Special Boys and Their Personal Space

I went on a hike/run this morning. When I arrived at the parking lot, there were no other cars there. NONE. It was odd and unsettling and of course my mind went straight to Mountain Lions. Was no one here because there was a sighting? I looked at the board at the bottom of the North Rim Trail and there was no mention of Mountain Lions. Phew.

My back has been bothering me so much - I felt every single step on the way up. I did some short runs up the hill, then ran all but about a tenth of a mile down. On the way down I had to concentrate on not falling, so I was distracted from my back. If I'm diligent about stretching everyday, it's fine, but if I forget and skip a day, I'm sunk.

I've been noticing some really sweet pictures of John Travolta and his son on the Internet. Jet looks like such a sweet boy and his dad looks absolutely smitten. There's something about kids with special needs - they are extra open and welcoming, there is no guard.

Have you noticed how in the photos their heads are always close together? Max is like that. He wants his head right under my chin. He has no guard. He does the goofiest things sometimes, like yesterday I took him to get xrays of his thumbs and wrists (his contractures are causing his thumbs to dislocate) and he kept leaning way to the left, like he thought he could lean himself out of his wheelchair. I'd prop his head back up. He'd lean again. People kept looking at him like, kid, you are going to hurt yourself, but he was focused on the goal.

If he wants to do something (or not do something) then he just does it and he gives no thought to how it looks or sounds. I wish I could be that free.

Parenting a special kid can be a real challenge, but it's also a gift.

Spiders and Leaves

Some early signs of Fall on my patio....... I got my new macro lens on Friday and I started searching out bugs. I got a few spiders, but what I'd really like to find now is that Praying Mantis. I'd love to get a good shot of him for my mom. She loves those Praying Mantis.

This one was so close. If only the cup was clearer and the spider was just a little further down. That spider was never motionless, just here, there, here, there. Busy guy (or girl). I like how the words look.

Here he is underneath. He came back out today and I shot a bunch looking down at him. He has some interesting coloring and his body is sort of wrinkly. Mom pointed out that he looked old. He did. I wonder how long spiders live? I should look that up.

I love my new lens. Thanks eBay!!

Cookies, Macro Lens, and Win Some Parfum!

My tummy is full of two of the above cookies. Yum. They are Mint Chocolate Chip and I have the recipe here, if you are interested. I'm usually more than a 2 cookie girl, but these suckers are rich.

Today, I won my first ever eBay auction. Very soon I'll have a new (to me) Macro lens for my little Canon. Woohoo! I cannot wait to get it. There's a big spider on the porch that I've been trying and trying to shot, but he never comes out very clear. I'm pretty sure it's going to work well for shooting people, too. Damn, I'm excited!

If you are a Twitter-er, then add KenzoUSA and tweet the following message and you could win a bottle of the new Kenzo fragrance FlowerbyKenzo Essentielle:

Follow @kenzousa and RT for a chance to win new FlowerbyKenzo Essentielle! Ends 9/21.

That's it. I've got to get back to The Biggest Loser. I love that show.

A Bit About Kitty

See these bushes here? They are the Hawaiian Ginger flowers right outside my bedroom window. This is the spot where Amelia Kitty likes to watch birds.

Today, a hummingbird came up to the screen and buzzed her. She turned to look at me as if to say, "The nerve!" Here is Kitty watching intently........ There were little boys playing outside this time. I think she felt that she had to keep them safe, because when one of them yelled, she was very upset.

I told Bay that Kitty has no appreciation for me when I act foolish. She's deadly serious at all times. Even when she does something like run down the hall, only to bounce off the wall. (I'm sorry, I'm a good pet parent, but that makes me laugh). Sometimes I do a little song and dance and she gives me this look..........

We've had her about 6 months now. We got her from the Humane Society. The kids picked her out with Mom. They brought her home in a pillowcase, opened it up, and out she came - all multi-colored and petite. Absolutely perfect and beautiful.

She's a Torti, which I know very little about. She meows a lot. I mean a lot. It sounds like she's saying, "Mom! Mom!" Her vet told us that Tortis are dramatic. That fits.

Kitty is a biter although she has calmed down a lot in the 6 months that we've had her. She has some odd quirks, like she scratches against the wall to try to bury her food when she's done. She shadows me everywhere I go, racing me down the dark hall, so that sometimes I accidently step on her.

When I leave the house, she's usually by the door when I return. I get the impression that she thinks I'm going to disappear. I think she's independent, but she's getting used to having people. I think she might have been a touch on the feral side before we got her.

So, that's Kitty. She's a good girl.

Sarah's First Volleyball Game

Just when I was getting good at regular posting, I got sick.......Well, I'm better now. This week Sarah had her first volleyball game. She had a great time. Here she is getting ready to serve...... Serving is hard for the kids her size. They have to hit that ball so hard to make it over the net. We are going to practice, but it will have to wait a few days, because tonight she's at a Girl Scout camp out. The girls are camping at a water park. She did the same trip last year and it sounds like so much fun. When she calls me I hear girls laughing and squealing.

