I am constantly struck by light and how it passes through objects, the cast and and hue that it creates. As I came up the stairs

yesterday, I was engulfed in how cool my room looked with the light passing through the bamboo shades. If you know me at all, you know my room was a bit of a mess so capturing the whole thing was not an option. But pulling my favorite pair of shoes from the closet and using them for the beautiful models they are was a great option. I usually do not like to stage photos, but this just seemed right. They are my favorites #1 because they are red. Hello? #2 because they are patent leather they shine! What a comination! #3 because they are some brand I've never heard of so I pretend they are expensive. #4 I bought them at the gap outlet for $3. Does it get any better? Really? I wear my sweet little shiny red shoes with this wonderful "Breakfast at Tiffany's" little black dress that is made of taffetta...it is sleeveless and fitted at the bodice with a thin black belt at the waist. The skirt is super poofy and knee length. The best part....it has pockets!!!!!! The other best part....it was $12.99 on Target.com!!!! I love to shop. Help cannot be found for me. Even more than shopping, I loves me a bargain!!! The sadness of this strory is that I have had only one opportunity to wear my stunning frock and shoes. Life in Owensboro does not really call for many cocktail party opportunities. One of these days, I would like to host a backyard garden cocktail party where we eat yummy food, drink good libations, wear our pretty duds, and enjoy good company. Be watching....your invitation might just be in the mail!

pic(s) of the week...umm...two weeks

It has been two weeks spent in a whirlwind. Remember those fun money booths where the money flies all around and the lucky contestant was allotted precious few seconds to catch all the money they could? That's how I've felt for the last two weeks except I wasn't grabbing for money...I was grabbing for air and a moment of peace. I have no idea why, but it's just been one of those blitz times when every second of the day is spoken for. I have mangaged to take a few shots here and there...I just haven't really had the time, moreso, the energy, to download, post, and write. Me and technology are worlds apart right now. I dropped my Blackberry phone last week and it went kaput...nothing but a white screen. There is a sensation that my connection to the world has been stripped from me. That little bugger was my road to staying in touch. To say I am feeling a little lost would be an understatement. The same can be said for times when life is so crazy busy. I try coming up for air and a moment to myself and it is so quick, nothing good comes from it. I feel so distant from all that is familiar and lovely to me and I feel lost. Thankfully though, there is light at the end of the tunnel though. There is always a light. My craziness should come to an end crowned by a holiday weekend very soon. My Blackberry will likely remain lifeless. I've resorted back to my trusty flip phone. I've dropped him a million times and he's still ringing. There is always a light!

pic a day - always welcome

There is something very welcoming about a wreath on a door. It just says "Hey...welcome...come on in!" It's not so much about being pretty, although that is a common and good reason for a wreath, and I certainly wouldn't advocate putting up an ugly wreath. It's just a universal sign to me that indicates HERE is where I want you to be...HERE, right at my front door walking in. I love love love love having people in my home. To me, my home is the most personal thing I can offer to people. It is full of pictures of those I hold near and dear. There are family heirlooms. I am a serious collector of stuff and all my stuff has memories connected. My Raggety Ann doll from when I was 3 sits on a shelf along with some really cool cigar boxes I scoped out in the Old City of Knoxville when I lived there. There are chotchkys from my trip to Ireland along side pottery pieces from a silent auction. At Christmas, I display a thousand and one (OK, maybe more like 30) nativity scenes that I've collected over the years. I always pick one that I decide to leave out all year. There's ribbon from my grandpa's funeral, an old camera and film slides I picked up at an antique store, and books galore. My photography is displayed along with other pieces of famly artwork. And that's all just in my living room. My home is a shrine to the life and the love and the joy I've experienced. You may not realize all that is present when you walk through my front door, but I do and when you leave, you've become a part of all that is me. So when you see the wreath on my door, don't hesitate to knock. It may be dusty and little messy, much like me :), but you are always always always welcome in my home.

