A Giving of Thanks Post

I really do not have time to participate in the usual Wednesday Hodgepodge this week.  I actually don't foresee having much time to blog at all in the next several weeks.

I did want to give a quick update on what has transpired in our lives lately since deciding to move to the Dallas area to be near our daughter.

As my husband is a realtor, we decided to have an Open House in our gated community before we listed it.  The first person to enter, a young man engaged to be married next summer and a medical student, made an offer and we had a signed contract on the house a week later.

This past weekend we went to see our youngest granddaughter play the lead role in "Moana Jr" and also had an appointment to look at a condo in a 55+ gated community in Plano, Tx.  There was one other unit in there for sale and we saw it the next day.  We felt this was the place God had for us, so signed a contract that day and it was approved on Sunday.

We will be less than 10 minutes from our daughter and 15 from our granddaughter.  We are within walking distance of Ava Grace's school and the church we will likely attend.  There is excellent shopping, a nature preserve for walking outdoors, and gorgeous homes all around us.  And would you believe our neighbors are also from Louisiana?

We will close on our Shreveport house on Dec. 18 and on the Plano house on the 21st.  The movers will be here bright and early on that day and by midnight, we should have everything unloaded in the new house.  No Indiana white Christmas this year, but memorable nonetheless.

There are so many ways God has made our path plain and straight and it is so humbling to watch how He has and is working to bring His plan about in our lives.  We give Him all the praise and glory for blessing us so richly.

Now, the fun part begins with packing everything and hoping it all will find a place in this smaller home.  Once we are settled, I will share with you all about the move, transition and new house.  In the meantime, let me leave you with shots of our own precious Moana, who by the way, did an awesome job even in a mask.

Happy Thanksgiving!

You may enjoy reading one of my dear friend's blog on

"Giving Thanks in an Imperfect World"

A Daunting Hodgepodge

Thank you Joyce for this week's Hodgepodge questions.

1. It's Mickey Mouse's birthday (November 18)...happy birthday Mickey! He reads here, right? Have you ever been to Disney, any of the parks at all? Are you a Disney superfan or something less than that? They're open right now so tell us, would you go if you had the time/money/a free trip?

I have never been to Disney and regret not taking our children when they were small; however, I have absolutely no desire to go at this point.  I am not a Disney fan although I did enjoy watching many of their early shows/movies when my children and grandchildren were young.

Speaking of Disney, our youngest granddaughter, Ava Grace will be playing the lead role in the North Texas Performing Arts production of Moana Jr the next two weeks, in Dallas.  We can't wait to see her perform again.

2. Your favorite place to go when you want to be quiet as a church mouse? Would those who know you well describe you as more churchmouse or perhaps more like mighty mouse? 

I usually retreat to my screened back porch for solitude and quiet, even though any room in my house is usually a quiet place most of the day.  I'm thinking those who know me best would put me somewhere in between with a heavy slant toward Mighty Mouse.

3. The day before Mickey's birthday happens to be National Homemade Bread Day. Did/will you celebrate? Do you bake your own bread? Last time you had hot out-of-the-oven homemade bread? What's your favorite kind of bread?

I used to bake our own bread and it was so good right out of the oven, but I haven't done that in years.  There was nothing quite like a warm slice slathered with butter.  The last time was this past week when a neighbor brought over hot rolls right out of the oven, to go with our dinner at my sisters.  She knew we had been too busy all day painting furniture to think about cooking.  I am not a big bread eater, but would find it rather hard to pass up a hot yeast roll like our school cafeteria workers used to make  My next favorite would be a hot cinnamon roll. 

4. What's something you might say is 'the greatest thing since sliced bread'?

Facetime 

5. Let's keep the gratitude theme we started last week rolling on through November. Share with us five little things you're grateful for today. Small blessings. One catch-they all must start with the letter T. Gotta keep us thinking, right? 

Time with family - though not too small a thing

Tea - hot and sweet

Taste

Tenderness

Toothbrush

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

We will be going to Dallas this weekend to begin our search for our future just-right home.  This is a daunting task.  Then to pack up one house and move to another.  Speaking of daunting; that is a task I am not looking forward to.

Before & After for a Sister

In one of my posts last week I mentioned that we would be having a sister's get together this past weekend at our middle sis's home in rural south Louisiana.

Gin's 1,250 ft. back covered patio was in need of some freshening up, so Sarah and I were all over that idea.

Gin and Thomas's heavy solid wood patio furniture was made by skilled prisoners at the renowned Angola Prison many years ago.  There is no doubt the furniture will outlast them, but it all needed a good coat of paint.

The coffee table and doily belonged to Thomas' mother.

This old baker's rack, a catchall for plants and whatnots was serviceable but not pretty.

This old table also belonged to Gin's mother-in-law and the little rocker was used by her two now grown sons and grandsons.

Gin, my Sanguine sister loves people and color, so she chose bright, happy colors for the furniture.  It took us two and a half days to prime, paint and seal everything plus do all the little finishing touches.  It was so rewarding to sit out there and enjoy it together Saturday morning before we parted ways.

