Listen y’all, I am wrapped up in photos and editing. Nothing to see or read here today, but this is another snippet of where I was today…

Maybe tomorrow I will have more to say, but I find it doubtful. Oh well!

Almost missed today’s post! Oof!

I have been working quite a bit lately, have another Senior Shoot in the morning. I am really excited as I am going somewhere new, doing a few new things, and yet, with someone I have know a long time! I am excited every time I have a shoot, and this one holds some new, promising possibilities!

This may play a prominent role in my shoot tomorrow. I am so freaking excited! Those colors may play a big part too! Stay tuned to see what’s involved!

Just going to leave these here…as I am waiting for Fall. Sigh.

I got a back to class picture from Avery today! In no time, she will be done with college, but until then, we’ll enjoy the random outfit of the day photos, outfit for special occasions photos and just living life outfit photos! It is so hard to believe that she is a junior in college!

I read a great plan in one of my Bible plans today, it perfectly sums up what I believe and what I have tried to pass along to my family and friends. I am not very good at conveying this thought some days, so I thought I share it here, with you. Freedom is the cause of obedience, obedience is the desired trait for us to be good stewards, and to be good stewards, we must realize the value of choice and consequence, and their direct correlations. If we are free to choose, we must take the responsibility greatly, but not to the point of giving our freedom away…it ceases being choice then.

Today’s choices produce tomorrow’s results. And when we are free to choose, we find ourselves more disciplined, more obedient and full of love for others. Are you free, or are you obedient hoping to be free? Drop me a line, I would happily talk to you about this!

We took a walk, down by a creek today, it was overcast, hazy, and humid. The creek bed was oh so dry though, even with a good rain last night. Sure the picture below shows you a fairly full creek, but that is not the entire picture, as is often the case in life.

We see something so lush and brimming with life, and assume that is the whole picture. What lies underneath, what lies behind? Is this the low point, or the high point we are seeing, and is that based on the water or the creek bed bottom?

How about the roots, do these signify life, or death? How are these roots nourished, or Arlene they even getting anything? How is that tree standing without anything right under it? This walk in the creek bed was seriously fascinating, and thought provoking.

We came across an animal’s remains. What was it? How long had it been here? Did it wash up here when the creek was full, or did it die here when the creek was dry? I really don’t know, but odds are it was a raccoon or possum, then again, I can’t rightly say. I said a little prayer for it regardless.

What do we know about what we see? What determinations do we make with the information given? What opinions do we hold, or form due to the surface? Such a reflective sort of day. What are you reflecting on today, drop me a line, I would love to know.

So, I have vertigo. I kept waiting for it to go away completely as it had gotten better, but it became a little more persistent this week as I went back to yoga. Luckily Bill’s doctor had a cancellation on Friday at 8am, I am so thankful for that! He was proficient, efficient, and hopefully it goes away for good! If you see me staggering about, not hearing you and digging at my ear, don’t mind me, it’s just vertigo.

Ironically, the person that answered the doctor’s line when I called for an appointment, is a friend. We usually have a minor chat exchanging niceties, and because I can’t hear, I had it on speaker, so Bill heard her say her son was looking for a job. He has known her son for a long time, knows that he is a hard worker and had me tell her to have her son send his resume to Bill. Will this result in a job? I don’t know, maybe? More importantly, if it doesn’t, it will at least give him the opportunity to interview with a great company, learn from his experience and bolster him in his job search. I will keep you posted, so there you go!

I have seen so many people posting about their kids going back to school, and taking them back to college. A friend mentioned something important in her post today, we have to let them go to fly, I do agree. Last year, Avery did a cross country trip from California back to Oxford, not requiring us to take her back or set her up, even though we did go drop some items off and to hug her after her trip. This year, she went back by herself, again, and sent us pics of her room set up. Avery is a Resident Advisor(RA) again this year, we are very proud of the independence she displays and possesses, and we know that will serve her extremely well in life. Adding to what my friend said, we have to trust that we did a good job, we have to let our kids find their own ways, and we have to watch them fly off, away from the nest. It is hard, but we have to let go.

Lots of messages with GO here lately on my blog…and no it isn’t coincidence. It is time for not just myself to hit the gas pedal, but many others too. Are you in go mode, or do you have some clearing, resting, or thinking to do? Drop me a line, I would love to know!

Nothing says back to school better than Football Friday Nights! The Chillicothe Cavaliers kick off their 2022 season with an away game, being hosted by the Teays Valley Vikings. The joy of weather change is witnessed with Friday night games, it starts off hot, gets cooler through the nights, and over the course of the season, it gets even chillier and chillier. YEAH BOY, speaking my language!!!

