Photography

Jack of Many Trades, Master of None

/ Jodi / 6 Comments

I wonder what those of you that happen upon my blog must think…..

Do you say – what the heck is this blog about?

One day this Jodi chick is baking and sharing recipes…

smore cookies

S’more Cookies Please!

Haluski

Homemade Haluski – Peasant Food Fit for a King

Another day stamping and gluing and cutting and sewing and card-marking…

child birthday card punch art birds on wire The paper players

Birthdays are for the Birds!

 

Friends Make the World a Better Place Mojo Monday

Ain’t it good to know you’ve got a Friend!

I also love to take photos and consider myself an amateur student of photography…

Hummingbird Photo

Hummin’ the Hummingbird Tune!

polar bear pittsburgh zoo & ppg aquarium

Sunday at the Pittsburgh Zoo

and writing and telling stories gives me such joy.

Remembering Grandma - Stella Star

Remembering Grandma – Stella Star

I thrive on encouraging people – it’s in my DNA (or at least my DISC profile – LOL!)….

Remembering moments

Remembering Moments

Always be the last to let go of a hug

Hugs

and if I just could find the time to make 1/1,000,000th of the DIY ideas I’ve pinned on my Pinterest boards for decorating or gift-giving…

Wedding Survival Kit

Wedding Survival Kit

I adore spending time with my family and friends…

Fishing

The Day We Almost Caught a Fish

Girlfriend Camp GFC2014 Mars, PA spaceship

Girlfriend Camp

I tinker with gardening…

gardening, tomatoes

The Great Tomato Caper

and I truly seek to discover and learn new things always – it keeps me (ahem) young and alive…

Alpacas Four Points Alpacas

A Visit to Four Points Alpacas

I enjoy doing so many things (and am so fortunate to work a full-time job I love too!) that I just wish there were more hours in the day…

or at least wish that I was one of those people that only needed 3-4 hours of sleep a day (tried it for a while – didn’t work out – dangit!)

I sure am a jack of many hobbies and master of none.

But it is fun to be that way – eh?!?

And I love sharing the journey with you – my  supportive friends that have encouraged and continue to encourage me to write my blog – and those that have become new friends along this journey.

Global Mudder Tough Mudder

Tough Mudder

It is so exciting to see new friends subscribe, and comment, and “like” daily.

So on this Labor Day Holiday – I just thought I would share some of these faves from the 100+ posts I’ve shared so far from this labor of love blog I call LifeInBetween.me.

It was really hard to pick favorites, as I have LOVED writing and sharing every single one of them.

What is your favorite thing I write about?

I’d love to hear from you.

Happy Labor Day!  Make every thing you labor over a labor of love!

Cheers & Hugs,

Jodi

Dazzling Dahlia

/ Jodi / 2 Comments

dahlia

Is there any more beautiful art than that created in nature?

(Thank you Gary for the beautiful bouquet!  Your dahlias are stunning!)

Real Life ANGRY Birds!

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ab 3So at first I thought these new Blue Jays that started visiting the feeders on our back deck were so beautiful.

ab 1Look how dainty this one looks tip toeing across the deck railing.

ab 0and stopping to pose, but then…………….

SHEEEESH!

They sure get mad when the other nice birds (that all got along before) come to the feeders!  And this new GANG in town gets angry and mean with each other too!!

ab 6They holler at each other

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The pick and peck at each other!

ab 2I actually had to holler at them several times and tell them to share nice!

(even Mikey was yelling at them!)

I shooshed and shooed them a few times, and they seem to have left this side of the forest for now…..

And the sweet ones are happy — – the grosbeaks and wrens and cardinals and goldfinches and woodpeckers and hummingbirds all take their turns nicely.

Anybody else experience this?  Have suggestions for how to get everyone to get along?

I guess there’s always at least one in every group – eh?

Even in the bird world.

Cheers & Hugs,

Jodi

 

 

Morning Walk with Mikey

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Mikey and I often enjoy early morning walks.  One day this past week,  we took the camera along with us, so we could share just a small taste of the beauty we enjoy along the way.  Blackberries are done here in Western Pennsylvania, and now the wild black raspberries are prolific along the wood’s edge of our lane.

MWWM Juicy Berries

Mikey loves berry pickin’ – –  and he only eats the ripe ones.

MWWM Berries

I thought these were stunning with their purple bloom on top.  It is so amazing to see the colors change weekly on our walk as different things blossom and bloom.

MWWM Purple Flower

I never grow tired of the simplicy of daisies….
He loves me…. He loves me not….

MWWM Daisies

These Brown Eyed Susans still had the morning dew on them and just popped out at us in a field of green.

MWWM Brown Eyes Susans

And I loved the way the sun hit the dew on little spider and cob webs showing their fragile and delicate intricateness.

