Memorial Day Tribute

Image source: Rusty Russ

Memorial Day weekend has become the kick-off for summer activities, parties and vacations.  But more importantly, it is when we honor all those who have served our country and kept us safe at the risk of their own lives - many of which ended far to soon.  Let the flag wave and the bells ring, for Freedom is anything but Free.

Two of my uncles served in World War II, and I have many pictures taken during that time.  It is not something they liked to talk about.  My Uncle Charlie was awarded a medal, and although I've searched high and low, I can't find the paper with the information so I don't know what it was called, but he got it for bravery, leadership and refusing to leave his men under fire even though he had been injured. 

He was one of the special men in my life.  He was a carpenter by trade, and like my father, he was never afraid of anything. 

Here he is with the WWII flag.  Notice that this is not like our flag today.  This flag has only 48 stars.

Uncle Charlie

So when you plan your celebration, light up the barbecue, or pop the top on that first beer, remember those whose sacrifice made it possible.

And now I would like to leave you with this thought - something Uncle Charlie would say now and then.  

If a man's sick he's not well and everything he eats goes to his stomach.  

Nursery Rhyme Redo: Little Jack Horner

Little Jack Horner - All Grown Up

Image Source: Vistavision

Little Jack Horner alone in the corner
Regretting his recent lie
He tippled his rum - said what have I done
I'll be in this mess til I die

Not Winning!

Background:  As I've mentioned before, I still own the house where I grew up, and it is less than 2 miles from where we live now. I went there to wash the car because there are paved driveways.  Below is an excerpt from an e-mail I sent to my hubby detailing my attempt to vacuum and wash the car. He laughed and suggested I share it with you.

The back driveway

"Went over to blow out the driveway, vacuum out the car and wash it.  Frustrating!  I only had one cord, so too short.  Went to get the black cord on the box.  Attached to the battery charger, so I drug out the heavy orange one and figured out how to set it up.  Blew the driveway.  Unplugged the blower, hauled out the blue vac, and cleaned the car.  OK on to the real frustration.  I hunted for the car wash brush.  Found it, managed to get to it.  Good.  Had soap, brush and bucket.  Go out to get the hose.  Pull it out and no nozzle.  Back to the basement.  Found a nozzle I thought would work.  Needed a washer.  Put one in.  Back to the front, put the nozzle on.  Good.  Turn on the water.  Hose not connected.  OK, connect the hose to the weird dual thingie on the spigot.  Leaks.  Flip both switches.  Leaks.  Take the hose loose, take off dual thingie, put hose back on.  Leaks.  Phooey!  Check back driveway - no shade.  Put everything away and came home."

I guess you could say I was "not winning" that day.  Got any frustrations you'd like to share?

Quote of the Week

Constantly color your picture gray, and your picture will always be bleak.  Your attitude is like a box of crayons that color your world.  Try adding some bright colors to the picture by including humor, and your picture begins to lighten up.

- Allen Klein

We are the artists of our lives, and they are only as bright as we paint them.

Where Did All The Words Go?

Image source:  Chris Halderman

No words anywhere, nothing, zip, nada.  Where did they all go?  Was it something I said?  Have I taken them for granted?  Maybe they're all in hiding, deep in the night in the furthest crevasses where light never reaches. Maybe they're being held prisoner and being forced to make sentences.

Please help find the words.

Posted for Friday Flash 55.

Got Mulch?

Need something to do on a Saturday morning?  Go get the free mulch from the city.  We did!  The city offers free leaf mulch twice a year, in the spring and fall.  You take your truck and/or trailer and they load it for you.

6-foot truck bed

 This mulch looks more like topsoil, but it's good stuff.

A new natural area

 Makes mowing easier!

A new look!

Part of Kevin's handiwork before he left - we just added more mulch.

I wish I had a picture of the trailer we used for the rest of the mulch.  It holds a full scoop.  For perspective, the truck has 1/2 scoop.  The next weekend we got another trailer load for a total of 2 1/2 scoops.  

Whew!

Quote of the Week

Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened.

- Dr. Seuss

Imagine your favorite vacation, a special meal, or perhaps your childhood. Now imagine not having that experience, not feeling how it made you feel. Knowing what you know, you can smile because it happened rather than mourn its passing.

