View from the sidelines

Sunless Saturday

I am posting two photos today, one for black and white weekend and one for Flowers on Saturday. It has been raining steadily all morn. Not torrential, but a nice calm methodical pitter patter. (such a silly phrase). My husband has gone back to bed after attempting an early morning then cancelled baseball practice and plunking down a dozen dunkin donuts on our cluttered kitchen island. My boys are fighting up a storm. An electrical storm, nearly. It is frustrating and annoying to witness, and nearly impossible to referee as it is never any one's fault and usually everyone is to blame. My poor middle son always seems to take the brunt of the abuse, rarely physical yet often heart wrenching as my oldest and youngest boys join forces against him. Last weekend he threatened to move out. When I called Gabe in and told him what is brother was thinking of doing his eyes filled with tears and he begged him to stay. Donovan didn't want any part of his heart felt apology at this point, but it did make me feel a little better. All was well for about half and hour and then I heard the faint sound of thunder rumbling in the distance. I am trying not to imagine a Summer filled with this drama. Maybe I'll be the one to move out. :)

Blackandwhiteweekend.blogspot.com.

Skywatch Friday

You can check it out at: http://skyley.blogspot.com. Enjoy. Gabe is a literal skywatcher, always scanning the sky or Internet weather sites for storms. Here he is waiting for his school bus and scanning the skies for signs of inclement weather. He is petrified of wacky weather and unfortunately I can no longer scoff at his fears. First thing in the morning when I turn on The Today Show I need to quickly jump for the remote and mute our little kitchen TV, depending on what tragic weather conditions there are around the country. In my early morning grogginess, which is intense, I need to make a split second decision and decide if my ten year old can handle what jolly Al Roker has to report on "our neck of the wood", and habitats far away. Tornadoes are a very rare occurrence where we live. But that is no longer a true statement. Last Summer one crashed through our town upending trees, and last week less than an hours drive away a major one crash landed on the CT/MA border. With yesterdays big electrical storm that lingered for several hours and took out our power, Gabe was begging for us all to take cover in the basement. My heart breaks for him, as he worries daily about his safety; and especially for all the little kids who have been tragically effected by this turbulent storm season.:( Wake up you Republican politicians who refuse to believe that Global Warming exists! Maybe they need to try a little skywatching.
You can do your own skywatching at: www.skyley.blogspot.com.

Texture Thursday

http://thedailywyatt.blogspot.com.

I Heart Faces Photo Challenge

The theme this week at : http://www.iheartfaces.com/ is "from a distance". I keep humming that lovely Bette Midler song written by Julie Gold from a few years back. I heart the lyrics of that song: they are brilliant in a John Lennon like way. I also adore this photo I took last Summer of my daughter and a friend on vacation in Virginia. You can head over to I Heart Faces to check out the many entries this week.

"From a distance you look like my friend" :)

Eye luv

Eye love this eye and the cute little face attached to it. He's a baseball playing, storm watching boy who worries about the weather and loves his friends and family. I need to remember to pick him up from school today, no bus ride for him, and bring him to GameStop so he can exchange a game that he pestered me for relentlessly last week. Ugghh. GameStop is not my happy place, but I need to cross this off my list for the week.
Anyways, today is macro Monday. I took this yesterday with my Canon powershot, and edited just a little in picnik. Why would a ten year old have blood shot eyes? Love the lashes though.
http://lisaschaos.com/

Black and White Train

http://blackandwhiteweekend.blogspot.com/.

Wordless Wednesday

My three year old niece admires my daughters necklace the night of the Prom and thinks about a day when she will dress up like a princess and have her photo taken endless times. Luckily she already is a little princess so when the time comes she will be ready.
Happy Wordless Wednesday.

I Heart Faces

Especially this one. My little girl almost grown on the eve of her Junior Prom.

I heart this photo and her. Made from love.

First Shell of Summer

Found at low tide on a granite slab on one of the Thimble Islands off the coast of Connecticut.
It is macro monday. Check it out at http://lisaschaos.com/.

