Help Needed

Just popping in to say "Hi" to you all. This week has been a whirlwind of house cleaning, getting ready for some visitors. My daughter's freshman college roommate and my son's girlfriend are arriving this weekend. And so, it has been Triple Red Alert here at our Little Red House.

I have to confess that I am a terrible housekeeper. I really, really hate housecleaning. So I tend to let things slide... And every time I get caught up in these crazy bouts of cleaning for guests, I swear that I will not let things slide any more.

So, would you guys please remind me to pick up a dust cloth once in awhile? ;)

Tell me, are you an Oscar or a Felix? Slob or neat freak? Or somewhere in between? And if you hate housecleaning like I do, how do you make it easier to accomplish? Any tips for this helpless housekeeper?

My Treasure Hunt

Ever since I was a little girl, I always loved to go outside and just look. Not necessarily at beautiful vistas, but just at the details that are found in even the smallest patch of earth. I guess it was sort of like a treasure hunt for me, to discover the tiny gems in nature -- the seeds and berries and flowers and leaves -- and to watch how they grew and changed with the seasons.

I guess I am still at it almost half a century later. So much time has passed, so much water under the bridge, so many seasons have turned, and I am still hunting that treasure. The cedar trees are almost bursting with berries this autumn, a thousand tiny dusky pearls clinging to their branches. And every misty morning brings more small mushrooms to the lawn, appearing seemingly overnight, as if a whole colony of fairies had decided to take their rest in our backyard by the light of the moon.

The spiders are busy weaving now, too. Everywhere I walk, they have spun their soft yarns, spreading lacy silver shawls across the garden.

I hope you have enjoyed coming along on my little treasure hunt. Often I find myself at a loss for something to post here. My life is small and ordinary. But filled with treasure. :)

Heat Wave

Sometimes you just have to spend the week on the sofa, hiding from the heat and nursing a summer cold. It's getting a little less humid here, and I think I'm almost done with the coughing.

I also spent some time this week updating my professional photography blog, with some more of the sessions I shot last fall. Still have more to post about there, and I have two shoots next week. Wish me luck!

More Bunny Williams next week, too. (I know what you're saying -- "Dear God, will it never end?") See you Sunday night for Mosaic Monday. Stay cool, dear bloggers! :)

A Little of This and That

Just popping in to say hello. The wild violets are blooming in our lawn right now, and the weather has been absolutely beautiful. I've been busy gathering donations for the semi-annual VNA Rummage Sale in May. And I have been spending a lot of time setting up my portrait photography website for (hopefully) an early May launch.

But all this has taken a toll. I think I may need to refrain from blogging for a little while -- I'm having some nasty pain in my right hand, and I'm sure it must be from too much typing and photo editing.

But on a brighter note, my photoblog, In a Soft Light, has been included in the Summer 2011 edition of Artful Blogging magazine. I am over-the-moon excited! It will be on sale May 1st. :)

I hope to be back posting here for Mosaic Monday on May 1st. See you then! xoxo

In which I am shown to be pathetic...

How did it get to be Saturday already? I mean, really?! This week went by in a blur of sun and rain, warm and freezing, -- the epitome of late winter in New Jersey. Finally, most of the snow is gone, but now we have mud. Of course, we could very easily get more snow. It's not unheard of to see snow in March, and even occasionally April, in these parts.

(Please God, no!)

Ah well, every day is just a little bit longer than the one before, and with the snow cover gone, hopefully we will see some snowdrops popping up soon.

(Please?!)

Pictured above is our dining room, with it's French doors that lead out to the deck and the garden. We have spent the last several months peering out at the snow covered deck, remembering lazy summer evenings spent taking a leisurely dinner while the fireflies danced around our candlelit table.

(That sound you hear is my husband softly whimpering. He misses his grill.)

So until we can bring the deck furniture out of storage, you can find us here almost daily, looking out the deck doors and sighing. Yes, we are pathetic. Just don't tell my husband I told you about the whimpering. :)

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Are you all ready for another Mosaic Monday? We had several new participants last week, and I'm so thrilled that they could join us! I will put the link up on Sunday evening, by 8:30 pm Eastern time, USA. Looking forward to seeing all your mosaics!

