Monthly Archives: October 2019

Our Lady of Hope Catholic Church


Please take the time to leave a comment at the bottom of this blog. I relish the positive ones and will learn from the negative ones.

Go To: December Journal

HAPPINESS is to have EVERYTHING, you need.
NOT the need to have EVERYTHING.

10.26.2019-

Our Lady of Hope Catholic Church

in Port Orange, FL

I’ve done a write-up on this church a couple of times. If we’re in Port Orange, which is where Seabird Island is located, we go to Epiphany.

Way back, almost ten years ago, we had a weekend home on Seabird. A weekend home is a bit generous; more like a 1955 trailer with a really nice addition, but for several years it was our weekend home.

MM

Our Lady of Hope Catholic Church


Please take the time to leave a comment at the bottom of this blog. I relish the positive ones and will learn from the negative ones.

Go To: December Journal

HAPPINESS is to have EVERYTHING, you need.
NOT the need to have EVERYTHING.

10.26.2019-

Our Lady of Hope Catholic Church

in Port Orange, FL

I’ve done a write-up on this church a couple of times. If we’re in Port Orange, which is where Seabird Island is located, we go to Epiphany.

Way back, almost ten years ago, we had a weekend home on Seabird. A weekend home is a bit generous; more like a 1955 trailer with a really nice addition, but for several years it was our weekend home.

MM

2019-Tour Comes to an end.


Please take the time to leave a comment
at the bottom of this blog. I relish the positive ones and will learn from the negative ones.

Click here to go to: October Journals

HAPPINESS is to have EVERYTHING, you need.

NOT the need to have EVERYTHING.

10.26.2019-2019 Tour comes to an end.

We are ending the tipping about two weeks early. We cut short our stay at The Oaks in Yemassee, SC. Guess we we’re just getting tired of traveling. The campground was OK but not great. Wi-Fi left much to be desired but TV reception was the pits. We were imbedded in tall Oaks (what else!), but they did offer cable. The cable was the pits, always buffering; you know that little red arrow that keeps going round and round. So we stayed there only one night. Shortly after leaving the campground, a little south of  Yemassee, we saw the Ridgeland water tower. Abby can relate to that. It was our four and one-half hour marker indicating the half-way point between Maggie Valley and Titusville. Since we were only going as far as Port-Orange, FL the trip was even shorter. We decided to make ourselves comfortable and go all the way to Florida. We arrived in Port Orange around 3:30 which as OK with me, no more traveling for awhile.

We’re staying at the Rosebay RV Park. We’ve stayed here before, it offers everything.

Our tripping, this year, began right after New Years. Since then we stayed and enjoyed 23 different states, 18,100 miles of US highways, 283 enchanted evenings, for the most part, and 28 new campgrounds in those 23 states.

For now and the next few months we will spend our time with family. Carla’s sister, Mary Ann, lives in Port Orange and with my brother, Dennis, now living in Boynton Beach, FL. We will also be spending quality time with Doctor visits and, I’m sure, possibly more tests. Hopefully in three-years the Doctor part will be less intensive than this and last year’s. Things we’re looking forward to will be Thanksgiving, Christmas and the Christmas Boat Parade at Dennis’. Most, if not all the, entries from now until we leave again will be in the Journal pages only, since the blogs are mostly related to new experiences. For now we sit in Air Conditioned comfort with 84 degrees outside and 89 percent humidity, remising about Oregon and its cool temps.

You’ll never feel you have enough money to retire,
however, once you feel you have enough money,
will you have enough time?

Sheen-Sign or Miraclelette?


Please take the time to leave a comment
at the bottom of this blog. I relish the positive ones and will learn from the negative ones.

Click =>: October Journals

HAPPINESS is to have EVERYTHING, you need.

NOT the need to have EVERYTHING.

10.23.2019- The Miracle of the missing Rosary Beads

To be technical this incident was both a minor miracle and a “sign.” To me, however, it felt like a miracle.

This story actually began yesterday, Tuesday Oct 22, 2019. Yesterday, as many families do, Carla and I will say the Rosary, usually between 12 and 3pm. No, the time has no significance. By this time we’re finally dressed, breakfast and lunch are out of the way and dishes have been washed. That Tuesday would be no different than many other day up to about 9PM that evening. After saying our Rosary, Carla will always keep hers on the desk by her lazy-boy chair.

