Happy Fathers Day!

Here's a photo of my dad and mom before they were married~

Here we are the Smith Family...

On this day that we honor Fathers I'm thinking about my dad. He was a great guy, charming and dangerously good looking, usually tan. He worked third shift for a period of time. He'd come home in the morning and go lay in a hammock in the sun and sleep the day away. I always marveled at how tan he would get, he'd call it being brown as a berry! I thought it was funny when he said that. He loved to garden, called being outside in nature his church and the place where he connected most with God. He loved animals, fly fishing for trout in his secret trout brook, music and he played guitar and harmonica, He smoked a pipe sometimes that smelled good. He was always friendly and people liked him. He could draw and write and loved to read.

Yes, he was a great guy...I miss him~

He died 15 years ago, he would have been 70 if he made it to his next birthday.
Even though his death was sad it did bring him freedom from mental illness that he suffered with in his later years. He was at times a tormented soul...so beautiful yet so tortured. He did accept Christ before he died thanks to my mom's relationship with Jesus. She would sit at the kitchen table every morning and have a quiet prayer time and read her bible, sometimes the she'd tear up with emotion at what she was reading, it was moving which really had an effect on my dad. He saw the realness of Christ in her life. He's in heaven today...probably fishing :)
This blue bottle contains some of his remains...he was cremated and I keep some his ashes in this bottle. My heart also contains a part of him, it holds the love and memories I have of him but I like that I have a part of him~ Ashes to ashes dust to dust..I love you dad :)

Here's the O'Dell clan in all of our Radiant Glory!

While my middle son and "post it married wife" were here on a visit from Portland Oregon and the Florida Grandma here we did a family photo shoot.

I usually don't get in a photo...but the Florida Grandma pushed go, so I could actually be in some.

One of my favorite things is having my whole family together. I love the "Hub Bub," that ensues, the laughter, talking, the good food and the sheer joy of being together. Oh how I love these people! I celebrate their adulthood, the people they've become, the children they're having and the paths they're on! Good times and the best blessing!

Here's another journal I have, I call it "My Man Journal." A friend gave it to me as a gift for helping her out with her wedding. I decided to use it as a journal for my future husband, to give to him on our wedding day. I write in it from time to time, when done it will be the story of "Us." I look forward to seeing who God is bringing me, whose hands will someday hold this journal that's about us...

This is my travel journal...when I take a trip I write about it in here. The good the bad and everything in between. I love to read back in it and see where I've been.

I've been thinking about where I want to go next. I'm going to make another trip to Portland to see these folks, my son and lovely "post it" married girl friend (shameless Gray's Anatomy reference). They live in Portland, "Heaven on Earth."

They're here on vacation, so we're having some family hang time. Good Times! In the photo above the post-it married girlfriend is laughing...I love to make her laugh. Look how pretty she is.

When I go to Portland I'll take my camera so we do take more photos like the one below!

I can hardly wait to get the road trip started....

It's wedding season!

This is a photo from a friends wedding.

She met a Swiss man, married him

and moved to Switzerland!

Hats off to her for being so adventurous!

I helped shoot a wedding a couple of weeks ago.

It was in an area backyard and was beeeeeeautifffffuuuuullllll!

The flowers for the wedding were stunning!!!!!!!!!! I'll post some of those after the bride and groom have seen their photos. The flowers in the yard were plentiful and gorgeous!

I make greeting cards with photos I take and you can bet I'll be making cards out of these...

Bath time!

Rub a dub dub Rubes is in the tub!

Well, technically the kitchen sink...

This brings back some great memories of when my kids were little. We spent a lot of time a my mom's house. She would always give my babies a bath in the kitchen sink. Lot's of bubbles and toys to play with and of course a wash cloth. What baby doesn't like to get hold of a wet wash cloth? I've never met one yet. This is Rubies first kitchen sink bath at my house, thought I'd better capture it. She loved it!

Ode To Beej

Here's a couple of friends of mine. I love these two people! I met them both around the same time a few years back and we all became good friends. I consider meeting them a divine appointment and can't imagine not knowing them. The good looker in the background here is getting ready to go on a "New Chapter Road Trip," so all three of us went out for a good-bye breakfast then to his house to hang for a bit.

He's got a great old house filled with some fun finds...
The woodwork and wall paper in his house has so much character...
An old typewriter, what' not to love about this?

The heat radiators are spectacular!

There's a very cool old stained glass window in his entry way. It's all I can do to not rip it out of the wall and take it home with me when I'm there, I love it that much! So far I have controlled this urge and the window remains intact.

