Holding the little ones

Holding onto little ones, whether they want it or not.

First my youngest granddaughter being held by her mom, Michell and my son Russ, while unhappy Kate was teething. 

One of my favorite photos of my family when Russ had just been born, with his older brother Marty on my lap, and their father, Doug behind me.

Michelle holding her niece, Aby, and her daughter, Audrey...an armful of cousins!

My grandson William being held by Marty, all grown up!

Sharing with Sepia Saturday this week! - though a bit late to the show!

Around the world's waters

 
This last week my sons and their wives have been near the water: but which one?

The Gulf of Mexico (or nearby swimming pool) for a new home for Barbara, Marty and Bev (sister to Barb).

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The Mediterranean Sea near Sardinia, Italy

Russ and Michelle's 25th anniversary trip

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Tai and Kendra's vacation out west

Rogue River rafting in Oregon

Kendra in blue hat, Tai in grey in front of her.

The Pacific Ocean at California

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If you want to make peace with your enemy, you have to work with your enemy. Then he becomes your partner. 

-Nelson Mandela, activist, South African president, Nobel laureate (1918-2013)

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Sharing with Skywatch Friday. (for first photo)

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Sharing with Sepia Saturday where some other folks are floating on some other waters!

Our host, Alan Burnett, says this:

I decided that for October we should have a general theme of "Going Places" but looking at my choice of theme image for this week - the last Sepia Saturday in September - it looks as though we have already started on our journey. Of course, you don't have to be going places - perhaps you are just sat in a boat going up and down on the waves and feeling slightly sea-sick. Equally, you don't have to stick to the theme - this is Sepia Saturday where anything goes as long as it is old and photographic. Whatever your contribution might be, contribute it on or around Saturday 27th September 2025 and add a link...

For breathing

 

Thankful Thursday. Last week I woke and didn't take the time to open windows for the usual couple of hours before the heat of the day directed me to close them. My kitchen windowsill's fairy and violets had to stay inside as I drove to Asheville for an early pulmonologist visit.

Not many people there that early, and I went right in to meet a nurse practitioner who's on my doctor's team. I liked Amanda Pattanayak a lot, very personable and knowledgeable. I gave yet another sample of mucous to test whether we've finally cleared out the bacteria that were bothering my lungs. Will have to wait to hear results from lab, which will be shared by email.

The old building has a pretty planted area out front. Did I mention that at least 10 miles of my drive on I-40 were through a lifting fog? Fortunately it was not on the roads, but just about 20 feet above our heads. It looked pretty eerie as a cloud all along the valleys.

A beautiful hydrangea bush outside the office.

Today's quote:

An old photo or 2:

My oldest son, Marty when visiting his maternal grandparents in St. Louis, as we moved from Texas to Connecticut.

And three plus years later, my mother holds Russ in our house in Connecticut. By then my parents had moved to Massachusetts. Marty, now wearing a red shirt and showing off his baby blue eyes, looks skeptical. And my husband, Doug shows an ear and his prowess with another camera which I captured with mine.

And happy birth anniversary to Amelia Earhart!

Monday musings

 

The geranium is finally blooming again!

My youngest granddaughter standing in the middle here!

Yes, the Powell OH gals won state championship again for Lacrosse! I'm guessing Kate is on far right on second row. She's now a high school graduate. She'll be going to OSU in the fall.

Kate is 3rd from left end.

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Bronchial_anatomy_with_description Alveolar septa (AS). I love this diagram of the functioning parts of a lung...just wish I knew what the other initials mean.

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1,000-foot rainbow flag created by Gilbert Baker that traveled through the WorldPride Parade in Washington, D.C.

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I'm so proud of my three sons,  who are now men who've achieved so much, shown such sweet love to their spouses and my grandchildren, and are the gentle-men that I would most hope them to be.

My two oldest sons were on top of this pyramid. The two women are Carolyn, my ex's sister, then Sally, wife of my ex's brother Rick.  Men on the bottom are Norm (Carolyn's husband) then my ex (Doug with beard and sunglasses) and then his brother (Rick).

I just saw this for the first time, which Doug had included in his ancestry book about his family. Right after the divorce, he had lots of outings with the boys with his family visiting...he would have them with him every other weekend, and we'd trade off the holidays. But after I moved away, he would have the boys for some entire vacations. It wasn't ideal.

