A Pleasant Day

I thought I'd post some pictures from Father's Day this past Sunday.

Daddy Discher enjoys the chicken wings he smoked. He tried a new method and boy were they good!

Markie and Rose with their Daddy. Markie gave him Veggie Tales Jonah :) (he gets a kick out of that movie) which we all enjoyed watching together. Rosie, in 8 year old style, gave him an assortment of treasures.

Sarah made him a homeade lemon meringue pie - his very favorite!

All the kids are ordering him a "survival" book!

Me and my Daddy

He enjoyed watching his Franklin Springs Media video An American Adventure

Grace made Grandaddy some delicious whole wheat cinnamon buns! He accused us of trying to fatten him up!

Sarah, the pie maker Discher, made him a cherry pie.

It was gone in about 20 minutes (he shared)!

The dads talk.

Conversation inevitably leads to the discouraging state of the nation

In the end Granddaddy suggests we do more than talk about the direction our country is heading. How precious to lay our burdens down at the throne of our Heavenly Father!

Later, the kids swam.

It was HOT!!!

Mr Toad...how did he make it in this post?

The family favorite...Rook

I think Peter and I won this game!

We thank the Lord for sweet times together. Sometimes, though, I feel like it is the calm before the storm.

--Mama--

Cap and Trade Vote not "Thrilling" enough

Do you ever feel like you are in one of those nightmares that you can't wake up from? That's what I feel like right now. The Twilight Zone...where everything is surreal.

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Americans are more concerned with the death of Michael Jackson than the fact that today our congressmen were voting on arguably the most influential economic bill of the Century.

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While our country is being systematically run into the ground, 60% of Amazon's sales today were from Michael Jackson products. The major news networks appear to be giving more coverage to this man's inevitable demise than to the inevitable demise of our country. While Jackson's death (and his life for that matter) was tragic, does our focus really need to be on a man who's life was spent in self-destruct mode? Maybe there is a connection between "Jacko's" death and this bill after all. Maybe Americans are determined to self destruct. This bill is a guaranteed road to recession and a heavy heavy load for our children to carry. Among other requirements, Califormia level building codes would be required nationwide.

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I know anyone reading this blog probably did call their congressman, and isn't buying Michael Jackson memorabilia. All the same, it is incredible to ponder the mindset of the general populace. I pray that we wake up as a nation, and that we as Christians would humble ourselves, pray, and turn from our wicked and lethargic ways - myself included - for our children's sakes.

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Just a few amazing and discouraging numbers from this "conservation" bill.

• Energy specialists estimate that the bill will affect the environment by 2/10ths of a degree difference by 2100 - Impressive!

  It was 1200 pages long, not including the 300 page amendment that was presented at 3:00 AM this morning! (Yeah...I'm sure they all read and voted intelligibly on it)

  Estimated tax revenue between 2012 and 2035? 5.7 trillion, with 85% of that going to special interest groups! (Do I see giant acorns in our future?)

  Gas prices will go up an estimated 85%, while electric bills will increase by an estimated 90% (Sorry! No hot water tonight, kids)

(source - Fox Network's Glenn Beck show 6/25/09. Most numbers from the Heritage Foundation)

The bill passed 219 to 212 with 9 Republicans jumping ship and voting for it. May God have mercy on us and keep the Senate from passing their version.

--Mama--

the gloom and doom

Happy Fathers Day, Daddy!!!

God Give us Good Men
Ralph Waldo Emerson; Frank Garlock
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God, give us good men,
Men who are great and strong.
Men who for truth and honor's sake,
Stand fast and suffer long.

Brave men who work while others sleep,
Men who dare while others flee.
Men who build a nation's pillars deep,
And strive to keep men free.

God, give us meek men,
Men who know how to pray.
Men who will worship God alone,
And walk with Him each day.

Wise men who know the Word of God,
Men who always will do right.
Men who walk in deep humility,
And trust in God's great might.

God, give us bold men,
Men who have hearts ablaze.
Men who with broader vision seek,
None but God's own praise.

True men with great integrity,
Men whose hearts the Lord has won.
Men who live in humble gratitude,
For all that God has done.

This poem/song describes Daddy.

We are so thankful for a hardworking, steadfast, loving father who loves the Lord with all his heart, and provides for his family both physically and spiritually! We appreciate his strength of character and vision for our family. We love you, Daddy!!!

