here is a realization

that I figured I should write down so I will remember it, and maybe it will mean something to someone else:

As I wrote to Jeff today, "Loving something is losing yourself to that love, to whatever you love, and whatever you love becomes apart of you." That seems to go for most anything. I love Jeff, and that has changed me. I love God and that has changed me.

photos from the last few days

Sunday we spent a few hours sitting on a bench at our favorite park, savoring the sunny day and reading. I hope we always live close to the water, it is the biggest feeling soaking up the blue expanse. I can see us when we are old, still sitting on a park bench, holding hands.


I've taken quite a few pictures of clouds throughout my life...
Jeff commented, "People are only out there sailing, cause they know their sails look good against the blue water."

One day we spend driving around different pockets of Everett that we'd never been before. Although I grew up thinking Everett was the ugliest place ever (from the freeway it is), there are many old houses and views that balance its ugly parts.

Our back yard is filling up with leaves:

View of Mt. Rainier and Seattle from the ferry to Kingston:

'Once'

We just saw the movie Once. If you are a song writer, or just like music you may really like this one. It mostly about song writing (with some human relationship stuff thrown in), which the actors themselves wrote and performed. The film is done in the fashion of a documentary, which makes it rather fun.

happy birthday Laura!

i've been 'tagged'

I am supposed to come up with six things that most people don't know about me. I'm not sure how many people know or don't know this stuff, but here it is:

1. I'm a hermit. I am shy. I have learned some slightly persuasive acting skills that sometimes fool people, but I don't like big groups or being the center of attention. But at the same time, I need people around or I go insane.

2. I read on average about 10 books a month. I am a big fan of most things fiction. And I do judge the book by it's cover. If I don't first find it interesting by the cover, I don't pick it up to see if I might like the story.

3. I have a diary. I don't write it in it very often, but I have been writing in it since 1996. I go back every couple years and read it. Although it is often embarrassing to read what I once thought important, it helps me see how much I have changed and grown.

4. Although I am both an artist and a musician, I don't care about the old masters. Not to say that I don't enjoy listening to Vivaldi and Beethoven, or can't appreciate Divinci's genius, but I am only interested in the art itself and not in knowing who made it. Either the work stands alone, or it doesn't. It is the same with modern music - I may like a song, know some or even all the words, but I wouldn't be able to tell you anything about the artist.

5. I have fibromyalgia, a wide spread pain syndrome that is thought to be a genitically predisposed condition. It was likely triggered when I had spinal meningitis my junior year of high school. There isn't yet a cure (or even a known cause) so I occasionally take IBprofen and hope that I don't come across as too surly.

6. I cry during 1/3 of the movies I see. If the movie has hospital scenes, or anything to do with pain/physical limitations. Or if the movie explores human relationships. The most recent movies: In Her Shoes, Blind Dating. Sad eh?

Edit: I just thought of something that only a few people know: I am goofy and rather funny. I dance and sing around the house like nobodies business, but the minute people are around I start trying to be an adult. I'm not so sure how well I pull that off, but I try! :)

Carleton Farm

Carleton Farm is right off Hwy 2, on the way to Lake Stevens. It has a pumpkin patch, corn maze, fresh produce, canned goods and a pumpkin canon.

The canon's were great fun - they shoot the pumpkins further than three football fields!

The corn maze was about 5 acres - in a design of what else but the mascots of the democrat and republican parties.

A recent wind storm destroyed some of the corn.....

There were several clues to find in the maze.

fall beginnings

I baked my first apple pies which of course made Jeff proud. He loves it when I bake. :)

We had a wild wind storm, which was rather fun. I took that time to run outside with the camera and take pictures and prune some stuff. Maybe not the smartest idea I've had, but it was fun being blown around.
As you can see, our table and chairs were blown across the yard - luckily none of them down the ravine...

So not only did I make apple pie, but I made cheesecake (something I don't even like - you're very welcome Jeffrey). So I was posing for the 'perfect little home maker' photo. I don't usually have such an insipid smile on my face, I assure you...but I was feeling a bit abused. :)