sparrow rain and peach tree

sparrow rain and peach tree
Originally uploaded by GButterfly.

This was just a couple of weeks ago now everything is frozen. i hope we still get some peaches from this wonderful tree. I know we'll have more sparrows as we already hear little ones in our bird houses. thats april in kansas unpredictable

blue and green butterfly

blue and green butterfly
Originally uploaded by GButterfly.

THis suits my mood. I scanned a notebook then adjusted the colors in paint.
A little blue becuase there was a baby shower going on at work right next to my office for the entire afternoon. It was loud so I couldn't avoid tinking about it. I had a bit of a sniffle for a time but I did keep on plugging unitl the work was done - so that was good.
On the up side hubby got a job offer - so starting in May our financial picture is more hopeful - and thus the hopes of our being able to afford whatever we need to do to get a youngster of our own.

grandpa's airplane

grandpa's flying beastie
Originally uploaded by GButterfly.

As my grandpa has been in the hospital for some time & we thought he should have some photos in the room. My grandma dug these up and I enlarged them. It's amazing to see them so young - how they were before I was born I'm not sure but this shot may even be before my mom.
It got me thinking, if I could only have a few momentos of my younger life in a hospital or nursing home -what would I keep? I don't have any kids - so it would have to be my own selfiish pursuits. I suppose a photo of Wes and I kayaking -one of my butterfly shots - maybe the pups - shots of my family, especially lil sis being a ham. - and a couple of shots of wes when we are hiking. What do those selections tell about me? It's not the whole picture -there is nothing in there to indicate my time spent knititng - or anything to do with my work, or anything about food and cooking. I guess when it comes down to it either those things don't define me as much as I thought - or they just don't photograph well.

Fellow bloggers - what do you think you would choose if you could only have one photo board full of images & the few items that would fit on your bedside table to remind you of your life outside the hospital?

jw art journal butterfly front

jw art journal butterfly front
Originally uploaded by GButterfly.

I love this idea - there are 30 arj journals made by differnt people they will be available during churh for folks to respond to the sermon in whatever way - doodle, draw, write, just take a few notes. I like this sort of engagement it is one of hte things I really love about this church. Good idea Leslie! Thanks for letting me (a non-professional) participate with all of you art and design folks. One more layer of decopage glue and back it goes.

I do hope this inspires me to do some ATCs. I was able to collect up some things to use in a relatively short (for me) time and acuatlly come up with a concept I like.

missed opportunity

I missed the cutest photo this morning -and then proceeded to obsess about it for an hour - good thing I don't have to be at work until 11:30 today
I should have gone to pilates but my tummy wasn't cooperating so I convinced myself I'll go to the makeup class on friday -and today I enjoyed some tea.
So what fabulous picture did I miss? We have a bench in the back yard where we scatter seed for the birds - and on the bench a squirrel and a male cardinal were eating in harmony. It would have been a perfect shot they way they were positioned - but by the time I went in the other room for my camera - they were gone.
Now every morning I am going to hope for that picture to show itself again.....

..you're right..

..you're right..
Originally uploaded by thesparkthatbled.

I need to think about this and think more postively - something I've been lacking lately.

today I am grateful for: options, my co-workers, women who choose adoption, nights when my husband cooks, feeling loved, having a job, being able to help

The snow today was perfect....

it was perfect for snow people and sledding, snow forts and snowball fights. It was also perfect for a walk in the woods with my sweet. I am really glad hubby has 4 wheel drive -and that I have wool socks. We were able to make it to church today then go hike in the woods. If we hadn't gone to church I probably could have gotten some really fantastic tree photos but alas by the time we got out it had warmed above freezing and the trees had started to melt.

Since the weather turned cold and icey a few weeks back I had really missed my neighbors but today they were out working on a snow family. Notice how mama made herself somewhat anatomically correct.

