Traveling Back in Time

A tour of Greenfield Village is like traveling back in time.  Here Ron is enjoying  the locomotive coming  slowly down the tracks with  smoke billowing from its stack.  The engineer was bringing it to a stop.
Later we actually boarded that train and traveled the track which surrounded the village. It was a pleasant ride through beautiful farm lands and 'neighborhoods'.  

Greenfield Village Covered Bridge

How would you expect a Model T to cross a river?  On a covered bridge of course.  And here it is in a beautiful section of Greenfield Village. If you double click on the third small picture, you will see the side of the bridge and a surprising school of large gold fish that have just passed under it.  We also saw two  geese on the bank of the river that were acting strangely.  At least it seemed weird to us, so much so that we stood there watching them for a quite a while until they started chasing each other and biting necks in our direction.  When they kept approaching until they were 'dangerously' near, we jumped to the side.  We still don't know what it was about, but at least we were not casualties.  :)   

We had eaten such large breakfasts that morning that Barb decided that the four of us could share two packs of crackers she had left over from our dinner the night before. So we sat on a bench near the water and savored our saltines.  And that was really enough until  Ron remembered a custard stand we had passed earlier.  Naturally there was no stopping him then and we all went along and 'forced' ourselves to eat large cones of frozen custard.

Sometimes we just have to force ourselves to do something or other.  A few days lately, I've had to make myself  have a positive  outlook.  Everything looks so bleak.  But we must have faith that God will do what is best for this country.  If He feels it has gone past the point of return, He certainly has the right and the power to take care of that.    

God's presence doesn't mean that things will always go smoothly. Christians don't walk around with protective plastic bubbles surrounding them. We experience cancer; we endure sorrow and heartache; we fail in business. God's promise, however, is that He will continue to walk with us and be faithful to us even in our sorrows or failures. His company will bring you comfort that will exceed your understanding (Phil. 4:7).

Be assured that as God was with Moses and Joshua, He is with you as well. Jesus promised, "I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matt. 28:20). Whatever difficulties you face, you will not have to face them alone. He will never, no never, fail you nor forsake you. That's His promise to you.

Only God can say never--and really mean it.

[from Back to the Bible]

Happiness in 2011

The quote on the first page is new to me and very meaningful.  Think about it.

It is a chore to stay happy when things are falling apart all around and innocent people of all kinds are suffering because they are prevented from making a living.   Now, I"m thinking of a quote by Aesop:

 We hang the petty thieves and appoint the great ones to public office.

And that brings me to five of the better sentences I've heard lately:

1. You cannot legislate the poor into prosperity, by legislating the wealth out of prosperity. 

2. What one person receives without working for...another person must work for without receiving. 

3. The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody else. 

4. You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it. 

5. When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work, because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work, because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that is the beginning of the end of any nation! 

These are some of the things happening at the Mum Festival at Lake Anna yesterday, September 25.

After years of wanting to go to this festival that is not far from here, I finally got to attend a little while yesterday.

I'm trying to think of a smooth way to tie the festival to the following rant, but am about to fall asleep at the computer...so smooth it is not.

I am borrowing the thoughts of my good friend, Paulette, tonight.

"It makes me crazy that the government makes laws before long term effects are known or even before the big picture in considered.  In my mind, it is the kudu principle.  It seemed like a good thing to plant kudzu in the south until it started growing to the extent that it now seems to be covering several states.  The long term effects weren't considered. Incandescent light bulbs were banned in favor of energy efficient ones.  We didn't look into how to dispose of them or the negative impact on the seepage of mercury on the environment from these broken light bulbs.  Energy efficient toilets sounds like a good idea to save a bit of water until people realized they have to flush more than once to get the job done.  Energy efficient dish washers don't do the job so we have to put glassware through twice trying to get it clean.  Where's the efficiency?  Who considered the gib picture?  Even some pesticides that killed mosquitos was removed from usage because of studies that are now known to have been fraudulent. "

Not only are we failing in our fight of diseases carried by mosquitos.  We even have begun what seems to be becoming a plague of bed bugs because of the ban on effective pesticides.

