July 31, 2010

sunflower fields forever.....

have you ever seen a field of sunflowers
~
i have
and
i feel like i need to add this to my journal of
wow
~
wouldn't you
~
around here you see fields of corn. fields of strawberries. fields of pumpkins. fields of soybeans. fields of christmas trees. and fields and fields of cows.
but
this sunflower field
is one of kind
here
and
made the front page of the sunday newspaper
so now you know how special it is
~
and
can you believe
it's just 2 miles down the road from where we live
~
if you look at the field long enough
i think there's something about the color yellow
that kind of makes you want to run naked
through it
*
but
i have seen the bugs that live there
hundreds and hundreds of bugs and bees and creepy crawly things i don't have names for
and
those sunflowers are kind scratchy
so there goes that dream
~
but
it was fun for a few seconds
*

July 30, 2010

the crown fits...


i could have spent the day doing laundry. but instead i watched my niece fly. and my daughter and nephew compete in a mad game of putt-putt golf. and my sister laugh when the water balloons started to fly. summer tends to treat me like a queen.


July 29, 2010

oh dreamy....


i have an old polaroid
but
i don't have any film
so instead i just play
until
my photos get that almost
perfect polaroid dreamy look in their eyes
::
oh
summer
i think you just got a little better
if that's even possible
*

July 28, 2010

those were the days....

i suppose if i were a tweeter i'd tell you that i'm off in an hour to have my hair "done" but since i don't tweet and hair and done in the same sentence
is just so old sounding
~
well you understand
~
that's me in the front
when i never gave my hair a second thought
but
for as long as i can remember now
i have hated my hair. i know that's a big word...hate...but it's true. i hate my hair and today i really hate it and i hate that i have to go and sit and have it highlighted and trimmed.
~
if i could go ultra short
i would
but
i don't have the face for it
~
if i could grow it long
i would
but
i don't have the face for that either
~
if i could magically make it thick and curly
i would
but
i'd be told by those with thick curly hair how lucky i am to have thin straight hair
~
maybe i should just call and cancel
throw on my baseball cap
and
go
shoe shopping
instead
*


July 27, 2010

a couple of things to make you smile....

this is one of our resident cottage squirrels
who likes to nibble on whatever we put in the bird feeders
~see his little stock pile in front of him~
and
because i think he's adorable
he gets away with it
~
last weekend
after he finished stuffing himself silly
he ran down the hill
and
literally threw himself onto the coolness that the top of the cement septic tank
offered him
and
just laid there
~
i was waiting for him to roll over
and
un-buckle his pants so he could rest his hand in waist band
and
close his eyes for the rest of the afternoon
but
he didn't
~
obviously
this is a squirrel with manners

and
if my squirrel didn't make you smile
without question
~
talk about an amazingly creative mom
*
ps....if you want to join me and hundreds of others in the
august break
scroll to the bottom and click on the link
*

July 26, 2010

it's monday again...and i have rules.

i spoke to my fish today. telling him that he'd have to eat his fish flakes first before i cleaned out his fishbowl.
i think sometimes being home alone all day is a blessing.
*
a little photo....a little snippet of words....
this is a little practice for what i think my august will look like
~
have you heard about the "summer break" that susannah is taking about
~
i think it sounds refreshing and light. days of blogging with just a photo or two.
or maybe a photo and just a few words. or maybe just a few words.
i like that there aren't any rules except for the ones you make up in your head
~
so if you decide to explode one day with hundreds of words
that's okay
too
*
if you want the information to the summer break i mentioned above
~which is actually the" august break"~
scroll to the bottom of this page
and
click on the august break button
*


