Pics-elated

Nora & Molly Playing

2008-03-27T08:23:00.003-04:00

Nora, Day One

2008-02-16T16:57:00.005-05:00

Precious Nora is here and today was her first full day with us. She is so sweet, but also EXTREMELY timid. She really wants to play with Molly & Max, and Max is more willing than Molly right now. We see her relaxing and getting a little more trusting as each hour ticks bye, but we have a long ways to go. With this precious little one it we will celebrate even the tiniest progress. Poor baby has had a very hard life thus far. (before she came to be a Lucky Star Rescue) We are very happy that Nora is now home.

Nora

2008-02-14T15:31:00.003-05:00

Just one more day and Nora will be here! Nora is a 6 year old rescue that we are adopting from Lucky Star Cavalier Rescue. She has had a tough life thus far having lived her life in an Amish Puppy Mill in Ohio. She's had a month of TLC with her foster mum & foster 'siblings' in which she has come to learn what it is like to live in a house with people and not in a cage. We hear that she loves to play with balls and tries to engage her foster siblings in play, but they don't want to! Hopefully Molly & Max will play as much as Nora wants. We've also heard that Nora gets on the couch and won't get down until someone lifts her down. From what I have read a mill dog takes a lot of patience and time, but we know that our Nora is worth all the time in the world.

The photo above is from Nora's Lucky Star page:

http://www.luckystarcavalierrescue.org/page.php?name=Rescues&detail=yes&id=377

Halloween Angels

2007-11-01T08:16:00.000-04:00

When we were thinking about Halloween this year we envisioned dressing Molly & Max up in their costumes, taking some photos, maybe trying to show them to a few children until they barked at the children too much and then we'd put them in their sleeping kennel until the trick or treating had ended. THAT is NOT what happened!!!!

When the Trick or Treaters arrived, Mark sat outside the door & I put the baby gate up so that the dogs would not get out if someone opened the door. I thought the dogs could look out at the children. BUT, the dogs couldn't see the children, so I put the rocking chair in front of the door so they could see out the window, and they sat there for an hour and a half and just watched!!! They barked twice at dogs walking by, but not at the children. Normally they bark at anyone they see walking by.

The children and many adults loved seeing the dogs dressed up. A few people even asked if the dogs were real because they sat so still at times. The photos above in the slide show are not 'time lapsed'... just taken randomly.... at any time the dogs could have gotten down from the chair but they didn't. The way they behaved was so surprising!!!!!!!!!!! Mark & I still can hardly believe it. Molly & Maxwell were indeed our Halloween angels, only they were dressed as a firetruck and Snow White.

One Year Ago Today....

2007-10-26T14:36:00.000-04:00

We brought Molly home one year ago today! Here is one of the first pics we took of her. She weighed about 4.5 pounds and now weighs about 17 pounds. What a joy she is and we couldn't love her more! Happy "Got-cha" Day our precious Molly!

Here she is today:

Molly as Snow White & Max as the Fire Truck

2007-10-26T11:27:00.000-04:00

Halloween is almost here....

The Daily Chase

2007-10-26T11:22:00.000-04:00

Molly & Max chasing each other through the back yard on Sunday. Since then the leaves have turned mostly brown.

Take the camera off auto!

2007-10-26T11:03:00.000-04:00

I take way too many photos on 'automatic' settings. Today I was playing around with the settings and captured Max in a nice light. In photoshop I boosted the contrast a little and voila! I think a better photo.

This one was taken on "automatic".

Happy 1st Birthday Molly!

2007-08-13T19:51:00.000-04:00

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A BIG Happy Birthday to our precious Molly who turns 1 today. Here is a slide show with photos of her first year.

Maxwell's 1st Birthday, Tuesday August 7th

2007-08-06T15:04:00.000-04:00

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A very big Happy first Birthday to our sweet Maxxy!!!!! Here's wishing we celebrate 15 or more on this earth together!!!

L-O-V-E = Molly & Maxwell

2007-08-05T21:17:00.000-04:00

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I put a slide show together today to celebrate Molly & Max's 1st Birthday. I plan on making individual slide shows for them also. What fun it was going back through the photos we've taken of them......I only wish I had taken MORE photos of them when they were tiny.

