Fond of Our Country's Symbol...

Flag Day today...

Some Red, White & Blue spirit for everyone....

I keep the flag raised in front of my home most of the time. Are you someone that lowers their flag each evening? I know that is protocol - but, I just don't.
EXCEPT !...... skid to a halt... apparently I do sometimes take Old Glory down - she's not seen flying in the photo below. Possibly because the flag holder is just out of the shot on the left side of photo, at the corner of the house.

 

 

 

 

 

May your flag unfurl in the soft gentle breeze of summer. Enjoy the weekend. Experience all that the flag epitomizes - FREEDOM, and the American way.


A beach - with Red striped umbrellas sounds a good way to go!!

A little music (under the flag) at a festival for some weekend downtime??




Or, maybe a backyard gathering with some friends...

Whatever you may do - feel blessed to be able to make that choice!

Got Statues??

Like garden statuary much? Apparently I have a fixation! While out in my back-forty (hhaa), tending to the massively overgrown garden, I took notice in all of the pieces of various statuary that are artfully gracing my yard. Seems I've got a cement art gallery going on back there! Wanna see?...

wait!... there's more ~

and finally....

looks like some foofing of the bacopa is needed !  ^  a little fertilizing, maybe?


Thus you have my garden gallery! There are a few more pieces a bit worse for wear, in bits 'n pieces strewn about. I really should part with some of those!

Fourth (and not last) In a Series on Celebrating 25 Years...

I left off from the tale of Anniversary mega-celebrations with a photo of a monstrous building {click} and will continue {if you are inclined to read more) from this photo that you've already
seen ~

I was presented with an unpurchaseable statement of love. Hubby had, for months, been compiling memories, thoughts and scribble-drawings of highlights during our years together - some married years and some before that. That is the final page of the booklet in his hands. On his bucket list two items were checked off - marrying me, and staying so for 25 years. The third item on the list was for us to check-off that very evening. We were staying overnight at the Ritz Carlton Half Moon Bay!!

Every square foot of this resort oozes luxury. The surprise was beyond comprehension, as this is very unlike us to stay in spendy places! No detail was left out. The room was littered with rose petals. The bed had towels shaped into swan hearts. We were greeted with "Happy Anniversary" wishes.

25 in petals

I laughed til I cried, and I cried - til I laughed. My chuckling at the drawings in the booklet had both of us gasping. A memorable place to sit and read this gift - ensconced in a dramatically large Adirondack chair, on a sunlit afternoon on the Ritz patio overlooking the grand Pacific. Perfection!

We had a private patio, and our own fire pit. We opted to stay on the patio all through the evening - who could waste a moment of that view? Dinner was a picnic here, with champagne to toast US!
The sky was blue... and as much a surprise as the gift, as Half Moon Bay is notoriously foggy! Sunset was meant just for our celebration!

A quick 24 hours we had, but you can't very well leave the beach without a walk in the morning!

Time for us to head home and for me to get up to the hill.. on the property with the goats, 'cause it was nearly the big day for Goat Hill Fair. Lots of work to be done. I've been busy as a bee...

Believe it, or not, the Anniversary stories are yet to be complete!! there's more to come.....

Never

Can you imagine having to ask someone  ~  will you forget me? Probably one of the worst thoughts I can conjure. To believe that my life and the place I've made for myself in this universe will no longer have meaning to someone - meaning enough, anyway, that you are thought of and remembered.

Yes, my friend, this is written with you in mind. I know that you come to my place here on this page and read my thoughts from time to time. Circumstances leave you with only periodic abilities to check on my musings. But, I do know that you will sometime again....

She has asked me this thought ~ "will you forget me?" in question form and in statement. With a quivering voice and a hard to miss pleading she has also stated that she will be forgotten; lost to the years of not belonging. It makes me quiver - a repulsive thought, that I'd rather strangle.


If only I could send you bouquets of fluffy white each week. You would see that you are thought of in the beauty of my garden. Where would I send them? Where would that address be that your body & soul should reside in comfort and peace for more than weeks at a time? Never ending uprooting - that is how I see your last four years. Your soul cannot possibly light as your body has put restrictions upon it and each time your spirit breathes a sigh... "ahhh , I am home and resting in wellness".. then your traitor of a body flings the next unforgivable act at you.

If words could do as a gift of remembrance.. then that is what I do here, albeit only very few times have I spoken about your suffering. Instead my words come by way of a telephone line - but your rootlessness can put stumbling blocks on this also. The numbers for you have collected on scraps of paper strewn near my computer, near to the telie, even written in erasable pencil unto our address book. Many numbers that often go unanswered when phoned.

Surely in your mind, that group of vibrant, loving, raucous, delightful women that you've shared the highlights of your life with - have moved on. You would be mistaken to think such! Continuing on with life is far different from leaving the past behind never to be thought about, or spoken of again. The extremeness of your life and health of your body has changed many things - it has NOT, and will never make anyone FORGET about you.

