabin. So I am praying. I spend my Sunday afternoons in that spot, praying, dreaming, and speaking the dream before the Lord.  Maybe He can see that I am really serious this time.  Maybe now IS the time to make it happen.  Perhaps that is why He brought us to this place in the first place! 


When you come to visit us, we can sit on our front porch and have a cup of tea
(or coffee) and watch the birds together!

I hope you will be one of our first visitors when this dream becomes a reality.  One of my dear friends from childhood said today, "If you build it, I will come!"   I'm holding her to it.  One of my facebook/blogging friends from California said she wanted to make her reservation too!  I can envision a fantastic retreat of giggling writers, sharing our dreams and swapping our stories.  I can see worn out pastors and wives, recent widows or widowers, newlyweds?...well maybe I AM dreaming a bit, but anything is possible with God.  Oh, and did I tell you?  You can join us for breakfast on the weekends! (If you want to).  Your cabin won't have cooking facilities, (except for a campfire or a grill) at least I don't think it will...but maybe it will...but if not, you will be very welcome at our table.  Or at our fire pit.

Hot dogs anyone?

How about a "s'more"?  You gotta have some more s'mores!

So, if you are in need of a place to "hide" in the time of trouble...a secret place of God's tabernacle...that is exactly what I am talking about.  A place to hide away and heal, grieve, rest, recuperate, laugh, sing, write, read, pray, love...come on down!  Oh...but it's not here yet.  Please pray with me that God will provide the means to do this!  We all want it...but in His time, His way, His provision.  Amen? Amen!  Ok, start saving up for your trip!  I believe it will happen. Hopefully sooner than later.  Amen.