Nostalgia. You know how FB brings up our photos, showing us what memories we can share? Well, I seldom feature those suckers again on that site, but this FB header was one I had to copy and stash in one of my folders.
I knew it would come in handy some day.
The photo on the left was a shot of my guest cottage in the foothills, when my daughter was living there. She loved decorating it in all the bright colors of the rainbow…which is how it got its name: Rainbow Cottage. Her kitchen/living room had gold tones, and her bathroom (below) was bathed in an orange color that completely mimicked the one in our home when she was a baby. Sense memory?
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In the photo below, the fading sign that says “Rainbow Cottage” once stood in the lawn between the main house and the guest house in that foothills “dream house.” Now it huddles in the corner of my small patio with assorted cast-offs, like a piece of a forgotten vignette.
My daughter insisted that the sign not be front and center of the guest cottage while she was living there. She doesn’t like signs. Or maybe she just didn’t want to be part of my story.
Yes, my story includes some novels I wrote, and one of them featured an artist living in a friend’s guest house who created the walls of each room in a different color. The character who owned the main house named it Rainbow Cottage. Not just because of the colors…but because the artist was named Rainbow. (Miles to Go: by Laurel-Rain Snow).
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As I write my story today, I jump ahead to the present to feature a growing family of adorable tots who live in North Dakota, creating their own nostalgic moments. My step-great-grandchildren, Lilly and Bella. Their older brother Maddix did not participate in this cookie-baking event. Here they are, beginning the project.
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And afterwards….Lilly’s showing us her feelings about what she has obviously just tasted. Or maybe she is protesting the end of the project.
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My current daily life includes a lot of reading, and today’s book is one I just started: The Twilight Wife, by A. J. Banner.
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Thirty-four-year-old marine biologist Kyra Winthrop remembers nothing about the diving accident that left her with a complex form of memory loss. With only brief flashes of the last few years of her life, her world has narrowed to a few close friendships on the island where she lives with her devoted husband, Jacob.
But all is not what it seems. Kyra begins to have visions—or are they memories?—of a rocky marriage, broken promises, and cryptic relationships with the island residents, whom she believes to be her friends.
As Kyra races to uncover her past, the truth becomes a terrifying nightmare. A twisty, immersive thriller, The Twilight Wife will keep readers enthralled through the final, shocking twist.
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I am already doubting every character in this story, as flashes of memory become increasingly more frightening.
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Since the weekend, I have been fighting this damn cold…and remembering how I somehow managed to escape the affliction for years. Yes, years. Ever since I finally retired and no longer worked closely with kids who were often sick, I have been blessed with wellness.
I knew that blessed state of being would probably come to an end at some point, but I was still shocked by the symptoms…and I was in denial for several days. LOL.
Now…I think I’m better. The worst is at night time, and sleeping is fitful. Nyquil, anyone?
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What nostalgic moments or family stories do you recall? What are your favorite books today?
This weekend, I am sharing this post on Saturday Snapshots at West Metro Mommy Reads.
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POTPOURRI 