Friday Photograpy

Yes it's a real building in Portland, just around the corner from my house actually. Apparently it's not all that well known because people are always surprised to see this picture. I found it one day while Charity and I were in Sellwood shopping. I went back later with my step ladder to get a better shot and this is it. I'd like to go back and get an even better shot someday.

Currently I have this hanging in my bathroom...it was just too funny not to!



I am home from our trip to the mid-west. Happy to have seen family, but happy to be home. It had been years since I last saw some of my cousins, so it was wonderful to see them, reconnect with them and realize that we're still great friends. There is something about people who have known you since the begining and spent those formative years with you. They just get you.

Other than that I don't have anything to talk about really. The IVF road is closed for now. In fact I think I've decided just to postpone until at least January or February. That way no one (mom and me) is stressing about it constantly and we can enjoy our summer. I don't want to get all worked up again and have it not pan out, it's an emotional drain and I'm already an emotional person. The subject was approched with my cousins and Aunt as they too know what it's like to struggle with infertility and I must say it was so comforting to have their immediate attention and understanding about it all. They knew the right things to say and do and that was so refreshing. I can't tell you how hard it is to hear people say "if you just relax it will happen" or "when God is ready you'll have babies". I know statments like that are meant to be helpful, and the people who say them mean absolutely no harm, but they do hurt. It implies I'm not doing something right either for my body, or for God and that's just not the case.

Both my Aunt and cousin adopted after trying for years, then both got pregnant. Their families are so wonderful, I can only hope we're as lucky some day.

Hope you all have a fabulous weekend!

Friday Photograpy - Illinois

We've been in Illinois now for two days, I feel like we've been driving for most of it. Everyone here lives so far from each other and so far from things. In all honesty it's probably not all that much further than normal, but it's so flat and empty that it feels like you are out in the middle of no where.

I'm going to try taking some pictures tomorrow that show the flat vastness of it. It's quite pretty in it's own way. The sunset was beautiful tonight, the sky lit up to a brilliant pink and the sun was firey red. Just beautiful!


My photo for today is from the Ingrahm Cemetery in Ingraham, Illinois. My mother grew up in Ingraham and a large part of our family lived here many, many years ago. In fact my Great, great, great Grandfather Benhard is burried in this cemetery. I had no idea that he was a civil war vet until I found this stone next to the large family stone. My grandfather told me that he was originally in the Illinois infantry then moved over to the Indiana infranty.


Tomorrow is the wedding and I'm hoping to get out early to get some more pictures. Then on to St. Louis for the ball game! I'm so excited to head to a ball game I can't stand it! Go Cards!

Friday Photography

It's actually an old picture and some of you have probably seen it, but it's the reason this blog got it's name. I took it last year after rare warm rain. It rains a lot here in Oregon, but not usually when it's warm.

After this particular shower my entire garden was covered in raindrops and it was so pretty I grabbed the camera. This ranunculus in particular stuck out. It was taller than the others, and it seemed almost perfect, no bug bites, no browned edges, just a perfectly pretty flower.

I noticed last night that my peonies are starting to bloom so I might try to get some pictures of them. They don't last long but I love them. The anticipation or peonies is the most fun of all the flowers in my yard. Watching them start from such small little red leaves and becoming nearly three feet tall filled with huge round buds is exciting. I wait and wait and wait and then one day they just bloom. Of course they also require more work than most. I have to put a guard up to keep Scott from mowing them over, and they need a support system because they grow so tall they can fall over easily, and for some reason the ants love them. I'm constantly battling the ants to keep the peonies healthy. The pay off is worth it though. Huge, lush flowers.

I'm hoping I'm like a peony. I've been waiting and waiting and waiting, I'm ready to bloom dammit! The peony was a sign of abundance in ancient China and is often used for women's health in Chinese Herbal Medicine.

Well now that I've talked about peonies so much I feel obligated to take pictures tonight!

Friday Photograpy

This year I started out with a resolution to use my camera more. I haven't been doing a very good job so far and the year is nearly half over (someone please tell me how that happened?).

So I thought it might be fun if I had to post a new photo(s) every Friday here on my blog. It means I've got to keep my camera with me and make a point of taking something worth sharing.

To start my new little Friday tradition I drove up the the new winery my company built this year and took some pictures in the vineyard. The vines are very young and it's very early in the season so they are almost lost on the hillside because the clover has grown so tall. The sun came out when I got up there so the lighting is a little bright, but the pictures are still so pretty. It's hard not to have a good turn out when you have such a great setting.

Bumble Bee on the clover up at Avellana Vineyard

Bud Break on the baby vines at Avellana


California Poppies in the sunshine


Shoots and bud break at the Estate Vineyard


Dogwood tree with Estate Vineyard in the background