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Come along and enjoy a late afternoon winter's walk through the SOUTH CAROLINA AUDUBON SWAMP GARDEN  © Swamp Edge - Undine DeFilippo 2016 In the stillness of this other worldly beauty . . .  © Swamp Spanish Moss - Undine DeFilippo 2016 where many a gator, snake and insect currently lay dormant . . .  © SC Audubon Swamp - Undine DeFilippo 2016 where Cypress and Tupelo Gum Trees grow out of the water . . .  © Swamped - Undine DeFilippo 2016 where Springtime Birds of 100 Species converge . . .  © Pea Soup Swamp - Undine DeFilippo 2016 where a greater diversity of life than just about anywhere in the USA THRIVES . . .  © Swamp It - Undine DeFilippo 2016 where afternoon turns to twilight swiftly . . .  © Walk on Water - Undine DeFilippo 2016 where the history of these swamp lands still whisper. . .  © Swamp Twilight - Undine DeFilippo 2016 . . . about the many Slaves that slogged & toiled in these sixty acres to grow Carolina Rice.  © The Temp is Fine - Undine DeFilippo 2016 "We know that ALL things work together for good . . ." Romans 8:28  © Swamp Oak - Undine DeFilippo 2016 Some things take a little longer . . . nevertheless . . .
Praise God !
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The Spiritual Gift of PIETY creates in our hearts a filial affection for GOD as our most loving Father. It inspires us to love and respect, for His sake, persons and things consecrated to Him. Those who are filled with the Gift of PIETY find the practice of worshipping GOD a delightful service and NOT a burdensome duty. WHERE THERE IS LOVE, THERE IS NO LABOUR. 
© Mother n Daughter @ Montauk Beach ~ Undine DeFilippo 2014
PRAYER: COME OH SPIRIT OF PIETY AND POSSESS MY HEART. ENKINDLE THEREIN SUCH A LOVE FOR GOD THAT I MAY FIND SATISFACTION ONLY IN HIS SERVICE, AND, FOR HIS SAKE, LOVINGLY SUBMIT TO ALL LEGITIMATE AUTHORITY. AMEN. This information comes from the
ARCHCONFRATERNITY OF THE HOLY GHOST located in Bensalem, Pennsylvania, whose objectives are to glorify GOD, the HOLY GHOST and to obtain an abundance of his gifts for all. * YOUR COMMENTS WELCOMED AND SECURE *  © Counsel Rock Overlook, Montauk, NY ~ Undine DeFilippo 2014 { Click on pic to enlarge } "THOU, IN TOIL, ART COMFORT SWEET; PLEASANT COOLNESS IN THE HEAT; SOLACE IN THE MIDST OF WOE."  © Sunset @ Counsel Rock Overlook, Montauk, NY ~ Undine DeFilippo 2014 { Click Pic to Enlarge } The FIFTH Gift of the Spirit, FORTITUDE, strengthens the soul against natural fear and supports, to the very end, the performance of duty. FORTITUDE imparts to the will an impulse and energy which move it to undertake, without hesitancy, the most arduous tasks, to face dangers, to trample under foot human respect, and to endure, without complaint, the slow martyrdom of even lifelong tribulation.  © Sunset Counsel Rock Overlook, Montauk, NY ~ Undine DeFilippo 2014 { Click on Pic to Enlarge } PRAYER: Come, O Blessed Spirit of FORTITUDE, uphold my soul in time of trouble and adversity, sustain my efforts after holiness, strengthen my weakness, give me courage against ALL the assaults of my enemies, that I may NEVER be overcome and separated from Thee, my GOD and greatest Good. AMEN. This information comes from the
ARCHCONFRATERNITY OF THE HOLY GHOST located in Bensalem, Pennsylvania, whose objectives are to glorify GOD, the HOLY GHOST and to obtain an abundance of his gifts for all. * YOUR COMMENTS WELCOMED AND SECURE * Montauk New York in March furthest habitable point on Long Island ... end o' the New York line ... before summer craziness takes over. * SCROLL A TAD DOWN FOR SLIDE SHOW * Hearts beat again on the ocean's sand, long time longed for friend coming home now and then at Montauk's tail end YOUR COMMENTS ALWAYS WELCOME ALWAYS SECURE  © The Organ Mountains, Las Cruces, New Mexico  The Organ Mountains and Fort Filmore circa late 1800's I recently roamed the desert at the base of The Organ Mountains lifting and pocketing the occasional time polished Red Jasper, Obsidian and Petrified Wood, contemplating... making sense of my own recent Rough Ride that safely brought me full circle from events that began in Key West, many ~ many years ago.  Old Mesilla Plaza By Leon Trousset circa late 1800's I certainly wasn't thinking about Teddy Roosevelt carefully handpicking 1,060 Southwestern men as his ROUGH RIDERS. These fearless Cavalry Men were HUNTERS ~ NATIVE AMERICANS ~ COWBOYS ~ RANCHERS GOLD and MINING PROSPECTORS ~ GAMBLERS POLICE OFFICERS ~ MILITARY VETERANS ~ COLLEGE ATHLETES  Town of Mesilla circa late 1800's I wasn't daydreaming about how Teddy Roosevelt and the Rough Riders trained on horseback and lived in the self same area I was strolling through ... UNTIL ...  © Rough Rider Button Back I noticed the shank of a button sitting in the sand a few inches from my boot. Engrossed in my thoughts, I was ALMOST too lazy to bend and pick it up ... but curiosity got the better of me and that simple action twirled me into a time travel ~  © Rough Rider Button Front back to the days when ONE of the ROUGH RIDERS, maybe even Teddy his self, lost a button off his uniform which waited 115 YEARS in the sand for ME to find ! The nickel sized button felt like
