Chasing Colors

This photo pretty much sums up my week. I've been capturing colorful moments every evening while taking senior photos. This image is from this evening after wrapping up down south (aka The Town of Rome). 

And yes, I took this safely while sitting at the one stop light in town. Loved the pretty stripes and the fact we can see the sliver of moon to the left there.

It has been a busy week of chasing images. And it's been fun! Each of these new seniors have their own style and own personality. It's been a treat. Especially since I only knew 2 of the 6 I've done. The other 4 are new strangers. And fun to get to know. 

For example, this sweet little girl tonight is actually a national champion power lifter. Uhm yep. Pretty awesome! 

I've got 7 more senior shoots to go so we'll see what other colorful facts I learn while capturing their true colors. Should be fun!

The Art of Listening

Per usual, if it's just us girls home, as soon as the princess wakes up, she goes caterwauling up and down the hallway in search of her human. Finally I caught her on my Meow Talk app tonight and it translated into "Listen to me." That makes sense.

But then I used it again when she got to my office door and it translated her next meows into, "Hi there."

Oh kitty. If you're going to keep doing this multiple times a day – including the middle of the night – you better have something more to say than hello!

Of course, I'm usually sound asleep and only hear one or two times per night instead of the 2 to 4 she comes sauntering down the hall toward our bedroom. Lucky me for not being her favorite.

I often wonder what super power I'd want. Usually I'm thinking super fast metabolism (ha) or ability to fly or be invisible, etc, but maybe channeling my inner Dr. Doolittle wouldn't be so bad. I might be afraid of what I'd hear, though...

Sylvester: Hello, my love.

Jim: Hi sweetie. Come sit on my lap and take a nap.

Sylvester: Ok, but why is SHE still here? It's been 523 days since she was last in the office!

Jim: Oh don't worry, honey. She'll got back soon.

Do I tell them the snow may fly before I return to the office? I bet kitty already knows. She listens.

Page Turners R Us

Much like National Ice Cream Day, I'd say National Book Lovers Day could be every day – in my world, anyway.

I honestly don't remember a time I didn't enjoy reading. Pretty sure it was my escape method in my teen years. I mean no Internet or cell phones or Netflix back then. So I learned an appreciation of the written word that could take me away to places unknown, in the virtual bodies of main characters who fought, won, lost, rejoiced, cried, and sometimes died before the last page was turned.

When people ask what I like to read, I really can honestly respond "just about anything and everything."

This year alone I have read everything from a nonfiction account of the Flint water disaster to an interesting time travel novel about a character named Addie LaRue to some steamy mindless poolside reads by Lori Foster to – just 5 minutes ago – finishing The Other Einstein, a historical fiction book about Albert Einstein's first wife, who was basically gypped out of getting credit for much of his early work. A little creative license for plot purposes, but based on much fact. Interesting.

So yes, I am all over the place and looking to pick my next world to escape to when I go to bed tonight. Life can certainly be an adventure every day if you let it! 

If you're looking for a good read, here are few of our highest ranked ones from my Face to Face Book Club:

• The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
• The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh
• Defending Jacob by William Landay
• The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion
• What She Left Behind by Ellen Marie Wiseman
• Room by Emma Donoghue
• Moloka'i by Alan Brennert
• A Man Called Ove, Beartown, and Anxious People, all by Fredrik Backman
• The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
• The Girl who Wrote in Silk by Kelli Estes
• Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate
• The 7 Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
• The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
• The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris
• Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
• Becoming by Michelle Obama
• Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng
• The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson
• American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins
• The Water Keeper by Charles Martin
• The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane by Lisa See
• The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by EB Schwab
• This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger
• The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner

OK, that's more than a few suggestions. I guess we have been meeting monthly more than 7 years, though! This just touches the surface and includes ones we rated higher than 4 on our 5-point scale.

Any other suggestions? Let me know!

Our Cup Runneth Over

I know what you're thinking. I finally got myself one of them fancy bird baths. Close. But not quite. Though I will say everything that can hold water these days is filled up and overflowing.

After last night's rain and lightning show, our rain gauge showed 3 1/2 inches this morning. Then, we got another round...

