deer.coolest moth. life...bone art. memorial day.

a good portion of this post was made possible by sam's expert eye for wildlife spotting.

sam...he's the one with the beard.

thanks sam.

"DEER ALERT! OUT FRONT"  sam shouts in a whisper from the front porch.

OH. i know what that means...Grab the Camera ~ Come Quick!

otis (lower right) and the visiting deer (left) were watching each other until the deer departed...

heading toward the road...and the forest/field/mud pit across the way.

*  *  *

a few days before this deer sighting...

sam spotted a "big, bright orange something or other. moth? butterfly?"

grabbed camera. ran out front.

wow. cool.

a Royal Walnut Moth!!!

the Royal Walnut or Regal Moth is a very interesting moth...

besides being awesome looking!!

as an adult (like this one), they do not eat (having virtually no mouth parts). they only live for about a week. the male spends his time searching out females & mating, the female spends her life laying eggs. the caterpillars molt 4 times...finally burrowing in the dirt, where they pupae over winter.

so very cool.

*  *  *

life.

been a little crazy lately.

my youngest son (30 yo)...you might remember my mentioning him before.

more than a year ago...was court ordered to a residential rehab program.

he's transitioned out of there. he's working. he's living with us until he finishes with his drug court obligations.

things are a bit topsy-turvy on the home front right now.

i...we...are hoping for the best. hoping that he continues on the path he is now travelling.

hoping he makes good choices.

i've been down this road with him before. many times.

maybe this time will be his life-changer.

anyway, i could go on and on...but enough of my personal sh....

just wanted to explain why i disappeared for a few weeks.

i've been a little scatter-brained...and trying to immerse myself into creativity when i can.

doing some bone art.

i finished that hog skull i posted here a little while ago.

i've also done a few "bone doodles"

*  *  *

today.

memorial day.

every day...

honor the American soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.

for our freedom.

remember the fallen.

stay cool.  be safe.

lk

~ ~ ~ time out ~ ~ ~

Flatwoods Plum blooming in side yard

ok

so i can finally talk.

my throat's been sore 

& 

my voice gravely

from coughing too much.

it takes a lot for me to actually go to the doctor.

but after trying all my usual natural healing remedies...

and nothing seemed to be getting rid of this congestion...

my throat was getting sorer

&

my ribs felt mega-bruised!

one of nature's curly-q's

i gave in.

diagnosed - bronchitis.

sent home with antibiotics, an inhaler, cough suppressants

and the suggestion to use a vaporizer at night & get some rest.

two weeks later.

still coughing.  but better. 

throat no longer scratchy & ribs don't pain me when breathing!

minimal wheezing.

slowly easing back into work, living on cough drops during the day.

anyway.

i'm taking time off...from here...my blog.

“Sometimes I can hear my bones straining under the weight of all the lives I'm not living.” 

~ Jonathan Safran Foer, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

i feel a weight on my shoulders.

a trapped kind of feeling.  

like a slave to the internet at times.

i need

to

get up. get out. feel the sun.

watch the flowers grow. smell them.

spy on the bugs & birds...all the little critters!

listen. take pictures. create more. 

so many trails to wander...trees & moons to sit under...

books to read.

the full moon behind Oak tree branch on 23 january 2013

of course i won't be gone forever.

just a hiatus.

time for my soul...my body...

to

BE

to

DO.

“I give thanks for this most amazing day, for the leaping greenly spirits of trees, 

and for the blue dream of sky and for everything which is natural, 

which is infinite, 

which is yes.” 

~E.E. Cummings

i'll still be wandering out here now & then,

and will visit all the places i love.

take care.

be safe.

laura

(links to my FB places on sidebar)

emo - doing his little halloween dance!

have a happy one!

“Tomorrow, is the first blank page of a 365 page book. Write a good one.” 

~ Brad Paisley

leaf impression in drive way

(if this little guy isn't dancing for you...hover your mouse over him)

*CHEERS*  to  2013!

balance

lk

got the blues...& my wish

Courtesies of a small and trivial character 

are the ones which strike deepest in the grateful and appreciating heart.  

~Henry Clay

i haven't been able to get myself into 

the magic of the season.

i didn't feel like putting up the tree,

or dragging the box of decorations out of the closet.

