i <3 teatime.

Tea should be taken in solitude.

~C.S. Lewis

there is very little i like more than sunday mornings and tea.  it revives me & reminds me to slow down.

post-art edit ?!?

 

i’m always amazed at the things i find on the sidewalk in & around our neighborhood.  i love the little surprises i get when i take the time to actually be aware.

i love this little addition.  there was the same saying at the other side of the line.  however, if it were my ’sidewalk art’, i would have liked it to read “can you walk the line?”.  i think the one word would’ve made a difference.  a big difference.

however, i do understand that it was put on this sidewalk most likely by Loyola students who were having a party.  i’m sure it was a pre-driving home test of sobriety.  still, a girl can wish, right?!?

easy as sunday morning

 

still plugging along with the self-portrait / week project.  some days it’s difficult.  other’s (like yesterday), it’s easy.  the light was amazing.  i was relaxed.  in my favorite nook of our place.  and sunday’s my favorite day of the week.  it all just clicked (pun intended).  i wish every week’s photo was this easy.  but if it was, it wouldn’t be a project or a challenge.  and what’s the point of pushing your photography if it’s not difficult sometimes?!?

 

 

 

 

 

vampy

to say i’m not a fan of halloween is a definite understatement.  it’s my least favorite holiday.

however, i try to play along though and be a good sport about it all ( but, seriously, i just don’t get it.  and it makes me grumpy).  the hubby-man, on the other hand, *loves* halloween.  above is our last-ditch attempt to be vampires for a last-minute-ish invitation to a party.  i think he looks awesome.  i think i look like a girl with too much make-up (we decided against the fake fangs ~ because they were very uncomfortable & even more unattractive).  however, everyone at the party said immediately “vampires, right?”.  so i guess we got it close.  and overall, the party was fun.

so even with my bah-humbug-ness of all things halloweeny, i think the night was a success … wine, good food & lots of laughs with friends old and new.  it was worth moving past the grumpies and embracing my inner-vampire.

happy halloween~!

bathtime

There must be quite a few things that a hot bath won’t cure, but I don’t know many of them.

~Sylvia Plath

i got web published. yay!

http://rogerspark.com/

~   Heartland Cafe by Eyes Azure (that’s me)

(it’s not a static page.  will only show my photo today – October 21st, 2009.)

who says you can’t go home?

“who says you can’t go home?  there’s only one place who calls you one of their own.”  these lyrics by bon jovi really resonate with me.  i love that the kalamazoo area hold my memories, my stories.  i love that it holds most of my friends & family.  but, other than that, i don’t really miss much about it.

however, this spot in the celery flats.  this trail that supports it.  i miss this dearly.  i wish for it often when i’m walking through chicago.  i long for it almost daily. i can’t even tell you how many hours i spent walking / roller blading / bike riding on this trail.  i can’t tell you how many photos i’ve taken in this spot.  i can’t tell you how many hours i’ve spent sitting and watching – the people, the leaves, the snow.  i can’t tell you how many friends i’ve walked this trail with.  i can’t tell you how many times these moments cleared my head, gave me safe-haven my tears, freed my laughter, gave me perspective on whatever was going on in my life.

i started walking this trail the year i graduated from college.  i walked it on sunday with my dearest friend.  i will hope to walk it each time i return to the area to visit.  it holds a dear spot in my heart, and i hope it holds me in its heart too.

meet baby william

as you know from previous blog entries, my best girl had a baby (6 weeks ago, on my 40th birthday ~ best birthday gift ever, although now she set the gift-giving standard so high, no one can meet it!).  we went to kalamazoo this past week to visit friends & family and to meet baby william.  he’s so sweet & perfect.  i fell instantly in love.  i’m totally enamored.

tailgating 101

(photo by Ben, see below)

having grown up in a family who loves football, i learned how to tailgate at a very young age.  the photo above .. me, jo, hubby-man and my cousin, phil.  i can’t tell you how many tailgates phil & i have been to together.  but we did reminisce about some of our favorite ones on saturday.  we remember them both fondly (“wasn’t that fun!”) and some not so fondly (“why was so-and-so so cranky at that one?”).  but overall, tailgating is always a fun time to eat, drink & be merry.  and i almost always look forward to them (unless it’s super cold &/or rainy).

this tailgate was even more fun than usual, because of the rivalry.  i went to MSU.  jo went to U of I.  my uncle (our gracious host) works for U of I.  and it was ben’s (phil & jo’s son) first Illini game …

… we do teach them early in our family.  hopefully the first of many, many fun tailgates in ben’s future.  i definitely need to buy that boy some green & white.  Go Spartans!