MWWM Spider Web

The sky was so blue above us with a few puffy white clouds to just make it look that much bluer.

MWWM Blue Sky

And wild morning glories were open and welcoming the sunshine.

MWWM Morning Glory

A Daddy Long Leg and an Ant were sharing time on this beautiful orange wild flower.  Do you see how Loooooong that one leg is?

MWWM Orange Wildflower

There is so much beauty to enjoy in the simplest of moments.  And Mikey is such a good partner, who waits patiently while I stop to photograph, soaking up the sun, and possibly wishing for some shades!

MWWM Sun in Eyes Waiting

Happy Weekend!  Hope you take some time to enjoy the simple pleasures along your walk, wherever it takes you to and from…

at Life In Between…

Cheers & Hugs,

Jodi

How does your Garden Grow? With Prickly Cukes and Juicy ‘Maters and Spicy Peppers all in a Row

/ Jodi / 4 Comments

Ok – so I’m not quite the “Mary Mary Quite Contrary” Nursery Rhyme Poet that Mother Goose was…

But OH How I LOVE to watch my Garden Grow!

tomatoes

I only started vegetable gardening – again – a few years ago – and my garden is just a tiny, manageable patch…

tomatoes2

with enough tomatoes and cucumbers for fresh salads by mid to end of summer (and OH I just can’t wait for these to turn RED! – and my Orange Pineapple Heirloom tomatoes to emerge!)

cukes

and some spicyJalapeno peppers to zip up fresh salsa!

jalapenos

and some banana (Hungarian Wax?) peppers to stuff with spicy sausage!

bpeppers

and I love how fresh and clean everything looks in the morning after a night of nourishing rain.

Cheers & Hugs,

Jodi

 

 

Rompin’ around @ Cranberry Township Community Days & Fireworks

/ Jodi / 1 Comment

Cranberry Township Community Days is a big deal in our local community, and it was a fun opportunity for me to romp around a take a few pictures this past weekend.  Marty, on the other hand, is a wee-bit tired as he is tasked with assuring everything goes right with electricity for the hundreds of food and vendor booths and the variety of bands playing at the outdoor stage, as well as assuring that traffic operations cooperate with the influx of activity in the area.  It was the first year he was able to remotely coordinate the traffic lights to go into “flash mode” after the fireworks show when over 10,000 people are trying to get out of the park at the same time.  It was a great day, and here are some pics to give you a flavor of our local culture.

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loving all the locally knitted artwork on trees and this quaint bridge that crosses a small creek flowing through a part of the park

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adorable face painting and plenty of fun with bubble-blowing and catching

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Art in the Park comes in many forms

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funnel cake wantin’

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a spot for everyone

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We had the BEST Pork BBQ Sandwiches, Homemade Chips, and Coleslaw from the Cranberry Rotary Club’s booth. I so should have taken a picture, but was too busy enjoying it and forgot!

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bubbles and tattoos and popcorn and delightful precious young faces everywhere

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I’m not sure this darling little guy likes the look of that hot dog on a stick

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Momma joy and love

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this little sweetheart had the best seat in the house for the #BonJourney concert

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just wanted to pinch those sweet cheeks on this little guy enjoying his soft pretzel in the grass

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this young guy is just chillaxin’ amongst the activity all around him enjoying the concert in the park

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riding a mini ferris wheel at dusk

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Oh these sweet little ones enjoying the thrill of a three foot dip in the snake roller coaster. I love how big brother in the last seat is watching over little brother who looks completely thrilled (and a teensy bit nervous), the bravery of the one with her hands in the air, the “I’m not so sure about this” look on her seat mate, and the perfectly poised young lady with her stylish glasses smiling at her family in the front. The joys of childhood captured in a split second.

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Carpet Slide Racing

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I ADORED this knit covered bridge

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My first go at trying to capture fireworks. We were RIGHT UNDER THEM. It was a great show!

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laying on a blanket on the ground as the fireworks lit up the entire sky above us

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Another great show from #Zambelli Fireworks!

Cheers & Hugs,

Jodi

Hummin’ the Hummingbird Tune!

/ Jodi / 8 Comments

hb1

And doin’ the Hummingbird Dance!

WOOHOO  – OOO – OOO – OOO!

hb2

Captured it!  The elusive (when my camera is handy!), delicate, delightful, dainty hummingbird.

hb8

Score!   Goal!    Touchdown!    Homerun!

Ok – maybe a bit of exaggeration, but super excited if you haven’t noticed.  🙂

And another checkmark to check off on the photography list.

Such a beautiful, tiny creature that brings me such joy!

Hope you enjoy it too.

