By the Book

"I don't take no stock of dead people. " 

~ Huckleberry Finn ~  

This must be Kathryn's favorite quote. She says it everytime I ask, "So, what did you think about what we just read? " It always makes me laugh.  But, if the truth was told. . . this is the way we spend most of our days:  reading, writing. . . learning about the classics ~ taking stock in dead people. 

I heart faces 

ABC Wednesday

~ the question ~

"Who sees the human face correctly: the photographer, the mirror or the painter?  " ~ Picasso 

iheartfaces/black

A Lesson in Friendship

It seems strange to me I'm just getting around to posting again after letting another two weeks go by.  Things are settling down around here but, I guess sometimes things like these just take a while. 

So the short story today is: I heart faces is holding another photo contest. The theme for this contest is Friendship.  As we all know, friendship comes in all sizes, shapes and colors. You just never know where you'll find it. 

 When I think of friendship, I can't help but think of Tommy. He's the hippy on the right. The man with the bandanna around his head, holding the red cup.  Tommy is my brother George's friend.  He has been around for. . . well. . .I guess, forever. The other guy in this photo, holding the yellow cup, is my brother George's son. . .Little, Bigger George, as I loving call him. 

 The  one thing I always think of when I see Tommy is how genuine he is. What you see is what you get: a true, loyal friend. 

 I will never forget the action Tommy took when our father died. He cut his hair, shaved, bought himself a suit, arrived at the mortuary early, before any of us got there and waited outside for his friend George.  

Tommy told me that night. . . when I saw him standing there waiting: "I don't want anyone of you walking in there alone tonight. Your father was better to me then my own father and I will always be grateful for that."  In his kindness, Tommy offered to walk in with me because, Mark had gone to be with my mother. I told Tommy I would be okay, I had my kids with me and then I remember Tommy saying; "I'm just going to wait right here for George. . . so I don't miss him and he doesn't have to walk in alone. " and my heart filled with love that night. . . and I'll never forget the lesson in friendship a man named Tommy taught me without even trying the night of October 2, 2009.   

~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

52 weeks of happiness

My 3 Boybarians

Communal Global

A Photo Prop & a Fifth Birthday

The photo challenge over at I Heart Faces this week is using props in your photos. With this I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to catch up a little bit on all things blogging and I thought I could use this picture of Liz and her giant sized teddy bear. 

 Honestly, since I came home from Massachusetts and my uncles funeral last week it has been nothing but go, go, go.  I will be telling you all about our trip soon. The real reason I came to talk to you today is ~ hold on to your hat now:                

I have a confession to make.  

Her Birthday was July 7th. 

11 DAYS ago and I haven't posted about it yet. Can you believe that?  What a bad blogging mommy I am. Honestly, I have been so swamped with things going on around here since I came home, I just haven't had a chance to put a birthday post up. I left Mark with four kids, a business to run and lots and lots of laundry to do. While I was gone one of the things that happened last week was Stevie Wonder bought himself a new toy. You know how he loves to build and tinker. This time he bought  a dremel. With this new toy, he  cut his finger badly again this summer.  It really does take two of us to keep an eye on things  and so when one of us is gone and then we come back home the punishment is. . .more work to do. 

Blogging had to be the last thing on the list. 

Even though her 5th birthday was July, 7th. . .11 days ago. . . I just couldn't get to a post about it.  


I will have you know, according to her, the birthday went off just grand and The Best Nana ever bought the best present ever.      AND  now, she's 5 and 11 days.  and I think. . .

Blogging and posting is not the most important thing. 

Right??? 

Uhhh??? Hello??? 

 HELLO??? 

I also figured, What the heck! I would play along with the ladies from Communal Global  and Sweet Shot Tuesday. 

A Ton of Whimsy

 The assignment over at I Heart Faces is A Touch of Whimsy

Okay, so maybe I went over board on the "touch of" whimsy today.  

But, doesn't this photo just scream whimsical to you? You can't help but laugh and feel good as , soon to be, 9 year old Brian joyfully jumps into the pool in such an energetic and whimsical way.  

I Heart Faces &  A Ton of Whimsy

Boy! Oh! Boy!

