I have very few words today, but lots of photos...

"little miss sunshine" glasses found at st. vinny's

after a great day of teaching

reconnecting with your family is icing on the cake

namaste

you know how I love my jumping photos

so when mattresses are left on a street corner

well can you even imagine the fun

?

when you see a giant rocking horse

you rock

her hair and shoes

I totally covet

oh...and her eyes, too

walking around the pond eating gelato

signing the cottage guest book

posing for me because I asked

~

smiling and laughing because that's what she does best

waiting for our lunch at lazy jane's

I know there should be a part two to my part one

but right now you'll have to forgive me for being out of words

~~

I think all the smiling and laughing I did these past few days

did something to my ability to think straight

or

even see straight for that matter

~~

I know

most of you are laughing right now at the thought of me

"chatty cathy"

being out of words

but it's true

~~

so to you and you and you

I can only hope you know how much these past few days have meant to me

*

my art escape~ part one...grab a cup of tea...this is a long one and you've been warned

{blondie...the valley ridge greeter}

I've been going to valley ridge art studio for the past three years and sometimes there just

aren't enough words to describe the people or places that fill your heart. when I first started

taking classes there, I was really into mixed media art and now...not so much...but they still let me come and play.

they, being kathy and bill, who have become a big part of my wisconsin life, even though

I'm no longer making art the way I used to.

they have a way of bringing students and instructors together in an environment that nourishes your soul and fills your heart with a creative spark

that you most likely didn't even know you had.

~~

last year I took a class with misty mawn and was blown away by her talent and warm heart, her generosity and patience and her laughter and honesty.

then we were both at squam, in new hampshire last september for an art retreat,

where I didn't take her class, but where I became her friend.

so of course this year, even though I haven't had a paint brush in my hand for months, I took her class and once again was blown away

by her gentleness as she guided all of us into a territory

that I like to refer to as

"scary as hell"

faces

are so incredibly hard to paint and misty makes it looks so easy.

she gives hours and hours of help and praise and ideas and suggestions and demonstrations

and

many students get it and even perfect it.

I don't.

I didn't get it last year and I still didn't quite get it this year.

don't get me wrong...sure I can paint a face and even draw one, but not one that I love or want to hang on my wall or share with the world.

and

if you were to get robbed

you would not want me to be your sketch artist

because they would most likely NEVER find him unless his name was tattoed on his face

but

I have pretty much figured out how to paint backgrounds and add texture and control my color a bit better and make interesting landscape lines and transfer images and love my stabilo pencil

and

that's enough for me right now.

this is lorraine and right before heading to valley ridge she commented on my blog and I told her I was leaving in a few days to take a class with misty mawn at valley ridge and she wrote back and told me she was too...okay, now this is where the 6 degrees of separation and kevin bacon come into play....I mean really,what are the chances ? she lives in utah and they {lorraine and her friend heidi} flew all the way here just to be in misty's class. now that's impressive since I only had to drive an hour and fifteen minutes. I know, lucky me, right ?

~I also commented and told her she has great hair and wow does she ever~

okay

now let's move on to heather. sweet heather, who was a stranger a year ago and then we were roommates at squam and just like that, a new friendship was made. she sent an email to me awhile back and asked if she could come and stay with me and take misty's class and I was all like "are you kidding me...yes yes yes"

she had also taken a class with misty earlier this year while at artfest and sometimes there are instructors that you just can't get enough of and she wanted more, too. so in she flew from new mexico and off we went to valley ridge to play and learn and laugh until tears poured out of us.

