Getting Ready . . .

What a blessing to be able to travel to Boston for the Vision Forum Reformation 500 celebration! This event (July 1 - 4) is a wonderful opportunity to experience God's faithful providence toward His people over the centuries. There will be historical re-enactors, stimulating lecture sessions with some of our favorite godly teachers, fellowship with families we have met before and new friends we will make, and the historic Boston atmosphere for the 4th of July.

Daughter Molly's family is traveling by SUV, and they leave on Saturday to do some sightseeing along the way. Danny and I are taking the Amtrak (one of our favorite ways to travel!). Our train leaves on Monday afternoon, so there is much to do!

Since part of our train trip involves travel on a commuter line on which there will be no allowance for checked luggage, we decided to ship most of our clothes for the week. Sweet Sarah came over to help with ironing all my dresses . . .

. . . and mending needed items! What a blessing she is! Sarah's family loves the Vision Forum events so much, ever since we all piled in in 2007 to go to Jamestown. But this time, her family has decided (wisely!) to stay home and welcome Discher baby #8, who is due about the same time! This is a blessing they wouldn't miss for anything, and Grandmother only hopes Grandbaby #23 waits until we return to make his/her appearance!! Thank you for your invaluable help, Sarah!

Here Danny is helpin pack the UPS hanging container -- hopefully, everything will stay on the rack and still be nicely pressed! It is a funny feeling to place most of your clothes in a box and send them away days before you leave! Trusting all arrives in good shape!

Taking care of last minute details. We have discovered another family we met at Jamestown will be in the very same train car as we will!! We are looking forward to fellowship along the way. In addition, Susan, daughter Molly's mother-in-law, will be traveling along with us on the train, so the trip going will be a pleasant part of the whole experience! Thank you, Lord, for the opportunities You provide for us to meet, fellowship with, and develop lasting relationships with families of like precious faith! Hoping to update during the adventure. . . . !

A Special Celebration Part 2

Well, by now, diligent traveling companions have faithfully recorded for interested family and friend our adventures on the road trip to North Carolina. So I will just post a few more pictures, especially in honor of my Aunt Mary Lee, the honoree of our trip!

I remember Aunt Mary Lee when she lived in the Atlanta area with her first husband and her son. I vividly remember going to visit just after her husband had passed away, leaving her a grieving young widow. Even in those circumstances, she was a picture of peace and trust in the Lord.

Later, she married Uncle Clarence, who became a favorite of ours when we visited the family home town. He was a character, and into "rasslin' ". He didn't want to miss his rasslin' shows! He brought Aunt Mary Lee companionship for her older years.

When my little sister, Ginger, passed away at age 19, Aunt Mary Lee expressed her grief through poetry, "Sweet Little Ginger Girl". If I can get a copy of that sweet poem, I will post it. She inspired me that I, too, could use poetic verse to express what the Lord had placed in my heart. Some day, I will post some home-grown poetry.

When my father passed away a year and a half ago, Aunt Mary Lee broke down in sadness for her "little brother". I had not ever thought of my father in that way. To me, he was always a powerful and forceful man of God, but to her he was her little brother. I loved her even more that day.


I am so glad we were able to take the trip to honor her and to bring my mother there for a good reunion. It was a special time, seeing these generations of my family together. Thank you, Lord, for your faithfulness to our generations.

Aunt Mary Lee, on her special day. I think she is more spry than I am!

Aunt Mary Lee had one request -- that I play "Indian Love Call" for her. Well, I couldn't find sheet music for it, so I had to resort to "YouTube", listening over and over to Jeanette MacDonald singing it in the old black and white movie, "Rose Marie". She said that many, many (well over 60) years ago, for her first wedding, she had wanted someone to sing or play it and could find no one who could in the backwoods of Georgia.

It was not an easy task, but we did it! Abigail played the echo on her pennywhistle, and Margaret Anne and Callie did the "ooohing". It was beautiful -- at least to her! She was in tears and asked us to do it again, so we did! (But I won't be sad if I don't hear it again for a long, long time!)

Kitty and Markie with another of my father's sisters, their great-great Aunt Benita.

Callie and Margaret Anne give Uncle Bob a great big hug.

My sweetie on the right, and my oldest cousin, Theron Teagle, who is close to my father's age. Daddy was 10 out of 12 children, and Ted's mother, Aunt Evelyn, was oldest, so Ted and Daddy were like brothers. We love to hear him tell stories!

Every family has an eccentric (actually, our family seems to have more than our share!), and this is our long-time friend, Bob, who lives in Charlotte. We had not seen him in decades! I guess, as a child, I got the impression he was an eccentric because he lived a very different life. He was (I suppose still is) a great artist and musician and has a doctorate degree in French. He told us he reads the Bible in French and prays in French. It is almost like his first language. He has lived in Paris and traveled much abroad. Hey, maybe he thinks I'm the eccentric! It was good to see him.

