Lately…

Hey peeps, it seems I’m finally transitioning from summer to autumn. I think I had the last of my favorite summer salads, last week. I’m officially ready to put down the salad fork.

And pick up my soup spoon. I made this 15 bean soup over the weekend. I threw out the seasoning packet that was included with the beans and added my favorite spin on the soup. I also used 1/2 vegetable juice and 1/2 water for the broth. I tossed in a pound of carrots and a large diced sweet onion. This is my new favorite sort of meal this time of the year. Something warm, soft and comforting.

In other news. Well I don’t know that I should call it news, or just thoughts. Nonetheless, my thought “lately” on this old red bird house, (that came with the property) is that it does not pop enough. Like it’s missing something.

While that red color (above) is the color, the image below is something I worked on in Photoshop. I was trying to come up with something that matched my thoughts for what the color of the bird house should be. And to be honest, I love it! Now if I could only reproduce it. I think this project will have to hold a while. Just a thought for now, I guess.

And lately, the koi are down to one and only meal a day. During the spring, summer and early fall, they get between 2 and three meals a day. As the temperature drops in the pond, I will stop feeding them altogether during the cooler winter months.

Ha! I said cooler like it turns bitter cold here. It really doesn’t get too awfully cold, but the fish slow down as the temperature drops, as does their metabolism. Thus it’s not healthy for them to sit on full tummies.

My project over the last week is painting our kitchen cabinets white. The cabinets were started months ago. But I did something to my back and hip that sort of slowed me down for a while. So I got all set up to start my project, when I realized I was completely out of a much-needed item.

So I set out to the local Home Depot. And you guys, I got pulled aside by this site. So I just had to look at all the Christmas stuff out front and check out all the Christmas stuff inside. I checked out light fixtures and a whole bunch of stuff that had nothing to do with my painting project back home.

That’s how I do, it’s such fun to just let go of the focus and follow the path that tugs on our heart. This was exhilarating and didn’t take up too much time or cost a dime. Well worth the time to smell the roses along the way.

I finally made my way to the paint aisle, picked up my item, and I left all other goodies on the shelf.

My painting project is finally underway. I hope to finish up another section this week and move along to a new project next week.

And finally on my lately list. So this year, we had decided not to lug out all of our Christmas decor. I’m still a little uneasy climbing ladders while decorating our huge tree, as I still have a fear of falling. It could have something to do with recovering from my broken wrist earlier this year. While I’m feeling better, I’m not in the mood to mess up a good thing.

But the other night, literally, I put a bag of popcorn in the microwave and had the thought of this little pre decorated fiber optic tree just hanging out in the closet in no box.

I ran with the thought, literally as it popped into my head and ran back to the closet (mind you, popcorn is cooking in the microwave) and had it set up before the bag finished popping. Seriously, the fastest I’ve ever set up a tree to date. This is my kind of decorating this year. And it makes me happy that we have a little something to brighten up the holidays. All is well with the world.

Isn’t it the little things that make our days extra special? I hope to enjoy distractions, take in the things that tug on my heart, live in the moment and still get the necessary things checked off the list.

Blessings – Debbie

Nature and Fun Discoveries

What a glorious day, filled with fun little treasures. I trust your week is moving along in a good direction.

I had to cut back to 1.5 hours in the garden this morning. I made time to water the potted plants and sprinkled a little love to the fishes too. And I had just enough time to shoot a few things that make me happy.

The orange rose-tree is a one of my favorites. But then again, all the roses in the garden are my favorite.

This is the gateway to the little table and chairs for two.

Just past the arch, at the foot of the second terrace, is this lovely spot for two.

The society garlic, is dotted on the hillside leading to the upper terrace. I’ve worked to populate many of these beautiful grass like bunches with deep purple blooms throughout the yard.

Time outdoors was cut a little short, due to an appointment at the salon. No haircut, just a color touch-up.

I took the liberty to add a fun dimension to this image, shot with my cell phone. This is a great way to pass the time.

While sipping this Coke.

Once home, I tried the new MAC lipstick I purchased. Where in the world have I been? This is the best brand of lipstick I’ve ever tried. Not that I wear makeup much, I really don’t. But still, This has my vote.