July 25, 2010

don't blame me if you love it....or hate it

we went to the theatre
yesterday
~
our daughter told us we would love the movie she had just seen. and since she's almost always right. we went. and we did really like it. i don't think we loved it. but it was really really good.
~
i have friends that would love this movie. and friends who would hate it. my parents would hate it. my little sister would like it. my older sister would hate it. my son would never even go to it. my in-laws would hate it. my dear friend michele would love it.
~
and
this is why recommending a movie
is as hard as pulling off hot melted pizza cheese
stuck to the roof of your mouth
without anyone noticing
~
someone is going to think you're an idiot
~
so if you're up for the challenge
the movie
is
"the kids are all right"
~
BUT BUT BUT
and
this is a really big
BUT
DON'T
watch the trailer for this movie
as it totally gives way too much away
~
julianne moore. annette bening. mark ruffalo.
amazing
~
the kids in the movie
amazing
~
the title for the movie
a bit off
~
but
we really really liked it
and
i might have even loved it
if the man in front of me hadn't swam in a pool of awful cologne before he arrived
which caused my breathing to become labored
brought tears to my eyes
and
i swear by the end of the movie
my throat was closed up a little bit and i probably could have used an epi-pen
to relieve what felt like anaphylactic symptoms
~
anyhow
now i kind of hope you all go see it
~~~~~
and
because i'm lazy today and i haven't done it for a long time and it feels refreshing
surprise
the photo above is sooc
ahhhhh
summer is good
*

July 24, 2010

i'm kind of holding my breath...

i read
eat pray love
twice
and
absolutely loved it both times
~
the movie is coming out next month and normally i wouldn't have anything to do with a movie made from a book that i loved. but this time i'm keeping my fingers crossed. i'm holding my breath. i'm praying. i'm hoping.
~
i love julia roberts
and
if anyone can pull this off
she can
but
can they really take the guts from this amazing book
and
make a movie from it
~
i don't know
~
but
i do know that there's a line in the movie that i want printed on a t-shirt
for the days that i have no words left
and
my family has to interpret what my needs are
~
"i want to go some place where i can marvel at something"
~
that pretty much sums it up
don't you think
*
i have a few friends that didn't like this book and that's okay
since all of our tastes are so very different
but
unfortunately
if that's the case
you're a freak
*
kidding

July 23, 2010

we called him ocho....


he was the last one out
arriving long after all the others had been born
and
was immediately dubbed
the runt
~
he fought so hard
only to be pushed away by his much stronger siblings
~
i wasn't there to see any of them come into the world
but
my daughter was
and
even though she hated the name ocho
she had decided that he was the one she would take home
and
maybe call
small frye
~
he struggled
and
at first we thought he couldn't suck
but
after finding him attached to a sibling's ear and then a paw
we knew that wasn't a problem
~
as my sister went to buy a supplemental bottle and formula
i tried continually to get a nipple in his mouth
even pulling his siblings off in order to get an elongated one that he could latch onto
~
but
he didn't
and
when my sister returned he refused the bottle
~
hours later and into the night
my sister sent me an email and said she had finally gotten him attached and that he'd been nursing for 15 minutes
~
victory
~
but
as the days went on
he never really progressed like the others
always behind
always so tiny
even while my sister watched him around the clock
making sure he was still nursing
~
and
then my sister called on wednesday and said things weren't looking so good
and
16 days after he was born
ocho
died
~
with a litter of eight kittens
this was to be expected
but
it was still sad
~~~~~
so now
there are only seven kittens squealing away
in my sister's garage
~
but
they are vibrant and healthy
and
growing like weeds
~
3 boys and 4 girls
and
they are truly a blessing
*




July 22, 2010

the sun will come out tomorrow.....

based on my mood today and my inability to focus on anything important
the rain pouring down outside my window
like an overfilled pitcher left unattended in the kitchen sink
is a welcomed friend
knowing just which knots to rub out
*

July 21, 2010

i applaud you....

for some kids
the fair isn't about
riding the rides
it's about
pride and ownership
which involves
an incredible amount of hard work
and
buckets of sweat
~
so to all of you
4-H kids and 4-H parents
spending hours on your feet
showing your pride and joy to those of us who have never worked as hard as you do
ever
especially
in the 90 degree heat
and
then sleeping in the barns with your animals at night
with nothing but a fan to keep you cool
thank you
for what you do
~
you amaze me

July 20, 2010

we are total goofs...

we played in the woods this past weekend
i noticed
john making a little manly stick figure
but
then i was worried little stick figure man would get walked on
so i gave him some shoes
and
then built a little fence around him to keep him protected
then we got really creative
and
made a LOVE sign
and
what's a LOVE sign if you don't leave arrows
in order to find it again
we're going back next weekend
if you want to join us
and
i think this time i'll make a
DREAM
sign
*
what's the saying....something like "you don't stop playing because you get old, you get old because you stop playing".....i think there's lots of truth in that

