A cemetery - seriously?!

Yes - Quite serious.

Duane and I had a "Date" this last Monday morning where we dropped Rella off at a friends house for a couple hours. Our friends suggested walking around the large, ancient looking cemetery nearby their home. We were dubious, but always try to be open to new experiences. Needless to say, we were not disappointed.

 

Duane standing in front of one of the many "tombs" on the property. This one was really quite stunning when you looked at the detail 

  

Duane and I surmised that the two figurines represented the couple laid to rest inside - this being the woman 

And the sphinx (Is that the correct term?) being the man. 

It would be easy to look at these beautiful works of art and think something like "how sad, so much work, and the dead cannot enjoy it" But Duane and I enjoyed a rich discussion on what these symbols, and the heritage they leave, CAN mean to the living and the dead. 

The above headstone was a great example of one of these "symbolic" memorials. It has a cut piece of glass in the top, and the geometric artistry of the name and the title symbolise a life-long passion for the man buried beneath.

 This beautiful monument was encased in glass to deflect the destructive effects of acid rain (sadly, something you could see in alot of the older sculptures) It is a beautiful carving of a little girl - perched on a seat, looking peaceful. There is probably much more history to this piece, but that was my brief observation.

 This headstone, I would guess, was built to honor a dancer. Isin't the figure etched into the top expressive?

 As promised, a picture of me. However, I must say, a bit dwarfed by the beautiful window of glass, granite, and steel behind me. More detailed picts coming after this segment.

 Duane looking contemplative - not too unusual :)

 

Though many of the memorial buildings stood alone, there was one section of the cemetery that had several grouped together. Duane wondered out loud if they were like "Tombstone Townhouses" - and if indeed they were something like that - what made the individuals decide to ban together in the building of this structure? (it was clearly not all the same family, as you saw the names inscribed above each frame) 

This monument stood right beside the lake - a husband and wife

 It was soooo quiet - such a needed sense of peace, albiet right in the heart of the city!

 This one made me think of my mom (she always played the recorded, and still does!)

I loved the dedications that were written on many of the memorials -  some of which made me cry. Duane and I talked about how we would want to be remembered, as we walked around.

We ended the date with a great meal at a local restaurant called "Lulubells Cafe"

On a lighter note - does it mean something when in your 8th year of marriage you start going to cemeteries for dates? I'm just sayin'

and on a final note - I'm amazed that I have driven by this place for over 2 years, probably over a hundred times, and never seen what's inside. It delights me to remember that there is a bit of "magic" in even the places you assume to be ordinary.