May 31, 2009

evening shadows...

it's good to play so hard that you have a difficult time catching your breath
it's even better to do it with a friend
~~
and
at the end of the day
when your limbs are all noodle like
and
your glued on smile starts to fray a bit
it's really good to fall to the ground
while
the moon becomes your mirror
and
the dragonflies bathe you with soft gentle breezes as they flit by
whispering
tiny stories
in your ear
~~
and
your friend
oh
she's still there
basking in the moonlight
her clothing damp from the evening dew
while her fingers slow dance with their shadows
*


May 30, 2009

help me out here...

I don't know that much about ducks or geese
but 
does this egg look just a little too big to belong to a so called
mr. and mrs. mallard
?
I'm beginning to think there's a little something something
going on 
at
"my pond"
~~
I didn't think much about the goose whose been sitting on her nest 
for what seems like forever now
with 
a
mr. mallard at her side instead of a mr. goose
but 
when I saw the size of this egg in another nesting area
my questioning eyebrow raised
just a little
~~
what do you think
?
am I crazy 
or 
are duck eggs this large
?




May 29, 2009

hey there, mate...

when I get bored I like to go to sailing
~~
NOT
~~
this sailboat was propped up in just the right spot 
for me to climb in
and
for john to take a photo 
to totally fool you
~~
did we fool you
hee hee
did you really think I'm a sailor
?
it's a known fact that I'm a huge people watcher 
and 
this weekend at the union 
which is part of the UW Madison's campus
there were 3 weddings taking place
while we {and hundreds of others} sat at the water's edge drinking beer and slurping up melting ice cream from our cones
~~
anyhow
I had more people to study then I ever could have imagined
and
I was in complete awe of the beautiful and nervous brides with their beaded gowns 
and 
the fabulous printed bridesmaids dresses which I think were from j.crew 
and 
the delicate flowers 
and 
the smiles that were growing tired
and
then
I just couldn't stop myself from taking photos of the photographers taking photos of this couple
~~
in the first picture 
notice the idiots who weren't smart enough to get off the dock and out of the way
~~
I mean really people
WAKE UP
~~
in the second photo
I think both photographers were mumbling something about all the shadowing going on and how were they ever going to make the groom look taller
all while a momma duck and her babies 
were getting irritated that they're space had been invaded
~~
it just doesn't take much for me to have a good time
*

May 28, 2009

today...tomorrow...

today
even when there is the deepest of colors 
it's the black and white that draws me in
~~
even when there is a compassionate light
it's the darkness that make me feel safe
~~
even when there is a reachable depth
it's the shallowest of surfaces I cling to
~~
even when there is a blinding sun
it's the grey of the clouds that keep me warm
even when there's beautiful music
it's the silence that makes my heart beat
~~
and
tomorrow
even when there's the feeling of an overwhelming life ahead of me
it's the
 "being alive" 
and 
having a life to begin with
that makes
overwhelming
a word I don't want in my dictionary
 *
these words alone don't tell the whole story
so in a few days 
I'll share more 
so that it all comes together

May 27, 2009

did you know...

I like to 
show up early for anything
and
be fully engaged in the moment
and
expect the best
and
make boring fun
and
watch dogs cool themselves in the lake
and
help strangers find extra chairs for their crowded table
and
see wedding couples being photographed with sailboats in the background
and 
hear the accents of the french speaking people behind me in the ice cream line
and
laugh the entire day until my cheeks hurt
and
jump like a three year old
~~
most of all
I like to
 think that someone else decided to smile and jump
because
they didn't want to see me having all the fun
*
happy spc wednesday
and
no way did I take this photo of myself 
but does that really matter
?

May 26, 2009

sometimes you just know...

Just down the road from our weekend cottage is a huge expanse of land...acres and acres of beautiful green trees and plants and moss covered rock formations that have all been left untouched for years.

