Celebrating Moments in Time

My father-in-law turned 90 a few years ago and his family and long time friends gathered in his care facility to celebrate. He enjoyed it all very much, especially the cake and ice cream.  It was a wonderful time that we will long remember, although he only remembered for the moment.  Some might wonder why go all out if he won’t remember that it happened.  I believe that although he was not able to remember, the effects on his well being lasted much longer.  The goal for someone in Alzheimer’s is to create moments that make them feel alive now, and tomorrow they will still feel better, even if they do not know why. Time with loved ones is never wasted.

We celebrated

Ninety years of connections

Winter closing in

Chocolate cake enjoyed

A very special moment

Birch trees pushing buds

Photos; Dwight L. Roth

Today at d’Verse we are celebrating birthdays. Kim asked write about a special birthday we remembered. I don’t remember any special birthday parties that I had as a child.  I decided to write about our last birthday party for my father-in-law who lived at Lifestyles Care Facility in Edmonton, AB. It was a great day for all.

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Little Buddy

In this pandemic, “Little Buddy” is the only one still running the rat race every day. Our son got us a robo-vac machine for Christmas. It is an interesting gadget that runs all over the house and cleans the floors.  It took us awhile to get figured out, but with the help of our grandson we found we could manipulate it quite well.

We have personified it to the point of actually talking to it when it doesn’t do what we want, or gets stuck under the entertainment center. It comes on every morning at ten-thirty, shocking us with a start-up beep. It does get places we don’t normally reach, such as under the beds and furniture. He fills up with dust and lint every day.  It has now become the third member of the family!!

Little Buddy beeps

Waking up from quiet sleep

Runs around the house

Collecting dust as he creeps

Squealing for our help

Wrapped tightly in a light cord

We get him unwound

Down the hall    he’s bedroom bound

Gathering dust balls

In places we can’t reach

Then its home again

For a recharge and a sleep

Wakes in the morning

With that same loud beep

Photos: Dwight L. Roth

 

 

 

Morning Wake-up Call on the Farm

“Dwight      time to get up”

Five forty-five comes early

When cows must be milked

Just five more minutes…

Cowbells tinkle down the lane

Must get to the barn

Cows find their own stall

We hug their necks to chain them

Now it’s milking time

Milkers pump     milk flows

Pipeline to bulk storage tank

White gold for farmers

Twenty-six cows fed

and milked      time for our breakfast

Fried eggs      (fried) cornmeal mush

Same routine each day

Morning and evening chores done

Sleep comes easily

***

Painting: Dwight L. Roth

Today at d’Verse, Frank Tassone asked us to write a poem using haiku in sequence.  I decided to do a snippet of farm life. When I turned thirteen, it started working summers on my Uncle Fred’s farm in central Pennsylvania.  He had a dairy farm with around 26 cows that had to be milked morning and evening every day,  three hundred and sixty five days a year!  Morning always came too soon for me. My Aunt Dorothy would call up the stair steps and tell me it was time to get up. This is my poem about getting up and getting to the barn each morning.  Some of my best memories come from working there.

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Just Chillin’

*Chillin’ is an expression I heard used in Eastern North Carolina which simply means hanging around with nothing to do! I saw a sign on a fence post outside an old country store that read “NO CHILLIN’ ON THIS CORNER” . This little bird sleeping in my feeder today reminded me of that sign.

Chillin’ in the cage

Surrounded by all that food

Just like you and me

***

Photo: Dwight L. Roth

 

 

Sweet Spot

The hummingbird has been coming to my feeder for the past few days. Perhaps it is the sugar water I added the the fermenting red brew. Such a beautiful creature, and such minute perfection! They are one of God’s special creations and a gift to all!

Amazing creature

Fermented sweet summer drink

Built-in drinking straw

Now you see me

Illusion of camouflage

Now you don’t

Photos today: Dwight L. Roth

 

 

 

 

 

Coming up for Air

We have now been living in our own little world for the past four months. I feel like this turtle swimming around in the shadows of the pond; which works well for a while, but eventually I need to come up for air.

Swimming in shadows

Immersed in our little world

Must come up for air

Turtle Painting: Dwight L. Roth

Rusting Memories

John Deere Disc Plow sits

Rusting  // memories long gone

Iron and steel recalls

Plowing raw earth deep furrows

Bringing up sharp arrowheads

musket balls and bones

of soldiers // soon forgotten

Blood // mixed with red clay

Photos: Taken at Wesley Chapel, NC   –  Dwight L. Roth

Flight of the Bumblebee

This morning I saw that the bumblebees were enjoying my mint tea that has gone to seed. Like many other things, when summer comes it grows flower tops and makes seeds.  I was planning to cut it back in hopes of getting more fresh green stalks, but I put it off and now it is food for the bumblebees!

Bumblebees flitting

Mint flowers’ summer blossoms

Drinking Sweet Mint Tea

Click and enjoy the music…

Photos: Dwight L. Roth

Hot, Hot, Hot

Temperatures to day were in the mid 90 F here in North Carolina. You know it is hot when the squirrel is stretched out on my chair in the shade and I am sitting inside with the AC running!

Midsummer heat wave

Squirrel and I try to keep cool

No showers in sight

Photos: Dwight L. Roth

 

 

 

 

My Most Shining Moment

In June of 2007, my two sons and I drove from North Carolina and Virginia to visit my mom in Eastern Pennsylvania. She was celebrating her 93rd, and last birthday. She passed away in August of that year. It was a wonderful visit. She was so happy to see her grandsons, and the love was felt all around. Though our visit was short, it was a very meaningful time for all of us.

My mother’s love shared

 Summer’s most  shining moment ,,,

August she was gone

***

Photo: Chris Roth

Photo: Don Ziegler

Lillian at d’Verse, asked us to think about our most shining moment. She referred to the end of March Madness when they shoe clips of the most shinning moments of the tournament! Our assignment was to write a Haibun of prose, followed by a traditional Haiku, describing our most shining moment. There are several that I could have chosen, such as our wedding, births of our boys, our 50th, etc. , but I decided to choose my last visit with my mother.

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