Thank you Dan for continuing Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge, can’t say it enough how much it is appreciated and challenging.
This week Dan has chosen the theme of Fun with Food and I have chosen to taken the Fun with Food Outdoors. My selections vary from cooking on open fires, to eating, and some cooking demonstrations. It’s all good and fun and what more fun can be had then by the fresh air and the smell of hot Food cooking over an outdoor fire-pit.
I enjoy camping and cooking on an open fire whenever feasible. Most of these are from years back when I practically lived in the campgrounds. The two photos from the President James K. Polk Historic Site were taken during a Presidents’ Day Celebration in 2014.
The images taken at Andrew Jackson State Park(AJSP) were taken either while camping in or at the Andrew Jackson Birthday Celebration in 2018-2019. I have spent quite a bit of time camping over the years and a lot of time spent in AJSP. I also whenever I am able volunteer at various events held at AJSP as a member of Friends of Andrew Jackson State Park (AJSP).
Volunteer Cookout Andrew Jackson State Park Lancaster, SCCooking Supper at Andrew Jackson State Park Lancaster, SCCooking Outside at Hocking Hills KOA Logan, Ohio Andrew Jackson State Park Lancaster, SCPresident James K. Polk State Historic Site Pineville, NCPresident James K. Polk State Historic Site Pineville, NCAndrew Jackson State Park Lancaster, SCAndrew Jackson State Park Lancaster, SCAndrew Jackson State Park Lancaster, SCAndrew Jackson State Park Lancaster, SCThe Schiele Museum of Natural History Gastonia, NCAndrew Jackson State Park Lancaster, SCAlona at Andrew Jackson State Park Lancaster, SCColeman snacking at Anne Springs Close Greenway Fort Mill, SCColeman having a picnic in Lake Wylie, SCColeman practicing clean-up at Anne Springs Close Greenway Fort Mill, SC
Hopefully one day in the future I’ll be able to take Coleman camping. He wants a tent and to go camping, I’m just not sure he would stay in the tent at night and not wander off.
Debbie’s One Word Challenge theme this week is Haze. My entries this week are from a trip with my eldest son in 2017. He had a birthday wish to drive the Blue Ridge Parkway.
We drove to the Parkway beginning our trip in Lancaster, South Carolina driving through Chester to the US-321N. This direction led us through Blowing Rock before traversing over onto the Blue Ridge Parkway. We (He) drove the Parkway from this southern point all the way to the North Carolina/Viginia Border. We did not drive the Virginia portion of the Blue Ridge Parkway.
We stopped at various milestones along the parkway for breaks, hiking, and to check out the scenery. At a few stops we incurred a bit of Haze which impaired the views somewhat.
Stone Mountain Overlook Bluff Overlook/Doughton Park Devils Garden Overlook Raven Rocks OverlookBalsam Grove/Pisgah Inn Observation DeckPisgah National ForestAlong the Blue Ridge Parkway
We stopped more on the way back southbound than we did going northbound. Our northern most stop along the Blue Ridge Parkway was at Stone Mountain Overlook at Milepost 232.5. We stopped here shortly before proceeding to Stone Mountain State Park in Roaring Gap, North Carolina where we hiked the Stone Mountain Loop Trail. We had great views of Stone Mountain, saw the Middle and Lower Waterfalls, and visited the Hutchinson Homestead. The Hutchinson Homestead is a mid-19th century farm with well maintained old buildings, a large meadow with terrific views of Stone Mountain State.
Our next stops were at Devils Garden Overlook at Milepost 235.7; Doughton Park at Milepost 241.1; Bluff Mountain at Milepost 243.4; Raven Rocks Overlook at Milepost 289.5; Moses H. Cone Memorial Park (not pictured) at Milepost 294.1; Craggy Gardens (not pictured) at Milepost 364.6; and Mount Pisgah at Milepost 408.6.
It was a long enjoyable drive and valuable experience full of memories spent with my eldest son. As you can see from the images some of our views were obscured and opaque due to the hazy atmosphere.
The host this week for Monochrome Madness is Brian from bushboy.blog. Brian has chosen a theme of Chair or Chairs for this week’s challenge. Let’s play along and discover what Chairs we can find.
Everywhere Coleman and I go there’s always someplace Coleman can find to Pull Up a Seat …
We might find a Chair to Pull Up a Seat at the Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden …
Belmont, North Carolina
Or we might find a Chair to relax in The Center …
Downtown Cramerton, North Carolina
We could locate a table and Chairs to Pull Up a Seatand enjoy a refreshing drink and snack before continuing on a hike …
Lake Haigler Entrance Anne Springs Close Greenway Fort Mill, South Carolina
Then there’s a chance we could spot a couple of Chairs on display in an office setting at a museum …
The Schiele Museum of Natural History Gastonia, North Carolina
Coleman and I enjoy Pulling Up a Seat in a camping Chair at a State Park after a long hike around the lake …
Andrew Jackson State Park Lancaster, South Carolina
But a fond memory of a place of comfort was the opportunity to Pull Up a Seaton my paternal grandparents front porch.