And from Paulette again: "I guess we could all learn from this.  I shouldn't be so reactionary.  I need to look at the big picture. I should be more patient to do things in God's timing rather that hurrrying past Him to do what I want to do to accomplish my own agenda."

Mum Fest

Year after year I plan to go to the Mum Fest in Barberton, Ohio.  And every year something comes up or I just forget to go. And year after year, I always wished I had gone when I hear how nice it was.  This year Ron had not shown any interest in it. So I asked if he thought I would be able to do it alone.  He said I could.  But then Saturday I was so very busy (What's new?) that I had no chance to do that.  So today on the way home from our early life group meeting I mentioned the Mum Fest...and he asked if I wanted to go right then.  So we did.  We weren't there a long time, but I'm glad we did make it.  I was surprised to see so many people and all the little stalls set up to sell this and that.  I was really interested in the artisans one of whom  carved fruit and another built sand castles.  The water ski show was neat as well.  And of course I like the swans on Lake Anna.  It is a beautiful little round lake and I took some good pictures.
I will have another page tomorrow.  Tonight I need an earlier bed time. I've been losing sleeping hours lately, so now I want to catch up on it.  Good night.  Please pray for our nation and it's choice for a president.

He Has a Plan

Caleb's friend Colton looks a lot like him.  He is three months younger than Caleb.  Their mothers worked together all the years Alana has been in Colorado until she retired earlier this year.  Caleb and Colton seem to have a plan for exploring the garden.  

Herman Cain won the Republican straw poll in Florida today. I am thrilled.  He is a very good, kind and intelligent Christian man.  He's not a career politician, but he knows business. AND HE HAS A PLAN.

Right Track

Caleb has found the swings.  But it would do him no good if he just sat there in the  sand thinking he'd like to swing.  He must get up and move.  It does no good to know  the right track and sit  complacently  on the sidelines.  Roy Rogers once said, "Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there."  Things have been turned upside down in this great nation. It is an Obamanation!

We can not expect good results unless we jump into the ring and do something, even if it is to broach a conversation with someone  about how bad things really are and what we need to change it for our kids and grand children. the silent majority must not remain silent!

The pictures would be  bigger, but Im having   trouble putting in my pages tonight. I'll try again tomorrow. Sorry this looks a mess. It isn't following conventional methods.

1914 Model T Ford

The very first car I can remember riding in was a Model T Ford. It belonged to a neighbor and they  piled about 8 of us kids in for a short drive.

I've never thought much about Fords.  I grew up in a General Motors family. The only Ford I've ever driven was one Ron and I bought for his business.  It was a van.  The very first weekend we owned it, we took it on a business trip to Atlanta and  the air conditioner broke the first day out.  I really disliked that Ford. We didn't want more than two cars at the time so I was the one who had to drive it. It was difficult for me, a short woman, to climb up into it.

But history behind us, we now have a new respect for Ford.  They did not accept tax payer money from our spendthrift government, but went about making improvements and selling cars while GM  (Government Motors) collected extremely high sums of OUR money to build cars no one wanted.

I also have a lot more respect for Henry Ford after visiting his museum in Michigan this week. He was a very wise man.  I'm listing here a few quotes that I find thought provoking:

1. "Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress, and working together is success."


2."Whether you think you can or whether you think you can't, you're right!"


3. "I believe God is managing affairs and that He doesn't need any advice from me. With God in charge, I believe everything will work out for the best in the end. So what is there to worry about."


4.“Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young.”

5. “Failure is simply an opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently.” 


God Bless the USA!

Cooling Poudre Tributary

Recently I've had more pictures of Caleb than anything else.  Of course what can I say?  I'm a grandmother and loving every minute of it.  The only thing I regret is that I wasn't there barefoot with him that day in the cool stream. 

I am hoping that tomorrow I'll have a layout with our picture in a Model T Ford taken at Greenfield Village, Michigan yesterday.  

May God bless all of you .

It's Not Always Easy...

It's not always easy being a child.  Sometimes they have to learn tough lessons.  This day Caleb  had to find out that one doesn't always get his way.  How sad, but I'm glad his parents are willing to teach him. That's is tough as well.  It can break your heart to see those big tears.

