The What

Inspired by Hilary and the talent she has for combining song lyrics with her beautiful photographs, I decided to share some of my own pictures and a few words from each song on the latest Rush CD.

**(the band, people!!)**

“Sometimes the fortress is too strong
or the love is too weak”

[Armor And Sword]

“Though we might have precious little
It’s still precious”

[Bravest Face]

“The best we can agree on
Is it could have been worse
What happened to your old
Benevolent universe?”

[Good News First]

Like a stone in the river
Against the floods of Spring
I will quietly resist

[Faithless]

“The ebb and flow of tidal fortune”

[Far Cry]

“Driving down the razor’s edge between past and future
I turn up the music and smile, eyes on the road ahead”

[Workin’ Them Angels]

“Why such different fortunes and fates?
Some are blessed and some are cursed
Some live behind iron gates
While others see only the worst”

[The Larger Bowl (A Pantoum)]

“Like the solitary pine
On a bare wind-blasted shore
We can only grow the way the wind blows”

[The Way The Wind Blows]

“How many times
Do we tire of all the little battles”

[We Hold On]

“As the sun goes down on the western shore”

[Spindrift]

Five Friday fragments

1. I made cotton candy this afternoon, for nearly 2 hours. Who knew it could be a good workout for your arms and shoulders?
2. My car (okay, it’s really a minivan) rolled over 30,000 miles today and I still like it! So far, so good for the Kia Sedona. 😀
3. One more week of school, then we are out for the summer; however, I will still have to get up at 4:45am each weekday.
4. I keep forgetting to sign SnakeMaster up for swim lessons. He could get by without them (he swims okay already) but I really ought to give him one more session’s worth.
5. I am WAAAAAAAAY behind in sending out birthday cards, graduation cards, anniversary cards…. (you get the picture).

Third Dusk

The sun was just going down behind the Blue Ridge Mountains as my dh & I finished our walk this evening, so I hurried in and grabbed my camera.

Carmi’s Thematic Photographic theme this week (until Wednesday evening) is DUSK.  I felt lucky to get this beautiful shot after the thunderstorm we had earlier this afternoon/evening.  No hail, but tons of lightning — I’m a little surprised we didn’t lose power.

WWC #88: Lean 3

It’s a busy week here (only 9 days of school left!) so off to the archives I go hunting for photos that might work for Tink‘s Weekly Words Challenge.

That’s a much younger and leaner me (with boy#3 on my back) in Pisa, Italy.

A second dusk

Rollercoasters at Hershey Park

Raindrops fall at dusk
Rollercoaster rushes by
My son is on that

[haiku by kcinnova]

Carmi has been exploring Dusk this week.   Thematic Photographic runs from Wednesday night to Wednesday night each week.

Thematic Photographic: Dusk

As the natural light from the sun fades away, the carnival lights are turned on to cheer the soggy night.

Carmi has been exploring Dusk this week.   Thematic Photographic runs from Wednesday night to Wednesday night each week.

A Correction

I found the following in my comment box regarding my last post. Yes, I had a little nagging voice telling me to check out my info, so I went to truthorfiction.com.  I should have checked out Snopes as well, or at least I should have Googled!  *sigh*  Good news, it’s only her age that was wrong.  Read on…

Please know that Regina Brett, author of 50 Life Lessons, is not 90 years old (don’t feel bad – that misinformation is all over the internet), but she is indeed wise. She is actually 53 years old; she is the senior metro columnist at The Plain Dealer in Cleveland (Ohio’s largest weekly newspaper); she was a finalist in both 2008 and 2009 for the Pulitzer Prize for Commentary; and she has a book based on her 50 Life Lessons coming out in April of 2010. You can check out her website by going to http://www.reginabrett.com where you will see that all I’ve written here is true !! You can also read all of her past columns, including the columns nominated for the Pulitzer Prize, at http://www.cleveland.com/brett

Lessons to live by

The following was written by Regina Brett,
of The Plain Dealer, Cleveland, Ohio

To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me. It is the most-requested column I’ve ever written, so here is the column once more:

