5th Picture of the Tree

I like trees because they seem more resigned to the way they have to live than other things do.

- Willa Cather

I Try To Be Like Grace Kelly.

Thursday morning, the sunrise was brilliant the whole way to work, bright pinks, hot reds, then with the clouds coming in from the west, by the time I rushed to my tree, this was all I got. I like it's subtlety, and the grey, lilac colors, but it's kid of a bummer knowing I missed a more radiant sky.

In other news, I CAN NOT get this song and video out of my head...stuck, possibly permanently. I like the song, love the sass, and the whole performance is just great; utterly entertaining.

It's Already Wednesday

Are these pictures more similar or different than you imagined?

Tuesday Morning

I had a car and a bus behind me, so I was a little rushed, but here is picture number two of the week. In other bragging rights news, I tied for fourth place in a local photo contest, here's the link. It's highly likely that 8 people competed and 8 people got recognized, but it's fun to think that someone somewhere liked my photo. I didn't even know I had placed, Christy called to tell congratulate me and I didn't know what she was talking about. It was just coincidence that she looked at the Java Journal online today. Funny. I have taken other more artsy fall photos, but I'm just in love with the one I submitted, and thought not that many other people would enter and I might have a chance.

Remember way back here one of my photos was recognized by a different small local newspaper.

The Swing of Things

Kind of on a roll here with the blogging, kind of enjoying it again...

John's mom is here helping with the girls this week while the regular babysitter is on vaca, so I have my old route to work which includes my favorite tree. I plan to take a picture every morning. I'm digging the pictures pointed right into the sun, who knew?

Summer Morning

Same Tree, Different Angle

My Favorite Post to Date

I put together this compilation of my favorite moments from the past 5 years, because I'm that person. I love love love this post. There are some unhappy, very unhappy days in there, a lot of chaotic days lately, and just some downright frustrating parts of my life, of every one's life, but for me, it's important to remember how blessed I am, how great my life is, how amazing my husband is, how much joy my girls have brought to my life, how I am surrounded by family and friends who love me, and how nice it is to be 'happylaney.'

I Saw in Louisiana a Live Oak Growing

I saw in Louisiana a live-oak growing,
All alone stood it and the moss hung down from the branches,
Without any companion it stood there uttering joyous leaves of dark green,
And its look, rude, unbending, lusty, made me think of myself,
But I wondered how it could utter joyous leaves standing alone there
without its friend near, for I knew I could not,
And I broke off a twig with a certain number of leaves upon it,
and twined around it a little moss,
And brought it away, and I have placed it in sight in my room,
It is not needed to remind me as of my own dear friends,
(For I believe lately I think of little else than of them,)
Yet it remains to me a curious token, it makes me think of manly love;
For all that, and though the live-oak glistens there in Louisiana
solitary in a wide flat space,
Uttering joyous leaves all its life without a friend or lover near,
I know very well I could not.
-- Walt Whitman