You Capture - Blue

Beth's You Capture assignment this week is 'Blue' - not an easy color for me. However, I happened to be in the quaint and picturesque town of Chesterton yesterday and managed to spot some blue.

When I was on my treadmill I looked out the window and this blue just jumped out at me. I like it not because it's so picturesque but because it means these leaves aren't flying all over my yard.

But my favorite blue is the dark blue below. This one is a bit of a cheat because it was taken last Tuesday but it was part of today's download and it's so doggone cute that I have to put it in.

To see more You Capture - Blue, visit Beth at I Should Be Folding Laundry and for some real fun, join in.

Birds and Thanksgiving Thoughts

I woke up at 5:45 this morning and couldn't sleep anymore. Paradoxically one of the reasons for my wakefulness was thinking about all the things I need to do to be ready for the holiday weekend. Unfortunately, not getting enough sleep will put a serious damper on the energy levels I'll need to accomplish everything.

And the other reason I couldn't sleep was that I'm so excited for this weekend. It seems like forever since we've really had a houseful and Thanksgiving weekend is filled with family and tradition. It doesn't get any better than that.

That's all I've got today so I'll post a few of my favorite bird pictures to fill the emptiness below.

This first picture was captured by Amber, my granddaughter. What a shot!

Then there are my ever popular (not) red-winged blackbird photos. Truly I've never been very impressed with this bird. I thought "Ehh, blackbirds". Then I heard their beautiful song and saw their feistiness and I have a whole new appreciation for them. I wrote about them last year in this post.

I planned on putting lots of pictures of these guys in but I see I already included them in the post that I referenced up there.

So onto the heron. I do love this pic.

But the heron pictures I'm especially proud of are the following. I'd always heard that heron are very territorial but some of the things I've seen at Striebel Pond belie that belief. Here are pictures of two herons in flight. The impressive thing about these pictures is that these two almost scared the living daylights out of me when they suddenly took flight and I STILL got pictures.

So onto my day and getting ready for the weekend and looking for blue for tomorrow's You Capture. Maybe I should head to Striebel and see if there are any great blue herons around anymore. Hmmmm.

Traditions

Years ago I started a little tradition. At the time I didn't realize it was going to be a tradition but it has become one.

I think the tradition was born of the fact that so many of our children live far away so each time they left we knew it might be a while before we saw them. Therefore I would take a family picture.

Over the years, this has probably been a slight source of irritation to everybody because when you're finally ready to walk out the door or get everybody loaded into the car, who wants to stop for pictures. But everyone has been very patient and cooperative about it so it has become a family tradition...and I'm glad.

A few years ago I took a picture of my granddaughter Amber and her new boyfriend when it became obvious he was going to be more than a boyfriend.

Doesn't she look happy!!! And that happy picture was just a portent of things to come because I took their picture before they left last weekend and look how they've changed!

And then years and years ago I took this picture of Beth and Brian and their sweet baby before they left.

I distinctly remember that night and that moment because it was while we were out there to take the picture, Beth told me that another sweet baby was already on the way.

And just last weekend I took a picture of Beth and Brian and their family. Just look how they've changed!

The good news is that given more time, I could produce milestone pictures of every family within our family - all because they're so patient with a mom who, even though unknowingly, has been working on a tradition!

Happy Birthday, Lori

Today our first baby is 42 years old. It doesn't seem possible because it was just yesterday that we became parents for the first time. I wrote about Lori here on her birthday last year. And last night I sent her my interview questions. Here's how she answered them.

You'll be 42 tomorrow. How do you feel about that? I feel really good about it…beats the alternative.

Do you have any special plans for your birthday? Not that I’m aware of - Marcus will be home late…but maybe dinner or something on Friday.

Do you have any birthday wishes? Maybe a special wish list or something special to do to celebrate? Tomorrow, I’d like to run 7 miles again…and who knows, maybe for my birthday I can go farther. Marcus gave me an iPhone last night, so I already have my gift and I haven’t been able to put it down since I got it! So happy!

Do birthdays inspire you to set new goals or make a bucket lists of some kind? No, I’m not THAT old.

