kasey's photo challenge

People often times ask my why I take so many pictures. What on earth do I do with all my pictures? Isn't it a hassle?

I have so much to learn regarding my beloved little canon.....& would love to one day take a class so i can throw a term such as aperture around in my everyday talk. I think capturing the little moments in life and documenting them on film has become my most favorite hobby. I can spend hours a day editing photos, printing photos, just perusing them, recalling the events surrounding them, framing them, and even painting them.

I want to remember life's fleeting moments . I want to chronicle our days. I want to have a tangible record of how much I love my girls and how flippin crazy i am over my hubby. I want them to feel beautiful.....that whether they are dressed in a beaded formal gown for a pageant or pony tails and ripped jeans just walking on the beach....that I treasure each moment I have with them. When Caroline is running the fields flying a kite and giggling, when Savannah is cheering in front of hundreds of football fanatics, when Madison's blue eyes dance in the sunlight, when Emi builds a sandcastle.....I love each of those little moments and each of those girls so much. I think they feel a sense of pride when they see me pull out the camera and know that whatever they're doing , i think its wonderful enough to capture.

I think photography , as many important aspects of our lives, takes time and a commitment. It requires making an effort to sometimes stand back and enjoy whats going on around us while attempting to freeze us in that particular moment. It doesn't mean everyone needs to look just right or that the photo has to be taken with a $2,000 camera or fancy lens, but just a heart that's set on taking it all in, absorbing right where we are.

Kasey is having a photo challenge and has several ladies have joined in....go check out their captured moments!

~~berry goodness~~

Strawberry pickin time is here!!

We're fortunate to live very close to a great berry patch, where for years I've taken the girls out to pick berries. We usually come home with at least 3 gallons to make jam ( which makes cute little gifts) and load up the freezer for year round yummy berries to add to smoothies & salads.

These are all oldie pics taken pre-digital camera days but i love them anyways.

~Its best to pick berries first thing in the morning while the berries are cooler.

~Don't wash or remove the caps until you are ready to use them

~When freezing them whole, hull the strawberries and place on a cookie sheet. Once frozen you can transfer them in a freezer bag. Once they are frozen they shouldn't stick together.

~If you plan to freeze your sliced berries in cereals or desert toppings, add a tablespoon of sugar per cup of berries. Let stand for a few minutes until they become juicy, then freeze. If you plan to use the sliced berries in jam or other recipes later, do not add the sugar.

~Let your berries thaw in the frig. You may add frozen berries to recipes.

Strawberry- Poppy Seed Vinaigrette

2 cups hulled strawberries

6 tbl lemon juice

1/4 c sugar

1/4 c cider vinegar or balsamic vinegar

1/4 c olive oil

1/8 tsp poppy seeds

using food processor, puree berries until smooth. add lemon juice and sugar and process until well combined. with machine running gradually add vinegar and oil in a steady stream. process until blended. stir in poppy seeds.

this makes a wonderful vinaigrette thicker than most. serve on a salad of mixed greens with grilled chicken or steak. i love to add brown sugared almonds and blue cheese!

living in the moment~ an inspirational story

I stumbled across this story today.

I don't know that i have ever heard a more tender story of bravery,

unconditional sacrificial love,

& the joy of living your life to the fullest --each moment.

The link i have is actually from snopes which a longer version of the story.

I urge you to take the 120 seconds it will take to read this.....

Personally, I pray I learn from this story....that i take to heart the lesson from this beautiful bride ....that i learn to not live a life wrapped up in fear (which i struggle with frequently) ...

that I take each day as a blessing & live it , out loud, to its fullest blessing.

http://www.snopes.com/photos/people/katie.asp

(photo from http://www.romainblanquart.com/Roro/Bride_0.html

you must click on the words/text to go to the photo essay

...then click the little bubbles at the bottom of the page. )

~happy earth day~

~ Happy Earth Day~

Just know that even compared to the majesty of Mount Rushmore,

the amazing view from Niagara Falls,

the delicacy of an unfolding tulip,

the gentle sound of a wren's song,

and the amazing miracle that ocean knows just how far to go

...He loves you much more than all those.

How precious to me

Are your thoughts O God!

