151/365 memorial day

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memorial day

the American flag flying high at my sister's house

my heart is grateful for every person who served
the ones who gave all

thankful also that I am caught up with these photo a day posts...
randomly backdating on some posts
so I did not show that I actually posted way too much today.

memorial: the grandfathers

both

WW2 veterans

soldiers for the cross

that are finished with their fight

i did not know my mom's dad

he died when she was a young girl

his life is remembered through stories and photos

and i can only see the "earthly" resting place

so, i grew up knowing just one grandfather

we lived next door for the first 7 1/2 years of my life
and even after that...

going to church, eating together, shelling peas -

times spent together were frequent

i wish that i would have documented his childhood stories

his military days


his early married days

his life as a father, grandfather

his testimony

his memories of church services and experiences

what i do have stored in writing and in photos

are priceless treasures

this precious grandfather that I knew -

lives on in my heart

sure - he was a stern man
his demeanor and posture remind me of strict military discipline

however, he had some smiling moments too

one of my favorite memories: he told me that I looked good wearing black

he loved that wood heater

whew - he would have it hot during the winter holiday events

he also loved wearing a hat

he wore white dress socks
kept a pen and glasses case in his shirt pocket

and he loved this woman below...

he begged her to stay with him
but she knew it was her time to go

when his sweetheart departed in may 2003,

life changed quickly

they found cancer

he went through treatment

stayed in assisted living for a time

that last summer of 2004, he was at home some

i stayed with him a few days out of every week

an outspoken, opinionated man no longer lived there

he withdrew into silence a lot - his life literally wasting away

those were sad days

this was our last Christmas with him - Dec 2004

he had changed dramatically in the past few years

see how he looked below:

he looked about the same from the 90s to about 2003

his hair stayed about the same color

his weight stayed about the same

we were told early in 2005 that we had limited time

i remember seeing him in the hospital with tubes and attachments

a strong man turned to frail

before he had a procedure in may -
we spent some time with Papa at our house
may 9th 2005
the last photos i took with my papa -


father and son
i love the smile on his face

3 generations - father, son, grandson

with me and my sisters

with my sisters' children

we did not know that would mark the last days spent at home

he left the hospital and went to a hospice house around the end of may
(i think that was the order?)

he seemed okay

but only a few days later - i received an early morning call...

my mom said that they thought he was gone

may 31, 2005

just 2 years and 3 days after his wife's death

too soon, too much

i wrote tributes for each

and stumbled my way through the reading at their funerals

this makes me cry

draped in an American flag

silence marks his entry

into a church that rang with his voice

singing, praising, shouting the victory

TAPS rang out the

haunting melody

another soldier laid to rest

ahh - life goes on

but memories linger dear

my papa is loved - missed

150/365 food bank

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food bank

this building's function has changed over the years -
once the fellowship hall, then the parsonage, now the food bank.

149/365 table settings

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table settings

Connie and her catering company helped to make the class reunion special -
pretty table settings and fabulous food.

148/365 good mail

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good mail

147/365 blown away

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blown away

an evening to stay at home (5/27), very much needed.
time is just blowing away - too fast.

146/365 orange lily

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orange lily

another flower that I love...the color helps too! ;)

145/365 cupcakes

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cupcake tower

celebrating for Nathan...

class of 1970

my daddy

around 40 years ago -

and as a little boy

two photos that I scanned for a special event

a 40th class reunion

tonight i took photos there 

and now i have quite a few to edit

from the pretty location

to the focus of the evening...this group:

BHS Class of 1970

7 years - sad memories

around 2 am on May 28, 2003

my grandmother (or "Granny" as I called her) slipped away

i can't hardly type the words without crying

the memories are still painful

last year i wrote about the feelings

this year i am posting some photos, mostly "heritage" photos

i need to scan more photos

because my digital photos begin in 2004

but i still have quite a few...

this is my pretty grandmother - i think in the early 1940s

(history does repeat - the flowers are back in...)

- the early years of marriage maybe?

through the years

she loved pretty clothes - and I think she showed some style :)

love the white gloves above

and what about this shawl below -

i like it.

a family showing good posture

she loved animals

white suit and the white Cadillac...

priceless photo

probably dressed to go to church here:

they are buried here at Pages Chapel

and it is almost painful to go here

because the funerals often overshadow

the happy memories like the one below:

"if" I ever get married -

just thinking about her makes me sad

I will not be able to take a photo like this...

ahhh - depressing thoughts

on a lighter note -

when I see her hair

i think of the middle bedroom in their house

Rave hair "spray"

and a netted/mesh scarf she used to smooth her hair

and for memories sake, i have some of her scarves too

i will also always cherish the Christmas photos

remembering wrapping gifts

pulling down the decorations from the attic

putting up the tree

this is probably one of the last Christmas seasons we had with her

i couldn't get those white lights to coordinate blinking...

these 50th anniversary photos (in 1995) remind me of good times

but they also remind me of my last earthly view of my grandmother.

she was laid to rest wearing this purple dress

typing that made the tears start again...

i miss her

so much