Category Archives: Family
My Pal
Portrait of Pal
(4 pictures.) Pal has been my friend for nearly nine years. We first bonded as I held him close on the car ride home. My brother and I got Pal from a breeder, but we say we rescued him from less than perfect conditions. With his blue eye, he would never have been a show dog, but we didn’t care. Turns out, Pal has had to take medicine for seizures since he was a pup. He is a trooper and just carries on his merry way. He is a sweet boy, and he loves to play, eat, and sit on your lap!
Pal is a curious basset hound and follows his nose. We have to watch to make sure that he could never accidentally wander away on a mission to follow a scent or chase a butterfly!
Pal On The Move
Pal is smart and knows a lot of commands when he is paying attention. It’s certainly easy to get his attention with food!
Sit and Shake Pal
Pal loves to be near his people. When he gazes at you with his pretty eyes, or rests his slobbery chin on your lap, you know you are loved!
Pal is a Good Boy
Pal is a good friend and part of the family!
*posted for the daily post weekly photo challenge: friend
Christmas Bounty
It is Christmas Eve and Santa must be loading up his sleigh. Santa Claus is coming to town. When I was a kid, I could easily think of something to wish for and eagerly awaited Christmas morning. I was a lucky kid and always had a bounty of presents from Santa.
It was exciting to go into the living room and see all the amazing things that Santa had left. Santa did not wrap our gifts, so it was like a visual explosion of sights , and we were thrilled as we wondered what to look at first!
“Look at this!” Look at this!” My brother and I would call out to each other and hold up our gifts for display! It was an exciting time.
I realize how very lucky I was. Lots of love filled the room.
I wish you all a Merry Christmas filled with love and joy!
Hands
Momma and Me
I immediately thought of this photo when I saw that Cee’s Fun Foto topic of the week was Hands. I treasure this photograph of my mother’s hand beneath my own.
My mother passed away last August. It’s been a little over a year since I’ve felt her touch. But I can still remember the softness of her skin and the gentle strength of her hands. I miss her and long for the comfort of holding her hand again.
Wait Right Here
Mother and Baby Downy Woodpeckers
My backyard is wildlife lively! I just saw a mother Downy Woodpecker feeding her baby!
Baby Waits
Feeding Time
Baby Holding On
This sighting is a perfect addition to my May bird series showcasing the beauty of birds. To see more bird posts and pictures, just click on the Birds header at the top of my page.
Fledgling Admiration
Baby and Poppa Bird
This little bird is new to the world and has been sticking near its parents as you will see in this four photo post! I saw the little house sparrow hop over to stand close to its father on top of this pole. They seem to be admiring each other. I never knew the male birds gave much attention to the fledglings but this one has stayed near.
The mother bird has also stayed close and I saw her feeding this baby with food from my feeder! I just wasn’t fast enough to get the picture. The baby seems to be getting its wings but still seems a little discoordinated. In fact, it landed right on its mother before fluttering up and over to the next fence grid.
Baby and Momma Bird
Here is a moment of independence for baby…but the family stayed near. I think the baby is an only child!
Baby
I saved my favorite picture for last. It isn’t as clear because I took it through the blinds and screen of my back door. This was my first sighting of the little bird and its Momma! I think it was just learning to fly…this may have been the first family flight! I was so happy when I saw them on my back porch. This candid family picture warms my heart!
Mutual Admiration
I am in awe of nature and the beauty of all my backyard birds. I am amazed at the loving care this bird family seems to display. Family ties are something I admire!
*posted for the daily post weekly photo challenge:
<a href="http://Admiration“>admiration
Window Into Time
Momma’s Window
My mother looked out of this window as a little girl, pressing her nose against the glass and daydreaming about the future. Now, I gaze up at the window as her grown daughter, imagining her past. Looking at this window, I can feel the passage of time. I can feel the weight of time moving slowly backward and then rushing forward.
