Color Thursday!

Photo post

Sunshine...please come out and play tomorrow so I can wear these and take some sparkly wildflower pictures.

Consider that foreshadowing!!

Sigh!!!

I am here to report some hard news!

Yes, my friends disaster has struck, not once...but twice in the last few days of my posting!!

Now, I need you to just stay calm as I walk you through this, okay?

Two of my beloved readers gently informed me of some glaring mistakes I made in a few of my posts recently.

Here is how the first one went down.

Late Monday night I was snuggled up on the couch getting ready to enjoy a cooking show, which frankly I ended up not enjoying but that is a whole 'nother thing.
My dear husband enters the room and squeezes in beside me and just sits there staring at me with a crazy eyed look and a slight grin.
I know something is up, but I am not sure what it could possibly be...but, I do know he has come from time on the computer.
He grabs the remote, pauses my show and proceeds to tell me....
"That is not a yellow bougainvillea!" Here is that original post he is referring to.

I shuffle to the image in my brain and think uuuuuuuuhhhhhh yeah it is, I mean anyone can look at that and see that it is waaaayyyyy yellow. duh!!!!

He knows what is going through my brain and his evil eye gets more cunning and his grin gets a little bigger as he holds on to his next comment for ultimate timing.

And then he lets it crash.

"No, it is not yellow...it is California Gold!"

I BURST out laughing so hard!!!
Oh how many times in this 20 years of marriage have I corrected his wrongly named color, and here he was able to boldly get one in on me!!!
He savored that!
(He had also kept the plastic tag from the plant in case he should need hard physical evidence to support his case.)
I immediately responded "ohhhhhh, then it must really be a rare variety!!

I then quoted a little sentence from that same blog that knew he probably skimmed over...
..."he wouldn't accidentally throw it away", intimating that he would in fact do it on purpose!!!
HA! That got him!
We both broke into additional fits of laughter.
Thank you God for my dear husband, who I can laugh joyously with!!

Now, take a deep breath because our next mistake was another color doozy!!
Just look at me there saying "our", as if you were party to it in the least.

Remember those pink clovers from yesterday.
Mmmm, so lovely!
Well, hmmmmm how do I break this to you?

Apparently, they were in a state of chemically induced bluster and on the way out as weeds are want to do when treated with a certain get rid of weeds product.

Did that sentence even make sense?

They were not a lovely, new to me, pink variety... they were in the throws of their death march!

laughing. out. loud.
shaking head in disbelief and muttering "lovely pink clover"
laughing out loud again at myself

I do just love that I can see something I think is gorgeous, blame it on God and form a whole little world of thankfulness around it.
I think that is a good way to live, and I am gonna keep on living like that!!!

I do make my best effort to report only truth here and appreciate genuine and gentle feedback when I do make mistakes!
Thank you to those who read and know me well enough to share those times with me in a way that has always been easy to swallow.

I guess I will be seeing you again later today when I figure out what to photograph.

I do have these to share from yesterday with a bit of artistic conversation to go along with them.
(I do forget sometimes that I am an official artist and do have something to offer in that regard.)
I said to my family the other night at dinner that I was going to ask a particular person if I could take some pictures for her, to help her in some way.
My sweet daughter immediately piped up and said...
"I dunno know Mom, so many of your pictures are blurry and bad."
She is sooooo very right!
I told her I agreed, and that is why I take so many more pictures than everyone thinks I need to.
You all don't see MOST of the pictures I take! Now my computers trash can however, gets an uncensored dump every day!!
For instance...this picture did not make the cut.

Sure it is okay...but doesn't convey what I wanted it to and the focal point is not where I wanted it to be.
I am showing it to you to point out the group of iris flowers to the left.

If you get in closer you can see that there is one bold colored one among all the white.
See, here is another photo that got sent to the trash.

I was trying to capture that one purple among the white and it just didn't work out with focus or composition.
I took 4 from varied spots all trying for the same thing. It just didn't work!
I almost threw all of them into the trash, but something about one of them caught my eye.
Just because you have and original intent when taking a picture and you don't get that... doesn't mean you have to scrap it all together.

See....

I took one of those awful mostly blurred lacking in composition pictures...scaled it way down and arrived at this...which is no failure at all.

And that is our lesson for today friends.
Keep on looking about and loving what you see, remembering who made it all!

Pink!

I wonder if God invented pink clover last night and put it on the earth while I was sleeping, because I have certainly never seen it before!

And I notice such things!
This little patch of loveliness just plain stopped me in my tracks today, (which almost caused a traffic jam, of people not cars!)

I am willing to acknowledge that it is possible that pink clover did in fact exist before today and I just didn't know about it.
But, I also don't mind thinking that God knew I would be right there in that spot and be so filled with wonder for one of His humble creations that He came up with it just for me...well, so that I could share it with you.

