This is cool.....Enjoy

This and That

It's a busy time of year. Do I hear an "Amen"?

I've been so busy, I haven't even bought ONE Christmas present. Don't worry, I will. I'm a Grandma and "Auntie" I have four grandchildren and two little nieces that I would NOT disappoint!

Here's what I've been doing......

Cuddling baby Patrick.




Decorating my house, and getting it ready for Christmas. We will be having family Christmas at my house this year.




Taking pictures of the moon...(and the next door neighbor's house).





Walking Christmas Tree Lane and taking pictures.

But, for the last several days facial tissue has been my best friend. I have a horrible cold/bronchitis/pneumonia bug raging. (Well, ok, probably not pneumonia.) I really think I may sneeze or cough a lung up soon, though. I cannot go shopping until I get over this. If I have to, I will find some elves to help. I go to the doctor tomorrow to see if I'll live...

Hope you all are having a great Holiday Season! (Please pray for me.)

HE'S HERE!

After 34 hours of labor, Patrick Aaron Doherty finally made his entrance into the world today at 6:09 P.M.







He weighed in at a whopping 9 pounds, 10 ounces and was 22 5/8 inches long. He has a head full of hair. At first his hair looked really dark, but after it was washed you can see that it is actually a light brown...for now. He is very alert and has had no trouble latching on for his food, for which he started begging almost immediately! (Just like his Daddy, this little boy.)




We are so thankful that Mommy was actually able to finally deliver this precious one, without tearing or even an episiotomy. They were being very careful with the pitosin, trying not to overstimulate her uterus since Nathaniel was born by C-section. That was one month away from being 10 years ago, so she really wanted to try having a VBAC (vaginal birth after Cesarean) this time. It didn't look good there for a while, but then finally, there he was. They will probably get to go home tomorrow. Baby and company are doing great!

We give a great big THANK YOU to all of you who were praying. We really appreciate the prayers. This Grandma is exhausted and is going to bed now!




One side note: This is rather special to me. Today would have been my Grandfather's 105th birthday, so Patrick and Rev. Jesse Hawthorne share the same birthday. I love it!

Not Here, Yet

As the above ledger says, "I should be here by now", but he's not. Typical stubborn boy, don't you think?

At the last doctor's appointment, the decision was made to induce labor this coming Friday, 20th if he had not arrived before that. When talking to Aaron and Candice today, they may change that plan. They made an appointment to see the doctor tomorrow, and will decide then if they will go ahead and induce on Friday, or give the little bugger a few more days to decide on his own.

I sure wish he would hurry up!! I am so anxious to meet him!

Baby Shower

He's due in about 3 weeks, but we all know that he'll be here when he decides he's ready to see this world.

His name will be Patrick Aaron Doherty. When his Daddy, Aaron, was a little boy, he would say that when he grew up this was the name he would name his son. He is getting his wish. I like it and I can't wait to meet the baby who will receive this name. Another grandson. It's a good thing I like boys!

We had his baby shower this weekend. It was exciting to think of him actually using all of the goodies that he got.

Mommy (Candice) is feeling ready anytime he is....





The cake was sooo cute! It was actually a lot of cupcakes.










G.G. (Great Grandma) made him several blankets, hats and booties and a bunting. They were adorable.









He received a lot of wonderful gifts. We are all anxiously awaiting his arrival!

The Wedding

She was from the West Coast, he from the East Coast.

She from the North, he from the South.

She from Canada, he from the United States.

But, God in His divine providence brought them together in a land of paradise.

The most important page in this storybook union of Joyce McCoy and Tim Smith will be turned on September 19, 2009.

This is the way their wedding invitations read.

It all began in June, 2006 on the Single Adult Ministry trip to Hawaii. This is where they met, and long distance dating began. She visited him, he visited her, many phone calls and computer conversations happened.

In November 2008, on the beautiful coast of Florida, he proposed, and she said yes! They immediately applied to immigration for the proper paperwork for her to move to South Carolina. It took until July 2009 for everything to be approved. She moved to South Carolina with just a month to finalize the wedding plans.

