Back to normal. I've a ton of laundry to do, and some dishes yet, too.
Yesterday was a very busy day. We went to church (Lutheran not Baptist, after all), were invited to a community theater thingy that afternoon, went to the yarn shop (Duane would like an orange hat, we couldn't find yarn he liked), picked up one of N's kids, Kip, went to a Christmas boutique (they didn't have what i wanted there), went to lunch, then to the C.A.T.S. production, "An Old Fashioned Christmas." Over all, we enjoyed it very much. Kip (i formerly called "C" because i didn't know how his name was spelled), is very easy to be with. He doesn't ask for a lot of things and seems just to enjoy being with us.
But none of this was very stressful, and i didn't get exhausted being up for a day. This is a first, i think. On the other hand, i acquired a sore throat over the past few days and nothing i do seems to make it any better. I'm not really sick, but i don't feel quite right.
The pics at this post by Chiot's Run make me think of my granny's flower garden. Not that granny's garden was ever so neat as these pics show. My mother's parents had an enormous garden north of their house, between the house and the barn. On that side, too, granny had grapes growing. I remember them as the most delicious grapes i've ever had. But to the other side of the house was a horseshoe driveway. In the inside of that horseshoe, granny had a riot of flowers. I remember cone flowers, and foxglove, and columbine, and any number of other things. How she ever kept it, i don't know, for i don't remember any division of flower beds, just all those flowers mixed in however they would grow.
The house is now gone. It was torn down a few years ago. The barn still stands, but time is taking it quickly. Duane and i drove by there December of 2005 (this pic is from then) and last summer when we were there. Last summer we actually drove that horseshoe drive, tho we couldn't have done that if i had not known it was there. The two pines i remember from the front yard are huge now, enormous trees. I never thought of them as young trees when i was a child, but they were then. All traces of the flower garden is gone, and the grapes too. I remember swinging on granny's front porch swing, and there was a tire swing in the tree off to the side, too. That tree is gone as well.
That granny was not a particularly warm and fuzzy type. Oh, she gave us hugs and seemed glad to see us. But she had raised 11 children and had more grandkids than i can count. (I think i have 31 blood-related first cousins on that side.) She was firm at me at times when i was a child. My other granny made much of us when we visited, and in comparison, mother's mother seemed a bit harsh.
However their roles reversed when i was a young adult. My father's mother didn't like choices i'd made and i got the rough side of her tongue for the first time in my life. My mother's parents, in comparison, seemed to have mellowed. I visited them when i was 19. It was just the three of us, and that is a memory i will always treasure. I so appreciate that i had that visit, for it was the last time i saw my mother's parents.
Today i'm thankful for family, and precious memories, and my granny's wonderful, out of control flower garden.
420
Yesterday was a very busy day. We went to church (Lutheran not Baptist, after all), were invited to a community theater thingy that afternoon, went to the yarn shop (Duane would like an orange hat, we couldn't find yarn he liked), picked up one of N's kids, Kip, went to a Christmas boutique (they didn't have what i wanted there), went to lunch, then to the C.A.T.S. production, "An Old Fashioned Christmas." Over all, we enjoyed it very much. Kip (i formerly called "C" because i didn't know how his name was spelled), is very easy to be with. He doesn't ask for a lot of things and seems just to enjoy being with us.
But none of this was very stressful, and i didn't get exhausted being up for a day. This is a first, i think. On the other hand, i acquired a sore throat over the past few days and nothing i do seems to make it any better. I'm not really sick, but i don't feel quite right.
The pics at this post by Chiot's Run make me think of my granny's flower garden. Not that granny's garden was ever so neat as these pics show. My mother's parents had an enormous garden north of their house, between the house and the barn. On that side, too, granny had grapes growing. I remember them as the most delicious grapes i've ever had. But to the other side of the house was a horseshoe driveway. In the inside of that horseshoe, granny had a riot of flowers. I remember cone flowers, and foxglove, and columbine, and any number of other things. How she ever kept it, i don't know, for i don't remember any division of flower beds, just all those flowers mixed in however they would grow.
The house is now gone. It was torn down a few years ago. The barn still stands, but time is taking it quickly. Duane and i drove by there December of 2005 (this pic is from then) and last summer when we were there. Last summer we actually drove that horseshoe drive, tho we couldn't have done that if i had not known it was there. The two pines i remember from the front yard are huge now, enormous trees. I never thought of them as young trees when i was a child, but they were then. All traces of the flower garden is gone, and the grapes too. I remember swinging on granny's front porch swing, and there was a tire swing in the tree off to the side, too. That tree is gone as well.
That granny was not a particularly warm and fuzzy type. Oh, she gave us hugs and seemed glad to see us. But she had raised 11 children and had more grandkids than i can count. (I think i have 31 blood-related first cousins on that side.) She was firm at me at times when i was a child. My other granny made much of us when we visited, and in comparison, mother's mother seemed a bit harsh.
However their roles reversed when i was a young adult. My father's mother didn't like choices i'd made and i got the rough side of her tongue for the first time in my life. My mother's parents, in comparison, seemed to have mellowed. I visited them when i was 19. It was just the three of us, and that is a memory i will always treasure. I so appreciate that i had that visit, for it was the last time i saw my mother's parents.
Today i'm thankful for family, and precious memories, and my granny's wonderful, out of control flower garden.
420
8 comments:
sorry about the sore throat and not feeling quite right, wondering if it is something in the air causing a bit of allergies or something? it is interesting about grandparents; I didn't know mine since they died when I was young, but seeing the interactions between my mom and my husband's parents with our kids, it has helped me think what I might want to be as a grandparent if I get that opportunity!
the flower pictures were gorgeous!
betty
Sweet memories and pretty pics! Thanks for sharing both. Hope you feel better!
What a nice memory... I'm suddenly craving grapes. Were they red or green? ;-)
Hi Betty - not allergies this time. I didn't think i'd have to, but i've stayed home. Deep chest stuff. Yuck.
I'm sorry you never knew your grandparents, but how exciting that you might be one yourself, someday! I guess we all have holes - for me the kids, for you your own grandparents.
Thank you, Stacey. :)
WBM - what i remember was a pale green grape, not too big, with the flavor of a concord. Concords are my favorite, and i love when they come in season in September. I looked for the grape when we were there last year, hoping to get a cutting or something, but i didn't see any trace of the plant.
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I don't usually publish these anonymous, spam comments, but this one is just too funny to pass up!
What do you think they were trying to say here? What is their original language do you think? Some of these are just bizarre. What is the point of doing them?
I have wanted to post something like this on my website and this gave me an idea. Cheers.
Your post here is quite bittersweet, but I think you get across your feelings so honestly and beautifully that I miss your kind of candor in my day to day life. As for the anonymous comment, that is BIZARRE, and apparently English is not the poster's first language. Interesting choice of words they used.
I find the barn being reclaimed by its surroundings to be very poignant, it makes me feel sad when I see farms dying out and the hard work of previous generations to carve out their lifes and livelihood in tough conditions being swallowed up again by nature. But that's the way of life I suppose.
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