Through the Eyes of a Yak

stop

2012-01-31T22:34:00.000-05:00

:: stop talking to me when i'm on a business call

:: stop ringing and interrupting my family time

:: stop correcting me before i finished saying what i want to say

:: stop harassing me about buying an ad in your publication

......ever have one of those nights?

my son will now go the mountain house in the winter because he just found out his new best friend has a house in the very same cul-de-sac as we do.

the next step is getting them to actually try skiing. which they said they would try this winter. but our winter has been crazy warm. which i actually like because being cold is not something i enjoy being ........at all no that's not them in the picture. those people are snowboarding on the mountain across the lake from where i was standing. how much do i love that i took this picture as if i was standing right next to them.

unfriend....

2012-01-23T20:48:00.000-05:00


	1. Verb - the act of removing someone from your friends list on any social network. 1. a. Verb - the act of removing someone from your category of friends generally, not limited to removing them as your friend on any social network. Synonym: defriend tonight i was unfriended by someone who i absolutely loved to hang out with in highschool. he was someone i was so happy to find again. he posted something i didn't agree with so i said so....and he respectfully told me he had no choice but to unfriend me. i've reached a point in my life where i don't take things personally. i don't take this unfriending personally. he is in a place in his life where this conviction of his is strong and he felt compelled to take a stand. i give him credit for that. i felt confident enough to disagree regardless of the consequences. i give myself credit for that. he says he prays that one day we can become friends again. tomorrow when i set my daily intention i will be sending love out to him. isn't it ironic that he unfriends me b/c we are different ....but from what i see we are really quite the same we finally got some snow i'm also getting better with my camera

intentions

2012-01-02T16:08:00.001-05:00

when i set an intention the night before

and i get a phone call the next morning

it makes me wonder

if its really that easy afterall...........

love

2011-12-30T10:58:00.000-05:00

i love these pics of my boys

in the midst of some karate/ninja/star wars battle

he could be the sloppiest eater i know - and while its disgusting to watch its also quite awesome

spin your wheel of fortune

2011-12-28T21:04:00.002-05:00

“Happiness consists more in the small conveniences of pleasures that occur every day,

than in great pieces of good fortune that happen but seldom to a man in the course of his life.”

- Benjamin Franklin

~ my business is doing well...and i have a lot to do with that

~ lately hormonally i'm a mess - some days really angry...other days really weepy. today is neither of those days

~ my husband made it home safe again from a business trip. he is traveling a lot for this job. he doesn't like to travel and hates being away from home so much. he makes this sacrifice for us.

~ i had a spur of the moment coffee date with a very close friend of mine this morning. she gave me a 5 year journal. each day of the year asks a simple question. underneath the question are 5 blanks to fill in with your answer...one for each year. its such a cool book i can hardly stand it

~ my oldest son gave me a hug and told me he loved me simply because i found the earbuds i bought for him yet didn't find in time to put in his stocking

~ i made a simple soup of broth and mini pasta for dinner and ate it along with cocoa truffles

tis the season

2011-12-27T21:39:00.002-05:00

:: made 20 costumes for our Christmas pageant this year. can you guess who they are for?

roman soldiers of course! it was such a lovely pageant too. the kids always do a great job and the music gets better each year.

:: christmas eve brunch was not my shining moment this year. i woke up at 5:15 in the morning to go grocery shopping to buy food for the brunch. the eggs turned out rubbery and cold, the pancakes were overdone, the biscuits were from a tube and burnt and the potatoes were bought frozen from a bag! coffee carafe broke as i was filling it with water. no mimosas even though i had both the juice and the champagne (oh wait - we ended up just drinking champagne so i guess that worked out ok!) everyone was polite and ate and said it was good - b/c that is what family does and that is all good.

:: while i didn't get to make christmas crackers this year as i had planned - i was able to hide the pickle for the kids....well that is my 18 year old nephew in the front of the tree still searching...so maybe its not only for kids afterall.

:: after breaking 2 glass pickle ornaments my youngest son decided to sew one that was sure not to break in the future. my niece found it and is proudly showing off the new unbreakable pickle.

:: christmas eve is huge at my mom's house. all us "kids" gather in the living room. here everyone is answering the questions my husband and i have written for our family feud game to be held at our new year's eve party this weekend

:: one of our 2 trees. this one is fake and is downstairs. i keep it b/c i bought it off my friend's grandmother. she was getting old and didn't want to deal with it anymore so i gave her $35 for it. every year i think of her and the years of happiness she had around this tree. funny thing is - i've never even met her.

:: this one is real and is upstairs. it stopped drinking water for some reason and didn't get decorated until christmas eve morning. i think its so pretty though - whatever type of tree it is......

:: magically on christmas morning mushrooms appeared on the branches. if i knew how to use my camera i could have taken a nicer picture of them.

:: and finally tea. my oldest has to have a cup of tea every night. see that water kettle in the back? someone was cleaning out her cabinets and found it shoved in there - and she gave it to me. it has become one of my favorite things. while boiling water on the stove is not hard - i often turn it on and forget about it...and since it doesn't have a whistle i have gotten dangerously close to causing a fire. this kettle shuts off automatically. its awesome.

:: oh and see that bottle of wine in the very back? chocovine. chocolate wine. yummy and dangerous

dec 23. right now

2011-12-23T09:32:00.000-05:00

overexposed

:: sitting at a cluttered kitchen table planning the next 24 hours. gift wrap reminds me of the presents i still need to buy

:: deciding what to prepare for tomorrow's brunch - do i cook the same things i've been making every year? the food i can prepare while on autopilot? or try something new? something i'll have to think about, slow down for

:: drinking coffee that lately has been upsetting my stomach - and knowing its time to switch to tea for awhile

soft and fuzzy

:: remembering that the reason the table is cluttered is because i spent the night gift wrapping with my son - who declared many times how much fun he was having

:: admitting that a stress-less morning with time to enjoy and focus on family is much better than trying to figure out how to make stratta for the first time

:: anticipating the excitement the next 24 hours will bring

a poem.

2011-12-19T20:09:00.001-05:00

i cannot take credit for this poem. but if i did write a poem - i would want it to be this one.

"What Do Women Want?"

by Kim Addonizio

I want a red dress.

I want it flimsy and cheap,

I want it too tight, I want to wear it

until someone tears it off me.

I want it sleeveless and backless,

this dress, so no one has to guess

what's underneath. I want to walk down

the street past Thrifty's and the hardware store

with all those keys glittering in the window,

past Mr. and Mrs. Wong selling day-old

donuts in their café, past the Guerra brothers

slinging pigs from the truck and onto the dolly,

hoisting the slick snouts over their shoulders.

I want to walk like I'm the only

woman on earth and I can have my pick.

I want that red dress bad.

I want it to confirm

your worst fears about me,

to show you how little I care about you

or anything except what

I want. When I find it, I'll pull that garment

from its hanger like I'm choosing a body

to carry me into this world, through

the birth-cries and the love-cries too,

and I'll wear it like bones, like skin,

it'll be the goddamned

dress they bury me in.

dec 18 - anniversary

2011-12-18T20:50:00.001-05:00

recently i went out with some high school friends. our last stop of the evening was to a local brew pub. there we met a very high energy waitress. in between yawns and droopy eyes we asked our waitress how she had so much energy at that hour of the night. she told us that she usually gets her second wind around this time. at 2am she goes home and meets up with her boyfriend - who bar tends - and because they are so wound up they stay up until 4am just eating and laughing and playing until they finally crash. then around noon they wake up and start their day.

when she finished telling us her story i sat there quietly

thinking

i found myself envious of her youth

longing for her freedom

do i want to be 21 again?

not really

i like where i am right now.....married 18 years today - two kids - in my 40s

but doesn't it sound like fun to come home at 2am?

full of energy?

not planning further than eating the bag of Cheetos in front of you?

dec 9 - this date...2 years ago!!

2011-12-09T22:05:00.000-05:00

i had planned to compare what i did last year on this date to what i am doing today. turns out I didn't have a blog post for this date. i was doing...nothing. well, actually i was doing a lot but i can bet you anything it had nothing to do with Christmas......or preparing for Christmas.

i had started working full time last fall and i was overwhelmed....very overwhelmed. decorating for Christmas was the furthest from my mind. blogging even further.
so i had to go back 2 years to see how exactly i was preparing for the holidays. i was making christmas crackers. not crackers the food - but the kind you pull apart - and if you are lucky enough - hard enough to hear the "POP" that occurs right before the litte treats that are inside come flying out. come to think of it - i'm not even sure we made them at all last year b/c i had simply run out of time - or energy - but most likely both.

but that was then - and this now. i plan to make them this year. i do hope to make them this year. only time will tell.

Dec 8 - moving too fast

2011-12-08T21:35:00.000-05:00

just about two weeks left

i catch myself in moments of panic

afraid i'm going to run out of time to make Christmas simple

doesn't that sound odd - not having the time to create a simple celebration?

as i look around myself at this moment i notice its too bright

too many lights are on in the house

too many tvs are blaring

video games are too loud

step one could be simply turning off some lights

and turning down the noise

light a candle and play some soft music

it doesn't take a lot.........to keep it simple

dec 5 - weekend shots

2011-12-05T21:13:00.000-05:00

i am trying to be slow down and be present this season - really i am.......the slowing down seems to be the hardest right now...but every day is a new day and a new chance to try.

a new tradition has become this year's favorite one

stopped to see the phoenix before it went up in flames

in awe of all those geese

so proud of the gnome he sewed himself

dec 1 - and so it begins.........

2011-12-01T20:52:00.000-05:00

Nov 30 - the day before

2011-11-30T18:57:00.001-05:00

a couple years ago

in an effort to simplify the holiday

i chose to capture the spirit of the season

simply....

through pictures and a few words

join me tomorrow as i begin again. this time around it will be much more of a challenge to blog every day. my life if more hectic than it was 2 years ago. last year i feel like i missed the entire season. i blinked - and it was gone.

i don't want to miss it this year. my hope is that by slowing down enough to take a picture - i will slow down enough to enjoy the moment.

geocaching your way through life.......

