Thankful

to have Edward who is almost as big as our huge Christmas tree...


and Maria with her perfect Mona Lisa smile...

...home for a few days at Thanksgiving!

Leo, the Meowy Christmas Cat

Of course, as soon as the tree goes up, silly kitty stakes out his spot.


Even a shiny red ornament doesn't entice him much...

My Girls

Over the Thanksgiving break, we put the Christmas Tree up. Well, I should say Edward put it up, I decorated it, John installed a new garage door opener and the girls went shopping.  It eventually gets to this, right mom?  Anyway, I took the girls photo in front of the tree which always brings to mind an ALL time FAVORITE...


December 1998

Flash Back Friday 229

OBX, 2005

Love Thursday

Happy Flash Back Thanksgiving, 2007

John & I were invited for supper by our dear friend Lydia Larson.  Seriously, she lives in a sweet little ancient apartment among many of her paintings.  It's like BEING IN AN ART GALLERY!  She made a wonderful dish with pierogies and we talked about Amsterdam, T.S.Elliot, and her big fluffy Siamese cat Millie who is out east for the time being.  Such a night!  When I left, she gave me one of the feathers she is going to paint so I could photograph it.

This one was taken BEFORE I dusted...

Performance Art

Bridget was part of the cast of Charlotte's Web this past weekend playing the omniscient role of narrator as my friend Lydia would say.


They had practices, dress rehearsals, performed Thursday night, Friday night, Saturday afternoon and night and by Sunday...

Buck Up, You are Never Short of a Miracle*

On one of my walks last week, I noticed that I was feeling rather blah since the leaves are mostly gone and we are being overtaken by the dull gray of the impending winter.  I suppose that made these leaves that I found next stand out even more.  It made me think of this*quote by my co-worker David, something he had said to himself.

Flash Back Friday 228

1998, Disneyland, Edward, Maria & Bridget

Love Thursday

Heart-shaped red leaves are about the last to go...well, except the brown oak leaves which never seem to go.

Nothing Gold Can Stay

 

Our ground has been littered with gold!  We loved its glistening in the rain and glowing under the diffused light of the cloud-covered sky, but alas, much of this gold has been raked up and disposed of!  Now we wait for the bright snow...

 

Neighborhood Sunrise

Have a Berry Merry Monday!

Flash Back Friday 227

Maria & Bridget, Panama City, 2002

Love Thursday

The kids & I this past Sunday.

We met Edward & Maria after church at Wolfgang's for brunch to continue the birthday week celebration.  I guess this has become a tradition though sadly we did not include the part where we go out and take pictures.  Thus, we had only one blurry one of the kids and I which I converted into a sketch so you could get the essence of the day.

Boys Will Be Boys

This past Saturday, the sun was shining brightly (not always good for taking photos) and I went to meet some friends for a family photoshoot.  It was so much fun!  I managed (above and below) to get some sweet shots.



But indeed,


the pix that capture their personalities, and the way they are, are very good too.

Willow!!!

My neighbor's daughter and grandaughter were visiting from Alaska so I went over for a visit and to get her picture...



I also saw her talking to her dad in Afghanistan on his birthday. So sweet!

Falling Quickly

The trees in our neighborhood reached their prime pretty much on my birthday which is kind of late for them this year!

Now comes the big job...

Flash Back Friday 226

1960's, Oma Bouman with Julia & Marianna

Love Thursday: Orange You Glad It's a Happy Birthday

...because our Japanese Maple was still a little orangey as of Tuesday?  Maybe by tomorrow they will make it to red velvet red!  Stay tuned....

Colors

"Light is the greatest unnoticed force of transfiguration in the world:  it literally alters everything it touches and through colour dresses nature to delight, befriend, inspire and shelter us.  The intense passion of the first Artist glows forth in the rich colours of creation."  J. O'Donahue

Nothing Gold Can Stay

This past Sunday, I took a long walk though the amazing colors of our fall and soaked it all in so I would be ready for the long dull gray-brown winter.


It was so good. I took it all in...


This is it people.


Nature's first green is gold
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf's a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay.   -Robert Frost