I was also in a pinch for some new foundation. Clinique has been my go to since my 20’s. Unfortunately, or shall I say fortunately, they no longer have a color match for me.

The Clinique department at Macy’s, introduced me to my new best (makeup) friend Estee Lauder. Hello Sweet Estee, I’m smitten with the coverage and overall feel on my skin. Farewell Clinique.

What a delight to stumble on a few little things that compliment the oh so little things in this wonderful life.

So my little thought of the day is “If we never try new things, we may never know what we’ve missed”.

Blessings – Debbie

While The Hubs Was Away

Hello World! I hope this finds you doing well. Hey, I’m posting a second post today. What’s up with that?

I suppose I’m in the mood to get caught up on things.

April 16th – 23rd

It’s that time of the year for new growth. And word is out that there are new baby egrets over at the nearby lake.

Which brings me to the reason our pond is still covered. This guy came for a visit last week, only to discover he was not able to reach the fish, thank you pond net for holding up.

It’s also a busy time in and around the pond.

The fish have spawned several times and I’m working double duty to keep the pond nice and clean. In the process, I think I’m getting a little extra vitamin D.

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Monday evening, the hubs called to see if I wanted to watch our show together. While we were worlds apart. Or so it seemed.

Note: If you are anyone that knows me well, you know I’m not a TV person. While I enjoy the shows we watch together, like survivor, Master Chef and Better Call Saul, I don’t bother turning on the TV when the hubs is away.

So on that particular night, he had to walk me thru instructions, just to get the TV on.

Once “we” (the me part of we) got to the right channel, we were all set to watch Better Call Saul.

The fun part was texting between commercials and even during the show. That was my favorite night, as he felt really close.

One day I picked roses from the garden. It makes me happy to bring the outdoors in.

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What makes my heart sing – Sometimes things grab our attention without trying to notice. Like this canister at the front of the store in the after Easter clearance sale. Several thoughts that ran thru my mind in like 1 second. 4 dollars and change? really? I love it! It’s cheerful and happy! For that price it’s ours. And so it was. Next year, I’ll have to make a cozy little spot for us to enjoy.

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One day the hubs sent a text…”How many pieces of fudge would you like?”

You see, he was in Ft Worth again, staying in the Stockyards next to the candy store where they sell my favorite fudge in the world. Of course not counting my mom’s fudge, her fudge is the best, but only made once a year. That’s another story for another time.

Back to the number of pieces I wanted. I responded “One piece baby, just one.” That was my fudge order.

Well fudge, I didn’t think another thing until he got home Friday afternoon with a couple of boxes of goodies. I wonder if he left enough fudge on the shelf for others. Obviously he was not concerned with sharing. That’s 8 huge pieces of fudge for me. Yeah, he’s not a fudge kinda guy, so it’s all mine.

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The best part about this fudge is, the decadence of peanut butter and chocolate in one smooth creamy bite. It is sure to satisfy the craziest of chocoholics.

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After the hubs busy week, we decided a laid back weekend was the ticket to rest up. We did enjoy a few dinners out, a quick stop at the ice cream store and a lot of relaxation.

And with that, my wish for you is a Happy New Week.

Blessings – Debbie

Happy New Year

Much has happened between now and the time I last posted.

I feel like I’ve been sick for way too long. From dealing with muscle issues in my back for a couple of months to catching a cold on Christmas night. It finally feels good to have the old me back.

A big Happy New Year shout out from our home to yours!

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Little reminders from the last couple of months.

This friendly reminder was shot at the salon. A nice reminder that shows how they love to treat their customers.

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A nice reminder of my love for putting all things Christmas up on the day after Halloween. Better known as November 1st. It makes perfect sense to enjoy those evenings when the time change hits and makes the world dark before it should.

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The best reminder of family. We traveled to see family for thanksgiving. What a special treat to have my two siblings, all nieces and nephews. Our nephew and his new bride. Our nephew and his fiancé, mom and dad and my grandma. Talk about great memories with family, it doesn’t get any better.

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A reminder as I was getting ready to have my bookclub friends over to discuss our 2016 schedule.

