Between morning rain and afternoon cloud-herds headed for the Sierras, she took some exceptional photos. Observe:
Calla Lilies, open to spring sky.
Joseph P. Thompson wrote: "Real glory springs from the silent conquest of ourselves." But I wonder if it springs from tragedy as well and remains hidden until long after sacrifices are made --I cite the coverage given others by parents and heroes in the pyroclastic flows of Pompeii.
Excuse me for raising the subject of tragedy but, even though it contains valuable lessons, I have never liked it very much. It is real. I am frequently forced to consent to reality but have never quite approved of it, except in the global apology of springtime.
After a decade of drought, this is the kind of rain-laden sentiment I was after. A Sign!
Congratulations.
ReplyDeleteMost kind Tom, I welcome signs from the sky --good signs--as I welcome signs of peace on Earth --like you.
DeleteWelcome to spring, Geo!
ReplyDeleteYou have flowers, blossoms, and Norma.....
I have perpetual dampness, frost every night, and a monumental sinus headache.
10 p.m. is too early for me. I don't start writing until after midnight.
:) Love, cat.
DeleteJon, after a year that included some very heinous illnesses, I am thankful for blossoms etc. but also for dampness, cold --everything except sinus headaches which precede wind and rain. Is it when the barometer bottoms out with you too? Aspirin, caffeine and bed are all that work for me.
DeleteDear Cat, love helps too. It always does. You are remarkable.
DeleteBest wishes on your anniversary, Geo. and Norma - may you have many more!
ReplyDeleteLovely flowers - the shot of the emerging poppy is quite amazing. Your post-ten-p.m. writing seems fine to me. I may be prejudiced as most of my writing is done then too.
O_Jenny, that makes me feel less alone in writing far into the night. And yes, Norma has an eye for the amazing. Why she zeroed in on me is certainly an enigma.
DeleteI love love love the pic of the heart shaped cloud, friend Geo. Always, cat.
ReplyDeleteThanks, dear Cat. My photographer has a way of reading nature as a language of the universe.
DeleteCongratulations! The Normaphotos are lovely. Happy Spring and Happy Anniversary.
ReplyDeleteDear Tom, thanks. Relayed compliment to Norma and wish you happiness too.
DeleteHappy anniversary, you two, and kudos to Norma for her photographs.
ReplyDeleteThanks Bruce, wishes appreciated and kudos conveyed. Most kind.
DeleteYES! I'd definitely take the shape of that cloud as a good sign. Even the heavens were celebrating your anniversary! I hope you had a beautiful day from start to finish.
ReplyDeleteToday WOULD have been our fiftieth anniversary. Two weeks before the wedding, Smarticus' leave was canceled. ARRRRGH! No problem. I just moved everything back a couple of months. No harm done. (But the second set of invitations was MUCH simpler!)
Dear Susan, thank you. So your anniversary is in May? That was the month Norma and I first chose but, as you know, many schedules were impacted in those busy days. We advanced our date 2 months. Good thing too!
DeleteYep. May 24... and the groom even made it! We didn't care about him or the groomsmen wearing tuxes, either. The guy who was supposed to be the best man... another soldier... couldn't make it, so another fella filled in at the last minute. My hubby wore his uniform and the other guys wore non-matching sports jackets. Because, as you and Norma also know, the date of the wedding or what anybody wears isn't what matters. It's only the beginning. One single day. What matters is the many days that follow. We're all very lucky to have had a lot of 'em. :)
DeleteSounds like great start and wonderful progress. We had time only to reserve Norma's parents' back yard and invite friends and family by telephone. No guarantees, iffy collapsible futures back then, but somehow --1/2 century later-- here we are. Congratulations to you.
DeleteI've just made a heart shaped sigh for you both. May the seasonal and marital delights continue bountifully :-) xx
ReplyDeleteThanks, Lisa, and please convey my appreciation to Oak Dragon for sculpting that cloud.
DeleteHeartfelt Congratulations on your 49 wedding anniversary!
ReplyDeleteThe heart-shaped cloud caught in the camera of your loving wife, Norma, is an amazingly good sign!
Blessings!
Kind Duta, blessings appreciated. Thanks!
Delete49 years!
ReplyDeleteThe heart shaped cloud was God's blessing on you both.
Norma's skills captures your love.
Thanks Susan! I'm a willing captive.
DeleteLoved this post, Geo, because it is filled with love and gorgeous photos! Congratulations to you two, and may you have many more happy years together. Norma has the ability to see beauty and wonder in the things she sees every day and to capture them with her camera. It's there if we only have eyes to see.
ReplyDeleteI do think glory emerges from tragedy, or as I think of it, dire situations that challenge us as human beings. I have walked among the ruins of Pompeii and Herculaneum, and I have seen the haunting plaster casts (Pompeii) and the human bone beds (Herculaneum) in situ and in museum exhibits. It's possible to imagine the horror of the volcano, but nothing surpasses the power of one human trying to shelter another in the fast moving tragedy that struck these towns.
Dear Louise, your reflections upon Pompeii and Herculaneum mirror my own. Norma has helped me to see things, silent events between soil and sun, that help me appreciate each day. I worked as a gardener of public places for 37 years, but she awakens in me the soul of the job.
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