Sponged glaze on vase, showing better color, and fake flowers!

Detail of glaze...a kind of greenish brown.

Beards and a birthday

 

Bearded Iris "Grape Expectations." from the internet

Each of these dots is a galaxy! No reason to post, but I just liked it!

All three of my sons have beards. Today is the birthday of Marty, my oldest.

For Russ,' (his next younger brother's) wedding 25 years ago (I know - WHAT!!) Marty was the only one with a furry chin.

Marty at a few weeks old! I've always been told babies can't really smile at that age, but I'll take this one any day of the week!

A few years later, we enjoyed a nice dinner in St. Petersburg FL.

Marty really likes to use good knives...here he's working on a piece of beef.

And a couple of years ago I visited Marty and his wife, Barbara, for Christmas. Here they receive the pottery I made. Now I don't have it in my house, and who knows where they might stash it (or smash it!) But it's their problem now.

I am not sending any more pottery to my relatives - they've all said as much!

25 years later, Russ has his own white whiskers, here pictured with his lovely wife Michelle and oldest daughter, Audrey.

Here's youngest son, Tai, with his wife, Kendra. Not dated. 

Marty's son, William, seems to have joined the bearded relations, here pictured with his mother, Cinnamon.

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I hope Marty has a very happy birthday. Sending lots of love his way!

Today's quote:

“If I create from the heart, nearly everything works; if from the head, almost nothing.” - Marc Chagall And some Chagall art: Woman and Bird,Marc Chagall on ceramic tile, 1951 ------- "It's the birthday of author Ian Fleming, born in London in 1908. His family enjoyed wealth and social standing; his father Valentine was a Member of Parliament and when he died in World War I, Winston Churchill wrote his obituary. All doors were open to young Ian, and he worked as a foreign journalist, a banker, a stockbroker, a high-ranking officer and assistant to the director of British naval intelligence, and foreign manager of London's Sunday Times before he took up the career, and the character, that would make him famous. Casino Royale (1953) was the first of his many "James Bond" novels, which featured the playboy spy — code name "007" — and a host of fast cars, nifty gadgets, and hot women."(Writer's Almanac 2014) Fleming died Aug 12, 1964, when my son Marty was 2-1/2 months old. It wasn't for many years before he (Marty) saw the 007 movies, but his mom and dad enjoyed them as soon as they came out. So glad none of my sons became spies!

Then and now

 I love honey, and have tremendous gratitude for the bees' work.

From the internet

My apartment has a huge built-in shelf...here my youngest son is opening a gift when he visited a few years ago. I have about 3 times that much pottery on several other shelves, as well as tubs of it wrapped up and stored.

Senior prom for my youngest granddaughter...in the red. I don't know why the girls always are with friends in all their photos. 

Another of my sons thinks he can make funny faces when he takes a selfie.

My granddaughter who's studying a semester in Berlin Germany

And my oldest son, who's birthday is this month. He was apparently dressed for a special occasion. 

My grandson and his girlfriend who just bought their first house together! So proud of them!!

Arrival in Plymouth Rock, September 1620

Somebody in our family tree might have been on the Mayflower.  But just look at how few were alive by Thanksgiving 1621! I do wonder how they made it through that first Massachusetts winter!

And closer to home, I did talk with my friend who I'd been feeling bad toward (hurt, angry) and our talk brought us to a place of understanding where each of us had come from, so we're going forward as we are. Neither of us can approach the friendship much differently, so it's going to continue limping along.

And I had the annual physical with my doctor, with no big changes. Still a bit of wheezing in my lungs, and he thinks many of the changes I've experienced lately are due to the strong course of antibiotics. Will check in with him again in 4 weeks. At least all the blood work numbers were within normal range.

Thanks NASA and 2024 post on FaceBook from Arcan SerifogluNASA'S James Webb Space Telescope - JWST

The Largest Structure In The Universe! This gigantic supercluster is the largest known structure in the universe, it consists of 830 separate galaxies which are inside of 4 connected galaxy clusters. The supercluster is known as the “BOSS”, the entire structure stretches approximately 1 billion light years across,

Credits: NASA, ESA, ESO, Images by Science Photo Library.

A yellow tea set with blue interiors - the woman who bought it said it reminded her of Giverny France, where Monet's kitchen was in these colors.

Today's quote:

Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others.

Marcus Tullius Cicero