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A reminder of the morning beverages for the girls.

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And a little reminder of the fruit bowl and other morning snacks (brownies and biscotti) on the dining room table. Following our morning meeting, we girls headed to Olive Garden for a wonderful lunch and more fellowship.

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A reminder of the hubs amazing smoked brisket over his 2 week Christmas holiday. Loved spending those two weeks together around home sweet home.

While I don’t have a photo of the amazing chili he made with the brisket leftovers, I will never forget how wonderful it was. I rank it as the best chili ever made.

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I don’t have a reminder picture of the fish we purchased for our pond, but I’ll never forget that wonderful experience with the hubs over Christmas. If you are reading this, My Love, Thank You!

A reminder of carolers on Christmas day.

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A pretty reminder of where we sat enjoying our Christmas dinner. The view of ice-skating beneath the palm trees with an ocean view, what a delight.

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A beautiful reminder of how we stayed until nearly sunset. We savored desert and slowly ever so slowly sipping my coffee while visiting with the hubs and taking in the view.

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Approximately 2 hours after our Christmas dinner, I told the hubs “I feel a sore throat coming on”. And on the morning of December 26th, I woke  to a sniffling, sneezing, aching, coughing, stuffy head sort of cold. The sort of cold where the hubs dropped everything and took care of me. After the 1st week, I told the hubs, “This feels like a 3 week cold”. Turns out, it was a 3 week cold.

A reminder of how pretty it was one morning as the sun came up. Especially since it rained the day before. A reminder of how the hubs made me promise to stay inside while I was sick. A reminder of my view from the sofa where I sat feeling miserable from my cold that morning. A reminder that I obeyed and took this image from inside the house. Thank you for taking care of me, My Love. And bringing medicine to me when I did not feel like moving. You’re the BEST!

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Our New Years Reminder – I was still sick, but we watched the ball drop at Times Square, per usual. We kissed, yes, the hubs kisses me, even when I’m sick. And wished each other a Happy New Year. And chose to get an early start on sleep that night. No staying up for us until the New Year on the west coast, when we can watch it ring in on the east coast.

While I only have a few reminders in picture form, I’m thankful for the blessings of family, love and feeling back to my old self again.

Happy New Year!

Blessings – Debbie

October

Time is on the move. And I better do something on the blog, as time is not going to wait a moment.

So October rolled in with my friend wanting to use me as a subject in her photography class.

And 9 x’s out of 10 she asked me to take off my glasses. Something I would never do for a photographer or anyone. But for her and her assignment, I obliged. But I still can’t figure out if it was the way she bribed me or not. She kept telling me that I looked like a 12-year-old school girl. The bribe seemed to work. But looking at the image, it just doesn’t feel like the “real” me. I’m a glasses wearing gal from the time I rise and shine to the time I fall asleep. And if you are one of the few to catch me without glasses,  it’s a rare happening. So here ya go.

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No smiles she would say. Looking for that serious side of you. Here’s what she captured. We had such a fun day in her studio.

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We had a nice little rain early October. I captured an image between raindrops.

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I would say this past October was one of the warmer ones we’ve had since we moved here. Can you believe we’ve already been here 6 years this October?

My little mid October stroll in the garden one “cooler” morning.

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I got so excited this particular morning to see the orange rose-tree in full bloom. It’s a tree I hand-picked to sit next to the pond. There’s just something about the color of the fish and rose that makes me smile.

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Enjoying my new mugs from Costco and coffee as the sun comes up.

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In other October news. We had a little minor issue in our bathroom. Floor tiles needed replacing, toilet needed replaced (well not really, but we wanted a new one) and I decided while we were at it to go ahead and paint the baseboards and paint the bathroom. It’s great being on this end with all things fresh in our master bath.

Cheers to a wonderful season with the hubs and getting things back to normal around the homestead.

But wait. I still have a big project to finish this weekend. A reminder that there will always be something to do and there is no such thing as normal. Or is there?

Blessings – Debbie

Oh Summer You Went So Fast

Dear summer of 2015, thank you for your bountiful blessings.

