Before we get too far away from Mother's Day....
Lucky me, I got to start the day with Nicholas because he was with me for a Saturday overnight. We awakened to a glorious, sunny day on Sunday and he asked, "G'ma, can we go out into the woods?"
You don't have to ask me twice! As I see him sitting in this new fallen tree (the old one was cut down), I see how much he has grown since our early days traipsing around. The traditions remain, like taking the blanket for lying down to just listen to the sounds...and sharing apple slices for our snack.
These are eternalized moments for me. As we were meandering around and exploring, looking for wild berries and burls, it dawned on me that this could very well be our last outing in the woods here. The house has not yet sold but it could be any day now.
So we talked about how special this place has been over the years and how many friends we have made. We never needed to name the trees (as my mom used to do at the family cottage). We just called them Friends.
What I will never forget more than anything is how Nicholas would find the tiniest of treasures and say "G'ma, take a picture of this!" It's like he, too, wanted to "eternalize" the moment.
It did come time to say Good-Bye. And we did. Funny thing is we weren't even that sad. We both just took it in stride and said "Thank You, Trees. Thank you, Friends."
Nicholas will be 9 in July. I'll be 64 in June. No matter what age, we criss-cross paths of comings and goings, of Hellos and Good-Byes. Passages of time. Moments of moving on.
And that particular moment we DID move on...to Amy's house to celebrate a fabulous day of "eternalized moments" with the larger family. Dennis had just arrived from LA on Friday to STAY...a one-way ticket! Before they celebrate their one-year anniversary on June 1, he is now here to live! Mark was with us, too, for cards and an incredible dinner cooked by Dennis and Nicholas. It was quite a memorable Mother's Day for me.
No sooner do we say Good-Bye to some friends, we get to say Hello to others. Good-Bye, woods. Welcome to Atlanta, Dennis. And Happy Mother's Day! I hope YOU had a great day, too.
And that particular moment we DID move on...to Amy's house to celebrate a fabulous day of "eternalized moments" with the larger family. Dennis had just arrived from LA on Friday to STAY...a one-way ticket! Before they celebrate their one-year anniversary on June 1, he is now here to live! Mark was with us, too, for cards and an incredible dinner cooked by Dennis and Nicholas. It was quite a memorable Mother's Day for me.
No sooner do we say Good-Bye to some friends, we get to say Hello to others. Good-Bye, woods. Welcome to Atlanta, Dennis. And Happy Mother's Day! I hope YOU had a great day, too.
That nearly brought tears to my eyes.. I loved the photos. Nikolas is getting so big!!! And yes that must be so incredible of a feeling to have Dennis here with you/Amy/Nikolas permanently... :)
ReplyDeleteI love that photo of the fir cone. You are very fortunate to have these moments. How wonderful to be able to capture them for eternity.
ReplyDeleteIt does me good, this post. I like the positive outlook of it, and I'm soooo happy Dennis is finally there with Amy - wow, one-way ticket.
ReplyDeleteNow they get to learn to live together. ;)
ET: Having Dennis here "for good" is the best Mother's Day present Amy got, I can assure you! It's been a long time coming. Yes, tears in the eyes.
ReplyDeleteKaren: I am very fortunate, indeed, and I know it...and count my many blessings!
Ruth: The positive outlook is so much better than the alternative! It will attract more of the same, as you know. :)
What a day for you Ginnie! All of you are sure blessed with Dennis surviving the complications and finally getting out of the hospital. What an emotion filled Mother's Day for you.
ReplyDeleteGood-bye...indeed bittersweet, in saying goodbye to past and memories, and the anticipation of what good things will be there with/for you in the future.
God Bless You.
Hallo en tot ziens, afscheid nemen kan soms heel zeer doen, maar je kan het ook positief bekijken, een nieuwe reis door het leven, een boek dat je dicht doet en een ander boek waar je aan begint.
ReplyDeleteIk weet als geen ander, wat het is om een boek te sluiten.
