Beautiful North

My family spent the last few days visiting friends, at their lovely place a few hours north of here. I've never experienced so much in three day's time, and it was all fascinating. To put it simply, a lot happened.

These are of the cabin we stayed in. It's a rustic, vintage-y place, built in the 40's and filled with odd and ends and books and beds. And so very cozy.

The bed that my sister and I shared the first night. It's built into the wall in the loft, the wall is all windows looking into the forest. I love it!

The lake is spectacular . . . clear, mostly cold, and deep. Wednesday night, I managed to swim across it!

And the fishing's alright, too, much to my brother's contentment.

We went to the nearby state park for some adventures . . .

Lack of a swimsuit didn't stop our little pal from playing in the river!

It was the perfect day - warm, sunny. Perfect for us tourists! *snicker* We ran all over the trails, gawked at the tallest trees, climbed the fire tower (100 feet is higher than it sounds!), and snacked on candy bars.

My friend took me to the county fair that evening. It was small, unlike the two fairs I usually go to, and I loved the environment.

The horse talent show was really fun to watch. I'd never seen a drill team prior to that night, believe it or not! And this pony was very cute - very perky and happy to show off.

I want a horse of my own. Badly.

The midway was definitely a highlight for me - the few rides we went on were splendid, and the evening light paired with the neon light was wonderful.

Quick question: Am I the only one who is heavily reminded of Charlotte's Web when at a county fair?

As for food . . . well, I'm just gonna say that mint malts, lemonade, and cheese curds are as good as it gets.

That night, my friend and I spent the night in the library above one of the workshops.

We started in on "Much Ado About Nothing". Much laughter ensued, and not only because we were bushed!



Isn't it lovely? Don't you want to become a hermit and live there?

It was an altogether amazing trip. I wish everyone could experience one like it! I also wish I had my camera present when the seventy bagels we made came out of the oven. ;)

But the most amazing thing that happened while we were there? We met a new friend - and he met the world. My mom puts it way better than I could . . . this baby's birth is proof that prayer works, and that God loves life.

I can't wait to get back there. Good friends, beautiful places, and so much to see and do.
Thanks for reading, much love,
M

The Aura, or, Summer's Still Here

Summer. Summer.

It's speeding by. By today, the aura is definitely here: the End Of Summer aura.

The weather has stopped being beastly (humid and hot) and has started being amicable (sunny 70's-80's). Need I say more? :)

Last night, after the weekly church softball game, I sat on the car's bumper and studied the sunset, inhaled the scented air, and thought about how perfect God created summer to be. It's lovely.

Today, while playing tennis with my brother and a new friend, the sky was blazing blue and the sun was beating down. It was beautiful and fun, and - here it comes - very summer.

This is the summer I've never been readier for. Winter was hard and long, and the arrival of warmth and sun and greenery was balm.

It's a strange to have dreams come to a close that was always coming.

School starts in less than month. Within that month, I still have a lot of summer traditions to pull off: one more week at camp, camping with my family, day trip to Lake Superior, slumber party with my pals . . .

Sunday afternoon: Ivanhoe, Atlas Shrugged, and berries. Heaven on earth, I believe!

. . . oh, and I want to keep reading.

The other day, I cracked my algebra book and tried my hand at a few problems. After the pangs of treachery wore off, I found that I liked dealing with that topic of the fall/winter months. I can't wait for school to start . . . you'll probably be hearing more on that topic in the next few weeks.

The dilemma: Think/plan/dream wildly about the tantalizing future, or soak up/dwell in/simply exist in the very lovely present?

Both, maybe?

April 30

I realized that I neglected to tell you, my lovely readers, about something wonderful that happened a while ago.

I got a dslr.

(!!!!)

If you've been following since earlier this winter, you might remember some posts in which I either mentioned or fully expounded on my dreams about a big, nice camera. That dream came true about a month and a half ago.

April 30 was a rainy day. My dad took me to the camera store, where we met my grandparents, who were a big part of that good day. The salesguy brought out the box from the back room, the box full of the camera I had chosen a few days before. He set me up with a few accessories, the bill was paid, and home we went over the slick streets.

Arriving at home was when the fun really took off. I fetched my point and shoot to chronicle the event of unpacking, play by play.



I was sa-vor-ing that moment. Excitement was coursing through my veins, but I was happy to sit back, snap some photos, and enjoy the happy disbelief.





Ooooh....major excitement mounting!



I couldn't believe that this curious synthetic-wrapped black lump was mine. :)



The whole time, I felt slightly dazed. In the best way, of course! ;) I hadn't been expecting a camera like that, right then.

I was blessed with that camera. It's opened up so many possibilities. Sometimes, it feels unreal. I wasn't lucky when I got this camera; I was blessed.

Incredibly, amazingly blessed.

I'm indebted to so many people; the men and women who encouraged me, helped me financially, gave advice. I'm indebted to Jesus, who laid the foundation for everything good thing that has entered my life.

Thank you. Thank you.
~M

Home.

