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Mrs. City Boy

~ Our little corner of the Midwest!

Mrs. City Boy

Tag Archives: photographs

Peaceful

06 Saturday Jul 2013

Posted by becky6259 in Feeling Better, Holidays/Seasons, Nature, Our Life and Times, Summer

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

calm, calmness, flowers, inner peace, nature, peace, photographs, Prayer

The prayer garden at the church I attend is in bloom again, this time with its Summer array.  It is such a peaceful place to wander around, or sit on a bench and think.

Most of us need a time to calm down and be at peace, regroup, pray.  And to do that, it helps to have a place to go to where we feel serene and positive.

There was a time or two when my car in a Walmart parking lot was my Place of Peace.  I played games on my phone and listened to the radio until I felt more calm and better able to think clearly.  At times my calming place has been with a book on the back porch.  But the prayer garden, a walk on a nature trail, or a sit-down by a stream are my favorite places to relax.

I encourage you to have a go-to place that is a haven for you to unwind when you need that time.  Even if it’s a locked bathroom door and tub of warm water.  I do realize that those opportunities may not come often — I was a young mother once — so sometimes you may have to plan them.  But do make the effort — it is so important.

Early in the morning or at the end of the day, alone or with a significant other, however you feel most calm — take some time to unwind and refresh your soul once-in-awhile.  One last picture of another calming place for me: my back porch at sundown.

I urge you to find your own Places of Peace, relax, and have a wonderful Sunday!

Related articles
  • Serenity (margauxdenador.typepad.com)
  • Sleeping Better Can Be As Easy As Redecorating Your Bedroom (plushbeds.com)
  • The Power of Prayer (everydayhealth.com)

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Two Weeks of No Dull Moments

28 Thursday Mar 2013

Posted by becky6259 in Holidays/Seasons, Nature, Our Life and Times, Spring

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

baby photographs, baby pictures, Beginning photography, bird photographs, birds, Easter, miniature schnauzer, Missouri, nature photographs, photographs, Snow, spring, Spring snow, Spring storm

Before the Storm

Right before the snowstorm a few birds pose

Wow, what a crazy two weeks it’s been!  Never dull, and a good mix of good and not-so-good things.  By that I mean that good things help us get that nice and fuzzy feeling, and not-so-good things help us appreciate the good things.

Our internet went down.  City Boy, without warning, decided to switch carriers for our phone service.  The phone carrier we had did not provide fax access so Frank decided we needed to make it so we could send them from home.

So, I found out about the change when I went into the office one day and noticed that the big hanging paper on the wall with our phone number on it (I frequently forget my own phone number) had our old number crossed out and replaced with a different one.  When I asked Frank about it, he told me, “Oh, yeah, I switched to a different carrier, and decided to bundle.”

So that’s what all this had to do with our internet — Frank had everything switched at the same time.  This was a good thing, except our internet suddenly went down on its own.  Poof.  The beginning of two snowstorms hit us and so our whole area was without internet for that carrier.

Snowing

Right after the snow started

So, the first of many reasons for not posting this week hit us hard.

Workers were scheduled to install all three services on the day we got heavy snowfall, so we went without internet for days until technicians were able to get here and install everything.  What internet I used last week was with my phone.  Anyway, installation took all that day, and I am still unhappy with the TV service, but it’s good to have everything working again.

Megan and sons

Megan and sons while we visited them in the hotel room her family was staying in

Emily in the ER with Brisbane, who was scared and in pain

Emily in the ER with Brisbane, who was scared and in pain

Then, back-to-back visits from both of my daughters and their families made things extra-special.  There was snowfall all the way through, and during the visit with Emily, my daughter from Iowa, my three-year-old grandson became ill while running a fever.  He suddenly became lethargic and then lost consciousness, so we all trekked into the city following the ambulance.  Poor Brisbane was in a lot of pain, and ended up after two days and two trips to the ER to have a bad infection nobody had known about, and the sudden fever had caused him to have a seizure (his first and hopefully his last).  My daughter had to extend her visit to Missouri and stayed with us and various relatives until Brisbane was recovered enough to travel.

The first snow we had finally thawed away, and then Sunday morning we woke up to get ready for church and discovered that it was snowing hard again.  Snow may be a bit confining, but it is so beautiful!  City Boy and I went to church anyway, and after two hours of being there it was still snowing, and we drove home in a blinding, windblown snow.

