Update From Florida

Tomorrow is a big day for the folks who moved here from Indianapolis to start a new church. The team consists of Matt Mehaffey (lead minister) along with his wife Janie. Bob and Linda Smith joined them more recently. Bob is working in evangelism. We had dinner with them at a local Italian restaurant. 

Tomorrow is their first Sunday! Howard & I are delighted to be here for the "kick-off". Twenty five folks came down from Traders Point (Indy), and several came from Central Christian in Carmel (IN). The worship leader's wife is from there. We all joined together last night for dinner and a prayer meeting. It was a great night to be together.

Hello Friends

Howard & I are having a great time in the "Sunshine State" even though the sun has not been shinning for the past three days. The recent showers and overcast days have been an answer to prayer for the locals who are in dire need of rain.

We are staying close to Mickey 'n Minnie; however, we have not seen hide nor hair of them. Disney World has not been on our schedule, and I have a hunch they stay pretty close to home.

We really enjoyed seeing Cirque de Soleil...

...and Blue Man Group. Check these guys out!!

A day at Cypress Gardens was supposed to end with a Willie Nelson concert, but the forcast of rain... our tired bodies... and a lack of interest in Willy sent us home early.

Howard has been chugging the local orange juice which was a challenge to find. Haines City has a store in the front of their processing plant. He thinks a twenty-minute interstate drive is not much of a price to pay for the pleasure of having the refrig. stocked! They say it is not addictive, but I am thinking otherwise.

We are leaving here Sunday for Weston. We have never been there but hear it is charming. It will put us closer to my cousin (Pat Valezquez) who lives with her husband in Boyton Beach. We are having dinner with them Monday evening.

The Traders Point folks are gearing up for the big launch of the new church in the greater Miami area. We will be there to celebrate with them on the 27th. We are looking forward to having dinner with former staffers (Matt & Janie Mehaffey, Bob & Linda Smith and Paul & Ali Smoot). We also look forward to visiting with a volunteer group coming down from Traders Point to help with the launch. It should be an exciting week!

Mike and Nancy Milby (from Lancaster, OH) are with us these first two weeks of our vacation. It has been fun knocking around the area with them. Nancy and I celebrated our birthdays this week. Mine was the big one (65). I won't tell Nancy's number, but it's a few years less than mine!

Howard and Mike said we were going to the Boston Market to celebrate...which was fine with us. When we drove past it and continued on to Magganio's....well...that was too much! We were escorted to our table, only to find a beautiful bouquet of spring flowers waiting for us! Wow...what can you say? Are these guys cool or what?


I am borrowing this laptop from Mike. My plan was to add some recent photos, but have been unable to navagate through the process on a different computer. I am going to see if he can help. If so, there will be more later.

Hope you all are doing well and keeping warm (if you find yourself in the North).

Love to all.
Martha (and Howard)

New Bloggers Added

If you tried these and failed, it was my fault. I did not have them keyed in correctly! Sorry 'bout that. You can get there now.

*Lisa B. Hayes - Louisville, KY

*Jill Stockwell - Indianapolis, IN

New Year's Resolution

Since Craig set this blog in motion (much to my surprise) he has (or feels that he has) the right and responsibility to keep me in the know. He informed me recently that "real bloggers" work at introducing their readers to other bloggers or points of interest. He says I should consider myself a part of a network and begin communicating with others and passing along the information I receive as well as doing research on my own. Yikes! What a responsibility. I started out thinking no one was reading this but him and Jason, and they pretty much know everything I know. It sounds like I had better get on the ball or call it quits!

My New Year's Resolution is to follow my son's advice (isn't that what wedo when we reach 65???) and make this more interesting. It would help if you, the reader, would send your blog address via email (marthabrammer@hotmail.com). I would enjoy reading it as well as passing it along.

I have two I enjoy reading about and will be delighted to pass along to you now.

*One is Ward Jenkins, a buddy of Craig's whom we have known for a long time. They were friends at Cincinnati Christian University where they attended a short time. (However, Ward was there long enough to marry the coach's daughter!) When he came home with Craig, we enjoyed watching him sketch cartoons at the kitchen table. Jason still has the one he did of him. I always told him he was a good artist, but little did we know he would go this far. To see Ward's work, go to www.Ward-O-Matic.com.

*The second one is Bill Venrick who was an elder when Howard preached in Lancaster, OH several years ago. Bill did a great favor for me at a time when we needed it. The church was young and the preacher's pay was low, so I needed to find a job to help out. When Bill heard about it, he took me to Merrill Publishing Co. (Columbus, OH) where he worked in the art department. I was hired to work along side of him that same day. It was a favor I will always remember.

Bill is a good writer and his points of interest are unlimited. You will enjoy reading his essays at www.thewordwright.org. 

Okay....how's that for a start? Let me hear from you.

Happy Birthday Craig

In 1969 Craig came into the world with a splash....being the first baby of the year! I thought the world should be reminded of the event, so I made this sign and nailed it to their front porch. (Sawyer is watching for his buddy's parent who is taking them sledding.)

Later: Howard just informed me that Craig is 39.....not 38.....Woops!

Skateboarding...A Family Tradition

Taylor received a painting from his uncle Jason (and aunt Erin) entitled "Static Youth". It is a self portrait of the artist soaring high on his skateboard in days gone by. It was an appropriate subject to hang on Taylor's wall since he shares the same love for the sport.