Monday, January 20, 2014

Ho Hum

What to write? Do you ever lack something to say? I rarely do. Here are some photos while I think on it.
 I took this photo of Julia in Iowa, probably in 2000. What a doll! She was my last baby, and I enjoyed every moment.
 Speaking of old photos, this is from college, our Madrigal group. We practiced hard all fall semester and sang at huge Madrigal Dinners in December. Our school's dining room was designed as an old Medieval-type hall. The wealthy folks on the mountain came, and the event always sold out early. I loved every moment of the singing, and the dinner was always romantic. I do believe I was infatuated with some fellow singer each year - haha! I'm in the middle, with the fur collar.
Oh, why not one more blast-from-the-past? These girls are my cousin Tammy and I. I traveled to Texas for a family wedding, and we posed in the parking lot. I see how slim we were, now young and happy -- big smiles, our lives stretched ahead of us, yet even at that point we were grown women, not mere girls, both of us about 24 or 25. Goodness, the years, heart-aches, and joys that have passed since them. She and I both have lived enough for many women's lifetimes.
 Shadows and reflections
 Winter strips and reveals.
 I didn't know we had a forsythia bush in our new yard until I noticed these twin tiny blooms the other day.
 I love forsythia! I'm glad we have one, although I do wish it weren't pruned. I'll have to let it "go" while we live here.
In this bush also is a spent nest. I wonder ... will the birds come back to these nests and rebuild?
It's difficult living in temporary housing. We have a two-year lease. Do I plant shrubs? Bulbs? The yard is pretty bare, with little privacy. It doesn't encourage one to sit outside and enjoy the birds. Adam plans to bring his bee hives here in the spring. I told friends that I love the idea of having chickens, but certainly not here; I don't think the owners would like that! I have friends who are always augmenting and beautifying their yards. I can't claim to be much of a gardener, but I do like the freedom to dream and occasionally do something about a dream for my yard. Old nests. I think I have too many of them in my life.

7 comments:

Angela said...

I love your photos! One of the places we lived during a difficult time of unemployment was a tiny house that a church in Bristol, TN kept for missionaries. None were using it at the time so they let us live there for a little under two years. It had no yard to speak of except for one apple tree in the backyard. In the spring it bloomed and it was so beautiful it hurt:) Enjoy the forsythia -- it is God's gift to you for this place. And at least get a few pots and enjoy planting annuals. Flowers will make you feel better (I say while I have two pots full of dead flowers out front right now:)

melissa said...

These are wonderful! And, of course, it's a treat to see my BIL, Scott, right behind you. :)

Pom Pom said...

I love the concept of nests. I'd like to knit one. Julia was such a cutie pie baby!

FlowerLady Lorraine said...

You can grow a lot of things in containers, even get some tall things for a bit of privacy.

Those old photos are great. We are not the same people as we were way back when.

Have a great week ~ FlowerLady

Sarah said...

My freshman year I was a wench for Madrigals! I watched my brand-new-boyfriend-who-is-now-my-husband take another girl to which he had committed earlier to the dinner!! Funny!

Leslie said...

Oh, your little girly is so cute. Sigh. Days gone by are bittersweet. I picked you out of the crowd before you telling us! You are a pretty lady!

Kezzie said...

You were in a madrigal society??? That is so cool!! I love singing madrigals! "Fair Phyliss I saw sitting all alone, leading her flocks near to the mountainside"!

Julia was a cutie! Lovely seeing young you too! X