Photographs and Memories

I stopped by my sister's house the other day.

We sister's do that quite often,

go visit each other...

We talk to each other almost every day

in some form or other.

On most week ends

if we aren't out taking pictures or BBQ-ing

we are in the middle of a three way phone conversation

while we clean house...

Been a generally close bunch all our lives.

It's nice.

So while I was visiting Aunt B,

she had unearthed some pictures from the long ago.

Here she is powering the homemade wooden bi-plaine I was test driving flying...

We laughed again as we looked at what was in the picture.

It is full to the corners of love,

happiness, homemade ingenuity

 and proof I was once skinny and had long hair.

I looked at the group of people in the next picture

wondering who was in it

and did I know them...

I thought I recognized this one.

Being the quick person I am,

I said this one here

look's like, my daughter,

Busy Momma.

Aunt B really laughed then.

It's me standing behind her...

It was from the trip we made up the California coast 

ending in Portland before heading for home...

I've *pictured* things from that trip many times over the years.I was so excited to see this picture of the first time she played in the Ocean-

I may not be a world traveler,

but now I have photographic evidence

I've piloted a Bi-plane

and  played in the Ocean.

Take your camera's with you,(and use them)

because few things bring back a memory

like a picture...

Smile and remember;

We're fool's whether we dance or not. So we might as well dance.

I Look At Clouds

I like looking at the mountain's around my home town.

It's because they are the same every day

while they change every second.

I like looking at clouds for the same reasons.

Remember when you were young and would lay on your back looking up at the ever changing cloud's as they played across the sky?

So, when I can watch the clouds as they play acorss the mountain

 it's like a glimps of Heaven to me.

Spring is on it's way and wtih it come

 the bluest sky's and

the whitest clouds.

I saw these amazing marshmellow clouds

 creeping up the afternoon sky and over the tops of the mountains...

Do you see the fascinating shapes?!

What is it you see hiding there?

I see a boy and his dog...

See him laughing as his dog roll's around with him?

Or is it pigs flying??

You know there are a lot of neat-o things I've been told I can do
"when pigs fly"

Maybe it's a sea turtle

gliding effortlessly through the Carribean blue sky waters...

Yes its true.

I look at clouds.

Because I like looking up...

Smile and remember;

We're fool's whether we dance or not. So we might as well dance.

The Imp # 2

So as I was saying in the last blog...
We needed to make a shopping sale run over the mountain and back, trying to make the trip as uneventful as possible, and we were doing it!

As we made our way back through the canyon, talking and singing silly songs, Tiny Dancer had a pen and paper so she could draw wonderful things as we went.....horses...cows...spiders?

Or so I thought.

The idea of making a quick stop then go for french fries had been confirmed...Selecting a parking spot and shutting off the car I was able finally to turn all the way around to see her...

Several things went through my mind in rapid sucession;

What were her Mom and Dad going to say when they saw her?!

Was that going to come off, or be there until it wore off?

Why, had I given her a pen?! (Because I didn't have a pencil in the car is why).

I started to laugh, then she started to laugh, I told her it was a good idea to use the paper next time and the store would have to be at a different time...off we went for fries...once home and able to get some photographic evidence for her parents before it was lost to soap and water...

Well, here is some of  the art work of a little Imp...

Two baby wipes and it was virtually gone...

p. s.  I now have a few chunky crayon's in the glove box. 

Smile and remember;

We're fool's whether we dance or not. So we might as well dance.

The Imp

I had three day's to make it to the sale.

I wasn't happy about going, partly because I don't like sales that I know are...well...crazy. I'm not big on crowd's, especially those involved with people intent on getting the deal. Shopping and especially shopping sales are like a hunt in many ways, and either you are the hunter, hunted or the sight seer.

I like to be the sight seer thank you.

Then too, the  canyon lay betwixt me and the crazy sale.

But Honey had carefully marked, and remarked the things he really wanted, and went over the ad with me to make sure I understood what it was he wanted. And the cloud's looked high enough to clear off and let the sun through at any given moment.

So my plan was to go early, get in , get out, get home.

Tiny Dancer and I loaded into the car and off we went, on the second day of the sale, into what looked like a day that had every intention of following the plan...

Then we reached the top and found this lovely land of fog...

We should have been seeing "Sherwood Hills' and "Dry Lake from here.

