Thanks For Everything

Greetings to the wonderful community of Blogland! My sincerest apologies for being absent, and I regret to say, that it will be a permanent situation, at least on Blogger. All is well, though! My life is so full; fuller than I ever imagined it could be. 

This last post is an effort to express my deep gratitude for the blogging community. For almost 8 years you let me vent about life and hone my photography skills. Many wise souls in my circle offered advice and counsel for life's struggles. And even when some photos (many) were of questionable quality, you'd still find a way to say something positive. Some of us exchanged gifts and cards with each other. Phone calls were even exchanged with a couple of you. Without YOUR encouragement I would never have grown as much as I have, especially these last three years. I hope I have been a source of support for you, too.

As wonderful as blogging is, in the end, I just couldn't keep up and still do all the things I enjoy doing outdoors. On some days I had to decide if I wanted to kayak or blog. Hmmm, gardening or blogging? Photography or blogging? You get the picture. Unfortunately, I'm not one of those energetic types that can go all day and all night. This ol' gal needs her beauty sleep (and lots of it). 

In November, we lost Sparky to congestive heart failure. Double D purchased this beautiful marble frame and gave it to me for Christmas. Oh, the tears! Sparky disliked having his picture taken, so I didn't have any crisp images to put in it except this one. I called him my "little monkey" because he had such a cute face that I adored. Anyway, I thought the frame said in essence what I want to say to you: Thanks for everything. 

2/9/2002 - 11/16/2015

If any of you are interested in my new ventures, please add my new website to your feed: www.gailadixon.com.

Thanks again for everything. I truly did have a wonderful time.

Bursting

As you can see, my agapanthus are beginning to bloom. Last year, for one of my first posts back after my brief hiatus, I dedicated these to the sweet and lovely Leontien, God rest her soul. Right now we have 20 blooms. TWENTY! That's twice as many as last year.

In other news, my IRS issues with the state of Louisiana were resolved by email, miraculously. They corrected their mistake and we do not owe any more money. Hallelujah! I have a trip planned to see my daughter in Portland at the end of the month and I'm very excited about that for obvious reasons. Finally, happy birthday to Double D, the love of my life! Today he wants to traipse around New Orleans and eat at The Court of Two Sisters. Y'all have a great week ahead!

Bittersweet

It was a strange, but good day. My dad went with me to visit my sister's grave. I don't think he has set foot in the St. Gabriel Cemetery for 40+ years. He had forgotten the grave's location, so I pointed him towards the headstone with the praying angel, flanked by pink roses. Then I walked away to give him some space. I turned and watched as he knelt down beside her, and for several seconds contemplated a quick snap with my iphone. However, it felt like an unwelcome intrusion on such a private moment, so I resisted the urge and continued on. After some time, he stood up and strode towards me, dabbing at his eyes with his handkerchief. We hugged. We stood like that for quite some time with me giving some extra squeezes for the words I wanted to say, but couldn't. It's the first time I've seen my dad cry. Even when his parents died so tragically, I don't remember him crying; he just sighed a lot. But I think he needed this today and perhaps will get some badly needed closure.

Late in the afternoon when all the emotions had died down and daddy had long since returned home, my dogs began a chorus of barks. My husband called out that the UPS man had left me a package. To my delight, it was a box from a very special blogging friend, Michelle Renee Photography! Inside she had...well...I'll let you see what she did!

What a sweetheart! A brand new hummingbird feeder and a National Geographic magazine!
I was so deeply touched by Michelle's generosity and her confidence in my photography.
Hugs, Michelle!!!!!!

Just a few minutes after I set it up, here comes Pierre, Sr.! I was focused on the feeder, not expecting a visitor so soon, but there he is, impatient to give the new feeding station a test drive.
Michelle, it has his seal of approval. He will not even let the rest of his family feed.

A very happy hummer.

Nom-nom-nom

This is him at the old feeder. I included this one because of his tongue.
He didn't stay long, he went right back to the new feeder.
(I think he realized how grody the old feeder is!)

And here sat Izzy listening to the buzz of the hummers' wings.
She so rarely sits still, so I had to take advantage of this moment.
And bonus: both her ears are in the frame!

The blogging community is filled with special people that I've grown close to and care deeply about. There are those that make me laugh, share their talents, respond to questions, pray, and offer support. I become verklempt when I try to put into words what this world of writing, friendship, and community means to me. If you had told me a few years ago that I would be giving out my address to someone over the internet and form actual friendships with other bloggers, I'd have replied that you need to go back to eating your soup with a fork. :) But I've let go and trusted, and in return received the sweetest gifts. And I'm not talking just about "things". The gift of time that people share is what stirs my heart and fills me with hope. Can I get an Amen?!