30 Day Winter Photo Challenge Day Four - "Fireside"

"Fireside" by Shannon

Debi opted out of today's prompt, unable to find anything "Fireside"-related. While I could not find an actual fire (this fireplace is gas and not real wood), I figured this crazy mess by our fireplace would suffice.

30 Day Winter Photo Challenge Day Three - "Wood"

"Wood" by Shannon

"Wood" by Debi

This one was easy for me. I headed out to the small pile of wood by our firepit in the backyard, and there was this piece with gorgeous bark. In the dim morning light, the reddish color didn't show as much as I would have liked, but hey, this is a cell phone challenge with no pressure.

I assume Debi's photo is from a piece of wood inside her house, since she lives by the beach and has all kinds of interesting things she has picked up or purchased from local artisans.

30 Day Winter Photo Challenge Day Two - "Hot Chocolate"

"Hot Chocolate" by Shannon



"Hot Chocolate" by Debi

We agreed in advance that today's topic would be difficult. Debi was on a plane for most of the day, and both of us had trouble getting away from the literal idea of the prompt. After the first leg of Debi's travel, she was able to find the warm brown of Hot Chocolate in her airport soup. I lucked out in the morning when the Starbucks barista called out "Hot Chocolate!" while I waited for my drink; I mentally thanked the barista for reminding me to take my daily photo.

30 Day Winter Photo Challenge Day One - "Pure White"

 Day One - "Pure White" by Shannon





Day One - "Pure White" by Debi



I am happy to share that my awesome artsy-fartsy Stepmom has agreed to do a 30-Day Winter Photo Challenge with me that I found on christinagreve.com, via Pinterest. Since she lives in North Carolina and I am in Las Vegas, it will be interesting to see how we interpret these "winter" prompts from climates that don't necessarily look like Winter.

 

Our only rules for this challenge are that we are taking the photos with our cell phones to make it all easier, and if we forget a day, it's okay! No pressure!

 

These are our two photos for today's prompt..."Pure White."







Bloom Where I'm Planted

 

This photo was taken near Kure Beach, NC when we visited my dad and step-mom last month. I am always fascinated by things that are commonplace to locals and yet exotic to tourists. Here, I was intrigued by the shells that were used instead of gravel by the road to drive on the ferry to Southport. How cool would it be to live in a place where shells are so…the norm.

My dream is to someday move and live in that area and be a car-ride from family and away from casino-life. During our visit, my step-mom and I even looked at houses for sale, dreaming. So fun. One of my favorite blogs is Lil Blue Boo. They down-sized their life and moved from California to tiny Bryson City, NC. I would love to chronicle a move like that on this blog, sharing an exciting life-changing move like she did on hers. Hopefully we can make it happen.

Until that day, I will try to soak up the things that make our current home unique. Cacti. Huge skies. Mountains. Bighorn sheep. Tumbleweeds. Neon. For now, I must try to “bloom where I’m planted.”

 

 

His Little Hand

One of my favorite moments as the mom of a four-year-old is when he reaches up and holds my hand. It could be for any reason…to drag me into another room to play with him, to get me to stay in his room longer at bedtime, to distract me when I’m trying to talk to someone else. He has been clingier lately, but I don’t mind. I know eventually he’ll grow out of this, and snuggling with me, giving me kisses, and holding my hand won’t happen so easily.

So while he is this age, I am trying to emblazon in my memory exactly what it feels like to have that little hand in mine. It’s perfection.


 

Things to Love About Las Vegas...#3

A dragonfly investigates Aunt Sheila's flowers.

 

We just returned from an a great trip to visit family in southern Indiana, and Jude was introduced to all the bugs that the Midwest has to offer. He got stung by a bee, caught fireflies, saw huge spiders on webs, and watched dragonflies, ladybugs, and all types of creepy crawlies, everywhere.

We're not used to bugs in Las Vegas. That may sound a bit weird. Of course there are bugs here. Lots of ants and cockroaches and other things. But they usually mind their own business. I can sit outside at night and not even one bug will come near me.

It's not like Indiana where you cannot be outside at night next to a light. I have memories as a child, trying to avoid the huge swarm of bugs flying around the light by our back door. Unfortunately, if we came home after dark we had to stand in that swarm while unlocking the door, and you never knew what weird creature might land on your shoulder.

Las Vegas is quite different, which leads me to...

Things to Love About Las Vegas #3...No bugs

No flying bugs.

No ticks.

No mosquitoes.

No bug repellant.

No swatting. No flyswatters.

When I ponder moving to a different area of the country, the main thing I know I will miss is the convenience of the lack of insects.