Summer is just around the corner.... and here in New England on some days it's come a bit sooner!! I'm not complaining but it does make it hard on what outfit to wear that day!!
For the most part my Girl Scout obligations are DONE!! and I have to tell you... this will SURELY be my last year in leading! I think more stuff went on this year than in the past 12 years I did lead... such a mess.. and a headache.... I have been fortunate enough to be able to skip out a few weekends and grab some pictures in our area.. My hubby is so good to me...He's been trying to find different fishing holes and has come across some more covered bridges for me to photograph... along the way I found this tree... I thought it was actually kind of cool.... what a great photo op for little kids!!! It does however sit on someones property... This is probably one of the TALLEST Covered Bridges I've ever seen... It's closed to regular traffic and is used as a bike trail and for 4 wheelers and snowmobiles in the winter time. I have to say when I walked across it ALONE it was kind of creepy.. it was so long and so dark... no windows in this one... I didn't stand to long admiring all the graffiti inside that's for sure!

Happy Memorial Day!! I hope everyone enjoyed a great weekend with family and friends!! and remembered those who have fought and died for our FREEDOM!!

It's been lonely here... without you.... WAIT.. I mean... ME.. I've neglected my poor blog.. and for that I'm sorry...
The past few months have been a whirl wind to me.. I've added so much on my plate... silly me...
I took over a Daisy Girl Scout Troop... WHY??? I ask myself the same thing.. as 13 years of Girl Scouting wasn't enough....
I'm almost done training in my new job... it's taken SIX MONTHS for me to learn all 4 jobs... and now.. tomorrow the hospital has thrown in another job for all of us women.. This hospital adds on... BUT has decided that it's not hiring any new employee's.. in fact.. layoffs could be in the works...after expanding and spending millions of dollars... they need to cut employees... I don't even want to go into how that will effect patient care... This has been keeping me up at nights...

I also began my journey to nursing school.. YUP.. I did it.. I hit the submit button on the college website... and have now almost completed my first steps of being accepted...I must admit.. I NEED to brush up on my math skills... BADLY... but I received a 101% in the English.. ( if you can believe it... it can't be because I write this blog.. but because I read everyone else's blogs)...

So that's a small update...
I have tons more to share.. but I know you have other blogs to read... Ü
Warm weather is BACK.. that means more stuff to scope out to photograph!! I can't wait!!
What's new with all of you???

Have you ever Met Miss Clara??( That's what I call her)..She is the SWEETEST lady you will EVER "meet" on the Internet!!!
She is 94 years old and has her own Cook Book out!! Clara's Kitchen...This Cookbook has EVERYTHING that I LOVE... Cooking, Stories, and Photos.... I borrowed mine out of the library.. but believe me.. this is one of those books that I will purchase! Miss Clara shares recipes from her childhood depression... The stories make you laugh, make you hold back a few tears, and really make you appreciate what YOU do have instead of worrying about what you DON'T have. EVERYONE deserves to hear her stories...Some of the recipes.. well.. I know I won't try... and I'm not even sure what Burdock is??? Ha Ha... but there are some in there that I can't wait to try!! I'll have to share my results...!!
I first found her on YouTube while helping my daughter find information on The Depression. She has the American Girl Doll.. Molly and has always been fascinated with the era in which she lived, so much so that Strawberry Banke .. here in NH... did a whole skit on Molly's era and what it would be like to live in that time...The Actors.. the Stories.. were done very WELL!!
The bomb shelters... The Gardens... the Ration Stamps.... collecting scrap metal and children giving up their toys in order for more weapons and ammo to be made... no wonder why toys from that time are Rare.. and most certainly valuable now!!