Camp-Puppies

2007-07-30T06:21:00.000-04:00

Molly & Maxwell love camping! Here they are at Lily Bay just after a swim in Moosehead Lake.

2007-07-26T21:54:00.000-04:00

July 2006, Juneau Alaska:

July 2007 Dover-Foxcroft, Maine:

Quote from my Inbox

2007-06-01T09:20:00.000-04:00

“I find the great thing in this world is not so much where we stand, as in what direction we are moving: To reach the port of heaven, we must sail sometimes with the wind and sometimes against it – but we must sail, and not drift, nor lie at anchor.”

-Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. (1809-1984)

Molly & Maxwell are now 9 1/2 months old

2007-05-30T18:44:00.000-04:00

Molly speeds through the now fenced in back yard. Both pups are enjoying every minute they get to be leash-free outside.

Maxxy, my sweet little boy.

Finally Fenced In!!!! Oh So Happy!!!!

2007-05-29T08:23:00.000-04:00

Thank You Daddy!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You worked sooooo hard every weekend for a month and now our play area is ready for us to run and jump and have a blast. We just love our daddy too much.

This photo was taken just minutes after we were allowed to run free in our back yard. Daddy is exhausted.

2007-05-14T07:26:00.000-04:00

They have two baskets filled with puppy toys, but they love chewing on socks the best!

Hubby's New Blog

2007-03-29T20:09:00.000-04:00

Max & Molly's daddy has started a blog for photos of the two pups. I am not very good about adding photos to this blog, so he started his own blog. Here is the address:

http://maxmollygooddogs.blogspot.com/

Beach, Snow & Ben

2007-02-22T09:42:00.000-05:00

Cavalier Talk With Cavs on Calf

2007-02-22T08:12:00.000-05:00

Above photo: Sitting in the recliner, checking out 'Cavalier Talk' online, while my 2 Cavalier King Charles Spaniels sit on my left leg, Molly is actually sitting on my calf.

Molly & Maxwell are doing fine after their spay / neuter surgeries. It was very difficult trying to keep them quiet and keep them from jumping....and also keeping them from licking their surgery spots. I found that if I put Molly in her doggie sweaters, the sweater covered the area and it kept her from licking and it also kept the area clean. You can see her here in one of those sweaters.

The pups are now 6 months old... Molly is now 10 pounds and Max is 12 pounds. (Molly was 4.5 pounds when we got her at the end of October) They are a constant source of happiness for us. When daddy comes home at night the pups are so excited to see him that after 3 minutes they aren't done kissing him! I am now a full time doggie mom and happily so.

I discovered this morning that I need to take more photos of them when looking for pictures to post! Hopefully the weather will improve and let us spend more time outside so we can get some nice photos and have even more fun!

Beautiful Babes

2007-02-22T07:55:00.000-05:00

Booties

2007-01-14T15:54:00.001-05:00

This is Molly & Max in their new booties for the first time. What you can't see is how hilarious it was seeing them trying to walk with the booties on......we were laughing so hard, tears were dripping down our cheeks. When we got up to the high school to walk in the woods, both dogs were boot free and we took off Max's coat because it simply was not working. It was snowing & quite cold as we walked...but it was so peaceful walking in the lightly falling snow. After walking in the woods the puppies ran around the soccer field with Daddy...they just loved that too much. We had so much fun playing out in the snow with our precious 'children'.

Molly & Maxwell

2007-01-11T20:11:00.000-05:00

They were right...

2006-12-28T17:51:00.000-05:00

Molly & Maxwell's Aunt Mary went to a fancy foo-foo type doggie boutique in Park City Utah looking for a Christmas gift for Molly & Max. With great flair & animation the sales ladies at the shop showed Aunt Mary that this furry oblong closed sleeping bag / blanket would be the PERFECT gift. There are a number of ways that they can snuggle into it, but just having it on the couch as a blanket, snuggled up together seems to be their favorite. They think the shop ladies knew what they were talking about....it's an awesome gift....they really love to snuggle up in their fancy Park City blanket! If you look closely you can see Max in the shadows of this photo. Thanks Aunt Mary & Neil!

