June 27, 2009 Follow The Path

That leads to my wee little garden. I told you it was small.



So what do I have my in wee little garden. It is planted in blocks in the square foot garden method. I have in my garden by squares from the closest all the way to the end: cherry tomato, beets, tomato, yellow pepper, tomato, green peas, cucumber, red pepper, cucumber, green beans, cantaloupe, carrots, watermelon, green beans, green peas and corn.

Today I was out pulling weeds in the garden at about 10:00 this morning. It was quite hot out there. I could then appreciate that when I was much younger my Mama wanted to get out there very early in the morning to pick in the garden before it got too hot. Then I wasn't too keen on it. Mama said you can go back to bed after we are done. Ok yeah after we pick it, snap, shuck or shell it, then can or freeze it, it will be time to go back to bed. We would pick from Evelyn and Warren's garden. Warren would plant the longest rows ever in the garden. They went on and on - nothing like my wee little garden.

Now if I could just get rid of these Japanese beetles. They are everywhere. They are on the flowers in the yard. I saw one beetle on a bloom on one of the tomato plants. Go away beetle and don't eat that bloom, it is going to be a tomato!! That's probably not going to work, is it?

June 26, 2009 Happy Birthday!!

Yes I am once again breaking my self-imposed rule of one photo a day. I may as well go ahead and revoke it for all the times I am breaking it.



Today is Jay and Daniel's birthday. It is also my father's birthday. I think it's pretty cool that the 3 most important men in my life, my father, husband and son, were all born on June 26th. Daniel was born at 1:49 am so he just barely made it until June 26th.



We started a new family tradition that on each child's birthday we would go out and do a photo shoot. We had a good time but it was quite hot!!



What a precious boy he is. I am so very thankful that God has blessed my life with this boy. He is a treasure to me. Daniel has such a good heart and is such a joy to be around. He is comfortable with people of all ages. Daniel, may you always remember that you are loved so very much.

June 25, 2009 United

Our family is united again. 3/5 of the family has been in the mountains and 2/5 of the family has been at the coast. Tonight we are once again under the same roof. It feels good to be back together.

June 24, 2009 Our Mini Vacation

I noticed this scene late yesterday and wanted to capture it on film. To me it just seemed so, I don't know, humbling. There are people playing on the beach without a care in the world, just enjoying their vacation. There is someone parasailing, I can imagine them feeling so free as they soar above the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. And there in the background is the US Navy. It makes you stop and think, doesn't it? At least it does me, puts things in perspective.



Kathleen and I went on this mini vacation while Jay, Daniel and Charlsley were at Lake Junaluska for a youth camp. Kathleen was too old to go to youth camp this year. Last year I was home alone while they were all gone. This year Kathleen and I took off for the beach.



What a joy it is to be the mother to this young lady. I love you kiddo!!



There is something about the ocean that just restores my spirit. I love the vastness of it. I love that the waves just keeping coming over and over again. I love to play in the ocean. I love the sound of the ocean. Sometimes I just need to get to the ocean. God's creation is such a marvelous thing, I stand in awe!!

Mini vacation

Kathleen and I are taking a mini vacation to the beach today. We'll be back on Wednesday!!

June 20, 2009 Daylilies

The Daylilies are in bloom!!

I had taken several pictures that I thought would possibly be the photo of the day but the daylilies won out. I had photos of watering my wee little garden but they were just ok. I had a photo of making my massive "to do" list for the day but that was a dud. So I went for the daylilies. I had some other flower pics but this is the one that won.

June 19, 2009 Lovely Little Flower Pots

I just love these little flower pots. The kids made them in Bible School several years ago. Finger painting at it's finest. I think they turned out so cute.

Thanks Mrs. P.

June 18, 2009 Achieve

Well I have purchased new tennis shoes specifically for the purpose of going walking. I bought these shoes at Kohl's yesterday. The brand is New Balance and I noticed after I got them home that the style of New Balance shoes they are is "Achieve". So yes I can Achieve this goal. I have got to get back to walking every night. The exercise will be good for me. It will be good for my health.

Next year is going to be a big year around here. Lots of hoopla (I like that word.) Next year will be our 25th wedding anniversary and I will be turning 50. I'm not bothered by turning 50. Embrace it. When you've had a brush with breast cancer you'll take all the birthdays God blesses you with. Bring 'em on.

