Let's make a deal...

...there is nothing my grand-girl dislikes more than to have her picture taken, unless it's getting her hair washed or taking a bath/shower, but I digress.  If she sees you with your camera she will do one of the following; leave the room, crawl under a table or behind a piece of furniture, hide behind the curtains, you name it.  If you start to insist that she stop for just a minute and have her picture taken then the tears will come and really no body wants to push a little one into crying over having a photo taken.

So a few weeks ago at great-grandmothers house I asked Maude if I could take her picture (she had already seen me with the camera) and her usual response was 'no.'  We talked about it for a bit and I was trying to convince her that grandma wanted these photos so we could see how much she is growing because we don't see her very often, that we wanted to see her ballet outfit and her dance routine and have a way to save it forever and someday she would be able to see what a special, beautiful, wonderful girl she was.  She started to soften ever so little so I told her that I would take one picture of her and then put my camera away where she could see that I wasn't going to pick it up again.  She agreed but it had to be of her choosing, she would tell me when she was ready.   Here it is folks, the one and only photo of my beautiful grand-girl at her great-grandmas house.

the summer of ME...

Hello to you all and Happy Summer, Happy Father's Day, Happy U.S. open if you are a golf fan, which I am not but it was held just a few miles from where we live and I must say our town put on a nice show!

There was so much more I wanted to say/show but I can't get photos to download...thankyouverymuchblogger.  So I will leave you with this, and admit I borrowed it from a friends fb page.   I love my city!

 

the good, the bad and the solstice...

***just a quick note:  I am unable to access any blogs today to leave comments, also, for quite some time this afternoon I was getting messages that I didn't have a blog.  Don't know if the two things are related to blogger or my computer is at it again but it is very frustrating.  Happy Monday and I will be around to visit as soon as I can.

bing images

I wanted to thank you all for your heart-felt suggestions on my last post.  I also wanted to respond to each of you personally but honestly I am at the same point I was when I posted.  I am considering putting them back in the box and putting it in a safe place until I can decide what to do, with the exception of telling one person about it, one I trust inherently to know the right thing to do if I should not get the chance.  The more I think about this option the more comfortable I am.  I am still struggling with the fact that I may have crossed a line that would embarrass my folks immensely if they knew.  I will deal with that...eventually.

It's too hot...too hot baby,

gotta run for shelter, got to run for shade.  (who remembers that one?)

checking off number  one  of my summer list.   What is your favourite summer indulgence?

 

 

 

 

and the birds sighed,

"and you call this

Summer?"



it's official...

Summer

is

here!

image Bing

May it be full of sunshine not only over your heads but in your lives and hearts.  Have a great 2012 Summer, it's the only one you'll have....choose joy, create happiness, keep your heart open to new possibilities.  It's all up to you and I know, I know, you can be THAT person.   Happy Summer all!

Day of solitude...

I hold this to be the highest task for a bond between two people: that each protects the solitude of the other”


Rainer Maria Rilke



...today I enjoyed a self-imposed day of solitude.  Even though the hubs was home all day and that in itself flies in the face of solitude, I am blessed, that he wholly and fully understands my need to be alone with my thoughts.  My need to sort things out and to come to terms with my so-called life,  (remember that show) this incredibly difficult and confusing journey that I am on.
 
That is not to say that I am unhappy, or ungrateful, or unapologetic as all of those "un's" have entered my mind today.  It is to say that yesterday's post was more about cleaning house than anything else.
 
Yesterday, we went into town and spent a couple of hours at one of my favorite places:
 

 
I found a few things that I couldn't live without and will probably end up putting them in my sweet little Etsy shoppe before long.  (did you know I have an Etsy shoppe??  it's currently closed so that I can re-stock, but I will let you know when it's open again).

 

 

After we were done there we grabbed a coffee and went over to the Puyallup Valley Watershed area to take a little walk hike along the river.  It was a good thing that we kept moving as it was cool and breezy, about 50degrees.  Yeah, "F" is in the air, leaves are turning red and falling to the ground as are my hopes for an extended summer.  There was little flora and no fauna and we quite possibly came upon the last ripe blackberry of summer.  Didn't pick it though...it was about a 4ft drop into the river from where we were standing.

 

 
There really is no excuse, well um, except for the weather, to not get outside and get some exercise around here.  We are just a few miles from the watershed, there is a river walk in town, and across the street from me runs a 29mile rails to trails paved bike and walking trail.  I love to walk over there when the "F" comes as the scenery is so beautiful with the change of season.
 
There are signs everywhere that the Fair is coming soon but that is not the "F" that I am referring to.  It is Fall, undoubtedly my most favorite time of year but not yet, I just am not ready to give up on summer yet.  We waited so long here, until the end of July before we had a day over 70degrees, and since then we've only had four days over 85+, and now we are back to the 50's.  Do you know what that does to a vegetable garden and bedding plants??  I know, you've all had a horrendous summer so I won't deny you cooler temps but next year I will not be so generous!  Take care peeps and enjoy your solitude where ever you may find it.

Summer's last hurrah....

It was warm and sunny here Saturday and then, that evening, you could feel the cold, crisp air moving in.  The temps dipped down into the 20's and the flowers cried.  Luckily I had snapped a few last pics of them as they faded away until next year.  I miss summer already!

We went up to my son's place on Saturday to check on a few things while they are out of town.  We grabbed some fish and chips and a coffee drink and sat out on their lanai (we usually just call it a porch or deck but 'lanai' sounds so civilized)  overlooking Puget Sound.  It was a lovely afternoon and we had a great time.  And,  just in case you were wondering or worried...NO...I did not toss my cookies again!  Have a great day y'all!

2 hOt 2 HaNdlE...

dog days...

We are sweltering under a heat wave the likes of which have never been experienced in our area. Ever. I fear that the morning and evening watering of the vegetable garden and flowers will not be enough to save them from the oppressive heat. I've already had the spinach and lettuce bolt before I was able to pull them and the poor daisies and belles are hanging their heads and crying for relief. I have moved them all to a shady place but I don't think it will be enough. I just hate to see the glory of the garden cut short again this year. Usually it's the cool wet weather that causes a late start and an early end. We'll just have to see what becomes of it all. The weather report for the next week is still in the high 90's and for us that is still h.o.t. It is expected to be 88degrees at midnight tonight..Yikes!

The only good thing as of now is that it is 79degrees in the house and I am hopeful for a restful nights sleep! Also, we have tomatoes reddening up very quickly now and the hubs picked the first batch of Romanitas...these are the only ones that made it into the house:
How does your garden grow?
mama pajama

On a HOT summer night...

I took this one just as the sun was popping out from behind the trees in our backyard. It's now 80degrees in the house but the temp. outside is a balmy 92degrees.



I moved our hanging baskets of mini-belles to a shady place until the heat-wave passes and was quite surprised to find this bad boy on the patio screen. I don't know spiders, except that they scare the woo-hoo out of me, but this just looks like it could cause trouble--or pain--or both. So how is your summer going?

signed: mama pajama