forbidden

late last night the moon was a lemon slice hanging on the horizon on it's way to rising. it seemed a fitting logo to my day of domestic doings and babysitting. the girls were beautiful as always even as ms. ga was a sassafras girl full of vinegar water. all i can do is laugh at those moments and smile as she lays sleeping beside me in her tiger sleeping bag she's already outgrowning. the little one has found her 'no' phase and is in deep command of the word - two girls, such different personalities. i love the smell of curly baby hair doused with a good dose of coppertone to protect her scalp (they had been at the pool all day).

today was a bigger adventure as i was semi-thrown out of jasmine hill gardens. my sister and i drove the 15-ish mile trip to wetumpka to see this private garden that is generally open weekends only during the spring. i can remember going there as a child and it has been approximately 20ish years since i've been there. there was no sign at the gate saying it's closed. so we drove through, as we approached the visitor center it was deserted and we peeked through the back door. walking into the gardens, we noticed a big production being staged and decided a private party must be about.



as we were getting ready to leave, i spied a barn and decided to snap a few shots. as i did, an elderly couple were quite rude and informed me the gardens were closed. (duh - leaving anyway - the jeep was cranked) now looking at the barn, i wasn't really as crazy as i was about this poppy pod.



or this magnolia.



okay - so not an adventure but a decent way to spend the afternoon. plus, there was ice cream at dq as a reward.

the benefits of waking early

yesterday after getting lost going to the lake...i found sunflowers, stock and some old bottles at a new flea market. this morning i got up early for the farmer's market where i found peaches, blackberries, peas, butter beans, okra and fried pies. oh man - it's been so long since i've had a fried pie from the farmer's market. (nevermind the label saying 'not inspected by the health department - homebaked goods') it was ever so yummy with my morning coffee. you know you wanted a bite.

peas are already cooked. cornbread muffins (previously cooked) are the in the freezer. in about an hour i'll cut up the okra to fry - there will be sliced tomato if you want. i thought about meatloaf too but the veggies may be enough if include sliced peaches and blackberries for dessert. seems like i recall a cobbler recipe somewhere.

next...i need to tackle the yard.

the whole earth was brimming with sunshine that morning. she tripped along the clear blue sky pouring liquid blue into her soul.

there have been many posts about make-up today in my blog world so i will share with you my sister's secret. she's addicted to wet and wild's mega plump. it costs $2 and she goes through tubes like a maniac - to quote her, "i love it." so there you have my wild make-up tip. the good thing about not having a job - you save money on make-up. i rarely wear more than powder and mascara these days. yeah - i can hear the excitement of any male readers left out there.

to tell you how very bored i've been, i organized my computer cookbooks and have consolidated them into one. i noticed the following about that

:: though i dislike baking with a passion, there are a very high number of cake recipes in the cookbooks. i love cake - i am intimidated of cakes. it's all so exact and delicate. pies are easier.
:: i have at least five different recipes for shrimp and grits. i only use one. maybe it's time to let go of a couple.
:: i put overly ambitious recipes in the cookbook in hopes that i will be inspired - turns out they make me lazy and bring on unbridled use of cream of mushroom soup. i swear i'm going to make those empanadas from userealbutter one of these days.

i didn't do all of my errands yesterday but i did pick up chinese food. since moving home there has been a serious lack of chinese food in my diet. maybe that is the root cause in so many allergy attacks this year - the lack of eggrolls and steamed dumplings. i will investigate that possibility more.

clothes are washed (not yet folded), i need to pay bills (don't want to) and groceries need to be purchased. boredom has moved into the food area (part of the reason for the cookbook consolidation). did you know that 2% milk is named that because it only has 2% less fat than whole milk and not because it has 2% total fat? yeah, neither did i. now i know why there is such a drastic difference between that and skim milk. boo.

