Macro Monday and I Feel Fine

I took down the Christmas tree today, and I feel fine:). Although it is now dark and I am already missing the cozy feel the lit tree can give a room, I am glad it's gone. Breathing space, and there is more room for the band to set up and play. Beatles rock band, that is, a favorite gift of my children's Christmas this year. And while I am loving how they are appreciating The Beatles, I am beginning to think and talk in Beatle music speak. The songs are running through and in and out and narrating my thoughts. As I was taking down the tree and unwinding all those lights the band played on, and on. I could not resist singing along, or even doing an impromptu drum solo as they played set after set and debated who resembled which Beatle the most.

Hey la, hey la hello ya, you say good bye and I say hello, eight days a week.

Eye Saw a Shadow on Sunday

Check out all the shadow shots at:http://heyharriet.blogspot.com/. Enjoy.

Sky Watch

I took this photo a few days ago out my front door in the late afternoon. Suddenly the sky looked like a beautiful water color painting and I grabbed my camera happy for a brief distraction. My mini van had been broken into, driver side window shattered, probably with a screwdriver or crow bar, earlier that morning. My pocket book which had been on the van floor locked inside, was nowhere to be found; a double assault. I spent the day in a daze, picking up the pieces, feeling a little sorry for myself and all that involves. We are still doing that actually. However keeping it all in perspective, just a minor bump in this roller coaster we are all riding on everyday. Just thankful that no one fell out of the coaster car. Just my purse.
Check out all the beautiful skies at:http://skyley.blogspot.com/.

wordless wednesday

There's no place like home for the holidays.

Babies, Boys and Dolls

My youngest child along with my other three want a baby for our family. This can no longer happen as I have tried my best to explain in varying ways, but still we repeat this conversation regularly. It is most difficult for my eight year old to digest. " But why??"He asks over and over. It makes me a little sad that my youngest will never experience having a younger sibling to love on. Everyone in the family "loves" and dotes on the baby, at least until they are old enough to talk back and get into your stuff and really annoy you. He will never have this experience, but wants it so badly. He would love a baby girl he has told me on numerous occasions. This is especially endearing as he is "all boy", more gender specific than any of my others. And although he would prefer "an Asian baby girl" he will take what he can get. I find this simultaneously heartbreaking and heartwarming and often end up with a lump in my throat after a conversation with him about this. And now, I have a new sweet picture of him in my mind that makes my eyes water:

It is a few days before Christmas and our bedroom is filled with presents that have yet been wrapped. There a piles here and there among clothes waiting to be put away and clutter piling up in the distraction that this holiday brings. It is later in the day, after dinner and he is supposed to be in there wrapping his presents he has purchased at school for his family. I glance into the room to make sure he is not snooping for his own unwrapped gifts I have hidden about. He is distracted by the baby doll I purchased for his littlest cousin, herself a baby girl. He spent time with this present yesterday when I first showed it to him . And now again, there he stands with the life size baby doll which is still in its packaging, laid out on our rumpled bed, and is feeding it the little bottle that comes with. He is there in the glow of my bedside lamp, head tilted in concentration waiting patiently for the baby to finish her food. Glancing up he sees me watching him from the doorway and shyly smiles. "I thought you were wrapping?" I say. " I just want to finish feeding her so she will burp and go to sleep ," he replies in all seriousness, quickly back on task in the midst of tape and crumpled wrapping paper. I linger for a moment and then quickly whisper to his Dad to take a look. Even though my eight and a half year old little boy will never be a big brother, he will be a Daddy one day of this I am quite sure.

