Our Back Yard… Memorial Day… This Monday… Be There!
Posted: Wednesday, May 20, 2015 Filed under: 2k15 | Tags: community cookout, Memorial Day, Northside, RVA, Southern Barton Heights Comments Off on Our Back Yard… Memorial Day… This Monday… Be There!One of favorite gatherings!!! Every year on Memorial Day you can find folks gathered in the backyard… eating, playing games, eating, laughing, eating, talking, and eating!
So, grab a covered dish (with some food in it!!!) and come on over! We supply the meat (chicken), drinks and dessert… you supply the rest… veggies, chips, bread, salads, fruit, beans, etc.
Monday, May 25th
4p – 8p
Please note: There is NO rain date for this event. But, the weather is looking GREAT!
2101 Barton Avenue
Richmond, VA 23222
Memorial Day 2014 – You’re Invited!
Posted: Thursday, May 22, 2014 Filed under: 2k14 | Tags: backyard, community cookout, Memorial Day, Northside, RVA Comments Off on Memorial Day 2014 – You’re Invited!Every year, we hold our annual community Memorial Day Party! Come if you can…and bring something to share! Here’s last year’s post if you wanna check it out… Memorial Day 2013. See you Monday!
Memorial Day Festivities
Posted: Monday, June 3, 2013 Filed under: 2k12, 2k13 | Tags: community, cookout, food, Memorial Day, Southern Barton Heights 2 CommentsLouis and I love our annual Memorial Day Festivities!!! This shin-dig started years ago and has grown significantly since. We hung out with a lot of friends and neighbors..remembering and honoring the day. Louis and I provide the grilled chicken, drinks and birthday cake (because my birthday always falls around Memorial Day!)…and everyone else provided the rest….fruit, sides, veggies, salads, fried fish, corn cake, curried chicken, you name it! What a blessing!
Go ahead…mark your calendar for next year….Monday, May 26, 2014….4pm-8pm. I dare you!
Quick side note… My birthday won’t actually fall on Memorial Day until 2021…when I will turn 58. WOW! Now THAT is scary!
Curious to know…for those of you who came,
what was YOUR favorite part of the gathering and why?
Mine? I love connecting my friends to one another over a good plate of food, where everyone had a part in contributing to the meal.
Annual Memorial Day Cookout!
Posted: Tuesday, May 21, 2013 Filed under: 2k13 | Tags: community, cookout, Memorial Day, RVA, Southern Barton Heights Comments Off on Annual Memorial Day Cookout!Hope to see you at our Annual Memorial Day Cookout!!!
LouDawg Does It Again!
Posted: Friday, June 1, 2012 Filed under: 2k12 | Tags: barton heights, Birthday, community, cookout, grilled chicken, Memorial Day, Movement Church, Richmond, RVA, Southern Barton Heights Comments Off on LouDawg Does It Again!As usual, LouDawg’s Grilled Chicken (about 80 lbs!!!) was a huge hit at our Annual Community Memorial Day Cookout for Southern Barton Heights. Although we’ve done this for years, we just started tracking numbers. 3 years ago, we had about 40 people. Last year, we hosted about 60. I was super surprised and thrilled when about 100 people showed up over the 4 hours! I couldn’t have been happier! It was a great time of getting to know our neighbors and friends.
We were thrilled when we connected with a small group from Movement Church who sacrificed their time to help us! They were amazing! Not only did they bring side dishes, but they also came early to help set up. They organized games for the kids in our neighbor’s yard….because when we had a ton of people in the yard, it got a little tight, needless to say. Our total yard is only .14 of an acre, so the back yard is 1/2 of that. And then…the guys, TC and Matt, hung out to help us tear down, along with Chucky, David and Khalil. Our neighbors were great…contributing to the meal, helping to clean up afterwards, etc. Brian, Christy and Joy were AMAZING in the kitchen!