We were so excited about our grape-vine this year, that we picked up two more vines and planted them. Unfortunately, around picking time, there were no grapes left for us. Lesson learned, we will cover them with a net to keep the birds away next time.

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And our little pumpkin patch flourished with more pumpkins than we could use this autumn. Unfortunately, we just ended up tossing them as we planted a little too early this year. Lessons learned…

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Fresh summer California berries deserve a standing ovation. Amen…

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July 10th – An exciting day! Our solar panels were delivered. A big shout out for solar energy, oh happy day! We are so thrilled to have that done.

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Enjoyed our Sweet 16 Anniversary. Feeling blessed and so very happy to spend life with My Love. It truly has been a great adventure.

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Mid August – Taking pictures lately? That’s the question my photographer friend asked while we were out having some girl time. No was the reply. No was her reply too. We think it has to do with the overload from school that put us both over the edge. However, we both still love our camera and in no way are we putting it on the shelf. Just taking a little breather. Here’s an image of roses I brought in from the garden. Made me so very happy…

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August 31 – Spent hours by the waterfall = My favorite place to chill. The activity in and around the pond = priceless.

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I love a garden with flowers and fish. I’m thankful each day to have both. Love our Shubunkin pumpkins as I fondly call them. This guy was wondering when I would stop shooting and feed him.

Threw a paint filter on this in Photoshop, because I thought it needed a little something somethin.

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A little early September morning blessing from the garden.

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Loving my babies! It has to be one of my favorite spots to visit.

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Yes, we have watermelon! And I must say, it is some of the best melon ever. It continues to produce and we’ve enjoyed it daily for weeks.

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One of the great blessings of the week is – I have the hubs home taking a little vacation with me. Loving this time together around Home Sweet Home.

Back to celebrating his time off. Happy Day! And Happy Catching up on the Blog… Well as much catching up as I plan to do. I know there are things I missed like special dates and such, but I’m calling it quits and caught up. And feeling blessed.

Happy Day and Blessings – Debbie

Springtime in CA 2015

I know, it’s autumn, but I plan to do some spring catching up on the blog. I can’t seem to move forward without catching up. It’s time.

I’m still here. Kicking it and loving life.

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In late March, I picked this little vase of goodies from the garden. In hopes to help my sick hubby to feel better. They certainly brightened the space…

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Early April – I painted this image with the help of my Wacom and Photoshop.

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Happy Easter! We spent the afternoon with friends watching our Red Birds on Opening Day.

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A true Cardinal fan and our host.

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Bring on the Cardinal color…

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The beautiful hostess – Everything was positively delecious!

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Children – Loved taking images of them in and around the pool.

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Bashful – Image taken right after her first bite of dinner…But those eyes and expression…LOVE!

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The big boys and girls had it made…

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My Red Bird Fan! And my number 1 Hero.

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Another early April painting. This is an underpainting (Layer 2) taking on a little shape.

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Finished painting.

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A little shot of my kitchen window garden with a fresh rose from the garden.

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A rose as it begins to drift away. I just love the color!

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April 16 – My somebody special on his way to work to present to the customer. I’m happy his meetings went well…

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Mid April evening in the garden – Enjoying the last drop of light…

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Late April – Amaryllis in bloom.

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End of April – We joined Costco! Now that is an event worth noting. It had been 12 years since we enjoyed the benefits of being customers of Costco.

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End of April – It’s the time of year when the dragonflies return. They come in all sorts of colors during the season. Here’s a female laying her eggs.

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May 2nd – Boxing party was held at our house! The hubs and his buddy putting the brisket on the smoker early that morning. And the sad thing, this is the only shot I have from that glorious afternoon and evening with friends. But the memories are priceless…

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Our dear friend gifted us with the beautiful flag (made and painted by her) that proudly waves over our front door.

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The heron has landed – I figured a shot was appropriate before yelling at him. Sometimes they are persistent around the fish pond. But my yelling and screaming at them seems to do the trick.

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In early May, I had the gardener transplant this tree. I really hoped to keep it alive. Unfortunately, it did not like the new home.

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Springtime dilemma is when a girl can’t figure out what color she wants.

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One of my May dates to Red Lobster with my love = Time well spent.

