Low Tide Formations

I can't believe that on vacation last week I did not take a single picture of a flower. I think I was too distracted by all the low tide rock formation confirgurations going on. They looked like puzzle pieces and were a bright moss green, literally covered in some kind of sea moss. This kept them from being too slippery so you could use them as stepping stones to get out to the crashing waves that continuted to roll in, even when the tide was moving out . The rocks were an ideal spot for water to collect in small pools with a variety of little fish and crabs. This really kept my boys interested. The moss green also looked fantastic set off against the cinnamon beach sand that was truly the color of the spice.

Sweet Southern Comfort

We are back from the south. This photo was snapped just outside of St. Augustine . To say it was hot down there would be an understatement. If you look closely you can see the clouds melting into the horizon. I took this with my canon rebel and did just minor adjustments to contrast and saturation. I warmed it ever so slightly to really set off the colors. I love how it turned out. I wish I painted this picture! It is such a "southern" depiction. Where is the boy on a raft with cut offs and straw hat? It is so nice to find this kind of scenery only yards off of A-1-A with all it's commercialism( tacky surf shops, snack shacks and strip malls) that is so much a part of the American south also. It only makes you appreciate pictures like this all the more.

His Father's Son

Dono wanted to be featured in a photo on my blog as the others have been. I took this picture with my new to me camera. I do love it but still had to try my favorite posterization action on this picture in photo shop. I also turned it balck and white and love the contrast.
I was so proud of this boy yesterday, when along with his cousin Christina he popped up off the pew in the middle of their Pepe's funeral, walked to the back of the church and carried "the gifts" down to the altar. He did it with determination, intention, confidence and pride. He didn't stumble once, all long skinny legs and big 10 year old feet of him. In the craziness of the morn. and our arrival at the church I thought that he and Chrissy participating in the ceremony had become a foregone conclusion. His Uncle had already begun to sing, high up in the rafters of the church with the organist, and had told him to find a priest and navigate on their own. Somehow he and Chrissy managed to figure out their role and right on cue made their way. Pepe was so proud I'm sure.

The boy is a gift, along with the many gifts we have received this week:

the gift of my proud, strong forever a marine father-in-law passing away peacefully after a good meal and the viewing of his favorite show MASH suddenly from a heart attack on a friday eve. only weeks after it is finally confirmed that he has terminal lung cancer,

the gift of family and friends at his wake that kept my mother-in-law and us all on our feet for several hours overwhelmed with sympathy and empathy,

the gift of a perfectly sunny day for a funeral at an ideal burial spot with a gorgeous view and military honors with a soldier leading a lone horse, his many children and grandchildren as witness,

the gift of my husband's courage not unlike his 10 year old son's who when we realized the priest was not doing his Father justice in eulogizing him, rose from his place in the front pew next to his Mom and marched up to the podium. He did it with determination, intention, confidence and pride. He read the eulogy that everyone was meant to hear, the one that his children had put time and care in to write and that told the story of his life and brought it so perfectly full circle on that beautiful day as his son read.

Pepe and I were both proud.

Rosebud

Piles of Peonies

Okay, I am almost done with the peony pictures. Well I may save a few for the archives. Just can't help myself, they are so beautiful and smell so intoxicating. I think I may have covered this before.
These beauties are from my mother-in-law's yard. She must have about ten plants all in a row, all shades of pink and white. I couldn't resist picking just a few. Peonies remind me of my childhood. My mother had three pink pink plants that lined our driveway. She took extra care putting wire frames around them and fretting over the ant covered buds as they came into bloom. On more than one occassion she would cut one for me to take to my teacher, wrapping the end in a wet paper towel for me to carry in. She would tell me to tell the teacher that this was a peony from our yard. I always thought she was saying "panty". I remember being so embarassed at the thought of telling the teacher the flower's name. I'm sure I just handed it over quickly. I couldn't understand why you would name such a beautiful flower after underwear.

Where I sleep

No, I don't have satin sheets, but it sure looks like it when you solarize a photo with a fine white cotton butterfly duvet that I got at Target online for $19.99. I like to change my bedding frequently with the seasons (sheets weekly ofcourse, more or less). I have a thing for butterflys lately. I wasn't looking for new bedding but saw this a few months ago and grabbed it. Your bed is kind of like a blank canvas really and any combination of colors, patterns and textures can make it inviting. It can be done very economically if you get creative and mix and match. Just express yourself, and then take a nap.

New Shoes

Passion for Peonies

Mommy's Boy

I am the lucky mother of three sons.

While they are each unique and all ideal boys for a mother to love, my middle son is often impulsively kind to me. He will often thank me when I set his plate of eggs and toast down on our cluttered kitchen island for him to quickly eat. He is not a morning person, last one up groggy and often grouchy. When I give him a quick kiss and say have a good day it is not unusual for him to say " You have a good day too mom" or to inquire about my day after he tells me that his was fine. Today he picked a pansy for me and placed it behind my ear as I was busy taking photographs and trying on my new shoes. " Can I take your picture mom you look so pretty" he wondered aloud. It was late in the day and I had yet to shower, played a ballgame earlier in the morn with my youngest son's team and then had a picnic, driven my older son around, done a little impulsive shopping, made dinner, cleaned up, msc. housekeeping, etc. " I don't think I look too pretty right now," I kind of muttered. I forgot about the flower. A little later I caught a glimpse of myself in the bathroom mirror and I had a beautiful purle pansy behind my ear. It sure looked pretty, and so did I sort of, certainly in my 10 year old's eyes anyway. I was overcome with his thoughtfulness for a moment and quickly took this self portrait.

