Memorial Day~ As Always

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We’ve been celebrating Memorial Day, the same way for years and years.  We take flowers to everyone we love that has passed away. We even take flowers to everyone that everyone WE love, loved. Absolutely everyone. Are you still with me?

That, my friends, is a boatload of flowers.

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Then, we merrily retire to SOMEbody’s house–April’s, this time–for a anything that tastes good, potluck-type barbecue. Yummo.

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We sit around and yak and tell stories and…

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watch the itty-bitty kids…

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and the grown-up kids play yard games…

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and soak each other down with water balloons…

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…and sometimes hoses.

Food. Family. Laughter. Love.

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I think they’d be pleased.

Mom & Daddy…I miss you.

Grown Up Toys

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The kids got out the ancient Marbleworks set the other day.  They needed a little help at first because they’d never really seen it before. It’s been stored away with all the other toys that “Mom” can’t seem to part with. Yeah, I know. I have a problem letting go.

The kids played with the set for about an hour–a very noisy hour of marbles clanking and crashing and spilling and shooting all over the room–and kid laughing. Lots and lots of kids laughing. That was the best part.

Of course, after a while, the big guys had to get involved to show them how it really works.  Almost as much noise from the marbles, but not quite so much laughing. What can you expect? This is serious business.

Apparently.

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Mothers

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“Mother is not a title.

Mother is a verb. It is not who you are.

It’s what you do.”

~ Shonda Rhimes

Happy Mother’s day, mom. I love you and miss you every, single day.

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“Lost Boy”

My dear niece, Emily lost a beloved friend in a tragic accident recently. This is her beautiful tribute.

We are all so sorry for her loss and heartache.

We love you Em~

Aunt

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New Things To Love~

There are SOOOO many things in my world that make me happy these days.

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 Take this little headboard, for instance. It’s just the right amount of swirly, antique-ish, that even with my bed a bit rumpled and the pillows tossed in a pile–it’s still pretty.

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This button positively jumped into my cart at JoAnn Fabrics–while I was minding my own business, shopping for yarn. I don’t even know how I got into the button aisle in the first place. But oooooh…it’s so sparkly.

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This little girlie makes me real happy too. She is such a good kitty and she’s taken so well to our new/old place, that I’d swear she acts years younger than her decade-and-a-half old self. Even climbed a tree the other day. I know. We were stunned.

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While everyone is talking about Spring…we’re getting poured on with rain, and the mountains are coated with snow. But it makes a pretty postcard–wouldn’t you say?

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Scrubbed off my old plaque the other day and found that much of it’s old time charm, was actually…ahem…30ish years of grime.  It’s better now. Sheesh.

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Still working this lovely thing while watching a basketball game here (Go Warriors!) or a Once Upon A Time there. Slow and steady, right?

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Rhenny boy finally hung up the banners from his favorite teams. It almost felt…ceremonial somehow. Like we finally live here. Go Warriors!

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Ahhhh….my pretty dishes finally have a home. Even if it is in a nasty colored cupboard with no doors. It will get fixed soon enough. It’s a process.

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Bought these juicy things from a roadside stand and what a deal!! They are soooo yummy and sweet. Oranges don’t actually grow in these parts, so it was a particularly nice little serendipity. They won’t last long.

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Oh, the pure grammy-joy of my baby showing her baby the other baby. Oooh, I’ll make farm folk out of these guys yet! Heh, heh.

Guess I have to figure out how to become one myself.

Working on that. Stick around.