Dodd family

I know the wordless posts are supposed to be wordless. Right? But the photo I posted this morning is of a place in the Lakes District of Great Britain. It is Dodd Wood. No relation, to the best of my knowledge, but this image of a path through the woods has always appealed to me.

I posted it today because this is the anniversary of the death of my father, James Byron Dodd, in 2011.

Today is also the 30th birthday of Brandon Schubert, Kirstin's soon-to-be husband, about to become the latest addition to my extended family. So it is a family kind of day.

It is also the feast of St. Edith Stein, the Carmelite nun who died in Auschwitz and who was patroness of the Carmelite monastery where I lived in Chicago. 

And on a final family note, for some reason the other day I was looking at a map of Troup, Texas on the computer and zoomed in on it. My father's family farm was outside of Troup, and I was delighted and surprised when I discovered on the map -- Dodds Lake. That lake was on the farm and was the site of many family gatherings over the years. I was delighted to see that, although the family no longer has any connection with it to the best of my knowledge, the name is still there. That shiny bit in the middle may look like two lakes, but it is actually one curved body of water. The farm buildings are no longer there, but the house was in the empty space just below the name of Yarbrough Lane towards the left top of the photograph. You can click on the image to get a better view. And thanks to Tom for scanning and sending me the image.