Fifty years ago today

On June 28, 1958 my parents were married in Richmond, Virginia. I thought this was worth noting in spite of the fact that my parents were divorced about 17 years later. My mom went on to marry a good guy, and is happily married with him today (see my blog posting on June 15). My father died the day before his 72 birthday about 5 years ago.

So, while no one else is paying attention, this date is obviously important to me, since I was born a little over a year later (yes, I will be 50 next August 25... mark your calendar). And I feel sure it is important to my siblings, whether or not they are aware of it.

My dad was an attorney in Fairfax, Virginia. I think he was good at it, too. When I was about 8 or 9 years old, he had the opportunity to appear before the Virginia State Supreme Court, and he took me out of school to go watch him present his case (which I can't remember what it was about, but he won). I was really bored, but very proud of him. And really happy for the excuse to miss a day of school. My dad's gift to me was a true appreciation for the truth, and for the tenacity of the people who started our country and the miracle of its inception.

My mother is an artist. I love her work, and have many of her paintings in my home. In fact, it might not be a stretch to say that our house is her personal gallery. One of the paintings I have had since I moved to Idaho is of me when I was two years old. I love it. I think she hates it, but too bad. It continues to hang in my house. My mother's gift to me was a love of arts in all forms, and the creative process.

Its funny (maybe not so funny, but interesting) how as we are growing up we do not appreciate what our parents have done for us, how we hate them sometimes, and certainly have our trials with them as we try to separate our lives and become our own beings. But at some point, regardless of what might have been wrong, we find there was so much right. I think my two brothers and my sister and I all turned out to be very cool people.

So mom and dad, thanks for everything. I love you both.

Lemmings no more

Do you remember reading about lemmings, the little rodent that follows its leader to its death off a cliff, when you were in grade school? (Okay, I hear that is a myth, but that is what I, and many others, think of when they hear about lemmings.) Three years ago, I decided to quit my job and be a non-lemming. Shortly thereafter, Lynne decided to do the same. So the two of us started a little lunch club that we called "Lemmings-no-more" since we were no longer following the leader off the cliff, but were doing our own thing.

It didn't take long for us to invite other non-lemmings (and even a few lemmings... lets face it, we do not discriminate) into our little group. Honestly, it is not a big deal... just a chance to get together and enjoy each other's company, usually on a Friday at lunchtime.

But I love our time together. Today, we met at Gail's gorgeous backyard patio, where she has some lush gardens and a nice waterfall cascading into a little pond. The atmosphere was perfect, not too loud or rushed like some restaurants, and we all decided we should meet at someone's house while the weather is nice just to be outside and avoid the high prices of eating out.

If I die tomorrow, I want to be able to say I spent as much time as I could with the people that mean the most to me. A lot of people mean a lot to me, and if I haven't gotten around to spending enough time with you, I am on my way. 

Nighttime photography

My big challenge lately with my photography is learning to take night time shots. I had been trying to adjust my camera's setting but I wasn't sure what I was doing, and the lights I was practicing on were like glowing orbs, and intead of a relatively black eveing, it looked like daylight. I want to show what my eyes are actually seeing.

So, this week Nancy and I set out to learn just how to accomplish these tougher shots. Nancy, of course, did the research, and then together we experimented on our cameras with the settings. I have finally been successful with atleast getting the photo to look like what I am seeing with my eye. My next goal is to make the photo and what I am seeing a little more interesting. But one step at a time.

So the top photo shows the problems I was having with the glowing lights and the too bright daytime look. The bottom photo is actually what I saw with my eyes. It creates a cool, somewhat eerie, but soft effect.

Hands in the sky

Yesterday the sky was such a gorgeous blue I had to play with trying to touch it. Does it make you wonder when I ever get work done? I am sure my husband asks himself that very question.

The sun was irresistable yesterday, so I set up my office out on the patio... a little tough to see the screen, I am going to have to rig myself a little hood of some kind. But I am pretty sure days like yesterday is exactly why I went into business for myself.

Last night, we went to check out the opening of the new martini bar in Coeur d'Alene: 315 martini and tapas. We sat out on the patio to eat and drink. I had a martini, Kevin had a beer, and we had some amazing food. My dinner began with the Ahi Tuna salad, seared Ahi on a bed of lettuce with sliced hard-boiled eggs and olives. Mmmmm. Kevin had the Kobi Beef Sliders, cute little hamburgers with sweet potato chips. The desserts were to die for. You really should stop in and check out what they have going. I am pretty sure it will be the new hot spot in town.

Well what do you know... we made it through spring

The Ironman winner finishes the race. I was so preoccupied with watching for Mike, I only saw this guy running a couple of times. But he was excited to win. The purse for the first place man was $12,000. I am sorry, but that just isn't enough.