So, for several days Frank, Lucy and I were all hunkered down in a warm house, snow everywhere outside, along with the fattest robin on earth living in our front porch fake plant basket (Frank feeds our resident robin and she makes all the other birds look scrawny in comparison — I think maybe we are being enablers).  Then another flu bug hit me — immunosuppresent medication has now made it so that I catch every bug that comes within a mile of me, and I’ve been sick with one thing after another since Fall.  It gets old, but it could be worse.  I’m wanting very badly to be well for our trip to Texas this weekend, so I’m working on staying that way!

For most of the pictures of Megan’s family I forgot to change the camera settings, so those pictures could have been better color-wise, lol — here are a few pictures from Frank and my activities over the past two weeks :

This is the closest thing to a photograph taken from the front of my oldest grandson I will probably ever get a nod from his mother to post online, lol.  I think it’s neat the way his eyes seem to show through the paper he’s holding.

Oldest grandson at Texas Roadhouse Steakhouse where all of us went to eat and visit

Oldest grandson at Texas Roadhouse Steakhouse where all of us went to eat and visit

He gets kinda close to the tv back at the hotel room

He gets kinda close to the tv back at the hotel room

Bobby and Michael just finishing up a wrestling match

There were so many more pictures, but most included front views of the baby or of Megan (who doesn’t like her picture taken).  So alas, only a few pictures here, but we had a great visit and evening with all of them.

Most of the time Emily and her family were here involved Emergency Room visits, but I managed to catch a few pictures of them as well.

Emily comforting Brisbane and calling family members

Emily comforting Brisbane and calling family members

Jay comforts Brisbane and listens to the doctor

Jay comforts Brisbane and listens to the doctor

Brisbane scared and in pain and Jay attempts to calm him

Brisbane scared and in pain and Jay attempts to calm him

Hopefully Brisbane is on the road to recovery and doesn’t have a repeat of anything like this — it was a traumatic and painful time for him!

It began snowing and Jay had to get back to Iowa before the worst of it hit.  Pre-storm all the way through post storm was quite a show both times!  

As a precursor to the storm, birds of every kind teemed all over the tree in our front yard.

Right before the storm birds flocked to this tree -- I only managed to capture six of them at once

Right before the storm birds flocked to this tree — I only managed to capture six of them at once

These two held the stillest for me and I got a bunch of pictures of them -- I have no idea what kind of birds they are

These two held the stillest for me and I got a bunch of pictures of them — I have no idea what kind of birds they are

After the snow started I took this picture over our back yard fence

After the snow started I took this picture over our back yard fence

The same night I took the above picture, I took another one over the same part of the back yard fence, except the snow cast a glow on everything so that the night settings on my camera made everything too bright, so this is the picture of the back yard without the night settings.

Weirdly eerie picture of the back yard

Weirdly eerie picture of the back yard

The next snow storm that came along was so fun looking to Lucy that she just had to be out in it as soon as the snow started!

Lucy with her nose buried under the snow to find what she can find

Lucy with her nose buried under the snow to find what she can find

Lucy surveys the yard while huge snowflakes fall on her

Lucy surveys the yard while huge snowflakes fall on her

Even with wind blowing and snow caked on her feet and her face up to her eyes, Lucy still didn't want to come in

Even with wind blowing and snow caked on her feet and her face up to her eyes, Lucy still didn’t want to come in

Our holly bush and other foliage out front looked pretty as they were getting snowed on.

The front yard tree, which had started to bud out

The front yard tree, which had started to bud out

Bench

So, visitors, snow, technical difficulties, a whole day of installers, illness, getting ready for our trip and just general every day life, hasn’t left room for a dull moment this past couple of weeks, and we sure don’t want any dull moments!  

Becca’s Precious Baby, who we will be meeting this weekend, is three-and-a-half months old (no WAY!!), and time has flown!  So I thought I’d add the latest pictures of her:

734318_10151569658446639_1035429398_n

While we’re gone I’m hoping to be able and continue posting, and I hope all of you are gearing up for a fantastic Easter Sunday!  Only a few more days!

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Rural Ozarks Life In the Not-So-Fast Lane

14 Thursday Mar 2013

Posted by becky6259 in Holidays/Seasons, Nature, Our Life and Times, Winter

≈ 8 Comments

Tags

Beginning photography, Missouri Ozarks, nature, nature photographs, nature photography, ozarks, photographs, Photography, rural, Small town

This past week the Weekly Photo Challenge was actually to use a cell phone camera to take a picture of the neighborhood that we live in.  The other day I posted that picture, and while City Boy and I were out-and-about that same day I also took some regular camera pictures, which I have posted in this post.  I am so looking forward to Spring and greenery and flowers that I figure if I keep taking pictures one day everything will just go green!

