Friday Letters . . .

Dear soon to be Queen Butterfly,

I think it's kinda cool that you have three different color versions of your bad self,

but this pink version is the bomb! I can't remember when you pupated but in less than a week

we will finally get to meet....I am beyond excited! (you'll be my first Queen) 

Dear football,

I sure do love being on the sidelines, but I do have a tendency to get a bit distracted at that golden hour when the lens flare lines up just right!! 

(from my instagram feed)

Dear George,
(he's my hair guru guy), that's some pretty incredible Deva Curl Ultra Defining Gel to give my straight hair soft waves. Oh yeah, I got re-pinkified too...yep it's real, and the reason I say this is because I often get stopped and asked that very question as opposed to chalk, which I guess is not permanent and washes out.

Dear Crazy Ants,
How on earth, in the few hours I was gone to get my hair done, did you find your way into the house and into the pantry, on every shelf I may add, and into everything that wasn't sealed? I'm sorry, but I don't like you very much, our cupboard is now bare.

Dear Geckos,
Can we talk, 'cause I'm afraid you don't understand, I do like you, just not in the house, pooping on the dining room table and certainly not making babies on my kitchen floor at 3 A.M. One adult and two babies this week....Can you move your nursery outside please???

 Dear Calendar,
15 more sleeps til my girl comes home for the weekend!!

Oh, and Dear Weather,
I would really appreciate if you would cooperate and not rain for the Balloon Fest this weekend, I missed it
last year because of the pouring rain...it was very disappointing!

Happy weekending to all,
Love, Kim


Linking to Little Things Thursday, Thursday Favorite Things, Random Five Friday, Friday Photo Journal

The harvest of a season . . .

"Summer ends, and Autumn comes, and he who would have it otherwise would have high tide always and a full moon every night; and thus he would never know the rhythms that are at the heart of life."

-Hal Borland

Spring, no doubt is one of my favorite seasons....it's about life and rebirth and about hope.

but,

summer would definitely be a strong second...as time is more carefree, and fun, and the days are longer.

That would be followed by Autumn (or fall), and my least favorite....old man winter (and I don't even live in a cold and snowy climate).

Each season has a beginning and an end, yet in no way can be rushed. Because they are marked by the moon and by the setting sun. And this timetable has remained unchanged for eternity. We can put our trust in that.

I. . . put my trust in that. 

But, sometimes, well more like lately . . . 

 I've been having some difficulty with the timing of some of these personal seasons in life. I sometimes feel like God has maybe just forgotten. 

Right now, I would really like to run ahead of His plan and implement my own, but this time of year like no other reminds me that if I try to get there in my own timing, I will most likely miss the harvest altogether. And I guess at the very least some lessons to take with me to the next season.

So, I went back to re- read some of Solomon's words...(Ecc 3:1-2) There is a time for everything, a season for every activity under heaven. A time to be born and a time to die.....(3-8) A time to plant and a time to harvest. A time to kill and a time to heal. A time to tear down and a time to rebuild. A time to cry and a time to laugh. A time to grieve and a time to dance. A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones. A time to search and a time to lose. A time to keep and a time to throw away. A time to tear and a time to mend. A time to be quiet and a time to speak up. A time to love and a time to hate. A time for war and a time for peace. 

 This time I think I got something else out of it. Maybe when He provides these cycles in our lives it's not really about just getting through to the other side as much as it is the work we need to do while we are there. That we need to be active participants, not by standers in waiting.

The seasons of time and of life are really no different as both are guided by His hand...and have been for eternity. Both not only signify change but without either maybe there would be no way to appreciate where we are, where we have been and the changes that take place within us along the way.

And can I put trust in the seasons of time without putting trust in the other?

I just need to remind myself of this over and over again that His timing not mine is important. To be reminded that I'm not in control and to be patient so that I may know and understand better the rhythms that make up the heart of life. Some rhythms, seasons, easier to dance to than others, but grateful to be dancing none the less.