For KB....a non-puppy photo! :)

2006-12-19T12:10:00.000-05:00

Mark & I took the puppies to Popham on Sunday....they had their first sighting of horses...and we had our frist sighting of horses on the beach!

Molly & Maxwell...10 Days Before Christmas

2006-12-17T10:56:00.000-05:00

Maxwell ... the PERFECT dog???

2006-12-14T10:05:00.000-05:00

Maxwell is adjusting wonderfully to life with us and Molly. He has this warm calm soul...mainly just wanting to snuggle with us or Molly. This morning the puppies played in the yard running and chasing each other....it was just too cute. His quiet calm is the perfect balance to Molly's zest and energy. He loves his tummy rubbed....it's just like we now have a living teddy bear. I have to wonder if Maxwell just might be the "perfect" dog???

Meet Maxwell....Molly's 'brother'!

2006-12-11T09:56:00.000-05:00

This is Maxwell....Molly's new 'older brother'. (just 6 days older) Our beloved Molly really needed a playmate....so we found a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel breeder right here in Maine that had 2 males left from a litter of 6. We were thrilled that we found a tri colored male so close in age to our little Molly. It may not appear that he's nearly double the size of Molly, but you know it when you pick him up! He seems very healthy and both puppies are adjusting well. Molly finally got to play 'tag' / chase this morning...something the cats have simply refused to do with her. More on Maxwell later....

Molly Goes to Popham

2006-11-24T20:12:00.000-05:00

3 month old Molly meets a 4 month old Cocker Spaniel on the walk in to visit the beach for her very first time. What pretty puppies!

Molly snuggles up to daddy....

Daddy puts Molly in the snugglie so she can have a rest. It's not long before she gets the courage to explore on her own.....

Wait!!! Don't go so soon! Molly makes a new white fluffy friend.....

Checking out a shell sticking out of the sand......

Time to head back to the car. What a fun time at the beach!

Puppy Pics

2006-11-18T21:09:00.000-05:00

Molly's Coats

2006-11-08T14:26:00.000-05:00

I dusted off my sewing machine and made this reversible rain coat / hunter safety orange coat today for my little sweetness. After I got it all done, I realized that in two weeks it wouldn't fit her anymore.....so I made some adjustments. The yellow side has a hood, but she doesn't like that very much. I took some old running reflective arm bands and cut them up and sewed them on to both sides. Below is the first jacket I made her this morning...a fleece warm up sweater that she can wear around the house. She is so good-natured to put up with me.

Molly... Our Bundle of Joy

2006-11-06T06:57:00.000-05:00

Harmony

2006-11-05T09:28:00.000-05:00

Saw this someplace....too cute not to pass on...

2006-10-21T15:51:00.000-04:00

Random Utah Photos

2006-07-29T21:39:00.000-04:00

It's been a hot & lazy Saturday today...I was able to upload a few more photos from Utah.... Here are just a couple notes about some of the photos:

(1st photo) We were sight seeing with Mary & Neil on a dirt road that ran along the side of a mountain. Off to my right the clouds had parted just in one small area casting a beautiful light down on just a few select mountains....Neil pulled the car over. I put the window down and took the top photo right from inside the car. It was a different story in Alaska...once on the land portion of the trip, the bus kept on moving..... Great memories of both Utah and Alaska....but a certainly a few nicer sight-seeing shots in Utah.

(3rd photo) A view of the mountains at Sundance Ski Resort, the resort Robert Redford owns.

(4th photo) The purple flower is called 'Monks Hood'. The very first time I even knew of it's existence was in Norway...after that introduction, I noticed it in Maine, Utah and even in Alaska...gosh, those little monks do get around.

Views from Talkeetna, Alaska

2006-07-27T09:52:00.000-04:00

(This photo of the Talkeetna Chamber of Commerce is for Mary, my sister-in-law, who works for a slightly larger chamber in Park City, Utah.)