My dad and Paternal Grandfather Great Falls, South Carolina
Now over to y’all to show us some Chairsby clicking here.
Cameras: 1-4) Canon EOS Rebel T3i; 5) Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max; 6) Minolta XG-7 35mm (my dad’s).
God Bless. Pull Up a Seat for a spell. Enjoy the peace and comfort of a day’s journeys ending. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Greetings my friends and fellow bloggers. We’ve had some days where the weather’s been a bit warmer, but do not be fooled. Some cooler days are still gonna be hanging around reminding us that Winter is in no way over yet.
Sitting here enjoying the peace and quiet of the evening’s (Coleman’s asleep) fleeting moments; I’m reflecting and remembering a Spring hiking adventure Coleman and I took to the Fort Mill Dam. My memories fade from time to time, however, the wonderful feeling my memories of time past spending time together will always remain with me (and hope with Coleman as well.)
On this day in 2021 (Coleman was only one year and ten months old), Coleman and I decided to visit the Fort Mill Dam while his mom was working. We dropped his mom off at work and then using directions she gave me (keyed into GPS) we proceeded to locate the entrance to the parking lot for the Fort Mill Dam.
As usual, for us, we walked down to the water to look around. However, we are never satisfied until we hike around the entire area. Therefore, we wandered past the main access to the Catawba River and ventured downstream to get a closer look at the Dam. The area closest to the dam is rather Rocky according to my memory and these photo images I snapped on the particular day.
The vast amount of rocky shoreline did not prevent Coleman from investigating the area surrounding the Dam. He climbed up and down and all around the rocks. We saw quite a number of Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus) on the rocks and in the water. Coleman had an amazing time visiting the Fort Mill Dam and hiking around the river. He loved watching the various species of birds flying to and fro over the water as well as swimming in the river. Oh, it’s good to reflect and recall memories we are forging together.
Photo Credit: 2021 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens.
Location: Catawba River Access; Fort Mill Dam; Fort Mill, South Carolina, USA
God Bless. Be Grateful for the Memories and the loved ones you share with them. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
While I focused a few of my images specifically on the Hands, others I chose to capture the whole experience of Coleman using and/or displaying his Hands.
God Bless. Take Care of Yourself and Each Other. Help one another. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Cameras: 1) Minolta XG-7 35 mm; 2) Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max; 3) Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max
Locations: 1) San Diego Wild Animal Park (Aka San Diego Safari Park); Escondido, California; 2-3) Anne Springs Close Greenway; Fort Mill, South Carolina, USA
God Bless. Have a fantastic week and upcoming weekend. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Today (yes, I know I’m behind in getting this posted) is World Cancer Day. Cancer has affected millions of people worldwide. It is estimated that about Twenty (20) million new cancer cases occur and close to 9.7 million cancer related deaths each year. Even though the number of Cancer related cases and death are outrageous, that is not my main focus for discussing World Cancer Day.
Like it or not the majority of us have been affected by Cancer. Some suffering or are currently experiencing Cancer, while others have friends and/or relatives battling cancer’s effects and treatment side effects.
My mom, in January 2019, laying in a hospital bed afflicted by the debilitating effects of Cancer with my niece holding her hand.
I’ve known and currently know way too many family and friends who have suffered in one manner or another with the debilitating and devastating effects of the horrendous numbers of Cancer diseases which affect too many people to even consider imagining. It is mind boggling.
My dad died from Cancer on December 31, 1996. He had prostate cancer, cancer in his lymph nodes, kidney cancer, and lastly bone cancer. He suffered for several years and through the prescribed treatments, surgeries, and medications and yet cancer after cancer continuously infected his body. He never let himself get defeated. He never wavered in his faith in the Lord.
My mom died on January 18, 2019 from Cancer. She too suffered through various types of Cancers, including the cancer related surgeries, radiation, and chemotherapy. After having taken care of my dad and watch him suffer through the endless treatments and debilitating side effects; she chose not to undergo any more treatments when she was diagnosed with cancer, once again, in 2018. Through it all my mom learned to Trust in God. She stated that Trust meant to
Total
Reliance
Under
Stressand
Trial
This meaning of Trust could be applied regardless of our circumstances. God is faithful to Not allow us to go through anything He won’t be right there beside us comforting us, strengthening us, and guiding us every single day of our lives.
My former spouse died of Cancer on June 15, 2018, his younger brother died of cancer this past year.
I have numerous aunts, uncles, and cousins as well as too many friends to count who have suffered from Cancer, some still managing through the effects of Cancer and others who are no longer with us in body, but will always be with us in spirit.
