My Colonial States Trip~Part 16

4 Mar

A Slice of Life

 Bill Lites

Bill Lites

Bill Lites

 

I saw the Dolly Todd (Madison) house, Edgar Allen Poe’s house, the Fireman’s Hall Museum, the Pine Street Presbyterian Church and the Mechanic’s National Bank. I had trouble finding the Seaport Museum, home of the USS Olympia, and when I did find it they wanted $15.00 to park and $10.00 admission, and this was another case of not feeling like I would have enough time to see the museum and the ship to justify the cost.

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So, I headed back across the Delaware River to Camden, NJ to try to see the USS New Jersey before they closed, but didn’t make it. So, I just went on back to Gloucester City, where I had another fabulous rib dinner at the Texas Roadhouse restaurant before going back to the motel for the night.

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The next day I passed up visiting the Simeone Auto museum and the Wings of Freedom Aviation Museum, as I saw so many things in Philadelphia that I ran out of time, and had to push on toward that day’s list of places to visit.

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First on the list was the Air Victory Museum in Lumberton, NJ which was closed that day. When I was researching the drive from Lumberton to my next stop in Garden City, NY I was pleased to see that “Google Maps” routed me south, around New York City, on I-278 to miss the city traffic. So now, after inputting the Cradle of Aviation Museum address into “Greta”, I sat back to enjoy the ride. The first indication that something was not quite right was when I was directed to enter the Lincoln Tunnel. The next thing I knew I was stopped at a light at the corner of East 42nd Street and Madison Avenue.

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What in the world was going on? “Greta” had done it to me again! All I could do at this point was follow her directions, as I had no idea how to get to Garden City by myself. She took me thru the Queens Midtown Tunnel onto the Long Island Expressway (I think) and somehow delivered me to the correct museum address in Garden City. Needless to say, it took a lot longer than I had planned to get there. When I finally pulled up in front of the Cradle of Aviation Museum, I was expecting to be thrilled with lots of beautifully restored aircraft in that magnificent facility. What greeted me, as I entered the front door was a huge mess of canvas tarps on the floor, with tables, buckets, and women everywhere, making preparations for a local flower show, of all things. As it turned out, the museum had a surprisingly small number of aircraft for the size of their facility. I guess the main reason for that was their emphasis is on education rather than strictly on aviation. In one area, on the ground floor, I came across the Nassau County Firefighters Museum & Education Center. What a surprise that was!

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Next I continued about 15 miles east on Long Island to the American Airpower Museum located in Farmingdale, NY which is about the size of our Valiant Air Command Museum in Titusville, Florida. Most of their WWII aircraft housed in their large hanger are in flying condition, while their later era (more modern) planes, make up an impressive static display collection outside.

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—–To Be Continued—–

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And the Lord Said: Remember

2 Mar

My TAKE

DiVoran Lites

Author, Poet and Artist

My Dear Daughter, Good morning! Welcome to another happy day with all the serendipities you love each day.

The cowboys named this foal, Summer Surprise because they didn’t know she was coming.

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Don’t let the enemy of your soul send you any lies or doubts. He tries always, pitifully, to throw you off by getting you onto the negativity track. If you fall for it, he’ll do worse. In reality, he had no real power, no strength. Resist him and he will flee.

Instead, remember me, remember my word, remember my love for you, remember the songs I’ve given you to sing, remember to thank me for deeds done and for promises kept. Remember to thank me for who I am, gentle, gracious and loving.

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Let Me Tell You About My Grandchildren

1 Mar

SUNDAY MEMORIES

JUDY

 

FORREST

 

Okay, I hear the groans already. But I’m proud of my grandchildren and would love to 1share some of their antics with you.

We actually have two sets of grandchildren – one set from each of our daughters. And they each completed the circle with a boy and girl.

Our oldest daughter and her husband gave us our first grandchild – a boy, Forrest. They had originally thought to name him Ian Sean, but then realized that his name would, essentially, be “John (Scot) John (Irish)” and thought that wouldn’t do. So they named him Forrest.

Two weeks after his birth, the doctors discovered why he had been losing so much weight. The flap that opens between the esophagus and the stomach was closed over! He was, essentially, starving to death. So, at the tender age of two weeks, he had surgery to correct that problem. He’s not had any problems with it, since that time.

We’ve seen Forrest do some interesting things with his name: “4est” is just one of them. That was on the back of his t-shirt. I’ve seen “Forrest” with the top of the “F” curved over the remainder of his name.

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When he was quite little – even before he could read – he was playing a computer game, quite correctly, and having a great time with it.

Karen tells us that when he was in elementary school, he once told her that he was the smartest kid in the class, except for “Johnny.” When she asked why not Johnny, Forrest said, “Because I haven’t told him yet.”

