My Trusty Assistant

Although I'm slightly uncomfortable taking pictures of myself, I push myself to do it. Why? Hmmmm. I'm not sure. I do know that a few years down the line, I'm glad to look back and have a few shots to record the moments.
I've painted myself a number of times as well, and I'd like to do that again soon.

I'm enjoying Dottie Angel these days. Pat turned me on to her. I'm guessing those are pictures of Tif in most of her posts. I wonder if she uses a tripod and timer or does she have help? In her bio she says she has four kids, maybe they help. For the above picture, I had my trusty assistant to aid me. She's right outside the frame. I was trying it on my own, and I think I've mentioned her sixth sense for when I am in a self portrait mood. I like that I was able to step away from my desk this time. Thanks darling!

(Photo-My trusty assistant with her trusty assistant.)

The Short Report

Outside my window...early morning gray skies.

I am thinking ...about plans for August and September.

I am thankful that...Bill and I enjoy each other so much.

From the kitchen...not much! Getting by on peaches, quesadilla's and cereal until Bill comes home and prepares real food for us.

I am wearing...tangerine house coat and this.

I am creating...hmmmm. I am in (slow) process with a few things.

I am going...nowhere today. We'll have a restful at-home day today.

I am reading... Anne Proulx The Shipping News. Not loving it yet.

I'm surprised by...my trampoline "routine." I love how I feel with exercise without the intense contact with the ground.

I am hearing...our hens screaming out their "I just laid an egg and I want everyone to know it" sounds.

Around the house..I'm pretty caught up with housework. I would like to do a "once over" before dinner tonight. I'll give myself until about 4:30 before I snap to it though.

One of my favorite things...the aviary full of canaries.

A few plans for the rest of the week...gardening, a spot or two of laundry, a play date for Annie, continuing our NoTVorSugar week, Sara's wedding, seeing the whole family, wearing our new dresses.

A picture to share...

Perfect

Ahhhhh!

I breezed right over the bridge to San Francisco today for a rare lunch alone with Bill.

We went a favorite restaurant in Chinatown.

It was perfect.

We talked.

Uninterrupted.

Ordered.

With ease.

Meandered through a few stores.

Without complaint.

Or purchase.

We even bought, and ate, chocolate covered fortune cookies.

With no chocolate mess!

Ahhhhhhhh!

Can't wait to do it again!

Three Beauties

Annie with her visiting birth half-sisters.
Left to right; Jenipher, Laura and my Annie. Three sister, each so beautiful, each so unique. They took this goodbye photo on PhotoBooth just as the sissy's we're walking out the door.

Pitcher Perfect

I woke up Saturday morning and my neighbor Tommy was having a yard sale. He does that fairly regularly. Of course I have to go rummage through and see if there is anything I must have. Well, he had a collection of five dusty pitchers. He said they were from a local art college. Each was marked "Heidi" on the bottom.

Each was so simple, subtle and well made! The smallest was six inches and the largest was a little over eight. After joining Annie at her ceramics class for just four sessions, I completely appreciate the talent and skill that goes into throwing, trimming, glazing, etc. It's hard!

Tommy saw me looking at the pitches and said "Take them! Go on, take them."
I thought to myself, "I should take one and be happy." And I really wanted them all. So I took three.

I brought them home, washed, dried and inspected the vessels.There was not a scratch, dent or crack in one of them!

I carried out a handful of items from my garage that were ready for Freecycling, and I donated them to Tommy's sale as a kind of payment.
By the end of the day, the two remaining pitchers were still sitting there, huddled together against the elements, so lonely!
So I grabbed them and left a few bills in their place.

For our special Sunday morning birthfamily breakfast, we extended the table to it's full size, put out fresh linens, and filled pitchers with juice, milk and flowers. With two to spare!

Mi Familia

Ah! Sweet Connection.

Annie's Birth Mother Patricia just left after a lovely weekend visit. She brought Annie's Birth Grandmother Ramona, and both of Annie's Birth half-Sisters, Laura and Jenipher plus little baby Billy, Sissy Jenipher's new baby.

We went to the beach, built a sand castle, collected shells and watched the wind surfers.

We ate some wonderful meals (thank you Billy), laughed, went to two yard sales and watched a movie. We snuggled Annie and Baby Billy, plus we took a lot of pictures. I just loving looking at all these dark-haired beauties!

