Au Contraire...

If you happen to stumble across this blog you are probably wondering who in the heck is this, whoever she is she hasn't posted anything since August 28th....hmmm. If this is a photo-journey of my life as the title of this blog suggests, it doesn't seem like I have a life at all. Au contraire (had to look up the spelling of that) my life is full, sometimes too full, since I like my alone times to not be crowded out by the busy times. I'll even admit right here that sometimes I skip an event just because I need that alone time. But admitedlly, there are times when I really miss my sweetie. Holidays do that to me.

We had, in my opinion, a horrid summer, too hot and way too humid. If I was a kid, I would have spent my days in our local pool, but since my bathing suit body left several years ago I choose not to be seen without sleeves or partially covered legs. Since I did absolutely nothing except sit on my back porch, and take some very nice trips my body is spreading. And unless I get busy and begin some kind of activity there will be no beach wear again next summer.

But in all fairness, the heat and humidity did produce some exquisite blooms.

Autumn was absolutely spectacular this year. It was probably the most beautiful and longest lasting Fall I can remember. I made many trips to the Arboretum capturing the colors and was sorry to see it come to an abrupt end with our first snowfall of the season this past weekend.  There were colors still glowing.

Thanksgiving was spent with a partial family. Brie (youngest grand) has moved to Denver where she is happy as a lark working at a vet's animal hospital so she was not able to join us and my son Lane and his wife Nelly opted to stay in California this year to spend Thanksgiving with her family. But guess who came to Thanksgiving dinner....Matilda Mae with a new bow wrapped around her pretty little head.

Time marches on with or without a blog post and now we are in the midst of the holiday season. I have boxes piled in the entryway, a half decorated tree and a need to move a little quicker with finishing adorning the house. I'm hoping that I will be a bit more deligent in the posting of  "the photo journal of my days"  Maybe next time I'll talk about TV, Movies and good books that I have enjoyed these past days, weeks, months.

I wish for you a season filled with joy and gladness.

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Until next time.....

The June July August Break

Oh dear, I did it again, Said I would and then I didn't. I am very unreliable. Blogging is akin to a habit, you must continually write and post so it becomes part of your daily habits. And I don't mean a bad habit, I mean a good habit, sorta like drinking a cup of coffee before the world begins to turn. Many bloggers are taking what is referred to as an August Break, where they either don't post at all or very minimally. I think I fell into that first category but my August break went back as far as the end of June, the 29th to be exact.

And I might be in real trouble when it comes to forming a habit.  I just checked Google (I love Google) and instead of the old adage of 21 days, apparently the University College London has done a more thorough study on habit forming and now it has been determined that no longer is it 21 days but 66, trumping the 3 weeks to now more than 6 weeks. Are you kidding me, OMG I'm done for.

Oh well, I will give a quick over-view of my adventures this summer. trying to catch up during my June-July-August break. The two photos above were taken in Chicago on a night photo-walk during the photography conference. I rarely, pretty much never, do long exposure night photography. You need a tripod and patience, both of which I tend to fail at.

The 4th of July I drove to Dayton, OH with my kids to spend a long weekend with my sweetie's family.  Only one good day of weather the whole weekend was a disappointment. I thought it was a rule that it doesn't rain on the 4th of July.  Seeing and being with family certainly makes the days brighter even if the skies are dark and rainy.

Later in July I flew to California to visit and stay with my son and daughter-in-law for a week. We visited the San Diego Zoo, along with a million others and walked the beaches with a million others, and yes, it was hot like a million other places have been this summer. Remind me not to visit California in July. Fall or spring seem to be the more pleasurable times. But again, seeing and being with my son and daughter-in-law removed the unpleasantness of the crowds and the heat.

  But one thing is for sure, roses love the hot southern California weather.

And along the way I found a red barn.....always a fav!

And a gorgeous butterfly....

Many happy moments were spent with family this summer....this being one of them.

Can you believe this little bundle of joy will be two next month.

I am heading to Michigan next week to visit old friends that have a cottage on Torch Lake. Expectations are high for many photo ops.  Hope you have had a lovely summer as we head into a new season soon. It's been too hot and too humid around these parts this summer. The windows and doors have been shut almost the entire month of July and into August with the air conditioner running. Love having the windows wide open, enjoying the soft breezes and the sounds of summer. Maybe in September it will cool down for that enjoyment.  Until then, I will continue to sit on the screen porch, overhead fan on high, ice cold drink by my side, with an occasional trickle of sweat dripping on the pages of my latest read.

Until next time.....

A Good Start

The first snips from the garden....Catmint and a new rose bush I planted right by the front door.  Well, technically I didn't plant it, my landscaper/grass taker-care of guy did, but I picked it out and paid for it.  I have been working in the garden over this past week and nothing beats the "hands in the dirt" feeling.  I still have some work to do in my back gardens, but it will happen, eventually.  Something happened to my huge area of monarda (bee balm), only the seedlings came up this year which is quite puzzling since monarda is a staple around here. So I have this rather large, rather empty space that I need to figure out what to plant in that empty spot.  Visiting the nurseries around here I'm finding, unfortunately, something in common....sadly prices keep going up up up.  Am I surprised, no. Do I like it, no.