So anyway next year we are hoping to take one of those dream vacations. And eveyone knows when you take a dream vacation you buy all new clothes to wear, don't you? So I'm dreaming of wearing oh maybe a size 12 no no wait I'm dreaming of a size 8. A girl can dream can't she? Right now I would like to not have an X as part of my clothing size. OK that's way too much information. Hence the need to get back to walking every night.

Jay and I went walking tonight - 3 laps around the church parking lot.

I took quite a few pictures of these shoes earlier this afternoon. After the first I don't know 5 that I took I noticed that the shoestrings were twisted. I don't know why that bothers me but it does so I had to get them untwisted. Doesn't it figure that the photo I selected as the best was one with the twisted shoestring. So there it is twisted shoesstring and all.

June 17, 2009 It's Raining

It's raining again tonight. This photo feels kinda, I don't know, melancholy to me. It's the rain hitting the asphalt of the church parking lot. I'm sitting in my van taking the pic so as not to get my camera wet.

Isn't melancholy a funny word? I looked it up at dictionary.com and it means gloomy state of mind. It's been a gloomy state of weather today so maybe that's why this photo looks melancholy to me. Or maybe it's my gloomy state of mind or maybe I just think the word sounds funny. For whatever reason it feels melancholy.

I really don't mind the rain kinda like it actually. Thunderstorms ummm not so much. But a steady gentle rain is refreshing. You just feel the earth gobbling it up. Providing much needed water for the trees, flowers and grass and such. And my wee little garden is getting water too.

And where are we on the way to. We're going to buy flip flops in this rainy weather. Charlsley hasn't liked to wear flip flops before because she didn't like anything between her toes. Now this year she likes them and wanted some to take to youth camp next week. So off to Old Navy we went. Now she's not leaving for youth camp until Sunday but we had to have those flip flops tonight!

Big contrast between today's pic and yesterday's.

June 16, 2009 Color My World

I love how bright the colors are in the umbrella. They look so vibrant. It just makes me feel happy!!

We went to the pool tonight. I took lots of pictures of the kids in the pool.

June 15, 2009

I cheated!! This picture was not actually taken today.

I was going to take my camera to work today and go out at lunchtime with a specific mission to capture in pictures. But it was raining this morning so I didn't take my camera. It had actually cleared up by lunchtime.

Tonight I was tired and wasn't happy with any of the pictures I took so I decided to post a previous picture.

June 14, 2009 It's For The Children

I bought these for the children. Yeah that's it, for the children. I wouldn't go out and spend $7.29 on doughnuts just to photograph them, would I? Of course not, it's for the children to celebrate their first official day of summer vacation.

I wouldn't go out and get doughnuts for me to eat. Of course not. I wonder what the kids will think when they open the box and only see 11 doughnuts. I thought a baker's dozen was 13 not 11. Bummer the photo kinda gives me away that I originally had a true dozen.

So why is a baker's dozen 13 not 12. It apparently dates back to the 13th century where bakers feared severe punishment for short-changing someone of their dozen of whatever they were buying so they would put in an extra. Or something like that. There you go, that's the rest of the story.

June 13, 2009 My Little Garden times 3

Yes I'm breaking my self-imposed rule of only posting one picture a day. I figure I started the blog I reckon if I want to post more than 1 photo I can.



I have little square foot garden spots. I have 2 tomato plants, 1 cherry tomato, 1 red pepper and 1 yellow pepper, 2 green bean squares, 2 green peas squares, 2 cucumber squares, 1 carrots and 1 beets square, watermelon, cantaloupe and corn.

These are the green beans they have come up nicely.



This is the square with the beets. I think the beets have come up but they could be weeds who knows. If I were an experienced gardner I would know but I'm not. I'm thinking they are the beets coming up because the stem is red.


I love beets they are one of my favorite vegetables but only cooked the way my Mama made them. That is cooked and then add vinegar, butter and pepper and eaten hot. Pickeled beets - no way!

June 12, 2009 Where does the time go?

Where does the time go? It seems like just yesterday the new school year was starting and here we are at the last day. I can't believe that Daniel has completed his middle school years and will be in high school next year.

Sometimes I just want to slow down time to savor every minute of it but I can't. Time waits for no one. Not me, not anybody. No one has anymore hours in the day than anyone else. When I returned to work after being out for radiation - well I say I returned to work I was working from home during radiation - I needed time to ease back into the fast paced life of a working mom, but time didn't wait.

