For the first 50 years of my life, my perfectionist self mistakenly believed it was all about knowing more, getting it right, planning, attempting to prevent bad things from happening, and keeping all of my chicks in a row. It took me this long to discover that the JOURNEY is all that matters. This quote from Gilda Radner sums it all up:

"I wanted a perfect ending. Now I've learned, the hard way, that some poems don't rhyme, and some stories don't have a clear beginning, middle, and end. Life is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment and making the best of it, without knowing what's going to happen next.
"


Thursday, July 28, 2011

A Horse of Many Colors

 I took a LOT of pictures when I was in Alaska and I have been happily working on them since I got home, getting them just the way I want them.   My niece, Emily, really wanted a picture of her kissing  her horse, Tucker.  I have the picture, which I love, but it seems to call out to me that it needs a different feel to it.  So I have been experimenting with different color effects and I don't know which one I like the most...... What do you think?


 (Click on each photo to make it larger and it will be easier to view the full effect.)

Original photo without any effect

 
Effect: Anime  (has a little more contrast and a slight glow)





        
Effect: Blue Dawn  (colors not so bright)





 Effect: Fade to Black and White





 Effect: Halftone (it has a little grain to it)






 Effect: Antique






Effect: Diffuse Glow

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

My Cheatin' Heart

I left home last week and spent 5 days at my sister's home.

My husband stayed at home.
So did my 2 dogs and 3 cats.

I have to admit something.  I cheated!

Vinny was so handsome!
So was Gus.
Mr. Kits was a bit old, but he still had needs.
Junior reminded me of someone back at home.
Benz was a bit large for my taste, but we had a little bit of alone time.

So many men to pick from and so few days to get to know them!

I couldn't resist taking their pictures almost every chance I got!
Sorry Benz, I didn't get one of you!


This is Vinny, the youngest and most enthusiastic of the group...



























And this is Gus...


And Mr. Kits...  (Notice that he has a slightly long eye tooth that is very attractive!)







And this is Junior...

Oh, and on the last day of my visit,  another furry creature was seeking me out...




Monday, July 25, 2011

My Sister, My Self


I just got back from Alaska.  I was visiting my sister.

My sister is pretty special.

I can't think of a single person in this world who knows me better than my sister.

She knows the child that I was, the teen-age that I came to be, and the adult that I am.

She is your mirror, shining back at you with a world of possibilities. She is your witness, who sees you at your worst and best, and loves you anyway. She is your partner in crime, your midnight companion, someone who knows when you are smiling, even in the dark. She is your teacher, your defense attorney, your personal press agent, even your shrink.
-- Barbara Alpert


My memory is not the greatest these days, but I honestly can't think of a time when we have fought with each other.

When we disagree, I have to think about it really hard because it's like disagreeing with myself.  We are so much alike that it's impossible not to give great consideration to her point of view.

Yet we are very different too.  But differences that might drive me crazy in someone else don't seem to bother me in my sister.

A sister can be seen as someone who is both ourselves and very much not ourselves - a special kind of double.
-- Toni Morrison


My sister lives far away from me, but that doesn't matter.  She is only a phone call away.

I couldn't imagine what it would be like to go through the ups and downs of life without her.


“There can be no situation in life in which the conversation of my dear sister will not administer some comfort to me.”
 --Mary Worley Montagu



Oh, I just remembered something.
We did have a fight one time.
I have a scar above my eye to prove it.
Don't get Lori mad when she has a baton in her hand!  :)











Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Spilled Paint and Grey Grout


I have been putting my daughter, Kerry, to work around the house this week for my sake and for hers. 

Today she was given the job of painting some trim in my bedroom that has been bothering me for about 3 years.  You see, I painted the rest of my bedroom 3 years ago, then got sidetracked by life and I left a few windows (I hate to paint windows!) and door trim undone.

So I went down to the basement and found the can of paint, stirred it up, put the cover back on,  and carried it up to my bedroom.











I carried it through the unfinished part of the basement,
through the laundry room,
through the finished carpeted basement,
up the carpeted basement stairs,
through the tiled foyer,
up the carpeted stairs,
and into my bedroom. 

I had brought along a big piece of cardboard to put the paint can on so nothing would get on my bedroom floor.  I set it down on the cardboard and proceeded to show my daughter what she needed to do.

It was at this point that I noticed there was paint on the bamboo floor and paint dripped on both of my feet.

I looked at the paint can and there was nothing on the outside of the can.  It was clean.

I picked it up and there was a pool of white paint collecting underneath the can. Oh S@!&%

The paint had been drizzling out the bottom of the can all the way from the basement!

I won't bore you with the details of the clean-up, with the exception of an amazing discovery!

The grout in the tile of our foyer really isn't dark brown!!!!!


After cleaning a patch of white paint off the grout with a toothbrush,  I discovered the grout is really grey!  Imagine that!

Since the floor was laid back in 1988,  I have washed it many times.  But I have never noticed the grout was changing color.

It made me wonder, what other things in my life have gone unnoticed?

And what will it take to make me notice them?





Monday, July 11, 2011

Thank you, Summertime.

    "Your life is a reflection of how you sleep, and how you sleep is a reflection of your life."
      -Dr. Rafael Pelayo
I feel good.  Real good.  

Why?

It's summertime.  

And in the summer,  I sleep until I wake up.

I sleep for 8 hours.

I have soooo much energy.

I have a greater sense of inner peace.

I feel so creative.

Thank you, summertime.
 



Thursday, July 7, 2011

It's Kerry's Birthday Today!!!




It was 19 years ago today that we were blessed with a new addition to our family!



She was an 8lb, 11oz bundle of joy! 

And we named her Kerry!


She was the most beautiful little baby with pudgy cheeks...


And great big eyes!

Adam loved her and the feeling was mutual!


I had lots of fun dressing her up in cute little girl clothes!

 
She made the perfect "Piglet" when she was two years old...

 

And I will never forget my adorable little 'Minga" (Gumby's sister) when she was 3!


Kerry loved her blankie and she loved the Disney princesses!

She also loved cats!  Here she was "helping Molly take a nap".




 Beauty & the Beast was her favorite movie when she was 3.


 As she grew, she left her fairy tale princesses behind in favor of fishing.  She LOVED to fish!



 And she always had her Dad wrapped around her little finger!

 And she ALWAYS had a soft spot for cats!


And she ALWAYS had very large eyes!



Kerry was such a sweet little girl.



 She loved to ham it up for the camera and make us laugh!




 That is our neighbor Jon in the garbage can!


    Kerry is the one in the center (pictured with Annie and Jon)



 When Tigger (Mr. Wiggles) came into our family,  Kerry had met her soul-mate.




Another one of Kerry's loves is sports.  She loves to compete in just about anything!

But softball turned out to be her favorite of all!







 Over the years, it has been her close friends and family who matter the most...










 ...and MR. WIGGLES!


 Happy Birthday, Kerry!  You are such a joy and such a pain in the ass! 
WE LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!