Blurry, Not Flurry

154/365
9:42pm

Not growing up around here, we find it fairly easy to resist Michael's despite it being a block away. When we list some landmarks to let people know where we live, we might get a couple polite nods and blank smiles until we say, "Michael's." Grown folks will often get giddy at the idea we live so close to frozen custard, which, make no mistake, is not ice cream. But since it's not safe for Jack, the after-bedtime indulgence for the parents in the family is about once a year. Tonight was just a brief photo shoot.

The top blur stops midpoint in the shot because I set the timer for 3.5" and the car was in there when the shutter clicked. Desaturated the yellow a bit because the original looked a bit too much like a bug zapper, but also because it highlights the red trails.

Napa:Wine::Wisconsin:Cheese

153/365
10:28am

There are approximately 150 vendors at the Dane County Farmers' Market each Saturday, and twelve of them are cheese. While my mom chose this fab Dill Havarti that we later sampled at home with perfectly ripened greenhouse tomato, I happen to love Hook's 12-year cheddar. Now, at $26/pound, I passed on this round....and will likely continue passing for quite some time. You can be sure if I ever pick up a small smooth, crumbly hunk, I'm not sharing it with the less discerning palates in the house. You know, the ones who are gaga over freezer burned Popsicles and mushy macaroni.

Awestruck

152/365
7:32am

Charlie, still clad in pajamas, watched for nearly an hour straight as the crew dismantled our old door, which often felt as effective as mesh in January. There would be brief moments when Charlie would skeedaddle off somewhere in the house to find an object that mimicked their tools, and then would rush back to check on their work. Foreman in training.

Popsicle Season

151/365
6:19pm

Classic kid shot.

Bleeding Heart

150/365
5:02pm

Both kids love this plant. Know why? Because it has the word bleeding in it.

Bribe

149/365
2:58pm

John and I were recently discussing how in the world I was going to get Jack photographed for his five-year-old shots. I have may have mentioned (cough, several times, cough!) about Jack's disdain for having his picture taken. John, of course, went instantly to bribe with a ginourmous Super Soaker Jack's been deliciously eyeing at Target. Oppose.

Although these are not the official five-year-shots I intend to get, I did say to a pouty Jack that I would "give him something" if he would just sit there for two whole minutes. Ooops, I didn't have anything to give him. So, I changed the subject and asked how many more pictures I could take. He said, "Twenty." Twenty?! Jackpot! He counted and I teased with the focus beep every now and then to get a slight giggle. When I got to 16, he told me I only had 4 left. I paused and we laughed and joked around. I really had him off-topic now. That shutter clicked number twenty and all I heard was, "what do I get?" What do you get?! You, my dear friend, a huge hug from your grateful mother! Bribe averted. Super Soaker safe at Target. [Wipes sweat from brow.]

On To Something

148/365
5:44pm

Apparently, I'm on a retro filling station kick. But I found out I'm not the only one: check this out!

I missed my opportunity to get this while Parman's still had their Memorial Day flag out, but the sky looked ominous and we were off to The World's Largest Brat Fest. Not loving what I got there and rain still at bay, we stopped on our way home. I had to seriously de-smudge Charlie's fingerprint from the lens, and then I was good to go.

Team Work

147/365
11:25am

Jack plants a small maple tree with Papa. You can see the leaves near his right shoulder. Twelve adults and six kids all spent the earlier part of the morning planting hundreds of pumpkins and squash, several varieties of each. Surely, we reached 500. Dare I say we reached a thousand seeds? I'll spare you my convoluted math, but I know at the end of the day I had 12 empty seed packets in my back pocket and John had ten. We're guessing an average 20 seeds per pack. All planted in perfected tilled and mounded rows, waiting for a gentle rain. With any luck, it will be a bountiful harvest.....and a spooky Halloween.

Vintage

146/365
11:17am

Located in Hazel Green, Wisconsin, this 1940s filling station stopped us in our tracks on our way to Galena for the Memorial Day weekend. We've noticed it many times before, and I'd really like to revisit this at dusk sometime. Not only is the power plant behind it distracting, but, if memory serves me correctly, the pumps and sign light up and offer a nostalgic glow.

