the plane by the road

This plane in front of the VFW on CB road is almost a Wilmington landmark. I pass it often, and yesterday I stopped to take a picture. I have learned that it was used as a training jet during the fifties and sixties, and that it came here to its permanent location in 1975. It requires care and maintenance, which is now done by the CAP. Good to know.

a tearjerker

Thankfully I made it through the anthem today.
The choir has been practicing a song based on Jeremiah 29:11, and the first time we sang through it, I got so choked up I had to quit singing. It happened during the other practices, too.
The blend of the poetic words and expressive music did me in. On Thursday evening, I penciled in "don't cry" on every page. I didn't want to embarrass myself in front of the church.
It started well enough with this: "I know the plans I have for you, a road you cannot see. A winding way with highs and lows that leads at last to me."
But then God spoke to me with "May you find work that feeds your soul." That is exactly what nursing was for me, and it was not I who chose it. It was clearly God's gift.
Next: "May you have a family strong and whole." Wow.. I thought of my sons, fine grown men and their families. Strong and whole.
And this: "May you walk the way with friends." Friends are so important, whether they are the ones we have had forever or ones who come into our lives for a season. There are those who show up at crucial times and those we share daily ups and downs with. How could we make it without the friends who have blessed our lives.
It made me think about how wonderful my life has been.
"And though your heart has hopes and dreams and futures still unknown, my dream for you will always be far greater than your own."
Thankfully I didn't cry.

another egret sighting

I went out the back door to shake out a rug and saw a great egret standing practically in my back yard! It is the second behind the house sighting for me. They are so graceful, so white and beautiful. By the time I got my camera and came back, he had moved further away, more into the marsh. I did get one picture to prove it was really there!

construction

About six months ago I posted a pic of the early construction of the new shopping and entertainment area that is being built less than two miles from me. I pulled in today to see how much it has progressed. They have paved paradise and put in a huge parking lot. Some of the restaurants are identifiable as such, and this is the movie theater, or as they call them now a multiplex. As my Daddy would say, "Pretty soon you won't be able to tell it from Chicago." That was something he quoted from his parents!

what has become of

It breaks my heart that some women have reached such a low point that they engage in public demonstrations that support killing unborn babies and other such ignoble ideas. There is no greater honor than to be the carrier for a new life, to have a baby form and grow within you. As soon as I knew I was pregnant, I greatly loved that little seedling of a human being and protected it. It wasn't just me anymore. This was an entirely new person who had never taken a breath or walked this planet that I was responsible for. We women are the ones who love the deepest. We nurture new life and we hold the weak until they become strong. We are the tender ones and the caring ones. We are the strong and resourceful ones. God's final creation! It breaks my heart to see women succumbing to lies, engaging in cold-hearted behaviors, and blind to wonder and truth.

learning from the kids

At this time in my life, I am not around children or young people very much. I miss their enthusiasm and energy. I also miss talking to them about what is going on in their lives and the latest trends they are interested in. I was glad to have Ashley and John here for a short while over Christmas. Of course I took them to my studio and let them paint. John worked diligently on a landscape. (He was so cute.) Ashley painted a series of symbols, and I had to ask what they represented. She said it stood for God is greater than your highs or lows. I loved it! I couldn't remember exactly how it was, so I looked it up today. It is being put on t shirts, mugs, notebooks and yes, on people's bodies as tattoos. Anyway, it is something truthful and positive. Yay!

broken shells

I was looking through some photos I took last year and realized I really like them. Broken shells have a mystique about them. Poets compare them to people with hurts and pain and stories to tell.