This is Photo Story #3 for the Five Photos, Five Stories challenge. The rules are to post a photo a day for five consecutive days and attach a story to the photo. It can be fiction or non-fiction, a poem or a short paragraph. Oh yes, and each day nominate another blogger for the challenge. Today I nominate Eliza Waters who once sent me a surprise gift. Thank you again Eliza.
There is a strange tradition in my family. We do not send gifts at expected times. And we only send peculiar, laughter producing, or perfect things calculated to insert the element of awe into our lives.
One of those awesome surprise gifts came yesterday. It was in a giant box that weighed heavily and was filled with a whole lot of bubble wrap.
There is just no describing the heart-quickening excitement that comes from opening an unexpected mysterious package.
The return address was not familiar. A secret admirer maybe? One never loses hope even into extreme maturity.
We had not ordered anything, so I must say I was puzzled. Could this be a mistaken delivery of gold bullion from Fort Knox?
Aha! It is a Coat/Hat Rack – but not just any old hat rack. And then I guessed who sent it.
This is another one of those delightfully unexpected, unconventional, perfect gifts from my brother and sister-in-law!
- The four horses fit right in since we live in a rural area of Virginia devoted to equestrian activities.
- The steeds are all looking back as if to say, “Happy Days are Here Again.” That’s an old song. Do you know it?
- We are a family of dedicated travelling companions and enjoy each others’ company, so the plaque symbolizes all of us together and “on the road again.”
- There is only one fair person in our human group and there is only one fair horse in the hat rack.
- The four horses and their “business ends” perfectly represent my fun-loving brother who is famous for taking pictures of the back sides of all varieties of living things.
- And in the end (pun intended), this perfect gift is a happy reminder of love and the importance of family.
There is something to be said for giving unconventional gifts at non-traditional times of the year.
Thank you Steve and Viv! I am not disappointed (well, maybe sort of) there were no gold bars in this package and Bill and I both love the hat rack!
And we can’t wait to see you both again as we ride fly off together into the sunset.
Notes:
Although I was born long after 1932, I do know that the song, “Happy Days Are Here Again” was Franklin Roosevelt’s selection for a campaign song that debuted during the 1932 Democratic Convention. He was the first President to choose a pre-existing song for a campaign and it became the Democratic Party unofficial theme song for years to come.
“On the Road Again” is a song made famous by country music singer Willie Nelson and was one of his most recognizable tunes.
For some reason, I am into quoting old songs for blog posts.
Way cool Dorann (Steve and Viv too) – this is awesome wall art that will keep on giving for a very long time. I couldn’t imagine what you were going to write about with the horses back side showing and a slight tilt of the head. And then I read your words, what I love is the incredible joy you guys give in such a small, but very large way – the connection and love you all have is very special. “The Lucky Four” – I won’t soon forget.
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Thank you Mary for this beautiful reaction and comment to my “wall art” story. You are so right about all of that incredible joy between these four people. 🙂
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Love the Horse Hat rack Dora. And the family sentiments just brilliant. I have my brother and sister in law coming to stay for their holidays next week and like you its a lot of reminiscing which brings lots of laughs.
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Enjoy your family Rita! And I’m so glad you like the Hat Rack story. 🙂
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Love your family tradition. And that’s a cute hat rack!
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Boys (at any age) and photos of all things butt related never gets old with me.
I love the idea of sending a smile on a random day with no rhyme or reason attached…your family rocks and that hat rack will be a perfect addition to your home.
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It certainly fits the bill, Dor. It’s unique! 🙂
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“Sending a smile on a random day with no rhyme or reason…” is a great way to put it. Thanks! 🙂
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What a great and unusual gift, Dor! It is great to have humor run in the family. Folks who laugh live longer. Thanks for the nomination – nice to be thought of and I’m glad you liked your Xmas gift. I will take up your challenge, but I may wait a few days. I’ve contracted Lyme disease AGAIN and once the antibiotics kick in, I’ll be feeling like my old self again. Thank God for that!
