September 29, 2009

I have very few words today, but lots of photos...

"little miss sunshine" glasses found at st. vinny's
after a great day of teaching
reconnecting with your family is icing on the cake
namaste
you know how I love my jumping photos
so when mattresses are left on a street corner
well can you even imagine the fun
?
when you see a giant rocking horse
you rock
her hair and shoes
I totally covet
oh...and her eyes, too
walking around the pond eating gelato
signing the cottage guest book
posing for me because I asked
~
smiling and laughing because that's what she does best
waiting for our lunch at lazy jane's
I know there should be a part two to my part one
but right now you'll have to forgive me for being out of words
~~
I think all the smiling and laughing I did these past few days
did something to my ability to think straight
or
even see straight for that matter
~~
I know
most of you are laughing right now at the thought of me
"chatty cathy"
being out of words
but it's true
~~
so to you and you and you
I can only hope you know how much these past few days have meant to me
*

September 26, 2009

my art escape~ part one...grab a cup of tea...this is a long one and you've been warned

{blondie...the valley ridge greeter}
I've been going to valley ridge art studio for the past three years and sometimes there just
aren't enough words to describe the people or places that fill your heart. when I first started
taking classes there, I was really into mixed media art and now...not so much...but they still let me come and play.
they, being kathy and bill, who have become a big part of my wisconsin life, even though
I'm no longer making art the way I used to.
they have a way of bringing students and instructors together in an environment that nourishes your soul and fills your heart with a creative spark
that you most likely didn't even know you had.
~~
last year I took a class with misty mawn and was blown away by her talent and warm heart, her generosity and patience and her laughter and honesty.
then we were both at squam, in new hampshire last september for an art retreat,
where I didn't take her class, but where I became her friend.
so of course this year, even though I haven't had a paint brush in my hand for months, I took her class and once again was blown away
by her gentleness as she guided all of us into a territory
that I like to refer to as
"scary as hell"
faces
are so incredibly hard to paint and misty makes it looks so easy.
she gives hours and hours of help and praise and ideas and suggestions and demonstrations
and
many students get it and even perfect it.
I don't.
I didn't get it last year and I still didn't quite get it this year.
don't get me wrong...sure I can paint a face and even draw one, but not one that I love or want to hang on my wall or share with the world.
and
if you were to get robbed
you would not want me to be your sketch artist
because they would most likely NEVER find him unless his name was tattoed on his face
but
I have pretty much figured out how to paint backgrounds and add texture and control my color a bit better and make interesting landscape lines and transfer images and love my stabilo pencil
and
that's enough for me right now.
this is lorraine and right before heading to valley ridge she commented on my blog and I told her I was leaving in a few days to take a class with misty mawn at valley ridge and she wrote back and told me she was too...okay, now this is where the 6 degrees of separation and kevin bacon come into play....I mean really,what are the chances ? she lives in utah and they {lorraine and her friend heidi} flew all the way here just to be in misty's class. now that's impressive since I only had to drive an hour and fifteen minutes. I know, lucky me, right ?
~I also commented and told her she has great hair and wow does she ever~
okay
now let's move on to heather. sweet heather, who was a stranger a year ago and then we were roommates at squam and just like that, a new friendship was made. she sent an email to me awhile back and asked if she could come and stay with me and take misty's class and I was all like "are you kidding me...yes yes yes"
she had also taken a class with misty earlier this year while at artfest and sometimes there are instructors that you just can't get enough of and she wanted more, too. so in she flew from new mexico and off we went to valley ridge to play and learn and laugh until tears poured out of us.
{there's more to heather, but that's in part two}
since our cottage is only 30 minutes from valley ridge
I always stay there while I'm taking my classes.
this time I got to fill the guest bedroom with heather and misty.
first
we headed out to dinner
after the wine and cheese reception that kathy and bill always have after the first day of classes
to my newest favorite little place to eat in mineral point
cafe 4
~
we sat outside in the cool and damp fall air
surrounded by twinkle lights and candle light
eating yummy fire baked pizzas
and
then headed back to the warmth of the cottage
where I prayed we had hot water
{a family friend and praying can actually make a temperamental hot water heater work}

we didn't get a whole lot of sleep
since talking late into the night happens so easily
and
morning came a little too quickly
but
we were ready to head back and paint and get messy

our class was a thursday/friday class and misty is now teaching the saturday/sunday class
{I really don't know how she does it}
and
when she's done teaching
I get a few more days of her friendship and laughter
and
hopefully a photo shoot if mother nature cooperates
before she leaves
~~
I'm not sure why people think medicine comes in a bottle
~
I think medicine comes in the form of art
of any kind
and
of course people
especially girlfriends
*
part two will arrive shortly
when my mind settles a little bit