Here is one of her many.. many videos you can find on youtube... I'm going to warn you.. you better grab something big to drink and perhaps a snack.. because you're going to want to watch them all... In this episode Miss Clara is going to make Breakfast Cookies and Strong Coffee... Cookies.. for breakfast.. MY kind of Breakfast...
You can also be her friend on facebook.... I thought that was so sweet... Here is her link Clara Cannucciari

I have another quick, easy and oh so YUMMY recipe to share with you... I also took this recipe from the OAMC recipe book by Mimi Wilson and Mary Beth Lagerborg. My hubby's cousin and I decided we would take a Saturday and make a couple weeks of menus ahead of time and freeze to help her stretch her budget and save time since she has two little ones at home and works FULL time. I stumbled upon this recipe and thought I would give it a whirl.. I didn't think it would have the robust flavor that it does.. and it's now become one of my hubby's FAVORITE chicken dishes!
Teriyaki Chicken
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 TBSP red wine vinegar
2 tsp Vegetable oil or sesame seed oil
1 small minced garlic clove
3/4 tsp ground ginger
1lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup regular, uncooked rice

Now.. before I go any further.. remember I was telling you we were eating better?? I made a few adjustments... I used a LOW SODIUM soy sauce, I used SPLENDA instead of sugar, and I didn't have any red wine vinegar so I substituted with apple cider vinegar. I also doubled the recipe so I could have a second meal the next day.

To Make:
Mix soy sauce, sugar, vinegar, oil, garlic to make marinade. Freeze Chicken in marinade in a 1 gallon bag. ( Obviously I didn't because we were eating it that night.. I made it first thing in the morning and let it marinade in the fridge all day)Here it is marinating.
When preparing to serve, thaw chicken. Pour chicken and marinade into a baking dish. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 35 minutes. Prepare rice according to package directions. Serve Chicken over rice. Makes 4 servings
As you can see below.. I don't bake mine.. I grill mine even when it's -2 degrees outside.. because I LOVE the grilled flavor....

Another hint or *tip* I will tell you.. I bought my chicken breasts on sale so all this chicken cost me $5.00. I then took the thick chicken breast and sliced it in half length wise.. so I made one breast into "two".. which helps on the eating better and stretching your $$ worth. I served this meal with rice and sauteed veggies ( red onion, zucchini and summer squash)
The next day I took the left over chicken, rice and veggies and "fried" them up in a big skillet. I threw in a little bit of butter... the rice and some chicken bouillon and seasoned it up adding a smidge more salt and pepper... I browned it a little and then threw the veggies and cut up chicken into it to warm it up... It tasted FABULOUS and was quick and easy on a busy night for me!!

I didn't map out the TOTAL cost for the entire meal because I tend not to add in the cost of the soy sauce or any ingredient I have purchased to use several times... but with all the fresh ingredients the meal probably cost around $10... which averages out to $5.oo per meal.. and it fed 3 people with still a bit left over!

It's not easy to cook cheap AND healthy as most of us know.... I'm trying to cut back on my food budget in 2010 and so far I'm not doing great.

Here's my problem.... we don't eat out... so we don't waste money eating at other places... we don't use credit cards for lavish wants vs needs.. ( we learned that a long time ago)... we don't run to new stores... we don't have to have the latest things...BUT where food is concerned I'm addicted to going to the grocery store almost daily! I LOVE fresh veggies, fresh meats, and other items.. I can't help it.. but I'm realizing that it's hurting our budget... BADLY.

Heck.. I got a Pandora bracelet for Christmas.. and I have no beads to go on it.. and I'm not sweating it... not a priority to me and in fact.. I love the plain silver chain if I do say so myself... as I find some of the beads to be... well... not my taste...

But.. back to the topic of food...
My Monday night Library Date nights have enticed me to grab more and more cookbooks for more frugal, happy meals. Now throw in the challenge of me working... gives me less time to whip up the meals it use to take me all day to make sometimes... I'm not complaining and enjoyed those days.. but now I need something quicker.. yet still inexpensive...

I found this recipe in one of the Once-A-Month Cooking Cook books I grabbed at a Yardsale last summer... as you guess from the title it's a FABULOUS recipe to make a head and freeze for later... so if you find you LOVE this recipe.. you can double it up and freeze for a later date!!