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Another May Date with the hubs at the Cheesecake Factory. Just love this composition at the hostess desk…

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An early morning capture of the dragonfly on a net.

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And a bee pollenating…

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A little capture of the hubs boots at the back door – a nice reminder he was busy in the garden.

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My Christmas wish for 2015 came early. As in May early for my birthday! I had told the hubs (months ago – Jan/Feb this year) when I spied this arbor that I would like it for Christmas. Not only did he remember. But he surprised me with this a week before my birthday.

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Up on the hill at the top of the winding stair path is where I wanted it. And so it was…

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On the morning of my birthday, the hubs knew right where to place the special card for me.

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When a statue is larger than life – Sometimes it’s the little things that need to be captured. Just bummed my cell is the only camera I had with me on that May evening night. But a great evening and dinner along the San Diego Harbor with the hubs and a friend.

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May 31st is the day we picked this big guy from the garden – Indeed we kept it on the vine too long, but we grilled it for dinner anyway. The skin was obviously tough but the inside was tender and good.

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One last image – rosebuds in the garden.

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And that my friends takes us thru the month of May, 2015.

Blessings – Debbie

Spring Break Continued

A day spent around home. In no particular order.

The girls took off on a walkabout around the house.

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And found themselves here.

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 Love that they shared these wonderful images with me.

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It was also a good day to meet up with the hubs for lunch. We had Mongolian. Basically, you put your meat, veggies noodles and sauces in a bowl and they cook it on the grill behind the counter.

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Back to the table, you enjoy your very own creation.

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It was also a perfect day to pick up some new fish for the pond. The girls each picked a fish and I added 5 more to the order. They also named their fish Gator and Toothless. Great meaning behind each.

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A little relaxation was thrown into the mix.

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And barefoot tree climbing too.

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For our evening meal, we had the best chef doing her thing.

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We enjoyed dinner on paper plates, such that we had less time cleaning up and more time for cards.

What a glorious day, all the way around.

More to come…

Blessings – Debbie

Early March – In Like a Lion

Well good day! Finally, I’m back!

Yes, I’m back to bite off early March, bit by bit. I’m not so thrilled when I get this far behind, but I refuse to carry on as if nothing happened. There is so much to catch up on and there is no better time than now to start. Well, all of those yesterdays would have been a good time too, but they’re gone.

So here goes…

The date, March 2nd. – There was a crazy loud boom as March unfolded. I don’t think I’ll ever forget it. We were blasted with hail.

Totally in like a lion.

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I don’t think the fish have ever experienced this much commotion. I know I haven’t.

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And I know the palms were probably in shock. This just doesn’t happen in So Cal. Or does it? It was a first for us in the 5 years we’ve lived here.

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It was a month of fire too. Nice evenings spent around the fire pit. This was another early March weekend evening. (actually, this shot was taken the morning after) I still remember the day, it was one of the many days I had spent 99% of my time outdoors. And looking up into the clear night sky peppered with stars and planets, was glorious.

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During late February – early March, we had the old plantings ripped out of the immediate left side of the waterfall. I had been working on transplanting things from around the yard to the area. It will be fun to watch the ground cover spread and the plants blossom. I also planted 4 roses in various areas on the upper terrace. Meals were also enjoyed on the patio. This is pretty much where I spent a good deal of time…

An early foggy Monday morning. Note the purple wisteria in bloom.

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As mid March drew near, I was beginning to think of all the stuff that needed a little sprucing before company arrived on the 14th.

So I started Wednesday, the 11th at the car wash, then salon.

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The hubs wanted a smile. Much better he said.

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Then we waited for our guests to arrive.

Oh wait, one more lil thing!

On the 13th, we had the electricians over to add LED lights in the kitchen and dining room. “What were we thinking” were my thoughts, when company was due to arrive the next day. So much dust, oh the dust…But in the end, we were so happy to have the job done. And all the dust bunnies were put to rest before company arrived.

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To be continued…

Blessings – Debbie

More Babies

Good afternoon. It’s Monday. The third week in January. Martin Luther King Day. And a day I planned to do a bit of gardening. And gardening I did bright and early this morning.

