Thursday, June 30, 2011

A Little Italian Zen…

It’s officially the last day of June..

(Happy Birthday Matt !!)

Yesterday evening was so nice.

Not too hot … Not too cold… But just like in Goldie Locks.. It was juuuussst right…

I decided to spend a little extra time hand watering some things in the yard..

(Normally I would throw the sprinkler out in the garden and the flower beds….and.. have at it.)

That’s when I saw it… Just as the sun was starting to set…The evening light hit my Dad’s little grape trellis just right..

Earlier this year.. Mr R pruned back the vines… I mean REALLY prune back the vines..

This…After he learned in his wine tasting class how important a hard pruning is to the vitality of the vine. The instructor explained that a hard pruning allows for more fruit…

He wasn’t kidding.

As I looked up at the underside of the trellis.. I could not believe how heavy it was with new grapes!! DSC_1322

It gave me a little chill…almost like Pa was telling me.. “Look…Look at how beautiful it is!!”

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That’s when I called for Mr R to get my camera..

I wanted to remember this lovely moment and the light…

I tend to think that raising children is a lot like training a grape vine..

The main vine(*Marriage) once truly rooted is the strongest.

Sometimes vines(*Children) will get out of hand..

PRUNE HARD (*Discipline).. if you want good fruit (*Good Children)

Growing a vine (*Raising a Family ) is a lot of hard work… but if it’s done right.. with a lot of love and discipline… .. will both make you drunk with happiness !

Wow.. how very Italian Zen…anyway…I just thought I’d share this lovely sight…DSC_1323

Speaking of Italian Zen….

I had to take Mamma out to have her mustache done…

Stop laughing..

We Middle aged Meditarrien folically blessed women fight a constant battle of not looking like our brethren…. literally and figuratively.

We decided to head over to our local

Nails + Wax on Wax Off place to get the deed done..

While I was waiting for her.. I quickly pulled out my handy dandy little point and shoot camera ( I don’t go anywhere without it … I mean how else could I capture little jewels like this…)

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Hey there little Buddha ….

Not a bad gig you got going on… Money… Food.. Flowers..Lovely Ambient lighting.. and pretty cool looking crib.. what more do you need in life??

Buona Sera… & …..Namaste !

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Photo Class… Plymouth Fountain.

Maria and I only have a couple of classes left …We have really enjoyed the class..

But as I said before.. I am definitely going to have to take the class again.

A fellow student who has taken this class four times before said..

“Every time I take the class.. Brian has something new and interesting to say.. that he may not have said in a previous class. I am always learning.”

This made me feel a lot better about taking the class again.

Part of the syllabus stated there are two field trips..We missed the first one to Maybury State Park.. because it was HELL DEGREES outside !!!

I told Maria.. if she wanted to go.. no problem.

As for my self. I know better than to send a menopausal woman out into Hades.

It ain’t pretty..People

Yesterdays’ Field Trip was close to home.. Downtown Plymouth.

Our assignment was to simply shoot the fountain.. We could do whatever we wanted..as long as the fountain was in the shot…

SO. I thought I’d share my evening shoot with you.

Oh…and by the way.. It was THE most beautiful evening!!

Yay !!!

I give you… Plymouth Fountain.

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My first attempts were to literally to just shoot the fountain..DSC_1208

Then I tried to get a little creative and place other objects with the fountain.DSC_1147

Soon… I realized my favorite thing to shoot is PEOPLE.. and the fountain.

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Especially little people..DSC_1195

I mean they just can’t hide the joy they feel…CSC_1260

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Again whilst monkeying with the dials…DSC_1216 I tried to get all Artsy Fartsy…DSC_1221

I don’t know…

I kind of like it….

This little guy and his Mom and Dad.. Melted my heart..DSC_1160

I mean come on… how precious it that?DSC_1172

While we were having a good time..

Maria wasn’t feeling so hot..

( Yeah.. she has MY cold … sorry sweetie) and wanted to head home to crash… I decided to head home too..

When I got there Mr R asked why I was back so soon.. I explained about Maria and started to put my stuff away..

He suggested we go back … sit at one of the towns many bistros to have a glass of wine…and if I felt like it we could go back and try to do some shooting as the light went down…

And that my friends... is exactly what we did

Ending up right across the street from the fountain at

Comparis . DSC_1253

A little Bruschetta

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A little appetizer plate..DSC_1258

A couple "O" glasses of wine..DSC_1255

I was good to go….


Ready to take on the fountain again…DSC_1267

Albeit a bit darker…

It was such a beautiful night.. almost chilly…

The crispness of the air…The sound of people all around you… The smell of food ….

If I closed my eyes.. it was almost like being transported back to Italy…

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I got some more kind of cool shots…DSC_1275

Or maybe they just seemed a lot cooler after the wine?