Super easy to make.. here.. I just browned up some ground beef with garlic... while preparing the base of the soup here...
Now.. to share the recipe... This literally took about 40 minutes to make and throw together... NOW.. if you're going to FREEZE this recipe... DO NOT make the Ravioli's until the day you want to serve it... You can also make this a meatless dish and serve with plain cheese ravioli's..I didn't have any tomato paste so I cut the water in half. I did double this recipe so we could have left overs for another day this week

RAVIOLI SOUP
1 pound ground beef
1/ 4 cup soft bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3/4 teaspoon onion salt
2 teaspoons minced garlic cloves (2 cloves)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 cups finely chopped onion
1 28-ounce can Italian-style crushed tomatoes in puree
1 6-ounce can tomato paste
1 14 1/2 can beef broth
1 cup water
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon dried basil leaves
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 12-ounce package plain ravioli without sauce
salt
Parmesan cheese for serving

Cook the ground beef in a large pot until browned, about 15 minutes. Drain the fat. Combine remaining ingredients except frozen ravioli and additional Parmesan cheese. Bring soup to a boil; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Thaw and cook ravioli according to package directions until just tender. Drain ravioli; add to soup. Salt to taste and serve with Parmesan cheese.Here is the final outcome... I'm even practicing putting my names up on my pictures ( I've been noticing some family members are snagging pictures that I take off my facebook sadly...)
I have to cut this blog post short.. as my daughter is headed back to college... it was nice having her home for a month.. and now I feel like I have to get use to her not being here all over again... :(

It's COLD here... not ARCTIC cold... but cold enough that while I'm typing this short blog post my hands are FREEZING! I know there are a million other places on this earth that are cold tonight.... but I just had the need to whine about it! Not that it will do me any good and not that I ache anytime soon to live in a warmer climate.... that's just not me... but I figured as a New Englander... I'm allowed to whine about it once a year... so this is my official once a year whine...
This is our snowman.... with all the snow we received the Christmas week.. the kids went out and brought a little life to the yard!!
Now... this is left over Christmas junk... ummm I mean... candy.. mmm... I've been having Candy withdrawls.. I packed ALL of this up and brought it into work... we spent so much $$ on Christmas Candy only to turn around and give it away.. seriously.. what were we thinking?? I'll be honest.. I've cheated a few times.. the past two days.. terrible... but I have to get back on track for the sake of everyone here at home.. I have to be an example... right?? Sorry this post will be short.. I'm headed out to run a Daisy Troop.. so I have to take over where someone gave up... and guess what I'm grabbing... Girl Scout Cookie Order forms.... Heaven help me!! I'm not buying ONE box... NOT ONE!!!See... even my pooch thinks it's cold... she was begging for me to bring her back inside! I mean.. how could you argue with this face... Ü
Here's the next book I've dived into.. I'll be honest.. Karen Kingsbury isn't one of those artist that I have to run to the store for...infact I tend to push her books to the side.. but when I read the description of this book I KNEW I had to read it....
Here's the description:

Brad Cutler, twenty-eight, is a rising star at his New York ad agency, about to marry the girl of his dreams. Anyone would agree he has it all … a great career, a beautiful and loving fiancée, and a fairy tale life ahead of him—when memories of a high school girlfriend begin to torment him. Lost innocence and one very difficult choice flood his conscience, and he is no longer sure what the future will bring except for this: He must find his old love and make amends. Haunted by the past and confused about the future, he turns to God seeking forgiveness and redemption.

It's a sensitive subject.. and it's nice to see a mans perspective on this subject ( you'll have to check it out more to see the topic.. )
I'll let you know what I think when I'm done.. but so far.. so good!

Back in November... right before Thanksgiving I decided to make a Bread Machine Recipe that I had been holding on to...literally for years! I was a skeptic.... The Recipe.... Homemade Dog Treats. Now... I've seen people make these and sell them... the hard flat bones that look all the same to me...I thought that was how these would turn out... but I was WRONG... WAY WRONG... These looked so good that I had to WARN everyone in the home... that they are NOT people cookies... well technically you could eat them... but I'm sure they wouldn't taste as good to us as they did my dog.... The VERDICT.. she LOVED them!
I just love this little tin stand that they are setting on too.. another great find at the Salvation Army....And.. for the recipe...

