Halloweens past and present

Ella's First Halloween - 2006

Cute little flower - 2007

Little Red Riding Hood - 2008

Little Miss Heffalump - 2009

Look!  I'm a bat. - 2010

 I thought you might like to see these.  I know some of you have known Ella from the start.  I've had so much fun each October being in Virginia and enjoying this time with her. 

Fall in Virginia

 When I drove up to Virginia two weeks ago, not much color could be seen.  There were some trees that had changed color and dropped their leaves, and people were not predicting a very brilliant fall.  I love coming this time of year since, being a Floridian, and not seeing changes in seasons like other folks do, this is always a delightful time of year.

 In the past week or so, the colors have arrived.  Last weekend, David took me for a ride and there was a hint of color.  Now during the week with some rain and change in temperature, the color has erupted.  This photo and the two following are in David's yard and the yard next door.

The day today is crisp and clear.  Ella had her costume parade at pre-school today  The little kids were all so cute in their varied costumes. (pictures to follow)

"As long as the earth endures,

seedtime and harvest

cold and heat,

summer and winter,

day and night

will never cease."



"I was glad when they said unto me, 'Let us go into the house of the Lord.'

For years I have driven by this little church in central Florida.  I told my new sister Sue that when I drove to Virginia this time, I was going to stop along the way and take some pictures.  This church was in my mind

when I set out this morning.

Three weeks ago I worshipped in a church that didn't "look like" a church...not what I'm used to.  But there I was, with about 3,000 other people, singing, praising God, and listening to the Word being preached.  What a great time it was.

I think of believers in closed countries who can't worship out in the open because of persecution, and I am thankful that I have the freedom to worship where I choose with a body of believers, the real church.

Meet the Axe Murderers

So I went to California to stay for a week with a couple that I had never met.  When I told people that I was doing this, they looked at me, wondering if I was in my right mind.  I even ended up on someone's prayer list, praying for my safety while I was gone.  I think they thought I might be meeting danger somewhere.

I guess it was a little crazy.  What if we didn't hit it off?  It could have been a very long week.  Sue is a blogger.  She has a wonderful photo blog, Photowannabe, and that is where I first met her.  I don't know how I ended up there, but the first photos of hers that I saw were from Haiti.  I just knew they had to be.  And you all know I have a deep love for that country, having lived there for three and a half years, teaching missionary kids, before I was married. 

We have commented on each other's blogs and known that we were both very interested in missions and just seemed to have so many things in common.  So one night when I was on Face Book, I sent her a message, asking it it might be possible to get together.  Reservations were made, and off I flew to California.

Dave grew up in San Francisco, so he took great delight in being my tour guide.  If you go down a few posts, you can read abut that day trip.  We also went to Lake Tahoe one day and then in to Sacramento one day for lunch. 

Sue and I just talked and talked and talked.  And we found that we do indeed have so many things in common.  We're just sorry that our paths didn't cross earlier. 

One other plus of the trip was being able to worship with them at their church.  What a wonderful experience that was.  There were only about 3,000 in the service, and they have five services.  Sue and Dave host a small group in their home each week.  I missed out on that, but I know I would have loved that too.

If you go to this post on Sue's blog, you can see what she wrote about us.  Scroll down near the end of the post.  The photo was taken when we were watching the salmon swimming upstream.

Well, they weren't axe murderers after all...just two very wonderful new friends.

A Way to Find Enjoyment

At one time, Bangkok television aired the American situation comedy LaVerne and Shirley. For whatever reason, officials there believed that a disclaimer was necessary for the Thailand audience, so this subtitle was added to each show: "The two women depicted in the following episode are from an insane asylum."

Personally, I'm thankful there is a little silliness in the world. And I don't mind not acting like everybody else. Like the "irrepressible" educator and speaker Leo Buscaglia once said: "I don't mind if people think I'm crazy. In fact, I think it's great! It gives me tremendous latitude for behavior."

Buscaglia knew how to laugh. And I think knowing how to laugh and have fun is an important part of living.
Someone asked me what I do for fun. I felt I should answer with something others enjoy, like golf or skiing. But my idea of fun is not usually associated with entertainment and recreation. It is more about squeezing as much enjoyment into every day as I can.

Instead of looking for something fun to do, I try to make whatever I do a little more fun. And if I can't always do things I enjoy, I can learn to enjoy more of the things I do.

I like the word "enjoyment" because it has "joy" inside of it. So does the word "rejoice." And rejoicing is a way to find enjoyment of life.

