Tag Archives: photographs

The Gourd Adventure Continues: A Craft Room and a View

Posted on October 5, 2011 | 12 comments

Good morning Everyone!

I might have overdone things just a tad on Tuesday, so I spent Wednesday happily engaged in mostly sedentary activities.  I thought I’d share a little bit of what I did.

Gourd fronts

 Some of you may remember a post in August I did called Out of Our Gourds for Gourds.  In that post, for the first time, you met the newly formed, but not yet finished, pumpkin gourd on the left with both a front (above) view and a back (below) view. 

Gourd Backs

Mom finished the Santa gourd in Jacksonville, but she had brought the other gourd back up here with her.  She was going to finish it while she was here, but since she is making the Rapunzel costume for Kayla, which, by the way, is going to be gorgeous, she won’t have time.  So yesterday, I took over the task of starting to finish the pumpkin gourd.  I have some more detail work to do, but when I put my brushes up at 5:00 p.m yesterday, the pumpkin gourd was starting to shape up.

Pumpkin Gourd Front, Stage 2

 

Pumpkin gourd back, stage 2

Hopefully I will get a chance to show you the final version; there’s not too much left to be done besides some finishing on the leaves and some outlining. 

The pumpkin gourd came up for discussion because I first had finished a Halloween sign to put in the front of the house, and all of my orange paints were out.  I am pretty pleased with it, even if I do say so myself.

Halloween Sign, Close Up

It is supposed to be staked into the ground. 

I’m probably going to put it somewhere near the corner of the house where the bird house gourd that my grandfather gave me recently is hanging proudly from the only one of three trees in our yard suitable for it. 

Corner of house

For those readers who are part of the close-knit gourd community which someday I hope to meet, here is a close-up of the gourd.  I don’t know where it was originally purchased. 

After a solid afternoon of painting, I needed to stretch my legs and get out of the craft room formerly known as the great room in my house (don’t worry, Mark, we’ll have it back to normal soon – would Christmas Eve be too late?) so I walked a half block down the street to take pictures of my lake to share with you. 

An afternoon moon was out.  When Kayla was little, we would try to guess what Miss Moon had to say to Mr. Sun that was so important for her to arrive early to see him.  They would have some interesting conversations.

Afternoon Moon

The lake is always pretty.

The Lake Right After A Speed Boat Went By

The trees with the lake are also beautiful.

We are starting to see as well the first harbingers of fall – and yes, fall arrives in Alabama, it is just a softer, slower process than the explosion up North.  The changing of the leaves is not controlled by temperature, but rather by the length of the days – as the days get shorter, the leaves start to turn.  Because the days get shorter faster up North, your trees turn much more quickly.  Because our days get shorter more gradually, our trees gently fade into colors bit by bit, but once they all get turned, it is just as pretty. 

First harbingers of fall

 Not a bad way, overall, to spend a day recovering from surgery, is it?

Have a great day everyone!

Nancy

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Shadow’s Spread

Posted on August 4, 2011 | 2 comments

Good morning everyone!

This Summer's Bedspread

Usually, Mark and I keep the same bedspread on our bed year round, only changing it out periodically to get it cleaned, but this summer, we decided to switch the regular comforter out for a lighter bedspread.  The bedspread  is  lighter and more comfortable than the regular comforter for summer, but there is another reason I like the bedspread, aged though it is.

 
 

Quilting that remains on bedspread

Shadow loved this bedspread.  It was originally quilted.  Stitch by careful stitch, night after night, without messing up one single square of fabric or alerting us to what she was doing, over the course of her 16 years, Shadow managed to pull out every one of the quilting threads in the bedspread, leaving only a few on the side.

Before and After

We have been without Shadow for over nine years now, but I still won’t get rid of her bedspread.  20 years from now, in whatever condition it is, I still will be carrying it around.  I can’t touch Shadow any more, but I can touch the bed spread she worked so hard on, and smile at the memory.

Shadow and I at Calloway Gardens

Have a great day everyone!

Nancy

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Closets, Rain and Underwear (An Unlikely Combination!)

Posted on July 18, 2011 | 2 comments

Good morning everyone! 