BREAD MACHINE DOG BISCUITS

3/4 cup beef stock
1 egg
3 tablespoons bacon grease
1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/3 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup nonfat dry milk
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons yeast

Place ingredients in bread pan according to manufacturers directions and
press "Dough" cycle. When machine beeps, remove dough to lightly
floured countertop and with a rolling pin, roll dough out to 1/4"
thickness. Using a dog bone cookie cutter (or any small seasonal cookie
cutters), cut out dog biscuits and place on a lightly greased cookie
sheet or one sprinkled with cornmeal. Re-roll scraps and repeat till
all dough is used up. Place in a warm location and let rise 30 minutes.
Bake at 325 for 30 minutes until brown and no longer soft. Place on a
rack to cool. Store in an airtight container.

The weather has been FRIGHTFUL here for the past couple of days... the snow is falling at a light rate... but every time I peek outside... it just gets higher and higher.... so if you are were it's snowing... keep warm... or go out and build an amazing snowman... Ü

I love the New Year... I promise myself NO New Year Resolutions.. I've just never been that kind of girl. Probably a good thing I'm not a Catholic Girl either... because Lent would be out the window for me....
Instead I focus on dreams, desires, and where the Lord wants to take me... sometimes I battle with HIM because *I* have better ideas of what I WANT from life..... He has other plans almost always... Ü
This year... I would like to focus on my photography.. and learn more of my camera and to take better photos. ... I think I've gotten MUCH better... but there's always room for improvement!
I would like to put more effort into my dreams of becoming a nurse....I know what to do... I just need to stop believing I'm going to fail before I start!
This year I would like to become healthier.. and lose another 10lbs.... I want to be the example for my family to follow!
There's three... anymore and I think I would be setting myself up for failure.....
I however would like to blog more...I am missing it.. and I'm missing all of you that read! For that I thank you!!

I'm adding just a couple photos to share... ( to me ... I have to have a picture for each post!)....
Here are a picture of my crazy kiddos.. the day we went out looking for our Christmas Tree.

Here is the Tree Farm in Vermont....slim pickings this year.. but we found the BEST ONE!!
And a quick photo of my neighbor... she facebooked me for three weeks to ask me if I would "hurry" and take her photo for Christmas.... So during the busy week before... I took a bunch for her.... I actually liked this photo of her.... it captured her personality well!
I hope you all had an AMAZING CHRISTmas.... and a HAPPY New YEAR!!!

I have a moment to post something.. before I scoot out the door and do another Senior ( last minute) portraits for someone!
How was your Thanksgiving?.. ours was uneventful. Since working I was very tired and glad that I didn't have to cook much... Black Friday came and went... but yesterday... I took all the fall decorations down and put up the Christmas ones! It's kind of getting me into the spirit of Christmas... something I think I was lacking last year!




Cruising through my Christmas CD's yesterday I forgot that this song existed! I absolutely love it.. it's not your traditional jingle bells... but there is a line on there that stands out to me... "Baby Jesus, do you know you’ll die for all our sins?
Don’t be afraid, for in 3 days, you will rise again." It's simple yet speaks a lot!

I am so unprepared gift wise for the holidays.. I'm finding this year that my children are so much more harder to buy for and they are NOT providing lists either! It's been a guessing game. What are you buying your kiddos?? and what ages are they?

I'm off to do a little bloggy reading... something I've been neglecting for a long time.. but it's quiet here... and it's that time of the year where I like to spend my Sundays... early in the morning... snuggled up and reading what others are doing for the holidays and the new year!!!

I promise.. I'm going to post... VERY soon... I have so much to share.. but I started a new job a month ago.. and I'm trying to get adjusted to it!! I'm still baking.. still reading.. and still snapping photos and can't wait to share them with you again!!! I miss all of you... I find that I come to the computer.. open up a couple sites and then get bored... even though there is so much out there... So I need to spend more time with YOU and read more about YOU as well!!

I'm THANKFUL for all of YOU!!

I'm in LOVE... it's TRUE love... I'm in love with Bakerella .... A couple weeks ago she posted a recipe for Mini Chocolate Chip Maple Muffins.... OH.. these are HEAVEN!! They did NOT even last an hour.... Click on her blog to get the recipe and TRY them yourself...I had a friend who used regular pancake mix... although that sounds pretty good... I'm not so sure that it could beat the original recipe she shared... With Fall REALLY coming in quickly.. these make a nice morning breakfast with REAL maple syrup....
Again with Fall HERE... that means more books are to be read...I'm a library girl... LOVE the Library.. you know you're an addict when the bag full of books you've just taken out of the library and thrown in the passengers seat set the passengers seatbelt light to trigger on...

