Friday Fill Ins

And...here we go!

1. You don't have to be perfect, just be your best. 
2. But it's the thought that counts. 
3. Basically, I try to be a positive person,  it takes less energy than negativity.  
4. How I interpret things that happen to and around me has a lot to do with my spirituality.
5. In this way, I try to see the best in a situation. 
6. I believe everything happens for a reason.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to watching some dvr'd shows with the kids, tomorrow my plans include installing a french drain and Sunday, I want to be done with the french drain and focus on planning a cookout for my little family!


Peace!

Water Solutions

Mediterranean Landscape design by Santa Barbara Landscape Architect Donna Lynn - Landscape Designer

Been super busy working on the water issues over at 40 M.  The good news is that our pipes are all good!  No leaks outside or inside.  The bad news is we have to figure out a way to get the water away from settling into the sand and running into our house.  French drain here we come!  Found a product at Home Depot that is basically french drains for dummies!  I think we will go with that.  Today I dug ditches so that we can move the water that will filter through our french drain to the lowest part of our yard.  We have also realized that we will probable want to install a dry river bed to diffuse the water that will run off from the driveway. I like how this river bed looks so natural.

Finally there is a low area on the water side of the house that we need to revamp.  This application would be perfect for that area.

Modern Exterior design by Dc Metro Photographer Jim Tetro

I love this idea.  More digging is in my future.  It will all be worth it in the end.

Peace!

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless...

Peace!

Texture Tuesday - Free and Easy

This week at Kim's Texture Tuesday we have a guest host.  I had a tough time choosing an image to work on.  Some weeks are like that.  I ended up working on an image I took a while back.  I've never added textures to this image before although I have played with the tones in the image.  All things ocean are like a salve for my soul,  music to my ears....  I hope you enjoy.

These bottles in themselves are treasures to me as they were part of a spice set that belonged to my Mum.   Now they hold treasures from the ocean.  For this photo I tweaked the level of white in the image and added layers of KK's to be, annabelle, and serendipity.  

Peace!

Mellow Yellow Monday

Mellow Yellow Monday

Fun at the park!

Peace!

Our Word View

What is Our Word View?  A collaboration between two friends who lost touch over the years but have reconnected online.  We share a love of the ocean, photography, quotes, animals and family.  Often times our photographic interpretations of our word of the week are very similar.

This week I chose the word calm for our photographic interpretation.  I hope you will go over to Our Word View and see what Liz shares this week.

I chose the word calm because it is something I have been desperately seeking over the last several weeks;  a sense of calm.  This summer R and I went to the beach to digitally capture the sunrise.  In those moments I was perhaps he most calm I have ever been.  I'd like to see the sunrise over the ocean again before school begins.  Just the thought of it is relaxing!  

Peace!

Simple Beauty

I love taking photographs of nature.  I find simple beauty through my lens.  Grass, leaves, trees, clouds, butterflies, birds, bugs... you name it and I'll snap it's picture.   On Saturdays I'm going to take the time to share a few of my favorite nature shots.  So here goes.

Peace!

Friday Fill Ins

And...here we go!

1. Seeing darkness settle in earlier each night makes me realize summer is fading. 
2. It's never to late to follow your dreams. 
3. According to the weather man this weekend should be beautiful. 
4. As we get closer to the first day of school I end up with butterflies in my stomach! 
5. I associate my daughter's birthday with the anniversary of my MIL passing, wish I didn't but I do.   
6. Long ago I would be helping to plan for end of the summer festivities, now I let the end of the summer come and go quietly.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to going out with N to get his new clothes, tomorrow my plans include meeting with foundation people I hope and Sunday, I want to relax and prepare for the last week of summer vacation!


Peace!

Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY

Outside my window...it is a beautiful clear summer day.  Perfect. 

I am thinking...about my dear friend C and her family as they take their daughter to college today.  What a big day.  