this morning i read a blog and was suddenly transported back to my childhood. something about summer does that to me and i think it's universal. summer is the time screams childhood, isn't it? the memory in particular is sitting on the steps of the front porch with the light off. soft murmurings of voices with the adults sitting in in the kitchen playing cards. running after fireflies and making wishes on dandelions. playing 'mother may i' in the dusky light and swinging until my lungs felt as if they would burst.

last night i saw fireflies as i took out the garbage. this morning i watched a bright red cardinal play among the leaves of the chinaberry tree. he hopped from branch to branch. i swear i heard him laugh, so i laughed with him. he flew way - but, i know he'll be back around. i think maybe i will too...some day...hopefully soon. i miss me.

how did it get to be wednesday already?

i swear i slept through the last day or so. sunday, while finishing up shopping for the holiday dinner, i also bought a box fan. i used to sleep with one but figured since i now have a beautiful ceiling fan in my room that i could be a grown up girl and ditch my former companion. i think i had forgotten that wonderful white noise drone of a box fan that is roughly similar to sleeping inside a giant airplane. i've been sleeping like a baby - in fact, except for a quick pee break in the early morning hours, i slept until 10:00 a.m. that's insane, but as a friend asked this week, is it really oversleeping if you have no place to be? *sigh*

the party was a great success. food was consumed, friend and family came over, the dogs behaved and i got maximum cuddle time with the nieces. my boys (the nephews) didn't come over as they were hanging out with their dad and older brother - i missed them. but, it was a housefull and i felt happy. cocktails and ribs - yum. the baby's face as she tasted lemon pie for the first time. ga playing tea party with my teacups and reading the book that i read as a child. all part of the quilt of warm and beautiful.

i need to run errands today and i need to replenish flowers. there is a shiny thing in the sky, my brother tells me it's called sol and if i go out it could warm me. i also have a ton of clothes to wash and a room to tidy up. but the sun is shining and housekeeping will....well, keep.

a parting shot of the wilted roses....these kept beautifully for ten days - i think that's a record for me.

Since you asked....

EAGLE BRAND LEMON ICEBOX PIE

1 can eagle brand milk

3 egg yolks

1/2 cup lemon juice

1 graham cracker crust

** This is for two generous pies so I tripled the recipe. I also used store bought crusts - making them at home is very easy with graham crackers, butter and a bit of sugar. But I cheated today - easy.

I hand-squeezed enough lemons for one and one-half cups lemon juice (it took about 14 large lemons). As I said, I had the concentrate handy if the lemons were not enough. Turns out, I didn't need it.

Open three cans of eagle brand and spoon into a bowl. Separate nine eggs. You can reserve the whites for making a meringue or use them later for an egg white omelet. Mix together the milk and the eggs until creamy.

Slowly add the lemon juice as you are beating the milk and egg mixture. The filling will thicken - continue beating to make sure it is smooth and creamy. Pour filling into crusts.

Some people have an aversion to uncooked eggs in recipes. I only use eggland eggs which are safe, however, if you like, you can put the pies into the oven at 350 for about eight minutes to make sure the eggs are cooked. Then you can cool the pies and put them into the fridge to completely cool.

This recipe is from an old cookbook but a classic. I got it on a recipe card during my bridal shower (everyone was told to bring me two recipes). I'm sure this was around in the fifties when my mom learned to cook. It is one of the few from that bridal shower collection that I continue to use.


Of course ... supervision in the kitchen is always desired if you're unsure of how to work the appliances or need a taster. Lizzie, the eternal optimist, tries to assure me that pugs indeed like lemon icebox pie.



and....the finished product (before adding a whipped topping or meringue).

