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Wordless Wednesday
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Memorial Day; remember
Today, Memorial Day in the United States, I wish for all of us to take a moment and remember. Remember someone in your family, or a friend, or a friend of a friend, who has served this country.
Remember that some didn’t come home.
Remember that some came home permanently changed.
Remember that we owe them all. And that we owe their families too.
And then get on with your weekend party. Celebrate summer and life and family.
But never forget.
WordPress Photo challenge: Broken
A family is broken.
On this Memorial Day weekend I think of this family whose life as they knew it was broken by a drunk driver.
What’s up?
Hey! Is this what I think it is?
What’s in here mama?
It is! It is! Let me help you!
I know you need my help!
Can we go camping right now? I’m so excited!
I’ll run for camping! No treats needed!
Can’t wait, can’t wait, can’t wait!
Eureka!
Hey. It’s not going to be cold out tonight…is it mama?
Might need an extra blanket. Or two. Mama.
Freedom in five
I’ve been counting for a long time, even before there was a definite date. I’ve been counting down to a date I hoped would come some day, a date I’ve dreamed about for a long time. In fact I’ve dreamed about this date for so long I can no longer tell when I’m dreaming or living the truth.
But here’s the truth: A week from tomorrow will be my last day at work. At any work. The truth is that I’ve put my time in, met lots of great people, learned a ton of stuff and now it’s time to do something else.
Because life is short.
Hopefully retirement is long; I’d like this next week to move quickly, as time seems to be doing more and more lately. And then I want the warm summer days to stretch out slowly, the way they used to when I was a kid playing kick the can into the evening. I want to enjoy fireflies and stars, bike rides and camping trips, ice cream, and fresh strawberries. I might even enjoy weeding if I don’t have to get it all done during precious weekends.
We’ll see.
So a new adventure is out there just waiting for me. So close. Five work days. Katie says my first priority should be entertaining her. I told her that she’s going to miss her afternoon naps and she should be careful what she asks for. On the other hand, I guess we could both indulge in an afternoon nap from time to time. I’m nothing if not flexible.
People ask me what I’ll do with all the time. I have a list in my head, and I remember my dad talking about how busy he was after he retired. He had business cards printed with his name and phone # on one side and the word ‘Retired’ on the other. I think I’m going to grow up to be just like him.
Can’t stop smiling. Change is not always hard.
Five photos, five days #5
Katie here.
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Mama says she can’t go five days and five photos without including me! She says I get to tell the story this time too.
So here goes.
A long long time ago mama and dad had another sheltie-girl. Her name was Bonnie and she was a very good girl. She didn’t get to go to doggie school, and she didn’t compete in trials. She didn’t get to go to the park or for rides or to visit people. She pretty much stayed at home and loved my mama and dad.
For a lot of years she couldn’t hear at all, but she was so good at reading body language it took my folks a long time to figure it out. She didn’t bark at thunder or the UPS truck, and she didn’t chase cars. Hard to believe that she was even a sheltie!
Anyway, she lived a long time and went through a lot. She lost a toe and her tail and had arthritis pretty bad. She was on lots of meds, but she was a happy girl. One day she had a really big seizure and she died. Mama and dad were with her, so she didn’t have to go to the bridge alone.
Mama and dad were very very sad. But they didn’t know that I had already been born and was waiting impatiently for them! You know the rest of the story, right? I came along and cheered them up. I did silly bonehead puppy stuff and barked at everything including thunder and the UPS truck. In fact I still do. Cause they wouldn’t know enough to take care of stuff like that without me.
I know that someday I will break their hearts and go find my sister at the Rainbow Bridge. But until then I’ll pose for mom and her silly camera. I’ll sit right here between the breaking hearts and the forget-me-not flowers.
Cause I know for sure they’re never going to forget me. Just like they haven’t ever forgotten my sister Bonnie.
This is the last installment of Carol’s challenge Five photos, five days. The rules were to post a photo and a story, fiction or non, or even poetry. And then we were to nominate someone each day to play along. Well, we like what Carol did for her photo #5, anyone out there that I’ve missed that wants to show us 5 photos is welcome to join in! Show us what you’ve got!