Speaking of Leo Buscaglia, he used to tell a story about his mother and their "misery dinner." It was the night after his father came home and said it looked as if he would have to go into bankruptcy because his partner had absconded with their firm's funds. His mother's response was to sell some of her jewelry to buy food enough for a grand feast. At first, other members of the family scolded her for it. But she told them that "the time for joy is now, when we need it most, not next week." They learned to appreciate the hopeful
attitude that lifted them out of fear and into joy.

I want to learn to be happy even in those difficult and trying times. I won't be happy FOR them (who likes problems?), just IN them. I need the soothing medicine of laughter when it hurts. I want to learn that the time for joy is now, when I need it most.

Maybe it sounds silly, but I want to learn to rejoice in all things.

And If I'm doing that well, it really doesn't matter what I like to do for fun.



-- Steve Goodier

Update on "Just Because"

Thank you all for you concerns for Ella.  I talked with my DIL just now, and she said she has been much better the last four days.  She is taking prednisone, which, as most of you know, has some crazy side effects, but it does ease pain, inflammation, helps one breathe better, and a whole bunch of other things.

For Your Sunday

Just Because

I haven't posted many photos of Ella lately, but I don't want you all to forget what a cutie she is.  This photo was taken this summer when her mommy's family was together for a birthday celebration for Sabrina's mom.  It happened to be around Ella's birthday too.

You can see she still has her cheeks which everyone has often commented on.

She's going through a bit of a rough time lately...not her cystic fibrosis, but something else which has caused her to have pain and swelling in her joints and intermittent fever.  She started pre-K this year and loves it so much, but on days when she's hurting so much, she isn't able to go.  Say a little prayer, or lots of prayers for or Ella the Bella.  Through it all, she told her mother, "I'm a tough girl."  And she is.  I guess the rest of us need to be tough too.  It really hurts to see a little one hurting.

I didn't see this in Florida either

I didn't see this sign in Florida! I saw it in California upon entering a restaurant. I must say I smiled when I saw it though. Someone said this morning that if the beautiful weather we're having right now were year round, our roads would be crowded all the time. So, I guess hot weather is a blessing after all.

Lunch in Sacramento

 On Monday, Dave suggested we go into Sacramento for lunch.  Well, we were all for that.  We arrived in Old Sacramento around 1:20, parked, and walked over to Joe's Cr*b Shack.  It reminded me a lot of B*bba Gump Shrimp Factory.

 We thought we were all set for free crab, but, oops, we'd have to come back tomorrow.

 On the way to our table, we were greeted by these old guys, who apparently have been around for a while.

 Every forty-five minutes, the servers did a little floor show.  Our server seemed quite shy about doing it, but she came to our table and tried to get us to join her...we did not.

 Since we had come after the lunch hour, there were not many people in the restaurant.  We did wait to have a table by the window, so that the tourist could look out the window!

 Checking on us during our meal was this fine, feathered guy.  He pranced all around the top of that column and even went down in.  I don't know what he found.

 The bridge is quite interesting.  Instead of a draw bridge like we're familiar with here in Florida, you can see how the bridge span was raised for the boat to pass under.

Sue and I had been talking in the morning about not liking coconut, and what did we order?  Coconut shrimp, and they were good.  The folks at the table next to us were sharing this dessert.  It did indeed look yummy.

What a fun lunch it was!

On to Lake Tahoe and surroundings

 After a day in San Francisco and a day of just hanging around and talking, Sue and Dave took me to Lake Tahoe.  When you have lived where it is flat most of your life, the hills and mountains were very refreshing to see.  It was such a pleasant drive from their house over to Lake Tahoe.

 We stopped along the way to take some pictures.  I am always amazed at the giant boulders and the way that roads have been cut out of mountains. Be sure to click on the photos to see more detail.

 One pleasant surprise was to see salmon who were swimming upstream to spawn.  These fish, the Kokanee, were so interesting to watch.  There were large groups of them swimming together.  We were close enough to them to be able to wade in in touch them.  Of course, no one did.

 I didn't see any swimming right against the current here, but this is the direction in which they were headed.

 If some of them got off the beaten path and laid their eggs, they would not survive because of the mud.  Despite the screen to keep them out, there were a couple of fish in that area.

 Guess who else had been around.  We didn't see any though.

 If you click on the photo, you can read more abut the fish in this area.

 What a beautiful sight.  When we first arrived at the lake, the area where we were going to have our lunch had been blocked off so we drove to around until we found some good viewing areas.

 This photo and the two following were taken at Emerald Bay, which is part of the lake. 

Can you tell I had a good time?  Since I've been home and have told friends about the trip, they all say the same thing, "You really sound like you had a good time."  And I did indeed, many thanks to Sue and Dave.