Meh.. I don’t know.. and I don’t care.

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All I know is … Once again sometimes the best memories you make are the ones you don’t even plan for.

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Thanks for sharing the night with me Honey…&... Thanks for being so good.

Monday, June 27, 2011

Wise Wise Words of Wisdom !!

I wish I could take credit for this list.. but I can't..

I got it HERE

I figure wisdom is wisdom...


The following tidbits are definitely

WWWW.


Wise Wise Words of Wisdom..

ENJOY

1. Don’t try to read other people’s minds


2. Get up 30 minutes earlier so that you don’t rush/get a ticket while driving too fast/have to explain why you’re late/get fired


3. Get 8 hours of sleep per night so that you think more clearly


4. Stick to your budget


5. Start saving and investing every week, no matter how little you can spare


6. Balance your checkbook


7. Don’t try to be friends with everyone. Cultivate closer relationships with fewer people.


8. Don’t try to do business with everyone. Identify your target client and take very good care of them.


9. Before getting angry, ask yourself if it will really matter in 20 years


10. Focus on being a good person, not on pleasing others


11. Stay home this Saturday, and finish off that nagging chore that you need to finish


12. Kiss and make up


13. Make a weekly menu, and shop for only those items at the market


14. Ask your grandparents the best way to uncomplicate life, and try it for a month


15. Fill up your gas tank when it’s half full


16. Don’t drink alcohol when you’re tired, sad or mad


17. Pay your bills on time


18. Get an annual physical examination


19. Say “I love you” to your significant other and to your children. Studies show that more marriages last, and fewer kids use drugs, when these words are spoken every day.


20. For just one day, imagine everyone’s intentions are good because most people’s are


21. Give away clothes that haven’t been worn in two years


22. Throw out clothes that are in disrepair, and can’t be mended


23. When you have a conflict with someone, talk it out. Don’t let it turn into more than it is.


24. Know what your priorities are in life, and act as if they are your priorities


25. Tell the truth


26. Don’t cheat


27. Don’t steal


28. If you’re holding on to a ridiculous grudge, let it go


29. Clean your house weekly, so that it doesn’t become too large a chore


30. Do your best at work, or at school


31. Don’t eat when you aren’t hungry


32. Eat when you are hungry


33. Be yourself


34. Say no unapologetically


35. Cook simple meals


36. Don’t try to keep up with the Joneses


37. Pay off your car before buying a new one


38. Organise your desk at the office


39. Change your smoke alarm batteries when the clocks spring forward, and again when they fall back


40. Organise your important paperwork


41. Take only half the clothes that you planned to take with you on holiday


42. Help your children with their homework every night, and have an open dialogue with their teachers


43. Have white sheets and white towels in children’s rooms/bathrooms, because they’re easily bleached


44. Spend your time with nice people


45. Avoid drama


46. Don’t text or talk on the phone while driving


47. Turn off the television/video games/computer; they’re time consumers


48. Don’t engage in office politics


49. Refuse to gossip, or talk behind other people’s backs


50. Do the dishes right after dinner


51. Never go to sleep angry


52. Ask nicely for what you need and want


53. Walk 10,000 steps per day to help your heart


54. Do 20 push-ups before speaking in anger


55. Leave work at work


56. Don’t befriend anyone that isn’t trustworthy


57. Don’t envy others


58. Have your oil changed


59. Take vitamin C BEFORE you catch a cold


60. Don’t work more than 8 hours per day


61. Weed your garden weekly


62. Wash your car weekly


63. Have a spring cleaning month every year, and do one room at a time


64. You don’t need to be best friends with work colleagues, but build respectful partnerships


65. Don’t drink and drive


66. Don’t look for reasons to be angry or sad, look for reasons to be happy. You’ll always be able to find plenty of each.


67. Be friendly with your neighbours


68. Return emails and phone messages promptly


69. Schedule in free time


70. Don’t procrastinate


71. Do what you say you’ll do, when you say you’ll do it


72. Be more flexible when you’re able to be


73. Forgive and forget. End of story.


74. Break the consumerism habit…put a three month moratorium in place on buying anything not deemed a necessity


75. Start your diet on September 1, rather than January 1, so that you won’t also have holiday pounds to lose


76. Take care of any health issues or concerns


77. Have your tires rotated


78. Have your brakes checked


79. Have your eyes checked


80. Don’t let your imagination run away with you


81. Let go of perfection in others


82. Let go of perfection in yourself


83. Don’t try to help those that refuse to help themselves


84. Find a way to reduce your commute to work


85. Have an alloted amount of worry time per day/week, that you strictly abide by


86. Drink more water


87. Eat more salmon


88. Don’t make a mountain out of a molehill


89. Wear your hair in a classic, easy to care for style


90. Finish what you start


91. Wear classic clothes and shoes that never go out of style


92. Create a daily routine


93. Have a 1, 5, 10 and 20 year plan for your financial and life goals


94. Slow down


95. Eat out less often


96. When you ask your husband which outfit looks best, thank him for his answer and wear the one he liked rather than focusing on why he didn’t like the other one


97. Allow your children to grow up


98. Clean out your garage, and donate anything that hasn’t been used in the past year


99. Stretch every day


100. If a relationship is over, let it go

Saturday, June 25, 2011

Speaking of Birthdays….

