Summer Camp...

This is the most quiet our house has ever been. Feels kinda empty. 22 years of laughter and hearing ones name being called, "MOM-Dad?" We are on hour 20 of no little voice with a question or saying, "wanna hear my song I wrote?" We dropped off our little girl at summer camp yesterday. Not just any camp but the camp where "WATERLILLIES Bloom!" It is Girl Scout Camp at Pennyroyal (Utica, KY) and it is a week filled with swimming and all kinds of water activities. We have been preparing for over two weeks. Last week I told Bri that she really needs to learn to braid her hair for swimming and she convinced me she could do it right up until about Friday! Her hair was in knots and quite frankly, too long for her to care completely on her own. Let's face it...7 years old and pulling ones hair back is not a priority at this age. So, what we did was cut off her hair. She is sporting a new sassy look. I convinced her it would grow back. Her hair was down below her waste and past her fanny when wet. So we bobbed it off and I think she will do well with shorter locks. 6 days and 5 nights is a long time to have her do her own hair with no-one to help her out.
So, I am sure this Waterlily will do just fine now.We waited in the air conditioned van until they unlocked the gates. We arrived too early as we thought we could walk the campgrounds. But to "Daddy's" surprise he was pleased it is set up like Fork Knox.

The stamp on hand means Bri is all checked in and ready for fun. I mean, who would not have fun with the names of counselors like, "Lunchbox," "String Bean," and "Pickle?"

The drop off was uneventful. She was ready. Hugs and a "I will see you on Friday!"
She was already engaging in conversation with new friends as we drove out the gate.

So, it was a quiet ride back home. It was a quiet evening last night. My thoughts travel to her from my heart. I miss her. But then I know...this is a growing time for her.
An experience she will always remember.

Summer Camp-it is a right of passage I believe.

Summertime!

I love summer. I am currently sporting a FABULOUS tan.
(mascara only needed when out and about)

I swim nearly everyday and am loving it.
Life is good.
The weather is warm.
(okay, HOT and Humid)
The sun is shining, daily! (apparently, this is what happens when suntan oil gets on your iPhone camera lens)

This weekend our daughter will be attending her first "over night" camp!
She will be gone just shy of a week and our house is all about the excitement.
The camp is 1.5 hours away and it promises to be quite the time.
The camping is rustic and we are prepared for anything.

Brianna is quite pleased with herself these days.
She is now jumping off the diving board and and in one day,
she went off the board into 12' 6" water 49 times.
This is a sure fire way to wear oneself out and sleep soundly through the night.
Ahhhh, summer!
Our mid-summer vacation to Perdido Key has been cancelled because our beach near the house has been officially closed due to the Disastrous Spill in the Gulf.

Well, we are off for more water fun today...
So, how is your SUMMERTIME?

Revamping....

I am revamping my blog so....please be patient while the work is in progress.

Tiger Beat, remember?

I can remember living at Fort Hood, Texas and Saturday mornings a group of us "pre-teens and teens" would walk to the "little store" on base and buy a Slurpee, gum, and the ultimate...TIGER BEAT!

I recently "un-earthed" an old Tiger Beat in a container that had many things from my room when I was younger. I think my mother put them away for me in the idea of a "time capsule." While I was really into many different singing artists, bands, and actors...one stood out for me.
You remember, Robby Benson?!
Yes, he had the bluest of eyes.
So, I Googled him and checked out is Bio.
Hard to believe, but he is 11 years older than me.
It sure did not seem he was that older when he played in "Ode to Billie Jo."
Anyway, I was shocked to read that he was the voice of the "Beast" in Disney's "Beauty and the Beast." Shows you how much attention I pay to credits when I have seen it at least 30 times with my daughter.

In any case, he was one of my teen throbs and his picture was plastered on my closet door along with many others. But he stands out to me in a silent yet mysterious way. I think he is still handsome and I believe I would actually sign up for one of his classes at NYU...if I did not have a family. There's a clue....we grow up and look fondly back on memories that make us smile and take us back for just a millisecond and we are 13 again.


