Sunday, October 23, 2011

Landmarks


Thank you everyone for your wonderful comments about my last post!  I read each and every one of them (thank you Droid!) while Mr. Tide and I were away helping our daughter who ended up taking a trip to the emergency room last Thursday in the wee hours of the morning.  Unfortunately for her, she has inherited some of my reproductive issues, and suffered a ruptured ovarian cyst...ouch!  She is feeling much better now, and thankfully she has a wonderful roommate who took very good care of her until we could get there the following day!

The house pictured above is what we call the Mama Bear, Papa Bear, Baby Bear House.  For those of you who live in southern Maryland, it is a sort of landmark.  I'm not quite sure where it got its name, or who owns it, but I think most people who know of its existence have always called it by that name.  

I actually took the picture at the request of a friend of mine who has always loved this little unassuming house.  I think it resonates with her, and with me, because it is so simple, yet so charming.  When my kids were little they had a joke that I only liked run down houses.  It's true, I do love a fixer upper that has tales to tell and wears her years with pride.  I think you can just feel the love and happiness that once filled their rooms and even the yard when you look at them.  Can't you just hear those screen doors slamming as children darted in and out, chasing lightning bugs in the summer or going to fetch wood to feed the stove during the winter?

Anyway, it's a present for my friend, whose birthday is coming up.  She doesn't read my blog every day, so I think I am safe to post it.

I guess landmarks are what help us to find our way.  Long before GPS' showed up on everything from our car's dashboard to our smart phones, these were the coordinates that let us know where we were and how to make our way back home.  Mr. Tide still laughs when I give directions based on where things "used" to be.  You know, you turn right where the Ford Dealership used to be, next to Mr. So and So's house that was torn down years ago, the one with the big front porch, and then you go down the hill by where we used to buy our penny candy, and over the old railroad tracks that no longer exist?!  Seems simple enough...right?

A sense of place, I think that's why we use directions that link us to our past, and why we would want a picture of the Mama Bear, Papa Bear, Baby Bear house...before they tear it down and put in a doggone Wawa or self storage place!

17 comments:

  1. ..and what happened to reading a good old fashioned map? I am not so into the techie things..don't even text...so I am with you on the old fashioned spin on life as it were. Glad to hear that your daughter is feeling better. Oh yes, those cysts can really be a whomping pain in the side. Been there, done that. Still. Kat, I love the picture of the bear house. We are kindred spirits. Oh, have to tell you that I have been finding feathers in since mama passed away. No kidding. I think of you and your friend when I find them, too. They are always next to my car...the one I bought with money left for me by my mom. Funny, huh?

    xxoo
    Becky

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  2. The house is charming and that name is perfect for it. Hey, paper maps; I had a job involving paper maps, which are on their way out. GPS, ebooks, yikes, the world is changing swiftly.

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  3. Glad to hear your daughter's feeling well now. That house looks amazing. Have a lovely day, Kellie xx

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  4. well i am showing my age........i couldn't find my way to the woods if i didn't have landmarks to make my left and right turns.....love the picture your friend is a lucky lady.

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  5. What a cute post. I remember being in Louisiana, lost, and looking for directions. We were told to turn at the 'blinkin' light after where the church used to be'. If I hadn't heard it myself I'd never have believed it.

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  6. I too favour the run down and falling apart houses. This one is particularly charming....love the name...very fitting.

    Thank goodness your daughter is Ok..Poor girl. I know people that have had that and it is very painful. She must have been so happy to see you guys.

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  7. Kat, so glad your daughter is all right! It is very scary. I love the picture of that landmark. What a lovely gift for your friend!

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  8. Glad to hear your daughter is recovering well. What a scare, though!

    I've always given directions like that. Turn where the rainbow garage used to be, keep going past where they tore down that burnt out barn, etc. The hubs finally got a GPS for himself, because he could never follow my directions.

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  9. Kelly J/Hunters HillOctober 24, 2011 at 11:36 AM

    I'm a big fan of landmarks,written out directions and road names myself!

    I know this house well. I too hope it is never replaced wtih a WaWa or self storage !!

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  10. What a beautiful house and I am so glad that your daughter is feeling better.
    Isn't that how everyone gives directions? LOL! Who needs names of streets right. :)
    xoxo

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  11. Those wonderful old "ruins" are such part of our American heritage...it is really sad that they are not preserved more often

    thanks for sharing that wonderful photo Kat!

    xo kelley

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  12. I am glad your daughter is feeling better! I love the picture of papa,mama and baby bear house! Very unusual.

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  13. Oh dear, your poor daughter! I am so glad she is on the mend. That little landmark.... perfection. Your photos are to die for. Hey, and I love your halloween header! A-M xx

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  14. Kat, wishing your daughter all the best. How nice to have a friend to look after her until you got there. Love the Goldilocks house

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  15. I love the way the name fits the house so perfectly. I lived in Maryland once upon a time, but did not stumble upon the three bears.

    Hope your daughter is recovering nicely.
    Mary

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  16. Oh how scary for your daughter (and you)! Glad she's doing well now. I do love the simple lines of that house, very beautiful. I know what you mean about directions like that, it reminds me of a certain landmark here still called the "cheese house" even though it hasn't been there for over 30 years! xo ~Lili

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  17. Beautiful photo, Kat! Hope your daughter is doing well...not fun!

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