Nature

Nature
Originally uploaded by WakeUpLaughing

So my kids and I are leaving the house yesterday...on the way to the dentist, and we spot this nest under the evergreen tree in the front yard. I was so excited to come home and snap some pictures.

We seem to be spoting a lot of different bird type things lately. First a feather one day while walking with Z and then another feather while hiking one afternoon with my kids (which I think is an eagle featherm see May=Found a Feather) and now a birds nest. I need to tell Z about this. He will say it means something. Hmm, wonder what it means?


Here's another shot of the nest. I'm bare foot on this day, but today, I wouldn't of dared gone out bare foot. COLD...almost cold enough for snow...yuck. But I was sporting my flip flops...AHHH, life is grand in flip-flops.

WOW

I had all of the pics of my son labeled as POOP cookies on my flickr account. Apparently someone didn't like it for it was removed. Very interesting. Even the link to my blog was removed. OH WELL...I will go on.

Things are busy, just sent off another task for my master's projects. One down, 6 1/2 to go by the 15th...I can do it!!!!

POOP Cookies

POOP Cookies
Originally uploaded by WakeUpLaughing

What a crazy, busy day today is. My day started at 6:30. I got ready and headed to the school to do some more cleaning in my classroom. It’s nowhere near what I want it to be, but I am going to have to give it a rest. I put miscellaneous things up and out of the way. A little bit of reconstruction will be taking place in my room sometime this summer…so I put things that needed to be protected from the dust in storage. Anyway, after an hour and a half there I headed back home. After working a bit on a video for a master’s project I headed out the door to take my daughter to summer school. My plans for the rest of the day were to spend every minute I possibly could working on this video and then writing the process paper that needs to accompany the project. Well when I returned home from dropping my daughter off my plans were changed. As I pulled into the drive my son pokes his head out of the living room window and hollers “Hey Mom! Can we make ‘POOP’ cookies?” (no-bake oatmeal cookies) I replied with a no and explained that I had many things to do today. He came back with “but Mom, I already have everything out.” And sure enough, he did. Everything was out on the counter ready to go. How could I resist such a sweet request? So we went right to work. I let him do the most of the measuring and stirring. He had to put an apron on. At first he was going to wear one of mine, then he remembered that I had put one of the “boy” aprons from school in my bad (going to take a pattern off of it) and he went after that one. It took a little extra time to complete the cookies…he had to take frequent breaks to check on the cartoon show he had been watching. Mom just about scorched the milk and sugar and oatmeal was everywhere, but in the end we had a great time, took some great pictures of the master chef at work and ended up with some terrific tasting “POOP” cookies.

Oh, one last comment on POOP cookies. We made some on Saturday night (a very popular treat at our house) and because mom goofed and put too much milk in, we ended up making a double batch. Well, there was no way I was going to let that many cookies be in my house (even though I try to convince myself that a few are okay in my diet on occasion…source of protein), a double batch is way too many…So the neighbors all received treats that night. The grandma across the street told my son that they were her favorite cookies. Our next door neighbors and landlords were grateful for the treat. The next morning at church my neighbor complemented on how good they were and that she had them all eaten before her husband had a chance. I told her not to worry, that we had plenty more at our house and I would send more over after church. I told the kids to tell her when they delivered the new batch that they were for her husband only.

Anyway, right now I am sitting at the park. The kids are having lunch with the school lunch program. It is free to all kids, so why not take advantage of it. I get a breakfrom making lunch, no dishes to clean up, and they get to play with friends. I am waiting for audio to extract from my video…a long process…and my patience is running out…mostly because I am in panic mode at the present time…8 projects to complete by the 15th…ugh. I can do! Things are just a little stressed.

After the park we head to the dentist and then later tonight we are off to softball games. A very full day. I think we will call out for pizza for dinner tonight!!!

open sign

open sign
Originally uploaded by reese1989.

Signs, Signs every where there's signs! I love taking pictures of print. I am compelled by signs. I just joined this new group on flickr. It is called slice of life. The idea behind the group is that you take a slice of a picture...maybe a picture of poor quality, or one that just didn't turn out just right. You crop it to a specified size, causing you to take a look at the picture in a different way. I am excited about it. I have a few great results. This open sign is one of them. I love the sign, but getting a picture of it that is just right was impossible. Slicing the photo did the work. I am loving this! I am really enjoying my new camera. Wow, I look at things so differently.
Check out my public photos at the following link:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/treese/

Old Truck Robin Egg Blue

Old Truck Robin Egg Blue
Originally uploaded by reese1989.

"The great thing about getting older is that you don't lose all the other ages you've been". ~unknown~

I just signed up for this group on flickr called "A Year of Color". Each week a color is assigned and you are to set out capturing that color in photographs. How fun I thought. I want to get better at taking pictures and what a fun and creative way to go about doing so.

