Thank You

Many are celebrating this Memorial Day weekend with family and friends.  I hope that sometime during this day time was taken to think about and thank those that have served our wonderful country and given the ultimate sacrifice.  I know I'm so grateful to those in my family and friends of ours who have served and thankfully returned home.  It's the heroes left on the battlefields in all the wars that we celebrate and honor today.   The cemeteries have been decorated and I will stop this week and see the area where many Civil War soldiers are buried in Ashland. A generous donor paid to have it cleaned up and refurbished.   Jack and I went downtown this morning for the annual parade.   Small towns all around us were also having parades...wish I could have seen them all!  Here's just a few snippets from our town.

The downtown area has been going through a revitalization and the past few years the flowers have been donated to make the streets really pretty. I love this year's selection! 

People were starting to line up to watch the parade.

Amazingly an announcement was made to remind folks to remove their hats and put their hands over their hearts when the flag passes.  I can't believe people don't know that!  There was even a sign preceding the parade....Hats Off!

Two war veterans meeting for the first time.  Our friend Greg (on the left) fought in Vietnam, and our new friend (we think his name is Ben...sorry if I've messed that up!) fought in Korea.  Thanks so much guys!

Our son Phil is the manager of the Safetlite store in Mansfield and he decorated one of the vans and joined the parade this morning.  Good job Phil!

Our Granddaughter Addy and her sister Lexi helped pass out goodies on the parade route for Safelite.  Lex was on the other side of the street so I couldn't get her pic.  They had a good time!

After the parade it was time to head home and do some outdoor stuff.   The deck is ready and waiting for some visitors!

Jack was up early this morning and planted a new apple tree. 

Never heard of this kind so we'll just have to wait a few years to try it out!

We've got some on the other tree!  It's been about 3 years since we planted this Jonagold and I'm looking forward to a little crop.

I'm going to end with a pic of my peony bushes.  2 are fairly large with a smaller one that hopefully will grow like the others.  We always had peonies when I was growing up and they always bloomed around Memorial day.    I planted these to remind me of home and the end of this month that kicks off the beginning of the Summer season.   Hope your weekend was special  and that we never forget those that we honor on this day.

How It's Done Now

Family...the word means many things doesn't it?  Family in the old days meant Mom and Dad and kiddos...or maybe just a "you and me".   In the here and now the word "family" encompasses many aspects of living as a "unit".   Single parents, gay parents, grandparents raising grandchildren, adoptive parents, friends that gather for dinner on a regular basis....however you want to use the word family it's OK because in the end the real meaning is "LOVE".   Last week our Granddaughter, Summer, called and asked it she could celebrate her birthday at the Pines.  She said it would be her and her boyfriend, her Dad and Evelyn, her Mom and Brian, (her Mom's boyfriend), her other Grandparents, and her siblings.  Of course I said yes and we discussed the menu and who would bring what for the party.  Later she called and asked if it would be OK if her Great-Grandparents could come too.  You bet!  Unfortunately, they weren't able to make it. Shout outs went to the uncles also.   I always hoped my kids would not have to go through a divorce.  But life happens.  Change is part of that and today we all gathered to celebrate a birthday of  one of the sweetest young ladies around.  Summer has the perfect name because she's always happy, full of life, and brings sunshine every time she walks into a room.  It was a lovely afternoon full of all the good things about family life.  I can look back on my life and like most people know I've made mistakes along the way.  But looking at the happy faces of family gathered to celebrate together, it's proof that many good things happened along the way too.

She was crowned princess for the day with her constant companion "Happy"!

19yrs young!  Her other Grandma made the wonderful cake!

We hope all her wished come true.

All the chairs were filled with family and friends.

Summer, her sister, Driana, and her other Grandma, Kay.

All her sibs and Happy.

PawPaw and Driana...love this pic!

Chubbs was there enjoying all the attention from Phil and Jack.

We love you sweetie!

Happy Mother's Day

Before this day is over I'd like to wish every Mom out there a Happy Mother's Day. Maybe your Momma isn't with you anymore.  I hope you have wonderful memories to think back on.  I would like to tell my Mom how much I love her and how thankful I am for her and all she's done for me in my life.  She's the best in the world!  I know you're thinking that your Mom is the best and you'd be right!  That's how I wish everyone could feel about their Mom today.  I also need to say how much I loved my Mother-in-law.  Jack's Mom and I were good buddies and partner's in crime...the lawful kind!  We shopped and gardened and laughed over many escapades in that Volkswagen Van! She was a Southern lady who like nothing better than to sit and "yak" with you about all kinds of subjects.  I miss her as I know Jack does, especially on this special day.   My day started out early with a call to do a c-section.  I wasn't thrilled to be there at 7am but after seeing the Mom, Dad and baby I thought that perhaps this was what Mother's Day is about and I remembered that I had a Mother's day kiddo too!  Our next patient was an elderly lady who fell while talking with her son on the phone and broke her hip.  I know she wasn't crazy about being in the hospital today either!  So I'm grateful I came home and had a beautiful weather day with Jack and 3 of my sons.  I just got done talking with my son who lives in Oregon and I sure do miss him!  Happy Mother's Day to my Daughters in-law, Amy and Evelyn..you guys are awesome! Here are some of the Mom's I love:

