because now I'm addicted......

photographing people TTVF

is so much harder

than shooting objects

but

my niece and nephew

were angels

on

saturday

when I asked them to

"sit"

for me

~~~~~

even though her face is blurry

there is such an

ethereal

feeling

when I look at

olivia

here

that it gives me a chill

~~~~~

and I didn't do an

exact final count

but I think

the square corners

won

the

poll

~~~~~

thank you

all of you

for playing along

and

for also

leaving me such great comments

you made me smile

really big

*

because of misty......

these are my first attempts

of

photography

through

the

view finder

you take an old camera

a really old box camera

bought cheaply on ebay

have your wonderful
and
talented hubby
build a light diffusing
contraption
for it
~~~~~
attach your
macro lens
that
your thoughtful, loving
hubby
gave you for your birthday

and then go out in public
*
and
look silly
as people ask questions
as to what you're doing
*
and shoot
REALLY COOl PHOTOS !!!
~~~~~
oh, that misty !!
~~~~~
I left two of the photos with their square edges
and turned the other two into rounded edges
which ones do you like best ?
~~~~~

color me happy......

I was blessed

to meet jonatha

at squam

~~~~~

and

to be in a

superhero class

with her

~~~~~

and

to

have her sing

right in front of me

~~~~~

the beauty

the voice

and

the love

in her

soul

~~~~~
and

yesterday

I bought two tickets

to see her

here

YES

HERE

in

madison

on stage

in

december

because

her song

"taste of danger"

well

it's just

the

best

ever

and

I love her

~~~~~

if you know me

well

you've seen

my

happy

dance

~~~~~

and

that's what I did

yesterday

and what I'll still

be doing

all

day

today

*

he's always had it

17 years ago

I gave birth to a beautiful

baby boy

~~~~~

who

has made us laugh

make your cheeks hurt

tears in your eyes

pee your pants

laugh

at least once each day

since then

~~~~~

to my sweet boy

thank you for adding

so much to

our

lives

~~~~~

we wouldn't be

*us*

without

you

*

happy birthday

he stole my heart.....

I don't even know his name

but he was

beautiful

the kind

of

beautiful

that takes your breath

away

and I told him that

I had been looking

for a spot

a perfect water spot

for a photo shoot

and

instead I found him

this child

that when I asked if I could take his photo

smiled

and

proclaimed

"YES"

when I was walking back to my car

I approached a man

who I had somehow been drawn to

and asked if by any chance

his son was playing down

on the lake's edge

~~~~~

he smiled ear to ear

and

asked

"the one with the fro?"

and

I said yes

he's so beautiful

~~~~~

I stood next to this man

as he beamed

and told me all about his son

and

why they moved here

to wisconsin

from illinois

~~~~~

this beautiful child is

autistic

~~~~~

and

it is here

that they found the schooling and support

that they need

for him

~~~~~

and

it is here

with these

photos

that proved

to my heart

why I love to be

behind

my camera

~~~~~

I'll sit on that bench with you.....

"In order to do what really matters to you

you have to

first of all

know what really matters to you"

~~~~~

and maybe somedays

it's just best

to sit on a park bench

to sort out your feelings

and remind yourself

not to be scared of your life

but most of all

not to waste your life

~~~~~

while at

SQUAM

I heard

connecting with the earth

existing in the moment

finding your passion

living

~~~~~

and

that's what
I intend to do

~actually~

it's what I thought I was doing

but I wasn't

I've been faking it

"putting up a good front"

they say

so

if you see me

and I look the same

but maybe with a sparkle here or there

and you feel something differently

emerging from me

when you get a little closer

it's still me

only better

less jumbled thougths, kind of...or SQUAM part two.....

It's your passion that ultimately connects you

to your higher purpose

so I've been told

and

that's what I've been looking for

I think

and probably didn't even know it

this is Swirly girl

and

if you haven't bought

her book yet

well

you're missing out on amazing amount of inspiration

the kind that we all need

everday

in our lives

I've always known that I'm a water person

lakes, oceans

it doesn't matter

as long as there is water near me

well, it sings to me

can you hear it, too ?

this is
saturday's super hero life class

and in the yellow

is

kathleen

she's an angel by the way

as she was my partner during an exercise

and saw me shed lots of tears

as I told her about the person that I admire

the most

my grandma ruby

being here at SQUAM

was the most positive thing

I've done

just for me

so far this year

and it felt wonderful

~~~~~

so

a big

thank you to everyone

who pushed me

convinced me

and

taunted me

to come here

I exposed myself to lots of strangers

lived in the moments

and

returned with a new energy

can you feel it?

can you see the angel wings

on misty and stef ?

look closely

they're there

big, soft, fluffy, beautiful wings

travel journaling class 101
with my new friend
tara
she looks quiet here
but don't let her fool you...
she's a blast !!!!

everyday
for every meal
we had a very long walk to the dining hall
heather
asked me on the last full day
if I had seen the "nest"
and I hadn't
so we walked with our heads up
~~~~~
which for anyone who was at SQUAM knows
that was next to impossible to do without tripping over
a stone or a root
which would then send your body flying through the air
~~~~~
but
sure enough
we found it
and if I could have brought it home with me
empty of course
I would have
as
it was spectacular

oh susan !!!

on our first night in the cottage

I heard someone downstairs

saying she was

supposed to find me

at SQUAM to say "hello"

from a mutual friend

and upon looking for me

found out we were sharing the same cottage

and not only did we share a cottage

we shared time with one another

real time

an evening with the gang in front of the fireplace

just the two of us on a road trip in the rain

to and from

meredith

stopping at the general store to buy boots and a hat

in holderness

you are a special one susan !!

