I have no words....

except

"oh lord"

"did we ever get dumped on last night"

~~

and

it's still coming down

and

my fingerless gloves and scarf that made me so tough

are useless under these circumstances

~~

"fine"

~

"mother nature you win"

is that what you wanted to hear

~~

should I thank you for our fabulous november

or

flip you off for what you did to us last night

~~

all I know is that right now the only people liking you are the kids

since they're all home today

playing

~~

but

if the grumbling from all the adults could be heard by you

it would be deafening

~~

I'm just saying

*

this photo is from last year out at our cottage

and

I know the deer are there today

looking just like this

except today

they're eating out of the bird feeders

since we haven't given them their bucket of corn yet

~

good thing

my wild friends all know how to share

*

do you ever...

laugh until tears spill down your cheeks

and

spin around in circles like a little girl with a skirt on

and

squint at the moon while looking for "the man"

and

sit in a field of flowers

and

point at the stars

and

dream about the goodness that tomorrow will bring

~even if it's a foot of snow~

and

hold hands

with

your best friend

somehow

I just knew you did

~~

I want to be...

excited

about

winter and christmas

but

I'm not

and

if I'm going to be honest with myself

and

all of you reading this

the "joy to the world" season

has never been a favorite of mine

~~

I'm not sure when it happened

but

something did

quite a long time ago

~~

the people pushing and the exhausted kids crying and the adults complaining

all while trying to buy gifts for those they love

upsets me

~~

something in it is missing for me

and

I wish I could put an exact finger on it

but

I can't

~~

I don't love

decorating a christmas tree

or

baking cookies

or

finding the perfect wrapping paper

~~

when the kids were little and christmas was seen through their eyes

~the big trees~

~the lights~

~presents from santa~

it filled my heart

~~

but that was years ago

and

now christmas feels like an obligation of sorts

and

I don't want it to feel that way

~~

I'm going to make a promise to myself this year

that next year will be different

~~

next year I want to give only to the families on the giving tree

and

spend the day with my family

serving meals at a homeless shelter or soup kitchen

~~

yep

I think next year is going to be my year

*

am I alone here

does anyone else have similar feelings

?

this is what I've been working on...

have any of you heard about

help-portrait

~~

it's in almost every community worldwide

and

it's happening saturday

december 12th

~~

our group here in madison started out with 2 interested people

and

a few ideas

~~

we now have 5 photographers

and

~I'm ecstatic and scared and nervous to be one of them~

a studio

agencies that are sending families to us

lots of equipment

and

many volunteers

but

most of all

we have some really big hearts

giving their time and attention

to complete strangers

this holiday season

in order to make their lives just a little bit brighter

and

their smiles just a little bit bigger

*

it's not too late to check out the help-portrait program

in your community

~~

there can never be too many people opening their hearts

for such an amazing program

~~

below is the first video I ever saw in regards to this movement

and

boy

did it ever move me

~~

I hope you have the time to watch it

and

maybe even the video above

highlighted in the december 12th date

*

why I love art...

the sights

the ideas

the smells

the thoughts

the hands

the creativity

the vision

{and yes misty he was using magazine pages to lift his paint}

the artist

two posts in one day...now I really am crazy...

a dried up paper lantern

~

who knew the beauty could be there

long after the color that made her blush

faded away

~~

who knew that an early december walk

before the snow arrived last night

would provide me with such a gift

~~

I guess I knew all along

~~

maybe

because I'm always looking

~~

it's amazing to me

what a camera in your hands

can do to your heart

*

here's a few more I just had to share...

seriously

doesn't it look like he wants to charge me

and

then use that petrified piece of tree limb

he scratches himself on

and

club me to death

or

at least poke out an eye or two

?

am I a little crazy

thinking I can actually get past these bulls

someday

in order to get inside

what's left of this amazing stone house

yes

~

maybe a lot crazy

*