These photos are from our town, a few of our next door neighbor towns, and the countryside in between.

ROLITFL1

ROLITFL2

ROLITFL3

ROLITFL4

ROLITFL5

ROLITFL6

Back home the sun was coming out from behind the fluffy clouds from time-to-time, and the contrast of the sun playing peekaboo in a blue sky to billowy clouds just made me smile.

ROLITFL7

ROLITFL8

ROLITFL9

Very high atop a tree (the one pictured in the center of the photo above, actually), a little bird decided to bask in the sun after I had taken my cloud pictures.  She sure seemed to enjoy the nice warm sun rays, because she stayed up there for a long time.  I don’t blame her!

ROLITFL10

As nightfall came a little hammock moon appeared long enough to wish us all a good evening.

ROLITFL11

Wishing you all peaceful days and nights!

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Weekly Photo Challenge: Lost in the Details

07 Thursday Mar 2013

Posted by becky6259 in Artistic Tendancies, Nature

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

Beginning photography, close-up photography, DailyPost, details, moon, nature, nature photography, perspective, photographs, Photography, postaday, weekly photo challenge

By now everyone probably thinks I worship the moon, but I’ve actually just lately had more than the usual amount of great photo opportunities in the sky.  So, I thought I’d use one of them in this week’s challenge.

A clear moon with a misty frame of barely-there branches made for what I thought was a neat shot, but a very common one, and I am not a skilled enough photographer to make the day moon any more dramatic than it already is.  Its magnificent beauty certainly doesn’t need my help!

Day Moon 

On a whim I changed the focus from the moon as the subject to making the winter trees against a winter sky the subject with the moon a misty glowing orb in the background.  I like this effect, and I am learning a little more about what a difference a change in perspective can make.  The details in the winter branches had been lost to me in times past.

Day Moon

So, since this challenge, I’ve been thinking about the concept of how details can be totally lost while being in plain site.  One of my fellow bloggers recently posted a picture of wildlife in which something was in plain site but virtually invisible because it was being very inconspicuous.  It is a very interesting version of a sort of “Where’s Waldo” (found here — give it a try!).  The concept of something being lost in amongst all the details of a photograph intrigued me, so when this photo challenge came up I thought I would try my amateur hand at it.

For instance, a furry flower can be interesting looking…

Furry Flower

…except that the same flower disappears when seen from the perspective of being a spec in a sea of weeds ground cover.

Weeds

Rocks are much more interesting from a close and personal perspective…

Rocks

…than when viewed as part of a bunch of excess rocks behind a building.

Rocks

It’s been fun trying to find things that are there, but are lost in the details that are all around them.  It has made me realize that I am missing about 90% of the world around me every day!  So learning to be a better photographer involves much more of learning to be observant than I ever realized.  That’s something I will have to work on.

Since I’ve just jumped on the bandwagon of the WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge (details here — scroll down the Photo Challenge page to find out how to get started), I’ll have to get better at taking pictures!  There are many fantastic photos to look at, taken by very talented photographers!

Today I wish everybody a fantastic, delightful day!

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The Mother Of All Depressions — Pun Intended

05 Tuesday Mar 2013

Posted by becky6259 in Holidays/Seasons, Nature, Our Life and Times, Winter

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Arkansas, baby, baby photographs, day moon, Mental health, moon, photographs, Photography, Postpartum depression, Snow, winter, winter weather

Ah, no matter where you go, it’s always good to be home!  Even the best vacation has a point at which your own space, your own stuff, your own bed, just cannot be beat.  I’m glad to be home, but so very glad I got to spend some time visiting my daughter Megan, her husband, and my two grandsons.

My newest grandbaby is two months old, and he’s a real charmer!  Megan’s older son (I’ve talked about him on this blog before, here, for example) is still my little buddy, and always in a good mood.  My 21-year-old son, Joel, lives with Megan, so I get to visit with him while I’m there, and that really rounds out visits to Arkansas!

A big snowstorm came right after I arrived at their house — it was quite a show!  On the way there I had time to get a picture of a wonderful day moon.  After that came a blanket of snow.