Clypeasteroida

145/365
9:12pm

First, Charlie asked where the dollar was hiding.

Then, wearing sandals for the first time today, he says his new sand dollars are his new favorite shoes.

And later, "I'm just going to put it in my bank."

Swirl

144/365
8:18pm

One of the other shells we brought home.

Souvenirs

143/365
6:47pm

Charlie is amazed as he listens to the ocean. I intended on focusing on the shell, which I did, but Charlie's reaction shows that it would have been worth focusing on those quarter-sized eyes.

Over Newport

141/365
3:33pm

Goodbye California.

Good times, but so ready to see my boys.

Sparklitude

140/365
7:24pm

I had several typical sunsets over the ocean shots, but used this one because I like how the Pacific is pulling the golden, glisteny sand out from under the lonesome beach pebble.

Hapi

139/365
8:45pm

We stopped in this fabulous little local sushi joint in Laguna. We went off the menu on our own for a few items, but eventually the chef started making his own creations for us. The restaurant didn't start out empty, but we took our time, thoroughly enjoying our rolls, Asahi beer, and an old school music collection: Sinatra, Etta James, Tony Orlando, old school Tina Turner.

Love the Dutch door and the reflection of the deep royal blue sky and palm trees on the the bar ledge.

Wedding Day

138/365
10:17am

Unbelievable. I have at least one camera with me every day, two on most days. This was no exception. Megan and I went out to her absolutely gorgeous wedding grounds early in the morning to gather, cut, arrange hydrangeas. I took pictures of saturated stems, clear vases with crisp water lines, galvanized buckets with soft petals, fragrant roses boldly lining the perimeter. I took pictures of her family scurrying about with more efficiency than me on my second cup of coffee. I took pictures of the bride ordering lunch, eating lunch, her hair in pin curls at the nape of her neck. I took a pictures of her wedding dress, hanging in a dark room--and I couldn't do it justice. But, I Did.Not.Take.A.Picture.Of.The.Bride.And.Groom.

Two cameras, both in that dark room sitting with the wedding dress's hanger. All night. What a dreadful shame.

Orchard

136/365
4:36pm

Love lemons.

Sand & Sky

135/365
12:12pm

Lifeguard chair in Newport Beach, CA. Pacific is just that itty bitty dark sliver, and I actually like that it's not the focus of the shot. Beach, sky, chair. That's enough.

Working

134/365
5:07pm

My 84-year-old grandmother's hands...working, always working.

Fan

133/365
1:51pm

Palms in Dana Point, California.

Hurry, Hurry, Hurry

132/365
2:21pm

Ok, ok....I'm phoning this in now. Packing for a big trip to Cal-i-for-ni-A (guessing only people from the Midwest say this, or maybe just this particular Midwesterner when she's trying to be all non-Wisconsin-like) and snapped this neighbor's dogwood lickety-quick today. Catch ya on the flip side.

Wow, I'm really knocking them dead, aren't I?

CSA

131/365
3:43pm

Our first farm box arrived yesterday with a treasure trove of organic vegetables. We started participating in this Community Shared Agriculture last year, and it's been a culinary adventure to unearth the mysterious produce that arrives every other week. Try working nettles and ramps into your weekly meal plan with a two- and five-year-old. Thank goodness for staples like asparagus that I can magically work to taste just like popcorn for our discriminating palates here.

Five

130/365
3:05pm

Happy Birthday, Jack Henry!

Ta-Ta to Tulips

129/365
2:15pm

The end of this flower can only mean one thing: bring on summer. Not that we weren't thrilled to have this bursting through in April, but we're equally happy to say good-bye and let the flip-flops arrive.

Crabby

128/365
3:56pm

Just bought a brand new cute little tree for the backyard. It's a tiny crab variety, Tina, that will produce small berries in the fall. According to my research, birds will inhale these berries with gusto and not leave them to pollute the yard, then get disgusting red berry juice tracked in through the house, and curses to be spewed....angrily. If all goes according to plan, Wisconsin birds won't force me to introduce a new vocabulary to my children this fall. In the meantime, I'm thrilled with my choice!