Christmas 2011 had a Cemetery Theme

     On Christmas day I visited my Mom's site in Forest Lawn Glendale.  I brushed some of the leaves away and trimmed the grass around her.  I found a couple pinecones attached to strong stems so I pushed them in the ground as if to make an arrangement at her headstone.  I'm sure she liked it.
     I find cemeteries very peaceful and a quiet place where you can reflect on all the lives around you.  I think about all the people there ... and wonder what their lives were like .. what their experiences where.  Is it because I'm just nosey? Or is it truly because I want to know about their life experiences?  I think the latter. What were their triumphs and struggles? What did they excel at? Were they wealthy or poor?  Everyone has a story.  I had my camera with me and I took a few pictures of headstones.. some had the same family name as mine (although not in our family) and some were  just random shots.  I left the cemetery near closing and the sun was setting.  I said my goodbye's to Mom and let her know I'd be back soon.

Ran across this stone on my walk

     Yesterday, two days after Christmas, I went to a cemetery closer to my home.  I had recently discovered that I have family buried there.  Well.. not family that I ever met.. but I did meet their brother and son (my great uncle).  I had the numbers of where they were located and stopped by the cemetery office to get a map.  The gentleman there mapped it out for me and told me where I could find them. So I headed out to find my relatives that I never met.  I walked, asked the grounds keepers, and walked some more.  I had my camera with me and took some more random shots of headstones. I saw a young couple sitting at a grave site that was decorated with Christmas decorations... they were in the children's section.  I could only imagine the sadness they must be feeling. I continued to walk on in search for my four relatives.  The area which I thought they should be was an open grassy area so I figured they couldn't afford headstones.  I found that odd because I thought of that side of the family as not being poor.  But I finally gave up and left for home. I still enjoyed my day at the cemetery.
     When home I went on to the computer and searched again, online, for their grave markers. Unbelievably I found pictures of two of them online. So they were there!  They were very large headstones like monuments.  How did I miss them?  I was concentrating more on lawn grave markers so I must have walked past them.  I will go out to that cemetery again soon and see if I can find them.  This time I hope I'm successful. 

Warm Regards,