I saw this on the news last night.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Oh my goodness. Is that ever funny?





Friday Fill-ins!


1. It's time for _____.

2. _____; it's not a bad place for _____.

3. I must be _____

4. _____ is the best thing I have ever known.

5. My _____ is simply _____.

6. The last time I laughed really loudly was _____.




Thank you to Fridayfillin.blogspot.com





I'm going to totally honest here. I was trying to emulate Sheye yesterday.
On a scale of 1 to 10.

I give myself a 3.

Ah well. If you don't try. You don't learn.


Sheye's pictures are just glorious and pink and delicious and dreamy.

Sheye Rosemeyer

Dear Sheye,
I love your style so very much.
I want to live in that pink and pretty world.
You inspire me.

Love ,
Miz Booshay





***

The bathroom is done. I give that a three also.
Today I will purchase a pretty shower curtain from Anthropologie and I hope that pretty purchase brings the room up to a 5.

I will take a picture later and post it tomorrow.


***

I have been thoroughly loving So You think You Can Dance this season.
I can not believe my favorite, Evan, is still in it.
And Kayla. She has been in the bottom so many times, but boy is she a powerhouse.

I loved watching the dances they brought back last night.
How great and passionate is Chelsea? Wow.


***

After the third time trying to read The Brother's Karamazov, I have decided to scrap it.
I tried, I really tried.
I am reading Vanity Fair now. It's going much better.



I have been inspired by Susan Wise Bauer once again;

Stop cleaning the kitchen and read a book

Not just for homeschool moms :o)





Encourage one another,
Donna

I have a wonderful story to tell you.
But first I had to get Patrick's permission. He didn't want to be singled out and spotlighted.
But I pleaded a little bit and told him, "I want to tell the story and you are a big part of this story."
"Alright", he groaned.


It was a dark and stormy night.

Not.


I'll start at the beginning.

Once upon a time Ree aka The Pioneer Woman wrote me an email and invited Patrick and I to come to the ranch. Patrick saw the email first. He just couldn't wait for me to see it! "I think today is going to be a very good day." he teased.

I sat down to the computer and opened the email.
There it was. An invitation to the ranch. In April. On the exact day of Katie's ONE performance of The Princess and the Pea.

My heart sank. I had to decline. My heart sank again. I was so sad.

Ree said in the email that if I couldn't come this time she would 'make me come some other time."

I was able to move on. It was hard but one can't go around encouraging others while being in the dumper.

And so I did the next thing.

Little did I know that Patrick was plotting behind the scenes. He felt so badly for me, he wrote to Ree and asked if they could work on a time that I could come down to visit. She said, "Absolutely, Positively " or something like that. They decided it would be a surprise. They plotted and planned and checked schedules thru May, June and July.

A few weeks ago Patrick sent me an email with flight information on it.
(He is a man of few words.)

Two tickets to Tulsa. August 6th.

I was stunned. Speechless really. Never been so surprised in my life.

I had to drag the whole story out of him and made him show me the emails between himself and Ree.
Yeah. His pen pal.

He planned for Katie and I go to the ranch. He would stay home and work.
(I think he would enjoy it, but he much more enjoyed surprising me and making one of my dreams come true!)
What a husband!!!


The next day, I called to make reservations for Emma to come along.

Things just seem so much more fun for me with the girls by my side.

I know Ree understands this...

I can't really believe it is happening. In one week.

The amazing Ree Ree. The funny and hospitable and talented and lovely Ree.

It's all a bit like stepping onto a set of my favorite show.
But it's real.

I am so excited and a little scared.

I wish I was driving so I could fill the car up with things for her and her family.
Instead I will pack the suitcase with some little gifts.

I don't plan on riding a horse. I plan on riding in the suburban or the gator.
I plan on taking a lot of pictures and laughing a lot.


Katie hopes to play with Ree's children and the dogs.
Emma doesn't really know what to think about all of this.
She just knows it makes her mom really happy and she will come along and be happy with me.

So that's my story for today.
My exciting, amazing story.
It couldn't be told without Patrick.
It wouldn't be happening without Patrick.

My thoughtful, wonderful, surprising, Patrick.





