Little Moments

Our day started out a little rough here. G-bug was very tired and a little blue. When she is tired things aren't right in the world. So, when I asked her to clean her room before we started school while I did my own list of tasks I went rather...well, she wasn't interested in it. Sometimes, you have to make the call. You know the one. It is when you decide that it's best to let something go. We decided to switch it up a bit. I set aside my lists of must do's and headed for her room. I put on our favorite kid-friendly tunes by John Lithgow (yes, Lithgow) and we started to clean and organize together....And when our favorite song began to play, my daughter said, "hey Mom, it's our song." I set down the handful of stuff and we danced our silly dance all over the room into the livingroom. It was so fun we danced for the next several songs until we crashed from exhaustion. Somewhere in all that fun the room got cleaned and a tired little girl with the grumps turned into...well, into the little girl I know so well. Our day? Much better. My list? I am getting to it. But really, when I look back on this moment I am going to be pretty glad I let go and enjoyed the little moments....

Dear Husband, Please Note the Following Giant Christmas Present HInt:

It's beautiful, isn't it? Yes, I think so too. I have found the bag my camera and I have longed for....It is everything I love. What's my favorite color to wear? Heather gray, thank you very much. What is my favorite color of handbag? Black with gray, thank you very much. Do I like a lot of hoopla (aka, tassels, buckles, gold, gargantuan chains) on my bag? NO. What do I love? Simplicity. Straight lines. Classic. No trends, thank you. This is it. The one. Darling husband, is this enough of a giant hint? It is also a custom in some places somewhere to give gifts for...Thanksgiving. But, Christmas works, too. And, in case you are wondering, it is best to order sooner rather than later....Hide it in the closet. I'll never find it. Honest.

Okay, it is true. I don't REALLY need it, but I just thought a little Christmas window shopping would be fun. Besides, what I really need are some comfy warm socks.

No More Tunes...

I finally removed my tunes. I know. It was a long time coming. I actually heard most of them all the way through for the first time in a while and realized some of the versions had changed and even think there may have been a song or two I have never heard. So, I did it. I clicked remove. Now, you can read in peace without hearing the same song for the hundredth time. Besides, now you can listen to your own itunes while you read. It's so quiet right now. Hmmm....that's nice, isn't it?

For the Love of Bags

I love bags. A lot. I don't love big price tags. I have so many bags I have collected over the years. You would think I had every bag I ever needed. I do. But, want is a different matter entirely. I want a bag for my camera that is for those outings where my uber cool sporty practical bag doesn't really fit in. I have been following the price tags of several beauties with no $ reduction in sight. I thought I would share them for mutual drooling and of course, your opinions.

First up, jill-e bag.
Ketti Camera Handbag. This one is just lovely as well, but with a totally different feel to it. It is rather a romantic garden and nature attitude about it.



The Kelly Moore Camera Handbag. This one is also lovely. A friend has this one and so I have actually seen this one in person. Soft, comfortable and obviously made to match its pricey tag. So lovely.
They are all quite lovely and surely worth their price tags, but like I said, I have a lot of bags. So, I was inspired. I am going to reuse, recycle a current favorite handbag and convert it into a functional and festive camera handbag. I will let you know how it turns out.

My Heart Melts

There are two things (among a few others) that warm my heart. The look in my daughters eyes when she looks at her daddy melts me. To her, he is a super hero. He can fix anything, protect anyone and she is sure that he will be the best doctor the world has ever seen. To her, he is topnotch dad. When he has a bad day, makes a mistake, or maybe doesn't do as well as he expects, Gracie encourages him with a "You are the best, Daddy! or You can do it, Daddy!"




She loves to make jokes with him, play tricks on him and "take him out" when playing Sorry.
What warms my heart even more is watching him interact with her. He is an incredible dad. He loves completely showing her with his attentiveness, his playfullness, and his devotion. He is protective and patient.
He believes she is the smartest, the most talented, the bravest, the funniest and the "est" of everything. He's her fan. He's her dad.
And although he always picks the wrong time to get her wound up with tickling right before bedtime or jokes in church, he is always present with her. He doesn't think of his role as a babysitter for mom, but rather as dad, as friend, and cheerleader.
And when I watch them play or walk hand in hand my heart melts and I fall in love with him all over again.

Sunday Snapshot: Our New England Weekend

It was a much needed break from the city sounds, sights and smells. As soon as the city was a distant reflection in the rear view mirror, the noise dissipated to near silence and we took in deep breaths of the crisp clean air. Sigh....

We arrived at our beautiful cottage cozy a fireplace to take away the autumn chill. It was perfect, but the best part was the view.

A little rain made the day rich and saturated with color. I put a plastic bag over my camera and went out into the rain.

We just decided to drive. We came across a sign for fresh apple cider. It brought us here to the back yard where the cider house showed the recent work of the fresh cider.

We found a small barn with fresh produce, apple cider and other treats for the taking...all using the honor system.
We stumbled upon a village doctor's farm and spent the rainy afternoon walking from pasture to pasture. Gracie enjoying the company of Uncle Tad and Auntie Helen.

We wandered upon an idyllic covered bridge.
Ate delicious apples from the cottage.
Took a rest after a hike through the woods along a beautiful stream to the perfect view.
No road trip is complete without our sweet sweet Lilly.

The colors, quiet beauty, and crisp clean air made for a perfect weekend, but the very best part was just being with family, family we don't get to see too often.
Getting to know "Auntie Helen" was a highlight.



Our day's drive back to the cottage encountered a wedding at sunset in this beautiful little church.

To top off the day, we chopped wood and started a fire snuggling in with a cup of hot cocoa.

It really was a perfect day.

On our last morning I awoke before dawn and tiptoed out of the house. I didn't want to miss a moment of the beauty of this special piece of creation. It was....awe-inspiring, re-prioritizing and well, peaceful. We left having spent much needed time together without internet, entertainment and other distractions of work and commitments. And, we left with promises to return...maybe not always to the same physical place, but to a place where we can escape our busy lives and just be - be together enjoying the gifts of family, enjoying the gifts of the simple life, enjoying the gift of creation.