powered down

I guess the older we get, the more there is around us to trigger memories.
Such as the other night when we had an intense summer storm. A big one.
The power went off. Our years living in Africa where that
 happened almost daily has made that not too big a deal for us.

I went into the dining room and lit the oil lamp. I thought I might write a
few notes. The soft glow of the lamp, one we actually had taken to
 and brought home again from Africa many years ago, reminded 

me of a photo we have of me writing by the light of that very lamp.

Memories flowing, I sat down to play the piano. Something I rarely take the
time to do in spite of good intentions. Time slowed down. I wondered about reading
a book on my iPad.  But really this should be a technology free evening.
I looked at the rain pounding against the windows. I looked around at the
warm light from candles and the oil lamp softly reflecting shadows.  

I felt my brain clearing, slowing down. I started to reflect, as in to "think deeply." 

Just as I was about to get my pen and paper, the lights flickered on,
the sound of the AC started up, and suddenly the stillness was gone.  

The tyranny of the urgent sauntered back into the house.

I sometimes regret how quickly life continues to change. So much of our lives has to be
done online now. Going "paperless." Automated phone calls. Emailed invitations.
Efficient . . . possibly. But I feel like we lose some good things in all that efficiency. 

I would have enjoyed a whole evening without electricity. 

But probably not much more …

photos of the past

I recently found this photo of my maternal grandparents. Check out how big the 

front of this vehicle is. And how they both point their toes out as they pose for the

photographer. My grandpa seems to have his hat at a jaunty angle.

Old photos fascinate me. I like to scan them and look at them on the computer. 

When I then enlarge them I see all kind of details I would not have noticed otherwise.

That often brings questions. Like in this photo, I wonder where their four daughters are.

As time passes, there are fewer and fewer who can answer my questions.

But it's still fun to guess.

May Days

" . . . His mercies never come to an end . . . they are new every morning . . . "

May is always a favorite month of mine. It feels like a "pretty" month to me. 

Maybe because it's spring, Mother's Day, activities signaling the finish of something for

 the year. Life begins to slow down. It's only when I look back that I realize how

 full a month can be. This month included: three friend birthdays celebrated in two 

occasions; two difficult but uplifting funerals; on-on-one boy time; an after school 

milkshake date at the soda counter; Little Miss began to walk in earnest; 

a bathroom "re-do;" a first ballet recital; a book club; and the icing on the cake:

 a reunion with dear friends from high school days. That's a long friendship. 

Time went back, stood still, swirled around, reached 

into the future … as we sat and talked for hours. 

May was filled with good things.

Joining Cheryl's Gathering the Moments.

gravel roads

I simply love the sound of gravel. I'm not sure if it gives a feeling of expectation (someone is arriving) or it is a comfort feeling, but there it is. My love for it. One of my favorite things about staying at a certain friend's cabin is that it sits alongside a gravel road. There's no secret when neighbors come and go.

I thought this was unique with me (well I know one of my sister's shares the feelings) until my DIL was describing a large home one of their colleagues was building and she mentioned the work they put into making a gravel driveway. This is probably not a cheap home and they could have afforded a quieter drive way. That's when I learned I'm not alone in this love of mine.

And you?

after the show

'Tis the season for end of year recitals. We were entertained by great music and 

sweet little ballerinas bopping to the music. Some were downright 

tiny and trying hard to figure out what to do next. 

Cellphone pics while trying to hold motion-filled children in a dark

 theater are fuzzy at best. You understand.

 After the show patient siblings sprang to life and got rid of their wiggles. 

Run like the wind, they did, mesmerized by stepping "stones" and a mosaic mirror.

Joining Mosaic Monday.

Water's Scent

 Reading Elizabeth's Goudge's The Scent of Water, slowed 

me down and made my mind go back 

to the cool scent of water from a well, a stream, a garden hose, a rainstorm. . .  

It took me to my childhood on several levels, among them, the outdoors I played in 

where I explored at my leisure, and took the 

time . . . to sense the "scent of water." 

As adults I don't think we experience it all quite like when we were children.

E. Goudge is a master of description; her books are treasures. 

You hop right into the story. If you haven't tried one, I would 

recommend it. This story is about an older woman who shifts to a totally 

new home and gets to know the aunt who willed her the home,

 through reading her journals. 

There are many wonderful characters to meet.

We gathered at the home of fellow blogger, Rhondi. She and I met years 

back through blogging. Somehow we discovered that we lived just 

a couple of miles apart, and she invited me over for tea. I remember 

the feeling when I entered her house, that I had been there before. 

Rhondi's blog is fun and filled with her creativity, as is her home! 

I always learn a few new ideas when I'm there, or when I read her blog.

What a nice gathering we had around Rhondi's lovely table. This time our 

friend in Germany led our discussion via Skype and it went amazingly well.

