Faith Bracelet

Time for Kelli's Show and Tell, go here for lots more fun!
Tonight I'm sharing my Faith Bracelet. It could be easy to make, your children could even make them.

Rainbow Faith Bracelet

Yellow represents God’s perfect light.

Black represents our sins.

Red represents the blood Jesus shed for us.

Green represents the new life we have in Jesus.

Blue represents our baptism.

White represents purity.

Purple represents the crown of life.

Thank you for visiting, I hope you enjoyed my Show and Tell, please do return soon!

Katherine

February, Month of Violets

I have almost let the month go by without posting about violets! The Flower of the Month for February is Violets. For those of you who haven't seen my violets collection I'm showing them again (since it was 2006 when I showed them before!) Above is my violets tea set, my Aunt Catherine gave it to me when I was a teenager, I guess it is considered an antique now! Ha!

I loved these matching tea cups, I call them "mommy and me!" (in my case, "grandmother and me!")

My violets centerpiece

Close-up of violets vignette

More violets tea cup sets

I've always thought the April tea cup above was a little strange with violets. I have another April tea cup that has different flowers on it.

Another February tea cup with violets.

Nut dishes with violets

I have loved violets from childhood. I remember picking wild violets growing under a tree in my mother's yard. I would take them inside and give them to her. She would act surprised and excited and thank me, then she would place them in a tiny vase and place them in a special place. I seldom ever see any live violets anymore, except for African violets. I sometimes buy an African violet plant and it grows for a time, but eventually dies. I can't seem to keep them alive.

"Look at us, said the violets blooming at her feet, all winter we slept in the seeming death, but at the right time God awakened us, and here we are to comfort you." -- Edward Payson Rod

(above quote copied from Gwen's Circle Journal, who found it on LaDonna's blog on Jan. 27, 2008! And I had it on my blog on March 30, 2006!! Great minds work together!)

I hope you have enjoyed my violets collection!

Katherine

Weekend Chat

Look what my sweet husband brought me today! He went to Walmart for a few things, and came back with these! He usually brings yellow roses, but they didn't have yellow today.

Aren't they absolutely gorgeous! Have you ever read the bottom of my blog? It says:

"Every rose is an autograph from the hand of God" -T. Parker

I've had lots of surprises this week, look below at what came in the mail! This is a gift from Karla of Ramblin Roads! She just chose my name, I didn't have to do anything to earn it! I haven't heard of these books before, but my interest is up. It even has some religious undertones, with scripture, etc. I'm going to take it on vacation with me soon when we go on Spring Break!

"Death of a Six-Foot Teddy Bear" by Sharon Dunn is a mystery for "The Bargain Hunters Network" It was voted Book of the Year by American Christian Fiction Writers. Thanks, a million, Karla!!

See below for what I'm reading now! Dr. Oz's Diet Book, I like to hear what he has to say on the Oprah show and the tips he has given about dieting. I especially like that he suggests "a handful of walnuts" for a snack! I have just put in a big order of walnuts. Do you like walnuts? Being from the South, I even like black walnuts! My grandparents had a black walnut tree and we ate them a lot! I don't know if Dr. Oz would recommend the black walnuts, or not!

All last year Joe battled cancer, lymphoma. It is treatable, but not curable, it usually returns. We have decided to start eating healthier to try to win this battle with cancer. I have three different diet books and I am combining suggestions of all three, trying to come up with something we can do. So far we're doing pretty good, with only a little cheating!!

Above: Two more healthy diet books I'm using with our diet plan. We went to a seminar last month and learned about the Hallelujah Diet based on Genesis 1:29. www.hacres.com The green book above is a modified version of the Hallelujah Diet. My daughter gave us this book and it has several vegetarian recipes we use in it.

Yesterday I received a "Cancer Update" email from a friend that was published by John Hopkins Hospital. It is a confirmation that we are on the right track with changing our eating habits. I considered putting it on my blog, but is very long so I will e-mail it to those of you who are interested. My email addy is on my blog profile.

So! How do you like the desserts we are allowed (above!) I saw this in a magazine and cut it out for a joke for Joe!

Thank you for visiting! I hope you are having a very nice weekend!

Katherine

Our Daily Walks

My husband, Joe and I try to take a walk daily when the weather cooperates, and if we have time, we walk about an hour. Come along with us and see what we see along the way. This is where we start in our neighborhood, above is the Clubhouse, there's a restaurant and golf pro shop inside. It overlooks the river behind it, which is the intercoastal waterway, which runs parallel to the ocean.

This is a gazebo behind the clubhouse, going out to the river.

We can walk to the left on this trail (above) or to the right on the boardwalk (below)

This day we choose to go left (below)

(Above) View of the golf course from the trail.