Day Moon

My son-in-law's lonely looking bike in the backyard during the snowfall

My son-in-law’s lonely looking bike in the backyard during the snowfall

Some green grass growing by the fence row that had been enjoying the Spring weather and now sitting there as if thinking, "What the.....???!!!"

Some green grass growing by the fence row that had been enjoying the Spring weather and now is sitting there as if thinking, “What the…..???!!!”

The above-ground pool -- not enticing for a swim at this moment!

The above-ground pool — not enticing for a swim at this moment!

English: Cone Queen Ice-Cream Truck with Owner...

On the day I left to come home, I had been out earlier with my grandson, both of us with no outerwear because the weather had turned warm and we bought some ice cream from the ice cream truck!  Talk about a fast change in weather!

On a totally unrelated note, during the visit, although I loved being there and had a great time, a few unsettling things had me worried.

Something that hits close to home for a lot of mothers is now heavy on my mind.  Megan is now going through what is termed postpartum depression.  She suffered from this when she had her first child, so she hasn’t been very surprised that it’s hit her after her second one, but she is having a struggle getting on top of it.  I feel bad for her and worry about her, even though she is certain this will pass.

We’re not talking about murderous psychosis here, but just general postpartum depression.  That’s bad enough, I know.  But Megan is just not herself, and it hurts a mom terribly to see her daughter going through this.

There is not much I can say that is of any help to her.  I was diagnosed with postpartum depression after my second child came along, but I tend to think that my depression at that time was more situational than hormonal.  A lot of time has passed since then as well, and details about it aren’t as fresh any more.

Do any of you mothers who have had postpartum depression remember what it was like going through this kind of thing?  What did you do that helped?  I would really appreciate any helpful hints, and would certainly pass them on to Megan!

On a lighter note, there is another baby in the family that I haven’t posted about for a while, and that is Becca’s Precious Baby — and wow, is she growing!

Feb17Beccasbaby

The Face-maker

The Face-maker

Precious Baby is now is now two-and-a-half months old, and has developed quite the personality — Frank and I can’t wait to get to Texas at the end of March for Easter and get our  hands on her!  I’ll be trying to take some pictures of her and Daniel’s Angel Baby (among others) to bring back home with me!

So much to talk about, so little time — rest is the next thing on my list of things to do for now, but lots is going on and I’m looking forward to posting again.  Until then, have a great day!

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A Splash Of Color Thrown In

23 Saturday Feb 2013

Posted by becky6259 in Our Life and Times

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

Beginning photography, Chaplaincy, City Boy, Divinity, divinity student, Office, photographs, Photography, school, student

Small scenes from around the office of a student of Divinity (Chaplaincy):

Office

Office

Office Wall

Office

Office Wall

Office Wall

Of course, some of these scenes would only be seen in the office of a student who was also a grandpa.

And, the shelf representing his whole world — the man, his god (and agent thereof), his offspring and his little dog (notice his wife is not represented here)….

Office

Something seems out-of-place…..

Office

Oh, there we go — I knew I was represented SOMEwhere in this office.  That’s me.  Really.  I used to be quite a dish.

Lol, really, that’s a mouse pad one of City Boy’s kids or grandkids got him and he’s had it for many years (you can tell by the wear).  I find it funny that it kind of clashes with the religious decor and theme of the room, but if a person can’t have a laugh from time-to-time then they have a hard life I guess.

Have a fantastic Saturday, and enjoy your weekend!

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Sunset Without Power Lines (Well Almost)

21 Thursday Feb 2013

Posted by becky6259 in Holidays/Seasons, Nature, Our Life and Times, Winter

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

Beginning photography, evening, Freezing rain, Ice storm, nature photographs, photographs, Photography, Sunset, Winter storm

The night before our big snowstorm last night we were gifted with a really nice sunset.  The view off of our back porch, although we live in a rural town, is surprisingly free (mostly) from power lines and poles in the way of the sky view.  Here are a few shots of the tapestry the sun made as it left us for the evening.

Sunset1

Sunset2

Sunset3

By the next evening we were getting ready for an overnight snow and ice storm, so we were at the store stocking up and at  home battening down the hatches.  Last night it hit, but I will say we didn’t get as much of it as some of our other midwest neighbors.  This was the view through our front window this morning.

Window View

Lucy went out to play (and do a few other things), and I went out with her to take a few pictures.  Our poor adirondack chairs have really taken a beating this winter.

Back Yard

Adirondack Chair

Cold place to sit!  