2011-11-28T20:46:00.000-05:00

the anticipation is what gets you out there

picking your path based on how much time you have to spend. some days your time is short - you can't go very far. other days you can take your time - you allow yourself the luxury of getting lost in the journey.

you find you don't even think what obstacles you will encounter along the way. the excitement of what you might find overshadows your fears of possibly not finding anything.

but you do reach your destination. you've made a new discovery - about your surroundings perhaps, or about the journey you took to get there. it was thrilling!...this path. you want to leave your mark behind - yet the fear of being forgotten grips you.

you begin to wonder if what you left behind is worth anything.

will anyone want what you offered?

is it good enough?

was it worth you being here in the first place?

you may never know in this lifetime. many are never told.

the lucky ones - they know.

they were told.

doesn't everyone want to feel like they matter?

but i'm here to tell you that your treasure will mean something one day. even if you didn't think what you left behind was any good - just know that what you left behind

as insignificant as you think it is

as unimportant as you think you were

you were worth it to someone.

do over

2011-11-27T10:14:00.000-05:00

instead of feeling like you've failed once again

be thankful for the chance to do it over

and over

and over again

until finally it feels right

657.............

2011-11-25T11:36:00.000-05:00

that is how many pictures i am uploading right now.

657

i am quite curious to see them - i'm hoping they will remind me of everything i did this past year

b/c

quite frankly

..................i forget.

that being said - i look forward to the remembering and the writing and the pictures!! i actually sat down one night and googled how to use some of the features my camera has - like fuzzy backgrounds

like that one!! i remember being thrilled that i figured out how to change the shutter speed (or was it apature....or are they the same?) regardless i learned how to do it

then promptly forgot

or this one - fuzzy up front and clear in back.

but it doesn't really matter - i'll just google it again

and this time write it down.

and of course pics of the boys.....

so much to remember...........

coming back..............

2011-11-14T08:15:00.000-05:00

getting myself ready to return to this space.

i've missed it and i'm eager to come back.

see ya soon!

what i'm planning.......

2011-05-27T11:09:00.000-04:00

we are home this weekend because my husband has a grueling work schedule at the hospital. i don't mind though - i have a lot planned for this weekend.

~weeding and planting my garden. i wasn't planning on doing it this year - but then i bought a tomato plant from my son's environmental club at school....and got some squash plants from freecycle...and my mil informed me she has some veggie plants for me.......so really how can i not start my garden this year

~organizing and decluttering. my house is a mess...and some rooms much more than the others. i'm not going nuts - but i will...no wait i WILL get them done this weekend. i am picking up a dresser from freecycle (freecycle has been my friend this week) and using it as a school/art supply center in my dining room. its badly painted in two shades of pink but who cares...its sturdy and should right in with a house full of boys.....

~pond clean up. i have a tiny whiskey barrel pond that was beautiful the first year...non-existant the second year (i let it run empty during the winter and it lost its water-tightness) but is full of ~~nasty~~ water now and just needs to be cleaned and filled again.

~laundry on the line. i am actually looking forward to doing laundry and hanging it on the line! i have one of those circular ones and first thing this morning i got it out and set up.

~hot yoga and spinning. a yoga/spin studio opened up near me. while i'm not a stranger to yoga - i have yet to try hot yoga...same with spinning. so since i'm home - i figure why not! i'm really looking forward to both!

~breaking out the ice cream machine! i am having a picnic on monday and figured homemade ice cream would hit the spot nicely. trying to choose which flavor to make is the challenge!

what are you planning this weekend?

just some random thoughts

2011-05-25T22:27:00.001-04:00

how cute are those two turtles

recently i discovered candles. its not like i had never burned a candle before - it appears that i've been burning the wrong KIND of candles....super smelly ones that irritate more than calm me. beeswax ones are wonderful and got me back on the candle burning bandwagon. a few weeks ago i bought a candle called beach fire. it smells exactly like its name. it has become my new favorite. all i want to do is sit around fires all summer. i will literally stand over the candle and inhale the smell for what seems like minutes but i am sure are only seconds.

now you see me, now you don't

we have a little creek that runs through our property. during the really dry periods of the summer it doesnt have a lot of water but there is a pool of water in the middle of it that always holds water. you would think that this pool of water would attract frogs. actually - it did...once. i only remember one time in the 10 years we've lived here that i heard spring peepers. ONE TIME! i go down often to see signs of frog life...none. you know where we do find frogs? in our bushes - on our back patio. last night i spotted 2 of them. where they go - i don't know because our house isn't that close to the creek.

it ain't easy being green

i'm finding that is hard being environmental when you are really busy. over the past 18 years we've made some pretty big changes in how we do things - focusing on trying to be more aware of our impact on our earth. i am really glad we started 18 years ago because many of the things we do are so ingrained in us that we dont have to think twice about doing it like bags - i have been using my own bags for so long that i just don't forget to bring them into the grocery story or drug store or mall. i just instinctively grab them when i leave the car. recycling too - i don't even have to think about it - jars get rinsed, boxes broken down, cartons smashed...all without thinking about it. but lately i find myself - when i am really overwhelmed or busy or in a major rush and i have a nasty jar that needs to be rinsed and recycled - tossing a jar into the trash. guilt takes over and i end up taking it back out and recycling it - but the fact that i threw it out at all bothers me! there are quite a few more examples i have. now, don't get me wrong - i haven't gone back to my old ways - but its just interesting that i found it easier to be green when i was a stay at home mom.

they call it mellow yellow

i'm really grateful for the relationship i have with my boys. they don't say they hate me when they are angry at me. they don't call me names when they get in trouble for something. now i know that isn't supposed to be the norm - but unfortunately it is very common. they are not disrespectful to adults. they are kind and caring to others. tonight we decided to get ice cream in lieu of having a proper dinner. as we sat around the tables at the farm we were laughing and teasing each other. we would sit and soak in the breeze and the smell of cow manure (which i love by the way) and a fire burning somewhere. it was such a nice time. i told my boys how thankful i am that they never said they hated me or called me names.

just because

2011-05-24T20:44:00.001-04:00

it seems i rarely post pics of my oldest son. its not because i don't want to take pictures of him. its mostly because he isn't around much when i have my camera in hand. so one morning i remembered to grab my camera as we were walking to the bus stop...and i managed to take a picture of him. honestly its rare to catch him standing so still...and so quiet. he is usually jumping around, shrieking, talking non-stop - extremely hyper. so it was nice to capture this moment of him being still.

geese........and a bear!

2011-05-23T21:52:00.001-04:00

i recently went on a field trip with my son's class to a local nature center. the kids participated in a study of a pond and of marshland. they really enjoyed themselves and i did too! it made me long for the days i taught nature programs at our local watershed conservancy.

anyway - at the end of the trip the weather turned hot and humid. the kids were complaining of the heat (but honestly i think they were just DONE with the day) and we were trying to get get them through one last activity before we called it a day. while they tried hard to concentrate on their leader - off to our left we heard quite a commotion in the creek. these two geese were really enjoying themselves in the water and we couldn't help but watch them a bit. they reminded us that soon we too would be cooling off in the water.

as for the bear? no - there the kids did not see a bear at the nature center. this bear appeared days later. there he is - our cub scout graduated from the wolves to the bears.

happy birthday to my young knight!

2011-05-10T16:56:00.000-04:00

my son wanted a medieval theme. i was happy to oblige. i made tunics out of old sofa and loveseat slip covers. the shields were cut out of plywood with a wooden knob on the back. the sword was made of moulding. each boy got all three items and they loved them! i whipped up a bunch of medieval banners from scrap fabric i had. the one above was my favorite.

it was a beautiful morning and all the boys had a blast!! i was incredibly rushed this year and was afraid i wouldn't get everything completed in time - but i did and it was perfect!!

i don't really like it - but it is what it is

2011-05-09T20:28:00.000-04:00

i have to admit - i'm still not liking the whole "working full time" thing. i knew i wasn't going to love it - i mean i was a SAHM for 11+ years - and i knew the time would eventually come when i would go back to work full time - and i was fine with that too. i mean honestly - with both my kids in school all day - i felt kinda silly being at home. don't get me wrong - i was working 2 days a week and i volunteered at school a lot the other days...but i did have plenty of time to do things at home - time that i took for granted...and time that i wish i had now.

most of the time i don't even think about it. but every once in a while i remember. when i walk outside and see the weeds growing between the patio pavers - i remember how i could spend a whole day or two - alone - in the sun - pulling them...then stepping back and admiring my hard work. when i drive by yards full of blooming daffodils and tulips - i remember that i had really wanted to plant bulbs last fall but i didn't plan my time well enough to fit it in to my days. and today...when i am certain that it will be consistently warm enough to hang out in our sunroom...and move my laptop into that room...and into my corner...and look out my window - i remember that when i have done this every past springtime i am able to glance out the window and right down into my little newly planted garden. but not this spring. my table is in the same corner. my little lit beeswax candle is on the window to my left. my pretty little ikea hanging light is over the laptop.......but my garden hasn't even been started.

but as with everything else i've learned since last october - i've learned to accept it...it is what it is. i'm sure there are people out there like me - the ones who don't always know a good thing until its gone...and now that a lot of my free time is gone it helps me appreciate the time i do make for myself all the more. i'm gonna be honest - my garden was nothing to crow about. i'd start off strong and by the end of the summer it was a disaster! but still - i loved getting the soil ready - planting the plants - and watching things START to grow. the upkeep was a major fail for me. but now- now i want to try again. i want to make the time because i know how precious the free time i have is and what better way to spend it then alone - and quiet - and working.

so yes - while i don't really like what i've had to give up to date - i do really like why i've had to give up so much of my time. i enjoy the work i do and the business we've started. i like noticing the free time i have and deciding what i want to do with it and OWNING the decision i've made.

i was in the life is good store this morning buying a present for my son's birthday...and as i read all the shirts i felt very grateful for that time i had taken. while its true you don't know what you've got until it's gone....it's never too late to find it again.

even though i can't speak bird - i understand what their saying!

