Well, we're back in sunny but freezing Florida. It was in the 30's last night and feels like home that's for sure. The night before we were on a tornado warning with heavy rain and wind very close to our town. So whats up with this weather?? I'm hoping it will warm up this week but I'm sure many floridians are welcoming this cool change. Ben and Gabe will be flying in on Saturday as we all get ready to begin the big count down. Not doing too much this year. We will do a Christmas Eve service at Bethany's church and then our Christmas dinner at her house the next day. We will miss Eli and Jill very much but they have so much on their plate this year that I think it's best they stay close to home. All went smooth with the closing on their new house, both got new cars and new jobs so Christmas came early for them. The rest of us are looking for jobs, cars and homes as we move into 2008. Ira and I are rethinking our move to this part of Florida and will spend the next few weeks investigating some new areas farther south. Both of our homes in N.C. and Fla. are currently on the market so we are at a place in our life where we are really seeking God's will for the future. We have enjoyed our semi retirement somewhat but realize you have to stay busy to be happy. I think I may have convinced Ira to do one more restaurant...just a little one....it will be fun!! So far he's listening, so if we find the right spot, it's a go. Will keep you posted, I know there is a change a coming. In the mean time we will put all of our cares aside and enjoy this blessed time to be with the ones we love the most, our family and friends. It's a time to appreciate all the many blessings God has bestowed on us over all these years. This past year has been one of the most trying for Ira and I as we seek to make some changes in our lives but I read somewhere that when a positive move is made, an obstruction is met. The question then is, will the challenge dismay and discourage you? When you go beyond just looking at your circumstances and rely on the Life within, it's not so hard to remain steadfast. Whatever happens, stand in your full spiritual stature and deny everything that is not of God. Nothing will then have power over you except God's perfect will. This Christmas is a time to say thank you God that you have created us to co-exist in this world with you by our side. Can't imagine it any other way. So Christ life wishes to all as we contemplate the only Gift we will ever need....Jesus!!

CHILLY DECEMBER DAYS

It's been awhile. Too much junk going on!! This picture of my soon to be daughter in law, sums it up as to how I feel. Anxious to begin the trek to Fla. just to break the monotony. Ira and I have decided retirement is not for us, at least not yet. We are off to find the journey that will lead us into this next phase of life. We will probably leave next week and go with anticipation that the Lord will reveal His perfect will for the future. We are thinking of starting up another little restaurant either here in the mountains or Fla. Since it is the beginning of the frigid weather here, we might as well give Fla. first choice. Have my eye on a few places. Put our house on the market in Tavares and will wait to see what transpires. So far , no offers but it's only been a few weeks. Thanksgiving has come and gone. It was a good thing to have all of the family together since this Christmas it will not be so. Eli and Jill will be in Pa. Gabe and Ben will fly to Fla. on the 22nd and for a change we will be having Christmas at Bethany's house. Everything is a little different this year and I'm trying to see that as a good thing. Change rocks our boats but sometimes it's necessary. Growth comes from moving out of our comfort zone and being willing to embrace the unknown. My Thanksgiving prayer this year was the fact that God is most assuredly with us. I am deeply thankful for that.

As I write this Eli and Jill are setting up house in Pittsburgh. They closed on their house yesterday and I can only imagine all that is going on tonight. Been there done that!!! Pray that they are keeping cool and calm in the midst of all that overwhelms them. I wish them love and laughter and music. Just put your favorite music on and it will all be OK!! And Ben is doing the same thing except with his roomie, Jordan in Wilmington. We hooked up the trailer Wed. and loaded up all the extras we had laying around, as in beds, lamps,dishes,towels,etc. and off we went on the 6 hour drive to coastal N.C to move him into his new house. It was sweet. Tiny little house but they love it and are planning to STUDY HARD, and create some beautiful music and grow up into the fine young men I know they will become. Our last hurrah was filling their fridge up, house blessings, kisses and hugs and that chapter was closed. Back on the road, getting home about midnight. With so many people in the family I am finding it very hard to detach. My heart is always with each one. We have our own life to concentrate on and it seems to always get pushed way back because their lives always take the forefront. Sometimes you feel like you're drowning. I really think this might be the year that we break through and everyone walks their own walk and we all meet in the middle. I want that.