Sterkte, samen gaan we het redden.
What a beautiful post, Ginnie, not to mention the pictures. Turning the page will mean new adventures, while the memories remain safely in the heart.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I'm very happy for Amy and Nicholas to finally have Dennis home for good. They must be thrilled! :)
Bob: I feel like I'm one of the luckiest persons in the world! One of the luckiest and one of the happiest. It's all in our attitude, isn't it!
ReplyDeleteAstrid: You have such a way of saying things, MLMA! One book, one chapter closes, while another opens. A door closes, another opens. You are so right. This is what we call LIFE. Meer dan gisteren, minder dan morgen!
CS: As long as we have our memory, yes, we have everything we need. Thanks, Sandra, for your loving support. I know it goes everywhere I go.
Ohhhh Ginnie, I am so happy for you... and happy for Nicholas - this is what I call quality time!
ReplyDeleteYou know how I feel about this; Nature is the best playground - no doubt. Nothing artificial and an eldorado to stimulate creativeness.
Awww, a bittersweet time to be sure, but you've captured all the memories with your wonderful photographs and you'll both be able to look at those whenever you choose. Those trees are going to remember you guys!
ReplyDeleteHow wonderful that Dennis is now there to stay. You all must be over the moon.
What a wonderful post, Mom! I know it must have been bittersweet, but I am so grateful for all of these moments that you and Nicholas have shared. The two of you have a wonderful relationship and it makes me smile.
ReplyDeleteAnd what a wonderful Mother's Day it was! For all of you who have commented, thank you for your happy wishes for Dennis and me now that we are able to begin our lives together -- for real! It makes my heart full to be able to see my new family come together.
Happy Mothers Day (Belated), Ginnie! I miss the woods when I am at sea.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great way to spend the day with your dear grandson exploring the woods! He's growing up very fast. And with a new step-dad coming to live with them on a permanent basis, life will be changing for him. And for you too, as soon as you sell your house. How's that project going? Any interest? Have you decided where you will go once you have completed the sale? Houses are starting to sell here in Canada, I have seen quite a few SOLD signs so perhps the economy is looking up a bit. Stay in touch!
ReplyDeleteRenny: Yes, I do know how you feel about quality time. I have had so much of it with Nicholas in these woods! We'll never forget it.
ReplyDeleteChristina: "Over the moon" indeed! Life is starting over on many levels, for sure.
Amy: Memories will be our second blessing! And these posts will be here for posterity, any time we need to be reminded of what we shared here in this special place. Thank you!
RDuckie: I bet you miss a lot of things when you are at sea?!
Sham: There is actually someone coming back tomorrow for the 3rd time. We'll see if it's a charm or a strike-out! :) But I fully trust the right person will be here soon. It won't be long now!
Ginnie, Your next post will be about the house having been sold. Everything is now lined up, and the Universe hasn't made it happen until things were ready. It is now ready. I'm eager to see the next post.
ReplyDeleteNamaste, Bob
Walking in the nature with kids are so exciting: all the questions. unstopable. What is this and why and What, why must we return no etc etc.
ReplyDeleteFascinating post.
Hurray hurray
Oh Ginnie....you are the greatest! this post touched a chord and it touched deep...........wish you a whole lot of joyful hellos ahead.......goodbyes are precious too, just that I wish they weren't as painful........take care and thanks for sharing the post with us.
ReplyDeletexoxo
Moi
A very touching post dear Ginnie. I know the woods is a very special place for you and Nicholas, treasured moments to last a lifetime. I am looking forward to reading and seeing where your next journey takes you.
ReplyDeletePS: I guess you're right, i am crazy about being hesitant to post about the home improvements. I love to read other peoples home improvement posts, so why shouldn't it be the same way around? lol!
It's always a special pleasure when I get here to see what you are thinking. Your story of endings and beginnings was beautiful. Nicholas will, in time, I'm sure feel a yearning back to that place and those times because of the way you've filled them for him. He'll also find new joys with you as you change course. As always, I wish you well. If you ever get up around Connecticut, let us know. How wonderful if our paths were to cross twice!