{there's more to heather, but that's in part two}

since our cottage is only 30 minutes from valley ridge

I always stay there while I'm taking my classes.

this time I got to fill the guest bedroom with heather and misty.

first

we headed out to dinner

after the wine and cheese reception that kathy and bill always have after the first day of classes

to my newest favorite little place to eat in mineral point

cafe 4

~

we sat outside in the cool and damp fall air

surrounded by twinkle lights and candle light

eating yummy fire baked pizzas

and

then headed back to the warmth of the cottage

where I prayed we had hot water

{a family friend and praying can actually make a temperamental hot water heater work}

we didn't get a whole lot of sleep

since talking late into the night happens so easily

and

morning came a little too quickly

but

we were ready to head back and paint and get messy

our class was a thursday/friday class and misty is now teaching the saturday/sunday class

{I really don't know how she does it}

and

when she's done teaching

I get a few more days of her friendship and laughter

and

hopefully a photo shoot if mother nature cooperates

before she leaves

~~

I'm not sure why people think medicine comes in a bottle

~

I think medicine comes in the form of art

of any kind

and

of course people

especially girlfriends

*

part two will arrive shortly

when my mind settles a little bit

I've been moving and grooving...

did you miss me

?

I kind of forgot to mention that I was leaving town for a few days

for an art retreat

where we learned to balance feathers on the end of our noses

while dancing on one leg

~~

well

not really

but it does look like fun doesn't it

?

anyhow

I painted and made a mess and painted some more and added some glue

and a few transfers and whined when things didn't turn out

and

laughed

until my cheeks just couldn't take it any longer

~~

I'll be back soon with a few photos and a better story

I promise

*

see past the pretty...

we ourselves

aren't always pretty

yet we seem to choose the pretty things to photograph

flowers~sunsets~clouds~rainbows~oceans

you know

the pretty things

~~

but

I love the ugly

~

okay maybe not the "ugly ugly" of ugly

but

"just the things people never pay attention to ugly"

~~

due to this fascination of mine

I've already prepared myself to the fact that one of these days

I'll get a traffic ticket for inattentive driving

and

in my head I already have the

"but officer you just can't believe..."

script

ready to roll

~~

or I'll be caught trespassing

in which case I'm ready to pretend that I don't speak any english

or that I'm just really stupid

~

either way I think I can be convincing

~~

~hola yo no mo engliss my bad no go~

~~

so today

see the ugly in your own way

not my way

because that would be copying

and

I'll have none of that

~~

kidding...my blog loves...just kidding

~~

but seriously

what did you see today or yesterday that nobody else paid any attention to

that captured your eye

and

maybe even your heart

?

slowly we go...

now that our days are

described as

"with a chill in the morning air"

our shadows will become long and stretched out

almost to the point where the image of who we are will disappear

~~

so

look up instead

don't be afraid to ask...

we were in the same park

~~

they were feeding the ducks

I was trying to get some early fall~taken from the ankle~macro shots

I watched them out of the corner of my eye

they were a cute family

~~

they were taking photos of each other

I used their camera and took a group shot for them

~~

a bit later

I asked if I could take their photo with my camera

they said yes

I told them I take jumping photos

they said great

~~

they made me laugh

they made me smile

they made my day

~~

I gave them my business card

he gave me his

~~

I asked if I could put their photo on my blog

they said they would love me to

~~

never be afraid to ask

the way...

sometimes I think everything has changed

~~

my thoughts

my ideas

my dreams

my likes

my dislikes

the way I like to be touched

the way I like to eat an oreo

my plans for the future

the way I need to be held

the way I like to dress

the way I put on my mascara

the books I want to read

the words I need to write

the way my bangs fall in my eyes

the way I want to be talked to

the way I need to be kissed

~~

and

then I wake up

and

the walls and my bedding and what appears to be a beehive on top of my head

are all the same

~~

I look in the mirror and I see me

but

it's not the me from last night

after my face was washed and my teeth were brushed

or is it

~~

I feel different

but I look the same

~~

I get dressed and my jeans fit tight to my hips just the way they did yesterday

and

my t-shirt curves around my breasts and I turn sideways and smile

I get close to the mirror

and

like how my lips look kind of pouty

even while bare

~~

I make a cup of almond vanilla tea

just the way I have done everyday for as long as I can remember

and

carry it to my office where my computer awaits me

and

I write

~~

I write for me

I write for you

I write about all the things that I am and all the things that I want to be

and

all the things that I want to do and all the things that I see

~~

so

today I am loved

and

so badly wanting to be a better writer

and

hoping to take pictures in an orphanage in africa someday

all

while seeing and actually liking

the person looking back at me in the mirror

*

thank you just isn't enough....