Cheers and Hugs,

Jodi

 

 

Finally Caught a Butterfly

/ Jodi / 6 Comments

butterfly 2

Patience is a virtue I don’t have much of, and photographing nature – especially the living, MOVING stuff (like birds and butterflies and animals) – takes it.

butterfly

So I was super excited when I had the chance to quietly sneak up on this beauty that practically matches these posies on our deck it was enjoying this weekend.

(Sneaking up reminds me of one of Pap’s classic jokes – totally off the subject – but because I can hardly ever remember jokes, and I don’t know why I remember this silly one – unless maybe because he told it approximately 4,823 times that I can recall – here goes)

Q:  How do you catch a unique rabbit?

A:  You neak up on it.

Q:  How do you catch a tame one?

A:  Tame way

LOL!  HaHa! HeeHee!  Snicker Snicker!  🙂

butterfly 3

So YAY!  And Check!  Get to cross this one off my list.  (the photo opp – not the joke! 🙂 )

Still working on the stinkin’ hummingbird.  Those dang things move really fast!   Caught a few shots yesterday, but not good enough to share…. yet.

Happy Monday!

Cheers and Hugs,

Jodi

POST NOTE:  Showed my “butterfly” pictures to Marty…   and he thinks it is a moth……..  😦

Anybody know?  What do you think?

Did some research here at the The Library of Congress Reference Services … and I’m thinking because of the antennae and the way it held it’s wings – it’s a butterfly…

Anxious to hear expert opinions!

Oh well – I still think it is beautiful – eh?

Sunday at the (Pittsburgh) ZOO!

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monkey

I’ve been hinting… maybe begging… alright – PLEADING with Marty for months now to go to the Zoo.

leopardIt’s been FOREVER since we’ve gone.  Probably 15 years or so since going on field trips to the zoo when the boys were young.

tiger 2So you can only imagine my surprise and excitement

tiger yawnwhen Marty woke up Sunday morning, and I asked him what he was thinking about for the day…

tigerand he said, “Well – You’ve been wanting to go to the zoo….”

monkey 2

Ya – ahem – I’ve mentioned it maybe a few… (hundred) times….

elephantSo guess where we went?!

gorilla

You got it!  Woohoo!  The ZOO!!

red pandaIt was cool to see the new Red Panda (which looks more like a raccoon) – eh?

galapagos turtleand the giant Galapagos tortoises (that moved way faster than I would have expected!)

komodo dragonThere are even DRAGONS at the Zoo!  Komodo that is.

sharkThe sharks were EERY!

marty sharks

And Marty was enthralled.

But the very BEST of all was the Polar Bear!

polar bearThis 1,700 pound ball of fluffy white fur was worth the price of admission.  He danced for us (I’m hoping that’s what it was – either that or he was completed disturbed!)

polar bear 4and – oh – to walk under the tunnel and watch him swim……

polar bear 2and play – was absolutely magical!

flamingosNot sure what these Pink Flamingos were up to, but they got awful rowdy!

penguinsThe penguins were so comical.  I think they thought it was “5 O’clock Somewhere” the way they teetered around on those rocks near the water’s edge.

ostrichWhat a great day!

Though it did make me realize I desperately need a telephoto zoom lens for my camera (and a class or some lessons to boot!).

Sounds like an excuse to go back to the zoo – sometime in the next 15 years or so.

Cheers and Hugs,

Jodi

There’s a Peony Thief on the Other Side of Our House!

/ Jodi / 10 Comments

peony after rain

Oh how I waited
and Waited
and WAITED
for my peony bush to bloom.

Remember this post from last Saturday when this gorgeous miracle of nature was just a bud?

My peony bush had only two blooms on it this year.  (Anyone know why?  What causes more or less flowers on a peony bush?)

And…  I used to have TWO (2) – not just ONE peony bush,

but one has disappeared – completely – gone – just dirt there!

Do any kind of animals eat peony bushes???

So anyway – I’ve been waiting E V E R Y SINGLE day for those two little buds to bloom already.  Going out each morning camera in hand.

And finally this morning, after a torrential downpour and thunderstorm last night, they decided to make their appearance (or did I forget to look yesterday??)

Maybe I didn’t check EVERY single day……

….because my poor peonies were BEAT UP!

They were downright DROOOOOPY – and looking very sad.

But no worries – I cut them off and brought their beauty and amazing fragrance to the porch where I often sit, and I know I will enjoy them even more than where they really live – on the “other” side of the house.

peonies on the porch

Do you have one of those “other” sides on your house? – the side you rarely go around?

SHEESH!  I better go round that way more often or that rotten no-good scoundrel peony thief might get this one too!

PEONY THEFT (get it? get the play on words?!)  Or am I getting confused? Penny Theft or Petty Theft?  Or are there both?

No matter – around these parts – it’s PEONY theft!

Happy Saturday!

Cheers and Hugs,

Jodi