Sunday, September 26, 2010

IN A BLAZE OF GLORY

Golden yellow . . . burnt orange . . . flaming red . . . the fall of the year is literally a feast for the eyes as trees turn from various shades of green to all those bright hues that beckon us to the mountains, the woods, or even our own backyards.

My family lived in Virginia near the Blue Ridge Parkway for eleven years. Every October, we made our annual trek to the Parkway to view the glorious foliage, and we were never disappointed. Along with the stunning colors, we were delighted with the nip in the air, apple harvests, picnics beside mountain streams, and walks along wooded trails. We often collected those bright leaves to make collages, tangible reminders throughout the year of God’s color palette and His striking creativity in nature’s shapes, sizes, and hues.

When we were children, I remember all of us joyfully jumping into piles of raked leaves; now, I do not recall why that was so much fun! As adults, I suppose we often think only of the work it takes to get those leaves into piles and removed from our yards. Back then, the fall season was exhilarating—it represented the start of school, frosty mornings, clear sunshine, the anticipation of wonderful holidays to come, and especially the anticipation of snow.

Still my favorite time of the year, fall always evokes fond memories, but also creates new ones. My husband of nearly forty years, then my fiancé, returned home safely in the fall of 1970 from a tour in Vietnam. We were married in December of that year. Every fall generates a happy recollection of that memory as we look forward to celebrating another wedding anniversary together. Today, with our children and grandchildren, our family enjoys celebrating birthdays and other anniversaries together in the fall as well. And, even after all these years, I still see young children today having a great deal of fun jumping into piles of leaves!

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

PUNS FOR EDUCATED MINDS

I didn't write these, but a friend sent them to me recently.  Enjoy!

1) The fattest knight at King Arthur's round table was Sir Cumference.  He acquired his size from too much pi.

2) I thought I saw an eye doctor on an Alaskan island, but it turned out to be an optical Aleutian.

3) She was only a whiskey maker, but he loved her still.

4) A rubber band pistol was confiscated from algebra class because it was a weapon of math disruption.

5) No matter how much you push the envelope, it will still be stationery.

6) A dog gave birth to puppies near the road and was cited for littering.

7) A grenade thrown into a kitchen in France would result in Linoleum Blownapart.

8) Two silk worms had a race.  They ended up in a tie.

9) A hole has been found in the nudist camp wall.  The police are looking into it.

10) Time flies like an arrow.  Fruit flies like a banana.

Saturday, September 11, 2010

MUSINGS ON 9/11

Recently, I've been watching and listening to all the rhetoric about that infamous act of terrorism upon America nine years ago. For those of us who are old enough, we all remember where we were and what we were doing at that moment, much like the dark days of President John F. Kennedy's assassination.

 I've seen hurt, anger, and pain all over again, along with statements ranging across the spectrum.  Today, we hear about burning Korans and arguing about where a mosque should be built, but these are not going to change any hearts.  Book burnings have never accomplished whatever they were meant to do.  The insensitivity to the families of the 9/11 victims will not be changed by argument and protest, either. 

Saturday, September 4, 2010

GRANDCHILDREN, A.K.A. HAMS AND PRINCESSES

Our three grandchildren "hamming it up"
Their mom was poised to snap this picture when the baby yawned--so she told the girls to yawn, too!  This picture will be priceless when they are in high school (heh, heh).

"Smiley" - our grandson at 6 months
To all grandparents out there:  aren't grandchildren an extra special blessing from God?  I know ours certainly are.  I can't believe how silly I can be, just to get a smile from the baby!  He's become a great mimic, so he and I enjoy making faces at each other.  Others in the family also join in the fun, doing whatever it takes to hear that baby chuckle coming from him.  To me,  a baby's laughter is one of my favorite things to hear.


And the granddaughters love to dress up in their princess dresses (oh, they have several in their princess box, complete with tiaras and scepters).  They often ask me to "announce their arrival at the ball" in my best British accent (which isn't very good, by the way).

As they come through the parted curtains from the foyer, I announce:  "Ladies and gentlemen, may I present Miss____, wearing a lovely blue gown of silk, enhanced with a white fur wrap. As she removes the cape to reveal her gown, it features an overskirt of shirred chiffon and flower accents.  With the puffed sleeves trimmed with lace and chiffon, the jeweled bodice with a sweetheart neckline, she now curtsies before you, turning around slowly; please note the matching shoes featuring tiny slender heels and with bows at the vamp . . . " 


After the third time or so, the "announcer" usually begs off!  Such is life in a day with the grandchildren.  What a blessing they are to us.

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