I discovered that my mother lived in this old house as a child. Other people and families surely moved in and out of the house over the years, making changes. But, her window remained unchanged.
I wonder what things she saw as she looked out into her neighborhood. I wonder what things she thought about. I wonder if she had big dreams for her life. I wonder if she dreamed about getting married and the children she would have one day, imagining her life with me long before I ever existed.
She would never have imagined the hardships and physical challenges she would face in life. I hope she imagined some of the happiness and joys that her life would hold. I like to think that some of her childhood dreams came true. She loved to smile and sing and laugh. I know she loved me and my brother with all of her heart because she showed us and told us so. I believe she knew she was loved by us.
Time flies. So, grab every window of opportunity to experience the world and to spend time with the people you love!
Happy Sunday to you all!
*posted in response to the daily post prompt://Window
Time Capture
Time Capture
How to capture time: photographs
Sometimes our memories need a boost. Looking at the moments captured in our photographs can bring back a flood of memories and emotions. Photos allow us to momentarily re-live the past.
I enjoy taking pictures of nature and places and things. Looking at those photos reminds me to appreciate the beauty of the world around me. But it is looking at old photo albums, with simple snapshots, that takes me back in time and reminds me of who I really am.
me and my little brother back in the day
I’m wishing you all great times this weekend!
*posted for the daily post weekly photo challenge:
Time
Happy Thanksgiving!
Happy Thanksgiving, Friends!
Thanksgiving is such a great holiday. It is a reminder to slow down and count our blessings. I have so much to be thankful for today.
This is my first Thanksgiving without my mother. I am thankful to have had so many years to spend with her, sharing moments together, great and small, that would become precious memories. She taught me right from wrong. She made me feel special. I knew she loved me with every breath. I miss her smile and voice and tender touch. She is still with me in spirit and I am thankful.
The person that understands this the most is my brother. We share our beliefs and prayers. I trust him with all my heart. He gives great advice and lifts my spirits. We think a lot alike; although, he is a million times smarter than me! He is thoughtful and loyal and kind. He is a true friend.
I am thankful for my friendships, old and new. To be able to share laughs, tears and ideas with kindred spirits is a gift.
You may not all celebrate this holiday. Still, I wish you all a day of peace, laughter and thankfulness. And, pumpkin pie too! Happy Thanksgiving!
Apple Butter Elegy
Apple Butter
Apple Butter Elegy
My Momma would have liked it
Autumn apple butter
Apples and spices and sugar
Tart and warm and sweet
Jar still waiting to be opened
Crafted with kindness
Bursting with all the flavors of fall
My Momma would have liked it
*posted for writing 201, poetic prompt-flavor, poetic form-elegy, poetic device-enumeratio
My mother passed away just this August and I have been thinking about her and all the things
she would have liked this season. I sure do miss her!
Sweet Seventeen
Happy Birthday to Stripey Boy! He is seventeen today!
I love this sweet cat. He is cuddly and loving. The older he gets, the more he wants to sit on your lap or on your chest, resting upon your shoulder. He is gentle but loves to play. He loves to chase catnip mice. Once, he caught a real field mouse in his mouth but promptly let it go without harm. Yes, that mouse was an uninvited visitor in my house, but that’s a story for another day!
Stripey gets along with my basset hound Pal and will sit right by him on the couch. Pal wouldn’t hurt a fly and Stripey seems to know this. Still, Stripey doesn’t always appreciate being slobbered on. He is fast and can run away into rooms where Pal can’t reach him when he wants to be alone.
I have known Stripey Boy his whole life. Here is a previous post, Stripey’s Story, about how he became mine. I have always cared for him. Now that he is older, I need to put a cream medicine in his ears twice a day to help with his hyperthyroidism. And, he gets cans of wet cat food (he mostly likes the gravy) along with his dry cat food. I love giving him his favorite Friskies Party Mix treats. He deserves to be a pampered house kitty!
Extra birthday treats and hugs for Stripey today!