World Cancer Day’s theme for 2025-2027 is “United by Unique.” It places people at the centre of care and explores new ways of making a difference. This theme highlights the importance of personalized care and treatments to cater to each individual’s unique needs.
World Cancer Day aims to
Raise Awareness Globally of
The Importance of Prevention
Early Detection
Available Treatments
Promoting Prevention and Early Detection
Significance of Prevention through Lifestyle Changes
Screening and Early Detection
Prioritize Cancer Prevention
Supporting Those Affected by Cancer
Support Provided to those currently fighting Cancer
Provides a sense of Community and Solidarity
Need for Improved Access to Cancer Care
Advocating for Better Treatment and Funding
Advocating for increased investment in Cancer Research
Amplifies Demand for Better Health Care infrastructure
Push for International collaboration
Uniting the Global Community
Uniting People Across Borders
Cancer knows no boundaries
Impact is felt by millions — geographically, socially, and economically
Tackling Cancer is Global issue
Requires Collaboration
Build a Global Movement for Change
You and I may not be personally suffering with Cancer, but we can be there for someone we know who might (or is currently) experiencing fighting Cancer. How can we be there for someone? What can we do?
There actually are many different ways that we (you and I) can offer and/or provide help to someone with Cancer. We can provide practical support, offer emotional support, and by simply being a good listener.
Practical support includes running errands, providing a meal, assisting with household chores, caring for children or whatever means would best benefit the person you choose to support.
Emotional support includes being a good listener, no judgements and being aware of their thoughts and feelings. Letting a person know you’re willing to listen if and when they are ready to talk. Sometimes a hug will mean a great deal to someone in need. Let people know you care, whether telling them face to face or sending them a card or message. And no matter what a person situation or circumstance might be, always remember to Pray for them.
Let’s not forget that not just the afflicted need our support, but also the families and caregivers also. Pray for all those affected by Cancer; the patient, their families, their caregivers, and their doctors. Prayers are a tremendous gift one can offer to someone in need, to someone fighting this Cancer battle on a daily basis.
God Bless. Thank you for listening. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
Pensitivity101 is the host for Share Your World and is asking us to share about our school days. She welcome all to Share their World. This is a special way we may earn more about each other and connect in a small way.
Here are this week’s questions:
What can you remember about your last day at school/college? My last day of school/college was a long long time ago. It was a day to stand, sit, and wait for the graduation ceremony to end. My High School graduation was held in the Starlight Bowl Balboa Park’s Amphitheater. The highlight of the ceremony some might not consider a highlight, but instead an embarrassment. There were a couple of streakers who ran across the stage.
Were you close enough to walk to school or did you need transport? For my elementary school, I walked a 0.5 miles extremely long blocks to and from school every day which took a minimum of ten (10) minutes depending on traffic lights. For my Junior High School, I walked approximately 14-15 minutes for O.6 miles each way. I walked past the shopping center and a small strip mall and a long block of houses before entering the school grounds. Now for my High School, I did not live close enough to walk. My high school was near my dad’s work, so he drove me to school and dropped me off on the side street. At the end of the school day, I rode the city bus to my neighbourhood and walked the rest of the way home.
Did you have a favourite teacher? I’m not sure that I remember many of my teachers names. My eighth grade history teacher would give me extra credit to improve my grade. I didn’t care much for history back then, but I did enjoy doing research. This teacher allowed me to research a person or historical topic and write a report on the subject. I had a teacher in high school that allowed a few students a pass from being in the classroom. The only condition was you had to attend a Kiwanis luncheon downtown (yes, we got to eat at the luncheon), listen to a guest speaker and then talk about what the speaker spoke about at the next class session with a written report to turn in to him.
Would you like to go back to school? At this present stage of my life I have no desire to go back to school, however, that doesn’t prevent me from reading, researching, writing, or whatsoever is appropriate to keep myself learning new ideas and experiencing new things and having adventures learning in nature with my grandson.
Gratitude:
‘Today I choose to live with gratitude for the love that fills my heart, the peace that rests within my spirit, and the voice of hope that says all things are possible.’
Coleman and I love to go hiking and whenever I am Willing to go hiking, he is always Willing to put on his hiking boots rearing to go on a hiking adventure. No matter when or where we might venture on our adventures I am usually almost always Willing to bring my Canon along to take photographs of the amazingly beautiful nature surrounding whatever hiking trail we choose to tackle for the day.
Most often than not Coleman and I close to hike in a local Greenway, Nature Preserve, or a State Park. Coleman is always excited and rearing to go out for a hike. He distastes being cooped up indoors. The majority of Greenways or State Parks are filled with Green trees, lawns, and vegetation. It’s like walking through a lush Green forest snapping photographs one by one with my Camera. I often take photographs with my iPhone as well as my Canon.