Mosaic Monday

join mary's fun....

hope you're having a wonderful holiday. i'm making lemon icebox pies, ribs, baked beans, potato salad, tossed salad...and maybe a couple more surprises. we will see.

thank you armed forces for making us free and being there when we need you. i appreciate your sacrifice and honor you.

the hour is not that late

but it seems as if it is. the pugs are snoring not so softly at my feet and the cat has been fed. it has been a rainy saturday - quiet, calm, peaceful, serene. there is nothing much really to say or share, just a sense of ... something waiting to happen.

shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, do you hear it too?

you know what?

sew buttons...that's what.

in other words - nonsense. it's the friday of a holiday weekend and it's time to be at least pretend happy. i declare that. it's tough sometimes for sure but ... today i

:: discovered some great music, playing it free
:: laughed at some funny twitters from my friends
:: watched a red-headed woodpecker make circles around a tree
:: dreamed of an exotic vacation
:: had a guy friend tell me that i'm beautiful
:: planned the perfect barbeque
:: and enjoyed my roses even though they are in final droop

now i'm going to go shower, get the groceries for monday and think of something else silly, funny and whimsical to do...just because it's may, spring and a holiday weekend.

back in the day

i used to try and write now and again. that is until i figured out that my pieces of fiction never read as effortless and beautiful as some of those i admire. i found i was somewhere (hopefully) between gifted writers and those who think they can write but are secretly pitied. (bless their hearts)

being an avid reader, you think (sometimes) i had childhood memories - i had pain - i had happiness - i had funny. and then the lined paper stares back at you as you doodle hearts and cubes in the corner. and suddenly that whimsical little story about your dad skiing through the pine trees cursing up a storm - not so funny anymore. and if you juxtaposition that against finding your cousin floating diaper up in the lake not so much tragic as just sad (he didn't drown - he was saved in time). and your thoughts about relations are not like carrie's but just the unfunny ramblings of another lonely woman. so you hold yourself back and you doubt.

no one wants the pity really. well...some people like pity but not me. and some people like the, 'no no, you can write' but i know the truth. i'm one of those people that step up first for honesty as i really dislike feeling a fool later. but it doesn't stop me from really wanting to be a writer. and secretly writing anyway - writing little two page fictional stories full of pain - because hasn't oprah taught us that a really successful book is painful and sad? and doesn't it touch back on what beth and i were discussing? that a happy life is boring and people like to read about painful things because they are in pain?

is that really the case? do we want hope or the acknowledgement that (as wesley says) 'life is pain princess'? i try to keep a positive attitude - i do. but in five months that has become pretty battered and mangled. and my brain hurts from sending out so many resumes and writing trite, simple, eye-catching cover letters. and you never hear back from any of them. and you look at the car in the driveway and think how your money will run out before the loan is paid fully. but i digress (see a big writer word there.)

i used to write now and again.

perceptions and reality

today was one of those beautiful days where the sun was shining, i was up early and i had no where to go but anywhere i wanted...well, anywhere cheap, not overnight and well, with photographic opportunities. my choices were north (done so much), east (hmmm) or south (a bit far for a 10:00 a.m. start). so, on the recommendation of another photographer in town i headed to chewacla state park in auburn, alabama. "go" she said, "the trails are sooooo easy" she said. (perception is reality slammed home when the mind of an 18 year old and the mind of a *ahem* older woman did not agree on "easy" - hahahaha).

she didn't know i have asthma and have been battling allergies all spring. but, yay! i conquered the hike down a steep trail to go to the falls. they were beautiful and powerful but not very tall. i didn't carry the tripod down the trail due to the steepness and the case of nerves i had even carrying my camera somewhere that steep. i slapped on the fiddy and off i went. oh...but wait. i'm totally ahead of myself.

along the drive, i passed a huge field of daisies and blackeyed susans. now, since there is a low front moving in, the wind was whipping about 10 to 15 mph and macros were out of the question. but i did get in a few fun shots.





the park is an easy drive from montgomery - about 40 miles. it has a lake/beach area, plenty of cabins and camping, and cheap admission ($2). so, back to the hiking down the steep, gulley washed trail to the falls. along the way, the trees were gorgeous hardwood with lush greens everywhere. the canopy was fairly overgrown, leaving plenty of areas were moss and ferns were grown; however, with the traffic volume there was plenty of red clay where foot traffic wore off the natural carpet.







