An Awesome View of Life

  Imagine...   the summer version of this lake view.  Stay tuned for the update.

  Even a bit of green...

  Creativity spent elsewhere...   This is a new stone design I created today.  It's kind of fun to see a drawing finally come to life.  I currently have about 15 finished suits that are in desperate need of some bling.  This is design #2 for the day.  The suit this will bling is underneath.  The photo may seem blurry but the design is attached to mylar film so...

  Urban scene...   Downtown Minneapolis, what an awesome city.  The apartment building in the foreground had the most amazing blue windows.  If you look closely you can even see books on a bookshelf in one apartment.  In the background is the roof of the Metrodome. 

  Cemetery or tree stumps...   Total fascination is the only way to describe my feeling towards this clump of sawed off trees. ha! I love cemeteries and this had the same feel as a cemetery.

  Plans...   Our house is overflowing with my business.  There never seems to be enough space for hobbies or personal things. My passion is doing family genealogy research.  I have several notebooks full of notes.  Folders full of documents.  And 3 ring binders for several family members.  Most of the time it is all piled up on the floor next to my big comfy chair.   Today I drew up this plan for a fold-out desk.  There is a spot in my family room that would be perfect for a workspace.  This desk will fit perfectly there.  It will be  about the size of a bookcase.  30"x30" and 14" deep.  It will look like a bookcase other than it will have hinged fold out work surfaces on both sides.  When fully opened it will give me a 44"x30" work surface.   Now we just need some warmer weather so my wonderful husband can get this made for me.  I even incorporated 4 built-in drawers for pens, markers, paperclips and sticky notes.  It will be so wonderful to h

My great-great grandfather's baptismal record... He was born on 29 Jan 1826.  His baptism was on 5 Feb 1826. He was named Simon Heinrich Ernst to Simon Heinrich Winter and Amelia Louisa Kerchoff.   These are the records we spent about 3 hours looking through today.  We made it through the baptism records today.  Confirmation, marriage and death records left to peruse.  Can't wait. ha!   The photo isn't the best but it's kind of cool to think I have a copy of something from the past that is connected to my family. 

  Another wish for spring...   Today I am a little under the weather and we have another day of clouds, gloom and some sort of precipation.  So I dug through photos taken earlier and this one is too beautiful not to share.  This was another photo taken at The Como Zoo and Conservatory  in February.

  My nieces...   Tonight I had dinner with my nieces - Bri and Sidney.  Good food and awesome company.  I am Bri's godmother and when she was very little she dubbed me her God Fairy.  She in turn is my Fairy Child.  I love these two girls more than they will ever know.   And I am finding I do not do indoor photos of people very well.  I was using my cell phone camera which normally takes very awesome pictures.  But they are still adorable young ladies.

  Is spring on the other side?

  Which direction...   In life there are many different directions for us to go.  My plan is to go forward and upward.  Backwards and downward are no longer an option.  Life is way too short.  This week I allowed two customers to make me doubt my capabilities as a designer, seamtress and business owner.  TWO!  Out of the thousands of customers I have.  I wallowed in self-doubt and self-pity for an evening into the following morning and then decided to make a plan to get myself going in the direction I want to be.  There are many things I want to do yet in my life.  I promise myself to do what it takes to be physically, mentally and emotionally a stronger person.  Without doing this first nothing else can be accomplished.  I also think it is time to starting working on my original blog once again.  I'll let everyone know when I get a new post put together.

  Cribbage anyone...   A couple of Christmases ago I asked for a cribbage board and this is what I got.  The sad thing is no one will learn to play it.  My Dad taught me to play years ago but I don't really remember how to play.  But I'm sure its something like riding a bike? 

  Guess where I was today...

  March self-portrait...   This month's self-portrait.  I truly hate photos of myself and until I get over that issue I will continue to crop the heck out of those photos.  ha!  My hubby just laughed and shook his head when I showed him this month's self-portrait.  There were two other photos I actually didn't mind too much but they didn't meet the criteria to be photo of the day.  Neither made me laugh, smile or tilt my head sideways.  This one made me laugh out loud.

  in-ev-i-ta-ble   inevitable - adjective   1.  unable to be avoided, evaded or escaped; certain; necessary 2.  sure to occur, happen or come; unalterable

  or-nate   ornate - adjective   made in an intricate shape or decorated with complex patterns

  di-shev-eled   dishelveled - adjective   untidy, disordered

  vile   vile - adjective   1.  wretchedly bad 2.  highly offensive, unpleasant or objectionable 3.   repulsive or disgusting, as to the senses or feelings 4.  morally debased, depraved or despicable 5. foul, filthy (language)

  lu-cra-tive   lucrative - adjective   Profitable; moneymaking

  flam-boy-ant   flamboyant - adjective   1. strikingly bold or brilliant; showy 2. conspicuously dashing and colorful 3. florid; ornate; elaborately styled

  Yesterday I picked seven words from an elementary vocabulary list with the idea of taking a photo of each of these words.  One per day.  Kind of my version of "a picture is worth a thousand words"?  But in this case it would be a singular word.  I'm very curious how I will interpret each of these word's definitions.  Here is the first installment.  I promise to be a little more creative with the other six words.  Hopefully.  :-)       ob-so-lete     Obsolete - adjective   1) no longer in general use; fallen into disuse 2) of a discarded or outmoded type; out of date 

  Today, alone in the dirty snow...    

  Alone in the rain...

  Shadow and light... "All the variety, all the charm, all the beauty of life is made up of light and shadow." ~Leo Tolstoy

  Better days...   This is the Hollywood Theater in Northeast Minneapolis.  It was built in 1935 at the height of the Art Deco era.  I've been by this building many times and thought it would be a beautiful photo shoot but she's in tougher shape than I thought. Still beautiful but showing her age.  Below is a picture of what a beautiful building she was back in the day.    

  Personality traits...   When we remodeled our kitchen I found the perfect light for above our sink.  Our electrician finished wiring the kitchen and hanging all of our light fixtures while we were away for the evening.  When we came home ONE light was left on. This one. He later told me he left the one light on that totally reflected my personality.  ha!  Above is a cropped version of the light. It looks like some kind of weird alien?? Below is a not so good photo of the whole light. Just so you know what it really looks like.     

  Reflections...   Today we had another major snowstorm.  It started snowing yesterday and snowed all the way through the majority of today.  I did take some snow photos today but I just can't bring myself to share yet another snow photo.  This photo was taken at the Como Zoo and Conservatory last month.  What I love about this photo is the fact that the reflection is what is in focus not the actual plants.  Enjoy.  Remember spring IS just around the corner.

  Christmas leftover...   Busy, busy day today.  Some days are harder than others to find something to photograph.  And when I'm busy its harder yet.  This is a leftover pine cone from Christmas.  One of those wonderful smelling ones.  I thought the flash was turned off but I'm glad it wasn't.  It made for a much more interesting photo.

    Winfield Farms...   Normally, I don't like to post two photos in the same post but these two go together.  They are on the same abandoned farm.  Now I wish I had taken a picture of the house as well.  It is a pretty awesome riverfront property.

  Another favorite...   In this photo journey I have been trying to share a little about myself.  Antiques on Main in downtown Anoka, MN is one of my favorite antique stores.  Today was just a day to look.

  Foreground and background...   While waiting in a University of Minnesota dorm parking lot I snapped this photo.  In the foreground is The Weisman Art Museum .  In the middle is The Washington Avenue Bridge  which connects the two campuses of the U of MN which are separated by the Mississippi River.  It has a street for cars and a covered and open walkway for pedestrians.  And in the background is the beautiful Minneapolis city skyline.