Category Archives: home

family, Random Reflections

Never blink…you might miss something

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My second niece graduated from high school last night. It seems impossible that she is an adult already, about to head off into the future…and feeling like all of our futures may well be better because of her.

One of my favorite things through the years has been spending time with my nieces. Here are some pictures from the recent graduate’s murky past, in no particular order.

Two girls and a heart shaped birthday cake decorated with berries and five candles.
A girl in a green shirt uses a turkey baster to carefully add red water in a science experiment.
An almost three year old proud of the tower she built with duplos.
A toddler wearing a large tee shirt with Australian animal footprints with a crown made of a ring of plastic beads.
A toddler holding a Duplo car and person beside a fanciful tower she built.
A toddler and young girl with an elderly man playing with Easter eggs.
A four year old surrounded by her parents prepares to blow out the candles on the cake she helped to bake.
A young girl sitting on the shoulders of a bearded man.
A three and six year old standing on either side of a space toy set up.
A toddler licking a beater covered with chocolate cake batter.
A toddler looking through binoculars. Her older sister is seriously working on a drawing.

Lens Artists Photo Challenge: Favorite Things

family, Snapshots from a Happy Life, Uncategorized

5000 Miles Away

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Just after midnight here, at home it was about 9 am yesterday, my grandmother left this world.

I should, perhaps, feel sad. But, so far, I feel thankful. Very few people get to my age with an intact grandmother. She sent me a happy birthday email the day before she died. At almost the same time, I sent her an email with these flowers:

I should, perhaps, feel guilt, because I wasn’t there for her at the end. But, so far, I’ve been remembering happily our last few visits. Before we left, I took her youngest great-grandchild to see her. Our last visit was our regular Wednesday night: sharing a glass of wine and laughing together as we watch British sit-coms. Our good-bye ritual is for me to put each of her two dogs in her lap for some loving attention. So, she got to say goodbye to the pups, even though we didn’t know it would be their last goodbye.

Going somewhere? We will miss you.

At some point I may have different feelings, you don’t lose someone you have known for 57 years all at once, you don’t really lose them at all in some ways, and being so far away I haven’t perceived the changes in my life landscape yet. But, so far, I am not feeling regrets because I wasn’t there last night. Just happiness that I spent as much time with her as I have over the course of our lives, and it was very good time.

I am going to miss her, but, boy, am I lucky to have had her in my life.

home, Picture Galleries, Snapshots from a Happy Life

Blue Hour Cityscape

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Serendipity struck this evening. A rather nice sunset was rapidly closing down in the west, but the light was still reflected in windows of some of the tall buildings.

Early evening cityscape of Seattle as lights start to turn on.
Early evening cityscape of Seattle as the lights start to turn on.

My grandmother’s nursing home is on a hill with a lovely view of downtown Seattle. I happened to have my new tripod in the car and a few minutes between needing to be places. You can see any picture larger by clicking on it.

Posted for Lens Artists Photo Challenge: Cityscapes.