Times they are a changin'

Today I was VERY BUSY in the office and Ashley volunteered to help me out and take Abbey to an appointment. The other girls wanted to ride along, soooo... I said, "Yes." It's hard to imagine these girls all grown up like they are. But time marches on. Circumstances change, people change, and God controls it all. The Lord is so loving and so kind and I trust Him completely with my loved ones! Have fun, ladies!

Ashley and Abbey in the front.
Melissa and Lisa as passengers in the back seat.

The Cutest Cowgirl... ever!

How could I resist taking a picture of the cutest little cowgirl you have ever seen? Here she is, in all her pretty pinkness, making me smile and putting the capstone on a busy day in the office. Double-click on her photo to see all the details of her adorable outfit. (Just in case you're wondering, it was Western Day at our Christian school today. I'm only sorry I didn't get more pics...)

Blueberry Muffins

Randy and I made fresh blueberry muffins for our Sunday School kids this past weekend. The kids loved them, all except one who said, "I think I would like cupcakes instead, but it's alright." Cupcakes for breakfast? Not so bad, really. I once heard it said that cupcakes have all the makings of a very good breakfast - eggs, flour, milk...

The boys...



The girls...




The cupcake kid...

Good, good memories...

The loveliest girl we know, almost eighteen.
Our fantastic youth group.
Driving with Uncle Randy.

Madison and Randy sharing a sweet moment.
Madison and me having a good laugh - man I love that kid!

Welcome Autumn!

Today is the first day of autumn, a very welcome change of seasons. The weather here on Long Island is perfect, so Abbey and I took our dog for a walk through our neighborhood.



Abbey.


Me and Higgins.

The acorns are plentious this year!

Apple Pickin' Time!

The apples on Long Island are prolific! We spent our Saturday afternoon at Lewin's Farms walking, talking, and picking apples! After our apple pickin' adventure, we went to Riverhead and had lunch at Boulder Creek. What a great day!

Perfectly created and absolutely delicious!


Lovin' the time together! Randy and I always look forward to Saturday, the one day of the week when we don't have to run in the "rat race"!

A Dad and his daughter.


Abbey and me.

At the end of the day, Randy stopped at a huge farm where they were selling mums. He bought me six really big plants - white, yellow, red, and rust. They look so lovely planted in our garden!

THIS WAS THE END OF A PERFECT DAY!

To the Hazra Family

Dear Nathaniel, Dipti, Jui, and Joel,
Here are some pictures of new people, old friends, and places you will see in America! We are praying that all will go as planned and that you will soon be stepping off an airplane and onto American soil. We love you all!

Bro. Randy and Mary


Joel, this picture is for you! McDonalds in Times Square, Manhattan.


Frank and Gina, our good friends.


Walter and Pastor Graf


Lisa and Stephanie, with Abbey and Melissa at their very first adult banquet.

New faces

Alfredo and RosieAlisha and her Mom, Louanne
Marcus and Maritza
Joe and Vilma
Anette and Mary

Way to Go Danny!

Here's a photo of my younger brother, Danny, and a fish he caught on Table Rock Lake in Missouri. Dan is AVID FISHERMAN, feared and despised by all lake, pond, and river inhabitants. But loved and missed by his big sister. Tell Kermit you're not coming to Texas for Thanksgiving, dear brother!

Coffee anyone?

We went for a drive on Saturday afternoon, and we even got a cup of coffee for the ride. There's a brand new Starbucks located in Bayport - it's right across the street from Bayport Flower House where the old CVS used to be. It is so, so nice inside - you just gotta go! Randy got regular coffee, just like always. (I've never understood why someone would get plain old coffee when there are so many FLAVORS to choose from! To each his own, I guess.) Abbey and I got a pumpkin spice latte. It was full of wonderful flavor and good to the last drop (sorry Maxwell House, but Starbucks has got you beat by a longshot!).

Here's Randy mixin' up his brew.

In honor of 9/11 I am posting the following — a memory of the day our world changed forever...

It was 5:45 a.m. on September 11th. My first-born boy was wearing the maroon shirt we had given him for his twenty-first birthday when he stepped out the door bound for the Manhattan office where he works for an investment broker. With his shoes shined to perfection and every shiny-brown hair in place, I admired him as I spoke to him the last words of the morning, “Goodbye, hon. I hope you have a great day—I love you!” As history revealed itself on that tragic morning, those last words would be my only consolation.

The date and time of his urgent phone call remain recorded on our telephone’s caller i.d.—9:03 a.m. 9-11 – Fleet Securities. (Somehow, we just cannot delete it.) “Dad! Turn on the news—a plane just crashed into one of the Twin Towers! Turn on the news! Turn on the news! I can see the whole thing from my window. Oh, no, another plane—Dad, I gotta go. Another plane just hit the other tower. They’re evacuating us—I gotta go.” Click.

