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Sunday, June 28, 2009

Happy Accident

Bodie Island Lighthouse

Don't you love it when you do something completely wrong and it all comes out really cool? I had the white balance on my camera set to take photos of artwork in my studio under fluorescent and natural light, and forgot to change it before I took this picture of Bodie Island Lighthouse on a partly sunny day outside. Oops.

Strangely enough, I like it better than the one I took with the balance set correctly...

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which seems dull and ordinary by comparison.

***

So, we made it to the beach today, and we're so excited to be here. We've not been to this beach in about 4 years, and it is our favorite beach evah. We settling into our house for the week and making big plans for climbing the Cape Hatteras Light and learning how to skim board.

Okay. I'm looking forward to laying on the beach and watching the boys bust their tails learning how to skim board and I'm not so fond of heights, but I really want to see the view from the top of the Cape Light, so while I'm planning to go, I can't really say I'm eager.

But I'll go. With extra batteries for the camera.

Because I'm not climbing it twice...

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Scorcher

Scuba Boy

The temperatures are soaring here - though not so high as the middle of the country. Nonetheless...there is only one reasonable response.

We'll be spending the afternoon at the pool...

Monday, June 22, 2009

Summer's Here

Gauge

What is it about summer that makes me feel the need to nap?  The lack of a strict schedule?  The soaring temperatures?  The soaring humidity?  The afternoon thunderstorms?

Yes.  All of the above, I believe.

I'm still in recovery mode - trying to do all the things that I wanted to get done last week while the boys were at camp and I was supposed to have been free...but got sick instead.  I'm making lists and trying to remember all the things that I really wish I could remember to take with me whenever I go to the beach.  I never remember them until I'm there, and every year I say I'm going to keep a list while I'm at the beach of all the things I wish I had brought along so I could have them the next time.

But I never do.

Because I'm organized like that.

We're leaving Saturday, so I have plenty of time to get everything done, but I'll be running to the store at the last minute, searching for an elusive item, I'm sure.  And poor Dr. SmartyPants will be trying his hardest to squeeze it all into the back of the Explorer, silently cursing his poor luck at having married such a crazy woman.  Thankfully, while I may not be organized, I married a fantastically-able SUV-packer.  He never fails to get it all in, somehow, occasionally even leaving room to see out through the rear-view mirror.

I've got another project in the works this week, prodded on by my dear friend and creativity advisor, Linda.  She's pushing me a bit, and I'm thankful, because I've already made more progress in the last few days than I have in months.  I'll blog more about it toward the end of the week, I think - I'm slightly hampered by a lack of a scanner and a complete inability to photograph art on paper that doesn't want to cooperate.  All that is to say that I am being creative and doing something new and I've got big plans for it!  Woo hoo!

Now - I'm off for a bit of hair color...and then I'm pretty sure my world will finally be set to rights.

Peace...

Sunday, June 21, 2009

Summer Shadows

Shadow Summer

The first day of summer deserves a summery shadow shot, don't you think?  I just love all this blue...blue swim goggles, blue beach blanket, blue shadow. 

Perfectly summery.

And in other news...Happy Father's Day to all you fabulous Daddies out there - but most especially to the ones in my life...Dad, Pop, and Dr. SmartyPants...y'all are the best!

 

For more shadowy goodness, visit Hey Harriet and click on the links!

Friday, June 19, 2009

Monkey Chatter

Monkeys at Tuckaleechee

My house is filled with all the right noises, after a week of near silence.

The boys are through with camp.

The Smarty is here with us.

Three combined voices making car noises and airplane noises and gun noises.

Peaceful noises, to a mama.  Noises that keep me sure that all is right with the world.

Thursday, June 18, 2009

I Have an Idea!

Illuminating

I'll pick up Linda, and we'll go draw stuff.

Yeah.

That rocks.

Back later, peeps.

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Dear Internets

Lamp

We did go to the pool after my last post, and enjoyed it tremendously. 

The next day we went to the lake and had a ball.

On Monday morning, about 3 am, I woke up, immediately wished I were dead, then spent next 12 hours curled up in a ball beside a rather cold, white, porcelain fixture only a short running distance from my bed.

Doodlebug and Junebug saved me by being absolutely awesome kids and fixing their own breakfast and getting ready to go to day camp all by themselves.

Cathi saved me by picking up my boys and taking them not only to camp, but home with her after camp so they could spend the night with a responsible parental type person.

Kristi saved me by picking up a prescription for anti-nausea meds and Gatorade.

Pop saved me by being a fabulous doctor and father-in-law.

Dr. SmartyPants was 500 miles away, and so miserable because he couldn't do a lot of saving, poor man.  He did reschedule my orthodontic appointment and send me much love via BlackBerry Messenger.

