30 Day Photo Challenge, Day 28 ~ Books

I am really enjoying the first book in a new fiction trilogy by Dr. Dobson and Kurt Bruner:  Fatherless, Childless, and Godless.  The first book takes place 30 years in the future, when America's population growth has declined to the point where it is nearly impossible for those working to financially support those who are not.  This has created a cultural climate in which "pre-screening" for healthy pregnancies is routine (basically selective abortion), and where suicide has been institutionalized and couched in terms of compassion and dignity.  The premise is actually rather depressing, yet I am finding this first book to be a fascinating and even hopeful glimpse into a possible future for our country if we continue down the path we are currently on.  The characters are well developed and are interwoven with each other in some really unique ways.  I can't wait to finish this first book so I can move on to the second!

30 Day Photo Challenge, Day 27 ~ Close up

Little Man and I on his birthday *minute* last December, 5:27 a.m.!!

30 Day Photo Challenge, Day 26 ~ On a Shelf

Okay, so technically this is not a shelf, just the top of a bookcase.  But I love this little bookcase!  It fits the wall space perfectly, and I love how the black pops against the red wall.  On the top are mostly cousin pics.  The frames are all from the dollar store, so not exactly designer, but an inexpensive reminder of fun family times together.

30 Day Photo Challenge, Day 25 ~ Your Workspace

I wish I could say this first picture is when the kitchen is particularly messy, but it usually looks like this!  Our kitchen just never closes.... no matter how hard I work.

And here is my other workspace... when it's not cluttered and I am able to work uninterrupted, it is one of my happy places.

30 Day Photo Challenge, Day 24 ~ Love

About six weeks ago my 95 year old father in law had a stroke.  It was not life threatening, but it was life altering, rendering him incapable of swallowing or speaking.  He has had dementia for the past several years, and his two remaining pleasures in life were eating and the ability to joke around with people.  It just seemed plain cruel that these two pleasures were taken from him.

Last week he and my mother in law celebrated 58 years of marriage.  We set up a little "party" (without cake and ice cream!) in a room at the nursing home where my f-i-l now lives.  All available local relatives came.  We wore party hats and played kazoos and sang to them.

Like relationships can be, theirs has been a mixture of good and bad.  Honestly I have not always found a lot in their marriage that I wanted to emulate.  But you have to be doing something right to make it 58 years.  My m-i-l is watching the deterioration of her beloved happen before her very eyes, and she is doing it with incredible courage.  For all the things that have looked, from the outside, to be "less than", what it boils down to is love.

She loves him.

He loves her.

He cannot speak to her, comfort her, laugh with her, or advise her.  She gets nothing from him in this current state except the pleasure of being in his company, him whom she has loved for nearly 60 years.  She comes to the nursing home every day and sits with him for several hours.  Talks with him.  Does crossword puzzles out loud.  Watches TV and talks about it.  Chats up all the nurses and nurse aides.  She is working out her marriage vows.  She is loving him "in sickness" and "for worse."

In this very difficult, final stage of their marriage, I am finding quite a lot that I want to emulate.

30 Day Photo Challenge, Day 23 ~ In Your Fridge

30 Day Photo Challenge, Day 22 ~ Sun glare

Really????

Is this a joke????


Actually we are beginning to see snippets of sun here and there now, so the long winter may finally be coming to an end!  Little Man is squinting in this picture, so I am guessing there was a bit of sun somewhere.

30 Day Photo Challenge, Day 21 ~ Words

30 Day Photo Challenge, Day 20 ~ Guilty Pleasure

I have set up our DVR to not only record this every Monday, but every time a re-run is on.  Through this means I have watched *almost* every episode of every season, and have now hooked my daughter H on this show too!  :)  Love it! 

30 Day Photo Challenge, Day 19 ~ Something you bought

Purchased yesterday, and watched last night!  Enjoyed by the whole fam!

30 Day Photo Challenge, Day 18 ~ Color

30 Day Photo Challenge, Day 17 ~ Childhood Reminder

I have a small photo album of my grandparents' 45th wedding anniversary celebration.  My grandpa had heart disease, and we celebrated their 45th pretty big because we weren't sure he'd live to see his 50th.  He didn't.  Even though this was in 1975 (I think) and the styles were pretty far out, looking through the album brings back such great memories of my childhood.  Vacations with the cousins, Sunday dinners at grandma and grandpa's house, the Barbie furniture grandpa made and the Barbie clothes grandma made.  Three of the people in this picture are in heaven now.  A fourth one, my uncle, met my single aunt, married, ranched happily for many years, and died, all after this picture was taken.

These are some of my people.  I love them.  I'm thankful we celebrated my grandparents' marriage while my grandpa was still alive to experience it.  I'm thankful I enjoyed such a close relationship with them.  I'm thankful I have this album, and I'm so thankful for each and every person pictured in it.

(I am the one on the far right with glasses and the barrette in my curly brown hair.  I was around 12.  And I loved that dress!)

30 Day Photo Challenge, Day 16 ~ Random

I keep a small chalkboard on the back of our downstairs bathroom toilet because Truth matters.  I try to put reminders of the truth everywhere, especially in places that are high traffic areas and where I have a captive audience. ;)

Every once in a while I change the verse or saying on the chalkboard.  This is what it currently says.

30 Day Photo Challenge, Day 15 ~ Sweet

When my two piano players sit down (or stand!) and play because they want to.... THAT is sweet!

30 Day Photo Challenge, Day 14 - Want

30 Day Photo Challenge, Day 13 - You with 13 Things

Me with 13 articles of clothing to give away!

30 Day Photo Challenge, Day 12 - In Your Closet

 Hmmm, not sure why anyone would want to see this, but okay, I'll play along!  My standard "two sliding door" closet....

And my husband's "two doors open out side by side" closet.  I actually love his closet.  It holds all his folded clothes as well, and I get the right side for my dresses.  So I guess it's really "ours"!

30 Day Photo Challenge, Day 11 - Artwork

These are two framed pieces by daughter G.  They were hubby's and my Christmas gifts year before last.  They hang in the kitchen where I can see them all the time.  Love them!

Daughter G's latest piece, just finished in art class.

And the peacock she painted for daughter H's Christmas gift a few months ago.

This horse was drawn by Little Man!  (I know, right?!)  He learned how to draw horses in his drawing class at co-op.

And these next three are by son L, who is taking a cartooning class at co-op.  This first one was an assignment to design a comic book cover.

(this last one inspired by our neighbor, who religiously chases down every single leaf on his green, manicured lawn!)

30 Day Photo Challenge, Day 10 - Hands

These pics are a little blurry because I had to zoom in so much to take them, but these are four generations of hands... my grandma's, my mom's, mine, and my daughter G's, when she was four months old.  I love how each hand tells a story.  Hands have always been fascinating to me, and these hands in particular are just so dear.  My Grandma's hand, obviously old, worn by years of use... and daughter G's hand, so obviously young, with her cute baby fat making pudgy lines, still learning to grasp, with years of use yet ahead.  Mine and my mom's hands somewhere in the middle between those two extremes!

These are the faces behind the hands.  It was the only time my Grandma and daughter G were able to meet face to face on this earth, and it brings back a flood of happy memories.

30 Day Photo Challenge, Day 9 - Something You Made

About two or three times a year I go to a "stamp camp" and make 20 home made cards.  I love being able to send homemade cards to people!  This lovely tin that I keep my cards in was made for me by my sister Gayle, so that is something SHE made!  But the cards inside.... I made. :)