2011-05-01T09:34:00.003-04:00

"honey, we're having a baby!"

i can't tell one bird song from the next - but over the years i have learned to identify what i call

the house wren's "i'm building my nest" rap

they try every year to build a nest up by our house. problem is - they pick the worst place possible. we have a covered side porch where i usually stick a birdhouse for decoration. because its covered - those are the first windows we tend to open in spring. a few years ago i started to notice this very distinctive song. when i'd go to the window to check it out i would notice a wren come flying out of whatever hole it was in. eventually - like pavlov - i made the connection.

first nest they built was in a wreath hanging on my door. they mananged to finish the nest - but i assume the daily opening and shutting of the door proved to be not a great place to lay eggs. so i bought one of those birdhouses you stick to the window with the clear back b/c i wanted to share this process with the boys...who by the way are not as enthusiastic as i am about the nest building. anyway - i hung it up under our porch and as soon as i'd hear the song - i'd run to the window to watch......and promptly scare the hecck out of the birds and they'd fly off. eventually they got sick of that constant disturbance and abandoned ship. next time (i did mention its been years of observation on my part...right?) i tried to be smart and i lowered our inside blinds to right below the birdhouse and opened them just enough where i could watch them from afar without actually having to be right up to the glass. that was working - until the suction cup corners kept losing their suction and it would fall!!! so after a few times of falling - the wrens hit the road......again

sadly this year i have yet to hear them in my front porch.

but - where i have heard them this year is out back...

the second birdhouse in the post is the one pictured above. i used to make the mistake of keeping the birdfeeder filled during the nest building process but - well you can guess - its hard to build a nest when there are birds and squirrels bothering you!! so this year i've left it alone...and so far so good.

maybe this year will be the year that i can peer into the hole and actually see some baby birds. i'm not sure who will be more excited - me or them!

i'm going to try and make a safe place for another pair under the front porch since its not too late in the season. i think i may have this finally figured out. i never really considered myself birdbrained - but these wrens are sure trying hard to prove me wrong.

a silly little post about my feet...AKA ignorance is bliss

2011-04-30T10:24:00.001-04:00

i used to think i had the cutest little feet. they weren't too big and they werent too small either...just hovering around a size 7.5

believe it or not - when i looked down at them i would smile - being grateful that i didn't have toes that look like mushrooms...or that my second toe wasn't 3 inches longer than my big toe. sure my toe nails are tiny and my pinky toes hide behind their neighbors which make pedicures a nitemare...but i just figured it was because my feet were so "dainty"

i was perfectly happy with my feet.

until that one fateful day at the pool

.....with my cousins.

we were just hanging out and somehow got on the topic of feet (which of course makes me smile in and of itself) and my cousin angela mentions she has webbed feet. we all start to tease her until she points out that we ALL have webbed feet - its in our family! i loudly protested - I DO NOT HAVE WEBBED FEET! to which she pointed down and said - yes you do...........right here.....

WHAT????!!!!

IS THAT WHAT THAT IS??!!

i was mortified! (and i have to admit i am even more mortified at the fact that i cropped the photo to show you!! so not only can you see my freaky toes but you can also see that i am in dire need of a pedicure!) all these years i LOVED my feet and especially what i thought were my cute little dainty toes...and now when i look down i wish i had a little pair of perfectly painless scissors that i could use to just give a little "snip" in between those toes so they match the others...........

do my weird little webbed toes keep me from being barefoot or in sandals year round...no

do my weird little webbed toes keep me from being called a duck by my husband and kids (who love the fact that i am so shocked by my recent revelation)...no

do my weird little webbed toes distract me from my breathe as i bend into forward fold...no

no they don't do any of those things - they are just toes really...

and for them i grateful

because without them i couldn't stand or walk or run very well

...at least that is what i keep telling myself

whenever i look at them

which happens to be a lot

ah - ignorance is bliss.......

Why I Wake Early - well at least according to my vision board

2011-04-28T20:42:00.001-04:00

this year i completed my vision board right under the gun. its much smaller than my last one and because i didn't have a variety of magazines - its pretty limited in my vision....but maybe not? maybe its exactly as it should be. we shall see.

i keep it tacked on the wall by my bathroom sink. i really wanted to make sure i looked at it every day.

there are areas i find myself concentrating on more than others.

this is the main one.

recently i started a sunrise kundalini class and i can not even begin to put into words how much i love this class. we arrive at 5:30am...just before the sun awakens or the birds begin their song.

we start with our opening chant

- Ong Namo Guru Dev Namo -

and by the time 7am comes i am completely transformed.

i rarely wake up that early in the morning. if i do - for whatever reason - its usually not by choice. there are some mornings when i find myself just waking up as the birds are beginning to sing. i lie in bed and just listen - telling myself to be present and simply enjoy the moment. but those mornings don't come very often.

yet i find myself up at 5am on wednesday morning - ready to get to class. the more i go - the more i see the beauty in that hour....and the more i want to try and use that time for myself.

which is why i put it on my vision board.

"i look forward to a serene hour with the sunrise"

Why I Wake Early

Hello, sun in my face.

Hello, you who made the morning

and spread it over the fields

and into the faces of the tulips

and the nodding morning glories,

and into the windows of, even, the

miserable and the crotchety –

best preacher that ever was,

dear star, that just happens

to be where you are in the universe

to keep us from ever-darkness,

to ease us with warm touching,

to hold us in the great hands of light –

good morning, good morning, good morning.

Watch, now, how I start the day

in happiness, in kindness.

~ Mary Oliver ~

can't put it off much longer

2011-04-27T20:55:00.000-04:00

i've been away for so long that i'm afraid that if i wait another day - it will magically turn into 2 days - then 2 weeks then 2 months......

i really haven't wrapped my mind around what i want to say about where i've been or what i've been up to...

i don't have months worth of pictures lying around either. having a camera that i don't understand has bummed me out (i finally emailed sony and told them that not including a manual was just plain wrong and i had no intention of spending hours reading it online - or dragging my computer around to take pictures or printing out 200 pages myself............so they are sending me one. we'll see how long that takes....)

so in the meantime i'll just show a quick summary of recent events.......

science fair exhibits

(this year he made quicksand)

planning a medieval party

(complete with scrolled invites and i'm thinking a too ambitious to-do list for the party)

indoor egg hunt

(in which one egg is still left unfound somewhere in this house)

just playing with the camera (like letting it decide what should be in focus

and seeing how sharp the picture is)

deciding to take pictures of not so pretty things in my yard

(to balance out the pictures of oh so pretty things in my yard still to come!)

so there it is - my first post in a long time. maybe not too exciting - but at least a step in the right direction........

crystal tree

2011-02-08T10:00:00.008-05:00

recently i sold some of our old toys on craigs list

both times i received an email saying how much their children loved the toys

both times.............

i smiled

who are you? who are you? i am a walrus.

2011-02-07T19:23:00.001-05:00

that line........is one of my favorite lines from the breakfast club.

but,

you see,

i am not a walrus

so who am i?

well - here is a self portrait:

and these are my surroundings:

(excerpt taken from The Walrus and the Carpenter

by Lewis Carroll)

The Walrus and the Carpenter

Were walking close at hand;

They wept like anything to see

Such quantities of sand:

"If this were only cleared away,"

They said, "it would be grand!"

"If seven maids with seven mops

Swept it for half a year.

Do you suppose," the Walrus said,

"That they could get it clear?"

"I doubt it," said the Carpenter,

And shed a bitter tear.

maybe i'm the carpenter...........

do yaks like the snow?

2011-02-03T19:40:00.000-05:00

apparently, yes they do.

this yak, however, does not.

unless i am wearing my yak trax....which i LOVE

not because they are neon orange.....which i REALLY love

but because they have saved my sorry ass from hitting the ice

....which we happen to have a lot of right now.

see that picture above?

it doesn't look like that anymore. it hasn't look like that in weeks.

picture instead about 12 inches of snow and ice on top of that.

not that cute little flurry you see on the oranges......

so...............

what do i love about today?

1 - we got another client. that makes 4...in 4 weeks. averaging one a week is awesome!

2 - i found my favorite mug. which is currently filled with some cold pm tea. because if i want to drink a bunch of it tonight before i go to bed........i want it in my favorite mug

3 - playing with fonts and word placement in tonight's post.

going zero to 60 in 2 months...........