Heavenly

I took these photos of my daughter yesterday just as she had finished getting ready for the Prom. She has sheer bright pink curtains in her bedroom where the heavenly late afternoon light was being diffused. It was so hot up in her bedroom, with what seemed like a mini heat wave yesterday and with no central air in our house we were melting as we tried to get her ready for pictures. "Quick", just go stand in front of the window I urged her and hold the curtain in front of you. Despite the 85 degrees in her room, and just wanting to get downstairs and on with the night she agreed. My sweet girl. We are blessed. :)

I am linking in with my shadow/silhouette photos at: http://heyharriet.blogspot.com/. Enjoy!

Before and After Blog Hop

I edited this photograph of my handsome neighbor Nicholas. I love how his eyes match the pine trees in his backyard. Joining in with the dance at www.pixelperfectblog.com.

Family Swim

Runners

Skywatch Friday

Watching the rain finally subside. Here comes the sun! Hopefully.
Six ball games in the forecast for the weekend. Oh my.
Today is skywatch Friday. You can check out skies around the planet at : http://skyley.blogspot.com/. Have a good one. :)

Before and After Blog Hop

This is a photo of my daughter just before her boyfriend arrived to pick her up for the prom. Awww. Now we know what J.Lo goes through to get ready for American Idol each week. Lol. Hair, make-up, nails, toes, etc. It was an exhausting, but fun afternoon. And, we get to do it all over again next week when she goes to his senior prom. I loved editing and re-editing the many photos I took. This is one of my favs. I edited in picnik using several different actions. I am linking with pixel perfect this week:http://www.pixelperfectblog.com/.

Wordless Wednesday and Rainy Days

Today promises to be wetter than yesterday. I am not minding it so much though. Practices and games continue to be canceled or rescheduled making the week less frantic, the landscape grows greener right before our eyes, and boys become even more adept at XBox.

It's wordless wednesday. Enjoy.

http://www.wordlesswednesday.com/newhome/

I Heart Faces Spring Flower

This beauty is a mandevilla. Hanging on my front porch, in search of sunshine, drenched in rain drops.
I am joining in with I Heart Faces this week to check out all the pretty posted poseys. Fun.

Rainy Day Macro

I took this picture today as the rain rain rain comes down down down. I cannot believe that my son's baseball game is not cancelled. Ahhh man. Nothing like a wet aluminum bleacher.
You can check out many more marvelous macro shots at http://lisaschaos.blogspot.com.
Enjoy!

Mosaic for Monday

I am joining in with Mary at http://dearlittleredhouse.blogspot.com.

Black and White Dogwood

http://thelongroadtochina.blogspot.com/
I am joining in with black and white Wednesday. What a wonderful meme. :)
I heart black and white photos especially.

Wordless Wednesday Post

Where fairies dwell.

http://www.wordlesswednesday.com.

Pink Dogwood

Spring in New England

Macro Monday.

http://lisaschaos.blogspot.com/

I wanna hold your hand

Bleeding Heart

Joining in with a new group this weekend.
Flower Power!

Summer, Before and After

My neighbor Summer. :)
I like how I made her look like a superhero dog, laying in wait to keep her neighborhood safe .

Before and After Blog Hop

I love this sweet photo of my niece off for a rainy day walk. I edited with picnik.com.http://www.pixelperfectblog.com/

Before and After

This is why I love editing photographs. You can take an otherwise blah photo and turn it into something special. And, the possibilities are endless. I have been editing in picnik lately, and loving it. Enjoy and happy wednesday. :) www.wordlesswednesday.com.

My Bleeding Heart

The flower fits:).

Spring has Sprung. Finally.

Playing along with http://liveeverymom.blogspot.com/.
Have a good one. :)

Canal Street

I took this photo a year or so ago on Canal Street in Chinatown in New York City. The friends I spent the day with were on their way down a back alley to look at imitation knock- off, pseudo expensive purses. After being approached continuously by indigenous sellers they had finally gotten up their courage as their curiosity got the best of them. One lady who lived to tell came back with several similar purses in a variety colors. They certainly were not what I would call cheap, but I'm not exactly a fan of expensive bags.

Me, I took what was free.

For the Birds

Undivided Attention

Times Square

Skywatch

We went to NYC this week to celebrate our wedding anniversary. I snapped a photo of the George Washington Bridge as we sped by on the Henry Hudson Parkway. I love when the clouds cooperate and make such a lovely back drop. I couldn't resist posting my photo of Time Square and Subway love. As I was editing that one I noticed the lovers. Can you see them?

Thank God its Skywatch Friday.

http://skyley.blogspot.com/