For this post I am combining several challenges into one post. I Willing chosen to select Photographs with plenty of Green using Green and Hiking as my theme for Judy’s Numbers Game.
Here are the Photographs with Green I am Willing to share with y’all for Judy’s Numbers Game, the RDP prompt of Photograph, Weekly Prompts Colour Challenge of Green, and lastly, but no less important FOWC prompt of Willing.
Landsford Canal State Park Catawba, South Carolina
I trust you have enjoyed seeing the Photographs of the lush Green trees as we hiked the Canal Trail at Landsford Canal State Park I do Willingly captured for your viewing pleasure. Click on any image for an enhanced view. Be sure to take a look at each Photograph Challenge I’ve included to get a look at what others have posted.,
Debbie from Travel With Intentis the host for the One Word Sunday Challenge. She is giving us an opportunity to continue to share square (s) with Becky’s GeometricJanuary challenge ending and a new month of blogging adventures beginning.
First Baptist Church of Abilene, TexasFirst San Diego school & where my mom went to high school. Seven Seas Marine Life ParkColeman First Day Hike at Anne Springs Close Greenway Coleman First Day Hike 1/01/2023First Baptist Church of Cramerton The Eleventh President of the United States of America
Judy from Life Lessons Blog hosts The Numbers Game Challenge and invites us all to play along with her. This week’s number is 179.
To play along, go to your photos file and type that number into the search bar. Then post a selection of the photos you find that include that number and post a link to your blog in myNumbers Game blog of the day. If instead of numbers, you have changed the identifiers of all your photos into words, pick a word or words to use instead, and show us a variety of photos that contain that word in the title.This prompt will repeat each Monday with a new number. If you want to play along, please put a link to your blog in comments below. Here are my contributions to the album.
The Ragtag Daily Prompt for today has prompted a look back to Reunions in years past. In my younger days we had a few Family reunions with members of my maternal grandfather’s side of the family. So far, I have not located any of the photos my dad or other relatives would have taken of those get togethers. Some were held at my maternal grandparents home and others at my maternal grandfather’s sister’s daughter’s home. The memories of those Reunions are sporadic and fragmented, but do somewhat remain in the crevices of my mind.
After my maternal grandfather passed away the family reunions seemed to fade away. I hadn’t gone to a reunion in years until after we moved back to the Carolinas and made family connections through AncestryDNA, FamilyTreeDNA, and Facebook. It was with those connections that I found out about the Greer/Watson/Trivette Reunions and the Watson Family Reunions in and surrounding Deep Gap, North Carolina. [My maternal grandfather was born in the Deep Gap area in 1890.]
Here are a few photos from those Reunions …
Watson Family Reunions
2015
Greer/Watson/Trivette ReunionWatson Family Family Reunion Yadkin Valley Community Park Lenoir, North Carolina
2016
Greer/Watson/Trivette Reunion Greer/Watson/Trivette Family Family Reunion Yadkin Valley Community Park Lenoir, North Carolina
2017
Watson Family Reunion David Watson X TwoWatson Family Deep Gap, North Carolina
My first Bench photos for Jude’schallenge are from the North Carolina Transportation Museum in Spencer, North Carolina. I took my grandson, Coleman there in 2021 for a fun day together. I am also linking this post to XingfuMama’s Pull Up a Seat Challenge.
Location: Room Balcony; Caribbean’s Enchantment of the Seas Cruise Ship; Caribbean Sea; Gulf of Mexico; Near Cozumel, Mexico
God Bless. Travel through Books, On Land or Seas. Enjoy an Adventure. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Location: It’s a Small World; Disneyland; Anaheim, California, USA
God Bless. Be Observant. Geometric shapes are all around us. Stay Warm. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
In Memory Doyce Eileen (Watson) Waters, aka my mom
Six years ago January 18, I received some devastating news, yet expected news. I was at work when my manager called me into his office saying I had a phone call. [Mind you now, I do not normally receive calls while I’m working and especially not on a work phone.]
What news did I receive, you ask? The phone call was from my brother in Texas. He called to let me know our mom had passed during the early morning hours. Yes, that is devastating news to receive and even more so while you are working. Needless to say, my work day ended after that phone call. I had arrangements I needed to make. Arrangements for my daughter and myself to travel to Texas for her memorial service and help my brother with the arrangements. Most of her arrangements were already preplanned.
Notice I said in the beginning the news was expected, just not the when. Why was it expected, you may wonder or might not? You see, my mom was dying from cancer. The type of cancer doesn’t matter. By this time in her life she had had several different types of cancers. She had received the chemotherapy, the radiation, and whatever was decided by her doctors for her previous cancers. This time around she made the decision that she wasn’t going to go through all of those treatments again. She had previously watched how the treatments affected my dad when he received the treatments when he was diagnosed and treated for cancer. (As of December 31st, it has been 28 years since my dad passed from cancer.) After receiving her diagnosis of cancer this last time, I believe she was ready to join her husband, loved ones, and friends in heaven.
