Texas Rainbows...and Robert Plant!

Here are the last of the shots from our drive to Corpus Christi. I did manage to eeeek out a few quiet moments after all...

One thing about Texas, the heat creates wonderful afternoon thunderstorms & rainbows!

Once we got home the race was on...we had tickets to see Robert Plant in concert & we were way late (as usual) so we dropped the dog & the luggage at the house, the boy at the grandparents, then off to the show! The thunderstorms returned to add a wonderful touch to the outdoor event (yes, we were under a cover) and I am still recovering!

Lazy Days at the Beach...or not???

It used to be a wonderfully relaxing day to go to the beach, lay out in the sun, listen to the waves & gulls, & sip a cold one. Now I have a 4 year old boy. My how times have changed!

A Drive Through Texas

After sitting on the couch waiting for the husband to get all his stuff done & falling about 5 hours behind schedule (nothing new) we finally hit the road to visit family in Corpus Christi for the weekend. The drive from our part of Houston to CC is not so bad. The Texas scenery is ever changing and very telling. The afternoon rain cools off the heat, the Texas sized sun (OK, it seems bigger in Texas) makes beautiful double rainbows,

and the bright moon illuminates great hidden treasures telling of a rich Texas history.

Pictures of the day at the beach, North Padre Island, will be posted in the next blog...maybe today, maybe not. We are headed back to Houston in a short while (already falling behind the schedule of course) to catch Robert Plant in concert. Do you think I can sneak in my camera????

"I wanna be a library!"

My oldest daughter, Cheyenne, once said at the ripe old age of three that she wanted to be a library. What she meant was that she wanted to be a librarian. You see, each week her preschool class would get to check out a book at the library & return it for another one the next week. About a month later Cheyenne passed unexpectedly.

Today I have been sitting on the couch working on my laptop (creating a new website for my photography business) while David, my youngest, now 4, watches Little Bill on Nick Jr. Suddenly I found myself staring at the TV as little Bill expressed his love of the new book he got at the library & how he did not want to return it. My heart skipped a beat. The sadness he felt at the thought of being separated from the book that he loved so much was very familiar to me. Then Cheyenne appeared in my heart as Bill hugged his book to his chest saying he didn't want to give it back because he loved it so much. The librarian explained (to both of us) that that is the wonderful thing about libraries. You can enjoy a book for a while, then when it is time to return it you can get another one that you will love just as much. After recovering from the shock, I silently send a hug and a thank-you to my little library.

These are the books that we got to borrow for a short while: Cheyenne is the blonde, & Emily is the brunette. We are currently enjoying the book David.

Thanks TML for selecting my work!

On Friday I was selected among some wonderful images as the Friday Inspiration on The Maternal Lens Blog. Check it out!

http://thematernallens.blogspot.com/2010/07/friday-inspiration-and-winner.html

An evening at my house...

Now that we are back from vacation and things are starting to settle into a routine everything is...well...CRAZY! David's toys are scattered everywhere, with such density that walking through the living room is like a military obstacle course. Anyone with claustrophobia should stay away. David has a new scooter that required way more skill than I ever dreamt & after a few skinned & bloody knees outside I gave the OK for inside training, but he has managed to pick it up with ease and joy...in the living room.

Meanwhile, the dog is harassing the cats, begging for scraps from anything we are preparing in the kitchen, and when David is taking breaks from his self-taught scooter lessons he is running around tagging us yelling "You can't catch me!" then running to the bathroom to lock himself in. Why can't he ever figure out how to UNLOCK himself out?

Then he's back to the scooter, yelling "mommy! Take pictures of me!" That is in itself a rarity since he is usually refusing to let me take his picture. He finds it fun to try to run over my toes & I suppose has figured out that if I'm taking his picture I will be within run-over distance.

But eventually he wears us all down then wears out himself and we all tuck unto our snuggly late night routine with Nick Jr's Upside Down Show, the internet, soft pillows, sleeping cats & a snoring dog.

Tuesday's Toys & Growing Up

Well OK, so I don't do Tuesday's Toys as often as I would like (I know, it's not even Tuesday today!). It requires silly time. I have found in recent days that if it's not one thing it's ten others. Dealing with the issues of every day life in the real world can sometimes be a menace. My little guy wants nothing more in the world than to have his mommy or daddy get on the floor and play with him. All day, every day. Don't stop to eat. Don't stop to sleep. No paying bills, or cleaning house, or going shopping, or mowing the yard. Just "play with me mommy". Sometimes, after repeated refusals w/ explanations that I have to work, I look up from my laptop & find him sitting solemnly amongst his toys. Sad & lonely. No one to play with. The guilt is unbearable and I cave. Other times I find him busily playing some make-believe story inspired by his latest favorite tv show and I allow myself to be content that he is developing self-sufficient skills. His pit of energy is bottomless and his source of comfort comes in two small, soft, huggable toys. One is Blue the dog, and the other is a bear head on a snuggly little blanket we call "huggie".  Huggie goes everywhere with us. On one occassion, after forgetting huggie before going to a birthday party (a relatively new experience for this pre-schooler) he had a melt down but manned-up in time to go on to the party without his huggie. On the drive home I made sure I praised his courage and success at the party without huggie & he very eloquently explained that huggie helps him to not be afraid when he goes to school and other places but now he knows he won't have to turn around to get it when he forgets.

Hot Day, Hard Work

My drama club students and I did our annual summer car wash to raise money for our upcoming school year and the shows we will be producing.  Working in the Texas heat on pavement all day can really do a number on me! It's not as easy as it used to be, that's for sure! I've been doing this 20 years, and there is no question that this nation is suffering financially right now. We used to earn double what we have in recent years and we work just as hard in the same Texas heat. We (I should say THEY) washed all shapes and sizes of automobiles, including an ambulance! We raised a nice chunk of money thanks to all the generous people wishing to support the fine arts in the public school system, some of whom didn't even ask us to wash their car! I want to shout out a special thanks to SEARS HARDWARE on Jones Rd, who let us use their parking lot & water.

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What lies beneath....

I am back home from my vacation in Washington with hundreds of images. I wish I could share them all, but alas, that would not be something any of us have time for. This particular blog post is dedicated to the nature of hidden beauty. It might be unfurling into a glorious & healing fern branch, or hidden in a bubble of water. It might be seen clearly through a bubble or all around us as we look up & out into the horizon. Take a look and let me know what is your favorite.

You have to check this place out!

I have been waiting all week to tell everyone about this wonderful little place on the n.w. pacific coast! My sister took us out there last Monday for a day drive in the coastal countryside of Washington. I fell in love. I got her a vintage red metal chair for her deck from Uptown Seabeck, a collective shop, & we ate lunch on the rock beach among the colorful kayaks. I had a nice visit with storekeepers Janet & Rob. Formerly the local Post Office in the late 40's, Rob & Barbara started it 9 years ago. Other people joined into the co-op, among them a masseuse, & a ceramic potter. Between Martha, Bob, Cheyenne, Janet, Barb & Rob, it is running smoothly with the help of Carol & LuAnn. Next time you are driving along Seabeck hwy, take a few minutes, stop by, & tell them you found out about them in my blog. They are so nice & accommodating to any needs you might have!

Uptown Seabeck, 15398 Seabeck Hwy NW, Seabeck Washington, 98380. T: 360-830-4222