Beautiful Bucks County...

Holly Hedge Estate specifically. I'm thinking I might be able to "rough it" with this kinda country livin'.  You betcha.

"Open Gate"
Holly Hedge Estate
New Hope, PA

"This Way to the Barn?"

Holly Hedge Estate

"Chair with a View"

Holly Hedge Estate

Historic and beautiful Bucks County, Pennsylvania has an abundance of colonial era estates.  Many are now converted into bed & breakfasts. Makes ya kinda wanna sit, and stay a spell.   Except, we were wedding venue shopping so we had to keep on movin'.

linked to:  Tuesdays Around the World, Tones on Tuesday, Our World Tuesday, Sweet Shot Tuesday, 52 Weeks of Happiness, Tuesday Muse, Inspired Tuesday

Verklempt...

The week that was...

"Phone Home"

James A. Michener  Art Museum

Doylestown, PA

Not sure who looks more distraught.  The sculpture vs. Thing #2 after a couple of days of wedding venue visitations.  Thing #2 flew in from Cincy for the choices.  And the decisions.  And the phone calls to the fiance'.  Three days.  Eight scheduled appointments.  Two cancelled to not further confuse the issue.  Power shopping...only fit for the fittest.  But that's how it has to be when you are planning a wedding and the bride-to-be lives out of state.

"Verklempt"

James A. Michener Art Museum

Doylestown, PA

Project 52 (17/52)

April 22 - April 29, 2013

What to do?  What to do?  Kinda makes me glad I was informed by my dad where my wedding was going to take place thirty-one years ago. It's just the beginning.  I am having fun.  And so is Thing #2 (she just doesn't realize it yet).

linked to:   Weekly Top Shot, Sunday Snapshot, Sundays In My City, Project 52, Inspire Me, Macro Monday

You laughing at me?...

"It's hard not to immediately fall in love

with a dog who has a good sense of humor."

-- Kate DiCamillo, Because of Winn-Dixie

"Laughing"

Utley has a gift.  He's secret weapon #1 when it comes to making me laugh.  And I swear sometimes...I think I return the favor.

linked to:   Project Alicia WW, Live and Love Out loud WW, The Gallery, The Paper Mama WW, Walk and Click, Outdoor Wednesday, Rurality Blog Hop, Black and White Wednesday, Click and Submit, Blog She WW

Sakura Sunday...

Sakura (n) - an ornamental Cherry Blossom Tree and it's blossoms.

(also the name of a song we sang in 6th grade at
Woodlawn Elementary for a Spring concert, of which I had no freakin' idea I was singing
about Cherry blossoms until last weekend.  An "aha moment" waaay too long in the making.)

Sakura Sunday - an event; a celebration of all things Spring in the Japanese tradition.

With one little caveat...

....we are in Philly.  Fairmount Park to be exact.  Who would have thunk it?  But
whether in Japan or Philly, TWO things are the same.  Kids will be kids...

...and Japanese Cherry blossoms are beautiful in BOTH "Far East" locales.
Yes Philly is farrrrrrrrr east of many, many places.  Pittsburgh to name one.
Do you know we are about as far east as you can get and STILL be able to eat a cheese steak under
an authentic Japanese Cherry tree canopy?  Just a little factoid I thought I'd throw out there.

Pink was THE color of the day...

...even for the traditional Japanese "wiener" dog wearing a tutu.

Sayonara...

P.S.  Did a bit of "Spring Cleaning" here on the old blog, wanted to streamline a bit.  If you notice any issues with the width of my blog not fitting onto your computer screen, could ya let me know so I can correct it?   Domo Arigato.

linked to:  Tuesdays Around the World, Tones on Tuesday, Our World Tuesday, Sweet Shot Tuesday, 52 Weeks of Happiness, Tuesday Muse, Inspired Tuesday

Life interrupted...

The week that was...

"Life Interrupted"

Philadelphia, PA

April 15 - April 22, 2013

Project 52 (16/52)

Life interrupted.  That's what last week was for moi.  That's what last week was for many.  Once news spread of the Boston Marathon bombing I was glued to the media for info.  Television at home, radio in the car.  I even traded my carefully selected "pump me up" playlist of 1980's power rock anthems at the gym (and believe me, it's a FANTASTIC playlist), and plugged into news programming while on the elliptical instead.  It wasn't until an end was put to the terrorist brothers that I realized how consumed I was to keep abreast of the situation.  And how my week was spent confined indoors, plugged in, and tuned out to living my own life.

Life interrupted.  I'm lucky.  My interruption was only temporary and of my own choosing.  I wasn't interrupted permanently thru death or injury.  I wasn't even interrupted with mandatory confinement to my home for safety purposes. And I'm certainly not interrupted by terrorisms' ultimate goal...fear.

"The enemy is fear.  We think it is hate.  But, it is fear."

-- Gandhi

I was a passive observer of life last week.  Sitting in the comfort of my home, looking out on our world.  Nope, I didn't like what I saw.  Life interrupted, on many different levels...including my own.  How many times have I thought "that could never happen to me or my loved ones".  Obviously, it can.  Not necessarily as the result of a terrorist attack, but for many different unexpected reasons.  So do I live my life in fear of it being suddenly interrupted?  Or do I live my life with courage BECAUSE it could be interrupted at any unforeseen time? 