September 25, 2009

I've been moving and grooving...



grooving
did you miss me
?
I kind of forgot to mention that I was leaving town for a few days
for an art retreat
where we learned to balance feathers on the end of our noses
while dancing on one leg
~~
well
not really
but it does look like fun doesn't it
?
anyhow
I painted and made a mess and painted some more and added some glue
and a few transfers and whined when things didn't turn out
and
laughed
until my cheeks just couldn't take it any longer
~~
I'll be back soon with a few photos and a better story
I promise
*




September 23, 2009

see past the pretty...



not always pretty


we ourselves
aren't always pretty
yet we seem to choose the pretty things to photograph
flowers~sunsets~clouds~rainbows~oceans
you know
the pretty things
~~
but
I love the ugly
~
okay maybe not the "ugly ugly" of ugly
but
"just the things people never pay attention to ugly"
~~
due to this fascination of mine
I've already prepared myself to the fact that one of these days
I'll get a traffic ticket for inattentive driving
and
in my head I already have the
"but officer you just can't believe..."
script
ready to roll
~~
or I'll be caught trespassing
in which case I'm ready to pretend that I don't speak any english
or that I'm just really stupid
~
either way I think I can be convincing
~~
~hola yo no mo engliss my bad no go~
~~
so today
see the ugly in your own way
not my way
because that would be copying
and
I'll have none of that
~~
kidding...my blog loves...just kidding
~~
but seriously
what did you see today or yesterday that nobody else paid any attention to
that captured your eye
and
maybe even your heart
?


September 22, 2009

slowly we go...



while looking up...
now that our days are
described as
"with a chill in the morning air"
our shadows will become long and stretched out
almost to the point where the image of who we are will disappear
~~
so
look up instead

September 21, 2009

don't be afraid to ask...


family in the park...2

we were in the same park
~~
they were feeding the ducks
I was trying to get some early fall~taken from the ankle~macro shots
I watched them out of the corner of my eye
they were a cute family
~~
they were taking photos of each other
I used their camera and took a group shot for them
~~
a bit later
I asked if I could take their photo with my camera
they said yes
I told them I take jumping photos
they said great
~~
they made me laugh
they made me smile
they made my day
~~
I gave them my business card
he gave me his
~~
I asked if I could put their photo on my blog
they said they would love me to
~~
never be afraid to ask

September 20, 2009

the way...




sometimes I think everything has changed
~~
my thoughts
my ideas
my dreams
my likes
my dislikes
the way I like to be touched
the way I like to eat an oreo
my plans for the future
the way I need to be held
the way I like to dress
the way I put on my mascara
the books I want to read
the words I need to write
the way my bangs fall in my eyes
the way I want to be talked to
the way I need to be kissed
~~
and
then I wake up
and
the walls and my bedding and what appears to be a beehive on top of my head
are all the same
~~
I look in the mirror and I see me
but
it's not the me from last night
after my face was washed and my teeth were brushed
or is it
~~
I feel different
but I look the same
~~
I get dressed and my jeans fit tight to my hips just the way they did yesterday
and
my t-shirt curves around my breasts and I turn sideways and smile
I get close to the mirror
and
like how my lips look kind of pouty
even while bare
~~
I make a cup of almond vanilla tea
just the way I have done everyday for as long as I can remember
and
carry it to my office where my computer awaits me
and
I write
~~
I write for me
I write for you
I write about all the things that I am and all the things that I want to be
and
all the things that I want to do and all the things that I see
~~
so
today I am loved
and
so badly wanting to be a better writer
and
hoping to take pictures in an orphanage in africa someday
all
while seeing and actually liking
the person looking back at me in the mirror
*

September 18, 2009

thank you just isn't enough....