(but i did.  but i left a lot untouched.)

the cooler weather, the twinkling lights,

the trees shedding their leaves...

just aren't doing it for me this year.

it's not unusual for me to get the blues at this time.

i start to think too much...

dwell...

on my losses, my life...the things i 

should have, would have...done differently, if only i could.

this year in particular...

when i see people shopping...pushing & shoving...

spend. spend. spend.

i want to just stay home. hide. close my eyes & wake up on jan 1, 2013.

i can't help but think of all the families in Newtown, CT

who will not have the smiles & excitement of their children this year.

presents already bought.  sitting in a closet.

presents that would have been put under the tree sometime before dawn on christmas morning.

santa.  leaving gifts.  magic.

it's unfathomable.

and not only those who are suffering in Newtown,

but also Aurora, CO...and those who have so recently lost so much in NJ and NY.

nature's wild side and the insanity of some people.

all over this world.

the suffering.   hunger.   cruelty.

happening every day

my 

wish

is to

send out

warm thoughts 

for love,  peace,  goodwill,

compassion,  healing and hope  to all those 

who need or want.

AND

a big hug.

PASS IT ON.

stay cool.  be safe.

laura

19th of Dec. 2012.

*gobble*gobble*

i'm not much of a holiday person.

well, except for Halloween.

BUT today is Thanksgiving day in the U.S.,

and here on the ole' home front,

we'll do our traditional deep fried turkey.

(thanks sam!)

it'll be a nice quiet day...sam's mom and one of my two sons.

that's it.

i'm thankful...grateful, for a lot of things.

every day...

not just today.

to name a few...

my sons, sam, emo, 

family & friends, nature, freedom, you, 
the sun, the stars, the moon, life, love, hugs, 

memories of those loved & lost, 

the kid in me, my health, my compassion, 

my open-mindedness, my job...work...my patience...

all the little things, big things, things that go unnoticed.

my wish for peace...

and the hope for less hunger, 

homelessness, 

sickness, 

conflict & violence 

on our planet earth.

i also want to THANK all who i have gotten to know...out here...in cyberspace. in bloggerland.

THANKS to everybody, who takes the time to leave a note! 

and thanks to those who might be reading this...but want to remain incognito!

i am honored...to have you here...humbled, to even think that others might be interested

in what i have to say...or what i see, through my pictures...in my world.

enjoy your day!

stay cool & be safe

laura

not my artwork.
found online years ago.

friday's fringe 31 ~ leaf.bug.milo remembered.

BIG rain dappled autumn leaf outside a client's home

a Two-striped Walking Stick.
AKA: devil's darning needle, musk mare, prairie alligator
seen at side of house, by the hose spigot.

~oOo~

i've been meaning to post this.

for milo...

cindy from  Bug Safari   emailed this to me after 'milo' passed away.

she had this idea to do a 'Dia de Los Muertos' style picture with milo happily climbing a tree.

she drew this using Sketch Pad on her ipad.  

isn't it perfect?  (me = bones - skulls - nature.  milo = trees - outdoors)

i LOVE it!!

i've already printed it out...will hunt down a nice frame...and hang it on the wall!

and  ANOTHER

heartfelt THANKS to chris at  Las Aventuras

for adding milo to the  'All Souls Procession' he participated in...

reflecting, remembering & honoring those we have loved & lost.

i mailed him a favorite toy & feather that milo used to play with...
and chris ceremoniously added them to the urn.

thank you cindy and chris!!  
both sam & i are honored & humbled...to know that you' went out of your way...
in milo's name!


thanks for stopping by on
 

lk

more emo!!

little emo.

frisky emo.

cuddly emo.

likes to sleep under the sheets with us.

likes to jump in your arms...by pushing up & off the bed...or climbing straight up your legs. ouch!

we're working on discouraging this.

likes to climb into sam's sock drawer & pull out all his socks...scattering them all over the place!

he likes to climb the curtains...must break him of this habit, too.

he runs around in circles, from room to room...just a passing blur.

so, here i am...

the proud parent...

showing off my baby's pictures!  =)

READY...AIM...

POUNCE!

STEP ON!

HOLD DOWN!

ROLL AROUND!

BAT AT BALL!

WOOPS!! SPRINGS BACK &  BOPS ON HEAD!

TIME-OUT!

"CAN WE GO OUTSIDE?"

(me)   "NOPE. sorry. not now"

"THEN PICK ME UP & HOLD ME!"

(me)  "OK!  always!

"The smallest feline is a masterpiece."

