Friday, May 31, 2013

reflections


While visiting my mother in Maine,
 I took the opportunity to photograph
 some framed pictures of her parents.
Only when I got back to Boulder 
did I realize that I had failed to avoid reflections.
But, in this one of my grandmother,
 I was delighted to see 
that she's wearing the same gold bracelet
she gave to me when I graduated from high school.
The same one I've worn every day since.


By the way, that's Smokey sitting in her lap.
There were always several airedales in the house;
my mother says she remembers the cellar
smelled of wet airedales and bathtub gin during Prohibition.
Smokey ruled.

I come from a long line of dog lovers. 

10 comments:

hw (hallie) farber said...

What a beautiful woman and you're lucky to have these family photos. Would make a nice painting--you could title all those books. Love the dog. Don't lose the bracelet.

Janelle Goodwin said...

That's so touching that you wore your grandmother's gold bracelet all these years. A sweet story, Sam!

SamArtDog said...

Titling all the books sounds like something dopey I'd do!
And, so as not to lose the bracelet, I never ever took it off for years. Not until I'd wake up every day with its print marks all over my face. Vanity wised me up.

http://carolking.wordpress.com said...

How wonderful to have that picture and that she's wearing the bracelet that became yours.

Smokey looks like a great dog. Once people have dogs I can't imagine not having them. Dogs rule!

I may be making my way up to Maine this summer to visit friends who just moved there. I can't wait.

SamArtDog said...

Carol--
Where in Maine? I can give unsolicited pointers.

I spent an hour yesterday giving you likewise U Ps on your "Moving West" post. It disappeared, so so did I. It's the thought that counts.

Sheila Vaughan said...

Hello grandma Sam and Smokey. I find these sepia and b and w photos irresistable

Katherine van Schoonhoven said...

The bracelet! Smokey! I love stories of connection.

http://carolking.wordpress.com said...

Surrey Maine, Near Elmsford? Fly into either Bar Harbor or Bangor. NOt far from Arcadia. Basically Butt F**k, Maine.

Sorry, I should not use that language on someone else's blog.

Sorry I never got the U.P.s on moving West. He's still intent on doing it. I'm bending a bit, but I have some requirements. We need to be in or close to a city. We can't move to Phoenix, Scottsdale or anyplace that is so hot I will spontaneously combust. We need to live near a water source. I am convinced there will be a shortage of water in the West. Today he talked about Boulder.

SamArtDog said...

Surry. Near Ellsworth. Gorgeous territory!
Caution: tons of people and crowded roads in the summer. But still beautiful.

Here's what's left of the list of U.P.s---
Denver's the only city, no matter what the local chambers of commerce claim.
As for hot, it's over 100 in Denver today; 95 here in Boulder. Neither is unusual.
A water source? Like a reservoir? A river? Both sound nice, but both can be a sometime thing. Actually, you're right about water shortages. Because we ride a fine line in this part of the world, climate change is no joke.
Sorry to sound so down about this place; I think I suffer from too many memories of how beautiful it used to be. You were lucky to be here when you were; you got to see pretty snow and then pretty spring. Perfect! We've been known to pull off heaven now and then. Just not so often anymore.


http://carolking.wordpress.com said...

Over 100 degrees in Denver today? I don't think I could manage that, even if it's a DRY HEAT. I am very concerned about water shortages in the southwest and if we need to depend on the Colorado river for water we'll be lost soon. Maine has tons of water. And no internet service. Oh, where to go, where to go.