1. Life isn’t fair, but it’s still good.
2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
4. Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.
5. Pay off your credit cards every month.
6. You don’t have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
7. Cry with someone. It’s more healing than crying alone.
9. Save for retirement starting with your first pay check.
10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
11. Make peace with your past so it won’t screw up the present.
12. It’s OK to let your children see you cry.
13. Don’t compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn’t be in it.
16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
17. Get rid of anything that isn’t useful, beautiful or joyful.
18. Whatever doesn’t kill you really does make you stronger.
19. It’s never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.
20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don’t take no for an answer.
21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don’t save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.
23. Be eccentric now. Don’t wait for old age to wear purple.
24. The most important sex organ is the brain.
25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.
26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words “In five years, will this matter?”
27. Always choose life.
28. Forgive everyone everything.
29. What other people think of you is none of your business.
30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.
31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
32. Don’t take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
33. Believe in miracles.
35. Don’t audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
36. Growing old beats the alternative — dying young.
37. Your children get only one childhood.
38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else’s, we’d grab ours back.
41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
42. The best is yet to come.
43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
44. Yield.
45. Life isn’t tied with a bow, but it’s still a gift.

Yes, I know that #8 is missing. No, I do not know what happened to it.

In which I try to crunch numbers

My head feels like a pretzel tonight.  I’ve got 3 different tabs running deals for Southwest Airlines, plus another tab open to Google Maps.  I’ve already figured out approximately how much an economy rental car would cost me for 2 weeks, and now I’m trying to figure out the cost difference between flying 3 people back across the country and renting a car vs. buying the car at the opposite end of the country and having those 3 people drive it all the way back.

Fact #1: We are all supposed to go back to our home state for a birthday party for my mom.  Normally we would fly round-trip and rent a car for our use while there.

Fact #2: SuperDad needs a replacement car.  He wants it to have home state license plates.  Purchasing it while in our home state would negate the need for a rental car — and also the need for return tickets for 3 of us.

Fact #3: Encyclopedia Blue needs a lot more driving hours (required before he can move on in the process of becoming licensed).  Driving across the country with me in SuperDad’s newly purchased vehicle (see fact #2) would fulfill that requirement.

Fact #4: MusicMan and Humorous-Juniorous need fly home to get there before the start of band camp.

Sooooo….
I’ve figured out that it is going to cost (at current prices) approximately $1,626.80 to fly 6 of us across the country and 3 of us back home again.  (That includes savings of $570.60 by not purchasing return tickets for 3 of us.) Not renting a car for 2 weeks would also save approximately $500  … for a grand total of approximately $1100 “saved.”

Now I need to subtract the cost of lodging while driving home.  I’m guessing that will run around $400.  I’m planning to save a little by bunking at 2 different extended family abodes along the way.  Let’s see:  $1100 minus $400 = $700 in savings.  But wait!  There’s the cost of fuel for the vehicle!  Is it safe to assume I’ll be paying $3 per gallon?  If so,  how many gallons of gas will I need to drive 1,650 miles?  And why does that number seem insanely small? Shoot, I already closed the tab with the map. Pfffffft.

When all is said and done, is it actually costing me more to spend an entire week driving across the country instead of flying home again?

My brain hurts.  I need a spreadsheet.  Actually, I need SuperDad to make a spreadsheet.  I need to sleep!

WWC #87: Yellow and “in my purse/wallet”

The words for the week of May 26th – June 2nd are

YELLOW & In My Purse/Wallet.

This week is short and sweet. It’s June. I’ve got kids. I’m busy.

Yellow Rose

In My Purse

Confession: I cleared out most of the garbage — crumpled receipts, tissues and napkins, and other why in the Sam Hill do I have this? stuff — before laying it all before you. Because I have pride (at least a little).

Bonus pic from last Saturday’s TOWN PARADE:

A dog named Angel

The Weekly Words Challenge is a photo meme. Tink is the go-to person (be sure to click on her blog) and she has created a list of regular participants. Check out all of the creative interpretations of this week’s words!