Just a Saturday in Waco, Part One

I've always loved going to a farmers market. We started our Saturday by going to Waco's Farmers Market in downtown Waco. There were interesting vendors with a variety of options, but I loved that there were farmers selling fresh produce and flowers. The vendors are required to sell produce grown within 150 miles of Waco.



The clouds in the pictures might lead you to believe it was a cooler day in Texas. It wasn't cool. It was HOT. Even the breeze is hot. We didn't let the heat deter us from exploring and finding honey, soap, canned goods, fresh fruits and vegetables and food vendors. If you couldn't find something to try, you weren't looking.

Tim and I decided to try something new. It was a blueberry waffle with bacon, cheese and scrambled eggs on top. It was delicious.



If you're in Waco, be sure to stop by the Waco Downtown Farmers Market.

Marina Life

The other day we decided to enjoy lunch at Deck 383 which is part of Wacca Wache Marina. It was a beautiful afternoon, and we sat outside in the shade of an oak tree. There was a cool breeze off the Wachesaw River.




Wacca Wache means happy, happy in the language of the Waccamaw Indians.


It made us happy, happy to watch boats come and go. Some arrived for lunch and others came for gas or to pick up friends. Many boaters traveled with friends and pets.

We saw small boats and large boats. We enjoy people-watching, but watching boat-people was even more fun.



Even if you don't own a boat, I want to encourage to enjoy time at a marina. I think you'll leave happy, happy.

Brookgreen Gardens

Between Murrells Inlet and Litchfield, South Carolina you'll find Brookgreen Gardens. I've visited many gardens through the years. I enjoy flowers, plants and hiking, but there's something different about Brookgreen.

There are sculpture exhibits as well as a lowcountry zoo, lowcountry history exhibits, concerts, and light festivals.



In addition to sculpture galleries, there are American figurative sculptures displayed throughout the gardens. You'll find over 2000 works displayed. I recently met a friend at Brookgreen one Saturday morning and want to share a few of my favorite sculptures. Enjoy!



I especially enjoyed this dancing lady. The sight of her made me wish I'd worn a skirt and could twirl around the same way.

Freedom

Happy 4th of July! This week we're celebrating the Declaration of Independence. Years ago men and women came to this land in search of religious freedom. Through the years, more brave men and women have fought to protect our country.

Even more important, we have freedom in Christ. Galatians 5:1 says, "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery."

Romans 6:22 says, " But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life."

In the Unites States, our freedom came at a great cost. I'm so thankful to all of the people who sacrificed for my freedom. I'm also thankful to Jesus who gave his life for us to have eternal life.

Galatians 5:13-14 says, "You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”"

Love our neighbors. As ourselves. Love. Others. As we celebrate, let's remember to love others.

Happy 4th of July!

Seabeach Amaranth

The other night as we walked along a South Carolina beach, we spotted cages. I hurried over expecting to see signs indicating sea turtle nests were being protected.

Instead, the sign indicated seabeach amaranth was being protected. I've seen it on beaches before, but I didn't realize how important it is to beach eco-systems.

Seabeach amaranth is found in Delaware, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia and the Carolinas. It is an annual plant that germinates from April to June and blooms in July.

Beach erosion and human traffic are two big threats to this plant. The worst blow to this herb was Hurricane Hugo in 1989. It's estimated the hurricane wiped out ninety percent of South Carolina's seabeach amaranth. In 1993 the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service listed it as a threatened species.


If you vacation and spot seabeach amaranth, enjoy the view, but please don't pick it. Thanks!

Rainy Vacation Days

We all want perfect weather when we go on vacation. This year my family joined together for vacation in Holden Beach, NC.

The week started out with high hopes of bike rides and fun in the sun.

However, it rained, and rained, and then rained some more. We'd come from KY, TX and SC for this week, and we refused to let rain take away our fun.

One day we went to a family fun center where both granddaughters bowled for the first time. The oldest even got to play laser tag.

Another morning, we had a girls' morning out and made pottery.

We played lots of games inside and enjoyed being together. We went out for ice cream and even shopped a little.


These were just some of the things we did during the rain. We were so happy to be together, we enjoyed every minute of Vacation 2018. I hope you're able to enjoy some fun family time this summer.

National Cheese Day

I discovered June 4 is National Cheese Day. It's also National Hug Your Cat Day.

I can eat cheese, but I'm severely allergic to cats. So, I won't be hugging anybody's cat.

How will you celebrate June 4? Hug your cat or eat a hunk of cheese? Whatever you do, I hope you have a good day!