And I was just playing with the camera….

Adirondack Chair

Lucy loves snow, and always plays in it — I got a little video footage of her that I’m too embarrassed to show anybody.  She is a gray and white dog but after running around in the snow she is brown.  She will always find the one spot in the yard that is muddy and make it muddier.  But it’s easy to tell she doesn’t mind the snow…

Paw Prints

Snow is so pretty, and I enjoy it.  At the same time, I won’t be unhappy when Spring comes.  Hope all of you are staying warm and enjoying what’s left of Winter!

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Storms, Birds, Cakes, Cologne, Bedspreads and Valentines — Whew!

11 Monday Feb 2013

Posted by becky6259 in Being Frugal, Holidays/Seasons, Nature, Our Life and Times, Things To Eat, Tips and Tricks, Winter

≈ 7 Comments

Tags

Beautiful, Bird, Cake, Cherry Vanilla, cologne, nature photography, photographs, Photography, rain, Robin, Valentine, Valentine's Day, Wind

As a storm approached, we battened down the hatches and tried to put our porch furniture where it wouldn’t blow around so much, and made sure the cover on the barbeque smoker was secure, all the usual stuff that is done when one is expecting wind and rain.  The skies slowly began to turn from very light blue to grey, to ominous gray.

Approaching Storm

Finally, after awhile of low thunder, the wind started lashing and the rain came pouring down in sheets, blowing all different directions.  We were thankful to all be in a warm house, since the temperature had also dropped.  We were going about our business in the house when I glanced out the front window, and to my dismay spotted something I had forgotten all about, high up in a tree.

Robin In Rainstorm

Our little resident robin had perched up there, apparently trying to ride out the storm.  And ride she did.  The chilling wind was whipping the branches all around with her on them while she kept a death grip on the branch she was on.  As she was being thrashed around by the wind she was being pummeled by the cold rain.  It still didn’t look horribly bad and I really wasn’t too concerned until I got the camera out and zoomed in closer on some of the pictures I was taking.

Robin In Rainstorm

It is apparent in the closer up pictures that the wind is really blowing her and the rain is falling off of her in sheets.  

Robin In Rainstorm

All that misty distortion on her in the picture is sheets of rain.  The robin began to try to shield herself after awhile:

Robin In Rainstorm

Robin In Rainstorm

Birds have been weathering storms since they first appeared on the earth, but it was still really hard to watch this.  There wasn’t a thing we could do, and I was feeling pretty guilty at this point for having removed my basket of fake plants from the porch that she had been taking shelter in.  Well, at the time I hadn’t seen her in it in awhile and thought she’d left, and I wanted to put up Christmas decorations.  I didn’t mean to be mean!

Anyway, Robin rode things out until the wind died down for a brief few moments and she was able to fly over to a neighbor’s balcony and take shelter in some dead plants in a planter.  My guess for why she didn’t take up residence over there in the first place is that there are young children over there.  But I really don’t know what goes through a bird’s mind when they pick out a home.

So, the robin was back when the sun came out, and we then knew for sure that she had weathered things out.  I guess I should put my fake plant basket back up, maybe.

Robin In Good Weather

On a lighter note (or heavier note, however you want to look at it), I really like rich cake.  The usual box mix made according to package directions and frosted with a tub of ready-made frosting is good, but just doesn’t quite do it for me as far as the rich factor.  

Cake

Semi-sweet chocolate chips

This is one of those cakes, made from a box mix with a tub of icing on it.  There is a difference, though.  A whole bag of chocolate chips mixed in.  Amazing it doesn’t look like it, but they’re there, and taste wonderful.

Actually, they are not exactly mixed in — When I first started using flavored chips in cake I used to stir a whole package of them in with the batter before I put it in the cake pan.  It was good that way, but the chips all went to the bottom and some of them burnt and stuck to the pan.

Melting chocolate chips.

So, I tried different things, and finally found what works the best.  Mix batter according to package directions (or recipe, if making cake from scratch).  Put the cake batter in the prepared cake pan as usual, then sprinkle half the bag of chips (any flavor desired) over the top. Then bake the cake as usual.  When the cake is done and you first pull it out of the oven, sprinkle the other half of the bag of chips over the top of the cake.  I usually put the cake back in the still-warm oven I’ve just turned-off for about 30 seconds or so, just enough to make the chips soft enough and then spread them over the top of the cake.  Let the cake cool completely, then frost.  I don’t usually use the whole tub of frosting on this because it makes it almost sickening rich, and a lot of frosting is wasted when people scrape it off of the cake and leave it on the plate after they finish their piece of cake.

