I love walking around cemeteries and reading the inscriptions on the headstones. I have written about some of my visits, here and here.
Here are some of the interesting headstones I have seen
A cousin of mine died at the age of 50, 10 years ago, and I often go to his grave to visit. This is his headstone- he chose the spot himself, under the trees, alongside the forest. A quiet place to visit- where I sit and think of him.
What was the last URL that you bookmarked or saved?
I used to bookmark everything it seemed, so now I rarely do. I think the last site I bookmarked were the wonderful Decorah Eagles- in Decorah Iowa. Their nest has a webcam and I was able to watch momma eagle lay 3 eggs, then watch them hatch, then grow and finally fledge. Having it bookmarked made it easy for me to find the nest a few times a day to watch the action.
Do you believe in the afterlife? Reincarnation?
I do believe there is something after death- something after this life. There is a concept in Judaism called Gilgul Ha Neshamot described as a mystical (Kabbalistic) concept of reincarnation. In Hebrew, the word gilgul means “cycle” or “wheel” and neshamot is the plural for “souls.” Souls are seen to “cycle” through “lives” or “incarnations”, being attached to different human bodies over time. Which body they associate with depends on their particular task in the physical world, spiritual levels of the bodies of predecessors and so on. In addition to believing there is something after this life, this is also a concept that I believe exists.
If you were or are a writer do you prefer writing short stories, poems or novels?
I do not think I am creative enough to be able to come up with a story concept and then put it on paper. I would try my hand at poetry though.
What inspired you this past week? Feel free to use a quote, a photo, a story, or even a combination.
This young boy who got up to sing at an Idina Menzel concert. 11 years old but he has something special. Take your talent and reach for the stars
If a movie was made based on your life, what actor/actress would play you?
This question made me laugh- what popped into my head was my mother in law always telling me I looked like Heather Locklear and Holly Hunter. I think Holly Hunter is an awesome actress so that would be ok with me.
If you could be famous for one thing, what would it be?
Being kind to people and helpful.
Hope your week floats and sails along as nicely as this seagull floated along with the waves!
The forecast for this morning was rain after 8 am, so at 6:30 I drove to a local park for my walk, hoping to take some photos along the way. I arrived to find the sun rising, just breaking through the clouds.
I started my walk with the sun rising in the East and as I walked South West the sky looked dark and threatening
I continued on, seeing a Northern Flicker bathed in sunlight as he faced into the rising sun
I could hear thunder in the distance, but where I was walking was still light and fairly sunny. Then ahead of me, in the direction where those dark skies were, there was a rainbow and the skies were now blue!
I can only imagine it must have rained wherever that was, leaving a rainbow across the sky. The camera could not do justice to what it looked like in real life- it was so brilliant, so bright, you could see every color like each was on fire. I even got a little choked up at the sight of it, it was so beautiful. I then turned my gaze across the sky and realized it reached all the way across, something I had never seen before. It stretched from ground to ground, but I could not capture the whole thing on either side, but wanted to catch that arc.
Just as I got the shot the rain started, quickly and fiercely, so I ran for that building on left and took cover, as my car was parked a mile away! In less than 5 minutes it stopped raining, at which time I headed back towards the car. On the way I spotted this little guy, feathers wet from the downpour
Just as I got into my car the skies opened once again. I smiled all the way home, having seen the sun, the rain, and a rainbow all in an hours span of time.
Join Becca Givens for Nuturing Thursday
My husband and I were sitting on a bench in a park yesterday, when a trio of ducks decided to come up from the pond and rest close to us.
It was very hot and two chose to lay down and cool off in the shade of the Weeping Willow
But one of them decided she was in a friendly mood, perhaps thinking we had something for her to eat, (which we didn’t) and ventured closer, 
and closer
and then closer…. until she was an arms length away,
looking at us as we spoke to her, because you know I talk to birds, ducks, any animal, assuming they understand what I am saying. She does look like she understood that I was telling her how pretty she was.
and then after about 5 minutes, she decided it was time to go, and off she went
It made me smile to see her so close up, her markings, small stripes on her head that grew larger down her body. She cocked her head a few times as I spoke which really made me smile. What made you smile this week?
