Lash Envy

Have you ever had anyone ask you what is your best feature...facial feature that is?  When I single out each individual feature on my face there isn't a solitary one that I can rave about.  My mouth has no lip line due to a huge outbreak of fever blisters when I was a kid (covered my whole top lip, hundreds...well maybe not hundreds, but there were plenty of those little blisters) leaving their ugly scars which wrecked the lip line.  My nose is too long (in my opinion), my forehead is well, just ugly.  I always have it covered up with hair, resulting in bangs my whole life.  And finally there are the eyes.  Not a bad color, kinda goes between blue and greenish, but sorely lacking in eyelashes.  Rather deep set and as I age the top lid sort of hangs over making me look squinty-eyed in pictures so I always have to remember to open wide, but then that causes more lines to appear on the forehead.  Individually they suck, as a whole I get by.

If someone then asks me what feature would you like to improve on, no hesitation, hands-down, my eyelashes, or absence thereof.  I envy, no I am downright jealous of those that have beautiful long thick lashes.  I know the Bible tells us not to covet thy neighbor's wife, but believe me, if she has long eyelashes I have just broken one of the 10 commandments.  In one of the blogs that I enjoy reading, the author convinced herself that she needed to get false lashes put on for her trip to Hawaii so she would not have to worry about runny mascara etc etc.  She posted a pic of herself with the lashes and yes, they looked great, but in reading the post they are just like nails, to continue to have the long lash look and looking good you need to visit your lash salon about every 2 to 3 weeks for replacements.  I was still considering the investment until I read that "they" highly recommend sleeping on your back, not on your side because in doing so you smush the lashes and they don't last as long....what??  You know my sleeping is iffy anyway, not sleeping on my side would definitely do me in.  So no falsies for me.  But I have invested $22 in a new mascara that I read on someone else's blog (I think it might have been The Pioneer Woman, gotta trust her) that she found a really, really great mascara that really, really did make her lashes look longer and thicker.  I bought it today at Ulta called "They're Real" by Benefit.  So I expect the next time I go out, someone is bound to stop me and tell me what gorgeous eyelashes I have....after all I spent $22.

Yesterday while at B&N for our weekly gab gathering...I boldly asked a young lady (a brand new, very enthusiastic teacher) and two other ladies with their small children if I could take their pictures.  They were so surprised by my request, so before they could even think about saying no, I was snapping away. Was surprised that it was a mother and daughter, thought originally that they were sisters....but anyway..the daughter had the most gorgeous long eyelashes which in-turn inspired this post.

Daughter....

Mother....

Isn't she a beauty...

On my way home I stopped at my favorite garden center to pick up just a few fill-ins, and ofcourse I had my camera, so snap away I did at all the lovelies.

Linking up with Deb Duty for This and That Thursdays....

"Girls with fake hair, fake nails, fake eyelashes and fake purses wonder why they can't find a real man."  ~  Unknown

Until next time.....

Just a Tiny Bit of Joy....

Looked out the back door onto the screen porch and saw something flit by....looked again and it was a hummingbird...a hummingbird at the feeder, oh joy!!  I hurried back in the house to grab my camera thinking that by the time I returned he would be long gone, but no....!!!  I managed to get a few shots, but I stood back and ofcourse shot thru the screen (and sometimes the camera focus's on the screen and not on the subject outside of the screen) so they are not the best images but they are a first for me in my back yard.  Oh joy, oh joy!!  Hopefully by later in the summer, I will be ready and get better images, but these will do for now.

Have no idea what kind this is...maybe a female ruby throated??  Anyone?

Did not feel well today, stuck real close to the house but did manage to finish a Kraft Book from Paper Coterie documenting my trip to Galveston.  I have so many wonderful photos from my trip that I wanted to put them in one place, other than my computer.  I have ordered from them before, a Canvas Wrap that is beautiful and a stick-up poster of family pics.  When I say stick-up I mean there is a sticky back that allows you to stick the poster on the wall and then move it and re-stick it again.  Pretty great stuff.  And the image quality is terrific.  They are always having specials, so hop on over and take a look.  (PS I am not paid for saying this, not even a coupon)

A couple of pics from Sunday's Memorial Day celebration.....

Brandon (grandson) and Sam (son-in-law) being silly....

Hilary (Brandon's wife) don't think she thought they were funny....

And two young things not wanting any part of the adult celebration....I think being with THEIR friends would have been much more fun for them...

Look how big Max is getting to be...Toby will not want to play with him anymore....and who buys their dogs their own personal swimming pool??

My daughter who said she would NEVER have a dog....that dog doesn't know how good he's got it...

Hope you all had a wonderful Memorial Day Weekend and that everyone remembered why we had a 3 day holiday.  (I think not only do I not feel well, I think I am kinda crabby as well...sorry)

Crabby is asking you to please stop by Focusing On Life where I am musing on our sense of sight today.

Until next time...

Pause to Remember

Today, being Memorial Day, the day we celebrate and remember those who have given their lives in protecting our country and our freedoms, gives me pause to remember, not only those that died, but to those that lived.  Mothers who lost their sons or daughters, wives who lost their husbands, husbands who lost their wives, children who lost their parent, friends who lost a best pal.  We honor the fallen, but we also need to honor the ones that remain and lived on without their loved one by their sides.  The wives, while in bed, who can no longer reach over and feel the touch of their husband's body by their side, the Mommies trying to explain to their little ones that Daddy is not coming home, he is now in heaven, Mothers thinking that their children had their whole lives ahead of them only to be snuffed out by a war, many wars.  The pain and grief are immeasurable.  So, not only do I salute those that gave their lives for us, but I honor and respect those that remained and continued to endure without their loved ones.