Her passing affected me even though we were not close in my adult life. I loved my mom, don’t doubt that and I know she loved me. However, I truly felt that she did not like me or anything about me. To me, (my opinion only) she favored my brother and his family over me and my family. Now if you asked him, he’d probably disagree with my opinion. That doesn’t matter, that’s how I felt.
When she passed in January of 2019, I had not seen my mother since 2010 when she along with my brother came out to watch my daughter graduate from high school. Even then, she only spent a few hours with my daughter and myself the whole time she was in the Carolinas. They stayed with my dad’s sister, we saw them the for an hour the Thursday before my daughter’s graduation, at her graduation, and then for an hour at her graduation/birthday party the Sunday after her graduation. To me, it felt like very little time. Especially since afterwords, she moved from her home in San Diego to Plano, Texas to be near my brother and his family. Back then, I felt hurt and probably resented that she was closer to my brother.
Nowadays, I think I should have reached out to her more instead of just living my life struggling to provide for my family. It is sad that we didn’t have the kind of relationship that I now wish we had. The saying is true, you never know what you have or could have had until it is gone. I still think of my mom at times. Especially this time of year and in October around her birthday.
I do not mean to sound frustrating, angry, or like I’m having a “pity party.” Sometimes, you just need to let go of things, pour your heart out, and try to remember the good times.
Here is a few photos of my mom …
Remember you may click on each photo for larger enhanced viewing.
This week’s Monochrome Madness is hosted by Dawn from The Day After Blog. She has given us challenge theme of Places of Worship. For this challenge I selected a few from current and archived photos to use this week.
Here are my selections:
The first three were taken in 2020 when I went walking around my Aunt’s town while I was visiting her in Abilene, Texas.
Church of Christ 5th and Grape St Abilene, Texas
The Episcopal Church of the Heavenly Rest Abilene, Texas
The Galilee Baptist Church was built in 1963. Galilee Baptist Church 1011 Briarwood St Abilene TX 79603
The Westfield Presbyterian Church Westfield, New Jersey
Cramerton Independent Presbyterian Church 51 8th Ave, Cramerton, NC 28032, USA
This last church is the church I attended all through my growing up years (from Kindergarten through College). It is currently known as Grace Church San Diego. When I attended this church it was known as Scott Memorial Baptist Church and was pastored by Dr. Tim F. LaHaye, co-author of the Left Behind series of books.
Grace Church San Diego Formerly Known as Scott Memorial Baptist Church 4637 Oregon Street San Diego, CA 92116
For this week’s challenge by Dan’s CFFCI decided to search through my archives to see what I could select for his challenge of Wide and Narrow. I believe these from my time in San Diego will work nicely.
El Cortez
The El Cortez was built from 1926-1927. At the time it was built, it was the tallest building in San Diego. It is located on top of a hill at the north end of San Diego.
When it first opened in 1927 and on through the 1950’s it was a renowned apartment-hotel. The large “El Cortez” sign (which is illuminated at night) was added in 1937 and could be seen for miles.
When I was in high school, several groups like the Kiwanis Club of San Diego would hold luncheons with guest speakers at the El Cortez. My American Government teacher allowed a few students during various weeks to attend the Kiwanis luncheon. He had one requirement for those who attended, that was to give a report regarding the speaker messages to the class the next class session. I was fortunate enough to have been given the privilege of attending of the Kiwanis Club luncheons at the El Cortez Hotel.
View of San Diego High-rises from across San Diego Bay. The Manchester Grand Hyatt Hotel is one of several High-Rises located near Seaport Village.
The Manchester Grand Hyatt consists of two towers, the 40-story Harbor Tower built in 1992 and the 33-story Seaport Tower which was added in 2003. The taller of the two towers stands as the highest waterfront building on the West Coast. It has 40 floors and 1,628 rooms. It is also considered the largest hotel in Southern California.
First off, let’s take a look at a TALL building in Abilene, Texas. I visited my Aunt (my mom’s sister) in 2020 during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. Since our plans of visiting other relatives didn’t pan out due to social distancing mandates, I took many long walks around my Aunt’s neighborhood. I was not just out for the exercise, but also to explore the area. I came across this Tall Building on one of my walkabouts.
The Enterprise Tower Abilene, Texas
The Enterprise Tower was originally known as the First State Bank Tower and then Bank of America Building. It was constructed in the early 80’s and completed in 1984. This is the tallest building in Abilene with its twenty (20) stories at Two Hundred Eighty-Five (285) feet (87 meters). It ranks as the 6th tallest building in West Texas.
And now we’ll take a look see at a building on the shorter side of things located at The Schiele Museum of Natural History’s Catawba Indian Village in Gastonia, North Carolina. The Schiele Museum is a favourite place Coleman enjoys visiting. [The museum also has Dinosaurs 🦖 🦕 on display.]
