A Fall Luncheon

   The week before Thanksgiving, a friend invited me to a luncheon at her home.  I was so excited because she really loves to decorate for the holidays!  I thought you might enjoy seeing some of her beautiful antique pieces all decorated for Fall.
   This is a picture of her entry way...

   These pieces were in her diningroom...

   We told her we felt like we were dining in a tea room!  The details on her table were so lovely...

We each brought a dish to share and everything tasted great...

...especially the desserts!

Thank you so much, Teresa, for a very special day!  I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving with family and friends!

Real Homeland Security

   A few weeks ago my husband, Mickey, and I visited some good friends in Oklahoma City.  While we were there, we spent a day in downtown OKC.  We got to go to the site of the 1995 bombing at the Murrah Building and visit the memorial.  It was very sobering to view the chairs that honor those who died there.

On the wall overlooking the reflection pool, is the exact time that the bombing occurred...

The brochure given to us when we entered the memorial, stated that at this moment, 9:01 a.m., our country was changed forever and our age of innocence ended. Of course, this bombing was then followed by the attack on our country on 9-11 and we've been on alert against the possibility of terrorist attacks on our own soil ever since.



  We also saw the wall in front of the museum where children from across the country sent hand-painted tiles to comfort the survivors and those affected by the bombing...

   The area right in front of the museum included a sidewalk where children can write with chalk and express their feelings of sorrow, fear and uncertainty that might occur after their visit.

  

   My thoughts while viewing all this were that we will never be able to reassure our children again that our nation is an entirely safe place to live, but, that most children aren't all that aware of the safety of our country anyway. They only care about their immediate security, their home...and we do have the power to do something about that.

   I looked at the couple we were visiting and thought about the life they have lived. They met and married while still young teenagers. Next spring, my friends will have been married forty years. They've raised four children, lived through prosperous times and lean ones, and cared for one child following a life-changing car accident. Through it all, they've remained faithful and loving to each other, creating a safe haven for their children.

Danny & Leslie Loftin

   Too often today, we see young couples give up after a few years of marriage and their children have the rug pulled out from under their security.  "New moms" and "new dads" move in and out, as children are shuffled from house to house, suitcase and stuffed animal in tow.
   Just as our nation's homeland security is worth fighting for, so is our family's.  God created marriage and the family for a reason.  Are you fighting for yours?

  

    



Friday Family & Friends - Old and New Friends

   Last Friday, we had a visit from an old church camp friend of mine and his sweet wife.  Even though we became friends about 43 years ago, as teenagers, and I had only seen him once since (about 16 years ago) we renewed a great friendship.  I had only met his wife once, but felt very comfortable around her also and made a new friend that I cherish.  My husband also enjoyed our time with both of them and we hope to spend time with them again soon.

   They chose this particular time to visit because it was the weekend of Canton First Monday.  If you've never been to the trade days at Canton, TX, you've really missed out on a great adventure!  This event is held the weekend before the first Monday of every month.  It dates back to the days when a circuit judge would come through town the first Monday of each month and everyone would choose that weekend to come to town and trade vegetables, guns, chickens, etc. while entertaining themselves with the local court proceedings.  It has continued through the years and grown into acres and acres of crafts, flea market items, and yes, even some animals. 

   Here's the statue at the entrance...

It reflects the spirit of the early trade days  very well.  

   Since our friends, Danny and Leslie, really like antiques and the retro look, we headed out to the back of the trade grounds where we found lots of old glassware, guns and well...just about anything else you could imagine.  We even saw this...

                                                             

Is that a bed pan that deer is playing? 

        

   We spent most of the day at Canton even though the temperature was close to 100 degrees.  Leslie bought a beautiful quilt for their bed and some jewelry for their daughters. 

   On Sunday, we went to church and had a mexican dinner before they headed back home to Oklahoma. 

We had a great time introducing them to our family and friends. Danny and Leslie, please come back anytime.  It was a pleasure renewing an old friendship and beginning a new one!

                                                                              

Happy Birthday, Austin!

Austin and his parents, Vince and Jera, are members of our church family here in Dallas. Vince and Jera are a wonderful young couple who prayed for many years to have a child. When the opportunity to adopt in Russia was presented , they worked and saved for several years so they could travel to an orphanage thousands of miles away and bring little Austin back.

We,at our congregation , eagerly watched from home as Jera blogged from Russian for three weeks and showed us pictures of the little blonde haired toddler who had quickly stolen their hearts.

That was over three years ago and it has been such a pleasure to watch little Austin as he begins to grow " in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man". May you have many more happy birthdays, Austin!
(Austin is on the left in the picture above with Michael, my grandson)