How do you like having three sister? I love and have always loved having 3 sisters. I almost feel closer to them as an adult than I did as a child. I especially look forward to Christmas for their hilarious entertainment!

You've been in a phase of child rearing for awhile now where your children are all teenagers. Does that differ much from when they were all little? How? Teenagers are a whole different game. With toddlers, we worry about veggies and naps and tantrums. With teens, we worry about driving, friends, late nights ...the list is endless. There are days where I'd give almost anything for one more day with my toddlers/babies....they were the sweetest gifts of my life.

Also, Your first one recently graduated from high school. Did that seem like a turning point for you? How has it changed your life? When Ryan graduated, well, I was ready for it, but not really. It was the most emotional day ... ever. I was so proud, and excited for him...my firstborn was entering a new stage of life and I no longer called the shots or could 'protect' him . I had a moment of clarity when he left for college where my house seemed so much bigger and for once, empty. My moment of clarity was when Marcus said "He's gone, Mama, and he's not coming back". He wasn't trying to be mean. In fact, when he said that, I realized he was 100% right. It took a few weeks but then I was learning to appreciate not having a teen 'out' at midnight or 12:30am. I realized I could 'go to bed' when I wanted to, and not wait up! Of course this 'not staying up' bliss will be short lived, as I still have a 16 year old and a 14 year old!

I know you've been unemployed for awhile for a variety of reasons. Any plans to go back to work in the near future? Yes, I’m submitting resumes and doing applications online.

Are there particular fields that interest you? I’m hoping to get back into the banking field.

What have you done this summer that you're especially happy about? This year, I’ve managed to lose 41 pounds after being heavier than ever. I run very regularly and am feeling so good. I plan to stay with this and lose another 40+ pounds.

I know you've recently lost a significant amount of weight and started exercising regularly. There's no doubt that you feel better physically but do you think it's also affected your mental state? Ha! See above! There's no doubt that a healthier physical state contributes to a much better mental state.

I know you're writing a blog now (which I love). Why did you start it and what might you hope to achieve through it? (Thank you) I started my blog to journal my ‘fitness’ and weight loss…I also hope to motivate someone, somewhere. The online community has been a huge support for me, I’d love to return the favor for someone else trying to lose weight. It’s just so hard to do, and takes so long….so if someone, somewhere sees my blog and thinks “hey, I can do this, too” -- it just doesn’t get better than that.

When you were twenty, could you have foreseen yourself where you are now? No. Ohhh, to be 20 again.

And when you're sixty, how do you envision yourself? Wow, the kids will be so old then, so I’m sure we’ll have grand-babies.

What have I failed to ask about that others might find interesting about you? I think you’ve covered everything !!

Of course there's no way I've covered everything but she's too modest to point out what a wonderful person she is, how great she is with her little nieces and nephews,

how smart and loving and helpful she is,

and how much she sometimes reminds me of my mother. She is truly an earth mother - she can do almost anything she tries to do and she's not afraid to try anything.

And how fun she is to party with.

We're very proud of you Lori and hoping that although this might be your best birthday ever, it's not half as great as the many more to come.

You Capture - Some-thing(s) Fun!

Beth's You Capture assignment this week was Something Fun. What a 'fun' idea! One might think this first shot is just a picture of a cute little boy because it is.

But what's fun is that same cute little boy when he realizes I'm taking a picture and assumes his squint smile.

And this, of course, is a picture of two proud mothers with their little baby daughters.

But what's fun is when these moms turn their babies around to face the camera.

And tons and tons of leaves in the backyard aren't much fun. Unless, of course, you throw in (literally) some leaf loving boys.

For more things fun, visit Beth at Ishouldbefoldinglaundry!

A Few Of My Favorite Things

Well not really things. I should say a few of my favorite shots. I found them in a file the other day. Obviously I had set them aside for a future post or two or probably a lot more - there are a lot of pictures in there. Anyway, I don't want to waste them so here are a few.

First whites:

Then texture:

Birds:

And finally, the one I should have posted on Veteran's Day - the flag at Striebel Pond.