July 19, 2010

i rarely do two on the same day....

but
i love this photo i took
at the fair
and
i didn't want it to feel left out
*
: pollen filled bee pockets below :

did you know....

that bees collect pollen
in their pollen pockets
~
did you even know they had pockets
?
somehow in science class i missed this
and
even having raised two children
who had years and years of science classes
i still missed this
~
the bad thing
is that i have always loved science
and
hated math
which means
i can catch garden snakes
and
could care less what pi is or equals
~
maybe this late life learning will help keep my mind young
~
i can only hope
*
just in case you were passing notes in science class too, see that bright yellow blob near the bee's bottom ? that's a pocket full of pollen. cool, huh ?

July 18, 2010

no gift wrap needed...


i had no idea
that once he moved out
a visit from him
at dinner time
would be such a gift
*

July 16, 2010

because even simple can sparkle.....

today
we are celebrating
christina's birthday
~
she makes us laugh and think and appreciate what we have
she fills us up with recipes and beautiful photos
but
most of all
she gives us a comfortable place to fall
everyday
~
so to truly celebrate christina and what she loves
we're keeping it simple
as in
~simple things~
~
holding hands
fresh basil from the farmer's market
funny art hanging on my wall that makes me laugh
the way he looks back at me
forgotten words found in a notebook
clean sheets
clean feet
and
finding a new store in town to shop in that feels like me
~
happy birthday
~our soul aperture girl~
and
because
you sparkle
i saved my sparkly dew photo just for you
*
and
to see who started this birthday wave and all of us that are attending the party
you can go
but cover your ears as the blowing of horns is getting out of control
*

July 15, 2010

well, maybe only the good parts.....

today
i'm playing on one of those really cool playgrounds
where they still a have vintage merry-go-round
and
the kind of swings that take you high enough
so that you can touch the sun
~
it's kim's playground
and
oh
i'd be so incredibly happy if you came over
and
ran around in the grass with me
~
i'll even let you have the good end of the teeter totter
*
ps....for those of you missing my creative writing side, which has been a bit shy this summer, she's in full force today over at kim's place



July 14, 2010

in everything you do, in everything you say....

having fallen in love with
the three words above
and
now holding them ever so gently and close to my heart
i wanted to share them with you
today
~
can you hear them now
whispering in your ear
provoking you a little
making you feel like today is the day you can do anything
~
yeah
me too
*
thanks to a wonderful artist i met at the art show this past weekend
this just might be my new mantra
actually
i know it is
*
thanks jamie

July 13, 2010

she's at that age~so here's a tip



oh
you know
that goofy age
when they look at you with a smile that you've never seen before
that isn't them
at all
~
yet
they're smart enough to escape the candid shots
you're trying so hard to get
well
that's my sweet and adorable niece right now
~
so
i went outside with her
and
told her she had to smile with her eyes
and
that her lips had to stay closed
~
for adults
this is easy
but
children have a hard time
not smiling
~there must be a lesson here~
anyhow
the next time you're with a child whose smile is
"not them"
ask them to smile with their eyes
~
the few moments it will take them to try to understand what you're asking for
will usually end up being the best time to grab some shots
~
after that
those little smarty pants will figure out something else
to not look like themselves
~

July 12, 2010

i think it's only fair....

that
since i ask others to jump
~
while
being looked at like
i'm slightly insane
when i ask this of them
~
that
i join in every now and then

and
since the hubby is really talented with the camera
and
these rocks were just begging to be used
~
well
how could i not
*
and now
can i just say thank you to all of you who made me feel so loved when i apologized for not commenting often enough ? and then yesterday, when i found out that you all truly love love...
being in love, hopeful for love, dreaming of love
~
thank you
all of you
for having huge and beautiful hearts
filled with love
and
for always having the willingness to share them
*


July 11, 2010

five hundred twenty five thousand six hundred minutes...

he has no idea
how many times a day
i look at him
just
to look at him
~
well
maybe he does
*
just a little

July 9, 2010

when life stands still....

