"There is little success where there is little laughter." ~Andrew Carnegie This picture was taken by Mercer Harris back in 1997. Chelsea was five and Trey was two. This is one of my most favorite pictures of our children. They just look so incredibly happy. I think Mercer's wife was blowing bubbles or something, and Trey was just beside himself with laughter. See? He's even holding his belly. :) Even Chelsea (who was very grownup at the ripe old age of 5) seemed to be enjoying the silliness. I also love that they are holding hands. They might have been told to do so, but it looks pretty genuine to me. Our kids have had that age-old "love/hate sibling relationship" over the years, but I really DO believe they love each other deep down. They are very different in many ways, but one thing they do well together is laugh. In fact, the four of us as a family always seem to throw laughter into the mix at some point. I think that's why we actually enjoy being together........silly, sarcastic, back & forth dialogue that, at times, literally has me holding my own belly of laughter! Someone said recently in a Facebook post that we need to come up with a comedy routine. My husband's reply was that we are just a "family of improv," and I think he's absolutely correct! There's rarely a dull moment when we all get together. I agree with the quote above. I believe we are a very successful family. No, I'm not talking about "having stuff"......not that kind of success. I'm talking about being the kind of successful family that actually wants to spend time together, simply enjoying each other's company.....laughing. I thank God for blessing me with children that still (at 19 and 22 years old) want to hang out with their old Mom and Dad. I hope they will always want to be in each other's lives as well. They've been fortunate (or not so much depending on what day you ask them) to attend the same college and live in the same town for a bit. However, once Big Sis completes this Masters program, she'll be flying out even further on her own to build yet another nest for herself, and they are going to have to make the time to see each other. I hope they'll make the effort. I pray they will. "There is nothing in the world so irresistibly contagious as laughter and good humor." ~Charles Dickens So, do you have laughter in your life? I sure hope so. If not, I'm praying you find something to give you that good ol' belly laugh soon!
Until next time, ~D
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"A sheltered life can be a daring life as well. For all serious daring starts from within." ~Eudora Welty In honor of this big vacation week here in our small town when everyone (except the Rutherfords) heads to the beach, I give you..... "Dot's First Beach Trip!" I've said it before here at The Roomy Nest, and I'll say it again: I had a very sheltered childhood. Take a look at the picture for today's Monday Memory. It's probably circa 1972 or 1973 since I look to be about 4 or 5. My great-aunt Mattie Bell probably has my left hand in a death grip while I hold Winnie (yes, "the Pooh") in my own right-handed death grip. I can almost feel her manicured fingernails digging into my flesh! :) The other two protectors are my great-aunt/uncle Vernon & Bud. The photographer of this shot was my great-aunt Polly. (Mattie Bell, Vernon, and Polly were sisters of my grandfather.) I spent LOTS of time with these people growing up, and they had a HUGE influence on my life. This beach trip was an extremely rare occurrence, and, clearly, they were afraid of the dangerous possibilities since I had never been exposed to the ocean before. Thus, they circled the wagons around to protect me from possible drowning in ankle-deep water or the sharks that might have me for a midday snack. (#sarcasm). :) In all seriousness, I love this picture because it sums up my entire childhood/teen years in one single image. These people loved me, took care of me, taught me, and protected me from most everything you can imagine. Some of those things were warranted while others have been things I've had to face as an adult for the first time in my life. They kept a constant circle of protection around me which, in some ways, has crippled me as an adult as I've tried to wade through the waters of life. I know they meant well, and I'll be eternally grateful for them as long as I live, but I've tried to raise my own children a bit differently in some respects. I believe children must be allowed to face some things in life as