Because Tim and I had been best of friends for several years, I was asked to be a bridesmaid in the wedding. It was my honor to stand up with two of the best people on earth.

The wedding was beautiful. The reception was "Hawaiian" themed since that is where they met.

Enjoy the pictures of the wedding.

Great Doctor!

This has been around for a while, but I think it is still funny, so I'm posting it for those who may not have seen it.



His practice has no room for new patients! Now, he's a medical wizard!


Q: Doctor, I've heard that cardiovascular exercise can prolong life. Is this true?


A: Heart only good for so many beats, and that it... Don't waste on exercise. Everything wear out eventually. Speed up heart not make live longer; that like say you can extend life of car by driving faster. Want live longer? Take nap.


Q: Should I cut down on meat and eat more fruits and vegetables?

A: You must grasp logistical efficiencies. What does cow eat? Hay and corn. What are these? Vegetables. So, steak nothing more than efficient mechanism of delivering vegetables to system. Need grain? Eat chicken. Beef also good source of field grass (green leafy vegetable). And pork chop can give 100% recommended daily allowance of vegetable products.


Q: Should I reduce my alcohol intake?

A: No, not at all. Wine made from fruit. Brandy is distilled wine. That means they take water out of fruity bit; get even more of goodness that way. Beer also made out of grain. Bottoms up!


Q: How can I calculate my body/fat ratio?

A: If you have body and you have fat, ratio is one to one. If you have two bodies, ratio is two to one, etc.


Q: What are some of the advantages of participating in a regular exercise program?

A: Cannot think of single one, sorry. My philosophy: No Pain...Good!


Q: Aren't fried foods bad for you?

A: YOU NOT LISTENING!!! .... Foods fried in vegetable oil. How getting more vegetables be bad for you?


Q: Will sit-ups help prevent me from getting a little soft around the middle?

A: Definitely not! When you exercise muscle, it get bigger. You should only do sit-ups if want bigger stomach.


Q: Is chocolate bad for me?

A: You crazy? HELLO ... Cocoa beans! Vegetable!!! Cocoa beans best feel-good food around!


Q: Is swimming good for your figure?

A: If swimming good for figure, explain whales to me.


Q: Is getting in-shape important for my lifestyle?

A: Hey! 'Round' is shape!


Well, I hope this has cleared up any misconceptions you may have had about food and diets.


AND.....


For those of you who watch what you eat, here's the final word on nutrition and health. It's a relief to know the truth after all those conflicting nutritional studies:


1. The Japanese eat very little fat

And suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.


2. The Mexicans eat a lot of fat

And suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.


3. The Chinese drink very little red wine

And suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.


4 The Italians drink a lot of red wine

And suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.


5. The Germans drink a lot of beers and eat lots of sausages and fats

And suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.


CONCLUSION.......


Eat and drink what you like. Speaking English is apparently what kills you.

Greece, Part 3

I'm sure you thought I would never finish telling you about my trip to Greece. Well, a little over 4 months later, here it is!

As I said in the previous blog, on Monday we made it back to Port Piraeus, boarded our bus and drove down the coast of Attica to Cape Sounion.

Cape Sounion is the southern most point of continental Europe, at the point of the Attican Peninsula. The Temple of Poseidon, built on a site set back from the sheer cliffs and with its magnificent view of the Aegean Sea and islands, was ideally located for worship of the powerful god of the sea. In ancient times, mariners would see the white marble columns of the Temple of Poseidon and know they were close to home. The temple was built in 444 BC.

We took many pictures of this area, but really, it didn't take long to see all there was to see here. We were supposed to go back to Athens and have the afternoon free. Then on Tuesday, we were to go to Corinth in the morning and have the afternoon free in Athens again. After some begging and coaxing by us travellers, we finally succeeded in getting the tour guides to take us to Corinth on Monday afternoon. Then we had the full day Tuesday to do what we wanted in Athens.

