“This table is reserved to honor our missing comrades in arms. The tablecloth is white — symbolizing the purity of their motives when answering the call of duty. The single red rose, displayed in a vase, reminds us of the life of each of the missing and their loved ones and friends of these Americans who keep the faith, awaiting answers. The vase is tied with a red ribbon, symbol of our continued determination to account for our missing. A pinch of salt symbolizes the tears endured by those missing and their families who seek answers. The Bible represents the strength gained through faith to sustain those lost from our country, founded as one nation under God. The glass is inverted — to symbolize their inability to share this evening’s toast. The chair is empty — they are missing.”
Location: Airport Pond; Anne Springs Close Greenway; Fort Mill, South Carolina, USA
God Bless. May you gain insight into your purpose and may your heart be blessed throughout life. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
The construction on the new school next to The Schiele Museum is making extremely slow progress. However, I think with spring being on the way the construction progress may increase as the weather starts to improve.
Hey, You Looking at Me?Maybe You’d Like a Frontal Snapshot?Or Perhaps I Should Come a Little Closer?Is This Close Enough? Let’s Make a Deal, I’ll Give You One More Shot … This is My Final Pose!
One never knows where Coleman will decide to Pull Up a Seatfor a spell. The first two are of places he chose to Pull Up a Seatat the Schiele Museum of Natural History in Gastonia and the third one is of his selection in the Greenway.
Friday was the first day of 2024 without too many clouds or rainstorms. The first time since before winter that we could see the aircrafts flying over our area. Blue skies and semi-warm weather warms the body and the soul.
I was just thinking about the many times Coleman and I have enjoyed hiking together along the Catawba River when the RDP (Ragtag Daily Prompt) appeared showing the today’s prompt to be River. Our minds seem to be in sync on thinking about River.
We’ve had a tremendous amount of rainfall recently and so I’ve been remembering beautiful sunny days spent with Coleman at the Catawba River. I’ve had photos of the Catawba River come across in my Google photos app as memories.
These are some of the memory photos that I’ve enjoyed looking over this week.
Views from the Backyard (1-2) Views from the Front Yard (3-4)
We have been having a lot of rain throughout the year. This is today’s view of our rainy weather. I am thankful it is not as devastating here as for some of my friends in San Diego, California. I do long for a California visit to see old friends and acquaintances. It will have to wait for another time. In my dreams the weather is perfectly sunny ☀️, not too hot 🥵 , not too 🥶, but just right. No jacket or sweater necessary. A time to enjoy the beautiful beaches, take a hike in the desert or the mountains or possibly both. In my dreams, the days are filled with love and happiness surrounded my friends I care deeply about. Hopefully, one day it will come to pass.
2024 is a bright new year, hopefully more optimistic and positive than the past couple of years. I have been consistently blogging daily for the past five hundred twenty-one (521) days. To me, that is a tremendous achievement. This past year I broadened by blogging horizons by participating in several different challenges. Monday Window is just one of many I have tried to participate in on a regular or semi-regular basis. I hope to continue participating in the various blogging challenges and posting various activities with my grandson.
The first Monday Window for 2024 was taken along the Avon Catawba Creeks Greenway while hiking with my grandson, Coleman.
Apartment Complex Windows Looking Up from the Avon Catawba Creeks Greenway
Photo Credit: (c) 2023 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: iPhone 14 Pro Max
Location: Looking Up from the Avon Catawba Creeks Greenway; Icon on the Greenway Apartments; Gastonia, North Carolina , USA
God Bless. Have a Blessed New Year & Keep Photographing, Writing, and/or blogging sharing your thoughts and artistic talents with the world. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
I do not get mine done very frequently. The last time I took myself anywhere to get anything done to my hair was in before 2014. When I did go I often went to my cousin to get a haircut, a perm or sometimes even dying my hair. There was no better beautician in my book other than my cousin, Carol. [Actually she was my first cousin once removed’s wife, but why get technical.]
Why talk about haircuts anyway?
Hair Health —-
It is healthy to get your hair, at least, trimmed periodically to remove damaged ends, prevent split ends, and help with hair breakage.
Hair Growth —-
Haircuts can promote hair growth and make your hair look healthier and fuller.
Scalp Health —-
Haircuts can improve scalp circulation, which stimulates healthier hair growth. They can also minimize dandruff and dry scalp.
Styling —-
Haircuts cuts can maintain a well-groomed appearance and allow for versatility in styling.
Self-Care —-
Haircuts can be a form of self-care. Visits to hair salons can be a way to take a break from your normal routine and relieve daily stress and anxieties. It can also help you feel better and more confident, more free; like the weight just sort of rolled off your shoulders.