Then the thought crossed my mind to see if I could find a few shubunkins.

So I’ve called the local fish stores (for nearly a year) in search for shubunkins. And finally, today, I nailed a place that had a tank of about 30 or so. I don’t know how to express my feelings other than sheer excitement and joy with an exclamation!

I had a little visit with the hubs via text and he said to go pick out some for the pond. At that point, I think it took me all of about 5 minutes to hit the road.

Here’s the little batch of 7 that I hand-picked. They were transferred to this little tub prior to them going into the bag.

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Here’s a couple right after we got home. They (in the bag) floated in the pond for about 20 min to acclimate slowly to the temperature of the pond. Then I released them into their new home.

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I spent the majority of the day watching these guys make friends with all the other fish. And they enjoyed the first meal in their new home.

Momma thinks the babies are doing just swimmingly.

Blessings – Debbie

2/52 – Storytelling

Wow, we are already into the second week of the New Year. The project this week is “Storytelling”.

I snapped this image yesterday in keeping with storytelling. Doesn’t it look like they’re telling stories?

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This is potentially the last few shots of me with my favorite frames. I should be getting my new frames next week. The story regarding new frames has everything to do with me needing a little larger frame such that I have more room for the progressives.

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Roses in January and new polish today. The story behind the polish. While doing a bit of food shopping, I noticed a large section of nail polish 50% off. So I came home with three new bottles.

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I’m really excited about my 52 week project this year. It has a way of helping me to focus on photography while I tell my life story on the blog.

How fitting. Who knows, I may be back with a few more stories this week.

Blessings – Debbie

Lately

Cardinals fans are in the house!

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I had my critique last week – One of the two images printed and matted for the assignment.

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The babies continue to change color. It truly has been a joy watching them turn from dark brown into these colorful pretty guys and girls.

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The hubs and I spent a couple of days in LA to help the daughter get her things ready for the movers. Yup, she moved to IL last night.

She is so pumped to be close to friends and to be in the place she’s wanted to live for years. We’re happy for her.

View from our room – yesterday morning.

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The power plant in LA captures my attention.

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Mainly the painting on the side of this building. Finally captured it on this visit. Images in LA were shot with the cell (didn’t want to be responsible for my camera with everything going on this weekend.)

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The last dinner (last night) with the daughter was spent here. And she was off on a midnight flight to Illinois last night.

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I feel like I’ve been thru a whirlwind the last couple of days.

And I’m thrilled the hubs brought us home sweet home, safe and sound last night. I slept pretty much all the way home.

It’s good to be home.

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It rained last night – And I took advantage of free diamonds glistening on spiderwebs this morning.

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Beauty after the rain.

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And leaves beneath the web blanket.

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And rest, much needed rest for me and the hubs today. Have I mentioned how good it is to be home?

Blessings – Debbie

Inspiration in the Backyard

Inspiration comes in many forms while visiting the garden. It was this rose-bush, in dire need of deadheading, that caught my attention.

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And this faucet, in the line of water as it gathered drops on the web. Surely I should capture this too.

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Life around the pond, is a constant inspiration. This image (below) was printed on 11 x 17 and matted for my upcoming critique this week.

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The more I learn, the more I learn that there is still so much to learn. Cheers to being stretched mentally this semester.

Blessings – Debbie

Dear September

You went way too fast! And I did not get my act together to keep up. However, I’m back to recover some of little things in life last month.

Catfish – Our latest edition in May. They (we have two) were about 2″ + when we got them, now they are approximately 9″ – Finally I got a shot this month – These guys love to hide under rocks and come out of hiding for breakfast – The perk = we don’t have “fry” this year – While the fish did spawn, the catfish took care of all the eggs. Nice edition if you were to ask me.

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September school assignment – The lesson called to shoot 6 different categories in the Urban Environment with a total of 42 images. Then select two of our favorite images to print out on 11 x 17 for critique. And hand in the other 40 images compacted on two 8.5 x 11 contact sheets.