So, we boarded our big, purple bus again, and off to Corinth we went. It was a bit of a drive, so we stopped for lunch when we entered Corinth. Just down the street from where we ate, we could see the Corinth Canal. Before the Corinth Canal was constructed, ships had to travel all around the Peloponnese, which added approximately 185 nautical miles, and several days more travel to their journey time.
The Corinth Canal, which separates the Peloponnese from mainland Greece, connects the Gulf of Corinth with the Saronic Gulf. The Corinth Canal, though only completed in the late 19th century, was an idea and dream of two thousand years ago. The work on the canal was done by a combination of French and Greek workmen. The Corinth Canal was actually based on the “Panama and Suez Canals”, and has often been referred to as the “step-child” of these canals.

After lunch, we went to Ancient Corinth. It was another site of glorious ruins. After seeing Ephesus though, it was a bit anticlimactic. It wasn't nearly as well preserved. It was awesome still, to picture Paul here in this city.

On Tuesday, some of us got an early start and went to the older area of Athens, called Plaka. We got out our maps, obtained a map of the subway, and set out. We had to walk for several blocks to the nearest subway station, then we rode it to the stop nearest Plaka. (If you go to Athens and ride the subway, watch your wallet. Some of our fellow travellers lost theirs to pick-pockets!)

We spent the whole day walking, and walking all over Plaka taking pictures and enjoying the beautiful old buildings and sights. We were absolutley, totally, exhausted by the end of the day, so we opted to take a ride on a miniature sight seeing train. We sat in the back, and Gypsy children kept hopping aboard begging for money, and trying to sell us trinkets. We made sure our purses and bags were tightly held in our laps. It was very annoying and I finally turned around and loudly told one child to get down. He wasn't startled at all, and looked me in the eye, and loudly told me something in Greek...and did NOT get down! They were very brassy, bold children.

While walking about in Plaka, we came upon a "demonstration". We gleaned some information from a policeman, who told us that a factory had closed and these people had lost their jobs. They were protesting the loss of their jobs. I don't know if they expected the factory to re-open, or what. They parked themselves, including tents in the middle of one of the busiest intersections in downtown Athens. It was quite a sight. The terrible economy situation is world wide, it it not just an "American" thing.

After an exhausting, but exciting day in Plaka, we headed back by subway again, to the hotel. There we had our last dinner together in Athens. It was sad to leave after seeing old friends, and making new ones. My friend Joyce, made a very apropos statement. She said "This trip 'ruined' me!". I found that statement quite funny after seeing ruins, after ruins.

Early, early Wednesday morning we boarded our bus for the last time. It took us to the Athens airport where we had to wait a couple of hours before they would check us in. Apparently our flight was delayed a couple of times. This was April 1st, so Bro. Saiz took the opportunity to tell us that our flight had been cancelled and we would have to stay another day. Then he said "April fool"! We believed him, because they kept delaying our flight, so it was believable. I was disappointed when he said "April fool". I wouldn't have minded staying another night!

Our flight home was extremely LONG, but uneventful. It was another wonderful and great trip that the U.P.C. Single Adult Ministry (SAM) put together. Thank you Bro. Erickson, Sis. Saiz, and Bro Walls for all you do for us singles!

My Featured Photo

I have another photograph featured on Webshots!! It is the picture above, of the famous Tunnel View at Yosemite. This album is titled "Where You Live". We were to send in pictures of (obviously) where we live. This is the picture I entered.

Those of you who have read my blog for a while, might remember that I had another photo featured. HERE

Here is the link for the slideshow to the complete album. It has some really awesome pictures if you care to go see.
slideshow

What Will It Be?

We found out today, that Aaron and Candice are having a BOY! Boys are good. I ought to know, I have 3 of them! This will make 1 granddaughter to 3 grandsons. The boys are winning. See the bar above to follow the progress.

Happy Day to All. Stay cool......

Trip to Greece, Part 2

As promised, I will continue telling about our trip to Greece.

Our Greek Island cruise continued to Rhodes Island. First we visited the city of Lindos. Lindos lies at the foot of the Acropolis and is probably one of the most beautiful places in all the Greek Islands. As you can see in my pictures, its white buildings stand out against the contrasting Acropolis above the city and the surrounding deep blue Mediterranean Sea. Lindos was built somewhere around the 11th century B.C. It is believed that Lindos was the most formidable city on the island at the time. It is also believed that the ships sent to the Trojan War all departed from Lindos.