I don’t have that luxury so I always bring mine back to our bedroom and place them on my work jeans by my bed. It’s a very small ledge that can only support the books I’m reading and my work jeans if folded into thirds so they won’t fall to the floor. So my Rosary should not accidentally fall to the floor I usually gently make a depression in these jeans and place my beads in this small pocket depression. Yesterday I did just that. Around 9:45, just before the Rachel Maddow Show ended we got ready for bed. I noticed my beads were not in the indentation I made earlier. Actually the indentation was not there either. I began looking for them to be assisted by Carla after I’d searched for about 15 minutes. I’ve been known to look for something and not thoroughly check the area that well. Both of us continued the search for almost thirty minutes, even using those little four-inch LED Flashlights, since lighting in a coach is not that intense. That night we finally gave up and we went to bed discouraged for not finding a very noticeable item in the limited living area the coach provides.

Since Sunday last I’ve been obsessing over a very heavy idea and was just asking, who else but Bishop Sheen, for a sign as to whether it would be OK for me to procrastinate possibly several years before looking into this idea. Hoping for a positive answer I left it to him to give me some type of sign that might indicate approval. NO! I was not expecting a burning bush even a vision, but I told him I would hopefully recognize it should something take place.

Getting back to the original story. We decided to leave for Yemassee today, the 23rd Wed., in place of doing the entire 280 mile trip on Thursday. This would give us a 150-mile trip today and a 130-mile trip on Thursday; the kind of trips I relish. To prepare for the trip some preparations must take place so that nothing will break since our home has the luxury of being in motion unlike a real house. The refrigerator has braces that go up to keep the food items inside in place from moving to much, small items on the desk and countertops are already on non-skid materials and other items like books, computers and shoes get thrown on the bed for safe keeping. Some of those items include the items on my bed-shelf; books, jeans and Rosary. This morning the shelf held only three books and one pair of old work jeans, so on the bed they went because anything would fly of this small shelf even if placed on non-skid material. Once again, the Rosary was nowhere to be found. I even went so far as to take my old jeans and stretch them out and re-fold them, to no avail. The shelf was bare. Even on the floor around the shelf and around the bed area, no beads. Once again the coach bounces around quite a bit, especially leaving a campground, so anything, especially and plastic and metal Rosary would surely hit the floor even as we just departed from our camp site. Campgrounds roadways are bumpy and contain many gravel depressions.

We arrived at our overnight destination, a Cracker Barrel in Columbia, South Carolina around 3:30 after being on the road since noon. We were both hungry so after parking the coach parallel to the outside perimeter curb, we extended the passenger side slide to have easier access to the bedroom.

We were just about to depart the coach to grab lunch when I noticed, sitting by itself, on the ledge with no barriers to keep them from falling on the floor and no non-skid material to keep them in  place, did we see the Rosary beads. Anything on this shelf would have hit the floor within seconds of our starting the coach and departing our site. The trail from our site to the county road was about two-miles long and had many deep curves and angles to mandate that anything on this 8×16 inch shelf should never be sitting there awaiting to be found. There is just NO-WAY this item could have been there over the course of this trip.

The two pictures I’ve provided are, of course, staged. I had no idea this scenario was about to take place. As you can see in the picture just above, the beads or on the spot that was occupied by 4-5 books I’d been reading. This is the shelf that we made bare prior to beginning of trip  to Columbia, SC. This shelf, even though it hasn’t been polished in months is as slippery as glass. Even the slightest turn by the coach would have sent the beads flying to the floor, yet we found them in that was made bare only four hours ago. 

I feel satisfied that my query to Archbishop Fulton J Sheen was answered.

I have nothing else to add to this documentation.

You’ll never feel you have enough money to retire,
however, once you feel you have enough money,
will you have enough time?

Miracle of the missing Rosary

 

10.23.2019-

The Miracle of the missing Rosary Beads

To be technical this incident was both a minor miracle and a “sign.” To me, however, it felt like a miracle.

