Labor Day

It was so good to see my daughter cooling off in the lake. Her son and his partner have just packed it in from boat fishing. Fish were hiding down deep in the cool water. She has always loved swimming and needed this relaxing opportunity. The first picture shows her standing by the "woodpecker tree" and the last one shows that tree still living at the lakefront. The woodpeckers have moved to destroy James and other trees up behind the cabin.

See the woodpecker tree? After several back surgeries and both hip replacements, swimming is one thing that she can do and enjoy.

A youngster and her dog were also keeping cool. Her parent was in the pontoon boat watching over her.

I am enthralled with the beauty of the poppies so bear with my fascination. I took more pictures while the sun was shining. Gotta plant these again.

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Between Showers

Rain showers, that is!  I rode about this morning. One thing I noticed is that most of the peonies have never bloomed. I think they don't like it so wet. There is a favorite white one that had buds and they are gone. In the same area is a pink one and it too, has no buds nor blooms. 

The Hollyhocks have started to open. I was a bit disappointed to see they seem to be all the same dark color. 

The only critter I saw was this one. 

My daughter had a visitor when she was taking pictures of her annual garden blooms at her home. All of the following are her images.

She cut this little bloom and I identified it for her. There are many around the lake here. It is a Spotted Bellflower.

Every year she has an unbelievable flower garden. This year some of the fencing and flowers were damaged when a black bear visited several nights when tearing down her bird feeders.  Nevertheless, here are some of this year. 

Several years ago she took some of the Sundrops from the cabin plot that her grandfather had planted. They thrive and bloom every year.

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Spring Ahead!

As I look out the windows I see a fisherman who surely is dedicated to this sport! He has been out there for many cold hours. His little blue tent is set up and he keeps on fishing, though alone as there are no others so far. 

I'm waiting to hear from a friend in FL who has had a rough day I'm sure, due to a surgery in her family. Surely it will be OK. Tomorrow I shall know the good news.

The sun is shining and, though it is cold outside, the colors of the spectrum are now sparkling on my ceiling, floors and cabinets in the kitchen area. YAY! The sun is moving back for these to sparkle and make many rainbows. The orchid is very happy and will be more so during this transitional month. 

The only "chore" I completed today is refilling the moth ball hangers in the linen closet and one of the clothing closets. 

Tomorrow is Ground Hog Day. It is also and more importantly the 38th wedding anniversary of my daughter and her husband. Through thick and thin they've stuck together and are beautiful, caring and loving people.

The Dress

Today is my mother's 108th birthday. I honor her with this post because the celebration of my parent's 50th anniversary was one she planned and organized and was very happy when it all went so well.

When the 50th anniversary party was planned, there was to be a surprise for all to see. It was something she called "The Dress" and she wrote a long story about it many years ago. I will post that next blog. Get ready for a long read there!

The year of this event was 1984. 

Now to better explain the sequence. In 1896 my mother's parents were married on August 12. Their 50th anniversary was celebrated at our home with a casual dinner in the backyard with guests on August 12, 1946.

In 1934 my parents were married on August 12. Their 50th anniversary was celebrated at a Masonic Hall near their home on August 12, 1984 with many guests invited. I don't find a photo of her wearing the dress. She once told me she did, but no photos were taken.

The surprise at the 50th Anniversary party was my youngest daughter wearing the exact unaltered dress that, at the time was then 88 years old. She was thin enough at age 27 to model it well. The dress was eventually donated to a historical society in the Budd Lake NJ area in 2005, the year of her death.

The photos were all labeled by my mother and put in a hand-crafted album made by my sister Jeanette. I treasure that album. 

My brother was the Master of Ceremonies, my sister Jeanette, made dozens of white ceramic doves as table gifts for the guests. The dove has different meanings for marriage but mostly peace, devotion and love in this story. Today I have two. One is mine, the other was my parent's. My sister Joyce, provided the cake.  Years later I was given the pretty vase that was the 50th anniversary gift at my grandparents' anniversary celebration. It held yellow roses. I have my mother's wedding ring and I can see how thin it became and the best part is that I still can read the interior inscription— Tranquility GNN & PFD 8-12-'34.

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Moving Forward

 What is a SEM murmur?

Midsystolic murmurs — also known as systolic ejection murmurs, or SEM — include the murmurs of aortic stenosis, pulmonic stenosis, hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy and atrial septal defects. 

What is a 2/6 murmur? Faint but easily audible.

Systolic Murmur Grades are based on the intensity of the murmur.

My physician noted in the checkbox for 'heart' that I have a 2/6 SEM.

Anyway, for now I've decided not to have the  removal of a cataract in my right eye, at least for a year. I'm doing OK and I'm not as angry now.

The last of the Oxhearts sits in my 12" pottery bowl and I really hate to think of cutting it!  I may save another  packet of fermented and dried seeds from this one, as it is the perfect example of the heritage variety. Isn't it beautiful? It measures 4" across and is heavy with meat, few seeds, and actually smells good. It is a feast for the eye!

My daughter is processing all the rest from her garden today and they will be made into tomato sauce. There were many, though smaller than years before, due to the drought.

There hasn't been a hummingbird at the feeder for two days so I took it down and sanitized it for storage. I miss them already.

The schools in this area have started. Now I know the summer is ending and I don't anticipate the coming of the next two seasons but will try to get through the best I can. I think the trick is to keep busy, mind and body. 

I did another photomanipulation because the shadows in my neighbor's image caught my eye.

Just call Me Happy

It's a wonderful sight to see my daughter able to get in and out of the lake much easier for her swim. 80° at noon here. Nice day. Happy me!

Took long relaxing swim! Then...