Now That was Funny!

Trick or Treat

starring

  Marissa as Dorothy 

Gracie as Toto

Gracie:  "Can we stop for a minute?  I have an itch!"

Marissa: "Grammy, Toto won't come here."

Jake as Scooby Doo

 "I love you Toto"

"There's no place like home..."

Gary as the mad-man who tries to get back in the house after he's locked out because of being an accomplice to a practical joke played on his wife by her son...

"We'll unlock the door and let you in Pop Pop. .....  Gracie, how do we unlock the door?"

Jack as the son who supposedly was in the bathroom but in reality had snuck outside and kept ringing the doorbell and knocking on all the doors causing his mother to run outside with the huge bowl of candy excited to have trick or treaters  only to find nobody there...  He was locked out as well...

 "Now that was funny!"

If God Convicts You That It is Wrong, Then It Is.

I don't like to think of myself as a religious person.  Too many things are done in the name of religion that make me cringe.  

Instead I hope that I can be recognized as a person who has a heart for God and has given her life to Christ.  You see, Christ can change a heart from evil to good. Really.   

With that being said, I'm going to ramble a bit today; hope you won't get lost.

Last week in our Church the sermon was on Halloween and how it is evil.  Though I respect our pastor's views on the subject I don't totally agree.  To me, halloween is a time to laugh and have fun and has nothing to do with evil.  I guess it's all in what you put into it.  If you think it's evil, it is.  If you carve a pumpkin and invite evil spirits inside, then...  well... you get the picture. 

Which holiday that we celebrate nowadays doesn't have a pagan or evil history behind it?  Or which one have we not made evil by our traditions?  I guess what I'm saying is...  if you think something is evil, such as Halloween... then yes... you better stay away from it's celebration.   If God convicts you that it is wrong then it is.  I'm not trying to make excuses, I'm ready to follow God.  If we're going to follow Him though... let's not pick and choose what we want to follow.  Let's let him lead us in all things.  

Last night we went to a program at our Church, The Evolution of a Creationist.  Jobe Martin, D.M.D. Th. M.  Wow!!  I've always believed through faith that the earth was created by the Lord our Creator...  but seeing the proof was icing on the cake.  This guy started out as a traditional scientist and is now a creationist.  Last night he took a look at animals that break all the evolutionary 'rules'.   I learned some things I never knew before.  

Forever learning, I keep my heart and mind open. 

Okay, that was a ramble for sure.  Gracie woke me early this morning and I'm working on shaking this headache before I start my day.  

Memory of halloween past:

Casper, the friendly ghost was my costume of choice... I loved him, because he was friendly.  Mom would give us each (all 6 of us)  a big brown grocery bag and we'd go door to door collecting candy, cookies (they always ended up smashed at the bottom of the bag) and dimes. 

 People gave, kids trusted, and the world was okay.  

Have a wonderful day everyone!

It's Obvious who is At Fault

I'm not usually one to put the blame on someone else.  But in this case, it's obvious who is at fault.  The facts are all the proof I need.  It's his fault.

Fact:  In mid September, when Gary's Uncle Victor arrived to live in the adjoining apartment of our house (our guest apartment), I weighed 143 lb.  I realize some women don't like to reveal their weight or their age.  I don't really care, my life's pretty much an open book.  

Fact: today I weigh 148 lb.  *Gasp*

Is it Uncle Victor's fault?  You bet it is!

It wasn't only requested by him that we go out to dinner with him every Saturday and Sunday... it was expected of us.  

He eats slow.  Very slow.  By the time he's done, I'm ready for dessert... 

waitress: "is that all for you today?"

me: "umm. the peanut butter fudge pie... 

could you give me a piece to go please?"

Get the picture?

So today, it's with fond farewell that we bid Uncle Victor a safe drive back to Florida where he'll spend the winter before heading north again...  and though I will miss him much, I'll be able to focus on eating a little more healthy.  

Gary and Uncle Victor

Dear Diary,

Mom says I have a double.  I don't know what a double is.  Double-stuff oreo cookies.  Do I have cookies?  I think not.

So anyway... Mom got me a new jacket.  It's comfy.  She says it's for when I get groomed and my fur is shorter.  Whatever the case, I love my new jacket...

And I hope my new boyfriend/neighbor 

Max notices me now.

Gracie

Can't Play Without Scrabble Music

I came home from work to a vase of new wildflowers from our  front yard.  These things are not giving up!

Thank you, Gary

This will probably be it though. 

 I know...  I said that last week.

And they just keep on coming...

But this time I'm seeing more signs of everything dying off.  When we took Gracie for her walk, we walked around front to take a look...

Bees are dying on the waning flowers...

It's breezy... and there's a chill in the air.

"Do you want to play Scrabble?" Gary asks.

One of the first fights we ever had was playing online Scrabble with 550 miles between us. 

 He was cheating.  I swore I'd never play Scrabble with him again.  But time heals all, and I finally bit the bullet and forgave him.  He hasn't cheated since.  

Can't play without the Scrabble music.

I should have known it wasn't going to be a good game for me.

Gracie wanted to know, "What about me?"  

"Gracie, it's always all about you.  Just take a nap."

I held on for a while... 

But the hubby won in the end.  It was a bad board.  I had nasty letters.  And yes, I have a lot of excuses.  

I lost, I had to put everything away.  

So how was your day?

Have I Told You About My New Secretary?

Just minutes away from our home... 

The perfect Walk...

Gracie!  Get a grip!!