The Acropolis lies atop a massive triangular rock. Tools found during archaeological digs have dated back to 3000 B.C. I'm not sure exactly to what era the ruins existing today date to, probably between 1000 and 500 B.C., but the massive walls that surround the city today are attributed to the Knights of St. John who controlled trade and shipping until 1522.

After we visited the Acropolis and Lindos, the bus took us back down to the water to our ship. Just as we were passing "Old Town", my friend Joyce and I begged to be let off. We were the only two who didn't want to go back to the ship to eat lunch. We wanted to find a good Greek restaurant in Old Town, and did we ever! We found some fabulous Greek food. We're pretty sure they took advantage of two American tourist ladies, by charging us too much, but nevertheless, the food was delicious.

"Old Town" on Rhodes (Rodos)is a medieval town that is still inhabited. The old town is surrounded by strong medieval walls. Massive towers and bastions project from several places, and have elaborate stonework. A wide dry moat provided the first line of defense for the town and you can still see some of the heavy stone balls that were old ammunition. One of the main streets is called "The Street of the Knights", and at the end of this street is the "Palace of the Grand Master." It actually dominates the entire Old Town. The Grand Master's Palace was built in the 14th century by the Knights of Rhodes. We had a blast wandering the streets of this old city, and taking many, many wonderful photographs.

The next morning at sunrise, we arrived on the Isle of Patmos where St. John was exiled, and wrote the book of Revelation. We went to the cave, (the Apocalypse), where they believe he wrote the book. The Apocalypse has since been converted to a church, and since we were visiting on a Sunday, a church service was going on as we all filed through. (Believe me, it was NOT a Pentecostal Church! No shouting here. They also would not allow any photography inside the cave.) We then continued on to the top of the hill to a monastery dedicated to St. John.

We left the Isle of Patmos about 10am and sailed for a few hours to Asia Minor, and the country of Turkey where we toured Ancient Ephesus. This is the Ephesus where the Apostle Paul lived and preached for a time. Ancient Ephesus is one of the most well preserved of the ancient cities, covering a very large area. As we walked the streets, it was very easy to actually get a feel for how the city must have been.

In one picture you will see me standing in front of the ancient amphitheater. This is a theater where Paul preached. It seats 25,000 people. It is still used for concerts, etc. to raise money to continue with the excavation of Ephesus.

Here is a funny story about Ephesus. In my pictures you will see the Ancient Celsus Library and just to the right of it in the picture there are two arches. These are the Gates of Mazaeus and Mythridates. The people went through these gates into the market place. So, while the women went to the market, the men went to the library. However, in the library, there was a secret tunnel that went underground, across the street to a brothel. The women weren't allowed in the library, so supposedly they were none the wiser. (Ha! They just didn't know how intuitive women are. I'm sure they had a pretty good clue as to what was going on. Just my opinion. ;-))

Another funny story. In my pictures you will see latrines...or toilets! These were built in the men's meeting halls where they discussed politics and business. They were all built side by side, so I guess you could say they would discuss business while doing their business! LOL These toilets were made of stone, or marble. In the summer, things were fine. In the winter, they got awfully cold, so each man had his own servant to sit on his toilet and warm the seat before he would use it. Oh, the life....HA (Just a side note...as a mother of boys, I sure would not have wanted to ever visit that room right after the men had their meetings!! PHEWEEEY)

We arrived back at the Port of Piraeus early Monday morning and drove up the coast of Attica to Cape Sounion. I will continue on our journey in Part 3.

Sorry, there are so many pictures in this slide show, but there were just too many beautiful pictures to choose from. Enjoy!

Still Here...

Just letting my blogger friends know that I am still here. I have been running since I went back to work April 13. I hope life slows down soon, I don't think I have much stamina left. (smile)

I promise I will finish posting about my trip to Greece just as soon as I get a free day.