it was a fun hike down the hill, i met other hikers including a student drawing for classes at auburn and two couples spending time together splashing in the falls. and of course an adorable puppy that looked like wishbone on steriods. i led off with the money shot of the falls. so i will close this portion with this shot. i think she had the right idea and this is what i need to do on my next hike there.




the drive home was nice and i was lucky to spot this gorgeous field of indian paintbrush by the side of the highway. though i got a few good shots of it... i couldn't get close due to fencing and a large culvert. i seriously needed my zoom but couldn't find it today. so i settled on using the 100 mm. people came out of texas roadhouse (where i parked) to see what this crazy woman was doing trying to get to the field of wildflowers. *sigh* i need land and plenty of wildflower seeds because i would seriously plant acres of these flowers if i could. of course i would rather have texas bluebonnets or english bluebells, but i could make do with these. could you?

tranference

as threads of that song run through my head i can see clearly now the rain is gone i'm enjoying the cooler weather (though it won't last long) and the glorious gold light on the lush and wild greens of the back "unclaimed" land.

i got up early to take the puglies to the vet - lizzie has an allergic relation (we think) and it's time for Mo's annual check up. though mo still struggles to be alpha dog when Pete's not around, lizzie has decided that she belongs to me. i guess she missed a girl around the house or is it she knows i'm a sucker for the jedi mind tricks and give treats indiscriminately. anyway - it's quiet today without them around.

i just watched ellen and one of the women playing blindfolded musical chairs shoved a granny off the tuffet. i like that ellen gave the granny a trip to hawaii. that's class (and probably liability but, i'm going to be positive today).

as i type this, i am tranferring all of my photographs [56 gigs] to an external hard drive that holds a terra byte. next i'm going to redo my lightroom so i can organize them better. i like kelby's plan for tagging and it makes sense to me. but at over 4,000 shots i'm thinking i may need to weed out the ones i will never touch again. how do you all handle that? do you keep all of the shots? do you delete all but the ones you like? is it a half and half thing?

my general way is the first run through is delete all that are unusable. then i go back through and try to be critical with them - are they level? composed decently? what is the artistic value of that shot - so on and so forth. even doing that, I typically shoot around 150 shots on any given project and delete about 30-50% of those. that leaves 75 shots times three years now. how did i end up with over 4,000 shots? have i edited that many shots? wow.

memorial say is this weekend - what are you doing to do to celebrate? we're doing the typical southern barbeque around here - ribs, beans, slaw, corn...

macro monday, mosaic monday and other m related things

shots that i've taken at the shakespeare gardens since the poppies and larkspur have started blooming. did you know that larkspur is the flower for july? i've known that since i was a kid because my birthday is in july but i never saw larkspur blooming until now. i've decided that i really like the deep purples.



this is an older macro as i've not been really satisfied with any macros lately. i've been making myself way too tense over them. plus, the zinnias (among other things) really took a beating during the rainstorms this month. but i'm not going to complain, we came out very lucky and i want to keep it that way. other people lost their entire houses in the flash floods eight days ago and didn't have flood insurance because they are not located in a flood plain. yes, i'm counting my blessings.

another m word - movies. finally got to see the new star trek movie and enjoyed it. it really kicks starts the series all over again in a very convenient, but nice way. my brother and fellow trekkie was not as happy with it. chris pine is good eye candy (albeit very young eye candy).

sweet dreams and finer things.

monet inspirations

on a much smaller scale i have found a garden that i love in montgomery. it is the english garden at the shakespeare festival and it is hidden in an alcove, almost behind the theater. lately it has been covered in a mixture of poppies and larkspur and bees have been going absolutely crazy whenever i visit.



not much variety, but i can't help but be enchanted each time i go there. the whole park area is beautiful to visit and i can't wait to go biking there with my new cruiser. yes, i broke down and bought a bicycle....if i can't afford the jeep soon, at least i can get around on a bicycle. right?



