Camera blues . . .

I'd love to win this camera tote:

If you'd like to enter to win it, go to the Thompson Family-Life web site and enter for yourself.  Who knows, maybe one of us will get lucky!  I hope so--I'm crossing my fingers and toes!!

Never alone . . .

It seems that more and more I'm alone.  I don't dislike it.  But sometimes I'm bored.  Today, though, I've been inspired.  I'm not sure I'll ever feel alone again.

My favorite things . . .

Some blogs have regular "favorite things," but I've not been very consistent doing that--it seems sort of copy-cat to me, and I want to be original.  So . . . I only post favorite things once in awhile. 

I came across this link to a beautiful online Christmas magazine--Holiday With Matthew Mead. 

I can hardly wait for my issue to come!  I particularly like this magazine because many of their advertisers are Etsy merchants, and I totally support Etsy!  Many of my friends use Etsy, and I'll be opening my Etsy store soon--how could I resist? 

Another of my favorites is The Vintage Pearl.  I coveted these for a long time, then got a necklace for Christmas from my daughter--mine has the birthstones, and I love it!!

Every time I spin fiber I'm reminded how much I love my Majacraft spinning wheel.  I have the Little Gem, and it is that--a little gem!

I might have a new favorite Blog.  Lolly Knitting Around is packed with great photographs, fun experiences, and just very stalkable stuff . . . her photographs are fantastic, illustrated by this a.d.o.r.a.b.l.e photo on her blog yesterday:

(c) Lolly Knitting Around

My friend, Kay, is so super talented.  Don't you love this scarf she did?:

You also should visit her Etsy Store.  I have some of her fiber on my wheel this very minute and it's fantastic!  The colorway, Tuscany, is completely gorgeous!  And her fibers are like butter to spin!!! 

(c) Cordova Studios

I can't wait to read this book.  It's sitting on my table right now--ready to be cracked open.

I love historical novels, and this one should prove to be as good as Gregory's other books.  I'll let you know when I finish it if it's as good as I'm suspecting it will be! 

What are you reading?

Blueberry jam . . .

It seems like a million years since I last made jams or jellies, or did any kind of canning for that matter.  It used to be a fairly regular thing . . . peaches, pears, apricots, cherries, tomatoes--you name it, I canned it.  But I always loved making jams especially.

When I went to the The Little Red Barn last month, Jennifer and Claire brought a plate with watermelon and fresh, beautiful blueberries.  I later read Jennifer's blog and found out where she got her blueberries--she later helped me order some from Blueberry Hill Farms and I picked them up one day last week.  Rowan was with me when I picked them up and held them in her lap while we drove home.  Although I warned her about eating unwashed berries, her little lips were blue with them by the time we got home.  I had to agree that they were fantastic--so fresh, crisp, and organic to boot! 

After eating blueberry pancakes for nearly a week, munching on handfuls of them for snacks, and offering them up to visitors every chance I got, yesterday was the day that the abundance had to be made up into blueberry jam.  Rowan was here to help--she did a good job of mooshing up the berries with the potato masher and put the labels on beautifully!  What a great helper she is!!

The finished product is fantastic!  I'm so glad I preserved some of this flavor to remember in December or January when the winter snow makes fresh blueberries only a distant memory.

The fish . . .

I've been writing posts and not posting them for several days.  I'll have to go back and fix that.  However . . . it's pretty hard to post a picture that hasn't been taken, and all my posts refer to pictures.  Unfortunately, my camera battery is a goner, and I can't find my charger.  I know it's around, just how to find it is the mystery.  Sort of like looking for my glasses and realizing they're on top of my head serving as a headband.  But in the meantime, I'll use my Blackberry camera which, truthfully, isn't all that bad. 

Where do you usually find your glasses when they've been lost?

So . . . for today, take a look at this girl, my sweet Rowan, lounging in the pool.  What a happy, sweet girl she is!

 
What are your grandkids doing this summer that's fun for them, and you?

Love a girl today . . .

Many of you are familiar with Ruth, the beautiful Great Pyrenees girl adopted by my friend, Cindy, at Jacob's Reward Farm, as a guard dog for her south pasture.  Since May, she's been firmly ensconced in Cindy's house and is still in need of a forever home.  And while she probably will never "guard" again, she is still one of the most lovable, sweet, beautiful dogs I've ever seen.  If you, or perhaps a retired parent or grandparent, would like a fantastic companion, please consider Ruth.  I'm convinced there's a family out there who needs her as much as she needs them.  Ruth is doing well now, but just needs a home--take a look at Cindy's blog for more information about Ruth:  I'll Love You Forever

Strike a pose . . .

My daughter has a gorgeous camera . . . expensive, sophisticated . . . but she says my Easy Share Kodak has many of the advanced features her camera has.  Only problem is I haven't learned how to use them.  Riann has been taking some classes and is willing to share her knowledge with me--my plan is to take her up on her offer.  And I just learned that my friend, Cindy, at Jacob's Reward Farm, is having a photography workshop on September 25th--given by Ellie Ivanova.  I know Ellie has a web site, but I can't find her card to list it for you.  But here's a link to a few of her photos--she does gorgeous, over the top beautiful work!  Ellie's photos.  I'll definitely be attending that workshop!

In the meantime, here are a couple of the photos I took this morning.

I can't remember when we planted this apple tree . . but it was at least ten years ago.  This is the first time we've gotten anything close to real, edible fruit.  In fact, there are two apples I spotted on the tree!  I'm embarrassed to say that I just noticed them this morning when I took Mac out.  But you can be sure I'll be watching more closely now to make sure they're "safe."

I think it was even longer ago that we planted these day lilies. In fact, I remember that Riann was a brownie at the time because I was her troop leader and one of the mothers gave me the bulbs.  So it was probably 25 years ago (or more) that these bulbs were planted . . . and they're still flowering.  Amazing!

Does anybody know what these are?  They're in our butterfly garden on the north side of our house.  I came home one Saturday and Big Daddy had planted this beautiful garden.  I've enjoyed it so much.  I thought it was cool that there was still dew on this flower when I took the picture this morning.  Very peaceful.

These beauties are in the back yard--around the pool.  Again, I don't know what they're called, but aren't they pretty?

And the day just wouldn't have been complete if I hadn't included a look-see at the pictures I took at my niece's house last weekend.  Stacy, and her husband Dell, have two of the cutest kiddos I've ever seen.  Elizabeth is five months old and the happiest, sweetest girl ever.  What a little lover.

And JD could.not.be.cuter!!!  What a sweet, precious boy--and he is all boy!  Look at that beautiful head of hair.  Did I say he couldn't be cuter?  Adorable!!

Cute kids, beautiful flowers, marvelous fruit . . . but don't you agree I need photo lessons?  This coming from a photographer's daughter?