It was a good day Monday will start the first full work week in a while- here it comes that time of year when its cold and there is lots of work to be dones so that when spring arrives we are oh so ready for a break. A bit more knitting tonight I think - and a little more reading in one of my nick bantock books (I finally got the second trilogy: the gryphon, alexandria and morning star) as they were on sale at borders. I love his work. I wish I had the time and organization to make such wonderful looking letters and book pages. I'll just enjoy these fabricated ones.

to much on the to do list and no energy for it

I long for a vacation - or even for one of my days off to be free of ice or snow - or biting wind - but at least we aren't getting the armagaden like gales that Europe is having these days. We have decided we are staying in Kansas for 1 1/2 years - so I must make the best of it.
I don't have anything really clever to say right now. I have a desire to do so many projects but not the energy for any of them.
What's my current list? 1. clean back room out so it can be a bedroom. 2. pick an adoption agency ( iwant to pick one what i don't want to do is wade through all of the magazines and web pages to accumulate the knoledge to decide) 3. exercise (to be fair I did sign up for classes but they don't start until february -and today it snowed and i don't feel like going to the gym 4. pray more thourally every day -advance myself spiritually - do the examen- be sure of my purpose. 4. knit terri's mits and my skirt. start on a sweater for wes. 5. write letters to the people i've been missing - i miss getting letters i should send some 6. make some ATCs or collage or altered book sort of thing 7. decide on the next stage of my career 8. advance my photographic skill - work on a photo porfolio 9. work on high maintenance diner blog...
ok there is more but the list is just depressing me there is more
the second blog - it seemed like a good idea but I don'ot know where I'll find th time or inspiration to write it - when i think about it I feel sorely unprepared - mostly because I don''t want to mislead anyone with acutal food allergies into thinking the choices I've made are safe - I haven't strictly interviwed the kitchen staff about keeping wheat out of everything or dairy - I've just done my best with the menu and a few questions to the wait staff about substitutions of ingredients.

Caugth in your cubicle:

Circular Reasons
Solitary child
played outside
till grown
with children she worked
then career change
midlife found you here
caught in my cubicle
dreaming to return
to the child again
outside at play
~Genevieve

so...a year ago maybe two - all of the counselors in our study wrote a poem called caught in your cubicle. I just ran across them. Being someone that always overdoes everything - this is one of the three that I wrote. Not good poetry -but the sentiment is there.

christmas portrait winter 2006

christmas portrait winter 2006
Originally uploaded by GButterfly.

I rarely like a photo of myself - but I really do like this one of us. We just set the self timer on the canon elph. Hubby has a good eye - he scoped out the spot.

I even liked this enough to give it to the family this christmas. I don't think I've given them but maybe 2-3 photos of myself (and one was a wedding photo) since I've been in my 30's.

Anyhow - here it is. December in Kansas and we hiking in a short sleves.

Today (december 30) it has been raining - just a light drizzle - I would have enjoyed the cool mist - but I've been under the weather all day my body not cooperating in many ways despite my restrictive diet

christmas card blue version DSC_0287

christmas card blue version DSC_0287
Originally uploaded by GButterfly.

Merry Christmas

This was teh card we sent out. If yours didn't make it in the mail - I apollogize for being a slacker. Things are busy at work this year - and home....well sometimes you have 4 days to knit christmas hats and mits for your entire family....

I hope everyone had a great holiday - ours was nice. Mostly quiet. And I mostly did ok with all of the pregnancies around, mostly.

At the Fair in black and white

At the Fair in black and white
Originally uploaded by GButterfly.

This is one of my favorite photos to date. This guy just had the best smile and the best lines in his face.

today i took some fun pictures of katie in butterfly wings - but i haven't had a chance to look at them or make a copy for her mom yet becuase the computer was freezing up earlier - time to clean off some old files then take her in for repairs.

i'm so frustrated becuaes i tried to buy some discs with more memory for archiving photos but apparently my disc drive does not recognize thm as discs. money down the drain - and I'm at a loss to figure out which discs work for my computer and which do not - but it seems that the ones with more memory do not. grrrr.

dia de los muertos strummer

dia de los muertos strummer
Originally uploaded by GButterfly.

day of the dead offering for the weekend

peacock costume contrasty

peacock costume contrasty
Originally uploaded by GButterfly.