It's been a long week at camp. Feelings like awe, exhaustion, joy, near-misery, peace, and many others flew through me at a million miles a second. Camp is like that. I'm in a different environment, the kids are in a different environment, and we're there simply to have fun and meet God.

The growth I see in the kids is worth all the challenges. God's ability to soften hearts, forgive our failings, and show His love simply awes.

When I'm away from home, and wildly busy at my new location, my perspective changes. Coming home makes that clear.



My driveway becomes a source of pleasure to look at.

I remember how much I love the trees in the yard.



I'm reminded, delightfully, of how much fun my sister is.



I remember how good it feels to take pictures.



It doesn't matter that the floor isn't spotlessly vacuumed or that someone forgot to put away their shoes. It only matters that I'm back home.

It's a hard word to define....I still don't have my definition figured out, even though I'm reveling in it. :) I think that if I melded contentment, peace, and simplicity together, I'd begin to get to that meaning.

Anyway, I should go finish the laundry. :)
~M

Squaring Off

Dreams, for being ethereal strains of imagination, are pretty substantial. The good ones last through all of life's trials, and even become stronger. Dreams can be anything. From a small wish to an ardent need, the spectrum is wide.

So why don't I face mine more often? They're regarded as lofty aspirations that are mostly unattainable. That's silly.

Look at all the amazing things people have accomplished. Beautiful, frightening things like epic photographs and fabulous skyscrapers and scientific discoveries. These things take hard work, determination, and sometimes guts to pull off!

Dream no small dreams for they have no power to move the hearts of men.
~Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Dreams are sturdy. The ones worth fighting for can stand up to your realization of them!

So I'm gonna fight for mine . . . no more blind feeling of these hopes and dreams. Full-on, intentional grasping of them will work far better.

Square off with your dreams: work for them: and be strident and passionate! What better way is there to live life?

Yard Sale

Today, for the first time in recent history, this family hosted a yard sale.

It was, like so many of our decisions, an impromptu one. Earlier this week , mom announced her intentions and asked us to gather up the items that weren't thrilling or riveting or useful to us anymore. There was quite the accumulation, not too surprisingly. :)

This morning, my sister and I made a sign and everyone helped haul the stuff out onto the driveway, where tables were set up. Toys on one, clothes on another, and tools, books, and miscellany had their place too. We even had some fine second-hand pool lane dividers up for grabs, free of charge! Getting stuff like that is one of the fringe benefits of having a brother who's a lifeguard. Meh. ;)

It was a grey, chilly day. I hunkered down with Jane Austen and mugs of tea, and people did end up coming.

No one wants my old EasyBake oven. I wish they would. ;)

Shoes were a rather popular item . . .

We're the family that a lot of other families give their grown-out-of clothes to. Jeans especially, it seems!

Someone paid $3 for the Yamaha keyboard I grew up with. I almost told him he couldn't have it after all. But I'm glad I didn't . . . he seemed pretty pleased by it.
Friends from church gave our antique dining room chairs a new home.
Someone else, who might be an angel, offered to recycle those useless and pesky pool dividers for us. I was thrilled to see them go.

And it was fun! A change of pace, a way to cast off the unneeded, and a way to meet people in the neighborhood.

We really should do this more often!

Have a lovely weekend,
M

Looking Backwards

Q: What do digital files and good wine have in common?
A: Absolutely nothing.

Okay, my mom didn't think it was funny either.

Since I got into photography a couple of years ago, it's been common to unload the memory stick onto the computer hard drive. Well, after a couple years of rather steady uploads, things get boggy on the computer. So I've been ruthlessly and poignantly going through the accumulated files, deleting a lot, but keeping plenty, too. I have been learning that:
~Digital files do not improve with age. (See above riddle.)
~I take a lot of incredibly useless photos.
~Movie files don't have to be 1080p to be huge.
~It's perfectly okay to delete stuff. It's even delightfully fulfilling! Keep positive and think of all the better photos you'll have room for. :)

A lot of memories come surging back with each folder I cull. Here are some of them, not quite in chronological order.

June 2009: Camping up North. This pretty trail is at one of my favorite state parks.

June 2009: Sunny summer evenings in the backyard.


July 2009: FLOWERS. There are--were--scores and scores of flower shots on the hard drive. I had fun taking them, but . . . most of them were positively mediocre. I was okay with sending most to the recycle bin, but there were some I had to keep. One of the interesting facets to this operation has been to see the evolution of my photographic eye and taste.

October 2009: Aftermath of a morning rainstorm. This photo is one of my favorite finds of the deletion sprees.


April 2010: Successful library visit! Love those. :)


April 2010: Springtime sunset from my deck.


April 2009: Trip to the state capitol to show our conservative colors at a Tea Party! There were so many amusing banners that evening. They ranged from witty to angry to sardonic . . . most of them were likable. :) I am not sure who made this one.


March 2010: Spontaneous trip to the art museum with my brother. Mmm, that was such a fun day. He needed to find a painting to write a paper on for art class, and we scoured every section looking for the right one.
~~~~
There are a lot more, but I'll stop here. It's been great to take photos and document memories over the last few years . . . nostalgia reigns today!

Love,
Margaret