Where tranquility is achieved through creativity

Friday June 1st....I can't believe it...

Kaitlyn starts exams next week.  Monday will be her last real day as a Freshman!!  Hailey will be having a great week next week with all the fun 5th grade events!!  Basically, there's no real school work being done for her, either.  Time flies....

So of the few pictures I took for Memorial Day weekend...this was one...on the trip up...fortunately, this was about the only traffic we hit and I was SO HAPPY!!!

And little Z....he's so funny....and good...EXCEPT for the car rides...then he whines if the windows don't stay open so he can put his head out at will...whenever he wants...and loves to snuggle with Kaitlyn...

 And then, when we went to Pawn Run for the Chicken and Rib dinner, we discovered that one of the owners got a new puppy...and man, was Kait ever happy!!

And then Julia made these awesome cupcakes!!  We all felt like they could be something you see on Cupcake Wars!  They were a salted caramel...devils food cupcake.  They were so moist and delicious!!

Hope you have a great Friday!!

Ahh....such a pretty envelope...

Besides the neat stamps she used, isn't the envelope just gorgeous????

 

I just love this water color effect...She's so good at what she does....

 

I got a few letters I have to respond to, including this one.  So exciting!  Well, to me anyway!!!

Garden Update

Happy Wednesday!  Sure was hot and sticky yesterday and  Monday--YUCK!!

I didn't do such a good job at taking pictures up at Deep Creek over the weekend...I got a few and will show you those...

But I did take pictures of the garden progress....

Check out the cilantro and Mint!!  Go baby!!

 

And I am just waiting and hoping for our tomatoes to start growing!

This one is doing nicely....

Oh my!!  And what to our surprise?? One of the Early Girls is definitely EARLY!!  Yippeee!!!

Allen's bean plants are starting to take as well.  Even yesterday they've gotten further and starting holding onto the stakes.  I'll be sure to snap more pictures of that...

Try and stay cool...they say that the temps should lower today and be more comfortable.  

How Happy and Cute do they look????

This is Dominic and AJ after they found this little bird when they were outside...

Don't you just love the look in their eyes???

I asked Uncle Kevin (Dad) if they decided to keep him in a box or let him go....

 

Uncle Kevin said--I let them have it in the house until it SH*T all over the floor, and then made them take it back outside!

That cracked me up!!!!

 

Can you believe it is May 29th?  This Friday is June 1st??  This Friday, Kaitlyn finds out if she made Poms again....man, time flies...

I hope to get some pictures of the progess in the garden.  I've been so happy with the real mix of rain and sun...that I REALLY hope for some good stuff this year!!

Happy Memorial Day!

It is a day of reflection to thank those who we have lost who served for our freedom...and to remember all who put their lives on the line for us.

Thank you!!

 

 

Chorus sings National Anthem at Keys Game

Happy Sunday to you all!  We hope to have a nice bonfire and cookout here in Deep Creek tonight.

On Mother's Day, the LES chorus, once again, sang the National Anthem at a Frederick Keys game.  We had a really nice day for it...I remembered to bring sunscreen...and it wasn't that hot!!

Here is the group getting ready...

 

And here they are singing....I didn't put my telephoto lens on....

And if you look closely, you can see some of the LES kids on the big screen....

And what a shot of Bird after she was done!  How do you like the view into her mouth?  Good thing she doesn't have any cavities--nor did she just eat Oreo's...you know how those things can get stuck in your teeth!!

I love how you can see the sky and clouds reflecting off her sunglasses!

My cute Bird....

Hope you are staying cool today!

Crazy Hair Day--MY BEST YET!!!

 Every year the girls and I try to come up with something good, that works, for Crazy Hair Day--a spirit day at the Elementary School.

Well, this year, Bird did her homework!!  She googled some pictures...and we came up with the technique that allows us to have "stuff" sticking out of her head!!!

 

 Isn't she just the cutest??  