No-no and Bad Dog are off to a flying start this morning.  I just retrieved a red-ink pen from No-No (fortunately before he had pierced through to the ink) and a handkerchief from Bad Dog, both of which they could only have taken directly off my bedside table. 

Bad Dog (Mandy) and No-No (Darwin) Confer on Tactics

I hope you had a great weekend!  We did.  Our big activity for this weekend was going to see the last Harry Potter movie.  Yes, it is as good as the collective “they” say.  For purists, there are differences from the book, but over all, the movie does a fantastic job of conveying the important points.

  • Inmate’s Underwear

    From Print Shop Professional 2.0

Kayla is of an age now where she can (sort of) understand what’s going on when she listens to the news.   Yesterday afternoon late, we had to head into Montgomery to buy a few things, and on the way there, we heard a news report about how the sheriff of Polk County, Arizona has decreed that male inmates must buy their prison underwear or do without.

Kayla thought for a minute, then said reflectively, “You know, I think everyone should have at least one pair of underwear.”  Then she thought some more, and announced that “If I ever go to prison, I will be sure and pack my own underwear.”  We explained that you don’t normally get to take your own stuff to prison.  She said, “Well, then, the underwear they give you might not fit right or be very comfortable; I guess I just won’t ever to go to jail.” 

We told her we thought that was a wise decision. 

  •   Gentle Rain

    Happy to Get Rain (from Print Shop Professional 2.0)

We have had an unexpected break in our summer weather, for just a few days, and it has been nice.  Overcast clouds and summer thunderstorms gave us rain for about four days straight.  The crowning glory was a slow soaking rain on Saturday, followed by a cloud show that was absolutely breathtaking!  The rain clouds broke into huge blankets of dark gray pillowed skies bordered by luminous white clouds, with just one or two patches where the clouds broke completely and the rays came shining though.  How I wished my fellow bloggers over at The Simple Life of a Country Man’s Wife, and Just Rambling Pier  had been here to take pictures.  They both are super photographers.  I, of course, in spite of my three cameras plus one cell phone that takes pictures, had nothing available to capture the moment with.

Our Cloud Show Was Even Better Than This! (From Print Shop Professional 2.0)

Mark volunteered Saturday morning to help Kayla clean her closet, due to a pressing need to find out how many pairs of shoes she had that fit, and so they spent about two hours working on it together.  It now looks really good and they were still speaking to each other when they finished!  I have given him carte blanche on my half of our clothes closet whenever he wants, Kayla’s looked so good when they finished.  The craft closet I have not offered up for cleaning.  🙂 

A Closet That Was Cleaned (from Print Shop Professional 2.0)

Have a great day everyone!

Nancy

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We Go To Visit Carter (And His Parents)

Posted on July 12, 2011 | 3 comments

Good morning everyone!
 
Back in March, the three of us got to meet Mark and my’s grand-nephew for the first time.  Kayla (and the rest of us) were enthralled.

Kayla holding Carter

Last time, Carter came to visit us, so this time we went to Carter.  As an added bonus, we got to see his parents, too.  🙂  (Just kidding, Andy and Anne; we wanted to see you too.)  It is amazing how much he has grown!

Happy Baby!

I know, through my experiences with Kayla, that children grow fast; apparently babies grow even faster!  We took lots and lots and pictures; I have culled a few of the best for you (besides, the subscribers to this blog who are related to me and therefore whom I hear from more often than the rest of you would kill me if I didn’t put in a few.)

Here is a picture of Anne, Andy and Carter together:

There is another important member of the family, too.  Her name is Tallulah and she is just now turning 2.

Tallulah (aka Lula unless she is in trouble!)

She also adores Carter and is very sweet with him, in spite of the energy most dogs have at the age of 2. 

Oh, you're taking pictures!

Somehow I always manage to get at least one picture when Kayla doesn’t expect it!

Anne, Carter, Kayla and Sophie, the $14 giraffe

One of Carter’s favorite toys is a rubber giraffe, who has been named Sophie.  Friends brought her to Carter from France, which is why she is a $14 giraffe, I guess.  Anne and Andy’s biggest challenge is being sure Tallulah understands that the giraffe is Carter’s, not hers.  It seems they are doing a fine job with that, as I watched her all afternoon, and she left the giraffe alone the entire time.  There is no way we could get No-no and Bad Dog to do that!

