FLORENCE FIRST IMPRESSIONS...FROM MAY

Hi everybody,


Just wanted to tell you that me, Aunt Karen and Gracia arrived in Florence yesterday afternoon and have already seen some cool stuff.  

We walked around a cathedral and looked at all the old buildings with their classic Italian design.  Some of them still look a little like they did back in the golden days of the Roman Empire.  


There are many things made of all different colors of marble and they are truly beautiful.

We took a walk through the Palace Pitti.  It has many exhibits of period cloths, old sculptures, the rooms are magnificently decorated with marble table tops and great windows all carved, and large chandeliers with hard wood polished floors made of many different types of woods put together in intricate designs.  

It also had a large garden full of different trees carefully manicured hedges and bushes, more statues and fountains with different buildings showing different things throughout the garden.  


At the back of the garden was an old fort we walked around its old walls, which were very tall and thick, it was all very interesting.  


We walked along the river and crossed a few bridges which were teeming with people most of whom were tourists like us.  


The weather is mild and perfect for walking.  We will be walking to get to most things but everything in Florence, as in most European cities it seems, is all very small and close together so the walking is not a problem.  


Also we found many icecream shops which sell homemade icecream which is very good and Aunt Karen keeps assuring me that we will spend most of our time eating icecream and pizza and walking till we fall over...so we stop plenty to get refreshment and rest.  


All in all I am enjoying myself thoroughly but will be glad to go back to Ireland and rest from all this traveling for a while.  


I am very much missing all of you and am glad that soon I will be able to come home.

 My love to the family and to all my friends.  I miss you.  MayB. 

Two-Year-Old Finishes Little Rock Marathon

Two-Year-Old Finishes Little Rock Marathon

SARAH'S WHITE ON WHITE PROJECT...

BEAUTIFUL PRAYER OF ST. PATRICK...

The beautiful prayer of St. Patrick, popularly known as "St. Patrick's Breast-Plate", is supposed to have been composed by him in preparation for this victory over Paganism. The following is a literal translation from the old Irish text:

I bind to myself today

The strong virtue of the Invocation of the Trinity:

I believe the Trinity in the Unity

The Creator of the Universe.

I bind to myself today

The virtue of the Incarnation of Christ with His Baptism,

The virtue of His crucifixion with His burial,

The virtue of His Resurrection with His Ascension,

The virtue of His coming on the Judgement Day.

I bind to myself today

The virtue of the love of seraphim,

In the obedience of angels,

In the hope of resurrection unto reward,

In prayers of Patriarchs,

In predictions of Prophets,

In preaching of Apostles,

In faith of Confessors,

In purity of holy Virgins,

In deeds of righteous men.

I bind to myself today

The power of Heaven,

The light of the sun,

The brightness of the moon,

The splendour of fire,

The flashing of lightning,

The swiftness of wind,

The depth of sea,

The stability of earth,

The compactness of rocks.

I bind to myself today

God's Power to guide me,

God's Might to uphold me,

God's Wisdom to teach me,

God's Eye to watch over me,

God's Ear to hear me,

God's Word to give me speech,

God's Hand to guide me,

God's Way to lie before me,

God's Shield to shelter me,

God's Host to secure me,

Against the snares of demons,

Against the seductions of vices,

Against the lusts of nature,

Against everyone who meditates injury to me,

Whether far or near,

Whether few or with many.

I invoke today all these virtues

Against every hostile merciless power

Which may assail my body and my soul,

Against the incantations of false prophets,

Against the black laws of heathenism,

Against the false laws of heresy,

Against the deceits of idolatry,

Against the spells of women, and smiths, and druids,

Against every knowledge that binds the soul of man.

Christ, protect me today

Against every poison, against burning,

Against drowning, against death-wound,

That I may receive abundant reward.

Christ with me, Christ before me,

Christ behind me, Christ within me,

Christ beneath me, Christ above me,

Christ at my right, Christ at my left,

Christ in the fort,

Christ in the chariot seat,

Christ in the poop [deck],

Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me,

Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks to me,

Christ in every eye that sees me,

Christ in every ear that hears me.

I bind to myself today

The strong virtue of an invocation of the Trinity,

I believe the Trinity in the Unity

The Creator of the Universe.

SPAIN REPORT FROM MAY....

Hi All,
I am doing really great. Seville is really awesome 


I have seen so many cool buildings and have eaten some really great food. It has been really neat to see all the cousins again and to go on long walks in the sunshine around Seville. 


Most of the people are pretty friendly and readily helped us find our way if we needed directions. the weather has been  nice and sunny. Spain has gone through flooding which is unusual since they have had a 10 year drought but now it rains all the time...fortunately we had a respite and were able to walk around quite a bit...

