friday-i'm-in-love...

with pretty, happy mail
and random winnings...
which brought this to my doorstep...





you can see more of this here...which the inspiring blog i won it on...

also in love with:
a surprise box of mike and ikes from S.

a little bit of sun today...which meant i could play with the camera

inspired by this list-making cutie and this roller-derby-sweetie
i broke out the journal this morning and started writing...and
found that i had really, really missed it.

5 really good things on a wednesday...

ripe red strawberries...

hanging out with my mom and dad at a family reunion

where we learned that my grandfather
{whom i never met, died before i was born}
was descended from ireland...
cool.

cracking open my new phillipa gregory book, the queen's fool.
and loving it already.

finding out after three years of living here
that wild raspberries are growing
on our property.

sweet surprises...

friday night,
this guy
{whom i adore...}
brought me home
a
surprise...

the canon rebel xsi...
with an extra lens

i am soooooo
excited...
{tears were involved}
and soooooo
intimidated...
but i love it...

it is going to take some getting used to
{size alone...wow...}
but i can't wait...

now if only the sun would come out.

my up-down-up-down kind of day...

up:
i received a package in the mail
{photos to follow when sun comes out}

down:
in my haste and excitement,
i spilled the vial of glitter.

up:
i was able to save most of it
after some careful scraping and
maneuvering.

up:
i had an opportunity at something
that could have changed a lot of things
for me.

down:
not only did i not get it,
but i was told i missed it by only one mark.

up:
i found out there is a week long writing workshop
45 minutes from where i live...and anne marie macdonald
is going to be one of the guest writers!!

down:
it costs 850.00.

up:
you can apply for a "bursary" and maybe go for free!

down:
the cut off date for the bursary was july 15.

up:
the sweet woman from the workshop emailed me
and told me that anne marie macdonald is going to
be doing a public reading...which i WILL be going to.

up:
take out for supper last night.

down:
the drive thru wasn't working, they ran out of meat (!!),
the girl that took my order forgot my fries, forgot my pop...

up:
i realized all the mistakes before leaving the restaurant.

down but kind of an up in my little lorax heart:
the guy never showed up to cut down the trees...
:0)

just that kind of day.

sad change...

when we bought our house
three years ago
the yard was a jungle.

the grass was 2 feet long,
full of brambles and bamboo...
trees as tall as the sun.

we have decided after last winter's
devastating ice storm
that we have no choice...
we have to take down some of the trees...
nine of the trees, to be painfully exact.

this morning,
armed with purple yarn,
i marked them for death...
trees that have been standing longer than
i have been...
and as i put my arms around them to tie the yarn,
i felt sad.

our neighbor,
whose house they will fall on,
should they ever blow ever,
is
very
happy.