halloween season has started. first friday the lighting here was a bit of an accident.
i hardly sat down or took a breath this weekend. friday was my day off -and i slept in then ran some errands and visited my grandparents. then, in the evening first friday with wes and some friends. there were a few interesting sculpture artists - one guy who works with bark and other organics -very intriguing. dinner - and a few shots taken of a dia de los muertos display.
Saturday from 10-2 we worked at a health fair for the kck hispanic community with paula. It was kind of fun - but It really brought home that I need to learn spanish. i was embarrased that all i knew was "fuma usted?" I tried to make some survey calls the for the evening we stayed in made dinner i played with photos and wes studied. i wish i hadn't been so tired- would like to have attended the dia de los muertos parade ate mattie rhodes....well you cann't do everything
sunday ....church, work, dinner.
i need some rest - but next weekend is busy too - with entertainment rather than work.

sepia dia de lost muertos

sepia dia de lost muertos
Originally uploaded by GButterfly.

Today's dia de los muertos photo. Since I couldn' t get out to find one I made one.

ghost in the window

ghost in the window
Originally uploaded by GButterfly.

Don't you hate it when...

...you dress up all fancy - when you leave the house you think you look oh so fine -then you get out and about and happen to pass a mirror or a window and realize you look really old. This poor gal she's having just that kind of day - though by the big grin she doesn't seem to be that bothered by it.

Dia do Los Muertos challenge.....I was so excited to find this and other day of the dead displays at the market yesterday. Well -it reminded me just how much I am facinated by Dia de Los Muertos. so...I am declaring this the Lunes De Los Muertos! That means I am challenging myself to come up with one day of the dead image to represent every day of the month of october. I'm allowing wiggle room here - for example today I'm sick so I didn't get out and photograph any -well lucky for me yesteday I got a few images - so one of them can count for today - Wednesday...I'll be at work 12 hours so again I can substitute an image from another day. I have a feeling it will be a challenge this first half of the month -but later in the month it should get easier. Now I'm not talking just run of the mill haloween displays - these images have to have something to do with Day of the Dead celebrations.

Anyone care to join me in the search?

literal butterfly bush - migration of the monarchs friday

I'm not 100% happy with how the photo showed in this blog . Well, go to the original flickr page to see it full size - it was really amazing to see so many butterflies all in one place - on one bush.

Friday - my day off I was sick so I couldn't visit my grandparents or borrow my nieghbor Katie as I 'd planned. I did however get to see this fabulous collection of butterflies as the monarchs migrated through. for this I am grateful. There were other photographic gems but I'm not sure yet if I will post them here. I'm thinking about putting together a show. That seems a little egotistical - but hubby thinks I have enough. I am also grateful this weekend for: my hubby, getting together w/ Paula & Enrique to hear Brazilian music, and still so grateful for having found a church which we are still getting to know.

bug on pink

bug on pink
Originally uploaded by GButterfly.

I had a rough weekend I was sick with allergies & a cold - so no recent photos - but I finally did uplaod these. A week or so ago hubby brought home this lovely orange creature. Some gals like flowers - but he knows the way to my heart is colorful winged creatures. I'm not sure what this guy is but he is pretty and very fuzzy. After a few photots i let him loose in the butterfly garden - I hope he's happy there.

I'm feeling a bit sorry for myself (ok understatement) becuase we're still not preganant but it seems everyone else at work is - there are 3 showers planned before december - one of them for tomorrow. grrrr.

I have more to chatter later but I need to give my back a break from the computer since I still have to work from 530/6 until 9 tonight.

Praying for Us! -- 7437

Praying for Us! -- 7437
Originally uploaded by Zamboni.

found thi sphoto in the flickr stream of "zamboni" I was searching the term prayer for a good prayer image to inspire my fertility ATC. what better image could this be? I will try to draw the shadows of his face - so beautifyl. a baby is my prayer too.

rights reserved very blue moon over boats DSC_0152 copy

rights reserved very blue moon over boats DSC_0152 copy
Originally uploaded by GButterfly.

since my light meter was broken - i took this opportunity to play with some of my photos a bit.