Three years ago today

...my dad died. It hit me on the way home from school last night that three years ago at that time we knew it would be within hours because the only response we got from him was his mouth opening a little when it was time for morphine. His hands were cold and turning blue.

Three years ago at this moment, we were all over at their house waiting for the hospice nurse to come to declare him. Then we waited for the funeral home guys to come to pick him up. I noticed that day for the first time how even my feet look just like my dad's. His toes were a bit longer, but the toe shapes were the same as were our high arches.

Odd, the things we notice in times like that. I always knew I got my facial features from him. I got my body shape from his genes. It makes sense that my feet are like his but until that moment I just didn't notice.

It doesn't hurt too much this year. There's still a hollow ache inside me, but it isn't searing pain as it was the first two anniversaries. I'm filling that wound in with the happy memories I had with him and with the things he wanted to see happen that are happening. He never met my nephew Mike's fiancee. He saw her on video and in photos, but didn't get a chance to meet her. He would have adored her as we all do. I'm sure he'll be at their wedding next September. My dad doted on his grandsons. He wouldn't miss a thing with them until Hodgkin's disease took him over.

Oh Daddy, how I miss you!

** cross-posted in my journal and imissmydad **

New uploaded pictures! Hakone Gardens

I posted a couple of weeks ago about spending a lovely afternoon going to Hakone gardens with palejewel and kibagamikemono. I finally found my cable to get them off the camera. Here are the best ones. I've only put the first one in this post. Click on it to go to the gallery.

Tea house overlooking the pond The tea house is used for formal tea ceremonies and classes.

New pictures uploaded - Aircraft outside my new office

As I mentioned in some previous posts, we moved from under the huge wind tunnel out to a building that has been things from a gun range, to a visitor center, to chemical labs and now office space for us. In the Visitor Center incarnation, they created a display of a wind tunnel model of the space shuttle and four retired test aircraft. Three of the four aircraft have signs. The fourth needed an expert to identify it. Luckily, my husband knows his aircraft. This gallery has those planes.

Click on the photo to enter the gallery.

1/3 scale model of the Shuttle This model was used in the wind tunnel seen behind it for testing during development. Darned if I didn't shift over a bit as I snapped the photo and cut off its nose!