The Bag Lady

I grew up in a bucolic setting. I was privileged to be surrounded by country, complete with grass, trees, forest, brooks, swamp and hills. We had stone walls separating our fields from brown dirt roads, and one of my favorite pastimes was seeking out unusual rocks. I climbed trees, went ice skating and sledding, swimming, and building dams in the brooks, and hunted vining ground plants for Christmas wreaths in the woods. I searched spring meadows for the first blooms of the season, dodged tent caterpillars hanging from huge trees, swung from haylofts on unsteady ropes, and marveled at the sun shown colors on rainbow trout. A huge oak tree provided a wooden swing where I spent a lot of time, observing Red Winged Blackbirds on the swamp cattails, or leaning back and seeing the Baltimore Orioles’ long nests above me.

Having two hundred acres to roam free letting my imagination run wild as I acted out scenes from books was such a treat. These are just a few of the many advantages I had as a child growing up in such a setting.

🧚🏻‍♀️🧚🏻‍♀️🧚🏻‍♀️

Bucolic – Word of the Day Challenge

1. If I could drive I would. In the past I have stopped and never regretted it.

2. Definitely less mannerly. It’s unbelievable sometimes, the lack of common courtesy displayed in public.

3. Nothing. I have died twice in a hospital, and nothing. No white lights, demons, or angels.

4. At a Trump rally, wearing red hats, Nazi uniforms and peaked white sheets.

Gratitude: I am grateful every day just to be alive, see the sun, nature, and family. I admit the above answers seem a bit down for my usual attitude, but sleep has evaded me for a couple of months. I hope to remedy this in the next few weeks.

I add that being here in this community is a top shelf piece of gratitude. I appreciate all of you!

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https://sparksfromacombustiblemind.com/2019/07/01/share-your-world-7-1-19/

“Talk to the Animals” sung by Bobby Darin

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https://rugby843.blog

Thank you Catherine @ https://cyranny.com/author/cyranny/ for sending me this Prompt for quotes about hope. I probably (definitely) use the word hope and forms of it too much. But what is life without it? And thanks to Rory @ https://aguycalledbloke.blog for his many efforts to engage all of us at WordPress.

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Here are my choices for today:

Three bloggers to pass this on to:

Sadje @ lifeafter50forwomen.com

Tom @ wellheregoesme.com

Sheree @ viewfromtheback.com

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Have fun!

3, 2, 1 Quote me! – Hope

Blue squares adventures with a Lensball

Fourth of July here in the US which means Friday is probably another day off making a beautiful four day weekend for most. The choo choo train set up in the park is crawled over by many a small child, envisioning themselves as railroad engineers, while in other park areas, parents are barbecuing ribs and steaks or chicken to chew on for dinner.

Lightning drove us off the park grass back into our vehicles last night for fireworks; rain and hail lasted a short while, but on the way home we saw a few new fireworks with a particularly huge one for the finale. Afterwards, ice cream stop, and home.

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The Friday Reminder and Prompt for #SoCS July 6/19

Friday night, time to dance! Two of my granddaughters danced to this while we were in a parking garage waiting for the hail storm to stop. If you don’t feel like dancing, it’s great motivation for doing chores!😂

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https://rugby843.blog

I’ve been uprooted quite a few times in my life. Each time I thought of it positively as a new adventure. Making new friends was never easy, especially moving into a well established neighborhood. Luckily we found a willing substitute grandparent on one side of us and similar aged children across the street. We lived there for twenty years until being uprooted once again.

Friday Fun – Uprooted

What’s the plan?

I’ll stand at the door waiting to go outside and you grab the bag. The distraction should last long enough. Okay?

Okay, just let me get ready. I’ll hide under the table till she comes.

The old cat twirled her way around her mistress’ legs and then approached the sliding glass door. The ingenue pup cowardly hid under the table, anticipating his chance to hop onto the chair, grab the bag of cookies, leap down and run into the next room. He had never attempted to defy his mistress but the old cat threatened him with a clawed swipe on his nose.

Mistress opened the door, then slowly slid the glass shut. Her attention only diverted long enough for the young dog to complete his mission. Hiding in the next room, waiting for the old cat to share the prize, he felt relieved he wasn’t caught.

Hearing the door opening again, he waited for the feline to join him. Instead, the old cat drew her mistress into the room to discover the guilty pup. Scolding him, mistress placed the bag on a high shelf. The pup swore he saw a smile on the old cat’s face as he was locked back inside his kennel.

https://rachelpoli.com/2019/07/05/time-to-write-sentence-starter-48/

I watched as the parade pushed by, hoping the feeling of pride seeing the flags flying would return. I waved, shook hands and thanked the veterans who walked by my edge of the festivities, hoping to capture the patriotic feelings I had as a child.

We sang songs then, raised our hand to our heart and believed, knew we were the best, the bravest, the most helpful caring nation. We had fathers and brothers and uncles who fought bravely against the rebel enemies. We had canteens and the USO and Bob Hope. We knew we were right in those feelings.

Now I see protesting, disappointed people, and some only here to see their child perform in some way. The feelings are not the same. Tiny people waving the red, white and blue that blindly follow with no idea what the flag represents. Older children wearing t-shirts emblazoned with apathetic rude monikers, knowing nothing of what the old veterans’ lives were like when they too were that young.

I felt almost ashamed of what we all had become, unable to relive the feeling of pride in my country.

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FOWC with Fandango — Rebel

Capture – Word of the Day Challenge