Returning from up north on Monday mornings…. I leave alone and very early to get back in time for work (a bit late). When it’s cold and dark and lonely, a stop for a hot cup of coffee is welcome. Doesn’t need to be fancy, just friendly. It’s the way I start the trip. It’s…
Look Up Originally uploaded by HelenJr. “In very truth he was, the noblest work of God — an honest man.” – by Abraham Lincoln, From the February 8, 1842 Eulogy of Benjamin Ferguson “In this sad world of ours, sorrow comes to all; and, to the young, it comes with bitterest agony, because it takes…
Hard frost last night – Rose Leaf Originally uploaded by HelenJr. Our first hard frost of the season. It’s the only one that matters. After the frost, the garden is done. It is always so decieving….. in the morning, the leaves and flowers stand proud and jeweled. But as the sun warms them, there is…
PA0260421 – Twin Cities Marathon, Mile 25 Originally uploaded by HelenJr. Focus on the finish. All else follows. ____________________ I’ve stood on the curb and cheered runners on in the Twin Ciries Marathon for several years now. It must be one of the most beautiful maarathons in the country. Crisp air, autumn colors in the…
P90553241 Originally uploaded by HelenJr. When my daughter was born 30 years ago, my grandfather went into his garden and cut all of his dahlias to honor his first great-grandchild. We came home from the hospital to a house filled with this amazing array of flowers in vases, mason jars, and coffee cans on every…
P82951141 – Lost Originally uploaded by HelenJr. …the fish that got away was the biggest …the dream you can’t quite remember was the sweetest …the opportunity missed would have changed your future ….the picture lost was the best you’ll ever take. Last Sunday, I somehow lost 165 of the best pictures I’ll ever take. One…
P70822751 – Japanese Beetle? Originally uploaded by jhjohnso/helen. I try to take a walk every day. I used to focus on where I was trying to get. I could walk pretty fast and the accomplishment made me feel good. These days I walk more slowly and cover less distance. But I have realized that there…
P61104361 – Bad Hair Day Originally uploaded by jhjohnso. This picture reminds me of when I lost my hair during chemotherapy in 2000. It came out in clumps. Looked awful. I actually used sticky tape on my scalp to finish the job cleanly. So frightening! At first, my song was a lament: ~oh, vanity lost!…
P6110424x – mosquito haiku Originally uploaded by jhjohnso. unfortunate soul cause of death: blunt force trauma alas, no one mourns I have neglected the smaller creatures (like insects) in my musings. Perhaps they lead interesting lives, as well. I suspect that it’s all a matter of perspective.
P6050002x – fly haiku Originally uploaded by jhjohnso. were I a fly on a dusty summer screen what would I (could I) see?
P6050056x – Morning on the Lake Originally uploaded by jhjohnso. Weekend at the cabin (up north). It rained/misted continually. Bad news? No way! It produced this lovely misty morning for fishing. No wind. No bugs. No sunburn. Noone else around. No fish to clean. (We released them) Couldn’t think of a better way to spend…
P5290003x – Rose Breasted Grossbeak Originally uploaded by jhjohnso. The year’s at the spring, And day’s at the morn; Morning’s at seven; The hill-side’s dew-pearl’d; The lark’s on the wing; The snail’s on the thorn; God’s in His heaven– All’s right with the world! – Robert Browning The sun’s schedule and mine finally came together….
P5210111x Originally uploaded by jhjohnso. I will be the gladdest thing Under the sun! I will touch a hundred flowers And not pick one. I will look at cliffs and clouds With quiet eyes, Watch the wind bow down the grass, And the grass rise. And when lights begin to show Up from the town,…
P5200004 Originally uploaded by jhjohnso. Spent the weekend at the cabin with the grandkids. The weather wasn’t wonderful. But all the rain has lots sprouting and fresh. We had photo opportunities everywhere we turned.
Sisters Originally uploaded by jhjohnso. Having a sister is like having a best friend you can’t get rid of. You know whatever you do, they’ll still be there. -Amy Li Whatever would I do if you weren’t? Happy Birthday, Jo. I love you.
P4240121x Originally uploaded by jhjohnso. Last fall, Jim planted hundreds of tulip bulbs. That’s such an act of faith. It’s a long winter between putting them in the ground and seeing results. This spring, we’ve been disappointed by the results. Perhaps the weather has been just too strange. Maybe we’re too early. Could be that…
So, today is Dad’s birthday. It’s a big one and deserves a lovely picture here to commemorate it. But, as I shuffled through the mountain of family photos for one that represented him well, I noticed something. His absence from the frame. Not because he wasn’t there. It was because he was ALWAYS there, behind…
I come from a line (two lines actually) of strong women. Women of imagination and interests who found wonder in what they saw. Women who educated themselves, and sought opportunities to know and contribute to the world around them. Creative women who found joy in what they could make, and what they could share. Women…
My hip has been hurting lately. Actually my hip, my knee, my ankle. It’s the result of getting older. (ouch) I’m planning on another 30 to 40 years of use. But, already my parts are wearing out. The doctor has already mentioned the possibility of a hip replacement. I recognize the value of such replacments….