Will you?

Looks like my daughter said yes!

I Love My Kids :-)

Flower Tree

This little one has been beautifully blooming for the past few weeks in a neighbor's yard.  I just love the overall appearance...  It's about four feet tall, great color, and the inside of the individual flowers has this fun "spinning" affect.

That Time Again...

I know school has started when
the kitchen table is doubling as a locker
and the counter as a desk...
Now, where to put my morning cup of caffeine and my laptop??? 

More Flowers... Cuz I Love Them!

Despite a couple of chilly days (by chilly, I mean by August standards - low 70's), my hedge roses are still going bonkers.  They thrive in the sunny afternoon heat of my front yard...  I can never get enough of summer flowers :-)

Then and Now...

August 1998
First Day of Pre-School

August 2012
Senior in High School

Where does the time go??

And, yes, that's a turtle backpack...

My crew believes that "normal" is over-rated!

'Twas the Night...

'Twas the night before school started,
When all through the town,
The parents were cheering...
It was a riotous sound.

By eight the kids were washed,
And tucked into bed,
When memories of homework,
Filled them with dread.

New pencils, new folders,
New notebooks, too,
New teachers, new friends-
Their anxiety grew.

The parents just giggled,
When they learned of this fright,
And shouted, "Upstairs!
GO TO BED! IT'S A SCHOOL NIGHT!" 

- Author Unknown

I'm Being Watched...

So... I'm in Starbucks (Big Surprise), minding my own business, using my iPhone app to pay when the guy behind me asks if that is like using a SB Card. Because I'm as addicted to my phone as I am to SB, I happily answer "Yes!" His response: "That's neat, but you know it's part of the Big Brother Conspiracy." Really??? I didn't wave at my annoying neighbor, so was this Karma catching up with me? As my main goal was to get rid of a caffeine-deprivation headache, I did not have a snappy answer until I was 1/2 way through my pain killer - something about paranoia, credit cards, traffic cameras, the internet and that maybe there's a GPS in my filling...

Good Bye, Dearie...

One of the loveliest and most generous souls 

I have ever had the privilege of knowing has passed from this world. 

May she find many heavenly bannisters to slide down (I love that story). 

She will be greatly missed ♥

Geneva Marion Roby Merrill

September 28, 1918 to August 11, 2012

Hawaiian Style

Red and Rover really caught my attention a couple of days ago and made me smile when I realized the dirt was mounded to look like the cliffs (I missed that subtlety when I first looked).  Mahalo is Hawaiian for "Thank You" and is currently used in the casual sense.  In the past, it was used to express deep appreciation.

http://www.arcamax.com/thefunnies/redandrover/

Carry On...

Although this slogan is currently being
used by many companies,
it was originally part of a 1939 Pre-WWII
campaign my the Government of the UK
to boost morale in the event of a wartime disaster
(concerns were high over the possible threat of invasion).

It still applies to so many situations in our world today.
It's my mantra for the week...

Another Bohemian Night

We decided to expand our musical horizons last night and opted for the techno sounds of the band Juno What?  Not bad...  It was the type of music that you could literally feel in your chest and the people-watching could not be beat :-D

Bohemian Nights

Once a year, Old Town Fort Collins gets turned into an exciting music venue complete with three different stages and a wonderful variety of bands.  Last night's head liner was Michael Franti and the Spearheads.  They play a mix of rock-funk-reggae and they are best known for their hit "Say Hey - I Love You."  What a great treat for the community!  We will be heading down again tonight to listen to Allison Krauss and Union Station :-)

Every Morning Before Nine...

There's been some real gems going around Facebook lately.

Yesterday's described my husband, and a few of his bike buds, perfectly.

As for today's...  This would be me.

Bike vs. Bride

I know several people this would apply to...  Including my husband...

August Birthstone - Peridot

"Wear a Peridot or for thee,
No conjugal fidelity,
The August born without this stone,
`Tis said, must live unloved alone."

The traditional birthstone of August is the lime-green Peridot.  It represents the properties of love, truth, loyalty and faithfulness.

Monday Already??

Monday Morning

I was happy this morning, as I woke up in bed,
Then realized it was Monday and I faced the day with dread,
For somehow, whatever comes my way, my temper is displayed,
Just mentioning 'it's Monday', my nerves, they become frayed.

The day will be just a ' write off', it's no good me trying to do
Any sort of reasonable job, things won't go right. It's true!
It's like a 'cloud' which hangs around and never let's you be,
Whatever I attempt to do, disaster follows me.

If I could sleep through Mondays, then that would be just bliss!
Then Mondays wouldn't have happened, I'd have given them a miss!

- Ernestine Northover 

August Birth Month Flower - Gladiolus

The lovely Gladiolus is the official birth month flower of August.  It's meaning is sincerity and represents strength of character.



In the language of flowers, sending gladiolus told the receiver that "It was love at first sight."  Ahh...  those romantic, yet stuffy Victorians :-)

Photo Shop Magic

This is another of my daughter's senior pictures.

What's interesting about this one is how photo shop was used to make a huge change...  In the original photo, she is leaning up against a white surface, which, with her coloring really washed out her face.  To be honest, there really wasn't a lot of color difference between her and the pole :-) The photographer's assistant used other photos of redwood beams to change the post.  If you look carefully, her hairline along the post is slightly blurred, but, other than that, you can't tell.

Magic!