His paper was not quite big enough for his artistic desire.

Profiless?

If you have no profile picture on facebook or any other place where you should have one.  There is no excuse.   Double click on the layout above to find out why.

CALEB COOLS DOWN

Have been battling high blood pressure recently and meeting with these girls  is one of the best treatments for that.  We talk about everything and laugh much of the time.  What a nerve soother it is.

ORU...Opinions R Us... We are convinced that given the chance, we could FIX the world.

A Child's Culinary Preference

I remember when kids ate hamburgers, french fries and macaroni and cheese. That is no longer PC.  We now look up to  a most  wise, all knowing one to tell us what we must feed our children.

It's a good thing that Caleb's mom and dad are treating him to a wide variety of good healthy food so they won't encounter someone carrying a club coming to their door to arrest them on junk food charges.

Now, I'm not known as a chef or even just a good cook. But Caleb gets good training at home and at his grandmother Carol's house.  While he was visiting her home in Columbus, Alana got his picture eating guacamole, yogurt and mango salsa.  Not your standard 'kid's meal'.  And look at him.  He loves it.

Easy Date to Remember

This past Sunday is a day to remember.  It should be easy for us.    It was 9/11 and it was Grandparent's Day.   But the very most important was our grand daughter Ashley was baptized into Christ.  She is now a new creature in Christ and is promised an eternal life with our father, God  in heaven. We pray that she, like the apostle John, fights the good fight and finish the race.

Often when we plan a boat ride for a group, the weather turns out to be less that perfect...all right...sometimes it is downright dreadful.  But  today WAS a PERFECT day.  Of course with such wonderful weather, we did run into difficulty.  We chose to eat at the Old Harbor.  We docked, got off the boat and waited a while to be seated, then we waited for the waitress to get our drink orders. then we waited for the waitress to take our orders, then we waited, waited, waited for our lunches.  About the time we had decided to open the sweet and low  packages and sprinkle them on the ketchup and mustard to stave off the hunger pains, our food arrived.  It was worth the wait and immediately a hush fell over our table as we all devoured the sandwiches, salads, beer batter fish...  But then we waited for the checks.

Now I'm not complaining about the service.  They certainly was doing the very best they could.  They just didn't expect so many people today.  It was not a weekend and past the really busy season but lots of people showed up and filled the deck over the water.  It was no one's fault and for the most part we were patient and understanding...but we did get really hungry.

The lake was just too pleasant to leave, so we stayed out a long time.

When I got home late this afternoon from a boat ride with friends, I had more pictures of Caleb.  Tomorrow, I hope to have one here of Ashley's baptism...just didn't get anything done today. 

I hope you all are getting a good picture of our candidates  for president, so that there are no surprises this time. To know what a man or woman will do as president, look at what he or she has already done.

Oh and on a good note.  All were natural born citizens of the United States and were raised in this country.  And that is something we've never had to worry about before.

Capture the Memory

Any day at any time, we can click a pic of a grand child and preserve a memory. If they win a ball game, get an "A", smile really big, blow a bubble, jump a rope,  tell a joke...it doesn't matter what...grandparents don't want to forget.    We celebrate Grandparent's Day every day with our pictures.

Give us hope for our children... Join the Tea Party.

It is difficult to watch this administration fumble around ruining everything they touch.  Just today I received a message from Newsmax that will make you wonder how the president could make this choice. As much as he loves unions, he is siding with the illegal aliens on this one:

"Recently, various officials within the Obama Administration have announced a plan to suspend the deportation orders of 300,000 illegal aliens (many residing in Ohio) that have already been issued by a U.S. court of law. In addition to being allowed to stay in the country, each of these 300,000 illegal aliens may also be eligible for work visas, allowing them to live and work legally in states like Ohio, taking away employment opportunities from Ohio residents who are unable to find a full-time job.