Feeling very blessed,
Donna

Katie aka the dancing queen, got a new shirt yesterday.
She had a twenty dollar bill burning a hole in her pocket, thanks to her generous Aunt Cindy.
While I was priming, Emma took Katie to Target to shop for something pretty.













Of all the things you wear, your expression is the most important.
~Janet Lane


One filled with joy preaches without preaching.
~Mother Teresa


My advice to you is not to inquire why or whither, but just enjoy your ice cream while it's on your plate.
~Thornton Wilder



Happy Wednesday!



Encourage one another,
Donna

Talkie Blog!


















Oh! We had such fun!
It was so good to see Lynn in person! She has become a real life runner since we last met!
Run, Lynn, run!
You can do it!



I loved watching the automation at the New Glarus Brewery.

When I was a little girl we went to the Dial soap factory in the Chicago area.

I remember needing to hold my nose because it smelled so strong.

Did you go on any factory field trips when you were a youngster?




I'm determined to finish priming today and aim to paint tomorrow.
I can see the finish line. :o)


See ya in the comments!


Encourage one another,
Donna

As we waited for Cindy to arrive on Saturday, I took some pictures of Katie.
Some in the sun.
Some in the shade.
All with my 85mm 1.8 lens.

This is the lens that Patrick bought me a few months ago and I am not the best at using it.
So I practiced with it this weekend. (this or last? this sounds better...sorry if it is wrong)
It is longer than my other lenses and it is a little harder to focus. (Wiggles due to len length.)

So anyway. This is not the best picture I took of Katie this weekend.
But for some reason it is my favorite.

It wins. Best worst picture.


*****


After a delicious home cooked dinner of "blue moon burgers", chips and pickles,
we headed outside for a quick game of four square.

Everyone who comes to visit gets to play four square with us.
Aren't they lucky?

Cindy was astonished. She doesn't think it is very common for families to play together nowadays.
Perhaps everyone needs a spunky nine year old like Katie.


Emma was standing in the spot with the pretty light.



High Fives!





We drove to the UW to show Cindy the Memorial Union.
It was just the perfect night.
A band was playing on the terrace.
The girls got ice cream (homemade Babcocks)

We sat and enjoyed and took it all in.

Katie was not in the mood.

But the bokeh was!



Cindy liked it there.
She liked it a lot.



I begged Katie to stand in this spot.

She didn't want to.

But I am the mom and can beg as well as Katie can beg.




Katie just had to climb on the big orange chair.


So did Cynthia!!!


We are having so much fun....




And in fairness to Cindy.

A big face picture of me.



Off to the New Glarus Brewery today for a very special field trip.





Seems this place holds some mystical pull to members of my family...



I'm not sure if I should show pictures of the cookies here.
You know. Rated G and all.

I think we would have received a B- in the decorating dept.
But they were fun and cute and really not too racy!!!


Wishing you a wonderful week!

Talkie blog tomorrow!!!!


Encourage one another,
Donna

It was a dark and stormy night,












This heavy vignette is what happens when my 17-55 2.8 DX is used at it widest on my D700.
This is why the dude at B & H recommended I go with the D300. So I could still use this wide angle lens to it's fullest capacity.

But the top picture is on 24mm and if that's as wide as I can go with this lens, I'm okay with it.

I am really enjoying the D700 and am super happy to have it!



******




This is my favorite scene from The Holiday.

The children are the most charming little child actors I have ever seen.
They are so unaffected and natural and perfect.

And check out the music in the background.

Love it.
So much!

"You look like my Barbie."


****

Emma is giving a bridal/lingerie party tomorrow for her best friend.

Emma had the ambitious idea to decorate cookies that look like a fancy bra and panties.

Now. You know me and new baking projects. Not real confident.

Patrick is coming to the rescue and baking his famous cut outs and all Emma and Cindy and I will have to do is decorate them.

Martha Stewart style. With royal frosting. I can only hope that Cindy and Emma have the decorators gene.

Heaven help us!


****

Wishing you a fantastic weekend with successful challenges and happy times.


Encourage one another,
Donna

Friday Five


What’s something you will not eat unless you also have ketchup?

McDonald's fries. I am bummed if we forget to get their ketchup and salt packets.


