Observations from my Backpack

Fireworks as art! As a young child my first frightful experience with fireworks was when my younger brother was walking down the hall at my Grandmother's house on Adger Road and he popped into his mouth what he thought was a piece of round candy.  Nope it was a round look alike, and when you throw it to the pavement it would POP! Bobby ended up at the emergency room, and for days could not eat or sleep. Then, my best friend when I was I think 10, she was playing with a Sparkler, and her short top caught fire, and you might guess the rest.  I was there, and thus, following no more fireworks for me! During my career past, had many occasions to learn about the negative effects of the sound and sights of fireworks.  Service members coming back from the deployment often came home unable to hear these sounds from the lighting of the fireworks.  It was too close to the sounds of multiple firing of the weapons and war.  A reminder, and coming home with PTS and often Sec...

  Not sure at the age of 2, I would have remembered my beloved Aunt Sarah placing me on the hood of a 1949 Chevy! The photo here I am most certain was taken for my Aunt too, as she really loved me and often was known to "spoil" her little niece.  This photo was placed in my 'Baby" book by my mother, Aunt Sarah's sister, and I treasure it. Yep, that was me - all grins, and standing on top of a car with my favorite Aunt, holding me tight.  Lots of subliminal messages in that photo as she continued though my life to always be there for me, until she lost her ability to take care of herself, and then I took over for her before she passed on.  Sharing it now helps me speak to the importance of taking and archiving photos throughout the life of a child.  Photos record a person's growth and travels through life.  So a child is borne, the pictures show the baby, so what's next helps a child to gain a sense of self and their own personality in development.  "...

  Mama's Birthday is today, December 4.  She was borne December 4, 1925 in Blenheim, SC. Had she lived she would have been 96 years old.  Willie Jean Bruce was the middle child of three sisters.  Her older sister Sarah has long since gone, as is Margaret the youngest, when Mama passed. Both brothers passed also.   The picture here is of her standing on the Myrtle Court Fountain during World War II - Columbia SC. She loved this picture and I share it now to honor her "Fun" side of her self.  Often missing as she grew old with life's challenges, but at one time she was the one with red lipstick, and high heels, and climbing on the edge of a fountain for a picture.  Reflections now bring bright joy to me and Mama wishing you a restful time now. Willie Jean was borne right during the Depression, and within a few years, her beloved father died in a Model A car crash.  She often talked about him, reaching back for the only memories she had coming from s...

                                                  So how was it? Once is was the weather that we all talked about. You can remember when it was the humidity/the heat, the King Tide and the flooding. Now it's Covid. The media and government told us - it's a bad one virus, and one to be wary of.  We were told we needed a vaccine to help protect us, and work was underway to get it out soon. Then it was whether to take the vaccine or not?  To wear the mask or not.  Which medical spokesperson is right, or wrong? To many politicians are involved.  Countries around the world started reporting in, lots of conflicting reports. Where does one place trust in information? I remember vividly the day that Covid, that virus from China, took over as I was in the classroom sharing the beauty of Oc...

                                                            The Flying Pine Cone Early morning, and there it was!  A broken side window.  Looked at first like someone had tried to break into my car.  Waited for the Police to arrive, and only to hear - "well, ma'am I think it was a pine cone'? Huh I thought.  You mean like a pine cone could hit the window hard enough to break? South Carolina has "GLASS" coverage.  So the loss was not the case.  More so was the fact that a pine cone could hit so hard my window to break? Looking around, the sounds nearby was of a lawn mower?  There was a worker trimming the shrubs. Take heed friends.  Pine Cones can travel in the air once mobilized by the blade of a lawn mower or trimming device.   While I could laugh about this as it did seem far-fetched at first,...

                                                                                                         💔💔💔 Alone - has no discrimination. Recently appearing  in the "news",  various articles about how the pandemic quarantines are affecting many older people, as to be safe, they must keep a distance from their families, especially young children. Then there are the issues of keeping children out of school, often delaying school or offering only a virtual school.  Do not need here to provide any links or repeat here the negative reviews, only wish to share several recent conversations that I found most interesting. First, a new retired colleague from the medic...

Hesitating and then the wind... They say that three times is a charm. A charm?  Tonight while traveling back to Mt. Pleasant, the third time was almost a terrible broadside collide.  Let me explain. Hesitate and then the wind.. While traveling in Houston, a colleague and I were traveling back to the airport.  We stopped at the intersection, and when the light changed to green, were to turn left onto the main highway.  Checking both the left and right, no cars were visible but something did not feel correct.  Like I could hear the wind.  About the time we were to turn left, a white car came zooming by.  We were barely into the intersection when this white car went through the red light at a high rate of speed.  Slamming on my brakes, he missed us, and then not to far behind, came the red flashing lights with no sound, came the police car. Next, one early Sunday morning,  while waiting on my Mother to appear for a short beach trip, out of ...