I'm not really sure what my mind was thinking the other day when my body felt an actual need to get out of the car as we passed this land, but I try to listen to myself when this happens.  We have driven by this property hundreds and hundreds of times in the past two years, but this time it was different.
I knew I just had to have a photo of the old fence post that had blended into the snow covered hills all winter, but now, for some strange reason, was suddenly screaming
"see me?"
After my first photo, with a fear of poison ivy clouding my thoughts, as my capri wearing legs were way too deep into the grasses for this time of year, the fence post in front of me became alive right before my eyes.
I looked back at my husband waiting patiently for me in the car with an "yikes...ewww" look on my face and at the same time went running back towards him so I could switch to my macro lens.  Quickly, I tried to describe to him what I had been looking at..."I don't know, ants or something or huge flying ants" and he asks if they're termites and I'm like, "sure, maybe they're termites with huge wings and queens and kings and lots of family members or maybe they're just gross, but whatever they are, I want to get closer."
And now this is where it gets fun...I did get close...really close...and continued to be grossed out with the combination of flying crawling things and that once again I was in grass I couldn't identify...but isn't this what photographers do?
~~~~~
now here's the end of the story
only once or twice have I copyrighted a photo of mine 
but only because I was practicing playing with watermarks
but
this time 
even though I didn't want to do it
I felt the need to protect this photo
because 
I think I want to enter it in a contest
or
blow it up really big
or
use it for greeting cards
or
sell it to a bug extermination company
~~~~~
so here's the final photo that I took 
before any of those flying buggy ant termitey things flew straight into my face
and
really grossed me out
{and because I posted this photo through flickr
please tell me that you can see it as I have had flickr/blogger/photos issues in the past}
it's a bug's life

May 25, 2009

I see you...and you...

the winners are
~because there was  no way I could pick just one~
~~~
drumroll please
~~~
holly and dagmar
~~~
congratulations
~~~
I don't have a fancy counter or anything like that
instead
I hand wrote everyone's names on slips of paper
and
threw all the names in a dish
and
honestly
without any peeking
let my fingers dance around
and
then carefully pulled two names out
while feeling really important
like someone was watching me
~~~
just like back in grade school 
when the teacher picked me for leading the line to the lunchroom
~~~
so holly and dagmar
using my email
please send me your photo choices
and
your mailing addresses
*
and 
again thank you everyone for your comments the other day
it meant the world to me
*

May 24, 2009

would you...

would you 
gently reach out with your bare hands to pick the lavender colored wild flowers 
if you knew he might come along for the ride
?
would you
walk through your prairie with capris and flip flops on
if you knew he was watching you
?
would you
get up close with your macro lens to take photos of the greenest plants you've ever seen
if you knew
instead you'd get a close up
of
him
~~~
if you're anything like me
you would
*
and 
if you really want to see him up close and personal
come on
go ahead
click on the photo 
you know you want to

May 23, 2009

I love you guys...

thank you thank you thank you
all of you
for keeping my marriage alive
by answering a simple question
in my previous post
in which
I WON
and
because you guys are so great and wonderful
I want to reward you with a gift
~~~
sometime over the weekend
I'll pick a name from the previous comments
and
because I'm really in a good mood
I'll add in
the
comments from this post
too
{which means your name could be entered twice}
and
someone will win a copy of one of my photos 
~of your choosing~
okay
?
and
now
obviously 
these are the rest of photos from my "lazy afternoon
hanging with neighborhood kids"
photo shoot
in which they all amazed me
by 
just being themselves
~~
now if only I could get adults to do that 
when I get close to them with my camera
*
happy happy happy
weekend

May 22, 2009

if you build it, they will come...


actually it's more like
~~~
if you ask your neighbors if you can photograph their beautiful children
because you're building your portfolio
and
your love of children far outweighs any flower photo you've ever taken
~they just might say yes~
~~~

and 
now I need your help
please.please.please
~~~
in the above photos
where I got a little processing happy
do you prefer the first one or the second one
?
and
having no idea why 
{other than my little boy just isn't so little anymore}
this photo
stole my heart
~~~
thanking you all in advance for your opinions on the first two photos
and
if you're thinking this is all about my hubby favoring one over my original pick
you'd be so totally right
and
maybe helping to save this marriage
*
edited
I am SO winning this contest and doing a little happy dance right now
thank you.thank you.thank you
and
feel free to keep the opinions coming 
as this has made my day
and 
unless the numbers change
he'll be taking me out for dinner tonight
*

May 21, 2009

do you see me now ?