2011-02-01T21:44:00.000-05:00

all i can do as i look back at my last few posts is sigh. i wanted to blog every day in christmas? well that didn't happen. in fact - i never even got around to blogging at all in january! its not for lack of want - that's for sure. i wanted to write. i wanted to take pictures with my brand new camera. i wanted to finally sit down and add labels to all my old posts. i wanted to start the new year with new goals - not resolutions mind you - but "life style changes"....see if you named them something different - you are sure to stick with them......right? i even had plans to start blogging again - feb 1st to be exact - and with a whole month of posts centering around gratitude.

well i did get my butt in gear enough to sit and actually post something today. its not what i had in mind - but at this point i figure that's ok. getting here is enough. but what took me so long to get here this year??

i mentioned a few times before that my husband and i started our own business. after a slow start last spring and summer - we finally buckled down and got serious this fall. the kids were back in school and back into a routine and we could finally focus on the business. i went from working 2 days a week to suddenly working over 40 hrs a week. everything started moving real fast.

the house fell apart - i thought i was so busy to keep it clean. its like when you have your first child. you think its so hard and you have no time to do anything else..then you have another child and wonder what you were whining about before! free time disappeared. gone was the luxury of grocery shopping mid-morning on a weekday. no more haircuts while the kids were in school. clean laundry was left in piles on the beds. i did manage to get the house decorated for christmas - but the decorations were not taken down until the end of january (actually - the ornaments are still lying on the pool table waiting to be put away!) i didn't really have the weekends to catch up b/c they were filled with our children's activites and client meetings.

a year ago i got a droid and returned it after a week. i hated being so connected to everything. i didn't like checking my email on my phone..or facebook. a few months ago i got an android phone again and i can't imagine life without it. i am always on call and never miss an email. i quickly check my facebook and read blogs while sitting at a traffic light. i send a quick email while waiting in line at the store. because of this i rarely get in front of an actual computer for "me" time...and that is why i haven't made the time to blog.

i have a love/hate relationship with my current life. i love my job and our business. i'm proud of what we do. i enjoy dressing up to meet clients - and wearing something besides sweats and sneakers. i like jewelry again. i have surprised myself with skills i didn't realize i had.

i hate the free time i've lost. i hate the amount of processed food we eat - or the number of times we eat out. i'm not thrilled with how i haven't figured out how to juggle it all yet. and i'm not happy with not my not making the time to practice yoga or write a blog post or practice with my new camera.

one of my favorite movies growing up was coal miner's daughter. there is a scene at the end when loretta lynn is talking to her fans at her concert and she is explaining about how life just moved so fast for her. she was a little girl - then she was married - then she had kids - then she was singing up there for everyone.....then she collapses. she comes back though - after taking a long time off - she comes back.

luckily i haven't reached the point where i have collapsed like poor loretta lynn - but some nights i feel so darn close. while i technically can't take a long time off - i want to try and take some daily mental time off. i'm not exactly sure how - its something i've been thinking about for a month now. i have some ideas - ideas i'll share here i'm sure. i'll try them out - see what works and what doesn't and hopefully i'll get myself and my situation sorted out.

i had wanted to make my february posts all about gratitude and while my first post back doesn't sound gracious at all - i am very grateful for a lot of what's been going on in my life.

so what tonight's gratitude? taking the time to blog. i missed it. so i'm really happy i sat here tonight.

with sprinkles on top

2010-12-21T17:30:00.000-05:00

a little bit of effort goes a long way

Alleluia

2010-12-20T16:18:00.001-05:00

why is it that the more holiday cards i receive........the less i want to send mine out?

wish upon a star

2010-12-19T20:55:00.002-05:00

when you think you have 48 hours
but it ends up only 2

all you can do is brew some tea...

and call it a day

creating a space

2010-12-16T21:48:00.000-05:00

earlier today i made a list. actually i made many lists - what gifts are left to buy, how many gift cards i need, and what crafts i need to make. my homemade list is not a long one. nor is it an unrealistic one to accomplish. at least not now.......

this is what my craft room looked like when i walked into it tonight. i've been on a huge purging spree lately - getting rid of clothes and clutter and toys. what goes to the thrift store goes into my car and gets delivered the next day. what gets stashed for sorting - ends up in here. every once in awhile i spend a couple HOURS in here purging and tossing and sorting...but hours is what i do not have right now.

so tonight - little by little i started to clear an area...and area large enough that i can get some sewing in.

and finally - after an hour - i can see my workspace.

and with just 9 days until christmas...its not a moment too soon

oh my how time flies!

2010-12-15T21:50:00.000-05:00

i can't believe its dec 15th and not a single post all month!! computer issues have made the past week an absolute nightmare...so much so that after battling the computer at work all day - the last thing i wanted to do was get online at home!!

lack of pictures is a problem too. sitting an office 5 days a week for 8 hours doesn't leave me with alot of time (or energy!) for picture taking. it wasn't until after we started decorating our second tree tonight that i thought to take out the camera and quickly snap some not so exciting pictures. sadly this was the best one.

but like i mentioned the last night of november - i'm still not that stressed about it all...

so what have i been up to?

cards aren't done - in fact i haven't even decided if i want to try and take a picture and make a photocard...or just send cards with a picture inside...or just do nothing! well - actually i do want to send cards - its the same dilemma i had last year. i'm curious to see how i resolve it this year!

house is trashed - but what can you do about that...i've finally admitted that since i find myself always saying that followed by some excuse "i worked all day" "we were away all weekend" "we had a party" - that it was time to fess up in that truth be told - i'm just not a great housekeeper!

downloaded some super cheesy ringtones - like "i want a hippopotamus for christmas" and "dominic the donkey" which crack me up everytime they go off at home.....when i'm alone......but embarrass the heck out of me when they go off in public!

am very close to finishing my christmas shopping and i am happy that i did not panic and overdo it on the gifts!

finally made a list of what i am going to bake as gifts and craft as gifts - whether i actually succeed is another thing - i mean christmas IS next week!

but i do plan on blogging every day until then! i love christmas blogging!! posts are so colorful and happy!

now i'll leave you with this

my son so desperate for mistletoe that he grabbed this bunch of berries and told me to take a picture of him pretending to kiss someone underneath it. how can you resist?

a year ago tonight........

2010-11-30T19:57:00.000-05:00

i found myself sitting at this very computer

on the eve before december 1st

and i wrote up this post

there are definite similarities between last year and tonight. both nights i came home to dirty laundry, dirty dishes and dirty bathrooms. school papers covered my table then..and looking around me now i find more of the same. and yep - my calendar is quickly filling up with appointments, events and parties.

i'm glad that some things never change

i found myself reading and rereading last year's post. i sounded so overwhelmed...so stressed out...so - not fun. i had just come home from new york - spent a great weekend with my family and our friend - caught up in the hustle and bustle, high energy spirit of manhattan - and yet i wasn't happy.

so what happened between then and now? then i was only working 2x a week. now i am working full time. then my husband worked for someone else. now we are running our own business. then we wondered how we would pay for it all. now - well now we really wonder how we will pay for it all! then i was assuming that i'd blink and christmas would be over! now - i am assuming i will have just the peaceful season i want.

i'm glad some things do change

i wish i knew exactly why i am in a better frame of mind this year. if i knew - i'd write a book and make millions! but i don't know. maybe its yoga. maybe its being used to letting go of my expectations - and just enjoying the ebb and flow of the unknown. maybe its the seemingly endless stack of self-improvment books that find themselves on my nightstand! maybe i am finally learning to be present. i don't know what it is. what i do know is that i like it. i like it a lot.

so tonight

as i did last year on this night

i will finish my tea

and i will go to bed.

and tomorrow will be another day

and if i'm lucky

it will be a peaceful night

without thoughts

so grateful

2010-11-25T11:09:00.000-05:00

our first snowfall - today!

today and everyday i am so grateful for so much in my life.

happy thanksgiving to you and yours

this - one day - i will miss

2010-11-23T20:25:00.000-05:00

i won't miss the socks all over the house

i won't miss the tiny lego pieces that perfectly blend into the carpet

i won't miss picking up the swords and helmets and pokeman cards 100x a day

but finding the star war mini guys

hiding in the hanging plants

on vases and tables and chairs

and lined up - ready to attack - along the kitchen sink

this

one day

i will miss

it doesn't matter if you win or lose........

2010-11-19T18:44:00.000-05:00

it's how you play the game

teaching an old dog new tricks

2010-11-11T19:42:00.000-05:00

the old dog - would be me. for the first time in 12 years i am back to working full time. back in april we bought a franchise and after months of paperwork to get a state license, and finishing a summer with kids underfoot - we are officially up and running!

i will admit - having to go back to work full time for a business that is your own - is much more exciting than going back to work full time for a business that is NOT your own....but its not any easier.

i am tired.

i am scattered.

i am a bit unorganized.

but i am having fun too!

for me - the fun part about work is exactly what stresses my husband out - all the money going out (and nothing coming in yet), hiring a staff, setting and meeting goals, the unknown future. you see - i am a very optimistic person - never really worrying - just 100% sure it will all work out. sometimes that drives people crazy (like my husband) and sometimes it doesn't (also like my husband) but what can you do. i like being optimistic and i'm certain more people appreciate it than not.

the fun part of home is not so easy to define. yes the house is messy - the laundry piles up - the dishes stay dirty. homework is rushed and nights are filled with activities and there seems to be no time for real family time. how i used to do things - work monday, grocery shopping tuesday, errands on wednesday and so on......well, it doesn't work at all anymore.

everything is topsy turvy.

but like an amusement park filled with ups and downs and twists and turns - sugar highs and upset bellys - its wild and crazy

and fun!

oh don't get me wrong - with ups and downs and twists and turns - come moments when i want to scream

GET ME OFF THIS RIDE!

and i can't get off - and i'm getting more and more anxious....

my head is spinning and my stomach is churning.

i can't focus and i can't think straight.

i squeeze my eyes shut and put my head to my knees....

and just then...it ends...

and the scary part is over.

you are left with the giddy part - the laughter as the adrenaline seeps away; the happiness at having survived. all it took - was riding it out.

so as my days are filled with twists and turns and ups and downs - my rhythm is changing too. with each change in routine comes a period of anxiety as what once was second nature to me - now is no more. then the panic sets in as i struggle to find a new routine - trying it first one way...then another. one day it works - another day it doesn't. one moment i am ahead of the game - another i am 2 steps back.

but i know...in fact i am certain - that during this time of transition if i relax and just let go - the scary part will end and the giddy will begin.

Random Act of Culture

2010-11-04T19:20:00.000-04:00

Knight foundation is taking the next 3 years to help bring the arts into the streets by putting on random performances around the city of philadelphia (as well as other cities across the united states)

on oct 30th 650 singers surprised shoppers at downtown macy's by singing hallelujah!

check it out here!

31 for 21 challenge - 10/31 it's over!

