Some Of Those Babies Are Gonna Be Cowboys

I'm no cowgirl,
not even close.



And while I have nothing against them,
I don't really like horses much at all.



I scrunch my nose at those animal smells
and try to find a fresh breeze to breathe.



But when the rodeo came to town,
a backstage pass was hard to resist.



I loved talking to those cowboys
and see them smile and laugh.



It is hard to understand why...
Why they risk life and limb here.



But there is something about
the thrill of the ride
they can't seem to resist.



And yeah, I'm no young cowgirl,
but dang, a gal can dream can't she?



LuLu Shriners Liberty Pro Rodeo
Plymouth Meeting PA

My full rodeo gallery is here.


Special recognition to this cowboy 
who suffered a broken spinal cord. 
Prayers that he might walk again. 

Come along....The Party's Here! 

And be sure to Get Social.  I love bumping into my friends in cyberspace too!

Book Impressions

I've read a lot of books...a lot. 

Let's just say, if I don't remember reading it,

it probably wasn't worth reading.

Some books leave a lasting impression, 

these are some of them. 

The Glass Castle: A Memoir by Jeanette Walls 

This is no ordinary memoir, Jeannette walls has a story to tell 

and her life story no less. 

From surviving life in abject poverty 

with completely dysfunctional parents

to becoming an editor, journalist and writer. 

I found it hard to put the book down, 

in fact...I don't think I did until I finished it. 

Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story

A single mother with only a 3rd grade education 

raises two boys alone in Detroit. 

This is the story of one amazing woman 

and the self determination of her troubled son. 

What she and both her sons did to open the doors 

to become highly successful men. 

Today, Ben Carson is a world renowned neurosurgeon. 

I am a big fan of Ben Carson.
You can meet him in this video.

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

A novel narrated by the character Amir.

Amir spends his youthful days Kite Fighting, 

something I had never heard of before. 

Race, class, culture, love, career, abuse, life and death: 

A rich story beautifully woven together. 

The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara 

I don't typically read war stories, 

but this one was an exception. 

The writing is stellar. 

The author had a unique gift of packing 

so much meaning into a singular word 

and I read every word. 

The Help by Kathryn Stockett 

If you haven't read it you really should. 

Entertaining and amusing 

yet tackling some heavy issues. 

Very well written.  

Devil in the Windy City by Erick Larson

Chicago, The World's Fair and a Serial Killer. 

A true life mystery, graphic. 

The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck

Powerful.

And here are some Honorable Mentions:

Girl With the Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier 

The Count of Monte Cristo  by Alexander Drume 

Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden 

Under the Tuscan Sun by France Mayes 

(The book not the movie, of course!) 

The Scarlett Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne 

Love reading too?
Look me up on http://www.goodreads.com/

Photos from my Phila Flower Show Gallery

For more book interpretations visit

Also linking to 

Katherines Corner 

Ready to Waltz

Little by Little
Favorite Things

Now excuse me while I get back to my book. 

Whitewater on the Tohickon Creek 2013

Oh where, oh where is spring? 

 

After all, there was a spring dam release 

into the Tohickon Creek this past weekend.



Instead of spring like weather,
it was about 30 degrees with snow flurries.



And these crazy paddlers were in the cold water!



Some even had bare hands.



How they kept a grip on the paddle is beyond me!



Only my toes got wet
and I was sure I had frost bite!



My husband says I am crazy for sitting on the rocks
for 4 hrs. taking photos.



Clearly...he has not yet met crazy.



Compared to these people...
I am perfectly sane.

Photo of me on the rocks by David Dami Photography

Brrrr.... 

My full gallery of photos is here:

2013 Tohickon Creek Whitewater Paddlers

I took over 1200 but only kept 309 shots!  :) 

Peasant or Princess?

Every time I read something about life in medieval times,

I dread to think what my role would have been had I lived during that period.
(I just happened to finish reading about Catherine the Great)

An Original Illuminated Manuscript

Whether a peasant or a princess...

life was not a bowl of cherries.

While a peasant's life was difficult to say the least,

the life of a princess was to {hopefully} marry off for some gain for a kingdom somewhere...

and then spend the rest of your life trying not to lose your head for one reason or another. 

An Original Illuminated Manuscript

Perhaps the best place in society was a skilled merchant. 

But, in most cases, that would have required being a male. 

Modern Day Manuscript Illumination Artist

 I might have enjoyed the work of a Manuscript Illumination Artist.
I love the fine details and rich colors accented with gold or silver.
It is just so....me.
Sadly, a male monk is not so me.



Modern Day Manuscript Illumination Artist 


So let's just say,
that despite all of our modern day faults,
I am pretty thankful to live during our current times.
 However, I still had a pang of jealousy
watching this artist at her craft.
So gorgeous.

Glencairn Medieval Festival 
Huntingdon Valley, PA
February 3, 2013

Baby, It's Cold Outside

One morning I heard my boy singing to himself...

"I really can't stay

But Baby, it's cold outside

I've got to go away

But Baby, it's cold outside"
......

When he saw me he said, 

"Mom, I have that conversation with my bed every morning."
:)

My boy has a sense of humor 

which I am certain was inherited from his father. 

I love the laughter and warmth my guys add to my life. 

It makes getting out of bed on a cold morning so much easier. 

Mt Holly Fire and Ice Festival, January 26, 2013 

And Baby, it was cold outside...

“Laughter is the sound of the soul dancing. My soul probably looks like Fred Astaire.” 
― Jarod Kintz