Early Log Cabin
Information listed on the sign in front of the Early Log Cabin …
This log house reflects the rapid change that the Catawba lifestyle was undergoing throughout Scots-Irish and German settlements of this region in the 18th century. This home is a native adaptation of the log cabins being built by these settiers. The first Catawba cabins were built of unhewn logs with shingle roofs and a central smoke hole. These smoke holes began being replaced with chimneys of stone and logs, as seen here, in the mid-1700s.
This Early Log Cabin is one of several different types of homes in the Catawba Indian Village that were once used by the native Catawba Indians in our area.
Photo Credit: 2020-2023 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved
Cameras: 1) Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max; 2) Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max
God Bless. May your blessings be long upon the Earth and be you experience tons of joy, peace, love, and happiness throughout the rest of 2024 and all throughout 2025. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Railway Cars located at The North Carolina Transportation Museum in Spencer, North Carolina. The Museum has several Trains, Train Engines, Airplanes, Antique Cars and other transportation vehicles on display for visitors to see for a minimal cost.
I took Coleman to the North Carolina Transportation Museum back in 2021 just after he turned 2. He loved seeing the variety of transportation vehicles on display.
God Bless. Thank you for visiting. Enjoy the show. Have a Happy Holiday Season filled with Hope, Joy, Peace, and Love. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Judy from Life Lessons’ invites us to play along with her in her Numbers Game Challenge. Her instructions are simple, just go to your photos file and type that number into the search bar. Then post a selection of the photos you find that include that number and post a link to your blog in my Numbers Game blog of the day.
Nornal Hule & Doyce Eileen Waters Taken in 1976 for their 25th Anniversary If they were alive today, it’d be their 73rd. Love lasts a lifetime and into eternity.
May God’s hope, peace, joy, and love surround you this Advent season.
Location: Allied Gardens Community; San Diego, California, USA
God Bless. Thank you for visiting. Have a wonderful week and enjoy nature. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
This post was originally drafted before Cee went into the hospital and was unable to continue with the challenge. I know I already submitted one post for this challenge, but since I found this post in my drafts I decided to go ahead and post this as a second CFFC post for this challenge.
Location: Our Home; Rock Hill, South Carolina, USA
God Bless. Enjoy your Yourselves! Don’t let the upcoming holiday season stress you out. Relax it’s not about the presents it’s about the birth of Christ. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Christmas Music is in the Air at our home. The record player is out and ready to play. I have some very old 45’s that once belonged to my dad. Last week we listened to David Seville’s “Witch Doctor”. This week we have begun listening to Christmas music on newly acquired vinyl records. Coleman didn’t care for his mom and I listening to the Beach Boys singing Christmas Carols. We enjoyed it though. Coleman much prefers listening to Disney’s Mickey Mouse and other favorites singing Christmas songs from “his records.”
Has anyone else started listening to Christmas music? Is it too early for you? For us, the beginning of and all throughout December is the perfect time to listen the wonderful soundtracks of Christmas music. We especially enjoy listening to the classic Christmas songs on our vinyl records via my Crosley record player.
Location: Caribbean Sea; Gulf of Mexico; Enchantment of the Sea; Caribbean Cruise Ship
God Bless. Thank you for visiting. Have a wonderful week and enjoy nature. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
Judy invites us all to play along with her each week for her Numbers Game. To play along, go to your photos file and type that number into the search bar. Then post a selection of the photos you find that include that number and post a link to your blog in myNumbers Game blog of the day. If instead of numbers, you have changed the identifiers of all your photos into words, pick a word or words to use instead, and show us a variety of photos that contain that word in the title.
God Bless. Take time for yourself. Walk around a Park or Greenway. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Coleman and I had the privilege of attending a Veterans Day Celebration at the Cramerton Independent Presbyterian Church on Eighth Avenue in Cramerton, North Carolina on Monday,November 11th at 11:11 Am. The service was hosted by The Cramerton Community Committee and Cramerton Historical Society.
Coleman was anxious to leave the house, so we left early and walked to the church from Seventh Street south of the railroad tracks to uptown along Eighth Avenue for approximately 0.5 miles down hill and up hill until we reached our destination of the church location.
Coleman actually sat quietly waiting and watching for the service to begin. (I had already explained to him that the service was to honour the Veterans, the men and women who served in the military, like his Pawpaw had served.) [FYI – the patches on Coleman’s shirt were his Pawpaw’s patches from when he served in the U. S. Army.]
The service began with the presentation of colours by the Cramerton Police Honour Guard. Next, was the singing of the National Anthem, prayer, introduction and recognition of dignitaries, veteran remembrances, and closing comments with taps.