We literally had waves across our driveway but I couldn't quite capture that out the front window.  In an hour's time we had another inch and a half – so yes, math fans, 5 inches of rain here in the past 24-30 hours. Uff da.

It did stop a little after 5 p.m. so we cashed in our rain checks and attended the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters baseball game we were supposed to go to last night. It was a good game. They won 7-0 in a no-hitter. Not that I was 100% watching the game. 

Saw a lot people we knew, including my friend Nicki that I used to work with... plus lots of Assumption folks since the 50/50 raffle ticket sales tonight were benefitting our boys basketball team. 

Now it's early to bed and early to rise. Gotta special work project in the morning so my alarm will go off by 530 a.m. Hoping the rain will take a break by then! Surely someone else needs it more than we do!

Rain Check

Pretty much the only reason around here to set an alarm on a Saturday morning is for something fun – either a road trip Up North or a tee time. Today was supposed to be the latter.

Hubby and son #2 were heading to Waupaca to golf. And my neighbor and I were supposed to head into town to golf at 10. Nope on the first – though they went all the way there. And nope on the second – that was an armchair call to cancel. Rain check!

Dang.

Jim got back home and Sylvester hopped up on his lap and figured this was as good a place as any to sit for the day. Good plan.

While I did find myself suddenly interested in watching Olympic equestrian jumping on TV,  I knew it was just to avoid housework. Still, it was cool to see Bruce Springsteen's daughter compete. Then I did my "Saturday chores" on a Saturday for once.

Since the rain didn't let up (and still hasn't 8 hours later), I hunkered down at my computer and got some of my Alaska digital scrapbook done. It's going to take awhile. Just finished Day 3 and I'm averaging 6-8 pages per day. Still, it will be awesome. Gotta finish it this month sometime. While I need a break from the computer now, tomorrow may be another rain out from everything else.

We were also supposed to go the Wisconsin Rapids Rafter baseball game tonight. The only one this summer and of course, it's raining. Maybe they'll really have a rain delay and start later, but it's been lightning so that will delay it way past our bedtimes. Rain check!

Instead, some friends got ahold of us in time to join them for dinner INDOORS out at Anchor Bay. Was nice to see Chet, Amy and crew. Good to know you can always gather inside and eat and talk and laugh – no matter what the weather.

That also works for sitting in my recliner and reading a good book. Spoiler alert: That's where I'm headed next.

Hope the rain didn't or doesn't spoil your weekend!

Not Another Sunset Blog!

Honest, I didn’t mean to take another pretty wildfire haze-induced glowing sunset picture but…. Yep. I was out and about shooting another senior portrait session tonight.

You gotta admit, it’s unusually gorgeous these days. And on the river? Wow.

Also, didn’t figure you were dying to find out how the burning ring of fire in my gut panned out. Well, popping Tums at 3 a.m. seemed to help. Uff da. Don’t think I want to put myself through that again!

Anyway, tomorrow is Saturday and my day off from everything so I’ll have something completely different to share. Most likely.

Burning Ring of Fire Inside

I consider myself a spice girl – not just pumpkin spice but really spicy food. I always think the hotter the better. Give it some flavor! 

Sometimes things are just hot to be hot though, with no taste. Then it's just painful. Like right this minute. My entire mouth, throat, and stomach are burning rings of fire – thanks to some "Inferno" bratwursts from Ski's Meat Market that came with a verbal warning. "These are very, very hot." Which I ignored and said, "Oh I know. But I love hot!"

Not this though. I got home from a photo shoot after 8:30 p.m. and finally ate supper – some yummy corn-on-the-cob from the neighbor's garden and a half of an Inferno brat... plus three glasses of chocolate milk. You know milk is better for hot and spicy than water, right? Now you know.

I can't decide if my stomach is upset from the heat or half a gallon of milk. We'll see if I get settled down before bedtime. Meanwhile...

I finally captured that other ring of fire tonight on the way back from picture taking. Glad I had my good camera. I stopped several times down one road because I could see the big red ball in various stages before it sunk behind the tree line.

That's one ball of fire to enjoy anyway. I'll let you know tomorrow if I needed to turn my blanket on tonight.