Actually, I had a free day yesterday, but I took advantage of it and went to Yosemite. We hiked up to the top of Vernal Falls. They say this is an easy hike...well, maybe for people who go hiking a lot!! I rested a bunch of times, but hey, I made it. After that we hiked to the bottom of Lower Yosemite Falls. That one was really more like a walk instead of a hike, that's why we did it. All in all, I think we walked about 7 or 8 miles because we walked here and there also. It was a fun day. There is no place like Yosemite. It is some of God's most beautiful art!

I hope you all had a good holiday, and took time to "remember" on Memorial Day.

Trip to Greece, Part 1

As promised, I am finally going to start telling you a little bit about my trip to Greece.

On March, 25th we boarded our flight about 5:30PM, from JFK to Athens. It was a 9 hour, overnight flight. It is so difficult for me to sleep sitting practically straight up!! I was very tired from spending a busy 4 days in NYC and had ear plugs and an eye mask, but I still had trouble sleeping. I did sleep about 3-4 hours though, (not consecutively), which is more than I usually sleep on over night flights.

We landed in Athens about 9am the next morning. By the time we all cleared customs, boarded our bus and drove to the hotel, it was about 11am. When we got to the hotel, we only unloaded our luggage. We immediately got back on the bus for our tour of Athens. First we had a drive around Athens to get us aquainted with the layout. Our first stop was the Acropolis, where the Parthenon, Erechtheion and Mars Hill are located, (among others). It was an amazing feeling standing on Mars Hill where Paul preached to the Athenians about the altar they had built to their "unknown god".

Next we stopped at the Panathinako Stadium where the 1896 summer olympics were revived. It was a very pretty stadium, and I could hear the echos of the cheers from crowds long ago.

By this time, it was getting to be early evening and the bus took us back to the hotel where we checked into our rooms. Dinner was at 7pm, so most of us took a nap since we could hardly stay awake another minute!

On day two, March 27th, we woke up early for breakfast, then boarded our bus again. We were taken to Piraeus, Port of Athens. This time, we boarded our ship, The Aquamarine, for our 3 day Greek Island cruise. We arrived at our first stop, the Isle of Mykonos at sunset. Mykonos is a very beautiful island, but by the time we actually got on the island it had become dark. Because of this, I didn't get to enjoy this island as much as I would have liked.

This was the beginning of our incredible trip to Greece. I'm not sure when, but I will eventually tell you about going to Rhodes, the Isle of Patmos, Ephesus, Corinth, Sounion, The Temple of Apollo, Plaka and more....Stay tuned.

Here is a slide show of a FEW of the pictures I took of the first two days. Enjoy!

Incredible Trip!...(and other news)

I made it home last night about 8:30PM. It was sure good to sleep in my own bed, which I did, for about 10 hours.... I have some major jet-lag going on. I will post pictures and details of the trip soon. I'm too tired to do so now.

As soon as I made it back on U.S.A. soil, I turned on my phone. A text from my son, Aaron came through. I am going to be Grandma again. Whoo Hoo!!! Candice is 7 weeks, and due in late November. Why does everyone in our family choose November??? We already have 6 birthdays that month! I know, I know, it's not a choice, and there are other birthday months for us, but that is the most popular.

Aaron is a twin, and Candice is a twin.... Would love to have twin grandchildren!

Stay tuned for pictures and details of my trip.

Time for an Update??

If you read my blog, you are probably wondering how I am doing, since I haven't posted in a LONG time.

My knee is really doing good. I walk now with (almost) no limp. I started physical therapy a couple of weeks ago. That has both of my legs pretty sore. I can sure tell I have been "babying" my legs for far too long, and it really does feel good to exercise them more than I have been.

I haven't posted a blog is so long, because I haven't been doing very much...therefore not much to blog about. One thing that I have been doing though, is browsing the web looking at things to do in New York and Greece.

Yes...I'm going!! The UPCI singles trip to Greece is coming up March 25th. We fly from NYC, so I asked my sisters if they would want to go to NYC and spend a few days there with me before I go to Greece. They were both excited about doing that, so we are going to NYC March 20th. When I leave for Greece, they will fly back home. My sister Verlaine, and I have been to NYC before, but Pat has not been, so we are going to show her all of the sights. I am getting so excited about both trips! When I return home, I will have only one more week off and then I will have to return to work. I'm not real excited about that, but I am really thankful that I do have a good job to return to...