I have two very distinct obsessions....books and flowers.  I guess if you are going to have an obsession, books and flowers are not by any means dreadful.  (Dreadful would probably fall into another category).   Perhaps dreadful on the pocketbook, but certainly not dreadful for the deep satisfaction I receive from both.  Sitting on the back porch, looking out at the garden and reading a good book is one of my life's greatest pleasures, along with vanilla ice cream with hot chocolate.

OK, switching to a totally different subject, this past Friday Bailey (granddaughter who is living with me) and I road-tripped up to the Milwaukee Zoo to meet up with Hilary and my great grand, Matilda Mae.  She is 20 months old (I know, how did that happen??) and is just a total delight. She had been to the zoo about a week prior with Hilary's Mom (aka grandmother) and loved it. It is a beautiful zoo, such a lovely setting, filled with just the right amount of animals but way too many peacocks.  I have no idea how many there are, but the males were definitely in the "mating mood".  Their mating call is definitely a turn-off, screechingly unacceptable. But I gotta admit they are stunning birds.

The animals were exceptionally active that day. Instead of the usual trying to spot them sleeping inside a cave we saw this....

A couple of "different" friends....

Matilda, did you enjoy the zoo??  And look, she has wisps of hair over her ears, won't be long until she has a pony tail.

Definitely a great start to the 100 days of summer.

"What good is the warmth of summer, without the cold of winter to give it sweetness."
                                                                                                                      ~John Steinbeck

Until next time.....

Look At That Face!!

Saturday was the highlight of my week.  My grandson (Dad) was in charge of Matilda Mae for the day while her mom, Hilary attended a shower and a bacherlorette party. Brandon decided since he had all day he would drive down, make a trip to IKEA to pick up some essentials, and then swing by my house where we met up with her grandmother, (my daughter) I know it really gets confusing as to who's who, doesn't it?!  But all that aside I spent some time with the sweetest great-granddaughter ever. I mean really, look at that face....

This was the look she was giving her grandmother as she was shopping for her latest toy.  Can't resist that.....

Before we left to go shopping we had a little story-time....now you may not think this is a big deal, but until now, Matilda was only happy when she was either 1) in her mother's arms 2) in her Dad's arms or 3) walking by herself.  So to have her sit on her grandmother's lap and read to her is a monumental leap. She let me hold her hand, and I did hold her for about 30 seconds in the restaurant while we were waiting for a table. So we are making social headway, yippee!!

All done shopping, now off to dinner. She was perfect, never a tear, never a whine and even a comedian at the table with her peekaboo antics. I know you want a close-up of those shoes with day-of-the-week socks.

It's too bad we can't have more days like those, but I am blessed when I have them.

I stopped at TJ's after church yesterday because I only have 3 out of the bouquet of ranunculus that are still in photo op condition.

No more ranunculus and "maybe" they may get more, but in the meantime I couldn't resist this mum. Isn't she pretty? She has little spoon shaped petals that are so photo-worthy.

Scrolling down this post I realize it is filled with reds and pinks....maybe it's the month of Valentine's that is drawing me to those colors.

I only have 30 days and 10 hours left until my birthday. No, it's not a hugely significant birthday, but when you reach my age every year is definitely a celebration of life. So from now until my birthday (and probably after as well) I am listing things that make me happy. Hopefully by the time I get to my birth date I will have listed 73 items coinciding with my 73rd birthday. I did a blog-post on Focusing On Life last week, and that is what prompted me to do this.  So here goes my first go...PS these are not in any significant order.

1,   Having on-line bill paying. I never have to use a stamp or worry about the failure of mail delivery.

2.   Hard boiled eggs and sour-dough bread toast for breakfast

3.   Sitting with my pew buddies on Sunday mornings.

4.   A fresh idea for a blog post.

5.   A really good book.

6.   Getting a good report after a mammogram.

7.   Catching green lights all the way to my destination (especially when I am running late).

Think about what makes you happy.  I will list more of my happy list in upcoming posts.

Until next time.....

Reflection

Oh my, have I been neglectful of this blog, wow. No updates since October. It looks like I fell off the blogger wagon, which I did but with the New Year 2016, I hope to do much better. I'll admit I don't seem to take as many photos as I used to, no reason, just lazy I think.

Last week in church, our Pastor asked us to reflect on this past year, reflect on the good as well as the bad and that is what I have been contemplating all week.  Little snippets of the year have drifted in and out of my brain for most of the week.  I should have written them down, since the operative word in that last sentence is "out". Images and thoughts have wound their way thru my brain like snow, landing but either whisk away by the wind or buried by others falling from the sky.

