My Hometown~Perry Florida

Yesterday we had a long walk down memoray lane:)  After a stinking Hurricane (not really but I did wonder if a tropical depression had snuck up on us!)....we finally left my friend's house and headed for JOHNSON'S BAKERY!  Johnson's is EPIC in Perry!  When we walked in the door, the SMELL was the same as I always remembered.  The owner Doyle was still there behind the counter and they still had the great cookies, cupcakes and doughnuts and YES I sampled it ALL!! 

 

 

 

 

Saw one of our friends from school, Anthony who is now a writer for the local paper, a teacher and an author!!!!

 

 

 

the local newspaper...the TACO Times 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We walked around downtown as best we could in the rain.  Lots of the old stores are gone, kinda sad...

 

 

 

 

 

We went by our old high school and it was open so we had to go inside:)

 

 

 

 

the trophy case, there was even one from 1983 for something

 

 

 

 

the old water fountain

 

 

 

 

Loved the library:)

 

 

 

 

Doesn't seem like it could be 30 years ago

 

 

 

 

Angela was trying to go in the Art room LOL

 

 

 

 

 

 

this is the house I grew up in...  Ok I've not lived at home for 30 years, Jon & I inherited it years ago and sold it as soon as we could....it looks a bit rough to say the least..... 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

this was my home church growing up.   Believe me I spent MANY hours there LOL

 

 

 

 

 

Then for the finest seafood (along with steak or chicken) you could want, we went to DEAL'S Famous Oyster House  "where the best people in the world walk through those doors"   If you are ever in Perry, take a 5 minute ride down West  US Hwy 98 and get some some good food!  They even have fried pickles!!!   They also have opened a new Deal's in St Mark's at 785 Port Leon Dr, St Marks's Florida.  go get you some fresh seafood!

 

 

Angela and Zodie the owner

 

 

Zodie playing the Pogo Stick

 

 

 

No it's not fancy but I can promise you it's got some GOOD food!!!!!

 

Zodie, who is my friend from school, waitressed there for years, she has now bought it and it is a real family restaurant, no alcohol just good food and fun.  I'm really proud of her!   My friend Rhonda who works there even bought my lunch:)  They some good folks!!!!  

 

We had our class get together at the beach, at the Hot Dog stand and it was really great to see everyone.  We all got to talking so much, I even forgot to take pictures:)  It stormed a little off and on but everyone had a great time.  I think with time, you really start appreciating everyone.  Tonight is our big get together and I will take pictures LOL 

 

The family is doing well, or at least that is what they are telling me LOL 

Hope you like the pictures. Good memories.....

 

 

 

 

Way down upon the Suwannee River......

I went back "home" today.   This weekend is my 30th High School reunion, it does not seem possible.  It's the first time (other than an AWFUL weekend at a pastor wife's convention) that I have ever been away from all my family.  We tend to travel as a tribe:)   This is something I'd hoped to do for over a year. 

I'm from Perry Florida, in Taylor county.  It's a very unique small southern town.  Today has been a walk through memory lane for me.  Just the trip up to Perry was interesting.  We don't usually go up this way so I got to see some places I haven't seen for a long time.  I told my friend I feel like I'm a salmon making my return trip home LOL. 

Growing up if we were driving south, we would usually stop at the Suwannee River to eat our food.  So I stopped there for a few minutes. 

 

Way down upon the Suwannee River.....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There was a lady sitting on the dock, a floating dock...she had her feet in the water and was feeding the fish....what is wrong with that?????    There are GATORS galore in that River!!!!  OMGosh!  I was about to say something to her but she left...thank God before she got eaten in front of me!   

 

 

 

 

This is "my grandmother's tree"  I've eaten many sandwiches  under that tree with her:)  It's in the little town of Cross City.

 

 

On Old Hwy 19 going towards the family cemetery

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mingo Cemetery

 

 

 

 

Me with all the "family" in the background

 

I thought there are 5 generations of my family buried here, lots of tears shed at this graveyard....