The Stately Rhododendron

After most of the azaleas have gone by, the rhododendrons take the stage.  While both are classified under the name rhododendron, the azaleas have smaller leaves and the blooms are individual instead of forming a blossom cluster.  The leaves of the rhododendron are larger and more leathery.

Rhododendrons are found in many countries throughout the world, and used extensively in landscaping.  There are many species of rhododendron in varying sizes and colors.  

This is one that we've had for many years, and actually it is two plants. They are hardy plants that will provide years of beautiful blossoms.

Ups and Downs

This end up

Fragile easily broken

Handle with care

Insurance

There is none

Upside down

Inside out

Outside in

Shattered

Tattered

Ripped and torn

Hangs in shreds

In the wind

Bruised and shaken

And then

It stirs

Revived still alive

Rises again

The skies clear

The sun shines

Luck smiles

Once again

Life is good

Posted for One Shot Wednesday

Quote of the Week

The dead should not rule the living - Thomas Jefferson 

Photo credit: Cliff1066

There is a difference between following time-honored family traditions, and continuing to do a task the same way "my father and grandfather did", when changing with the times can make the task easier, more efficient or more cost effective. 

This quote is open to other interpretations.  Please feel free to share yours in the comment section.

It's Pool Time

She lies in the summer sun along side the pool, a romantic novel shading her face.  The cool water sparkles like a thousand diamonds.  Her radio is playing fun summer tunes.  Every 15 minutes comes the public service announcement, "Time to turn so you don't burn".  At this she rises and slowly descends into the water.

This was posted for Friday Flash 55.

All's Well That Ends Well"

Ever had a day like this?

It was a typical Tuesday morning at the Y.  After class, I walked out with my friend, Allie, and when we get to my car (actually hubby's car - yes I'm still driving it), she points at the car.  "There's something on your car."  I look, not expecting anything out of the ordinary, and see the front bumper with some vertical black streaks - it still didn't register.  I say "probably just dirt and some bird poop."  

"Hey, there's a note under your wiper" (which is usually an advertisement or someone looking to convert sinners).  It read "Someone hit your car...I didn't get the plate #."  

When I looked at the car again, this is what I saw.

Sad face!  Hey, I was just punched in the nose.

Although I didn't know it at the time, the lady who had the misfortune of backing into the car, was inside at the front desk trying to figure out how to find me.  By the time she came back out to get the license number, I'd already left.

Sometimes you get lucky though, and things aren't as bad as they seem at first.  Here is the after picture.

I'm so happy I can smile again!

Since we were all relieved that the injuries sustained were so easily mended, the fellow most responsible for the repairs (hubby's buddy, Ronnie) wrote this little ditty, obviously influenced by Little Miss Muffet.

Little Miss Linda

Had a little Bender

She hated the new curves and sway

When along came a mender

Who straightened her fender

Now she’s smiling away!

As a result of the little "bender", I met a nice young woman who treated me to lunch as an apology for hitting the car.  Accidents do happen, and all's well that ends well.

Quote of the Week

I still find each day too short for all the thoughts I want to think, all the walks I want to take, all the books I want to read and all the friends I want to see.  
- John Burroughs

Too often the busyness of our lives overwhelms our senses, and we become bogged down in the daily grind. We need to adorn our lives with a little more of that which is precious to us, whether it is enjoying a good book, taking a long walk though the woods, or simply letting the sun shine upon our faces.

His Name is "Moe"

"So what are you going to name your new friend?" Tommy's mom asked.

"Moe",  he answered without hesitation.

"Why?" 

"I don't know, he just looks like a Moe."  

"Hey Moe" called Tommy.  The little puppy's ears perked up and he wagged his tail.  "See, he likes it" shouted Tommy as Moe bounded toward his friend.

Posted for Friday Flash 55.

Note: Little Tommy is a fictional character. 
Artwork from the Open Clip Art Library

Nursery Rhyme Redo: Little Miss Muffet

Image source:  smallacornsnz.blogspot.com

Little Miss Muffet
Collapsed on her tuffet
She hated curds and whey
When the little ol' spider
Sat down beside her
She gave her curds away.

Quote of the Week

Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees.  

- John Muir

Nature and it's wonder is all around us.  From the forests and valleys to the highest peaks, from the deserts to the oceans, we experience one continuous cycle of life.

