A rainy day here in East Tennessee

This morning it is raining here in my little town of Newport.  It's in the 40's here and as I make my bed this am I am looking out in the backyard at a flock of robins and black cowbirds taking advantage of the rainy weather bringing worms up to the surface for them to snack on.  I am having some maudlin thoughts about birds today and remembering a day in 2013.  It was May - Springtime - or it should have been springtime.  this year we had a bad winter storm on May 2nd and 5th.  I remember the day before watching the birds flitting from tree to tree in the snow and seeking cover in the pine trees bordering my home in Hudson WI.  then overnight the temps plummeted and the snow prevailed.  The birds that had been happy the day before were flying from tree to tree to seek shelter from this storm and the ground was littered with dead birds that had not survived the night.  I was horrified by the scene but didn't realize how affected I was by this horror.  So here it is 5 years since that I awoke to that horrible scene and still remember clearly the sadness I felt for those birds.  It seems so abhorrent to me to mix the scene of the Robins and Cow Birds this am with that picture.  and that winter and the following one in 2014 is what led to my decision to move to a warmer climate.  Now I enjoy the birds knowing that they are happy and save and will not be frozen by severe weather, at least here in this warmer climate.  Yes, I am aware that God cares for each bird and sees every one that has fallen but the memory of that morning in May of 2013 stays with me.  Sorry for such a sad tale but I had to write it down and share.   

Memories - Are Made of This!

Look what I got in today's Mail - a Notice for 2017 Holiday Show In New Prague MN.  What Memories I have going there with my dear friend Phyllis.  and her daughter Bunny.  She enjoyed shopping the boutiques, especially around the holidays.  what pleasant memories.  I do miss her very much.  You see Phyllis passed away this past July from Cancer.  So these memories are bittersweet.  We always did have fun driving around to the different boutiques, shops, and sales throughout the year.

My friends Phyllis, Gayle, and Bert & myself
at my daughter's wedding Ju;u 4th 2015

This year has been a sad one for me because of losing my friends to Cancer. 

   Cancer seems to be all around me.  In 2015 my Brother Bobby died from lung cancer and yesterday my daughter-in-law's Mother Bonnie Passed away from Cancer.  My Neighbor Pat is recovering from cancer treatment - it has been a rough year for her and her husband.  We need to irradicate this blight on our loved ones.  

Thoughts of Home - Memories of Moments in my Childhood

The Tappan Zee Bridge on Tarrytown NY 

Above is the Tappan Zee Bridge in Tarrytown NY a 3 mile span across the Hudson River.  Construction was started in March of 1952 and opened in December of 1955, 60 years ago.  It is a busy bridge and when 1st built it was the Longest span at that time.  I remember Opening day well - I was 13 years old at that time. What a celebration! We lived on Taxter Road in Elmsford just about 3 miles from the Bridge.  Mom, Dad, my Brothers and I all attended.  We walked to the Center of the Bridge and looked out over the Hudson.  It was exciting to look down to the water below, what a beautiful sight the shores on both sides were.  Today they are constructing a New Tappan Zee Bridge just North of the Old Bridge to be completed the end of 2018.  Of course it will be wider and Grander than the Old bridge with 4 lanes each way. Perhaps I could be present for the opening of the new bridge... Full circle... It should be a grand and glorious day... but the old bridge will still have my heart and I will remember it fondly...  

 In 2013 My youngest daughter Elizabeth and I visited my brothers in NY and we took a trip to my old homestead on Taxter Road and Traveled over the Old Tappan Zee Bridge.  Of course the landscape was very much changed and almost unrecognizable.
 Here are some pictures of the area on taxter road that I lived at... Our neighbors old mailbox is seen strapped by a metal band to the tree of the driveway that connected our house to the house on the hill above. 

 The next picture shows where our old well used to be.  Now reclaimed by the woods that surrounded the area leaving only the surrounding rocks recognizable by me.  

 The trodden down pathway was the driveway leadng to the house, overgrown with grass, sticks, underbrush and young trees were open driveway where a house and a garage stood.













This part of the property was circled by the driveway.  I remember the large rock barley seen now were I used to love to lay on to read as a young girl.  Dad had his vegetable garden here and later after I married my husband built a train track around the perimeter were my youngest child of 2 would ride it.  

Wow! Memories - it's amazing what time and nature will do to reclaim itself.   

