THE DAY AFTER THE DAY AFTER

What's a really good way to spend the day after the day after?  
For the pet friends out there who might remember DOUGIE DOG ...

well, a great way was to have him curled up on my lap.  
The bonus, the grandboy curled up beside us.  
And the three of us, well, just cuddling and enjoying being together.

 

BRAGGING RIGHTS and THANKFUL

PROUD TO BE A NAVY GRANDMA

PROUD OF MY GRANDSON

THANKFUL FOR MY AMAZING GRANDSON

GO NAVY!

THANKFUL THURSDAY

HAPPY ~ HAPPY ~ MEOW

 Mine Mommy is meowing-out-loud and wagging her tail 'cause she is so super-happy!  

Yesterday ... her (baby boy) son, that big tall purr-son on the right

 arrived in Baltimore with his beautiful wife (seated on the ledge), 

and her two wonderful grands ... 

that Navy boy and that lovely girl standing next to me, 

(oh my I swooned over her).  

Actually, I wasn't as a-scared of all of them as I thought I'd be.

And actually I did not get to go to the waterfront with them, I'm just purrtending

to be with them in this picture ...

They'll all go back home to Florida in just a couple days, minus one.  

The boy gets dropped off at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis 

to start a whole new adventure, a whole new life ...

we wish him well!

ONCE UPON AN ECLIPSE

Yesterday, here ~ not so much,

A few silly and perhaps confused birds flying by.

Ever so slightly darker and cooler ... but, I have ...

great and grand memories of the "last one", 

enjoyed together with my 

then young grand, it was a spectacular sight to see!

 

CATURDAY ART ~ REVISITED

 I can feed the kitty, Grandma.

THANKFUL THURSDAY ~ LOVE

February.  The month when we spend an extra moment or two thinking of love.  Though it should be at the top of the list each and every day.  Love of one another, always say it, always show it.  Talking with a dear and best friend recently, we agreed how often we remember our "firsts", those moments ... I rode my first bike, I had my first kiss ... Yet when we are experiencing a "last", we do not even know it.  And as life goes on, so very quickly, and one looks backward, there are many "lasts".  The last time I ...  

Don't ever let there be a "last" when you forgot to say I love you.

As I spent some time looking at old family photos earlier this month, this photo said I Love You.  My Mom, now gone from this earth some fourteen years looking on and loving her great grandson ~ he, soon to begin a new life in college, but his love shining in those young toddler eyes.  I was then, always will be thankful for both of them, I love them both, I still say it.

CATURDAY ART ~ ON THE PURRSONAL SIDE

Although most of our images, and most of our Caturday Art is devoted to June, there are times when we choose to work with other pictures from our files, and create "pictures to print".  Earlier this year, we designed two montages, each 9 x 12 images for printing on high gloss stock.  Each were then framed for hanging in our studio/apartment.  I have done these previously, my grands and my pets, but from time to time they need to be "updated" ~ life changes ~ the little grands grow bigger, our pets do as well.

THE WHITE COAT

Our "Wednesday Words" take a turn to the personal today as I offer love and congratulations to my beautiful granddaughter Isabel ~ and to her family, my son and daughter in law, and her amazing brother, who have accompanied her and supported her on this journey.

Last evening, 192 young physicians-to-be, the class of 2027, officially received their "white coats", the symbol of the hard work and dedication, the laughter, the tears, the stress, the long hours, the discovery, the joy and the heartache they will each encounter over the years ahead.  These young women and men, represent the best and the brightest, coming here to the University of South Florida, Morsani School of Medicine from many colleges, universities, states and nations around the world.  And they will study in various disciplines and areas of interests.  All are to be commended on their achievements thus far, and supported as they move forward.  

~to Isabel, love always, Grandma ~

IN MEMORY OF TWO SPECIAL FATHERS

 

Comments are off today ~ 

to all the amazing "dads" out there who have and do 

make this world a better place ~ thank you.

KISS ME QUICK ~ and CONGRATULATIONS!

One of the words/phrases in June's vocabulary, 

words she understands and responds to, is: "kiss kiss".

When I say "kiss kiss" she leans in with her little pink nose,

and we kiss!  Awww.

[sneaky Mommy had camera in hand for these kisses]

AWWW MONDAY

More kisses and hugs!

[my granddaughter with her pup, Xander]

Awww Monday congratulations to my granddaughter.

With kisses and hugs from Grandma,

so proud of you and happy for you ~ as your new journey is about to begin

at the Morsani School of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa.

Graduation

 

You're going to be the best doctor ever!  