This story actually began yesterday, Tuesday Oct 22, 2019. Yesterday, as many families do, Carla and I will say the Rosary, usually between 12 and 3pm. No, the time has no significance. By this time we’re finally dressed, breakfast and lunch are out of the way and dishes have been washed. That Tuesday would be no different than many other day up to about 9PM that evening. After saying our Rosary, Carla will always keep hers on the desk by her lazy-boy chair.

I don’t have that luxury so I always bring mine back to our bedroom and place them on my work jeans by my bed. It’s a very small ledge that can only support the books I’m reading and my work jeans if folded into thirds so they won’t fall to the floor. So my Rosary should not accidentally fall to the floor I usually gently make a depression in these jeans and place my beads in this small pocket depression. Yesterday I did just that. Around 9:45, just before the Rachel Maddow Show ended we got ready for bed. I noticed my beads were not in the indentation I made earlier. Actually the indentation was not there either. I began looking for them to be assisted by Carla after I’d searched for about 15 minutes. I’ve been known to look for something and not thoroughly check the area that well. Both of us continued the search for almost thirty minutes, even using those little four-inch LED Flashlights, since lighting in a coach is not that intense. That night we finally gave up and we went to bed discouraged for not finding a very noticeable item in the limited living area the coach provides.

Since Sunday last I’ve been obsessing over a very heavy idea and was just asking, who else but Bishop Sheen, for a sign as to whether it would be OK for me to procrastinate possibly several years before looking into this idea. Hoping for a positive answer I left it to him to give me some type of sign that might indicate approval. NO! I was not expecting a burning bush even a vision, but I told him I would hopefully recognize it should something take place.

Getting back to the original story. We decided to leave for Yemassee today, the 23rd Wed., in place of doing the entire 280 mile trip on Thursday. This would give us a 150-mile trip today and a 130-mile trip on Thursday; the kind of trips I relish. To prepare for the trip some preparations must take place so that nothing will break since our home has the luxury of being in motion unlike a real house. The refrigerator has braces that go up to keep the food items inside in place from moving to much, small items on the desk and countertops are already on non-skid materials and other items like books, computers and shoes get thrown on the bed for safe keeping. Some of those items include the items on my bed-shelf; books, jeans and Rosary. This morning the shelf held only three books and one pair of old work jeans, so on the bed they went because anything would fly of this small shelf even if placed on non-skid material. Once again, the Rosary was nowhere to be found. I even went so far as to take my old jeans and stretch them out and re-fold them, to no avail. The shelf was bare. Even on the floor around the shelf and around the bed area, no beads. Once again the coach bounces around quite a bit, especially leaving a campground, so anything, especially and plastic and metal Rosary would surely hit the floor even as we just departed from our camp site. Campgrounds roadways are bumpy and contain many gravel depressions.

We arrived at our overnight destination, a Cracker Barrel in Columbia, South Carolina around 3:30 after being on the road since noon. We were both hungry so after parking the coach parallel to the outside perimeter curb, we extended the passenger side slide to have easier access to the bedroom.

We were just about to depart the coach to grab lunch when I noticed, sitting by itself, on the ledge with no barriers to keep them from falling on the floor and no non-skid material to keep them in place, did we see the Rosary beads. Anything on this shelf would have hit the floor within seconds of our starting the coach and departing our site. The trail from our site to the county road was about two-miles long and had many deep curves and angles to mandate that anything on this 8×16 inch shelf should never be sitting there awaiting to be found. There is just NO-WAY this item could have been there over the course of this trip.

The two pictures I’ve provided are, of course, staged. I had no idea this scenario was about to take place. As you can see in the picture just above, the beads or on the spot that was occupied by 4-5 books I’d been reading. This is the shelf that we made bare prior to beginning of trip to Columbia, SC. This shelf, even though it hasn’t been polished in months is as slippery as glass. Even the slightest turn by the coach would have sent the beads flying to the floor, yet we found them in that was made bare only four hours ago.

I feel satisfied that my query to Archbishop Fulton J Sheen was answered.

I have nothing else to add to this documentation.

Blowing Rock


Please take the time to leave a comment at the bottom of this blog. I relish the positive ones and will learn from the negative ones.