More fun wallpaper...
Good bye friend, I know you're going to have such an adventure on your "New Chapter Road Trip." You will be missed :)

I wish that I would use this yarn to get knittin a blankey for my white haired, red bearded son...

I wish I had a jean jacket to put this grandma jewelry on...
I wish this was a real yellow canary singing me it's beautiful bird song...

I wish the back of this broach wasn't broken...
This was my grandma's bowl and vase. I wish she was still around...
I found this purse in a box under my bed, forgot it was there. I wish that when I opened it up wads and scads of cash were stuffed in it...
I wish that I had more of this soup, and that when I made it I had written how I made it down...
I wish you good night...

Here's what's on my mind today...

That I will no longer have to use film!

That's right I'm now the proud owner of a digital camera!

To say that I'm super excited about it is an understatement to say the least. Good bye film! I will not miss you, I'm not even sorry that I won't miss you, I'm moving on, I'm breaking up with you, forever! Not like last time we broke up and then my camera broke and I had to come back to you, no this time I'm truly, really moving on. And Film, just to drive the point home "I've been using you, yes, using you, it's not a healthy relationship, I hope you can see this." I know if not now, someday you will.

Both of these things are on my mind, Chickens and Organic Gardening! Since January 2010 I've been eating mostly organic food. Someday in the not to distant future I hope to have an organic garden, so I decided that I could be learning about it now and when I get to a place where I can actually have a garden I'll know what I'm doing, sort of, kind of. Because I want to learn about it I recently subscribed to "Organic Gardening" and this is my first issue. I'm excited to get reading it, so far I've just taken a photo of it...I'll get there, to the reading part, don't worry. I like that it's going to tell me about Organic Gardening and Hens! Hen's are also on my mind. So really, could it get any better...I'll let you know. I also want to have a couple of chickens someday, just a couple of hens, no roosters (sorry guys) so I can have some fresh eggs. Side note: in my high school days I could do a great imitation of a chicken clucking, I will not, I repeat, I will not attempt it now!

This last photo isn't really about what's on my mind...I just like the colors.

Have a very Happy Day!

I love these people, each and everyone of them. I'm thinking about them today and missing a couple of them badly because they live in Portland, Oregon (the land where bohemian is the style, practically everyone is vegan, or some form of it and most are 420 friendly). They'll be here soon for a visit, oh the excitement, oh the joy, I'm so looking forward to it. Since this photo we've added two more beautiful baby girls to the mix, two dogs and a cat.... We're growing, expanding, we're a work in progress, we're not done yet!

What a bunch we are!

Just trying to get a handle on somethings...

So many choices...
It's a process of prayer, waiting, listening...
Over time the right choice becomes evident. It may not be what you want, but it will be good.
Because God is good and always faithful to give the help and wisdom we need to make the right choice, to get a handle on the things we need to get a handle on, if we'll ask Him...He is good and His choice for us is always the best!

Mother's Day is tomorrow. There's nothing like being a mother, life comes to you and through you...it's a beautiful thing.

This tea cup/coffee mug is from my middle son...I love it. He gave it to for my birthday in 2009. He knows me and knew I would like it, I don't like it...I love it. I cherish it, because it's beautiful and he gave it to me and I love him.

May I admit that as a young woman I did not want children? I have always loved kids, their energy, unconditional love and joy. But, I didn't want kids, for very selfish reasons. I have four kids, each one was not planned, because if I had to plan them I would have said "No thank you." I know it's sounds very harsh, but I was immature and like I said selfish. I'm not proud of this...just being honest.
But...being a mom happened, to me, against what I wanted and love took hold. I remember holding my first born in my arms, rocking him, looking at him and praying "God I'll have as many of these as You want." That was the first of four babies! When you hold a baby you're looking at a part of creation that came from the heart of God. It really is a beautiful thing...that God would allow life to come to you and through you! I will say being a mom has been the hardest thing in my life, but by far the most rewarding thing I have ever done or been a part of. I'm thankful that God in His infinite wisdom granted me the ability to be a mom and has helped me with my kids. They're each one different, creative, beautiful, and I celebrate their adulthood. So, as a young woman motherhood looked like a freakishly impossible thing...but on closer inspection it's pretty from the inside out...just like my cup! Happy Mothers Day to all you mothers that are reading this. Motherhood is a special gift from God! Embrace it, enjoy it!

My fascination with trees continues...