Third in A Series of The 25th Celebrate-athon !

Steep Ravine still fresh in our minds... and still aching on our backs (problem with new air mattress while camping).. little over a week after our first Anniversary celebration - the REAL wedding date came. Twenty-Five years after May 14, 1988 ~

We played- who has the best surprise anniversary plan? It is my opinion that Hubby won that game! He outdid himself! I was surprised in every way!

An itinerary was given me a week in advance. He knows me well - I had to be sure of what clothing to pack! Hubby has been writing in a makeshift journal - giving me daily stick-figure drawings and funny thoughts, quips and anecdotes. And  always a message of love. In the volley back and forth of love notes, we each offered clues to how we'd be celebrating. Not one of those could match the true thoughtfulness of his surprise plan.

Let me begin with the first timeline clue.... Hubby writes to me: "Light breakfast at home, leave the house by ten o'clock, and be in Half Moon Bay for lobster rolls at lunch!"  No problem - Dollface, you had me at lobster!!  :-)

remember... I mentioned glorious food and champagne for days...

Booklet next read:  "walk on the beach".... so, we strolled hand-in-hand along the sand...
How is it that poem, or rhyme goes??... too late to figure it out....  Anyway, we marked off the 2nd clue from the itinerary booklet.....

Next time I'll give you the BIG HURRAH!! Biggest, kindest, most out-of-character gift, EVER!!
Here's a clue though:

I'm About to Make You Sick...

Sick with envy, maybe. SICK AND TIRED of hearing about the 25th wedding anniversary - most certainly!! As I said yesterday, this has been one full-on month of celebration. In fact, maybe I'm even feeling sick... hhaaaa - NO, really! - physically a little queasy-tummied from all of the food and champagne we've consumed! LORDY!


A sunny day in early May. We loaded up nearly everything we own to camp at our serene-place, that tiny facade of a cabin - that is truly nothing more than a rustic shelter. A place beyond compare. I reserved this spot months in advance of our Anniversary - because of our history with it, and it's spot in our hearts. We slept soundly with ocean waves rocking the cliffs that the cabin sits upon and the cooing of swallows nesting in the eaves just above our heads.

Some days we ventured out to celebrate with meals in other of our favorite haunts. Again winding down Highway 1 to Nick's Cove.... happy to revisit the boat house sitting at the end of a long dock.

The table nearest to the edge, closest to the sunset and directly atop Tomales Bay. Have you ever experienced crabby mac-'n-cheese? It's a gotta-do, one day! Put that on your bucket list!

Mostly, you're on your own out on this dock. We order by phone in the little boat shack, and then go pick-up at the restaurant way down the dock. Brought along our own bottle of bubbly, and tablecloth, and then I became our waitress...

Our celebrations have centered around one main theme.. well I guess two themes, #1 is Silver Anniversary, and #2 is beach!!

Our heavenly, much adored spot was a perfect few days away... and a good place to begin the marking of the big 25 Anniversary celebration.  Are any of you sick of it yet? Hope not... there's plenty more to share!!

Here's What You Need to Know.. (about the last post)

Cliffhanger?... is that what I went and did when I typed out JUST JOEY, two weeks ago and then didn't return to the scene of the crime until tonight? Really sorry ! Here's the story behind that May 13th poem story.  (click may13 to read story)

On May 14th Hubby & I reached a lifetime milestone and began a month long celebration of our 25th wedding anniversary. To appropriately mark our day.. well, there just wasn't a gift that felt right. Hubby isn't much for material things. His wedding ring has sat in my jewelry box for most of the 25 years, so jewelry is on the never-buy list! Both he & I had surprises and trips planned, reserved and ordered. The one gift I could give would be something from the heart - thus, I wrote that poetry-like Just Joey item.

Next question, please...   "Excuse me, what was the idea behind Just Joey?"... oh, yes - that...

To my mind, something that we've considered to be the cornerstone of our life and happiness is this cottage home we live in. The move here, to this family-built house, happened just at the start of our married life. I regard this as my sanctuary. I feel safe and protected under this roof. The garden I've planted, and attempt to maintain, is of utmost importance to me. Hubby is enamored of all the serenity and pleasure that comes from these four walls, also.  Upon the lucky find of a perfectly perfumed and luscious yellow-peach rose - named: JUST JOEY, I knew she suited the 25th anniversary gift to a tee.

I painted burlap fabric silver (silver anniversary) and swathed the rose bush in a silvery bundle. White tulle for a bow, and propped her in our vintage wheelbarrow. Set out in front of our house just in time for Hubby to drive-up from work.

The 25 year Rosa is now planted and placed in the backyard garden. With love, nurturing and a home that provides shelter... may JUST JOEY grow & thrive for the next twenty five years, and more!

******

If I get the chance to play catch-up on blog posting...  do I have Anniversary stories to tell!