throw salt over your left shoulder

this is an out take from shooting yesterday - that's the wonderful thing about photography and photoshop. you can take your mistakes and transform them into something else - something magical and etheral. would that we had a giant photoshop program to fix all of our out takes in our life, right? *smile*

nothing special to say tonight really - just a lot of whimsical thoughts. today i watched the rain fall over the overgrown chinaberry trees and thought about the book (soon to be a movie)where the wild things are. the rain created this misty effect and as the temperature changed, the windows began to steam over - creating a dreamy world. were monsters watching me watching them? i only saw the black and white stray dashing in between the bushes - no monsters today.

so, i leave you with a quote by alice hoffman: "there's a few things i've learned in life: always throw salt over your left shoulder, keep rosemary by your garden gate, plant lavender for good luck, and fall in love whenever you can."

today, the things i've learned are: always keep treats around when you have dogs - the joy you give them will be returned one hundred fold, box fans are a comforting sound, good friends are the best present to yourself and fresh flowers always make me smile. (and i always throw salt over both shoulders because i can never remember which one is the correct shoulder)

p.s. - today i read the most beautiful blog by one of my most favorite infrequent writers (wonderings and wanderings). she follows her heart wherever it leads her and i fulfill my yearnings for travel through her adventures (plus i love her photography). today's blog is about serendipity (one of my favorite subjects).

mojo

i woke up at 4:00 this morning and i finished reading 'julie and julia' - i enjoyed it and have been looking forward to the movie. i think from the previews a few hollywood embellishments will be made *wink*. so after sitting a bit - i got my lazy self in gear and went to my little secret garden.

i took the tripod and my fiddy (50mm) and wandered about. the garden was freshly watered and the water glistened on what seemed like hundreds of yellow and orange marigolds. truly - how can one frown at a marigold? it's not possible i tell you! not at all. little orbs of sunshine swirled with a spicy, earthy scent. add to that

aroma fresh rosemary, chives and thyme - heaven. salvia was in full splendor though it seemed a bit early for bees as i only spotted one brave enough to play dodge with sprinklers. without further ado (notice the shakespearian style word, no?)

hello, it's me

i'm completely flustered by a lack of inspiration lately. i've worn fruit to my last nerve and driven randomly looking for new subjects. is it summer? is is boredom? yes, i guess i'm whining.

in other news, i saw transformers part deux last night and didn't hate it. (which i thoroughly expected) it had laugh out loud parts and i'm happy to report to mel that it didn't make me cry. nice job shia...and megan fox - hats off honey, you have to have the pretty eyes in show business right now. i think you give the ex mrs. billy bob (i refuse to mention her in any blog) a run for her money. plus, you have youth on your side.

this morning i had breakfast with a friend that has been my friend since we were 13 - i adore her and it's always so comfortable how with friends like that you slip right back in with no seams. what is it about a cracker barrel breakfast that is so yummy? and then a bit of shopping - perfect. and hopefully some models to come out of it with her daughter. now, dinner at something called a bass pro shop...this should be interesting.

what cha doin'?

it is always weird to be up early on a saturday morning, but i knew this would happen when i fell asleep watching the sex and the city movie last night. even the puppies were sleepy early.

i'm excited - i'm starting a quilting challenge on monday and i've never made a quilt before. plus, i'm handsewing the thing as i don't have a sewing machine. don't get all excited, it's just a pillow top and i'm doing it in felt. i have all these big ideas in my head, but i'm afraid it will look like a poor little charlie brown quilt. all lopsided and stuff.

oh yeah...i did promise the story about the new jersey-quese housewives next to us at dinner last week. it all seems so anti-climatic now, just like the finale of the real housewives (just was it that danielle tried to do to dina - puncture the bubbies, whack her, what?). you know it has to be good or big bad caroline would have sicced the puppy on her, right? but...i have wondered away from the subject.

one of my pet peeves is to be in a nice restaurant and the table is so obnoxious and rude that you can't enjoy your food. i mean, it's one thing if you're in a family place that is meant for that, but if i'm (well, my brother) is paying over $20 a plate - it's not mcd's. you know? there were two women, obviously wearing 'bump-its' and side ponys that they must have gotten theirs that very morning. they had nice bottles of wine (which they were loaded on) and at least six children between them. the children ranged from 10ish to 3ish...while momma sat there and complained (loudly) how horny she was. geesh - do people even use that word anymore after the 12th grade or freshman year? the children consumed piles of expensive sushi and mommas drank more wine as the conversation stumbled on to firm butts when the one told the other what her trainer said about her firm butt. then the picture taking commenced. flashes going off in our eyes as we tried to wait for our meals (of course the restaurant was slow - they had to go catch the fish theirselves, right?). not fun. just not fun. all part of my theory how the world is going to pot because no one seems to care about anyone much anymore. (not you - no....but people as a whole and in public) i mean, come on, have dignity much? uhmmmm, no.

see, much funnier when it was happening than the retelling. well, that and i suck at stories sometimes. i just checked yard sales since my thrify friends always find such good stuff. maybe since i'm up early i can check out a couple. and go to the farmer's market. i'm hungry for some fresh corn - i wonder if i could convince my brother to put on the grill for some roasted corn?