 Love, Kim


Linking with Tuesday Muse, Texture Tuesday, Tuesdays Around the World,

A whole lotta random . . .

"If nothing ever changed, there'd be no butterflies"

-Unknown

In some things I don't mind change, like the seasons (which we don't really even get here), the scenery on a road trip, and that of a caterpillar to a butterfly (yep, I did say random).

And in others I really don't like it. "The Change" which is completely for the birds (well, they probably don't even go through the change, lucky!), when marketers change the labels constantly and you can't find what you need because they changed it, and like when your kid goes to college.

Gosh, I thought I was doing so good, but really, I think I'm having a bit of trouble. It's just so quiet around here, and honestly during the day it was always quiet. But come 3 o'clock every day when she came home (brother always has some kind of practice) she filled me in on world happenings because quite frankly I don't ever turn on my TV. I miss our everyday conversations about miscellaneous life stuff and school, and sharing my excitement over butterfly #200 and something emerging, and I sure do miss her baking! LOL

Mostly, I just miss her presence, well, and her hugs! 

It was so nice to have her home last weekend, but it just went too fast. And before you know it we were driving her back to campus. But our drive back was so much fun, listening to some of her ideas about documentaries and a book she wrote that she is re-writing.....can I just tell you, and I know most parents probably feel this same way about their kids, but this girl is incredible. She has such a profound wisdom for her age, and I don't think I've been smarter than her since fifth grade!

Change....as much as most of us don't like it, it's the only way to get to the other side sometimes.

(five minute intermission for a good cry)

Okay, speaking of last weekend it was homecoming and my boy asked a girl . . . to the dance . . . only they didn't go to the dance? They, along with 16 others took a limo into Houston where they had dinner instead. Since they aren't 18 and there were 18 of them the restaurant required a chaperon so another mom and I did the honors. The manager was impressed and admitted that they didn't need one, but they never know what kind of group they will get.

And speaking of my boy, he is doing so well. I missed Tuesday because I don't have my act together lately and we had his infusion. Following protocol he will be on this medication for the next two months and the doctor, because he is doing so well and labs are all staying normal, may take him completely off! (that's when we pray for remission)

Linking with Nancy, and more randomness....

1. On the caterpillar front, I now have 3 Queen cats that have turned into a chrysalis, 3 more in a j-hang and maybe another dozen still getting fat. Throw a couple of Monarch cats in there, and about 8 black swallowtail eggs, two that just hatched this morning. Grand central station....

2. I put out my hummingbird feeder for the first time (it's two years old) but the hummers seem to prefer my wild morning glory vine, whatup?

3. Now this one .... if you know an elderly person who is really elderly, who not only still has a drivers license, but actually gets behind a wheel, please, please, please make sure they really can drive. It's okay to hurt their feelings if it means keeping other drivers alive. (see #4)

4. I'm happy to be alive, and even happier that the planets were aligned so that when the elderly woman came across over three lanes into mine that I was able to avert an accident. The outcome would have been different if there had been any cars in the left turn lane, or any cars in the opposite turn lane!

5. Don't go to Sonic for your free Texans slush the day after the Texans win unless it's before school lets out, just sayin'!

Yeah, I just need to wrap up this very long random mess of a post and go have some chocolate or something.

Oh,

6. No I have not forgotten my Monarch series, seriously I took way too many photos (is there such a thing) and I'm trying to corral all my notes and thoughts from the last four months.

Have a wonderful weekend, I'm off to watch some Queen cats do their thing.

Love, Kim

linking with Little Things Thursday, Five on Friday, Friday Photo Journal

Random five Friday . . .

. . . on Thursday.

1. It's homecoming week, ( which is really early this year ), which means I helped stuff almost 270 bags of candy for the football lockers....there may not be any candy left for trick-or-treaters, just sayin'. And then there is the carnival on Friday and I'll be helping the football booster again this year, serving up BBQ sandwiches in our booth...being loud, and doing football chants...fun times!

2. I took the above photo this week to decorate his football locker....oh there isn't enough Fabreze to cover that smell!