Over at I Heart Faces today the challenge is to take a picture with boys in it. 

AND 

BOY! Oh! BOY! Do we have boys in this family.  

So let's hear it for the boys as my brothers kid slides down the railing into the pool. 

Just because it's fun. 

In the Distance

 The theme over at I Heart Faces this week is Distance.

I took this photo of balloons in the distance last week when Mary Elizabeth, Stephen and I went out "to chase" balloons that flew from Freedom Weekend Aloft.  


In this photo, if you look closely, you can see a person in the basket of the balloon releasing the fires. You can see the excitement of people running around as the balloon takes flight. You can see the Carolina sunset sinking into the trees as the balloon and it's passenger reaches for the sky to bid good night.  

I Heart the Best Face of May

I heart faces is having a "best face photo/people's choice" challenge for the month of May.  

Since I'm pretty partial to this face and I feel like these little challenges are helping with my photo skills, I thought I would post this picture.  I love how the blue glasses brings out the color of  Liz's eyes in this photo.   

                           I Heart Faces ~ Give it a try. 

Best Friends and a little bit of Yellow

The photo challenge this week over at I Heart Faces is Yellow.

This is a photo I took of Mary Elizabeth and her "Best Friend" Madalyn Grace. The girls were waiting, with much anticipation, for an outing to the park with "the best Nana ever". . .Nana Grace.

I Heart Flowers . . .Just Because

This week on I Heart Faces the challenge is flowers. 

These are flowers Mark brought home for me last week. . . just because.    I'm not sure of the name of these, but I sure did enjoy them. 

The Weavers of the Fabric ~

It has been said that woman are the weavers of the fabric of society. For without woman we would not have the family.  Without woman we would not have the guidance or the  direction of our mothers. 

My father would say, woman are the strength of society and most importantly the strength of the family. He would say, emotionality woman are the stronger sex. He would also say, It is woman who make or break the family. 

In honor of Mothers this week, the theme over at I Heart Faces is Motherhood.   

This photo is of my niece's daughter and my mother,  the child's great grandmother. This is the photo that says motherhood to me.  

In this photo I see the  gentle guidance a woman gives to the ones she loves throughout her life. I see how a mother holds a hand dearly when one needs it and then somehow that woman gently points in the right direction, like only a mother can.  

Happy Mothers Day!

I Heart Soft & Sweet

 The subject this week over @  I heart Faces is  Soft & Sweet. 

Now, tell me. 

What's  softer or sweeter  then a loving nana reading a story to her tired little grandchild? 

Wind

I know! Two posts in one day. . .Well, I have been up since 4 a.m.. With that said,  I've had a little time on my hands. I saw I Heart Faces is hosting another photo challenge.  This one is called WIND

I love this photo of Matthew, Stephen and Kathryn. To me, this is the perfect photo for such a post.  With the sun shining so bright on these young lives, the wind blowing through their hair, rippling through the water, the thoughtful looks on their faces makes me think:

 ~ They are the future defenders of the world and everything is going to be okay. ~  

I Heart the Best Conversations...

"A heart that loves is always young." ~ Greek Proverb

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

I Heart Faces is having another photo challenge. So, of course I want to play. 

This weeks theme is  “Best Face Photo from March 2011.” 

I love this photo of my brother George and his 19 month old granddaughter Aubrey. To me, only the "Best Faces"  show love. That's what I see when I look at this picture. 

I Heart Her Face. . .

In the attempt to improve my camera skill. . .Or . . . The lack of my camera skill.  I thought I would play the i heart faces weekly photo challenge:

This week a face and a heart was required for the picture. I have been reading directions and instructions and watching tutorials on how to take a nice photo in hopes to improve. Is my skill better? I don't know. I'm more confused then ever. Maybe that shouldn't matter, I'll tell you this. . .Mary Elizabeth sure loved it when I drew the lipstick heart on her face. You would think the child has been modeling her whole life.  She was so excited it was hard to keep her still just for a few seconds. When I went to wash her face she was stunned and she asked if she could leave it there forever.  When I told her we had to wash it off she said. . ."BUT! I want to show Nana. . .She will love my face with a heart on it."