Bring On Lemons

This word search may give me away before you get to the end of the post, but just for fun ... can you guess what I'm confessing based on the first words that jump out at you? if you haven't figured it out yet, keep reading: I love having my picture taken (ever since my children were born). I want them to have lots of memories of what we all looked like as a family. I cherish the photographs of my father, and I have plenty of them but still with I had more. That's likely where my passion for pictures comes from. There is another passion that I just recently discovered though, and that's the one I want to confess to you now. I'm passionate about life. I've been snapping photographs every morning of the sky, the trees, the snow, the sun, and the world around me. I can honestly say that up until 2012 I hadn't noticed these things. I was fired from my job in January 2012 and I thought my life was going to end. In fact, there were a few days that I ...

Well, hello there! I missed you! I've been busy cleaning and packing and cleaning some more. The last few weeks have been crazy (in a good way) and I haven't found much time to touch base with anyone. I did tell my husband that the next time we move, I'll need a good tranquilizer or a case of wine about a week in advance, and just keep me 'on cloud nine' until everything is cleaned and organized and all the final papers have been signed. I enjoy moving believe it or not. This will be my 28th address in only 18 years, so I am no stranger to boxes, bins, tissue paper, bubble wrap, newspapers, and duct tape. However, this is the most stressful move to date. Of course I put the stress on myself, I know that...but moving with school age children is totally different than a single girl packing up throughout the night, loading up her hatchback, and taking up residence in a cozy new apartment. These children seem to unpack faster than I pack, dirty faster than I clean, ...

Do you feel like things are out of control? Too many irons in the fire? Too many things on the 'to do' list? Not enough hours in the day? Feel like someone else is driving the bus and you aren't liking the direction it's heading? YOU have choices... breathe Stop whatever you are doing right now. Close your eyes. Breathe in, Breathe out. Put down your smart phone. Grab something to drink (ie: water, coffee, etc...) and take a seat. I want the next 7 minutes of your life...starting now... Here's a gift I want to give you: I met a man who was a college football star. He went surfing and had a terrible accident. He woke up paralyzed from the neck down. That's right...he can't move his arms, he can't urinate without help, he can't dress himself, feed himself, make love to his wife, hold his children, etc...(I know...you're wondering what kind of gift this is...). I don't want you to feel more fortunate because someone is in a worse situati...

"Follow your passions and hold tight to your dreams and don't give up until your life is full of dreams, passion, and happiness" ~Crystal As I was watching the winter rye being cut and blown into the chopper wagons yesterday I was thinking about a lot of different things, but something worth sharing is the thought about life being like a chopper wagon. Be patient with me - I find farming incredibly amazing and rewarding in so many ways. The tractor pulls into the hilly field with the chopper and blower attached to it. The driver backs the unit(s) up to the waiting chopper wagon, then puts the pin in. At this point, the machinery becomes one - all the pieces work together to glide gracefully up and down the hilly field filling the wagon. When the wagon is full it is detached and another one takes it's place and this process continues until the field that was once lush and green with vegetation is ready for the next crop. The field looks like a carefully knit blan...