Thematic Photographic Favorite Photos of the Year

Greetings!  Carmi has announced "Favorite Photos of the Year" as our closing theme for 2014.


THEMATIC PHOTOGRAPHIC

My favorite photos represent something uniquely special throughout this past year.


What did Jasmine have to say?

Trouble has moved into my happy home and his name is, The Dog.

We've started the "Finders Keepers Game" around town.

Sometimes we get to see the discovery, but more often we only see that it's been found.

Some Good Eggs I knew this year!

Happy as 18 eggs in a carton can be!

Fun in the sun with family at our summer barbecue.

No words necessary.

Fourth of July moment!

Driving through the Badlands of South Dakota is one of my favorite things to experience.

"Genuine travel has no destination.  Travelers do not go somewhere, but constantly discover they are somewhere else." - James Carse

May your new year not be filled with mere destinations only, but rather a mix of new discoveries as well.

What A Difference

Incredible, what difference one day can make.

Not a snowflake or snowbank could be found anywhere for days.

All around town winter waned mildly as the browns, reds and golds of autumn spread between our every footstep.  Unseasonably warm, nothing like November's frozen snow filled days.

But this is Minnesota after all.  

Finally two nights ago, after another day dawned dull grey and all the little birds shivered as the wind grew stronger, it happened.  Snow arrived once again.

Lots of it too.

Yep, Christmas was officially over, and of course our sNoW returned.

Shall we wander about my snowy yard?

"We lose ourselves in the things we love.  We find ourselves there, too." 

- Kristin Martz

My trees are my close confidants.  On windy days they wave the best kept secrets, just for me.  After a snowfall, I believe they decorate their branches just for me.  On dry blistering days, they weep ever so much.  But mostly they stand tall, a proud existence and I am ever grateful for their respect as well as their beauty and shade.

Good morning trees, the sun has also returned!

"You can't depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus." - Mark Twain

Here's to a closer look at this unrestrained, daredevil driver who thinks that snow racing is a harmless game!

"Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage." -  Anais Nin

"I plant objects as I think them, not as I see them."  Pablo Picasso

"Imagination is the eye of the soul." - Joseph Joubert

Can you smell the woodsy aroma from a crackling fire?  

Try leaving some footprints today for someone else to see, no matter where, if it's sand or snow.

Six Word Saturday A Little Bird Once Told Me

Once upon a time in the magical land of Minnesota, somewhere near Wayzata, and just before all the leaves began to turn-

that wee little bird said to me-

stay positive

the sun will shine again

if you just believe.

I HAVE IT ON GOOD WORD

tweet, tweet.

and

That if you believe good things 

will happen, they most assuredly will.

SIX WORD SATURDAY

I hope this post finds everyone here in the best of spirits.

My spirits got a boost this morning.

believing our sunshine would return, and shadows would spring to life again.

However, believing isn't always fool proof.

Sometimes, just believing your table is set, doesn't make it so.  Can you spot the one simple thing missing here? 

Nobody else did either until, somebody wanted to spread butter-

YIKES!

So let your eyes do your believing-

What do you see?

If you believe in little girl dreams 

set upon little Charlie Brown Christmas trees 

and cookies and tea, 

you'll set yourself free,

to believe 

in dreams.

Although just believing my sunshine would return still carried that dreadful notion that I better enjoy it before it fades away again. 

Where's my shadow?

I only wish I knew where our Minnesota sun keeps disappearing to these winter days?

Good Fences Happy Merry Christmas

May happiness always chase you round and round the merry lanes of life.

GOOD FENCES

Bake it! Wrap it! Sing it! Share it! Give it! Draw it! Paint it! Eat it! Stencil it! Love it! Cook it!

Over the Year Scavenger Hunt

Throughout the year we've laughed and cried, sang and shouted and shared words of joy and compassion. But mostly, we've hung here building memories to last a lifetime.

Greetings from my corner of the world-

Although, in reality, we don't have a flake of snow on the ground presently!


Please stop your holiday baking and join me in a hunt throughout our time here in Bloggerville.

 

Thanks for sharing a part of you, here!

Through all our ups and downs we're still here.

Putting things in Perspective

 

 

Remembering those we love and lost, throughout the year and past.

 

 

 

Sharing Love Affairs

Enjoying Perplexing Joys and Unexplainable Stuff

 

 

 

 

Showing Off Silly Faces to Make Others Smile

Say Cheese!

EVERYONE DESERVES TO SPARKLE!

"I like nonsense it wakes up the brain cells.

Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living,

it's a way of looking at life

Through the wrong end of the telescope.