early as possible and find a way to deal with them. After all, one day, they'll look around to realize the folks that encircled them with that fierce sense of love & protection are no longer around to do it. That's when the rubber REALLY meets the road! I should know. You probably do, too. "My heritage has been my grounding, and it has brought me peace." ~Maureen O'Hara I think of these precious people quite often in my day-to-day life, and I miss them terribly! There are so many things I'd love to be able to share with them now. Polly & Bud died when I was a young girl, Vernon died not long after I got married, and my sweet Mattie Bell left this earth just 4 1/2 years ago. I know that I wouldn't be the woman I am today (the good and the not-so-good) without their influence in my life. Thank you, God, for including them in Your Plan for my life! What a huge blessing! Until next time,
~D "We don't stop going to school when we graduate." This picture was taken on June 10, 1990 right after my graduation ceremony from Mercer University in Macon, GA (Go Bears!) . I had just earned a B.A. in Early Childhood Education, was getting married in a little over a month, and thought I had my life all figured out....at the ripe old age of 22 years old. Wow! Carol Burnett sure knew what she was talking about in the quote above. The graduate in that picture still had LOTS to learn about life! Twenty-four years later, I am STILL "going to school" every single day.......figuratively & literally. I've earned two more degrees since this picture: a M.Ed. & Ed.S. both from UGA (Go Dawgs!!) and I have just completed my 24th year working in the field of education, so that's the literal part. However, figuratively, I also continue to be "schooled" every single day in this thing called life. Lesson after lesson after lesson has been learned in my roles as a Christian, a wife, a mother, a daughter, a friend, an employee....well, you get the idea. Some of these lessons were easy while others have been VERY difficult! So, during this "graduate season," I think it's very fitting and timely to be reminded that we don't ever truly stop learning, nor should we want to! As life goes on, we begin to realize that it's one big spiral and connections are often made from past.....to present....to future. In fact, one day you may be uploading recent pictures from your camera and realize that old things become new again! In the picture above, I am the 22 year old college grad and my parents are 46 and 48. In the picture below, our college grad is 22....and my husband and I are both 46 (He's on his way to 47, but we'll let that part slide for now.) :) So, at the risk of sounding like a movie trailer for a Lion King sequel, it truly IS a circle of life! I haven't stopped learning yet, and I feel certain that our daughter will experience this same epiphany one day herself........in fact, she may have already figured it out! Until next time,
~Dot "Generations pass like leaves fall from our family tree. Each season new life blossoms and grows benefiting from the strength and experience of those who went before." ~Heidi Swapp This picture was taken in early 1992, just a few weeks after our daughter Chelsea was born. It is a very important picture to me because it documents the fact that Chelsea marked the fifth living generation maternally & paternally in our family. The three women behind my husband are his mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. In turn, the three women behind me hold those same spots in my life. We actually missed having three sets of 5 generations by a few months. My husband's other great-grandmother died while I was pregnant with Chelsea. It is incredible to me to think that Chelsea was surrounded by so much experience, strength, wisdom and love as a newborn baby! What an awesome gift! I DO remember this day very well because it was a rare occurrence to have all of these people in the same place at the same time. Also, because Chelsea was NOT having a good day. (Thus, my "harried" look of photo anxiety.) :) Three women in this picture have since left this earth, but their legacies live on with each generation that comes behind them! Thank you, God, for Chelsea's (and our son's) family tree! Until next time,