pic of the day - I will always love you

I'd like to offer a shout out to my dear friend Tina on this one! Before there was Whitney Houston and the movie Bodyguard, there was a 5 foot tall, well endowed blond beauty from East Tennessee, with big wig hair as big as her personality and she sang one of my favorite songs of all time. Dolly Parton! I've heard all the rumors about what a fake she is and how foul mouthed she is. I even heard once, from a very reliable source mind you, that she was never seen in public without her spike heels that made her tall and her 4-5 pairs of panty hose (worn all at one time) that made her calves look good. Rumors and quirks aside, I LOVE DOLLY PARTON!!! How can you not? Any woman who can have one of her girls fall out of her dress as she goes out on stage and then say that's what happens when you try to stuff 10 pounds of potatoes in a 5 pound bag is my kind of girl!!! What an attitude! And what a voice! When I was little, Dolly had her own TV show. I can't remember for certain, but I think it came on after Hee Haw on Saturday nights. Yes, I loved Hee Haw too...and the Barbara Mandrell show. What has happened to TV anyway? None of that good stuff is on these days. I digress. My absolute favorite thing about the Dolly show was her entrance. It may have been one show for all I know, but I know that it stuck in my mind forever as totally cool!!!! You could hear her singing the start of "I will always love you" before you ever saw her. Then....are you ready...then she was lowered onto the stage from a swing. Like the swing in my own backyard! In my memory, she had on this glorious frilly sparkly pink dress and her wig was huge! And she came on stage from the air in a backyard swing singing "And I....will always love you...ooo oooo ooo". Her background to the stage was always this monsterous butterfly and to this day, I believe the butterfuly remains sort of her signature. Crazy I know, butI see butterflies and I think of Dolly. How many people can say that???? It's what makes me me!

pic of the day - the stick in the bucket

Last year, my next door neighbor came over with a stick in a bucket and offered it to me. "Wow" I thought...how thoughtful? He claimed it was a crepe myrtle that was growing where he didn't want it and was going ot throw it away. Instead, he thought I might like to have it. Trust me when I tell you that this stick in a bucket was just that, nothing more. A crepe myrtle though...."OK" I said, "I'll try it". In the ground it went. Unsure if it would live or die, be big or puny, ugly or pretty, I sort of stuck it in where I could fit it just to see what happened. Well, low and behold, it did grow last summer, but not into anything significant or substantial, and it certainly never bloomed. Honestly, I was beginning to question whether or not it was really a crepe myrtle. Fast forward to this summer and my once stick in a bucket transformed into a relatively prominent shrub in my landscaping. While it hadn't yet bloomed, I had determined that indeed it is a crepe myrtle and that I might just have to find a bigger home next year. Last night, long after crepe myrtle season has hit its peak, I stepped outside to see that my lovely stick in a bucket had bloomed gorgeous pretty pink blooms!! It's beautiful and I really do not think I could have picked out a prettier shrub if I had tried. It will definitely need a bigger home next year. What once was on man's trash became my stick in a bucket that is now the pride of my garden. See what happens when we let ourselves be open?

This morning I awoke the strangest light outside. There was a golden yellow hue that seemed to envelope everything. It was lovely and erie all at the same time. I tried capturing it a few times with no success. Then I passed by my front door and it looked as if a yellow spotlight were being shone through the glass. The image truly does not provide the sense of strangeness and beauty that I experienced, but it certainly displays it in a way like no other. It made me think, as all things do, about the distortion of my thoughts and beliefs at times. One of the things that helps me to stay pretty happy most of the time is that I pretend. I choose to believe some things not exactly how they are because it's way more fun, just easier, or not quite as difficult to think about. For example, I choose to believe that George Clooney really wants to be with me, but simply doesn't want to put me through the woes of the spotlight. He's very kind that way :) When I stay in hotel room, I choose not to think about all of the icky things that could be lingering in the room from all the previous guests. Rather than drive myself absolutely crazy, I choose not to think about it. My thoughts distort the reality of what really is. In the same way, I know I am guilty of not being able to see things in the clear beautiful way they are meant to be seen because of my own misperceptions or insecurities. Sadly I have missed things because my expectations clouded how lovely it already was. Leaded glass is pretty, but when it comes to reality, I strive to look at life in as clear, honest way as possible.

