Life , Death and Forgiveness

Time at the cemetery is always calming to me.  I also come away many times 
learning something about life...

I came across a young woman who needed help finding the headstone of her father.
She was mad at him so she did not go to his funeral...her guilt is something that she
will now carry with her forever...


I was surprised at how many processions happened during the time I spent at the cemetery.
 (I believe I counted 6 during my time there.)


I stopped and offered to take a family photo of the whole family at the cemetery. The 
pure look of appreciation in the Mother's eyes said it all. I also made sure I visited a few 
other important headstones.
A few photos can mean so much to another person-
.


You can find beauty even when death surrounds you...




So my "Life Lessons" I learned (or remembered) yesterday:

• It is important to realize that the small things can mean so much to someone else...
• Learn to Forgive before it is too late...
• Slow down and look at life around you...It can be quite calming.

Fly Through Visit

I usually try to spend some time at the "Vic Fazio Yolo Wildlife Area" but I really could not spend the time that I would like to so here is a "fly-by" of what I rushed  through to see-


. . . .

It Was a Berry Good Day!

Today I had a few moments to see how the Cedar Waxwings party on Super-Bowl Sunday.

I now know a side benefit to having pyracantha bushes in the yard. I hope to have a bit more time this next week so I  can sit quietly and be patient in order to take better photographs.

Broken Things

Have you ever wondered how to fix broken things?
Some things can be fixed...like a broken necklace or a broken window...

...but how do you repair a broken brain or a broken relationship or a broken heart?

My only answer is to Pray to God...Amen

Happy Birthday Memories

I feel blessed today because it is a special day for birthdays.

My Mom was born on this day 86 years ago and my local granddaughter shares the same birth date - but only 81 years later.

 

I know Mom is looking down and smiling upon you on this special day, "Miss G"!

Happy Birthday from your Blogging Grandma!

One of My Birthday Gems...

Today was not like any other birthday in the recent years...today we found a couple local gems - and almost every woman loves gems!
 Here is the story of my first gem...

The other night I saw that it is Sacramento Brew Week with a wide variety of sampling venues. The founder/brewer that was interviewed was Dave Mathis of American River Brewing Company . He talked about the local company and their beers. I was more intrigued when I found out they are just a few miles from where I am so I decided a trip to their tasting room was in order.
We made the short trip to the brewery and tasting room only to find that their tasting room hours are Wednesday through Friday afternoons.
I did check the door and found Dave Mathis inside. He was very gracious -especially when I let him know it was my birthday and that I worked on his normal tasting room hours. 
 
My husband and I were both surprised at how good each of the sampled micro-brews tasted...from the AU Golden Ale to the Coloma Brown and the unshown Watusi! You can find a description of each beer here. 

Thank You Dave for helping make my birthday a little more special than it already was!

The Simple Beauty of Nature

This past Thanksgiving Day I was lucky enough to spend some time enjoying the beauty that God and Mother Nature has given us.  

I want to share a small portion of that beauty with you. I hope you enjoy it half as much as I did...

Corkscrew of the Outdoor Type

It isn't every day that one gets a chance to just watch a corkscrew and enjoy it...

The Dragonflies of Mather

I had the chance to snap a few photos today of some Dragonflies out around the Mather Lake Recreation area.  I did not take the time to take more...but it isn't because they weren't there because I could not walk too far without seeing another dragonfly.

Here are a few of my favorites from August 16...
....and here is a slide show...

An Addition Lesson...

Here is a math question for you...


What do you get when you add this

plus this plus this...

  The answer is...

Exploring the New Garden...

The local grand-daughter spent the day recently with me in the midst of creating the new garden. I did capture a few photos so I thought I would share...
Here she is enjoying the pool and the birds......and let's not forget the "girl made" wind-chime tunes... ... or capturing the "weed-bunnies" ...playing in the dirt... ...and just being simply cute!

Mom's New Garden

My Mom loved to garden and have flowers and trees surrounding her. I would like to share some photos of Mom's newest garden setting on this special anniversary.

..The Year That Was...

...Many of you know that I lost my Mom this past year. I have put a few of the photos that I posted into a short  slideshow with captions. Some of the pictures capture what I saw at Mom's  and a few at the end show how the things continue to live through me...


(You will need to advance the slideshow on your own on this one. I did this so you could read the captions.)

Mom, You are thought of everyday through these. I think of you and Dad daily...

...Some of Life's Treasures....

....some of life's treasures are...
...grandchildren...




...cousins....


...siblings...


...I am not sure how much better it can get!

Play Time at the Park

Today was another day at the park...but with a twist!
Today my Granddaughter met some new playground friends. She  enjoyed taking turns...
...and they were kind enough to share some bread to feed the wildlife....


...along with teaching her to be quiet when you are at the water near fishing poles....

...It was a great day indeed!