(worn out LL Bean boots get recycled in Alaska)

Downtown Talkeetna is a tiny community that gets a big boost from the bus tours on their way to Denali National Park. Just outside the town center is a brand new (HUGE) beautiful lodge that is only open from May to September. (we stayed just one night there...it's very nice and when McKinley isn't hiding behind the clouds, the lodge apparently has an amazing view) You can see the entire town center from just next to the 'welcome' sign (shown above) ...and Mark & I took a walk by all the choices of where to have dinner before we made our choice. The deciding factor...a big sign saying they had fiddleheads, Mark's favorite. This 'restaurant' was a covered deck with plastic tables & chairs, a kitchen that might have started life as a shed that now has wheels under it and an outdoor grill for cooking the very best tasting salmon I've ever had. We had just spent 7 nights on a huge Royal Caribbean ship, where each night we had dinner in a formal dining room, but the salmon I had at this little outdoor restaurant was far superior to anything I ate on the ship. I wish I had taken a photo of the place....although, the boot & bear sign were photos taken at this 'restaurant'...unique Alaska atmosphere. (Seeing the LL Bean boot planter made Maine feel not so far away.)

Ohhhh, I forgot to mention this....Talkeetna is the town that the tv series 'Northern Exposure' was based on...

Glacier Ice

2006-07-23T21:47:00.000-04:00

These are some views from Hubbard Glacier area, Alaska. The ship was not able to get close to the glacier due to large chunks of ice. It was very cold on deck and we had to dress in our winter gear...there were folks on our cruise that came to Alaska with little more than a lightweight sweatshirt. The ship store sold lots of warm coats....all the same design....black & white fake fur with bears & trees...glad I came prepared!

They know how to make a buck...

2006-07-20T15:41:00.000-04:00

Cruise lines do whatever they can to get you to spend your money....here are just a couple pics we bought from them for our scrap book.......

Home

2006-07-19T14:20:00.000-04:00

We've made it home! At noon on Monday we left Denali National Park (area) and rode on the bus for about 4 hours. Then we took a super ritzy glass domed Royal Caribbean rail car for 4 hours and had dinner on the rails. From the rail car in Anchorage, we gathered our luggage, went to the airport and our flight began at midnight. We got into Portland around 7pm. It was a lonnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnng trip home. But it feels great to be home...great to see the kids. I will try to post more pics from the entire trip in the next few days...but for now I have to unpack and do a bunch of laundry.

Denali

2006-07-17T02:13:00.000-04:00

On most years only 30% of the people that come to Denali National Park see Denali...(Mt. McKinley)....this year the guides said the weather has been so bad only about 5% have seen the mountain......and as we were coming back from our Jeep Safari, the clouds cleared and there it was................awesome sight. It was 80 miles away from where we stood and yet it was so huge. We were thrilled!!!

One more day and we head home....we've had the greatest time.

Russian Nesting Dolls

2006-07-13T21:27:00.000-04:00

Mark took this while he waited for me to decide....imagine this many dolls times 10...all hand painted, every single one different....my head spun trying to decide. It took me over 2 hours to find the one....I've only waited my whole life for one of these dolls....now I have 2! (we went to another store later on that same day....and I found another)

Everything is a little bigger here

2006-07-13T21:21:00.000-04:00

Totem Pole, Sitka National Park

2006-07-13T21:16:00.000-04:00

View from inside the train, Skagway

2006-07-13T21:12:00.000-04:00

Tree Moss, near Mendenhall Glacier

2006-07-13T21:08:00.000-04:00

Nap time for some Sea Lions, near Juneau

2006-07-13T21:02:00.000-04:00

Tail....it's the pic you hope to get

2006-07-13T20:58:00.000-04:00

light house near Juneau

2006-07-13T20:55:00.000-04:00

Mendenhall Glacier

2006-07-13T20:49:00.000-04:00

Thursday

2006-07-13T20:45:00.000-04:00

Thursday….it’s been a rainy day here in Icy Straight, Alaska. The enormous amount of warm clothing has paid off, because we’ve needed almost all our cold weather gear. Today we went on a whale watch cruise…I’m not sure exactly how many different whales we saw, but there had to be 30-50 different sightings…it was spectacular. At one point the boat stopped and a cow & calf came within 75 feet of the boat….it was raining pretty hard and most of the time I didn’t even attempt to take any photos…just enjoyed the awesome sights.