pic of the day - yellow rose of texas

Yellow roses are without question my favorite flower. When I was little, I loved the song "The Yellow Rose of Texas". If my memory is correct , there was a TV show by the same name in which Cybyl Shepherd and Sam Elliot were the stars. I'm not sure how at the age of 5 at most I could think he was cool, but I sure did. I'm pretty sure it was a combination of the voice and the mustache. I had a thing for the bass singer in the Oak Ridge Boys too...again with the deep voice. Weird. I had never seen anyone with facial hair of that kind, and I thought it was pretty cool. I can remember trying to talk my dad into growing one just like it. When the movie Tombstone came out, he was, without question, my favorite character. Crazy I know. Again, it's the mustache. Now every everytime I hear him stump for the beef industry or Dodge trucks, I want to run out, fire up the grill and trade in my car.

While yellow roses carry sweet meaning for me for many reasons, I can't help the fact that I always hear that song and think of the mustache for just brief split second before ooooing and awwwwing. I giggle a little on the inside every time! Now you know.

pic of the day - when the chimes sing

Maybe it's the fact that I love the part of "It's A Wonderful Life" where everytime a bell rings, an angel gets its wings. It could be that one of my favorite toys as a child was that multi-colored bell thing that looked like a piano and you bonged it with the yellow batton...I know there's a real name for that, but my memory escapes me. I'm not sure just exactly why, but I love windchimes. Everytime I hear them sing, I feel like something special is happening. I may not know what it is, but it's happening and the chimes are letting me know. It's as if I'm supposed to listen...like they are a message to me. Sometimes they bring me comfort, as if someone I love is watching over me. Sometimes they trigger a memory. Sometimes they are a bit haunting. They always have meaning though.

This afternoon as I came home from work, something passed through. There was this wonderful cool breeze that totally squashed the oppressive heat that has plagued us for several days. There were little sprinkles of rain and that wonderful smell that comes along. It felt wonderful as I stood on the back porch watching Bertie run. Then I heard the chimes. I took a deep breath and waited for the meaning. It was a feeling of "Ahhhh" ....of peace...of OK. I still have no real idea of what that means, but I've never been let down before. I couldn't record the sound, but I could capture the moment...every time the chimes sing.

pic of the day - enjoy your bathroom floor

I knew this day would come. It actually took longer than I thought. To say I'm quite proud of myself is an understatement. This challenge I've given myself to take a picture a day finally proved to be nearly unobtainable today - if it weren't for Bertie. It's just been one of those days. The morning was rushed - a result of hitting that wonderful snooze button one too many times, the fact that I woke up starving making a bowl of cereal a priority over showering on time, and wanting to wear something that needed to be ironed. It's funny how all those little extra 5 minute tasks add up. There was no time for smelling the roses or seeing the light this morning.

My office is rather drab and I'm in the middle of finishing some big projects so scoping out the campus was not an option during the day. Lunch was fraught with trying squeeze in an errand or two on top of eating a bite at home while giving Bertie her mid-day potty break. After work, I hurried out to my folk's house for dinner, and while there may have been a moment or two worth capturing, of course I had no camera. I had a list of other errands that needed to be run that couldn't wait until Saturday so a quick trip home to provide Bertie yet another potty-break and supper was next on the list. Upon pulling in the driveway, I noticed the driveway was wet. Further inspection showed me that my entire front landscaping, yard, and that of my neighbor was totally saturated with the water now shooting like "Old Faithful" from my front hose. I swear with all memory in me that I turned the water off last night after giving the flowers a much needed drink, yet today, it was on and the pressure combined with the heat burst through the hose. Now that would have been some picture. Nevermind that...no time...errands to run! While out, of course there was a glorious sunset and again I had no camera. Upon returning home, I found my poor doggy who'd been alone the greater part of 13 hours ready to bounce off the walls. After a mighty game of tug of war, laps around the backyard, obliterating 2 toys, she took a swan dive onto the bathroom floor to cool her belly. AND I HAD MY CAMERA! Yes folks, that's as good as it gets today.