Annie felt a little jealous of the amount of attention showered on Baby Billy! She's used to being the center of it all.

Adoption has been such a wonderful way for us to grow a family! Each visit is such a celebration of the pride, love and gratitude that we all feel about our connection.

This photo was just moments before everyone left.
Top Left to Right-Me, Patricia, Sissy Laura, Sissy Jenipher
Bottom Gramma Ramona and The Star of the Show, Annie

Camping Highlights

Two River Otters. Crushing heat. A huge toad. Smores. Cool, clean river. Tons of friends. Waking up in a tent next to a really happy, grinning girl.

Inner tubes down the river. Big beetles. Cooking over the camp stove. Fresh peaches and apricots. Darling homeschool talent show. Jiffy Pop Popcorn.

A large crawdad. Only eight mosquito bites! The hooting of an owl. Four days of no media of any kind. No sunburn.

Watermelon. Sitting in the river under a shade umbrella hanging out with friends. Reading Dominique to Annie by lantern light before bed.

I Dream of Birds

I had a great dream last night that all my canaries were living in my dollhouse! It was great. I was feeding them bannana slices rolled in birdseed through an open window, and one of my birds was talking to me. Odd though that his voice was that of Bruce Springsteen, since I've only had one of his albums. It was clearly him and I can't remember what he was saying...

I took some quick pictures of Annie's little dinosaur sleeping in the master bed of my dollhouse after I saw these pictures on Flicker. They were protected so I couldn't slip one into this post. I think they are a perfect mix of animal+dollhouse+weird which I am drawn to.

Did I Mention...

...that we have wandered off to the woods to seek out cool waters and visit with a grove of trees? Yes! I'm so excited to join a circle of friends beside a river to commune and connect. I will report back with photos and tales when we return. I've set to publish while were gone. Let's see if it works...

Polaroid Summer

These are part of a small group of Polaroids that were taken one summer when I was about six. I don't know who owned the camera or who took the pictures. Was it my Dad? Or Uncle Patrick? Either way I like how close up he got for these portraits. Who cares about the background? It's so nice to see the faces! You can tell that in my family we weren't big on *smile and say cheese,* it was more come as you are. I like that. I wonder about this shot of me. Was I upset or just uneasy with the camera? Hmmmm.

This is a fabulous picture of LaLa Pat. Stunning, huh? I think it just hints at the style and grace that is Patrice the First.

And the above photo is of my mother GeorgeAnne, or later in her life, she was known simply as Annie. She's there with my great grandmother Katherine who I remember as being very proper and a bit cool, so this photo with her head tilted towards my mother shows a tenderness, maybe speaking to the joy of that warm season.

I like this photo of my mother for a number of reasons. One is that I think this angle of my mother shows some of the resemblances we share. Eyes? Nose? Face shape?

This final photo is one I haven't really looked at in a long time and I have to say it very stirring for me. It's my mother and father. Look how beautiful they are! So beautiful and so united. I'm trying to just let that in and not feel the sorrow and grief of missing both of them. I'm not wanting to feel the pain of their separation and divorce. I want to remember this summer. I hear it was a summer of laughter and joy and togetherness.

Plant Thief

I've been pinching starts of all the different Geraniums that I find thriving in my neighborhood and starting them in small pots in my yard. Luck for me La La Pat has been giving me decorative little planters each visit I make, and I've placed my new collection in the shade of my back steps. I love the way it looks, and better yet, the project has just cost me a large bag of potting soil so far. Beauty, economy and growth. Ahhhhh. What a lovely combination.

(And no, I didn't steal the Tree Fern. We bought it a while back.)

Very Fussy

I've been up since about 5:30 A.M. Up with the roosters you might say. Our dear hen Fussy is getting in touch with her (or his?) gender identity, and presenting more like a rooster than a hen. The behaviors are manifesting as early morning crowing which sounds exactly like the "cock-a..." without the "doodle-do." Have any of you heard of this?

I haven't.

I want to be supportive, and sensitive to him, and yet it is so loud and early, approximatly 5:30 A.M., that I feel terrible for our neighbors! I expect a knock on my door any minute, or even shouts of outrage any moment now.

I've tried shusshing him, feeding him and giving him nasty looks during his early morning salutations, but so far he won't stop until he "crows" for between five and ten minutes.

Ak! What am I gunna do?

(Since I was up so early I played around on the computer and put together a new banner. Tomorrow, maybe I'll make chicken stock?)