HOT MINTY TEA AND A "BOX OF CHOCOLATES"

Boxes and bags of old photos, stashes here and there .... the visual memories of the pages of my life spread out before me. With a cup of  hot, hot minty tea, I planned to spend a few moments looking for photos to add to my WHOW blog. Instead, I looked into  a gazillion faces ..... happy eyes smiling back at me ..... people hugging, smoking, drinking and celebrating, running, playing, and sad moments unexpectedly captured forever. And the hours crept by. The tea became tepid and I closed my eyes, put my head down and curled up with Snickers, my cat. Drifting off for a sweet nap, Snickers purred and I snored. I think I must have snored. Eldon said I snored.

What a great old car ...... I think they're an aunt and uncle on my Dad's side ........
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Oh I know them ... Grandpa and Grandma Kaemerer (my Dad's side)

They died before I was six ...... I barely remember them.

Mmmmmm ...... I hope my Grand-children and Great-grands don't find themselves looking through a box of old photos one day and say they don't remember me......What am I thinking! NOBODY fifty years from now will store old photographs in shoe boxes. They'll probably have photo implants into their brain.

Hi Desi and Dad! 

Desi, what a Leprachaun! And gone way too soon.

Dad .... so handsome ... so complicated.

 Closing my eyes I see a little girl swirling around the room, dancing a waltz with her Daddy .... her feet on top of his ..... mmmm, I love to waltz.

"Dancing With The Stars" ..... each time I watch the program I look forward to the waltzes. I become one of the "Stars", twirling and swirling across the dance floor.

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And Mom .........always trying to keep them inline .... Desi could spin an intriguing story ..... Dad made the best homemade bread, he and Grandma Byrne were the bakers .... Mom's "Ash Gravy" is infamous! I have to find Grandma Byrne's photo .... hmmm let me think, in which shoe box are those pictures hiding?

All gone now. Sometimes these two men were like pieces of sour, hard, rock- candy - surprises and saddens you like the unexpected puckery taste it leaves in your mouth. And yet sweet.

Mmm.....and Mom? All the flavors combined together from a box of her favorite See's Candy.

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Yes, Forrest, life is just like a box of chocolates.

And so is a shoe box full of old photographs.

And if you don't believe that ..... brew a cup of hot minty tea, sit on the floor in your living room with a shoebox full of old photographs spread out before you - pick a sunshiney day so the sun shines in on you ....

And savor each little bite out of your past. It's surprising how sweet it is ...... was.