Beach, Baby and Berries!

For my Mother's Day gift, my sweet husband took us to a beach on Tampa Bay

It was pretty secluded as far as beaches in Florida go!

I think the fact that it was quite windy when we arrived had something to do with that :)


The kids loved the choppy waves!

Daddy and Emma spending some time together

I got out of the water when this visitor greeted us!

A Horseshoe Crab (so the kids tell me - I wouldn't know. All I know is it's in the ugly classification of God's creatures!)

6'1, but he still plays in the sand :)

Sissies

Emma Jane thinks she's got it made!

Here she tries to share with the sea gull (or whatever those obnoxious birds are)

I really like this picture of SarahBeth

By the time we left...

It was quite peaceful!

It was a wonderful afternoon!

When we got home, the children surprised me with this gift.

2 seasons of Agatha Christie's Poirot - one of my favorites!

Hearing that sweet little heartbeat!

All the girls went with me recently to hear the baby's heartbeat.

I love the look on Rosie's face here!

"Do you hear that? It's the new baby!"

My midwife, Marianne and me

BERRIES!

Yum! Blueberries!

(She looks like a professional picker here)

They were so abundant and delicious!

I think Markie ate as many as she picked :)

Here our entire church body decided to go blackberry picking out in Mama and Daddy's woods after church.

We all brought lunch
(Well, we scrounged up some lunch)

Daddy time

Pete with the Waldman boys
They really had to work for these wild berries

But it was worth it!

(Yes, this picture is posed, but they did work hard. When I was trying to get a picture of them picking, Margaret Anne says, "Come on Rosie, let's just pose for it." She know the drill!)

Mmm...mmm...good

Another posed picture

The great outdoors is a great place for great discussion!

This one wasn't posed, though.

Heading back to the house!
--Mama--

"Emma and The Whale"

G’daddy and Pete had gone fishing with one of G’daddy’s clients and had brought home some live and some half dead shiners and minnows. Pete put them in the pond in the yard and we frequently see him out on his hands and knees watching them, making sure they’re OK, and that they have enough oxygenated water. (He’s like a mother hen and her chicks!)

Anyway, one of the shiners had died and Peter gave it to Emma as a pet completely past being able to suffer her “affections.” She had it in an empty sour cream container, half full with water, floating belly-up. She carried it everywhere with her.

She would often grab it, hold it up, squeal with delight, (No doubt squeeze it) and shove it towards anyone around and exclaim about her fish. She was VERY adamant that it was a girl not a boy fish! She called her “my whale” and she named her “A Fish.”

I put the poor, stiff body up in the now empty container (the water had long-since been spilled) and told Emma it was naptime and she could have The Fish when she got up.

Sure enough, upon waking up, she asked for The Fish, her whale. So, I gave it to her. I noticed her looking very sternly into the container at the innocent fish. About 5 minutes later, she came up to me.

“She’s a ugly fish!!!”
“An ugly fish!?! Poor "The Fish"! Why is she ugly?”
“She was naughty!”
“She was…..naughty?”

(I was having trouble envisioning what The Fish, cold and stiff and quite dead as she was, could have possibly done, especially since she had been resting in peace in her sour cream container. )

Emma looked at me with a very severe and dreadful countenance as if my questioning her was somehow an affront to her authority and as if I were taking sides with "The Fish".

“She was naughty! She was pretending to be an elephant!”

At this point I was thrilled that she chose to make a grand and dignified exit after her horrible denunciation, since I had to do an about-face and hide my smile and try to choke down my laughter.

Just as a side note, about 30 min later, we managed to spirit "The Fish" (who was beginning to smell fishy) away and she is now peacefully resting outside somewhere.

--Kitty

A Girls Trip to North Carolina, With Gdaddy As Our Chauffeur

Last month, Gmama, Gdaddy, Gma Harris, 3 Stricklen girls, Markie, and I (Kitty) all headed to North Carolina for my Great-Great-Aunt Mary Lee's 90th birthday party. What a wonderful oportunity for us girls to visit with older relatives, hear the stories, and see living, walking, breathing testimonies to God's grace and love throughout the years! Aunt Mary Lee is my Great-Grandpa Harris' older sister. She was "his" when he was a little boy. It was her responsibility to keep him alive, well, and out of trouble (um....a loud "Hahahahaha!!!" should now be inserted after that statement. :)

Visiting my North Carolina relatives is one of my favorite trip routes and activites, so I was thrilled to do it again, and it was extra-special since we had Gma Harris with us this time! It was a wonderful trip!!!