Although I can't slow down time, I can certainly be mindful of how I am utilizing the time I've been given. The 24 hours each day is a gift and if I look at it from that perspective then perhaps I will embrace it and savor it which is where I started with this. To find that balance between being the mom which is my main focus, working which I must do, personal interest such as photography and rest. It's a tricky balance that's for sure.

June 11, 2009 For The Love of Baseball

Today's choice was a tough one because I think there were several good choices.

I liked the perspective of the ball in the grass.

June 10, 2009 A Family Portrait

I've been worrying about getting that perfect picture to post. Then I realized that that isn't what this is about. It's about our everyday lives captured in pictures.

Tonight I decided to take a family portrait. Yep that's our family. What a hoot!

Life is all about the people in your life. Do they know how much you value their presence in your life. These are the people in my life that mean oh so much to me. Well it's their foot anyway. May we always be connected as family even if miles someday separate us may the connection still remain.

June 9, 2009 My personal manicurist

This was a hard decision today because these pictures didn't turn out quite like I had hoped nor did the others pictures that I took. It's hard to take a picture yourself while someone else is painting your nails. But the rule is that I have to take the picture.

Thanks Kathleen!!

June 8, 2009 It's a hit!!

Tonight we went to watch my favorite ball player play baseball. This is the week of the playoffs for Little League. Unfortunately the game didn't go our way but since it's double elimination we are still in it. Daniel's team is the number 2 team and was playing the number 1 team. So we play again Wednesday night. Hopefully they will win Wednesday night and then meet this team again in the finals.

June 7, 2009 Mmmmm Strawberries!!

It's that time of year for strawberries. Mmmmm we love strawberries here. But no we did not pick them at the Berry Farm we picked them straight from Costco!!

There were several photos in the running for today's post but alas the strawberries won!

June 6, 2009 Up Close and Personal

This photo was taken at the pool tonight. It's an indoor pool. I want to get up close and personal to fill the frame with the subject - my Charlie girl. We had fun at the pool and I even did some swimming.

June 5, 2009 Take A Guess

Take a guess what my favorite color of clothing is. Yes it's pink of course. Several years ago I had this new outfit that was mostly pink and everytime I wore it someone would tell me how the color looked good on me. So then when I'm shopping for clothes I gravitate to that color. And before you know it my closet ends up looking like this. I was hanging up clothes tonight and couldn't help but chuckle at the abundance of pink clothing. And that doesn't count what's probably in the laundry room either.

June 4, 2009 - My $2.00 purchase

Saturday Charlsley and I went to Lowe's to get some flowers for the front flower bed. Frequently I'm just a few minutes too late to pick up the bargain. But on Saturday I was standing there as the sales clerk reduced the price of this hibiscus. It had some yellow leaves on it and looked a little dry. But she had just reduced the price from I think it was $28.00 to $2.00. I figured if it doesn't make it what have a lost - $2.00. So I got it and another plant that was also reduced to $2.00.

You can see the raindrops on it. We're getting lots of rain tonight!

June 3, 2009 "IMAGE"

This is a photo of the model Charlsley and I made of the IMAGE spacecraft. Yes we made this for a 6th grade science project. After a serious design flaw nearly destroyed the plan we recovered and finished the project actually before the due date. It went to school today even though it wasn't due for 2 more days.

A daily photo

I started this blog to post a photo taken each day. I guess I decided to do this for several reasons

1. to work on my photography skills
2. to document our lives in photos
3. making memories
4. to be sure I'm taking photos everyday
5. to be selective of the photos I'm taking and choose which to post
6. and probably more reasons that I'm just not thinking of at the moment

I hope to keep at it. It's a commitment to be sure to take photos everyday. I can't say for certain that I will get the post in each day but will take the photos and then back date a post if I have to. Hopefully not but I'm just saying I'm leaving that option open.

I'm not taking just one photo per day. I'll take multiplies but only 1 will be posted. I actually have a book of photos from this professional photographer who was used to taking many, many photos per day. When you see a striking photo in a magazine or book or whatever you can know that there are probably many, many photos that were not selected. To get that 1 stiking photo they have also taken many duds. Anyway about the photographer that I have his book, and I can't think of his name right now, he decided to take a year sabbatical and limited himself to one photo per day. It's a pretty cool book but that is not what I am doing. You can know that there are many photos, at least I hope, but hopefully I'll select the one that I feel is best or at best most postable.

I chose the black background for the blog to hopefully make the picture "pop".

We'll see. So that's my story and I'm sticking to it.