Some days are just filled to the brim with demands and tugs and pulls and things you just have to do. It's ok if the best thing that happens in a day is to sprawl out and cool your belly. If it weren't for the hectic times, we would never know to treasure the bathroom floor of our lives. Ok, so I don't sprawl out on the bathroom floor, but if it weren't for the many demands we face and the challenges we overcome, would we really appreciate the beauty of rest? I may not have gotten a cool memorable publishable shot, but I had a great laugh at Bertie's frog-like pose. All my errands are done. I had a nice dinner with my parents. My projects at work are nearly complete. And now I'll enjoy my rest.

pic of the day - the other side of the leaf

I love this shot. I shoot it over an over again every time the opportunity arises. There is something special about the other side of the leaf making such a pretty picture. Normally, it is the right side of the leaf that is the preferred side. I can't think of a single flower arrangement that I've seen where the underneath side of the leaf is purposely shown. I have never seen a potted plant displayed upside down so the other side of the leaves can be viewed. No one that I know of has ever gotten down on the ground, looked up, and exclaimed, "Oh what a pretty plant!"

The addition of a simple ray of light changes everything. Everything! From my normal position, this leaf looked as bland and heat stunned as any other leaf among my flowers and plants. A slight change of angle and a view into the sun illuminates the ordinary leaf like fireworks on the 4th of July or the tree at Christmas. No longer is the leaf its normal plain self, but instead the other side of the leaf is so much more. And it's the light that makes it all possible.

I think I spend too much of my time going through life only seeing the bland ole view you get from a regular glance. What would happen if we suddenly started changing our view? If we looked at things from a different angle? Most importantly what if we all took a look into the light? Would we see things of beauty as they are meant to be seen? Would we see that there is so much more out there for us to enjoy if we only took the time? If we only saw the light. What about me? What does my other side look like? Am I offering a view with the light shining through? I think this offers a whole new meaning to the phrase "turning over a new leaf".

pic of the day - my sweet daddy

My dad and I share a number of traits. We both have the Naylor ears. Stubborn and a little hardheaded are pretty good descriptives at times. If a job is worth doing, it's worth doing well. Our feet are narrow and bony and we have monkey toes. We share my mom for a best friend. Among many many other things, we both have this need to please and are therefore unfamiliar with the words "no" or "can't" in the English language (refer back to stubborn and a little hardheaded). So when someone says "Can you blah blah blah?" our answer is always a resounding "SURE!!! No problem. Be glad to." If someone tels us "Well you can't blah blah blah." we say "Ha! Wanna bet? Watch me!". I learned at a very young age that "can't never did nothing!" And to always stay focused.

The great thing about this superhero gene is that we always know we can call on each other for help and to get the job done. Therein lies the beauty of the gene. You see, I'm an only child, so in essence, I'm the son my dad never had. We have always enjoyed working together and are able to do so quite often. Many a memory has been shared during one of our work projects...laminate flooring in my upstairs bedrooms, cooking on retreat teams, building outdoor swing arbors that leave me deformed for life :), buidling a deck and laying carpet just to name a few.

Our most recent adventure involves reconstructing and underground coal mine. The local museum is kind enough to display several pieces of his woodworking creations and offer them for sale. When they approached him seeking some assistance in making underground support poles look natural in their new underground coal mine exhibit, I'm not sure my sweet daddy knew just what he was getting into. But he said "sure, no problem,I can do that!" And off we go on our next adventure.