We all went to Cadiz on the 14 and had a really nice time at the beach and in the sun. Cadiz is a really old town and has a nice Cathedral. we were able to see and old Roman Ampitheater which was in the process of being dug up it was so cool.

We have seen many things in Seville the Cathedral is just awesome and the arcitechture was just amazing. I have taken alot of pictures and hope to be able to put them on facebook soon. 


I will be going with the cousins tomorrow to Madrid and we will get to go to Toledo, which will be awesome... and will be in Madrid untill the 23 when Aunty will come to drop Gramma Chi off at the airport so she can return to Argentina, then Aunty K, her friend Gracia and myself will be going on a 5 day package to Florence, Italy. 

I hope you are all doing fine I miss and love you.

Joanne's disappearing act: Seeing my shadow

Joanne's disappearing act: Seeing my shadow

Joanne's disappearing act: Free Willy!

Joanne's disappearing act: Free Willy!

Joanne's disappearing act: The Tipping Point

Joanne's disappearing act: The Tipping Point

How Reading has opened the world of a young man with Down Syndrome...

READ THIS WONDERFUL TESTIMONY OF A MOTHER WITH HER DOWN SYNDROME SON.

"NOT TO BE BOUND"

http://www.changingmindsfoundation.org/documents/pg.html

RECENT NOOS ....

Hi – just a quick note before I trundle off to school.  We’ve been getting some below zero weather during the night, but it warms up in the day.  Today, although the temperature said it was like 20° at midday, the wind was so blustery that it was not comfortable outside. 

Wendy made it home, bringing her grandma with her.  The grandma had a long trip so she stayed at Wendy’s today to recover.  Jim and Bonnie will be driving up soon with a uhaul of their favorite possessions.  Grams is 88!  J

Today, the highschoolers and I rolled a bunch of tortillas to prepare for the Whitestone get together this weekend.  Matt Dean and Jonnie Squires were our newest apprentices of tortilla rolling.  They did well. 

Oh, I meant to say that Liz and Bradie did very well on their home ec dinner last week.  They served the Jepsens and other couples invited: Argula salad, lemon herb chicken, sautéed gr beans, potatoes, cheese loaf, cherry cheese cake, excellent coffee, & sparkling cider.  The report of the diners was that they cld hardly move from so much food!

We’ve had kids in and out of school all week.  The VanderHart boys are all back, although still coughing.  Emily, Chloe, Michael, and Robin have all been out some.  Anyway… I hope they all feel better soon.   Some adults have been pretty sick too – Miss Sarah Jane, Aunt Cathy, and more.

Bro Rus’s accounting class has had a simulation to work on for the past week.  It was a lot of work, but they are alllll finally done. These kids have been making me crazy staying up till all hours of the night. 

Oh, Pat came back from  an uneventful piano tuning job up in Ft Yukon – he had to be flown in there like he does when he goes to other remote places like Barrow. Flying small planes with lots of people in them, kids, moms, etc....like a 6 seater...gotta love Alaska!


Rob has his yearly big eval from the school district come up! Its rather a grueling time for him since he has to do all these battery of tests and stuff that he does not enjoy...he's not totally OK with his cold and all, so hopefully all will be well...we shall see...I think they will hv to split it across a few days...hummm..


Rob is in need of some orthodontics done to his mouth, not cosmetic but needful for his development. We are trying to procure a state mini grant...lots of paperwork involved...very cost prohibitive for us...so we shall see what happens...

May is having a good time in Spain with her the relatives that flew in from Springfield. Her cuzes uncle and aunt and grand-babies. They are sightseeing the beautiful city of Seville and are gonna go to the port city of Cadiz this week end...

My sis Karenza is caring for my aged relative (stepmom) Chi who flew all the way from Buenos Aires just to see us girls (well not me in this case), and to celebrate her 80th. K is pretty much stuck in the flat with her since she does not go out much, but has been looking around a bit so at least Chi is happy and content which is all that matters...talked to her on the phone a couple of times (THANK-YOU SKYPE!!) and she always ends up crying...such a sweet thing!...she was put out cause I did not go to Spain, but I told her that I sent my daughter May as my emissary...she loved May!....

Spain has been very rainy and floody...but sun has come out enough to make everybody happy and the sightseeing worthwhile...

OH HOW I MISS MY MAYMAY....she has another month and a half....

Have a great rest of the week, must go

my niece Erica Mehaffey is now Mrs. Robert Farrin...

My niece Erica got married to Robert Farrin over Convention week end. They will eventually be posted to New York at one of the army bases there....hope they can come visit us before they leave Alaska.

GOD SPEED ERICA AND ROBERT! WISH YOU ALL THE BEST IN YOUR NEW LIFE TOGETHER...
Aunty Gri

SOME OF SARA JEPS PHOTO PROJECTS....