The above cake was a mix I had kept stored in the freezer since Halloween and a tub of frosting I had gotten at the same time.  I used the whole tub of frosting, and shouldn’t have.  But this cake is so decadent and good when made with the baking chips.  It can also be made with cake and frosting that has been made from scratch.

My favorite combination of all time is chocolate fudge cake with milk chocolate chips and frosted with chocolate fudge frosting.  That cake is so decadent and rich you will think it’s sinful.  

For Christmas, Santa was good to me.  Why I’m mentioning that now, when it’s February, is because I wanted to talk about a few favorites of mine (the song from The Sound Of Music called “My Favorite Things” comes to mind).  I love to smell good.  Well, most people don’t want to smell bad, but I mean I like to smell extra good on occasion, and so I have a few favorite smelly things I enjoy using.

City Boy gifted me my all-time favorite cologne for Christmas.  We’re not rich, so he had to save up for this, and then this particular cologne had a deal going the same week he went in to buy me a bottle of it.  So I got all THIS!

Beautiful

Beautiful by Estee Lauder

Actually, the reed diffuser did not come with it, but the rest of it came with the promotion Estee Lauder was running at the time.  Also included was a little purse sample of another cologne, Precious, that they were promoting with it.  Anyway, this cologne smells really good, and is much better on than in the air.  So if you are looking for a different scent and haven’t tried this one yet, stop off at the Lauder counter and try some out!

If you’re one of those people (like me) who usually doesn’t want to spend that kind of money (I do have to admit that I would never buy Beautiful for myself because of it being so pricey), I have another favorite that I have used for years.  My mom got me some for Christmas and I use it a LOT.

Cherry Vanilla

It’s probably easy to tell by how dusty and dinged-up this bottle of Cherry Vanilla is from sitting out and being thrown around and dropped and by how empty it already is after less than two months, that I use this cologne quite a bit.  It’s a rich smelling, wonderful blend of two wonderful scents.  When I was a struggling single mother I used to buy this at Walmart and got a lot of compliments on it.

Mom told me one time that when she was young and single a lot of women wore cooking vanilla as cologne, and so mixing vanilla and other scents just seems natural.  I don’t remember how much this cologne is, but I am very sure it is still much more affordable than cologne from the perfume counter at the department stores.  The only problem with Walmart is that, many times, they don’t have samplers out so you can try this.  But it does smell like cherries and vanilla, so if you like those two things, you will probably like this.  It’s possible they also sell this in drug stores, so if you see some there, drug stores are usually better about keeping sample bottles out.

When City Boy and I first moved back here to Missouri from Texas a year ago, we bought a new quilt from Bed Bath and Beyond on a fantastic sale.  We’ve been doing so many other things since then that we’ve neglected really fixing up our bedroom much.  I don’t want to be matchy-matchy or anything, but I would like whatever decorating we (meaning I) do to coordinate with this quilt.  It actually turned out to be bigger than we expected, so we’re using it as a comforter.  If I can’t figure out what I want to do, I can just go back to the old comforter set we had, but I’d rather not.

Bedspread

So, really, don’t laugh — it really doesn’t look Granny-ish.  For now I’m just trying to decide what to do in the bedroom that will coordinate.  If I in all my decorating wisdom (cough) can’t figure something out, I’ll beseach all of you for helpful advice (I would show more of the problem areas of the room then), because you guys always have such good ideas for things and I don’t (whining sound).  You know by now that if I can’t do it on-the-cheap I will neglect doing it (be lazy) until I just have no other choice (no other easy way out).

Okay, so I’ve meandered around quite a bit in this post, and in posts lately — I really need to start getting more organized and posting with a general theme, even if it’s only about leg hair or something (not that I would post about that).  It would make it much easier for people to read, for sure.  So that’s my goal for the near future; to post in a more organized fashion.

This week’s reminder, for those of you who celebrate Valentine’s Day, or will be made to wish you had by your significant other (lol):

12027165_sMonday, Tuesday and Wednesday are your very last days to shop/plan/possibly ship, so make your special someone jump for joy and get ‘er done!