This picture shows him to be a bit of a monkey – climbing everywhere.

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He was always interested in dinosaurs. He pretty much drew stick figures – like most small children – until it came to dinosaurs. Here is what he drew when he was just seven years old! Amazing!

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He was always a lot of fun to be around.

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He was, and still is, rather fussy about his hands being clean. Once when they were with us, he found a “candy” in our pantry and asked if he could have it. I told him he was welcome to have anything we had – but that particular candy had a gooey marshmallow center. He didn’t eat it. One Easter time we sent them some of those Cadbury “eggs” – you know, the ones with the gooey, runny centers. Karen told us that after he had bitten into it – and found some of that center on his hands, said. “What is THAT???!!!” and flung his hands to rid himself of that offending stuff. Fastidious.

 

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When Karen and Brian celebrated their 20th anniversary by going to Europe to re-visit where they met and fell in love, they left Forrest (16 years old) and his sister with us for the week. We took them to Disney, of course. While at EPCOT, Forrest kept asking us if we were tired, and assured us that they would be happy to go home, rest, and come back later. I finally stopped him and asked, “Forrest – did your dad tell you that Grandpa and I were old and probably got tired easily?” When he sheepishly said yes, I assured him that we do Disney all the time and exercised regularly, and we were NOT tired! We spent all day that the park.

When Forrest was 16, a 16-year-old friend of his drew this picture of him. She complained, “did you really have to wear a plaid shirt that day?” But she titled it, “Only God Can Finish the Picture.” It’s beautiful. And she really captured his essence.

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After high school, he went to Wheaton College for study. While there, he met a lovely young lady and fell in love with her. They married on July 12, 2013, and we were fortunate to be there for the event.

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They are having a wonderful time together, and we are blest to have her in this family.

We are so very proud of Forrest, and thank God for his presence in our lives.

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How to find security. Five important steps.

28 Feb

Happy Saturday! How do you define security?

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Life Is But A Minute

27 Feb

From my Heart

Louise Gibson

Louise Gibson

 

 

When asked, “What is the greatest surprise

you have found about life?” Your response

will be, “The brevity of it”

 

I have lived to a ripe old age, but my

emotions are not ruled by a calendar page.

I am moved to tears by poignant moments in time.

I weep when others weep.

Laugh when others laugh.-

without reason or rhyme.

 

Yes, life is but a minute.

but eternity is in it…

Keep looking up, dear friend.

Christ is waiting at the cross for you.

His dearest desire is to communicate with you.

Life on earth is not the end.

 

John 9:4

“I must work the work of Him who sent me

while it is day. The night cometh when no

man can work.

 

Cross at sunset

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A Cat’s Divine Appointment

26 Feb

On the Porch
Onisha Ellis

I'm a winner

Here on the porch we believe in Divina appointments.

A Generous Helping

Did you ever believe in a divine appointment? I mean, something that worked together so perfectly that it had to be orchestrated by God in order to unfold properly. Something that, if man touched, would fall apart like a house of cards built on a rickety three-legged table.

It happened to me recently. Actually, it happened to a cat I now own. If you’ve been to my house or been reading my blog for any length of time, you know our pet burden is already far too high. All rescues, we have Winston, the huge, stupid, lovable lab. Toby Flenderson, the dog with a personality deficit. Kitty, a barn cat who came to live with us two years ago. Stanley the Chemo Cat, a sweet fatboy who was chosen by Kylie to sit with her during treatment.

In the last weeks, our little patient wanted a baby kitty. Actually, she…

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My Colonial States Trip~Part 15

25 Feb

A Slice of Life

 Bill Lites

Bill Small Red Plane

 

Then I checked out Carpenter’s Hall where in 1774 the 1st Continental Congress met in response to the “Intolerable Acts” the British Parliament had imposed on the colonies, as punishment for the Boston Tea Party. They ended up voting to support a trade embargo against England, one of the first unified acts of defiance against the King of England.

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Then there was the tomb of the Unknown Soldier of the American Revolution which was a very moving monument that honors the thousands of soldiers, of George Washington’s Army, who died during the American Revolutionary War, fighting for our freedom.

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I left my glasses in the Ben Franklin Post Office (luckily they were there when I went back for them) where they hand stamped a letter I mailed. Most of us know of Ben Franklin from our history books as the guy who, in 1750, flew a kite in a thunderstorm proving that lightning was electricity. But, Franklin was a man of many talents; he was a prolific author, printer, political theorist, politician, postmaster, scientist, inventor, civic activist, statesman, and diplomat. He was the first United States ambassador to France (1778-1785), and the 6th president of Pennsylvania (1785-1788).

