Etched in Marble

Mom on the Old Iron Bridge. I'm thankful for the old iron bridge located three miles from where I grew up. Mom & Dad would go here to meet with their friends while they were dating.

Mom & Dad's wedding day. Something has been spilled on this picture and it's a bit worn and tattered. I'm thankful for the black high heels Mom is wearing. Mom let me play dress up with them when I was a young child after she got tired of scolding me and telling me to put them back where they belonged.

Dad, Mom, Uncle Cliff (Dad's only surviving sibling) & Aunt Margaret (Uncle Cliff's wife). I'm thankful Mom & Dad were married on November 20, 1954. Last Friday would have been their 55th wedding Anniversary.

Me in our front yard where I grew up on the old Steven's School property. I'm thankful that Mom & Dad gave me life and a home to live in out in the country. A life that wouldn't be possible without the love of Mom & Dad, my siblings & their spouses, my husband, my daughter & her husband , my stepson & his wife, my stepdaughter & her companion, our grandkids, my nieces, nephews & their children.

I'm thankful for my internet friends, though you don't know me, you accept me for who I am. You bring me joy when you give a glimpse into your life and that of your family when you share bits & pieces with us.

I remember playing marbles when I was a kid, some of those marbles had magnificient colors & designs etched on them & if one were to break the same etchings were inside, they looked a bit different but we still tried to get them to roll anyway. I'm thankful for the marbles in my life that continue to be etched daily because they mean I am living.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Thank you for being my friends.

I leave you with this, I believe it says it better than I can:

Write the wrongs that are done to you in sand, but write the good things that happen to you on a piece of marble. Let go of all emotions such as resentment and retaliation, which diminish you, and hold on to the emotions, such as gratitude and joy, which increase you.

Angel's Rejoice

I was sitting at the kitchen table on Friday looking through pictures and reminiscing when the phone rang. It was Dad telling me Uncle Tom wasn't expected to live much longer and the family had all been called in. When we hung up the next package I opened had the photo's in the slideshow above, pictures I'd forgotten about having.

These pictures may seem inappropriate at a time such as this but to me they mean a time of healing. Uncle Tom married Mom's youngest sister and our families were very close when I was growing up and we still are.

In 1999 our families suffered tremendous loss of loved one's: Grandad H. (Mom's Dad), Mom, Uncle Guy (Grandad's brother), Uncle Frank (Dad's youngest brother), and Beth (my cousin Danny's daughter and granddaughter of Uncle Tom & Aunt Carolie). It was a very sad year for all of us.

A few months later we were all talking and decided to get together and have a girls night of fun away from the grief we were dealing with. We planned a slumber party at my house with just us and our daughters. Karen & Robin (Uncle Tom & Aunt Carolie's daughters) came dressed for the occasion making the 30 minute drive in their baby doll pajama's. It was hilarious watching them get out of the car in their pj's! We all had a blast and it was a night to remember for all of us. We all need another night like that soon.

Early this evening Uncle Tom passed away leaving behind a wife, 5 sons, 2 daughters, many grandchildren and some great-grandchildren. They are grieving the loss of a man who always had a smile on his face, who always joked & teased and his laughter was contagious, who was loved by all who met him. We grieve with them and tonight spent time with them in their sorrow.

Uncle Tom, may you Rest in Peace. We love you and will miss you.

When it all began

Dad has the original of this picture, this is just a copy, so it's not very clear. This is a photo of Mom & Dad taken at Grandma & Grandad M's house a few months after they were married. This was the beginning of what would become our large family. Mom was pregnant with their first child. I'm in the picture but you can't see me, I hadn't been born yet.

I was supposed to be born at home, but for some reason, which I can't seem to recall now, Mom had me at the hospital. Lady of Mercy was a Catholic run hospital and many who worked there were Nuns. When I was born Mom & Dad were given a little gold ring, made like a wedding band, it was put on my finger before they took me home. Mom put it in her cedar chest for safe keeping and she would show it to me from time to time. She told me she was saving it to give to me when I got married. I admired that little ring for years and looked forward to Mom passing it on to me. When I got married we never got around to getting it out of the cedar chest. After Mom passed away Dad opened the cedar chest that hadn't been opened in years with intentions of giving it to me. I wanted it not for myself but to pass it on to Terri for a keepsake. The little box is there but the ring isn't in it. We have no idea what happened to it unless someone was looking at it and dropped it in the cedar chest and it fell to the bottom. If the ring is never found I still have fond memories of Mom opening the cedar chest and showing me the things she'd saved that were of sentimental value to her.