so i got knocked out in the second round on the challenge - i can show you the shot i entered on the round. what i figured out is this group really has an aversion to flowers and it doesn't matter how bad (or good) the other shot is, there are some people that will automatically vote against flowers. the end. not that i think my shot was the end all to be all...it's just a matter of knowing your audience right?



i currently have coral roses on my desk and though i love looking at the color, especially in combination with my blue jars (i will not say the name because then i will giggle like a school girl)...i can't quite frame up the shot to my satisfaction. i think the straight stems and rigid lines are stifling me. or maybe its this nagging allegy session that i seem to be having.

photographers - does that happen to you. you look and look at something and the shot just doesn't happen? or....you try and try to take shots and nothing looks good? anyway, i need to get dressed and figure out what i'm doing with my day. happy saturday.

don't cha just......

for those that love the little lists...emily over at cupcakes and cashmere did an alternative list to the things that make her happy - - it's the things that make her mad. it reminds me of my friend kurt's blog about his weekly nemesis (i'll link him back in a bit when i can scroll through and find one).

without futher ado...ten little things that tick me off
:: kicking my seat in the theater as well as texting and/or talking during the movie. i paid my ten dollars too. if you want to be rude - wait for the rental. really.
:: leaving your shopping cart in the middle of the aisle while you decide between campbell's and progresso. or....just stopping in the middle the aisle to chat up your fellow clone. makes me want to go all bumper cars with them.
:: people that insist on pulling out in front of you and then driving ten miles below the speed limit. time for my imaginary ram like viking longboats.
:: sales people who never acknowledge you while they ring you up.
:: texting or talking on the phone during dinner. you're here with me - if you wanted to be with someone else - go be with them. though, exceptions include talking to the babysitter or an emergency.
:: using the last paper towel or piece of toilet paper without replacing the roll. it doesn't happen at home but at work it happened all the time.
:: random guys feeling the need to check to see if "the little guy" is still there during a conversation. i don't even think they notice they're doing it....i don't feel the need to touch my crotch, control yours. unless we're dating of course.
:: letting your dog poo in my yard without getting rid of it. that's disgusting.
:: not filling out your deposit slip before you get into the drive-through line at the bank.
:: tossing litter on the ground or out the car window.

what are some of yours?

french lemonade does not a day make but it doesn't hurt

today i bought a bottle of french lemonade just to get the bottle. i think i'm developing a problem with this glass addiction. but, my brother is such a sweetie he never says much about the piles of doo-dads in my studio/den. he even tolerates the flowers on the kitchen window sill.

the lemonade was good really, a bit tart - just the way i like it. why is it i can remember to buy fresh flowers and good things to cook but i can't remember to buy a new iron? we've needed a new iron for a month or so now but each time i go out, i forget when other shiny new things take my attention (of course there is that whole thing where i hate to iron, but that's not important). it's also like the check i forgot to deposit for ten days or the unemployment i forgot to file last week. *sigh* that was bad.

how is it that i remember silly things like rose kennedy was behind the beautify our highways but can't remember to buy new irons or deposit money? it's like just now i remember the dogs have been outside for 30 minutes - they're probably ready to come in.

and....why is it that i start to feel better with stupid coughs and congestion and then it slams right back? i was never this coughy when i had health insurance. and it's not an infection or anything - it's just allergies and it's spring. so, antihistamines rock.

i did buy this cool air conditioner for my lap top today and i'm loving how it works. no more melted milky ways for me. why didn't think of this before? idiot. if you use a laptop and didn't know about these things...go get one. no more burned legs.