This picture of this old truck is the first picture that I took as part of this group. I had just told my daughter that we need to look out for things that are Robin's Egg Blue" (the assigned color for the week). We were driving into Moroni on our way to Maple Canyon for a Mother's day hike. Off to our right, behind the corner store across from the middle school sat this truck. Prefect I thought. So I pulled around, got out of the van and started snapping pictures. I laid myself on the ground for a few shots. My kids thought I was crazy....they are right...I am. I enjoy life and like to find ways to express it...I think photography can be a great outlet for that expression. I don't like having just pictures, I need words...and not every picture needs to be described...so what do I do...I put quotes to the pictures...quotes that have meaning that may be represented by the photo. Like this truck...it is old and has seen a few years, probably has a few stories to tell...It not only got older, but kept what it did have...who owned this truck, what did they use it for, is the owner still around...we pass by stories every day...what is our own story.

My brother Captain K says everyone has their own story to tell. He seems to want to take the time to hear the stories of others. I think my dad did that. He helped others to understand his own story and help them understand their own.

My friend Z has that same belief. He seems to look at everything as if it has a story to tell. He pays attention to "Stuff". Both on the surface and inside. He has helped me understand my own story, or the start of completing my story.
Our stories are never completed and are constantly being re-evaluated. New characters come and old ones fade in and out. Our own character in our stories goes through changes and new pages are added all the time through people, places and things.

Z keeps a notebook handy to write things down. I gave him a pack of new ones one day and wrote a note that said he was to fill them with people, places and things. That is what are lives are filled with. It is how we apply those people, places and things that create the color within our stories.
I want to take the unique photos that I take, such as this old truck and find quotes, such as with this one, and create a photobook that contains these treasures. Put my photos into a tangible piece of art that can be shared.

That's all for now. Over and out Robin's Egg!

Found A Feather

Found a feather, found a feather, found a feather one day. Actually this was the second time while out walking that we have found a feather. About a month ago, while walking with my daughter and a friend we found a feather. The questions is: What type of bird did it come from?????

Gator Toes!

What a freak I am. Such a Gator Fan that I paint my toes Gator colors during March Madness! Yeah, I rock!

Fly Free into the night FireFly

What is a firefly?: Any luminous winged insect, esp. luminous beetles of the family Lampyridae. I am fascinated by fireflies. Watching them briefly light up the sky, zipping around in the dark. Such happy creatures. So light and free. But are they free. Some for a brief moment, some are caught, and later let go. Some are caught and die in captivity. Some are stepped on and their light is absorbed into the ground, never to fly again.

My kids and I use to catch them and let them go. I love to watch them fly around in the night. A glow here and there, sending a message of happiness. Then we would catch them in a jar. What a happy light they give off. But now I look back at the act of capturing a fire fly and wonder, what right did I have to capture that creature? To keep the glow only to myself. Fireflies are meant to be free to share their light with all. I will never catch a firefly again. I want to be able to watch them frolic in the meadow on a cool spring evening, laughing in the evening air, as they spread the joy of spring to all that happen to see.

I am a firefly, one that is experiencing a rebirth. I have a beautiful light within. One that is to be shared and not kept in a bottle for only one who is selfish and does not respect my light. Once upon a time, someone did capture me in a bottle. Did not appreciate my beauty within and out, and the light I possessed died. But I set myself free. Now I am working at recognizing the light within again. I am seeing that others are willing to share their light with me to help mine grow. I want to accept their light and with theirs mine can even glow stronger, brighter. Like a firefly, I am a beautiful creature. One that has the capability to be light and free. One that wants to be in the open meadow, loving and laughing with the ones she loves and those that love her. I am no longer in the bottle and have to accept responsibility for keeping my light aglow. Others accept my light, it's time for me to as well.
I am so grateful for strong fireflies in my life, for sharing their light and looking deeper into me, helping me to accept my light for what it is....beautiful!

one of my favorite songs:

Artist/Band: Faith Hill
Lyrics for Song: Fireflies
Lyrics for Album: Fireflies

Before you met me I was a fairy princess
I caught frogs and called them prince
And made myself a queen
And before you knew me I'd traveled 'round the world
And I slept in castles
And fell in love
Because I was taught to dream

I found mayonnaise bottles and poked holes on top
To capture Tinker Bell
And they were just fireflies to the untrained eye
But I could always tell

Cause I believe in fairy tales
And dreamer's dreams
Like bedsheet sails
And I believe in Peter Pan
And miracles, anything I can to get by
And fireflies

Now before I grew up I saw you on a cloud
And I could bless myself in your name
And pat you on your wings
And before I grew up I heard you whisper so loud
Well life is hard and so is love
Child, believe in all these things

I found mayonnaise bottles and poked holes on top
To capture Tinker Bell
And they were just fireflies to the untrained eye
But I could always tell

Cause I believe in fairy tales
And dreamer's dreams
Like bedsheet sails
And I believe in Peter Pan
And miracles, anything I can to get by . . .
And fireflies
And fireflies . . .

Before you met me I was a fairy princess
I caught frogs and called them prince
And made myself a queen
And before you knew me I'd traveled 'round the world
And I slept in castles
And fell in love
Because I was taught to dream