Hope was restored as we rounded the last turn and came out of the canyon on the other side and saw the sun just starting its morning peek into the valley.

We reached our destination half an hour after they opened and found a few open parking spots. Pulling into a spot by the creek and hurring inside I was delighted to find it wasn't bad at all. Tiny Dancer found it was full of  'ree coo' stuff.

A very kind employee helped me find the carefully marked items on the list and we were back on the road to adventure in less than 30 minutes!

And being less hurried we took the opportunity to stop and look, especially at the local animal's...

That being done, back through the canyon we headed...With pictures being drawn and conversation and singing filling the time...the fog was indeed  burning off and blue sky was peeking through.

As we got back to our little town thoughts were turning to easier shopping needs and we stopped make one more quick stop before going home...But after seeing the art work that addorned Tiny Dancer I thought it best to skip an inside visit...


To be continued.....

Smile and remember;

We're fool's whether we dance or not. So we might as well dance.

Day Trip

I don't care to drive on  snowy roads.

When it's snowing and generally crapy weather I like to stick close to my own sleepy little town.  This tends to cause bewildering cases of "Cabin fever" to set in long before now. The T.V. weather man used to say, "if you really want to know what the weather is doing, look out your window.

With Spring bringing a verity of unpredictable weather patterns from day to day I am thrilled to be getting out more on the better day's...And seeing as how this was a three day week end for me, with some really nice day's I was able to grab my camera heading out into the world without a care.

My travels took me South and with errand's finished took a 'drive about' on the way home. And I soon found this little gem...

The present owner grew up in this house, as did her mother before her.  Her mother turned it into this lovely little shop and kept it for years. I remember it was about this time of year that my sister's first introduced this lovely little shop to me a lot of years ago. The lively little woman was so sweet and gave us a tour of the shop and told us all about how she had grown up in the house, as well as about her parent's. She told how she loved when her father would take them out and show them the 'man in the mountain', who can only be seen when there's snow on his face.

We four bundled and trudled out as she showed us what her father had shown her seventy some-odd  year's before.

Next I went to find other places I wanted to visit and soon found some of the roads were closed for work,  I took a street I hadn't been on for many years and this is what I found;

Next, I thought since I couldn't get out to take many picture's with it raining so much I may as well head home, but first I should have a scoop of ice cream! And were better to go than Farr's?!

This is the angle I remember having when I first descovered the many flavor's they had, and if I stood tippy toe and used my finger's to pull me up just right, I could just peek over into the glass for a view.   (they have even more now!)

  My favorite then was alway's the daring vanilla, now... it's pralines and cream I think...it changes each time I go in...

Errand's run, sites visited, ice cream in hand, I headed for home and on the way these sign's caught my eye and got me thinking I'd best get a jump on Spring Cleaning so I could get out in the yard once the drizzle dries up.

It was a fun day trip.

Smile and remember;

We're fool's whether we dance or not. So we might as well dance.

We All Have A Story

Every person's story is different.  

Every person's story is important.  

Every person's story is interesting.

I've always loved to hear peoples stories...regardless of age.

Some of the first things I like to ask people might include:

"How did you meet your spouse?" or "Tell me what your reading!" Oh! the stories are wonderful!!! But even better is the light that radiates from them as they tell their story...

There's lots of things I like to ask people, but think my own answers are...well...mundane.

My parent's probably thought that too. But boy do I wish I had them!

I 've kept  journal's  for more than half my lifetime...A lot of the day-to-day *stuff*, thing's I have cried over, things I have laughed over, things I dream of. I've tried different style's of writing, and still do. I'm not as eloquent as some of my siblings...in writing. But I don't let that stop me :) 

In the long ago, a "journal in a jar" list of items were gifted us, to pull out and write the answers to. For instance; "How much would a dime buy when you were a kid?",  "Did you know anyone that was in a war?" or maybe it would say, "Tell about your first bike.", "Draw your childhood back yard".

I started doing it, but then thought I didn't have interesting enough answer's. Besides~Who would be interested in my story?!

Then my eldest sister came with her completed story. She too had uncertainties.   In reading I got to know her a litte better (she is 16 years older than I am), I remembered stuff I hadn't thought of in years. I met Aunts, Uncle's and a Gramma I didn't get to know.

I'm glad she had the courage to tell her story, and share it!