The six different categories – 1. Bench where people come and go – 2. Absence of people 3. Twilight 4. Collection of things (anything) 5. Non sequitur, something that looks out of place 6. Nature and manmade blended together

One of my favorite images printed on 11 x 17 and mated it for critique in class. Category = Bench

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The second image I used for my final urban assignment. Category = Twilight

On a good note – the professor was so thrilled with our work that it was all hung in the school gallery.

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What my contact sheets for the assignment (printed on 8.5 x 11) look like…

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Next…. I still don’t have my grade, but I hope it’s a good one.

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Guess who thought it necessary to be there with me, as he did not want me alone out there on my urban assignment…Makes my heart smile…

He’s the BEST!

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Friendship – Lunch with friends at the beach, is always a good idea. It’s times like this that I kick myself for not having my camera. But ever so thankful for the trusty cell phone.

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Fresh cool air – sipping soda beachside with friends – enjoying the visit – more than a girl could ask on a summer day.

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Truly a glorious day to remember…

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Happy Fish and Cloudy Water – We’ve had the pond guy out a couple of times to try to help us figure out why we can’t seem to get the clarity back. Turns out, I’m cleaning it TOO MUCH and backwashing TOO MUCH. Jokingly he said, this is not a pool, it’s a pond. And you need to allow the algae to grow on the sides to develop a good ecosystem.  And he said “don’t touch it ’til I come back the end of the month.” On a good note, the fish are happy and the water ph is just dandy. But the clarity we are used to seeing is just not there. My bad.

The get this thing clean and backwash mentality is hard to let go, but I must.

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New Frames – The hubs is up for new frames. The supposedly really nice frames he picked up the last time continue to have a screw loose ALL. THE. TIME.

We’ve shopped a few places and took a pic the last place we visited over the weekend. Now to go back to the other place to compare notes with the other frames we liked.

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While I still love my frames, it’s a growing concern that I could use bigger frames do to wearing progressives and the need for a little more room to see. Totally not something I’m thrilled about.

But I think I found something that may fill the order next year. I think…

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October Class Assignment – I spent the last couple of weeks in september working on images that could be used for my upcoming assignment. Images were not to be taken in direct sunlight.

I was quite fond of the bubble I captured as it was moving down the waterfall over the stem of the leaf.

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But this image captured days later caused my heart to sing. Getting ready to print this guy and mat it next week.

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I must say, this semester has brought a lot of doubt. Doubt on the days we have a solid 3 hour lecture.

And I come home feeling discouraged that I’m unable to carry out the task. And when I tell the hubs all about it, a tear or two may trickle down my cheek. And he listens, while the look on his face tells me that he wished he could make it all better. And that’s what makes everything better.

And it’s weeks like this (in class) when we’ve had a solid 3 hour lab, that things begin to sink in. Somehow when we as students get to sit at the computer and begin to work on our assignments, ask questions and put to use what we’re learning, the process kicks in.  And somehow I’m able to grasp what he was saying all along during those lectures.

And now I could practically do the assignment with my eyes closed. And I smile and say, it wasn’t that bad after all.

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Cheers to learning new things!

And may I remember that it’s alright if I don’t come home from school knowing everything the professor finished lecturing about. Somethings take time to process.

On a Happy Note – Happy October! Puts me in the holiday spirit already. Yup, I’m one of the crazies that love to blend Pumpkin, Thanksgiving and Christmas all into one.

Blessings – Debbie

Another Week

Hey you guys! Guess what? The weekend is moving along way too fast. And we’re taking each minute to enjoy, relax, garden, grill and rest.

So, another week has passed. A time to focus on the images (there’s a lot) I took of our nephew back when he was visiting in May.

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And to slow myself at feeding time around the lilies. Love our yellow and white goldfish.

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And to slow down even further to enjoy the little things. The heart of the daylily thru my eyes.

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On a serious note…Or not…

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Duck Lips – Since it’s been the “in thing” (for some), I thought I should at least have a go at the ever so popular (or not) expression. + I think it’s great to have on the blog (when I’m 90 looking back over life) as evidence that I got involved. I heard (what do I know?) the best duck lips are formed when you say the word prune.

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And now, I think I’ll get back to gardening and focus on the cool things I want to add to the to do list this week. I believe there is more painting involved. Should be fun!

Blessings – Debbie