"No Paparazzi, Please!"

Our little darling is learning to cope with constant photo requests. A girl's gotta get her beauty sleep!

My Baby is About to be a Daddy

Me with our oldest, in 1981.

March Came In Like a Lion...

 

Will it go out like a lamb?

(Photo taken at Lion Country Safari in Florida)

Happy Valentine's Day!

Sunset Beach

This past weekend, we headed out to the beach for a sunset stroll. We've been going about once a week since spring and it is a highlight of the week. As soon as we step out on to the sand, I can feel my blood pressure going down a few notches. Taking a deep breath of the salty brine, we walk along the shore, seeming to keep pace with all manner of boats skimming across the bay. There are sailboats, yachts, Coast Guard cutters, barges, speedboats, Sunset Cruise boats, and many more.
My honey holds my hand, making sure I don't trip on driftwood, leaving me free to gaze clear to the horizon. Mullet jump while seagulls, herons, and other sea birds wheel and dive, their raucous cries filling the air. Often the tide is low, leaving tide pools to explore, full of baby horseshoe crabs, starfish and living shells. Often we will spot a dolphin swimming parallel to the shore fishing for dinner.
Lots of people come to fish for dinner as well, some with poles and some with nets. Others paddle kayaks and canoes, swim, look for shells, fly kites, sail, walk, and picnic. Sometimes the sky is clear and blue, with blazing sun; other days storms blow in, stirring up the waves in to froth and making interesting patterns with the clouds.
When the sun gets low enough, all eyes turn to see what colors it will bring this time. Sometimes it is delicate, pale pastels, edging the clouds and turning the sand pink where the tide has filled little pools on the shore. Other nights it is a bold orange and melts like butter down in to the sea. We watch in awe until the last bit of color is gone, then turn toward the magnificent moonrise to head home, sleepy and content with the beauty God has provided.

Spider Art

Sunset

I took this photo many years ago, as the sun set on the lake behind our house. It won an Honorable Mention in a photo contest. I just found the slide and thought I'd share it with you. If you click on it, you can see it a little bigger. Isn't God amazing? Enjoy His handiwork!

Things I've Done Pictures

I promised I would show some pictures to go with the Things I've Done tag, so here they are. Above is my Grandpa with the small plane he flew for a while. I loved going up in it!

Below I am playing my snare, in about 7th grade. I hated those glasses, but now they are "in."

In 1976, the Bicentennial, my family went to Washington, D.C. Back then you could tour inside the White House, which we did - we toured everything! Below is the Lincoln Memorial.
This is the overnight train, in our case from Florida to Indiana. I am in front. I look scared, but I had a blast.
This isn't the elephant I rode, but it is at Lion Country Safari, passing in front of our car. You drive around through a nature preserve while all these wild animals run free. It's amazing. At the end, there is a park, where you can ride elephants, see baby wild animals, and all sorts of things.
Here's my little brother getting "patted" by Pluto at one of our many Disney trips.
When I was 8 or 9, my step-dad took us out to a hunting cabin he and some friends had deep in the Everglades. Mom loved to drive the swamp buggy. One time she raced my step-dad; he was driving the Land Rover we'd come in. We were so far away from anything, and we had a wonderful time. I'm in the yellow shirt.
We took an amazing trip when I was 14, camping for weeks and hiking through the West. Here is Old Faithful.

Happy Birthday to Our Middle Son!

This Saturday, November 15, 1982 marks the day this little dimpled charmer joined our family. Full of mischief, impulsive and curious, he filled our home with laughter. He used to make his own toys out of paper and sticks, and now,twenty six years later, he is a skilled craftsman. Happy Birthday, Honey, we love you!

For Your Viewing Pleasure...

Amaryllis among the ferns...

Crepe myrtle among the plumbago...


Hibiscus in the sun...

Enjoy the last days of summer!

Fireworks for You

A Fireworks Show For You

Red Thursday

More "I Saw Red" fun! My childhood doll - she used to have a little red bonnet, but I kept putting it on the cat and ended up losing it. Second, my favorite slippers. And lastly, my very favorite purse that my darling got me for Christmas. He has such good taste!

Explanation

It occurred to me that I should explain my pictures better. By the way, unless noted otherwise, all pictures were taken either by me, or sometimes by a relative. The poems are mine as well. As for the pictures below, the large strawberry is a cookie jar. The small ones are from wrapping paper that was around the Mother's Day crock. And the drum! That little beauty was a Christmas gift from my middle son. I played drums and percussion all through middle school and high school in the band, and now I get to play again! I used to wonder what the neighbors thought, when my teenage son played hymns on the piano and I played riffs on the snare drum! Bet they thought it was the other way around.

Red Stuff I Love

Here are some of my favorite things...strawberries, and my snare drum! All for the Red game.

I Saw Red Game

Sara, at Sadie Olive, has suggested a photography game for the week of June 2 - 8, called I Saw Red. Basically, you just post pictures of red things on any of those days that you want to, and also visit some of the other sites doing the same. If you want to play, there is a button you can post, too, if you know how to do that sort of thing (unlike some of us), and there is a list of others playing also. I thought it would be fun, so here's my first official red thing, Me at 1 year old. I love all things red and I think this early dress might be part of the reason.

I guess my little strawberry candle crock below would count too! Let me know if you play so I can come see your red things.

Childhood Sweethearts

Someone (I can't remember who!) suggested we post pictures of ourselves and our honeys when we were little. I thought that was a sweet idea, so here we are. I am about a year old. I thought it appropriate that I had a spoon in my mouth! And judging from that smile, I'll bet it had a bit of chocolate on it. My husband is around 3 or 4 - isn't he handsome?!? We got married young (I was barely 18 and he'd been 20 for 3 days!), but we've been married nearly 30 years, so all those people who thought we were TOO young can quit worrying - we're still crazy about each other! I would love to see other people's childhood photos!