Where I Grew Up

My old stomping grounds. This is where I grew up, this is where I'll always call home..........

And I'm 1200 miles away, away from the sights and the smells I know so well. The things that are still engraved in my mind.

I used to pick these as girl, bringing them home for mama to fill the vase with. My daughter is up there now spending time with my family........I long to be there. It's a yearning I get, at times it's stronger than others. The yearning and the ache to be up home I mean. Her voice comes over the line, "Mama I picked these just for you!, but they died before I could bring them home."
And I can almost smell their sweet wild smell through the computer screen. If I just close my eyes I can remember their sweet frangrance. It's not just the flowers that have that sweet smell, It's the walk down the dirt road, wind in our hair, my sister and I. Two little girls loving the out doors. Mama had to beg us to come in.

And it's the black caps that use to grow out in our back yard behind the garage. Mama would give us each a bowl and we would try and bring back just enough for her to make her famous turnovers. Smashing the breyers down with our feet as they scraped and scratched our legs. I can still hear the thump, plunk of the berries hitting the bowl as we dropped them in.

This old tree has had many a young girl hang from it's branches. This old maple has shaded many picnics and if you could hear her branches talk she would tell you how lonely she has been over the years after we grew up. The picnics don't come any more.

This Old Rugged Cross was made by an old man....He made it for his wife after she had passed away. I remember it always being there and I know it has long been there before me. I never thought that someday she would be standing next to it. She is living my memories, of places I've been, the things I use to do when I was her age. And it's coming full circle, this life of mine.

Chasing memories in my mind like the ducks we use to chase on my Grandmothers farm. I never seemed to catch up to them {until now}.....the ducks I mean.   Yes I'll always call this home here on earth. They say your home is where your heart is.........My earthly body longs for this home but my heart and soul longs for heaven. His name is engraved on my Heart. And my soul longs for Home, my Heavenly Home. Oh the smells and the sights, the flowers that will never die, and all the black caps you can eat.

72. Black Caps
73. Brown eyed Susans
74. Old red leaf Maple Trees
75. Chasing Ducks
76. Full Circles
77. Mama's Turn overs
78. Long Walks
79. Dirt Roads
80. Heavenly Home
81. His Name engraved on my Heart