I can see clearly now

the rain has gone...

I can see all obstacles in my way,

Gone are the dark clouds that had me blind

It's gonna be a bright, bright, Sunshiny day

(If is wasn't for all the power lines, these pictures would have been sooo much better. So I am choosing to see the "leading lines" in these pics instead!)

Oh, yes I can make it now the pain is gone.

All of the bad feelings have disappeared.

Here is that rainbow I've been praying for,

It's gonna be a bright, bright, Sunshiny day.

"I Can See Clearly Now"

by Johnny Nash

(covered by so many other artists)

We have needed rain for quite a while now, and we finally got some this Saturday. It turned into a double blessing as I was given a weekend off from sports to do with as I pleased. What did I do? Laundry, always laundry. 

Smile~

Kim

Hooking up with Kathy's Song-ography 

Country livin'...

We moved to the country a few years ago which was a HUGE change for me as I have always considered myself to be a "city girl". It is beautiful out here, it's quiet, everyone is very laid back, and there is no traffic. However, I still yearn for concrete and skyscrapers, museums and shopping, subways and taxis. The thrill of the city. But we are here for a while so I need to make the best of it.

However, fitting in to the country way of life has been very difficult for me. I have made several attempts, but I'm just not feeling it. This week I made another attempt to "fit in". I gathered the kids and a friend and we did something very country, (well to me it was)...

we went to the carnival!

There was no shortage of food, games and interesting people

(yes, these two are wearing "tails")

There were even rides that could make you sick if that is what you desire.

There were funnel cakes, cotton candy, and ice cream made at the local dairy farm.

There were games!

(Linking up with Weekend Reflections)

And then we tried our "luck" at catching a fish, and after just $13.00 of ping pong balls...

we bought won "Moe".

After several more rounds of games, rides and visits to the various food stands, I feel I have filled my quota of country livin' for the year but it's only July so I will keep trying, I am stubborn, and after all the "Great Frederick Fair" is just a couple of months away!

So, unless it's "wine country" I just don't feel like I belong in the country.
How about you? Are you a city slicker or country folk? Either way, make it a life worth livin' because life is way too short...just ask "Moe"!

Now, off to the country to sample wine ...

Smile,

Kim

Bittersweet...

This is a time of the year that I normally look forward to, the school year is almost over which means the “routines” are going to change a bit. No fighting with the kids each morning to get up and get moving, no homework, no last minute “oh yeah mom, I need a 3x4 foot trifold board for our project tomorrow” at bedtime. Ahhh, I can actually feel the slow release of tension from my shoulders.

But first there is the end of year parties, the teacher gifts, the final tests, the awards ceremonies, the school carnivals…

You see, my youngest is finishing his 5^th grade year…or as he puts it, he is graduating from Elementary School.  There seems to be an extraordinary amount of planning for this event. And as is typical, the same people have volunteered for this event as have volunteered for all of the field trips, parties, bake sales, festivals, etc since his Kindergarten year. I don’t know where the other families are at these times, or how they are able to ignore hide from the signup sheets, all I know is, I have seen the same parents volunteering for six years now. And I am going to miss these ladies (and men). We have watched our kids grow together, make friends together, get into trouble together, visit many local landmarks together and mature together.

As my son takes his final steps in elementary school this month, I too will be taking my final steps here as he is my youngest.

There are many things I will NOT miss about having an elementary student, but there are many things that I WILL miss. It is the lost innocence as middle school approaches, and the silly, small, milestones and celebrations that are just taken for granted in the later school years. The valentines mailboxes, the Dr. Seuss birthday celebrations, the 100^th day of school, recess, and the “mother’s day gift” art projects. Innocence.

So as these last few hours of the school year tick away on the clock so too does the  "baby" in my baby boy, he has become quite a terrific "young man".

Bittersweet...

 

Smile...
Kim

p.s. both of these photos are compliments of that brilliant "young man".

Friends...

A friend of mine called me this past weekend to see if I wanted to go back to a local nursery to take some more pictures, more specifically, "flower" pictures. I love taking pictures and was intrigued by the invite because I have never really thought about going out to take "only" flower pictures.
After one hour this is what I ended up with... photo-wise.
However... better than any picture I could ever capture was the chat-time we were able to sneak in! I hate that we have been so busy lately that we haven't had the oppurtunity to get together for some "girl time".

Thanks Deb, I loved the invitation to hang out with you, and oh how I miss our weekly "therapy".



If you are ever in Middletown, Md, please stop by the beautiful Surreybrooke Gardens, home to some of the most unusual plants you will ever see. And if you happen to see people there with cameras that are doing more chatting, laughing and giggling than taking pictures, don't mind them, it just may be the first time they've seen each other in a long time.

God gives us relatives; thank God we can choose our own friends

~Ethel Mumford

Smile...
Kim

Scavenger Hunt

weather - background - sweet - motion - spotted or dots

Weather

This bucket is looks to be waiting around for some bad weather or at least some rain to catch! Not today though!

Background

I love the background in this window.

Sweet

I know spring has finally arrived when I smell the sweet scent of the lilacs!

Motion

Nothing like a quiet stream on a warm spring day

Spotted or Dots

Not sure what causes the spots on this bench, I heard once it was due to acid rain (ack), whatever the reason, it is quite organically beautiful!

Enjoy your week!

Smile...

Kim

 

 linking up with Scavenger Hunt Sunday over at Ramblings and Photos

Monticello

I recently went on a "girls trip away" with a friend to beautiful Charlottesville, VA. While we had a great time at the many wineries (more photos from that a little later) we decided to take a field trip to Thomas Jefferson's home.

 Amazed by the incredible architecture and small intricacies of this building.

Trying to put myself into the time in history of the building, imagining the clothes, the food, the lifestyle, the hardships...and the parties! 

 

I continually found myself trying to capture just a glimpse,

a "peek into the window" if you will, of the life of one of our founding fathers...

... or was it a "glimpse out" of history that I was imagining?

Either way, I was very intrigued by the complexities AND the simplicities of his home, his life, and the history of our third president!

I highly recommend a trip to Monticello if you are ever in the area!

Smile...

Kim

Embarking on the journey



Reflective Leaves

Smile...
Kim