Friday Night Fish Fry

You've got to take the good with the bad, smile with the sad, love what you've got, and remember what you had. Always forgive, but never forget. Learn from mistakes, but never regret.

- Unknown

 

 

Toonces looked at me like I had seriously lost my mind when I told him I was ordering a new camera.    Then I had to explain that I wanted a top notch point and shoot.  While the rest of the world is going bigger I want to go smaller.   The full frame is a chore to carry around.  My SLR is not too bad but still.  I wanted something I could have fun with and not be so conspicuous walking around.  I needed something to capture the beauty of Alaska without weighing me down.  And the S95 was just what I was looking for.  I'd made up my mind when it came out, I just hadn't really wanted to put any more money in camera equipment for a while.

I love it.  I've only made pics around the yard but I head off to Natural Bridge with it and the kids on Thursday.  I love that I can set my own settings and still shoot in AV mode even though it isn't a SLR.  (Since I shoot wide open 90 percent of the time)  The ISO is crazy for something that small.   No it isn't as sharp as my L lenses but then they cost that much for a reason right?  And by the time I sharpen in CS4 it is more than okay for a family outing for my photobooks :)

and it has an auto HDR mode!

Of course if someone doesn't catch her photos up there will be NO photobooks. 

I hate being so far behind.

and then I am reminded of my poor dusty dining room as I've been carrying in and deciding which heirlooms we should keep.

The flower gardens eat up my housekeeping time!

Now I feel the guilt...time to get the house clean.

 

test shots...

 

 
Eudora peeking out the door... a bit of texture added.   Playing with actions and textures is my new love.

 
not too bad at all.  And these were just right out of the box on P mode.

~

Before I go clean.  Yuck.  Here is Seth's t-ball portrait.

 

 I think he is adorable.

 

 

 

The Chaotic Gardner

Count the garden by the flowers, never by the leaves that fall.  Count your life with smiles and not the tears that roll.  ~Author Unknown

 

 
Baby in the midst of chaos.

I've decided that I could have a blog called the "chaotic gardner".  Like the "grumpy gardner" that Southern Living has.   My pots are scattered all over the place while we finish the porch and I am trying to weave in and out of them and perform crazy moves to get to my center flower bed to tend to them.   The remodeling is taking longer than I thought and I can't just leave everything.  They need care as they go.  The Black Eyed Susans are already ruined thanks to some muncher who ate them to the core because I couldn't see them hidden by the grill.  I guess it caused too much shade and a slug got to them.  Who knows?

I know the workers don't want me out there any more than I want to be out working amongst them but Easter is this weekend and I'd like to at least have dirt in my pots around my plants.  Honestly there are about 5 out there now just sitting in the pots with no soil, waiting for me to climb over the patio furniture and finish them.    I can't wait until Saturday and get it all magically ready.

I was always good on the balance beam.  I just don't want the masons/rock crew to have to scrape me up off the porch.

Last week was tough.  My best friend's father passed away.  And yes she is heartbroken.  His funeral was surreal to me.  He is buried on a spot that I can't imagine anyone not envying.  High on the hill with blowing grass and a Blue Ridge Mountain view.  Pure blissful country all around.  Quiet.  Trees swaying.  Awesome sunsets.   In fact, I told Shishy that I think I will come be buried there with her instead of the town cemetery Toonces wants to go in.   But we were in the middle of a storm.  Men holding down the tents.  Wind popping our umbrellas inside out.    The three doves released right into the deep purple sky.  It was beautiful. 

You know how some moments just stick so hard that you know when you are flashing through your life that moment will be one of them???  Walking down that grassy hill in my heels holding on to one of my dearest old friends, the wind and rain beating us, and the sky just an awesome mixture of blues as we look down on my best friend's childhood home...well that moment will be one of them.

And yesterday after a powerful message in church I counted my blessings and got back to the joy of Spring and life!  And Easter is coming!  I love Easter so much.  So I've laid out my days in my notebook (not that that will help me from the crazy panic before the hunt)  and it's time to get busy.

I cannot disappoint the children!!!

I cannot disappoint my husband either...SIX years this coming Friday!!!

 

 

 

The horses are gone to another pasture for a few weeks. 

And guess who has baby chicks yet again???  I know.  But this time we planned them and only let our hen have four eggs.  And one baby I don't think will make it.  So I hope they are all hens.  But I know with our chicken luck we'll have even more roosters.  To fight and peck and end up on the one eyed rooster part of the farm.

 

 
The first butterfly of the year. 

 
 

And Earl and Eudora guarding the plant flats from whatever bad guys might want to mess with mama's stuff. 

And thank you for the nice comments you guys leave.  I know I am an awful blogger and not here a lot but you have said some really sweet things and I just want to say thanks!