Me and Mommo 43 years ago this year! She made my wedding dress..she's so talented! My Granddaughter Summer wants to wear it when she marries one day.  That would be so cool!

Mom today...Wednesday she'll be 91!

Jack's folks,..Mom loved her dogs!  We miss you.

My Daughter-in-law Amy!

My Daughter-in-law Evelyn (with her daughter Megan)  Happy Mother's Day everyone!

Spring? Fall?

The other day I was walking the yard trying to find something to photograph.  The sun was setting and I clicked this pic of the trees with the sun on them...they look so fallish!

It's Spring however and I'm not ready to think about pumpkins and leaves falling just yet. Even though the weather wants to mimic October. The other morning as I walked to the hospital the temps were in the 30's, frost on the ground, and the wind was blowing through the trees sounding just like a Fall day.  So I quickly snapped a bit of my blooming Azalea to remind me it's May.

I love the red and green against the white house.  This lovely blooming plant doesn't last very long so I guess that's why it gives it's all when it does bloom.  As I was walking up toward the Creepy Woods I felt like someone was watching me.  I looked between the pine trees and saw I was being spied upon by my new neighbors...

I haven't formally met them yet, but I think they are adorable! They can spy on me any time as long as I can spy back with my camera! Hi fellas!  To end this post I'll give 2 shout-outs.  The first to my wonderful son Phil who celebrated his birthday yesterday.  He asked if I would make some lasagna for his bday dinner.  Followed by chocolate cake and icecream it was a winner!

He had a little help blowing out all those candles. He can't believe he's 37.  How does he think I feel??!! I can't believe it either!  Happy birthday Pip!  My final shout-out goes to all the nurses I work with...Happy Nurses Week! You all are the best of the best! If you know a nurse, give her or him a big hug and a bigger thanks.  Also, Happy Hospital Week.  Feel free to hug a hospital if you want but be sure to stay out of one if you can!

Homeward Bound

When we travel back to visit family in Chicago I always say "I'm going home".  Maybe because my dear Mom is still with us and perhaps because my sister, Midge, is still living in the area.   Or maybe it's because they live in the house we grew up in.  However, I've lived in Ohio for 40yrs and I was 23 when we left Illinois, so I've lived and grown older here more than "home".  My other siblings all live elsewhere....Wisconsin, Georgia, Florida...but I wonder if they say they are homeward bound when they come to visit?  I guess I'll just have to ask them! The saying goes,  home is where the heart is.  In that case it's anywhere family is gathered.   Jack and I "gathered" with family this weekend to visit Mom and see how she was doing after her hospital stay last week.  Thankfully, prayers were answered and she didn't have to have the pacemaker.  It's still a possibility, but for now it's a wait and see game and she did really well while we were there. She is very happy to be home!

Mom and Jack sitting and chilling out before we had to head out for a small family gathering for a special occasion for my Great-Nephew, Andrew.

Chubbs was with us and he makes himself home anywhere...especially if he can have a matching couch to sleep on!

Andrew, here with his Dad Bill, made his First Communion on Saturday.  It was a lovely ceremony and I'm glad we could be there to share the day with him.  We also went for another reason.  We bought a car/minivan from Bill.  Our Impala is 16yrs old and although it does get me from point A to point B (usually work and the grocery store!), it's not really reliable for long distances so when Bill decided to change up his vehicles, we bought his van.  It will be an adjustment going from a sedan to a van again, but we can now take Grandkiddos or load it up with "stuff" if  we   (I) want too.  Win win, right!?  We drove it home with me at the wheel since Jack still doesn't have vision good enough for that long haul.  It drove great and except for the lead foot take off that threw ol' Chubbs off his pillow,  I didn't get us killed or anything!  Whew!  So it was good to go home and see everyone and it's always sad to say that dang "goodbye".  But it's also good to be home here and get back to our routine.  The flowering treesat the Pines are still looking good.

Great year for Dogwoods!  So even though it's a bit chilly this week, I'm glad the sun is out today and everyone is good and I hope no matter where you call home, it's a wonderful day!