An Unconventional Field Trip
An unconventional history lesson
Answering the question...
Where did I come from?
Family Genealogy.
This particular outing was orchestrated
by my brother, Tim.
He wanted to take Mom to what's known as
The Old North End...
the area our mom grew up in...
an area that is now known for its
high crime rate.
This cemetery has seen some
unfortunate vandalism...
but as we walked the grounds on a crisp
November day...
I can attest to the fact that it has
retained its quiet beauty.
Many family members were buried
here at Forest Cemetery.
Armed with a map provided by Tim
and mom's crystal clear memory...
we went in search of
our family plots.
Marie Brockmann...
our Great Grandmother.
Surrounded by family...
remembered through stories told by mom.
As we travelled...
we couldn't help but stop
and appreciate the beautiful
monuments.
Even though it was damaged...
this angel still caused us to pause
and appreciate
the beauty
that could not be
taken away.
We made rubbings of
those markers
that brought
us here.
Steven Paul Thompson.
An older brother I
never met.
But who I know through the
many stories passed down through
the years.
I know that we will meet someday.
Now that is something
to look forward to.
Our Grandparents.
We never met our grandfather
but Dorathea...
was the best grandma ever.
Well...
I'm sure my boys would challenge that
since they claim to have the best.
My memories are pure
and simple
and so very precious.
She still visits me from time to time
in my dream world.
Maybe tonight I will be so fortunate.
Whether we knew the person
or not...
we often found ourselves
caught in thought
and prayer.
Caught in moments of joy in remembering
or contemplating the times
in which they lived...
reading names and dates and
wondering...
the who...the what...
the when.
The unexpected emotion
of happiness.
To have gone on this adventure
together...
as family.
Discovering moments
from a shared history...
and from the history we have learned.
This marker caught our attention...
as did the many that
surrounded it.
Finding stone steps
that led to the
crypts
below.
This one in particular
captured our imagination.
If you look closely
you will see
the small peek hole
which begged to be looked through.
What would you expect to see?
A hole that looked
through to another hole in the
stone seal beyond?
Then you would be correct.
Interesting...
intriguing.
Who put that hole there?
Why?
Was it made by the vandals
or by the family it now housed?
A good start to a compelling
novel for the very
romantic.
Of course my boys had to
include gym class
in their day...
rock climbing.
The best kind...
with no safety harnesses to
make mom feel
better about the height.
The sparse landscape...
the bare trees of November...
the low hung clouds of Fall...
the cool breeze that
told of the coming snows.
The quiet and cold beauty
of a cemetery.
With a single purple flower
found by Susie.
A flower that must have
forgotten the season.
A simple reminder that even in the snows of Winter...
we will all bloom
in glory.
amen.
I found myself doodling again...
Blanket Stitch...Running Stitch...
Looking happy to have been 
With a twine loop
I felt he needed a branch
It just made sense
Do you know what
Hung on the tree