Be sure to really look at your world and appreciate the humble blessings of God. He will be glad you did.

I really don't have much more than that to say today!

Phenomenal

Wow, the day flew by today as I worked on accomplishing the laundry and other assorted household tasks.
I went outside to try to catch a picture of something worthwhile or phenomenal before my day was no longer my own.

I have 3 miniature rose plants close to my front door and they are busting with blooms ready to explode.
Those tiny little buds cry out for notice just as loud as any full grown variety!

However, I am not charmed by anything else in my front yard quite as much as this geranium.


That color!
Sigh...how I love it!!!

I thought it was the thing that had made me most happy today.
And technically I was right.
Visually, colorfully this was the thing that helped to make me the most happy today.

Then,
this happened.


And,
this happened!


I knew immediately that technically or not, I had it all wrong.

Those little feet walking in...mmmm-mmm!
NO comparison!!!

Color me happy!

Uhhhh...

This is all I've got...sorry!
I ran out of time today and got desperate when at a friends house for a rushed supper.
These were sitting close to where I laid my bag.
Maybe something phenomenal tomorrow!
Or not.
Hard to say at this point.

Cheering for Sam

I know someone who has decided to run a marathon.
You know what, I don't even care how far that is...the decision just to make the commitment to do it and actually train is enough to push my proud button hard!!!

We are gonna call this person Sam.
You see Sam hasn't told many people about this huge undertaking.

Sam is just not ready for the masses to know about this journey, though I wish that wasn't the case, then I wouldn't have to be so secretive and weird about it in this post.
That's okay...in time.
And don't even try to ask me who Sam is...I won't be tellin' ya.

Sam suggested in an off-hand manner that I might show up to be at the finish line of this Saturday's 5K run.
I walk approximately 1.18 miles in the morning with my gimpy ankle and wounded knee dog, and am trying to imagine keeping up the stamina to go that much more. Ugh!!


I checked the soccer schedule, saw that I had an opening and agreed to come.
I showed up early with my camera bag in tow.
I wasn't sure if I had arrived at the right place and bravely asked a very fit looking girl carrying a water cooler if I had made it to the right place.
She assured me I had, and tried to hand me this sign to hold to cheer on the incoming runners.

I told her I was sorry, but I was there to take pictures of Sam.

There was an official camera girl there.
She kept sprinting ahead of the finish line to get the runners rounding the corner, then back to get them as they finished.

I noticed she was shooting in Manual mode and I was real proud of her for that.
You could tell she was no newbie to this camera thing...like I am.


There were a few people there to cheer on their loved ones.
This sweet dad and daughter really stood out to me with their fun sign and freshly picked bouquet of wildflowers.


Beautifully and lovingly arranged wildflowers bound together with a handy scrunchy, which the girl had pulled out of her hair to make the arrangement really special for her mom.

Oh, I just love those roots hanging down!!!




As the runners rounded the last corner and began to race to the end, the assembled crowd would shout out cheers and encourage each runner to make it those last few steps to the finish line!!
The first to enthusiastically cheer each and every time was the adorable girl who had assured me I was in the right place.
She had a vested interest in each of these people who were obviously touching her life as she leads them toward their goal.
She proudly shouted their time to them, and then with great pride bestowed each with a medal, that I assume she took the time to make herself!

That is her there in the sunglasses. Her enthusiasm was infectious.



I know I cannot possibly convey to Sam how proud I am of this accomplishment.
How good it was to stand there and see those feet round the last corner and finally cross the finish line.
I want Sam to know without a doubt that this is AMAZING!!!
When the struggles come and it seems like the ultimate goal is impossible, I want Sam to remember that I am waiting patiently at the finish line to see this thing done!!!

Way to go Sam!!!

Call me crazy!

No really, it is okay if you call me crazy, I won't be offended.
I know you have no idea what I am talking about, just refer back to this when you come across anything that you may deem crazy as you read!
There is so much going on in my yard right now, I am fairly bursting to share it with you.

I am a bit of a detail girl, so I am seeing tiny little bits of amazement each day and I can't help but want to share them.
I highly doubt though that you will be interested in the 2 new leaves on the cilantro, the macro growth of tiny little bell peppers, bean plants in three different sizes though planted at the same time, or the slight variation in color of my two crape myrtle trees.
Well, I dunno...maybe it would thrill you, who am I to judge your detail geekiness!!
( I just love it when a word isn't a real word and my computer freaks out on me!)

So, here is what I was thinking.
How about we make Friday our day to catch up on all the action in my backyard world of wonder.
It can be a consistent day to show you changes that have occurred in a large enough amount that you might even be able to recognize.
I am shaking my head at myself because I am such a visual addict, nerd crazy person!!
I suppose if you are sick to death of seeing the 1/8th of an inch growth of a squash each week, you will know not to show your face around here on Friday.
Consider yourself sufficiently forewarned!!!