We have had such a wonderful time finding just the right wood for our project, designing the construction, fighting drill batteries that won't hold a charge, broken drill bits, sulfer leaks in the mine, and standing back looking at a finished product and knowing we did it together. We've talked about fun ideas, travel dreams, ways to make my mom laugh. We've shared the things weighing on our hearts. Over the years, our work projects turn out in the end to have a two-fold accomplishment...the completion of the project and the growing of a never ending bond. So the next time someone says "Can you blah blah blah?" or "Well you can't blah blah blah, you better believe I'll be the first to say "Sure, no problem, I can do that!" I treasure my sweet daddy with my whole heart and wouldn't trade a minute of our work.

pic of the day - nosy posy

As requested by her boyfriend Preston (a sweet little Westie she met at puppy school), today is all about Bertie. Those of you who have visited my house know that I have this massive bay window area in my living room. It's more of a nook with windows than it is actually a bay window, but you get the idea. Situated nicely in the nook are two comfy yet chic-y off white chairs. That spot is my little retreat and haven while for Bertie, it is her window on the world. Since she was a tiny puppy, she has clamored for the chance to get as close as doggly possible to the windows so she can see out. When she was really little and couldn't yet jump up in the chairs she would stand on her hind tippy toes with her front paws pulling herself up so she could look out.

Once she could get up in the chairs, her world changed. I still wonder if somehow she has a bit of parrot in her because she likes to climb up on my shoulder and sit with her arms hanging over the back of the chair, watching the world go by. It is by far her favorite past time. Wish I could take a picture of that now don't ya?

Now, don't get me wrong, I am a people watcher to the core. Bertie though, she's a master. She knows every car that goes up and down the street. Bikers and walkers really crank her up. Birds, rabbits, and the occasional squirrel that dare enter my yard totally put the charge in her. Cars with squeaky brakes like my mom's or a diesel engine like my dad's call for full on nose to the glass observation. It's Leo the cat though that lives across the street that truly unwinds her. She will quite literally jump from chair to chair to better position herself for optimum viewing. And heaven help us all if the front door is open. She races back and forth across the living room at the pace of Indy cars at the sight of the white flag. There literally have been claw marks in the carpet when Leo makes his presence known.

There will be times when I realize it's terribly quiet and that she's not with me whatever I might be doing in the house. I quietly tiptoe into the living room and there she is, up on her perch, keeping watch on the neighborhood. Literally hours have gone by under her watchful eye. Ahh....the life of a dog...my little watch dog.

pic(s) of the day - sweet okra blossoms

One of my most favorite things to eat is fried okra...I LOVE IT!!!! The fact that it is on the menu is one of the best things about Cracker Barrell in my book. Not the rocking chairs or the homemade biscuits. It's not the old time country store. It's not the jumber checkers. Ok, the massive fire place could be a close contender, but number one for me is fried okra! As good as it is at the ole CB, no one, and I do mean no one, makes it like my momma!

It may sound silly, but it is one of those foods that opens the flood gate of memories and every time I eat it, I feel connected to my heritage. It makes me think of my grandma's house in Memphis. Whenever we would visit,there would always be at least one huge dinner when as many as 17 of us would cram into their tiny eat in kitchen and spill over into the connecting living room. The menu would inevitably consist of fried freshly caught fish (bass or bluegill), hush puppies, her garden grown green beans, and fried okra!!!!! Along with much much more I'm sure and accompanied by a glass of instant lemon tea from a can. That scene is just as vivid in my mind as today's lunch. I can smell the hot grease, hear the laughter and the jokes, feel the chill of the AC (they had a window ac unit right there in the living room and it was always frigid!). My cousins and I would fuss and play, fuss and play. Such fun memories.

Fried okra reminds me of my great grandpa Otto. He and my grandma Pootie lived on a farm near the house my parents lived in when they first married. They still tell the story every year when they pick their okra about their very first crop and how they didn't know when it was ready. Erring on the side of caution, they let it grow to the size of a zucchini and Grandpa Ott had to explain to them the rules of picking okra. It's just one of those funny little stories you grow up with that make you smile and remember.

