Cherry Blossom in DC

Photobucket Album

Double Click on the photo and then click on slideshow on the top right of the page to see the photos. Enjoy.

Spring in Maryland

Wow! Spring is here.

It has been in the 70's the last few days and the buds have been budding.

Our daffodils have nearly gone

but the other flowers are begining to bloom.

Cherry Blossom Time

Today was my last day off in the middle of the week

so I took the opportunity to go to DC to see the Cherry Blossoms.

Amazing. Here are some of the treats I got.

Also found this blue color feature on the camera so thought I would

try it out and here it is in the last photo.

It was so nice to go and take some pictures today.

I have missed that.

More Arizona Delights

Here are some more photos from Arizona.

Enjoy.

Do you see the face in the mountain?

No it's not the old man of the mountain

but I don't know who it is.

Arizona

Last weekend we went to Arizona to Chris' cousin, Sara's wedding.

We had a great time at the wedding and also seeing friends and family

and doing a little site seeing.

Chris wanted to move but I told him we had just moved

so he needs to hold his horses!!!!!!

Ye ha!

No wonder they call him "Cowboy."

Shannon & Sara

Always got to take pictures of wildlife when I get the chance

Cactus, cacuts and more cactus.

The scenes were breathtaking.

March 1st 2008

Wow. It is hard to believe we are already into March.

Where has the last few months gone.

It seems like I can't get blogging at all becasue I am so busy

doing other things but I guess that isn't a bad thing

except I don't seem to keep up with people as much.
Well after my last blog I got to meet some more neighbors.

Glad to see we have animals around here but no chipmunks yet.

I miss those little guys.

Also had some snow and ice about an inch.

Less than what New Hampshire got. Boy,

I really don't know how I stuck the cold and snow

but I guess with God's grace you can do anything.

Worry

Since moving I haven't been out with my camera a lot

but have been observing our friends in the yard.

I miss the chipmunks but have our fair share of squirrels.

Counted 9 one moring all playing together in the back yard.

It was fun to just take time out of my day and watch them as the world went by.

They do not have the cares and worries we do

but God is ever faithful and tells us to

'cast our care upon Him

because He cares for us.'

Why do worry and fret so?

Re-entry to Blog Land

Hi all.
We are back on the internet which is great so within the next few weeks I will be posting again on my blog and let you know what is happening in our world here in Maryland. Thanks to all of you for your prayers and support. Both Chris and I are working but not exactly where we want to be but God has provided in the interim. Keep us in your prayers for jobs especially Chris as it is difficult right now to get back into his field in computers. I am still waiting on paperwork from England before I can take any nursing exams so pray that this process will speed up.
Here are some pictures of the house as it is now. Enjoy.

Hi All

Hi All

We are getting internet access the beginning of February so I will be up and running again with the blog and contact with you all in internet land. It has been difficult not having access but there is light at the end of the tunnel. Talk with you all soon.

Blessings
Marie

Moving

Sunday we had lunch with our Small Group from church.

We had a great time.

We will really miss them all.

Don't we all look smart!!!

Chris & Me

As you all know we are moving this week to Maryland from New Hampshire. The U-haul is hired and the boxes are packed. We roll out on Friday afternoon. Tomorrow or Wednesday we will be packing up the computer so no more e-mail or blogging for a few weeks. Not sure when we will have access but keep watching this space. Hope to see and hear from you all soon.

Blessings
Marie

Ebenezer Lock

Ebenezer Locke

Who!!!!!

Fritz Weatherbee was on New Hampshire Chronicles recently and told us a little of Ebenezer Lock who is suppose to be the man who fired the first shot in Lexington Mass. upon the British Troops, April 19, 1775. He was known for 'firing the shot heard around the world.'

Ebenzer was born March 2, 1735 in Woburn, Massachusetts, the son of Ebenezer Locke, Sr. and Elizabeth Poulter Locke, and the great grandson of William Locke, an orphan who immigrated to Massachusetts in 1635 at the age of fourteen, and later became a successful farmer and extensive landholder in west Woburn. You can still see the original William Locke homestead in Woburn, although much altered over the years, located on the North side of Lexington street, less than 100 yards east of the intersection of Route 3. It is now referred to as the Fox home, for a later resident.

Following the battle, the army took up winter quarters in Morristown, New Jersey, where in April 1777 Ebenezer was discharged and left the army for good. After the war, he sold his property in Woburn and Lexington and sometime in the late 1780's or early 1790's he moved to Deering, NH along with his three sons, who by the way all served at one time or other in the 26th regiment. There he lived with his son Benjamin, surviving to a ripe old age and no doubt spending many a winter's evening sitting around the fire swapping war stores, and telling his grandchildren how he fired the shot at the Regulars on that April morning.

The inscription on the tombstone reads simply "Ebenezer Locke, Died September 12, 1816, Age 82 Years." Pretty simple for someone so famous. Who would have thought little Old Deering had so much history.

Hard to read the tombstone
but double click on the picture and make it larger
and you will be able to see better.

Thanksgiving Dinner

One of the most blessed times at His Mansion
when we all come together as a family
and have dinner together being thankful
for what the Lord has done over the last year.
Many of our residents would not have seen this
Thanksgiving if they had remained where they were at.

Thank you Lord for what you do daily in our lives.