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The Nice Day

02 Saturday Feb 2013

Posted by becky6259 in Holidays/Seasons, Nature, Our Life and Times, Winter

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

baby, Missouri, nature, nature photographs, photographs, Photography, Snow, Valentine, Valentine's Day, winter, winter weather

It’s so good to be back…again!  And City Boy finally broke down and got another laptop — yay!  Now I don’t have to wait until midnight to start doing my stuff on the computer.  These two rounds of pneumonia have kept me mostly out of commission off and on for three months, but they’re checking into things and hopefully we’ll get all this under-the-weather stuff under control.  

So, Thursday City Boy took me into the city for a doctor’s appointment, and we were glad to be out on such a nice day.  I literally haven’t left the  house in forever, and the weatherman had said the day would be clear with a temperature of close to 50, which is fantastic for a January day in Missouri!  So, I took a few pictures of our clear, nice Missouri day as we were headed back home from the city.

On our way out of the city heading home

On our way out of the city heading home

Closer to home

Closer to home — it looks misty but that’s actually snow

The way the snow looks in the trees is kind of eerie and neat looking at the same time!

The way the snow looks in the trees is kind of eerie and neat looking at the same time! The snow hadn’t started accumulating on the ground quite yet

Old Barn In Snow

Old Barn In Snow

Finally back home, where a lonely nest hangs in one of the front yard trees

Finally home! A lonely nest hangs in the cold

Facing the other direction from our front doorstep is a snowy group of trees and bushes

Facing the other direction from our front doorstep is a snowy group of trees and bushes

Snowy Grass

Snowy backyard grass and clover — this is why the rabbits like our yard so much

And here's the back fence rabbit hole where the bunnies all come it at -- Lucy always chases them but they keep coming back

And here’s the back fence rabbit hole where the bunnies all come in at — Lucy always chases them but thankfully they keep coming back!

So, despite the cold and wet, we really got a treat!  Snow, when it first falls, is so pretty, and seems to freshen things up.  Then it gets all dirty and melts and refreezes and turns to ice.  Woops, that was a negative thing to say — that’s why I take pictures of snow, so that when it turns all cruddy and brown I can look at the pictures and think about how truly lovely snow is.  And when it floats down all silently from the heavens, it’s magical.

AnGeL..

Frank has two children who now have baby girls less than a year old.  I’ve posted several pictures of Becca’s Precious Baby on this blog, but until now have not gotten any of Daniel’s Angel Baby that I could post because Daniel uses a cell phone that takes little pictures and I can’t get the pictures big enough.  We have been blessed with a few postable pictures of Angel Baby lately from other siblings.

Frank’s son Daniel is a single father of a 10 month old baby girl, and Angel Baby has Daniel wrapped around her little finger.  Bath time is her favorite time of the day.

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I’m not sure why I am thinking this, but I get the impression that Daniel might be trying to help Angel Baby learn to eat.

02011609a

Nothing like using your whole body as a napkin.  I’m sure at least some of that food hits her mouth, judging from the food-beard Angel Baby is sporting.  

And since the theme today seems to be half-dressed babies, here’s a sweet one of Becca’s Precious Baby:

217567_10151471220646639_261158519_n

The next time I am in Texas it’s a sure bet that I will be taking my camera and trying to get all sorts of pictures of Precious Baby and Angel Baby — to not do that just wouldn’t be natural.

Okay, so I’ve missed awhile of being able to post my nagging – er, I mean, reminders.  You all know what time it’s getting to be — that day is fast approaching!

12088342_s

Don’t forget Valentine’s Day!!  Do something special, no matter who you are or what your status is.  Whether you’re part of a couple or you’re flying solo, remember that loving yourself is part of learning to love others.  So celebrate loving!  

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31 Thursday Jan 2013

Posted by becky6259 in Artistic Tendancies, Nature, Reblogged

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

Blogger, clouds, lunar, moon, nature, night photography, photograph, photographs, Photography

This blogger takes the night time pictures I only wish I could take, lol!

sethsnap

The moon, clouds and wind were on stage last night here in Ohio.  The moon and clouds danced to the howling song of the wind.  They gracefully interacted in ways that only two lovers could.  The intimacy, passion and chemistry enveloped all who saw and implanted wild and adventurous dreams which were to be realized, though not remembered, later that night in the deepest of sleep.

Visit my store.Visit my galleries.

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becky6259

becky6259

My daddy married a city girl and put her in the country, and then I married a city boy and he put me in the city...for awhile anyway. We're now living in small-town Mid-Missouri and enjoying the best of both worlds!

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