honestly
I could have reached out and touched his head
as
he didn't have a care in the world that I was in his space taking photos
~~
he was hoping I had food
but
I didn't
~~
he was just hanging with his peeps
sitting in the shade of the trees
watching the world go by
~~
and
today
that's what I'm doing
too
*
I only had my telephoto lens with me
and
he literally was under my feet and I couldn't get away from him
hence
the green screen look in the back
which is just grass
*
note to self
a good photographer should always have the right lens with her
duh
*

May 20, 2009

if you'll be my star, I'll be your sky...

this is my hubby
and
I don't thank him often enough
for being the light that helps guide me
~~
thank you
love
for choosing me
and
being patient with me on my ugly days
and
respecting my need for "alone time"
and
keeping me safe
and
making me feel like I can do anything
~~
thank you
for loving the parts of me I wish I could change
and
understanding me even when I don't
and
laughing with me while I laugh at myself
but
most of all
thank you
for
being the light of my life
*
I know this is misty's self portrait wednesday and that you should be seeing a picture of me
~
 but for today 
I decided to share with you a photo of the person 
who with an amazing amount of love and energy
has made it possible for me
to be me
*


May 19, 2009

in, out and enjoying...

was I the only one
or
do all of us remember our mothers shouting
"either in or out for god's sake"
as we would constantly be running in and out of the house
and
the banging of the screen door obviously got on her nerves
hee hee
~love you mom~
?
well today feels like one of those days
as I have a list of things to do
that will keep me coming and going
~~~
*anthropologie is having a sale that starts today and I need absolutely nothing
but oh cripes, I just love to look in there
*2 loads of laundry need to be done or we'll all be pantiless
*whole foods is calling my name...actually screaming at the top of her lungs
*the sun is shining which means a walk around the pond
*I'm out of anything chocolate...gasp
*I need to make a hair appointment
*my glass bottles are empty and begging for fresh flowers
*ellen is on at 3pm
and 
that's where I get my daily dose of dancing 
and 
usually laugh until my face hurts
~~~
I hope your day is filled with sun, laughs,  chocolate, fresh flowers
and
 lots of door banging
*

May 18, 2009

why we must be careful...

words
can hurt
no matter how gently you try to use them
~~~
if your voice delivers them incorrectly
they can stab
 the thickest skin
or 
the strongest heart
~~~
but
words
can also heal
a damaged inspiration 
a weathered soul
a wounded ego
a scary thought
or
an unraveled heart
~~~
so today
think carefully and slowly about what you say
and
how you say it
knowing that the words you share with someone
will be considered 
a
gift
that will last a lifetime
especially if those words strengthen and soothe
~~~
but 
if they pierce like a thorn
those too
will last a lifetime
~~~
unfortunately
*
{macro monday photo from a hike in our woods} 




May 16, 2009

when you just can't hang on anymore...

it's okay to fall
because
sometimes you end up being more beautiful
than
when you were holding on 
*

May 15, 2009

floating to stay face up...

I feel like I should be doing more
but
I'm not
~~~
granted I'm doing what I want to do
but
is it enough
?
for this month of may
with wild sprinkles of spring making me look into the sky everyday 
wondering what's coming next
I only have a baby photo shoot next weekend 
~if mother nature cooperates~
and
yesterday one of my family portrait photo packages was auctioned off
to benefit the boys and girls club
~
but 
is that enough
?
~~~~~
if I read between the lines or down deep into it
my horoscope continues to tell me to advertise my photography services
and
I just don't want to do that 
~yet~
as I love "word of mouth"
advertising
~~
is that bad
?
~~~~~
I love being behind the camera
with people in front of me
but
I want to continue loving it 
and
learning it
and
not feel overwhelmed with it
~~~~~
I just booked my first appointment for june 
and
I'm ecstatic 
~~~~~
I would love to have one appointment every week throughout the summer
with the rest of week spent "working" on my photos
which is something else I love to do
~but you knew that~
and
I never want editing and processing to feel like a chore
~~~~~
so I'm going to start visualizing more of what I want and how I want it to look
~which has actually been working for me lately
even if it's on silly things like getting a front row parking spot~
and
focus 
focus
focus
which is the word I chose this year 
after I started giving new year's resolutions the cold shoulder
and 
what makes total sense if you've been reading my most recent posts 
~~~~
last year it was
"see"
which ended up being the perfect word for a new photographer
and 
of course this year with 
"focus"
well
I've decided that word should probably be my daily or lifelong mantra
not just my word for this year
but 
whatever the case
my mind feels like it's running in all different directions
over the ice capped mountains and down into the mossy valleys and through the mushroom filled woods
 but with a goal in sight
~~
and
sometimes that's the only thing any of us can ever hope for


