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

*

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.

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

*

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

*

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

this will

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

*

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

*

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

*

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

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

*

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

*

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

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

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 ?

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

*

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

christina

~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

here

but cover your ears as the blowing of horns is getting out of control

*

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

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

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

~

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

*

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

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

just maybe....

my favorite

baby shoot

and

baby photos

ever

*

there are more photos for you to see

here

but

be careful

the cuteness can make you really happy

for hours

*

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

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

*

the incredible red, white and blue....

happy fourth of july

everyone

*

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

~