How vast the sum of them

Were I to count them

they would outnumber the grains of sand.

Psalm 139. 17~18

Treats for my senses

Between mid February and the beginning of April, we celebrate 3 of our 4 daughter's birthdays, Valentines Day, my birthday, our anniversary and sometimes Easter sneaks in there too.

My sweet guy is truly a most romantic man....he puts great thought into gifts , hides a multitude of cards throughout the house for me to find & usually sends a few in the mail too. He always way out gives me.

So, not being one who can appreciate a surprise, a couple of days before my birthday my curiosity was about to kill me...what had he done this year?

The whole tanked economy issue & our depleting stock portfolio combined with the fact that we really need a new dishwasher ( snore) and our pitiful carpets

( that truly wish they were hardwood floors)

are in dire need of cleaning,

I was hoping he'd play it down

......... oh , who am i kidding...

so i was busily trying to guess what the gift was.

my only hint was " I wanted to buy you something you would never ask for.

I wanted to buy you something you'd never want to spend the money on for yourself"

Well, that could easily have been the dishwasher.
why would i ask for one of those or certainly spend the money on one--right?

He leaves the room & comes back in with a large silver box from Nordstroms.

This clearly isn't an appliance
I open the box and take in the most amazing aroma.........italian leather.

I then see the Dooney label on the bag.....oh my....

inside was this beauty!!

I buried my face in that dreamy brown bag of perfection

" It smells incredible!! just like a horses stable!!! I'm in love!"

He looks at me a little bewildered---" a horse stable? do you mean a horse saddle?"

"yes --yes--that's it!! of course!! a leather saddle"

( see, i have this whole inner-cowgirl thing going on)

Oh my, let me tell ya girls

I have never owned a fancy bag but he has created a monster out of me now. I am so in love with this--

I do apologize

i realize this post is horribly materialistic

but just picture my vintage dishwasher and a home with shabby carpet

& you'll be slapped back into my real world :)

Will she always smell this wonderful?

Is it like the aroma of a new car--intoxicatingly wonderful for a few weeks and then slowly fades away?

As if that weren't enough to send me into a blissful state of living
he also bought me one of these
in yellow if you were wondering, with a great speaker dock for my kitchen
I love to have music on in our home ( & yes i know, welcome to the 21st century) but i've used my cd player (gasp) and greatly tired of listening to radio talk and the same songs over and over...so now i have 586 of my fave songs on shuffle at all times!

and for more fun.. a gurglepot ~~ which makes a wonderful whimsical little gurgling sound--(truth be told, you too can play that little gurling sound if you open their site..what a riot...) as you pour water. surely this will help me drink those 8 8oz glasses a day...just to hear that cute little noise.

I sure do love that boy!!!

Have a happy weekend
I'll be the one listening to James Taylor, Elton John, Taylor Swift, Norah Jones & Keith Urban and smelling my gorgeous bag while drinking 64 oz of h2O!


ps--on a real life serious note--several of you have been so sweet to email me your thoughts and prayers for my precious father in law. He is slowly improving after having major organ issues ( heart, lungs, pneumonia, gallbladder, intestinal problems, enlarged prostate, and the list goes on). The cardiologist told him if he had 9 lives, he surely used 5 of them recently. His spirits are better and he is finally able to eat (its been a month with no food!). Sweet precious man , we are so grateful for you!

a little farmhouse full of dreams

I'm certain one of the greatest events in a friendship occurs when you are able to witness the unfolding of one anothers dreams
This past weekend I finally saw the brick & morter real life dream come true of my friend Susan.

a simply gorgeous yellow farmhouse

Susan was martha to me long before I had ever heard of Martha Stewart.
Susan can do anything.
Days after Gregg passed away, she showed up at my home to wrap hundreds of twinkly lights on my humble Christmas tree.
She has made clothes for my girls
brought over wreaths made of gingerbread
dozens of elaborately decorated sugar cookies ( from valentines day pooh themed to Christmas angels glittered with edible gold dust & drages)
she created my wedding dress & my wedding flowers
brought over pumpkins filled with pansies
& handpainted scuplted pinecone wreaths
invited my family for 17 years of Easter celebrations
ever the gracious host, always having time to chat with her guests and make each feel equally important

Despite that we are one generation different in age, we are both mothers of four daughters and each love our golden retrievers. We connect.