What’s something you will not drink unless it is served on ice cubes?

Pop. I like a lot of ice, please.


What’s something you will not eat unless it is served between slices of bread?

Liver Sausage.

Well, it's okay to nibble from the little plastic end that you cut off.


What’s something you will not drink unless you have a straw?

Smoothies. They are just better with straws.


What’s something else you will not eat except under very specific circumstances?

Lamb.

I remember wonderful shish kabobs from my childhood.
Our mom or Aunt Dorothy would place beef and lamb chunks on the skewer along with onion, green pepper, tomato and a mushroom. I remember the lamb being better than the beef. It was super tender.

Aunt Dorothy would also prepare a whole lamb for Greek Easter.

This totally freaked me out. And I don't remember liking it one bit.
Just give me some dark red eggs to crack and let's call it a day.

By the way, I missed the Greek Picnic this year.
It was last weekend. I am totally bummed. I was hoping to take my sister to it this weekend.
Dang. I will have to wait a whole year for that magnificent Greek salad.




Thank you Friday5.org


*****


The bathroom redecorate.

It's going just fine. I think.

I have finished scraping wallpaper.
I have finished "plastering".
Today I will sand and perhaps prime.

I have never done any of this before and the bathroom looks like a big splotchy mess right now but
I think it is going to be fine.

I hope.

I'm going for fine here. Did ya notice?

Fine will be GREAT!


*****

Photoshoot this afternoon! I am so excited to meet this young lady!
We will shoot in two locations; one being a swimming pool.

How unique is that!? I can't wait to see what we come up with.
I love that this senior has a vision for what she would like.

Super fun!




This is Cindy. She is coming tomorrow!!!
She is fabulous. And I mean it sincerely!

Cindy's big dream in life is to drive the Oscar Mayer Weinermobile.
Generally Oscar only hires recent college grads for the job.
But anyone who knows Cindy, knows she is perfect for the job and OM would be
LUCKY to have her on the job.

Maybe we should have a grass roots movement to get Cindy her dream-job-come-true!!!


She's an excellent driver.

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.
~Mark Twain

What is your grandest dream?




Encourage one another,
Donna

Well....maybe she is a weirdo?!?




Katie likes it when people think she is funny. It's one of her favorite things.
Just like me. So when I told her the title for this picture...
she laughed.




***





Did I tell you I made strawberry jam for the first time last month?

It's delicious but runny.

I followed the directions EXACTLY.

I hate when that happens. Following directions should count for something.

I don't think I am cut out for this trying new recipes and cooking thang.

(And by the way, I spell recipes wrong nearly every time I write it. Perhaps it's a sign.)



Pop!



It's that time of year again!



And LOOK!

It's the ice cream truck!!!
Mom!!! Do you have a dollar???
Hurry!!!

The Ice Cream Man!!!

Exciting stuff, I tell ya!
Hooray for July!


What would you choose from the Ice Cream truck?

I think I would pick a Dreamcicle.
Or a Chocolate Eclair bar.




Encourage one another,
Donna

I love the photography websites I visit that have really big pictures.
Due to my old blogspot template I am limited.
Unless I put up a vertical shot like this.
This fits.

But it kind of doesn't fit.

I wonder if I should make a separate photography blog but I just don't think I can manage Quiet Life and a big fancy photography blog. It would cost a bit too. And I don't have a bit to spare on something I am not sure is necessary.

So, until I make it big, I guess I will stick with my humble blog and post pictures that are too small.

And every once in a while freak you all out with a giant picture of a girl.

(By the way, the photo of Katie was edited in Lightroom with Sesame Ellis preset called Quiet Time.)

I like her hand in this picture. It looks very graceful.
And her eyes and her hair.
And the mark on her hand from the fair.



I have neglected to tell you that we saw the Blue Angels when we were in Florida!!

It was a spur of the moment decision to drive over toward Pensacola and see what we could see.

We heard the crowds would be huge. That was not appealing to us at all.

But Katie was so burnt and I didn't really want her to be in the sun and Patrick was looking for something to do,
I suggest heading in the direction of the airshow.

I thought, lets just drive that way. If we see any jets we can pull over and watch.

