there's no place like home

When Regis and I returned from our family trip to Canby a few weeks ago, we went down to Patrick's for a cheeseburger. I was trying to put together in my mind, my thoughts about the wonderful people we had spent the weekend with, but especially the women. I looked down at my leopard shoes, a gift from my mom, and thought of the ruby slippers. There is no place like home!


Then I started putting together pictures of all those women. Here is my first attempt. I know there are more and they will be added in the future but I had to get this out into the ether today.




I feel fortunate to be a part of a long line, stretching in both directions, of strong women. Strong in body, strong in heart, strong in connections. Women who came before me, back to Andrina, Josie, and Elsie, to my mom and all my aunties and cousins, and now to my daughter and daughters-in-law, nieces, great nieces and grand-daughters.

Women who know how to laugh, Vi in her colander hat, Aunt Jean dressed as a witch as she turned 90, Mom in her birthday hat (not birthday suit), Deb in her black chicken feather boa.

Women who are creative, independent, and know how to take care of themselves: Elsie who worked in the Stanley Hotel for many years, Josie who had a hat shop long before many women were entrepreneurs, Darby and Evynne who make this with clay and felt and paint and flowers.

Women who garden and cook and care for children and homes but also take care of themselves, learning and traveling and working. Women who, when things go bad as they sometimes do, pick themselves up and keep going.

I hope I haven't left anyone out. It wasn't deliberate, for sure, but there are many, many photos and even more women!

Light and love to all the women in my clan!

Comments

Michele said…
You come from an amazing lineage! No wonder you have so much strength and creativity! I believe we have a large hand in the lives we create for ourselves, but it is lovely to begin on such a solid foundations and with so many strong women in your life.
9:21 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

festival of winter fun

Here's a link to the Free Press site where you can find a video and a slide show with audio of the Polar Plunge. Here's the slide show of Sunday's festivities. Jane and Dick had planned to leave on Sunday but how can you pass up the Polar Plunge and a Blastfest?
Read more

being thankful

It's easy to be overwhelmed by the crap in life because there certainly is some of it. Anybody who reads the paper, listens to the news, or who gets dressed and leaves the house once a day knows it. There are so many things for which to be thankful, though, so my mental exercise this morning as I drink my coffee and watch my fireplace is to think of them. The safety of our friend, Bob, after his terrifying roll-over on an icy road near Alexandria. It took me two days to respond to his email because it was such a frightening story. As he is a good and kind person, he didn't curse the state for not sanding or even nature for sending such road conditions, but he was grateful for the kindness of a stranger and for his health. For all of this, I am thankful. A warm and well-lit house, tiny as it is. Regis and I have lived in this bitty two-bedroom, 1950's style rambler since we married 13 years ago. Most days we are overwhelmingly grateful for it's coziness and lack of st
Read more

dreams and sucking out the bad stuff

Image
I don't really know what kind of drugs I was on during surgery. I know they gave me Versed right before I was wheeled down the hall. Just a little something to take the edge off, I guess. It also does a good job of erasing the memories. I recall seeing the OR but then the lights go out. The next few days have been like this Van Gogh painting...lots of starry naps and dim memories. I've been taking Percoset since I came home. It does a good job on the pain but today it created some nausea. It also makes me fall asleep in the middle of conversations which some people find disconcerting. I skipped my 2 o'clock dose but decided about 6 that a little nausea is worth the pain control. I am not a hero when it comes to pain. I don't even like a hint of pain. This is an interesting part of my post-surgical experience. It's a suction drainage thing. The tube end disappears into my skin under my arm and is fastened there with a couple of Frankenstein stitches.I
Read more