For years she spoke about "the property"
The place she would construct her dream home, host weddings and events , grow lavender, & witness both the sunrise and sunset from her bedroom windows.
Susan, thank you for sharing Sweet Grace Farms with my family.

" Breathe beauty , art, & love into this place
let forgiveness and grace have their way
hang garlands of mercy from the porch
your light will shine bright to strangers"

just like sisters

kristin, jami, me, & lori

this past weekend i had the long overdue pleasure of getting together

with 3 of my best friends , ever

jami & lori are identical twins & we've been close since 8th grade

kristin grew up across the street from me

each of us intertwined the other

we've been each others maid of honor

bridesmaids

room mates

&

favorite friends

we've double dated together

spent endless sleep overs together

know each other secrets

&

run 1/2 marathons together

we shared dreams & disappointments

chips & salsa

16 years of easter celebrations

our children's accomplishments & our own failures

books, clothes, shoes & jewelry too

been there for the birth of babies

& the unimaginable burial of one

we even share the hopes of those babies yet to come

breakups & re-unions

beachtrips

bad dates & bad hair

always ready with a laugh and maybe a casserole

or even a piece of james avery jewelry if the times are really hard

silent tears shared at gravesides

when words can't be found

that only a lifelong friendship

can truly understand

kristin & i talk daily

usually more than once

while the twins, i may not see for months

but we pick up like it was yesterday

even though my girls have each other

i pray they are blessed enough to find 3 friends as wonderful as these

three finer women can not be found

i'm so grateful to do life with you

i love you each

(even if your hips are thinner & your teeth whiter~wink)

i love the rain

i especially love a spring rain

something so purifying and healing to my soul.

to hear the sound , the smell it leaves behind, to the way the sky glows at sunrise just after the shower with all the majestic colors of spring highlighted like a watercolor painting come to life

its raining today & that's just fine with me

( i'll give you a heads up here--if you want a funny, light & carefree post you might just close this one now & come back later, sorry)

dan's sweet daddy is in the hospital with doctors running a gazillion tests trying to figure out what is wrong

today he's a frail 87 year old man but years ago he was a strapping man in the coast guard protecting our country

loyal husband married to the same woman for 50 years whom he buried 9 months ago

a gentle soul with wrinkles from years and years of wearing a smile & carrying a joke

first generation of Swedish immigrants to America

crystal blue eyes that always see the good in people

a servants heart that is currently struggling to find a normal sinus rhythm

he's lost weight from the current illness

he has iv's in each arm & a picc line that was placed yesterday

bruises up and down his arms from where his platelets counts were low

a horrific ng tube down his nose hooked up to suction,-probably the most barbaric medical tool i've ever seen ,because he has a blockage "somewhere"

oxygen canula in because he can't breathe well

he came in to the hospital in renal failure which they think they've fixed secondary to dehydration, from what cause...who knows still

with an enlarged prostate

anemic

now they think gallbladder issues

or maybe a blockage in the colon

his heart goes in & out of a-fib, a-flutter, v-fib and when it does he is confused & agitated

he can't move

he can't get comfortable

he hasn't eaten in days.....days

his mouth is dry

he feels bad for the way he looks therefore only wants us as visitors

& no one else

but he doesn't complain,

ever

of course not

he survived the depression and is part of the greatest generation

of course he isn't going to complain

oh did i mention he had quadruple bypass 40 something years ago, so his heart is quite fragile along with "everything else"

despite all this his nurses say

"he's one of the sweetest men we've ever cared for

....what a delight he is"....

my point exactly

i must say , i think caroline is his favorite

maybe because they both have blond hair & blue eyes

maybe because she's so stinkin cute

or maybe because they just have a special connection , kindred spirits if you will

she's so tender right now worrying about her pop pop

her kindred spirit

and worrying about her daddy & how

he's doing with all this

these photos aren't related

i took them a couple years ago at "the tulip house"

on a cloudy day

just after it rained

god speed pop pop

Oh, give us pleasure in the flowers today;

And give us not to think so far away

As the uncertain harvest;

keep us here

All simply in the springing of the year

Robert Frost