As he ran through the streets of Manhattan, destined for the Brooklyn Bridge, the maroon shirt that had celebrated his September 1st birthday became a dust-mask for a fellow worker who couldn’t breathe. His short, golden-brown hair gathered debris as it fell from the troubled sky. The shoes that were shined to perfection so early that morning now gathered inches of concrete dust as they carried my son to the safety of the bridge. From the protection of its steel girders, he watched as the glory of those two magnificent towers came to a tragic end. And he couldn’t call us to tell us he was safe, uninjured, and out of harm’s way—he just couldn’t get through. “I love you.” I was so glad I had told him.

It was 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday, September 12th. My first-born boy was wearing the maroon shirt we had given him for his twenty-first birthday when he walked through the front door of our Long Island home. And we all hugged him when we saw him—we hugged him like never before. And always, always we will hug him—we’ll hug him whenever we can, because overnight our lives can change - forever... "Boast not thyself of tomorrow, for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth."

All clean!

Randy and I washed the Buick today. The weather was perfect and we enjoyed ourselves. It's such a lovely evening here on Long Island, we might go grab a cup of coffee and take the car for a scenic drive - one of our favorite things to do.

Oops! You missed a spot.
Washing the car makes for great family time!

Higgins is a funny little dog - he really likes the wet pavement. He even took a nap while laying in the water.

All fresh, all clean, and paid for!

Thank you Abbey!

Just to be kind, Abbey bought these things for me! Our family LOVES anything pumpkin, so we thought this sign would be very fitting for our kitchen during the Autumn season - my very favorite time of year. Looks like pumpkin pie will be on the menu soon; and pumpkin bars, pumpkin bread, pumpkin scones... are you listening Mrs. Clayton?


My favorite scented McCalls candle. It smells just wonderful! The guy in the yellow rain slicker looks like he approves, too!

October Glory

Here's a picture of our "October Glory" maple tree, taken on Labor Day. We purchased this tree three years ago, and this summer it really grew a lot! I thought it would be interesting to watch and chronicle the changing color of its leaves. So, here's the first picture! Let's see if it's glorious in October...

Day One

Today was the very first day of school for Long Island Christian Academy. The whole place came alive with all our lovely new students, and a few from the past who just couldn't stay away.

My very good friend and co-secretary, Cheryl, who knows how to do everything I don't! She is a tremendous blessing in our front office, ALWAYS WILLING to lend a hand and help in any area (she's funny, too!). Seems like she's been in the office for years. I love her, alot.

Last year they were seniors...
...today they were spectators, who wished the new students a profitable year with balloons, donuts, encouraging cards, and pencils! Guess what they did then? They went shopping in Sayville and then out to lunch. I wonder how much they really miss school??

Posting from PA

We LOVE to go to Kitchen Kettle Village in Pennsylvania! There are tons of wonderful country shops where you can buy unique things for your home. Here are some shots from our most recent trip.

The sign that lets you know you have finally arrived!

What my husband does while his girls are shopping. He acts a little different though when it's time for lunch!

Melissa, Abbey, and me. Don't ask me how I got on this thing, and most of all, don't ask me how I got down! Suffice it to say that I had no broken bones.

The retailer of this store talked on the phone the whole time we were there. The girls pulled these hats down from an old shelf and had a fun time being silly!

It doesn't hurt to dream, does it?

Pasta e Fagioli

Here's are the photos I promised of Pasta e Fagioli (Pasta and Beans). This is such a delicious, low-fat, and filling soup. It is loaded with flavor and fiber and even contains fresh spinach for very good nutrition! I made this pot for a friend, and on the way home Abbey begged me to stop at the store to buy the ingredients for another pot! This soup, with a loaf of fresh Italian bread, makes for a heart warming meal, especially when Hurricane Ernesto is threatening the landscape!

All the ingredients:


20 cloves (yes, TWENTY cloves) of garlic (sliced) and the inner ribs of one celery bunch (sliced)cooked till translucent in 1/4 cup light olive oil. Stir in one can of diced tomatoes and one half can water; simmer 10 minutes.


Add three cans Cannelinni beans with juice, one can pink beans with juice, one can water, two tablespoons chicken base (or to taste), and a sprinkle of cayenne powder (or to taste). Bring to a boil and remove from heat. Add two or three big hand fulls of fresh spinach and cover the pan, allowing the spinach to steam. Cook 2/3 cup ditalini pasta and add last. There's is never one bean left at our house!