SCAVENGER HUNT SUNDAY 7.8.12

MOSAIC - CLOSE-UP

Sarah Halstead is hosting

SCAVENGER HUNT SUNDAY

during Ashley's maternity leave!

This week's participants can be found over at

THE NAPTIME MOMTOG.

SHS's words are: PATRIOTIC, VIEW FROM ABOVE, MOSAIC, SOMETHING TINY & VIBRANT.

PATRIOTIC

Of course, the word PATRIOTIC would be one of our SHS words this week. This photo is SOOC (straight-out-of-the-camera)... to be quite honest, I don't know how I captured this picture?? but I sure do like it! We spent our afternoon & evening at my sister's & JPE's firework assistant(s) were my niece's two sons... Derek & Matthew. JPE purchased a package of "safe & sound" fireworks... BUT, this picture is one of the neighbor's "illegal" fireworks... you know, the loud booming kind! pretty, huh?

VIEW FROM ABOVE

Tomorrow, JPE & I will be traveling... we're off to PERU! We learned our internet connections will be s-l-o-w and in some areas (the lodge in the Amazon Rainforest), we won't have electricity in our room... so, I'm not anticipating a "daily post" of our adventure. Hopefully, this VIEW FROM ABOVE will entice you to return often over the next few weeks...

MOSAIC

When I saw the word, MOSAIC, I had to share this photo of a MOSAIC created by ACE in high school. She created a series of "SUNS" during her early artistic period... in this particular art piece, she cut tiny pieces of paper (using an old Mary Englebreit calendar), dabbed a blob of glue on the back & used a pair of tweezers to place each piece of paper in her design. A true work of labor! Check out the close-up of the design in the photo above.

SOMETHING TINY

When JPE & I travel... we limit ourselves to a single suitcase & a backpack! To document our travels, we purchase magnets... it's SOMETHING TINY, generally inexpensive & easy to carry home without worrying about loss or breakage! Here's one of the magnets from our summer travels in 2005. We'll be looking for magnets from Peru in the coming weeks.

VIBRANT

No... this is not a magnet! We picked up this hand-painted tile in Orvieto, Italy. This is one of three tiles purchased in the open-air market place. I loved the VIBRANT colors in this picture... and yes, the country-side in Italy is every bit as gorgeous as this tile.

As you can see, our travels provide treasured memories, adventures, and an opportunity for us to connect, away from our day-to-day life. Although I've experienced some periods of anxiety in preparation for this trip to PERU, I know we'll have a fabulous time learning about the Incan culture, people and architecture. 

I'm inviting you to come back to read about our adventures

& check out the photos in the coming weeks.

See you later this week!

PHOTO-HEART CONNECTION: JUNE 2012

BIG SUR - JUNE 2012

I'm participating in Kat's monthly Photo-Heart Connection! 

This activity asks you to review your previous month's photos & select one that tugs at your heart, or whatever reason.

No problem... this photo was taken during a quick trip to BIG SUR, on the first Friday in June. The trip came at a great time... following a rather intensive work schedule... JPE & I decided to take our house guests (cousins from Ohio) for a drive up the coast of California.

This photo of an Adironack chair, sitting along the edge of the Big Sur River, at the Big Sur River Inn,  triggers various emotions & senses! 

BIG SUR is AHHH! MAZING....

BREATH-TAKING SIGHTS

nothing beats sitting on the bluff 

at Andrew Molera State Park.

You can watch the waves crash on the beach

& with a slight turn of your head,

see the beautiful evergreens

dotting the landscape of the coastal hills.

RELAXATION

in less than a two hour drive, we can be dipping

our toes in the chilly mountain water

& soaking up the afternoon sun...

camping, hiking, riding bikes,

cooking outdoors, reading, napping...

can you name a better way to relax

& let your troubles slip away?

TREASURED TIMES

JPE & I were married on the sliver of a bluff overhang... 

we've camped with ACE & LYDIA...

& shared our favorite sites

(Andrew Molera State Park, Big Sur Lighthouse,

Pfeiffer Big Sur Campground,

Plaskett Creek Campground, 

Treebones & Nepenthe)

with family & friends...

CRISP, CLEAN MOUNTAIN & COASTAL AIR

AHHH!!!

nothing beats a get-away

to BIG SUR!

AMAZING!!

which reminds me!

JPE & I are leaving for a trip to PERU,

this coming Monday.