That said....oh man, I am so excited!
I don't even know what to show you first.
Okay, how about the lilies.
The last time we saw these, they were about 2 inches out of the ground.

That tallest one is a good 7 inches up. Those tips are filled with what will be a stunning red lily!
Your eyes are gonna bust out of your head when you see them in bloom.

Yesterday morning my wisteria did not look like this.

It is growing so fast I can't even keep up with it in a day!!


Here is our dogwood!

Aren't you so proud at how nicely it is filling out?
It is because I speak encouraging words to it.
Okay, maybe it is really because I water it and God gives it sunshine and root growth.
I like to think I am doing my part though...you know, emotionally.


Are you ready for this....



BAM!!!!
The first little tomato bulb!

Sigh, just gorgeous isn't it!!!

Wow, if I didn't like myself so much I would think I was really weird!!!
Ha, just think how my husband feels.
Though, with 20 years of time together you can bet he knows how weird I am.
Why do you think he created this lovely place for me??

I must warn you.
What you are about to see will be life changing.

Are you ready?

Deep breath please.

Could you just die????


This is a tiny little arugula which got accidentally sown with a green bean seed.
I had to end their friendship last night when I put them in their respective beds, but if things work out right, they may just see each other again someday.

Don't tell them I said that though, it may stunt their growth!

I need to introduce you to a new member of our backyard family!

(I have a deep and passionate love for all Terra cotta pots, in fact I am thinking about creating a business based solely on TC pot pictures. I will call it I love Pots and shoot orange pots all day long.)
This is a rare yellow bougainvillea.
I made up that rare part, and the business part.
I just have never seen one before, but that doesn't really make them rare, does it?
My neighbor from the old 'hood brought it over last week.
It was a sincere and loving gift meant to replace the one I had to leave behind at my old house.
Did I tell you that my husband HATES this fast growing, take over your life, weed of a plant?
Yeah, he does.
They are gorgeous but have wicked long thorns that can disable even the strongest of men.
The last one was by our front door and it grew as fast as my husband could trim it.
He made sure to place this one in a nice, out in the open, harm to no man, safe distance from all entrances and exits kind of place.
In a pot!
So that should the need arise, he could move it...or chunk it in the trash can when I am not looking.
Just kidding honey, I know you love me and would not accidentally do such a thing.


Well, while I have got you here I will show you the brave teen cardinal who stopped by this morning.

They are this fantastic dark red orange color, with lovely gray accents.
His daddy is a much truer red. It is interesting to see the two of them together.

Man, he was gorgeous.


Well, I must skedaddle.
My munchkins have an early release day and will be home in less than an hour.

Color Thursday!

Orange!

Photos

Do you see this squirrel?

He is the enemy!
It wants my bird seed and waits patiently for me to leave so he can creep up to steal it.
He mocks my dog behind the glass and she chases him.
This activity makes my trusty companion suffer with a bum knee.
An expensive bum knee.

When this squirrel and his friends begin to mess with my plants....watch out!!!

After the squirrel noticed I had once again greased the pole which leads to the seed he took off to tell his buddies to come all take a turn sliding down the pole so that the slip would wear off....
...I sat and looked at my deserted bird feeder for a full 15 minutes, camera in hand waiting for the tiny little brown birds or teenager cardinals to return.

Yes, 15 full minutes of watching the birds soar overhead but never land.

And then another 5 minutes passed.
I mean really, all I needed to get done today was some laundry and it was spinning!
I actually have an exceedingly long list of things to get done, I acknowledge this and deny its presence all at the same time.

Suddenly one tiny brave soul happened by.



He kept glancing about nervously as my shutter clicked, but didn't give up the seed.



Oh, ho...he is a messy little fellow!!


Do you think these birds eat tomatoes???
If so, we are gonna have issues!!

A rash vow

Do you recall the Old Testament story of Jephthah?
We came across it last night in our daily bible reading.
I actually hate to use the word daily, because it doesn't actually happen daily around here. The point is, we have committed (as a family) to read the bible through this year and we do it on the days we can and we forgive ourselves for the days we can't and try to keep up to date in the meantime.

Back to Jephthah.

The story is tragic beyond words!!
He was a mighty warrior who had the Spirit of the Lord with him as he went out to fight against the Ammonites in Judges 11.

Why, oh why did he make that crazy vow to the Lord beforehand?

Here, I will refresh your memory.
From Judges 11:30-31
And Jephthah made a vow to the Lord "If you give the Ammonites into my hands, whatever comes out of the door of my house to meet me when I return in triumph from the Ammonites with be the Lord's....

