Positively Remembered Prairie Memories!

Today will be positively remembered for the memories of the present and the past.  It has been a long time that my cousins, aunts and uncles have gathered for reasons other than a funeral.  Today we gathered together for a picnic.  My cousin invited us months ago to come to her family's home for a June potluck picnic.  It was wonderful to see us all grown up with our own children.  We have all changed physically, whether it be new husbands or wives, new stepchildren, new girlfriends and boyfriends, longer beards, greyer hair, some of us taller, others with achy bodies or a few extra pounds. But one thing hasn't change, and that is the fun that we all have together.  Our senses of humour have all stayed true to who we were when we were growing up. 

The day will be positively remembered for a day of croquette, trampoline jumping, and water gun fights, splashing in the blow up pool and sliding down its slide, playing ladder golf in the sunshine and rain, a baby girl splashing and giggling,  spinning and eating cotton candy, overeating yummy food, running around the neighbourhood on a scavenger hunt, and wearing tiaras and finally, ending the evening waring warm coats and blankets, all because of the excellent hospitality.  My cousin even planned bingo with prizes, just like our grandma did when we were kids.

 Grandma would have liked this day, seeing most of her grandchildren together.  The day was like a birthday party for Grandma's June 3rd birthday.  I bet she was looking down at us from heaven and giggling along side Uncle Lloyd, who wouldn't be saying much but chuckling once in a while and thinking of a quick witted comment to slide into our conversations. 

The positively remembered memories of the past surfaced today too.The times on the farm with us pushing kittens wrapped in blankets in baby carriages,  and us playing Auntie-I-Over, running through the trees playing hide and seek, riding motorcycles, and swinging in the tire swing, calving, cooking and eating prairie oysters,  playing house in the bunkhouse with the crank phone, running through the sprinklers spraying us with the stinky Manyberries' water and walking through the Badlands crawling through barbed wire fences, playing in the closets and playing pool in the basement, running around at the turkey shoots and playing the many many card games of Pitt, Hearts, King's Corner, and Donkey or Pig with spoons, to name a few, all of these dear memories flowed back into my mind and heart.  The "Country Gals" finally reunited.  We did sing songs and told bad jokes, just like when we were kids tape recording radio shows!   All these great memories helped make us who we are today and tomorrow. Thanks Valerie for the idea and to everyone else for making this day precious. Happy birthday, Grandma Muhlbeier!  Today will be positively remembered for present and past Prairie memories!

Prairie Wild Rose

Prairie Moments

Time Passes By

Grandma Loved Pink Flowers

Prairie Twists and Turns

Barbed Wire Memories

We Used To Wear Roses Roses Perfume

These prairie rose photographs are "soul property" of Renee Dowling.

If you would like to use her photographs in any way

or would like to purchase them, please contact her at

dowling@shockware.com