I consider Ironman the actual beginning of summer. It was a good start to what we all hope will make up for the stupid spring. But in all fairness, the spring has done wonders for the colors in our yards. My little veggies I have planted are struggling however. But that will change as the ground finally warms up.  We might have tomatoes by frost.

While we waited for appearances of Mike on the Ironman trail, I set about to be a professional photographer and chronicle as much of the day as I could. My favorite shots were the bikers coming down Lakeside on their way to complete their first loop up in Hayden. They looked fresh, were pumped up from completing the swim, and the perspective from the street was exciting.

Ironman Coeur d'Alene--Team Atwood

Today was a perfect day for Ironman. In the six years that I have witnessed the morning swim of the 2000+ people that start this amazing adventure, I am so happy with our gorgeous mornings. Coeur d'Alene has never looked so good as it does at 7 am on a Sunday morning in late June.

This year, our good friend Mike participated in this mad adventure. I call it mad because who consciously sets out to swim 2.4 miles, then bike 112 miles, and then run a 26-mile marathon? Not me, that is for sure. But Mike decided to give it a shot. I am so proud of him. He worked hard all year training for this race. And he looked good throughout. Our team, Team Atwood, began the day at 6 am to watch him swim. At 9:30, we had already pushed him out for the bike portion, and sometime after 5, we were cheering him on for the run.

It is really amazing to watch all these athletes put themselves out like they do. I keep asking myself "why?" I think each participant has their own reason. Ultimately, it probably doesn't matter... with that kind of drive, it is amazing what the human body is capable of putting up with.

There is the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat as we test ourselves beyond our comfort zones. I think the theme of the day... the unknown reason for what I see as torture... is to challenge ourselves beyond what we can perceive.

The Butterfly

I can tell I am feeling better. I was sitting outside soaking up the warmth of the day, when I saw this butterfly dancing around my lilacs. It took me a minute of purely enjoying her movements, when suddenly I realized I needed my camera to capture her. Fortunately, she stayed to pose for me for about 5 seconds, then danced her way to another yard. This has been the first time I have even looked at my camera since Tuesday... a good sign that health is on its way back.

Kevin and I have created several of these vantage points around our home to sit and quietly observe. It is my favorite thing that we have done in and around this house. We have a great front porch that is partially covered by a beautiful maple tree, our patio with the man-kitchen, the pond in the front yard, and the little porch off our bedroom door. In the evening, we turn the landscape lighting on in our raised bed garden. I am working on getting a photo that captures how pleasant this looks, but nighttime photos are still a mystery to me. Soon...

Sick Day

The crud is going around, and it found me. I have taken the day off to recover. It is amazing how lousy I feel.

But it helps to bask in the sunshine, like this wild aster by the river banks.

I can't think too well, so this will be brief. I am sure my clients will be relieved I am not trying to work on their projects today, because I don't think they would get much creative flow out of me.

So, it is off to bed for me.

Wild Idaho

Yesterday was the day we have all been waiting for. Hardly a cloud in a brilliant, blue sky, lots of sun, and a nice breeze to keep it from getting too hot.

So, Nancy and I headed down to Corbin Park with photography in mind. It was so fun. I ended up with just under 200 photographs in the hour we had. Normally when I take that many photos, I am only happy with one or two. But a beautiful day makes an okay photographer a much better one.

Corbin Park is on the Spokane River below the Post Falls Dam. In addition to the usual things a park offers: picnicking, barbeques, ball field, and trails, it also has a frisbee golf course... looks like fun, but we had to duck a couple of times as we were snapping away. We also discovered a kayaker practicing his up-the-stream technique against an insistent current. We did happen across some wild flowers, but not as many as we expected to see.

And it was fun to find several critters out enjoying the sunshine as much as we were. There was a marmot surveying his domain on the top of a rock precipice. He did not seem disturbed at all as we bumbled around on the rocks below him, even as we shot lots of photos of him.

Several Canadian Geese were out, like the kayaker, braving the current of the swollen river. And we came across a baby robin who had probably just ventured out of the nest for the first time and stood under a bush blinking as he seemed to be pondering his next move, a little dazed and confused. Not unlike many teenagers I know (adults, too, for that matter).

Flat Stanley comes to visit

My nephew, Hugh, is doing a class project. He sent his classmate, Flat Stanley, to come to visit us here in Idaho. Hugh lives in Fairfax, Virginia and is in the second grade at the elementary school I attended as a child. I love going to visit his school. It is so much smaller now.

Anyway, Flat Stanley has fit right into our little neck of the woods. He enjoyed sitting on the back patio with me yesterday enjoying the spring we have finally gotten. And last night, he and Uncle Kevin played a card game at the dining room table.

Today, we are going to travel around the area a bit. I thought he would enjoy taking photos on a photography field trip with a friend of mine this afternoon. He is tasked with taking a little journal with him back to his class so they know where he has been and what he has been doing.