Venting

I was on line at the supermarket yesterday, when I realized that I had forgotten one item. There were two people ahead of me. I ran to get the item, and when I returned, less than one minute later, some woman had pushed my cart out of the way and was starting to load her items on the belt.

When I told her (very politely) that I was next in line, she told me that I shouldn't have left my cart unattended. Now mind you, I was gone less than one minute and they had not even started checking out the woman who had been ahead of me on line.

Can you believe that??? It wasn't as if I had kept her waiting...

I don't mind telling you, I was madder than hell!

Sorry to drop all that on you! But by now (hopefully) I'm over it. lol And so I'll just post this pretty tea cup and wish you all a pleasant weekend.

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I hope to see you all at Mosaic Monday. No more venting, I promise! The linky thingy will be up on Sunday night by 8:30 pm Eastern time, USA. If you need help learning how to make a mosaic, be sure to check out my tutorial on the sidebar.

Thanks!

hibernate

It's my birthday, which I would just as soon forget, and it's snowing like crazy, which I would definitely like to forget.

I'm going back to bed. Wake me when it's spring. Or when there are Hershey's Kisses in the house. Whichever comes first.

Double Yuck

I have never been a big fan of winter; usually by mid-January I am longing for spring. This year it wasn't really too bad -- I have been walking a lot, getting lots of sunshine which really does make a difference in my mood.

But then I got this stinking cold.

Yuck. I really don't want to share all the disgusting symptoms, but suffice it to say that this has not been a good couple of days. Finally, I went to the doctor to learn I have a nasty virus that turned into bronchitis. Now that I have some drugs, it should be getting better.

Sooner rather than later, I hope.

In the meantime, I have these lovely tulips from my daughter. And even feeling crappy, I could not resist taking a few pictures. ;) We had the nastiest weather here yesterday -- snow and freezing rain that turned to all rain with temps in the high 30's.

Yuck. (That's two yucks, if you are keeping score.)

So, I hope everyone is well, and warm and dry. There is something about the color red, isn't there? It just warms the spirit.

Happy Wednesday, dear bloggers!

Sooner or Later

It had to happen sooner or later... after all, it happens every year. Yep, I've got a cold. So it's lots of tea and sitting on the couch, which is all I really feel like at the moment...

So, I hope you all are well, and happy, and enjoying the week. I'll catch you soon, hopefully without the germs. lol

Tomorrow

My daughter is leaving for college tomorrow.

I know it sounds silly, but it doesn't seem real to me yet that she will be gone after tomorrow. But I'm sure that by tomorrow night, it will be all too real, and I'll be missing her like crazy.

And although I know in my heart that she will have fun and learn to live without me, I also know that there will be a big hole in my life starting tomorrow.

Baby, It's Hot Outside!

The temperature here in my part of New Jersey reached 101 yesterday. Yes, that is not a typo -- it was 101 degrees Fahrenheit here yesterday. There is no convenient central air conditioning in our Little Red House, although we do have several window units installed upstairs in the bedrooms and our little family room.

So, no going outside to photograph gardens or wander through thrift stores or visit decorating shops. It was just too darn hot. Instead, I sat inside, in the air conditioned upstairs, and did some reading and some blog hopping.

And I decided to be a lazy blogger, and post some pictures that I took last month when it was cooler, and the daisies were in bloom, and I was feeling inspired. Now I'm just feeling hot.

I did manage to empty the dishwasher, and get a few loads of laundry done, but other than that, it was a lazy day here at the Little Red House. I guess everyone needs a lazy day every once in awhile, but it's beginning to feel like Cabin Fever, Summer Edition. And that is never fun.

So, how's the weather in your neck of the woods these days?

Going to the Birds

Do you ever feel like you live the most boring life imaginable, and no one would be interested in anything you could possibly write about?

No, of course not. Because all of you lead wonderfully full and interesting lives. You paint furniture. You create fabulous scrapbooks. You visit exotic places.

All I do is spend way too much time taking pictures. lol

I went to a nearby park on Monday to get some pictures of reflections in the water for my 365 blog, Beauty Unspoken. I came away with a photo of a Canada goose taking an afternoon snooze. :)

And also a pair of mallards preening in the sun.

There was a big sign, in Spanish and English, warning that it was against the law to feed the waterfowl. But as I walked around the perimeter path, a car pulled up and an old woman got out. She went to the water's edge, right under the "Do Not Feed the Waterfowl" sign, and tossed some bread into the water. Then she got back into the car and drove away.

