I think about love.

Today is Suzy's birthday.
Her birthday and my birthday were always linked in my mind.
We were the same age for a month.
No one seemed to care much about this...but it was always super cool to me.

"Now I get to stay up as late as Sue does!"

But.  It didn't ever work that way.
Sue was so much more mature than I was.

(Apparently when you have two children in one year the first one gets all the smarts and gumption and the second one is a happy jack.)

But when I think of Sue now, I think of all of my siblings.
I think of how loving Sue was and how much we all love her.
I think of how much more love and respect I have for my brother and sisters after what
we have been thru in losing Sue.

There is grace with one another.
There is love that only seems to grow.

I am a part of an amazing family.

Miss you Sue.
Love you.
Meant it.


Donna Elsie
1/7

This is probably my favorite instagram of the summer.

Not only do Emma and I look so happy and nice...but that peeking Katie is so current and hip.
Makes my day.

Today Ree posted a tutorial I wrote a few weeks ago. (she is a busy girl)

It is on Getting in the Picture with your Honey!

Take a picture with your Honey!


I will also link my most popular post ever on The Pioneer Woman's photography page.

I wrote it in 2009...it's about getting in the picture.


Snap out of it! Get in the picture.


I am sure you will enjoy those!!
Some great pictures of people you may know.


Love you.
Mean it.

It's Sue's birthday tomorrow.
I treasure every picture I have of her, you can be sure.


Encourage one another,
Donna aka Miz Boo

Harry Potter scarf~Dead in a Ditch

I just finished the Harry Potter scarf for Asher's {grandbaby} Halloween costume.
Mary Z. from Chicago sent this little owl to add to the costume.  It makes a great owl noise and it drives Ginny batty.
This will go in the mail to Omaha today and hopefully Asher will wear it....but you know two year olds, they have minds of their own.  I will make Melinda wear it if Asher won't!  :o)


***




Yesterday afternoon I made my very favorite Chicken and Dumplings.  It was a bit of a comedy of errors.  I thought I had all the ingredients but realized as I was ready to make the dumplings that they called for eggs.  Dang.  Out of eggs. And since I had driven to Madison THREE times already yesterday I did not want to get in the car again.  The thought pained me.  So I asked Katie to ride her bike to the gas station (the same gas station we stopped at on the way home from school to get apple cider for the recipe.)  This gas station is 1/2 mile away.
After 40 minutes I began to worry.  She must be dead in a ditch I told myself.  So I got in the car to go look for her.  She was heading down our street carrying the eggs and a little package of candy.

"I am glad you are not dead in a ditch.  What took so long?"

"I took the long way." she said.
"The long way?  It is a straight shot down the hill."
After more prompting and questioning she said,
"Oh! I went to the gas station by Walgreens."
"Katie!  That is twice as far.  Why did you go all that way?"
"I forgot about the other place.  It's just as far isn't it?"

Oh dear me.
Twelve year olds.
They are capable and incapable at the same time, aren't they?

So are their mothers.

Because I put three times the amount of cream in the chicken and dumplings.
I glanced at the recipe and read, 1 1/2 cups.
Unfortunately that was for the flour and not the cream.

I have now created a new recipe,
it's called Cream of Chicken and Dumplings.


With love,
Frick and Frack




"...special partners, buddies and friends will always be called Frick and Frack."
Charles Osgood

The Beauty Trifecta

Yesterday I took pictures of the most beautiful brown eyed girls you ever saw.  It was such a joy to photograph these lovely sisters.  They were sweet and did every thing I said.  They looked at me and never complained once :o)

We were scheduled for last weekend...and it drizzled and was dreary both days so we rescheduled for this week.  And oh my!!! As you will see...the light was beautiful!




Their mom loves black and whites and so do I but I think I will have to show her some in color too....
cause the colors were so pretty!

















Bubbles of light and a Mona Lisa smile :o)












Weeeeeeeee!!!!

What a fun photo shoot!

Thank you C. family for being such fantastic models :o)


****

Photo info for those curious photographers out there.

In the picture at the top of the three girls I had my aperture on 4.0
I was using the 85mm lens.

In the picture of the whole family I had the aperture on 4.5 and I was using the 50m lens.