i'm writing this as i watch the season finale of gray's antomy - trying to decide if i can deal with izzie dying or not. it's always a test when someone has cancer on these shows and dies, especially a lingering death. so far i'm holding up. did you know that karev (izzie's husband) was the italian guy in the wedding planner? he makes a better ass on gray's than italian character even though i read somewhere he's really a sweetie totally in love with his wife. maybe i should have watched the fashion show instead. of course bravo thinks the fashion show will distract us from the fact that project runway is moving to lifetime. sorry - sorry bitchy new yorker with crazy hair cannot fill the hole in my heart that formed when tim gunn is not around. and kelly rowland is no heidi. *phffft* (as i typed that sentence i heard bailey crying...not a good sign right?)

oh, i did take some shots today but since i'm totally obsessing on what to enter into a contest on flickr, i can't decide what to show you. so....i'll show you what i did yesterday. of course when i look at these all i can think of is vodka and cranberry juice - which reminds me, i need a drink. don't you?

design dilemmas

last night i finally got off my bottom and arranged my new bedroom to my satisfaction. of course that meant going to bed at 3:00 a.m. so i may be a bit fuzzy around the edges as i can rarely sleep past 8:30 a.m. light comes in the room - i'm awake. *sigh*

so, this is my dilemma. i have this weird taste that is a combination of modern, vintage and some tradtional style. until this move i've always been able to make it work...but, i was given a thomasville bedroom suite that is early american. not my taste at all...but it's solid wood and, well...free. right? i've also accumulated two beige coverlets from my mom as well as two beautiful angel pillows. (the blue one is mine)



you can see i've taken off the high boy posters off the footboard and i'm looking for finials for the shorter posts. i'm in the market for a coverlet, comforter that would help me blend the brownish pillows, beige coverlets/carpet with the ralph lauren suede paint in a chocolate brown color over the brick fireplace and khaki walls. i was thinking orange, sage and/or brown.

i'm not big on florals but, there have been some great graphics i've seen around that i love. but - will that look good with an early american bed? should i even care? also in the room is a small art deco armoire (antique) and a wooden chest (build by my father) that is painted black. the chest is easily repainted, if necessary. oh...i also have a goldish velvet tufted armchair and footstool.

impossible you say? nay, nay....but i'm open for suggestions that do not include throw it all away.

boldly go

*giggle*

home again

i'm out of sorts today - not sleeping well, pleghm, being behind and lots of other stuff makes me just like fuzzy. much like the focus on at f/1.8. one point is sharp and the rest vary from being completely blurred to having pretty shiny beads.

the girls are wonderful, funny, exhausting and beautiful. it never pays to try and match wits with a brilliant four-year-old so i often found myself at the short end. just suffice to say i watch way too much spongebob, hannah and olivia. the baby is a dear but has found her 'no' voice and has become a regular mockingbird. hmmm

i think i knew i was out 'manned' when i was proud of myself for bathing and feeding the baby with little incident and was in the process of getting dinner together for ga. as i found i'm not a multi-tasking mom sort, the baby covered herself in poo - panicked, i rushed her to the changing table just as the older one announced her tummy hurt. *eep* funny, when you're keeping children you find yourself saying sentences that you never thought would fall out of your mouth like 'then go sit on the potty and wait for me.' as i emerged from the stink of one, the other announced she only need to poot. *sigh*

but they are gorgeous and enchanting my little darlings. and the nephews are so adorable with them. my youngest nephew is a real ladykiller as both flock to him, begging for stories. thank god for my sister coming to help out some or i really would be insane. my favorite story (my sister swears i'm evil). well, there is background as it can be a daily struggle to convince ga to dress these days. yesterday morning was no exception as she tried to negotiage additional time in pj's to watch television. as the dog barked a visitor, she asked 'who is it' and i found myself saying 'i hope it's not your mommy and daddy' - i've never seen a child run sooooooo fast. but, she has a daily checklist of things to do and dressing without whining is one. is that evil.....or, just taking advantage of an opportunity? i think its so working girl and not my best friend's wedding.

but, it's good to be home and back in my environment. though all the kissing and cuddling was wonderful - i don't know how mommies do it sometimes. hats off to you mothers out there - you work your butts off don't you? question - why is it that the oldest child knows exactly which toy will get the maximum squeal from the baby when selected?