He will make a great husband one day, I am sure of it.

In Her Daughter's Eyes

Yesterday I went on a field trip with my fourth graders class.

One little girl with the most incredible eyes let me photograph them. Both her eyes are similar and you can't help but look twice when you notice the two-tone light brown and cool blue color . I have seem people with one eye like this but not both. They really are a thing of beauty, but not without irony. Her parents are both deaf and her mother is almost blind. She is an outgoing girl, quite talkative, but with a voice not unlike a deaf person's who has never heard sound clearly, although she has no disability herself. I can't help but wonder if it is nature's way of evening the score. A deaf and blind woman has a pefectly healthy child; and with extraordinarily beautiful eyes. Eyes that the woman will only ever see in her mind's eye.

A. was so pleased that I took these pictures and couldn't wait to tell her teacher. I promised to make her a copy and she giggled with delight and let everyone around her know. Ofcourse I took several other eye pictures as well that day. No one felt left out or any less beautiful.

Minivan Makeover

A high contrast black and white photo, solarized and then warmed. A minivan has never looked so sleek and dynamic. The view out the windshield is our main drag complete with tacky strip malls and fast food. Ain't that America.

Before the Game

I took this photo on one of those "heavenly days" where you can just sit and watch the trees sway. Love that song by Patty Griffin. The weather was nearly perfect, warm and cozy with a strong breeze. I was sitting waiting for my daughter's game to begin and snapped this picture of #10 and team mates. I love the big sky, and in my town the soccer field is one of the few places to catch a glimpse.

I have these hanging in my kitchen window. I'm not sure why but I love how they look. My sister-in-law had something similar at one time so I think I may have copied. I also have a hanging light made out of theses same shells that I got at Target. I have it over a corner table in my livingroom. Recently it keeps popping up in decorating magazines that I'm browsing through. It always looks so cool and makes me think that maybe I am too. One can hope. In any event I love the way the light reflects through at different times of day, and the bohemian vibe they give off.

Birches

Lovely Lily

Friends

Parakeets are so funny. I think Lily really thought she had made a friend when I introduced her(him) to her relflection. They danced and chatted there for awhile.

Pleasing Peony

Today is cloudy almost hazy with mist. I picked this peony from just outside my bedroom window where they have recently come into full bloom despite the cloudy weather of the past few days. I placed it on my dresser where I can inhale it whenever I pass by. Seems kind of silly, but it's on of the best fragrances, right up there with lilacs and clean baby. And like lilacs and babies there is such a small window of time to indulge that you really need to take every opportunity or you miss out. As we were putting our kids to bed I picked up this little crystal vase with flower and carried it upstairs to share. I had them each take a deep inhale before I kissed them goodnight. Even my moody 13 year old son, who had just gotten an ultimatum on a homework assignment he had put marginal effort into raised his head off his pillow and took a reluctant whiff. Not long after I caught my husband smelling the flower in the kitchen where I had set the vase down. I had to giggle, he wasn't going to miss out either.

"I'll be chewing on a honeysuckle vine"

When I took this photo I knew there was a little bug on the flower, but I couldn't see him well. It wasn't until I took this picture in macro and uploaded it that I could really see the little guy. He's kind of cute. If you double click on him you can really check him out.

Sunflower

This is one from the archives. Not far from my home there is flat land, big sky and open fields bordered with sunflowers. Landscape like that is a rarity around here, enough to make you breathe a little deeper. In later Summer the sunflowers begin to bloom. On this day the sky was a vivid blue with the wispy white clouds drifting by. It was really stunning, but the pictures were taken at high noon as I was returning from a doctor appointment with one of the kids. I quickly pulled over and snapped these. I decided to try them black and white and loved the contrast. Can't wait for sunflower season this year.

White Dogwood

I was using my SLR camera for this shot, trying to use the manual mode and practice what I learned in photography class last year. It's just so darn easy to leave your camera in auto mode! I am trying to practice what technical skills I have. This was the result. Something was off and it came out darker than it should of for the time of day. I decided to solarize and warm it up a little. I think I like it; a little edgy and contemporary and almost a silhouette off the black. Relevant.

My Purple Iris

I didn't think this little guy would be as photogenic as my last picture, but he sure is pretty. Sorry Meme. I didn't have to do too much to this picture. I did minor contrast adjustment and maybe warmed up the color a little? He's perfect.

Emily

This sweet picture is of my god-daughter Emily. She was the best little model for me today. I did the sumi-e action in photoshop elements and then contrasted the picture to make the colors pop. The daisy was the only part truly in focus which adds to the dreamy feel of this picture.

Meme's Purple Iris

My mother-in-law is so proud of these beautiful flowers that are taking over her front flower bed. Each day a few new beauties come into bloom.

Glorious

Aubrie Now

On this picture I probably adjusted the contrast, since I usually always check the contrast; I then posterized it, but softened the edge intensity. I love it; and her.

Suburban Fun

This photo I cropped, did a high contrast and then solarized I believe. I think it has a pop-art 7o's feel to it.

The Eyes Have It II

Eyedolization

The title for this photo is appropriate since this 8 year old would drink his oldest brother's bath water if he thought it would truly make them more alike. When I suggested he do an "eye" pose for me like P. had done earlier last week he was all game. I didn't have the heart to crop it down anymore as I had done with the original crazy eye picture. His impish grin just tells the story.
My daughter did a comparison crop that I will post too.

Purple Belles

अफ्रीकन Violets

Pansy

the eyes have it

Aubrie then

Vivid Tulips

Bleeding Heart

yellow tulip macro

Purple Tulip on Fire