~Leonardo da Vinci

thanks for stopping by.

stay cool. be safe.

laura

rescued for life!

WHAT IS

2 lbs 9 oz

of striped fluffy love...

who wants to be cuddled, held & carried...

unravels the toilet paper from the roll...

has an unending curiosity...

leaps, dashes & jumps in all directions, seemingly at the same time...

and finally

finding

a

warm

lap

to

curl

up

in

?!

WELCOME (to our world) EMO!!

since milo passed away...we have been missing her...

and the pitter-patter of little cat feet.

we picked out this little bundle from the Humane Society yesterday.

it was love at first sight...all the way around!

he was born on august 6, 2012...was dropped off at a fire station,

and turned over to the animal shelter on september 17.

he weighed 2 lbs 9 ozs on october 24.

his name at the shelter was Emerson.

we sort of combined emerson & milo...and came up with EMO!!

life as he had known it 'til yesterday, was life in a cage.

now he has more space to roam than he could ever have imagined.

we LOVE him to pieces!

~have a happy week~

"It is impossible to keep a straight face in the presence of one or more kittens."

~Cynthia E. Varnado

stay cool.  be safe.

laura

emo : The word that holds the record for the most definitions at urbandictionary.com at 1,181.

a special BE SAFE to ALL those in SANDY's path!!!!

(more) feathers and frog, spider, lizard !

i know i have a lot of catching up to do.

BUT

since my birthday was yesterday...

i didn't want this to all be OLD news. old pictures.

early yesterday morning, i asked sam if he wanted to brave the 'skeeters'...

and wander out back.   yep!

i just KNEW i was going to find a few feathers!

after all...finding a feather is a message...letting you know that a spirit is nearby.

someone who has passed away...who you were close to. someone who cared.

I FOUND ELEVEN FEATHERS!!

that's more than i ever expected...and more than i've ever found in a day...

unless there was a dead bird attached. which there wasn't.

that's a lot of spirit signs...i felt good.

yesterday i also saw a teeny-weeny frog on a hibiscus leaf...

(it rained on and off during the morning.

by the afternoon...we were in the midst of a downpour that never let up.)

and the underside of a 'banana' (Golden Silk Orb Weaver) spider...

  

(the rain put a damper on the BBQing  sam had planned to do,

it just didn't happen.  so we ordered out.)

AND a baby lizard...an Anole, on a planter, 

changing from green to brown (or vice-versa)

we all hung out at home...us and my sons.

we watched "The Hunger Games".

maybe if i hadn't read all 3  books first, i would've thought the movie was ok.

but no one was how i had them pictured in my mind...

and there was SO MUCH missing!!

if you see the movie, and liked it...READ the book!!

THANKS so much to everyone who visited my previous post.

thanks for ALL your good wishes...humor...kind words...

and for taking the time to read and leave a note!

thanksthanksthanks!

SO

see you this week...as i get caught up in your part of the world!

stay cool.  be safe.

laura

what day is it?

oh yeah.

it's the 19th of august.

i have lived 21,550 days.

wow. how time flies.

i honestly never thought i'd make it this far.

i've outlived both parents (which is how it's supposed to be)...

but i've also outlived my younger brother and sister.

me.

yeah, this post is ALL about me.

things i like. love. and things i don't like so much.

i was born in south carolina.

adopted.
((searched for my birth mother & found her when i was 18. that's another story for another time.))

i was raised in NY.
started running away from home at 12, moved out for good...at 15...

when i got my first job, working in an art store near grand central station (NYC).

assorted jobs since then...including my own screen printing business.

went back to school in my 40's...became a licensed massage therapist.

went on cross country road trips 2X...

the northern route from new york to california when i was about 18...

southern route from california to florida  in  1987.

i love to read.   and write.

years ago...i even made an attempt at writing a couple of children's books.

after LOTS of rejection 'form letters'... 

