two granddaughters

Middle Verses

I love the hymns of my childhood.
In some churches I have attended, we sang only the first and last verses of  hymns. That always irked me, because often it was the middle verses that were filled with the most meaning. Imagine...leaving out the most important part of a poem or story! I am glad to say we sing all the verses at FBCW.
These are the middle verses of an old hymn we sang today, Oh Jesus I have Promised. 
It was written in the mid 1800s by a Church of England priest and vicar who knew the human heart.

Oh, let me feel Thee near me, the world is ever near. 
I see the sights that dazzle, the tempting sounds I hear.
My foes are ever near me, around me and within. 
But Jesus draw Thou nearer, and shield my soul from sin. 

Oh, let me hear Thee speaking, in accents clear and still.
Above the storms of passion, the murmurs of self-will.
Oh, speak to reassure me, to hasten, or control. 
Oh, speak, and make me listen, Thou Guardian of my soul.

from the other side of the river

The beloved Coast Guard ship and a view of Water Street.

The Railroad

Back when I was a little girl, Wilmington was all about the Atlantic Coast Line. It was probably the biggest employer in town, and both my father and grandfather worked in the office on Nutt Street. When it merged with another railroad company and moved to Florida, everyone was grief stricken.

Gone but not forgotten!

group participation

Have you heard about Pickleball? I had not until I moved here. It is a new ball-padde-net inside court game that started on the west coast in the 1960s. It is supposed to be competitive, not overly strenuous, and even an old lady could play! I wondered if I was up to it. Today I was at the Y and got to try. I see the possibilities, but I soon realized I would have to get used to having a ball coming at me.  I felt like such a girl! An old girl with stiff knees. Maybe I will give it another try.

Blueberry muffins

Today I used this recipe for blueberry muffins, and it is as it claims, easy and delicious. Like most of us cooks, I did alter it to my own liking by using less sugar and substituting cream for milk. Yum!

out of the city limits

The hubster and I drove north about thirty miles to the quaint town of Burgaw. I had never been and wanted to check it out, especially since the Blueberry Festival is this weekend. We got there early, before any of the entertainment started, and it was perfect. We walked a bit and went in one store that has been in business close to one hundred years. The original cash register is still used and took me back to my childhood, way back. Amazing. The fourth generation owner let me take a picture of it - and him too!
Also I bought a lot of blueberries. So far I have made preserves and a cobbler and have given a pint to my neighbor.

Yacht Club

Today I was lucky enough to get to one of The Beach's special places. Mother would have been pleased.

Great day for the beach

summer flowers

an awesome recital

Brad is an eighteen year old musician who helps the church choir by accompanying us on piano when our usual pianist is gone and by both playing keyboard and singing in the Christmas program. Impressive for his age, but I had no idea just how marvelously talented he is until this afternoon when I went to his recital in our beautiful old church. I really wanted attend and was glad I could. He just graduated from high school and plans to go to college in-state to study music.
Today Brad was both poised and strong, good looking and smartly dressed in a long sleeved shirt of a pretty dark blue, a black tie and black pants. 
He began by playing Toccata in D minor by Bach on the pipe organ. I had no idea! Afterward at the reception, he said one reason he wanted to learn organ is because it is dying out. After a couple more pieces, he moved to the piano where he was accompanied by his piano teacher as his lovely baritone voice sang a few Italian opera songs. He wasn't a "showboat" but just a nice young man doing what he loves. When that set was over, the teacher lifted the lid of massive grand, propped it open, and took her seat in the crowd. Brad then introduced us to what he would be playing. Included was one of my favorites, Chopin's Polonaise in a-flat major. He was a master! Technically and emotionally on target. When he finished, he seemed to know instinctively how to bow, and if he had tails, he would have flipped them up perfectly.
How did he memorize all those difficult songs? How did he learn so much music in just eighteen years? I really don't know, but what I picked up from his proud parents and his lucky teachers is that he loved it from the time he was in first grade! He found his passion early, worked hard at it, and was in a nurturing environment. A winning combination.

A Pretty Sunset

I took a stroll along the nice new part of the Riverwalk this evening when the sky was filled with rich colors. I post a lot of sunset pictures, but why not? The skies are (almost) always beautiful.

Blast from the Past

This afternoon I went to hear an author speak and read from a book she recently had published. I was especially pleased to go because she was a psychiatrist, about my age, and had done all her education and work in SC. Like me! Even though we had not met before, listening to her was like hearing an old friend talking about something we both knew intimately. Interesting how we arrived at so many of the same conclusions. She no longer practices, and I will reluctantly give up my license this year, but we agreed we would never regret all those years we spent in the company of people who were deeply troubled. She said, "It has to be a calling." I agreed, saying that is what it was for me.

Scintillating scotoma

For today's post I decided to tell about a weird thing that has happened four times now. The last episode was day before last.
Two or three years ago when it happened the first time, I pretty much dismissed it.
The second time, I googled the symptoms and learned it is called scintillating scotoma. The first three times were the same, starting with moving, flashing zigzagged arcs on the left side of my field of vision. During thirty minutes or so, they get worse - larger, colorful and more filled with motion. They can obscure your vision pretty bad. You feel the need to lie down and shut your eyes. But then you find out the moving lights and lines are not in your eyes but in your brain. No matter how dark you make your surroundings, they persist. But after an hour, you are back to normal and can resume whatever you were doing.
On Monday the episode started with a small, bright wiggly polygon in my lower right field of vision. The one shape turned into many, and they grew bigger than the zigzags did covering a larger area. I lay down and was fortunate enough to sleep for a few minutes. When I woke up, they were gone.
I don't get a headache or have any other symptoms. I think the "jury is still out" as to the causes. For me, I wonder if it is triggered by bright light, because I was really aware of light right before the visual show started.
I just thought I would share in case someone else out there had them.

happy times

This was Stuart's second day at his new job in Wilmington. It has been almost twenty years since one of my children lived so close, and I am thrilled. I am sure Oklahoma is a great state if that is where you are from, but he is a Carolina boy! He and his family needed to come home. Everyone was happy that the recruiter found him a job he thinks he will really like - and right here! He came for supper tonight, and on Sunday, and I made two meals that were really good. That was surprising since I don't cook much anymore. The rest of the family will be here by the end of the month, and I look forward to being with them all.

dragonfly time

lemons and gardenias

On my kitchen were freshly cut fragrant gardenias and freshly bought and washed lemons.
They were so pretty together. Can't you just smell them!