On the way home, we stopped in the lovely city of Charleston, SC, and the girls and Danny did a tour of downtown. Mother and I stayed in the RV, feeding the parking meter kitty! Here they are in front of one of the memorial stones of the Confederacy.

Night falls on the road, and next day . . . home! Thank you, Lord, for these journeys of remembrance. Thank you for your faithfulness to Your plan for families. Thank you for your mercy on our family!

For a more detailed travelogue and young'n point of view, visit these sweet blogs:

http://www.thedischerfamily.blogspot.com/

http://www.thestricklenfamily.blogspot.com/

A Special Celebration Part 1

Last month, we received an invitation to join my father's family, the Harrises of North Carolina, for a special celebration of my dear Aunt Mary Lee's 90th birthday. We immediately called my mother to see if she would like to make the trip with us, since she and Aunt Mary Lee have been like sisters for well over 60 years. Well, when the word got out to the grandchildren, decisions were made! Six of the granddaughters would make this trip -- 4 Stricklen girls and 2 Dischers. With Great-grandmother Harris, Grandmother (me) and 6 girls, Granddaddy was outnumbered by 8 to one! We said he was our chauffeur/bodyguard for a girls' weekend away! Of course, we had to pamper him, too!


Off we went up I-95 -- here is Granddaddy with his "girls" at breakfast on the first morning in a lovely campground. I was taking the picture from the RV, since getting up and down the steps is not easy right now!

Every trip has to include one stop at Cracker Barrel, at least! Since they are so good about letting RVs stay in their parking lot, we have no hesitation to give them our patronage! Most of our meals, however, are in the RV, with many preparations done at home and goodies baked by these accomplished bakers -- even Margaret Anne contributes to the treats! She is as accomplished a baker as the older girls.

Our first major stop was at a Family Integrated Churches conference in central North Carolina. I don't know why no one remembered to get the camera out, but we don't have pictures from it! We enjoyed good fellowship and good barbeque at our friends' farm, the Allen Smiths.

Then it was on to see my Uncle Charles, my mother's brother. Mother had not planned to visit him, but Danny insisted that we make the time. I am so thankful for my precious husband, who loves my family like his own. Above are Mother, Uncle Charles, and his wife, Aunt Polly. What a good, though short, visit we had!

Mother discovered that Uncle Charles' cancer has resurfaced, and he is undergoing another round of treatments. He was physically very weak when we came, but he brightened up to be able to spend unexpected precious moments with his "little" sister. What a joy to see them together!
Uncle Charles and Aunt Polly were delighted when the girls brought out instruments and played and sang for them! My mother's family played bluegrass music together many, many years ago. Before World War II, it was their favorite Saturday evening activity to gather around -- my Grandfather Whitley, Uncle Charles, Uncle Lloyd, Uncle Bascom, and sometimes other relatives, with Grandmother Whitley at the piano -- singing and laughing and strengthening family bonds.

When I realized how ill Uncle Charles was, I knew the Lord would give strength to make the walk to the house to see him and Aunt Polly. He hugged me and cried, saying how much our family means to him. What a poignant time it was! Thank God, after years of not being sure of his relationship to the Lord, we were able to hear Uncle Charles give a clear testimony of his salvation and faith in Jesus as his Savior!

Then it was on to . . . Uncle Bob's!!

Uncle Bob is the family character on my father's side. When I was a child, every family holiday and get-together was made so special because we knew Uncle Bob would tell stories and crack jokes and generally lift everyone's spirits. He is just a year younger than my daddy, number 11 of 12 children. He is the "keeper of the flame" for the family now -- his home is filled with pictures and memorabilia so that he can pass on to new generations the stories of our ancestors. Here (above) he and Mother and Abby enjoy dinner at his favorite BBQ place, where they all know Uncle Bob!

Sweet girls enjoy some of that great Carolina BBQ!

Coming up . . . we arrive at the celebration for Aunt Mary Lee, the reason for the trip! Thank you, Lord, for our LARGE and precious family and for the faithful multi-generational vision that has been the guiding force on both sides of the family. I am a blessed link in that chain!

Just Reverse . . .

. . . these posts! I don't know how they got posted in reverse order, but they did! Anyway, the picnic post comes first, as you can tell by the commentary at the beginning of the baking post.

Rewarded!

So today (Monday) I took the berries the children picked for me and put them into one of Danny's favorite treats -- berry philo/phyllo/fillo (and all other variations thereof!).

