A Late White Wednesday Turned Into Thursday Post

The Rest of Day One and Day Two

The Whole Hog's Worth of Fun!

It is true... that is a whole hog being barbecued ....

My Dear, Dear Friends, Thom and Suzanne

Suzi and Me

Getting ready to tell Thom to STOP at the below!

Today, the 22nd, Suzanne and I had to go back to the Above, so I could purchase an architecutual piece and a mirror, and an old tie rack ( to be used to hold handmade cards ) and then we found these Peanut Pumpkins.... the picture does not in any way shape or form do them justice... In real life they are pinker than any pumpkins I have ever seen...

I also took pictures of fall color that were so blurry they could not be salvaged.....:(    :(    :( ...

I must figure out what happened!!!!!!

Upon arriving to my room last night, this package awaited me.

 Aren't they adorable?

It is a vintage picture... A few years ago, I saw this print in an antique mall and did not buy it... Wrong decision.... Suzi went back to buy it for me and it was gone... we have been looking for it ever since !!!!! May I just say heart throb of joy!!!!!!

So refreshing to be here !

The First Day

The date is October, what? I don’t even know... maybe the 21st....

I am up in the air flying to TN. A year ago, on my trip, I sat by a lady who had lost her son.. Like me, she was retired and her son was not a young boy, but an adult....

This year, it is I, who has lost a child to death...

Last year I had lost my child to drugs, This year I have lost her to heaven...

I am grateful for this flight...

I am sitting by a lady and a son.... they are on their way to check out Vanderbilt University .... new beginnings... not endings.... they seem close and they have been engaged with each other and with me throughout the flight.....

It is refreshing.... instead of being sad about what I don’t have I have been happy for what they DO have....

I am in a better place than a year ago...

While there is much for which to be sad, there is much for which to be grateful....

I am grateful to have had a vision of my life passing through my mind in different stages....

With it came the clear realization, if only for a moment, that this stage of life, too, will be gone in an instant AND I have a choice....... I can choose to wallow the rest of my life in the pity of my sorrow or I can understand the pain, be grateful for the present, and slowly move forward, even if it is at the pace of the turtle, I am moving...... moving towards the light of the shadow, not the darkness.... moving towards the melody of the song, not the heavy beat... moving towards the lightness of the air and not the heavy fog.... moving towards freedom of the “what ifs” and the reality of the “what is”...... moving towards understanding while my life will never be the same again.... my life is.... I am here and I am my life...... every moment I am creating and shaping my life.......... The shape is up to me......... I hope it will be a full shape encompassing much, but at the same time a skinny one., narrow enough to fully appreciate each experience..... Huuuuummmmmmm, now there is a goal to reach towards ...........

A Different Vantage Point

What one sees from the front

  

IS NOT

What one sees from the back !

Luckily, I did not do the damage...

My husband often tells me to be careful backing out of our very long driveway. :) :) :) 

When I arrived in Pinetop weeks ago, I never noticed the vintage tub being different......UNTIL the next morning when we  were having coffee on the front porch and my vantage point was from the back. Even then, my husband pointed it out to me... This is the second time he has hit the tub ! Me.... never.... smile....

We are similar to the tubs. From one vantage point we look in great condition....

Then, if you look carefully....one can see dents in our heart and soul....

The difference between the tubs and us, however, is my husband could not pry the dents out of the tubs .....

and US...

the dents are slowly being pulled out..

EVENTUALLY,

they won't be visible at all

There will still be a few, as is always the case. Our life experiences make us who we are..

We might not always like the experiences but our job is to continue to like US!

Hope you have a day that brings you a love of yourself!

Almost Wordless White Wednesday

Attemting to turn white into green !

Wordless White Wednesday