how can I ever thank all of you for your kind wishes and prayers
that you so lovingly sent to me and my daughter
~
can you all come over for a dance party
with cake and margaritas
?
oh
and
hugs too
I'm really really good at hugs
~
seriously
~all of you~
are
AMAZING
simply
amazing
~~~~~
and
the smiley chic above is doing fantastically well
and
sends hugs to all of you
too
~~
this photo was 10 hours before her surgery
~reason 213 to always have your point and shoot in your purse~
but honestly
she looked almost this good afterwards
~~
1o.5 hours after her surgery
she was discharged
and
without the aid of the wheel chair that the nurse kept asking her about
she slowly
walked beside me out of the hospital and all the way to the parking garage
~~
kids these days




September 17, 2009

I want a do-over of yesterday and today....PLEASE !

wednesday night
urgent care with daughter
exam and blood work
7:30 pm-8:45 pm
~~
wednesday night/thursday morning
emergency room with daughter
pelvic exam, blood tests, cat scans, more blood work, urine sample
antibiotic, pain and anit-nausea iv's running full force
blinding bright lights and ear piercing noises from tiny machines
~only when your head feels like a balloon ready to pop due to lack of food and sleep~
too many sick people with masks on
sweet nurses and cute doctors
and
way too many residents "playing" doctor
9:00 pm-7:00 am
~do the math....10 flippin hours~
~~
thursday morning
not an ounce of sleep
worse blinding lights and lots of noise and commotion
surgical floor
7:30
am
~~
8:30
am
off she goes on a silly bed with wheels
~~
they said she might come home yet tonight or early tomorrow
either way
they are holding her appendix hostage
*

September 16, 2009

I was wrong...


manly men
I thought my blue eyed curly blonde headed
little girl last week
was the definition of
perpetual motion
but
I was wrong
here they come...brothers

because
these two little boys
took perpetual motion to a new level
and
I loved it
~~
this family is not just full of fun and laughter and life
they honestly shine
and
with a baby arriving in december
their world is going to get even brighter



are you looking at me ?





thank you h and a and h and h
for once again trusting me with your family photos
*
~if you stretch your screen you can see the whole muscle man competition in photo one~
~it's only cut off due to blogger limitations~

September 15, 2009

just a day, just an ordinary day...or is it ?


gun club views

*the weather here continues to be spectacular. the leaves have started to change and the apple trees are weighted down with brilliant shades of red and green while the apples themselves scream, "pick me pick me" as you walk by them in the orchard.
~~
*today is the day I get my braces off. granted, they haven't been the traditional braces since I went the invisalign route, but invisible they have NOT been and this past month, since they added an ugly rubber band to my front tooth, I have felt a little alien like. so if you think you're feeling the earth move around 1:30 this afternoon, no worries, as it'll just be me doing
a happy dance.
~~
*what's up with these poor school kids having to take ibuprofen or advil as part of their breakfast routine, due to back and shoulder pain because of the weight of their backpacks. I don't like it. I don't like the fact that my son only has only has 5 minutes in between classes and with 1600 hundred students in his school, on three floors, stopping at his locker is next to impossible...so his backpack is his locker and our chiropractor is his new best friend.
~~
*sophie must think that I nap as often she does during the day, since she has not a care in the world at getting up to pee at 1:54 in the morning while I'm in my deepest of sleep. I think it's time that I either start napping 3 hours everyday, right after lunch or have a nice long talk with her and let her know this shit has to stop.
~~
*today my heart is broken. patrick swayze has died and I loved him so much as an actor and a man who didn't get overly caught up in the hollywood scene and remained married to his wife for more than thirty years. I have watched "dirty dancing" over and over again, to the point where my hubby has questioned my mental stability when he sees the excitement in my eyes when I see "dirty dancing" in the movie lineup when we're zoning out on the hbo and showtime channels on lazy afternoons.
I have watched dirty dancing more than you...oh yes I have
and
"nobody puts baby in a corner"
*

September 14, 2009

"hey boys, guess what"



not the photographer....

"remember beth"
?
"the girl who came to our house last year and took photos of our family"
~~
"she's back"
*
one of the sweetest and funniest families I know
asked me to come back this year for another family photo shoot and I wouldn't have
