Fall

I grew up on the gulf coast where we didn't have seasons. It was hot, hotter and football weather (which is jacket weather in southeast Texas, but still short-sleeved weather further north). I once saw a "travel Texas" ad in Texas Monthly that said, "Sure we have winter in Texas! Last year, it was on a Tuesday." I think that about sums it up.

So, when we landed in New Jersey ten years ago, I was plunged right into winter without getting to experience fall first. I hate cold weather and I hate snow. I was miserable. But the following autumn, I was amazed. And right then and there, I fell in love with New Jersey. Don't get me wrong, when winter rolls around, I still have a love/hate relationship with the area, but I can honestly say that three out of the four seasons, I love it here!

Fall is hands down, my favorite! Such beautiful colors!

[Arney's Mount Friends Meeting House (Quakers) near Juliustown, NJ -date on bldg is 1775]

[Kirby's Mill- near Medford, NJ]

**this is being linked to Wordful Wednesday hosted by Dumb Mom at parenting BY dummies.

Summer 2010- The (Very) Abridged Edition

With only one and a half weeks left until school starts, I find it time to reflect on our summer. And while we've done loads of awesome things and two small trips, in all reality, the entire summer and all the events contained within it can be summarized in three words.

"hot", "sweaty"

and "cantankerous"

How was your summer?

Shameless Begging

AAFES is the organization that runs the Army/Air Force PX/BX. That's the place we shop on base/post. They have a Facebook page and have announced a photo contest for the cutest kid. I uploaded Zoe's picture today and now I need votes. If you have a Facebook account, please follow my link and become a fan of the BX/PX by clicking that you like it. And then, click "like" under my photo of Zoe. That is considered your vote and you can only vote once. The picture with the most "likes" by July 5 will win.

Zoe's photo entry

Here is the photo I entered:





Why are you still here? Go forth. Vote. Share with your Facebook friends and tell them to vote as well.

Mother's Day Cards and Gifts

Warning: this post is picture-heavy.

A few weeks ago, I posted a couple of pictures from a recent photo shoot. Well, I didn't post the best ones because I had them printed in various portrait sizes and sent them along with handmade cards to the family for Mother's Day.

First, here are the cards I made for my stepmom, my mom, my grandmother, my sister and my sister-in-law:

Now, here are the photos that made the cut and were printed and sent as gifts:

Everybody on the Whole Cell Block...

... was dancin' to the jailhouse rock! (thought I would get that out of the way first)

My kids are full of mischief. And snark. And sass. And other things I won't mention since I try to keep the language clean on this blog. But mostly, they are full of a desire to squelch any hopes their mother has of ever getting a decent photograph of them.

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I took the kids out this past weekend for a photo shoot. I honestly don't know why I do this to myself. My kids do not cooperate with photography. Period. Others have given me loads of suggestions and I am telling you, if you were watching me attempt these photos, you might think me insane. I jump around, make goofy noises, clap, offer bribes in the form of candy and ice cream and it just doesn't work. I even employ my husband to help and it still doesn't work. I am embarrassed to admit that this time I even stooped to my son's level and started randomly using words like "booger" and "fart" and "poopy head" to try and make him laugh. Nothing. All I came away with was 200 (yes, two HUNDRED) photos, most of which were deleted before even making it onto the computer, and me feeling humiliated having hopped around shouting potty words while dancing like a maniac and making goofy faces.

As always, I DID come away with some hilarious photos and a couple of good ones. But, God forbid, I ask that my children both look at the camera and smile. You can forget that. So, I bring you these three photos (with the promise of more after Mother's Day).

This first one was almost in the bundle that was deleted immediately. But something about it was so bad it made me laugh. It perfectly displayed my kids' attitude toward my photo shoots and how even with evidence of bribery in their hands, they could only be forced to stand in the same frame as one another but not the additional task of smiling. I couldn't help but think it looked like a mug shot. So, the wheels in my head started turning and I had a little fun with it:


I love the colors in the this one and it would have been awesome had they bothered to look at me. I think they may perhaps be contemplating what would happen if they just jumped over the ledge and made a break for it:

And this one, I love:

A Thousand Words

I'm spring cleaning.... on my computer. I'm going through all the picture folders and deleting the ones I don't want. While doing this, it has come to my attention that a picture IS worth a thousand words!

Today, I want to focus on a few pictures of my kids. You have probably seen them already, but suck it up and look at them again. That's the great thing about a captive audience.

First, we have my first-born:

The Thinker:

Noah- pensive and wise far beyond his years...

...but with a goofy twist

He keeps us in stitches with the things that come out of his mouth. I don't know WHERE he comes up with most of it, but one minute, I would swear I was talking to a thirty-year-old and the next he does something so innocent and sweet to remind me, afterall, he IS only six. He is very intelligent and a bit OCD. His talents include locating all the continents, all the US states and most countries on a globe, endlessly gabbing about Star Wars movies and characters, eating his weight in cheese pizza and creative writing.

Next, is the biggest and loudest personality I believe I have ever met.

The Free Spirit:
Zoe- happy, mischievous and curious...

...but with a touch of red-headed attitude!