My journal's for the most part are...composition notebook's. Then yesterday I got an idea-a brilliantly splended idea.   I took a picture of myself, taken by Auntie Nana, edited it in two completly different way's and...Viola!

Version one: 

My journal, my journey!!!

(The Red journal needs to pose for me yet.)

Smile and remember;

We're fool's whether we dance or not. So we might as well dance.

Standing Out VS Blending In...

I have never thought of myself as being an artistic person.

I learned to do handwork and I can draw a few stick fugures...

I also have to fess up to being the kind of person who doesn't really like to 'take classes' to learn things.

Sure I like to learn some basic's from someone 'in the know'.

But for the most part, I would rather 'do it myself'.

Maybe it's because I'm the youngest, maybe it's because Mom would tell the other kids not to bug me when I would march happily out into the world singing an off key tune in mis-matched clothes.

Maybe it's because Mom Made Turquoise Christmas stockings rather than the traditional red...

All I know is...

I like to learn a way I like to do things instead of doing things the way other people think I should...

If I want to paint a blue flower when everyone else is painting red ones-

I do it.

If I like a coloring book page, I might embroider it instead...

Lately I have mainly stuck to doing things that I feel 'safe' doing...

Then I got a camera!

Then I got another camera!!

And I found that I L-O-V-E photography!!!

I love everthing about it-the way I look at things now, that I notice even the smallest things, that I am 'seeing' old things in new ways...

The point I'm dancing around here is this...

Don't be afraid to try something new!

Tiny Dancer likes to use pencils, pens and crayons.

In book's, on paper, wood, doll's faces, chairs, countertops...

So in an attempt to allow her to contine learning to use these things I did the only reasonable thing I could think of...

got her water color paint.

I was telling my Sister's, Auntie Nana and Aunt B., about how much fun she is having and mentioned that I needed to get Poppy (a.k.a. Honey) to make her an easel.

Aunt B., being a person of numerous fantastic talents...asked if I would like to borrow her table easel for a while-

Heck Yah!!!

It was a hit!
Tiny Dancer uses it every day she is here.

Today as she was coloring her 3 horses, table, and a picture blue and purple, singing an off key song she was making up at the same time...

I was greatful for parents allowing me to grow up standing out rather than blending in...
Poppy's, Honey Do list has grown to include table and standing easel's for both of us...

I'm even now hatching plans for something new...

Smile and remember;

We're fool's whethter we dance or not. So we might as well dance. 

What a Wonderful World...

I'm thankful to have dailey opportunities

to look at my world

with 'new eye's'

Smile and remember;

We're fool's whether we dance or not. So we might as well dance.

Missing Mom and Dad

This is my Mom and Dad

when they were young and had 7 kids

running around like a bunch of 'Hon-yocks'...

I sort of remember them looking like that...

You see,

I'm the "ca-boose".

I remember Walking and talking with Daddy a lot-

looking at the stars-

sneaking to the kitchen at 3 in the morning

where he was sitting on a stool, mostly in the dark, drinking coffee 

on the pretense of getting a drink or going to the bathroom,

when really it was just to give him a hug or hang out with him...

He got sick-it was his heart...(Aorta really)

we three younger kids were snuck into the old McKay Hospital

under our Aunt's and Uncle's coats-

I asked him if he was going to die...

He told me, "I talked to God,

and he said I can stay until you don't need me anymore".

I was good with that-I'd always need my Dad.

This is how I remember my Dad...

He passed away a few month's after this picture was taken...

January 31, 1973.

I remember Momma coming to the park one evening

to collect me at dinner time,

I had my bike there and she picked it up and walked it across the street then jumped on it and up the sidewalk she went-wobbly at first-

Daddy was just a cheering and laughing-

He said it was the first time she had ever ridden a bike.

Momma was 80 when this picture was taken-

This is how I remember her mostly...

The U.S. Marine Corps Marching Band were in town

and just happened to be hanging out at my Sister's house...

They all gathered on the front lawn and sang happy Birthday to her...

Made her giddy as a school girl.

She passed a littl over five years after this picture was taken...

January 30, 2005

They were both laid to rest on February 3rd-

32 years apart...

I still think, ' I need to call Mom and tell her about ...'

or 'I need to call Mom and ask her how to...'

and I still wake up at 3 in the morning and listen for Daddy...

Smile and remember;

We're fool's whether we dance or not. So we might as well dance.