2010-10-31T09:54:00.000-04:00

pics of halloween will have to wait until i can upload them!

i just had to get this last post in!

i don't even have a picture to go with it!

oh well - tomorrow it shall be

happy halloween!

31 for 21 challenge - Ode to Johnny!

2010-10-30T10:46:00.000-04:00

since i assume tomorrow's post will be all about halloween - i wanted to spend today honoring Johnny - who is the inspiration behind this month's challenge for me

johnny and his remarkable mom cindy

i've referenced my friend's cindy's blog here many times and if you've never followed the links to it before i urge you to visit this time. in fact - let me point you in the direction of some of her really interesting posts this month about down syndrome and her family's experience with it.

down syndrome creed

just a day in the life of a boy with ds

this i loved - the preferred language guide from the ds society

a heartbreaking post about orphaned children with down syndrome in eastern europe

pic of johnny taken quite some time ago - its the best i could find by

stalking cindy's facebook albums without feeling any creepier!

hopefully those of us in the 31 for 21 challenge this month have done our part to bring awareness to this amazing group of children

31 for 21 challenge - gravewalk

2010-10-29T22:01:00.000-04:00

here it is - 2 days before halloween and i have yet to take my gravewalk. throughout the year i'll pass a cemetary and think "oh - i'll have to remember this place and come photograph it around halloween!" i'm not obsessed with death - or graveyards - or ghosts - or anything like that. i just love me a good graveyard around halloween.

maybe b/c its been so weirdly hot this october that halloween kinda crept up on me. in fact - i was just trying to find a picture of anything to blog about tonight when i stumbled upon pictures from last year's gravewalk - and then i remembered that i had forgotten!!

oh well - tomorrow is supposed to be nice and sunny - and sunday too. not exactly eerie gravewalk weather. i wouldn't have the time anyway - and i highly doubt the boys would want to come. so no walk for me this year.

if you drive by a cemetary this weekend - take a moment to think about the history in there...maybe pull over and snap a cool picture or two. i would - bet you won't regret it.

31 for 21 challenge - thankful thursday.....coming to an end and the library

2010-10-28T21:34:00.001-04:00

ok - this is a total cop out but i am thankful this challenge is coming to an end! only 3 more days left - and 3 crazy busy days at that!!

so no more words...just a quick tour of one our most favorite places to visit - our local library! i am still amazed at how many people do not go to their library on a regular basis.

besides the shelves.....

and shelves of books that you can get for FREE

think about the hundreds of dollars you save by not buying books that once you bring them home - you regret buying!

oh and MUSIC - tons of cds that you can use to fill your itunes library without costing you a cent!

and all the free events - yoga, gardening classes, oodles of kid programs, lectures...you name it

open spaces to run (or rather walk quickly) our library tolerates some noise which is nice b/c it is hard to keep little kids from squealing!

community bulletin boards - free advertising!

a place to bring the stuff you don't want to toss but can't figure out what to do with them - esp glasses and cell phones!!! all while helping a great charitable cause

seriously - if you haven't visited your local library in a while - what are you doing? get over there and check it out. its not what you remember as a kid - its so much better!!

31 for 21 challenge - 10/27 - wordless wednesday

2010-10-27T16:13:00.000-04:00

31 for 21 blog challenge - 10/26.......asking for prayers

2010-10-26T20:43:00.000-04:00

the power of prayer is great

if you will

for a family member finishing radiation and soon to start chemo

and a friend's 11 month old son undergoing heart surgery

31 for 21 challenge - 10/25...cubscout hayride

2010-10-25T21:09:00.000-04:00

its been a crazy beginning of the school year - and because of that our cubscout meetings and events started later than usual. one of funnest ones i think is the hayride and bonfire this time of the year. my den was in charge of setting up the 'smores so while everyone piled into the wagons for the start of the hayride

the parents in our den hung back and laid out the spread.

this year we had a huge turnout and needed extra wagons.

its pretty neat how the wagons leave in the daylight

and return in the darkness. then the bonfire is lit and everyone patiently waits to roast marshmallows

and make their 'smores

even though the heat may be too intense at times - the end result is well worth it

31 for 21 challenge - 10/24 - the pennsylvania renaissance faire

2010-10-24T21:41:00.000-04:00

yesterday we had the most beautiful autumn day. last year around this time we hit the renaissance faire. it was pretty much under the same circumstances - perfect fall day - nothing to do - jump in the car and off we went.

what was cool this time around was that it was closer to halloween so there was trick or treating for the kids and many really neat costumes and decorations.

my favorite part still is seeing all the items for sale. i don't usually buy anything - but i love to see all the talented artists and their creations.

magic wands

mystical puppets

beautifully sewn wool clothes

shiny things - who doesn't like shiny things in the sun?

the boys dragged me to every sword and weapon shop

hobbit ears - picture taken by my son! up shots are never very flattering!

my husband loves the shows. the human chess match is a favorite.

the fire juggling comedian was a big hit this time around too

it really is such a cool place to visit.

if you ever get the chance to go i'd highly recommend it

31 for 21 challenge - 10/23......not today either!

2010-10-23T23:23:00.000-04:00

out all day with the family - then went to watch the phillies at my cousin's.......

they aren't winning

but i managed to get online before midnite!

hopefully i won't be the only winner tonight

31 for 21 challenge - 10/22........oh no!

2010-10-23T09:20:00.000-04:00

i was lying in bed last night - slowly drifting into sleep when suddenly my eyes opened wide and i thought

"i forgot to blog today!!"

i honestly feel terrible......

i won't forget today though - i'll come back on tonight with something for today

31 for 21 challenge - 10/21......thankful thursday

2010-10-21T21:30:00.000-04:00

you know - i can write a post today about all the usual things i am so thankful for - my family, friends, health and so on....and it would be true. those people near and dear to me are special and fill my heart with gratitude - a gratitude at times that is so overwhelming i feel like my heart will explode.

but that is not the group i want to talk about. there is a another group of people that i am especially thankful for....the ones i don't even know by name. in fact - i don't know anything about them...and i'll probably never see them again.

i don't talk to them. i'm usually not even that close to them. this group of people just causes me to stop and simply

...........notice..........

they are the ones who capture my attention and force me to be present

the ones who in the middle of the day don't think twice about getting together, blaring some music and skating.....just because its a beautiful day - and they can

they are the ones who are so passionate about a hobby that their intense seriousness about it - makes me wonder if in fact - i am missing out on something fun.

the ones with character - with a spirit so beautiful that you don't even question their ability to produce some of the oddest - yet most amazing music......you just know that that is what they are supposed to do

the ones that make you suck in your breathe and wonder - how does he DO that?

the ones that make learning fun

and finally the ones that make you look at them - for just a moment longer

today i am so thankful for the strangers who enter my life

31 for 21 challenge - 10/20...wordless wednesday........cold toes/warm colors

2010-10-20T20:00:00.001-04:00

31 for 21 challenge - 0ct 19...... pumpkin carving party!

2010-10-19T21:07:00.000-04:00

it was time for our annual pumpkin carving party and we couldn't be more excited. as usual my sil sandy laid out quite a spread. we came in - stuffed our faces - then hit the garage for the competition.

there were pumpkins everywhere and in all different sizes.

paints and stickers and other fun stuff for the kids to use. adults had cutters and scrapers, clay tools, scapels and my brother pulled out a dremel! did i mention how serious this was?

my sil's brother and i like to trash talk each other - both of us trying to come up with something new to raise the bar. this was my warm-up pumpkin. simple but introducing PROPS! i couldn't get a decent pic of him in the dark because his nose would just disappear in the black.

this was my actual entry. it was supposed to be a shadow. the front was a cut out of 2 mice. what you can't see (and i just could not photograph) was that there was a smaller cut-out of a cat on the back. when a candle was put inside - the shadow of the cat was projected behind it. well - that is what was SUPPOSED to happen. it was pretty hard to carve a small 4x4 menacing cat - and i kept trying to fix it - so much so that the projected pic looked like a distorted skull and crossbones. but at least the mice look like mice!

when everyone was done - it was time to vote. my son voted for mine - because he is so darn cute and i swear i could smother him with hugs and kisses all day

this was the 3rd place winner. it was done by a first timer to our party!

my sil's brother took second place. he got nervous when he heard i was using props for mine - and he went all out with the multiples. its hard to see but there are 2 huge pumpkin hands holding most of the pumpkins being eaten!

i have no idea what happened to my picture of first place - but the winner was my cousin. her's is the first pumpkin in the picture. it was AMAZING and she did it freehand. she snapped a pic of a pumpkin with her camera before the party and just carved away. she is a 2 time winner. we are thinking of ganging up on her next year......

there were about 15 entries this year. i had a really hard time snapping decent pictures of them - which is a shame because there really were some good ones! even the kids had some great ones!

i didn't win or even place in the top 3 again this year. my ideas are good - but my execution of them stinks! i'm thinking i'll forgo tricks next year - and try to wow them some other way!

this competition is definitely one our family's favorite autumn traditions

31 for 21 challenge - 10/18.....learning to juggle

2010-10-18T22:36:00.000-04:00

while walking around central park last weekend - we stumbled upon this boy's performance. he had all his props with him - and a bucket for tips in the front. we were trying to figure out how old he was...8? 9? 10? the entire time he juggled - he never spoke a word.

the boys were especially entralled by the performance...my youngest the most. it was hard prying him away from the show.

lately i can relate to this boy. i find myself juggling too

...moving quickly, staying silent, trying to focus so as not to lose my rhythm.

but - if you look closely - there is a difference. he looks relaxed. he is having fun.

up go the clubs - first one - then two - finally 3 or even more.

hop on a unicycle - why not?

he is breathing.

he makes a mistake - no biggie.

he turns and laughs - the crowd laughs too.

is it that easy?

just breathe?

and don't take yourself so seriously?

juggle or not

the show must go on

31 for 21 challenge - 10/17......in the words of willy wonka......