Mosaic Monday

Cannot believe it is Christmas almost. Already! Very busy week with kids in school for only two and a half days. Here is my today to do list for today: Continue to Christmas Shop, coordinate/facilitate grandmother's return home from convalescent home(includes many phone calls on cell phone from lots that may interrupt the flow of day at any moment, including hysterical grandmother, very sad and emotionally draining), tackle the mountain of laundry that needs to be washed folded and sorted, probably six plus loads that are threatening to take over, call husband at work to figure out who forgot their lunch on the counter today(it was him) check, wrap, wrap,wrap, don't forget to pick Gabe up at school today, I owe him for giving me Friday off which is usual day I pick him up and he does not take the bus, bring one to wrestling practice, pick another and friends up from track practice, plan and execute a tasty and nutritious meal for dinner, attend a PSAT informational meeting that some smarty scheduled Crazy Christmas week, why? I know I am forgetting something and will add to my list as day moves on. I would love to hear what everyone else is doing today. Make sure you put checking out the mosaics at: http://dearlittleredhouse.blogspot.com. That's on my list too, I better get moving! Happy Holidays everyone!

Let It Be

I love the blog http://kindovermatter.blogspot.com/. It is just full of words of wisdom and ways to express them. My lovely daughter helped me replicate a photo we saw there. Check it out.

Bird on a Finger

Sky Watch Silhouette

I love silhouettes. The traditional kind of profiles in black and white that my grandmother collects or the delicate branches of a tree contrasted off the vertical striped sky in my yard. Vertical striped sky? How did that happen? Be they shadows or literal they are at once classic and modern and a constant play between the negative and positive space. Love em.
Check out all the whimsical skies at :http://skyley.blogspot.com/.

Wordless Wednesday and gifts remembered.

Emily Rose, my god daughter. Almost two years ago today she was the best Christmas gift her parents and older brother received that year, the one they had been dreaming of for months and months. Arriving by plane strapped to the front of a traveling missionary after a very longggg flight from Korea. Eight months old and finally home for Christmas.

Mosaic Monday: Happy Holidays

I made this mosaic for our Christmas card this year. I was so inspired by all the beautiful mosaics I am able to see each week and was trying to think of something a little different for this years card. I chose some of my favorite pictures taken recently and turned them all black and white. I think I like it. Unfortunately when you have it printed on a 5x7 card with a border of red paisley surrounding it, it is not as easy to appreciate the photographs, or to figure out exactly who is in each one as they turn out quite tiny. The look on my mother-in-laws face was priceless when we gave her a sneak preview of the card. She sure looked a little baffled as she tried to figure it all out. Her forehead all scrunched up, eyes squinted and mouth half open as she tried to come up with something to say. She is very traditional. Think out of the box Meme! I wanted to cheer. Her most positive comment was that the center sky shot, which is the view from our front stoop didn't look like a sky at all, but a lake of water. Maybe she was thinking out of the box.

Regardless, 100 5x7's and 50dollars later these will be our cards for this year. They will be like a Christmas card riddle: guess who this card is from; since I also forgot to put our last name anywhere on the card.

Check out the rest at http://dearlittleredhouse.com.

Sky Watch

I love sky watch, but often find it challenging to find a beautiful shot here in suburbia. My view is constantly obstructed by wires and ugliness. We need more breathing space in this town! This picture I took in the closest strip mall parking lot as I am trying to put a dent in my Christmas shopping. Yesterday was a beautiful cold sunny day and the clouds were putting on a show. You can check our the rest of the world at:http://skyley.blogspot.com/2009/11/skywatch-friday-season-4-episode-22.html. Enjoy!! Peace!!!

Wordless Wednesday: Snow days they bring out the best in a Mom.

The first snow day of the year and I know this is supposed to be a wordless day, but I have already raised my voice more than I would like to admit; and the day is not even half over. Outfitting three boys in snow gear that fits, and then referring (very icy) snow ball fights at close range, as one after another come bounding back inside to complain about their brothers'. Ahhhh!

They do have their benefits though: sleeping later, making french toast sticks for breakfast, giggle noodle soup for lunch, maybe watching a movie together all snuggly on the couch. I am still optimistic, but it is not even noon yet.

Help??!!

Mosaic Monday

Check out all the beautiful mosaics at:http://dearlittleredhouse.com. Enjoy!

In the Shadows

It's Shadow Shot Sunday, check it out at:

http://heyharriet.blogspot.com/. Enjoy!

Skywatching

Today was a beautiful balmy December day. Record breaking temperatures with no jackets necessary; quite unusual for December in New England. A storm had just passed through during the night and the sun was begging for a spot.