I have mixed feelings about the day. On one hand I was sad, when I heard someone warmly say, “I’ve never experienced anything like this. This is great!” Another new friend said, “I’ve been longing for a sense of community in our neighborhood, and now…I think I finally feel that.” as she connected with neighbors she had never met. Why sad? Because my neighbors have been hungry for community, and haven’t felt it. On the other hand, I’m also thrilled because we are moving in the right direction. Less of us will be disconnected, but now will feel a since of warmth, love and community.
I look forward to continue moving in that direction… As we attempt to love our neighbors as ourselves.
Enjoy the pictures of the day. I guess I should note that we also celebrate my birthday (5.31) each year as well. I was overwhelmed when my old and new friends joined in singing “Happy Birthday to you” in the traditional tune….and then, in the Stevie Wonder style! Thanks to everyone for making my early birthday so special. And…go ahead….mark the day on your calendar for next year when I turn the big 5-0! 🙂
Annual Memorial Day Community Cookout
Posted: Thursday, May 24, 2012 Filed under: 2k12 | Tags: community, cookout, Memorial Day, RVA, Southern Barton Heights Comments Off on Annual Memorial Day Community CookoutThrilled to host our annual Memorial Day Community Cookout on Monday, May 28th from 4-8pm. We’ll provide the drinks and grilled chicken courtesy of LouDawg’s Cafe and Grill (aka Louis). If you can, just bring a side to go with it! Looking forward to seeing all who can come! Here’s the post from last year’s cookout… Memorial Day 2011.
“My friends are my estate.” Emily Dickenson
Posted: Tuesday, May 31, 2011 Filed under: 2k11, Northside Missional Community | Tags: birthday cookout, friendship, John 15:12-15, Memorial Day, Northside Missional Community, RVA, Southern Barton Heights Comments Off on “My friends are my estate.” Emily Dickenson“My friends are my estate.”
– Emily Dickinson
I feel like the most blessed person in the world! If my friends are my estate….that also makes me the RICHEST person in the world. Yesterday, we had our annual Community Memorial Day Cookout….and Birthday Bash. I call it a Memorial Day Cookout and Louis always includes my birthday as well, which is today. We opened our yard and our hearts to our community of neighbors and friends to celebrate. Over 60 people were in attendance. It was awesome for neighbors to meet neighbors…young and old alike…to make new friends.
Our Missional Community was there to help by lending a hand…setting up and tearing down the tables, meeting new people, building deeper relationships, and just chillin’ in the heat! Many times, community gatherings around here lead to verbal fights, physical altercations, guns and shooting, and other negativity that just disturbs the community. We had none of that! We had….
- great food. Thanks to Rush and Louis manning grill…chicken and hot dogs!!! and everyone bringing a covered dish.
- wonderful respectful, positive conversations.
- laughter, games and fun.
- connections and friendships being made. Some of the youth were meeting for the first time…since they go to different high schools.
- a few people who heard about our Thursday night gatherings who are going to come and check us out.
Again…I am blessed to have called these folks my friends. God intends for us to be in relationship with Him and with one another. We practiced that yesterday. The Bible has over 100 verses on friends, friendship, etc. Here is one of my favorites…
John 15:12-15 “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.
Enjoy some pics of our time together…meet my friends…
2011 Memorial Day/Birthday Cook.Out.
Posted: Saturday, May 28, 2011 Filed under: 2k11 | Tags: Memorial Day, RVA, Southern Barton Heights Comments Off on 2011 Memorial Day/Birthday Cook.Out.Nearly every year since I have moved into our house, I have had a Memorial Day Cookout. Since Louis and I met, he now loves to do it…more than I do…because my birthday falls around Memorial Day (and the Greek Fest for that matter) each year. So, if you don’t have something going on and especially if you live in the Northside and would like to meet your neighbors in the community, stop on by. Would love to see you. Bring a side dish, if you can! Here’s last year’s post (Cook.Out.).
ps. I know you must love my DoodleBuddy piece of art. Just started playing with it on the ole iPhone…havin’ some fun. How did I do?
Cook.Out.
