It's About Time

You can thank me later. I just deleted a whole post about how I'm not (NOT) going to work ten and a half hour days any more. Of course it took many words and sentences to get my point across, but I finally decided that a sentence or two would be quite enough.

These are a few more photos from my trip to Michigan this summer. I just loved the flowers blooming everywhere and those glass bottles in the window. Even those flowers that had hit their peak and were fading were beautiful to me.

For us, the calendar and temperature may still be in summer mode, but we're back in school already. This summer break had to be the shortest one ever. I could have used a few more weeks (or even a few more days) of down time. I'm already feeling a little bit like that droopy sunflower.

I Spy....

Remember playing "I Spy?" when you were a kid? My daughter and I would play that game every time we ate at a local 'home-style' restaurant when she was little. With heaps of vegetables on our plates, we would take turns saying "I spy something.... " until the other one guessed it. 

The other day, I spied a cluster of Black-Eyed Susans basking in the golden sunshine.

 And last year I spied this sunflower doing the same thing!

What have you spied lately?

Be Mine

Happy Valentine's Day!

Telephoto Tuesday: Flower Circles

I still haven't decided on photo editing software for my desktop

but thought I'd share these images I created using

the percolater app on my iPhone.

 

 

The original photo was of a Sunflower I shot last summer.

And this... a Hibiscus.

 

 

I love the bright colors and the polka dots.

Really.

Happy Tuesday!

 

 

 

But That Can Wait

I've had words tumbling over in my head during this past week, but I'm just not ready to share them yet. Words about family and grief. Loss. Old wounds that haven't quite healed. Coming to grips with what was and what wasn't.

I'm not even sure that they belong here on my blog. Those words. Because for the most part I have kept the feelings associated with them at arms length, not really letting them be a part of my life. But there comes a time when it's okay to share and let the feelings go. Truly go. But for now, it can wait.

I stopped by my sweet in-laws' house today and saw that my mother-in-law's roses are still blooming, bigger than ever it seems. She and I gingerly stepped into the garden to get closer to the flowers, swatting bees away when they seemed a little too interested in us.

Summer, it seems, doesn't want to leave just yet.

Blooming Love

I have always loved our Hibiscus blossoms,

but this year I've fallen totally in love with them.

I find myself practically standing on my head to get a different angle or view.

I love the colors, how the varying shades mix and mingle....

I also love them in black and white.

I had linked up with Susannah Conway's August Break to post a picture a day....

I wasn't able to continue with it daily,

But it has gotten me in a creative spirit

and given me a bit of a break from

grading and planning

and worrying.

But more about that later.

I really don't want to worry the flowers....

Finding Laughter

Earth laughs in flowers.

~Ralph Waldo Emerson

I loved that quote when I came across it,

and it seemed perfect for these roses

that grow in my mother-in-law's garden.

She's always been a flower-tender,

my mother-in-law,

with beautiful blossoms

and leafy green plants

growing in her yard.

Even at 86, she's still out there,

tending the flowers ~

planting,

watering,

weeding.

Digging in the dirt.

And happy to be there

where laughter springs forth

from the Earth.



My husband's parents (who treat me like I'm their own)...
have been married 66 years! Precious, aren't they?


I'm taking part in Susannah Conway's

To check out other photos from The August Break, click here.



Saying Goodbye

to summer... I know it's not officially the end of summer,

but for me it will come to a screeching halt tomorrow

when I greet about 130 new 8th-graders.

*sigh*

I'm excited about the new year and my new students,

but I'm worried, too. You see, they've changed our curriculum.

I'm supposed to do things differently, even though my students

have done quite well each year. Like, 99% well.

As in they rock our state tests and learn a lot in the process.

My class sizes have increased.

Which means 130 essays to read

and comment on at a time.

I've been in a dither about it all.

Things have changed, and I'm not too keen on change

when I don't see the benefits.

I want to be bright and colorful and cheerful,

but I'm afraid I'm feeling a bit faded already.

Like this flower...

I'm still taking part in The August Break,

which is supposed to mean posting pictures

with less talking I think.

So I'll be quiet now.

Scavenger Hunt Sunday

I tell you, I've been going a little crazy taking pictures lately. Instagram has a lot to do with it, plus all the handy little editing apps on my phone make it so easy to be creative. This week Kelly Kardos at Just a Click Away told me about a photography scavenger hunt hosted this week by Sarah Halstead. I couldn't resist actually having a purpose to this madness, so here's what I came up with:

Patriotic

This is a HUGE flag that was hanging inside a building on July 4th. The flag itself took up several stories in the atrium. Beautiful reminder of our country and the freedoms we hold so dear.

View from Above



This river makes me smile. You can't imagine how many times I've driven over it and wished I had my camera with me or had time to stop to take a picture. I'm thinking I should get my own inner tube or raft and float down it like these two are doing. Nothing like a lazy Sunday on the river.

Mosaic

This picture turned out a little grainy, and I feel like I'm about to tip over just looking at it. But the mosaic really was beautiful. I took this at Flagler College in St. Augustine, Florida, last week.

Something Tiny

We were so worried about these little birdies last week that we had to leave our garage door open for a few days and nights, so the mama bird could get back in. They flew away during that time, too. I'm kind of missing them.

Vibrant

I am in love with sunflowers. This one is definitely vibrant, so I had to share it with you. I love that tiny drop of water in the middle. Do you see it?

I think the idea behind Scavenger Hunt is to find everything that week and post on Sunday. All of these were taken this week except the one of the baby birds, which I took last week. I tried to find some other "tiny" things to photograph, but I kept coming back to the babies.

Mary, at Little Red House is host to Mosaic Monday. I may not get around to visiting until the weekend. Until then, have an amazing week. I hope to.



Telephoto Tuesday

We just spent a great weekend with friends. Ate delicious food, strolled around two beautiful cities, and even took in a Boston concert while we were there. (Now that took me back a few years!).

When I saw this car, I thought I was in another country. Monaco maybe.

I thought it had a regal look to it with all that chrome and shiny black.

And the bird on the hood.

The car wasn't the only thing that caught my attention.

There were plenty of bikes around with this being a college town and all.

 Before we left, we went by our friend's dad's house.

It's really just a two room cottage he created out of a garage.

You'd never know a car had ever invaded that space though.

It's that cute.

Outside, he had created an amazing bed of sunflowers.



It really was a great trip. I tend to be a homebody and a book worm,

but thankfully my husband makes plans like these to get me out into the world.

He's good about things like that.

Tomorrow's the 4th of July!

I think we're ready to celebrate.