I am thankful for...the good things in my life.   

From the kitchen...homemade chicken pie last night... tonight is anyone's guess!
                 
I am wearing....my pj's! It's only 9am and I'm still on my summer schedule at least for one more week or so. 

I am creating... not much but I want to work on cards, a teacher portfolio and notebooks outlining the common core standards for grades k through 3. 

I am going...to wash my car today and clean out the trunk so R can change my flat front tire when he comes home today.  It's always something right? 

I am wondering... when the sub jobs will start this year.  

I am reading...not much other than political posts and articles.  I'm a bit obsessed with the entire process.  

I am looking forward to...fixing 40 M and moving forward.  The whole thing makes me sick to my stomach!

I am learning... to let the bad go and be ok with the challenges that are always a part of life.    

Around the house...things are ok but I feel like an intense cleaning is just about due.   The revamped chores are going OK.   

A favorite quote for today...

"You're only given a little spark of madness. You mustn't lose it."– Robin Williams
‎

One of my favorite things ... enjoying sushi with the kids. 

A few plans for the rest of the week: going out with N,  watching Big Brother, hopefully going to the beach and getting into the ocean again,  washing the car, & working on the yard. 

A photo I'm sharing:

Peace!

Wordless Wednesday

Peace!

Texture Tuesday - Dream It

Happy Tuesday everyone!  Today over at Kim's Texture Tuesday our only guidelines this week were to use at least one layer of her  Dream It texture.  I loved working with this texture.  I actually worked on recently shot pictures from my children's elementary school outdoor classroom.  You can see the originals here.  I love the transformation of these images.  I added two layers of Dream It, the first layer on color 49% and the second layer on luminosity 49%.  I used a mask and removed some of the texture from the flower itself on both layers.  What do you think?

Peace!

Air Quality

Well we had to have a professional come and check out the air quality over at 40 M!  The gentleman we hired was wonderful.  He was from Healthy Air Cape Cod.  He was professional and well informed.  He had lots of suggestions as to how we can defer the water away from the house and will provide us with a written report by the end of the week  Through the appointment we have determined we have a water/moisture problem not a mold problem.  Basically the long and the short of it is that we will need to increase the size of the berm on the driveway closest to the house to at least 12 inches and extend the driveway so that the runoff water is routed appropriately to the lowest spot in the yard.   We will also have to replace the drywall from the floor up to at least 24" from the bathroom all the way around to the other side of the house.  (exterior walls only)  Yup,  life just keeps handing us lemons.   Folks I'm tired of making lemonade!

Peace!

Mellow Yellow Monday

Mellow Yellow....

This picture makes me happy and that is why I'm posting it for Mellow Yellow today.

Peace!

Our Word View

What is Our Word View?  A collaboration between two friends who lost touch over the years but have reconnected online.  We share a love of the ocean, photography, quotes, animals and family.  Often times our photographic interpretations of our word of the week are very similar.

This week Liz chose the word green for our photographic interpretation.  I hope you will go over to Our Word View and see what Liz shares this week.

I love color and finding images to fit into a color prompt is fun.  When I think of green my mind immediately goes to nature... grass, leaves, trees....  I also find myself thinking of spring and rebirth. This image is of a newly unfurling oak hydrangea leaf.  Isn't is just beautiful?

Peace!

Happy Birthday Dad!

Today, Dad would have been 78 years old.  I miss him everyday he is gone.  I see him many of the older gentlemen around town.  I know he watched over us.


Peace!

Simple Beauty

I love taking photographs of nature.  I find simple beauty through my lens.  Grass, leaves, trees, clouds, butterflies, birds, bugs... you name it and I'll snap it's picture.   On Saturdays I'm going to take the time to share a few of my favorite nature shots.  So here goes.

Peace!