It has been such a pleasure having him as a visitor. He is quiet and very well behaved. He doesn't eat much, and keeps his little area clean and tidy. The perfect houseguest. (I think he is a little shy).

I am just so happy the weather has cooperated for his visit.

Ode to Don

Won't ya listen to my story 'bout a man named Don

His life was going good and then he met my mom

She was like a tornado that upset his apple cart

And it didn't take long for her to steal his heart

Burn, that is... from all those vitamins.
Well, the next thing ya know those two were wed

The kin folk said, "find a place to make your bed"

Said "goin' north is the place ya oughtta be"

So they loaded up the cadillac and moved to Philly

Delphia, that is... art museums, health food stores.

Happy Birthday AND Happy Father's Day Don. I know it feels like you are cheated when these two dates coincide. I hope you have double the fun today... double golf games, double dates, double chins :)).

We love you from all of us out here in Ideehoo.

Happy Birthday Miss Beth

I told Beth for her birthday I was giving her two things: 1. A sunny day in Idaho (she lives in Florida) and 2. not singing "Happy Birthday" to her. Two things she seemed very appreciative of... one more than the other... you can probably figure out which one.

I love this photo of Beth and her Dad, Steve (who is special to me for many reasons, including that we share a birthday). His is now in a nursing home in Dade City, Florida. We had a nice visit with him in February.

Which brings me to my next little bit of good news: It is sunny in Idaho! Not a cloud in the sky, this day promises what our spring should have been giving us all along. The only downside is that I have a lot of work to do, and it is going to be difficult to do it with the outside beckoning me.

But we have a little bbq planned for later this afternoon with friends in Kevin's man-kitchen. His famous tri-tip will be sending out a pleasant aroma for our neighbors to drool over. Now that he is back to using wood-fired heat with a variety of hard-woods, his tri-tip is better than ever. Mmmm Mmmm Mmmm.

Man kitchen

Our big project, or I should say Kevin's, is our gorgeous outdoor kitchen. We have done all the work ourselves (correction: Kevin has done all the work himself while I supervised), and it is really adding a lot to our patio. It has become our place of choice to hang out, when the weather is accommodating that is.

Maegan and I went out to dinner tonight. It was sunny when we went in, and pouring rain with thunder and lightening when we left. We ran, laughing, all the way to the car. 

I love the rain and thunder. It comes from my childhood, I am sure. I find it very comforting to be in my cozy little house or bed while it is raining buckets and flashes of light and crashes of thunder sound all around.

When I was young, my mom broke her achilles tendon and was in a full leg cast from the ankle to the hip for months. One night during a storm it started hailing large stones, about the size of walnuts, with lightning and thunder (you have never seen a thunder storm here like you see in Virginia) and we all ran downstairs, leaving my poor mom to hobble her way down the stairs by herself. I always felt bad that we forgot her. Funny. I wonder if she remembers that the same way.

But for me, our family never had as much fun as when the lights would go out and we would hang out together with candles until the electricity came back on. And I think that is why I love storms.

Snow in June

Unbelievable. They are having record high temps on the east coast, and we still have winter. What the hell is going on???? The news right now is showing us the heavy snow falling in Airway Heights, just over by the Spokane Airport. If we are lucky, we will get our spring by the time summer begins. Here is a link to the photos online.

Okay, I could complain all day about everything, but I would rather not. Today will be a good, productive day for me to catch up on all my work which I am lucky enough to have.

And I will leave you today with this gorgeous Korean Spice lilac I have blooming in the yard, whose scent is just a beautiful as its blossoms.

The cat in the catnip

It is unusual for me to catch our cat, Christian, being anything but dignified. But this morning I caught him in the catnip I planted yesterday. This plant, an herb relative of the mint plant, doesn't seem especially interesting to me, or even our other cat, but Christian cannot resist rolling and drooling on even just a leaf. After a good roll he looks up with red, dazed eyes, and then will sleep for hours.

Future grape... future vino

The nicest part of all the rain is the effect it is having on the bulk of my yard. Colors are more vibrant than I ever remember.

It seems like just yesterday I was out inspecting the woody grape vine that was just starting to pop little leaf buds. It seems to have burst not only with many leaves, but it has grown about 3 feet of vines already. And there are the little tight clusters of buds that will be marvelously sweet grapes later this summer, and maybe enough to make a little wine.

Columbine

I remember exactly what I was doing when the young gunmen entered the school at Columbine High School and killed all those people. I was painting the ceiling in the living room, listening to the news. Ironically, we were preparing our house for the arrival of our exchange students from Ireland, one Protestant and one Catholic, as part of a peace program. Now every time I see a Columbine in bloom, I think about that day, and what kind of sense that whole thing didn't make.

I am not sure the world makes any more sense now...