That would have been an awesome vow...dedicating, redeeming or committing something or someone he loved to the Lord for service.
But, he didn't stop there.
He finished the vow with
...and I will sacrifice it as a burnt offering."

WHAT???
Just who did he expect to come walking out of the door of his house?
Even if it was a servant...this would have still been unacceptable it seems!
Let's do remember that Mr. J was not spoken of directly as a righteous and holy man, but a warrior leader of a group of men whom he led about plundering the land. He was born the son of a prostitute and driven from his home.
Despite his back ground, upbringing or current status, it was a rash statement. But really, that is not at all what I came here to write about.

NO, I wanted us to think about his daughter.
You see, the person who was the first out of his door, dancing and celebrating to the sound of tambourines was his only child...a daughter.
When he saw her he tore his clothes and cried informing her of his vow, this was her response.

"My father, you have given your word to the Lord. Do to me just as you promised, now that the Lord has avenged you of your enemies, the Ammonites. But grant me this one request. Give me two months to roam the hills and weep with my friends, because I will never marry."

He accepted these terms.

She and her friends went into the hills.
Don't you know they wept and cried and mourned and fussed and wailed.
But, you know...you can only do those things for so long then acceptance sets in.
At some point do you think they began to pray?
Not a desperate prayer for deliverance, but a prayer for her to be steadfast and righteous.

And with those true and loyal friends, don't ya just bet that they spent some time with laughter on their lips and songs sung from their hearts.

Those friends of hers, I bet they ran the gambit of emotions with her and stayed to true to her desire to be submissive, even to the point of death.
Yes, I would like to imagine they went into the hills weeping but found with time that they could get past the anger and fear and hurt to laugh and pray and sing.
I picture them coming back down from the hills with different tears, don't you.
Tears of acceptance and grief.

Heavy sigh!!!

Man, my life is a cake walk!

My perspective!

I don't have much to say today...so pictures it is!

My friend Rachel (from over at Sweet Tea Enhancements) and I, were working on a project together today at her place!
I was so very glad just to have some new things to look at!
She let me wander around her backyard capturing whatever my little heart desired.
Here are those things.

Look at her pink, (I won't hold it against you Rach!) Geranium.
Perfectly fantastic in the turquoise pot.

Rachel is in this shot...she is the peach blur in the window reflection.



I worked on some focal point practice!

Aren't these chairs fantastic...yeah....Rachel built them!!!



Well, that is it for today!
Once again it is supper time and I need to get to fixin' it!

Blue Monday

Sunday Photos

Sometimes it is okay to shove and push to make your way in the world!!




Ahhhhh ha ha ha, not a good analogy for child rearing!!

Learn as you go!

Here are a few things I learned yesterday on my photo shoot!
Oh wait, did I not tell you I had a shoot?

Oh yes I did.
It was me and my camera and my lovely assistant and a few hours of time.
Oh...you didn't know I had a lovely assistant?
That would be my dear husband!


There was absolutely nothing official about this "shoot" except that I had decided in my mind I would go and take the time to practice developing my skills at a ranch where I had attended a wedding just the week before.

I wanted to work on sun flare some more, taking action shots, and seeing beauty in ordinary things.
In the meantime I learned a few things... as I was saying earlier before I got distracted.

1. Study your subject.
It is much easier to take a picture when you can predict in some small way what the subject may do. As I got more comfortable I found the shots were improving.











2. Take more pictures than you think you need.
My kids (oh I forgot to mention they were along too) kept insisting that I was taking too much time and taking too many pictures. I was not to be pressured this day and just kept on shooting.
When I got home and loaded my pictures, though I had taken 183 I truly wished I had taken twice that many. So often, you think you have something spot on only to find it is not.









3. Don't second guess yourself.
If something catches your eye...pursue it. It matters not if it is simply a humble weed or a drape of moss, beauty is beauty! If it touches you it may touch someone else as well.












4. Don't give up.
So you can't harness the light like you want...don't let that stop you from trying!! You can only improve if you keep working, working, working!!!










5. Don't forget your age!
Ahhh ha ha! This one is silly, but true.
I am so very sore today from hiking, bending, squatting, jogging...all to catch a shot, in my big heavy rubber boots mind you.
I certainly don't regret any of those things but must keep in mind to keep fit, so I can do whatever I want to!





6. Have fun and love what you are doing!


Well, that is it!

I will be back later today with a photo I have taken this day!

And, here I am!
This is a shot of the dish I made from my first issue of Food Network Magazine!


It is NOT a keeper, so I won't use the time to type it out!!
I will say proudly though that my family, (sans my oldest and pickiest) managed to eat and be full despite the veto on the dish!

Gotta run!!