Dreams

I find dreams fascinating.  For whatever reason I almost always remember my dreams.  Some memories are more distinct for me than others.  At times I awake with just a sense of what my dream might have been.  Over the years I have had reoccurring dreams.  One dream that comes back to me often is based on my Aunt's home where I spent a lot of time as a child.  This morning I woke at 5:30 but forced myself to go back to sleep.  As I drifted off I was thinking about my cousin J and her upcoming wedding shower.  At some point before I got up for the day I drifted into a dream that took place at my Aunts house.  It followed the patter that these dreams have taken over the years.  The house was the same but different.  It had a finished basement that served as a television studio and the rest of the house had been turned into a funeral home.  Weird!  There were strangers in the dream as well as my immediate family.  While I didn't see my Aunt, I felt her presence in my dream.  When I woke up the dream stayed with me for some time.

Peace!

Friday Fill Ins

And...here we go!

1. When early this morning. 
2. Where in my dreams. 
3. How through the power of suggestion and the subconscious mind. 
4. Why because they are always on my mind. 
5. Time sometime between 5:30 and7:45.  
6. What if they are trying to send me a message..
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to going to Papa Ginos for pizza, tomorrow my plans include ripping out the rugs in the kids rooms over at 40M and Sunday, I want to make a boiled lobster dinner. 

Peace!

Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY

Outside my window..it is a glorious summer day.  The temperature is perfect with low humidity.  This is the weather I'd love day in and day out.  

I am thinking...that  I have then end of summer, back to school blues!

I am thankful for...all the good things in my life.  

From the kitchen...today will be leftovers but yesterday was a steak birthday meal for R.  Steak on the grill, mashed potatoes from the crock pot, huge green salad and homemade garlic croutons.  For desert we had apple pie and vanilla ice cream.   
                 
I am wearing....my favorite summer shirt with grey shorts.  The shirt is red with a paisly print.  Looks a little bit like a bandana but I love it!  

I am creating...lots of fun links on pinterest.  I want to have a wealth of ideas in case I land a full time position this year. 

I am going...to  try not to let back to school jitters get the best of me....

I am wondering... how Cupcake Charlie's will be today.  

I am reading...teacher blogs... so that I can pin great ideas. 

I am hearing...the dishwasher doing it's magic.  

I am hoping...that transitions back to school will be smooth as silk. 

I am looking forward to...seeing family at a family wedding shower this weekend. 

I am learning... to breath more deeply.   

Around the house...things are ok.  The new chores are just going... not sure how it will pan out.  

A favorite quote for today... posted by a middle school principal on twitter today:

"Service to your community and others is the rent you pay for the privilege of living in the world" S.Covey

One of my favorite things ... relaxing at the end of the day when all the work is done.    

A few plans for the rest of the week: going out with n, talking with my BFL   C, watching Big Brother, going to my little cousins shower in Boston, preparing to set the alarm each day next week :( ! 

A photo I'm sharing:

Peace!

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless...

Peace!

Texture Tuesday - Looking Down

Kim challenged us to 'look down' this week.  I spent some time shooting pics this week thinking about looking down.  Unfortunately I was not pleased with any of the pictures I captured so I decided to look back into my archives to find something that could fit this weeks theme.  As you might expect I chose to go with some ocean/beach views.  The ocean is my favorite place.  Several of the images I chose don't immediately make you think 'look down', but when you think of moving toward a destination you just might find yourself looking down the path, road or shore.

I took a snap shot of my basic recipe for my pictures.  I was going for a washed, vintage look.  What do you think?  

Peace!

Things That Make You Go Hmmmmm Update

We excavated over the weekend over at 40 M and did find a hole in one of the cement blocks.  That hole is now filled with hydraulic cement and ready for professional waterproofing tomorrow.   R is taking a half day tomorrow and will hopefully be able to take Wednesday off so we can wrap this project up!  It is crazy to see your home excavated.  Thought I'd share a few pics.

One more project almost done.  It's an investment in the future,  at least that is what we tell ourselves!  

Peace!