I've been reading some of my old journals. I have a stack of them. Mostly I wrote about birds, peepers, the swamp. These are photos of photos-I don't have a scanner. Looking back on my life in that house is like a dream to me now. Most of my time there I lived alone. I had a hand dug, stone-lined well that I dipped my own water from. I heated with wood. Some of that time I didn't have a phone. A spell after my dog Simon died, I didn't have a dog-just my geese, Siegfried and Paris. The photo above is a little alcove in that house with windows that looked out on the scene in the photo below, and a nice swamp.
It was a dead end road, dirt. Across from my house there was a hardwood forest with a swamp in it that had highbush blueberries, pink lady's slipper plants, wild azalea bushes, and many other wild plants I've not found elsewhere in my roaming. The house is now gone-bulldozed by the owner of the land. It's very strange to drive on that road and look where the house used to be.
This is Simon, a dog that I will never forget. I have to say I have not loved a dog as much as I loved him, and I have had two dogs since he died.
My geese were my joy-somewhere on this blog I posted the story of how they first started to love me.
Simon Bar Sinister. My brother called him Stinky, because he loved to roll in bad dead stuff. He had wonderful pointy ears, and this is where all my pointy dog art comes from. This dog.
In the future I hope to reprint some things out of the journals I've been reading.
I'd love to hear about any old memories you may have of places you lived in, or animals that will have your heart forever...
10 comments:
Thank you for sharing these, Debra...what memories you have of this place, makes the heart ache sometimes doesn't it? My Mom and Dad have lived in the same place for 40 years now, and they can still point to just about every place they lived...and how different the world was then! Aren't you glad you captured these? Lori
Oh my, what am I saying, my folks have lived in the same place for 70years now! Oh how time flies....
Debra, I just loved your memories and the pictures of your old house and how you lived there. I could hear "peacefulness" in what you wrote, and a sense of contentment. It made me think back -- to Breezy, my yellow lab I had in the 80's. She was my soul mate, my best and most faithful friend. She knew all my secrets and kept them safe. She didn't care where we lived, just as long as she was with me. She worked with me, played with me, slept with me, cried with me, walked with me.. . I miss her still. I tend to compare all others with her.
There is something about old houses, especially old farm houses. I lived in the sticks on a 240 acre farm for 4 years. The house was very old, drafty, and isolated, but I felt protected there. The quiet was not a lonely quiet, but rater a soul-searching quiet, and I needed that. I've wished many times since that I could go back there again. I wish I had never left!!!!!
I love reading journals I have written in and see how I was feeling when I wrote them and where I was in my life then. It looks like you had some wonderful memories of the house and the little dog, Simon!! He looks cute!! It is good to be able to remember those memories and "relive" how you felt back then. But it sometimes is hard looking back and not being able to go back.
Well, some old memories of mine was my dog Taffy. We had to put her to sleep around 4 years ago. She was such a great companion and my best friend. She was a golden retriever. We had her since she was a puppy. Another old memory of mine would be a seashore house my grandmother owned. We visited it since I was a baby. We spent a lot of time down there and loved going down. It was nothing special, just a little house, it didn't even have any air conditioning, but we still loved it. A few years ago we had to sell it. It was so hard not being able to go down and stay in the little house. But it is nice to have those memories and recall what we did. Very nice post Debra!!!
I hope you are having a wonderful day!
Debra, what an independent woman you've been. I've often wished I'd kept journals to look back on how I felt about things when I was younger, but I never did.
Simon was a darling looking dog. I understand that special love one can feel for a particular dog. I've loved all my dogs, but the loss of some devastated me more than others.
I love seeing pictures of old houses. I wish I could afford to buy a big, old house and renovate it, but they require so much expense. As I get older, I'm less inclined to think I'd want the 'big' part (so much to clean!).
Thank you for stopping by my blog. It was good to see you! :-)
This was wonderful, Debra... not only was it a trip down memory lane for you but an insight for us (your blog friends) to get to know you a little better!
I've had many animals too but I had a special rooster once named Geezer... he was in very bad health when I bought him at a flea market from a dusty old cage in the trunk of a man's car ... I got a little hen for him and kept them close to the house... when my hubby and I first got married, we lived in a place that wouldn't allow chickens and I had to leave Geezer and Duchess behind at my Dad's house and oh, how I missed them. We finally got to take them with us when we moved here but he passed away a short time later.... I still miss him.
By the way, Geezer is my blog profile picture...
Debra, you always touch my heart so deeply when I visit here. I love seeing where you lived and hearing about your life. You are an amazing woman. Simon was beautiful.
I'll have to dig out some photos of my Sandy dog. Like you, I've had many other dogs but he was my angel dog and I'll never have another like him.
You've made me want to start digging through old photos and reading journals too...Would love to read some of your old thoughts.
Miss being on here like I used to be...I think of you often though.
Pathetically, I still have my Christmas greeting up on my blog.
Love,
Vicki
I love old journals... so meloncholic... I cry and laugh and remember...sigh
I really enjoyed these old photos of yours and the memories... I will be looking for your pointed dog ear pictures... smiling with you
Oh Debra, I LOVE that house! Your story reminds me of places and ways I used to live as a child and girl growing up. What a heartbreak to hear the house is no longer there. I would love to buy and restore all the old houses that no one else wants, but that's not possible I suppose. Thank you for sharing your memories. :)
Going back to read old journals always stimulates the memory of those times and often surprises me that I was so introspective!
Your post of Simon reminded me of our Misty. I am one who believes our pets will be in heaven and when we get there, I will hug my Misty again. I tear up when I think of her for she loved us dearly.
Post a Comment