You might be wondering why I chose to discuss haircuts. This week I decided it was long overdue for me to get my hair, at least trimmed if not a complete haircut. Lately, my hair has been tangling up quite a bit, especially if I slide on brushing daily or twice a day. It had gotten so long that when I would lend over to clean my hair would fall into whatever I was cleaning. (Not a good thing if it is the commode one is cleaning.) Yuck.
My grandson, Coleman enjoys getting his haircut. When his hair starts hanging down in his face, he’ll hold his hair up and make cutting gestures with his fingers.
So, between yesterday and this afternoon noon, he and I both got our haircuts taken care of. I went and had my haircut done yesterday. It is a little shorter than I anticipated, but it will grow and is a lot lighter on my head. No more hair falling into places we prefer them not to be.
Top: My Before Photo Bottom: My After Photo
This afternoon while running errands, I gave in and we took Coleman to “his barber” in “his barbershop” for his haircut. Yes, he does have a favorite barber and he’ll tell you how to get to “his” barbershop. He was so ecstatic to be getting his haircut. He was smiling from ear to ear during the whole haircut.
Top & Left: Coleman’s hair being cut Bottom Right: His Before Photo
God Bless. Treat yourself to a haircut, make-over, or whatever to help yourself look and feel better. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
2023 — A Year in Review — Second Chance/LastChance
Posting a Year in Review is something I have never done or dreamed of doing before. It is, however, a chance to reflect on the past year and reflect on the choices I’ve made. Why was one picture chosen previously, but not this particular one? Isn’t this picture worthy of being shared as well? I have decided to divide this challenge into two parts. Part One will be covering the first six months of 2023 giving a second/last chance to a select chosen photo from each month. In Part Two, I will dedicate to the last six months (including this one) of 2023 breathing life into previously passed over photos.
January 2023:
Honoring All Veterans Veterans Wall Glencairn Gardens Rock Hill, South Carolina, USA
February 2023:
Coleman Climbing the Bridge South Fork River Park 4185 Mountainview St Gastonia, North Carolina 28056
March 2023:
Coleman In Daniel Stowe Botanical Gardens Belmont, North Carolina, USA
April 2023:
Coleman The Schiele Museum of Natural History Gastonia, North Carolina, USA
May 2023:
Yellow Daylily Gaston County Warlick Family YMCA Gastonia, North Carolina, USA
June 2033:
A Greenway Horse Anne Springs Close Greenway Fort Mill, South Carolina, USA
God Bless. May your New Year be Blessed, Be Prosperous, and Full of Happiness. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all.
What or who makes me laugh? The answer to that is easy to answer. It is hands down, my grandson, Coleman. He has been my joy and inspiration since he came into my world four years ago. I have had the privilege of watching him grow and develop into an awesome little boy. Yes, at times he annoys and frustrates me when he doesn’t listen or follow given instructions, but then he’ll want a hug and says, “I love you”! You have to listen carefully; he talks with a lisp, so it is sometimes difficult to understand what he is saying. Even though some people have a difficult time, most of the time I can understand him and when he tells me he loves me; it brings a smile to my face and joy to my heart.
Coleman makes me Smile 😊
The joys and laughter Coleman brings throughout his life …
I’m a little late in posting this blog post due to dealing with the aftermath of our sewage catastrophe. Wake up at daylight as per my grandson’s habit and went downstairs. Upon entering the downstairs bathroom, we (my grandson and I) noticed the toilet was backed up and had overflowed onto the flow making it impossible to use that particular bathroom facilities. Upon our discovering I tried getting the water (sludge) to drain to no avail. We then proceeded to go back upstairs to try to use the main bathroom upstairs. Come to find out that in flushing the upstairs toilet the downstairs toilet backed up and overflowed even more. So, we were in a quandary of what to do considering we could not go all day without having working bathroom facilities. We were not sure if the problem was in our apartment alone or if it was a major complex issue. In the meantime, we decided to go to the store pick up a container of RID-X and we figured we might as well pick up a few groceries while we were out. The photos below depict a small portion of our aftermath issues. I did not think you would actually want to look at the gross sewage backup catastrophe.
Aftermath of Sewage Backup
Upon arriving home from the store, we happened to see the complex maintenance workers and proceeded to inquire about the problematic situation. They informed us that the complex water would be turned off for approximately one hour and that they were waiting on a plumber to come and remedy the situation. Therefore, with no water and the problem as yet unresolved, we went back out to a different store to pick up a few more grocery items that were not available at the previous location.
Finally, back home again and the water back on much to our delight we could relax a little before working on the clean-up. Also, Coleman, my grandson, needed to have food prepared for him to eat. (He is almost always hungry, but then again, he is four.)
I trust your day and week went better than ours. Hopefully, the rest of our work will be without any complications or unforeseen problems. Have a Blessed week. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Gfpacificbee’s Insights & photography 