and the ducks

on the first day

right after registration

made stef and I crack up

did anyone else see them ???

~~~~~

it can't be all said at once, as my thoughts are still all over the place, jumbled

I did something spontaneous

for the first time in my life

and for that

I'm a changed person

the magic that comes from

the voice

of

jonatha

will stay with me forever

the water brought to me

the passion I've always felt for it

but this time

with an energy

that ran through my veins

I tried to soak in everything
around me
the smells
the sounds
the air
the quiet
but mostly
just
the
never ending
moments

this was my home
for
4 nights
2 of them bitterly cold
but
with layers and socks
and
a big down comforter
I
slept peacefully


{jonatha-andrea-jen}
~~~~~
women are amazing
we really are
and
this retreat
taught me to love myself
~~~~~
all the good parts
and especially the bad
but
most of all
that I can do
and
be
anything
and
everything

my
"heart rock"
on the way down to our dock
was a sign to me
to leave a little bit of myself
here
and to take home
with me
a new sense of self

if you know me
then you can see the love in my smile
as this woman
rocks
she is
crazy. beautiful . sexy. funny. safe . warm
and to have met her was a dream come true

stef
was one of my 7 housemates
and she is precious
and drop-dead gorgeous
with a never ending smile
and amazing hair
late one afternoon
she was doing yoga on our dock
and she let me take a few shots of her
what an amazing young woman

jess
was another housemate
soulful . quiet . kind
and makes the most amazing shirts
and
now I own one
thank you jess for being you

I only knew kelly
from the blogging world
but felt a connection
as she lives in indiana
and
can this beautiful woman
ever light up a room
I mean really
just look at her

oh heather
where do I begin
she was my roomie
a complete stranger
who I fell in love with immediately
she's soft spoken
gorgeous inside and out
she put up with me waking early
and we listened to each other
as we talked late into the nights
about life
{and she deserves her own post that will come later}

nina
the woman who pushed me
and taunted me
to get off my butt
to be spontaneous
and come to squam
and for what she did
I will love
her forever

sweet misty
with her huge heart
beautiful in so many ways
full of love and passion
and adventure
{i'll never forget our ride on the lake by the light of the moon}
you are an amazing soul

and saying good-byes in the airport
so hard to do
ellen
I wish we had spent more time together
and
anne
I loved our night where you shared our cottage
family room with us
and we had a chance to connect
~~~~~
this post has taken me most of my morning
but there's more to come
as I still have so much to share
more people, more stories, more photos
and
I don't want to forget anyone
or anything

{and ELIZABETH....you are my hero}

where to begin.....

this

is one of

oh, I don't know

maybe

150

photos

from my

amazing trip to

SQUAM

so

while I work on

my words

for

a real post

I leave you with

this little teaser

~~~~~

a little piece of

new hampshire

heaven

my bags are almost packed.....

I am one of the searchers.

There are, I believe, millions of us. We are not unhappy, but neither are we really content.

We continue to explore life, hoping to uncover its ultimate secret.

We continue to explore ourselves, hoping to understand.

We like to walk along the beach, we are drawn by the ocean, taken by its power, its unceasing motion, its mystery and unspeakable beauty.

We like forests and mountains, deserts and hidden rivers, and the lonely cities as well.

Our sadness is as much a part of our lives as is our laughter.

To share our sadness with one we love is perhaps as great a joy as we can know - unless it be to share our laughter.

We searchers are ambitious only for life itself, for everything beautiful it can provide.

Most of all we love and want to be loved.

We want to live in a relationship that will not impede our wandering, nor prevent our search, nor lock us in prison walls; that will take us for what little we have to give.

We do not want to prove ourselves to another or compete for love.

For wanderers, dreamers, and lovers, for lonely men and women who dare to ask of life everything good and beautiful.

It is for those who are too gentle to live among wolves."

~James Kavanaugh

With that said

I'm nervous and excited

as I get ready for

my trip to

New Hampshire

I'm so anxious to meet new people...

people that I only know from the blogging world

and of course to see my friends

that already have a place in my heart

kim, julie, nina, misty

~~~~~

And when it's time to head home

I want to come back

with a feeling of contentment

and as much inspiration

for life

as this body of mine can hold

~~~~~

{the above quote came from christine's blog

and she got it from denise's blog

and I couldn't resist

passing it on again}

too beautiful not to share

Have patience with everything

that remains unsolved in your heart.

Try to love the questions themselves,

like locked rooms

and like books written in a foreign language.

Do not now look for the answers.

They cannot now be given to you

because you could not live them.

It is a question of experiencing everything.

At present you need to live the question.

Perhaps you will gradually,

without even noticing it,

find yourself experiencing the answer,

some distant day.

by: rainer maria rilke

little bunny fru fru...

From an earlier post

I was asked

"is that a kitty or a bunny"

in your photo

~~~~~

well

in this shot

I'm sure it's obvious

~~~~~

YES

it's a bunny

~~~~~

a

dwarf bunny

with a

mohawk

~~~~~

and

even though she poops

alot

we absolutely love her

~~~~~

how could you not ?

slowly.....just for awhile

All summer long

we have walked through

our prairie

only hearing

the

cicadas

but this morning

with

a

thud

one landed on my bathrobe
and looked right at me

as if to say

"what are you doing here?"

slowly

as I held

my breath

John coaxed it

off of me

and

onto his hand

so that I could

enjoy

its' amazing beauty

up close

~~~~~

almost always

our early morning walks

are

beautiful

but

sometimes

when a visitor takes you by surprise

an early morning walk

can be

really

spectacular