you do too
and
it makes the world a beautiful place to be
~
and
now
"friday in my head"
~
1. lindsay lohan being an idiot and taking up all the space in the news. bad
2. the humidity finally giving us a break. good
3. mosquitos. bad
4. art fair on the square tomorrow. good
5. dropping a heavy drinking glass last night that shattered into a million pieces. bad
6. chipping the granite the glass fell onto. really bad
7. my son with his head finally on shoulders. really good
8. the song "think of me" by rosi golan. even better after the 100th time
9. summer flying by way too quickly. bad
and
last but not least
10. the fresh basil
from the farmers market yesterday
that i mixed with zucchini quarters and sweet onions and bacon bits and smoked gouda cheese
and
then added to my shitake sesame salad dressing from annies
which was poured over fresh romaine leaves.
{after all the glass was cleaned up}
out of this world
good
*
happy friday
everyone

July 8, 2010

just maybe....

my favorite
baby shoot
and
baby photos
ever
*
there are more photos for you to see
but
be careful
the cuteness can make you really happy
for hours
*

July 7, 2010

loving summer....

they loved picking berries

while
i loved playing around with my depth of field
and
making them blurry
and
watching them get so excited
when i said
"there's even more berries over here"

i'm not sure who had the most fun
but
i do know
that
summer
~in the book of beth~
is
spelled
l.o.v.e.
*
so
go out today
and
do at least one thing that you love to do
*
these are the older brothers
to the 6 month old whose photo shoot i did last week
~those photos will be up soon~
and
while he was busy nursing
i followed them to the berry patch
*
i love what i do


July 5, 2010

how do you recap and delete ?

my holiday weekend
started on thursday
~
i followed my niece around in her yard. laughed at her and with her. watched her pick berries and asparagus perfectly from the garden. and silently wished how i had her hair.
then i was off to photograph this sweetheart
now
that he's 6 months old
~
you probably remember him since i've been so incredibly lucky to take his photos before
~newborn, 3 months and now~

i dove deep into a book
on friday
and
with only a few pages left
all 338 of them have kept me intrigued
~
on saturday
we trespassed
on 132 acres that are for sale
and
hiking on them
made us feel like we were in the northern woods of wisconsin
or
colorado
~
with a quick google search
we found out it could be ours
for
4.5 million dollars
*
it was perfect
so
i'm going to start saving for it
even the moss
that softened our steps and felt like velour
and
houses the forest fairies i believe in
was perfect
too
*
honestly, how do you recap a long weekend, where no television was watched, food was delicious, breezes were gentle as they breathed on our necks, but didn't stop the mosquitos from loving us, morning dew danced with the fog down in the cottage valley, butterflies and birds waved to us like they had known us forever, dogs on the sandbars of the wisconsin river made us laugh and hundreds and hundreds of photos were taken ?
~
a. i don't think you really can, but photos and words, help. i guess that's why we have memories
and
b. deleting those extra photos i don't really need....bite your tongue, honey
*

July 3, 2010

the incredible red, white and blue....


happy fourth of july
everyone
*

July 2, 2010

imagine my disappointment....

they say this place is
haunted
and
i tend to believe in things like that
due
to my upbringing
~
my parents
~love you mom and dad~
let me see movies
like
carrie and christine
and
the amityville horror
when i was little
like
6
or something
okay fine. i was a teenager. but still. they let me go. unsupervised.
wrong
actually. THEY took me to christine WITH them.
and
guess what
those.movies.are.scary
when you're 6
~
anyhow
oh
you probably wanted a point to this story
right
~
well
here's my point
~
i can't sleep with my bedroom windows open
~
because
there are boogie monsters out there
and
in the movies they come in through the bedroom window
and
then go down to the family room and call you from the phone they find there
and
when you call the police they tell you it's coming from a line inside the house
and
then they put that horrible white mask on and chase you around on halloween
and
when you're showering
there's someone on the other side of the curtain with a really big knife
and
then the man that looks pretty normal
picks you up while you're hitchhiking
after your car breaks down
and
takes you to the prom
where everyone already thinks you're a freak
and
you write
redrum
on the wall
and
then
well
i'm not even touching
silence of the lambs
~
so
you
see
thats.why.i.can't.sleep.with.my.bedroom.windows.open
*
oh
and
my disappointment
?
not seeing any faces or ghosts staring at me through the windows in my photo
since
i really thought
i just might
~