AFTER

Sarah is the artsy and crafty artist of the three of us.  She created and surprised Gin with this pretty welcome sign made from an old rescued board.  The colors introduce the color scheme for the rest of the porch.  The large rock at the bottom was also painted by Sarah several years ago.  She is so talented.

Gin chose two shades of teal and two shades of a light mauve for the furniture.  She spray painted the bakers rack a copper and it looks brand new.  I touched up the grape/leaf design on the top.

Sarah also surprised Gin by painting the little rocker and making pillows for all the rockers.

I stenciled doily patterns on this little table to compliment the real one on the coffee table.

This old owl was a piece I have had for years and was rather colorless although a beautiful piece.  Sarah decided to add some color and I think it turned out better than ever.  We all loved it!

Sarah and I added color to every available surface.

This fun ugly gargoyle was something Sarah and I gave Thomas years ago that she took and completely gave a new life to.  He is now a happy, funny, not so ugly gargoyle and Thomas loves it!

This will be Gin's happy place day and/or night.

Again, to show you how Sarah finds beauty in the most unexpected things, she took this old piece of cypress and is turning it into a work of art.

It will resemble a Hobbit house when she is finished and I can't wait to see it.

And this is the culmination of lots of planning, doing and loving on our sister.  As this will be our last visit together before I leave the state, it was a bittersweet time.  It was a lot more sweet than bitter though.

Wednesday Hodgepodge

This is a late and last minute attempt to participate in this week's Hodgepodge, so hop over to Joyce's blog for more thought out answers than mine.

 

1. It's the 11th day of the 11th month and bloggers often make lists on days like today. Let's go with a list of eleven things you're feeling grateful for today.

My salvation and eternity with Jesus Christ, my children and their spouses, that my children are strong in their faith and rearing my grandchildren to be as well, for loving ,godly parents, 56 years of marriage, cool, beautiful fall days, our health, our home, and that we have a potential buyer for our house.

2. What's something you decided to do or act on at the '11th hour'?  

To sale our house and move to Dallas.

3.  Apparently the Kentucky Fried Chicken recipe contains 11 herbs and spices. What's a dish you make that calls for exactly eleven ingredients? Feel free to share the list and/or recipe. 

I honestly can't think of a thing unless it would be a sauce for salmon and steaks.  I don't do complicated recipes and sure have never counted the ingredients.

4. Something you remember about your 11-year old self? 

Tall, lanky, skinny, tomboy who loved the outdoors and pretended all sorts of interesting scenarios.

5. The 11th of November is Veterans Day in the US of A. This is a day to honor those who have served their country in war or peace-dead or alive-although according to the government's website it's largely intended to thank living veterans for their sacrifices. 

Memorial Day is when we honor military personnel who died in service to their country. 

Share a thought relating to Veterans Day or tell us something about a Veteran you know-love-admire. 

The veteran(s) I know, love and admire would be the two men in this picture.  This was taken at our most recent class reunion from 1962.  Donald Ray and Charles were best friends all through school.  The day after HS graduation, they enlisted into the Army together.  They went to training together and were eventually sent to Vietnam together.  They were inseparable, even on the field.  During a battle, Donald Ray was hit and Charles was right by his side to witness it.  He did all he could do for his friend and called the Medics.  Charles today still says the saddest day of his life was when he saw Donald Ray lifted in that helicopter, not knowing if he would ever see him again.  Donald Ray did live but without one of his legs and received numerable medals and recognitions for his bravery in battle.  Thank you Charles and Donald Ray for your service.

6. Insert your own random thought here.

As I stated earlier, we are moving to Dallas to be near our daughter and her family.  You know its time to make a change when your mature adult children say, "It's time to be near family!"  My husband, being a realtor, was able to show our home to our HOA neighborhood prior to listing, so last Sunday we had an Open House.  The first young man who walked in the door, and will be getting married after the first of the year, loved it and wants it.  You know what that means don't you.  Yes, we've got to get to Dallas to find a house.

God is so good and faithful, and we can do nothing else but trust Him to continue taking care of us.

I will be spending the rest of the week with my sisters at the home of the middle child.  Our plans are to paint all of her wooden outdoor furniture, watch her grandson play football, and eat.  It will be a fun time together and probably the last visit before our move.  I will only be six hours away from them, and know I will either keep the roads or airlines busy.

Next week we will be in Dallas so there will be no Hodgepodge for me. 

Final Installment of our 2020 Fall Road Trip - Savannah

Savannah

The final major stop on our trip was in Savannah, GA.  We were here back many, many years ago with a senior adult group from our church, and have such dear memories of that trip.  We felt we wanted to do a repeat visit and experience this fascinating city one more time.

One of the things we most remembered and wanted to see again were the squares around which the city is built.

These squares are surrounded by some charming churches, historic homes, enchanting inns and museums and are all shaded by huge live oak trees draped with Spanish Moss. 

Again, we took a trolley tour ride for an overview of the city.  There is no way I can remember all the stories our guide shared and even if I did I couldn't tell them like he did.

Along the tour we had some real life imitators who got on the trolley to perform their impersonations of a renowned Savannahian.

