A Weekend To Remember

I spent Memorial Weekend with my folk's on the farm. The 3 hour drive puts them a few weeks ahead in the growing (ALLERGY!) season. I noticed an abundance of cottonwood fuzzies floating in the air around Clare so I decided I better pick up some allergy meds. I'm so glad I did. The trails on the farm were blanketed with fuzz.

The gardens were exploding with blooms & yummy treats. My mom is an awesome cook. I ate my fill of fresh asparagus & morel mushrooms picked on the farm. Morels cooked my favorite way, dredged in flour & pan-fried in butter until crispy. Yum! I was one of many hungry travelers eating well that day. Hummingbirds buzzed the porch feeders. Bumblebees feasted on bleeding heart nectar & the lilacs were covered in hummingbird moths. I was lucky to catch photos of both in flight.

Bumblebee & Bleeding Hearts

Hummingbird Moth & Lilacs

Sunday, Mom & I visited the cemetery to work on a special art project. We cleaned & painted the little lamb statue that marks the gravesite of my Great-Grandfather's infant brother. In between coats of paint, we visited headstones of family members & walked the cemetery placing flags on any Veteran's graves that had been missed.

I have wonderful memories of my great-grandparents. I was blessed to have them in my life for many years. Great-Grandpa was 82 when he passed. He would be 118 if he were alive today. His infant brother passed when Great-Grandpa was just a child. We're not sure when the lamb was placed but it's likely the lamb is over 100 years old. Here's a photo of my Great-Grandpa & his family taken sometime in the early 1900's. (Great-Grandpa is the little blonde boy with the serious expression.)

Monday we attended VFW Post 1454's Memorial Day Ceremony at Riverside Cemetery in Alma, MI. I'm proud to be an Auxiliary Member of Alma VFW Post 1454. They are a wonderful group of Veterans doing great things for their Comrades & their community. Grandpa Pillywiggin, a Vietnam Veteran, has been the Post Commander for several years. He gave a moving speech encouraging others to "Honor the Dead by Helping the Living." It was a beautiful ceremony and a wonderful tribute to our Nation's Fallen Heroes.

www.vfw1454.org

It was a wonderful weekend making memories with my family, honoring the memory of my loved ones, and paying tribute to our Nation's Fallen Heroes, the brave men & women who made the ultimate sacrifice so that we may all live free. Please, honor their memory by helping the living. Support your local Veterans organizations!