 

 

 

my grandmother's grave

 

My great great grand father's grave with the flag, my GGGM  next, then my great grandfather and great grand mother

 

 

 

 

 

my great grandparents

 

 

 

my dear Uncle Mack

 

Uncle Sam

 

My sweet great aunts who raised me

 

 

 

 

this is the lady who took me in as a baby in 1965....when she was 66 years old!!!!!!  

 

 

the Hines family

 

 

 

a relative who lost 2 sons in WWII

 

 

 

I'm from Taylor co and proud of it!

 

 

 

Log trucks scare me

 

 

 

the real Florida!

 

Angela and me 30 years ago at graduation!!!!!!! 1983

 

 

 

Me, Angela and Terry tonight...30 years later:)

 

It's really wonderful to be here, seeing old friends.  Love being in a small town, as we were going into the restaurant, a brother of a schoolmate stopped and talked to me:)  I miss that.  We live in a small town but it's not a "town" like Perry where everyone knows each other and are somehow related by birth, marriage or friendship.  the town we live in is very transitional, no one has real roots....Perry is totally different....there are roots here for sure:)

 

On our way to my friend's house tonight, we saw a doe and two cute little baby deers.....so cute!  The last time I'd gone to my friend's house, all the roads were dirt and now they are all paved!  WOW progress:)   I live in the country....but she REALLY lives in the country LOL.  She has lived in the same house for 25 years and it is hard for me to find it still LOL

 

My sweet husband and Steve wanted me to come, it was hard for me to leave but they were so encouraging to me. 

 

Everyone is doing fine at home.  Selah's mickey- gtube fell out but thankfully the nurses were able to take care of it.  Jon told me AFTER it was taken care of!   Both her day and night nurses have reported more purposeful movements which we are always glad to hear! 

 

 

 

 

Supreme Court Decisions

Sitting here thinking about the world we live in....the country we live in....we are so very far from living as God has told us quite clearly in His word to live.  Today the Supreme Court handed down two decisions.

The first was to rule that the federal same sex ban called DOMA (Defense of Marriage Act) , signed by President Bill Clinton in 1996 as unconstitutional.  It prevented same-sex couples whose marriages were recognized by their home state from receiving benefits available to other married couples under federal law.


 The second  was to was to say that Proposition 8 on California ballots in 2008 was unconstitutional.  Prop 8 was a same sex marriage ban.  It was voted on by the California voters and was passed.  That meant the majority of voters wanted a BAN on same sex marriages, they did not want that for their state.  Now the Supreme Court is going against the will of the people.  That is serious!  The judges who voted to strike it down said that the activists who put it on the ballot originally did not have constitutional authority, or standing to do so.  California voters added the ban to the state's constitution in 2008 through a ballot initiative that reversed the state Supreme Court's recognition of same-sex marriage earlier that year. So basically California voters did NOT like or agree with their state Supreme Court's decision and took matters into their own hands....We do live in a democratic society and I  (along with 4 other Supreme Court judges)  believe in the right of the people! 


If anyone knows me or my husband personally, you will know we love everyone.  I have no hatred against homosexuals.  In fact, I have some I consider as dear friends....HOWEVER that does not mean I condone their behavior or agree with it. 

The bible calls it sin, society has called it sin for all of recorded history in all societies world wide. 

This may not be a popular stand but I feel compelled to write about this today.  As a Christian, I can not close my eyes and not address things.  As much as I address the church's role in orphan care, this is troubling!

Because both the Old Testament and the New Testament tell us that homosexual behavior is sin, I believe it is sin.  That is the bottom line.  I believe all of the Bible, I don't pick out the parts that meet my need and discard the parts I don't like.  Nope, I take the whole Bible and do my best to live by it.  If you want scripture and verse....then here goes...Leviticus 20:13, Genesis 19:4-9, Romans 1: 24-27, and 1 Corinthians 6: 9-11.  There are certainly more verses, but that's just a few.

Hey to be fair, I think ANY sex outside of marriage is SIN!  For my friends who are living together with their boy/girl friends or sleeping around....I think that is just as wrong according to the Bible.  And YES there are MANY other kinds of sin besides sexually sin too.....but since the government wants to get involved in this debate, that is what I'm blogging about right now.  And NO I do not think I'm better than anyone else, we are all sinners BUT even tho I am not perfect, I try and govern my life in all areas as the Bible instructs and just because I may miss it in one area, I realize it is ME who is in the wrong, not the Bible! 

