short and sweet....

for today

no photos

no words

just a little

"please"

watch this

*

i've only just begun....

to edit

all the photos from my last family photo shoot of the year

which was on saturday

and

within just a few minutes

these two photos have jumped out as the front runners for my most favorite

~are they the sweetest boys or what~

~

now

back to our regularly scheduled program

~

which means

me getting my butt in gear and working on more post processing

*

edited....here are few more finished photos

i'm not complaining.....

the thanksgiving weekend seemed like a vat that just sucked me in and wouldn't let me out for air. but in a good way. there were presents to wrap. and a tree to put them under. craft shows to attend. movies to watch. food to eat. photos to take. late mornings of blissful sleep. air just warm enough to walk in, fooling us to believe that it isn't really winter. yet. children to photograph. laughs to be heard and boots to be worn because it's that time of year.

~

today is my hubby's birthday

~

he's a little grumpy about it. i told him it's just a number. he smiled and repeated "it's just a number" as he walked out the door and left for work. i told him last night that his birthday today is the 30th birthday i have celebrated him. we met in high school you know. it's kind of amazing when you think about it. 30 birthdays. with him. kind of special, huh.

*

my niece...

and

her beautiful spirit

a day of gratitude....

my broccoli dish is baking. the corn bread is next. i know my mom doesn't have an empty spot on any counter in her kitchen and that my dad has already made a trip to the grocery store for something forgotten. my sister probably woke up early like i did and turned her oven on, too

but

all that really matters is that we'll all be together

~

again this year i'm thankful for so much and to list it all seems an impossible task

~

i was at a local food pantry twice this week signing families up for our help portrait day. to see families so excited about having their photos taken at no cost to them, warmed my heart in more ways then i can ever explain.

~

on the help board at the pantry there was a sign asking for tarps, blankets and sleeping bags with a note saying "we're sleeping in a tent....brrrr" and i teared up. so this year i have to say that sitting here now in my warm house after having slept in my warm bed, knowing later that i'll be taking a hot shower and putting on warm clothes and furry lined boots is an amazing gift

and

something i don't ever want to take for granted.

~

happy thanksgiving to all of you who come here to my little place in the world and fill me with love and laughter and hope. may your thanksgiving with loved ones be more special than you ever imagined it could be.

*

i won't forget you....

the sky painted itself with shades of indigo blue

then magically opened up

but

when the rain appeared

it felt out of place and i saw it blush as it quickly retreated

with the air being balmy for november

i ignored the tornado watches

and

went for a walk

the sun danced around me and played hide and seek between the dried prairie reeds

while

the winds picked up and threw me around a bit

just to remind me that this is november

the droplets left behind from the earlier rain

clung to the branches

refusing to fall

making my walk around the pond

look like little fairies had put their christmas lights up early

~

i wish you could have been there

*

it's there....

if you want to see it

if you turn your head to the right

if you use your finger and outline it

~

tell me

where yours is today

~

on your sleeve perhaps

::

tell me you see the heart above

and

then

tell me yours is swollen with love

that it's too big for your chest

that the pain is gone

that the broken feeling it once had has disappeared

~

tell me your heart cries when your child is hurt

that it dances when you smile

that it beats loud enough to be heard when your loved ones are around

that it feels everything when your eyes are too tired to see

and

that it didn't absorb the ugly words that were thrown at it back in high school

~

tell me that others feel your heart long before they see you enter a room

go ahead

tell me

*

happy....

as in

happy weekending

everybody

*

and

if you helped with the voting in yesterday's post, thank you from the bottom of my heart

~

if you decide to follow her blog, please take the time to start with the birth story. you'll find it at the top, as an option, and it will be worth your time. i promise.

