Spooky Sunday

Greetings! I didn't post a Spooky Sunday last week because I was on my super secret trip ... to where? The Garden State, New Jersey. My great Aunt Betty lives there in Pompton Plains, and my Aunt Jone (who lives in Portland, OR) and I conspired to surprise her for her birthday. She's turning 90 in December! The surprise was ... me! Aunt Betty was planning on having Aunt Jone visit, but when she came to pick her up at the airport, there I was too. Her face was priceless! Of course, Aunt Jone was in close contact with Aunt Betty's friend Bea, who was in on the whole thing, and Aunt Jone came prepared with an air mattress and everything. We had a very nice extended weekend, and we were celebrating our photography show: Rush MacCulloch Women, three generations of photography. Anyway, I will share the details of the trip later, for tonight I have photo's of the Pompton Plains Cemetery.

The Pompton Plains Cemetery is part of the First Reformed Church of Pompton Plains, founded in 1732. The earliest gravestones are made of soft sandstone, and date to the 1780's! It is quite large, and is still being used today. Luckily, Bea, a lifelong resident of Pompton Plains, has also served in the church and is very knowledgeable about the cemetery and the different types of symbolism used on the graves. Her house actually backs up to the cemetery- when I was 12 she told me it was the best neighborhood because you never have any noisy neighbors! [Actually, she and her husband bought the plot just past their backyard fence, and when he passed 5 years ago was buried there. Now she can go outside to visit her husband whenever she wants.]

Enjoy these pictures from the Cemetery ... people are simply dying to get in!

This last one just made me laugh out loud.
Might I point out that this devoted gentleman is still of this earth.