the pugs and cat seem happy to have me home.

guest post

hi all - it's been a crazy week and i forgot to leave a timed blog about doing a guest slot at under the sheets today.

it's a bit of fiction that some people that read me way back when may recognize but it's been re-worked with a bit of a twist when i had to write something to go with a photograph caption. if you like a bit of fiction, please check that entry out - but you should check out the blog regardless.

great fun was had but i understand now that it really is harder with two children. i know for sure while you're changing one's diaper the other will come up with some kind of crisis. more tomorrow i hope. as for now, i'm trying to catch up and i may fall asleep since i've been awake since 5:00 a.m. *whew*

xo

off stealing sugar

i don't know if I will have computer access or not....so no worries if I don't talk to you all until sunday - have a wonderful weekend. xo

now, about those storms

whew...that storm that blew in yesterday was a wild one and we had over six inches of rain dumped on the city in two hours. this translated to flashflooding throughout the city, including flooding the city lot where most of the police cars are kept until the next shift. not good. an immense chinese firedrill will occur until more cars are purchased so they can keep bad guys off the street. cars were swept away, mud covered the streets and two possible sink holes opened. boy am i glad that i live in a house on the hill.

yesterday, i traveled down seven bridges road (you know the eagles song, right?). it indeed has seven bridges (more actually) and is home to some beautiful rural countryside. along the way i found...

beautiful horses




pretty flowers


great buildings


and .... gorgeous trees




there was so much more - old churches, graveyards, cows, more wildflowers. i could have spend an entire afternoon but the skies opened up and poured rain. i will definitely travel this road again.

did you dry out any today? how's the week going? tomorrow i'm so excited. i get to sit with the nieces for three days while mommy and daddy take a sea cruise. i will definitely be stealing tons of sugar.

insert smilie face here

i got errands half-way done, i think that's a good compromise. i even read cassaundra's blog and decided to do the tag where i write six things that make me happy.

photography
don't everyone get all surprised at once yo...yes, photography makes me insanely happy. it was an old friend that i dumped after the sadie hawkins dance in high school and shamelessly picked back up in 2007. i bought her a fancy case and she caved after a few rounds of i'm sorry and a plethra of flowers, trips and a few good looking guys. today was one of those days - you know if you have photography as a hobby - the kind of day where you take a shot and your heart beats a little faster in your chest and you want to race home to download the shots just to see how "that" one looks. more later about the drive along seven bridges road...but here's my favorite sneak peek.


please excuse the softness - this was fully telescoped out to 300mm on a tamron lens (which leans towards softness anyway) with winds gusting to 10-15 mph and it was handheld. i love it anyway.

my family
i'm a goof ball about my family. i'm lucky that way. i know there are people that are not and it makes me sad. really sad. my siblings and i know each other well - all of our faults, flaws, bits and bumps...as well as the wonderful things about each other. it's perfect. plus i have insanely beautiful nieces and nephews. seriously.


I don't lie.

stupid television
reality television - it's soooooo stupid and ridiculous that i love it sometimes. yes, it's rotting my brain (as dennis leary says) and no, it has no socially redeeming features (except maybe how not to act) ... but i grew to love taylor over her short sojourn on tough love and though i haven't voted on american idol, i dig the song stylings of adam lambert. mostly, it's background noise most of the time....but i can live with that (but don't call me during 'the big bang theory' or 'how i met your mom').