 Check out the pose for the back...

These next two pics were taken with my iPhone up at the bus...really shows the colors!!

 

 

Ahhh....Deep Creek....

You know I love my car....

And, so last Saturday night I was kinda upset--a delayed devastation....when Allen and I were up at the club, for Preakness and dinner, when my back window was smashed in...after two attempts to the front passenger window...to steal my purse.  The car was locked...and I hadn't hid my purse very well, still, it was no excuse...

Man....did it suck!!  What am I saying, it still sucks!!

 

Here's one of the attempts on the front passenger window....

 

Here's the other....

Speculation is that they probably used one of those all-in-one tools that you are supposed to keep in your car for an emergency to use to get out of the car quick or cut the seat belt...or pop the window if your car ends up going into the water...

What a mess...but my AB came to my rescue and shop vac'd it out for me....

I think everyone should sign up for LifeLock.  I did a number of years ago...only because it was well worth the price paid for identity theft protection.  Not only was my license in my wallet, but my Social Security Card....(Here's where I sound like a commercial---) not only was LifeLock able to stay on the phone with me during all the cancellations of the credit cards...personal and otherwise....they sent me the necessary forms and links so that I could implement a fraud alert...so it gives us a few days if someone tries to open credit with my identity.

Also, Bird's been pretty on edge about it all.  She put two and two together...and she knows that they could have our address...

We are just hoping that it was some person who needed the cash...jackass that they are...but what's done is done...and I'm trying to move on.

Laytonsville Town Parade and Spring Festival

What a really nice day Laytonsville had for their annual town parade and Spring Festival!

Because the girls were in the parade, we were there early and ended up having a nice seat in the shade...for the most part!  

I'm always in awe of these amazing horses as our color guard...Pretty darn cool.

 

And here is Bird...at the front of the 5th Grade Float!  My baby was so happy!!!  She's got her sunglasses on...she knew what was up!!

And then Bird took the camera and was able to come up with all these amazing shots of the Band and the Poms!!

Kait is right near the telephone pole in the one below...Poor thing...she wasn't feeling good that day and had gotten sick the night before...but she still wanted to participate.

Here they are....ready for their first performance...Kait is directly underneat the Do Not Enter Sign on the left....

 

 

And then they did a performance facing the school.  That was nice.....

My pretty Bird....having fun with the camera...

And then, as tradition has it for the 5th graders...they get to sit for the Dunk Tank.  Well, I couldn't take the pictures fast enough!!  She had barely gotten up before someone had already knocked her in!!

And there she goes!!!

And again!!

She had a good time and I had a nice spot in the shade and just hung out.  

I can't believe tomorrow is the start of Memorial Day weekend.  What a week I've had...

More on that tomorrow....

 

The Garden!!!

Here it is!!!  The start of the Garden!!  Allen worked so hard the day before Mother's Day to get this done for me...We decided to have the tomatoe plants along the front of the garden....the left-side of the picture....

 

And because we had such a mild winter, check out the Cilantro I already have!!!

And the mint!!  My darling AB rototilled right around these plants so I could start having fresh herbs right away!!

We hope these Roma tomatoes provide us with some good batches of bruchetta!  We used Tomato-tone this year....Can't wait to see what happens.

This is one of the larger squash plants that AB's mom started from seed in her green house...looks very promising!!!

And here is a cute cuke plant....hoping lots of great cucumbers arrive during the summer!!

We are going to be trying some pole and string beans again this year....

These pictures are from May 12th. I've gotta get my camera back out in the garden.  I saw Sunday, when Hailey and her BFF Sam were in the pool (how they lasted as long as they did, I'll never know, it WAS FREEZING!!!) Anyhoo--saw a little tomato had already started!!  YIPPPEEE!!

And last Thursday I made Pico de Gallo with the cilantro from the garden and EVERYONE liked it!!!!  

Make it a good Wednesday....