WATER LILIES

The water lilies are in full bloom. Today is the first time I've actually seen them in bloom. They are absolutely gorgeous. My camera and I had a wonderful time.

HUGZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ to all!!!

DANCE

Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass... it's about learning to dance in the rain.
-author unknown

GOOD SATURDAY

Hope everyone is having a good Saturday. I've been playing with our church's website and editing the pictures I took at Vacation Bible School this summer (STILL). I love taking massive amounts of pictures; I don't necessarily love editing massive amounts. Every year I promise myself I will be more sensible in regard to how many pics I take...and every year I go overboard. Oh well, it's just too much fun to try to capture some of the wonderful expressions on the kids' faces. Looking at the pics I've gotten at the end of each day is almost like Christmas!

Anyone else care to share your Saturday activities?

hugzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

WHEW

We seem to have a trend here...busy, busy, busy! What should logically follow a comment like that is to tell you some of the things I've been doing, and I would if I could remember. I do know that I've gotten the church website updated which is a good thing to have done.

Both girls called on Father's Day...it was great to talk to them. Andrea is about to be the one to "open" the art supply store where she works instead of going in after noon. She's looking forward to being off earlier in the afternoon.

I'm still editing Reunion pictures and VBS pictures; hopefully will get them finished one of these days.


I have joined an online community. It's like My Space but is for folks over 50. I've joined a couple of the digital photography groups there and was excited to find out I had come in second place in a "challenge" that just ended. The theme was "things found on the ground." Here is my AWARD WINNING picture: (you do want to see it, don't you?????????) I called it "water water everywhere." No prezzies or anything...just lots of fun!

Hope the weekend is great for all of you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

CAN YOU EXPLAIN THIS ONE?

WHEW & VIEW

Vacation Bible School 2007 has come and gone. It was a wonderful week filled with munchkins, fun, food, lots of games and fellowship, and taking about 1500 pictures by the time the week ended. I still have lots of editing of pics to do, but that can be done while I'm sitting in my recliner!!!!

Last night was the "tailgate party" to end out the festivities. It was great fun...songs and a slideshow and even a "homecoming court" with beautiful girls in long dresses and guys in suits! (Our high school kids clean up quite nicely!!! (giggle) )We did cheat a bit. After the program, we headed for the hot dog supper...only to discover a line snaking all the way out of the Life Center and down the hall. Welllllllllllllllllll...since hot dogs are not my favorite food anyway, another couple and Roy and I went to a restaurant instead. CHICKEN FRIED STEAK...YUMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM.

To exercise your brain this morning, I'm posting this optical illusion. Can you find the hidden tiger in the picture? No, it's not the big one that is the focal point of the painting. It took me a long time to find it...thought I was losing my touch.

Let me know when you spot it.

hmmmmmmmmm...massive amounts of wet stuff are falling from the sky! What in the world is that strange substance?????????????

Today is Roy's and my 33rd anniversary. He's going to cook for me tonight! No plans besides that; both of us are ready for a nice quiet evening after the busy week.

Friday huggzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

BUSY, BUSY, BUSY

Morning!

Hope Wednesday is treating everyone well! Life is in the "fast lane" in our little zoo right now. This week is Vacation Bible School, and I'm taking pictures and Roy is running sound and video. It is such a fun week. Gone are the days of my youth when VBS was plain and simple. Now it is a major production! One big theme...decorations...drama...crafts (always)...recreation. We are blessed with a couple of extremely talented ladies who are willing to pull together the most incredible productions for the opening assemblies. We never have trouble getting adult and youth helpers because all of us are anxious to see what these ladies will do next. It will be a rare child who will forget the message presented during these 4 days.

Right now I'm editing pictures. Someone needs to have a serious chat with the photographer. She has once again taken over 1200 pictures...and that was only during the first 2 days! If she isn't careful, someone is going to have to splint her poor shutter finger! (giggle)

I wish I could show you some of the closeups of the kids. It's like Christmas for me when I pop the memory card into my laptop and see what I've captured for the day.

Time to get back to editing! Laterz, taterz!

hugzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

REUNION TIME

Aren't "family reunions" strange creatures. I am just now getting back into the "loop" of ours. While my kids were young, I didn't make the effort to go to the reunions, but now that I'm older with an empty nest, it seems very important to be part of that "family unit."

We're an assorted lot. My mom was one of 9 kids so there are lots of cousins. Several have already died (entirely too young!!!), several aren't "in touch" at the moment, and one of our "cousins crew" isn't able to travel. The scariest thing is the fact that I was the YOUNGEST "cousin" at the reunion.

It was a delightful two days of "remembering," catching up on current families and watching "family dynamics." I laughed a lot; I have inherited my mom's sense of humor and just can't resist being silly at times.