"Inaction breeds doubt and fear.

Action breeds confidence and courage.

If you want to conquer fear, do not sit at home and think about it.

Go out and get busy."

-Dale Carnegie

If last week taught me nothing else, it taught me to treat my life with care.  Remember what's really important.  To not be a passive observer to my own life.  Most importantly, not take life for granted.  Because you just never know when life might be interrupted.

linked to:  Project 52, Inspire Me, Macro Monday

Scavenger Hunt Sunday (4/21/2013)...

I'm back.  You know, I just didn't feel the urge to blog the past few days with all that was going on up in Boston.  I'm not sure whether it was the idea of the triviality of blogging when I was all-consumed with what was going on up in Boston. Or, if it was because I was just totally glued to the television instead of my computer.  Either way, it just made the idea of taking photos and blogging about them seem a bit "non-important" to me. But now that the ingrates have been stopped? I've backed away from the television.

This week's Scavenger Hunt Sunday prompts are:  Family or Faith,  Happiness, Spring in Black/White, Fuzzy, and Gathering or Provide.

1.  Family or Faith

"We are Family"

Philadelphia, PA

After this last week and all that has transpired in Boston...I have faith that we are all family.

2.  Happiness

Oh you have NO idea how much happiness fresh and colorful veggies bring me.  But then again...a big bowl of ice cream makes me feel the same way.

3.  Spring in Black and White

"Cherry Blossoms in Black and White"

Fairmount Park, Philadelphia

More to come later this week from "Sakura Sunday" in Philadelphia.

4.  Fuzzy

"Fuzzy Wuzzy"

Did ya ever notice how fuzzy a sunflower is?

5.  Gathering or Provide

"Parasol Pow-Wow"

Fairmount Park, Philadelphia

Girlfriends gathering in style, need I say more?  Yeah...can I join in?

Whew.  What a week it's been.  I have a few friends and family up in Boston that I've been keeping in my thoughts and prayers.  I'm so glad it's all ended in a "Sweet Caroline" kinda way.  God bless ya Boston...and God Bless the U.S.A.  So proud. Yes, so proud.

linked to:  Scavenger Hunt Sunday, Weekly Top Shot, Sunday Snapshot, Simple Things, Sundays In My City

Reflecting on Independence...

Thoughts on Boston...

"Reflecting on Independence"
Independence Hall - Philadelphia, PA

Boston and Philadelphia are intertwined in my mind as cradles of American independence.  I feel a kinship with Bostonians. Kindred original colonial cities.  Similar shared experiences.  Similar architecture.  Similar cobblestoned streets.  Similar pride in the role we played in the birth of America.  Boston's got Ben Affleck, we've got Bradley Cooper.  Not to mention we both talk a little funny.   Philadelphia is where we declared our independence from tyranny.  Boston is where the first shots were fired to assure it.

Patriot's Day.  I doubt the choice to bomb the Boston Marathon on this date was coincidental.   Nor to inflict terror at the finish line.  The precise place where people were celebrating the blood, sweat and tears shed to overcome the challenges of running a marathon and all that accomplishment represents and implies.  Some have called these terrorists, whomever they might be, cowards.  That's too easy.  I call them evil.  Their goal is to tyrannize with fear.  To inflict mass hysteria, if not mass casualties.  They want us to cower.  To be scared.  To unsettle us.  They want us to stop living our lives.  Do they even know who they are dealing with here?  Americans who have fought for our freedoms.  And that fight began right there.  In Boston.  

Stupid, stupid terrorists.  Stupid AND evil.  What a dangerous combo.

They want us to believe our lives aren't safe.  I won't let them tyrannize me into not living my life freely.  I will not let them take away my independence.  They will not win. So not only will I go out and live my life, I'm going to do it with a little more compassion, kindness and love.  Because good always triumphs over evil. That's an amazing power we have.  I plan to take advantage of it.

I defy those tyrants to take away my independence and my freedom of choice on how I want to live my life.  Don't they know Bostonians, Philadelphians, and Americans in general, have "been there done that"?  We are kinda good at it.  After all, it's how we began.  I have no doubt that defiant spirit will live on in Boston.  Unified Americans will always overcome merciless acts.  

God bless you Boston.  I stand with you.

From a Philadelphian, 

linked to:  Project Alicia WW, Live and Love Out loud WW, The Gallery, The Paper Mama WW, Walk and Click, Outdoor Wednesday, Rurality Blog Hop, Black and White Wednesday, Click and Submit, Thursday Favorite Things,Little Things Thursday

Beer Barrels in Heaven...

We had our first Thunder Boomer of the season last week.  The kind that shakes the house with each explosion of thunder. The kind that makes you glad for those rubber-soled sneakers you are wearing considering the wicked lightening strikes.  At least I'm grounded, right?  The kind where the dogs and kids (and sometimes moi) cower in the corner.  The kind where dad would make us unplug all the appliances, while telling us...

 "What are you afraid of?  That's just Grandpop Hagenmeyer rolling beer barrels up in  heaven."