Click =>: November Journals

 

 

HAPPINESS is to have EVERYTHING, you need.
NOT the need to have EVERYTHING.

10.17.2019-We visit Blowing Rock

Traveling the roads of North Carolina is always such a pleasure. I only wish I had the space and band with to post all the scenic views we experienced.

.

Mountain tunnels. We came across quite a few of these on our Alaskan tour but these were the first we’d seen stateside.

The story behind the Blowing Rock from the BR Historical Society

Before 1752, when Moravian Bishop August Gottlieb Spangenberg visited the Blowing Rock area, the windy cliffs of the area were home to the Cherokee and the Catawba Indian tribes, hostile to each other, and the basis for the story of “The “Blowing Rock”. Two star-crossed lovers, one from each tribe, were walking near The Rock when the reddening sky signaled to the brave that he must return to his tribal duty, and the maiden urged him to stay with her.

Below I capture Carla exemplifying her youthful climbing skills. I’m very happy just taking her picture from a safe distance.

His desperation in choosing between duty and love caused him to leap from the edge of the gorge toward the rocks below, while the maiden beseeched the Great Spirit to bring him back to her. The famous winds of the John’s River Gorge blew her lover back into her arms, and this legend about The Blowing Rock is still told today..

Before 1752, when Moravian Bishop August Gottlieb Spangenberg visited the Blowing Rock area, the windy cliffs of the area were home to the Cherokee and the Catawba Indian tribes, hostile to each other, and the basis for the story of “The “Blowing Rock”. Two star-crossed lovers, one from each tribe, were walking near The Rock when the reddening sky signaled to the brave that he must return to his tribal duty, and the maiden urged him to stay with her. His desperation in choosing between duty and love caused him to leap from the edge of the gorge toward the rocks below, while the maiden beseeched the Great Spirit to bring him back to her. The famous winds of the John’s River Gorge blew her lover back into her arms, and this legend about The Blowing Rock is still told today.

You’ll never feel you have enough money to retire,
however, once you feel you have enough money,
will you have enough time?

Miraclelette from Bishop Sheen


Please take the time to leave a comment at the bottom of this blog. I relish the positive ones and will learn from the negative ones.

Click here to go to: October Journals

HAPPINESS is to have EVERYTHING, you need. NOT the need to have EVERYTHING.

10-13-2019-Archbishop Fulton J Sheen-As I’ve said before, it’s my blog and my platform.

I know, you’re saying there’s no such thing as a miraclelette; you’re right! For me that would be a small miracle. And you’re saying he’s getting back into the pulpit again, possibly. So there’s no need for many to read any further.

About a month ago I talked Carla into buying a 3-gallon empty bottle at Walmart. We drink only Walmart or filtered water, from one of those water-dispensing machines. Best buy for the best water about thirty-seven cents a gallon. To get back. Once we got home I began filling the one-gallon bottle in the refrigerator. It only took a few seconds and I knew I’d aggravated a shoulder tendon just like I did a couple of years ago. I knew a cortisone short would fix it so I wasn’t as concerned as I was the first time. So I decided to suffer quietly, telling Carla we would be sticking with the one-gallon bottles as before. The pain, though tolerable, began as a three on the ever loving pain meter but rose to a five or six in very little time. But I was hoping it would just go away. Within a couple of weeks I was conservatively up to a seven or eight, to the point it was painful to make corners when driving in the coach. But suffer I continued still hoping for the best.

One of our field trips a couple of weeks ago was to the Bishop Sheen Museum and the Cathedral of St Mary of the Immaculate Conception. I was thinking back on that trip as I uncomfortable rested in bed about a week ago and could not help remembering the feeling I had as I approached the resting place of Archbishop Sheen at the foot of the alter of the blessed Virgin on the left side of the main Alter. At the time I didn’t give much thought about the visit. When I was a pre-teen the family would never miss an episode of his on television. But getting back to my pain…

I was just lying there and I was going to go back to my St. Jude to help me with this pain, even though I knew a simple shot would rid me of it. He’s always come through for me in the past but  that’s another story or stories. Just then a simple thought crossed my mind, how about asking Bishop Sheen for some help. No! He’s not a saint, at least not yet. So, in a very informal prayer,  unlike St Jude, I made a pitch for his help. Actually, as with St. Jude they themselves don’t grant the answer to prayers, but rather, they intercede to Him for the person in need of help. Knowing that Bishop Sheen wasn’t a saint I kept my request simple. I would be very happy if he would, at least, rid me of most of my discomfort. I just did not want to push the edge of the envelop by asking more than necessary. That was about a week ago. For some reason about three days ago I remembered the prayer as I was refilling our drinking bottles for the evening. The pain was no longer with me. Actually it hadn’t been with me for a couple of days now. 