2010-10-17T18:06:00.000-04:00

So much time and so little to do.

Wait a minute.

Strike that.

Reverse it.

pumpkin pics will have to wait for another day.............

31 for 21 challenge - 10/16...its go time

2010-10-16T17:40:00.000-04:00

its time for our annual pumpkin carving contest

pumpkins are purchased - props are ready (oh yes - this year i have props!) - stencils are cut

food is made - dessert...halloween goodie bars; side...red wheat berry salad with wild rice and cranberries; entree...portabella and gargonzola cheese ravioli in pesto

tomorrow i'll post pics

i'm so excited i can hardly stand it!!

31 for 21 challenge - 10/15......autumn fairy

2010-10-15T18:04:00.000-04:00

John Lennon--"I believe in everything until it's disproved. So I believe in fairies, the myths, dragons. It all exists, even if it's in your mind. Who's to say that dreams and nightmares aren't as real as the here and now? Reality leaves a lot to the imagination."

Tori Amos--"I think that people who can't believe in faeries aren't worth knowing. I just think that alternate realities make you a good writer. If your work is any more than one dimension, you believe in faeries."

We the Fairies, blithe and antic,

Of dimensions not gigantic,

Though the moonshine mostly keep us,

Oft in orchards frisk and peep us.

~Thomas Randolph

Soft moss a downy pillow makes, and green leaves spread a tent,

Where Faerie fold may rest and sleep until their night is spent.

The bluebird sings a lullaby, the firefly gives a light,

The twinkling stars are candles bright, Sleep, Faeries all, Good Night.

~Elizabeth T. Dillingham, "A Faery Song"

31 for 21 challenge - 10/14.........don't be afraid to stand out

2010-10-14T19:31:00.000-04:00

31 for 21 challenge - 10/13........wordless wednesday

2010-10-13T09:00:00.000-04:00

31 for 21 challenge - 10/12.......tuesday's thought

2010-10-12T15:24:00.000-04:00

at what age does one lose faith

that someone will always be there

and trust that if one blindly takes a leap

the support he'll need will be there?

31 for 21 challenge - 10/11........pigeons!

2010-10-11T09:00:00.002-04:00

A mother pigeon and a baby pigeon were going to race together in Old Bird Season.

But baby pigeon said, "I can't make it; I'll get too tired."

His mother said, "Don't worry; I'll tie a piece of string to one of your legs and the other end to mine."

The baby started to cry.

"What's wrong?" said the mother.

"I don't want to be pigeon towed!"

31 for 21 challenge - 10/10...off roosevelt island

2010-10-10T19:09:00.000-04:00

we had some beautiful weather today - perfect for exploring some new neighborhoods in manhattan.

union square

washington square

greenwich village

home of magnolia bakery

the high line

chelsea piers

31 for 21 challenge - 10/9............john lennon

2010-10-09T19:45:00.000-04:00

we found ourselves in nyc today - on what would be john lennon's 70th birthday. so we made our way to central park to join the hundreds of people gathered to celebrate his life

but even though we didn't get very close - we could still feel the energy in the crowd

everyone was gathered peacefully

singing together

a perfect homage to a peaceful man

31 for 21 challenge - day 8......what's up for the weekend?

2010-10-08T08:32:00.000-04:00

starting it off here - hitting the trails to soak in the beautiful weather

ending it here - hitting the highway to soak in some city life

31 for 21 challenge - day 7...hello my name is lorena - and i am raising a frustrated learner....

2010-10-07T20:28:00.000-04:00

ever have one of those moments.....(or weeks, or months or years).....when you are soo frustrated with your so called "good" school district that you think all they want is to churn out high scores instead of educated kids who want to learn???? who are allowed to learn at their own pace?

yes well welcome to my current frustration.

and no - i am not being the mom who is mad b/c i actually have to sit down with my son at night and make him do his homework. so no - its not sour grapes over here...because i have another son who is the direct opposite learner...i never had to help him with anything...and in fact i could write a post titled "hello, my name is lorena and i am raising an unmotivated learner"

31 for 21 challenge - day 6.........welcome back

2010-10-06T09:31:00.000-04:00

sunshine!

31 for 21 challenge - day 5...picking out the positive

2010-10-05T09:00:00.001-04:00

some days just plain suck.

now - it could be because of things YOU did

....like have 3 cups of coffee before bed

....which caused you to wake up at 3am fully alert

....and made the idea of watching an episode of boardwalk empire sound like a good one

....until 4am came

....at which point you settle into a deep, restless sleep

....filled with totally bizarre dreams

....and wake at 6:30 groggy and grumpy and with some strange painful pulled muscle in your upper shoulder

it could be because of things SOMEONE else did

...which quite frankly isn't really a legitimate reason to have a sucky day

because if you didn't do the above things

you really wouldn't be crabby

and therefore you would be more understanding of others

and of things they've done

and things they haven't done

and things they've said

and things they haven't said.........

i was just about to send an email to my friends - giving them a rundown of some more ways my day totally sucked and i decided

i wouldn't do that.

i mean really - who wants to hear me whine?

i know i don't want to hear it.

and quite frankly what's it gonna accomplish?

THEN

i decided i was going to force myself to find a positive in my dreary, cold, rain-filled day.

and here it is.......

coming home to the smell of burning wood

in our fireplace
in the kitchen

the first fire of the season...........

and no - we didn't roast marshmallows

(its an old picture - well what did you expect with the day i had?)

in fact - there wasn't anyone around to roast marshmallows
everyone had kinda scattered and went their separate ways

and left me alone

with the fire

and my computer

and time to ponder

and to pick out the positive

insert contented SIGH.......

now THAT is an email i look forward to writing........

31 for 21 blog challenge - day 4 (rain, rain go away.....)

2010-10-04T11:14:00.000-04:00

its gloomy outside.

its gloomy inside.

the coffee house is streaming through my computer.

it doesn't feel so gloomy anymore.

things could be worse

31 for 21 blog challenge - day 3.......berries

2010-10-03T09:00:00.001-04:00

one of my favorite things about autumn is the appearance of berries on the different shrubs around our home. right around late august/early september they start to appear...little green balls just kinda hiding between the branches and leaves of the plants. you really don't even notice them. then one day something red will catch your eye.

looking alittle closer i notice the other berries starting to ripen. little by little the clusters begin to change - green to yellow and finally to red.

soon the entire shrub will be covered with red - and the birds will come. the only thing prettier than red berries on a green shrub - is red berries on a green shrub - under a blanket of pure white snow. but as far as i am concerned that little pleasure can wait because the last thing i want to see right now is snow. we just had a crazy couple days of rain and some hot weather. autumn seems to be flying by as leaves are being blown off the trees before they get a chance to change! thankfully today is a beautiful, sunny, cool day - perfect autumn day - and looking up i notice there are plenty of leaves still hanging around to change color...but once they do change - and once they are gone - i'll still have the berries to enjoy.

31 for 21 blog challenge - day 2........how i met your father

2010-10-02T14:54:00.000-04:00

i mentioned yesterday that i do not have a child with down syndrome...and pretty much after this post i probably won't have any personal stories to share about children with down syndrome...but i do have one. its how i met my husband.

after college i decided i wanted to become a teacher and that i wanted to work with children with special needs. after college i was looking for something to do during the summer where i could work with these children before i started taking classes for my teaching certification. variety club camp was close by and they had a summer camp for children with mild to moderate developmental and physical disabilities. i decided to sign up as a camp counselor. it was there that i met my husband.

he was working as a weekend pharmacist at the time and was looking for somewhere to volunteer his time during the week. since we were one of the oldest people there we hung out together. then we started dating...and well the rest is history. but this post isn't about us - its about the kids at the camp.

there were a variety of children there with a whole spectrum of disorders...but it was the children with down syndrome that got us. those round faces with smiles so big they took up half their faces. when they were happy their entire bodies lit up! they wore their emotions on their sleeves - happy...smile! sad...frown! angry...scowl! they were a joy to be around.

summer camp ended but we wanted more. we volunteered with the special olympics and attended some of their events. if you've never attended a special olympics i would suggest you do. i remember being stunned at their abilities and their drive. i was blown away but what these athletes were capable of achieving and their level of competition.

i honestly cannot remember what happened next - i can only guess that life happened and suddenly we weren't volunteering anymore....and that was that. we had children and my priorities shifted to raising and caring for them. it wasn't until my friend cindy had her third child - and that child was diagnosed with ds that i even thought about them again....and that my friends - is a whole 'nother post........

31 for 21 blog challenge - day 1

2010-10-01T16:48:00.001-04:00

october is down syndrome awareness month. in order to raise awarenes for down syndrome the blog unringing the bell has set up its 4th annual challenge for bloggers to post each day of the month of october - hence the 31. the 21 comes from trisomy 21, which is another name for down syndrome. i do not have a child with down syndrome...but a very dear friend of mine does. her blog is called life with five leggs and if you have the time i suggest you head over and check it out. besides writing her infamous long winded witty posts - she shares some very heartwarming stories about her son johnny...who has ds.

if you want to support a great cause then head over to unringing the bell and grab a button. spread the word about down syndrome and help raise awareness for a very special group of people and their families!

what's the story morning glory?

2010-09-29T10:08:00.000-04:00

sometime in august i began to seriously neglect my garden. my beds are overgrown, my containers are dead - its not a pretty sight. i finally mustered up the courage to walk around and access the damage...formulating a plan for fall clean-up (which i have to admit i love just as much as spring planting) when i spotted the morning glories.

what a mess they are making! they have wrapped themselves around the hydrangea bushes and up the birdhouse pole. they are hiding among the bushes and between the pots. they will require a lot of time ripping out...........but how can you be mad at them?

all around i see red and yellow leaves - maroon and orange mums......i must say a pop of blue here and there is quite nice.

so i suppose i'll keep them where they are. clean up can always wait a few weeks more.