Yesterday we stopped in Sitka. I heard a lady today say that she didn’t see why we stopped there…that it wasn’t that great. Well, apparently she didn’t go to the National Historical Park like we did….that was soooooooooooooooooooo nice. I think Sitka was my favorite port of the trip. The park is really beautiful…and then what I had been waiting for…shopping for a Russian nesting doll. My head spun there were so many beautiful choices of Matrioshka dolls. Mark was a saint…waited 2 hours for me to do my shopping. (he did snap a pic of one of the shelves in one of the stores....he had my camera around his neck while I shopped, and he just clicked the shutter very discretely.)

Last night we bought tickets to a mystery dinner theatre here on the ship. That was fun and we had dinner with some interesting people. Tonight is another ‘formal’ night, so we have to dress up again. Mark hates dressing up, but does so to please me. What a great guy.

Tomorrow (Friday) is a day at sea…a day to rest up and I’ll try to re-pack for the Saturday departure…our land tour begins on Saturday. Home whatever day the 18th falls on. I’ve lost all track of days here. It’s been one long wonderful vacation. I hope everyone gets to take this trip at least once in their life.

Juneau & Skagway

2006-07-11T21:32:00.000-04:00

Alaska is GRAND in every sense of the word. We’re having a wonderful time….eating wayyyyyyy too much and not getting a whole lot of rest because there is too much to do. Today we are in Skagway…a town of 800 that has 4 HUGE ships docked in their harbor (it’s actually the end of a fjord) …so their population for the day could be as many as 8000 people. We took a train ride this morning up to White Pass & into the Yukon Route….some of the photos are taken from inside the train looking out through the windows, and there are some strange reflections on the photos. (These are not UFOs or strange clouds) Once off the train we headed directly for Starbucks for a GOOD cup of coffee. That might be the one true downfall of these ships…their coffee is lousy. After the much needed caffeine jolt, we shopped in town and are now back in the cabin resting….well, he is, anyway.

Yesterday was an amazing day for me. My tour was about 5 hours long…called a photo safari. Unfortunately my long lens was not working, and being pig-headed I kept thinking it would be ‘fine’. It wasn’t. Most of the pics came out lousy, but that is ok….I had a wonderful time just the same. I saw humpback whales and eagles and sea lions laying in the sun. I also saw the Mendenhall Glacier and got to hike in the rain forest near the glacier. Mark unfortunately didn’t have as much fun on his tour. He had wanted to kayak near the glacier, but they only had a view of it…many miles away. He did see some eagles though. In Juneau, eagles as common as gulls are at home….well ALMOST. I would have had a great shot of one had my long lens been working correctly…instead I have a big blurr.

Tomorrow is Sitka….no tours planned…just hopefully shopping for those Russian nesting dolls. We’ve seen many, but I have been holding out hoping that since Sitka is an old Russian town, maybe they will have the best selection. So far we’ve seen dolls starting at $5 and going up to $450….and some I didn’t even ask about. After the shopping we’re going to try to walk through their National Historic Park which is also called ‘Totem Park’…..bet we’ll see some totem poles!

We fly home a week from today….it sure has been an amazing & wonderful adventure so far!

(sorry....photos would not load....will try later. I've used 20 min just trying to upload with no luck. At .33 a minute....will try later. )

Sunday, on board

2006-07-09T22:16:00.000-04:00

A foggy start to the day...

We’re on the ship! We boarded yesterday (Saturday) and have had a very nice time since. I love the balcony in our room….we stayed out until midnight as the ship very slowly made it through some narrow channels. The winter gear has been used already…needed winter hat, gloves, and also the wind pants when sitting out on the balcony, and eating lunch today. (there were no tables inside, so Mark got our jackets and we sat in an exposed area….burrrrrr!) Quite a difference from Utah! I haven’t seen any whales yet from our room, but will keep watching for them. Radiance of the Seas is a BEAUTIFUL ship…I hope I get to see it all, as it is HUGE! Today is a day at sea, tomorrow we stop in Juneau where Mark is taking a kayaking excursion and I am going on a photo safari with a professional photographer. I hope the weather is nice…

By the way, I really miss Katie & Ben.

