PRISMS AND POLKA DOTS

The July 4th holiday is in the rear view mirror, along with the other springtime calendar celebrations of Valentine's Day, Easter, Mother's Day, Father's Day and Memorial Day.  The old saying is that once the 4th is over, we're on our way to autumn and its amazing changes.

This Monday past we were invited to Cuddy's house for a freshly baked blackberry cobbler topped with scoops of vanilla ice cream.  This followed pina coladas for us girls and more traditional drinks for the guys.  The blackberries had been hand-picked, and in my estimation, that's as though Our Lord handed them to us.  Truly, an impromptu invitation that made one's soul feel well cared for.  Of course, little Cuddy was a main feature.  Actually, today he's getting a hair cut at his favorite spa, which will make him more comfy.  I get a kick out of watching Cuddy show us how he loves his daddy.  I took a couple of pictures of the flower bed in front of their home........

Iowa Cyclone Colors

I've been away from my blog for a few days.  The two of us chose to stay home over the Fourth.  The boyfriend fixed bbq ribs and mashed potatoes for our supper.  We reminisced about our patio parties of the past.  One nice thing about life is that we can take our memories with us when we move to another place.  

I've been doing my usual arm-chair traveling, mostly in the mountainous regions of Iran where the nomadic people live totally off the grid.  It's fascinating how they incorporate a sense of style in their cave-like lives.  They cover the desert ground with the most beautiful rugs and blankets.  The women's dresses are made of beautiful and sometimes flashy fabrics.  One thing that strikes me most is how creative these nomadic people are.  They fashion their necessities out of stone and the earth.  They have access to transportation and go into town to buy food, toys for their children, and their clothing.  They load up and take a goat or sheep to market and then use the money to buy their stuff.  

Last Friday we took pizzas up to a G-clan get-together.  It's almost impossible to get families together anymore, so we take our turn to entertain by furnishing pizzas and taking them in their direction.  The old-fashioned family gatherings are being replaced with summer sporting events.  It's just one more way our generation is fading away.  

The other day I was watching something on YT and a guy about our age made the remark:  "I'm learning to let go of those that are letting go of me."  Yowza, that was a masterful way of putting my feelings into words and perspective.  More and more I'm feeling more like a *footnote than part of the story.

We did get a bit over an inch of rain, for which we're very grateful.  The sound of thunder and lightning in the sky was most welcome.  Hearing thunder always makes me think of life when I was a little girl.  We lived in a 3-story old stone house.  On stormy days, we'd put blankets over chairs, then crawl inside our tents.  Never felt safer than back then, and those feelings I will take with me to the end.  

The boyfriend is running errands.  I chose to stay home.  Am working on my July newsletter article, which requires quiet time.  The day is overcast, and it's nice to sip my cuppa and maybe zip off to some far-away land and see what life is like there.  Recently I was asked if we still like to travel, to which I replied that our traveling days are over.  But, when I think about it, I'm traveling to different parts of the world every day.  It costs me nada, and I don't place myself in places of possible harm.  My mode of travel is my therapy!