Flower & Flag in a Vase Table Decorations
After the service was concluded those hosting the service led everyone downstairs for an appreciation meal. The meal was catered by Georgio’s Restaurant to give veterans and their families an opportunity to eat afterward. (I wasn’t sure about attending the meal, but as the spouse and grandson of a Vietnam Veteran we were invited to participate in the meal.) It was greatly appreciated and enjoyed by all who attended the service.
My Dad, Nornal H. Waters, U.S. Navy Korean Veteran and My Spouse, Sgt. Terry L. Wilson. U.S. Army Vietnam Veteran A Sampling of My Military Family who served in various Wars from the Civil War to World War I, to Korean War, and Afghanistan. My Military Family Sgt Terry Leon Wilson My husband, Terry Leon Wilson SP4 US Army Vietnam Buried in Southern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery, Boulder City, Nevada
To All Veterans, Thank you for your Service!
God Bless. Thank a Veteran! Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
For Judy’s “The Numbers Game #46” Game she invites all to play along. Here are her ideas on how to play along in this challenge. This week’s number is 167. To play along, go to your photos file and type that number into the search bar. Then post a selection of the photos you find that include that number and post a link to your blog in my Numbers Game blog of the day. If instead of numbers, you have changed the identifiers of all your photos into words, pick a word or words to use instead, and show us a variety of photos that contain that word in the title.
God Bless. Take Care. Don’t be Upset and Angry about Political Results; Remember God is in Control. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
The Springs House in Lancaster, South Carolina started off small and then blossomed with the growth of the textile industry. Built between 1820 and 1830, the original home was much smaller than the grand manse it is today. The House was remodeled and expanded in the 1850’s after having a series of owners. In 1888, the property was purchased by a business called Heath, Springs & Company. Leroy Springs, a Textile Magnate, made the house his home.
Springs House Lancaster, South Carolina
Leroy Springs founded the Lancaster Textile Mill, one of the largest textile mills in the state and possibly the country. Springs also directed several other mills in the Upstate, and the resulting economic boom led Lancaster into an era of prosperity. [The Springs Mills in Lancaster stopped manufacturing in South Carolina after 120 years of manufacturing production, thus closing both the Grace and Close plants in 2007.]
In 1902, Springs assumed full ownership of the house and remodeled it to its current state in 1907. The house remained a residence until 1957 when the town purchased it and utilized it as its city hall until 2000. Today the Springs House serves as the Lancaster County Council for the Arts. The Springs House is listed on the National Register of Historic Houses.
“The Numbers Game #43”.Today’s number is 164. To play along, go to your photos file and type that number into the search bar. Then post a selection of the photos you find under that number and include a link to your blog in myNumbers Game blog of the day. If instead of numbers, you have changed the identifiers of all your photos into words, pick a word or words to use instead, and show us a variety of photos that contain that word in the title.
This prompt will repeat each Monday with a new number. If you want to play along, please put a link to your blog in comments below. Instead of using the number #164 I am using a theme of Looking Back and linking it with the Lens-Artist Challenge.
For this week I decided to take a Look Back at a place we visited on our way back from Texas in January of 2019. On our way back to South Carolina my daughter and I stopped at the Babyland General Hospital in Cleveland, Georgia.
BabyLand General Hospital located in the North Georgia Mountains. It is a Southern Style home filled with Cabbage Patch Kids which will capture the imagination of your entire family.
Cabbage Patch Kids came on the scene in the early 1980’s and were extremely popular with children (and their parents). They were so popular, they became a popular collectible. Cabbage Patch were all the rage for little girls and boys. My eldest son had a boy Cabbage Patch and my daughter had a girl Cabbage Patch doll. There were nine years apart, so when she was little she got to play with his Cabbage Patch as well as her own. For more information about the BabyLand General Hospital click here.
Below are my contributions to the Challenges:
These are some of the photos we took while visiting the BabyLand General Hospital of the many Cabbage Patch Kids and accessories.
Five years ago I received an expected yet saddening phone call from my brother. I was working when I received the call that my mother had passed.
My mom and I were not close after I became an adult and was on my own. I was felt she favored my brother and his family. I harbored ill feelings for the longest time towards my mother. I guess you could say I was jealous of the close relationship I felt she had with my brother and his family. I felt she spent much more time with his family and only gave me and my family a few minutes of her time. To me it seemed she cared more about them and even my dad’s sister’s family more than she cared about me.
Regardless of how I felt about her as an adult, she was still my mother. She is here any longer, I can’t let her know how I felt. I was never open with her about my thoughts and feelings. Sometimes I wish I had felt like I could have been open with her and closer. You can never get back the time lost with loved ones. Regrets can never be taken back once loved ones are no longer with us. I still think about my mom, especially on her birthday.