...we're taking a netbook, but will be

without internet connections for several days

(especially while we are staying in the Amazon rain forest;

in fact, we've been told the lodge rooms do NOT have electricity).

So... tomorrow, we'll devote our day to:

picking up our Rx's

(malaria & antibiotics + various over-the-counter stuff)

purchasing DEET

(mosquito repellant)

packing & weighing our bag

(limited to one bag & a day pack)

working on "lightening our load"

(hand-washable clothing is lightweight)

completing some advance reading

(about Machu Picchu, Lima, Cuzco, Iquitos)

Should I share my packing list?

CELEBRATING!!!

cross-stitch by Stacy

A DAY TO CELEBRATE!!!

DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE!!!

(signed July 4, 1776)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ~ NATASHA!

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY ~ SUSAN & DAVID!!

Off to Stacy & Brett's for 

~ swimming ~

~ BBQ ~

~ fireworks ~

MONDAY'S CHILD...

LYDIA LOVED...

:: Superman & Spider Man ::

:: Stella, her boxer ::

:: Wearing hats ::

(check out the devil horns)

:: Eating cheese ::

...in the FALL of 2006

LYDIA became a CALIFORNIA girl!!

TODAY, WE'RE SENDING LYDIA

BIRTHDAY WISHES!! 

~ HUGS & KISSES ~

"LYDIA DAILY"

Gramma & Grandpa 

LOVE U!

...and, PEANUT sends doggy kisses!

"1 - 4 - 3"

SCAVENGER HUNT SUNDAY 7.1.12

I'M BACK... HAVEN'T PICKED UP MY CAMERA MUCH...

I'VE MISSED PARTICIPATING IN SCAVENGER HUNT SUNDAY
{gone the past two weeks!}

MY INTERPRETATIONS FOR THIS WEEK'S SHS WORDS...

SUNSET, SWEET, HANGING AROUND, FUNNY FACE, & SPACE


... are posted at SARAH'S BLOG!!! 
because ASHLEY (host of SHS) had her baby!
She has an adorable girl - check out this picture!!!

SHELL BEACH SUNSET

LUCKY US!!! 
WE SEE A SIMILAR SUNSET MOST EVERY DAY!

TASTING THE SWEET-NESS

LYDIA TURNS NINE YEARS OLD, TOMORROW!
JPE & I took her tent camping (1st time) the summer she turned SIX...
SHE LOVED THE SWEET-NESS OF SO'MORES!

CAL-POLY, SLO

A LONE BIKE - HANGING AROUND
AT CAL-POLY!
STUDENTS HAVE GONE HOME FOR THE SUMMER...
EXCEPT FOR THOSE LUCKY ENOUGH TO "SCORE"
PART-TIME EMPLOYMENT & A PLACE TO LIVE!!
{with our ideal weather, why would you want to go home?}

GOT SOME CHANGE?

SO, CAN YOU GUESS WHERE THIS PIC WAS TAKEN?
YOUR CLUE IS THE WORD "OYSTER"
{OYSTER is the name of the transport card Londoners
use to travel throughout this region of England}
FUNNY FACE VENDING MACHINE-PORTOBELLO MARKET PLACE.

BIG SUR BUDDHA

MY FAVORITE SPACE...
ANYTHING PEACEFUL, WITH MINIMAL CROWDS,
PLEASANT SMELLS, THE SOUNDS OF BIRDS
& TEMPERATURES IN THE 60-70'S.

I'LL BE BLOGGING THIS WEEK...
SO, PLEASE STOP BY AGAIN!!!

BLAH... TO HUMIDITY....

I'm visiting SLE & MB in WASHINGTON DC.

Coming from a coastal town, temperatures over

80 degrees + humidity

are physically draining for me.

So, today, I stayed IN!!!

BUT, here are some "museum" worthy items I captured....

PRETTY ORCHIDS!

A HAND-CARVED SET OF DOMINOS...

 A BASKET OF SHELLS FROM FAR-OFF LANDS...

A MUSICAL INSTRUMENT...

A PERUVIAN BLANKET...

A UNIQUE EGG WITH BEAUTIFUL ARABIC LETTERING...

~~~ AND ~~~

SOME ORIGINAL ART - by MAHA

Now - if only I could catch a picture of the
LIGHTNING BUGS...
 {visible on our evening walks} 


Thanks SLE & MB for letting me share
some of your treasures!