red ornament day

A few years ago, my husband and I sold my family's summer home in the Catskill mountains to my nieces.We kept some acres but the old farm house that afforded so many wonderful childhood memories,is no longer mine.

So many changes have taken place in the eighty plus years that have passed since my grandmother bought the house in the 1930s.Incredibly enough,in 2010, tropical storm Nicole flooded the stream on the property and the huge boulders disappeared.These had been my touchstones since I was a baby.In one of my most meaningful dreams,I am sitting on one of those rocks.Only one thing seems to remain.An old glider still sits rusting, on the sceened-in porch.No one can seem to bring themselves to ditch this icon of summer afternoons swaying with a cool August breeze.

When I left the Catskills in 2011, I took an old rusted spring that was under the glider serving no purpose and brought it home.My only piece of a much loved old house.My red Christmas ornament proudly sits on top of the coiled brown spring.They both look like they belong in the dump but I love to see them there.

The other day my husband and I were in an IHOP in Dawsonville.It was quiet,clean and very pleasant as was our helpful waitress.As we were leaving ,I asked for the manager.Employees never know what that is going to mean, so many hovered around nervously.When she came out, I told her about our very good experience with specifics and she glowed.I almost got teary.In the parking lot, I thought of my red heart love resolution and smiled.I was actually doing it and it felt like joy.