Photos from Saturday...leaving Vancouver

2006-07-09T21:57:00.000-04:00

Views from Vancouver

2006-07-08T03:39:00.000-04:00

First pic.....swan in Stanley Park
second pic....view from walking path along Stanley Park shoreline walking path
third pic....duplicate pic, sorry
fourth pic...evening view from our room....mountain in good view behind city
fifth pic...view of Canada Place from Stanley Park
sixth pic...yellow rose from rose garden in Stanley Park
seventh pic....totem poles in Stanley Park
eigth pic....view from hotel balcony
nineth pic....turtles in Stanley Park's Lost Lagoon
tenth pic...first time either of us had touched the Pacific Ocean

We're having a GREAT time on vacation...tomorrow we board the ship and head out for Alaska. Tonight we tried Greek food for the first time....liked it a lot.... we also walked for 4 hours in Stanley Park, which is sooooo beautiful....photos do not do it justice. I'm not sure of internet connection for the rest of the trip...will post if we can. I am so looking forward to unpacking on the ship and making it 'home' for 7 days.

Views from Mary & Neil's Back Yard

2006-07-05T11:26:00.000-04:00

Sorry about the duplicate pic...not sure why that happened, but don't have time to repost all the pics in order to take it out. By the way, that is Rusty Dog at the top...and indeed he is top dog! Neil & Mary have a very nice home here and they have worked very hard on their back yard. Last night we sat and watched the July 4th fireworks from their lower patio...best fireworks ever!

Oakley Rodeo...what fun!!!!

2006-07-04T02:57:00.000-04:00

Sundance

2006-07-03T20:33:00.000-04:00

Mary took us to Sundance today...we road the chairlift to the top then hiked down. The hike down took us almost 2 hours and in places was a little scary as the 2' wide path dropped off quite steeply. BUT it was well worth the effort...we had a great time. The photo below shows one view of the trail....when it wasn't steep....and the photo below that was when we were in 'the black & white zone' :) Tonight we go to the rodeo!!!! That should be lots of fun...

Utah

2006-07-03T11:49:00.000-04:00

We made it to Utah....Mary & Neil have a BEAUTIFUL home here and they have created a lovely garden in their back yard. I will have to post photos of the garden later. This photo above was taken when we took the tram to the top of the mountain at Snowbird Ski Resort yesterday. We had such a nice day touring around the mountains....I will have to write more later....today we are off to Sundance and then to a rodeo tonight!

Congrats & Good Luck

2006-06-29T21:40:00.000-04:00

An email from my friend Richard in South Africa told of some good news....Andrea agreed to marry him! (Congrats!!!!!!) If he is cancer free early next year, they will marry on Valentine's Day. I am thrilled for them! I hope they have many happy & healthy years together. (by the way, my hubby & I celebrated our 21st wedding anniversary tonight....and now I am blogging?????)

Richard starts chemo tomorrow so I want to send him good health wishes...you will be in my thoughts R. Let's hope the chemo tracks down every one of those cancer cells and leaves the healthy ones.

We leave on our big journey in 34 hours.... I will be back at this computer in about 450 hours, God willing. I'll send posts from the blackberry and maybe even upload a photo or two when we have the chance... Take care all.

The Land of "The Midnight Sun"

2006-06-28T09:58:00.000-04:00

Thinking back on past packing mistakes, I went through some of my photos from Norway. (the above photo was taken from atop the hill behind our friend's island cabin) Going to Norway in '04 was one of the hi-lights of my life. I cannot wait to go back. BUT, we made some HUGE packing mistakes. I get embarrassed when I think about how much needless stuff we brought with us, and not enough of the important stuff, like warm clothing. The island we visited was just outside the artic circle, and although it was July, it was still pretty cold. I am assuming that Alaska could also have the same similar weather...hopefully this time I haven't completely botched the packing.