Last week we celebrated Earth Day with our focus on preserving our natural resources.  Let's make every day, Earth Day!

Easter Delights

Happy Easter everyone!  This year Easter falls on April 24, or one day earlier than the latest possible date.  Because of the changing dates, Easter could nearly be considered a "floating holiday".  I mean think about it, Christmas is always December 25 no matter what day of the week it happens to be, and Thanksgiving is always the fourth Thursday in November, no matter what the date.  But Easter can be as early as March 22 and as late as April 25.  Why is that?

The calculations are a bit complex, and I confess I find it too confusing to read, absorb and spew it back for you, so here is the way one source explains it:

Easter Sunday is the Sunday following the Paschal Full Moon (PFM) date for the year. In June 325 A.D. astronomers approximated astronomical full moon dates for the Christian church, calling them Ecclesiastical Full Moon (EFM) dates. From 326 A.D. the PFM date has always been the EFM date after March 20 (which was the equinox date in 325 A.D.).*

Aside from the date-related confusion, Easter brings many traditions, some religious, some cultural and some just for kids.  Here are some of the things you see around Easter.


Easter Eggs.  The egg, the pagan symbol of rebirth, was adopted by Christians as the symbol of Jesus' resurrection.  Today, a popular Easter activity is an Easter Egg hunt. Here's a tip for boiling all those eggs.

As with most holidays, there is one or more foods associated with it.  First is a tasty treat called Hot Cross Buns, which were allegedly small wheat cakes baked to honor Eostre, goddess of Spring.  Later, Christians substituted sweetbreads blessed by the church.

The roast lamb found on many Easter dinner tables dates back to the first Passover of the Jewish people.  People would eat the roast lamb, hoping that God's angels would pass them over, thus the term Passover.

Ham is another popular Easter entree.  In the early days before refrigeration, any fresh pork that wasn't consumed during the winter before Lent was cured, and since this process takes a while, the hams were ready just in time for Easter making them the perfect choice for Easter dinner.  

What are some of your favorite Easter traditions?

Source: http://www.gmarts.org/index.php?go=412 
Artwork from the Open Clip Art Library

Then and Now

Won't you join on a trip down memory lane?  My parents built this house over 50 years ago.  This first picture was taken prior to 1963.

Early 1960s

Note that there are two front doors.  This put some puzzled looks on the faces of people going door to door.  They would go to the first door, ring the bell and Daddy would answer, politely decline whatever they were offering and they would leave.  A couple moments later the door bell would ring again.  Imagine their surprise when Daddy opened the other door.  I guess they thought it was two separate residences, like a duplex.

The reason for the two front doors was because there was supposed to be a carport on the left, but they told the builder they wanted that as a room instead.

The tree in the front yard is a pecan and has been there well over 50 years.  Part of the neighborhood used to be a pecan orchard, and there are five trees in the yard.  The one you see here was struck by lightning, and survived.

April 2011

This bush can be seen in the first picture to the left of the front door.  It's kind of small, but it's been there ever since I can remember.  I don't know what it is, but it never loses its leaves and has white flowers and small blue berries.

50-year old bush

So how long do azaleas live?  I don't know, but these are over 50 years old.  You get the theme here.  A lot of plants and trees have come and gone over the years, and some have survived and are as beautiful as ever.  These surround another of the pecan trees.

Azaleas

One of my favorite plants in the yard is what Mom always called an old fashion snowball.  It is showing its age a bit, but still has beautiful snowballs.

Old Fashion Snowball

While my friends, Ashley and Kevin were living here, Kevin worked some of his gardening magic shown in the picture below.  This area was always grass and somewhat of a mowing challenge.

Some things have changed!

Thanks for joining me on a tour of some of the things that made home special.  Are there some special memories of your home place that you'd like to share?

Quote of the Week

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia

If you want to write, write.

- Epictetus

So often self-doubt stands in our way.  If we believe ourselves not capable of a task and turn away, we will never know what we could have done.  If you want to write, paint, build a go-cart, whatever, try. 

Nursery Rhyme Redo: Little Bo Peep

 Little Bo Peep had too many sheep
And the sheriff came to impound them
He locked them away for a year and a day
And dared Bo Peep to find them

Late night produces some strange thoughts, and so this is the first installment of my rewritten nursery rhymes.