This past year what has not disappeared is....

I have found delight in my travels, Paris being the highlight. And a close 2nd is Arizona. What a nice getaway each year.

I have become lazier, spending way too much time on my I-Phone, checking emails, facebook and instagram or playing some benign game. Time I should have been making pictures or writing a blog post.

I am beyond blessed with finding a church that has totally embraced me.

I am distraught over the violence in the world, one that I alone cannot overcome.

I am buried in books to read, only wish my eyes wouldn't tire so easily. To help resolve this I have begun to download audibles when affordable.  Read for awhile, then listen until the eyes regain clarity. (falling asleep while listening has also become a slight issue, it's nice that you can set a timer with audible)

I found this Christmas holiday a little sadder than usual. My calendar was quite full of lunches, breakfasts, celebrations, holiday musicals, church events, but in the midst of it all I felt a sadness that my sweetie isn't here with me, more so this year than in the past. No wonder they title this disease as "The Long Goodbye".

I am delighted that there is a toddler in our midst. Matilda Mae is just pure delight. So inquisitive, so focused, pure joy.

I am not happy about the increasing expansion of the waistline (probably due to the laziness issue, see above), the addition of more wrinkles (don't let anyone convince you that there is a product that removes wrinkles within a week, 10 days, 2 weeks. Not happening.)

This year our Fall was beyond beautiful. Colors so deep and lush, with some leaves hanging on until our first snowfall.  And the light was tailor made for photographing those lovely shades of yellows and golds.

I was introduced to Netflix last year which probably added to the "laziness" issue.  In defense, there are some darn good series on Netflix and Amazon Prime.  Right now I am watching "The Man in the High Castle" on Amazon Prime. The premise is what the USA would be like if the Axis powers, Japan and Germany had won the war. Something to think about.

I presented my first book review last year and if I do say so myself, I think I did an admirable job. I belong to 3 book clubs.  Two of them we read a book a month and then discuss it, the 3rd book club is a luncheon along with one of the members reviewing a book.  I call it "the story-time book club." I kept the delivery quite animated which in turn kept everyone awake. Giggle if you will, but after a nice lunch and a comfy chair it's quite easy to nod off. The book I reviewed was "The Red Notebook", a charming story with Paris as the location and a main character a bookstore owner.

I participated in my 3rd Open House in November where I sell greeting cards and calendars created from my photography.  The profits of $576. went to the Alzheimer's Organization. Going to put my thinking cap on this year to come up with more ways to expand.

Family time is certainly the best time.  Thanksgiving brought my whole family together around our table to eat and give thanks for our many blessings.

I hope this new year of 2016 is good to us all.  No resolutions, no word for the year, I tend to fail miserably at both, so I am just going to focus on appreciating life and the goodness and love that surrounds me.  I wish new hopes will always be a part of your life. Happy New Year.

Until next time.....

It's Been Awhile....

Hmm, thought I should write a blog post since (ho hum) again it has been awhile.  Let's see, what will my excuse be this time.  Nope, don't have one. Altho I do have a new room-mate. I think I mentioned in a blog post that my granddaughter, Bailey has moved in with me. Yes, she is still with me, settling in and trying to redefine her life after it took an unexpected turn of events. You know, life is like that. You have all these plans and then boom, something unexpected weaves it's way into your game plan and all that masterminding just goes down the proverbial toilet. We all fall, we all stumble, it's what we do after that stumble that reveals who we really are. Bailey will be just fine, she is a strong woman with a bright future. Her life will be defined by what she does going forward, not on what happened in the past.

OK, speaking of going forward, let's move on with some recent images from around here. We have had an up and down kinda Fall. One week it is absolutely gorgeous, the next very cool, and then a string of really cloudy, grey days and now we are inching back to the gorgeousness. We had a rather warm September which equals late Autumn color around here. There are small changes, but for the most part it's still pretty green around here altho very dry. We have a problem with equality when it comes to moisture. South Carolina has been deluged, 26 inches of rain in Charleston while we have had less than 1/2 inch of rain since before September. Like I said, moisture equality, not happening.

What I love about Fall is

 1) the berries that were beautiful flowers in the Spring are now weighing down branches in their glory (see above)

 2) the colors of reds, yellows, and oranges

3) Finding the last of the flowers of summer

4) And the light...oh the light and how it creates that special glow....

Read any good books lately? I am dying to download the new JoJo Moyes book, "After You" the sequel to "Me Before You" which I truly enjoyed. I have quite a few on my "must read" list. Right now I have started two books, "A Man Called Ove" and "The Winter Garden" by Kristin Hannah. And along with all the new TV shows, it's hard to have enough time in the day to keep up. Laundry and organizing closets are just gonna have to wait.

Hope you are having a lovely Fall. And just because she is so gosh darn stinkin' cute.....

Until next time......