When we were in Norway, my friend Asle took us to a mountain called Torghatten...and there is an actual hole right through the middle of the mountain! It's quite the 'MUST SEE' of the area. We hiked up and walked through the hole to the other side.....this photo (above) is a view from inside the mountain looking out. You can see how big the hole is when I tell you that at the left corner of the hole, that is a person standing there....!

This photo of Katie, Kaja & Tora is a good example of "The Midnight Sun"...it was around 10:30pm when we were out enjoying the evening.

Norway is truly a beautiful country, but it's the kindness of the people that really has made a lasting impression on me. There is much we could learn from our Norwegian neighbors.

Warm Breezes...Blue Waters

2006-06-25T11:16:00.000-04:00

I am such a procrastinator. We are leaving for our big, hopefully excellent adventure in 5 days and I have to narrow down what we are taking with us. We will be in Utah, Vancouver, and Alaska. Alaska this year could be wet, cold & raw and it also could be warm & sunny; Utah could be very hot; Vancouver, somewhere in the middle. We need formal clothes for the 2 formal nights on the ship. I should be going through the piles of clothes I've made, but instead I went through my photos from the trip we took in March to Nassau ...where packing was simple and super easy. This flower (above) was at the resort...the warm blue waters just feet away...the powdery white sand....the cocktails...the food...heavenly.

Heavens! I have to stop procrastinating and get a move on!

Sleepless, on Sofa

2006-06-24T00:21:00.000-04:00

"O bed! O bed! delicious bed!
That heaven upon earth
to the weary head!"
-Thomas Hood

Whenever I have a big event to look forward to, I stop sleeping weeks in advance. By stop sleeping, I mean...tossing, turning, taking hours to fall asleep and then maybe getting 3, maybe 4 hours of sleep a night. We have one week left until we leave on our big adventure...I wonder if the airline will charge extra for those two bags I'll be trying to smuggle in under my eyes.....?

Stormy Seas

2006-06-23T10:22:00.000-04:00

Unfortunately, it hasn't been smooth sailing for my friend Richard. Due to some complications from his surgery he was not able to start chemo today as planned.

Let's pray that he gets some calmer waters and gentle warm winds very soon.

Slowly Unfolding

2006-06-22T17:00:00.000-04:00

"Time does not change us. It just unfolds us."
— Max Frisch

I was fortunate this morning to walk with my friends Dan & Ali. (by the way, Ali writes an awesome blog called Henbogle…the link is on the list below and to the right) During our walk I mentioned that now that I am almost 40, I'm getting to the point of not caring what others think and just 'walking to the beat of my own drum', as they say. This certainly has not happened overnight, but has been a very slow process. Being able to simply be myself and being able to do what I want, even if I do look silly, is liberating.

This past March my hubby & I were in the Bahamas, and right along the beach we were staying at there was as company offering to take people parasailing. I was a teenager that spent a lot of time waterskiing, and I have dreamed of parasailing for years and years....and so I finally did. It was amazing. Floating high above the water, seeing parts of Nassau I couldn't see from down on the beach was wonderful. It was so peaceful up there, and strangely quiet. Although, the best part for me was that I stepped beyond the boundaries I had set for myself long ago. I don't look like the person you would visualize parasailing and until recently, not looking the part, would have certainly held me back....(or in this case, would have kept me on the beach)

I have a new 'sport' that I have just recently been doing called 'Nordic Walking'...which is basically walking with modified ski poles. Nordic Walking is an excellent way to work your entire body because you use the poles to push yourself along...your arms, shoulders, back & abs are getting a workout along with your legs. There are enough benefits to Nordic Walking to forget about just how silly one might look. I was quite nervous about going out for the first time on the street here in our little town with ‘ski poles’ in the middle of June. Somehow though, my ‘drum beat’ was playing just loud enough in my head that I was able to push through the embarrassment...although...I only have one route so far...haven't dared to venture outside of this comfort zone yet. When I find the volume button so that drum plays a bit louder, I'll unfold the map and see where else my poles will take me.

Faith

2006-06-21T22:07:00.000-04:00

"Faith is what makes life bearable, with all its tragedies and ambiguities and sudden, startling joys."
— Madeleine L'Engle

Richard begins chemo tomorrow.
Everyone, please,
wish him well.
Thank you.