(Did I mention how I love to photograph football?!)

3. When I was in school we had a real parade, you know, down main street and the whole town came. We decorated real floats (one for each grade), and painted all the shop windows (and maybe each other) and the homecoming court all rode in their own convertibles while following the Pom Pom squad and the marching band. But that was back in a small old town with one high school. Our city is newer and there just really isn't a downtown per se and we have three high schools in our city. Which is why you have to adapt and overcome and start your own traditions. The parade has no floats, but, we have decorated grocery carts (I know your jealous)  and just goes down the road in front of the school.

4. This brings me to another tradition and this is a big Texas homecoming tradition. Mums. Nope, not a real one (although that is how the original tradition started), but an artificial mum or two or three with the addition of ribbons, more ribbons, trinkets, teddy bears, boas, you name it, it has probably been in one. The tradition of the mum involves an exchange where the boy gives the girl he asks to homecoming a mum that she wears attached to a cord or ribbon around here neck and the girl gives the boy a smaller mum attached to a garter that he wears on one of his upper arms. They wear it to school on game day and to the football game. As you can imagine, these become a "whose is bigger and better and shinier and noisier", and they can get pretty pricey. Maybe it's because I didn't grow up here, but after living in Texas for over twenty years, I still don't get it? (I added the chain and some baubles to this one I had made so it would be a little different)

5. And, last but best of all....It's Homecoming....which means my girl is coming home for the weekend! Whoo Hoo!! It feels like she has been gone forever...it's been a total of three weeks, haha. And because she will be home, I see some kind of cake or cookies or something in our future. If you follow me on instagram you'll know she likes to make cakes.

Have a fantasitic weekend friends!!

Love, Kim

linking with Little Things Thursday, Thursday Favorite Things, Friday Photo Journal, Five on Friday

There's a new kid in town . . .

Yep,

While I was away in Chicago, my sweet daughter (who does not like critters of any kind...at all) tended to almost 40 caterpillars and released over 20 butterflies! And then when I got back, it wasn't long before I was releasing the ones that pupated while I was gone. Then I sat back and waited, and waited, and checked my milkweed . . . and nada. No eggs, no babies! It's been a month since I've been back and only last week did I spy come cats on my milkweed, but only 5? So unusual with a release of that many to only find a handful, but honestly, there were very few females in that whole lot!

But, we have had an influx of mosquitoes like no body's business. Seriously, it's just so bad. The worst I've seen it ever since moving here to the humidity capitol of the world. We hadn't even had much rain? So, about a week went by that I didn't check the plants. Sheesh, I couldn't even go out and water them with out getting attacked and coming back in looking like I had been in battle, and that was in  long pants, and a hoodie sweatshirt, with the drawstring pulled, lol! Did I mention our feel like temps have still been near or over 100.

{ KK violet}

So, doused with chemicals, I have been going out to check the plants more often and (look above) what I found! Do you notice anything different about that caterpillar? Sorta looks like a Monarch at first glance, but it's not. Right away I noticed that this caterpillar has three sets of tubercles (antennae) which means it's a Queen Butterfly. Their markings in the first instars are also slightly different than that of the Monarch, but probably not enough for most to notice. As of yesterday, I now have 15 queen cat babies safely tucked in my dining room.

I have to say that those darn skeeters are really cramping my morning coffee time on my front porch, and my roaming the garden with my camera. I can't spray any fog because of all my milkweed plants  . . . I know this all too well from previous experience. It is instant death to any caterpillar. I should note, that they have sprayed our neighborhood like three times in almost a week, but to no avail they just keep on keepin' on.

I was able to grin a bear it for a few minutes this morning to snap some of the dozens of bees that are loving my wild morning glory, which by the way is sooo very run a muck in my garden right now. I swear this stuff grows like 2 feet per day!

{KK peony}

And, while checking the milkweed, I found this pretty little moth hiding.

{KK Minus 43}

And then much to my surprise, this morning at the wee hour of 3 0'clock, I found this fellow in my bathroom!