I’m the first to admit this granted request does not fall into the categories of making the cripple walk and the blind see, but if you have a pain and it goes away it’s worth mentioning.

Once again I will now return to my seat and leave the pulpit and let you ponder on this episode for yourself. Thank you for patiently reading through the essay.

 

You’ll never feel you have enough money to retire,
however, once you feel you have enough money,
will you have enough time?

Fulton J Sheen-Museum

10-13-2019-

Archbishop Fulton J Sheen-Museum and Immaculate Conception Church

As I’ve said before, it’s my blog and my platform. I know, you’re saying there’s no such thing as a miraclelette; you’re right! For me that would be a small miracle. And you’re saying he’s getting back into the pulpit again, possibly. So there’s no need for many to read any further.

About a month ago I talked Carla into buying a 3-gallon empty bottle at Walmart. We drink only Walmart or filtered water, from one of those water-dispensing machines. Best buy for the best water about thirty-seven cents a gallon. To get back. Once we got home I began filling the one-gallon bottle in the refrigerator. It only took a few seconds and I knew I’d aggravated a shoulder tendon just like I did a couple of years ago. I knew a cortisone short would fix it so I wasn’t as concerned as I was the first time. So I decided to suffer quietly, telling Carla we would be sticking with the one-gallon bottles as before. The pain, though tolerable, began as a three on the ever loving pain meter but rose to a five or six in very little time. But I was hoping it would just go away. Within a couple of weeks I was conservatively up to a seven or eight, to the point it was painful to make corners when driving in the coach. But suffer I continued still hoping for the best.

One of our field trips a couple of weeks ago was to the Bishop Sheen Museum and the Cathedral of St Mary of the Immaculate Conception. I was thinking back on that trip as I uncomfortable rested in bed about a week ago and could not help remembering the feeling I had as I approached the resting place of Archbishop Sheen at the foot of the alter of the blessed Virgin on the left side of the main Alter. At the time I didn’t give much thought about the visit. When I was a pre-teen the family would never miss an episode of his on television. But getting back to my pain…

I was just lying there and I was going to go back to my St. Jude to help me with this pain, even though I knew a simple shot would rid me of it. He’s always come through for me in the past but that’s another story or stories. Just then a simple thought crossed my mind, how about asking Bishop Sheen for some help. No! He’s not a saint, at least not yet. So, in a very informal prayer, unlike St Jude, I made a pitch for his help. Actually, as with St. Jude they themselves don’t grant the answer to prayers, but rather, they intercede to Him for the person in need of help. Knowing that Bishop Sheen wasn’t a saint I kept my request simple. I would be very happy if he would, at least, rid me of most of my discomfort. I just did not want to push the edge of the envelop by asking more than necessary. That was about a week ago. For some reason about three days ago I remembered the prayer as I was refilling our drinking bottles for the evening. The pain was no longer with me. Actually it hadn’t been with me for a couple of days now.

I’m the first to admit this granted request does not fall into the categories of making the cripple walk and the blind see, but if you have a pain and it goes away it’s worth mentioning.

Once again I will now return to my seat and leave the pulpit and let you ponder on this episode for yourself. Thank you for patiently reading through the essay.

 

St. Francis of Assisi


Please take the time to leave a comment at the bottom of this blog. I relish the positive ones and will learn from the negative ones.

Go To: December Journal

HAPPINESS is to have EVERYTHING, you need.
NOT the need to have EVERYTHING.

 

10.12.2019-

Attended St. Francis of Assisi Church.

