Thursday Doors

Simple glass doors, but they lead to an important facility – the VA Medical Center in Manchester, NH.

After WW I, residents fought to establish a hospital for NH veterans.  The building was started in 1948 and was opened on July 2, 1950. It sits on land donated by the late NH Governor Frederick Smyth.

What would you see if you walked through the doors today? You would see some younger men and women but mostly men well over 50.

If you just looked around, you might make the mistake of thinking it is just a bunch of seniors seeking medical treatment for a variety of issues. But, then I sat there for a while and heard parts of several conversations.

For instance, the man in the wheel chair pulling the oxygen tank served in Vietnam driving an ambulance from the battlefields to the medical tents so the wounded soldiers could be treated.

Or, the man with the pony tail and the cane who remembers several close calls when he was almost shot down piloting a Cobra helicopter pilot equipped with a machine gun and grenade launcher.

The man sitting across from him told the story of when he thought he had been shot because he was bleeding so badly. Then he realized that while he moved through the swamp over 100 leeches had adhered themselves to his body.

Or, the man talking about the fear of having his gun jam as he was in the middle of a firefight, and how one of his platoon drowned while crossing a fast-moving river because he couldn’t swim.

And, the man who stood guard at Checkpoint Charlie on the west side of the Berlin Wall carrying a gun with blanks while the Germans on the east side had guns with bullets.

Yes, they are seniors now. But, there was a time, when many still in their teens, they put their uniforms on, and put themselves in harm’s way because they were asked to by us.

Did you know that as of 2015 only 7.3% of all living Americans have served in the military – 1.4% female and 13.4% male?

I hope and pray the system of VA Medical Centers across the nation continue to assess and improve their programs so they can provide exceptional care for all these men and women who so selflessly served on behalf of the United States of America. 🇺🇸

These special doors are linked to Norm Frampton’s Thursday Doors, April 19, 2018.

Wordy Wednesday

I ‘borrowed’ this from the Exeter NH Garden Club. I don’t think they’ll mind that I shared it with you because we all need a good chuckle when it comes to this weather. 🙂

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Cold, Ice, and Snow

Do I need to say more? The calendar says April 16th, but Mother Nature is still knocking on our door and this wicked six-month winter won’t go away.

I’ve done some sewing, but it hasn’t been fun. It’s been ‘fixing.’ I won’t bore you with details, but just let me say I took my quilt top and back to the longarm quilter only to bring both back home because I need to make some adjustments for it to work on the machine.

I did a little more outdoor cleanup last week before this latest cold spell landed, but the only gardening I’ve done lately is attend a presentation by Kerry Ann Mendez, Perennially Yours, and hear about flashy foliage perennials.

If that is something you are interested in, Kerry is hosting a webinar on that topic on Thursday, April 26th. The very best thing about a webinar is you can watch it whenever and wherever you want.

Have you been able to do any spring clean up or gardening yet?

But, I’m not folding my spring tent. In an act of defiance in the face of ice, snow and 28 degree temps, we went out for ice cream. It was so cold, we had to wrap napkins around the cup in order to hold it.

We sure showed Mother Nature what we think about ice and snow. 🙂

Thursday Doors

Happy Thursday. I hope life in general and Mother Nature in particular is treating you well.

I have to admit I haven’t been on a doorscursion since I got back from SC, but a gardening friend is getting ready to head to England to take in a few of their amazing spring garden shows so it got me to thinking about doors I’ve captured while traveling.

I reached back into the albums to find some, and I was able to take a trip down memory lane that was quite enjoyable.

Top left to right and around to the center:  Bruges, Ireland, Venice, France, Luxembourg, Germany, Switzerland, England, and Brussels.

Do you have any travel plans on your horizon because these doors sure have me thinking?

Linked to Norm Frampton’s world of Thursday Doors, April 12, 2018.

Finally

Someone is doing something about this winter weather in April.

When I saw this on the news, I had a good laugh and thought I would share with you, my blogging friends, because I know many of you in the northern states are feeling the same way.

Maybe it’s my warped sense of humor, but I love this. I’m thinking about buying a frame for it.

Have a great Monday, and I wish you blue skies, sunshine, warm temperatures, and a slight breeze. Yeah, in my dreams. 🙂

Thursday Doors

Those of you who stop by know I have a thing for barn doors. I just love them including the hardware. Why? I don’t know except I spent a lot of my childhood hanging around my grandparents’ barn, we had a barn in Kansas, and we have a  barn here. I guess liking barn doors comes from deep within my farmer’s soul.

So, I was in hotel heaven when we stopped at a Marriott in New York on our way back from SC and found the hotel room and the lobby had barn doors.

The door in the room slid between the bathroom and the closet while the doors in the lobby were at the entrance to the breakfast area. They were handsome, sleek doors on stylish hardware.

I know there isn’t a wonderful historic story or lesson behind them, but I still like them.

Happy Thursday, and I hope your ‘spring’ weather is more promising than ours. We’re working with mid 20’s at night, low 40’s during the day, high winds, and more than normal rain. 🌷

If you want to see other door submissions from across the globe, visit Norm Frampton’s Thursday Doors, April 5, 2018.

April

Two and a half days of driving, one day of unloading and putting everything away, a day of washing and cleaning, and we’re almost back to normal. In case you’re wondering, normal is a lot more work than just going on adventures with friends. 🙂

So, how did we know when we arrived back in New England? We stopped at a Massachusetts Gulf Station/Dunkin Donut Shop for coffee. I opened the door, and every employee and customer was belting out Sweet Caroline. I probably stood there with the door open for a minute because I could hardly believe it, and then I just had to chuckle – only in Red Sox Nation.

It’s the second of April and what do I see when I look around outside? There are some snow banks, some bare ground, and a lot of branches of every size down. What’s my first gardening chore going to be – picking up branches and sticks. The second will be rebuilding our new raspberry support because the neighbor’s downed branches destroyed it.

I’ve been looking outside and contemplating how many days it will take to pick all the branches up while I’m finishing my granddaughter’s quilt so it can go to the long-arm quilter. The top was completed in SC, and now I’m putting together the back.

So, as I’m ironing the quilt back, I look out and see a neighbor across the street. I can’t figure out what he is doing, and then I notice – he’s raking his snow. I guess he’s trying to spread it out so it melts quicker, but even I wouldn’t rake snow. Shovel it off my plants – yes. Rake it off the yard – heck no, reminds me too much of fall chores which I dread. 🙂

Wishing you a lovely first week in April. We’re looking at temps in the 30’s and four out of five days of rain and snow showers. Here’s hoping April showers bring May flowers. 🌷