And so we drove about forty minutes and saw a big fat plane circling above and thought we might be close.
And then to the left, we saw a sign for a beach. Along the entrance, right off the road we were driving on, were about 50 cars parked and people were walking.

So we pulled over and parked.

We walked thru the trees on a sandy path. Before us was a beach that faced Pensacola.
And I kid you not, four jets came roaring right toward us!

We didn't even know when the show started.

Turns out. It started right when we arrived! Two o'clock.

We were at a distance for most of the tricks but we had plenty of wonderfully loud jets scream over our heads...
and we were happy.

We love the blue angels more than anything.
We love their power and the way they tear thru the sky.

They are the coolest thing EVER!


Go here to see their schedule for the rest of the summer;


Blue Angels Schedule

(Use the yellow arrows in the right hand corner to page down.)




Here is a picture I found on the internet of the color I like for the bathroom.

Patrick likes gray. I like this shade of gray.
Now we just have to figure out what it is called.

I like the matching gray towels and that pretty frosty mirror.

It's a pretty bathroom.

Almost done scraping.

Katie had a great day playing with a little girlfriend from school.
She was very happy.

Thank you for your kind words on her behalf yesterday.



Encourage one another,
Donna

No we don't live in the slums.
It just looks like it, right now.





The condition of the walls under the wallpaper border is a horrid mess.

Huge chunks of paint come off with the border. Right down to the dry wall.



These are the not so handy-dandy tools.
In fact, I am using a pampered chef scraper.

The biggest tool on this job is none other than the old fashioned, elbow grease.


"You should get paid to do this." says Katie as she peeks in the door.








As would be expected, the top row of border is the hardest to remove.

I think I have two more days of scraping. (three hours each day)
Then I will attempt to patch the walls with joint compound.

hahahahahohohoho

Then I will sand it to make it match.

hehehehehehohohoho

Friday I should be priming with a little sand mixed in to match the surface.

hardeeharharhar

And then it will be ready for a fresh coat of paint.

Amen.


Wish me luck. I need it.





And what is Katie doing while you are working in the lovely bathroom?

After searching the neighborhood for a friend, she came home.
Crying.

"I wish Carrie was here. She would play with me."

We live in the stupidest neighborhood in the world.

Children who won't come out to play.

You would think Katie is a bad, evil weird-o or something.

And she is not. Really. She is perfectly normal.

Just wants to play outside in the summer with other children.

But the few that are home.... Don't want to come out to play.

I asked Katie, "Do you swear and hit and kick and punch the other children?"

And she said, "no".

So I ordered up a movie for her to watch on Tivo: Hotel for Dogs.
And I asked her to change the sheets on a bed and do the laundry.

And she did it.

She is a sweetie.

I will never, ever understand it.
Ever.

Remind me to call a little classmate of Katie's before noon so we can plan a playdate...
seems to be the only thing to do.

Keep your fingers crossed that we can find someone willing to play with my little outcast.



Encourage one another,
Donna

It's that time of year...

for the Dane Co. fair.




This junior farmer was just relaxing with his buddy.
He was a sweet boy.



This was my favorite picture of the day. I think.
It looks so soft and blurry.



How about those eyelashes. On the bottom. Neat, huh?



Someone decorated a stall with twinkle lights...
I knew the bokeh would be spectacular.



Did I mention it was cold and dark and the day could have passed for October?



This was my favorite chicken.

It was not in the mood.




And neither was this angora rabbit.

"Hello, pretty bunny. You are so pretty."

kiss*kiss*kiss*

nope

not gonna smile.



Even this fellow was not falling for all my sweet talk.


I may think I'm Dr. Dolittle, but the animals at the fair were just not buying it this year.


***Just for fun

I saw this meme on Facebook this morning.

First word that comes to mind survey.

Want to play along?


vampires:
desert:
library:
phone:
socks:
shoes:
computer:
facebook:
scissors:
pie:
mouse:


My answers are in the comments.


Happy Monday, everyone!

Believe it or not, I am renovating our upstairs bathroom this week.

I have no idea what I am doing. But what the heck!

I'll take some pictures today and fill you in on all the gory details tomorrow!


Encourage one another,
Donna