I’ve been waiting for the Pet Parade! I’m playing along with my good friend Gayle (who I just love) and the talented ELK over at Shutter Sisters. It’s a family affair!

My doggie of choice is Sheba, our neighbor for the last 7 years. Seven years for a dog is a long time and Sheba was a young pup back then. Now she’s an old dame. Gray, slow, and calm.

She watches over the kids. A much younger and more energetic dog has moved into her house…poor her. But she’s taking it well.

What a good old dog…

Please enter a photo in my Hello Love – Family contest! You can win a free canvas for your photo. I would love to see all your submissions…

These are pomegranate seeds. I love eating them, I just don’t like getting to them!  But it’s worth it to me in the end…

1. You are sick and you think, “Okay, no big deal. I’ve had colds before,” and you continue with your life thinking it will just go away. You would be very wrong about that.

2.  The symptoms are pain, dizziness, headache, sore throat, fatigue, annoying cough, grouchiness, apathy, ringing in your ears and a short temper with those you love. Sorry lovies.

3. Don’t wait six days before seeing th doctor. I found my current doctor three years ago. I felt like I have been waiting for her all my life. Anyway, she immediately knew what was wrong with me. She always does. I love that. She said, “You have the sinus infection from hell.” Don’t wait to see your doctor, go right away because…

4. You can get medicine to fix it. I asked her how long it would take for the body to fight it off without medication. She said in Europe, sinus infections go untreated. It can take one 12 weeks to kick it without antibiotics. 12 weeks. I said, “Give me something please.”

5. Rest. I love that advice.

It may be psychosomatic but I feel better after only two applications of the medicine. Dare I say that I can’t wait to take some more drugs this evening:)

Here is the above flower before tweaking, playing and editing it all yesterday evening (I’m resting remember?)

For some reason, my camera seems to over saturate bright colors against a neutral or dark background. I don’t know why…I didn’t take this is in vivid setting, which I play with from time to time.

The edited version reminds me of the kind of pattern you would find in an old Hawaiian quilt…

I found myself under very unusal circumstances last weekend.

I was all by myself. Alone all weekend.

On Saturday, the boy got on a plane to Honduras very early in the morning. The husband got on a plane in the afternoon for Dallas. And I took the girl to the farm as usual – and I haven’t seen her since.

I didn’t realize how much emotional energy I put into my family. I admit when the girl called yesterday to see if she could spend another night at Emma-girl’s house, I said yes very quickly.

Every morning I wake up, my mind thinks there’s several sleeping bodies down the hallway and I have to quietly make my way around the house until everyone is awake. It feels different to think differently.

This morning I woke up and blasted Time to Say Goodbye by Andrea Bocelli and Sarah Brightman. Their beautiful voices filled the house. No one to was here to protest.

I want to say I spent the weekend creatively and productively. I didn’t. I watched television the entire weekend, ensconsed in my chair, with the remote in hand.

For you see, I have been sick since last Tuesday. Not just a little summer cold, but knock-you-off-your feet sick. But I continued to stay on my feet because I had no choice. I felt a little bit like the cone flower with its burnt edges. This weekend was a necessary healing time-out.

I am still sick. Today I will drag myself to the doctor’s office if she’ll see me.

Have a wonderful week, mine is off to a good start…

Textures by Joy St. Claire. I purchased her texture set to help her pay veterinary bills for her beloved dog, Maggie.

Posted on Best Shot Monday.

Bees aren’t exactly the most attractive of insects.

But I find them fascinating just the same.

But I don’t mess with them…like this little bug here.

You never know when you’ll land on top.

Please visit me at Vision & Verb today. It’s a continuing story…

The boy is leaving for Honduras in about 18 hours.  He, along with about 20 other kids are going on a mission that is bigger than any single one of us.

Don’t worry, I’m not neurotic about the trip – yet.

What I am neurotic about is whether or not he will react to his malaria pills, whether or not he’ll remember to take his malaria pills, whether or not he has enough DEET, whether or not he’ll take his throat lozenges, he has a cough.

So perhaps I’m a little neurotic. Perhaps.

He’s excited, he’ll be with his friends and his very cool Youth Pastor. And I’m excited for him.

Please God, watch over their hearts and put Your protective hand upon them. Bring them all home safely. May You shine through them.

Amen.

I sat on the dock and watched these fishermen. How peaceful they looked on a lake of glass. I hope they caught a big one.

Happy summer to you! I’ve been chasing bugs all over my yard…I’m loving Dianne’s spider web, Gayle’s big green caterpillar and I wonder what Frida’s bugs are doing:) Naughty, naughty!

Happy Mosaic Monday on Tuesday.

It’s my girl and Ella again, during her jumping camp. Ella looks strong and alert, very unlike her real self. She’s a old, elegant dame and slowing down in her more mature years which gives a mom more confidence in this whole jumping adventure the girl is on.