After my last post.. I decided I would pull out the disc Maria gave me of the pictures she took on my birthday…

This was one of my first gifts of the day..

Thank You Jenna and Laurel.. She is on my desk at work now…

I think people think I’m pretty flashy now..

Mom1

This my my brother…Just look at how happy he is to be spending time with his sister…

Can you feel the love?….

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This is a group shot  of some of the clan…

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More of the clan…

Mike explaining Thermo Dynamics  and the Theory of Relativity.. or.. maybe just how big he wants his hamburger. I’m not sure.

Mom3

Meanwhile….

Matt and Laurel debate the pros and cons of the New Age Movement.

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Dad …

He has always been photogenic. even when he doesn’t know he is being photographed.Mom6

Mamma chillaxing… Mom5

Matt.. FINALLLY..

A picture that he isn’t making a goofy face !!!

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After our afternoon brunch… it was time to go home and face….51 !!!!Mom9

Somehow.. the cannoli cream filled cake took the edge off..

That my friends.. is a lot of hot air.Mom11

I had a wonderful birthday…a great day spent with family..(Well most of my family… ugh )

I guess I take what I can get….Mom13I know how you feel girls.. all this Family time can be exhausting…

Mom15

A GREAT BIG  Thank You to everyone who remembered my Birthday.. whether it was in person… phone … card.. FB… Email…Carrier pigeon… or in spirit..

I Love ya more than my luggage.Mom12

Friday, June 24, 2011

Phew.. June..You Spin My head right round....

So much has gone on in the past month or so..

I just haven’t had either the time OR the opportunity

( Thank You Stupid Computer Virus) to post many of the pictures of these events..

A.k.a Laurel and Dante’s Communion pictures.

My Birthday Pics… Father’s Day Pics and so on..

But I did manage to get some up and running ..

S0 I just thought I’d give you a very brief look intosome the happenings around here..

Maria and I have really enjoyed our Photography classes… although… it’s really hard to believe they are almost done.

I can see that there is so SO much more to learn… and with so much packed into the session…. I may have to take the class again.

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( What can I say… age is creeping in…)

June proves to be one of the busiest Birthday months..DSC_0979

Starting with Me and Martin…DSC_0986

Then of course there is Aunt Ya Ya

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Pete

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Niece Jenna

DSC_0982Ending the month with Matt

( and checking Mamma’s Bloodwork)DSC_0984

Them thar…is a lot of Birthdays…. but hey.. it’s fun…

Speaking of Fun.. Mr R and I did something spontaneous this year.. we decided to head out and check out the first day of our towns “Liberty Fest” .

We had not been there in many many years… Our kids were … well.. Kids..

I was surprised to see how big it had all gotten..

I took the opportunity to get the camera out and practice taking a few shots..

I LOVE the look on the faces…DSC_1009

The kid holding the goldfish seems to be saying..

DUDE.. My Fish looks like it’s gonna hurl”DSC_1007

I thought this girl was so pretty .DSC_1014

My honey trying to win me a prize…look at the concentration.. the sheer motivation to win the “BIG ONE”DSC_1034

Because you know... I really really need one of these guys in my house !

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In the spirit of adventure… we even went on the Ferris Wheel..

Which is really saying something.. since Mr R isn’t really overly fond of heights.. DSC_1053(Probably a touch of “VERTIGO” )


Why’d he go?… He thought I could get some good shots..

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I did.. DSC_1059

Isn’t he great?..

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Once we came down from our high..

We ran into THIS fine specimen…

A face only a mother ( camel ) could love..

DSC_1071An apparently this guy…

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“My what a lovely Camel Toe you have there”DSC_1069

( Sorry.. I couldn’t resist)

This little guy was so darn cute…DSC_1078

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So was this little guy….DSC_1075

THIS… guy … was just plain cocky…. sorry.DSC_1079

This event isn’t just about fun..games… prizes and rides.. it IS Liberty Fest after all.. and in our town we have several monuments and memorials dedicated to our troops.DSC_1090

It’s always important to remember those who have and do make it possible for us to live in freedom.DSC_1093

And enjoy the benefits of this wonderful country.

Yes.. I would say our impromptu outing was a very big hit !!DSC_1097

June has been full of many beautifulDSC_0864

Beautiful DSC_0850

Beautiful things…

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Now go out there and make some memories !!