*

can you help me help them ?

this is my favorite new blog

and

after you read just one post, i bet it will be one of your favorites, too

~

they were just voted the best special needs blog

and

now they have a chance to be voted the best blog ever

or some other title like that

~

anyhow

can you jump over there

{for me....pretty please}

and

scroll down to the information above the very last photo in that post

where it says "vote here"

and

that will direct you to the competition page

and

then all you have to do is scroll to the bottom of that page where the voting poll is

and

VOTE for

"enjoying the small things"

~

thank you thank you thank you

i appreciate it so much and i know they will

too

*

is it just me....

or

do all of you feel that this time of year is just crazy. crazy busy. and why is that. i knew months ago that november and december would show up. i knew the stores would become crazy with people who would make any kind of christmas shopping or parking ridiculous.

~

i also knew that the frozen broccoli florets i need for thanksgiving would be gone from my grocer's freezer right now, because they were last year at this same time. sure i could have grabbed a couple bags of them in june. after all, they are frozen for a reason. and don't even get me started on how many stores i went to last year for canned pumpkin.

~

if you think this is bad and full of my whiney voice....hmmmm.....wait until december. actually wait until it snows, which could be next week.

~

in case you're new to my blog, ummmm, when i see snow outside my window, you can lower your head and put your ear close to your computer screen and actually hear me whining. you think i'm kidding don't you.

*

deep breath.....

well

it's over until next year

~

the big c

~

the only television show this year that has played with every emotion i have

~

the season finale was last night and at the end

well even in the middle

i cried

i really cried

and

not because it was over

but

because of the message it saturated me with

~

if it's available by christmas on a dvd

buy it

i promise you with all my heart that you won't be disappointed

~

oh and the message

~

live

live brightly and profoundly

say what you need to say

love your family to the point of smothering them

do things that make people think you're a bit crazy

or

a whole lot crazy

do what you need to do for you

be nice

be understanding

love

love being alive

laugh

and

then really love some more

*

ps...i woke up this morning to a wonderful award

want to see

?

it's over here

want to be lit from the inside, out...like me ?

BAD

i went through the roof yesterday when they told me that the time frame of a technician coming to my house to look at my malfunctioning microwave, would be from 8-5. are you kidding me. 8-5 ? what happened to 8-12 or 1-5 ?

so here i sit

~

GOOD

i just had new tires and windshield wipers put on my car. the honda service shop i go to has hot coffee and tea, fresh baked cookies and popcorn, all served in a lounge with comfy chairs, a coffee table and a huge flat screen television. they even have free wi-fi with little office cubbies for privacy. and no matter what i've had done on my car, i've never waited for more than an hour. oh, and did i mention they wash your car for free ?

~

AMAZING

do you know what help-portrait is ? last year was the first year of the world wide event and we had a great little group we formed here in madison. to say that the day was special for us, is an understatement. this year, we have a huge group, now that the word of help-portrait has had a year to spread and we're shooting at a local food pantry. we have plans to shoot 108 families.

please

please

please

check out the link above and watch the 2010 commercial {just click on 2010 commercial on the right hand side} and if you're interested at all in doing this, check your city to see if they have a participating group. i'm sure they do. and nobody gets turned away. we need all the extra hands we can get, to make this event spectacular. i promise, if you jump in to help with this event, you won't be disappointed. what you will be, is lit up from the inside, out.

*

as the wind blew in....

the air made me shiver and fall started turning its back on me

~

i touched her shoulder so we could be face to face

i pleaded with her. reminding her that i love her. that i'm not ready to let her go. that i need at least another week or two of her friendship. she told me she felt she has already overstayed her welcome. i held her hand and looked into her eyes and smiled and promised her she hadn't even come close to such a silly idea.

then

in a whisper

she promised to stay one more week

but

that she'd be rather quiet

and

certainly not dancing as bright and lively as she had

these past few months

~

i nodded and told her i'd be the same way

*

safe travels....

i'm surprised some of them are still here. it's getting cold and the wind today sounds a bit brutal outside my office window. i'd think by now they'd want to be a bit further south.

but maybe they love fall, too. and have a hard time saying good-bye.

*

i've been a bad girl....

and

running around like a chicken with its head cut off

~

i haven't been blog visiting or commenting.

shame on me.

but

i have been in my studio working my butt off.

wow. what a picture you have now. me with no head or no butt.

