challenge / failure

solo post - L, Nikon

With a new kitty in the house, of course we're going to be photographing her. But this is a challenge. Why do cats always proceed to clean themselves when we get out the camera? Plus, I'm not sure she's very photogenic. I know I am not. But Beth gave us a challenge the other day and agreed to try. She said we might just surprise ourselves and like it. Well I do not like it. The light was bad, my settings were wrong, I was doing it quickly and I failed. But I will give it another shot or have my daughter take one of me instead - maybe then my head won't be cropped out.

kitty / bunny

L - Nikon / T - Nikon

Taylor wanted a new kitty to go with her to Athens in the fall so we have been looking around to adopt one. There was debate over getting a kitten or an older cat. Little kittens are SO cute and playful, but Taylor wanted to feel more confident about the personality and felt like a kitten might be unpredictable. There was a year old cat that we really liked at the Humane Society but she was really a climber and we weren't sure if that was such a good thing. We looked and looked.... then she fell in love with a sweet young cat at the Animal Shelter. I think the cat fell in love with Taylor too. / so we have a new addition to our household- her name is bunny! (i have a weird fascination with animals named after other animals, haha.) we got her because i was feeling the need for a companion for when i go to live in my lonesome one person apartment in athens and i'm confident that i have found the perfect (purrfect? [: ) partner. she and the boss, kodi, aren't getting along so well right now.. but i'm sure they'll warm up to each other. they would look so cute snuggled up to each other! i know that's a high hope, but i'm trying to make it happen.

outdoors/ in

solo post - L, Nikon

One of my favorite things about summer is being able to have flowers to cut and bring indoors. I love going out in the morning, when the dew is still on the ground, and cutting flowers to put in a vase. My favorites are hydrangeas. This is the first bunch I've brought in this season.

cupcake / love

solo post - L

Have a beautiful weekend.

dinner / movie

L - Nikon D60 / T - Nikon D40x

The drive home was so pleasant tonight - a nice breeze was in the air. I got off work at the normal time for the first time this week and was looking forward to getting out of heels and into flip flops. When I walked in the house there was the wonderful aroma of onions cooking - Taylor was busy in the kitchen, the table was set and all I had to do was fill the water glasses. Taylor had prepared Chicken Succotash for our dinner with my parents (our schedule was off because of me working late Tuesday). So to say the least, I am happy that Taylor is staying home this summer instead of in Athens like she had originally planned. / i kind of like doing the grocery shopping when i have a specific list in hand. tonight i cooked for our weekly dinner with my grandparents, but i was disappointed in the way the sugar snap peas with sweet onion vinaigrette recipe turned out. it did add the needed 'green' to the plate however. (i learned this from my grandmother - she always makes sure there is something green on the dinner plate.) tonight i'm going to the drive-in theatre with friends.

show / tell

solo post - L, Nikon

I don't have any adventures to share, or stories to tell or even any good photos to show you. The work hours have been long, so it's pretty much been work and sleep. Well there's eating in there too but nothing very exciting, except... there was dinner at my parents the other night. My dad had sourdough bread right out of the oven and it was the best ever. There was corn on the cob, chicken, roasted potatoes and beets, plus he had made a pecan pie – best thing of the week so far. We ate dinner as we watched the birds outside their bird window - the little wren was going in and out of the bird house and the flicker had come to eat suet my mom had hung, the little chickadee was drinking water from a cup filled with fresh water every day. And very briefly we saw a hummingbird. Taylor laughs at my fascination with watching birds and the fact that I always have a camera around my shoulder. I told her that I always had it because I was always trying to get that one great photo of a bird and have yet to get it. She said, "here give me the camera" haha
Since there's still no great bird photo to share, I'm going to have a little 'show and tell'.
Taylor and I went to a nice art festival the other day and I made two purchases. The two little espresso cups caught both of our eyes so I decided to get a pair. She picked out one with more wood knot texture and mine has a special imprint for the thumb - similar but both unique. They are made by Regina Wolff from Atlanta and her work is really exception. I was drawn to it because of the glazes she uses and because her work is inspired by nature. Another artist that is inspired by nature is Jeri Landers. I had seen her books before and liked them but didn't have a child to buy them for. This time I decided why not just buy it for myself. When she asked, "who is it for" I hesitated and said "me". Then she wrote, "For Leslye. Please have tea - Sharp at 3... with Mrs Whiskerkins and me!" and drew a little picture of a bunny. When my niece and nephew come to my house they like hunting and counting all of the bunny things in my house and yard. This book will keep them busy - there's supposed to be 400 bunnies in the book, many of them are hidden.
I enjoy going to art festivals. Do you?