I find it funny that such a prickly, slimy, seedy little vegetable starts out with such a lovey, pristine blossom and ends up chopped up, coated in cornmeal, and fried into such yummy deliciousness. I think we go through our pricks and slime in life, feeling all cut up and mixed up at times, sometimes kind of awkward, but in the end, we look back and see that yummy deliciousness of life comes as a result of our experiences. Cheers to yummy deliciousness!!

pic of the day - simple pleasures

Morning coffee. The smell fabric softener coming out the clothes dryer vent outside. Getting into a hot car after being in frigid air conditioning (ok, only for about 10 seconds, but it sure is nice for a moment). The feel of the ocean rushing up on your feet. Snow on Christmas Eve. Bertie kisses. Baby giggles. Vegetables fresh from your own garden. Yellow gumballs (here's to blogging Heather). A freshly mown lawn. The scent after a rain. The quiet whisper of a snowfall...even better if it's on Christmas Eve. Mushrooms in the front yard. That first stretch of the morning when you're still all snuggled up under the covers. An arrangement of greenery cut fresh from the shrubs outside.

I am a simple girl. Simple things bring me great pleasure. It could be an only child thing. It could be a growing up poor thing. I'm not sure why the little things in life bring me such joy. Some say I'm nutty, which is probably true. Some might think I have low standards. Some say I need to get a hobby. I have one...taking a picture a day...another simple pleasure. I like that I get so giddy over silly little things. I like that pitter patter feeling I get when something tickles my fancy. Life is too short and too precious not to have as many pitter patters as possible. At the end of the day I would rather count up all the things that made me smile than go to bed wishing. Nutty? Ok. Low Standards? Ok. Need to get out more? Ok. Pitter patter? Absolutely! Wishing you all the simple pleasures you can imagine!

pic of the day - the demise of the stalking squirrel

There is method to my madness at all times, including the dark, spooky, scary look to this otherwise lovely picture. As you may recall, I mentioned earlier in the week that last summer I played a little game of feed the squirrels at the "All you can eat buffet" hole in my backyard tree. Well, this game progressed over the course of the summer to the point where every time I went out in the backyard, if I didn't put a tomato in the tree, it was like walking through day 59 of a squirrel strike picket line. They became quite vocal, squawking and chattering at me...chasing me. It was quite frightening. Sadly, their rioting turned into stalking. One lovely fall afternoon I had my front door open and I caught Mr. Rocky literally peering in. He was standing on my front porch looking in my front door in a silent demand for food. This became our routine.

Foolish me, I never gave my food obsessed gang of rodents a second thought when the beauty of fall was ushered in and I commenced with decorating for the season. One of my favorite little touches I have added to my house are a pair of lovely front porch lanterns. How wonderful I thought it would be to accentuate the nice lanterns with boughs of Indian corn tied with warm fall ribbon and flowers. It looked so pretty. Until, that is, Mr. Rocky and his crew made the discovery.

I came home from work one day and unassumingly stepped out onto the front porch to retrieve my mail when what seemed like 500 squirrels went zipping and dashing and barking all around me, off the porch, and into the nearby trees. I screamed at the top of my lungs knowing certain death by fuzzy tailed critters was upon me. When my terrified dance ceased upon realizing the threat was past, I realized that little bandits were stripping my pretty Indian corn! Thieves!!!! Hoping that my screaming war dance scared them off for good, I decided to let it go for a day. Besides that, my heart was pounding too hard to do anything then anyway.

The next day as I pulled in to the drive, there wasn't much more than corn cob left on my pretty decorations along with the same 500 squirrels lapping up every last kernel they could find. As I stepped screaming out of the car shooing them away, they scattered in flurry...except for one. The little pest was taunting me, curled up by his tail, hanging from my lantern, teasing me. He squawked. I hollered. He scurried. I threw mulch. Boy was he a jerk. "He must be the pack leader and head bully" I thought. Oh no...he wasn't a jerk or a bully. He was stuck! His tail was caught in my porch light! As I ran inside and peered out at him safely from the window, I could see he already been fighting a loosing battle to try to free himself.