recognition from the GREAT BEYOND for recent personal fearlessness in the face of questionable circumstances. After all, it is said that New Mexico is THE LAND OF ENCHANTMENT. CLICK HERE TO VIEW RARE FOOTAGE IN A SIX MINUTE DOCUMENTARY ABOUT THE ROUGH RIDERS ! I'm certain that Teddy Roosevelt and the Rough Riders well understood that "GOD did NOT give us the Spirit of Fear; but of POWER, and of LOVE, and of a SOUND MIND." II Timothy 1:7 FEEL FREE TO LEAVE A COMMENT BELOW WITHOUT CONCERN THAT YOUR PERSONAL INFO WILL BE SHARED BY ANYONE AT ANYTIME ! YOU NEED NOT SUPPLY YOUR E-MAIL NOR YOUR FULL NAME ! THANK YOU !  Colonel Theodore Roosevelt and The Rough Riders ~ 1898 I didn't learn about Teddy Roosevelt's Rough Riders while impatiently tapping my toes under a cold metal desk in a pea soup painted NYC Junior High classroom. Nope... I was busy practicing IMAGINATION , driven to distraction by the droning tempo of an eternally nasal infected History Teacher whose only passion was to DRILL RUSTY SPIKES of DATA into HARD WOOD HEADS.  Battleship Maine plot in Key West, Florida ~ Photo By Marc Averette 2008 The Spanish American War of 1898 was therefore a memorized ~ meaningless tidbit of tortured knowledge until I lived in an old Conch House across the street from the sepulchers of souls that perished when The Battleship Maine suddenly and mysteriously ! ! ! EXPLODED ! ! ! She QUICKLY SANK ... on a February nite ... taking with her the lives of 266 Naval Soldiers ... WITHOUT WARNING ! In the quiet of the tropical nights, when the palms slowly swayed in the breeze and the air held a sweet odor of frangipani, jasmine and ions, I would sit on my porch steps watching the dry lightening; feeling the solemnity of this resting place as if it had only recently happened. IF YOU'D LIKE TO VIEW AN AUTHENTIC TWO MINUTE VIDEO of the BURIAL PROCESSION of 1898, PLEASE CLICK HERE !  Battleship USS Maine destroyed in Havana Harbor ~ 1898 The Maine had been peacefully sitting in Cuba's Havana Harbor as a symbol of American intervention in The Cuban War of Independence from Spain. Despite investigations into the catastrophe, it remained unclear exactly why or how this tragedy occurred. The Ship was an armored cruiser powered by an archaic steam engine, considered outdated many years prior to going into service. She very well could have succumbed due to a fire in one of her coal bunkers. Nevertheless, Newspaper Magnates William Randolph Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer continuously published YELLOW PRESS with inflammatory articles that blatantly pointed the finger at SPAIN, capitalizing on the public's anger and pain, with full understanding that the public wanted to blame SOMEONE. Because of these articles, REMEMBER THE MAINE ! TO HELL WITH SPAIN ! became an unfortunate and common cry amongst the people. So began a series of events that led to SPAIN declaring WAR on April 23 rd., 1898.  Lieutenant Colonel Theodore Roosevelt in Full Rough Rider Uniform ~ 1898 President
William McKinley called for volunteers which led to the creation of Teddy Roosevelt's Rough Riders. "RECRUITS MUST BE A GOOD SHOT... ABLE TO RIDE ANYTHING IN THE LINE OF HORSEFLESH... A ROUGH AND READY FIGHTER, AND ABOVE ALL MUST HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORD FEAR." Lieutenant Colonel Theodore Roosevelt COME BACK NEXT WEEK FOR PART TWO Please know that your comments are welcome !!! You need NOT supply your e-mail address NOR your full name when doing so !  The dromedary gently bent her massive head over me and batted her eyelashes like a model in a mascara commercial. I might have been intimidated by the great beast, but George Stone, { her human }, assured, “ I've had Matilda since she was ten pounds. That first night she drank several gallons of milk.”  George Stone and Matilda, the dromedary - click to enlarge pic Stroking her beautiful face and gazing into her enormous eyes was electrifying. What a joy it must be to ride her, but that would have been asking too much. Matilda and George were taking their Sunday stroll at White Sands National Monument adding their own personal mystique to The Land of Enchantment. You can watch a really nice you tube video of them by clicking here !  WHIITE SANDS NATIONAL MONUMENT - click to enlarge pic This little known natural wonder