However... once a week I've been stopping in at an amazing thrift store.. and I grab a few books that I think I would like to read.. for only .75cents each.... I can't pass that up.. I have a hard.. VERY HARD time paying $10 plus for a book that I'll read once and pass along...so this thrift store is an answer to my prayers... along with the library...
Here are a few of my books waiting to be read....
These are the ones that have been sitting downstairs... I have another pile upstairs.. I can't WAIT to read the new Yada Yada book!!!!! I've read quite a few this summer and I apologize for not sharing what I've read.... I will try and be better with that...

So.. since I've been unemployed.. and my house has been picked up... and I've been job hunting in between... I've noticed my dog has been sad lately...Poor girl... BUT.. you wouldn't believe WHAT I caught her doing....
She has been writing letters to my daughter in college and POSTING them to her FACEBOOK!!
Check it out...CRAZY DOG!!
Not a long post today.. my house is full of boys.. once again... so I think I'm going to sit in the sun we have and read... read.. and read some more!!

My daughter came home this weekend.. it started off really GOOD!! and ended VERY SADLY.... ( more to come on that)...

We decided that we would go and try to grab a few last of the year yardsales... you just NEVER know what a college student could find to use in their dorm room!!! We hit a few and didn't find much... but we hit one that was way off the road path.. and deep in the woods... to my surprise it had a bunch of JUNK!!! That is UNTIL I walked a bit more and found cookbooks!! OLD Cookbooks... Some of them were just TO 70's for me... I'm sorry.. the 70's were NOT a time that recipes seemed to be appealing to me... or maybe... maybe.. it's the outfits they are wearing in the books???? hmmm you decide....

Anyway.. I found two little cookbooks.. ADORABLE OLD cookbooks...
The one on the left is from an old Bread Company... or maybe there are still in existence? If they are I haven't seen them in my neck of the woods....I'm not sure of the year this came out.. but I bet you it was roughly late 40's early 50's....
Here's the back of the mini cookbook....Oh.. the days when the bread delivery man came to your house..... That must have been HEAVEN for many women!!! Although.. I have to say.. my hubby makes a GREAT delivery man on many products.. so I can't complain!!
Hey.. how about one of them recipes from the old Bread cookbook.. perhaps a good Kidney Loaf.. nothing like a good old fashioned Kidney to replace your burger in your meatloaf!!! I know for a FACT that I will NOT be trying this recipe anytime soon!!! But those little cartoon gals look like they are having a BALL mix that stuff up together!!
Here is a peek inside the Glenwood cookbook!! again.. I LOVE the graphics... and this recipe here stood out ....
Gingerbread!!! MMMMM.. I wasn't too keen on a whole loaf... I knew that muffins/cupcakes would get eaten quicker... AND... what goes best with a cupcake?????? FROSTING!! I added frosting to mine!!!

Not bad for a 1933 publication eh??? I believe this little goody was a book that came with your brand spanking NEW Glenwood Range ( stove as we call it here in NH)....
Hey.. even that scarecrow was eying those cupcakes...... Can't say as I blame him!!!
Another Oldie but goody... My son is going to take German next Semester.. and what's better than a book with pictures??? and conversation???
Will he use it?? Perhaps not.. but for the price ( FREE) I couldn't pass it up.. they were going to recycle what they didn't sell.. recycle... that means.. tear it up.. it would no longer exist.. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?? These little books are beauties to me!!!!
These are my other treasures.... see the prices on them... DIDN'T pay that.. they were all free.. free.. free.. to some.. these may look like junk.. to to a crazy girl who loves to bake..these were a treasure... and I couldn't pass up the photography book... always learning new things... I actually can't wait til my pictures come out CRISP and Breath taking... some day... ahhh a girl can dream... but for now... I'll leave the perfection dept for the baking!!