She is the court jester. She is always dancing around, cocking her hip to one side, grinning sideways at you and she aims to make you laugh but steals your heart in the process. She has a wild streak that is going to be the death of my sanity one day, I'm certain. One minute, she is throwing something at me and hollering " NO, Mommy!!" and the next, she is randomly walking up to me and kissing me. Her hobbies include beheading Noah's Star Wars figures while he is at school, antagonizing him when he is at home, "helping" around the house and "see Mi Mouse" (Mickey Mouse) and "Cocohaha" ( Pocohontas).

This is their dynamic together:

(yes, she has bruises and scratches all over her face!)

All the words I can conjure cannot convey their personalities to you.. the twinkle of mischief in their eyes. And although I am a person that loves to paint pictures with words, for this I have to defer to photographs. I think they say it best.

[as always, click on the individual pictures to see them enlarged]

Who Ticked Off Mother Nature?

Okay, Mother Nature, I get it. I live in the northeast- even though I did not CHOOSE to live here. So as much as I hate cold weather and snow, it comes with the location. Get over it. Fine. I'm over it. I am SOOOO over it!!

I do absolutely love having seasons here. I love the stunning colors you create in the autumn. I appreciate, perhaps more than I ever did when I lived in the south, the first signs of life in the spring. I am absolutely elated when the bulbs start peeking through the ground and the earth magically comes back to life seemingly overnight.

I realize you have given me a reprieve from a large amount of snow for the past few years. But, do you have to catch up for that all in one winter? Have I done something to offend you? Yes, the snow IS beautiful when it covers the otherwise, dull, lifeless landscape. But, it's cold. And it's wet. I don't like getting my pants legs and feet wet. I don't like tracking all that dirty moisture in the house. It's messy.

I had to make an unexpected trip to Texas at the end of December and I was excited to get a little break from it and enjoy some warmer weather. But, you sent it with me. The entire time I was there, they had record-breaking temperatures. It was COLD! When I left, it warmed back up.

Because of the lack of significant snow in the past few years, I tried to be tolerant of the December storm. I was happy to get the big event of the winter over with and out of the way. So, imagine my surprise when you decided to bring another one our way this past weekend.

Well, ok. We had a really good time sledding on Sunday. I'll give you that. But, COME ON! Another one? The forecast shows us getting another twelve to eighteen inches on Wednesday.

"Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned". What has happened, Lady? Have you been wronged? I am happy to atone for my transgressions, but you must let me know what I've done.

Or.. is it, that you are a child at heart? You thought I needed the glare off the snow to brighten the darkened days? You wanted to hurl a few snowballs playfully in my direction? Well, I can appreciate your wanting to play. I enjoy communing with you. But, as one of your dear children, I feel it necessary to be honest.

I think you are more beautiful in the spring. I enjoy your company much more in the summer and I like to quietly reflect with you in the autumn about the glorious year you are wrapping up. But, I am not a fan of winter games. I came out, I played and now I'm going back inside.

I'll see you in the spring. I'll be wearing my flip flops.

**note: all photos are my personal property- autumn photo- Smith's Woods Fall 08- Smithville, NJ; daffodil- my flower bed, spring 09; ladybug- Johnson's Farm, summer 09; first snow photo- my front yard, Dec 09; next two snow photos- Feb'10; sledding photo- North Hanover Twp Feb '10

Ladybug, Ladybug, Fly Away Home

Here is a beautiful ladybug I caught in the pea patch when we went to Johnson's Farm. She is working.... look closely, there are aphids on the plant and I believe she has one in her mouth.

Here are a few more pictures from that trip-we picked strawberries, cherries and peas. Sorry I am just now getting around to this, we went back in June.

(Zoe eating one of the cherries)

Lighthouses

I am not sure exactly when my love of lighthouses began, but I suspect it began because of the movie Pete's Dragon. I loved that movie as a child and watched it every time it came on television. I have had a romantic perception of them as long as I can remember. It is very hard to put into words that which is not meant to be put into words, but the best I can do is to say that I find them romantic, lonely, haunting, everlasting, comforting, warm, strong and beautiful.

I grew up near the Bolivar Lighthouse on Bolivar Peninsula in Texas and always looked forward to passing it when we were waiting in line for the ferry to Galveston.(this is not my photo, I got it from an internet search for images)
The summer after I graduated college, I was fortunate enough to go on a month-long trip and see many lighthouses that dot the west coast from the border with Canada down to Los Angeles. What a trip that was!!

Our visit to the Cape May lighthouse on Sunday just reaffirmed my love for them and I wanted to share the pictures I took of it as well as a poem I penned about lighthouses some years ago.

Last night I had a moving dream

of a lighthouse by the sea.

It's beauty and it's aura

seemed to call out to me.

For I was a ship lost at sea

in a horrific torrential storm.

I prayed for something to save me

for something to keep me warm.

Weathered and beaten I struggled and fought

to keep myself afloat.

But the angry surf tossed me about

No mercy for this pitiful boat.

Just as I had given up

surrendered to the relentless tide.

I caught a glimpse of safety

a beacon as my guide.

It's flawless beauty beckoned me

steering me away from harm.

The waves around me seemed to disappear

as I moved towards its outstretched arms.

The amazing strength of the structure

took my breath away.

I was challenged by the sea again and again

but never falling prey.

Mesmerized by its beauty,

I wanted to stay awhile.

For it mended my heart, it filled my soul

And colored my world with a smile.

I'm comforted by it's promise

to faithfully provide me with light.

And I hope that love will forever shine

as my beacon in the night.