PROUD MAMA

Today we actually had snow flurries and I am not liking that at all. Been busy getting all of Ira's inventory of cars sold and were a bit excited to learn that we have two showings today on our house in Florida. We had decided last week that we feel it would be better to let go of that house and invest in something different and lo and behold our neighbor realtor called us out of the blue and so it came to be. We think we still want to be in a warmer climate during the winter but not sure where. I will miss the beautiful sunsets but not the alligators!! Every year we would have one or two ominous looking creatures get very close to our shoreline and I was a basket case worrying about our pooch. This view is what it was all about. Every evening at sunset we would race down to our friends house or on to the boat and have cocktail hour in a setting that is hard to beat. So here it is and also a cute picture of two of my handsome boys, Ben and Gabe. They are in the white shirts looking oh so cool, with two of their friends. Also my sweet girl Bethany taken this summer on an outing with her grandparents. Sorry Popi, that I cut you off. I just wanted a good shot of Bethany. Looking forward to her visit in a few weeks.

Eli's First House

Well here it is! My
little boy has purchased his first home and we are all
very excited and proud of his accomplishments.
They are so excited and it is just the perfect fit for them. I even love the front door. So many new experiences await them as they begin these years together. I expect a wedding in the near future. Seems like we did it the other way around but they have a plan and I'm not interfering. All of us will gather here in the mountains for Thanksgiving. Wanted to include a picture of what this fabulous Fall looked like from my porch. I replaced my Spring photo with a Fall to give you an idea of how much the view changes. The colors were truly stunning. I think it was the best in a long time. The cool air is slowly creeping in. Turned up the heat last night and got out the big down comforters for the beds. Hope to be out of here before the second snowfall. The first is always magical but after that I'm ready to roll. Who knows maybe this Christmas we will all be making a trip to Pittsburgh. In our crazy family you never know what's around the corner. Chow

NOVEMBER DAZE

Been so very slack with my blog. Seems like there are always things to do and I get my writing fix in the mornings with my journal. That is one area that I am faithful in and am trying to do the same with this blog but it's slow going. So many things behind me now. Meetings, dinners, appointments get together's that were on the calender and were causing me stress are all done with. Hate to look at it that way but I operate better when the calender is clear and I can do as I please. Not very often!!! Yesterday was my beautiful son Josh's birthday. He is the ripe old age of 33 and told me this morning that he would rather be counting backward, as I'm sure we all would. Wish I could be there in sunny Florida to give him a big hug and to wish him well on this important day. He was the beginning of my walk with the Lord. A severely colicky baby that literally drove me to my knees asking God for mercy before I threw him out the window!! Instead God lovingly reached down and touched my heart with His love and patience and showed me that there was so much more to life than my discomfort in the moment. I was truly born again and have never been the same since. Even though there are and always will be rocky times, life just keeps getting better and better. So thank you Josh for being the spark that lit the fire that was smoldering in me all those years. Also not to forget Ben's big #20 on the 6th of Nov. The above photos were from a very simple but loving family dinner we had for him last week. His big surprise was an effects pedal for his guitar. He is taking his music to new levels and we are all anxiously looking forward to hearing some serious jamming over the holiday. Both Josh and Ben have written some new songs and are excited to play them for us. This year is going to be a bit different in that the men are cooking Thanksgiving dinner. Jill and I will be leaving early TK morning to pick up Bethany from the airport. It's a two hour drive so four hours total for the trip. Works well for me. The girls will be on clean up and look forward to what my talented chefs in the family come up with. Anticipation is high!!!

Fall In The Mountains

What a busy month October has been. Between remodeling our house,showing property and a constant stream of visitors, we have really been running. Our friends from Michigan, Bob and Ali, arrived Sat. afternoon and we began a fun weekend of catching up, eating, hiking, bike riding the Virginia Creeper Trail and more eating! Lots of fun but I am exhausted and ready to get back to normal. The air is turning cool and the leaves are starting to change. It has been such a wonderful summer even though I know we need the rain. Just a few more weeks and we will be packing it up to head south. I'm already feeling sad and not quite as anxious to leave. I do look forward to seeing two of my children that live there so that thought keeps me moving. For now I will relish every moment and bloom where I'm planted. Putting the finishing touches on the house so we can get it on the market. Tomorrow is painting day in the downstairs apt. Will include some recent pics of our weekend. It was Bob's birthday and Monday night we had a little dinner party for him. We crammed as much as we could in those few days and it was FUN.

Let Us Enter Into Ourselves....Time Presses!

Maintain your abiding place! That is my thought this morning. It has been a very frenzied week with many things going on in various directions. After coming into the revelation of the Rest, I am constantly quickened when I sense my self slipping back to that place of control. I at least am getting sensitive to it. I only feel happy and content when I am resting in the shadow of you Lord. Help me to not move about so much and just rest in your perfect supply.