CHERISH EVERY MOMENT AND EVERY PERSON IN YOUR LIFE, BECAUSE YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN IT WILL BE THE LAST TIME YOU SEE SOMEONE.
quoteslife101.net
Cherish Your Loved Ones
Cherish your family each and every day Life is unbelievably unpredictable Enjoy the people in your life, Invest in forgiveness Stop wasting precious time And be thankful for what you have Cherish your loved ones. You never know when God will call them home.
This is my Fifteenth & Final installment of my combination of Thursday Doors & Monday Window featuring Antique Automobiles.
My dad loved cars shows, history, and anything to do with FORD. He started working for a FORD dealership while in high school in Great Falls, South Carolina. He worked there until he joined the United States Navy in 1948. After leaving the Navy, he again went to work for a FORD dealership. This time he worked of Pearson Ford in San Diego, California and continued working for FORD until he retired.
This week I’ll be showing three Antique Automobiles from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Indiana.
1910 Haynes Runabout
The Haynes Automobile Company, better known as Haynes, was an American automotive manufacturer that was established in 1905. The company produced a range of cars that included open and closed top offerings such as the Light Six and Light Twelve. Haynes was operational until 1924, when the company declared bankruptcy, before being entirely dissolved in 1925.
1909 Oakland Model 40 Touring
The Oakland Motor Car Company located out of Pontiac, Michigan was an American automobile manufacturer and a division of General Motors. The company was named for Oakland County, Michigan where it was based.The first Oakland used a vertical two-cylinder engine that rotated counterclockwise. The Oakland’s were first produced in 1908 with a production of 278 vehicles. General Motors acquired the rights to the Oakland just one year later in 1909. GM continued production of the Oakland automobiles until 1931.
1909 ALCO 40HP Runabout
The American Locomotive Company (ALCO) was found in 1901. The company was successful in manufacturing locomotives which included massive steam trains that traversed America. Having succeeded in producing locomotives, the company began to build automobiles in 1905. They boasted that their vehicles were so well built that each one took 19 months to complete. In 1909 and 1910, ALCO won the Vanderbilt Cup, and it competed in the inaugural Indianapolis 500 in 1911.
This car is one of 12 surviving Alcos and one of still fewer propelled by a 487 cubic-inch four-cylinder engine with dual-chain drive to the rear wheels. It resided at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum from 1961 through 2011, when it was purchased by its current owner.
Location: Indianapolis Motor Speedway; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
God Bless. Thank you for visiting the Indianapolis Motor Speedway with us. Thank sharing your time and thoughts with us. Have a wonderful weekend. I appreciate y’all very much.
Fairly modern is relative to one’s own personal experience or opinion of what they consider modern. Modern can be often used as referring to the 19th century. It could also refer to a contemporary and up-to-date home having the latest technological innovations. A modern home exudes a lived-in warmth; using natural materials such as wood, leather and/or stone in functional, minimalist designs and shapes.
Having said all that, bear in mind these are my personal thoughts on what I consider a modern home or apartment to be. They are also all places I have regarded as home at one time or another.
Apartment Complex in Gastonia, North Carolina
Tent Home
A tent home can be a modern home, especially if it your choice to live in whether for a weekend, a week, or even months as I have done from time to time.
A Duplex Home in Abilene, Texas
Double-wide Manufactured Home Lancaster, South Carolina
“Trees exhale for us so that we can inhale them to stay alive. Can we ever forget that? Let us love trees with every breath we take until we perish.”
― Munia Khan
“When one plants a tree they plant themselves. Every root is an anchor, over which one rests with grateful interests, and becomes sufficiently calm to feel the joy of living.”
— John Muir
I feel right at home when I am walking through the forest of trees whether I am alone or out hiking with my grandson. Being in the woods has a calming effect on me. It is relaxing and uplifting at the same time; a time of reflection and communing with God, the Creator of all things on Earth and in Heaven. The Autumn hues of the leaves are beautiful and mesmerizing. Autumn is a great time for observing the changes in nature. I love to be out in the forest amongst the trees all year round. It is so much better than being cooped up in doors. Enjoy the views of the trees and nature I and my grandson love to roam and wander through on a regular period.
“In a forest of a hundred thousand trees, no two leaves are alike. And no two journeys along the same path are alike.”
— Paolo Coelho
“Together we can preserve the forest, securing this immense treasure for the future of all these our children.”
God Bless. Enjoy Nature. Have a walk amongst the Trees. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
To play along, go to your photos file and type that number into the search bar. Then post a selection of the photos you find under that number and include a link to your blog in myNumbers Game blog of the day. If instead of numbers, you have changed the identifiers of all your photos into words, pick a word or words to use instead, and show us a variety of photos that contain that word in the title.
This week’s number is 163. My 163 photos happen to come from a few trips I have taken and a few lakes I’ve visited over the years.
From our trip along the Blue Ridge Parkway and the Blue Ridge Mountains:
Gfpacificbee’s Insights & photography 