 

No inside pictures yet, possibly next weekend. I did get a chance to say hello to the pastor. On the alter with the priest and alter servers was a gentleman, I only supposed he was a Seminarian. Spoke to him on the way out after Mass, and he confirmed he wasn’t a Seminarian, just a lay person helping with the Eucharistic Celebration.

MM

October 2019 Blog.

Please take the time to leave a comment at the bottom of this blog. I relish the positive ones and will learn from the negative ones.

Click here to go to: October Journals

HAPPINESS is to have EVERYTHING,
you need. 
  NOT the need to have EVERYTHING.

10.05.2019-Sat.-Blog season comes to an end.

   

I’ve decided that officially the blog season for this blog is officially ended. All we’re going to be doing for the next two months is biding our time giving Florida all the time it needs to get cooler and rid itself of its humidity. Next week we’ll be in North Carolina for a couple of weeks then Yemassee, SC for 7 days then we dip into Florida. For the sake of convenience and conserving space, which is not that serious a problem any more, I think I’ll just add to this blog for the month of October. We have absolutely no place to visit or explore. The rest of 2019 will, most likely, be spent traveling south and reconnecting with family. By the end of the year we would have covered over eight-thousand miles, seven-thousand to this date. We continue to enjoy our stay here at Diamond Caverns and watching the rigs come in and our. As I said, Wednesday morning it’s jacks up and going to Lenoir, NC. This will be our first time visiting this campground and we’re hoping for continued cooler temperatures. Once again we will be attending St. Helen Catholic Church. It’s just as we like it, a 5pm Mass. This gets us home in time to feed Scoots by 6pm, not that she looks underfed.

10.05.2019 Flue shot day
We were given the senior flue shot and it looks like we tolerated it well.

10.08.2019-Day before leaving…

10.09.2019-Wed
We get a 9:30 start on the first leg of this 2-day trip to Lenoir, NC.

10.10.2019-Thurs. Leaving Knoxville, TN
We left Knoxville, TN by 8:30 and arrived in Lenoir, NC  at 2pm. The trip was uneventful except for the last half hour. Driving through small or even larger towns or cities is often very tense. Once we arrived at Green Mountain Park Resort the navigation got even more challenging. The park is so big and complicated they had to give us a staff person to show us the way to our potential site. The park road are barely as wide as your coach. The last turn to reach our site was a strong right angle and steep incline at the same time. The entrance road and it does go quite a way into the park is paved, possibly last paved in 1954.

10.12.2019-Attended St. Francis of Assisi Church.
No inside pictures yet, possibly next weekend.

  

I did get a chance to say hello to the pastor. On the alter with the priest and alter servers was a gentleman, I only supposed he was a Seminarian. Spoke to him on the way out after Mass, and he confirmed he wasn’t a Seminarian, just a lay person helping with the Eucharistic Celebration. No inside pictures yet, possibly next weekend. I did get a chance to say hello to the pastor. On the alter with the priest and alter servers was a gentleman, I only supposed he was a Seminarian. Spoke to him on the way out after Mass, and he confirmed he wasn’t a Seminarian, just a lay person helping with the Eucharistic Celebration.

10.13.2019-Sun-
We continue biding our time at Green Mountain RVP. It’s not much to brag about. Some sections are decent, not great, whereas the section we’re in looks more like a vacant lot with utilities. Verizon Wi-Fi has a no better rating than a 2. I don’t understand how it can show 5-bars and yet be as slow as molasses. 

10.15.2019-Tues-Green Mountain Waterfall
The one thing we knew, from the beginning, this field trip was just going to be a fill in our time expedition. We were not expecting much once we reach the “falls.” 

The trail soon disappeared and we were left looking to tree markers for references. About half way up we were given a choice; the yellow trail or blue trail. We began on blue and stayed with it.; we still don’t know where the yellow trail would have brought us. The trail marker, at the beginning of the trail was marked “Challenge.”

What you see is what we saw. In its own way it was a little relaxing but mostly uneventful. The thirty minute walk was at least good for us as far as getting our exercise for the day. It’s hard to see but there’s actually three very small, and I stress small, streams flowing through the rocks.

On our trip back down the trail we see another SMALL stream and another nice but very small waterfall about ten feet off the trail. All in all, not much to see or even write about.

