Photography

Who Needs an Office with a Window?

/ Jodi / 40 Comments

…when you are fortunate enough to work from a home office.

I often start out early in the morning on the back deck where the morning sun is bright and warm.

home office back deck

But when it gets too hot there, I move to the side porch for some shade,

home office side porch

or the front porch to swing a bit while typing.

home office front porch

Sometimes it’s necessary to work in THE actual home office…

home office

but I also might sit at the kitchen table,

home office kitchen table

or more often stand at the kitchen counter,

home office kitchen counter

or even curl up on the couch.

home office couch

And though I so terribly miss my little four-legged co-worker, buddy, and pal, Mikey who was constantly by my side,

Mikey and the ice

many of you have asked about our new neighbor, the baby cardinal.

baby cardinal day 2

Well – she visits often.  She has learned to eat from the feeders and is growing fast.

baby girl cardinal growing up
Isn’t she cute?!

She hangs out with the menagerie of other cardinals, goldfinches, grosbeaks, woodpeckers, orioles, and all the others that flutter about in our backyard.

So who needs an office with a window – eh?

I am so fortunate to have my office at home tweet home.

Cheers & Hugs,

Jodi

(Some of you commented about enjoying my “behind the scenes” photo the other day, so I thought you might enjoy a few more behind the scene photos.)

Berry Love

/ Jodi / 19 Comments

berry mint heart

I love berries!  Blackberries, Raspberries, Strawberries, Blueberries.  They are one of those foods that taste best to me in their purest form.    Sure – it’s hard to pass up a Blackberry or Red Raspberry Pie…  Homemade Strawberry Jam on fresh baked buttered bread……. Blueberries are devine on my breakfast cereal too…. But just popping berries in my mouth pretty much rocks my world.

If I want to make a nice fruit salad, I love berries the best.  Mix them together, then make a simple “dressing” from just a smidge of brown sugar and a splash of balsamic vinegar.  I know it sounds strange, but it really makes the flavors burst!  Then top that with some fresh mint leaves and a sprinkling of lime zest – and ooooo laaa laaa!

berry salad

Sometimes adding a simple, beautiful homemade shortcake biscuit and some whipped cream make berries even that much more special!

Four Berry Cobbler

To make 8 shortcakes, I simply mix 2 cups flour, 1 Tbsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt and 1 stick (8 Tbsp cold butter, cubed) with a pastry blender until crumbly.  I then add 2/3 cup half and half and form the dough (being careful not to overmix and make it tough).  I then cut the dough into 8 biscuits, brush with a little more half and half on top and sprinkle with some raw sugar before baking at 400 degrees F for 12 minutes.

So that’s what hubby got for dessert last night.

Which is your favorite berry?  What is your favorite way to eat them?

berries in bowl

And I thought you might get a kick out of seeing a “behind the scenes” shot of my berry professional photo shoot set up early morning on the side porch.

berry heart photo shoot

Yep – that’s how I roll…

at life in between.

Cheers & Hugs,

Jodi

Don’t Take that Route Little Squirrel

/ Jodi / 23 Comments
squirrel

the little grey squirrel that visited our deck

Hello little Squirrel…
are you a boy or are you a girl?

I love the way your fluffy tail
has such a happy curl.

We thought you were so cute
the first day you gave the bird feeders a whirl.

It was fun to watch you leap and jump
and prance and dance and twirl.

But you were a bit of a piggy…
eating more than your fair share.

So we had to give a shout
that gave you a little scare.

I sure hope that your feet – that are a little biggy
withstood that leap and kept you springy
from the tromps and claps and shouts
of that old meany Papa Bear McKinney.

Have fun climbing trees and running about,
but please watch out – – -don’t take the route
that causes us… to chew you out.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

You Caught My Eye Most of All

/ Jodi / 21 Comments
rusted railing west village new york city

West Village, New York City

In a quaint little village
on the west side of the city,
this chipped and rusty railing caught my eye.

Away from the shiny steel skyscrapers,
the honking horns and the bustling crowds,
this brownstone’s ornate railing
tells stories of its duties, its purpose, its history.

The bicycles that were chained
after a trip to the market, a visit to a friend, or an afternoon escapade.
The support of the hands of family members and friends that entered and departed.

You supported, you protected, you guided, you anchored.
Your beauty is far beyond aesthetic.
You have stories.
You have secrets… you have joys… you have tears.

Of all the things in this grandest of grand arenas,
You caught my eye most of all.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Broken

/ Jodi / 13 Comments
911 Memorial Rose

911 Memorial, New York City, New York, USA

Broken Hearts…
Broken Dreams…
Broken Families…
Broken Bricks…
and Broken Mortar.

All of these things may have been broken
by those with hatred and evil in their hearts…
those who have no regard for the sanctity of life
those who despise our freedom…
our liberty…
our justice…

But they cannot break our spirit.
We will not be a Broken Nation.

On my visit to New York City last week, I had the honor and privilege of visiting the 911 Memorial site where our nation experienced such great tragedy that awful September 11th day. It is evident by the rebuilding, the memorializing, the reverence, and the beauty, that we will not… and cannot… be broken.

Happy Memorial Day.
Celebrate Peace and Love,
Jodi

These week’s WordPress Daily Post’s Weekly Photo Challenge is Broken. This is my contribution.

Family Teamwork Raising Baby Cardinal

/ Jodi / 25 Comments

The circle of life goes on.

Monday was one of the saddest days I’ve had since I began blogging.

But at the same time we experienced a great loss in our family, we also have the joy of watching this sweet little family that built their nest right outside our bedroom window.

Don’t you love the teamwork?!  (I hope you enlarge to watch this “riveting” video in full screen).

