Little bit of Light

This morning I awoke late. Very. very late. Coming upstairs to put some breakfast on for friends that had stayed the night, I opened the door to the most stunning light. There were little bokeh balls splattered across a closet, cast from somewhere outside.

Let me mention how BRIGHT this light was. It was blinding. I can't say that I minded, after noticing something that has probably happened dozens of other times. The thing is, this morning, I noticed.
~Beth

The Happiness of Monet's Gardens

In 2009, I had a lovely trip to France that included Monet's gardens.  Years of admiring his paintings in museums and books did not prepare me for the beauty of the actual gardens.

The story of the gardens is, of course, of the labor of Monet's love for them, bringing in the exotic plants, arguing with his neighbors, and making the grounds the subject of many of his most famous paintings.

But it's also a story of a garden that was abandoned and run down, lacking in funding, and lacking in gardeners.

Imagine a world with reclaiming caretakers like those who restored Monet's gardens...  Now that would be a beautiful world, indeed.  ~ Paloma


Monet was my first true love in the art world. I had a book about his life, and his childhood- it enchanted me. His favorite green cake, his sketches of a teacher that landed him in detention. What a guy!

I can't say I've yet had the chance to find myself in Monet's gardens, but I'd like to think that I maintain a little bit of nice greenery myself. So far, I've managed about three trees in our very solid, clay soil. It's hard, but in all tackiness, watching them grow is one of the highlights each spring. I've just recently transplanted a few, and now, I eat my breakfast each day to new life.

It's a beautiful life- in France, in Germany, in a well-kept garden, or in a suburban backyard. ~Beth

The Happiness of Five

Today definitely got off to its start as one of those days.  Didn't feel great.  Work staring at me.  Monday looming on the horizon and full of deadlines.

Where was I going to find happiness in this little brew of a headache waiting to happen?

And then the nest of little tweeties struck up their choir of "feed me!s"  I wandered over to take a peek, and, to my amazement, all five baby birds were facing forward.

I made a mad dash for my camera, grabbed the tall chair, slowly opened the screen door and took it all out onto the porch.

They immediately stopped tweeting.

Standing on the chair, camera on manual focus, two different camera settings, and we were off to the first shot of all five baby birds.

Of course, could even one of them have smiled for the camera?  ~ Paloma

The Happiness of a Crowded House

You know how difficult it is to get all the kids to look at you and smile?  This nest is filled to overflowing with five (5!) baby birds, who have been making the most beautiful racket for about a week.  But can I get just the shot I'm looking for?

This nest was first built two summers ago, when it was for a family with two babies.  Last year, there were three babies, with one who was very clearly in charge, and we were lucky enough to actually be watching the day he walked out on the drain pipe and flew the coop.

These little guys are getting so much bigger each day that I'm a little unclear how mom is going to sleep on them tonight.  What a happy problem to have!  ~  Paloma


I've posted about 'the kids' before. The baby, who makes me laugh, and the little boy who is just so cute in mimickery, and the girl who is a princess in her very own world. My friends often ask, "how are the kids?" As if I am a proud mama, I talk about teeth coming in, and birthday parties.

I am a kid myself, but to watch these kids grow up - it's magical. They are such a sunshine in my life. I don't mind being a little messy and chasing kids around for hours. I adore these children.

The real full house? Adding in three dogs! ~Beth

The Happiness of Off

Today was the first day in a couple of weeks that I was able to shut off.  It was a summer evening, wet from a passing thunder storm.  The light lingered in the night sky over Lake Ontario.  A pleasing cup of tea and the second cupcake.

In just three hours, I felt the beginnings of being able to "hear," again.

I have asked so many questions across the past two years of so many different people on whether they view the electronics explosion as positive.  Only two other women - both pianists - said that they routinely "shut it all off" so that they can hear, Elizabeth Roe and Olga Kern.

So my today happiness is a quiet one.  It is the place of poets and pianists, of dreamers, of lovers.  Isn't it special to think that it didn't cost a thing to find this much happiness?  ~  Paloma

The Happiness of the Light at the End of the Tunnel

It is near! Grades are slowly emerging, and tests are finishing
One more: geometry. I think you all can just hear the 'ugh' in my voice with that word. What will I do? Use Paloma's post from yesterday - persevere!
I am so close to being finished, and I will be tomorrow at 11 with a fat bowl of mint chocolate chip ice cream.
I am keeping the end in sight, and not losing my focus on getting a good grade.
Ich kann diese machen!!  ~  Beth

Confession: I ate this cupcake.  It was from the Baker Street Bakery, and I bought it this afternoon for some still life photography I did for the cupcake blog to which I contribute.

It is no more.

There was a happiness knowing that the cupcake would be the reward for a day of pressing forward in new directions for my photography into the land of limited edition prints, marketing efforts, and job term negotiations.  And, although I had been told at the bakery that it was just vanilla, I suspected lemon from the first whiff, and I was right - a lovely tang of lemon awaited the first bite.

Simple reasons make the sweetest happiness.  ~  Paloma

The Happiness of Perserverance

We all have things we just don't want to do.  And, sometimes, we let those things overwhelm our day.  We might even spend more time dreading doing the task than it ultimately takes to do the task.

How do you stay happy doing it?

1. recruit a friend on the theory that many hands make a lighter load;
2. plan a reward for your timely and thorough completion of the task;
3. just do it.

Stephane Wrembel

For line item #2, I highly recommend a vanilla ice cream cone or a cappuccino or heirloom tomatoes instead of beefsteak, a flop on the sofa with a good book, a walk through the park with your dog, a telephone call with one of your Ya-Ya Sisters, a French gypsy jazz tune by Stephane Wrembel et ses amis...


Clearly, I do better at items #1 and #2 than I do at item #3.

Back to the writing assignment I need to complete!  ~ Paloma

This isn't so much persevering, as it is about allowing yourself to see. It will be brief, more of a reflection than anything:
Have you ever been passenger in a lengthier car ride at night?
Do you
1.) Fear hitting deer, like I often do, and hold on for dear life to be sure?
2.) Close your eyes while someone else is behind the wheel?
3.) Enjoy seeing something outside of your own backyard or normal trekk to Wegmans?

Today, I watched fireflies flash while driving 65 m.p.h down the highway. Fireflies, they're pretty simple. Add a little bit of speed, and you've got the most fantastic summer night sight.

Late at night, when there are deer to be cautious of, or is sleep to be had, take the time to appreciate being somewhere a little less familiar. The rewards are dashing! ~Beth