Mackinac Island- the Iconic

The Lilac Hotel on Main Street

Main Street-

 horse and carriage and bikes galore on the island.

 No cars or trucks.

St. Anne's Catholic Church

Established as a Mission in 1670

Victorian houses everywhere

Wonderful display of horse drawn carriages

 at the Grand Hotel Stables.

Deliveries come to the dock-

 and then are loaded up on horse- drawn wagons.

and the high water plume flies to the sky

 as you leave the island on the fast ferry.
Till you come back to the island.

                                                                        Photo by Pat Maier

Until we see your shoreline again.

Mackinac Island- the Grand Hotel

The famous hotel has 390 rooms
 and no two are alike.

A $10 fee allows you past this point

 for a self-guided tour 

of the grounds and the hotel.

 Or perhaps head on up to the Cupola Bar 

for a magnificent view.

The hotel boasts the longest porch

 in the world at 660 feet.
Five U.S. Presidents have visited:
Harry Truman, John F. Kennedy, 
Gerald Ford(raised in Michigan), 
George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton.
The hotel also hosted the first 
public demonstration of Thomas Edison's 
phonograph on the porch.
Mark Twain made this one of his regular stops
 on his speaking tours in the Midwest.

The famous rocking chairs on the porch.

Madam, your carriage awaits.

The resort-size Esther Williams Swimming Pool.

The lobby of the Grand.

A fountain graces the grounds.

Fern swagged paths 
lead through the cool shade of the trees.

Guarding till you return another year.

Mackinac Island - The Florals

Hanging basket greetings right off the ferry-

Mackinac Island, Michigan

Cosmos panorama

Early August and the blooms are in full view

Simple daisy border

Part of the beauty of this island-

 the wonderfully tended gardens.

Abundant hydrangea blooms

The flowers into the lawn 

and water's edge at Mission Point

Old-fashioned Hollyhocks 

Contrasts and textures

Riotous mix

Astilbe along the fence line 

Gardens at Mission Point Hotel

Around every corner.

The joy of color.

Mackinac Island- Full View

Some get away time in August.

 We were blessed to spend

 a few days on Mackinac Island, Michigan.

Arch rock-

 iconic spot to stop on bike ride or hiking trails.

The color changes of water made it feel almost tropical.

 Though our days were pleasant with low humidity.

 It is truly an island that you get to by boat.

No roads in here.

Breathtaking sunrises.

A whole crayon box of blues

 with the water and the sky.

Man-stacked rock towers

 are all along the coastline of the island.

A time to just enjoy the contrasts of nature.

And to see the way sunlight dances

 on the earth and hides in shadow.

A new dawn- a new day.

A full recharge here on the island.

Griffin Goodness

Some gatherings with the little guy

Moments captured-

 from utter delight to exploration.

Paradise Springs Winery- Clifton, Virginia

Prince of Peace School Playground- Springfield, VA

Hmmmm- wonder what that is?

and just because I can see the photos

 here together and

just PRAY over this little guy-

 who has my heart.

Bible Marginalia- Something Completely Amazing

Bible Marginalia Series - # 126

Worship into the week.
The Old Testament reading this past Sunday.
 Sermon notes right into the Bible.
Later on- added borders, filled in coloring.

And just thinking about humble people.
Who will find JOY in the Lord.
AGAIN.

And the Lord who is honored by lip service.
By people who are more concerned
 about the rules made by man-
than His commandments.

But, a loving God who says-
bring your hearts close to me-
AND I will again do 
wonderful things with this people-
with wonder upon wonder.

Our service bulletin version stated-
I am going to do something 
completely amazing for these people AGAIN.

So when I hit a wall
 and think the things on my list depend on me-
Get over it!
Step back and call on the Lord and His will 
to move and act.
 Join Him there!
And be ready to be
completely amazed.

Prayers for my Children- Flipchart

I have had a lot of comments 

about this little book lately on social media 

and thought I would share 

the whole prayer flip chart with you.

 Made in 2007 -

 so guess this year it is 8 years old. 

 Still using it and still praying for my children,

 and their spouses now,

 and the grandson that has been added.

  We made this at a Keep the Faith

 event we held at our church.

We had the cardstock cut

 and punched for us at a local printers.

They have since gone out of business. 

I knew I would never get them cut straight

 and punched so nicely. 

It does make the project

 if you can have that done.

Especially if you are going

 to make them in multiples

 for a group project.

 Doing ONE- I could probably

manage it ok and deal

 with it not being perfect- if it was for me.

( or for me to give as a gift)

 The cardstock measures: 31/2 by 5 1/2inches

We made the set to have 36 pages.

That gives you one for a cover-

a dedication page, 

and 3-4 for pages that have spots to add photos.

 Two O-rings keep it together 

and works great for flipping.

 What I love about this project

 is that it will stand on a shelf or table

 and be a visual reminder of a call to prayer.

Here is the link to download both the words 
and an instruction sheet for this project.
These photos are of another that I had made-

prayers-for-my-children

 The verses are torn 
and Distress ink is added to the edges.

Scrapbooking supplies
 add interest and make the pages
 each a bit different.

I used 4-5 sheets of coordinating scrapbooking paper 

to use for the whole project to give it a cohesive look. 

You can whatever fits your personal preference.

Stamps, brads, ribbon, eyelets,

 snaps, safety pins, punched crosses.

Whatever is in your stash.

In any project-

 the mantra simple and done

 is better

 than fussy and waiting to be finished.

Wire and beads and a paper clip.

Paper clips and tags.

 Credit goes to Bob Hosteler
 for the inspiration for this project.
His site here:
31-biblical-virtues-to-pray-for-your-children

  One mom kept it by the front door
 and grabbed it to say a blessing
 as her children left in the mornings.
One keeps it bedside to 
bless her children at night time.
 And one mom tells the story
 about her daughter off to college and reports -
 "after this many years-
 I know what you will be praying
 for me each day of the month."