Once again, President Obama has put the desires of the pro-amnesty movement above the Ohio citizens he has taken an oath to protect. Such a policy cannot be allowed to stand. More must be done to limit the presence of illegal aliens in Ohio's workforce. "

Strange Cloud

This is the strange cloud we saw on our way to Blossom Saturday night.  I've not seen anything like it before.

9/11

New York state Governor George Pataki:

“You can’t help but feel sorrow, but you also have to feel pride about the unity and the strength New Yorkers and Americans showed that day and in the weeks and months after.”

He said Washington could learn a lot from looking back to those dark days of September 2001.

“We had a sense of unity that I’ve never seen in my lifetime before and it made me very proud.

“What superficially seems to divide us: we’re Democrats or Republicans; black or white; rich or poor; young or old, it didn’t matter. We were all Americans living in this great country.

“I wish today we had that same sense of unity, or at least some part of it because it seems, particularly in Washington, that we’ve allowed the divisions to overcome the unity that we should feel in our love of freedom and our love of this great country.”


Read more on Newsmax.com: Pataki: We Couldn’t Cower in Small Buildings After Towers Were 
Destroyed


Above is the bright smiling face of Ashley.  As one of the triplets, she was born in 2002. She has never known what America was like before the terrorist attack. As a child sheltered by her parents and God's love, she is growing into a fine young lady.  But she may never know the freedom we once had.  Not only has our world changed as far as fear of our Middle Eastern  enemies, but our young people are becoming less and less in tune with the God of the universe.  Because of that, there is more crime here at home among our own people.  Praise God that He can give us peace in the midst of the darkness.

Thankfully Ashley and others who grow up in loving families and are taken to church where the instruction given them at home can be reinforced,  will learn to serve their God and fellow man in love.    

Ashley made the decision to place her life into the hands of God and live for Him. She was baptized this very day.

1. Mark 1:9
   " At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan.
2. Matthew 3:16
   As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him.
3. Mark 10:38
   “You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said. “Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?”
4. Mark 10:39 “We can,” they answered. Jesus said to them, “You will drink the cup I drink and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with,"
5. Mark 16:16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.

 As  grandparents,  Ron and I are so very proud of her and we'll be praying that our loving God will protect her from evil and help her grow into the kind or person He would like to see her become.

Eye Lashes

 What female wouldn't be happy with these lashes? It just isn't fair, is it?  But I'm sure Caleb doesn't care one bit about them.  He is engrossed in those stickers.  He certainly looks well decorated.  For him, eyes are for seeing stickers, not for batting.

Today  if one bats an eye, a new law gets put on the books, sometimes it is according to the Constitution and other times  by no stretch of the imagination can it be justified as legal, yet it stands.  Why do we put up with those who are  making end runs around our laws?

 I can no longer call myself a Republican or Democrat. I'm a Constitutionalist.  We must get back to the premise of freedom.

May God bless you tomorrow as you remember the terrorist attack on our nation 10 years ago  Sunday.
May He help us to remember and comfort us in our grief.

TheMost Amazing Anything of Evertime

The triplets thoroughly enjoyed acting in the play written and directed by Cori Laemmel at the Larry Keaton Theater in Nashville.  Even though it was performed several times, I was not able to go see it.  With it  only a 10 hour drive one way, you'd think a grandmother could do that...but it just wasn't possible.

 I am  pleased that Chelle was able to send me many pictures.  They are so good. I can tell Ashley and Aussie had a great time.  They really seemed to get into acting. Of course I can understand that.  With a father who is a playwrightt, they've been encouraged in that line since they were old enough to talk.  This was, however, their first full length play.

 Perhaps someone who knows the names of the characters they played will comment below.

Diversion

It surely isn't hard to get Caleb to eat.  He likes everything. At my house he doesn't get the great cuisine he gets at home or at his other grandmother's homes, but he's enjoying that rice.  Put food in fron of him and he forgets everything else.  It can be quite a diversion.


There is a credible threat to NYC and Washington DC for 9/11.  That should take our minds off Obama's poor job's plan for a while... diversion!

County Fair

This picture was taken of Caleb at the County Fair in Colorado on August 8th.

I've been really busy.  (So what's new?)  Watched the biggest part of the Republican debate tonight. It gave me hope, REAL HOPE.