Instantly, some Canada geese, the mallards and a pair of swans appeared. And I got my reflections shot.

Sometimes the planets just align, you know? And I feel as though my life is not going to the birds after all. ;)

Easter thoughts on a rainy day...

It's raining cats and dogs here as I write this -- a good day to bury your nose in a book. lol Of course I've got tons of work around the house, but here I sit reminiscing about Easters past.

When my kids were little, we always had an Easter egg hunt. My husband would go outside early on Easter morning and hide the eggs that we had colored earlier in the week. When we returned from mass, my kids would grab their baskets and run around the garden, hunting eggs. My son, who is a laid-back artist type, would happily amble about, waiting for inspiration. My daughter, who is a type-A competitor, raced around grabbing the eggs she had noticed when we went to church. When the hunt was done, we would always take some family pictures in our Easter finery.

My son is 22 now, and away at school. My daughter is 18 and busy with AP courses and senior projects. But I think I'm going to run out to the store today and get some eggs. :)

If you celebrate Easter, I'd love to hear about your special Easter memory today...

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And speaking of holidays, have you heard about Matthew Mead's new holiday project? I don't know about you, but I LOVE his creative decorating ideas and beautiful photos! And his newest project is all about holiday inspiration. Here is the 411, direct from the folks at his website:

Head over to Holiday with Matthew Mead to find out how you can win the opportunity to have your blog or online shop mentioned in the magazine. Holiday with Matthew Mead is a "book-azine" celebrating and offering inspiration for the Christmas holiday season. To be released in October 2010, Holiday is offered via online orders only - in limited quantities - and will not be sold on newsstands. But, by simply following the BUY HOLIDAY MAGAZINE link below their banner, you can reserve your own copy of this beautiful magazine, with guaranteed delivery of the magazine straight to your mailbox! Holiday with Matthew Mead is 144 pages of holiday inspiration with well-known and admired designers, bloggers and top-notch features, printed on beautiful paper and not drowning in ads!

Now, head on over for your chance to win!

Sunshine Makes Me Happy

Sunshine is in short supply this weekend in my part of New Jersey, with a rainfall of three to five inches expected. We had such a glorious week, full of sun and warmth, that I cannot complain. After all, into every life a little rain must fall, right?

I snapped this photo on Wednesday, when the sun was streaming in through my kitchen window. I've been taking a lot of photos in the kitchen lately, and showing a bit more interest in cooking, too. It's funny how winter just wears you down -- same food, same four walls. I've been trying to diet since January, but have only been able to make any headway this past week, when the sun began to shine. Rather than a strict diet, I've just been making sure that my meals include whole grains, fruit or vegetables.

And that seems to be enough for me. I've never been a big meat eater, so just a bite or two satisfies me. And I don't like fish at all, except for canned tuna. Yes, I'm a picky eater. :) But most of all, I don't seem to be craving sweets or salty things. Glory Hallelujah.

In a strange way, I think the sunshine and warmer weather are responsible for my change of heart. I've always been a big stress eater and, well, sunshine makes me happy.

Can it really be as simple as that?

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Please join me for Mosaic Monday this week. I was blown away last week by the amazingly talented bloggers who shared their photos with us, and I look forward to seeing what you have to show this week. Mr. Linky will be up by 8:30pm Sunday. :)

Who Are You?

I've been taking a photography course for the past few weeks. One of the first assignments was to take a self-portrait.

You have no idea how many images went in the trash before I came up with one that was, well, not too horrible. :)

But mainly I'm posting this because I've been wondering lately who is this woman I see in the mirror, and where is she headed?

Oh, and how did I get to be so old?!

Anybody else feeling this way?

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Please join me for Mosaic Monday. Mr. Linky should be up by 8:30pm Sunday. I look forward to seeing your mosaics. :)

Flowers for Mary

Yesterday I gathered the tiniest of flowers.

Germander and daisy, lobelia and catmint, and some pretty pink wildflowers.

All in a tiny hobnail milk glass fan vase.

Flowers for Mary, Mother of God, whose statue has watched over the kitchen sink at our Little Red House since my mother began washing dishes here in 1959.

I can never hope to be the wonderful and generous person that my mother was, but I guess I can carry on a few of her traditions. :)