Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Day 6: The Kid


Chris, originally uploaded by tjkmfk.

Well here he is the light of my life. My son..... the little old man and the baby all wrapped up together. I don't know what I'd do without him. He is literally my rock. The one thing in this life of mine that keeps me reasonably sane.

I love to do this to his hair. He, of course, hates it to no end. Right after I snapped this picture he said, 'Oh, Mommy, now I have to comb my hair. You know I don't like it this way.'

By the way, that is his 'picture taking' smile.
What a nut!!

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Day 5: Beads


Beads, originally uploaded by tjkmfk.

I look up and memories of the crowds, the music , and the food over come me. What a day!! It was packed wall to wall people. I had to force my way through to cross the street to make it to the party I was going to. I clung to my son's hand with a death grip. I knew I'd never find him again if I lost him in the crowd. Eager for a little enjoyment after a hard year I moved quickly down the block.

Now today, looking up into this tree, I feel sad. The street is so quiet. The people gone. No music…. and the beads---lost, forgotten, tattered…… Don't we all feel like that sometimes? Like no one loves us? or would even notice if we were gone? Like we are standing still as the world moves fast around us? I know I have and probably will again at sometime in the future. But just maybe, I will remember this picture and know that it is not permanent. There will be good times just as there well be another Mardi Gras.

Monday, May 18, 2009

Day 4: Spanish Moss


Moss, originally uploaded by tjkmfk.

I see this stuff everyday and don't usually think too much about it, but today for some reason I found myself thinking of the legend that goes along with the plant. As I was walking my son to school this morning I snapped a quick picture and thought I'd share the legend with you.

"As the story goes; there was once a traveler who came with his Spanish fiancée in the 1700s to start a plantation near the city of Charleston SC. She was a beautiful bride-to-be with long flowing raven hair. As the couple was walking over the plantation sight[sic] near the forest, and making plans for their future, they were suddenly attacked by a band of Cherokee who were not happy to share the land of their forefathers with strangers. As a final warning to stay away from the Cherokee nation, they cut off the long dark hair of the bride-to-be and threw it up in an old live oak tree. As the people came back day after day and week after week, they began to notice the hair had shriveled and turned grey and had begun spreading from tree to tree. Over the years the moss spread from South Carolina to Georgia and Florida. To this day, if one stands under a live oak tree, one will see the moss jump from tree to tree and defend itself with a large army of beetles."-- This is from Wiki.

So many things in our daily lives have symbolic meanings. Some are cultural and others are personal. They enrich our lives.
It's cool here today after the cold front passed through. My dad would call it 'blackberry winter.' The old saying is that blackberries require a lower temperature to bloom. It was rather refreshing to walk in the cool air this morning seeing the Spanish moss moving in the breeze.

Sunday, May 17, 2009

Day 3: Mocking Bird


Bird day 3, originally uploaded by tjkmfk.

The bird was sitting on my fence singing away when he suddenly flew up to the sign and sat silently looking south towards the tracks. Was he waiting for a train? his mate, perhaps? or was he just saying a prayer of thanks for the rain? I'll never know, but he was so intently silent that I am sure he knew exactly what it was he wanted.

Aren't we all waiting on something? When does the waiting stop and the living begin?

Saturday, May 16, 2009

Day 2: Rain


Rain, originally uploaded by tjkmfk.

After several days of thunder and rain clouds skirting around us, it finally rained. My poor grass sure needed that!! I hope it sucks up every drop. It sure was looking sad and dry this morning. With being sick (thanks to my kid and his kindergarten germs) and trying to unpack, I’ve not had much time to worry about the yard. I hope to be able to get some yard work done soon. There’s about 6 inches of leaves in the back yard…. No one raked any last year it seems. Well like it usually is here in the south in the summer, the rain has ended much too soon. Hope we get a few more of these showers today.

Friday, May 15, 2009

Day 1: Train


Train, originally uploaded by tjkmfk.

I took this snapshot sitting outside with my son as he played in his kiddy pool. Yes, I am that close to the tracks. Yes, the trains rock the house. No, they don't wake me up. They sound like home. See I recently moved into this house on a street I lived on many years ago. So all the sounds are familiar. But it goes beyond that. This house had the same floor plan as the one I lived in so many years ago. It has an addition added to it now but they started out the same. In so many ways I feel like I've come home.
This is a sanctuary for me as I begin my walk into my new single life.