(although i did get a few nice personal letters of encouragement)...i gave up.

i have a lot of energy. it's hard for me to sit still. 

i always have too many projects going on at the same time.

when i see different ART forms or mediums or techniques...i want to try them all.

i care. a lot. about others. 

care a lot & you can get taken advantage of.

i've learned to say 'no', 'enough' over the years. well, not always.

i love a lot of things...but at the top of my list...

i love my sons.

  and sam.
(that beard, is braided under his shirt & goes all the way to his waist!)

  and milo.

i'd rather be anywhere else except florida...but if i never came here, i wouldn't have met sam. 

i have way too many collections.

maybe they're not all collections...just stuff i save. hang on to.

feathers. shells. rocks & stones.

fossils & artifacts.
(found) bones.

wolves. coins.
turtles. old books. (found) old glass bottles.

pens. insect wings. art/craft supplies.
trolls. boxes.

i think i'll stop there.

i like shades of purple.  spicy food, the spicier the better.

i tend to clean  when i'm upset.

i can slip into blue moods pretty easily.

i can be silly to the point of being obnoxious. so i'm told.

i'm a kid inside.

i'm out going and friendly. i don't like crowds. 

i get uncomfortable when i know i'll be in a 'social' situation with a group of people.
i'll just about hyperventilate beforehand...
forget to breathe...get light headed.

it's hard for me to get CLOSE to people.

i prefer the woods over the beach.
winter over summer.

i need to add some regular exercise into my daily routine.

after all, i'm 21,550 days old.

it was a sad day when i stopped being 'carded' to buy liquor...
at least it continued until i was in my early 30's.
it was an even sadder day when strangers started calling me 'Ma'am'.

i love being outside. nature. taking pictures.

bugs. spiderwebs. flowers. mushrooms. anything with dew.

waking before dawn.  the moon.  clouds.

twinkle lights.
halloween.

anchovies on pizza.
fruit pie, not cake.
i like (the natural) peanut butter, but it always seems to give me the hiccups.
mmmmm, cheese. onions. garlic. red peppers. jalapenos.
artichoke hearts.
give or take meat.  i could easily be a vegetarian,
but sam likes his meat & potatoes.

i talk in my sleep. a lot. have very vivid dreams.

aaah, a few scents i like lavender. jasmine. orange blossoms. eucalyptus. gardenias. 

coffee. newly mowed grass. amber. rain. the woods. the ocean.

i don't like getting dressed up & will avoid it at all costs.

jeans. t-shirts. that's me. sneakers, crocs, hiking boots & winter boots.
i'm NOT trendy, don't care about fashion.

i don't like to talk on the phone.
don't have a smart phone or ipad.
DO have an ipod and e-reader.
don't like when people litter.  litters are for dogs & cats.
i've never spent $$ on a matching set of furniture.
i'm thrifty. love to shop thrift stores.

wool makes me itch and turtle necks make me feel like i'm being strangled.
all cotton.  polyester makes me sweat.
don't like to have my picture taken.

i'm not into organized religion. i'm not political. 

i have a hard time dealing with people who are prejudiced...

people who hate because of race or ethnicity, religion, sexual preference.

i like mystical stuff. native american. celtic. tarot. crystals. candles. dream catchers.
tattoos (have 5). rock music. the sounds of birds, crickets, cicadas,
the bass guitar, wind chimes, waves crashing, the wooden flute, thunder, purring cats,
the bone rattling kick of nitro in the top fuel dragsters.

oh yeah, i saw a UFO once.  in hollywood, florida. looking to the sky. late night.
i spotted a V formation of tiny lights. just sitting. hovering.
and in a split second it was gone...appearing on the opposite side of the night sky.

usually sam & i go camping this week.

besides my B-day (59)...
our anniversary was the 16th (10 yrs together, 5 married)
and sam's B-day is the 21st (54).

but this year we're home. we have both my sons living with us.

travis is out of jail (after spending 7 months, we picked him up last saturday)

and justin, who turned 31 last week, split up with his girlfriend of 6 years.

it's a bit crowded, in our humble little home...
they're sharing the 2nd bedroom we have.

they are eating machines.
but at least they're working...concrete, stucco & stone...
and help out around the house...
like splitting wood, hauling dead downed trees...work for the young & strong!

justin snores so loud we can hear him in our bedroom with the door closed.

no wonder travis wakes up with a headache.

WELL,

i've made it this far.
i need to make it 'til the day i can retire.
downsize. live VERY frugally...in our truck camper.
hit the road.
with no destination in mind.

so, that's it.

i'll probably think   "oh yeah! i forgot to say..."   after i click on 'publish'.
there's always next year.

ONE MORE thing...
thank YOU for being a part of my life this past year...
for wandering & exploring by my side...
and for being there through my good times and down times!

i almost nixed this. felt like i was writing a personal ad or something.

anyway, have a nice week!


...i'm eager to begin my next 365 day journey under the moon and around the sun...

stay cool. be safe.

laura