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I had never heard of the Eastern State Penitentiary where, in mid-1800s, it set the standard for penal reform with its castle-like Gothic architecture and its founders’ Quaker-inspired belief that solitary confinement could reform criminals.  Eastern State’s radial floor plan (known as the hub and spoke plan) and system of solitary confinement was the model for hundreds of later prisons worldwide.

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The next day, while I was trying to take in as many of the interesting things in Philadelphia as I could, I decided to take a quick self-guided tour of the current U.S. Mint there in Philadelphia.   It turns out that the first U.S. Mint (better known as “Ye Olde Mint”) was authorized by the “Coinage Act” of 1792 and was built that same year.  The Mint Act (as it was called) also instituted a decimal system based on a dollar unit; specified weights, metallic composition and fineness; and required that each United States coin be impressed with the word “Liberty.”  It was fascinating to see how our U.S. coins are produced, most of the process now being automated.

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I checked out the City Tavern which was the site of many early business transactions, patriot gatherings, and musical performances and has been restored to look as it did in the 1700s. Today one can sample ale recipes by George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton. I didn’t stop and partake of any of those, as I was on a mission to see as many of the places as I could before the close of the day.

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Down the street was the Philadelphia Merchant’s Exchange, built between 1832 and 1834, and was originally a gathering place where merchants met to barter or sell their cargoes and merchandise. From Exchange the ships could be seen approaching from up or down the Delaware River.

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—–To Be Continued—–

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Writing and Painting

23 Feb

My Take

DiVoran Lites

 

Author, Poet and ArtistWhen I started writing blogs for Old Things R-New and Rebekah Lyn Books, I was working on the novel, Go West and enjoying it immensely. Painting had taken a back seat and I thought I was over it. But people kept saying they liked my prints and the paintings on my walls and when I remembered how much I enjoyed splashing paint around. My fingers began to itch for a brush.

The more I painted, the more I neglected the things I thought I ought to be doing. I wrote out several long talks with the Lord asking how I could find time to paint and to keep up with my writing goals, as well and he gave me some new ideas.

Finally, my angel, and enabler Onisha and I sat at a table in the Target Starbucks and talked it over. I had also been writing paraphrases from the Bible and I wanted to illustrate them. Onisha suggested we serialize the novel and use it instead of blogs and she liked the idea of the Promise Posters too.

So now, I’m painting and writing and I’m having a wonderful time. If you see any Go West illustrations or Promise Posters you’d like to buy, they will be available as prints and note cards at www.creativeartworks.com. Come join me in my new big adventure.

“Posters and Cards of the Go West paintings will be available on Creative Artworks soon.

 

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Treasures

22 Feb

SUNDAY MEMORIES

Judy Wills

JUDY

I’ve found many “treasures” in my lifetime. The times in my life that I write about are, indeed, treasures to me. Such wonderful memories they are. But I have some “earthly” treasures, as well. I’ve collected things throughout my life, and they usually have great meaning to me. I remember when my Aunt Jessie bought me my first pitcher – and it started a collection with me. Most of the “pitchers” I have are actually creamers. She took me another time to Juarez, Mexico, and we purchased another pitcher.

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I have a pitcher that is purported to be from my grandmother – and the only thing I have from her. Remember, she had 13 children, and my family lived far away from her, so we didn’t get very much of hers following her death. 3 I have a cow pitcher that my mother filled with milk and we poured it over our cereal. 4 (I’ve actually lost that one, but my brother found another one and I have this one to remind me. Here is a picture of the original in our dining room window) 5 I also have a small pitcher that was used on the “family-style” table at our Glorieta Baptist Convention Center in Glorieta, New Mexico. They were filled with cream or milk, and several were on each table for the coffee users. 6 I have another “cow” pitcher that was for the same use. 7 I have a set of pitchers that Aunt Jessie picked up in Pennsylvania one time. 8 Yes, they are dust-collectors as well, but they remind me of good times in my life. But I have other “treasures” as well. I had heard of Hummel figurines most of my life, but it wasn’t until we moved to Germany that they came to mean something to me. In downtown Wiesbaden, there was a most unique store. Here is a picture of the storefront. It is one huge cuckoo clock! 9 But they had wonderful Hummel figurines there. Fred’s mother purchased one, and, since her death, I have it. It is a treasure.10One of the most fun treasures I have is a German nutcracker. Most of the nutcrackers you find have a smooth, rounded block of painted wood for the face.   12

 

Really gives character to him. We have him sitting where we can see him every time we sit down to eat. I know we are to “lay up treasures in heaven,” but these earthly ones give joy to our earthly life and times. When heaven comes my way, I won’t need them anymore – I’ll have the daily worship of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. And I am so grateful for that assurance of salvation. I am blest beyond measure.

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Does God still perform miracles? Three steps to witness them.

21 Feb

I believe in miracles.

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