MOTHERS ~

 

THE LETTER V ~ VICTORY

 THE LETTER V ~ VICTORY

Soccer has grown in the U.S. in popularity in recent years.  

My children were largely unfamiliar with this international sport but today, 

my youngest grandson is shown in active play over several seasons.

Play hard.

Disappointment in defeat.

Proud in victory.

THE LETTER U ~ UNDERWATER

THE LETTER U ~ UNDERWATER

Both of my Sunshine State grandchildren were water-babies from the start, and in their early teen years learned to scuba dive.  Both are now certified scuba divers (underwater photography by their Dad, my son).  The pictures are likely from around 2015-2016, and at some date I don't recall, I played with Photoshop to cartoonize one image of my grandboy for an Art Gallery post. 

 

 

THE LETTER T ~ TIME

THE LETTER T ~ TIME

Time.  Is it your enemy, or your friend?  Sometimes both, sometimes it is what you choose it to be.  Sometimes you are so very aware of it and sometimes it goes by so fast you wonder 'where did it go'?  We waste it.  Rush through it.  Complain there is not enough of it.  But we celebrate it on special days!  And just curious ~ how often do you check each day to see what "time" it is?

As I wondered what might be my LETTER T, and scrolled through files of photos, I found these pictures from maybe about 5-years ago, a crazy-grandma on a Florida vacation, thinking she could actually get on her grandboys pogo stick and apparently doing so for about 5-seconds of time!  Fast forward to that grandma 2-months ago. Hope time has made her not just a little older, but a little wiser. 

[I do think I'd reverse Dylan's lyrics though, at least for myself, and say that the the slow one now, she was once fast ... or maybe he meant ... the days and time were slower then, and are going faster for us now, I'll have to spend some time thinking on this.]   

The line it is drawn, the curse it is cast

The slow one now, will later be fast

As the present now, will later be past

The order is rapidly fadin'

And the first one now

Will later be last

For the times they are a-changin'

Songwriter: Bob Dylan

The Times They Are A-Changin' Lyrics ☺ Universal Music Publishing Group

 

 

 

THE LETTER M ~ MOM

THE LETTER M ~ MOM

I was always the welcome recipient of old family photos when offered by others who might be downsizing and ready to pass on to the next generation.  I'd scour the secondhand and thrift stores for antique or old-looking frames for each and when I had a home, always found a place to display my collection.  A time came when I handed these on to the next generation, but not before photographing and saving many in my computer files.

Here, a favorite of my Mom and Grandma ~ circa late 1914/early 1915, likely taken in Wichita Falls, Texas where they lived at the time. Photographs then were precious, formal portraits.  This image remains special as my Mom is dressed in her baptismal gown, preserved by Grandma and worn by my own children 60-years later for their christenings.

Please visit the March edition of

Our Rainbow Friends

to remember our pets loved and lost.

Thank you.

 

THE LETTER H ~ HAPPY

HAPPY, HAPPIER, HAPPIEST

I am always happy when spending time with any of my grandchildren,

here with my youngest.

Photo, late autumn 2022.

 

ART GALLERY ~ Kids not Kits

Art Gallery sans pets.  We are without kits today, offering only kids.  Grandkids and kids, but altered images in photoshop, as always. While also focusing on the theme in Caturday Art which is on "eyes". For years I've altered images of my young children, and the grands that followed, often turning my attention to their beautiful faces, their eyes in particular, said to be the "windows to the soul".

Montages ~ The Eyes of A Child

Thank you to Athena and Marie for sponsoring the

Caturday Art Blog Hop

TOO MANY CANDLES ~

"hey Mommy, those many candles won't fit,

I only baked you a cupcake!"

"work it, June, work it"

"you don't have the breath to blow 'em out anywayz"

"what?"

"on second thought, you can be quite windy at times ..."

"what?"

"meow, sorry, I know I shouldn't be so catty"

"indeed, Wordless Wednesday can't come soon enough!"

CLICK HERE TO VISIT DANI

HAPPY, HAPPY TUESDAY

I can't think of many things that make me happier than to share a beautiful

autumn day with an amazing kid who happens to be my grandboy!

Backyard play in falling leaves, crisp fresh air, brilliant blue skies,

tossing (endlessly) Dougie Dog's tennis ball, and I do mean endlessly,

dribbling a basketball (he, far better than me), even playing with bubble-wands!

Hugs, kisses and more hugs.

HAPPY!

 

PAWS TOGETHER ~

Today, we have our paws together.  

We are anxious and worried for our family in Florida ...
and for the many friends made when she lived there,

as well as our pet blogging friends throughout Florida.  

May all remain safe today and in the days ahead.