I had to cancel my hair appointment.  Which was almost worse than all the retching.

Yesterday, I recuperated.

Today?

Still mourning the loss of hair color.

Friday, June 12, 2009

C-Ya!

Cannonball!

 

We're off to the pool today. Have a glorious and sunny day, wherever you are!

 

Poladroid Pool

Thursday, June 11, 2009

Rising From the Ashes

New Deck

This is my parents' new deck - the one with the hot tub on it.

This was once the location of my dad's shop.  He's a (spectacularly talented) gunsmith.

Last year, between Thanksgiving and Christmas, his shop burned to the ground, along with all the guns he was working on, and all the tools he's been collecting over the last 50 years.  Everything but the floor.  Gone in a couple of hours.

It was tragic.  The history that was lost is enough to make a grown man cry, and it did.  His tools.  His father's tools.  Irreplaceable, all of it.  He was devastated.

Until one day, he got this idea.  Why not build a deck on top of the remains.  The floor was still solid, and usable, and hey - let's add a gazebo and by the way I found a hot tub on e-bay and why not add a vegetable garden, too.

And so was born the "Phoenix Deck."  rising from the ashes of tragedy - already making new history.  We christened it last weekend with a fish fry hosted and prepared by my 90 year old grandfather.  We gathered family and food and celebrated life again. 

We celebrated my grandmother's upcoming 89th birthday and my grandfather's upcoming 91st. 

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We laughed and hugged and made Frank sit at the kids' table.

Kids' Table

It's enough to make a grown man cry. (with happiness)

Papa Ray and Junebug

(good job, Daddy.)

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

I Remember...

Cousins

Driving all day, thinking I just couldn't wait a moment longer for us to get there so we could play together again. Sitting outside, on my grandparents' front porch, watching the lightning bugs start blinking, wondering if they would ever drive up the long driveway. Staying up far past my bedtime, bare-footed and mud-covered, wandering around in the dark with dim flashlights. Playing "Land of the Lost" on the back 40 of my grandfather's garden. Bringing home snakes and having my grandmother scream when she saw them. Getting lost roaming the woods, but finding our way home again.

Cousins

What fun it is to watch it happening all over again.

Tuesday, June 09, 2009

The Answer, My Friend

On the Line

I live in a suburban neighborhood where things like this are not allowed.  Can you imagine? 

I'm going to get one anyway, and when the police come to arrest me for drying my laundry in the most wonderful way, maybe one of you can bail me out.

Then...I'll come home and hang out my towels and thumb my nose at the man.

'cause I'm a rebel, like that.

Monday, June 08, 2009

Crafting a Zen-like Blog

I've been off in a secret, remote, peaceful hideaway, recharging my batteries and working on my tan.

translation:  I've been at my parents' house in the rolling hills of west-central Alabama.  My mama brought me coffee in her new hot tub while my children were still asleep.  I love my mama.  I love you, too, Daddy.

I should be back tomorrow with more scintillating blog posts about my fabulously exciting travels of late.

translation:  I may be back tomorrow with really boring things about my completely non-boring life.  Like a description of all the convenience store bathrooms I've seen over the last couple of weeks.

Same as usual.

translation:  Same as usual.

Thursday, June 04, 2009

A Light Post

Lightpost

One of these days, I'm going to draw again.  

I'm going to paint again.  

I'm going to have a brilliant idea that actually plays out again.  

I'm going to develop an amazing series that no one else has already done better, bigger and bolder again.

Today is not that day.

Wednesday, June 03, 2009

Keep That Heart Rate Up, Mama

On the Steps

They say children keep you young, and I believe that is true.  It's not because they help you to remember to play more, or stop and sit and examine the ants that walk by on the sidewalk, or because they're just so darn cute.

It's because of the blood.  And the screaming.  And the jumping into pools that are too deep for them despite the fact that they don't technically know how to actually swim.  And the hopping up onto the concrete railings of bridges over a 30 foot drop. 

And that's just the youngest one.

THIS week.

Lord, what an adrenaline rush does for a 40 year old.  I'm feeling spry, now.  I'm thinking of signing up for a triathlon. 

At least then I could take a little breather.

Sheesh.

Tuesday, June 02, 2009

Holding Up the Sky

Poladroid River Goddess


Poladroid of a photo of a sculpture of the River Goddess at The Louisiana Boardwalk


That's four prepositional phrases, people. 


You can count 'em.



Monday, June 01, 2009

It's JUNE!

It's time for the Kudzu...

Comet and Kudzu

and the honeysuckle...

Honeysuckle Juney Honeysuckle Doodle

and the freckles...

Handsome D

and the swimming...

Under Water Junebug

[deep sigh of contentment.]

I love June.