I have been laying low, resting my leg, and reading. If I counted right, in the past 5 weeks that I have been off, I have read 11 books. I'm half way through the 12th one now. Oh, joy, joy!

You might be thinking, "laying low, not doing much, reading, browsing the web...she's probably getting fat!". Ha! That DID happen to me the last time. I gained 22 pounds in the 5 months I was off work in 2007. I still have 10 pounds of it, but was very determined to not put any back on while off this time. So far, so good! (Why is it so much easier to put it on, than to take it off...?) I am determined to get the rest of it off after I can move better.

The Amgen California Bike Race stage 4 ended here in Clovis last week. My son Ryan, and I went to see them at the finish line. It was a beautiful, beautiful day. Even though we stood there for a couple of hours before the bikers got there, it was kind of fun to see them come in. Lordy, they were going fast! I got some pictures, but not really very many good ones, because there was one guy in front of me that stuck his camera way out in my way....grrrr. They were handing out free chalk and letting people write in the roadway for the "Hope Rides Again". That has to do with Lance Armstrong riding again after his fight with cancer. So, when the riders came in, it really kicked up the chalk dust. There was a cloud of it!

There was one thing that really impressed me about the race. All of the racers had come in. There were a few stragglers, and then the last motorcycle escorts. Several minutes later, here comes one last biker. The crowd started cheering, whooping and hollering for him just like they did for the winners. It was great to see that. I thought, "at least he's not a quitter. He finished his course." He may have come in last, but come in, he did. We may not be running the swiftest in this race of life, but if we keep plugging along, we will still reach the goal.

This and That

Last Wednesday, Jan 21st, I had surgery on my right knee for the second time within 18 months.

The first time, the MRI showed a torn meniscus. It was very painful, and since I'm on my feet most of the 12 hours I am at work, it had to be repaired. So, off to surgery. The doctor did a lot of repair work on my knee, but said she didn't find the meniscus torn. Way too good! I was thrilled. After six weeks of physical therapy, and 12 weeks off, I finally returned to work.

My knee never did feel the same again. I couldn't kneel, or bend my knee all of the way, and the pain never did completely go away. I had a total of 2 cortisone shots, and a series of 3 ortho-visc shots in my knee, after I returned to work. (The ortho-visc shots are made with the gel from a rooster's comb and are supposed to help replace some of the gel in the knee.) My knee felt a little better, but after 10 months, I found myself back at the doctor with increased knee pain.

Another MRI showed that the meniscus was still torn. ARRGGHH! Nothing but surgery again, would work. I was not able, or ready to go through it again, so I waited for 7 months. The doctor didn't want me to wait any longer, because the longer I waited chances were that the tear would get too large to repair. Thus, the surgery last Wednesday. She finally found the tear and was able to repair it, along with the removal of some scar tissue, and a chondrotomy (repair of some cartilage).

All I know for sure is, that my knee hurts a whole lot worse this time around. Not just my knee, either....it hurts all the way down to the tip of my toes! At least there is hope of it getting better.

In other news. Just before Christmas, son #2 was finally called back to work after having been off for several months. Yeah! All three were working again, now. Then a couple of days before Christmas, son #1 lost his job. Today, son #3 was laid off. I despise this economy right now. We may all be living under the same roof again soon, if things don't start looking up. Wow. That would really be something. Y'all prayer for us, y'hear?

I suppose I should go to bed. This pain, and the vicodin has my body clock all messed up. It may have my brain all messed up too, and this post may not even make sense. G'night.

A Time of Restoration

Psalms 23:3 He restoreth my soul...

This week is prayer and fasting for the family of Truth Tabernacle. It is a time to let Him restore my soul. He does, in such a merciful way.

When I have beaten and bruised my soul through careless actions and terrible choices, He is faithful to restore it. He has restored my soul when I allow it to run empty. He will restore it when I fill it up with things that it's not made to hold. He has restored my soul when others have crushed it.

What if I had to face a future eternity with only hopelessness and fear? Thank You, Jesus, for loving me so much that You took my punishment for me, cleaned my slate, restored my soul.....