One photo couldn’t say it all, so I opted to make a slideshow. Best viewed in full screen- the icon on the bottom far right
Ailsa invites us to share primary colors this week.
Nothing says red like a Red Barn
Sunflowers epitomize Yellow
Blue Ocean, Blue Coffee Holder, Blue Nails, Blue Beach Wrist Tag
Call me crazy, but I love the seagulls at the beach. I don’t mind when they walk right up to my blanket or lay together in groups of 20 on the beach, or squawk at one another. I spent yesterday watching them, and decided I would make a post of Seagull Portraits. Ok, call me crazy again, but they are beautiful to my eye. So here they are.
My husband and I were in the car driving, listening to the radio, when Mozart’ s Serenade 13 in G Major (Eine kleine Nachtmusik) came on the radio. In case you are not familiar, here it is.
My mother immediately came to mind. I could picture her at the ironing board, her glass Pepsi bottle with the sprinkler top on the ironing board, as she ironed my father’s shirts. When she was ironing she always had music on. This was my introduction to Mozart. I am able to hum along with every piece that was on that album. Her other favorite was Harry Belafonte. The album cover was red with a photo of Harry Belafonte on the cover. 
Day-O was a favorite, but Jamaica Farewell was the song she sang with. My mother did not have a singing voice, this was no secret in our family, she could hold a tune, but her voice was not strong. But when she was at the ironing board and Jamaica Farewell came on she didn’t care. Not only did she sing, she danced as she ironed. It was more swaying with the music as she sang, sprinkling the shirts to wet them and then pressing the iron to them, gliding it across. All to the calming beat of Jamaica Farewell.
Music is so often tied to our memories, we hear a song that takes us back to where we were in life at the time. It surprised me at how vivid this memory was, how my association with these songs allowed me to conjure up an image so clear in my mind some close to 50 years later. I smiled remembering those ironing moments, when my mother, not one to reveal much of herself, or to let her guard down, was able to do so behind her ironing board with iron in hand. To come out of herself a bit, and perhaps that is why I remember it so strongly. It was unlike her to be so uninhibited.
As my husband and I continued to drive, I looked up Jamaica Farewell on my phone and played it out loud. I still knew every word.
ALL SEASONS is about any experience you may have during the season -the beautiful, the fun,weather, nature, and anything else.
I love the summer, I don’t mind the heat, I prefer it over the cold of winter and even the chill of fall. I love the long days, when the sun is up early, the birds singing along with its rising. Days spent at the beach, visiting a park, walking with my camera capturing the beauty around me.
A crowd of Sparrows descended on me while having lunch in a beautiful garden. The braver ones came close and took a small piece of cracker from my finger. A satisfying moment, seeing nature so close up. 
I spotted this Sparrow fluttering around a potted plant of Petunias on the boardwalk at the beach. He seemed to stay above the flowers, not landing, just hovering. Finally he did land, inside, where I lost sight of him. Trying to get out of the heat? Hidden food? A nest? I wonder.
Going to the beach on a weekday is so different from going on the weekend. We arrived to find the beach mostly empty and as people did come, everyone had enough room to take a space without intruding on anyone else. I don’t know if it was the lack of people, but the beach was filled with seagulls all day, everywhere you looked. I have gotten used to them strolling by where I am sitting, but yesterday they lounged around right next us, sleeping and watching the surf. One bird kept swooping into the surf, who I later identified as a Common Tern. There were Muscle Shells galore that had washed in with the surf, so it was open Buffet all day. Here are some of the seagull sights I saw.
Common Tern
Common Tern on the lookout!
Laughing Gull
Lunchtime!
Fearless Oystercatcher foucsed on finding lunch as someone approaches
The Buffet is Open!
You lookin’ at me? This guy was sitting within arms reach of me
And the Oystercatcher who never stops moving along the surf.
A Day In The Life 
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