There are many beautiful mansions along the trail, such as above, and below:

Unusual plants are used in the landscaping (above and below)

Below, another pier on the water, this one is about half-way on our walk.

View of the river from the pier:

View to the left below:

View to the right, below:


Across from the pier is a gazebo which is another entryway to the walking area.

The gazebo from the other side:

Other private boat piers, below:

(For my Canadian friends, can you see the flag?)

More plants, the cactus on the right has fruit on it. The fruit can be harvested and jelly can be made from it.

I hope you enjoyed going along on our walk with us! There are many people walking their dogs, riding their bikes, or jogging along the way. It is a very pleasant place to walk!

(Note) No, we don't live in the expensive homes on the river, but it's a fun place to take a walk!

Please leave a comment! And please do return soon!

Katherine

Circle Journal

Today I received a fun package in the mail. A circle of my internet friends have agreed to do a Circle Journal. I received the journal today and I'm so excited about participating!

Do you know what a Circle Journal is? I didn't. It is a notebook that is mailed to a circle of friends. Each person keeps the notebook about two weeks, and journals in it daily, telling fun and interesting (or even sad) things going on in your life. You can add jokes, stickers, quotes, poems, recipes, photos, newspaper clippings, anything you choose.

I enjoyed reading my friend's journal so much and I'm looking forward to journaling. I will pass it along to the next friend on the list. There will be eleven people participating. The notebook will make the rounds twice so everybody can read it.

Perhaps you would like to start one of these Circle Journals with a group of your friends!

Thank you for visiting my blog, please leave a comment, and please return again soon!

Katherine

Award and a Prayer

How cute is that? Thanks to Betty at Betty's This and That for the Blogging Buddies Award above! Betty has a very interesting blog and shares lots of unique things. I think you'll enjoy visiting her! I'm really enjoying all my new blogging buddies!

Collect
Keep us, O God, from pettiness;
Let us be large in thought, in word, in deed.
Let us be done with faultfinding and
leave off self-seeking.
May we put away all pretense and
meet each other face to face
without self-pity and without prejudice.
May we never be hasty in judgement
and always generous.
Let us take time for all things;
make us to grow calm, serene, gentle.
Teach us to put into action our better
impulses, straightforward and unafraid.
Grant that we may realize it is the little things
that create differences,
that in the big things of life we are are one.
And may we strive to touch and to know
the great common human heart of us all,
and O Lord God, let us forget not to be kind!
Mary Stewart, 1904

The Collect was written as a personal prayer by Mary Stewart in 1904. She was just out of college and beginning her first job as a high school principal. She offered the prayer for publication as a club woman's collect because she felt "women working together for large ends" was something new. The first organization to use and print it in its yearbook was the General Federation of Women's Clubs. It has since been printed in many forms, and many lands, and set to music.

I like the poem above and wanted to share it with all of you. I went to the neighborhood Women's Club today and this is read before mealtime. I'm glad it is a prayer to the Lord and not just a politically correct reading.


Thank you for visiting my blog, I hope you will return soon!

Katherine

My Weekend, Buddies, and Banners

We had a dear friend visiting over the weekend, so I wasn't online and couldn't reply to those who commented. Thanks to all of you! I must say I missed you! I get so used to visits from several of you and I miss when I'm not here to receive your messages!

I want to thank Mary at Mary's Writing Nook for the cute Blogging Buddies Award above. Isn't this a pretty award! I'm passing it along to a new blogging buddy - Ceekay at Thinkin' of Home
she has a beautiful home and she and I like a lot of the same things, such as tea pots, decorating, etc. She is fairly new at blogging, pay her a visit and leave her a comment so she'll know you were there!

Thanks to those of you who noticed my new banner! It was created by (another) Mary at Isabella's Closet. She does beautiful work and only charges five dollars! If you would like to order one for your blog, contact her at Isabella's Closet to see all the different designs she offers.


I'm happy to be back online, I have two meetings tomorrow, but will be back tomorrow night!

Katherine

Show and Tell - Precious Moments

Time for Kelli's Show and Tell. Go to There's No Place Like Home for More fun!
Today I'm sharing my Precious Moments figurines. The one above is "You've Touched a Lot of Hearts." It was given to be by the young engineers in the office I worked at NASA, Kennedy Space Center. I talked about this same office when I shared the rose necklace last week.

The Precious Moments are displayed on this shelf, above.

Here's a close-up of the figurines.

The third shelf. Most of these were gifts from my daughters.

Close-up of this Precious Moment on sculped rose.

I have been touched by many hearts - the hearts of my blogging friends! Thank you!

I don't have a lot of the Precious Moments figurines, but I love all the ones I have! I hope you enjoyed seeing them.

You are also invited to visit my cupcake party below!

Katherine