So I'm not happy with the direction America is choosing to go in.  Other nations have gone that way and it does not look good.  America is different than other nations, we were founded by Christians who would turn over in their graves if they knew what America is like today.  Other nations do not have the heritage of being founded primarily as a Christian nation.  Not that America is the best nation or the only one with God's blessing...not at all.  In fact, I get concerned with some Christians who, in my opinion (IMO) elevate America to be "God's nation"  I don't like American flags inside churches ....that is for another post.....

I think the in the day's ahead, our freedom to express ourselves, to say what we believe is sin or wrong will be gone.  Certainly in other countries ministers are fined for reading some of the scriptures I put on my blog today......

There are dark days ahead for the Church in America but in darkness, the light shows even brighter!

Title-less Tuesday.....

Title-less Tuesday.....I couldn't come up with a title....LOL


Back to the Senior Citizen's Yoga class this morning.  It's really good and all I can handle right now.  I'm very proud to say I think I am top of the class, for my leg movement.  That is the one place I'm not sore:)  I've got to get back to walking too, that always helps me but my walking buddy lives too far away to walk with me during the summer months. 

Got to meet my friend for a quick lunch at a new Mexican restaurant, or at least new to us.  That was great and I got a ton of errands done today. 

 

 

 

This morning, Selah was doing a lot of movement of her right arm/hand.  It seemed purposeful and she was not moving her left arm while she was moving the right.  Sometimes it is just hard to tell.  She has remained loose, none of the stiffness we saw for a few days.  WHEW!

 

 

Sarah is learning to drink from a cup!  YEA!  since she has been home, I've had to spoon feed her all her drinks.  I don't mind but boy is it easier to get her to drink from a cup!  Her therapist made her a cup so I could see how much liquid she is getting.  That way I don't splash her, or tip the cup so that it would scare her. 

 

 

 

 

Yum Lemonade

 

good girl

 

MORE:)

 

Sarah also got a hair cut today!

 

 

Sarah is the most loving sweet girl ever....we just do not understand how a child could be so neglected and have such a sweet spirit without it affecting her.  Maybe there is some sweet lady that gave her love at the baby house....   

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Thanks for continuing to pray for Teresa.   OurPlaceCalledHome.blogspot.com is their blog.  She is stable and resting today.  Please keep praying!!!!!!

 

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Tonight I am reaching out to you to ask of you some help.  A few dear ladies and myself have been working with the Burman family who are in process to adopt three beautiful children from Ukraine.  This family is so grateful for the amazing kindness shown to their children through the generous donations to their grant fund.  Shelly mentioned how much it means to her to know that people whom the family does not even know will have played a monumental role in helping the children soon know the love of a family.  What the ladies and I would like to do is draw up some thank you notes to each and everyone of the people who donated to the children and then surprise the family with the letters written so they can thank you all.  If you personally donated to the children people have come to know as Nolan, Paige, and Lauren on Reece's Rainbow website or in the case of Paige she is also known as Patricia on Grace Haven's website, would you please contact me with your address so we can get the envelopes addressed for the family?  You do not have to state the amount as no amount is greater than any other but you can if you so feel led.  Thank you for helping us bless this family who has so amazingly taken the call God has given them.  If you gave directly through Grace Church, I have your addresses so don't worry about it.  But if you gave through Reece's Rainbow or Grace Haven directly, please let me know at theclanton5@aol.com  .  thanks.....   I know we did not get a listing of givers until we were home and I never sent out thank you cards (and feel extremely guilty still......) 

 

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Please keep praying for Selah.....  We are still thinking/praying about a handicapped accessible van for Selah.   Nothing has worked out yet, I'm hoping it is because she will be healed and we won't need it to be honest.  Still looking into treatments for her also....  haven't found anything yet in America that is a real medical study. 

 

 

 

 





Monday Madness...