I wasn't exactly sure how I was going to safely capture this little guy as they are lighting fast jumpers. He made it a little easier though jumping from the base board to the wall and that's when I won the draw and got a plastic take out bowl over him (and the lid I might add, a bit tricky too). Poked a few holes in the lid, and he waited for me on the kitchen counter til daylight. I wasn't about to let him out in the dark because hard telling what might come in through that door! haha  I was able to get the lid off and him in my hand, but as soon as I took the bowl off, he didn't wait for goodbyes, and bam a six foot jump landed him here.

He did tolerate, for about two seconds, my getting right back in his face for this mugshot though. Isn't he just the cutest? I kind of wonder how long he has been in the house. They can be loud.

{KK Kristen}

So add kermit to the list of out door that has made it inside....along with geckos, green anole lizards and a snake! Yeah, I'll share the snake story another time, haha

Have a great rest of the day,

I'll be decorating 270 football lockers tonight along with some other ladies...and bringing fabreze!

(It's homecoming week)

Love, Kim

Linking with Texture Tuesday, Tuesday Muse, Tuesdays Around the World

Photo Art Friday

"Water, the Hub of life. Water is its mater and matrix, mother and medium.

Water is the most extraordinary substance! Practically all its properties are anomalous,

which enabled life to use it as a building material for its machinery.

Life is water dancing to the tune of solids.

- Albert Szent-Gyorgyi

{Pixel Dust Art texture - Just a Note}

It would seem that I have a hard time making decisions as of late, and choosing a photo for today's Photo Art Friday was no different. So, since I'm in editing  mode from my over 2500 photos I took on my trip to Chicago, I decided to just stick with a water photo from a fountain on the Riverwalk in Naperville when I was with the gals from Focusing on Life (we had a grand time by the way).

(Holy cow, I have so many things to share with you!)

I chose the square format because I really wanted to keep the focus on the falling water and drops. I used the cinema filter in picasa and then just added Bonnie's texture in overlay ...I really wanted to keep the dashing and darting of the water visible.

And,

you know, it would seem that I kind of like to photograph water... water drops, dew drops, the ocean, water fountains, my hose as I water the garden, reflections in the water, pretend rain with my spray bottle, condensation on soda cans, the rain, oil and water (tutorial here), waves, the sunrise (on the water), and I've even been know to photograph the ice in my drink.

Yep, water is pretty cool stuff, comes in all shapes and forms and it's good for ya!

Cheers!

Love, Kim

linking with Little Things Thursday, Photo Art Friday, Friday Photo Journal

Photo-heart connection, August 2013

"Home is a name, a word,

it is a strong one; stronger than

magician ever spoke, or spirit ever

answered to, in the strongest conjuration."

- Charles Dickens

{KK traverse}

I went home this summer, to the area where I grew up and although it wasn't to the house I grew

up in, it was home none the less. Or more like home away from home after being gone for over twenty years.

And, in going home, there have been a handful of addresses between childhood and my visit this summer to see my mom. In fact, I saw her new place for the first time. 

And you know what? 

Even though this was my first visit to this new address it felt just like home...instantly.

Because even though the street name or city may have changed, the contents have not.

Oh sure, there may be a few things missing and a few things added in their places, but the memories 

regardless of where home is haven't changed.

And even though things are arranged differently or moved to different rooms, she has the same beautiful, yet simple style, and no doubt any style I have I got from her.

This photo reminds me that home isn't as much about a physical place, but about the people who come back to the table. And that's just what we did on a Sunday afternoon over a family tradition of homemade egg noodles (made my moi).

Yes, home is wherever the heart is.

It's a strong word indeed, one made of bricks, and not one easily blown down by the winds of change.

Miss ya mommy!

Love, Kim

P.S. I'm still gathering myself from the college drop off and finishing up an online jewelry class

(I hope to have some fun things to share with you)

Linking up with Texture Tuesday, Tuesday Muse, Photo-Heart Connection