Vacation hangover

I've been avoiding blogging.

I've been avoiding the four hundred plus pictures in my camera.

The thought of trying to edit them into a manageable amount to post

on this blog is just too overwhelming to me.

Vacation started with a birthday party for my dad.

His first birthday since my stepmom passed away.

He is working on a memorial garden for her, raised beds made of stone.

Every day gets easier, but there was one very emotional thing that still needed to be done.

Her ashes needed to be spread.

Dad decided that he wanted to do it during his birthday party, most of her family and friends would be there to participate.

My dad found a spice rack, with no spices, just twelve empty glass containers.

He filled them with her ashes and let anyone who wanted to take a container

spread her ashes where they remember her.

As all the containers where handed out, we scattered to separate parts of the property.

I knelt down to Bug and explained what we were doing.

That we were sending grandma's body back to the earth and nature.

As we walked along he would stop and sprinkle little amounts onto the ground.

In the orchard where she planted the trees and picked their fruit.

Near the home that she built with my dad.

Near the pond that she helped Bug throw rocks into and look for frogs.

About the third sprinkle he started to say "Sprite light and back to life" as he spread her ashes.

He repeated it over and over as we walked along to the places that reminded us of her.

Later I asked him why he said what he did.

He told me " Because we were returning grandma back to nature to become the plants and trees, back to life"

I am forever amazed by this child of mine.