Timeless Summer Days

Since Caleb  is not and will not be in school for a while, he  will not have to experience giving up his peaceful, carefree days  for a while. These pictures were taken August 1 as he practiced his balancing skills in bare feel, on the roots of trees at the park.   Time is no bother.  Only mom has to watch and gage when to head home and even then...the day is his.  

Oh to be  innocent as the children again. The burdens we bear as adults are heavy.  Without God, this would be a terrible world in which to live.  The Bible says there will always be wars and rumors of wars. 

The last few years, more than for a couple of  generations, people have been pitted against each other in so many ways.

 In the last few days, the union workers, through Jimmy Hoffa's son,  have declared war on the workers who are in the Tea Party who rightly want taxes to be cut so that the economy can grow new jobs. Some of the workers in the Tea Party are also union workers.  What tangled webs we weave.

Please pray for a revival in our country. We need to sow the seed of unity, like that we had right after 9/11.  May God Bless the USA once again.

Generations

What a surprise  it was for me to walk in and see that what I had worn to 'Aloha' fit so very well into the decor. My shirt matched the place mats  exactly. And my purse had blue flowers the color of the tablecloth.

These are insignificant facts that I'll remember about August 21st. More importantly, you'll remember  I had mentioned not long ago a  party we had at church recently, which was planned and carried out by a new generation stepping up to bat. It is a wonderful feeling  to see 'new blood' in the leadership roles. It is very satisfying to see them do so very well.  The church will be renewed by those who have the energy to build.  Great job.  We love you and appreciate your positive energy.


We need the younger generations to bring our nation back to solid ground.  For our sake, but especially for their own livelihoods and freedom.  If the young don't come alive and figure out what is happening to their country, we are sunk and will drown in our own ignorance.

The liberal plan, as I see it now, is to sink us into internal civil war before we are able to vote out this bunch of socialists who are running the show....and then to take over with a harsh dictatorship.  They are pitting everyone against everyone else. We must unite and rebuild together.

Siblings: Triplets Will Be Triplets

Like any normal brothers and sisters, the triplets have their little games, competitions, etc. Sometimes I wonder what their aim is. Is it to make themselves look better than the other two?  Is it striving to get attention?  I'm not always sure.  But it reminds me of Mr. Warren Buffett who has been saying that we should stop coddling the super rich and raise their tax rates.

From an editorial in The New York Post:

“Obvious question: If Buffett really thinks he and his 'mega-rich friends' should pay higher taxes, why doesn’t his firm fork over what it already owes under current rates?”

It seems that for years Buffet's own company has fought with the IRS about taxes which may total a billion dollars...yes, you read that right.

I could never guess the reason for his squabbling with the IRS. If he thinks he doesn't pay enough, then HE SHOULD PAY WHAT HE ALREADY OWES.  Is he just trying to get attention?  If so, he surely did get that.  Is he trying to look better than all the other mega  rich?  If so, I think he just failed.

Coventry High School Class of 1961

On the weekend of June 17-19 our class met first at Anthes' Prime. I really enjoyed it, since I'd not been to a reunion or seen more than two of the classmates who attended since 1981 when my 'baby' was only 1 year old.  As you can expect 30 more years planted themselves on us in less than glamorous ways...for most of us anyway.  But it was fun to just pick up friendships where they had left off and interesting to form new friendships free from the encumbrances of then and full of the experiences we've had since graduation.

It was enlightening  to hear the more adventuresome routes some of our classmates had taken and comforting to know that many were much like ourselves.

It was devastating to think that 40 of us had already gone back to their maker.  One died just a few weeks ago after having attended.  Life is short and one never knows the time.  It's best to be ready.

Triplet Birthday

Well it is now September and I'm finally getting the triplet's birthday in the blog.  Two of the favorite things they got this year are their Build-a Bears (a tradition) and this trampoline.

I love these kids and hope to see our country dismiss Socialism and turn around in time for them to have a decent life in which they are not completely enslaved to pay off the debts of the past few years of lavish spending by our government.  Praying for a better tomorrow...