Breakfast for dinner

2010-09-26T17:33:00.000-04:00

when you start the day off poorly.....

late for church so no time for breakfast

cookies and coffee during sunday school

dad surprises the family with candy bars from work

juice and cookies as the "after soccer" snack

its nice to end the day with a homemade dinner that everyone loved..........potatoes with peppers and onions, cheesy eggs and french toast.

our daily walk - a new favorite

2010-09-24T10:03:00.000-04:00

for the past 8 years i've driven my boys back and forth to school. neither one of them wanted to take the bus so we didn't force them. this year however - that all changed. our oldest son started a new school with an earlier start time so driving him to school was just not something i wanted to do. since the oldest was now taking the bus - our youngest son wanted to as well.

the picture above shows half our driveway. the other half winds to the right before winding back towards the street. its a nice long walk...and since we've had crisp, cool mornings since the first day of school - its been a beautiful walk.

our oldest only has one trip up in the morning and back down in the afternoon

our youngest makes the trip twice in the morning because he likes to see his older brother get on the bus. even our dog makes the trip with us - which is no small feat for our 15 year old yorkie-poo! most kids don't want their parents hanging out with them at the bus stop. our oldest doesn't mind - and that is nice.

then in the afternoon my husband and i make the walk back down to greet them - and together we walk back home....and in those 5 minutes we talk - about school, about the bus, about girls.

soon the weather will change.

it won't be so nice to make the long walk to the bus stop. it will rain. it will snow. it will be freezing cold.

so until then we'll enjoy what we have. our 5 minutes together as a family - no tv, no video games..just our quiet daily walk.

can you?

2010-09-23T18:04:00.000-04:00

(yes i am getting goat milk squirted directly into my mouth!)

cook two dinners

while cleaning out the fishbowl

and having a live chat with a verizon representative about adding new services for your business...

all within 30 minutes?

if you are a mother i'm sure you can!

what amazing feats have you accomplished today?

as summer ends........

2010-09-22T13:27:00.001-04:00

even though it felt like summer ended with the first day of school - the true end of summer comes later tonight as we welcome the season of autumn. i'm definitely feeling the shift - and the sense of being off balance - that the transition brings.

so before i begin to revel in the excitement that autumn brings - i want to share a bit of how we filled our summer days.

country fairs full of food, friends and smells (good and bad!)

amusement parks filled with old favorites and new thrills...some local - some worth the drive

hikes through woods, across boulders and up waterfalls

swimming in pools, lakes and creeks

all in all a wonderful few months! good bye summer!

you know - maybe i'm wrong afterall

2010-09-14T10:11:00.000-04:00

for the first time in a long time - i laced up my sneaks and hit the pavement. when i first started running (and before my recent LONG hiatus) i would run inside on my treadmill. i didn't want to be seen as the big girl who was walking more than she was running. i was embarassed by what i couldn't do vs being proud of what i was doing. once i got better i would occasionally venture outside. i would drive to a park where i was sure to NOT run into anyone i knew.

but what i really wanted to do was wake up - lace up my brooks - and start running. it bothered me that i chose to *drive* to a place to run when i could easily run around here. not that i have anything against driving to a trail - we have some truly beautiful trails around here that are full of runners. its just that i would use the "having to drive" as an excuse. often i'd say i didn't have the time to drive to the park - run - then drive back home.........so i just didn't do it. now granted - my neighborhood is not a great place to run either ( i live surrounded by country roads full of wicked curves, blind hills and speeding drivers) but really it was just another excuse i could use.

well yesterday i decided i was tired of the excuses. i was not going to drive to a park. i was not going to be afraid of the speeding cars. i was not going to care about people thought of me.

i got up before work and ran....and as you can imagine it wasn't pretty. i ran a bit and i walked too. since it was before 7am there were a lot of cars - and alot of buses on the road. there were parents and kids at the bus stops. i was immediately self concious of walking. of FAILING at running. i pictured everyone seeing me and thinking "haha - look at her. she's too out of shape to run! if she were thinner she could run!"

well - right then and there i said STOP - ENOUGH ALREADY! you see, i've been reading dr wayne dyer's book excuses begone! and it has really made a difference in how i view my excuses. i didn't beat myself up for having the excuses - i simply acknowledged them - and let them go. then i shifted my perception. what if the people in the cars and on the buses, the parents and kids at the busstops...what if they were thinking "man, i should really start running" or "good for her for starting" or what if they weren't thinking of me at all!!!! i thought about all the times i've driven by someone running or biking or walking...i have never really noticed them - let alone think something negative about that person...so why do i think that people would notice or even think that about me??

what a nice shift that was. i was able to focus on what i was doing. i was able to set mini goals to improve my running without looking at walking as a failure TO run. not only did it feel good to run - it felt good to be wrong. how many times can you say that!

FIGS!!!!

2010-09-10T10:15:00.000-04:00

this summer i cemented my love affair with figs. my parents have a fairly large fig tree at their shore house that produces beautiful white ones and every weekend they've been bringing home a bunch of them. i'm the only one in my family (besides my parents) that will eat them. i've tried to coax my youngest into giving them a shot - he loves fruit and i was sure that if he just tasted them - he'd be hooked too! but nope - he thought they looked weird. the tree down the shore produces just enough to eat during the week - not really enough to do anything else with them....and i had recipes i wanted to try in the worst way.

(pretend there is a picture of a bowl of beautiful white figs here! i just couldn't seem to get my camera when i had my figs!!)

now, my parents have a friend who has a tree that produces the black mission figs. one day he dropped a box of them off at their house but they were away so they asked me if i would take the box! finally a chance to make my recipes! i quickly ran over then got to work.

(ok - now pretend there is a picture of a box of beautiful black figs covered with huge fig leaves here!)

i had just picked up a copy of emeril's "farm to fork" book and inside was a recipe for figs in syrup. it was incredibly easy to make and how excited was i to actually make something that looked exactly like the picture in the book! i made 2 pints with a tiny bit left over that i put into another jar.

the second recipe i found was for spicy fig orange microwave jam this jam is delicious! next time i will probably just make it on the stovetop but using the microwave was super easy. i didn't have the right sized jars so i made a pint and a little more. i had some this morning with some sunflower seed butter on sprouted grain bread. i could have easily just have eaten it straight out the jar.

i am sure i want to plant a fig tree in my yard. there are many more recipes i want to try and there are just not enough figs to go around!

soon i'll make the time

2010-09-01T22:49:00.000-04:00

i'll get back to blogging - the more i am away the more i find i miss it so!

i love uploading my pictures and picking out the ones i want to post. i love writing about what's going on around me. i love being forced to slow down and notice the moment - the day - the season.....and finding the beauty in it - the part i want to capture and share.

i keep telling myself and my friends - "i'll get back into the routine soon". i just need a few more days away to close the summer with my family.

just a few more days...and i can't wait.

summer 2010....

2010-08-24T07:08:00.000-04:00

is quickly coming to an end

and i'm glad

i like routines - and back to school time is back to routine time

which is good for my blog

b/c i haven't quite a hard time keeping up!

but soon i'll be back

and another year older too

so until then - enjoy your last couple of weeks of summer!

just having fun.......

2010-08-11T09:59:00.000-04:00

spending time on the lake

focusing on me time!

not thinking too much - just enjoying

in one month - i'll be 42

2010-08-03T10:02:00.000-04:00

my birthday is on sept 3rd.

unlike most people - my birthday marks the beginning of a new year for me. it is during the weeks leading up to my birthday that i look back at what i've done....

at what i could have done differently

at what i still want to do.

this is when i make my new year resolutions.

getting older doesn't upset me. every new decade brings with it new experiences and new levels of wisdom. i welcome and embrace the newness of each year...to the growth that comes with getting older....to the changes i want to make.

i have a lot on my mind as i head towards 42. i'm going to spend the next month focusing this blog on me and only me. i want to spend this time exploring and learning. i want to think deeply and feel intensely. i want to grow and move forward.

this focus on me scares me. it makes me feel selfish. but that's the point. i want to be selfish.

i don't mind getting older. actually - it realistic to think that i could have at least 50 more years left to go. what i do mind is having the years pass me by...slipping away without thought....without change.

so that's my plan. i don't know what i expect to happen on the 3rd. maybe i'll wake up a different person. maybe i won't. maybe i'll see that who i am is who i am supposed to be. maybe i'll find that i took a wrong turn and found my way back. maybe i'll find that i think too much about who i'm supposed to be and i'll just.....be. whatever it is will be good. because it will be all about me. and how can that be bad.

i forget.....

2010-08-02T13:32:00.001-04:00

i forget what it is like to be thin........

its been about 12 years since i've been thin. i gained weight with my first son and since then have gone up and down on the scale...finally stopping on up. i know what i have to do - i know there are no magic cures. i used to make myself feel better by telling myself that i am heavy yes - but i am not THAT heavy. there are heavier people than me in this world - i know that - and really weight isn't the issue here. its self image. as long as i can remember i've had major issues with my body and not liking how it looked. i've never accepted any size body i've had but at least when i was thinner i dressed better. its easy to dress better when you are thin b/c you don't have to cover a big ass or a thick middle. it didn't have to do with having style. while i'm unhappy with my current weight - that unhappiness doesn't consume me.

i forget what it is like to be strong......

i go through spurts with working out. i ran for awhle. i did the p90x for awhile. i belonged to the ymca and took some classes for awhile. but mostly in those 12 years i did nothing. it isn't until lately that i notice just how much strength i've lost. the good thing is that i notice how much strength i've lost because i've started doing yoga - in a studio - with live teachers and not with some dvd...and the strength i am gaining shows me how much i've lost. i used to do yoga a looooooong time ago and i really thought that a dvd was a decent replacement. i was wrong. the unhappiness over not being strong doesn't consume me either. its the regaining of my strength that does.

i forget what i liked when i was between the ages of 6 and 11......

this may seem like a weird thing to be upset about forgetting - but it bothers me. those years seem to be the magic years in one's childhood. if you can remember what you liked to do during those ages then you can figure out the best career for yourself. you can figure out how to relax. you can figure out what makes you happy...or so i've read. perhaps you can figure out the meaning of life! whatever it is you can discover about yourself - i won't be one of the lucky ones able to figure it out because i can't remember much about myself during that time.