I saw a really good movie yesterday called "The War." It starred Elijah Wood (Frodo from the Lord of the Rings trilogy) and Kevin Costner. Costner played the dad who had been traumatized in the war. It was such an insightful movie. I came into it late, I need to watch it again from start to finish. I want to memorize some of the things Costner's character said. 

And recently a friend emailed me a web site of a brain scientist speaking of her experience with a stroke. More insights into life, and beyond life. I think everyone should at the least listen and contemplate what she has to say. Click here for her video...

Is this spring?

Just when we think we are over the hump, the wind starts blowing, the temperature plummets, and the weatherman mentions snow. And the news this morning is talking about the east coast having unusually HOT weather. 

Yesterday, just before artwalk, Nancy and I decided to run and get some shots of the cool clouds over the lake. After about 5 images for me, I said forget it and we ran back to the shelter of the coffee house. It is a bitter wind, and feels like March or April.

I remember the weather being like this when I first moved to Coeur d'Alene. It has been many years, but we used to be able to count on rain and cold for the fourth of July. The year that Mt. St. Helens blew, we missed summer completely. And we could count on a curtain of rain right about the end of August that signaled the end of summer. My garden tomatoes used to come in to the basement, still on the vine, to be stored in newspaper to continue ripening. That was about the only way I could be successful at growing them.

The last few years, we have enjoyed earlier springs, a longer summer, and a wonderful fall with a late frost that prolonged the garden growing season. I am not willing to give this up, although I obviously have little influence on the weather gods.

Someone said yesterday that we should just pretend this is April, and it will all turn out good. I don't think so. If this is April, then we won't get June until August, and I am afraid the fall curtain intends to come banging down early this year. Ultimately, I guess it doesn't matter what we pretend... it will be what it is, and I will plan another trip to Florida.

All about me?

Sometimes it is just fun to play. This morning seems to be one of them.

My theme today reminds me of a story about my sister and me after our dad's remains were interred in the newly renovated columbarium at Arlington Cemetery. We went to see his plaque, having to wind our way through this amazing maze of vaults. We finally found him, at the top where I am sure he is happiest. We had to find a rolling staircase to get all the way up to see him. Sam brought her camera and we started to take photos. Pretty soon it wasn't about Dad at all, but all about us. I think Sam took about 200+ photos that day, and it remains one of our great memories. I am sure it was quite annoying to Dad. Oh well.

My grandparents and my Uncle Morgan are also buried in Arlington Cemetery. 

Whenever I visit my family in Virginia, I make a point of getting in to see my dad, his parents, and my uncle. Arlington Cemetery is a beautiful, introspective place, and I love it there. I keep the map of my grandparents plot in my wallet. It is easy to get lost there, and even though I have been there many times, without the map it takes me too long to find grandma.

I miss my dad, and my sister. When I see her in July, it will probably be, once again, all about us.

My daughter, the graduate

All of my children have graduated from high school and are over 18. I just do not feel old enough for this to be true! I still feel like I am in my twenties. Is this normal? I like to refer to myself as Peter Pan (remember that Peter Pan was always played by women).

And my baby will be leaving me in August, just in time for my 49th birthday... "Happy birthday mom. Here I go!" And I will take that with mixed feeling, a bitter-sweet birthday present.

But I am happy today. I always feel good when all three of the kids are in their own beds. And with Byron visiting from Boise and Conor moving home, I have my good feelings boiling over.

Orange and black balloons are all that remain of our celebration last night for Maegan and her fellow 2008 classmates. She requested that I not be posted behind my camera all night, so I have no photos to jog my memory, but I don't think I need them. Her smile will always remain with me. She is so stinkin' excited... about graduating, being 18, and going away to college. And I am so excited for her. What a great time. She and her classmates are going to make some changes I think. I am proud of them all.

Spring Celebration

The sweet woodruff is taking over around the pond. I love the pretty white flowers profusely blooming. It is pretty aggressive though, and seems to be squeezing everything else out. I am not sure I care though. It is pretty low maintenance, and my gardening attention is focused in the back yard.

I cleaned the pond this week. the fish are SOOO happy. So is the cat... he can see them better, and he perches on the edge just smackin' his lips waiting for them to get close. Fortunately they are pretty savvy and disappear under the rock when he is around.

We have found several dead birds around the yard. That is the one thing about cats that we could easily live without. I love the birds singing to us in the morning... my favorite part of spring.

This morning instead of birds, was my other favorite sound, and that was the rain tickling our sky lights above our bed. Nothing, I think, can rock me to sleep faster than that soothing sound. And there is just nothing like a warm spring rain. I love to breathe in that sweet fresh smell mixed with the scent of lilacs and golden chain. It is a gorgeous time of year. 

My son, Byron, comes home tomorrow. I can't wait! Maegan graduates, my whole little family is together, we get to share it with our other family and our friends. Life is good.