10.16.2019-Downton Abbey movie
Today began with moderate rains as scheduled so laundry is high on the to-do list. We were told by friends that Downton Abbey was a must-see movie so for the first time in two years we’ll spend a buck or two and take ourselves to the movies; the movie did not disappoint. What’s even better is that it gave the viewing audience sure signs of a possible sequel in the future. Sitting there watching the flick was like visiting family after a long abstinence. The movie lived up to every expectation.

10.17.2019-Thurs.-Cold
We had planned to visit “Blowing Rock” today, but the temps are scheduled to be no higher than 64. Tomorrow is supposed to be a little warmer, around 68-70 degrees. We’ve rescheduled for tomorrow. In the meantime we keep the fireplace on and spend the day just killing time; at least I don’t have to go out and fetch wood for the fire. We hope for a more interesting day tomorrow.

10.26.2019-Our Lady of Hope Catholic Church in Port Orange, FL

I’ve done a write-up on this church a couple of times. If we’re in Port Orange, which is where Seabird Island is located, we go to Epiphany.

Way back, almost ten years ago, we had a weekend home on Seabird. A weekend home is a bit generous; more like a 1955 trailer with a really nice addition, but for several years it was our weekend home.

10.31.2019-End of month
We continue enjoying our Winter months in Port Orange. Mostly Carla has been giving her sister, Mary Ann, the attention she needs to catch up on a few items on her ‘Things to do list” she’d not been able to do otherwise. As expected our day or hot and humid. Hopefully this will end soon.

I write this addendum to the October blog actually in the month of November, but it belongs here. Today is my two-year anniversary of my cancer operation. I’m gaining about a half pound a month, on average, in weight but am still not at 100% yet. But I give thanks to Him for helping me along these last two-years. 

Something to ponder;
Will there be MONEY ENOUGH to retire,
or worse still, will there be TIME ENOUGH to retire?

 

St. Helen’s Church


Please take the time to leave a comment at the bottom of this blog. I relish the positive ones and will learn from the negative ones.

Click here to: go to Sept. Journals

HAPPINESS is to have EVERYTHING, you need.

  NOT the need to have EVERYTHING.

10.01.2019-St. Helen’s Church in Glasgow, KY

We’ve been in this area before, about 3-4 years ago and we attended the Our Lady of the caves Church much closer to our campground. Unfortunately it had a fire and

has been under reconstruction for some time now. We’re told that they were at the paving the parking lot part. It should reopen shortly.

According to the history of St Helen’s Church it was the inspiration of four women who were converts to Catholicism. This inspiration was in 1893. Prior to that the town of Glasgow had priest visit the town monthly. It was these same four women that went out and gathered stones which helped to build St. Helen’s. Once they began to build they were joined by many others in the town, both Catholic and non-Catholic joined in the effort. Sadly it wasn’t until 1953 that the church had its own resident priest. The parish began officially with only eleven parishioners. Since then the parish count has grown to over one-thousand parishioners. As big as this number may seem it represents only about one-percent of the total population.

In the top right side picture , if you look closely, is a statue of the Blessed Virgin. To her left is a display case with a reliquary in it. This reliquary displays a very small piece of the crucifix Christ was crucified on. Your questions might be; Why not a relic of St. Helen or Why the Cross. Here’s why! In or about the year 200 ad, Emperor Constantine’s mother was Helen, before sainthood. She was a very devout Christian, he was as well. She had a great desire to go back to the villages of Bethlehem and Nazareth and even Jerusalem and inquire about any information, clothing or even written documents pertaining to the time of Christ. She got to Guthega and began digging the place up. Not that deeply buried she discovered dozens of crosses that were used to crucify those who were found guilty of very serious crimes. Immediately she asked a local for the name and whereabouts’ of a very sick person in the village. Within minutes that person was presented to her. Helen had the sick person lay her hands on each of the crosses and ultimately she touched one that healed her on the spot. This, she said, would be the real cross. She also was able to recover many items of clothing as well.

A piece of this cross is displayed in the reliquary.

You’ll never feel you have enough money to retire,
however, once you feel you have enough money,
will you have enough time?