Which is what I do

and you should too!

and that enables you to laugh at life's realities." -

Dr. Seuss

 

 

Six Word Saturday Love of Friendship

TO STAND THE TEST OF TIME

SIX WORD SATURDAY

"As you mature you realize healthy relationships

are more about companionship and less about labels.  Falling in love is exciting

but growing in love of friendship is what allows a relationship 

to stand the test of time."

Michael Baisden

Unconditional love.

And keeping old friends close, equally as important.

"I would rather walk with a friend in the dark, than alone in the light." 

- Helen Keller

Thematic Where You Work Photographic

Oh my,where to begin?   How about dawn?   My day hours begin at the location below, and the reflection is just one of many rooms!

Where You Work theme for 

Thematic Photographic

What type of work involves, music, painting, books, storytelling, dress-up and writing, singing and dancing followed by arts and crafts and also includes baking lessons and field trips for school or simply fun?

Just call me Nanny!

Below is Mason one of four children that are my ultimate joys or rather childcare responsibilities which also happen to be my grandchildren.

We went in search of the perfect present for Mason's preschool teacher.

He selected a wooden snowman to paint and dress up with stickers and a real scarf!

The duties of a Nanny are rather varied and often offer unexpected and very exciting endeavors as well.  Today I had the opportunity to attend Mason's Christmas School Party as a party volunteer!  Go! Me!  Woo Hoo!

Mason's teacher leading them in a singing exercise!

The Nanny Code

When you need me,

but don't want me,

then I will stay.

When you want me,

but do not need me,

then I have to go.

Good Fences Finding a Secret Hideaway

Ho! Ho! HO!  While munchkins and adults everywhere have been chasing mischievous, little Elves in red pajamas, I followed the real deal!


As only seen on this week's 

GOOD FENCES

Oh, yes I did!  Absolutely the real deal.

Here's the proof!

Yesterday, I found myself shivering and waiting outside my own gate, for an answer.

Is that a calendar across your belly?  Or, a secret coded clue?

Reading the sign I gave out a sigh, Elves Only?   But, I must get inside!

I knew parachute jumping would prove worthwhile! Of course, I ventured inside.

Do you want to know a secret?  On the other side of that fence is my house!

Our finest adventure, is to believe...... 

"Imagination is a very high sort of seeing."

  -  Ralph Waldo Emerson

What we've often only dreamed about and heavily imagined, since childhood, has now been proved without a doubt.  But must be forgotten.  This is our little secret!

So dear friends, it does pay to always keep your eyes open.

  "Still round the corner there may wait, 

A new road or a secret gate."

-  J. R. R. Tolkien

The Highs and Lows

December serves a mix of emotions for me.  I lost my father on December 5th the eve of St. Nicholas Day, (a major family tradition) so there's a wide mix of bittersweet memories.  Perhaps this goes for many of you reading this post as well. 

Still, every year the whisper of wonder grows deeper inside my spirit in a most stupendous degree, but time has a way of pushing a fretful strain on lots of our goals and ideas.
  
Wouldn't you agree?


December in our family has many adventures from birthdays to anniversaries, (happy and sad) so if you don't see me blogging as usual this month, that is the reason!

Even though both my parents are gone, I still carrying on the tradition of driving through neighborhoods, rejoicing in every oh and ah that now my little grand-delights are all excited about!  It's an old family tradition!  When the weather is pleasant we can walk around!  Even more exciting!

Less is better in my opinion!  Pretty isn't it?

Traditions and new additions are always the up front and center in my world!

I completely enjoy sharing that tingling little girlish feeling, in the hopes that other folks will experience it too.

It's easy for Frosty to wear a Happy Face 24/7- but when it comes to human beings, well-

We're only human, and sometimes what we, ourselves find so darn wonderful, can be terrifying to little ones.  Year after year.

Needing to, turn up the lamp of laughter!

It's easy for grown-ups to sometimes forget, while they're out laughing and toasting and getting all dressed up, (and yes running themselves ragged in shopping malls) our wee little munchkins back home, just might be stewing over some mysterious unknown situation, and simply, just freaking out about it too!

Like I said we have birthdays in December!   Jack is being ever so careful in lighting each candle!  Perfect Jack!

Sometimes we get ourselves in a jam.  We're all tied up!  Help, I can't even speak, thought the poor little Elf.  You should have stayed on the shelf, silly one!

Or, we're busy chopping things down!  

But here's the thing.  The ONE THING in fact.  Even through all our hustle and bustle, and all the - we have to do this, and gotta do that, and of course this and that-

never forget-

Invest in People rather that stuff.

Because you know it makes things better when you find yourself flat on your face-

and you don't want to miss all the wonderful music that always greets us especially this time of the year!  Being with friends and loved ones, makes everything brighter!

So Happy Quixotic days to all!

Don't forget to have fun!