Hello From South Carolina

Hello everyone. I hope this finds you enjoying these winter months. We have meandered from Florida to South Carolina. The weather has been cool and even down right cold yesterday, but the sun came out this afternoon providing the warmth we came after.

We visited Howard's cousin Norma Luther and her husband Jim Tuesday and Wednesday. It was a delightful drive up to their home in Wilmington, NC. What an interesting town. The old downtown is quaint and picturesque. It gave you a "Gone With The Wind" kind of feeling.

We are staying on Hilton Head Island in a condo. It is lovely with the ocean licking along the sandy beach nearby. I was surprised to find such dense vegetation. We are nestled among a variety of Palm Trees and Live Oaks with moss draping from their branches.

Howard drove to Savannah yesterday to attend a leadership conference. Our friend Cam Huxford is the senior minister. We will be worshipping with them Sunday and are going to have lunch with Cam and his wife Sarah. He is president of the North American Christian Convention this year.

Howard rented a Ford Mustang convertable (black!), so we roll back the rag top on warm days. It has been fun to roam around and find small hamlets tucked away from the interstates. Today we visited Bluffton. (I wish I could get my photos to jump from my camera to the blog. No such luck.) I have several shots of this little burg which includes an interesting restaurant we discovered. It looks like a shanny all covered in corregated tin. The tables and chairs were in shambles. The fried oysters were incredible!!! You can't always tell a book by it's cover.

While in Bluffton, we drove past an old weathered Episcipal church. It was built in 1847. The exterior was covered with the original pine planks. (I have several photos which I will put on the blog when I get home). A sweet little lady was there to greet us. She started by asking us where we were from. We told her Cincinnati. She said she had spend most of her life in Indianapolis. We immediately told her we had moved from there. As her life story unfolded, she had been a dance professor at IUPUI for thirty years. She and her husband moved down here three years ago. She knew about Traders Point and College Park (where we lived). Small world!

Watercoloring has been my favorite form of entertainment on cold or rainy days. Today was an exception. I painted at an umbrella table in the sun by the pool. I thought about how nice it was to be in this beautiful part of the country....doing what I like to do best (painting).....being with the best travel guide in the world (HRB)....and looking forward to going home in a week. We are blessed, and God is good!

Much love to all,
Martha (& HRB)

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.

Nothing Like A Visit From Friends

Myron and Sheri El blessed the last day of our year with an overnight stay. We had a delightful time visiting, eating and touring Cincinnati as well as Northern Ky. (We visited Devue Park in Ky where Howard put a diamond ring on my finger forty years ago! We were surprised to find no bronze marker to indicate the spot!!) Myron and Sheri are dear friends. He teaches music in the Indpls. Public School system and sings beautifully at the Traders Point Christian Church in Indianapolis. Sheri is on the staff at TPCC and she sings as well. They sang a duet at Howard's retirement party. Their visit made our day!

A View From The Hill

When guests come to visit and we begin our city tour, the Cincinnati Christian University is at the top of the list. Howard is showing Sheri El some downtown points of interest from the edge of the campus.

The Artist And His Manager

Erin left her position as project manager with Morningstar Investments (Chicago) and began managing her artist husband, Jason. They make an awesome pair. They are seen here relaxing after hanging a show which opened last night.

Brutopia Offers More Than Coffee

Four couples went together and opened a coffee shop on Ludlow a year or so ago. Craig and Carol are part of that group. Jason was invited to bring his art from Chicago and hang it for the month of January. Last night was opening night. The place was hoppin!

Howard Enjoying Retirement....

Howard laid carpet squares on the basement floor which turned the area into a cozy space. My studio is now set up along with an area for sewing and scrapbooking. There is also a laundry area. I will be spending a lot of time down there. Fortunately, there is a lot of natural light with nine deep windows.

Madeline's Birthday Dinner

Carol is fixing Madeline's birthday dinner while Craig puts the finishing touches on the cake. The mobile hanging from the light fixture has nothing to do with the party even through Madeline's nickname is "Bug".

Make A Wish

Madeline has been begging....and begging for a cell phone. The older kids have one, and now that she has joined the ranks of a teenager, why can't she have one?????? We all know what she is wishing for!

Yeah! Wishes Really Do Come True!!!!

Madeline does not (and never has) hidden her emotions. She danced and squealed when she found this cell phone in the pocket of her new birthday jacket. She settled down for the photo.

Bon Voyage

This is the ship that took us on our cruise. As you can see, it was HUGE.

Early Morning Sunrise

Seeing the sun rise and set at sea was a beautiful experience. I'm not sure where we were at this point, but the sky against the sea gives you an idea as to what we saw each day.

Navagator Of The Seas

Our ship's name was Navagator of the Seas. It was beautifully decorated in Art Nuvo style.

Elegant Dining Room

The four of us shared a table with four younger gals. Nancy Milby is on the left with Kay Nay and Barbara Harris in the foreground. We had an assigned table. The eight of us ate together each evening.

Nancy Milby Enjoying Her Morning Coffee

Nancy Milby has been a long-time friend. She and her husband Mike live near Lancaster, Ohio where Howard preached before going to Indianapolis. This was her first cruise as well as mine. We enjoyed having coffee delivered to our cabin door and then going down for breakfast later on.