Busy as a Bee!....

Winter Slaw is the best!

and the easiest, when you have one of these..

YUM!

Then there is that expensive "chillin" box that we bought for 

the kitchen re-model

"cabinet depth, stainless steel, side by side"

PAIN IN THE NECK!

We have had it "fixed" twice...

and still, the little door that allows ice to be dispensed

doesn't close well enough to keep the ice from becoming a solid mass...

So....we struggle to get the ice handler out to defrost it...

chop the ice off the inside mechanism...

run cool water over the ice handler/boxie thingy

make sure that the button works again..

put a piece of plastic down to cover the floor...

and together we work on fixing the ice maker....

DO NOT BUY THIS KITCHENAID!

Ah....on to better things...

a gift of hen eggs from a farmer friend...

a completed apron for a friend of mine...

who has taken up cake decorating 

(maybe she will make me one!)

An opportunity to give a sweet young couple a family portrait...

My first Apple Tart...

Yes, it is not my recipe, but "her's"

A rose from my sweetie

A lovely couch that I found at a used stuff store...

clean it up...and I know right where to put it...

In my office!

hangin out with Not Yo Momma...

Just below the flower posters I bought years ago from 

Martha...

Inspired me to clean the ol' place up...

find a place for everything...

and everything in it's place...

dust it off..

organize...

under the watchful eye of my sweetie...

And Wha-Laa! 

I feel like a new person...

amazing how good being busy feels...

smiles

Freedom...

to tweak...

to manipulate...

to create...

to make a mistake....

That's what I love about 

not being the photographer "on-duty"

every once in a while.....

Creativity is stifled by pressure....

there is such freedom in

doing something for fun....

without expectations...

What FUN!

smiles.

Green thursday

Green thursday, originally uploaded by ellenmr.

Isn't it funny.....

how you can be in a rush to do one thing....

and something totally out of left field...

distracts you?

Mainemomma-Kristen started a fun group on Flickr 

a week long color exercise....

I loved the idea, and wanted to participate...

but this was a week filled with dozens of tasks

LARGE & small...

I had very little time for fun....

But Green Thursday rolled around,

and I was determined to get something posted.

So as I sat at my desk and thought....

what is interesting and green?

There is was right in front of me....

I love unique pencils....

I love jars, bottles, pitchers, containers of pencils.

So there you are....

Made my day that anyone else thought 

that this spur of the moment shot 

had merit.....

smiles.

How Fun!....

Who knew?

that my water fountain could be so much fun!

I was lucky enough to have two very special guests

several days ago...

they arrived with their mother...

and actually knew exactly what they wanted to do

while at my house....

(big smiles...)

they had seen my patio water fountain

during their last visit..

and it was calling to them from afar...

But the minute they stepped out of the

car they arrived in....

they made a bee-line for the FUN!

Well.....I had to laugh..

and the activity was pretty much non stop

for the next couple of hours...

(I had forgotten how much energy you need to be a parent)

We got wet..

We laughed...

We had snacks...

We watched "Nemo"....

we got tired...

we cried when we had to leave....

sniff....

but it was FUN!!!

smiles.

Planning a trip...

We are....

leaving for Cape Cod, family reunion on Thursday....

2 days up.....

2 back...
I haven't seen the ocean all summer...

very stressful, to say the least....

If I could live anywhere, it would be within sight of the waves a-crashin'...

The reunion will be fun...

hectic.....

sad....

fast....

However,

the return trip is to be one of adventure...

I haven't been to the Delmarva peninsula in 20 years.

Not sure where we will stay.

only that we will be near the ocean,

maybe even in it.....

Can't Wait!

West Virginia....yep almost heaven.

We went to WV for the holiday weekend.

Family Reunion......

It was beautiful....

Family....

Food.....

Friends.....

Finding out about common traits...

Faring fairly well on the winding roads....

Photographic opportunities abundant.

Big smiles.

Meet the grandchildren....

Top; Buddy

Below; Roxy

I know.....

they are dogs.

Well, when you have no grandchildren......yet,

this will have to do.

I have taken care of these two for the last week.

Their dad, my son, has been to the shore.

So......

I have had long blissful mornings,

sitting out in their backyard,

listening to the wind blow through the trees,

the birds chirping merrily as they teach their babies to fly,

and watching these two steal rawhide bones from each other.

Well,......

it may not be human grandchildren,

but feeding was easy,

clean up was quick,

and

no diapers.....

Yep just about perfect.