recognize / discover

solo post - L, Nikon

I can't believe it's been 10 days since I last posted. It's unusual - I did not take one photo all week long and even this weekend my photo options were slim. Anyway... I hope everyone has been well and starting to enjoy a fun summer.
Taylor is now home for the summer and it sure is nice to have her here - sleeping under my roof, eating meals and watching movies with me and planning fun activities for the summer. She can be so much help around the house too. Last week I came home to a cooked meal, kitchen drawers that are now clean and organized, the refrigerator cleared out of out-dated bottles of dressing, etc and the cabinets as well. She loves doing this type of work – I don't love doing it - it makes me very happy. We joke about her OCD tendencies as a weakness but in actuality it can be a real strength. Soon I hope her 'organizational' skills and diligent work habits will be earning her good money instead of just making her mother happy – she's looking for a summer job.
I found a book on my shelf that I forgot about. I'm going to give it to Taylor to read this summer called, "Now, Discover Your Strengths". I think the sooner she recognizes her real strengths, and how best to use her weaknesses, the better off she'll be in determining what she wants to be 'when she grows up'.

"Every job is a self-portrait of the person who does it. Autograph your work with excellence." ~Author Unknown

fictional / historical

L - Nikon / T - phone pic

I just finished a book title "The Great Man" - the story of a fictional 20th-century New York figurative painter and the women he left behind. It was a book I picked up in our work library to read while having lunch one day. It keep my interest enough to take it home and finish it. It was an enjoyable read but I don't do a good job of reviewing books so I'll let you read about it here. / i think this looks pretty familiar to a picture that was on the blog last year- the infamous art history notecards. i really do enjoy the subject of art history, i just wish that it was more specific to art i was interested in. it's tough to be enthralled by a clay jar or the remnant arm of a statue sometimes. but it'll all be over with tomorrow at noon! and then i'll be able to take upper level art histories, maybe even the history of photography!

cool shade / cool rain

L - Nikon / T - Nikon

Taylor's back, at least for a day, and I really love the photo she sent me. It speaks of shelter, fresh, spring, protection, cool breezes, etc - just like my image does - synchronicity?

It was an unusually hot day for the first of May. I was walking around my back yard looking at the changes of growth... the ferns have all unfurled; the wild azaleas have faded - the rhododendrons are now in full bloom; the red buds are full of beautiful heart shaped leaves and little pods hang off the branches; the hydrangeas are budding out and the shasta daisies leaves look healthy. I stopped and sat on my little red bench to enjoy the shade of the beech tree and looked up - layers upon layers of new green that will provide a welcomed shade in the heat of summer. I love this tree – in all the seasons. / monday morning and the rain is a welcome relief from the heat of the weekend. problem is, it made me want to stay in bed and sleep! i guess the good part was that it kept me inside for the majority of the day- essentially guilting me into my school work (studying for finals now) since i had nothing more exciting to do with my time.

posy / bouquet*

solo post - L, Nikon

"A delicate fabric of bird song 
Floats in the air, 
The smell of wet wild earth 
Is everywhere. 
Oh I must pass nothing by 
Without loving it much, 
The raindrop try with my lips, 
The grass with my touch; 
For how can I be sure 
I shall see again 
The world on the first of May 
Shining after the rain?" 
- Sara Teasdale, May Day

I woke up this morning with good intentions of being productive today... then I stepped outside... with camera in hand. You know the story.

Hope you enjoyed this first day of May.

*not your traditional bouquet of flowers but it works for me