DAY 6
Missed posting yesterday --- just couldn't find anything to take a photo of that inspired me in any way. So, today while running errands I was looking at everything I was driving by and looking for something to take my camera out for. And then I found it.
A CEMETARY.
Now I don't really 'do' cemetaries. My parents were both cremated, so I haven't really thought much about cemetaries in a few decades (my dad used to take us to Forest Lawn in Glendale each Sunday afternoon after church to visit his grandparents). I drove in and got out and walked around the Hemet cemetary -- it was lovely, it was quiet, it was peaceful.
I want to be cremated -- I feel strongly about that. But boy there is something to be said about all that peace & quiet -- both for the deceased and their visitors.
My sister and her husband enjoy walking through cemetaries and looking at headstones or whatever those large above ground markers are referred to. I sorta thought they were crazy, but I really enjoyed walking through the park and reading the headstones, seeing the familiy stones and the descriptions on them. It was a nice contemplative break in my day -- calmed me down and got me to thinking about something other than whether the pharmacy would have a long line, if I needed onions for that dish I'm putting in the crockpot tomorrow, and all those extremely important things that won't mean a hill of beans 100 years from now.
July 19, 2008 at 9:07 PM
Well, not quite sure how to follow jorge's comment but....
I love walking through cemetaries. I'm thinking when it's not quite so hot, I'll go to the cemetary in Marvel (I think it's the Marvel Cemetary anyway). Not nearly so green but unique in its own way.
Never thought the cemetary in Hemet would be so green, Jacki.
July 19, 2008 at 9:47 PM
I LOVE cemeteries! Back to time spent in Los Angeles with my mother's family...her sister, Bettie (for whom I was named, why it's spelled differently is another story), died when she was 21, and was buried at Forest Lawn...uhm...I'm drawing a blank on which one...not Burbank...ANYWAY, every Sunday after church, we would all trek out to Forest Lawn with picnic lunches to "lunch with Bettie." My cousins and I would play around the ponds and feed the swans, and it was just always a beautiful serene place...like going to a park. I've never really seen anything like that here, nor heard of other families enjoying regular family time at the cemetery, but I have very fond memories. Now, both my parents and my mother's parents are all buried there near Bettie...but I only get to visit every few years when I'm out there.
Do you know what Jorge said? Hola, Jorge!
July 19, 2008 at 10:46 PM
Jorge was just inviting us to join another group -- thoughtful of him wasn't it. :)
Forest Lawn Glendale or Hollywood -- my dad's family is in Glendale. We'd go and run around -- loved the grounds and the lakes, and the small chapels on the grounds. My sister and I always wanted to get married in the one called Wee Bit of Heather or something like that. It was beautiful Yeah, weird we used to spend a lot of time there too --- went weekly for a good chunk of my youth.
July 20, 2008 at 10:55 AM
When we were kids, my mother always took us to the cemetary on Easter Sunday to visit the graves of her parents. I love walking through cemetaries and reading all of the inscriptions, except for those of little children which always make me sad.
July 20, 2008 at 11:28 AM
Oh I love cemeteries too - especially the one in my front yard, I'll post pics from it one of these days.
LOVED your photos Jacki - and it's a lovely cemetery - and it IS greener than I'd expect to find where you're located.
Do you have "decoration" in California?
July 20, 2008 at 2:26 PM
Well if you use enough water, I suppose everything can be green :) There are some brown areas, but I didn't photo those.
And I don't know what you mean by decoration, Iris? Which probably means we don't :)
July 20, 2008 at 8:17 PM
loved seeing all the photos - i think 'peaceful' is exactly how a cemetary should be . . . Kat
July 21, 2008 at 4:20 PM
"Decoration" - well in the south there's always a Sunday in the spring that's designated as "Decoration Sunday" at cemeteries (ALL cemeteries - though the Sunday will not always be the same). People come out of the woodwork to put (generally tacky) plastic and silk flowers on the graves - which they leave till around Christmas time when many come back and replace them with Christmas flowers.
I should have paid more attention that the cemetery in your photos had NO flowers.
I'll have to get a picture of the one across the street from me - vastly different! When I post it I'll put some more info on "Decoration" on my blog.