A Place of Reflections

Thinking Dandelions ~ I was just thinking about Dandelions this weekend, I even took this picture over the weekend, with a 'maybe' on if  I'd work up a Dandelions blog post. "Direct synchronicity" hit this morning... @WISCTV_News3  (Madison, Wisconsin television station)  twitter feed had a story indicating Dandelions will be abundant this season:   Dandelions More Numerous This Spring . I love to think. Sometimes my brain simply will not cooperate as I would like it to. This weekend's Dandelions 'think festival' was actually fairly brief. 1.  I've always loved the bright yellow color of blooming Dandelions. Such a happy color and easy to see. 2.  It took time for my fingers to 'catch on' when I was a child to make those Dandelion chains and Dandelion crowns.  My Auntie who grew the Shasta Daisies surely did not offer the precious dedication of raising them flowers up as to allow...

Subtitled:  How My Alleged Panties Flashing Brings Some Healing to The Disconnects  "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose" ~  Romans 8:28   School ~ Learning in school was not hard for me. Reading far in advance of my age level was not hard for me. Sitting still all day long in school was very hard for me. I think I was 'in motion' since I was born. I loved recess at school and I put every fiber of my being into it. The other girls didn't do the 'monkey bars' or even half of what playground equipment was offered. I did all the playground equipment. Of course, my family's penchant for cleanliness and washing up, meant I had to wash my hands and face, get the dust off my socks, sometimes wash the playground dirt and dust from my legs in the girl's bathroom and make it back to my classroom seat on time. It was worth it. I did not have a hard ti...

Subtitled: The Prelude to How My Alleged Panties Flashing Helped to Heal The Disconnects  Me, see "The Picture Story" at end of blog  "We hold these truths to be self-evident...."  ~  The "Preamble" the the United States Declaration of Independence.  As a little girl, "truth and truths" were not always self-evident. The only thing self-evident were the consequences if you did not tell the truth (or were thought not to be telling the truth) and sometimes the consequences when you did tell the truth.  TWO TRUTHS ~   The two truths that became evident about me and my life that have stood the test of time are 1.  "Smart as a whip, dumb as a rock all at the same time." (I tweeted this to a friend the other week.) 2.  "Catalyst" as in no matter who or what, anytime I was around, things were bound to happen. Busy ~  Auntie E2 was a complete busy body and I mean that in the kindest, most loving way. She g...

Image Credit: Bing Images Additional attribution Marcus Ward & Co. greeting cards  Forgive them for any mixed messages moments that you considered unjust at the time. THE RULE ~   Do not accept candy from strangers, do not accept rides either, in fact do not get into a car with any person you do not know. While living with Auntie E2 and Uncle Earl 2 was less strict, this was also one of their stated rules of conduct when I came to live there. As a young child, I was known to drive people crazy with my questions. Previously, I had questioned Mama as to why. Mama's long index finger pointed at my face and the 'absolute' tone of her voice as in, "You will do as you're told." more than implied and inspired complete loyalty and acceptance to this rule.  My Sunday Schedule ~  I went to Sunday School, I loved it.  Now, I had the freedom not to be parked on a church bench for th...

FAMILY STORIES ~ Here's the thing, they are as you remember them in your own life or as best as you can recollect the telling of other stories, some from before your own time spoken by other family members. Just like the orally told origins and family provenance of some of the items shown on the Antiques Road Show (television show on PBS), they can be accurate, partially accurate with some additional information provided right there, partially inaccurate or even totally inaccurate. The point is they are family stories. You have to 'call 'em as you see 'em' and simply do the best you can do. Sometimes they are patchwork pieces put together from long, long ago memories and family hearsay. I had the hardest time putting together  Blackie and Me   because my old lady brain had to reach back to some of my very earliest childhood memories and historical family hearsay to piece it together continuing with a very...

 " Oh the many times, it's easier said than done " Image Credit:  Allposters.com  At the exact point, you realize (become aware) you may be in a when life sucks cycle, consider it a vital message. Receive it. There is work to be done. It may be external or internal work or both. Take the time to pinpoint those whats and whys, decide what you are going to do about it ~ Kaye It's been "blog quiet" around here for newly published work since around February 9th this year. I believe one reason for this is because our family as individuals and collectively were/are in our own cycle or season of  "life sucks" or "when life sucks", recognizing this and attempting to come through it. While "misery may enjoy company", I certainly was not prepared to do any type of public sharing of such. Now that my particular senior brain is under much less stress and able to process a bit better, there are some aspects of coming ...

We have covered  "The Company Store"  and how too much dependence upon charging goods/groceries was creating financial problems for the families, particularly my Aunties and Uncles where I grew up. We wrote how this began their own self determined Austerity Evolution .  They accepted their part of the responsibility in this issue, began to buy The Company Store groceries with cash and use the charge feature only when either weather conditions (primarily in the winter)  prevented their usually once monthly trip to the nearest city North or another emergent (urgent) family need arose they had to use the grocery money for.  They looked to what self sufficiency they had in their past to better their present.  My Auntie E1 put in a garden and then many of the community began to do the same. Auntie E1 and Uncle M. ~  THE FREEZERS ~ My Daddy had recommended to the Uncles if they were to make ONE purchas...

Subtitled: Austerity Brings Prosperity, Peace and Yes, Happiness! Austerity Evolution ~  It naturally evolved for the sisters (my Aunties) much to the great relief of their husbands (my Uncles) to triumph over their over dependence on charging at   "The Company Store"  creating a large monthly bill .  Daddy and Mama were quite involved in this evolution.  They didn't charge at "The Company Store", but you must know grocery prices and products there were at least 33% more than what the items cost in the nearest city (50 miles North to the city limit sign and another 5-8 miles to the inner city where the big grocery stores were). More often village "The Company Store" goods/groceries were actually  DOUBLE to about 60% higher than grocery stores in that city North where the nearest doctors, dentists and hospital were also located. Accepting Responsibility ~ A Beginning to Action ~   They all agreed "The Company Sto...

This particular post prompted by ~ My brain having once again been 'running the rabbit trails' of my mind, like an exuberant Beagle out having a great time exploring and following the all the scents and wondering if it will 'trip across' a rabbit. My brain 'tripped across' a big rabbit~ The 'real challenge' was in how to share this exploration with YOU! Image credit: Bing and Brandywine Beagle Club  MEMORY  ~   My brain had a childhood memory, a vision picture of our village market which was our version of "The Company Store."  It was owned by the family that owned our mill and operated by folks they specifically hired that knew how to run a market, grocery store, general store. I was a little girl. There is much about it all I didn't know and then some things I do know.  Most of the families had a monthly account with "The Company Store".  To the best of my knowledge they were supposed to pay that...