Good luck to both teams tonight, and to all of the athletes, coaches and staff, respectively, that have games tonight. GO CAVS!!!💙💙💙

Ooooohhhhweeee!!! Last first day of school for Brooke today!! The journey has gone super fast, there have been so many amazing educators along the way, lots of friends made, lots of memories had. You have come a long way Brooke, this chapter almost done, but so much journeying still to be had!

Brooke, we love you very much, we are so super proud of you, and we hope you have an amazing senior year of high school! Wishing a great year to students, teachers, administrators, faculty, and all guardians/parents!

This summer has been one of growth, challenge, change, rebirth, regeneration, rejuvenation, redirection and man, oh man, so much more. I can say with full disclosure, my household is having a major butterfly moment in that everyone is metamorphosing. We are all going through so much growth and change, apparently, a lot of you are too, which I think is purposeful and great! These times in our lives can be hard, but together we can do/be/see/feel/experience a great positive shift and change for the betterment of us as individuals, and as a collective!

Avery had a great experience with her internship at Aldi, it really opened her eyes to what she wants in a work capacity, and some things she doesn’t. She values relationships with people, knows that is tantamount to success, and is considering some career choices that she previously wasn’t. Overall, you can see Ave’s personal foundation being a guiding source in her potential career path. I couldn’t be more proud of who she is, who she is becoming, and I am excited to watch what she does!

Brooke’s recent accident, was like the cap to how her summer started. While on vacation, several things were said to Brooke which were needed to be said, heard, and addressed for her growth. Her wreck really put things in an alignment and she gained an even better perspective for her life, overall. That is the thing about life, the lessons and answers are there if you opt to see them. Brooke is not only seeing them, but embracing them because she wants to grow and become the best version of herself, with each version she becomes. She is more quiet about her personal growth than her sister, but she does talk to you, if you listen. I am very proud of her for seeing the lessons placed before her, for her learning and growing from them, and for her hidden, quiet strength she possesses. I am excited for her, for her senior year, and I hope she makes lots of good memories this year!

Bill has faced many, many challenges this summer…new job, new boss, new places to travel, new faces to get to know…old habits and old scars too. He has really started to let go of old patterns, habits and behaviors, and that is clearing way to learn and embrace so many new things. While some say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, Bill is proving that isn’t true. You can learn as long as you want to, are open to it, and you see how the new ways are just that much better than the old. He is really getting to know himself on a different level, and with that, it shifts his relationship with us all, which is such a blessing.

I guess I should say something about myself, but I just draw a blank. I am trying. I am learning. I am growing. I am blooming. I am balancing, and I am not doing so much like I was before. Maybe that is what I need to tell you. So many times, we want to add, add, add to our lives, when really we need to release, let go, get rid of and diminish, or simplify what we have or do. Often, you have to figure out what isn’t working, or isn’t good for you, to discover what is and what does work. You let go of what doesn’t serve, and then you can add what might, will, or does serve . I think this is so undervalued, overlooked and frowned upon, letting go, but it is often what is vital to the next step/leg/path of our journey. It is also heartbreak at times, can be scary and certainly requires blind faith.

We did get a settlement from the insurance company for Brooke’s car, wasn’t much, but it was fair, and we are thankful for good people staying when they could have fled, accepting responsibility when they could not have. We are also thankful for sales people that provide a better alternative, and it makes more sense. We planned on buying Brooke a newer car after graduation, but I reckon things work as they should, and timing isn’t always as we appoint it to be.

Although I would prefer to focus on the positives, and I think most of your view should be, it isn’t always as easy as that or healthy to force positivity when your emotions say otherwise. Feel your feelings, identify what those are, know or figure out why you feel that way, what may be triggering it that is lingering, or what needs dealt with so you minimize or are no longer triggered. We are all evolving, but one thing I know for sure, people seem to think positive civility is evolution, it isn’t. Diplomatic confrontation has it’s place, and it really is a form of communication…which is not just talk, talk, talking, but listening, conveying, comprehending, trying to understand, doing all with some level of objectivity, for the purpose of bettering a situation or relationship. So, when someone tells you that they don’t see the problem and how they play a part, no cap is an appropriate response.

We start a new time measurement tomorrow, the first day of school until September 22, totaling 36 days. Join me as we count down until Fall Equinox, my favorite time of year!! Drop me a line, recap your summer, was there a cap to it, and are you telling anyone no cap while you’re at it?