What's happening around here...

"A portrait is not made in the camera, but on either side of it." 
                                                                     -Edward Steichen

July 4th is my favorite all time holiday... I like it more than Christmas.  I love the red, white, and blue colors, our country, food, fireworks, and fellowship.  When we lived in New Mexico, we had family and friends gather at our house for all the festivities.  I really miss the celebration and all the people.  This year the 4th was sort of a dud for us.  Warren had his hand surgery on July 3, so he was not feeling very festive, and I managed to catch some sort of bug that had me under the weather.  I did talk Warren into driving to a place where we could sit in the car and watch the fireworks. We enjoyed that very much.  Luke took the boys to a Tourist baseball game (the Tourists are the minor league farm team for the Colorado Rockies).  When the game ended, they had a fireworks show.  Luke had tickets for us as well, but as I said, neither of us were in any kind of shape to go.  The boys had a great time.  Sawyer in particular.  He is a friend to all.  He quickly started up a conversation with the guy next to him.  They became fast friends.

(These photos were taken by Luke...I just edited them)

The next photo was taken of me by another member of our camera club when we were on a field trip at Chimney Rock.  He entered this photo in the camera club's print competition.  It does have the flag in it...so I think it is perfect for July 4th.

photo by Bob Coffey

Back to Sawyer.  The boys like looking through my photos I have of them.  They want me to make cards out of the pictures they select, they add the words, and they give them to people of their own choosing.  On Wednesday, we were looking through photos of Sawyer for a card project when he asked me to go back to one particular photo.  He told me he wanted to see his "Raffie" (his stuffed giraffe cuddle pal).  I went back to the photo, and he said, "I miss him so much."  I did not know Raffie was missing. This was news to me.  So I inquired as to how his favorite thing in all the world came to be missing.  Sawyer said he had been playing hide-go-seek with Raffie.  Raffie hid, and won.  I thought this a rather interesting explanation since Sawyer was the one who had to hide Raffie.  He just couldn't remember where he had hidden him.

The yellow object held against his mouth is his Raffie

 I am happy to report that Raffie was found hidden in the window seat.  I am sure it was a joyous reunion!

We have had some glorious rain lately.  I love to go out to photograph right after a rain when the sun tries to peek through the clouds.  The light is usually perfect.  That is just what I did yesterday.

"Wherever there is light, one can photograph." -Alfred Stieglitz

Our oriental day lilies...

Coneflowers

more oriental day lilies...I love the beauty of these flowers.

Queen anne's lace...in the rain.

While I was editing my photos, I made some photo art of them.  I could do photo art forever.  I love experimenting.

Spread your love everywhere you go... and be a blessing to someone.

A mini adventure...

"Instructions for living life: Pay attention, Be astonished, Tell about it." -Mary Oliver

Warren has trigger fingers...not what one would normally think about as trigger fingers...like in shooting a gun.  He has fingers that, when bent, don't return to the normal straight position unless they are physically straightened.  In other words, they lock when bent.  He has trigger fingers on both hands.   He was tired of having them lock.  Besides, they were painful, so he went to an orthopedic doctor.   Surgery was scheduled.  Both hands were fixed.  I was a little concerned that he would be very limited in his ability to do things, but it hasn't been too much of a problem.  It's jars...he cannot open jars very well.  Anyway, I am glad he had them both done at the same time.  The procedure takes about 10 minutes.  I am thankful we don't have to spend another day doing all this preparation for only a 10 minute surgery.  And like I said, he is not impaired very much.  Doing both hands at once turned out to be a very good decision!

Waiting to be taken back

Warren was home bound for several days, and I decided we both needed to get out.  I get to go see a lot of different places with the camera club and my girlfriends.  I decided to treat him to a little adventure.  Lunch at the Pisgah Inn which is way up on the Blue Ridge Parkway.  He had never been way up there.  It has good food, and a good view.  Tables by the window have the best view.  We got there early enough that we got a table with a view.

The doctor said Warren had to wear his bandages...see his wrists...for two weeks.  I wonder if they will last that long.

We took selfies trying to get the mountain view in the background.  I think our heads are too big to see the gorgeous scenery.

Maybe if I lean in a little more mountains will be in view... hmmm.

Nope.  Not much more of the mountains show.  I think he's getting tired of picture taking.

Okay, how about a photo of just the mountains...and not us.  Amazing to behold.  This truly is God's country.  So glad we are here!

We had a great meal, great scenery, and a great time.  It was a good idea to go on this mini adventure!

Happy Birthday to me...

"And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count.  It's the life in your years." -Abraham Lincoln

Another year older, another year wiser... I agree with the older, but I am not sure about wiser.

Do I look older and wiser?  Photo by Mike Merrill

I hope I am wiser, but on some days I don't feel very wise.  Like the day I dropped my phone in the toilet.  One should never put your phone in your back hip pocket.  My phone did not survive.  I had to get a new one.  But I digress.  My birthday has come and gone.  Another year under my belt so to speak.  I had two birthday parties...one given to me by my friends and walking buddies.  The other given to me by my family.

We had a very nice luncheon at one of the lady's house.

The welcome sign by the doorbell...cute huh?

Why they decided on three candles I do not know, but it was fine by me.  They made me wear the boa since I was the birthday girl.  There were two cakes.  I know that sounds strange, but I don't eat sugar.   I follow a ketogenic diet.  The cake here was Pistachio for all the other ladies and for me to blow out the candles.     

The other cake was a brownie cheese cake that is low carb, no sugar from the website alldayidreamaboutfood.com.  You can find the recipe in the link to the left.

Then we had the family party where all the food was keto.  The cake I had there was Kentucky butter cake also from the website alldayidreamaboutfood.com.  It is also sugar free and grain free, and tastes wonderful.  The boys helped me blow out the candles.

Notice the tiara I am wearing.  New tradition.

Look at the present my man, (aka my husband, aka Warren),  got me.

These are two sconces for our screened in porch.  I wanted to have some sort of sconces, and told him  I would like to look for some.  He ordered these for me all by himself, and hung them up as well.  I love them.  He has great taste.  Simple, but elegant.  They are a flameless light that looks like a real candle.  It has a remote control so I can turn them on and off without having to lift the glass.  I think they are lovely.

These are some iPhone wishes I  got for my birthday.  I thought they were lovely.

Lastly, this has nothing to do with my birthday.  I just wanted to show off the wreath I made in honor of July.

That's all for my birthday.  It was a good celebration, and it was a good year for the most part.  Thanks to all who wished me well on my special day!

Happy Birthday America...

"May all of you as Americans never forget your heroic origins, never fail to seek divine guidance, and never lose your natural God given optimism." -Ronald Reagan

My favorite holiday...July 4th.  I love the flag, the colors, the fireworks, and celebrating our country.

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the Untied States of America...

Land of the free...Home of the brave...

Thanks to all who served in the Armed Forces so that we live in a country that is free...
From our family:  thank you to my man...Warren McKelvy, 101st Airborne, US Army

Warren D. McKelvy

My Dad, Fred S. Norcross, Jr.  USMC

Fred S. Norcross, Jr