Memorial Day is for Remembering

Some people actually go away for Memorial Day weekend. Traditionally, my family has stayed home to attend picnics and the annual Memorial Day commemorative service held at Bellevue Cemetary in Ontario. Several of my family members are buried at that lovely old cemetary and my stepfather plays in the Chaffey Community Show Band during the services.

One of the things BassMan brought into my life when we married was a greater appreciation for this annual three-day weekend in May. He was an Air Force brat who became a Marine. He'd lost a couple of Marine buddies in aircraft mishaps through the years and so Memorial Day became more meaningful.

We have attended the Bellevue Memorial Day service every year since 1993, that's 15 years now. After the service BassMan walks around the veteran's section of the cemetary and salutes the graves of the Marines. Jonathan was only three the first year we attended and he'd follow along after his daddy saluting the graves.

Memorial Day is a wonderful weekend to usher in the summer. I hope that in your family celebrations you'll offer a moment of remembrance to the men and women who have given their lives in service to our country.

The above is a page from my family photo album. Do you have any photos of memories about Memorial Day that you'd like to share? Post them here.

A Quiet Mother's Day Morning to Write

My kids know I love to write early in the morning before anyone else awakens. So my daughter, who lives away at university, decided to give me a great Mother's Day present. An early morning writing session. Really early. It began like this:

I'm sleeping so peacefully I don't even remember my dream, when the phone rings on my side of the bed at 4:35 a.m. and my husby doesn't stir. I'm instantly awake at the sound of my daughter's voice. After the initial panic, I listen to what she's saying.

"Mom, can you come take the chain off the front door so I can come in."

I rush to the front door, remove the chain and deadlock, and there she is.

"Happy Mother's Day."

So we hug and she explains how she wanted to surprise me for Mother's Day. Then she goes to bed (mind you, her uni is only a half-hour from our home, so don't imagine she drove all night to get here, and having once been a college student in similar manner, I don't let my mind wonder what she's been doing all night, only that she's safe and sound). And I'm wide awake.

Three chapters later in my WIP revision, it's still only 6:30 a.m. in CA.

So what did I get for Mother's Day?

A quiet morning to write.