Check out all the beautiful skies at:http://skyley.blogspot.com/.

Thursday Challenge: Wood

I have found a new meme and the theme is wood. Whenever I hear the word meme used this way it makes me laugh, because my mother-in -law is Meme in this house and I'm not really looking for a new one. Anyway, I took this photo last month in my backyard. This old barbed wire fence serves as out property marker on one side of our yard. I think it's old, maybe really old, which is kind of cool. I took this close up shot as the sun was setting one day and I love it.

Mellow Yellow Monday

Another silly version of this shadow shot. I love how with a few clicks you can change the sun from midday to the late afternoon glow. I also love the pose in this one. Happy Mellow Yellow Monday everyone.

You can check out the rest at:http://mellowyellowmonday.blogspot.com/.

Made by Hand Mosaic

A co-worker asked if I would create a piece of art work for his dear daughter's apartment. This is my attempt. I chose some of my favorite macro flower shots and arranged them in a collage/mosaic (I wonder what the difference is, will have to look that up) and then modpodged them to a large blank canvas. Right now I am in the process of applying layers of tissue paper to frame it out and will probably wrap the edges in ribbon for a finished look. I did one of the these several years ago with pictures of my kids. I have it hanging in their bathroom and it has held up remarkably well. Check out all the other photo mosacis at :http://dearlittleredhouse.blogspot.com/.

Shadow Shot Sunday

We are installing new hardwood floors this weekend. Yay! Although we had not planned this, a quick Home Depot visit turned into a bargain for us. My husband found some pre finished flooring on clearance, just enough to finish off our first floor. Our carpet was overdue to be replaced and we were planning on installing hardwood in these rooms eventually. With this long weekend I convinced my husband we should try and get this done while we had the time. Now we are down to the wire. Rented nailer in hand, and back to work on Monday we need to finish up. We emptied the front room and pulled up the carpeting. I took down the curtains for more light and revealed these beautiful silhouettes, a perfect shadow shot. Now it's back to work for me. Check out the others at http://heyharriet.blogspot.com.

Thank Heaven for Little Girls

Wordless Wednesday

Shhhhh, he's doing his homework. :)

Mosaic Monday

These are just a few photos and edits I took over the last few weeks, several from a 4 day trip to NYC. Enjoy and have a good week. You can check out all the pretty mosaics at :http://dearlittleredhouse.blogspot.com.

Shadow Shot Sunday

Possibly we are taking this shadow thing too literally. I'm a little tired having enjoyed a Jimmy Buffet concert last night, tailgating and all that includes with some like minded friends. We are slow to get moving today and are enjoying a day with nowhere we need to be. Ahhhh. Soon our next sport season for the boys(two of them anyway) will begin. The wrestling season is a killer, very intense and long, possibly too long for the sanity of your marriage when your husband is a coach. Some how we manage and life proceeds. Today the kids are in and out and about. I have yelled shut the door about 6 times so far. I was at the kitchen sink and looked out the window to see a belt dangling from upabove, probably out my son's bedroom window. Earlier I caught a glimpse of them on our back deck putting bakingsoda and vinegar into a soda bottle. Hmmmmm. I caught them once as they ran through the house, in one door and out the other and had them pose for a shadow shot. I liked this one the best.

Eye love you.

Sky Watch

Taken this morning, out my front door at about 8am. My little guy is home with me today, having crushed his big toe when a kitchen stool fell on it twelve hours earlier as he was attempting to get himself a bowl of cereal. What a screech of pain and shock as he examined his bloody big toe with his toe nail just hanging on. Owww! He has been considering having his ear pierced when he gets a little older but was not sure if he could handle the pain. Later last night he wondered aloud if it would hurt as much as this. I told him I would rather have my ears pierced four times than have my big toe nail ripped off. This made him smile a little. Now if he can only get his father to agree to the piercing. This will never happen. Check out all the other sky watchers at: http://skyley.blogspot.com/.