how can I ever thank all of you for your kind wishes and prayers

that you so lovingly sent to me and my daughter

~

can you all come over for a dance party

with cake and margaritas

?

oh

and

hugs too

I'm really really good at hugs

~

seriously

~all of you~

are

AMAZING

simply

amazing

~~~~~

and

the smiley chic above is doing fantastically well

and

sends hugs to all of you

too

~~

this photo was 10 hours before her surgery

~reason 213 to always have your point and shoot in your purse~

but honestly

she looked almost this good afterwards

~~

1o.5 hours after her surgery

she was discharged

and

without the aid of the wheel chair that the nurse kept asking her about

she slowly

walked beside me out of the hospital and all the way to the parking garage

~~

kids these days

I want a do-over of yesterday and today....PLEASE !

wednesday night

urgent care with daughter

exam and blood work

7:30 pm-8:45 pm

~~

wednesday night/thursday morning

emergency room with daughter

pelvic exam, blood tests, cat scans, more blood work, urine sample

antibiotic, pain and anit-nausea iv's running full force

blinding bright lights and ear piercing noises from tiny machines

~only when your head feels like a balloon ready to pop due to lack of food and sleep~

too many sick people with masks on

sweet nurses and cute doctors

and

way too many residents "playing" doctor

9:00 pm-7:00 am

~do the math....10 flippin hours~

~~

thursday morning

not an ounce of sleep

worse blinding lights and lots of noise and commotion

surgical floor

7:30

am

~~

8:30

am

off she goes on a silly bed with wheels

~~

they said she might come home yet tonight or early tomorrow

either way

they are holding her appendix hostage

*

I was wrong...

I thought my blue eyed curly blonde headed

little girl last week

was the definition of

perpetual motion

but

I was wrong

because

these two little boys

took perpetual motion to a new level

and

I loved it

~~

this family is not just full of fun and laughter and life

they honestly shine

and

with a baby arriving in december

their world is going to get even brighter

thank you h and a and h and h

for once again trusting me with your family photos

*

~if you stretch your screen you can see the whole muscle man competition in photo one~

~it's only cut off due to blogger limitations~

just a day, just an ordinary day...or is it ?

*the weather here continues to be spectacular. the leaves have started to change and the apple trees are weighted down with brilliant shades of red and green while the apples themselves scream, "pick me pick me" as you walk by them in the orchard.

~~

*today is the day I get my braces off. granted, they haven't been the traditional braces since I went the invisalign route, but invisible they have NOT been and this past month, since they added an ugly rubber band to my front tooth, I have felt a little alien like. so if you think you're feeling the earth move around 1:30 this afternoon, no worries, as it'll just be me doing

a happy dance.

~~

*what's up with these poor school kids having to take ibuprofen or advil as part of their breakfast routine, due to back and shoulder pain because of the weight of their backpacks. I don't like it. I don't like the fact that my son only has only has 5 minutes in between classes and with 1600 hundred students in his school, on three floors, stopping at his locker is next to impossible...so his backpack is his locker and our chiropractor is his new best friend.

~~

*sophie must think that I nap as often she does during the day, since she has not a care in the world at getting up to pee at 1:54 in the morning while I'm in my deepest of sleep. I think it's time that I either start napping 3 hours everyday, right after lunch or have a nice long talk with her and let her know this shit has to stop.

~~

*today my heart is broken. patrick swayze has died and I loved him so much as an actor and a man who didn't get overly caught up in the hollywood scene and remained married to his wife for more than thirty years. I have watched "dirty dancing" over and over again, to the point where my hubby has questioned my mental stability when he sees the excitement in my eyes when I see "dirty dancing" in the movie lineup when we're zoning out on the hbo and showtime channels on lazy afternoons.

I have watched dirty dancing more than you...oh yes I have

and

"nobody puts baby in a corner"

*

"hey boys, guess what"

"remember beth"

?

"the girl who came to our house last year and took photos of our family"

~~

"she's back"

*

one of the sweetest and funniest families I know

asked me to come back this year for another family photo shoot and I wouldn't have

missed it for the world

~

and this time