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I am so sorry about the Lyme. I know how terrible that disease can be since my niece contracted it several years ago and was not diagnosed for four years. She is finally on the verge of achieving remission after a grueling treatment but the whole thing has been life changing. Take your time with the 5 Photo/5 Stories challenge…. there is certainly no urgency.
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Love your family and your hat rack!!
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Thank you Cindy! I can only imagine where you are. 🙂
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4 years – oh, I can’t imagine what toll that took. It is one heckuva plague. I am grateful that I show severe symptoms within a couple of weeks. My spouse went two years undiagnosed and he is still working on it two years out. The curse is that we can be reinfected. I heard that Congress is finally getting funding for more research. Maybe a cure or vaccine may be the result – one can only hope.
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And isn’t it odd that vets have a vaccine for dogs. One of our vets actually vaccinated himself with it, but it is not approved for people.
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Wow, isn’t he daring! I heard that in the 90s there was a vaccine for humans but it got pulled from the market because it wasn’t selling. Huh? Must have been before the epidemic!
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Oh no! Eliza, i am so sorry to hear this. I hope you are feeling better very soon. Max was just diagnosed with a tick-bearing disease – very low levels – errichnea or something like that, i can’t remember at this exact second. I’ve had two tick bites so far this summer and am growing alarmed especially when I hear that you have it. I hope this doesn’t cut into your enjoyment of your warm weather and summer gardens. XXX
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Dor, we do the exact same thing. I have a little something on order right now for my baby sister which she will receive just because. I agree about the huge feeling of joy and anticipation when you receive that package. What can it be? A delightful post.
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Thanks Barbara! It’s great fun to send things off-season for no reason. 🙂 P.S. Dunno why but I am getting your responses in my email to comments you respond to on your Turtle posts. It’s all very confusing and I just delete, delete, delete. Any way you can check this out? Thanks. ~Dor
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O.K. Barbara, here is another oddity. You are responding to Eliza and I am getting your response to Eliza in my Horsey Hatrack gift post. Is it something I am doing wrong? What do you think. Do you think Eliza got this too? I hope so because it is a sweet response.
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I replied to her comment on your post so you will see that, Dor. In other words, I butted into your conversation, intrusive thing that I am. 😀
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And yes, she should see it too!
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This happened to you once before, remember? I will check it out on my end, how incredibly annoying. Sorry.
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Thank you, Barbara, you are so kind. I get bit a lot I’m afraid, goes with the territory, I guess. My luck just ran out. I had it 2 years ago, so I knew right away what it was and asked my doc to phone in a script. Headache is gone TG, the rest will come in time. It is a killjoy for gardening and walking in the woods.
Sorry about Max… Ehrlichiosis? (Primarily spread by Lone Star ticks.) Is he being treated with antibiotic? How did you discover it? Wren has been vaccinated for Lyme, gets Frontline, but still gets bit. It is impossible not to get them around here.
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Hi Eliza… I am Hoping Barbara got this as your response is appearing in my blog’s comments for the horsey hatrack.
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Strange thing for sure!
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Oh, now that makes a bit of sense. Maybe nothing’s wrong after all. WP is just getting so interactive it’s leading this old lady into further confusion.
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Yes, that’s it. Our vet required a blood test to renew the Heart gard prescription. He doesn’t have heartworm or Lyme but does have very early signs of the ehr. So antibiotics, it is. He should be fine but the vet wants him vaccinated against Lyme next month. He gets Frontline too but still gets bitten.
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Oh, dear, I just sent another reply! She did get it and I think you can go into your comment bar and delete it if you’d like it out of your post. Talk about tangents. 😉 Thanks, Dor!
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This is all very odd but you and Barbara are welcome to correspond via my “Horsey Hatrack” post. 🙂
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😀
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