lies just east of Las Cruces, New Mexico, neighboring our government’s White Sands Missile Range. Pure white gypsum sand covers 275 square miles and visitors can enjoy it free of charge ! It all brings to mind the world’s greatest intellectual, Jesus, { who wandered the wildreness for forty days and nights } and his infamous quote, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you: Not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let your heart not be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” John 14:27 Sounds good to me. How ‘bout you ?  Las Cruces Desert Sunset SOMEONE LOST THEIR MARBLES
in the desert of Las Cruces, New Mexico. I know because I FOUND THEM !!! Funny thing is that I found each one on consecutive days and in varying locations, miles apart, as I was rock hunting around the region. I can only surmise that losing one’s marbles in the wastelands around Las Cruces is a rather common occurrence… - OR - ... the gods had me strolling in the same path as the one poor soul who lost them all. COINCIDENCE ? What are the odds ? So, if you are the sad soul, { or souls }, who lost their marbles in the desert, PLEASE e-mail or LEAVE A COMMENT with a description of them - AND - IF IT'S A MATCH, I'LL SEND THEM BACK TO YOU ASAP ! I really don’t need anyone else’s marbles. I still have all of my own. I know because I checked. Thank you. In the meantime, supposing that Abraham Lincoln was correct when he said, “MOST FOLKS ARE ABOUT AS HAPPY AS THEY MAKE UP THEIR MINDS TO BE.”, just for today, I WILL BE HAPPY ! How ‘bout you ?  Click on pic to enlarge ! At the Monastery of Our Lady of the Rosary in Summit, New Jersey, there are 17 Dominican Nuns working very hard to make ends meet by running a Mail Order Gift Shop called THE CLOISTER SHOPPE These industrious women are SOLELY responsible for their financial support, relying completely on Divine Providence. The Roman Catholic Church, The Vatican, The Holy See, The Bishop, etc... DOES NOT - DOES NOT financially assist them in any way AT ALL !!!  St. Nicholas Soap That means that your last minute gift can have dual purpose and double strength in what it will do for others. They offer beautiful hand made, natural soaps in bar, as well as refillable 8 oz liquid bottles in many various scents and sets that customers simply rave about ! One of their most popular sellers is a citrus basil soap that is simply divine. They've also created NATURAL scented room sprays that won't poison your children and pets at a fraction of Walmart prices in environmentally conscious pump spray bottles  Getting most products shipped on day of order ! If you're looking for natural body creams and lotions, they have made them as well. What I like the very best is the ability to CREATE YOUR OWN GIFT BASKET, which they will fill with your exact specifications. There are many plusses and more choices at the CLOISTER SHOPPE. They offer books, dvds, religious statues and rosaries. You can pay safely and securely with PAY PAL and they boast of FAST REASONABLE SHIPPING ! Have a look and GET YOUR ORDER IN VERY SOON as all production CEASES on DECEMBER 17 th !  Click on the pic to enlarge ! Remember to check out their beautiful 2013 calendar. They must be singing "Dominique" { one of my favorites } in this sample calendar picture. Simply click here or on the highlighted names in this article to be immediately directed to their website and gift shop. You'll be glad you did !  The 17 Dominican Sisters of the Monastery of the Holy Rosary in Summit, NJ  Hamden hamlet hides just outside the college town of Delhi, where you'd be making an excellent scholarly choice to send your academic bound brat. There wont be a chance in heck of them getting into anything but an education here. If they've been especially naughty, their first winter will forever cure them. There simply is no choice but to study in conditions similar to the frozen tundras of Siberia. I'm not sure if it would be funny or cruel. Anyway, as I was passing through, I couldn't help but notice the Scarecrow on County Road 26 pointing to Donnelly's Farm full of colorful gourds and squash... and... of course, Mr. Tom Donnelly hauling huge pumpkins from his patch to the sales area, where his lovely wife, Ginny, was attentively assisting several customers. I enjoyed listening to in depth explanations concerning bees, pollination and the demise of dairy cattle in the area due to education - not government ! I thought to myself that men are kinda like pumpkins. It seems like all the good ones are taken or they've had everything scraped out of their heads with a spoon. So, have a look at the mini slide show here and do your Pumpkin pickin at Donnelly's where the scenery is gorgeous and the prices are ridiculously reasonable ! How 'bout their pumpkin totem that's lit up at night ! Very cool ! |
 Undine DeFilippo
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