I've been thinking a lot about that young bride-to-be who disappeared from Yale. I'm not sure why she's on my mind so much, unfortunately bad things happen all the time. I keep thinking about how tiny she is. She's smaller than Sarah - less than 5 ft tall and only 90 lbs. I keep thinking about how excited she must have been this week, finishing things up before her wedding that was supposed to happen this weekend. Her family, her fiance, they must be sick with worry. I don't think that this thing is going to have a good ending. It really, really sucks.

I want to make sure that my girls know how to defend themselves. Bay has had a couple of things happen. I need to make her understand that when it comes to safety, she does not need to worry about being polite. She needs to make sure whomever is acting aggressive better just back off. I'm going to talk to both girls about this, about self-defense, tomorrow night. I think it's time for a family meeting. We haven't had one of those in awhile.

Today is Greg's 18th birthday. Bay has been talking to him today and it's not going so well. I miss that kid. After he first left, I really missed the rumble of his voice in the other room. I hope he finds some way to be happy.

Here's a last shot from volleyball. I love the shiny wood floor. It reminds me of Yreka High School.

Kids and Cameras

I'm watching Max sleep right now. He keeps jumping slightly, as if startled. It's like he's dreaming that he's falling, but he doesn't walk, so what would he be falling from? I carry him, but I've never dropped him. It's perplexing me. I walked over and looked at him. He seemed peaceful, then it started over again.

I got a call from school today. They wanted me to come look at him, because his coloring was off. I changed my clothes, brushed my teeth, and called them back. He was fine. His color is always off right atfter a seizure - he looks very pale, but he recovers quickly.

Every year, when school restarts, he scares them all over again. He has gone to the same school since he was 3, almost 16 years, and it's always the same. I love his school and I love that they care about him, but he's the same kid he's always been. He is scary, but not scarier.

Sarah started volleyball today. She was loving her practice. It's set up a bit differently from the basketball league - the girls were all mixed around, the terms were shuffled. In basketball, all but a few girls had been playing together for years and they attended the same school. It was hard for Sarah to mesh, but she still had fun. This time, at volleyball, she made a friend during the very first practice. It occurred to me that it was like she was playing with a group of girls who were just like her - an entire team of Sarahs. If you knew Sarah, then you'd get how cool that is. She's frequently the unique kid. Volleyball is wonderful.

Bay and I went out to lunch today. At the Tin Roof Bakery and Cafe. I loved it. All that bread. Beautiful. Bay and I do enjoy lunching out. I told her about working at Denny's when I was 18. I used to look at the ladies in the restaurant and think, someday I'd like to be a lady who lunched. She laughed, but I could tell that she knew what I meant. She's a lady who appreciates lunching, as well.

Mom sent me an email today saying that one of her friends wants me to photograph her family. I am so excited!! I love doing families. Also, I'm going to be shooting some of the group home kids for their Senior Portraits. Also fun. She asked about pet photos, would I be interested in taking them. Yes, of course. I shoot kitty whenever possible. And here's one last thing, my beautiful sister-in-law, Shawna, has agreed to let me take her photo for the Pin Up shots. So much good news.

I need to do some shots with both cameras to figure out which one will work best. I'm so much more comfortable with the Nikon. It fits in my hand perfectly, I love the lens, how smooth it feels when I adjust it. I wish I wasn't so resistant to the Canon. It's a great camera, too. It's just not my beautiful Nikon. I don't think I'll ever love a camera the way that I love that one. (Wow, I'm really a dork about that camera.)

That is all. Happy day to you!

How You Like 'dem Apples?

Apples. The only photo I took today. I needed it for work.

I took a hike this morning, then went by the Salvation Army store to see what they had. I'm looking for something to hang my necklaces on and I wanted to find a white men's dress shirt. No white shirt, but I found a couple of others. Plus a light brown jacket and a navy blazer.

I've been reading a lot of style blogs lately and the ladies purchase good quality basic pieces and mix them in with newer pieces. I'm pretty excited about my finds -I got 5 items for under $15. The other thing I picked up was a slip. I'm going to use it as a slip or nightgown. Very pretty.

While I was on my hike I spent a lot of time trying to think of what I want to do in terms of my photography business. I'd really like to take a variety of photos - families, babies, wedding (someday), and I think it would be fun to do pin-up style photos. Mom and I talked about this before.

I talked to Bay and she agreed to let me fix her hair and makeup in a pin-up style for photos. I think it will be fun. I'm going to see if I can talk my girlfriends into this, too.

I've got to get off line now. My back is really bothering me. That's why I've been hiking and walking instead of running. I just can't run. I'm trying to yoga my way out of it.

Ruby Tuesday - Cherry Tomatoes

Happy Ruby Tuesday!

If you want to participate, visit The Teach's blog for details.

Today, I've got some fresh tomatoes from the Farmer's Market. These are long gone, but I'm off tomorrow for some more. I still have some on my plants, but only a few and I'm leaving them until I've got a bunch at once.

** I'm giving away a complete set of Good For You Girls natural skincare, at Pretty By Nature. Click here if you'd like to enter for a chance to win.

That's it. Nice and short today.