there's a baby on the way that will be here just a few days before christmas

~

I couldn't resist the above photo as the start of my "sneak peek" of photos

as it literally just cracked me up and made me realize why I love what I do

~

{no pressure H and A...but this would be my pick for your christmas card}

*

more photos of this fabulous family will be here soon

more sweetness for your sunday...

do you have a style ?

this guy does

and

he was proud to rock it for me when I asked if I could take his photo

~~

I'm not sure what he does the rest of the year

but

I found him working as a summer kayak launcher on lake wingra a few weeks ago

and

he made me smile with all his proudness

~~

I don't think I have a style

do you

?

bootcut~sexy cut~super skinny~straight cut~flare

I'm happy in blue jeans

preferably in a washed denim as the dark denim always feels a little too stiff for me

and

this summer

I have worn cuffed blue jean capris almost every day

~~

okay

sometimes

a skirt and leggings

too

~only because I heard they're the "in" thing~

~~

sweaters~scoop neck~low cut~sweatshirts~long sleeves~layered t-shirts~tanks~v necks

I'm not really picky

but

I do love cotton

~~

hats

not so much

only my baseball cap on my "too busy to shower" days

but

scarves

oh I love scarves

~~

sunglasses

love them but my eyes are too "close set" to find many that fit my face

~~

flats~boots~heels~mules~flip flops~trekkers~tennis shoes

whatever

although I am addicted to my uggs and wear them all winter long

and

yes I know they make my feet look like pancakes

but hey

I live in wisconsin and that's just what we do

~~

purses~shopping bags~totes~backpacks~camera bags~computer bags

pretty much any kind or any size

anything with a handle

let's just say I'm addicted

~~

and

here's the problem

my closet is full of everything I just mentioned

and

when I'm dressed I think I look nice and sometimes maybe even a little "stylish"

and

my friends and family when we're shopping or I'm wearing something besides jeans

will say

"oh that's so you"

yet

I don't think I have "a style" or "a look"

that stands out from the crowd

~~

do you

?

a new day....

today is friday

and

"I think I'm going to make it"

~~

for those of you who suffer from migraines

I know that you have also said those same words

~~

I get them often enough and can control them with medication and acupuncture

but

the one that hit me on wednesday literally knocked me off my feet for hours and hours

it was one of "those"

where nothing I ate or drank stayed with me

including my medication

~~

it was one of "those"

where I wanted to remove my head and ship it to a faraway country with hopes of it getting lost in the mail

~~

it was one of "those"

where the sounds of the television actually drowned out the pounding in my head

but when the phone rang

it was like being stabbed with a steak knife

~~

it was one of "those"

where I felt that if the plier like grip tightening in on my temples

got any stronger

that my head would literally turn to mush like a grape that's been stepped on

~~

it was one of "those"

where I sat in my closet in order to get away from the light pouring in from the windows

after tying a dishtowel around my head and over my eyes wasn't enough

~~

yesterday was better

better in the sense that I walked on eggshells

waiting to see if a rebound headache

would dummy punch when I wasn't looking

~~

but it didn't

because I ate prescription medicine for breakfast and lunch

which is not my idea of a balanced diet

and

it pisses me off knowing that sometimes I have to do that

~~

so if any of you saw cindy mccain recently on the news talking about migraines

and

the need to spend more money on research for a cure

due to the number of "lost work days"

well

she speaks the truth

from living with migraines herself

and

I think I like her

~~

we just knew.....

the arrival of baby number three was going to happen any minute

so I rigged up his stick to an empty pop tart box

and

we took him with us when we left to go to my sister's house for labor day

yes

you read that right

we took our baby with us in hopes of not missing his birth

unfortunately he decided to come on his own terms

five minutes from my sister's house

on main street

next to a gas station

and

like I said before

they come so fast

so I apologize for the blurry photos but the car was still moving

the fantastic hubby

quickly pulled into the gas station parking lot

so I could have a steady camera hand

and

then we just sat there in awe for a minute

watching and shooting

and

then headed quickly to my sister's house

who has yet to witness a birth

so she could as least see the wings unfold

so there you have it

baby number three

~~

we named him diesel

*