May 14, 2009

on the move...

no
I'm not going any place right now
but
our daughter and her boyfriend are moving out of their old, dark and dull third floor apartment 
and  
into their new light and bright first floor, home sweet home
and
without the help of us and her younger brother and all of his beefy friends
they'd be ridiculously in trouble
~~
I really can't do much to help them
since my shoulder is still being seen by a physical therapist
but
I did get the sheets washed and the bed made up
 so they have a place to sleep tonight
and
I did lots of pointing with the decorator's finger I think I was born with
 in regards to where all the furniture should go
and
I did find a new table and chairs for their kitchen at our neighborhood garage sale
for an amazingly small amount of money
and
when it was all said and done
I ordered some great pizzas from dominos 
to feed everyone
~~~
~side note~
when a child moves out and away 
don't let it be a sad time in your life
instead
pride yourself on having done an amazing job raising them
to live independently
and
celebrate that with them
{so then when they call the gas company to set up a new account for their apartment that only has electric, you won't feel so bad}
*
~have you ordered from dominos.com ?.....it's a blast building your pizzas online, adding what you want and watching the ingredients decorate the pizza crust of your choice...want a lighter amount of sauce or extra cheese....you can do it....only want half the pizza covered in onions, you can do that, too~

May 13, 2009

a touchy subject sometimes...

my family knows how easily I get distracted
with day to day things
~~
they laugh lovingly at me all the time 
and
I join them
~~
I call it my adult attention deficit disorder 
and
it's always there like a little fairy sitting on my shoulder poking me in the cheek saying
"see me~do you see me~see me~do you see me"
~~
I feel it
and
YES
I see it
but
I don't let it take over any part of my life
~~
if you need something done right or have a very specific task that needs 100% attention
then I'm your girl
and
whatever the project is
I'll get it done to a degree of perfection that make most people a little nervous
but
leave me with an open schedule
 and 
I'm all over the place
but
I like it that way
~~
this is probably something I've had all my life, but back when I was growing up, they just didn't have a name for it
which is wonderful
as my parents didn't have to worry about anything other than I talked too much
~~
as an adult I've just always prided myself on being an amazing multi-tasker
and
instead of worrying about it
just 
breathe a little deeper
dance a little faster
love a little slower
laugh a little louder
and
write a little braver
just to make sure I don't miss any of my life 
while I'm flicking and shooing that little fairy off my shoulder
*
it's self portrait wednesday, but you already knew that, right ?
for my photo today I used the editing program built into my mac and loved being able to get this soft effect
as it seemed to go along with the subject of my post
~~
{and in no way am I down playing ADD or the difficulties of living with it 
as our son was on medication for it for a number of years}





May 12, 2009

it's simple...

I think maybe I've been blinding some of you with my photos
~~~
for years now I've been getting along just fine with my hp laptop
but these past 6 months or so 
I have been threatening to drop kick it to the curb for the garbage men to find
~~~
you name it 
I've had issues with it
although we've never been 100% sure what was wrong with it
so everyday I would say ugly words
and
then some
really bad four letter words
and
almost daily throw it my hubby's lap and whine
"help me please"
along with some of those bad words mixed in there
~~~
so
 "enough is enough"
we said this past weekend
and
I'm now the proud owner of a mac
~~~
there must be some lingo out there that I need to know 
as I don't know what to say
"I own a macbook"
"I'm on a mac"
"I'm now a mac user"
"once you go mac you never go back"
~~~
I'm sure all of you mac owners will set me straight on this one
kind of like how my kids try to make me
"a totally cool and hip mom"
when I do or say something wrong
~~~
anyhow
the point to all of this is to let you know that I can now see my photos for what they really are
as the graphics and the colors on this mac are amazing
and
everything looks completely different
~~~
so if I did blind any of you in the past with my brightened and edited photos 
that looked fine on the old screen
but would now blind ME on my mac
I'm sorry
~~~
as
I've noticed that keeping my photos simple is now easily done
and there really isn't any reason to dress them all up
now that I can &#?)@>/* see them
~~~
oops
those were my first bad words used with my mac
but
in a good way
*
seriously....any mac advice from any of you on anything mac related would be hugely appreciated

May 11, 2009

you should have been with me...