There are only 2 aunts left, and both of them are well into their 80's. There were 7 of us cousins there. There were also assorted spouses and a couple of our offspring. It was wonderful but tiring, so I was glad to come home last night. I will continue to enjoy the reunion as I sort through the million pictures Roy and I took as well as the "pictures of yesteryear" we scanned from the albums of our cousins.

Oh...and I'm proud to announce that my horseshoe team (Tommy and I) won FIRST PLACE in the horseshoe throwing contest. DON'T ASK ANY QUESTIONS! It's much more impressive if you don't know all the details!!!

SUMMERTIME

I'm a tried-and-true Texan, but I must admit that I HATE THE SUMMER HEAT IN TEXAS! The older I get, the more I dislike it. Today's high was only 91, but it felt like 100. Will it be October soon???

REALLY IMPORTANT STUFF

Some important ideas from Really important stuff my kids have taught me by Cynthia Copeland Lewis. Read deeply; there are some profound truths hidden in the simplicity.

*************

--If you don't run, you won't trip, but you may never get there.

--How do you know you can't make a rocket out of tin foil boxes and cardboard unless you try?

--Toads aren't ugly -- they're just toads.

--There are names that hurt much more than sticks and stones.

--Don't dive deeper than you have breath for.

--Don't pop someone else's bubble.

--Sometimes you need a little push to go down the big slide.

--A pencil without an eraser might just as well be a pen.

--Every day comes with a day after.

--Slugs leave an easy trail to follow, but who really wants to?

--You have to be ready to jump when the rope swings under your feet.

--If you can't swim, wade.

I love this little book. The entries make me smile, but they hold such wisdom!!! As is said, "...and a little child will lead them."

ASTUTE OBSERVATION 060506

As I was getting ready to go to bed about 2:30 this morning, I stepped outside with the dog and discovered that everything was beautiful. The air smelled fresh from the rain, the stars were twinkling, and the moon was shining bright. What's a girl to do???? Why go inside and grab the camera, of course. Out of my "wee hours photography session" has come another of my ASTUTE OBSERVATIONS. Monday's astute observation says that IT IS NOT ANY EASIER TO HOLD A CAMERA STILL AT 2:30 A.M. THAN IT IS AT OTHER TIMES--ESPECIALLY IF ONE'S ARMS ARE EXTENDED OVER ONE'S HEAD." The moonlight shining through the branches translated into a black picture with a small round orb of light in the middle. The branches and leaves and stars were nowhere to be found. I told the camera exactly what I wanted; I guess it just didn't listen.

NOSTALGIA

Music is so strange. I was just sitting here listening to the new songs I added to my blog on blogspot, and once again I realize that when I hear "Close To Cathy" or "Can't Help Falling In Love," it is almost like I'm being transported back in time to my high school days. I can close my eyes and once again feel like I'm on a dance floor moving to the music. Not all high school memories are good ones...such as not being asked to dance when one of those songs was playing... but memories of dancing to those two songs are definitely great ones.

WET STUFF!!!

We had over an inch of rain tonight!!!!! Best part of that story is the fact that they were predicting 2 inch diameter hail and winds up to 70 m.p.h. All we got was the wet stuff! We were blessed!

I was outside a little while ago and saw the most adorable baby bird hopping around on the ground. Naturally, by the time I ran inside and grabbed my camera and got back to where he had been, he had "moved on." I did spot him just as he was going into some bushes and got this "only slightly blurry" picture. Isn't he adorable!!! I am assuming the grown bird that was sitting on the tree branch right above where he was and was scolding me every time I got near him is his mommy. I sure hope she gets him back in the nest before one of the neighborhood cats finds him. It always makes me sad to see a baby bird that didn't make it.

Our day lilies are in full bloom. I took a bunch of macro pictures...discovered I need to figure out how to get the whole picture to be in focus in the macro pictures and not just one part. I'm guessing it has something to do with "spot focusing." I guess I'll have to break down and read the manual. (S)

Saturday huggies and lovies to all!

cath

Friday...WE'RE GRADUATED !!!!

Friday , May 18, was a busy, tiring and DELIGHTFUL day! Alyson is now grajumacated (that's Texan for "graduated"). I still love graduations...still get misty-eyed when they play "Pomp and Circumstance," and still almost burst with pride when she walks across the stage (and especially when she got hooded!) I'm sure you'll want to see a few pictures .

The Chapel where it was held was

awesome.

Hooding

And the awarding of the diploma

Proud, proud, proud parents!

That evening we drove to Illinois and had supper at Olive Garden with Alyson's boyfriend's parents. It was a fun evening, and of course the food was delicious. As we drove along I took some pictures of downtown St. Louis. I'll post a few of those eventually.
Friday huggies and lovies to all!