Well, I am a HUGE fan of The Tudors.
Jonathan Rhys Meyers reminds me a great deal of Robby Benson.

Robby above...Jonathan below

Am I the only one that sees it?
Not sure, but I do know...
when I think of Robby Benson I am 13 years old again
and when I watch The Tudors I am soaking in every detail of every scene.

So do you think Robby and Jonathan look a bit alike? Let me know...it is all in fun ya know.
Yeah it's me...just an old lady yapping!

Dauphin Island, Alabama.

Summertime is full of SUN FUN and for generations countless Americans flock to the shores of the Gulf to walk in the sugar beaches that are so white it makes the water seem more emerald than gray. I love the Gulf. Our family throughout all of its generations has gone to the beach every summer. Most of us live on the Gulf now.
Some of us...never left.

I fear what is to become of all that is happening with the Gulf Disaster.
So, I keep looking back at all the summers and all the pictures.
I am inspired to remember the beauty of Gulf.

The Good, Bad, and the Ugly...

It's still happening "over there." Across the world there are still soldiers fighting, protecting, and rebuilding a country that I honestly know little about the people and their customs.
It is far from the "headline" news.
In fact, it is rarely talked about anymore.
But our soldiers are still there.
I struggled with scrapbooking these photos. But this did happen.
It is still happening whether my son is there or not.
Someones loved one is there continuing to do what needs to be done.
The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly...
must be recorded.

Digging up the past...

Well as of this morning Perdido Pass west of Pensacola is now closed during high tide. This is sad. I keep finding myself scrapping with older photos this week and of course the beach is on my mind. We hope to get down to Perdido in July. My cousin Mike says this is all the locals are talking about. He told me that the beach has been full as the locals believe this will be the last time the beach will be beautiful. It is really sad as the Dolphin, Manatee, and Stingray are abundant in the Perdido Key area and they love the pass.
So, I just hope there is relief in the future for our beaches.

I have been scrapping with "Partly Sunny" from Studio Calico. I popped into SC day before yesterday and visited with April's mom a bit and of course, I never leave empty handed.
I keep adding things to my boxes.

This kit ROCKS my World!Well, I am out and about today shopping and tonight is date night and celebrating a Birthday.
Have a great weekend and take some time to soak in some rays.

Heritage Scrapbooking

I have hundreds of these little 1" x 1" photos. It seems that was the fashion in photo printing in the 1960's. They are square and tiny. So, I have decided to start scrapbooking them and telling their stories as I know them. Scrapbooking them in a non-traditional Heritage Layout. I scan the original as many of them are corner bent and faded.
Nevertheless, they are part of my family history. They are really fun to create with and I am finding this is where my creative outlet seems to be lately. Heritage.

The Power of Memory...

can be daunting at times. One year ago today, my grand-mother died. We were in Perdido Key, Florida and the last time I saw her was on her 90th Birthday, June 6th. She was part of the "Greatest Generation," and she used to refer to her Birthday as..."B-DAY is D-Day." Everyone called her "Bea" and with history dictating that "D-Day" fell on her Birthday...she always referred to her special day in this way. I miss her. More so today than yesterday or even 6 months ago. It is hard considering my uncle, (her son) left this earth in April of this year.
So, their entire family is gone.
It seems surreal in a defining way that life does in fact go on. As time goes by, memories fade and when you think of the loved one being gone....
this too is gaped wider and wider and only bridged when something triggers a memory.
It's scary really...my boys and daughter will remember my grandmother and I will of course will remember them all. But after me...the only thing that will remain on this earth are descendants and my scrapbook pages.
When I created this layout with Graphic 45...
I cut out the roses from the paper as throughout history...flowers used in any art (especially paintings) where there are people...denotes one or more within the photo are deceased.

The Gulf...

The situation in the Gulf is on every one's mind. I spoke with my cousin, Mike on the phone yesterday and it is like "doomsday" looming for all the locals in Perdido Key. We are planning on going down in July and it seems the beaches and the water may be contaminated with the BP Disaster. This is why I scrapped a few memories over the weekend. It is just constantly on my mind.Taking in the sun today. It simply makes me feel alive.