music
i've loved music i think since i could form words - some of my most early memories are of music and i can remember very early going to see elvis at the garrett coliseum. though at the time i was in love with paul, i could see what my mom saw in that dark and mystery hip shaker. i remember my ex-husband singing to me in the kitchen while i cooked dinner and weeping copiously to 'i can't make you love me' after the divorce. there are songs that i can't listen to without crying ('amazing grace' and 'wonderful world') and there are my anger songs (yes julie, alanis). but mostly, there is music to anchor my life. my current soundtrack includes...
:: you don't miss your water - otis redding
:: sea breeze - tyrone wells
:: sara - fleetwood mac
:: just my imagination - pete yorn cover
:: georgia on my mind - ray charles
:: push - rob thomas acoustic cover
:: shelter from the storm - bob dylan
:: moon river - patty griffin cover
:: turpentine - brandi carlile
:: solitary man - chris isaak cover
:: northern sky - nick drake
:: the galway girl - sharon shannon
:: someone like you - van morrison
:: into the mystic - van morrison
:: world spins madly on - the weepies
:: i don't know - lisa hannigan

fresh flowers
it doesn't matter if it is wild flowers, grocery store flowers or the florist. i'm crazy about having fresh flowers on my desk. there is something so hopeful about flowers and they always make me smile. well, except for that nasty instance recently with finding aphids all over my soda - they hatched from the queen anne's lace and window warmth and plotted a takeover of my studio. lesson learned about bringing wildflowers inside.


sure - they look all innocent here...but, the aliens were plentiful and fast.

candles
i love candles but it can't be perfume-y candles or crud that makes my head hurt. it has to be lightly scented and natural smelling. so, that usually means some variation of either vanilla or citrus....and occasionally coffee. living in an older house with a full basement and three animals makes candles necessary but moreover, they make me smile. they're warm and inviting. monday nights nights is my cooking night and my sister and her two boys come over to eat and watch television. after shopping for dinner and cooking, lighting the candles just seems like home. even if it's a simple meal like pizza this week.

those are my happy...anyone else feel like sharing happy?

...

my brain is fried and i find myself repeating things a lot lately. could be the onset of older age or the stress of living but it is worrisome. it's harder to keep up with the things that girls keep up with (i'll spare you the details guys).

errands to be run. things to be done. the sun is playing peek-a-boo with my eyes. the energy wanes and i feel as though a marathon has been run using only my lower back. still we push on and on, even when our spirits lag. it must be done...it must.

excitement

so...i'm one of those freaky people that was taught when you say something really great about yourself that you might bring down bad karma because you're bragging and the gods that be may not like that. you know? weird huh? i know most of you were probably taught that too. but, heck - what is blogger, wordpress, flickr and so on if we were not a bit self indulgent and self absorbed? right? maybe? perhaps?

but something kinda exciting happened today....and i'm not making any money on it and i don't really care about that because i think it's an honor. but....ok..here goes - i have to just share it with you. five of my photographs were selected to be used in the new hampton inn in leeds, alabama.

and okay before someone tells me that i'm an idiot and all...i don't care. i can't tell you how many times i've stayed at a hampton and have been enchanted by the local photography they use and how inspired i've been by that photography. now... maybe i can inspire someone else.

i'm pretty happy and proud right now. but, feel totally humble and weird, like how could they possibly like that one....right? have you ever felt that way? i used to feel it in photography classes sometimes - shots that i would be all excited about, the instructor wasn't...and then shots i didn't really like, he would pick. anyway....

i just had to share. these are the ones they asked about:

macro monday (cinco de mayo version)

you know it has to be red baby...red

a weekend

boy, i take one day off from reading blogs and looking at pretty pictures and you all go crazy insane. it has taken almost all day to catch up...good thing i decided to be fairly lazy today. it's been a good weekend - mostly quiet though my sister ran me ragged yesterday. we did a bit of this...



and that...



(my sister is the property manager)

and then after those, we did a bit of this...

and I got that



in lemondrop, not sour apple.

we went here and there (her store, not my taste really)

we went out and about....and all around.

after...we went to see wolverine. though it's not the best movie ever...it was exactly what i expected it to be (it is based on a comic book after all). everyone was happy.










today it was sunny



then it was rainy









it was hot (well, warm) because the air conditioner broke...but now it's cool again. life is ups and downs...hope your downs lead to soft landings and your ups are as fun and as exciting as happiest moment.