Our sense of worth, of well-being, even our sanity depends upon our remembering. But, alas, our sense of worth, our well-being, our sanity also depend upon our forgetting.

~Joyce Appleby

guest post on rhythm of the home

2010-08-01T09:38:00.001-04:00

my post on making homemade fire starters was featured on the blog.

check it out here

make a splash!

2010-07-24T12:53:00.000-04:00

wait for it!

its coming!

100 degrees today with God awful humidy.

tonight my cousin (who has a pool) is inviting a bunch of us over...to swim...in her pool.

did i mention she has a pool?

if not - well then she has a pool...........and we are swimming in it

in her pool....

i'm sorry but there is really nothing else i can think about today!

hope you are finding a way to keep cool this weekend!!!

i am grateful - really i am!

2010-07-22T12:18:00.008-04:00

i am very grateful for this air conditioner.

~it is unbelievably loud and obnoxious.

~it is so loud i have to turn it off every 20 minutes or so because i feel like my head is going to explode.

~it is so loud that breaking out into a sweat within 15 minutes of turning it off is worth the peace and quiet i get from not having the a/c on.

~it is so loud that i have to turn the speakers on my computer up to 100% just to hear it.

~it is so loud that when the phone rings i have to quickly turn down the computer speakers just to hear the person on the phone.

~it is so loud that when i turn down the speakers to hear the person on the phone i find myself yelling because my ears are still ringing from the loud speakers and loud a/c.

~i am very grateful that i only work 2 days a week and this a/c is at work.

about 15 years ago i sold real estate for a year. i remember one hot summer day i was taking a mother and her child to see a few houses in a not so desirable, low-income neighborhood. we were driving around and i found myself apologizing for the mess inside my car. she looked at me and told me she could care less about how my car looked inside because she has never owned a car that had air conditioning and driving around in one that had a/c was heaven.

with this being the hottest summer in recorded history for our area - i think about that woman everytime i start to complain. i wonder if she ever bought a car with air conditioner...or is she ever had a house with a/c for that matter.

but mostly i think - if that woman had a choice for no a/c or very loud a/c - would she laugh at this post.........or roll her eyes at me for being so spoiled?

loving.....pick your own flowers from our csa

2010-07-21T11:15:00.003-04:00

even in an old yogurt container

getting back into sewing......

2010-07-19T13:51:00.017-04:00

i used to sew years ago. i took a class when pregnant with my first son and made the curtains for his room and a maternity dress (well actually a tent) that i wore on my way to the birth center! and i stopped there. i had visions of sewing all these things for the house and for the boys - but never really did. i mainly stuck to costumes

these are one of my favorite costumes i ever made. they are reversable so the boys could be either a knight or king just by flipping the costume. they are pretty beat now b/c they were well used (my youngest just barely fits the larger one!). i love the idea though and am thinking of making more of them to possibley sell - with a version for girls.

so anyway. a few months ago i was asked to make these pentecost banners and suddenly got the itch to sew again. i have a decent stash of fabric and vintage sheets/tea towels (i love fabric - and yarn - and wool......anyone else just hoard without using????) so i decided to just jump in and try something new....namely bags. i requested a bunch of books from the library and when they came i took the plunge. i made these three for my friend cindy's birthday. one thing i found that the stress of picking a fabric for someone else is crazy! i was constantly second guessing my choice. since i was determined to use only what i had - it made it much worse. (i didn't realize that most of my stash was tiny floral prints!) it is much easier to craft for me or just make some things and have someone pick what they want!

for these bags i followed the pattern exactly - just to see the entire process without having to focus on being creative. but now that i've made them - my wheels are turning for other materials to use and styles to make. i'm really enjoying myself here.

first was this zippered pouch. once i completed this one i knew i could do anything! i learned lining and zippers and handles all in one pretty piece! i have some really cool vintage green floral fabric already picked out for my next one. i like making these pouches so much i have a feeling they will make up the majority of my pieces. now i want buttons and trims and embellishments! oh my!

from these pouches i moved on to a reversible tote bag. the floral is a vintage sheet. i used the remainder of the sheet to make lounge pants that as soon as i finish the waist i'll be able to post a pic of it. i like this bag too - even though i like the stripped pattern as the main fabric instead of as a pocket.....also learned to make pockets with this one....the right way...with pretty finished edges.

the coolest tote i made was this one. remember the tyvek envelopes i said i took from the recycling center? well that is what this tote is made of - fed ex envelopes! i love love love how this turned out! super quick too - i could have easily had it done in an hour...but it took me two...mainly b/c of stupid mistakes i made and had to redo. did i mention that my new bff is my seam ripper!!!!!! i had to rip out seams for each project at least 3 times......not fun but part of learning.

so what's next? well - the lounge pants i mentioned are just about done. and after that - skirts. i have fabric picked out and the simple (a line) style chosen. i can't wait to start on them. i have 8 more books requested from the library too. ah - like christmas in july!

our local recycling center.....

2010-07-19T11:13:00.015-04:00

recycling is very important to our family. for the past 15 years we have worked very hard to limit the amount of waste that leaves our home. food waste gets composted or tossed into the woods for the critters to eat. items in decent shape gets sold or donated. if i'm really on top of things i can get my act together to freecycle items that are broken but that i can't bear to toss into the trash. but most of our trash gets recycled.

our township has the standard #1 and #2 plastic, glass and cardboard pick up. our school and church has the big bins for paper. everything else gets hauled to our local recycling center.

i love this place. its dirty. its smelly. it is home to a peacock that someone just left there one day. i volunteered there for a bit right before i had my first child...only stopping when my belly got too big to comfortably bag and haul the items!

if you don't know if something can be recycled - bring it anyway - chances are if it can't...it will be used for something creative. i've been known to pick through the trash and bring stuff home (like tyvek envelopes - and you'll see why tomorrow!)

while i love being there - the boys don't like it. they complain about having to go there (this particular day was really hot and the trash crammed into our car was pretty smelly so i couldn't blame them). they complain about having to sort the trash once there. then suddenly they get into it for a bit - fighting over who gets to smash our cartons with their feet and finding numbers my aging eyes can't see. but soon enough they are back to complaining again b/c they are sooo ready to be done.

so while recycling is a great thing to do - not buying in the first place is even better...and that is what i've been focusing on lately. in some areas i'm really good at using what i have first.....in others not so much. but i still feel we are doing more than most so that feels good.

so until we really reduce the amount of stuff coming in to our house -- off to the recycling center we'll continue to go!

how to eat fish with absolutely no waste...........

2010-07-13T18:04:00.000-04:00

i can't personally vouch for this method (being that i am a vegetarian) but from i can tell from this guy here - it works!

on our recent trip to the mountains - we stumbled upon this water snack in the lake. we followed it to this dead sunfish and for the next 20 minutes or so - we were mesmorized by what we saw.

the snake spent the first minute or so trying to decide the best way to eat this fish.

once he figured out that the best way to tackle it was head on - he got right to work

this snake literally stayed in one area just a foot or so away from us

he knew how to put on a show

every once in awhile he'd stop and pose for us - proud of his progress i am sure

sometimes he'd swim back just a tiny bit - maybe he was using the force of his body against the water to help push the fish further into his mouth - or maybe he needed some more water just as we would take a drink between bites.........

he was nice enough to give us a shot of just how wide he could open his mouth

another bow

and finally he was finished. see how fat he is right behind his head? i honestly thought i'd see a fish shape come out the back and make its way down this body. i'm sure he would have stayed longer to let us watch it travel down this body - but by this time we had drawn a crowd (lucky for us they came at the very end) because crazy grandma lady came over and scared it away.

i'm so happy that the guy we were with came through and emailed me this pics! aren't they awesome! i'm not sure i'd be as thrilled had the fish been alive and i would have seen it being killed.....but i am glad this fish was not alive and we got to watch...esp the boys. they talked about it for days!

finally some sun at the lake!

2010-07-09T18:20:00.000-04:00

so far this year everytime we've come to our lakehouse it has rained and i haven't been able to take a kayak out onto the water or go for a swim in the lake. but not this time! it is beautiful up here today! the sun is shining - there is a little breeze - cooler temps (well in the 80s as opposed to upper 90s at home). we took a sailboat out this afternoon, swam a bit in the pool and lake and had a competitive game of bean bag toss on the beach. a major highlight was watching a watersnake completely swallow a dead sunfish. we got to watch it from the moment it swam up to the fish to the final moment when he got spooked away by some crazy old grandmom and swam away with a fully ingested fish no longer visible. the worst part - I HAD FORGOTTEN MY CAMERA AT HOME!!!!!! lucky for me some nice man took my email address and offered to email his pics to me (i really hope he does b/c he got some great shots!!! it was like the snake was putting on a private national geographic show just for us)

since i have no camera - here are some pics from a month or so ago.........since i basically take the same pics whenever we come up here - i was planning on taking some different types of shots this time around - but alas i'll have to wait until next time.

tomorrow we get to visit with friends who have a house about an hour north of ours.

they have a lakefront house

and a boat.

we are really excited about finally being able to connect with them up here.

what do you do if your headache won't go away?

2010-07-08T10:46:00.000-04:00

go to mom and beg her to please do "the mal occhio"

(yep - bad grammar and all - but that's how we've always asked for it!)

it works everytime.........

and no its not snowing here in PA - far from it

i just wanted to remind myself how much i begged for this heat 5 months ago!