A Glimpse into the Past

Every time I see this photograph of my grandmother, Cecilia Honson Heffron, I find myself wishing I could have known her at this time of her life. She was a smart, beautiful, dignified woman who was far more complicated than I could have known as a child. I'm fortunate to have this photo and the bracelet she wears in it as keepsakes.

Worldwide Web

It really IS a worldwide web.  Not that I ever doubted it but now I have proof.  I recently installed a widget called NeoCounter that keeps track of the hits my blog gets, identifying the U. S. cities and various countries.  I occasionally click on  "Next Blog"  at the top of my home page to randomly check out other blogs and it's fun to see where I might end up and what type of blog it is.

  I have to admit I didn't think I was gettting that many hits myself  because comments are rare but here is the list of countries I have had hits from just in the last couple of days:  United Kingdom, Brazil, Norway, Philippines, France, Australia, India and our neighbor Canada.  That doesn't count all the U.S. cities on the list, either.

About 18 mos. ago I wrote a post about a visit to see my Aunt Helen, a Maryknoll Missionary Sister who had lived and worked in many locations throughout the world.  Imagine my amazement when I got a comment from a reader in Jamaica who is a Maryknoll missionary priest who had worked with my aunt in Bolivia!!!!  He thanked me for sharing my story.  I had goose bumps!!  What a small world!

Loving Winter

When I state my love for the winter months I usually get comments of disbelief or disagreement. So it's time to get specific.

Top Ten Things I Love About Winter  

#10.  Instant, free redecoration of the landscaping

#9. The "Winter Wonderland" show after a snowfall

#8. Watching the lakes and rivers freeze

#7. A toasty warm retreat into the cozy house after being outside

#6. Snowshoeing on a sunny beach

#5. The holidays

#4. The way colors stand out in contrast to the snow

#3. Patterns in the snow and ice

#2.Cross country skiing with Erich

#1.The serenity and silence  of a snow blanketed scene

And one more for the kids or the kid in all of us...

Snowmen, Snow Angels, and Sledding

Happy winter, everyone!  Enjoy the snow!

How to Impress an Opera Fan

Erich has an appreciation for the beautiful arias of opera and I've come to enjoy some of them as well.  My experience and knowledge of opera  is practically nil but I'm listening with an open mind.  When "La Dona e Mobile"  from the opera "Rigoletto" by Verdi started playing I was excited that it was familiar to me from my childhood so I sang the words as I knew them:

"Ta rah rah boom de ay;  I'll take your pants away
If you just stand there, I'll take your underwear"

Fortunately, Erich has a great sense of humor...

Listen to this recording of La Dona e Mobile by the Three Tenors and see if it brings any memories to mind - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwjR9c2vjrg

Canadian Entertainment - An Ice Floe

This is what we saw floating by one day at Erich's house on Lake Superior.  The chairs are presumably for comfort and the rake is for maneuvering and ensuring that the journey didn't take them out to Whitefish Bay.