Mommy makes me happy

Anne is an excellent mother, and Carter knows it!  She knows exactly how to hold him and what he wants when Mark, Kayla and I are just staring at him goggle eyed.  When he wanted to play, she pulled out a little floor play thing that lets him lie on his back on the floor, and Kayla decided to try to play with him on his level. 

Kayla and Carter on the floor (from directly above)

 This picture-taking opportunity was too much to miss, so I took a few more.  (I know you’re shocked!)

Kayla and Carter playing together

It was interesting to see Kayla relate to Carter on his level.

Simple Pleasures

After a while, Kayla decided she would draw a picture for Carter.  (Anne is not only excellent at keeping her own child happy and occupied, she has a sixth sense that helps her know how to keep other people’s 9 1/2 year olds happy and occupied too.)  Anne pulled out paper, washable, non-toxic markers and Kayla was off.  When she finished her picture, she gave it to Carter.

Carter looks at Kayla's Picture

He then decided to experience her art in another way.

Carter exploring Kayla's picture

Of course, I had to take my turn holding Carter.

I Hold Carter

And, finally, make no mistake about it:  Carter loves his Daddy as much as his mommy!

His Daddy makes him laugh,  

Daddy makes me laugh

Feel safe:

Safe in Daddy's Hands

And, just like Mommy, makes him feel loved:

Andy and Anne, thank you so much for your hospitality, and we can’t wait to do it all over again sometime soon!

Have a great day everyone!

Nancy

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In Honor of the Fourth: Kayla’s Turn

Posted on July 1, 2011 | 2 comments

Good morning/afternoon everyone!

One of the things I have thought a lot about lately, as the Fourth approaches and as the news continues to stress differences between us, is how much we Americans have in common that no-one every acknowledges.  Chief among those commonalities is the hope that our children will experience a future far better than the present that we experience.  We may disagree on the method that it will take for us to get there, but I don’t know anyone who wakes up one day and says, “You know, I really hope that the world will be a much more terrible place for my child than it is for me right now.” 

So, in honor of that sentiment, today is Kayla’s turn to supply material (that she herself chose, as opposed to that which I reported) for this post.

Monday morning, as I was trying to get ready for work, she got hold of the camera and followed the dogs around for about 45 minutes taking pictures.  I promised her that I would use her pictures in my blog, so today is the day.  I did take the liberty of making up the captions for the pictures, though.

She got some good basic pictures of the dogs, including one with Mark and Mandy sharing a moment together:

Tyra Waiting on the Sofa

Look closely at Mandy’s tail in this one:

Mandy in the bathroom

 And here Mandy and Mark are sharing a moment together before either realizes Kayla and the camera are in the room:

Mandy and Mark in the Morning

Darwin was waiting his turn in the kitchen:

Darwin waits in the kitchen

She also got some fantastic pictures of Mandy in her favorite lookout spot, the sofa in the study area of the great room.  We call it her lair.  

Mandy in her favorite lookout spot

Sometimes Darwin wanders by:

Mandy and Darwin confer

When Mandy is in her lair, it can be easier to get close-ups of her:

Mandy's close-up

Tyra, as head dog, is allowed to claim the leather sofa as hers whenever she wants it.

Tyra holds court on the couch

Kayla also managed to catch Mandy, as Bad Dog, and Darwin, as No-no, in action.  I think I would have preferred her to save the items they were working on, but at least you now have proof that the two dogs, even though they can look so sweet in their pictures, do have alter-egos!

Bad Dog’s Criminal Caper:

In the legal field, we might consider this to be a smoking gun:

The Smoking Gun....

Denials are useless at this point:

But ultimately she remains unrepentant as she plans her next criminal caper with the victims – Kayla’s flip-flops – in plain view.

Sleeping I dreamed, Love, I dreamed, Love, of thee.

No-no’s plan of attack centered around an assumption that he would remain unmolested in the bedroom if every one was out in the other room getting breakfast.   He didn’t count on the People Puppy of the house roaming around with a camera.

No-no caught in the act!

However, he appeared to be oblivious to the meaning behind the words “plausible deniability.”

Who me?