For most of the single pictures I was shooting somewhere between 1.6 and 2.



***

Have a fantastic week!!

Encourage one another,
Donna

Extraordinary Light

On the way to pick Katie up from school in Madison on Friday the light was crazy beautiful.
As I drove to town, dark gray clouds hung low, but from behind me the sun was shining over towering cumulus clouds.

This lit the yellow leaves in a most dramatic way!!




So instead of refusing to take this picture because of the cars and the lines...I shot the fireworks tree just as it was.

I turned the corner on the Nakoma Rd. and I drove thru a tunnel of beauty.




Five minutes later I was at school where the light was gone and the clouds were dripping.
And so it goes...


Happy Sunday!
Donna

Flash Back Friday-Injun Summer

This wonderful illustration and story was in the Chicago Tribune every year for many decades.
It was eventually pulled when people became more sensitive to the native americans.
This week after years of searching, I found it online.
I was endlessly facinated with the drawings.
I don't think I ever read the story all the way thru.

Today I share this clever piece with you.

This is what a googled;  bonfire halloween illustration Trib


*******


Stephie sent me this beautiful, heart felt rendition of As the Fire is meant for burning last night.

Enjoy it today.  She is a real blessing with a lovely gift.
I've only listened to it 8 times already. :o)

Let your light so shine sweetie!!!




Wishing you a wonderful fall weekend filled with bonfires and stories and song.


Encourage one another,
Donna

Impact

Ever since I was a young girl I have had a love affair with movies.
Today I want to share with you a special group of movies that helped shape my
view of the world.  As I look at my list I see movies about social issues.
Important social issues.
Faith, Justice, Tolerance.

Five movies.
Five movies that touched the heart and soul of a little girl.
Five movies that are precious to me.




King of Kings



Nine years old.  My father called to us to come downstairs to watch this movie.
I hung in there until the glorious end.  It was a long serious movie for a little girl and
it made a huge impact on my life.



A Patch of Blue








To Kill a Mockingbird

Neighbors bring food with death,and flowers with sickness, and little things in between. Boo was our neighbor. He gave us two soap dolls, a broken watch and chain, a knife and our lives. 
One time Atticus said you never really knew a man until you stood in his shoes and walked around in them. Just standing on the Radley porch was enough.

The Miracle Worker




Hand in Hand





Little Catholic boy and little Jewish girl.
Friends.  Best friends.



I know it seems very silly to say movies had this much of an impact on me....
but I remember them more than any Sunday school lesson or church sermon.



Watching and learning,
Donna

Sing along with Donna

Here is the tune;







Here are the words;


As a fire is meant for burning



1. As a fire is meant for burning
with a bright and warming flame,
so the church is meant for mission,
giving glory to God's name.
Not to preach our creeds or customs,
but to build a bridge of care,
we join hands across the nations,
finding neighbors everywhere.

2. We are learners; we are teachers;
we are pilgrims on the way.
We are seekers; we are givers;
we are vessels made of clay.
By our gentle loving actions, we would show that Christ is light.
in a humble, listening spirit, we would live to God's delight.

3. As a green bud in the springtime is a sign of life renewed,
so may we be signs of oneness mid earth's peoples many hued.
As a rainbow lights the heavens when a storm is past and gone,
may our lives reflect the radiance of God's new and glorious dawn.



****

A few people have put videos up on youtube of this song.  They are basically....awful....
The words deserve much more.
They sing this song in Katie's school/mass.
It brings me to tears.  It makes me think of Emma....and all of those who are loving others near and far.


So sing along with the pretty tune.
Even if you are only singing in your head.


"By our gentle loving actions, we would show that Christ is light,
in a humble, listening spirit, we would live to God's delight."




Encourage one another,
Donna

Wool Rocks

I am reading the book Sheepish.  
I stopped reading it to read a teen book called Stargirl,
but I'm back to Sheepish.

Farming and ranching are popular subjects.
They are very much romanticised tho, aren't they?

I mean really.  They are so lovely until you smell them.

But I like learning about the sheep.
I happen to love wool.  I'm a wool snob.
I mean...cashmere is my wool of choice. ( and i suppose that is not even considered wool and considered fiber since i think it's from a goat or something...)

But wool is a wonderful thing.

