Summer 2014

I'm going to miss looking at the beautiful redbud tree in all its glory when I see the cover page of my blog.  I'm sure the leaves on that tree are now yellow and orange or maybe already fallen.

Time just seemed to get away from me and I have not felt compelled to post on my little old blog since 

May!

Mid-May, June, July, August, September and today is October 17th.

This is the time of year that in the past several years (other than two years ago when I was in Germany) that I have been in Indy to celebrate my mother's birthday

October 19th.

But, not this year.  This year, I was in Indy in late August, to celebrate my Dad's 90th birthday.

So, I am not going to Indy in October, but it feels very strange to NOT be going.

So, I guess that is what compels me to post on my blog.

Plus, one of my employees died in her sleep this past week and she was maybe 50 - 

kind of sobering and surreal and real all at the same time.

Anywho,

summer was fantastically miserably hot in AZ, but I did manage to get the heck out of Dodge as often as possible and spent time in Wyoming in June,  San Diego in July, and then blessedly spent a lot of August out of town in Glacier National Park and Indy, and the first week of September in Indy and then on to Chicago. 

All kinds of other craziness is going on in the world like ISIS and ebola and the mid-term elections

oh my.

I would rather focus on what i can make a difference in and that is my little life and the people I touch.

Life is either miserable or wonderful, depending on our perspective

each day

or 

each hour

or

each minute

it is really up to each of us.

It's each and everyone's journey.

I uploaded 26 of my favorite photos which attempt to capture the past five months:

 :-0

This is a profile of my mother - late in the afternoon -

 I think I liked the way the sun was shining on her hair.

And, I may have had a martoonie or two in me, no, not maybe, I'm pretty sure. 

This was a photo taken on the day of Dahlia's first communion.

I love it because all the kids are just being themselves.

Overnight with Cohen.  We went out for breakfast - he wanted mickey mouse pancakes and he had a small cup of coffee that he promised me his mother allowed him to have with lots of sugar and cream.

Later, his mother could not believe what a sap I was - she never let the kid have COFFEE!!

I travelled to Wyoming and Idaho in June to visit the Grand Tetons.

Wow - what a fantastic area and mountain range - 

with moose and white water rafting and fantastic hiking.

What a treat!!

Nice shot of my back yard - before it got ungodly hot and the grass was still green and flowers were actually blooming.

Sweet photo of Sarah and her li'l darlings on her birthday.

I bought a slip and slide sometime this summer

the kids LOVED it!

Like every where else, Phoenix had some crazy weather this summer.

This was an unbelievably powerful storm that came on about a half hour after I arrived from driving home from San Diego.  I was lucky to be IN my house.  Several of my neighbor's trees landed in my backyard.  It was a mess!

This was a selfie 14 year old Sophie took in the car while we drove to Flagstaff for her birthday overnight trip I promised her.  It was a blast!

One of my favorite photos from Glacier National Park. This was taken in Waterton, Canada.  The mountains meeting the water and the beautiful blue-green water was something I have 

NEVER 

experienced.  You have to see it to believe it.

We were warned and warned about the BEARS!!

We never saw any and everyone we met said they never saw any

until this guy came out from the woods while I was standing on the side of the road the reading a sign.

Scared the be-jesus out of me.

He wasn't full-grown and he wasn't a cub....

but I will never forget our eye-to-eye contact and how he just looked away and kept walking.

I think this is my favorite sunset shot from San Diego.

The photo used for my Dad's 90th birthday party invitation.

A candid shot I took of my mom and dad in August in their backyard.

My dad was looking for planes heading to Africa.

My nephew commemorated my Dad's hole-in-one at Pleasant Run Golf Course by placing a permanent  plaque at the site of the hole-in-one.

It was a total surprise to my dad and he was extremely thrilled.

Two of the Kelly girls - singing outside Dufour's where my Dad's birthday dinner was held.

nothing else to say....

sister Susie and brother Joe and Dufour's for Dad's birthday dinner.

Out on the town in Indy.

Joe and Joan and children.

High school pal escapades in Chicago.

Look out - the Jude-man walks.

Much needed new grill

Weber 

nice.

The end.

( I whittled it down to 22 photos)