ReplyDeleteLove the phrase eternalized moments to describe photos! (although spell-checker doesn't like eternalized, I've added it to my dictionary and may borrow it one of these days)
ReplyDeleteBob: My guess is that the house will sell any day now and perhaps is already in process behind the scenes. I hope so. But I'm guessing Mercury Retrograde also needs to be behind us, come May 30th! After that, the sky's the limit?
ReplyDeleteTor: May we never lose our children's eyes!
Moi: I can imagine, with all your moves of late! Bless you, Moi, and thanks.
Mad: Aren't we funny with how we view things...everyone else's stuff is better and more exciting than ours!
Ted: Your words have touched me very deeply and have made my day! Your invitation warms my heart. Thank you!
Victoria: That word is not mine, so feel free to use it to death! :) And thank you for stopping by here!
Stopping in to see how your life is going! I have had computer glitches and so busy at work that I am way behind on stopping in! sounds like things are moving on......what a nice post!
ReplyDeleteI'm wondering if the house is sold....
ReplyDeleteGinnie,
ReplyDeleteI miss you;((
When is your Day in June?
It was 13th June!! Happy belated birthday Ginnie. I hope you had a great day. :^)
ReplyDeleteDreamwalker.
Just wanted to pop in and day hello and say I missed you! You had a birthday, too! Hope all is well.
ReplyDeletePS: tried to find you on Facebook, too...but haven't gotten a reply...was that not you?
Neva: Things are definitely moving on...even if the house hasn't sold yet. One day it will and that'll be the day! Thanks for stopping by midst your busyness!
ReplyDeleteSham: No, not yet...but keeping my fingers crossed...
Tor: You're a sweetheart. I turned 64 on the 13th, last Saturday. Thanks for the wine on your post to celebrate my day. :D
DW: OMG. Where have you been! NOW you come out of the woodwork...which means I owe YOU a Happy Birthday, too!!! Thank you!
Mad: Rats! I tried to write you back, Mad, but I didn't have an e-mail address for you! I think I signed up for Facebook a year ago but have done nothing with it whatsoever since, in spite of all the invitations I have gotten. I decided it's just not me...no time for it or interest. Don't ask me what that's about. My age??? Please don't take it personally!
I've been thinking about this post for weeks. For one thing, the photos are lovely and remind me of the day I went running into my own mother with a handful of fresh, clean limestone driveway gravel that sparkled in the sun - I was breathless, and keep saying, "LOOK!"
ReplyDeleteBut I thought about it again today when I drove to Galveston with a friend for breakfast. Soon, the city will be losing all of its live oaks - none of them alive any longer, but destoyed by the salt of hurricane Ike's surge. Hundreds of trees stand along the boulevard, bereft of even a single leaf. They were planted after the storm of 1900 destroyed all of the city's trees, and now they, too, must go.
As you drive through the city, there are poems and letters posted to the trees, and black ribbons around many. People are still grieving the loss of their tree friends. The only comfort is in thinking that 100 years from now, another generation will have their trees.
Hellos and goodbyes.
SA: If Nature does it, even fires, I wonder if it is Her way of saying "Let's start over?" But it DOES leave a bitter taste of sadness, I know. In my case maybe it's more a chance to move on to "bigger and better" things?! Thanks for your loving comment on such an emotional occasion.
ReplyDeleteI know it's said all the time and yet never enough- but Nicholas is so cute and obviously growing so fast! I can't wait to see you all in August.
ReplyDeleteIt sure was a nice surprise to receive your comment, Katy! How fun. And yes, that Nicholas is a real cutie-pie. I just finished his birthday album pics from Friday, from when we all went bowling…my next post on In Soul! You’ll see what a big boy he is.
ReplyDeleteWe can hardly wait for the big shindig. What an event…on the Farm! Look forward to seeing you then, indeed!