Southern Porch Extension

[Edy]

The internet just swallowed up my last attempted post!

Laurie, your description does sound like you had a heart-wrenching day. Wish we could have been there alongside you in person.

Cynthia, those bedtime prayers sure are another blessing of the Christian life! I like to recall the words our Dad taught us from Luther's Bedtime Prayer: "...Into Thy hands I commend my body and soul and all that is mine. Let Thy holy angels have charge of me, that the wicked one may have no power over me. Amen."

[BeachGrandma]

Edy, I think you look remarkably like your aunt who stands on the back row, second in from the right. At first I thought it might be you! I love to look at old family photos. I have one of my mom which is so beautiful that I can see why Daddy said he stood at the rail of the troop ship in the Mediterranean in World War I, looking at the full moon and actually crying because he missed the girl he was engaged to--my mother. She was a striking 19 year old with long hair lightly curled at the ends and with big brown eyes.

Speaking of the enemy in the last few posts, I used to say to him when he attacked me in my thoughts, "I will not talk to you. You'll have to speak to my attorney. Jesus Christ Himself is my Advocate. Goodbye!"

[BeachGrandma]

Edy, I don't see the belt you were talking about.

[ready2go]

When Satan tries to remind me of my past, then, I remind him of his future.

Don

[ready2go]

During our younger days we all remember seeing old photos of our grandparents, great-grandparents, etc. I recall smiling over the clothing they wore, their hair styles, the stuffy poses for the picture, and how old they all looked to me.

Well...today most of us are as old as they were then. It's not so funny now.

Don

[forHIM]

When Satan tries to remind me of my past, then, I remind him of his future.

Don

That is priceless and I love it. You need to write an article about this or I am going to write a poem with this saying.

[ready2go]

When Satan tries to remind me of my past, then, I remind him of his future.

Don

That is priceless and I love it. You need to write an article about this or I am going to write a poem with this saying.

Please do write that poem. If I ever get around to writing an article using that theme, it will be many moons from now.

Gotta go now...Hal Lindsey's TV message is about to begin.

Don

[Laurie]

Edy, thanks for your kind words. Debby, thanks for asking how I'm doing. Tonight I'm a complete mess. And I'm feeling kinda spent. But I know this is normal. My poor mom had to go to my dad's sister's memorial service about 5 or 6 weeks after my dad died. It was too far for me to go since I can't stand to sit in a car for long, but she went with other members of my dad's family.

I'm definitely on family overload right now, and there are times I feel like I'm about ready to crack.

As far as matters I'm helping my mom with, we have accomplished so much and things are a little less hectic now, but there's still a lot on our minds and still plenty of things we're waiting to hear back about. And we still have the farm sale and auction to deal with in the next month. Then after those are done, we'll have capital credits, further estate planning and some other matters to deal with. I hope that in July we'll be pretty much done. Not that everything will be wrapped up, but that we'll have at least taken action on everything (and waiting for things to come through).

I haven't been able to push myself as much in the evenings this week as I would have liked, so I have more to do on the weekend than I'd like, but I MUST take time for myself and spend some extra time with the Lord. That's what I need the most.

[Edy]

Edy, I think you look remarkably like your aunt who stands on the back row, second in from the right. At first I thought it might be you! I love to look at old family photos. I have one of my mom which is so beautiful that I can see why Daddy said he stood at the rail of the troop ship in the Mediterranean in World War I, looking at the full moon and actually crying because he missed the girl he was engaged to--my mother. She was a striking 19 year old with long hair lightly curled at the ends and with big brown eyes.

Speaking of the enemy in the last few posts, I used to say to him when he attacked me in my thoughts, "I will not talk to you. You'll have to speak to my attorney. Jesus Christ Himself is my Advocate. Goodbye!"

Mariane, I'd love to see photos of your mom and dad and the whole family. Can Tim help you post some?

Are you referring to the little "pasted" in photo my brother photo-shopped in the upper right area of the family photo? If so, I am flattered. You should see that tiny snap full size. Dinah was a beauty (but had a difficult life). The story my dad told is that she pushed her brother Norman to the side so her new blouse would show on the photo - which is why Norman's face doesn't show!