Campaign for wool. 


From Sheepish by Catherine Friend

 The author writes  “wool fibers can be bent back on themselves more than twenty thousands times without breaking”. Cotton breaks in about 4000.

There are 220 yards of wool in one baseball. The wool makes the bounce.

Wool has been used to clean up oil spills, insulate houses, pad ballet toe shoes and keep military members warm. It is a safe fabric since it is fire resistant.

 “If you joined the fiber of five Merino sheep end to end, you could wrap a thread of wool around the world.”



It's funny, I have organically loved wool for a very long time...
It fun to learn more reasons that make it so great.

Source: ravelry.com via Donna on Pinterest

I want one.
or two.


Encourage one another,
Donna

p.s. Sorry Di.  

I forgot about these pictures.

They make me smile
and remember a fun day together.


Encourage one another,
Donna

Three

This herb is a must have in our house.  About ten years ago I saw Dr. Weil mention Astragalus on a talk show.  He was asked if he took the flu shot.  He said, no, I take Astragalus.

Now I'm not telling you to take or not take a flu shot.

But I don't like to take shots.

My husband does.

But he is highly susceptible to colds.  He use to have a cold 12 times a year.  I am not exaggerating.

He always had a cold and took co-Tylenol every day.

So when I heard of Astragalus, the herb that boosts your immune system, I bought it and suggested Patrick try it.

He tried it and he is down to one or two colds a year.  

He is a believer.  He is never without it.  Never.

It's up there with Ketchup.

****

When I knit a lot I get little owies on my cuticles or finger tips.

These padded band aids worked beautifully.

They are cushioned and made me forget all about my tender fingers.

The one weird thing that happened was that when I took it off, it stuck to my little split...

I don't know if I had it on too long (three days), but it stuck.

Katie tried them on her heels and they did not overly stick to her.

I can't tell you these are the best.   But gosh, when it was on my finger...it was great!

****

I've seen these in the store and finally picked up a package last week.

They are wonderful little dinner rolls.  

I liked them better than most I have tried.

They are very soft and moist.

Exactly what I look for in a dinner roll.

And that's the product rundown for today!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Encourage one another,

Donna

Heidi, Bobby, Emma???

We had a slew of dysfunctional kittens.
They did not last long in my care.

So when I can't really remember if this one was Heidi or Bobby or Emma....
that's why.

I'm sorry kittys.

It's a long story.

Fortunately my beautiful boys make this picture one to cherish.
And my Benneton rugby shirt.

Our hands are particularly expressive in this shot along with our faces.

I see love and sweetness in this shot...more than if we were all looking straight ahead.

That's something to think about when taking pictures, isn't it?

So there we were...1986.

A little band of three.

Patrick Jr. is coming home for Christmas this year,  I am getting in pictures with everybody.

Don't let me forget!


Encourage one another,
Donna

Nest

Now that the leaves have fallen we can see a big nest at the top of our tree.
I wonder what kind of bird made it's home there.
We will be watching.  But perhaps it has left for the winter already.








I saw this one on the ground just a few minutes ago.
Sturdy and shapely.
A very nice nest.

Fallen.






Will someday leave the nest.






Likes nests.
All sorts.


Encourage one another,
Donna

Bittersweet

Yes.  The word was bittersweet.

Why, you may ask,  is going to school bittersweet?

Homeschooling for 14 years was a joy.  Choosing the curriculum that was best for my children was so good.  Being with my children and teaching them and building strong bonds was amazing.
The quiet pace was lovely.
It was peaceful, interesting, fun and cozy.

For me.

And that really did suit Emma too.

But the quiet aloneness does not really fit for Katie.
She loves the swirl of activities.
She is learning to work hard and read faster and schedule her time and respect authority.
Her school is a blessing.

But gosh...

Anytime she wants to come home for school....

I know just the math program to use.


Bittersweet.

Donna

DWTS Shawn and Derek

Spectacular Dancing by Shawn and Derek last night!






Two go home tonight.
I wonder who it will be?





Does your family ever do a Talent Show night?
I think it looks like fun!

Should we do it on Christmas Eve?


Encourage one another,
Donna

Enchanting

One of the words on my October Picture Challenge was Enchanting.