Baby cardinal was 8 days old here.  When Momma didn’t have anything for her to eat….

Poppa to the rescue!  What do you think that green thing is???

And did you see how quickly it went through Baby?  LOL!

How many more days till Baby flies the coop?

As you might have noticed, Baby is an only child.  There is still a lonely little egg in the nest that just doesn’t seem like it is going to hatch.

The circle of life.

It is a beautiful, sad, happy, joy-filled experience.

Cheers & Hugs,

Jodi

Enveloped in the Beauty and the Gesture

/ Jodi / 28 Comments

purple patch of wildflowers

One of the many benefits
of living in the country

and such a
sweet surprise

is when
hubby mows the lawn

but drives around
a patch of wildflowers

leaving them intact
to add a patch of purple
amidst the green

to take my breath away –
enveloped
not only in the beauty…
but also in the gesture.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Watercolor Week 7 – Mikey

/ Jodi / 69 Comments

watercolor mikey

For this week’s watercolor experiment, I decided to try to paint one of my favorite creatures on the planet – my furry son, Mikey.

Mikey head shot

I used this photo from Mikey’s recent guest post as my inspiration.

Gosh I love this little guy so much!

How did I ever become one of “those” people that oogle and google over their dog?!

I guess when I realized how much joy a pet can bring to your life.

If I leave the house for five minutes or five days, I get the same excited greeting – like I am the best thing that ever happened to him and he is so happy to see me.

Sadly, Mikey has cancer, and we are not sure how much longer he will be with us.  He is slowing down every single day.  And every day, I tell him how much I love him and what a good boy he is at least 10 more times than the day before.

Maybe he will surprise us and rally, but for now, we are enjoying every single day we are given to enjoy this precious creature that loves like none other.   And not only us – but every person that comes to our home – from the UPS man who bring him cookies to the mailman who is not allowed to give cookies, but always gives him at least two minutes of ear scratches and chin rubs, to every visitor that sits on our living room couch who is almost certain to have Mikey jump in their lap for at least a few minutes (to make them feel welcome of course!).

We “rescued” Mikey from the humane society about seven and a half years ago, where he was living after being saved from a “kill” shelter in another state.  He is a “mutt” in terms of dog definition – guesses are part beagle and part Jack Russell.  But I think what really happened is Mikey rescued us – not the other way around.  He has shown us pure unconditional love and joy and gratitude and gratefulness and goodness.

I wish I could have done his beautiful spirit better justice, but I don’t think I have it in me to redo.  I don’t have the ability to capture his beautiful spirit just yet.  But it is in my heart, and that is a gift I will cherish forever.

mikey watercolor

So here’s to Mikey – the best ever!

Cheers & Hugs,

Jodi

Houston – We have a Baby Cardinal!

/ Jodi / 48 Comments

Baby Cardinal Day 1

The wait is over!

Remember I shared with you that we had a Momma Cardinal building a nest and then laying eggs right outside of our bedroom window?

Well – right on time – on Mother’s Day afternoon – the first baby cardinal was born.

You can barely make the little bugger out above, and he/she isn’t quite what you might call “cute” yet, but oh what a thrill!

And I wasn’t home when it happened!

My Mother’s Day started out with a trip to the gym in the morning with my youngest son, Nick.  When we got back home, I was surprised to find my oldest son, Jake and his wife, Colleen in the kitchen with hubby, Marty preparing a beautiful surprise Mother’s Day brunch.  What a sweet way to start the day – eh?  It began with a Mother’s day toast of orange pineapple mimosas, homemade chocolate-covered strawberries, pastries, bacon-wrapped filet Mignon, cheesy potatoes and luscious miniature spinach and brie quiches.  And as if that wasn’t enough, there was fresh flowers, cards, and a bunch of fun watercolor art supplies.  Am I the luckiest or what?!?

After stuffing ourselves and relaxing and visiting a bit, the kids asked if I wanted to go play tennis (which I haven’t done for years!),  so off we went, leaving Marty and Mikey home to enjoy some much deserved and coveted quiet R&R time.  After about two hours of sunshine and tiring, sweaty, but oh so joyous running around the court and hitting the ball to racket a few times, I got a text from Marty with this photo:

baby cardinal just born

We had been watching diligently as this was Day 12 after Momma laid her eggs, so this little baby can’t be more than two hours old here, and likely less.

As the day grew dark, still only one baby and one egg remain, and Momma is keeping them both warm.

Is that the icing on the cake for my Mother’s Day or what?

Happy Monday friends.

Wishing you joy in cherished moments.

Cheers & Hugs,

Jodi

PS – I thought this photo would be a perfect submission for this week’s WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge:  Forces of Nature.  What greater display of nature than this?!  A brand new birth – the most extraordinary force of nature.

The Important Places – A Mother’s Day Message to my Sons

/ Jodi / 24 Comments

home mothers day

Growing up,
when people would ask me:
“What do you want to be
when you grow up?”
I would say,
“a Mom, of course.”

So imagine my joy
when my dream came true,
and I was blessed
with the two of you.

There is no greater joy
I could ever compare
to the love and the happiness
you brought to my life.

Now that you are grown,
your lives are your own.
You have things to do
and places to go.

But please remember,
of all the important places
life will take you,
the road to important places
can also lead you home.

My hubby (Marty) recently shared a beautiful video with me (and our boys) that totally struck a chord with me this weekend with Mother’s Day approaching.  If you have 10 minutes and are ready for a few tears of joy and gratitude and contemplation, watch the video here:   https://vimeo.com/126544483.

It inspired me to share this message of gratitude for the honor and joy I have as the mom of my two amazing sons.

Love you guys,
Mom