Monday, July 31, 2017

Words of CS Lewis

Trip sent me this great CS Lewis quote about the necessity and danger of love.


There is no safe investment. To love at all is to be vulnerable. 
Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly be broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket – safe, dark, motionless, airless – it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. The alternative to tragedy, or at least to the risk of tragedy, is damnation. The only place outside Heaven where you can be perfectly safe from all the dangers and perturbations of love is Hell.

Sunday, July 30, 2017

A Neighboring Church

There are so many pretty churches in downtown Wilmington that I often think I would like to photograph them all. This one is a Lutheran church I pass when I got to my own pretty church on Sunday.

Friday, July 28, 2017

technical challenge

For the past couple of weeks, I have been learning how to use Constant Contact, a program that lets me send out newsletters to the three hundred plus members of the art association. The simple, free program we had been using stopped functioning correctly for some reason, so we had to make a change. After all, communication is everything. Learning CC has challenged me, but I am getting the hang of it. Today I sent out my fourth newsletter and had only one call to the helpline! Admittedly I like to do this sort of thing, but I also want it to look pretty. I want all the words to be spelled right and the sentences to be punctuated correctly. I want spacing to be the same throughout and the divider lines to be the same width. I want to clearly understand everything there is to know about how to do it! Then I want to teach someone else, if there is someone who needs to know as I do. Pretty soon someone will ask me about Constant Contact, and I will say, "It is really easy!" Then I will know I got it.

Monday, July 24, 2017

A Wilmingtonian

I love the little green garden lizards in Wilmington. This one was camouflaged in a potted plant, but his quick movements gave him away. I am always surprised when the camera shows me something new, like the beautiful colors around the eye. (Carolina anole.)

Sunday, July 23, 2017

volleyball

Ruby was around this weekend attending volleyball camp at the college. I think she enjoyed it. She has always seemed athletic, agile and well built. A dancer maybe? Nope. She tried gymnastics and a couple of other sports, but over the past year she has developed a love for volleyball. I am glad she is using her natural abilities and gifts, and it gives me something new to be interested in.
Here she is this morning at the end of camp.

Thursday, July 20, 2017

In a pretty park

Since being here, I love to find new places.
Today I met with these two women in a garden near the beach. It wasn't too hot, and we walked and then sat on bench in the shade to discuss an art project. Being in art has given me opportunities to learn more about Wilmington.

Wednesday, July 19, 2017

Elephant ears

Not the kind you get at the County Fair, but the ones that are growing in Wilmington this time of year. They always remind me of my childhood.

Tuesday, July 18, 2017

Blessings

For the second week in a row, the hubby and I have been to church to help with the Tuesday night meals "for the hungry." No questions are asked of anyone who comes to eat though most really are without permanent shelters. Anyone is also invited to show up and help, the oldest tonight being eighty-three and the youngest twelve. Some come often to help, but no one is expected to volunteer certain hours. Restuarants and food vendors make contributions, women cook desserts, and there is always plenty, enough for the guests to take food back. It all works out beautifully. After supper, a woman came up to me to say thank you. Through some tears and pieces of a story, she said this was the first time she had come, and that at sixty she had become homeless. I believed her. But as with most good deeds, it is the helpers who reap the biggest blessings.

Thursday, July 13, 2017

Surprise!

This morning I went to a free presentation at and about our special, historic theater, Thalian Hall. As the people entered - and it was nearly full - we were given cards to fill out for a drawing. I dutifully wrote in my info, thinking what's the use. At the end of the brief show, the fish bowl with all the cards was brought to the presenter so he could pull out the winner. He called the name, and it was mine! Wow! I am the lucky winner of two movie tickets! Granted it was worth only about $15, but it was still quite thrilling.

Wednesday, July 12, 2017

Father Brown

Once in a while I really get into watching something on Netflix. Lately I have been hooked on an uncomplicated, forty-four minute BBC murder mystery titled Father Brown. After watching three seasons on my iPad, I have begun to wonder what the attraction is. I really can't say, but one thing I have observed is what the Catholic priest does. Being a Protestant, I see why the Reformation was necessary. All knowledge of God and all intercession begins and ends with him. On the plus side, I see him more as a therapist who includes the spirit of the person in his work. It really is important for people to be honest with themselves, and before God, and he encourages the suspect/sinner/guilty party to do just that. And then rather than be gruff and punitive over their horrid acts, he is kind and nurturing. There are worse ways to waste time.

Friday, July 7, 2017

Corn!

On July 4th, I made a quick trip to Food Lion, my nearest grocery. As I dashed by the produce, I saw corn at three for a dollar. That was a price I hadn't seen lately. So I bought some, nine small ears with yellow kernels. When I got home and started shucking, I was amazed. The corn looked just like it used to! And it tasted as good as the best, sweet and delicious. It was real, non-GMO corn! With practically everything having been turned into GMO, we forget how real food is supposed to be. Yesterday I went back hoping for more and was lucky. I thank the farmer who must have had a bountiful summer crop and kindly shared it with Food Lion - and with me.

Monday, July 3, 2017

sweet

Ashley and I spent the afternoon exploring her new hometown. Our last stop was Duck Donuts where the donuts are freshly made and you pick the toppings. Naturally we both chose chocolate. Delish.

Sunday, July 2, 2017

A new place

Last week while Sally was here, we went to a coffee shop in town that has gotten lots of nationwide publicity since it opened last year. It is famous! I knew Sally would like it because she has taught Special Needs students for at least fifteen years and loves those kids. Almost all the workers, though of adult age, fit into that category. It was also my first time to go, and it really did touch me. Very special. And it's big! There are places for visitors to have their pictures taken, and T shirts and cups to buy. I just took a photo of this US map on the wall where people place pins to note where they came from. Looks like they have come from all over.