I think I will try to find a Glow Baby. I remember there was something like that years ago. A doll that lights up with a warm glow when you hug it or push a button. I just felt that glow of the Spirit and it reminded me of it. Such a near and dear comfort God has given us in the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit Glow.

Poem by Denise Levertov....one of my favorites

Your secret was not the craftsman's delight in process,
which doesn't distinguish work from pleasure.
Your way was not to exalt nor avoid the Adamic legacy,
you simply made it irrelevant;
everything faded thinned to nothing, beside the light
which bathed and warmed the Presence your being
had opened to. Where it shone, there life was and
abundantly; it touched your dullest task and the task
was easy, joyful, absorbed.
You practiced the presence of God as a musician practices
hour after hour his art; A stone before the carver, you
entered into yourself.

Beautiful!!!

Diming Of The Day

Just had a feeling that I wanted to describe and then said, no, I can't describe it. I then picked up a book and turned to this poem by Kitty Crenshaw for a friend of hers and it spoke it perfectly.

Obscurity is the final phase

The hidden are those chosen then released.

They wear no garnish amid reality, no fame,

they serve unobtrusively without the noise of fame.

Yet peace burns through them like a flame.

Amazing Spirit....this is Kitty's description of ministry:

"I will help you carry that for while until you are strong enough, until you have found the ground of your being, until you understand this ever greater opening up to love. I will walk with you through this until the time comes when you can carry your cross alone.

It cost God everything and it couldn't cost us any less. I have learned that life is a joyful dance, but we must have the courage and the hunger to step into the dance. God is the dancer. Are we going to let Him dance us any way He wants, any time, any place?? It hurts sometimes but it's part of the dance and it hurts much more if we resist."

And our lives finally begin to speak.

You are awesome God. I appreciate so much what I see you are doing in others. I have no idea what you're doing in me.

OUR OVERNIGHT AT LAKE LURE

Sunday morning, up bright and early and off on an adventure. We have planned a short but sweet meet up with our dear friends and neighbors from Fla. who are spending a few months in Tenn. We decided to meet half way and both arrived around noon. Our destination was The Lodge At Lake Lure. It is a gem of a place tucked in the woods overlooking the incredibly beautiful Lake Lure. Situated about an hour from Asheville in a serene setting you almost feel like you are in an Adirondack lodge. I had packed a picnic lunch of cold salmon, chicken and cheese and crackers and of course a good bottle of wine. We opted to have our picnic on the deck of the boathouse while we waited for the 3:00 pm check in. It couldn't have been a more perfect day as you can see in the pics. Happy hour in the living room, dinner in town and a gourmet breakfast the next morning and our get away was coming to an end. One perfect day on this mountain lake.

Rambling

Weird night. Just watched the next to the last episode of Big Brother and I'm sad. I really was pulling for good vs. evil and once again I'm let down. Just shake my head and get the inner words of "you're in this world but not of it." Why does the negative image always prevail????
Such a bad message to the world but seems to be the one that on the surface prevails. I admit that I get discouraged from time to time but it doesn't make a dent in what I believe is true and good in this world. I just see that you have to have faith in who you are and believe in a God that has indwelled man and Stand, no matter what you see in the visable. It's hard. I know it's silly to even see that divison in a reality show but man......that evil Dick was the end all of a bad guy. He made my skin crawl!!! So of course he and his daughter are the big winners. They were the best players and so you have to give them that. Best player wins.......get over it.

On to more important things. Leaving on an overnight to Lake Lure. Trying to add a picture of our day on the farm with our friends in Ashe County. They just bought an amazing piece of the world. 40 acres and a little farm house in God's country. I'm getting the feeling that this might be the new surge. Find a spot of ground you can claim and build your world. If you're looking, let me know, I'll find you you're special space.

Bass Lake

My favorite time of the day is early evening when I take Bess for her daily walk around the lake. I call her my personal trainer, as she doesn't allow me any slack in the exercise department. Sometimes I'm too tired and want to take a break but her disappointed look with leash hanging out of her mouth turns me to mush. I know it's the only thing she looks forward to everyday so how can I let her down. I'm always thankful when I'm there, as Bass Lake is incredibly beautiful with 25 miles of trails through rhododendron forests that meander along the Blue Ridge Parkway. The quaint little town of Blowing Rock is just a few miles down the road. I'll try to get some pictures of our town to post. Boone is only 8 miles down the mountain and we're all still celebrating our big win last week......Appalachian State against University of Michigan.!!! So proud.