You Capture : Sunrise

This is my favorite, and only sunrise photo, as I do not do early morns. I took this picture on vacation this Summer on the bay in Maryland. It is the view off the screen porch of the house we rented. It was absolutely as idyllic as it appears. The sun rose every morning on the water and was worth the early rise to get this picture. I love how I captured the screen as well.

Wordless Wednesday

PEACE

You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one.

I Heat Faces Autumn Beauty

This is a re-post of a photo I took a few weeks back, of my beautiful neighbor Summer Girl. This Fall day she was waiting patiently on the outskirts of her property, sitting among the wood chips and early Autumn birch leaves as I pulled in the driveway from picking up one of the kids. I asked if I could photograph her and she shyly sat and tried to control her wagging tail. She was secretly flattered, but at the same time a little shy yet willing to please. She couldn't help but wonder if cookie bone treats would be involved in this little interaction.

Mellow Yellow Monday

This is one from the archives, a few months back. Check out all the other yellow shots at:http://mellowyellowmonday.blogspot.com/.

Shadow Shot Sunday

This is my first week participating in Shadow Sunday. I had taken these photos a few weeks back on a glorious sunny late afternoon. I love the late afternoon sun the best, but can only catch glimpses of sunset because of all the trees in our yard. We have a few beautiful birch trees that have dominated in the past few years and really grown in size. While photographing them, I loved the silhouette they were casting on the house and snapped this photo too.

In this solarized version of the picture the shadow came alive and they look like real birch trees. Amazing.

Sky Watch

I love how this photo looks like it was taken way out in the country somewhere. I live in a town with 60,000 plus people. This photo was taken about a mile or so from my home and on the only real farm land left in this town. I call that breathing space.

Look What's Playing on Broadway

Went to NYC and saw Hair. It was really good. Time Square is more colorful than ever. 360 degrees it's a surreal feast for the eyes. Even stranger was seeing John Gosselin and Levi Johnston being interviewed in the middle of it all. Crazy! We walked a block east and right into the set of Gossip Girl and Blake Lively shooting a scene.

Spreading his Wings

Not to be outdone, little brother does his best to get some air too. Determination.

What fun! Good old fashioned leaves in a pile jumping.

sky watch friday

This is the view off my front step. I took it this morning as I was making bagels and arguing with my youngest over why his brother gets to stay home sick for the second day in a row. And why did we do fun stuff yesterday, like watch a TVshow together and I picked him up McDonalds too! He better get that same treatment next time he is sick! This is about two hours past sunrise with the time change as we were having this exchange and I snapped this photo. I adjusted the contrast and solarized the picture. I love the silhouette of the trees that seperate our yard from our neighbors. Soon after this a big yellow school bus pulled up and a reluctant and grouchy eight year old got on and went off to school for the day.

Wordless Wednesday, don't speak

I Heart Faces Balloons

I seem to always be on the alert for windows being opened and bodies hanging out, or msc. items being tossed out just for fun. It makes me just a little bit nervous that one day someone may decide to jump out themselves. Probably reenacting fire drill procedures they learned of at school during fire safety week, or convince their little brother to give it a try. Sometimes it's like an episode of The Little Rascal's around here. This day they thought they might let their balloons out with hopes of a sudden gust of wind.
Home, it's where you can let your balloons hang out. :)

It's a Mellow Yellow Macro Monday

This is my first time joining in for Mellow Yellow Monday. Greetings and welcome to anyone who stops by. This is a photo of a fancy sunflower I believe. I took this a few weeks ago as they were starting to fade for the season. Still pretty though. Sunflowers remind me of the first Summer in our home. We had it built, and participated in much of the process. When we moved in, finally, we still had landscaping to do and no funds to hire anyone. Me, liking to be a little different and somewhat creative decided to fill the front beds with sunflowers. We have a very traditional Capecod style house. I think I thought it would look kind of cottagey maybe and a little whimsical too. Maybe it would have had I not planted the variety that grow as high as twenty feet. It wasn't long before they hit the gutters of the roof and then slumped over from the weight of their beautiful faces. They looked so silly. Kind of funny, but not my best landscaping decision. You can check out Macro Monday at: http://lisaschaos.blogspot.com. Please do.