Grandpa's Place....in Bloom

Mom's been traipsing around Grandpa's place taking photos. She sent me a cd full of spectacular photos. I can't remember the last time I saw this many blooms there, especially after Grandma became too sick to care for all her flowers that grew in abundance by the house.







It has taken me a few days to view the pictures. My computer has not been cooperative in loading her cd and tonight's the first time I've viewed all of them. Some of the pictures really brought back memories of the times I and my siblings and cousins were running all over the place; from one pond to another; from the saw mill to the barn; from the house to the shop.







Looking at the pictures of the ponds reminded me of a time several of us were fishing in the pond by the barn and we kept catching snapping turtles instead of fish. I remember a huge one my cousin Chester caught and I wouldn't go near it!







The photos with the old barn in the background reminded me of following Grandma down to the barn and chatting with her while she milked the cow. She'd call the cow and the cow would go straight to the stantion and I'd pour her grain. Grandma would take her one legged stool off the wall and balance on that and prop her forehead against the cow and could always get more milk than I ever could! The cats would all come running and she'd squirt the milk straigt into each of their mouths before going back to filling her milk pail. I always hated the cows and the milking but loved to watch Grandma or Mom do it and loved talking to them when they did.







It's my hope that when Grandpa is gone, whoever next inhabits his land will carry with them as many memories as we all have from there.

I'll have to ask Mom, but I'm almost positive this photo was taken on the highway she and Grandpa live on, just about a half mile up the road from his place.

To me, this photo perfectly reflects both Grandma and Grandpa.

Fabulous photos, Mom! Thanks for sharing and for allowing me to share with everyone else!

Grandma's Peach Blossoms

Mom's been at it again. My mom can be found out taking photos even more often than me. All the heavy rains in southern Missouri and northern Arkansas recently have kept her from taking photos of the places she'd like to photograph. This weekend found her wondering Grandpa's property enjoying the blooms on all the fruit trees he and Grandma planted over the years. She emailed me 2 of the peach blossom photos she took and I called her and told her how fabulous I think they are. She told me with all the rains everything's finally blooming.

Grandma's Peach Blossoms:

When Mom told me these were taken from Grandma's peach trees, memories of my Grandma surfaced anew. I don't know which peach tree Mom photographed for these, but the peach tree that comes to my mind is the one that could be seen from the window beside Grandma's chair. If the boys had been naughty, she'd threaten them if they didn't behave they'd be cutting their own switch from that tree and she'd give them some "peach tree tea." That always got their attention but I don't recall a single time anyone ever had to cut a switch and bring it to Grandma. I'm sure the boys can remember occasions they did that though!

My grandma died several years ago, but when I was growing up she referred to me as "Grandma's Girl." I loved spending time with her as a child and would spend as much time at her house as my own, if not more. She lived half a mile from our house out in the country and my siblings and I were often found running up and down the highway between the houses. Our dog didn't even know whether he lived at her house or ours.

Her Molasses Cookies were the best. We'd spend hours playing game after game of Rummy. There was usually a puzzle in progress on one of the tables in her kitchen and she'd let me help her find some of the pieces. Before she became unable to work in her garden, we'd spend much time outside weeding her vegetables in the garden behind the house.

When I was a preteen Grandma gave me her hope chest that was over 100 years old and began collecting items to put in it for me. I still have some of my great grandmother's plates she and mom put in it for me, as well as one of Grandma Dolly's tea cups.

Grandma always had quilts in progress and often a quilt rack hung from the living room ceiling or the kitchen ceiling. When she could no longer sew, I asked for one of her last quilt tops to save for Heather and although it's never been made into a quilt, I will keep it so Heather has something from my Grandma.

I am so thankful to have grown up living so close to so many relatives, especially my grandparents. When Nana came to visit last weekend and we were out taking so many photos of flowers, we were thinking of Grandma. Grandma loved her flowers and always had so many blooming everywhere that she tended with such care. Nana and I both decided that our love of photographing flowers must come from Grandma's love of growing them. Neither of us can grow anything and all our plants and flowers die. We'll just stick to photographing them and enjoy that Mom can do both! She photographs them very well....but she can grow them too! Thanks Mom for sharing!!!!