Liz & Jerrad's Wedding, Cape Neddick, Maine - September 5, 2010

A picture perfect day!

Exchanging promises under God's  great blue canopy.

Even threats of Hurricane Earl could not stop this beautiful wedding. 

To have and to hold from this day forward....

August 21, 2010 - Cornish (New Hampshire) Fair

Don't you just love a country fair!

Antique tractors and tractor pulls.

Oxen pulls, horse pulls, chain saw cutting, log rolling, pole climbing.

4H shows, wool spinning, pig races.

Ferris wheels, cotton candy,  farm fresh ice cream (which believe it or not I don't like because it always tastes the way the barn smells to me!), barbecued chicken and seeing old schoolmates.  What a day!

For the past 60+ years my little home town has held an annual fair just before the start of the new school year.  It was the last hurrah, the last  long days of  summer vacations, that we as children celebrated before having to settle back into the routine of school and homework. 

July 31, 2020 - My Mother's Bowl

End-of-life preparations are being made for my mother.  She is in a residential rehab facility now, still strong of will and spirit, but unable physically to take care of herself.  It's a little scary to see her like this as it was she who held the family together with her fierce pride and determination.  We just didn't know it then.

My brother Grant and his daughters cleaned out her apartment for the last time, trying to decide what goes to Goodwill, what to keep, what to pass on.  What to sell.  I suppose it will be like that for all of us one of these days, but I don't want to think about that, yet.

This bowl was given to my mother by her aunt, shortly after she married my father and immigrated to this country, so it's well over 50 years old, older than I, smiles.  It has ridges like corduroy and a rice paddle.  She used it to make Japanese pickles, the occasional sushi, but mostly it was safely tucked away on some high shelf where no harm could come to it; it was one of the few pieces of "home" that she owned. 

Mother was surprised that I remembered the bowl, even more surprised that it was something that I wanted.  The bowl has many meanings; it is a symbol of life, service, submissiveness and selflessness, but for both of us, it also means home.

July 18, 2010 - Barnstead NH Homecoming Day

We went to visit Earl's sister, Susan, and her significant other, Lloyd this past weekend, to see Lloyd participate in the Barnstead, NH Homecoming Day celebration.  Barnstead NH is a small New England town of less than 4,000 residents. They celebrated their Homecoming Day with a parade.

The Shriners Marching Drum Corps.  Our friend Lloyd volunteered to be a "puller" on this hot and humid July day.

The mini Corvettes are associated with the Shriners.  These cars are no longer being made.

From mini-Corvettes to monster trucks, grins.

And antique vintage rides and service vehicles old and new.

The new replaces the old.

A green fire truck?  Yes!  You can't see it clearly in the photo, but behind the driver's side door, there's wording that says, "It's not easy being green."

There is kind of a sad pride in me as I see these young boys dressed as historical patriot soldiers.  So much had been given and sacrificed so that we may be where we are today, celebrating Homecoming Day.

And today, so much is still being given and sacrified by our young men and women so that we may have continue to enjoy Coming Home for all our days.

June 13, 2010

 

Mitter loves to sit in our plastic bath tub "ice bucket".