Sad memories are attached to this photo (taken in 1909 when my dad would have been four years old). Julia, the sister in the dark dress to our left of the tall brother in back, was pregnant with her sixth child (I believe she was 26 at the time). She had a midwife for the birth of the other five, but for the sixth, her husband insisted on a doctor. She contracted "childbirth fever" (probably a strep infection) and died. So, if they hadn't taken the family photo when they did, it would have been incomplete. Dad told us sad stories about Julia calling her little three-year-old Alice to her bedside as she lay dying.

Mariane, the belt is a cross-over strap - look at the littlest boy, leaning on his mother's knee. That's my dad with his "cross" belt.

[Edy]

I just discovered something. When I'm in "Post a reply" mode, I can scroll down earlier posts and see the entire family photo, including the missing sister on the far right. Curious!

[ready2go]

This morning was not like any other morning. Oh, it started out the same way as previous mornings, but then, what I heard and saw changed the "same-old...same-old" into something that thrilled my soul.

THE HOUSE WRENS ARE BACK!!!

Like clock work, they always return to our back yard in early May...as they have done for over twenty years. However, this spring was different. The wrens were a no-show. Their perky antics were not seen, nor, were their warbling songs heard anywhere. Sadly, the back yard was not quite the same without them. I love those little guys.

Instead, a pair of chickadees staked a claim to the wren house about three or four weeks ago, and quickly set up housekeeping. After all...they need to nest somewhere, too. They produced several fuzzy babies that grew and left their home two days ago. The proud parents packed their bags and followed behind them.

Then, seemingly out of nowhere, a male wren was seen this morning sitting proudly on the roof of the wren house. He was singing his heart out...attempting to attract a willing female. He will be successful, too...just as previous tenants have done for twenty years.

Oh, happy day! The house wrens are back!!!

Don

[Green Leaves]

I too love to see and hear the birds. I wish I could distinguish each and their calls. I wrote a poem one time about the order of God's creation.

God knows what He's doing,
His plan is complete,
His creation is ordered,
Each detail a feat.

Do you hear birds barking
Or see grass blood red,
Or skies always darkened,
The sun put to bed?

What if there's no music,
What if we were blind,
No order, just chaos
Is all that we find?

It's hard to imagine
A world all unplanned,
A world of disorder,
No sign of God's hand.

He knows what He's doing,
He knows each detail,
My life has a purpose,
His will shall prevail.


Psalm 104



I love to hear to hear the bird songs. Can you imagine how awful it would have been if they all "barked" instead?



The opinions expressed by authors do not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com.

[cdawson41]

That is a beautiful poem, thank you so much for sharing it. And yes barking birds would not be any fun to listen to at all, especially with the numbers of them we have around our house. LOL.

[BeachGrandma]

Carol, that poem is made for a laminated bookmark, with pretty flowers and trees and blue skies around it. Do you have a machine for that purpose?

Hoping I'll have some good news for you all re Tim sometime today. The beach is packed with people and even though it's windy, it's not keeping them out of the ocean. I just heard a siren go by and that always worries me. The ocean is so powerful.

Happy Memorial Day weekend! I well remember the Memorial Day parade when I was a kid when I would march with Daddy, holding onto his hand and waving to the crowds along the way, pretending they had all come to see me! Daddy was so patriotic and wore that paper red poppy in his lapel and we both carried small American flags which were distributed freely. We'd march down Broad Street up to the big stone representing the unknown soldier where a wreath was laid, then proceed to the cemetery to put a flag on every serviceman's grave. After that we'd all go to the Waverly Glen Park where below the waterfalls, we'd have a huge community picnic for the rest of the day. That little town still does that in upstate New York but most towns and cities have given up celebrating to any degree. God bless the memory to our hearts of all who served to keep us free.

Later..........

[Green Leaves]

Mariane, I did buy a laminator as you suggested a long time ago. But I have not had the energy to follow through and make up the bookmarks. I still want to do that one of these days. It is such a good idea.

I confess I am "chomping at the bit" to hear Tim's news. How are the boys doing now?