This guy had a fake British brogue so bad we couldn't understand a single word he said, but I'm sure the story would have been interesting.  He sure looked the part.

This lovely "Indian" woman told how she had played a big role in the settlement of Savannah.  I can't find any reference to who she was, but perhaps was part of the Yamacraws, a friendly Native American tribe who greeted all the early European travelers and donated the land on which Savannah sits.

 

This was the best of the impersonators.  She told us about the creole language spoken by the Gullah people (also called "Geechees" within the community).  It was so similar to the Creole language and wordage that we hear here in Louisiana.

We did see some beautiful old buildings as we drove around the squares and city.

This house was memorable because our guide told us it is the largest and most expensive house in the city.  The owner has also made a huge investment in the business development of the city with boutique hotels and restaurants.

The rear of the home was as beautiful as the front.  We were told that the whole city street was closed down for months when the owner did a recent renovation of the house and grounds.  I doubt anyone spoke ill of the inconvenience.

I think this is supposed to be the most haunted houses in Savannah.  I can see where a spirit would hate to leave this pretty place.

The architectural details of this church were spectacular. 

There was something interesting about the circular stairs on this what is now a hotel.

If you look closely you will see a contraption made into the railings for cleaning boots.  I doubt it is being used for that purpose these days.

I found it funny that the driver of this carriage was wearing such a huge mask outside.

This museum was beautiful.  This and many of the other museums were all still closed.

The city market area is near the River and was an area we enjoyed walking through later on our own.

This ancient cobblestone street down to the river front was much steeper than it appears in this picture; however, it was every bit as rough as you think it might have been.  Sailing ships would use stones in the bottom of their ships for stability.  Once they were loaded with their cotton or cargo, they no longer needed the stones, so they were thrown out on the harbor shore.  These stones were then taken and used to build roads.  It was an amazing thought to think we were riding over stones that could have possibly come from all over the known world at that time.

This area of the city has a totally different feel than the upper residential and business sections.

Life isn't always easy.

There is an interesting story behind this "Waving Lady" statue.  The legend has it that a young woman would go to the riverbank to wait and welcome her sweetheart back from ocean voyages.  One day he didn't return and for 45 years she and her trusty dog never missed a day waiting and waving for her lost lover.

The architectural details on this building caught my eye.  I love Corinthian Columns.

When you see a sign this large on such an imposing building, you may need to take it seriously.

A spectacular architectural masterpiece, City Hall sits on what used to be called the Yamacraw Bluff, features a gold domed roof that rises 70 feet into the air.

Let's face it, Savannah is best enjoyed on foot.

We ended our trolley tour, in the downtown section in order to see some things we had missed.  After a while, we found our way to the Paula Dean & Son's restaurant.

The food was delicious and fit the advertised description of good ole' soul food.

Afterward we did a wee bit of shopping in her store.  After all those carbs, we walked around the open City Market, then walked lots of blocks back to the hotel.

The next morning we struck out early to spend the day walking around a few of the 22 squares we had seen the day before.

Christ Church, known as the Mother Church of Georgia was the first house of worship established with the founding of Georgia in 1733.  It is an Episcopal Church.  The cornerstone for the building was laid in 1744 and the 1819 Revere & Son bell is still in use today.

In another of the squares is this statue of John Wesley, the founder of Methodism.

After having a delicious lunch in an underground restaurant, we left to find it was pouring outside.  Needless to say we got drenched before finding a small store with an entire rain gear section.  We went for the clear plastic ponchos.

Shortly afterward, the rain stopped but not before we were soaked and I gave up on any semblance of a hair style.

The Independent Presbyterian Church is another historical house of worship on one of the squares.  It was organized in 1755 and this building was completed in 1891.  An interesting tidbit related to this church is that Ellen Louise Axson was born in the manse of this church in 1860 and married in 1885 here to Woodrow Wilson, who later became President of the US.  The things we can learn.

The First Baptist Church is Savannah's oldest standing house of worship and completed in 1833.  This church was one of the few southern churches to remain open throughout the Civil War and notoriously allowed Union soldiers to enter in their uniforms.  What a great thing for which to be remembered.

In the square across from the FBC, was this bench.  It was here, on another bench that is now memorialized in a museum, sat Forrest Gump.

One more interesting fact that makes visiting Savanah a fun place to be, is that back when this house was built, the more iron work one had on their home, the richer they appeared to be.  So this humble and non-proud home owner loaded his house and yard with the most ornate ironwork in the city.

I was impressed.  How 'bout you?

We loved our time in Savannah even though it lacked the personal aspects we had enjoyed in Charleston.  We will treasure these days spent together doing what we enjoy most - seeing God's beautiful world.

We got on the road early Thursday morning and headed through Florida, Alabama, and Mississippi, where we spent the night.  We were ready by this time to see Louisiana. Thankfully, our nephew, Eric invited us and his parents for lunch at his lovely home out of Port Barre.  It was so good to spend time with him and my sister Gin and husband Thomas before ending our trip in Shreveport.

We never take safe travels for granted so thank our God for His protection and blessings as we traveled.

Thank you for following this lengthy installment of memories.