Posted: Monday, June 7, 2010 Filed under: 2k10, Louis and Me! | Tags: Birthday, cook-out, May 31, Memorial Day, photography, Southern Barton Heights 1 CommentLouis LOVES to celebrate my birthday….more than I do actually. I love him all the more for it. My birthday conflicts each year with Memorial Day and/or the Greek Fest….falling either on one or the other. But, that’s OK. Because it extends my birthday usually for a week! Lots of little surprises along the way.
May 31st is my birthday…and this year…also Memorial Day. So, we had a cookout. Louis called it my birthday cookout; and I called it a Memorial Day cookout. We had a great time with friends and neighbors on a windy HOT HOT day!
I am soooo blessed with a wonderful, loving husband, fabulous community of family, friends and neighbors! Thanks for a GREAT evening! Love you all!!!
One of the birthday surprises was a new camera. Still learning how to use it…but enjoy them none the less. Maybe next year I will get photography lessons! LOL
It’s been a while…
Posted: Sunday, June 6, 2010 Filed under: 2k10, Louis and Me! | Tags: Birthday, community, Memorial Day, Oh Happy Day, seek ye first the kingdom, shooting, Southern Barton Heights Comments Off on It’s been a while…I know….I’ve been kinda absent for a while…let’s call it a full month!!! I have left stories hangin’! Sorry about that! No excuses…just life gettin’ in the way! Ouch…just realized that my last real post was early May. That is B*A*D! So…let me get you caught up on our present lives and all of our distractions, then in upcoming days…I’ll take you back and finish a story or 2.
A lot has been going on lately, here in SBH and at M2H. Interestingly enough, on May 4th, I shared in Oh Happy Day! about what a great day I was having…and how the Lord had spoke… “Seek ye first the kingdom of God.” So…we get this clear message and we are feeling GOOD. Like we have our marching orders!
Then, WHAM! BLAM! ZING! out of nowhere….distractions hit. Why is it a surprise that we will be hit with distractions on the heels of a God moment?!?!? These distractions took the form of relational conflicts (yes, more than one….all at the same time!!!) where Louis was used as a sounding board and a peacemaker of sorts. In addition, a dear friend in Northern Virginia passed away. Louis gets sick as a dog. Poor thing was wiped out by a upper respiratory infection. Lastly, there has been a bit of conflict in our community lately…for which we are seeking prayers.
I won’t go into a lot of detail to protect confidences, but we have an AWESOME community!!! The residents of Southern Barton Heights are among the BEST ever! I have a sense of pride and joy when I look around and think about the many, many friends (dare I say family!!) that I have made…and the cohesive community that has formed and is forming even as we speak. I have lived here but a short 5 years….and Louis for a 1.5 years…and we know most of our neighbors up and down Barton and Lamb Avenues around our home. And…we continue to meet more! Louis and I have lived in a number of communities over the years and have experienced NOTHING like the sense of community that we feel here. I know more of my neighbors now than in all the other communities combined! I wouldn’t change it for the WORLD!
Although we may differ in our experiences, our opinions and our thoughts, for the most part, we respect one other. Now, there are some whose thoughts and actions differ GREATLY from where the overall community wants to continue to head and are NOT respecting others and are spreading fear, hate and distrust. But, we will continue to partner together and with the authorities to minimize these criminal and unlawful activities that we see and experience.
In addition, as reported on the news there was a multiple shooting just a block away, where 2 guys got shot at 4:30p on Friday, 5.28. Yes…that is 4:30 in the afternoon….when the kids are playing and riding their bikes. When people are coming home from work ready to start their weekend. When people are walking to the deli for something cold to drink. Thankfully, the 2 victims will survive! And…an investigation is underway.
Meanwhile, life moves on….the school year comes to an end. The H*O*T summer seems to have come early. The Stonehouse Pool in Battery Park is now open and a Memorial Day/Birthday cookout starts us out right. Pics and vids to come in the next post…
Miss Marti's House 