"The scent of water, of the rain and of the dew. It was difficult to separate 

it from the grateful fragrance of the life it renewed, but it had its scent: 

the faint exhalation of its goodness . . ."

Expressions

Joining Vee's So Popular Note Card Party

with some expressions of spring and early summer.

Peseverance

When our kids are young, we make friends with their friends' parents.

Or our kids become friends with our friends' kids.

Either way, we gather often, mostly around our kids' events.

We have tons in common and so much to talk over.

And then the kids' weddings and their baby showers . . .

. . . and life takes a turn to slow down. Our paths don't cross so often.

We can go months without seeing the friends we used to see so much.

Open the door to perseverance.

That's what it takes as we get older. Intentional pursuit of old (and new) friends. 

It no longer happens naturally (unless you are on a committee together). 

And it takes work. But it's so worth it. Friends for life.

 "Piglet sidled up to Pooh from behind. "Pooh?" he whispered.

"Yes, Piglet?"

"Nothing," said Piglet, taking Pooh's hand.

"I just wanted to be sure of you."

--A.A. Milne, Winnie the Pooh

(photos are at a friend's house)

Joining Little Red House for Monday Mosaics

and now for something entirely new

 Our sweet mentor girls ("mentees") gave each of us individual gifts that showed they had 

gotten to know us. Part of that was because they were in each of our homes more than once

 over the two years and learned our styles. In my gift bag was this interesting item. At first I

 thought it was a decoration for my non-existent pony tail, or a bracelet.  

It's a little jacket for a vase. I first tried it on a mason jar as I use them so much for flowers now. 

It appears to be reversible. They knew I love denim, lace, and blue! 

I think I like it better on a real vase. It's pretty cute. 

What do you think? Have you ever seen one before?

the end of something good

The time arrived for the last gathering of our mentorship group called Merea.  It is hard to believe that two years could pass by so quickly.

For our final evening we had a meal together … heavy and not so heavy hors d'oeuvres that we older women had made. Delicious! And as always, we gave the younger women, or "girls" as we call them, copies of the recipes we used.

We also played a game where they had to guess which of us liked what thing, sort of a trivia game, or "how well do you know your mentors?" It ended up being a lot of fun mainly because we laughed so much. We mentors sang our old songs and the girls did a good job of guessing who had been to a Peter, Paul and Mary concert, etc.

We surely will miss our girls, but after a summer off, we begin another two years with a new group.

color

"Mere color, unspoiled by meaning, and unallied with definite form, 

can speak to the soul in a thousand different ways." (Oscar Wilde)

Joining Donna's "color" Photo Challenge this weekend.

book news

There are many reasons we blog and just as many types of blogs. I've noticed recently that when we at home talk about something that has happened in recent years I tend to go to the handy search engine on my blog for some help in recall. I guess over the years it has become a sort of very general diary of not all, but some of the events in our lives. I've also printed my blog and some have asked me how I did that. It's as easy (almost) as snapping your fingers. The only drawback is the cost.  But the way I pour over anything I find that past generations have written, it's my hope that future generations might get a kick out of reading about their ancestors' early 21st century lives.

And someday, if I ever slow down, I hope to sit back and enjoy a read 

(and view) on the past.  I used Blog2Print and my only advice is to save money

 by not printing a table of contents because that takes up many (costly) pages.

But there's another kind of book I want to mention and that is a blog give away I won at 

Aiken House and Gardens. I've admired Carolyn's blog and photography for quite a 

few years, so I was thrilled when my name was drawn to receive one of her new photo books.

This was called Afternoon Tea and is simply delightful. Some of the photos look familiar

 but many are new to me. It's really pure "eye candy" (as is her blog) and of course this blue 

and white page (below) is one of my favorites. If you haven't visited her blog to see 

her wonderful house and gardens, you really should.

Her blog reminds me of a magazine many of us love

 that starts with "V."  Thank you Carolyn! 

the dogs

 The dogwoods are about done with their blossom show here, 

but our new little dogwood seems a bit behind.

And we have longer to enjoy.
Joining with Mary's Monday Mosaics.

my view

 The Gardener brought back the kitchen window box 

and my view at mealtimes has improved immensely.

I sometimes wonder why I look at the garage when I eat while 

I could sit in a seat to view the yard and the "ladies" who have arrived to put on a show.

I'm usually loaded up with projects while the G. is OOT and don't take much time to eat.

For something easy I often do my version of a quick pizza: a soft tortilla layered with salsa,

 chopped spinach leaves, black olives, cottage cheese, whatever else might be in the frig, and

 topped with some grated cheese. Since the oven was already on this particular day, I baked 

it and the crispiness enhanced the flavor!

I'm enjoying a fresh bouquet of knockout roses each morning

   as they are really knocking themselves out right now!