Now, let's add to this little drama the fact that this was a Friday afternoon and I was leaving town for the weekend. I had a squirrel hanging upside down from my front porch light. What was I supposed to do. If I tried to free him, I was certain he would eat & claw my face off. I couldn't knock him in the head. I tried to think of a way to drug him. I looked in the yellow pages, but was pretty sure that "Rick's Critter Gitter" would cost me an arm and a leg. Given my out of town plans, I had no choice but to leave him be and hope with all hope that he would find a way to free himself.

Sadly, my return on Sunday afternoon proved me wrong. Hanging dead upside down from my front porch light along with bare corn cobs and warm fall ribbon and flowers was Mr. Rocky. Just hanging there like a stiff messenger to all the stalking squirrels out there warning them to find another house to stalk. And it all started with a little tomato in a tree hole. How did it get to this? The moral of this story? Don't feed the squirrels.

pic of the day - the banquet table

First I'll again offer my apologies and simply ask for understanding that me and technology are not always bosom buddies. Through my employer I was given the opportunity to purchase Microsoft Office for my home computer at a steal of a price. Yesterday evening, I set out to seal the deal and place the order, expecting a package to arrive in 3-5 business days which would contain my entire software purchse complete with step by step instructions for dummies on how to install. Oh no...that's just not how it works apparently. Instead, I made my purchase and was directed to click on a link to begin the download of the product. "Ok" I say to myself, "I can do this". Fourteen hours later, I had to leave my computer this morning still downloading or installing or whatever in the world it's doing. I could be robbing all the banks in China for all I know. Whatever happened to the typewriter? Needless to say, I was not able to share with you my pic of the day yesterday. I know, it was devastaing for everyone!

So, this picture of the day thing has turned out to be a number of things to me. There are not words to describe how I enjoy the writing, and that was never even an intended part of the effort, rather has become a resulting gift. The connection to my friends has been a tremendous blessing. I have always been one to notice and enjoy things like the red flower a couple days ago, but now, more than notice, I study. I think about why I noticed something, I examine what about it caught my eye, and because this is an exercise to hone my photography skills, i think about how to capture it in a way that when I look back 10 years from now gives me the same noticing experience.

I will be the first to say I am still learning and there are many things that I could critique until the cows come home about my pictures. Taking a perfect picutre isn't the objective though. I took this photo yesterday morning because I was struck at how lovely the sunlight filtered through my windown shades onto this centerpiece. For effect I lit the candles to play around with capturing that pretty soft look. Enjoyment. Grins n Giggles. It's all an exercise in focus, paying attention, exploring, making the most of moments of opportunity, looking back and being satisfied, enjoying the memory.

This centerpiece always makes me think of a grand midieval banquet table where I would sit proudly at the head throne-like chair eating a massive chicken leg with my hands. Don't ask me why...it's an only child thing...active imagination. There is a song that we sing at church that says something to the effect of "Come to the feast of heaven and earth. Come to the table of plenty. God will provide for all that we need, here at the table of plenty." It doesn't say arrive perfect. It says God will provide. I believe we are supposed to pay attention, seek the blessings we are offered, make the most of them, and look back with no regrets, happy to be at the banquet table.

pic of the day - my tree is growing a tree

One of the things that immediately drew me to my house was the fact that there are four large maple trees in the yard. I love trees...the shade they provide, they way they protect the house from the heat of the sun, the sound they make when the wind rustles through them, the scent they project in the fall as they drop their leaves, the way the snow glistens in them. In spite of the raking in the fall, the limbs after storms, the seedlings in the spring, living in a house without trees just wouldn't seem right for me.

