Happy Birthday America

This picture is Mom and Dad back in 2004 at the 4th of July gathering at their house. Mom always wore something Red, White, and Blue. The 4th of July was Mom's favorite holiday. When we were young, she often made us "special" outfits to wear on this holiday. I can even remember a few Mother and Daughter 4th of July tops she made us to wear. I'll be remembering you today Mom.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMERICA

Be safe in your travels if you're on the road for the holiday.

I'm revisiting a post on Williamsburg, Colonial Williamsburg and Ford's Colony in Colonial Williamsburg, please join me over at Traveling Suitcase.

Happy 4th of July one and all.

Chugging along TooT-Toot

Thomas The Train, hooks together with magnets. How cool is that? New stuff I guess. This little guy, my pseudo grandson and hubby are playing trains on the deck. He's 2 1/2, very physically capable for a child his age.



The concentration in play is something to watch. It's been a very busy and hectic week for us. Hubby's had one of his long multi-day convention type work activities and so being able to spend some down time like this was perfect. He's worked all wkend from early am til well past 8 most nights. Fingers and toes crossed tonight should be earlier.



I've had a couple of almost regular days at work, which is odd for me. Spent extra time with Daddy this week, we even went out one night to dinner which was nice. Did boring necessary things like running errands, got my hair done (you know out with the grey), did laundry, mowed, cleaned, shopped for groceries. Blah blah blah.




Looking forward to a visit from our daughter this evening. She's driving in from Baltimore. The visit will be super short, as she'll be heading back to Baltimore tomorrow am. She's got a car load. You might remember we brought back a car load when we joined her there for her hooding about a month ago. This 2nd load has been delayed due to car troubles. She still has odds and ends to take care of there in Baltimore ...and another car load needing to be transported, thus her quick turn around back to Baltimore. In a few weeks she'll return with the 3rd load and spend some time with us here before heading out to St. Louis. She's moving back to St. Louis. She loves it there and will be rooming with a good friend. She's job hunting and we're hoping she hears something positive soon. Hard to know, with all the cut backs, even good school teachers aren't guaranteed a job. But, she's very reliable and I know of no one that works harder or is more dedicated then she. She teaches, she tutors, she helps kids before and after school as well as during lunches. She attends their ball games, their skating performances, their family funerals and more. She is a teacher that children and their families long to have. And...I'm just a wee bit proud.

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Selecting a Gravestone, Emotional Day

The Yucca's are starting to bloom. This year 5 are opening up. It seems to change each year which ones develop blossoms. I love these plants. You can almost see them open. Not quite like time lapse photography, but close. These plants got their starts in my parents yard, and so naturally is another connection to Mom.

Yesterday Daddy and I selected the gravestone. Such mixed emotions. On one had it was good to have things settled, taken care off...one more item off the to do list. On the other doing so not only brought back the loss of losing Mom (2 months ago), but the reality that we would lose Daddy too. Daddy is 83 and seems quite healthy and active. But, their plan has always been to be buried together in a double Urn. And so yesterday he and I selected the stone and secured it's placement in a family plot. The two of them will be surrounded by other family members. His parents, his grandparents, and his father's sister's and their husbands. A nice large family plot. I like that everyone is there together. People don't do that much these days. Families live far apart and when someone passes they're buried, but not much thought or planning for those that might follow.........thus families aren't together. This particular cemetery is beautiful. It's high on a hill overlooking Chillicothe, Ohio. I've always thought it the prettiest cemetery I've ever been in. AND, for those of you who know me well; you know how many cemeteries I've been in, how many gravestones I've photographed etc, so........that statement is significant. The lady at the monument company was nice, helpful and used humor to help us through the ordeal. She is 76 and has been doing this a very long time. She told us she hopped to work until she was 80.



These bright cheerful orange Tiger Lillies are in full bloom right now and are gorgeous. They're on the side of the garage. I wished they bloomed longer. They grow easily, often you see them along railroads. These starts also came from Mommy and Daddy's yard. So many of my flowers did, it's like my yard is a memorial to them both.



These pinkish-purplish lillies don't spread as easily as other varieties and are more fragile; have a heavenly scent. These are some of the very few I didn't get from my folks yard, I actually purchased these a few years back. Just wanted to share their beauty with you all.

These beautiful flowers make me smile and feel better inside. It was an emotional day.

Spend time with your parents, make yourself memories. The memories can make you smile on a cloudy day.

(These off and on posts here about My Mother, are like journal writing for me)