I was never told that in my forties I would fall in love with birds
not just any birds
but
big birds
birds that are beautiful 
and
make me laugh
birds that fly with grace all around me at the pond
while I walk gently with my camera
trying to be calm
birds that insist a game of tag or chase is what they like to do
and
somehow know that I will totally play along
*
I'm not sure if there are different types of herons or not and it doesn't really make a difference to me at this point as I have decided to call these guys "the fun herons" as they make me laugh...
almost like they know exactly what they're doing
*

May 10, 2009

thanks mom...

for not making me wear my hood 
at the beach
*
I probably fought you a little on this
since patty and cheryl wore theirs
but 
I think you already knew
how much I loved 
the water
and
the sand
and
the wind in my hair
*
or
you just liked me better 
*
happy mother's day


May 8, 2009

speechless...

who knew that a beautiful goose could not only stop me in my tracks
but
also stop my mouth from working
*
who knew that a beautiful goose protecting a nest wouldn't attack me
but
instead pose and look deep into my eyes
as if to say
"it's okay"
*
today...beautiful today...found me once again at the pond, where I was entertained for an hour with all the loves that live there. I grabbed this photo off my camera quickly, just so I could share it, but stay tuned for the really close ups of this new friend of mine and also the "in flight" photos of the heron I played tag with.

May 7, 2009

you left too soon...

*new neighbors move in just a street over from our backyard
*he works for the same company as my hubby
*their children are beautiful and I get to photograph them
*she laughs at seeing me with our dog in a doggie stroller one afternoon
*their friends are our friends
*they are at the same parties we are
*I volunteer with her in the community
*they have a dog who tries to be an escape artist one afternoon
*they invite us over for dinners
*we have many lunches out with "the girls"
*he takes a different job in a new state far away
*one last lunch is had with "the girls" while the boxes are being packed
*they move away too quickly
*their old house still stands empty
*their old yard is filled with tulips that I saw yesterday on my afternoon walk
*she would have wanted me to take photos

and
on the patio
champ's toys and water dish
were the only tangible items left behind as a reminder of who lived here
along with lots of memories
~~~

May 6, 2009

sometimes it's heavier than it looks...

it's not always easy to believe in yourself
~~
but
if you do believe in yourself
fearlessly
you will always have a thirst for life
that
nobody else will ever quite understand

I believe
that we are all facing choices that define us
and
if you choose to believe in
forgiveness and wonder
your faith will soar
~~

I also believe
that we all have growing pains
and
if you quit on yourself
even the tiniest little bit
everyone else will
too
*
~this is my wednesday spc for the incredible and beautiful misty~
and
who knew i could have so much fun with a sign
?

May 5, 2009

and maybe a little cotton candy...

my life at the moment is a wicked roller coaster ride
with lots of head whipping going on
and
if I were a weak person I'd be running as far away from it as possible
screaming at the top of my voice
looking for a place to hide
~~~~
but
that's not me and it never has been
as I tend to take on challenges like a boxer in a ring
so when it's all over I can wave my arms in the air
while bouncing from one foot to another
and
swaying to the sounds of
"we are the champions"
~~~~
the details of all this craziness are still a little sketchy
but soon I'll be able to share what's going on here in my very own
amusement park I like to call home
~~~~
so
for now I'm breathing deep
with my shoulders back
and
living by own motto of
"everything happens for a reason"
and
finding the perfect horse on the merry-go-round
to hang out on for awhile
~~~~
{this photo has nothing to do with this post, but I love it so much....the woods are covered in these plants right now... and I have no idea what they are, probably just an invasive weed, but I like to think that in what feels like a forest to me when I'm hiking, they're little fairy umbrellas...


May 4, 2009

living and breathing...

at our weekend cottage
this time of year
everything comes alive right before our eyes
and
yesterday as we pulled up
there was a faint blanket of purple covering the hillside
behind us
~~~
tiny violets everywhere
~~~
and
as
I danced through the woods
where the ground snapped beneath my feet
with each step I took
all I could do was smile back at at the violets looking at me
and
I did my best to be caught up
~completely~
in the moment
of just breathing