My New Favorite Song

We heard Catie Curtis sing this song by Don White, and while I don't yet have any kids, I can already picture these growing nieces and nephews of mine taking on adolescence... this song should be an anthem for all you parents out there (you brave and fiercely loving souls).

Watch the video here.

the perfect meal

when you are under the weather, this is the perfect meal.
fresh squeezed orange juice with an umbrella, for good measure.
vietnamese pho.
vegetarian spring rolls with peanut sauce.
and hot tea, to boot.
share with the love of your life
and you will start to feel better, almost immediately... even if you do miss school the next day.

fall fun

fall has brought new adventures and day trips with my hubby, as well as party nights with friends.

we explored great falls and watched the boaters go at it before finding a cozy dinner with our gps. we walked through history and beautiful surroundings, with a whole lot of other people- ah, metropolitan parks, what a delight. it was worth fighting the crowd for the fall day that we had, though.


our friend L&L (not pictured) hosted a murder mystery set in 1895. it was a blast, though i could hardly stay in character with this crowd. we had a lot of fun and i wasn't the murderer, so that was a bonus. i was a female archeologist, though, and todd... well, he was a major general.


for halloween, i became a tree or a leaf pile (depending on my position,) and hosted a whole lot of crazy kids. we even had a spelling test right after out party. we had two darth vaders and two indiana jones, among our other cast of characters.


and what could make a better fireside treat than s'more cookies. as i sipped my apple-tini, i couldn't help but take a picture of the chocolate bar smothered in marshmallow. can you believe the gluttony?

cool weather friends

what could be finer than a walk with freinds on a cool autumn day?

fall fun

so many reasons to celebrate.
so may ways to celebrate.


C's birthday.
Cake.


Friendship.
Bobbing for apples.


Happy dogs.
Lots of food.


Harvest plenty.
Clear buckets so you can watch your friends' underwater faces.


Pumpkins.
Carving.


Togetherness.
Roasted seeds.


(Have you ever seen a pumpkin spouting on the inside???)


Autumn weather.
Bringing us closer. Bringing us indoors.


Watching wii boxing.
Expelling energy.


"Ocama" pumpkins.
Pumpkins of many moods.


Families.
Candy Corn.


Martinis carved in pumpkins, complete with olive.
Watching your friend wield sharp objects.



Getting in there and getting dirty.
Joy. Laughter. Smiles.
Full Bellies.

week-end favorites: a list

used book sales and stacks of books
cool weather and blankets to cuddle under
yummy treats and recipes to share
friends to share with and laughter
children's artwork and slobbery tongues
parties and peace vigils
yard sale finds and peanut brittle
deep cups of decaf and clean floors

and then, at the end of that day
i love a dog-tired dog.

Friday afternoon

so this is what we do
now that we are cooped up in a house in town.
we walk the dogs to a field across the street
and whack tennis balls
for these four-legged creatures to chase.

and then pick up after them
because that is just how much we love them.

and how could you not love faces like these?
i mean really...
and we are happy
because we are reminded of what a sweet little family we have.
crazy, but lovely, all the same.


and when we are all tired
and all happy
its time to go on home.

constantly greateful

for:
knowing happiness
photography
being over the hump
days working alone
big, fat fiestas
re-connections
friends that can write Rx
our silent friends
swimming dogs

remembering to bring coffee to work
quiet mornings
cool breezes
long recesses
snuggles
tired mornings with my wife
blue jeans
summer clothes
laughter
sleeping in
shared meals
the satisfaction of finishing a good book
a job with respect
Fridays.


What are your grateful for each time your pour a cup of coffee?

contrast in black and white

just before my run
with peace in my heart
in a stream of light
on the guest room floor
i studied the contrast
and tried to shoot
to capture it all.

you can say a lot with a picture
but you can never say it all.

contrast: the series

a few more from the series.