Well.  What that heck is that really?  Besides what Joe Fox's Grandpa calls Kathleen Kelly's mom.
Enchanting.
She was enchanting.

So I asked Katie to put something on that might be enchanting...I looked up the word in the dictionary
and we headed outside.











I was standing on a chair using my 85mm lens.  That is why there is such a great bokeh...and why the neighbors house is not in the picture. (shooting down)

Oh those leaves sure made a stunning background.

Yesterday the word was Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.
I didn't take a picture.
What would you do for a picture of that word???

It's a hard challenge.  But I don't mind that once in a while.

Wishing you a beautiful and enchanting week!!!

Encourage one another,
Donna

Hi!

This week just flew by.
We had two volleyball games this morning...and now we will rest a little.

Source: cathy-kincaid.com via Donna on Pinterest

Source: cathy-kincaid.com via Donna on Pinterest

I would feel like a princess if I had a bedroom like these.

Source: 9laughs.com via Donna on Pinterest

This is funny.

Source: stitchesandpurls.tumblr.com via Donna on Pinterest

Made me think of Emma.

Source: rainfall.com via Donna on Pinterest

Hey!  Knit your bit.


Off to work on the Harry Potter scarf.  It's coming along.

It's very good knitting weather.

Encourage one another,
Donna

Flash Back Friday-

Little Farm Girl with her pet lamb.

This picture is an absolute treasure to me.

It's my mom.

Little Esther Jean.

On the back of the picture is written:

her pet 

lamb on

the farm in

Harvard, Ill.

Just before her 

braids were

cut.

Mom-

Her shoes tell the story of poverty.

The braids being cut tells of a tradition. (Danish)

My girls came from that sweet face

and that pet lamb tells me she had happy times on the farm.

Harvard Ill.

I have been there many times but just this morning I put it together 

as I read the inscription once again.  

Did you know my mother came from a family of seven children?

It was hard for Grandma Hansen.  One of her little girls died of an appendicitis.  Her name was Ruth and she was only four years old.  

 But little Esther looks like a honey and her lamb is adorable with those dark markings.

I wonder what she named that lamb?

It was all yellow.

Driving Miss Katie

It's a treat for the eyes when
the yellow morning light floods
the world.

When I get out of the car at Target
and the air is warm and cold at the same time.
And it smells like fall.

I almost can't stand it,
it is so beautiful.

It's so peaceful.

The wind is picking up
I hear it will be blustery today.

The leaves will fall in the most spectacular way.
Like confetti or a ticker tape parade
celebrating
fall.




















Coldplay
Yellow



Encourage one another,
Donna

Hands

I am doing a photo challenge I saw on Facebook by my photo friend Sarah Wheeler.

Day two was hands.

On the way home from school we stopped in a pretty spot and took pictures.



Yup. That's the ticket.






The light and focus was difficult. (I'm difficult #ntm.)
So I put the camera on manual focus and gave it a whirl.
Seems to work okay.


Happy Hands.
Happy Fall.

Encourage one another,
Donna

p.s.  If you want to see the whole list for October, I put it on my Facebook wall the other day.
I made a 'set' on Flickr where I will put all the pictures for this month.
Thanks Sarah.
p.p.s.  I spelled challenge wrong again. #can'tgetitright

A quick visit

Emma came home to go to the Packer game this weekend.
It's aways such a short visit. Saturday to Monday morning with a trip to Lambeau field thrown in there.
Emma and Katie went together this time.  I went to Minocqua for a memorial service for a very special person.

On Monday morning Emma came downstairs wearing a cute red top.
I said,  "That's a cute red top."
Emma said, "I feel like a super hero."

Which made me laugh.

It's good for your 23 year old girl to feel like a super hero a little bit, I think.  :o)




 Encourage one another,
Donna




"J" is for.....

Favorite new quotes.

I cannot pretend to feel impartial about colors. I rejoice with the brilliant ones and am genuinely sorry for the poor browns." --Winston Churchill











My friend Wendy says that when someone asks you what is in your bun,
you do not divulge the contents of ones bun.

Emma quoted Mean Girls this weekend and said;

"That's why her hair is so big, it's full of secrets."

I love that line.



Hope you had a nice weekend!

Here's to October!!


Encourage one another,
Donna