~D "Happiness is a warm puppy." ~Charles M. Schulz Here's today's Monday Memory. That little girl with the ever-present middle-part pigtailed hairdo is me. From the gorgeous azaleas behind me, you can tell it's Spring-time in South Georgia! I'm holding my new puppy, Snoopy! Yes, I realize I'm holding him like a baby. You have to understand that having my very own pet was a brand-new concept to me, and I had absolutely no idea what to do with him. All I knew was that I was SO happy! I was an only child FOREVER (well, I finally got my "real-life baby doll" .......a.k.a. my sister Heather..... when I was eleven) and Snoopy was my very best friend for a LONG time! He was a present to me on my 6th birthday, and, as only my luck would be, Snoopy died on my 16th birthday. Yes, ON the actual day! Did I mention my birthday is March 13th? Anyway, Snoopy was smart, sweet, funny, and most definitely patient! I mean, it looks like I'm choking him in picture #2, but I think I just wanted him to look at the camera. Like I said....a very patient dog! :) These days, I'm pretty partial to this pup, but I'll always remember my first (and only) childhood dog Snoopy. He'll forever have a special place in my heart! Until next time, ~Dot "I don't believe an accident of birth makes people sisters or brothers. It makes them siblings, gives them mutuality of parentage. Sisterhood and brotherhood is a condition people have to work at." ~Maya Angelou My sister and I are 11 years apart. (Guess that's pretty obvious from the picture, huh? I'm the older one, by the way.) If you follow my blog at all, you know by now that I have a terrible memory. In fact, 95% of my "Monday Memory" posts are really not memories for me at all...and yet, I'm in the pictures! Weird! Well, THIS is one memory I DO remember VERY well. My great-aunts took us to Albany to an Olan Mills studio in order to surprise our Mama with this (and other) marvelous "portraits" (seen below) for Christmas. As you see, I have on a lovely valour pullover and a gold chain straight from one of their costume jewelry boxes. Clearly, I wasn't at the proper age to wear a stitch of makeup....what a shame. Heather, on the other hand, is just as pretty as can be. This was just moments before she threw up all of her baby formula covering the entire white smocked Feltman brothers dress she has on. .....or wait....maybe this is right AFTER the throw-up. That would explain our ridiculous "pose". (I mean, she's six inches shy of being UNDER the "carpet table"!) Anyway, as I recall, Mama WAS surprised on Christmas morning and loved the pictures. Guess that's all that counts. Yep, Maya Angelou was right......Sisterhood IS something that has to be worked at. It's definitely a continuous work in progress. Eleven years difference used to be a BIG chasm...now....not so much. We're just two adults......sharing an eternal bond......I'm sure she'd agree that some days are easier than others, but we're making it. Ah.....Olan Mills.....gotta love it. :)
Until next time, ~Dot "A question that sometimes drives me hazy: am I or are the others crazy?" ~Albert Einstein Ever since I discovered this photo of myself some years back, I have always called it the "Crazy Dot" picture. I mean, seriously, what else would you call it?? Look at me...I look....well....crazy, right? As with many other "memories" I post, I have NO recollection of this moment in time. From studying the photo, here's what I DO know...... I'm squatting behind my Great-Aunt Mattie Bell. My Mama is holding my cousin, Taylor. Taylor is looking at me because I've clearly lost my mind! I'm holding a pink brush and, as usual, someone has decided to style my hair with those horrible pigtails...complete with plastic white barrettes.......oh, and let's not forget that ever-present MIDDLE-part! (why? WHY???) We're sitting on a lovely brown plaid couch (hello, 1970s!) having a grand ol' time. Quick question.....would someone please tell me why everyone else has on "day clothes" and I'm still sporting my PJs?? <heavy sigh....> Like I said......"Crazy Dot." I chose this picture as today's Monday Memory because I must admit that I kinda' feel like Crazy Dot looks. I think she's "crazy" in a good kind of way. You know, the "deliriously happy......so happy she just can't get herself together" kind of way. That sums me up today. You see, I work in a high school, and today marks the first official day of our Spring Break! Woohoo!! What are my plans, you ask? Here's the best part........I have NO plans!!! Crazy, right? I LOVE a vacation with no plans. I just do what I want....when I want...how I want. In fact, if you stop by my house this week, you may just see me in my PJs.......sportin' some pigtails...... (But you can forget that middle-part! That ain't happenin'!)