Chris & Me

Mantle Piece Decoration

My best Friend Karen & Me

Our Women staff and residents

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE.

Storms of Life

The Storms of Life

During my quiet time I have been reading about
storms in the bible.
The one that we all know of is when the disciples
are out in the boat and a storm arises
and Jesus is asleep on a pillow.
As God He knew a storm was coming and yet
He chooses to get a pillow and fall asleep.
The disciples panic and wonder why
He is asleep instead of helping them.
Don't we do the same?
Don't we have storms that cause us to panic
and wonder where Jesus is?
Is He in your boat or are you sailing it alone?
It's hard sometimes even when He is in the boat as we
focus on our circumstances and how we feel.
Trust and Obey. That's what it is all about.

Psalm 20

Well folks.
20 days left until the big move South.
This was the Psalm for today.

Psalm 20

(NLT)

For the choir director: A psalm of David.

1 In times of trouble, may the Lord answer your cry.

May the name of the God of Jacob keep you safe from all harm.

2 May he send you help from his sanctuary

and strengthen you from Jerusalem.

3 May he remember all your gifts and

look favorably on your burnt offerings.
4 May he grant your heart’s desires

and make all your plans succeed.

5 May we shout for joy when we hear of your victory

and raise a victory banner in the name of our God.

May the Lord answer all your prayers.
6 Now I know that the Lord rescues his anointed king.

He will answer him from his holy heaven

and rescue him by his great power.

7 Some nations boast of their chariots and horses,

but we boast in the name of the Lord our God.

8 Those nations will fall down and collapse,

but we will rise up and stand firm.
9 Give victory to our king, O Lord!

Answer our cry for help.

Thanksgiving Week

Thanksgiving is near here so as a foreigner I thought I would give you all a bit of history.

The First Thanksgiving The first American Thanksgiving was celebrated in 1621, to commemorate the harvest reaped by the Plymouth Colony after a harsh winter. In that year Governor William Bradford proclaimed a day of thanksgiving. The colonists celebrated it as a traditional English harvest feast, to which they invited the local Wampanoag Indians. Days of thanksgiving were celebrated throughout the colonies after fall harvests. All thirteen colonies did not, however, celebrate Thanksgiving at the same time until October 1777. George Washington was the first president to declare the holiday, in 1789. A New National Holiday By the mid–1800s, many states observed a Thanksgiving holiday. Meanwhile, the poet and editor Sarah J. Hale had begun lobbying for a national Thanksgiving holiday. During the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln, looking for ways to unite the nation, discussed the subject with Hale. In 1863 he gave his Thanksgiving Proclamation, declaring the last Thursday in November a day of thanksgiving. In 1939, 1940, and 1941 Franklin D. Roosevelt, seeking to lengthen the Christmas shopping season, proclaimed Thanksgiving the third Thursday in November. Controversy followed, and Congress passed a joint resolution in 1941 decreeing that Thanksgiving should fall on the fourth Thursday of November, where it remains.

Rock the Sound & Beardsley Zoo

Last weekend we went to Rock the Sound Concert.

We saw Grits, Jars of Clay and Jeremy Camp.

There were two other bands we didn't know.

Grits

Jars of Clay

Jeremy Camp

Also we went to Beardsley Zoo.

Here are some pictures with Chris wrestling a crocidile.

Isn't he brave!!!!

Thanks Eric. We had a great time.

Strong Tower

It is Psalm 31 today for our reading. Wow!!! More about God being a strong fortress, a rock of refuge. Here is a photo I found of the tower at Glendalough in Ireland. It reminds me of God being my strong tower.

Be my rock of refuge,
a strong fortress to save me.
Since you are my rock and my fortress,
for the sake of your name lead and guide me.
Psalm 31:2-3

Psalms

Psalm 32:7-8

You are my hiding place;
you will protect me from trouble
and surround me with songs of deliverance.
I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will counsel you and watch over you.

Chris and I have been blessed in the last few days how God is leading and guiding us. When I first came to His Mansion, one of the verses God gave me as confirmation was Psalm 32:8. As we are reading the Psalms each day as our count down, something a student taught me who was in the last phase of the program. As her count down she counted how many days she had left and started at that Psalm and read backwards each day. Great way to get into scripture though a lot of verses about the wicked and the righteous. Challenging.

Read Psalm 32 this morning and was reminded of these 2 verses I quoted above. I have always seen God as my refuge and strength and strong tower. When times are tough I want to be reassured that I have a hiding place to go to that is safe and secure and God is that for me though I have to admit in the last year I have been tested in this area. When we lost our son I did not feel like going to God as He could have chosen something different for us but He didn't. After working through my anger with Him I realize He is my only refuge, strength and hiding place no matter what!!!!

Why not read through this Psalm today and see what God is speaking into your heart.

Blessings
Marie

Butterfly Farm

Blog Land seem slow in posting blogs
so this is why it has taken me a little while to get this up and posted.

Last weekend I went to a butterfly farm in MA
with some dear friends of mine.
We had a great day and her are some pictures.

Peak Time

We have been told that this weekend is the peak time for the leaves here in New England.

I think they have got it right and as Chris says,

"It seems like the trees have been plugged in a lite up."

So beautiful.

God's Handiwork.

The Overlook

Maple Leaves
So Many Colors