Cathy and the Crow

At Emily's 13th birthday party, Cathy had a little run-in with a big black crow and it got stuck in her hair!


Entertainment provided by Cathy, October 10, 2008

Netherlands Nuesday 53

Dutch cousins Sander & Cory, 2007

Last year in Groningen, we met our cousin Sander at the family reunion. Last weekend he did a presentation at MIT in Boston and today, we will be welcoming him to our house in Grand Rapids. We are so excited!

Yet Another Post About Leaves

The other day, Sharon & I were walking outside on a leaf-strewn path and we saw the biggest leaves ever. Look at them!

Since I knew that wouldn't do much for you, I had Leo model with one for you.

Beautiful Golden Blankets

This past week on my walk, I took this slightly overexposed photo of the neighbor's tree across the street. It was a sunny day and I was loving the brightness. The next day, there was a golden layer beneath the tree that was so thick and soft that it reminded me of a warm blanket. By the time I got home from work, it had been raked up into bags. I "facebooked" my neighbor to say that I was so sad to see the beautiful golden blanket gone and she wrote back to say that even though it was so much work, she couldn't help but stop to see how beautiful they were and how sad that their job was done.

I'm hoping their job isn't quite done if I put this picture on the blog.

Blogger Award

My friend Annette from Head and Heart has passed this award along for "her stunning photography, witty takes on family life, her cat Leo, and because she, like me, is from Ohio." I now have to share 6 things about me that you don't know and pass the award along.

So... are you ready for some excitement?

1. I grew up in a town of 250 people called Celeryville. They had to stop growing celery there in the 80's because of a celery disease.

2. I spent 2 weeks of my life in a coma when I was 12 years old after getting hit by a car.

3. After coming out of the coma, one of the first things I asked for after holding up 2 fingers in answer to the question, "What is 1 plus 1" was a Snoopy book thus fulfilling my need for humor at such a perilous time. I went on to collect over 3o Peanuts books which I thought was quite a feat at the time.

4. Every day I'm thankful that I was able to live and have such a wonderful family, but maybe you knew that one already.

5. My favorite food of all time is the 3 Cheese Olga from Olga's Kitchen but I don't love eating all that much due to only having 1/2 of a stomach as a result of #2.

6. Thanks to my adventurous husband, I once stood in 4 states at one time.

Ok, I would like to pass this award on to Red or Gray for her very artistic photography and to Gracie for the way she describes the situations common to us all and how we experience grace in them all. Congrats dear friends! I can't wait to learn 6 new things about you all!

Flash Back Friday 95

Bridget, Apple Orchard, 1999, 4 yrs. old

Love Thursday

Tea Time Through The Viewfinder

Do you want an adventure now or shall we have our tea first?"- Peter Pan.

Every night after supper, if I don't have to go anywhere, I partake in the ritual of tea. I love this ritual. I have a big mug of Celestial Seasonings mint green tea which settles my stomach along with my 2 nightly Wintergreen Tums. I might sound like an old lady, but I have been doing this for years.

Once

This past weekend, I saw the movie Once. It was a gem. Yes, it was SO good, I watched it TWICE! It's about an Irish street musician and a Czech immigrant who strike up a friendship based on their mutal love of music and it was filmed on the streets of Belfast. It came out last year, but we're usually on a bit of a movie delay here, ie. we don't see it until it comes out in DVD. Well, I couldn't find it in the video stores, but I did find it at the public library.

Netherlands Nuesday 52

Light Fixture at Het Loo

First Snow

Each year
Our beautiful changing seasons
Descend
So suddenly
Into winter's death

During the first snow, I always think of my first winters in Michigan. The first, I remember looking out of a hospital room and my mother bought me a blue coat with fake sheep fur insides to wear home. During my next first snow in Michigan, I looked out of a dorm room eating donuts and drinking hot chocolate. At least I always stay warm.

Someone is 57 Today

Oma Boyer (who I have mentioned several times this week already), Uncle John, Uncle Alan & the Queen Mother as a child

It's a little hard to believe they had color photography like this back in the olden days, isn't it? But yes, the little toddler in this photo is Uncle Alan and he's 57 today! He wrote me yesterday how my mom had gotten him his first camera, a Kodak Duaflex II almost like the one I just got for my birthday. SO I would say this camera-love-thingy runs in the family.

Go Alan, get your game on, it's your birthday, hey Alan...if I was there, I would do this cheer for you and it would be so fun wouldn't it?

Falling Leaves

TTV, Backyard, November 7, 2008

This past week has been so beautiful - 60's-70's and sunny - that I've been able to do a lot of raking in shorts, thus feeling very much at one with nature. Yesterday, I don't know why, but I felt like Oma Boyer as I gradually talked Maria into bagging 5 leaf bags with me. I think because she thought it was only going to be 2 bags and before you knew it we had done 5. I just kept talking about how we were always going to remember this time together, and it was really fun.

Now, as I write this on Saturday morning, snow is falling. I don't think it will stick though.

Flash Back Friday 94

Edward & Maria with the Queen Mother, 1992

Love Thursday

I knew Sharon was up to something for my birthday this past Monday at work. Well, I arrived Monday morning to find 5 heart shaped leaves on my desk! I had a feeling it was going to be a great day.

I soon found out that she made a red velvet cake - from scratch - just like my grandma, of twins lens reflex fame, made for me every year. Sharon remembered this and made this work of art:



Oh, and the part that makes it extra -worthy for Love Thursday? She made it in the shape of a heart! Thanks Sharon and Happy Love Thursday!!!


The blogger in her red velvet birthday shirt and the red velvet birthday heart cake.