July Photo-a-Day Challenge UP

On a normal day when I go outside and look up, the sky is laced with an intricate grid of chem trails.
Unfortunately, today must have been a day when our valley was relatively chemical-free so I had to find another subject for the word du jour.

 There shall be apples this year!

July Photo-a-Day Challenge ON MY SCREEN

The theme presented today was a real challenge for me. Throughout the day, I thought of taking photos of the things I was looking at on my computer screen. Yet each time I hesitated because the images on my computer screen were not photos taken by me. I didn't want to run into any copyright issues.

Then I thought I would take pictures of what was on my TV screen instead, but that presented the same problem.

So instead of seeing what I came across on my computer screen today-- images of a lost child, of a procession of nineteen white hearses, of a Monterey Chicken recipe I want to try, of a gift idea that I'm going to use on some lucky recipient, or of a cool trick using rubbing alcohol, a cotton swab and colored pencils, you're going to see this:

A dear friend died last night. She was an art teacher to my son and many other students at a home-school co-op. Many children under her tutelage went from proclaiming, "I can't draw," to creating beautiful pieces that left me in awe at end-of-year school art shows. I don't recall ever seeing her without a smile beaming from her face. She uplifted, encouraged, and inspired adults as well as children.

Two weeks ago, we got some of her former students together to create a poster board card that they could all sign with their names and special thoughts or memories. I asked one student to handle the cover of the card. The result was simple yet beautiful. Thinking of You.

I took the card to her house. She was lying in bed, being assisted in drinking cold water through a straw. I waited, then presented the card to her. Her smile cut through any misgivings I was having about bothering her. She immediately said of her students, "I need to do something for them."  In agony, she still thought of them. She held on to the card, touched at the sweet messages of love it contained. We spoke briefly, then I could see she was exhausted so I kissed her on the forehead and said goodbye. That was the last time I saw her.

At 8:45 last night Utahna's smile left this earth. She showed us how to create true beauty, not only through paintings or sculpture, but in treating people as Godly works of art.

July Photo-a-Day Challenge CLOSE-UP

Pumpkin on Windowsill

Backstory: I have a black thumb. I laugh when people say, "Make sure you contain mint when you plant it or it will take over your entire garden."  I have yet to keep any type of mint alive long enough for it to take over anything. I planted several pumpkins, cucumbers, watermelons, and cantaloupe from starts that a friend gave us. They died. 

I was watering the garden a couple of weeks ago and heard the next door neighbor said to his wife, "Honey, these watermelons are twice the size that they were the last time I was out here. Same with the pumpkins."  I was tempted to accidentally water the neighbor, but then I remembered that he's a really nice guy. Let him have his melons. I will start new ones.

So say "hello" to my cute little pumpkin. It will act as a houseplant until it is too big for its container. I will then gradually introduce it to the elements and when I think it is strong enough to plant in the garden, I will lovingly place it in its new home.

And it will die.

I am a herbicide.

July Photo-a-Day Challenge SWEET

 

I'll let you decide whether it's the ice cream bar or the boy that's sweet

Helpful hint: the boy is 14 and the ice cream bar is chocolate

July Photo-a-Day Challenge CELEBRATE

Independence

July Photo-a-Day Challenge RED

My apron, hanging on the clothesline

(The brown you see in the background is crunchy Utah grass. The green you see in the background is drought-resistant Utah weed, that cares not that we are under lawn-watering restrictions.)

Tomorrow's theme: celebration

If you would like to participate in the photo-a-day challenge please head to The Idea Room

July Photo a Day Challenge REFLECTION

Pixie, brushing her hair

If you want to participate in The Idea Room's July photo challenge, check out the list of suggested prompts.

Tomorrow's theme is "red."

July Photo a Day Challenge OUT MY WINDOW

This month I am playing along with a challenge issued by Amy at The Idea Room. She encourages her readers to take a photo based on a theme that she selected, one for each day in July. Since I'm a notorious slacker-blogger, I thought a daily prompt would be the kick in the tushie inspiration I need. If you want to participate you can see her July list HERE.

When I look out my window, my brain sweetly overlooks the fact that I am peering through a screen or a dirty (shocker!) glass. The camera is not so merciful.  I toyed with the idea of stepping outside to take these shots but dang it! I AM A BLOGGER WITH INTEGRITY!  Even though it means my photos may look blurred or un-focused, I want to show you what I see when I look out my window, not what I see when I go outside and stand in front of my window. And although the challenge is to take a photo a day, you can bet your sweet bippy [name that TV show!] I will run on endlessly with commentary every day. That's how I roll.

The rose bush I see from my living room window. I can smell it from there too.

The red roses I can see from my bedroom window.

The view out my back door window; my little oasis of serenity under the plum tree.

Stay tuned for tomorrow's challenge: Reflection

Six Degrees of Chocolate Bacon

A few weeks ago, Computer Geek, Weston, and I traveled out of town to eat at Denny's. It's about thirty minutes away so we make the trip only once every year or two.

After our typical lunch of sandwiches and fries, I set my eye upon the dessert menu. Was I hungry? Is hunger ever a prerequisite for dessert?

My typical dessert choices fall in the ice cream/fudge/cheesecake realm. This day, for some crazy reason, I was ready for something new. Something like ice cream. And fudge. And caramel.

AND BACON!

What? Bacon is now a dessert item? I fell for it like a bungee jumper at the Victoria Falls Bridge.

Yes, that is BACON gracing the top of that ice cream. Caramel-drizzled bacon.

I'm getting weak just looking at it

If you've never tried bacon as a dessert item, I encourage you to be brave. The bite of salty bacon combined with the smooth sweetness of fudge brownie and ice cream is sure to make you scoff at Abercrombie and Fitch employees. Who needs to shop at the Mecca for the physically elite when you can partake of this divine creation? Think Peanut Buster Parfait. Think Mr. Goodbar. Think Salted Nut Roll.

I'm thinking. Thinking it just may be worth another thirty minute drive.

The Entertainment Value of Tape

The grandkids were over recently and I was running out of things for them to do. They preferred to play Mario Kart on the Wii (Avatar) and Dora on nickjr.com (Chunk,) but I know their mother and she would not be happy if I sent her boys back home as zombie mush heads.

Being the proud Pinterest addict that I am, surely I could come up with something to keep these young men detached from electronic devices. I thought of putting them to work but then they would never want to come over again. I could feed them yet another snack, since almost 47 minutes had elapsed since their last one. Finally, something I had re-pinned on Pinterest pinged in my brain. Tape!

We all know from our experiences with kids and birthday presents that the box holds just as much fascination as the gift. Well, I 'm here to tell ya that tape works just as well as a box.

I had Weston pull out his old Matchbox and Hot Wheels cars while I got busy with a roll of tape. The little guys kept asking, "Grandma, what are you doing?"

"You'll see," I said, sporting a crooked grin and a slanty eyebrow.

As I worked across the floor, they soon caught my vision.

My living room became a city and strips of tape became a parking lot.

Weston, AKA The Flash, realized I had my camera and didn't want anyone knowing he was playing with his cars. Ha ha ha!  Too late! I hope all your teen-age friends see this!

You could mark off rooms for Barbies if you're not into Hot Wheels, or you could make a giant tic-tac-toe, using humans as markers. Em once used some tape to make a hopscotch grid on her living room floor.

You know what was even more fun for the boys than playing with tape-outlined roads? Ripping it all up!