Fall... it's around the corner... and here in NH it has been FREEZING!! as the weather forecast said "Growing Season is OVER"... and waking up this morning.. I feel that it really is!

One of my favorite bloggers ( okay.. you really are ALL my favorites.. Ü) is Susanne at Living to the the Story. She has been doing a fabulous thing each week with photography.. you all KNOW I love photography and actually have been dipping my nose in many books , blogs, and web-sites lately to learn more. I can't THANK the professionals ENOUGH for sharing their secrets with those of us who haven't the first CLUE what photography is all about. After "shooting" pictures for 10 plus years... I still feel as if I'm an infant in the photography world. I know that amateur photographers can really annoy the professionals... so again.. I can't say THANK YOU enough! So here is what Susanne has been up to at Photo Hunters. Many of you might already be involved and if you are.. PLEASE let me know and I will check yours out!



This week we are to post a picture of something upside down. I don't know about your, but normally upside down things really don't appeal to me to be photographed. So... I decided to dig through my photo's thinking.. THERE IS NO WAY I would find one... but.. surprising even myself.. I DID!! and here is the photo!! This was taken almost three years ago... This is when our beautiful foreign exchange student from Spain got to experience Christmas in America for the first time!! She absolutely loved it!

Do you have one to share? If so.. again.. send me a link and I would love to see it!

The past couple of days I've really have laid it on my heart to step back a bit from facebook. As much as I LOVE my friends and family.. sometimes your feelings can get hurt if you mull over things to long concerning facebook. For the past two to three weeks I've really WANTED to put some MEAN things up on my facebook... and I've been biting my "fingers" not to write it. To make a long story short... it's hard to watch some family members boast about themselves... and how they love God.. and how they are sharing their lives for the love of Christ... and so on... on the most part I would be proud of my friends and family whom do this... but it's hard for me to lay it at the feet of Jesus.. and let HIM deal with my feelings... it's hard for me to see family members spread the love of God to others.. when they can't acknowledge their niece and nephew... a graduation has gone by for my daughter.. and not a congratulations was muttered.. my son turned 14 and not even a Happy Birthday was muttered.... BUT... in the same breath.. they make sure you KNOW that their children have made achievements.....

Long story short.. I've just wanted to post "It's painful to me to see some see my children as OBLIGATIONS and not who they really are"... but then again.. that would be a lie too.. because they haven't felt obligated to praise their own niece of nephew....

Okay.. there is my little facebook rant.. you may pass over it and continue on.. I NEEDED to write it out somewhere.. I felt this was the safest place for me... Ü

What have I been up to lately? Well...
1) I'm unemployed and have been trying to find a job in hopes that we can keep paying our mortgage.. it hasn't been easy.. but God has been good for the past 6 weeks...
2) I've had more time to read...
3) more time to bake...
4) more time to think.. <---- That gets me in trouble.. Ü And I've taken a few more random photo's here and there...
Do you remember the movie Jumanji??? If you've never seen it.. you have to.. I think it's a really cute movie... Several years ago I was working in Keene NH and during that time the production of Jumanji came to town to shoot some scenes. The then crew.. painted this sign on one of the old factory buildings to go along with the movies.. if you remember.. young Alan's dad owned and ran The Parrish Shoe factory ( actually factory shots were done in Maine)... The sign is still displayed today in Keene NH.
And just a couple random photo's of my pre-fall walk in the park last week...




I just bought this album.. I know it isn't NEW.. but I've been LOVING the songs on here.. and jamming to them doing housework.. I pity my poor neighbors who've had to hear the same songs over and over... along with my angelic....( ha ha ha) voice!

The summer is almost over.. and I can't believe it!
This summer has been different for me .. for many different reasons.

I had no fresh air child :(
I worked this whole summer
It rained a little over half the summer
I had no desire to can anything
I even neglected my house cleaning duties .. not like me...
but this summer I've learned a lot...

That the time you have with you children goes by fast... and that sometimes a messy home IS a good thing.. because the time you have spent cleaning and fussing means... it's less time you've spent with your growing children...

Next week I face bringing my oldest to college... I don't know how easy it's going to be to drop her off and leave her there.... actually the word easy doesn't even come to mind....