I brush each sheet of philo dough with melted butter and sprinkle with natural sugar (or brush with agave nectar). Then I lay the berries out in the middle of the stacked philo sheets, sprinkle with more sugar and roll or close up, jelly-roll style, on a parchment paper-covered cookie sheet.

I like to slash the wrapped package on the diagonal every few inches, to make separating it into servable slices easier.

Then the top is brush with more -- guess what? -- butter! and sprinkle with more sugar before baking.

Before the "roll" goes into the oven for 15 - 18 minutes.

The reward! Seeing my sweetie enjoy his treat with a cup of hot tea.

Danny truly enjoys the things I do for him, and that makes me happy!

Beautiful Lord's Day

This weekend, the sweet older granddaughters organized a wonderful picnic/berry picking for yesterday after church. So after the meeting, each church family headed out to the "Enchanted Forest" on our property with picnic basket and berry bucket in hand. This has been a hard year for berries, since we are just now getting rain and have had months of drought. But the children and some of the parents were determined and diligent and took home enough for a cobbler or berries for ice cream. Sweet Kitty picked for Grandmother and Granddaddy. She figured that it was our property, she would make it easy on us and get the thorn pricks! Thank you, Kitty!

Danny and I enjoying chicken salad sandwiches and ICED TEA!!

The Dischers and Terrie and Amanda get a little shade from the Durango.

The Stricklens find the pines to their liking. Mary Stricklen and Sarah Discher made wonderful homemade chocolate cakes to share with everyone.

Josiah Waldman (red shirt) turned 6 yesterday, so our picnic was a birthday celebration, too! Baby Isaac, in his daddy's arms, is getting so big!

We had the pleasure of the company of Frank Doolin and his boys, but we didn't give him enough notice for him to bring his trademark fried chicken. Nobody starved, though!

Terrie Tanner, Renee Waldman, and Beth Discher discuss things wise Proverbs 31 mothers talk about. What a blessing to have women of God who care and share with one another!

Molly with William and his treasured berries.

Callie and Amanda's take, mid-harvest

The children found two little owls in the woods. Here is one of them (bottom center of picture). I have no idea what kind it is, but the children were excited about it.

Visionary fathers discussing things of God. We are blessed with strong men in our fellowship -- men who lead their families faithfully. (Eddie was in the berry patch, determined to take home sweet berries!)

CJ and Willie found an airplane!

Time to go, but men always find important things to talk about!

The ladies weren't quite finished either!

Little people patiently waiting to take their delicious treasure home! The end of a wonderful Lord's Day!

Joyful Mothers of Children!! (Psalm 113:9)

What a blessing today to spend time with my precious mother, Frances, this Mother's Day. Our family (at least those who still live in the area!) had a wonderful dinner at daughter Molly's house after church -- lasagna, homemade bread, home grown green beans and squash, salad, and lots of yummy desserts!

My mother has always been my role model and shining example of what a mother should be. Most of all, she has blessed me with a constant and consistent picture of godly, biblical womanhood. Through all the joys and sorrows of her life, she has lived out a consecrated walk with the Lord before her children, grandchildren, and now great-grandchildren. Her quiet confidence is always there, and her knowledge of God's Word is brought to bear in every situation. Many daughters have done virtuously, but she excels them all! I arise up and call her blessed. I love you, Mother. Happy Mother's Day!

Sweet daughter Beth and her family spent hours loading photographs for me onto 28 CD's!! What a wonderful, personalized Mother's Day gift! Beth is the joyful mother of 7 children -- number 8 is still in the oven, planning to make his/her arrival on July 11. What a blessing!

Sweet daughter Molly can always be counted on for something meaningful and green! Here, she and her family presented me with a wonderfully fragrant gardenia bush. It has several blooms already opened and is waiting for the rest of the gift -- Molly's expert help in placing and planting the bush at our house. Molly is the joyful mother of 6 children.

Sweet daughter Katie (Arkansas) and sweet daughter-in-law Ashley (Missouri) called to wish me the best of the day, wishing they could be here in person. They got together on the Missouri property for a cookout, with chef Jason doing the honors. Katie is the joyful mother of 8 children, and Ashley is the mother of Savannah, who is expecting a baby brother or sister in December!

What a blessing to have a family that honors mothers! The Bible says, "There is a generation that . . . doth not bless their mothers" (Prov. 30:11) When children are not taught to honor their parents, they will not honor God, and the end result will be the decay of the culture in less than a generation! What a good thing our traditions are, when they are based on the principles in God's Word. May God bless all the mothers who are striving to raise up the next generation in the fear and admonition of the Lord. Thank you, Lord, for my mother, and for the wonderful mothers my daughters have become.