Terri has this original picture, she made an 8x10 copy, framed it, and gave it to me for Christmas a few years ago. How she talked Mom out of the original I'll never know. Whatever the reason, I'm glad Terri has this picture as a keepsake.

It's evident there's a bit of wear and tear. That doesn't take away from the sentimental value it holds for me.

This picture was taken in a photo booth at the Church picnic in May 1957. Dad had been up all night working at the pits on the Church grounds ( like he did every year) helping to bbq mutton, pork, & chicken. The picnic was a homecoming of sorts, as the folks who had moved away over the years came home to be with their families on picnic day. It's still one of the things folks look forward to each May.

Dad would cook all night, come home, sleep for a couple hours, and then take Mom and us kids to enjoy the picnic. I remember those days so well because us kids were so excited we'd hardly give Dad time to rest.

Mom was pregnant with my sister Linda when this picture was taken. Dad was holding me, I was 1 year 7 months old. I believe this is probably the first picture taken of me unless one of my Aunt's have some that I'm not aware of.

Dad has pictures that none of us know who the people are because there are no names or dates written on them. I do too. It's a shame I didn't take a few seconds of my time to jot that bit of information down for the younger generations of our family.


Edit: I wrote this entry at different times and now it has 2 different fonts. I tried fixing it and evidently I've forgotten how I fixed it before because it won't change.

I'm Stubborn

I'm as stubborn as a mule. I kind of get that from my Mom.

I am not giving up on adding pictures to my blog the way they should be.

The 3rd time wasn't charm. I sent an entry to draft to work on it from there before I published it. No such luck. Pictures still aren't right.

I've got work to do and I'm getting behind on reading blogs.

I apologize once again for my entries showing up on your dashboards and readers so much. I'm sure you have better things to do than to put up with my lack of computer skills. I promise no more entries from me today.

My little bundle of joy #2

I love this picture of Terri when she was 4. Can you believe she doesn't like it? She looks so innocent, doesn't she?

This picture was taken on the same day with a different pose. I loved it so much I had it made into an 8X10 but I had to cut it down smaller after a potted plant that had been watered somehow got knocked over and the water soaked into the picture frame before it was noticed. Terri doesn't like this picture either.

I saved dollar bills for a long time and with part of it I bought a Photosmart All-in-One. I've had it for 4 years but it wasn't compatible with my other computer and it's only been used for making copies up until now. I can use it to print pictures but I haven't done so because ink is so expensive.

Yesterday it was raining and gloomy and instead of doing housecleaning like I should have been doing I sat down at the computer and learned how to put pictures on my blog. I enjoy looking at everyone's pictures on their blogs and I wanted to be able to put some on mine too.

While I was sitting here I decided I'd "try" to learn how to use the scanner. It looked simple enough but believe me for someone as computer illiterate as I am simple becomes quite confusing. As can be seen in the pictures above I need lots of practice.

Terri! Oh, Terri! I need to borrow your photo album. I promise not to share any of those photos on my blog, I just want to use them for practice. *Evil grin!*

Edit: The first picture is tiny. I don't know why because it's quite a bit larger in the one I saved. Oh well, I guess it's back to editing confusion again.

My little bundle of joy

I apoligize for showing up on your dashboard or reader numerous times yesterday. The reason for this is I'm trying to learn how to use the scanner to add older photos to my blog such as the picture of Terri above.

For the life of me I can't figure out how to resize my photos to fit into my blog properly. Can someone please tell me what I'm doing wrong and how to go about fixing the problem? I sure would appreciate your help.

Sisters

This picture was taken a few days after Judy was told she had breast cancer. In Judy fashion she was determined not to let it get her down. She called all of us on both sides of her family and planned a family bbq before she started chemo. This picture was taken the day of the bbq.

My sister Linda is on the left, Judy in the center, and me on the right. Linda has lost a lot of weight since this photo was taken, Judy has gone on to heaven, and I've gained every lb. that Linda's lost.

I'll treasure this picture for the rest of my life. I love Judy and I miss her, I think of her every day. It still brings tears to my eyes and takes my breath away when I call her house and hear her voice on the answering machine.

The bonds of a sister can't be broken by death.