And then my youngest.... the day after I drop him off in front of highschool.. where I know the next four years are going to fly by faster than the last 4 years.... I Have to BRACE myself....both my kids will be grown by the time I'm 40.... I'm not ready for this... but life isn't going to wait for me to be ready...

In the mean time.. again.. I've done LOTS and LOTS of photographing this summer of different things in the area in which I live.. so I thought I would share a few with you...


Random Farm in Woodstock Vermont... BEAUTIFUL VT area!!!

Found this on the side of the road... I HAD to take a picture.. how sweet is this!!??

This is a Quaker Meeting House built in 1802.. this is nestled in the back woods of Unity New Hampshire... the door was opened when I went there so I snuck inside and took pictures as well...

Another Covered Bridge.. I probably captured about 20 this summer... This one is in Taftsville Vermont...

And the birth of a new baby in the family.. just last week...

I know that the summer has flown by.. but I am anticipating the fall.. I love that time of year where the colors POP out for such a small time... I've been blessed to have been asked to do two Senior Photo "shoots" for year books and I've been contemplating doing FREE photo's for seniors who can't afford the expensive photo's that the area offers... don't get me wrong.. I know and understand why photographers charge what they do.. but I live in an area that there are many people who just can't afford them... so I would like to see these kids have at least one or two good pictures of their last year in highschool.

So I've still been hanging out at Facebook.. I love that place.. BUT I've also have spent quite a bit of time this summer between rain showers taking LOTS and LOTS of pictures.. I first wanted to hit Covered Bridges in NH.. and along the way.. I noticed MORE and MORE history... So that led to more and more car rides and "adventures"...

So.. I thought I would share a few pictures with you... and what I've been up to so far this summer...
I met up with a dear friend for the first time in 15 years... THANKS to facebook!!! We decided to hit Boston and visit the Tall Ships... they come in every 10 years.. and I couldn't pass up this opportunity to meet up with her and take a TON of photographs!!

While in Boston.. they had the MOST AMAZING HUGE Market... We took the T into Boston so we could only grab a few things... otherwise.. I think we would have loaded up on fruits and veggies...

Radishes from the Market...

Along the way to seeking out Covered Bridges we found a few other gems like I said...this being one of them...

This is a Glacial Pothole.. the sign said it's been used for many many years especially for the Native Americans.. I've lived in this area now for 16 years and never knew this existed until we stumbled upon it.. look at old barns to photograph as well...

This is one of the old barns that we found.. I love the sign because it says it all!!!

This is an old Mill Called Blow Me Down Mill... I've searched on the history of it.. and just not sure exactly WHAT the Mill was used for.... but it's beautiful and deserved to be photographed at different angles...


I sure hope NONE ever tried going out that side door.. ha ha!! that's quite the drop.. but then again.. I'm sure there was some sort of different structure there in the past...

This is the Windsor VT/Cornish NH covered bridge.. this bridge joins the two states together over the Connecticut River.. This is the worlds longest two car wide bridge in the world and the longest bridge in the Northern Hemisphere.. and when you ride across it with your windows down .. you can still smell the wood... as if it were built yesterday...

This is the Birth Place of VT.. Windsor.. This is the Constitution House.. The first constitution to prohibit slavery and to establish universal manhood suffrage.

Windsor also had a Prison at one time... this is photo of an old prison cell that now is exposed to the outside world that is storing this kind of machinery in it.. what it is??? I don't know.. but the color and shapes caught my eye....

An Old Barn.. again in Windsor.. it reminds me of some sort of fairy tale story... especially with the strange door in the upper left hand corner.... this barn could tell a lot of stories I believe!!

Broken down saw horse.... with a nest!!! it's amazing how the nest blends into the color of the old wood...

This was seriously.. a drive by "click" shooting... I loved the three silo's and I happened to roll down the window and snap.. and kept driving..... I gave them a black and white effect due to the blurriness of the tree's I caught in the photo...

My other time consumer... BASEBALL!!! Our last game is Wednesday.. the Championship Game... The little men have done AMAZING this year.. they are 12-2..

How is your summer going so far? And great pictures or stories to tell.. tell me about them so I can peek and read them on your blog!!