I’ll turn the blog back over to my mama now. She got a little teary when she got thinking about her Bon-Bon. But I think she’s going to be OK cause I kissed her a bunch when she got home tonight.
That usually works.
Five photos, five days #4
Once upon a time there was a little girl who watched the planes overhead and wondered where everyone was going. She imagined them landing in some exotic place like California or Arizona or Florida or Hawaii. Places away from here.
Turns out that little girl grew up to be an adult who watches planes overhead and wonders where everyone is going. And she still imagines them landing in exotic places like Paris and Rome – – or less exotic but away from here places like Kansas or South Dakota.
And even though she’s been lucky enough to see all of these places she still wishes she was on the plane or the train or just the road going somewhere away from here.
Today’s post is part of Carol’s challenge – Five photos, five days, where you post a photo and tell a story, fiction or not, maybe even poetry. And each day you nominate someone to play along. Today I nominate Lassie and Benji…sort of a two for one. Because their mom takes fun photos and I’m sure she will have some stories to tell. Not on Lassie or Benji, of course, just about Lassie and Benji!
Five photos, five days #3
This is part of Carol’s challenge, Five photos, five days, complete with a story; truth or fiction, or maybe some poetry. And you’re supposed to nominate someone each day to join in the fun.
Mom’s new babies!
At Kensington (the park, not the palace) it’s all about babies this time of year. Today mama swan’s eggs began to hatch. There was a huge crowd of paparazzi, cameras clicking as each egg hatched. Mama swan ignored them all and paid exquisite attention to her new little ones, shielding them from the cameras with her wings.
It’s a special time and we’re lucky to be witness to it.
Today I’d like to challenge Karma of Karma’s When I Feel Like It, because I know she has a new camera lens and is just itching to get out and use it!
Mama up close before the little ones arrived.
Five photos, five days #2
Everywhere there are signs that say “Don’t feed the cranes.”
Mid-morning snack
But cranes can’t read and apparently neither can humans.
A few weeks ago as husband and I walked around the lake at one of my favorite parks we saw many people standing still, hands upright while chickadees flitted. And we were accosted a few times by chickadees expecting something special.
We didn’t have anything to give them, and think it’s wrong anyway. But I have to admit it was fun to watch. This little guy will remember forever the day he had the crane eating out of his hand.
This is part of the five photos, five days challenge that Carol put me up to. Now I have to think about who to nominate to carry on the challenge. Today I nominate the Cowspot Dogs, because they are living in a new place and have lots of places to show us. Here are the rules, loosely speaking: Post a photo (as you can see I’m having a hard time sticking to one photo.) and a story, fiction or non, or maybe even a poem, one a day for five days and each day nominate someone to play along.
Five photos, five days #1
I’ve been nominated by Carol at Wanderings of an Elusive Mind to play along on the Five Photos, Five Stories challenge. Each day for five days I need to post a photo and a story, then nominate someone else to join in. So here goes.
Most of you know that Katie has a favorite park. Turns out that lots of people enjoy Katie’s park for all sorts of reasons, not the least is that there are parts of it that are very photogenic. One evening as Katie and I were packing up to go home after a walk we noticed this:
Senior photo shoot
I’m sure this young man is one of next year’s seniors. And that he plays in the school orchestra which must be a large part of his high school experience.
Watching them brought back memories. More than forty years ago I was having my senior photo taken outside. It was a new thing, back then, to take senior photos outside a studio.
Forty + years ago
I wonder now what caused my folks to choose this particular photographer, someone who was doing something so different. I don’t remember being part of the decision, but I remember the afternoon spent in a field getting my picture taken. I’m sure the young man Katie and I watched last week will remember his photo shoot too.
I wish him a wonderful, happy, and musical future.
So the hard part is thinking about who to ask to participate. The rules are simple, post five pictures with stories, fiction or not, perhaps even poetry. Nominate someone each day to continue the challenge. Today I nominate Sara for purely selfish reasons; I want to see some more photos of her boys. I know she’s super busy with school this time of year, so I’ll understand if she can’t play, or can only post a couple of photos. But I hope to see Oreo and Chewy soon!
Just yesterday
Change Is Hard 