Spring Has Sprung!

 Spring is here, and the fruit trees are in bloom. 

 

The flowers are blooming, birds are singing, and the kitchen is full of asparagus.

Our Generation

 

They call us ”The Elderly”

We were born in the 40-50-60’s.

We grew up in the 50-60-70's.

We studied in the 60-70-80's.

We were dating in the 70-80-90's.

We got married and discovered the world in the 70-80-90's.

We venture into the 80-90’s.

We stabilize in the 2000’s.

We got wiser in the 2010’s.

And we are going firmly through and beyond 2020.

Turns out we've lived through EIGHT different decades...

TWO different centuries...

TWO different millennia...

We have gone from the telephone with an operator for long-distance calls to video calls to anywhere in the world.

We have gone from slides to YouTube, from vinyl records to online music, from handwritten letters to email and Whats App.

From live matches on the radio, to black and white TV, colour TV and then to 3D HD TV.

We went to the Video store and now we watch Netflix.

We got to know the first computers, punch cards, floppy disks and now we have gigabytes and megabytes on our smartphones.

We wore shorts throughout our childhood and then long trousers, Oxfords, flares, shell suits & blue jeans.

We dodged infantile paralysis, meningitis, polio, tuberculosis, swine flu and now COVID-19.

We rode skates, tricycles, bicycles, mopeds, petrol or diesel cars and now we drive hybrids or electric.

Yes, we've been through a lot but what a great life we've had!

They could describe us as “exennials”; people who were born in that world of the fifties, who had an analog childhood and a digital adulthood.

We've kind of “Seen-It-All”!

Our generation has literally lived through and witnessed more than any other in every dimension of life.

It is our generation that has literally adapted to “CHANGE”.

A big round of applause to all the members of a very special generation, which will be UNIQUE.

-Author unknown

Keep on keeping on!

 

 

 

Sisters

 These are fairly recent photos of the "SISTERS." I think it was for Alex's wedding. I love the Rory photo bomb in the window.

Rose Bushes

On the south side of the house we planted the yellow rose bush Jessie and her family gave us when Mom died.  It's 2 years old in this picture (2023) and is in full bloom, although it's still pretty small.

Soon after we built the house, we transplanted a shoot from the rose bush at the farm.  It's more than 100 years old and originally came from Louie's "Grandma Coke" (Anna Theama Gloede).  Then Louie's Mom Ginny and Aunt Clara each got transplants.  Now we do too.  It has grown so much and here it is 9 years later, and 9 feet tall, in full bloom.  Both this one and the yellow one smell so good!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gloede's Tavern

 These are some pictures of the bar Louie's Grampa Louie owned, along with "Grandma Coke" (nee: Anna Theama).

Here's the gas station.

Grampa Gloede playing the violin:

Here he is with Grandma Coke.

Here's Grandma and Grampa with Louie's Uncle Harvey.

And this is Louie's Dad, Harold, third from right, in the window.

Poem: The Empty Nest, by Donna Ashworth

This poem and art were on facebook, and they were touching to me: the poem because it describes how I felt and feel; and the art because it could be a picture of either of my wonderful daughters...  wild, natural, free, beautiful, and strong.

 

THE EMPTY NEST

My nest is as it should be now, empty.
Tidy, ordered, calm.
My babies have grown, beautifully, and flown.
Just the way I taught them to.
And my heart is full of pride, and love, still so full of love.
But oh there is an ache there, a throb, a pang.
I have given of myself in a way that only a mother can.
So consuming is that gift,
there is scarce room for much else to thrive.
So what now?
My empty nest feels hollow,
the echo of my own breath rings in my ears.
My worries have not flown with the fledglings,
they linger still,
but now without the comfort of a slumbering head on a pillow up-stairs
My imagination tells the tales I don't want to see,
and my spare time,
once so coveted,
is now my enemy.
My nest is as it should be now, empty.
But I will not be empty little one.
I will fly, just like you, find my new place in this story.
Play music, bring friends, make noise and laughter and fill the house with life,
so that when you come home, you see nothing to worry about here, for that will clip your
beautiful little wings.
And you will remember how nurturing your nest once was
And you will crave the feeling of it, just once in a while.
This nest will never close and nor will I let it lose its love.
Fly, my loves, fly.
Just remember the way back home.

Donna Ashworth from my new book 'LOVE'

 

Snow

 This is a beautiful picture of snow taken by my cousin Rhoda.

Eclipse of the moon shows red, because of light "leaking" around the Earth from the areas that are experiencing sunrise and sunset. Beautiful.  It was cloudy, but I could see a gap in the clouds coming, so I waited just a few minutes.  This was taken at 4:30AM.

Fall in Winona

 Here are two pictures from today on the Winona Facebook page, and they bring back such fond memories.

Kim's Website Class

I taught a workshop on Zoom about Digital Scrapbooking and Website Design to a group of 13 ADK Historians and Presidents in Hawaii.  The organizer Glendene Otake reached out to me on the ADK Connect forum.  Here we are before the meeting started while waiting for the rest of the ladies to arrive. 

Cousin Cindy Herding Cattle on Their Farm

 I love these pictures of my cousin Cindy (Christensen) Richard and her family! The caption was "Just a short move tonight."https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10229078859139914&set=pcb.10229078863100013

Mary's Sunset

 Mary took this photo at home.  It's WONDERFUL!

RAREA Bunco

 I was asked to sub for Ruth to lead our annual Bunco game at the Racine Area Retired Educators Association (RAREA).

Jolie and James and Family

 This is a wonderful photo of Jolie, James, Bradley, and Alexandra.  What a lovely background too.

Jessie and Paul and the Family

 These are some of my favorite pictures of Jessie and Paul and the children.

Louie Grew a Beard

 Louie FINALLY grew a beard, after YEARS of begging.  Here he was before.

And here are several views now, with a beard (and a couple gray hairs too.)

I Choose You

 This is how I feel.  I am so lucky.