~

anyhow

a new little shop is opening here in town on saturday

and

i'm putting lots of my artwork and photography related items there to be sold

and

sheesh

i'm tired

and

my back hurts

~

but

in a few days. i'll be back to normal.

~

well

maybe not completely

~

there's another project going on that will be sucking up all my time and energy

but

it's a good thing

~

a really good thing

and

i'll share that with you next week

~

okay

thanks for understanding my

"not being around, but i'll be back soon"

mode

and

now my bed is calling me. actually it just stomped it's feet really loud and then looked at me like it meant business. i guess i better go.

*

the dress form above acts as my mini bulletin board on my desk.

i fill it with notes and inspirational words

and

sometimes i just look at because it's so cute

"just one shot for christmas cards....please?"

these are my kids

and

just like every year

about this time

i remind them i need photos of them for christmas cards

i used to have to beg

but now

i think they kind of like it

because

i think they have finally figured out how beautiful they are

inside and out

and

how their goofiness

is what keeps me breathing

*

oh those eyes....

twins

double the trouble

double the fun

~

honestly there wasn't any trouble

only

fun

fun

and

more fun

~

if you have time

more of their photo shoot is over here

*

my fascination with the outdoors continues....

is this an oriole's nest

~

if it had been low enough for me to touch

i think it would have come home with me

mushrooms that grow upside down from huge trees

amaze me

i'm not sure why cattails are called cattails

~

i don't think they look like the tails of any cats i know

can you believe that i found a chinese lantern still in bloom

still bright orange

still hanging on to every last day of fall

and

as much as i love anything living

dried up pods and seeds of any kind this time of year

i find terribly beautiful

*

all photos sooc~straight out of the camera~beautiful "as is"

i think...

today

should be the kind of day

that looks like this

*

on my walk around the pond the other day, this cat followed me the same way a dog would. i looked at his tags and his address was close by, so i wasn't worried about him.

i let him wrap himself around my legs and he let me take his photo.

it was a win win situation. although i think i smiled more than he did.

*

happy sunday

for today....

because

i want to share the beauty i see around me

with

you

*

looks like an indian summer after all....

and

i couldn't be happier

~

happy friday

and

these balloons are for all of you

~

everyday you make my heart full by visiting me

and

when you take the time out of your busy day to leave a comment

~swoon~

*

today....

i think i need

to ask all the disjointed parts of myself

if they wouldn't mind

maybe getting together

and

working as a team

::

just keeping it real......

i made lasagna

~

you're probably wondering what the big deal is. but in my almost 26 years of marriage of keeping a hubby and two children alive, i have never made this "gigantic noodle~my four year old could make this" dish. and it was pretty damn good. i even used two recipes and lots of ingredients which totally goes against my

"if it has more than 5 steps or 5 ingredients i don't make it"

kitchen belief

due to some major digestive issues i've been dealing with and having been told "we don't really know why" from the specialist i saw, i've been chewing papaya enzyme tablets and drinking aloe vera juice. now the tablets are good. but that juice is awful. yesterday on Dr. Oz, he said we should all be drinking aloe vera juice for our health. let me just say that if you don't have to drink it and you've lived fine without it. stay away from it.

i bought a new pair of boots yesterday that without a doubt will be my all time favorite ones. buying boots is really the only good thing about living in wisconsin in the winter time. and if you have, lets say 10 pairs of boots, or even 13 or 14, nobody questions that.

not if they want to live.

is it just me or does everyone else want everything they see in the "title nine" catalog.

do any of you order from there.

i haven't yet and i was wondering if their sizing makes you happy.

~

the original post for today, which was much better and longer than this one, got eaten by blogger when i hit publish.

to say that i was irritated would be a total and complete lie.

i basically went through the roof.

and

if i remind you that i am totally caffeine free

you'll understand that i honestly

went through the roof

~

oh

and

i can't get this song out of my head

*

oh my heart....

sometimes

a single photo

or two or three

sits in my heart

with its legs crossed and arms stretched out

to catch me when i fall