missed it for the world
~
and this time
there's a baby on the way that will be here just a few days before christmas
~
I couldn't resist the above photo as the start of my "sneak peek" of photos
as it literally just cracked me up and made me realize why I love what I do
~
{no pressure H and A...but this would be my pick for your christmas card}
*
more photos of this fabulous family will be here soon

September 12, 2009

do you have a style ?

this guy does
and
he was proud to rock it for me when I asked if I could take his photo
~~
I'm not sure what he does the rest of the year
but
I found him working as a summer kayak launcher on lake wingra a few weeks ago
and
he made me smile with all his proudness
~~
I don't think I have a style
do you
?
bootcut~sexy cut~super skinny~straight cut~flare
I'm happy in blue jeans
preferably in a washed denim as the dark denim always feels a little too stiff for me
and
this summer
I have worn cuffed blue jean capris almost every day
~~
okay
sometimes
a skirt and leggings
too
~only because I heard they're the "in" thing~
~~
sweaters~scoop neck~low cut~sweatshirts~long sleeves~layered t-shirts~tanks~v necks
I'm not really picky
but
I do love cotton
~~
hats
not so much
only my baseball cap on my "too busy to shower" days
but
scarves
oh I love scarves
~~
sunglasses
love them but my eyes are too "close set" to find many that fit my face
~~
flats~boots~heels~mules~flip flops~trekkers~tennis shoes
whatever
although I am addicted to my uggs and wear them all winter long
and
yes I know they make my feet look like pancakes
but hey
I live in wisconsin and that's just what we do
~~
purses~shopping bags~totes~backpacks~camera bags~computer bags
pretty much any kind or any size
anything with a handle
let's just say I'm addicted
~~
and
here's the problem
my closet is full of everything I just mentioned
and
when I'm dressed I think I look nice and sometimes maybe even a little "stylish"
and
my friends and family when we're shopping or I'm wearing something besides jeans
will say
"oh that's so you"
yet
I don't think I have "a style" or "a look"
that stands out from the crowd
~~
do you
?



September 11, 2009

a new day....


into the light
today is friday
and
"I think I'm going to make it"
~~
for those of you who suffer from migraines
I know that you have also said those same words
~~
I get them often enough and can control them with medication and acupuncture
but
the one that hit me on wednesday literally knocked me off my feet for hours and hours
it was one of "those"
where nothing I ate or drank stayed with me
including my medication
~~
it was one of "those"
where I wanted to remove my head and ship it to a faraway country with hopes of it getting lost in the mail
~~
it was one of "those"
where the sounds of the television actually drowned out the pounding in my head
but when the phone rang
it was like being stabbed with a steak knife
~~
it was one of "those"
where I felt that if the plier like grip tightening in on my temples
got any stronger
that my head would literally turn to mush like a grape that's been stepped on
~~
it was one of "those"
where I sat in my closet in order to get away from the light pouring in from the windows
after tying a dishtowel around my head and over my eyes wasn't enough
~~
yesterday was better
better in the sense that I walked on eggshells
waiting to see if a rebound headache
would dummy punch when I wasn't looking
~~
but it didn't
because I ate prescription medicine for breakfast and lunch
which is not my idea of a balanced diet
and
it pisses me off knowing that sometimes I have to do that
~~
so if any of you saw cindy mccain recently on the news talking about migraines
and
the need to spend more money on research for a cure
due to the number of "lost work days"
well
she speaks the truth
from living with migraines herself
and
I think I like her
~~




September 10, 2009

we just knew.....

the arrival of baby number three was going to happen any minute
so I rigged up his stick to an empty pop tart box
and
we took him with us when we left to go to my sister's house for labor day
yes
you read that right
we took our baby with us in hopes of not missing his birth

unfortunately he decided to come on his own terms
five minutes from my sister's house
on main street
next to a gas station
and
like I said before
they come so fast
so I apologize for the blurry photos but the car was still moving

the fantastic hubby
quickly pulled into the gas station parking lot

so I could have a steady camera hand
and
then we just sat there in awe for a minute
watching and shooting
and
then headed quickly to my sister's house
who has yet to witness a birth
so she could as least see the wings unfold
so there you have it
baby number three
~~
we named him diesel
*