Naw everything is ok around here, I just needed a title....LOL

Please keep praying for Teresa...she had the surgery, still on the ECMO machine, some internal bleeding going on....please pray for a miracle.

Also a dear lady in our church Irene, is having a stent put in this week.  She is sweet, loves God and everyone else....sings.... and is so positive.  Please pray that things go smooth and she recovers quickly! 

Started my daily yoga class at the Y.  It happens to be for Senior Citizens.  When I walked in, everyone was sitting on a chair and I though "oh my gosh I am wasting my time."  Well....I didn't quite feel like that 30 minutes later LOL!  Being so stiff, it was hard to even do the poses they did.  The appointment for the Urologist got moved up to today.  he looked at all the testing that has been done, and has no answers for me.  He thinks everything is ok (as far as nothing life threatening)  and did say the muscles in my back/side were in spasms so bad, he could actually feel them.   I really don't know where to go at this point.  I hurt all the time, and have for the last four years.  It has gotten worse in the past year.  It's crazy but I'm glad I don't have to worry about life threatening stuff but I wish I had an answer.  He thinks yoga, massage and heat will help....it hasn't yet....

Selah is doing well, the stiffness in her that we sensed over the weekend is gone.  She did great in therapy today.  Sarah did too, they got therapy while I had my yoga class. 

We had a really good weekend.  Church was great, a few more people....:)  We love visitors.   After church the guys went kayaking and the girls went out to eat and do some things:)  It was a good day, filled with family and old friends.  I'm loving how the kids like the kayaks!  Steve and Shad (and dad too) want to go every chance they get.  What a nice way for them to be together and get exercise. 

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I don't have many deep thoughts tonight.  I don't even know what I'm feeling, it's not warm or fuzzy that's for sure.  Just sad, tired, can't believe I woke up this morning and nothing has changed yet for Selah.  Trying to remember to hold on to the goodness of God, not be bitter when others get an answer to prayer, trying to TRUST through the darkness.  By doing those things, holding on, not being bitter, trusting.....I'm not doing them because I think I can earn a miracle for Selah.  NO!  I'm doing those so I do not shipwreck my life. 

In my life, there are friends who have problems.  99% of these problems are things they can change, sometimes the change would hurt and be hard but things could change....   Some of them have health problems that diet and exercise could change, some could change a job or get a second one for more money.  Some could get out of bad relationships, some could mend some fences..... We are faced with something we can not change.  The ONLY thing we can do is let our hearts change and stay committed to God.   I'm a fixer, I like to fix things....there is nothing I can fix here.....

ALL I can do is hold tight to God's hand.  That's it....just typing this does bring a peace....  Where can I go but to the Lord?  There is no where else to go....  That's where I am right now, again, as I have been many times in the past, TEN months.....holding, watching my heart, keeping my eyes focused on eternity.....

Please pray......

Frieneds & Zombie Movies

Yesterday was a very unique day.  During the course of our adoption I've become FB friends with people I didn't know "in real life IRL"  Well yesterday a bunch of us got together......  between us we've rescued, 8 kids from orphanages and have 4 pending adoptions....  We've all walked through "fire" in one way or another by doing that.  Some of you may remember the post about Henry who passed away last fall, I got to meet his mom....  All of us have faced trials related to our adoptions, but you know what?  We are all still serving and loving Jesus and loving His little Ones.  That is the one thing (besides all the laughter) I left with....  We have started on a journey and there is NO turning back! 

 

Yvonne, Carla, Linny and Jenny

(ps. this was taken away we went swimming!)

 

 

Then I drove through some of the prettiest areas of Florida that I'd never seen before to get home to take my oldest son Steve to see World War Z.....oh dear Lord....let's just say that is not my type of movie.  First of all I can't stand Brad Pitts....  But the suspense of the movie....I should have had my "happy pills" with me LOL  As soon as the movie finished I rushed out of the theater, it seemed like a bunch of zombies were after me.  Then in in the parking lot, I was ultra vigilant looking around for Zombies.  Then having to get out of my car at home was torture LOL!!  We were laughing so hard.... So I guess it was  a good movie if it affected me so much!  BTW, all I dreamed about last night was ZOMBIES!!!!  At one point Jon and I had the kids in the hospital and they were all safe but we had to leave to go get something..  EEK!  LOL  (BTW, it was a very clean movie, nothing sexually, unbelievably little language and no gruesome violence--  We look up movies on Plugged In before we let our kids see things and Plugged In actually counts how many times profanity is used.  I think it was about 9 or 10 times but I didn't hear anything.  I told Steve after the movie, maybe the Plugged In people were counting what the AUDIENCE said LOL  We had one woman behind us screaming, she was too funny!  I was terrified but kept quiet!) 

