Princeton N.J.

Mark and Bill are camped out at the Hyatt Regency lobby in the dark with flash lights waiting to see what happens next.  Bill said he was not excited about having a candle light supper with Mark. There are 90 Erv's there now and plan on having 100 more.  They project 200,00 meals to be served. Mark is ready to go to work.  He said that tomorrow he may regret that statement.  We both do better when we are busy.

mark in the middle of the storm of a life time

This Sandy is a huge storm with a lot of damage.  A combo and of a North eastern and a huge 1000 mile hurricane according to the news.

Mark just called and said that his is in the middle of a convoy of Erv's heading to the center of it all.  He is in New Jersey and has been travelling 1 mile an hour for a while.  They are using radios to talk to each other and most of the emergency vehicle are from the south, heading north.  Not sure about getting a hotel.  Mark brought cots and sleeping bags.  He is about to go to work and receive serious on the job training.  No matter how many classes and how well you are trained, you never know what you are facing until you are there.  Nothing like jumping in with both feet with the largest storm on record.  Keep all of them in your prayers.

Mark's adventure....Connie staying busy

Mark left here Monday morning with Bill in the ERV  heading north for the Red Cross.  They will set up and feed and help any way they can when the reach their destination. They have driven 1000  miles and had to go out of the way some and were  stalled in traffic because of a wreck.  They were going to be set up just out of Washington D.C. They have now been re assigned to New Jersey, just across the  Hudson river, facing the NY skyline. They should be in the thick of it tomorrow.  Keep them in your prayers as they travel.

I have been pretty busy.  Mom had a Doctor appointment in Tallahassee that lasted longer than we expected. So I left her house in Madison Florida early this morning and drove by the full moon light. Came by the house and got what I needed and met Anna at the church so that I could keep Alle while she taught Olivia's class.

  Our Tuesday morning ladies decided to try something different for this 5th Tuesday of the month.  We got together up stairs with sewing machines and irons and material to make bags for the  shoe boxes and to stuff the boxes with items.  We also made little dresses to send to other countries.  We did the assembly method with every one working.  Don't tell Gary Broom, but Carol is great with an iron.  Pat was the talented one among us and helping when we got stuck with sewing problems. Alle was our mascot and refuse to go to sleep this morning because she did not want to miss out on time with her ladies. We worked until about 2:00 p.m. skipping lunch and eating snacks instead.

I left there and did all of Mark's errands....the bank, Farm Bureau, tag office (etc.). Then stopped by to make a hair appointment and visit  Studio Viohl. Then I headed to Reno, just past Cario to drop off tables and boxes for this weekends show. Visited with Glenda at her coffee shop and home . She showed me her antiques. She offered  to let me stay in her guest house so I do not have to drive back and forth. Came back to  Cario to visit with the Tyus family.  Please keep them in your prayers.

 I listened to Dr David Jeremiahs sermon on  prayer on the car radio at 7:30 A.M. and 7:30 P.M.
Came home a little tired, if I keep up this pace, the time should fly....I hope.. and Mark will come home to a very tired but happy girl.

Back to basics

The BIBLE is
B-aisic
I- nstructions
B-efore
L-eaving
E-arth

Let's get back to basics.  The first verses that the little ones learn in nursery school are
1) God  is Love
2) Be ye kind

That's it .. The basic foundation to live by
"We  love Him because he first loved us." 1 John 4:19

"Be ye kind one to other, tenderhearted, forgiving  one another, even as God for Christ sake has forgiven us".
Ephesian 4:32

You see, our life is all about relationship not religion and rules and regulations. It is all about our relationship with God and with mankind.
"Thou shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might...and your neighbor as yourself." Deuteronomy 6:4 and Matthew 22:37 &39B

ballet on the beach

We were walking on the beach when I saw a lady about my age dancing on the beach. She reminded me of a little girl dancing on her toes and twirling and stepping forward as she made her way down the beach.  She seem not not know or care that others were around and could see her dancing down the beach.  Abandon Joy.. I wanted to join her,  but did not want to interrupt her solo dance.

God does not want us to just survive, He wants us to live  life to the fullest with joy.

A little later I saw a lady looking down at something on the beach with a big grin on her face.  Looking down I saw what she was delighted by,,, a baby sea turtle, making its way to the ocean,  Working so hard against the tide with it's little tiny flippers.  We watched for a while and really wanted to help in it's struggle, but knew we should not mess with nature.  This little fellow needed this struggle,  to develop it's muscles to able to survive out there in it's big ole world called the ocean. 

Kind of reminded when we are going through struggles in life.  It does not mean that God can not easily make the struggle go away.  Sometimes we did to develop our spiritual muscles and mature for the next thing that we will have to face in this big ole world  called life.

Then there are the pelicans flying over head.  I can see how for generation man has looked up  and wanted to fly to soar with the birds who make it look so easy.  With their big wings they can flap a couple of times and then glide just over the water or go higher for a better view of their world called the sky.  

God wants us to soar like the birds.

I love nature and I love God.  

.

Integrity What is it to you?

Mark and I were closing down after a three day Expo show.  We plan to spend one more night so that we could take our time and pack up for the next two shows.  It started raining and we saw three ladies walking across the field with an umbrella  to a broken down bus.

