Whoa

Umm...do those kids on the Header really belong to me? Cause it's been so long since i've been on here, i don't recognize those little people. Did my girls really look that small? maybe it's time to change the header.

Or maybe I should try posting on here a little more often! I logged onto to my dashboard and thought, whoa! Do i really contribute to all those blogs? were did they come from?

seriously, it's been a while, but you'll be relived to know, it's not just here where i disappear from the face of the earth, submerged within the viscera of work. apparently the complaint department (my ears) has received various reports that certain family members forgot what we look like. I say, the road goes both ways sweetie. and those pictures i posted in my last blog? from 2 months ago? yeah, i finally got them to family members. today.

i don't know if i love summer as much as i proclaim. because then, i have to do everything i said i was going to do "in the summer". you know what i'm talking about: in the summer I will (fill in the blank with next to impossible thing that i really don't want to do anyway).

yeah whatever. here's what's going down "in the summer" this summer: I will stick to a routine in order to feel that i got something accomplished, i will grudging give up some precious "doing nothing" time to attend some summer classes, and the rest will be spent in my yard, in the pool, and/or reading a good book. I will recuperate from my previously burned-out state and will return to school refreshed, full of creativity and ready to tackle the challenges of the upcoming year.

Come, join me.

Easter 2010

Breakin' out the old camera and snappin' some photos. I love spring. First the magnolia trees bloom with the daffodils and forsythia, next the cherry, pear and apple, and then my favorite, dogwood.

Since i love flowering trees, we took the girls in their pretty dresses to a local arboretum for some pics. Lovely day.

Sisters by the Magnolia Tree


Little Woodland Nymph


The Other Little Woodland Nymph


Admiring the Star Magnolia, love the contrast of the polka dots with the flowers...


Looks almost like a spring snowfall


So beautiful and such a pretty smile


Taking a break, posing for photos can be hard work


Telling Daddy about the flower she found.


At least it's not a stick, this time anyway...


Finally got the 3 to smile at the same time.


Pretty portrait under the magnolia tree. I almost stepped in doggie doo here.


Bibi in front of some sort of yellow flowering tree. I'm not sure what it is..


Love how the flowers match the flower on her dress...


Smiles


yes, she's wearing glasses now. she needs them all the time.


Leaving our pretty spot, love the shadows at their feet.


Come on, Mom!


Admiring another secret nook. Beautiful day today!

Spring is Here!

spring is here, spring is here, la la la la la (sing it with me now)!

Yea! And i am enjoying my full week of spring break. How is it we get a break after [umm, cough, 'teensomething] snow days? I don't really frickin' know! Something about the law, and the unions, and bunions, and I don't care, but it's here! yea!

And so, for the past month or so, i've been pouring over my gardening magazines and catalogues. My goal this year is to define the borders of my yard. It still looks like a great big field, which is what it was, up until 2 or 3 years ago. All it's missing are the cows.

Last year we bought some pine tree sticks. And that's what they still look like, sticks. We put them along our east property line, between our house and the neighbors who just build their house. Some have died. But the others will grow, they're doing ok. This year we bought some larger pines to replace the dead ones. And we bought some leyland cypress to put along the north side of our property, between our house and the road. I hear that they get tall, but we have plenty of room for them. My yard is beginning to look defined, well, it will look defined when we get all the trees in. I'm so excited.

My front flower beds still look bare from winter. I'm moving some of my Autumn Joy sedum toward the middle and back of the bed since it gets so tall. A bunch of bulbs came up. They're not all blooming yet. The deer snacked on some tulips, so i bought "liquid fence" to spray on my plants. That is the nastiest, foulest smelling stuff I have ever encountered. Cough. Gag. Nasty. I hope the deer think so too!

Cheers and happy spring! Will post pictures of flowers sooner, or later!

Snow Days, or Why Hubby Likes It When I Get a Snow Day

12 snow days...really, I don't know what to do. Or do I?

Mmmm, bagels...

Mmmm, sandwich bread...

and dear hubby came home with flowers...

which I had to take pictures of and add texture...

Thanks sweetie, dinner is cooking.

Snow Day!

Lots and lots of snow days, actually. And more snow is on it's way...

Emmy, posing in the snow :-)

So, I've been cooking, and sketching, and completing assignments for an independent course. Of course, i waited till the last minute to take a course to renew my teaching certificate, but these snow days have been a blessing. I'm almost halfway done with the course, yea!

The course was supposed to be an art course, but it's more of a craft course, so being left unfulfilled in the creativity category, I turned to writing and sketching. My sketching is heh, but that's why I want to learn! I discovered that it's hard to sketch snow with a pencil, but had fun trying!

Pictures I took to sketch from

Someone abandoned their red "monster truck" on our road (narrow, one lane road) so I was inspired to write this haiku as my facebook status:

Monster Truck on road
Neighbors cannot drive past you
Driving skills frozen??

This is not the "monster truck" but DH got the truck stuck at the end of our driveway

The abandoned monster truck cracked me up because it's like 10 feet above the snow.



More snowy pictures to draw from...

Bracing for more snow, yea!