 

In all my crazy zombie dreams, I did dream I saw my old boss from college.  He was the librarian at the college we went to, a true "absent mind professor type"  I adored him, he gave me away when Jon & I got married.  In my dream he was walking around NOT a zombie.  But I asked him "Bro Crammar, what is heaven like??"  he has been passed away for years.    He said "it's lovely, just lovely but I can't tell you everything"  That was just interesting.  He still was an absent minded professor:) 

 

I was just thankful I had to get up with Selah some, it broke up the dreams!!!   Or maybe that is why I remembered them more because I kept waking up????

 

On Friday night, I dreamed that Selah was walking outside....now that was a good dream!

 

 

So we have had a busy fun weekend. 

 

Selah is doing good, we've kept her busy with her stander and going outside some.  For some reason, the last few days, she has been stiffer, I'm curious to see how she does on Monday for PT.  It seems her stiffness comes and goes, in a random way.  She certainly isn't sick..... Hopefully it's just nothing!

 

Sam & Sarah are doing great.  Sam seemed mad I wasn't there last night to rub his back!  I usually hold him and give him a back massage with lotion before he goes to bed and Sam is a creature of habit.  He did NOT appreciate me being gone with big brother! 

 

Shad. of course, wanted to go see that movie with us.  I am so glad we said NO!  He would have moved into our beds on a permanent basis if he had gone!!! 

 

It such a balance in life, we always want to honor God with what we let our kids do and what we do but we also want that balance where we don't get legalistic either.   I was raised legalistically and it was not good.  You might think watching Zombies wasn't very spiritual (I don't know about that....I think it made ME pray LOL)  But in one way it was spiritual.  I was making a memory with my son, something we will laugh about for years.  It was probably a memory that I should have let his daddy make with him LOL but it was fun.   We try and honor God in our movie and tv choices.  Every Christian family may have a little different standard.  but you should have a standard.  We stay away from anything with nudity or sexual themes, strong languages and we also stay away from movies that have adult themes.  We are not going to pay money to sit and laugh about things that God tells us to avoid.  We don't watch any current comedy tv shows as they can't be funny without being nasty.  I used to watch "The Office" when it first came out.  Back then it was racy enough.....I watched one recent episode the other day and had to turn it off, it was perverted in what the characters were doing/saying.  So perverted, I could not believe it was on a regular cable channel!    In this day and age, it is easy to nod at sin and be accepting.  I don't want to be like that!!!  For our family, we tend to let the boys watch movies that have the good vs. evil themes, as long as the movie doesn't have much profanity,  nor any sexual or adult themes.  It is rare we find a movie that we let them watch unless it is a cartoon and even then there have been ones we have not gone to see!  A recent movie that they wanted to go see, scored way too high off our scale and the boys accepted that.  It's a shame that movies are made and extra junk thrown in. 

 

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OurPlaceCalledHome.blogspot.com              

 

Keep praying for Teresa....she is stable, her kidneys' have better levels but she has a long way to go!  She is resting today, getting ready for the big surgery on Monday.  Please cover this family and child with prayer!!!

 

Please keep praying for Selah.  Taking care of her last night was precious, I'm always glad to make her comfy but it just reminds me how far away she is.....sometimes it takes my breath away when I've been gone a few hours, I'm still shocked.  Being gone all day is unusual for me, but being back with her, it hurts.  She shouldn't be like this!  I think when I'm gone, I expect her to be back to normal when I see her again.  THIS is not normal to me.   Please pray that God will have mercy on Selah and heal her.