And at first refused to go quietly:

Still, all’s well that ends well, so No-no is ready to go again as soon as the opportunity presents itself.

Have a great weekend and a great Fourth of July everyone!

Nancy

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Dance Picture Day, No-No and Bad Dog Strike Again and The Light Bulb Conspiracy Continues

Posted on March 10, 2011 | 2 comments

Picture, if you will, a rectangular room with echoing acoustics and a hard cement floor, populated by around a dozen mothers who have established squatters’ rights at various positions along the wall, each surrounded by a plethora of paraphenalia, including hair materials, anywhere from three to five costumes, make-up and shoes, along with at least 15 3rd and 4th grade girls, who make enough noise for at least thirty, and one brave dance teacher trying to shepherd the 15 girls through group and individual pictures in each of the three to five costumes.  That picture will give you a pretty good idea of the annual event at Kayla’s dance studio known as picture day, which happened yesterday.  The noisiest picture is the one taken of the girls in their tap costume.  At that point, the 15 girls talking at a decibel of 30 girls geometrically expands to a noise volume somewhere around 90 girls, since the sound of their talking increases to cover the noise of the tap shoes.  The picture above is one I took of Kayla in her tap dance costume.  

Here is Kayla in her ballerina costume.  I think it is really pretty.  This was the second or third photo for the girls, and while I can’t show you the expressions on the mom’s faces, while the girls still are having a good time, most of us are starting to reflect on the uncomfortable aspects of the hard cement floor, although we are having a good time visiting with the other mothers and learning that our children are not unique in the foibles and follies they display to us every day.

The last costume for Kayla was her gymnastics costume, so she decided to do a back bend for me.  I am really impressed; I have never been that flexible.  Since it was the last picture for the day, all of the mothers still remaining were cheering the gymnastics picture taking process on, and most of us were calculating how we were going to drive straight home without doing any errands so that we wouldn’t have to wait for our child to change before we left.  Every time the photo room door would open and a girl scurry out, our hopes would rise that they were done, only to be dashed as each girl explained something to her particular mother and scurried back into the photo room.  Kayla came out three times because she wanted to update me on her progress and I came within an inch of telling her the last time that under no circumstances was she to come out of the photo room again until they were completely done.  I didn’t though, because she truly was just trying to help.

Once the gymnastics photos were done, it didn’t take long for most of us to clear out of there.  

Kayla’s dance teacher constantly amazes me with how calm she can remain in the midst of the necessary chaos, and still steer everyone to where they need to be and answer about fifty questions being shot at her in every direction.  She goes through this every day this week, with dancers ranging from age three up to age 17 or 18! 

  • No-No and Bad Dog Strike Again

After a couple of quiet days, No-No and Bad Dog reemerged yesterday to remove from my bedroom one Merrell and one sneaker and a handkerchief.  I am guessing that No-No (Darwin) scored the shoes because they were not in a dilapidated state but instead just plopped down in the middle of the den floor in the hopes that I would notice.  I am certain that Mandy scored the handkerchief because I caught her red-handed with the handkerchief in her mouth and a mournful expression on her face when she realized that she had been caught.  The mournful expression was not because she was sorry for anything she had done, but because she knew that the handkerchief was about to be taken from her.

 This morning, the intrepid duo managed to score a cheap ring from a McDonald’s Happy Meal.  I removed it from Bad Dog as she was chewing it.  No-No was staring at it and Mandy, simply waiting his turn.  A second ago, while I was writing this, my Merrell just got dropped in the den again by No-No, who is puzzled as to why this troubles me!

  • The Light Bulb Conspiracy Continues

As I told you in an earlier post, we have light bulbs that tend to go out in clusters, and, being tired of that, we put in light bulbs that are supposed to last two years in each of the flood lights in the den.  The other light bulbs in the house have now escalated their attack.  In two days, we have had four bulbs blow in various parts of the house.  The first was the end light over the breakfast bar.  Mark went ahead and replaced it that night, even though I asked him if he wanted to wait until we saw which other lights chose to go out.  The next morning, the middle light on the breakfast bar, a flood light in the bedroom and a bulb over my vanity all went out within ten minutes of each other.  I guess the bulbs feel like they have to make up for the ground they have lost in the den!

Have a good day everyone!

Nancy

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