Playhouse

August 2011

Playhouse and slide at Jaime's old apartment - 2009

Mia - Thanksgiving 2009

Jill and Jonah on the old swing set. I think this was about 2005.

The playhouse and swing when they were new. It turned out that this pretty corner of the yard was a haven for mosquitoes.

Jill's first sight of the second hand little playhouse that her dad brought home as a surprise.

I was struck by the morning light on the little playhouse the other day after all the dark stormy weather we have had lately. It is just a home for wasps now. We need to carry it over to Jaime's house where Mia can actually play with it. I have found that children are like puppies. They don't really like to "play" in the back yard all by themselves. It doesn't help that I no longer have a swing she can use.

Slice of Life - Turn Back Time

Yep, it's me! A long time ago. I thought I was too fat even then, but doesn't seem so bad to me now. (Ha Ha)

Slice of Life is a weekly prompt to encourage writers to tell personal history stories. Click on the link to participate.

If I could turn back time - I have given a little thought to that idea. I have done more than one "searching and fearless moral inventory" of my life. I have a few regrets. I wish I had finished my education. I wish I had been more loving and less angry. I wish I had concentrated more on my life and not just my love life. I wish I would have bought Microsoft stock when it was cheap. (Ha Ha) But I've made peace with my past and I am focused on the present these days.

I do like the idea of taking a time travel vacation though. I would go back and see my mother as a child. I would relive a childhood Christmas of my own. I would hop in my 57 Chevy and head to the Sonic for lunch with my friends. I would relive a romance or two, especially a few very special kisses. I would walk on the beach again back when I could still wear a bikini. I would relive a few of my haydays at Alphatype and Florida Trend Magazine when everything was going my way at work. I would go back and hold my babies again when they were small. Then I'd like to skip ahead a few years and see how everything turns out with the grandkids. Then maybe 100 years from now, I would see if we humans are still around and take a look at the new inventions and find out if we ever discovered life on other planets. What a trip that would be!

Piano

Jaime's piano is finally home. It made the trip from my garage to her living room this morning.

Jonah's Home - Boy and Dog Reunion

No amount of editing can make these pictures anything but what they are - an attempt to capture the blur of boy and dog joyously renewing their friendship. Tusseling, running, jumping and racing around the house and yard. Family and friends showed up to welcome Jonah home. We had food, but he was busy riding Aaron's big bike to see his friend, Seth, setting off some firecrackers he found, hugging Mia and Brody. Mia was so convinced that he would "never come home" because the airport was "too far away." Jill and Mia had made him some "letters" for his homecoming. He tore into them with great anticipation. I thought that was so sweet until I realized he thought there might be money inside. Jonah and his mom went to a last minute music concert with Daniel and Amanda. I suspect they are both sleeping late this morning. Welcome home, Jonah! P.S. The house looked very pretty. Jaime and Aaron moved some things around to make room for the piano.