What are YOUR plans for the week? Don't really have any? Sweet! Those are the best kind! :) Until next time, ~Dot “Don't you wish you could take a single childhood memory and blow it up into a bubble and live inside it forever?” Well, referring to the quote above, I don't know about living in this particular memory forever. I mean..... it would appear that I don't have all of my teeth in this picture, and it also seems that I either need to let the hem out of those pants or invest in some a little longer. However, I DO have some very fond memories that go along with this picture. I loved this bike so much. Growing up, I lived next-door to my great-aunts, and this is their yard. That "bald patch" of yard behind me is where they parked the cars. For a long time, I was only allowed to ride my bike IN this yard or mine......but NEVER....EVER under any circumstances was I to go into the street. (It must be noted that our street was not THAT "busy", but I was protected to the max growing up!) I thought I was big stuff riding this bike.....with my little basket on the front. It also had a banana seat and, at one time, it had colorful streamer/tassel things hanging down from each handle, but apparently, they came off at some point. One day, I'm not exactly sure when, after much persuasion on my part, I was finally allowed to ride down the circular driveway <GASP!> into the street......and right back onto the other end of the driveway. I was probably on the actual street for a grand total of approximately fifty feet, but it was the most glorious fifty feet anyone could ever travel! I know it sounds ridiculous, but I'm telling you it was absolutely liberating! Well, those days are long gone, but anytime I embark on a new adventure in my life, I can still hear my great-aunts saying "you have GOT to careful, Dot! Folks are crazy in this world!" These are the memories that simultaneously make me smile and drive me nuts! Those precious women are all gone from this earth now, but I have to wonder......what would they say about this adventure................ Until next time,
~Dot "Family means no one gets left behind or forgotten." Today's "Monday Memory" is another one of my favorite pictures from my past. Notice I said "pictures" not "memories" because, once again, I have NO memory of this occasion. I'm not even sure exactly what's going on here. Here's what I DO know. This is a picture of me with my first cousins. Our parents are all brothers and sister. We look a little dressed up, so...hmmm....someone's birthday?.....a family reunion?........just not sure. The portrait behind us is of our Grandaddy. I see that it's just propped up on the back of the sofa, so I'm not sure if that was just done for this picture or if my Granny was still trying out different spots in the house before actually hanging it. I DO know that portrait is now hanging in a place of honor at Gammage Funeral Home in Cedartown, GA as he started that business many years ago and now my cousin Olin (far left in this picture) owns and operates the same family business as the third generation. I am SO immensely proud of him! In fact, I'm proud to call each person on this couch my family. I didn't grow up around them. I was just there for a visit, but I know we had plenty of fun when we DID get to be together. Unfortunately, we rarely see each other as adults....other than family funerals. I keep up with all of them as best I can via Facebook. I am so very thankful for this picture and yet another look into my childhood that I would not have remembered otherwise! Bottom line: These folks are my family and I will always love them. Who knows? Maybe, just maybe, we can have our own adult family reunion one of these days. Oh, if only Grandaddy could see us now! I hope he'd be proud. Until next time,
~Dot "What you have caught on film is captured forever… it remembers little things, long after you have forgotten everything.” ~Aaron Siskind Anyone that knows me fairly well knows two things about me: 1) I love photography....and 2) I have a terrible memory. You may wonder what these two things have in common. It's quite simple, really. I believe pictures help fill in the blanks where our memories may fail us. I know for certain they do so for me! Recently, as I was digging around for old photos to scan for my parents' birthday tributes, I ran across lots of really fun "memories" from my own life. I use the term "memory" loosely here because, to be perfectly honest, I have absolutely NO memory of these moments, but because I had a great-aunt Polly who had the same passion for capturing moments in time as I have now, I will always have these images to fill in the blanks where my memory fails me. So, in an effort to honor those captured memories, I'm going to start posting a "Monday Memory" each week. It's my own personal twist on 'Throwback Thursdays.' :) This particular picture is of me and my first-cousins, Olin & Laura. We're all hanging out at my playhouse in my backyard in South Georgia. My Papa (from my other side of the family) built that playhouse and hauled it from one side of the state to the other side just for me. Olin & Laura must have come for a visit because they lived in yet another corner of the state. Maybe they came for my birthday? Really not sure. Anyway, I love this picture. I love my groovy outfit. I love my playhouse. I love my cousins. I'm so glad I have this picture. Otherwise, this moment in time would be long-gone and probably remembered by no one. Great-Aunt Polly (who lived next-door to me) has been gone from my life and this earth since I was in 5th grade, but I feel like she lives on in every one of these pictures. I truly feel like I'm seeing my own life through her eyes, and I am forever grateful to her! While I know my obsession with capturing every single moment in time gets annoying to those I'm with at times, it is my hope that one day someone will be just as grateful to be able to replay their lives through my eyes. :) Until next time, ~Dot |
AuthorHi! I'm Dot. I refuse to succumb to the "empty nest syndrome"! So, this is my journal.....my photo album.....my attempt to enjoy the next chapter of my life as it unfolds. Welcome to The Roomy Nest! Archives
January 2020
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