We talked to them and found out that they  were two mom's and an Ag teacher from Plant City,  five hours from home with 30 (12 and 13 year old kids ) stranded at the Expo.  The DOT had inspected their bus and declared it unsafe to drive.  The owner of the bus, the inspector, two teenage boys  and a mechanic were all there.  The owner of the bus was trying to tell the teacher that the mechanic could sign off on the repairs and send them on there way with a big red sticker on the front of the bus declaring it unfit to drive.

The kids had been in a holding room with police officers trying to entertain them since 3:30.  The owner knew about the problem at 10:00 a.m. and had not bother to inform anyone until time to load the bus. Things were going  from  bad to worse for these Colquitt county guest.  Mark and I offered to go get food for the kids.  They had been given water and snacks from the expo office who had  been  told a bus was coming soon and  thought the  problem was solved  until Mark told them otherwise.  Even though the owner said he had been trying to get a replacement bus since the morning , the  expo office was able to secure a bus from Albany. It was suppose to be there in 45 minutes.  This group had been told 45 minutes all day and were tired of hearing it.

I was very impressed by the young teacher( who had a 3 month old baby at home) for remaining calm,  standing up to the bus owner and handling the kids so well.  The Mother chaperons were hanging in there ... handling multiple phone calls from worried moms in south Florida.  The  kids.... They were great... There squealed in delight when the food finally arrived.  One of them  said a sweet  prayer before eating.   They sat around  talking   inside and  played games out side, when the rain finally stopped. Mark tried to get them to say GO Dawgs.. but alas they were Gators.   Kids will be kids,  but these were well behaved  AG students  that handled their adventure like troopers.

The police officers, the state patrol  and locals did all they could to help. We hugged them good bye as they finally loaded up on the new bus and headed home at 10:00 p.m... One of the Mom's text me that they made it home after 3:00 a.m.,  a tired group with a story to tell when they get back to school.

 The  bus was still there when Mark and I got up the next day with a very mad mechanic who showed up  to fix it and  a new driver  to drive it home.  The owner of the bus was no where to be found.  The name on the bus was....Integrity..

We're Back......ready to sell

Mark and I have recently been on two big buying trips. The first trip we went north west and  did 13 states in 18 days......Ga, Tenn, Ken, Ind, Ill, Iowa, Neb, S.D., N.D., Minn, Wis. Mich. and Ohio. We had a big yard sale when we got back.  We really appreciate all who came out to make our yard sale a success.

So, we got to go back for another buying trip.  This time we went north east and and did 18 states in 20 days...Ga., S.C., N.C., Va., Md., Del., N.J., Pen., N.Y., Conn. Mass., Vt., N.H., Ohio, W.V., Ken., Tenn. and Ala.

  With 4 duplication states, we  still experienced 27 states.  It really makes you fall in love with the United States and her people. Every states has something special to offer.  We found the Blenko factory in W.V. and watched them hand blow beautiful glass.  We stayed there for 4 hours and bought stuff for you to see and buy.  We bought barn yard art that is made from tobacco sticks in Kentucky at Pa's place.  We went to an estate sale in Penn. and bought a lot of stuff.  We went to the Rennegers antique show in  Potts town similar to the one we go to in Fla.  We went to the friendlies flea market in the world where every one helped every one and had to return to the ATM several times. We happened up on a yard sale near the Potomac river and bought things as the senior lady pulled it out of her house. We have Fenton,  milk glass, Watt, cast iron, Pyrex, colorful glass, jugs  and tools.

This weekend we will be set up to sell at the 100 miles peanut pickin yard sale at the Colquitt county Farm Bureau office on the Sylvester Hwy. Then, next week we will be at Jimmy Allens' warehouses across from Spence field, where we will combine all of the things that we bought from both trips.  We will set up  Monday afternoon and stay  until Thursday afternoon. This is expo week and there will be a lot of  dealers out there, especially on Wednesday afternoon.   Ya'll Come  

Mr. Zack

Mr. Zack will be missed.  A couple of weeks before we headed north, Mark woke up with Mr. Zack on his mind.  So, We dropped plans for the day and went to visit him at the Quitman hospital.  The first and last time I saw Mr. Zack he was in a sick  bed.

Farm Bureau is an unusual company, in that, it felt  like family.  And if that is true, for District 9, Mr. Zack was the Daddy and Miss Joyce was the Mom.  He loved his agents and their families.  He thought of them as his gals and guys.  He expected the best from them and that is what he got.  District 9 won District of the year his last year, before he retired.

The first time I met him, he had just had surgery and still took the time to interview me  to see if I would fit into the farm Bureau family.  He told me that I would be Mark's greatest asset or biggest handicap.  The last time we saw him, he was still talking about his favorite subject, the Farm Bureau family. His mind was as sharp as ever.  His biggest concern that day was Miss Joyce.  He was talking to her on the phone making sure that she was alright.

Miss Joyce is one of the last of the true Southern ladies and I always respected their relationship.  Mark and I were so young when we join the Farm Bureau that they took us under their wings and showed us the ropes.  We were allowed the privilege of traveling all over the world with this special couple.

Please pray for Miss Joyce and her sons during this difficult time.