August 23rd

We haven't gone to as many concerts as we usually do both for financial reasons and also I haven't gotten my act together. A lot of the concerts sell out the first day they go on sale and you have to stay on top of it, if you want to go. We did get Kenny Chesney tickets for last night. Daniel actually paid for the tickets for Mother's Day and Father's Day. It was at Walnut Creek or Altell Pavilion or Times Warner Pavilion or whoever bought the naming rights this week .

We had lawn seats which are were perfect.

You can see how it filled up even though this was Kenny Chesney's second concert in Raleigh!

My camera doesn't take good pictures at this type of thing but this was Kenny Chesney. LeAnn Rimes opened for him. They started playing at 7:30 and we didn't leave until after 11:00! Poor Arthur was wiped out though since he had been up since 4:30 AM since he had to work Saturday. It's 11:00 am on a Sunday right now and he is still sleeping.

August 18

I had to go to Charlotte for computer training for work for a couple days so Arthur took these pictures. Today was Daniel's first day of college!!

You can just see the excitement and anticipation in his face can't you!

He finally woke up however this turned into the first day that wasn't... He got lost going to the college and missed his first class!! Only my son.. Lol! He did finally get there on Tuesday and decided that college is much different than high school.

August 12th

I just finished the book "A Time to Mend" by Gary Smalley & Sally John. It was about a marriage that unravels after 30 years; probably seems like an odd choice for me right now. Lol! In the book, they mention the praise song, "Blessed be the Name". Now I have heard that praise song many times. It always brings me to tears. To be able to praise God in good times and bad just seems to be such an evidence of strong faith. But I never connected where the lines in the praise song came from.

"Naked I came from my mother's womb,
and naked I will depart.
The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away;
may the name of the LORD be praised." Job 1:21

I began reading Job because I know God wanted me to read it again (I say again because I really dislike Job and try to avoid it at all costs) . Right there in the first chapter was the words to the praise song that I adore! Read through all the words to the song.

Blessed Be Your Name
by Matt Redman
album: Where Angels Fear To Tread (2002)
- - -
Blessed Be Your Name
In the land that is plentiful
Where Your streams of abundance flow
Blessed be Your name

Blessed Be Your name
When I'm found in the desert place
Though I walk through the wilderness
Blessed Be Your name

Every blessing You pour out
I'll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name

Blessed be Your name
When the sun's shining down on me
When the world's 'all as it should be'
Blessed be Your name

Blessed be Your name
On the road marked with suffering
Though there's pain in the offering
Blessed be Your name

Every blessing You pour out
I'll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say

Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name

You give and take away
You give and take away
My heart will choose to say
Lord, blessed be Your name



So now I'll say what I should have been saying all along.

Thank you God for the situation with Rachel.
Thank you God for our car breaking down.
Thank you God for Chistine losing her job
Thank you God for our air conditioning breaking down
Thank you God for our financial struggles

Hallejulah, Blessed be your name!

August 8th

Ok, I had to work the weekend and so I had today off. When I am off , I love to cook. During the work week, I cook but I try to keep it quick and easy. Today, I tried true fried crispy chicken.

This is not a pretty shot, but it was so good. Basically, I salted 4 chicken breasts, then soaked them in buttermilk. Then rolled them in self-rising flour (the trick to true crispy chicken). I fried them in oil at 350 degrees temp. Now you have to understand that I am a rule follower - I need clear directions. So I timed the chicken exactly - fried in 350 degree oil for 30 minutes. It was perfect!

For dessert, I made Italian Cream Cake.

August 7th

So we went down to our friend's house to celebrate our anniversary.

A little blurry but not a bad shot of us both.

The french champagne. Natalie brought it for us from France and we were waiting for our anniversary to open it. We didn't want to open the whole bottle for ourselves.

As you can see, we don't have much experience with champagne. Lol!

Our good friends, Rose and Joe

Although I didn't find the french wine that Ben brought home noticeably better than our wine, the champagne definitely excellent! Thanks Natalie!

August 6th

25 years ago today Arthur and I got married. No one thought that we would make it. We were too young; I was too ambitious, he was too laid back; we had no money or education; we had only known each other 4 months when we got engaged and dated for a total of 11 months; we had our first baby 10 months after our marriage. We had all the ingredients for marital disaster.

August 6th, 1983

But here we are - still together - and still crazy about each other. I don't know why we made it and others don't. A cousin once said that we were soul mates and maybe that is true. All I know is that I am blessed to have had this man by my side through the last 25 years and am looking forward to 25 more. Thank you Lord for blessing us with the gift of each other!

HAPPY 25TH ANNIVERSARY TO US!

August 3rd

August 6th is our 25th wedding anniversary. Our original plan was to go away for a cruise but with the dying of the car, that has been postponed. Neither of us has been to the Outer Banks so we decided to go there for our anniversary. Paying for a hotel at peak season at the Outer Banks wasn't really in the budget right now so we just did a day trip. It was gorgeous there and surprisingly not crowded!

Roanoke Marshes Lighthouse

Jockey Ridge State Park which has some of the largest sand dunes on the east coast. They give out hang gliding lessons.

An artistic picture that Arthur took at the Elizabethan Gardens of a water fountain. Or in Rhode Islandese - a bubbla

Spanish Moss at the gardens

The view into the sunken garden

Bodie Island Lighthouse

At the beach! I miss the beach from RI so we had to stop so I could put my feet in the water.

Next stop, Cape Hatteras Lighthouse. This is the tallest lighthouse in the nation. We walked the 268 steps up to the top. Both of us are paying for it today! Lol!

The View from the top! It was an amazing view - well worth the effort. I'm actually proud of myself. I'm normally terrified of heights.

Arthur and I about halfway to the top. You can tell that we are a bit hot and out of breath.

At the end of the day, we ate at a seafood restaurant called Sugar Creek. This was the view! What a perfect ending to the day.

August 1st

We had a "ladies night in" at Rose's house since her hubby is away in RI.