In September of 2008 Hurricane Ike blasted through Kentucky (yes, I did say a hurricane in Kentucky) followed by the ice storm of the century in January of 2009. Needless to say, my poor lovely trees were not quite the same after that wild weather blitz. After listening to limbs shatter all night long during the ice storm, I truly did not know whether I still had trees or not. They certainly took a beating.

You can imagine my pure joy when it became evident this spring that not only did all my trees survive and fully recover, but one is even growing a new tree!! Yes friends, my tree is growing a tree. I'm not really sure what to think of that. Bertie is obviously interested. Do I buy it a gift? Pick pink or blue? Ok, so I'll probably just pull it come fall, but it has been kind of fun to watch. In fact, this tree and it's gaping hole has provided a wealth of fun for me. Last year it became the "All you can eat buffet" for the squirrel family. I would put tomatoes that had fallen off the vine up there and literally stand a few feet back and watch the squirrels come feast. I think they actually came to expect a little treaty treat on a regular basis. This likely explains Bertie's fascination. It also explains the stalker like tendancies that the little furballs developed which ultimately led to the demise of one of their own. I'll save that story for another day.

So by now it's clear that everything makes me think a bit on the deep side and my little tree growing a tree is no different. Seedlings can land anywhere and obviously they can take root anywhere. I wonder, am I strong enough, prepared enough to provide a place for the seedlings that come across my path to be nurtured and take root? Can I weather the storms that batter and break me? Can I survive those times of drought in life? Can I be comfort and shelter for others? Do I provide peace like the rustle of leaves? Laughter like the tomato feasting squirrels? If, like the trees in my yard, I am firmly rooted with a solid foundation, then the answer will always be a resounding yes. I'm not sure sometimes if I'm the seedling or the 50 year old maple, but I put my arms up every day in praise and thanksgiving for all that I have and hold dear and for the creation around me. It's all I know to do.

pic of the day - ordinary? not really.

Before gathering up and preparing to head out for work, I took Bertie out for her second round of business of the morning . The instant I stepped outside my backdoor, my breath was caught. The red flower that lives just to the left of my back porch seemed as if it were illuminated. It was stunning, and I just stood there for a moment on the steps, frozen in it's flaming light.

"Go get the camera!" was the first thought that went through my head once I became unmezmerized. (I'm not sure if that's really a word, but I think I like it so it stays - author's discression). "Don't be silly! It's just an ordinary canna!" was the second thought. The battle went on for a few seconds in my head until I decided that anything whose presence takes ones breath away and causes an excited heartbeat falls into the category of little gifts & blessings and warranted a photograph.

It's not the best photograph ever. It's not the best canna flower ever. Both are rather ordinary in some people's minds. What I came to realize in that little mini mind war was that sometimes ordinary is ok. Photographs do not have to be prize winning. Flowers do not have to be show stopping. I do not have to be the prettiest or the smartest or the skinniest or the most stylish. I do not have to drive the fanciest car or have the nicest house. What I do have to be is me...the best me that God created me to be. I certainly do not have any inside scoop, but I feel pretty certain that he's not terribly concerned about pretty or skinny or stylish. While those things may take the breath of some, I'm not sure that's what he had in mind. If letting my inner light shine can take others by surprise and put a hitch in their breath, then I'll take ordinary any day of the week.

pic of the weekend - tina's hospitality

Please accept my apologies for the break in the daily blogging effort. Rest assured, while I didn't post yesterday, I've taken far more than "a" picture a day over the course of the weekend. There just is not enough time at this late hour on Sunday to weed through, make edits, and make any kind of sensible decision about what to pick as a "pic" of the day. Instead, this rose will tell the story of a lovely weekend with friends.

I have been blessed in this life with a group of friends who are as much my family as my own flesh and blood. They are people who know me inside and out and love me anyway. They know my heart. They know my thoughts. They know my actions and reactions. They have been beside me in laughter and joy, sadness and tears. The will always be with me wherever life leads. There simply are not words enough to descirbe my gratitude and thanksgiving for their presence in my life.

It was a wonderful weekend. I am already counting the days until we do it again!!