Sucker Punched.

August, see you next year!
You were going great. You were rounding out awesome. You threw me a gut punch right at the end that has left me winded.
I'm going to be ok. I will shape up. I will survive.
But, oh, how I wish it wasn't this way.

Uh Huh.

I can see the trouble already.

Let's Play #139.

1. He was a __tiny little one set in my arms so many years ago___.
2. ____The cool chill in the air_______ is what I look forward to most this time of year.
3. My best friend _____finishes my sentences and knows my thoughts______.
4. _____I have______ to be honest with you.
5. Appearances can be ___very deceiving________.
6. The last person I gave a hug to was ___my sister and my children________.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to __studying___, tomorrow my plans include __an incredible photo opportunity___ and Sunday, I want to __soak up some serious family time___!

Play, too...please :)

Preparing.

• for a return to regular scheduled programming. (Who am I kidding? This house thrives on flying by the seat of our pants!)
• for me to smash the course I've enrolled in. (Yes I will. Oh, yes I will.)
• for the summer to drift away and the cool chill of fall to raise its glass in a toast with me.
• to unleash my photographic abilities on an unknown world.
• for some of my ideas to materialize.
• for a laundry fairy to sweep through my house.
• to reconnect with Life.
• to work my ass off.

What are you preparing for?

The End.

I will no longer offer any photographic services for free.

...off to bang my head against the wall some more.

Todays.

Days like today make me wonder. It's dreary. It's wet. It's stormy. It's just the kind of weather that makes you snuggle into the covers for a little longer. The kind that makes you hope you don't have to go out.
It's also the kind the make me think of this song. It makes me appreciate all I have.
Listen to it, won't you?

Pretty Little Lovely Bug.

Pretty little lovely bug,
landed on my window.
Pretty little lovely bug,
with no where better to go.
Pretty little lovely bug,
if only you could see.
Pretty little lovely bug,
squashed by the likes of me.

Let's Play #138

It's Friday and that means Fill-Ins Time. Play along, won't you?

1. I remember, I remember __the way the life is in the Alps. I miss it___.
2. Dear ____Diary_____ I want you to know ___i'm still off my rocker___.
3. Is that my ______sanity making a run for it_____!!???
4. I'm trying to resist the temptation of _____moving somewhere with a nicer climate than here______.
5. I'm saving a ____kiss_______ just for you!
6. If I made a birthday list ____some time in Italy _______ would definitely be on it!!!
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to __being out with my hubby___, tomorrow my plans include __house work and textbooks___ and Sunday, I want to __be footloose and fancy free___!

Adventure.

Today the sky is dusted with large white/grey clouds. The air has a chill that kisses my cheeks. There is a breeze that rustles the leaves just so they look like they are dancing.
I am looking for something today. I am not sure what it is that I'm trying to find but an adventure is surely in store. I know that there is going to be a mini-session by a harpist this evening. I'm envisioning it as a private concert. It is going to be great.
Thursday, where are we going to end up? What plans are laid out for me to find? What adventures are up your sleeve?

Sweet Baby.

She grows.
She changes.
She is stretching out into this amazing person.
Charged with passion.
Infused with love.
So sure of what she wants.
Yet still so willing to hold onto my hand.
Sweet Baby.

Kamila May, little ducky, you are beautiful just the way you are.
Happy first birthday.

Ahem.

Hello??

Ahem...HELLO?????

There seems to be a lack of pictures being posted around here lately.
I will try to get this fixed asap.

Play Along.

All right. Let's get everyone on board the Friday Fill-in's boat. As the name suggests, we sail together once a week.
Every Friday (or late Thursday) a wonderful blogger named Janet posts random statements with blanks. All you do is fill in the blanks with whatever comes to your mind. I run with it. Sometimes my statements don't make the most sense. Sometimes I get stumped.
Janet's blog is www.fridayfillins.blogspot.com.
Now please play along. It is liberating.

Let's Play #136.

1. __Marble Slab ice cream____ is my favorite summertime __treat___.
2. My favorite John Hughes movies is __The Great Outdoors. Hands Down. Although there aren't many of his movies that I don't like.
3. __My children's hands, so tender and small,___ are something I love to touch.
4. The full moon __in August is also called the corn moon___.
5. __I should be asleep___ right now.
6. When daylight fades __the sky starts to sparkle with a new kind of magic___.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to __some thinking___, tomorrow my plans include __some planning___ and Sunday, I want to __walk to the moon___!

C'mon now, go show Janet some love.

Arise and Inspire.

There is inspiration all around me. I am breathing it all in.
I look into the soft blue of my son's eyes and see a whole new world. I reflect in the sparkle that is nestled within my daughter's. I listen to my sister's voice and hear her growing.
There is so much more.
Where is your inspiration right now?

Buzz, Beep, Ring.

Read this post by Keri Smith.
I am a big fan of her stuff. This latest post is about the very things that have been on my mind lately. Check out any of her stuff. One day I will find the bravery to embark on the adventure of her Wreck This Journal*****. Her How To Be An Explorer Of The World is amazing. I have it. Run out and scoop them up. Dance through the pages. See the world with different eyes.
Anyone that knows me knows that I am a 50/50 draw at having my cell on me, charged, available for use. More and more these last few days I've been feeling more restrained by the phone than convenienced by it. Keri's techno post makes me happy to know that I am not alone in my thoughts.

*****Super side note: if anyone loves me so much that they are looking for a random gift to give me, I DO NOT have this yet and would really like it. Kisses!

Mission: August

Let's tie up the loose ends this month. Gear up for the coming fall.
That's all.
I'm keeping it ultra simple.
What about you?

It has begun.

The peak of summer complete with its lack lustre weather did not stop us from giving it all we had. We laughed, played, relaxed, loved.
In this weekend gone by, the beginning of the end of summer rolls out. We aren't dwelling on its ending. We are smothering ourselves in the moments that remain. Life is slowly returning to normal. I am starting to plan for September and all the changes it holds in store.
For today, let's throw everything in a pot to simmer on the back burner. We are heading out for some backyard fun.
C'mon Coffee Maker, brew me some magic!

Caught me.

"What will matter is not your success but your significance."

~Unknown