Posted Thursday morning, June 22nd

Happy Birthday Shelley

2006-06-19T09:54:00.000-04:00

Here is a view from home that you might remember....didn't you see Paul Newman not far from here when he was making the movie 'Message in a Bottle'???

Lovely Surprise

2006-06-17T18:23:00.000-04:00

My friends Attila & Anna from Hungary sent me a lovely surprise. A beautiful table runner & doily in a traditional Hungarian pattern called Kalocsai, which is also the name of a Hungarian town. Attila's mother made them. These will be treasured always. Thank you my friends! Isn't it nice when someone surprises you? I need to make an effort to give more surprises....

Happy

2006-06-16T10:05:00.000-04:00

A butterfly seemed to follow me on my walk today. Happiness for me comes in the whispers from nature....the shape of a leaf, the sound of the cardinal when he is near...and today, when the butterfly fluttered along next to me.

Spokes

2006-06-15T17:02:00.000-04:00

There have been many big 'events' around here lately. (our daughter graduated high school; my father-in law had a heart attack; one of my best friends' husband is actually being persecuted in India for being a Christian trying to help street orphans; and we are getting ready to go on trip to Utah, Vancouver & Alaska that will last 18 days) These are momentous events in my quiet life...but there is something else I didn't mention that has an even greater impact on my my heart & soul than all of these other things combined. My dear friend Richard from South Africa has cancer. I go about my day with this always on my mind. I now wear an annoying yellow "LiveStrong" wrist band in his honor. There isn't a lot I can do for him, except pray and try to send as much positive energy his way as I can. I meditate often, trying to enrich whatever energy that I do have before I "send it off" to him. ( I recently read something that explained what I have believed for some time now....that our spirits / souls are all connected like spokes on a wheel...close together / connected at the center (hub) and then we branch out (at the rim) to live our individual, separate lives) I visualize my positive energy traveling up the invisible spoke to the invisible hub where Richard's soul connects to all of ours.... I send it with the hope & prayer that he will make it through this.

The photo above is for Richard. I had wanted to go out on the day of his surgery and take a nice photo just for him, but what happened was not as planned. Instead, I took 5 minutes snapping a few pics in a tiny garden I have next to our house, before going off to the hospital here to be with my in-laws. The results were lousy at best, (helped out afterwards by Photoshop) but the original intention remained. The photo below is for Andrea, Richard's partner, who very kindly kept me informed while he was in the hospital. She is keeping his spirits up and is a tower of strength, according to Richard. He has a long road ahead of him, but thankfully Andrea is by his side.

Lupine

2006-06-15T14:16:00.000-04:00

The lupine are in bloom here in Maine. As I remember, my friends in Norway will have to wait another 2 or 3 weeks before the lupine will bloom there. (I wonder if Alaska also has lupine? We'll be there in about 3 weeks, so I will find out...maybe with some luck, they will be on the same blooming schedule as Norway)

This photo of the lupine in front of the lighthouse was taken almost a year ago in Port Clyde, Maine. We had gone to Port Clyde to celebrate our 20th Anniversary.

My love of lupines began years & years ago when my then dark-haired hubby brought me a huge bouquet, swiped from along the roadside. I had never noticed lupines before that day...but they've been my favorite flower ever since.

There are certain seasonal 'markers' that I look forward to each year. The first sign of spring for me is not a crocus pushing up through the thawing ground, or the trees forming the tiny buds on their branches....it's the Canada geese flying overhead announcing gloriously to the world below that they are back....spring is on it's way. The summer announcement doesn't come with such majesty from above....for me, my eyes look lower on the newly greened ground.....for the carpet of purple & pink lupine alongside the roads & highways here in Maine. Summer is here, better not blink.....

Here are a few more photos from our foggy trip to Port Clyde:

Maine Harbor Seals

Atlantic Puffins

Flowers at the ice cream shop

Port Clyde shed

And so this begins....

2006-06-15T10:58:00.000-04:00

Welcome! This space is for sharing what makes my heart soar; what gets me out of bed each morning; a photo that I took; a concern; or a simple wish. Enjoy.