Gma Harris - - always lovely and joyful.

And Gmama is her mother's daughter!

After our first night on the road, we had a picnic breakfast at the RV park.

Such a scenic spot. ;-)

Sweet fellow-chipmunks in the chipmunk nest.

I SO enjoyed the time I had to talk with Gma Harris and the wisdom she took time to share with me!!!

Of course - -we can't have a trip without the boot pictures!!!

And poor Mr. Foot couldn't be left out, either....

Ahhhhh! A good book is always enjoyable!

Mary and her fiddle before the...um....catastrophe...

The fiddle was broken later when Mary accidentally tripped.

:'(

A cup of tea, and Gypsy.

Gypsy is our new friend. She helps us when were lost. And sometimes she loses us for us. Good ol' Gypsy! What would we have done without her, our faithful GPS? (I guess we would've looked at a map??)

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On our way to the Harris side of the family, we visited the Whitley side of the family. We went to see Uncle Charles and Aunt Polly.

Uncle Charles is Gma Harris' younger and only surviving brother. (Her other brother was MIA during WWII and never returned) When we called to let them know we were in town and coming to visit, Gma received a shock. Aunt Polly informed her that Uncle Charles was battling cancer again, and this time it was very serious. So it was a bitter-sweet meeting. Gma came away joyful though, with the new sure knowledge that Uncle Charles knew where he was going when he left this world! Praise the Lord!

Please be praying for Uncle Charles, Aunt Polly, their family, and Gma during this time.

Brother and sister

Gdaddy and Aunt Polly

"Can you sing Cowboy's Sweetheart, Markie?"

Gmama came down from the RV towards the end. (Her knees were doing real bad.)

"I love you, Bonnie!!!"

Uncle and Niece

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Of course, on a trip (or any time, come to think of it) you must eat! So, the Great Gypsy Followers stop ocasionally for a bite to eat. Please Observe...

Sweet but hungry girls.

Don't get your hand to close to their eatin' holes!!!

The Yankee from Wabash territory lends his arm to his Southern Belle as they bear their teas out the door and into the sunsat (it was already dark, you see...)

Markie is.......well, you see.....

But, I love her anyway!!!

:-P :o) :-P

And here we find our entire crew enjoying a nice meal.

"Mmmmmmmmmm-mmmmmmmmm Good!"

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Next, we headed to Uncle Bob's. He's always so sweet when any of us are in the area, and we're grateful to his daughters as well, for all the helpful preparation they give him! He always offers his home, time, and of course, humor!!!

Here Gma and Uncle Bob sit in his living room with all of us girls sitting on the floor around them listening. We were watching a WWII documentary on the war in the South Pacific. It was awsome to be sitting there, listening as they shared what they could rememeber. At one point, Uncle Bob pointed at the TV and said, "There's Pete's ship!" (Uncle Pete was one of the older Harris boys in the navy during the war.)

We all scanned every scene with the faint hope that we might see Gpa, or one of the other Harris boys among the footage. Uncle Bob told us stories of his days as a Merchant Marine, and they both shared other family tales from the war.

During the entire war, the Harris Family didn't lose one son. They all returned home. What a wonderful testimony to the Lord's care and protection! Eventually, every Harris with the exception of two, made a profession of faith. Praise the Lord!!!

Yep, we were hungry again.

Uncle Bob treated us to his favorite restaraunt - - and it was BBQ!!!!!! :)

That's Uncle Bob's "Wow I'm hungry! Get the camera away and bring the food" look.

;-)

Mary and I enjoy ourselves.....

Uncle Bob does everything he can to honor his much-loved and much-missed older brother! Taking care of Kye's bride when she's around is one way to do it, and he goes out of his way to honor her in every way he can.

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And then we were off the to the "aniques' home" as Uncle Bob calls Aunt Mary Lee's retirement home. There, with many, many, many other Harris folks, we were going to help Aunt Mary Lee celebrate her 90th birthday!!!

Gma, Uncle Bob, and Aunt Bonita

Aunt Mary Lee (in the seat of honor), and Aunt Betty

Uncle Bob sure loves being the only fellow with all those women!

:o)

All of us with Uncle Bob

Aunt and niece

Fellowship with relatives rarely seen...