"Prost"

Hagenmeyer Brothers - Heidenheim, Germany

(Grandpop Hagenmeyer, far left)

Which as a little kid totally confused me.  I might have only been in kindergarten while living outside  Washington, D.C....BUT, I darn well knew Grandpop Hagenmeyer was living up in Philly.  And we ALL know Philly ain't no heaven regardless of what we profess.  But I knew better than to question my dad.  The story always stuck in my mind and before I knew it, I was telling my own Things the same story when a big Thunder Boomer made it's way thru our 'hood. 

As scary as those storms are, there is something about them that seems to clean the Earth.  Wash away it's grit.  The next morning the sun always seems brighter than usual.  The world literally shines and sparkles.  The Thunder Boomer last week did just that, gave the Earth a good power washing.

By the next morning when the sun came out...Spring had literally burst forth.  And I was living in a disco ball.

Thanks Grandpop.  Prost!  Keep on rollin' those barrels.


--Kathy

linked to:  Tuesdays Around the World, Tones on Tuesday, Our World Tuesday, Sweet Shot Tuesday, 52 Weeks of Happiness, Tuesday Muse, Inspired Tuesday

Spring, Sprang, Sprung, ...

The week that was...

"Spring, Sprang,  Sprung"
April 8 - April 15, 2013
Project 52 (15/52)
Horsham, PA

Spring darn well went and sprang/sprung herself upon me.  Literally overnight.  I swear I went to bed to the sounds of a drenching rain plunking down on a brown landscape.  And I woke up in Oz.  The technicolor variety.  No Lollipop Guild involved.  They creep me out anyway (but not as much as those flying monkey's).  Toto I KNOW we aren't in Kansas.  'Cause we are definetly in Philly.  Yo, pass me the Wooder Ice puhleeze.

Welcome to my most favorite time of the year.  Springtime in Philly.  Those amazing few weeks where Mother Nature is a menopausal biatch.  You just never know what to expect outta her.  Spring on Monday and Tuesday, Winter on Wednesday and Thursday.  Followed quickly by Summer on Thursday and Friday, and...Spring again on Sunday.  Wash, repeat and rinse.  After a few weeks it's as if Mother Nature's ob/gyn talks her into hormone replacement therapy and those nasty symptoms disappear.  "You have no power here!  Begone, before someone drops a house on you too!".  Poof.

Springtime in Philly...which lasts about two glorious weeks before the HHH's hit for the duration.  The dreaded Hazy, Hot, and Humids.  But for those few weeks,  no place can beat Philly in spring time.  Maaaaaaybe Paris.  But only because I doubt even Mother Nature would succumb to being a Menopausal lunatic in the City of Love.  Philly?  We're kinda known for embracing our lunatics.

Go ahead Mother Nature.  Spring, Sprang, Sprung it on us.

--Kathy

linked to: Project 52, Inspire Me, Macro Monday

Scavenger Hunt Sunday (4/14/13)...

Welcome to Scavenger Hunt Sunday, where the prompts are sometimes hard, sometimes easy...but always fun.  Well, I think they are fun AFTER I've somehow managed to find a photo for each one.  Up until that point?  Kinda frustrating sometimes. But I keep on coming back for more.  My name is Kathy and I'm a Scavenger Hunt Sunday-aholic.

It's been a crazy week around the old homestead.  And I can't even tell ya what has been keeping me from visiting all your blogs, just everyday "busy-ness".  The weather has been gorgeous which means "James Dean" and moi have been out and about. Happy, happy, happy.  Hopefully I'll get some of those photos edited this week to share with you.  But in the meantime...

This week's Scavenger Hunt Sunday prompts are:  Glow, Old, Spring, Shadow, and Smile.


1.  Glow

"Moon Dance"
Ambler, PA

We've had some interesting night skies here lately.  I need to work on HOW to take photos in these conditions.  I'm on the wrong end of the learning curve.  I guess a tripod purchase will be in my near future...a girl can only hold her breath for so long while snapping a shot.

2.  Old

"Vintage"
Lambertville, NJ

Why is vintage clothing kinda awesome...but hand-me-downs not so much?

3.  Spring

"Spring Showers"

Keeping my eyes peeled for May flowers.

4.  Shadow

"Tom Cat Cafe"
Sinking Spring, PA

My favorite little cafe' in Sinking Spring.  Crazy food concoctions that never fail make me say "I can't believe I ate the whole thing."

5.  Smile

"Everybody Gets a Ring"
Ambler, PA
Thing #2 and Niece #1

Lots of engagement rings...lots of smiles...lots of soon-to-be empty wallets.  (Betcha can't tell which one is the musical theatre performer, and which one is the chemistry teacher).

Thank you all for continuuing to stop by my little piece of the blog-o-sphere and taking the time to leave your thoughts.  I might not always have the time to comment back at you all...but believe me...I visit your blogs and so enjoy seeing what is going on in your world.  So thank you, thank you, and thank you again.

--Kathy

linked to:  Scavenger Hunt Sunday, Weekly Top Shot, Sunday Snapshot, Simple Things, Sundays In My City