Hello October Hodgepodge

Speaking of Southern Charm and September…

The Rhett House Inn, Beaufort S.C.

Hello October Hodgepodge. Thank you, Joyce!

1. What’s your favorite fall scent?

Vanilla with just a hint of cinnamon.

Would we find this in or around your home right now?

2. October is Country Music Month…are you a fan of country music? Do you have a favorite country artist? Ever been to Nashville?

I enjoy country music but I do not have a favorite artist and I’ve never been to Nashville.

In terms of lifestyle are you more country mouse or city mouse?

I was raised and lived the city mouse lifestyle for 67 out of my 74 years but I’m adjusting to the country mouse lifestyle. We moved to the country in 2018 and we are enjoying the country life. I have bonded with Wal-Mart. 🙂

3. How about ‘country cooking’? (loosely defined as rich flavors, familiar foods, large portions, often fried, and often associated with the southern region of the US of A)?

Fried Green Tomatoes were delicious at a restaurant called Wren in South Carolina. Katie and I were in South Carolina in 2010 staying in Beaufort to attend Andrew’s graduation from Marine Boot Camp at Parris Island.

chicken and dumplings-fried chicken-shrimp and grits-biscuits and gravy-mac and cheese-fried green tomatoes-cornbread-collard or turnip greens-deviled eggs-‘barbecue’-gumbo-banana pudding

Which of the foods listed is your favorite?

I would say that barbecue, deviled eggs, cornbread, biscuits and gravy are favorites.

Any on the list you haven’t tried or would say a firm no thank you to if offered?

I would be fine with eating any of the items on the list once in a while.

4. What’s something that always has a positive impact on your mood?

Good Christian Worship Music and Hymns. Music speaks to my heart.

“May I be singing when the evening comes.”

5. As we say so long to September share a noun, a verb, and an adjective that tells us something about how that month looked for you.

September had some fun travel and joyful events but the horrific assassination of Charlie Kirk hit me hard. His Memorial service reaffirmed my great hope in God and our Savior, Jesus Christ.

noun: assassination ~~verb: travel ~~adjective: horrific

6. Insert your own random thought here.

September of 2010 was a memorable one in our family.

The photo above is from the Parish Church of St. Helena in Beaufort, S.C.

This wonderful old church and graveyard were around the corner from our lodgings in Beaufort. (Photo at the top of this post) I took several photos here of the grounds and of the fresh in love couple!

Beaufort is a city on Port Royal Island, one of South Carolina’s coastal Sea Islands. It’s known for its antebellum mansions, especially in the downtown historic district.

Being at Parris Island and experiencing all the ceremonies involved with Andrew officially becoming a Marine were amazing and unforgettable.

Katie and I stayed in Beaufort while we attended Andrew’s graduation from Parris Island Marine Bootcamp in September of 2010. Later that month on September 29, 2010, Katie said yes to Andrew’s proposal of marriage. The photo below was taken on that evening.

We are looking forward to some special times in October starting this Saturday with Marcus Cider Fest! It was fun to turn the calendar page this morning.

Lots to be Thankful For…

So many blessings to think about and be thankful for. Today I’m joining Susanne at Living to Tell the Story with Friday’s Fave Five . My Favorites for this week will revolve around Katie’s trip to Southern California. For those of you who don’t visit very often our daughter Katie has been living with us since September while our Son-in-Law, Andrew is serving with the Marine Corp in Afghanistan. She will be with us until his return sometime in the Spring. When we get a more definitive return date she and I will drive their car and some belongings across country from Washington to North Carolina and try to set up some type of living arrangement before his arrival. Now I’m ready with the Five…

1. That Katie could spend some time with my dear old pop while she was in Southern California. The photo above is of the two of them from last year at the senior apartment building where he lives.

2. That Katie was able to spend 2 fun packed days at Disneyland with some of her cousins. The goal was to see Disneyland while it was still all decorated for Christmas. Katie’s cousins have Disney year long passes and Katie was able to get a great 3 day pass for a good military discount.

3. I was talking to my pop this morning and he was telling me that he thanks God every day for his children, his grandchildren and his great grandchildren. It is so pleasing to see how well this group of cousins gets along and how much they love each other. The above photo was taken in Southern California in March of 2013.

4. From December 3rd thru January 19th we celebrate the birthdays of four of our children. I’m so thankful for each one of them and how unique they are. I’m also very thankful that they love each other and can talk to each other and laugh at each other! Tonight we will be celebrating Josh about 9 days early but he’ll be gone next weekend serving at Junior High Winter camp so like always we go with the flow and celebrate whenever we can.

This photo is from Laura’s birthday celebration early in December…

5. We are thankful for our son-in-law, Andrew. He is serving all of us in harms way. I like to post this photograph every so often to remind anyone who visits here that many of our young men and women are away from the comforts of home serving our country and to remind us to pray for them that they will return home safe and sound. Semper Fi!

What are you thankful for today?

U.S. Open Cup Title 2011

SEATTLE (Oct. 4, 2011) –” The Seattle Sounders won their third consecutive Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup title with a 2-0 win against the Chicago Fire in front of a record crowd this evening at CenturyLink Stadium in Seattle. Goals from Fredy Montero and Osvaldo Alonso helped the Sounders become the first team in 42 years to win the Open Cup three years in a row and ensured goalkeeping legend and team captain Kasey Keller ended his final season with at least one piece of silverware.”

It’s always great when the team you are cheering for wins. We were surrounded by a great group of friends last night at the game and we were not disappointed at the outcome. Here are some photos showing the highlights of the night for me.

The following sequence of photos are from the opening of the ceremonies with the Star Spangled Banner being sung and the men and women of all the military branches holding the U.S. Flag. I really enjoy this part of the night and I like to zoom in on “The few. The proud. The Marines!”