The Gathering Room

Thanks to SkullBlossom: Free Web Graphics allowing use this neat graphic!

One of my fondest memories of summer, as a child, would be when the fireflies would come out and show their magic in the night. Just as dusk would appear, my sister and I would run out into the yard and anxiously await the first lights of the firefly. We would have lid covered jars ( having holes in them for air of course) and gather as many fireflies as we could. For some reason, we thought surely we could light up a room with so many little flickering lights, but the result was usually a few stray lightening bugs flying around the house at night...leaving mom and dad to wonder... how did those get in the house? We would be careful to take the jars back outside in the morning and release our little friends...before mom would see them, but thinking back, she knew all along!

My grandsons, Jeremy and Sean also delight in fireflies...they are only around a couple weeks, so the boys don't have very long to catch them. Sean is still a bit frightened by "bugs" but fascinated with the light they make..just as Karen and I were as children.

Come see the fireflies

that shine in the dark..

They light up a yard

With their tiny white spark

thanks for your comments!

~Helen~ PunkinFlower said...
What a wonderful memory, so generously shared. You have brought back some almost-forgotten thoughts from long-ago, thank you.

Sister Karen..Karen from Ohio said...
Gosh Cindy...your memories are so sweet. I remember making glowing rings on our fingers with these dear little bugs. Was I the only naughty little girl or did you do it too? ( Cindy says..since you can't remember, lets say... I was always very very good..ha ha ha ) It was fun chasing the lightning bugs. Over the 4th of July , I remembered how we used to have sparklers. Mom and Dad would warn us not to throw them down when we were done. Of course we did and then we'd step on them with our bare feet. AND CRY! Such fun( or dad would hit them with the mower) Wish I could have been there to watch your children look for the bugs.( me too!) Did you get any???? ( yes! we sure did)

my niece, ( ...naughty sister karen's, daughter) Angie Arthur said...
My kiddos are in the midst of a big old lightening bug fascination right now. They go out every night with their containers trying to catch the little guys.Although, Weslea did tell me the other night that she didn't need a container because she was just going to smear them on the sidewalk to see their glow instead (?!) Yikes! ( Aunt cindy says...Ahhh so it runs in the family now too!)

My niece, jescandlon , (the naughty sister Karen Ohio's), first born..said...
The kids went out last night to catch fireflys but got distracted and started catching frogs and toads instead-those really cute little ones. I was visited by toads and caterpillars today. Somehow they won't listen to the "DON'T BRING THEM IN THE HOUSE" rule! ( Aunt cindy says..Jeepers Creepers, they found peepers!..tiny little frogs that make quite a racket..nooo don't let them get into the house either, momma!)

Donna said...
Oh my! I remember that so well from my childhood in Indiana! My brothers and I would go out into the back yard and capture the fireflies, putting them in a jar. It was magical! Sadly, I never see fireflies anymore. Guess they don't have many of them down here in Tennessee.

donna... (Cindy Says come on up..we got lots of them! )