Linking up to Rosie's Leaves in Bloom Color Me Weekly

Happy Memorial Day, I salute you all!!

"True heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic.  It is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever cost, but the urge to serve others at whatever cost."  ~  Arthur Ashe

Until next time.....

Scavenger Hunt Sunday - The May 27, 2012 Edition

It is 6:20 AM Sunday morning and I am just now putting this together....I have had these challenges written down and meant to focus on them all week, but guess what....NOT.  So here I am again scrambling at the last minute, yurk.  The challenges this week are:

• Beneath my feet
• Capturing movement
• Texture
• Face your Fears
• Currently

Toby is always beneath my feet....

Capturing Movement - Love to watch the birds enjoying the bird bath...and the way the droplets of water look like little stars, I think it is the "shoot thru the screen porch effect"...

Texture -  There is nothing grander than the textures of nature....

Face your fears....I guess the growing old thing is probably my greatest fear, especially as I do grow older.  I don't think it is so much the growing older, it's what can happen along the way.   I want to be one of those old ladies that is still mowing her own grass at 85. Here I am, with wrinkles smile lines, no make-up, definitely showing my age....

Currently - doing battle with the flies on the back porch - see here

And something more pleasant....watching the birds feed

Linking all this to Ashley's Scavenger Hunt Sunday.  Have a great holiday weekend and God Bless America!!




Until next time.....

We Will Prevail....

I have done battle today armed with a yellow butterfly shaped fly-swatter and have lost.  I have recently noticed flies enjoying the back screen porch almost as much as I do, maybe even more since they seem to never leave.  When they first starting squatting, that's what I call it since they contribute absolutely nothing to enhancing the charm of a screen porch, I couldn't locate the fly swatter, so I used the next best thing, a wadded up newspaper.  That worked, but didn't seem quite as efficient as a fly swatter.  A stop at the grocery store on Thursday and I broke down and purchased my yellow butterfly shaped fly-swatter for a grand total of $1.49.   It works, and works well, but I seemed to be overwhelmed with the amount of flies now inhabiting the screen porch.  I don't know how, I don't know why they have chosen my sweet, charming, quiet, relaxing back porch to take up residence.  After enjoying lunch on the porch, (ok, they don't hover around the food) I saw that the armies had been gathering again, I counted 9 crawling up the screens and more that lurk under the pull down shades.  So fortifide after another Barbeque Chicken sandwich I grabbed my flyswatter and swat away I did.  As soon as I would kill one, two more would appear....it is almost like a freakin' science fiction or horror movie.  I didn't count each kill, but it had to be at least 10 and there are still more.  I cannot figure out where in the hell (I am sure that is where they are coming from) they are getting in.  All screens are intact and there is only the slightest crack on the door, so small that they could not fly in, they would have to crawl in.  It's driving me crazy.  But I will keep at it with my trusty yellow butterfly shaped fly-swatter and one day we will prevail.

Some pretties.....

When in doubt, wear red...linking up to Nancy at A Rural Journal's My Sunday Best

The hydrangeas are allllllmmmmmost here

Looks like this Mr. Robin was doing battle with those same flies and lost as well...not to worry, he had just hopped out of the bird-birth and was not finished drying his feathers....

Love these, they come in such beautiful colors...

My little onion heads are bursting in bloom....

A lamium that survived the winter in a pot in the backyard....so he's singing his praises by blooming his little heart out.

Those ivy geraniums are just so lovely...

Celebrate your weekend, celebrate with family, celebrate with friends, celebrate you and most especially celebrate paying homage to all our brothers and sisters who have given their life for our freedoms.  God bless America

Until next time.....

Five Senses Friday ~ The May 25th, 2012 Edition

I have been negligent on posting Five Senses Fridays for a few weeks...too much going on I guess.  But today I am focusing on our lovely senses....the ones that are almost on overload right now with all the blooms and fragrances coming our way.  It is full-out summer time here with all the swimming pools set to open this weekend, and the temps predicted to be in the 90's for the holiday.  The blooms are bursting everywhere you look.....

Many pots have been planted and placed in the gardens...

Just gives a little more color in the garden that is mostly hostas because of all the shade...

Front porch..front and center

 

The smells are outstanding on a few of the flowers....but with all the hybridizing, in attempts to make a better plant, we have lost the aromas of old-fashioned roses.  These still have a wonderful aroma.

The Columbine's are almost spent....Linking up to LeAnne's Flower Art Friday and Shoot, Edit, Submit.....

These also have a nice aroma....they are just a ground cover that is blooming right now, but I like it's delicacy.....and smell.  

I am taking a B&W class with Tracey Clark at Big Picture Classes....I converted this to b&w for class today leaving just a tad of color ....

As I sat down to read the paper and drink that first cup of coffee this morning, this sweet thing was napping on the fence.  The black birds kept buzzing his head, agitating him to the point that he started his squawking at me....like I had anything to do with it(?)  The only thing I did was take his picture while he was ranting....!!

Today tasting was all about getting ready for the holiday ahead....I got right in the mood by fixing (compliments of Jack Daniels) barbeque pulled chicken.  Oh yum...and some new potato chips with Tomato and Basil.  They are good for you, right? with tomatoes and basil, have to be.

And finally, right now I FEEL like just relaxing and snoozin' briefly after a full morning and a full lunch...

Hope your weekend is FULL to the brim with all good things.  Happy Memorial Day Weekend to all my friends from the USA!!

"Know the true value of time; snatch, seize, and enjoy every moment of it."
                                                                                                   ~  Philip Dormer Stanhope

Until next time.....