On Sunday's walk I noticed that there aren't as many vibrant colors as there usually are around this time of year.

Okay, I'll admit.  I'm a little envious of the other blogs I'm seeing with all the reds, yellows and oranges showing beautiful and  bright.

But our walk was nice.  Hubby felt pretty good. 

 Gracie was happy.  

I was way over-dressed though.  Hubby and I had a bet.  I said the temp would be 80 for a high, he said 76 I believe.

It was 79.

I'm paranoid when I hear a train whistle.
  You know why.
  
Another false alarm.

Over the bridge

It's usually like a Thomas Kincaid 

painting here in the fall.

 Not that this isn't pretty... it's just not 
what is usually is.

A Picture and Some History along the way...

Back in the day...  There's the bridge we just went over...

It was a beautiful day!

Oh...  have I told you about my new Secretary...??

Pastor Appreciation Month - Thank You!

It's Pastor Appreciation Month.  At my Church we had a fine turkey dinner with all the trimmings as we honored our Pastor and his Family.  

In my fifty-five years of life, I've bounced around to a lot of different Churches, and studied different religions, affiliations and so forth, searching for Truth.  I've been confused, disappointed and angry but I've learned a lot, found peace, and felt God's love as well.  

Today I'd like to honor a few Pastors... 
 men of God who have made a difference in my life.  

Recently I attended a Sunday service at a local Baptist Church where Pastor George Hattenfield preached.  I was reminded that day of the impact this man  had made on my life as a child.  I had given my heart to Jesus under his ministry, through the evangilist team of Hal Webb and Theron Babcock.    

Through Pastor Hattenfield's leadership, I became rooted.

Probably the most influential of Pastors I was blessed to have - was Pastor Dr. Richard Metrick.  He not only taught the Word of God so impeccably, but he set a strong and good example for his flock that was biblical and honoring to God.

   

Pastor Gene Cecil was there for me... for us (hubby and me) at a time when we were broken.  He called, showed up, put all else aside, and let us know that he was a phone call away.  He was always available.  A pastor and a friend.   A heart for people, a heart for God. 

Our currant pastor, Jerry Eisenhour, is on fire for God!  His sermons are alive and he doesn't care who he offends as long as he is preaching the Word of God.  If you see this man outside of church, you will never doubt that he is a man after God's heart.  He loves God, and loves people. 

I'm thankful that God led me to the different Churches where these men Pastored, and for the impact they had on my life. 

 I pray that each one knows that they are appreciated

 for their loyalty to God in being in His Ministry.  

The same way God speaks to Pastors and Ministers and leads them to other Churches, He leads us where we need to be in our walk with Him.  

Pastor George Hattenfield

 Pastor Dr. Richard Metrick

 Pastor Gene Cecil

 Pastor Jerry Eisenhour

YOU ARE APPRECIATED!

Homes of Tomorrow

 One of the things I love the most about my hubby is his sense of adventure.  Hovering at the opposite of my introverted self, is his extroverted self. He will go out on a limb, go where no man has gone, ignore stupid rules (only the stupid ones), and convince me that I should do the same> LOL 

REWIND - 2002

Lake Michigan, about ten minutes

 from where Gary lived in Indiana.

  I was a little hesitant about touring the homes that sat abandoned along Lakeshore Drive overlooking Lake Michigan that day, but after Gary educated me on their unique history...  I was in! 

So we ignored the No Tresspassing signs and carefully crept inside, investigating every nook and cranny and immagining what it must have been like back at the 1933 Worlds Fair as people in 30's attire, eager for a peek into the future walked through and were wowed by these model homes.  

Holding onto the spiral staircase's banister I carefully glanced back to make sure we weren't about to be busted.  We were alone. 

 In case you don't know about the Houses of the Future that were a part of Chicago's World's Fair in 1933, here is some of it's history.  You can also click on the Title Link of my post and go directly to the sight. 

A Century of Progress:

The 1933 Chicago World's Fair boasted a Century of Progress celebrating man's innovations in architecture, science, technology and transportation.  One interesting and enduring exhibit was the Homes of Tomorrow Exposition that demonstrated modern home convenience and creative practical new building materials and techniques. 

After the exposition ended in 1936, the homes were put on barges and moved across the lakes to Indiana and Illinois.  A couple of homes were moved to Chicago suburb s while five were placed at Beverly Shores to help spark development in the late 30's.  The development never happened; however, the Indiana park service maintained the homes after the original occupants moved.  

Five of the original homes have survived the last 70 years on the shores of Lake Michigan.  Several of the designs have also been erected in other states

 The Florida Tropical House

THEN...

AND NOW...

THIS IS MY FAVE!
When I saw this one, I fell in love with it. 

It's right above Lake Michigans shore and on a clear day you can see Chicago on the horizon.  The view is spectacular... and the house has character that is beyond words! 

 "If ever I win the lottery," I said, "This house is mine!" 

Sure, it needs completely overhauled.  But that would be half the fun. 

 Remember friend's...

this one's already spoken for...  hee hee...

We tried to get in, but it was locked tight.   

  We did peek in all the windows though. 

Check out that view!

The House of Tomorrow

THEN....

AND NOW....

"Come on, let's go have a look..."

 

"Careful!"

Upstairs....

We could've used a fire in that stove.  Brrrrr it was chilly...

Needs a little work, wouldn't you say?

And to think, these fine 'Homes of the Future" were brought over on a barge!

Okay, that was fun. 

 Then it was on to a place that makes

the best hamburgers ever!  Really!