Surprise Gift

One of my dearest friends came and took my daughter out shopping with her today. (I was out shopping too, on my own)
When I got back, I found a small package and card for me under my tree. :) I love surprises, and I love my friend :)

The Altar and the Door

Here at the altar, Oh my world's so black and white
How could I ever falter, What You've shown me to be right
Lord, this time I'll make it right, Here at the altar I lay my life
Your kingdom come but my will was done
My heart is broken

As I cry, Like so many times before
But my eyes, Are dry before I leave the floor
Oh Lord, I try
But this time, Jesus, how can I be sure
I will not lose my follow-through
Between the altar and the door?

~ Casting Crowns, The Altar and the Door

Ladies who Lunch

Last year we started a new tradition. The week before Christmas, my Mom, Sister and I spend the day together having lunch and then doing whatever comes to our minds. This time, we started with lunch at Mimi's cafe and then walked around a huge outdoor mall here in town.
We got a group shot, using my camera's remote and an improvised tripod. Needless to say, hilarity ensued, with three women trying to pose for a picture and all simultaneously show their best sides...

Then we walked around admiring the Christmas decorations and of course, taking pictures. Until...I was flagged down by a mall rent-a-cop, and we had a little confrontation which included the MOST inane questions. It went something like this:

R.A.C. - are you here with a company taking pictures?
ME - No.
R.A.C. - well, what are you doing?
ME- Uh...taking pictures?
R.A.C. - why?
ME- Because it's what we DO...
R.A.C. - for what PURPOSE?
ME- Uh...because we LIKE to take PICTURES?? It's a hobby, you could say.
R.A.C - Well, I'ma hafta ask you to stop.
ME- that's not legal, if my eye can see it, I can shoot it. (as R.A.C. is on her radio with the chief of all R.A.C.'s saying "yes, I've just made contact with the perpetrators...")
R.A.C. - well, they don't like you taking pictures out here
ME- That's asinine, but we are on our way out anyway, so no problem.

Then she proceeded to stalk us in her little R.A.C.- mobile, while we surreptitiously keep taking quick shots, just to annoy her. hee!!



Yes, we are total scoff-laws, and had Mom's assurances that she would deliver our Christmas dinners to the Duval County Jail if necessary. :)



It was a great day, and a tradition I hope we continue every year. Thanks to my Dad for wrangling RJ while we ran around and had fun :)

You can see the rest of the illegal shots on my Flickr

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

We haven't done much in the way of outside lights in years. Imagine my surprise when I came home from a Saturday out and found this! :)

Rory and Will worked hard all afternoon to do it up right :)

I think they outdid themselves, and of course RJ is overjoyed :)

Let there be light!

It just amazes me what builders will do to save money when building a house. This was our kitchen light before last Saturday - it's never been bright enough with the 10 ft ceilings, and then the ballast went out and it gradually got dimmer and dimmer.

This is literally how much light it gave right before we replaced it.

Thanks to my hubby and my Dad, we now have a blindingly bright new kitchen light. It's almost bright enough to do surgery, I love it! LOL

Upside Down

Fall Color in Florida

He's got Shingles

My hubby, that is. Most likely caused by stress. :( I made him go to acute care tonight, I had my suspicions and I was right. Glad we caught it quick, AND that it's not in a horribly bad spot. (Not that ANY spot is good for shingles, but there are worse places than the shoulder area...right Dad?)

:o)

Field Trip

I went on a field trip with my Flickr peeps last Saturday. It was an awesome day. We started out at Egan's Creek Greenway, which I've posted about before . It was supposed to be rainy some of the day, but it started out absolutely gorgeous.







After stomping around in the marsh for awhile, we headed over to St. Peter's Episcopal Church Cemetery. It's a beautiful little cemetery, and we had a good time snapping away in the shade of the huge, old oaks.
All that photography works up an appetite, so we went to the Front & Center in Downtown Fernandina. It's a beautiful restaurant, right on the Amelia River. The seafood quiche was fabulous. :)It's always great to go on these field trips. It's so refreshing to be running around with your own kind, and you know NO one is going to roll their eyes at you for taking a picture of your food before you eat it, or whine if you make them stop for "just one more shot" :)
After lunch, the weather was taking a turn for the worse, but we took the opportunity to harass the pelicans on the dock.

All in all, it was a great day. I'm already looking forward to the next one! :)

Somewhere, Out there...

is a naked snake.

Skywatch Friday

Beautiful Blue Fall Skies here in FL, between rainshowers :)

Hope everyone has a great weekend, and for more skywatchers from all over the world, click on my post title above :)

Never Forget

RJ and I visited the cemetery this afternoon. We took a walk through the grounds, he asked questions and I answered as best I could. I told him about people he had never met, but are a part of him.
I come from a family running over with veterans :) My Grandfather and his brother both served in WWII and Grandpa served in Korea as well. My Father, brother, and sister-in-law are veterans of the Gulf War and spent many, MANY collective years serving our country in the military.

There's still a war going on, though it's gone on for so long now, it's easy to forget as we go on with our daily lives. I am guilty of failing to pray daily for those who now serve, and to be thankful for those who served in the past to protect the freedom we enjoy today. Let us not forget to remember...
Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends ~ John 15:13