Debbie and Elaine, two of Uncle Bob's daughters.

We love seeing them when we visit.

Aunt Mary Lee on her wedding day

Me with my favorite great-great uncle

:)

Beverly (Gmama's cousin) and Aunt Betty

Another twig of the Harris Family Tree.

I knew who they were at one point.....

:-T

Gma, Aunt Bonita, and Aunt Mary Lee

The girls singing and Gmama playing Indian Love Call for the birthday girl. Aunt Mary Lee was in tears. She had wanted that song sung at her wedding so very badly, but no one would sing it. The song brought back many, many memories for her.

Mary and Markie enjoying the party

Markie and I with Aunt Mary Lee

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While at uncle Bob's, we always take pictures of the old pictures he has - and he has a lot! If there's one thing he loves, it's his family.

Uncle Bob as a school boy.

We all love this picture, and think he looks like Daniel. Wait - I guess Daniel would look like him.

:-P

Great-great Uncle Bill's life work. He started the Harris Teeter Supermarket chain.

"Mama"

Loving mother of 12, my great-great Granny Harris.

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An then we were off on the road again! Following Gypsy to unknown destinations and exciting adventures!

(Note: we did know the general direction and destination we were headed to. But with Gypsy.....you never know......)

Our Chauffeur

One of our several photographers

The monkeys...er...chipmunks

Two Matriarchs

And mine humble self with mine cousin Callie.

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So, we ended up in Charleston. Gma Harris rememebers going there to see Gpa when he returned - severley wounded - from Iwo Jima. So, to Charleston we went, and the nightmare began. Let's just say that I don't think many RV's go through that fair city. When, thanks to a kindly cab driver, we finally found a good place to park our monster near the harbor, we dug around for enough loose change for the parking meter, and then Gdaddy and us girls headed out. Gma and Gmama stayed in the RV due to the amount of walking we would be doing.

The adventure began...

"Hi-Ho and away we go; Adventure we are seeking!"

We were absolutely fascinated with all the olde doors on the houses!

"A big thank you to whoever ownes that house and door! The picture made it on the blog!!!"

:-P

Here are two lively adventurers! There was a very helpful young guide there to help us. He gave us helpful info.

We were walking along, and suddenly we stopped and gasped. To our left was the perfect Southern mansion! Magnolia trees and all, and they smelled so good! The picture doesn't do it justice. It did look a bit odd in the city. It should have been out on a huge and beautiful plantation. It was lovely!

We went to the Charleston meusem. Here we are with a full-sized, life-sized reproduction of one of our submarines during the War of 1861. We sunk two Yankee ships before we went down. (We is used loosely here. No, I wasn't there, since I know I am going to get comments about that. :-P)

The shoe buckle of Francis Marrion, The Swamp Fox.

Yep, you guessed it. I took this picture.

They had a great collection of firearms!!!

And of the sharper, bladed weapons , too.

Hmmmm....that's odd. Considering the giant behind them, they should be frightened.....

And now were back out in the town. After a bit of confusion, adding 2 miles to our walk, we grabbed the RV, along with Gma and Gmama. We headed down to the harbor to see what he could of the small speck of Fort Sumpter, and look at the battlements where the last stand of Charleston against the Yankees took place. This picture is us at the Confederate Memorial.

Markie with a piece of the artillary.

For some reason, they have the Yankee guns there for display instead of ours.

:'(

I was absolutely fascinated with this building. It stood there alone, what was left of it. There has to be a good story behind it, and someday I'm going to go back and find out what it is!!

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And now, we're making a beeline for home. That last day is always a relief, and saddening. The adventure is over. Back to the nice-but-not-as-interesting everyday life....

Um....Did I say not as interesting????

:-S

Anyway, we were headed home!!!

Backseat driver

Just kidding. I was posing for a picture.

:-P

Everyone's enjoyed the trip.

Everyone's happy to be going home.

Mamas and their babies

Gdaddy reading us an article during devotions.

He and Gmama are always daithful to read us the Word when we are together!

Me talking to a very very very emotional Emma!

I kind of got the idea she doesn't approve of me leaving on trips without her.

And of course, you can't travel all those miles without someone taking a picture of God's wonderful and beautiful sunset!!!

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Well, that's all my friends! I hope you've had a nice nap. Don't forget to come back for another next time Kitty takes a trip with a camera! :)

S'long, Folks!!