It's that Merry Time of Year Again!

Merry Christmas Everyone!

The holiday season is upon us and I want to share some of the special memories I have of  years gone by as I hang the decorations upon my Christmas Tree this year.

My newest Ornament. my daughter Elizabeth sent it to me for my 1st Christmas in Tennessee so I could remember what a REAL winter looks like. LOL like I could ever forget. I love it! it has a opening in the back that I can put a light thru. I choose a blue light and I think it does it justice. — @ My New home in East Tennessee

This little Santa hat is an Ornament a  made by my son Raymond Jr. when he was in kindergarten. It originally topped a baby food jar that had Santa's face painted on it. The Jar broke long ago but the hat has survived. I have replaced the white cotton on the hat over the years and it looks that it needs to be replaced again.

This is one of my oldest Ornaments. A filigree Star that was purchased in the early 1960's at Gimbles in downtown NYC were my husband and I bought our 1st Artificial Tree there. It was in a set of 3 or more, the star, a box, and elongated Ornament that has lost half of itself.. ( you can see it by the Santa Hat in the Picture above.)

This Angel was given to me as a gift for mother's day from my daughter Nancy, Over the years her hands broke off and I did keep them but they seem to get misplaced, (one day I do plan to glue them back on the angel but I haven't found them yet!) Eventually the Angel became an ornament on my Christmas tree.

The Ballerina was bought in Minnesota at the Minneapolis Theater when I took the kids to see the "Nutcracker Ballet", the Blown Glass Ornament I bought at the Glass Factory downtown Hudson WI the Christmas after I had moved there and the White Angel is another of my older Ornaments from the Gimbles Era.  I love seeing these on my tree.  

the Royal Dalton Ceramic Santa I bought at an outlet mall in Florida when I spent a week there with my friend Deb in 2010  It is one of 3 Ornaments I have that matches my China

Earl gave me this Carved Santa with Toys the year he moved back up to Minnesota from Iowa.  I reminds me of my father who loved this time of year and spent his retirement playing Santa at Playtogs in Middletown NY and for the Mall in St Paul MN when he moved there to live with us... 

Happy Thanksgiving!

Golden Trees and Firey hedges on my drive along 25/70  Dandridge TN Nov 2014

Happy Thanksgiving to all my Family & Friends, May your day be blessed with love and warmth and may your home be surrounded by the enticing aromas of the season. To all of you who are traveling may the Angels be with you and keep you safe in your travels.

I smell the aroma of Pumpkin Pie being made in my kitchen, how about yours. You all are in my Heart, Thoughts and Prayers as we go thru this Blessed Holiday Season 

Memories of  a Snowy Winter Morn in Wisconsin - a familiar drive from N Hudson Wisconsin toward  downtown Hudson on 35South/6th St.

Today I will spend Thanksgiving with my New Friends and Neighbors Here in Newport TN.  I am thankful for this beautiful area of the country I now call home.  Even tho I am far from my family geographically I am close in my Love for them all.  The weather her right now is 42 degrees with the promise of being in the 50's tomorrow.  The sun set early last night on a golden world of almost de-leafed trees.  The Autumn here has been lovely and very pleasant, with the countryside displaying hues of golden to soft orange leaves to bright and beautiful bushes with brilliant red leaves & the warm browns of the grasses that grow in the fields.  The mountains continue thier colorful display.  

The three trees standing in my front yard have slowly turned from green to a muted purple and the Birds that are at my feeders are the Cardinals and the songbirds.  I enjoy the brilliant red feathers of the Male Cardinals.  Occasionally a flock of blackbirds will come thru lighting en-mase on my front lawn to pick at it, flitting back and forth to my neighbors yard and mine. 

I received a package from my youngest girl with a card and an ornament to remind me of what the Holiday Season looks like back in Wisconsin & Minnesota with the snow softly surrounding the landscape and on the rooftops.  

   

- Love to all - MOMO

Wow I can't Belive It!

It's been almost 4 weeks since my last post, and 4 weeks since my computer guru cleaned up my computer.  He brought my computer home yesterday.  It is so nice to have my "Purple Passion Flower" computer back home.  Yesterday I found my programs and this morning I found my pictures  Yeah!  Memories! Here are a few to TBT (through back Thursday).

Chicken N Dumplins at Nan's 2008

Barbque at Beth's House 

Christmas cookie baking at Grandmas