Shannon ~ Keeping Some Beauty Around The Chaos

Anyone who keeps the ability to see beauty

never grows old.

~ Franz Kafka~

Beauty is the adjustment of all parts proportionately

so that one cannot add or subtract or change

without impairing the harmony of the whole.

~ Leon B. Alberti ~

“A man should hear a little music,

read a little poetry,

and see a fine picture every day of his life,

in order that worldly cares may not obliterate the

sense of the beautiful implanted in the human soul.”

~ Johann Wolfgang Goethe~

An Afternoon With Leif~

Results in a few good photos. He is so cute. { I'm not just a prejudiced Grandma! } How could I go wrong!

Eat your heart out!

I Heart Faces~Costumes

This week's photo contest theme at *i heart faces* is dress up/costume.

I'm entering this photo that I took of Ivy in her favorite prairie outfit, complete with this darling bonnet, which she wore to a reenactment on the Oregon trail this Fall.

(It will probably end up as her Halloween costume as well.)

Nesting

Signs of the season...changing...

Geese migrating, Leaves on the lawn, Grandchildren at the pumpkin patch, Fog in the mornings, Down comforters and warm sweaters wanted.... yes it must be Fall!

The inevitable nesting instinct kicks in...

I need to change the decor to match my mood.

{Making a fall banner gets me started.}

Now I remember why I painted my walls this warm golden color...
{in the autumn, of course, several years ago}

Pink at I Heart Faces

This is my entry for this week's contest at I Heart Faces. The theme is PINK.

{This is breast cancer Awareness month.}

Check out all of the great entries for this weeks contest at....

Can You Fathom The Ocean?

Two More Of Ivy~The Pioneer Child

We all need empty hours in our lives or we will have no time to create or dream.

~Robert Coles-American Child Psychologist~

History On The Applegate Trail

Saturday saw us traveling South with Holly, Casey, Ilex, Drake and Ivy to relive the Applegate Trail experience.( Well, actually, to watch others relive it!) A reenactment was scheduled which would include the arrival of a wagon train, lunch of buffalo stew and corn, Cowboy and Indian music, and various short pioneer skits. This would nicely coincide with their home school history studies. The museum, that recounts the rigors of the trail and stories of the hardy people who traveled West by it, is also very well worth the trip.

Ivy, who was the only one of our group to be dressed in 'appropriate' costume,:) decided to enjoy a sidelined covered wagon for a while, and made herself at home. Holly and I took full advantage of the Photo-op.

I'll save my two favorites of our little 'pioneer child' for tomorrow.

History in Shedd

Last week, evidently, was the week for History lessons and field trips. Thursday, some of John's siblings joined us for the afternoon to tour a wonderful old grain mill.

Then we went on to a nearby, small town cafe, {where a cruise-in was happening} .

John and I had borrowed Russ and Heidi's Mustang, so were right in style. Old cars are extremely photogenic I found, though not my usual fare :) .( But there were no grandchildren along on this one!)

Old churches are also fun to photograph, and there was one within walking distance of the cafe. Perfect for a stroll after dinner with dusk coming on.

I Heart Faces~Excited!

This is my entry for the I Heart Faces photo contest this week. The theme is EXCITED. This fits the bill for me. The kids were quite excited to see their Grandma ( I'm known as 'Bambi' to them) lying on the ground to get this picture. It must have looked quite startling to the farmer who stopped to see if anything was the matter =] . ( We were in his field, too.) Oh, what one won't do for that perfect photo idea.





Check out the other fun entries at the I Heart Faces website.

Back Home~Pumpkins

Coming down to earth with a big thump... with earthy photos of pumpkin fields in the sunset at home.

Just add a Pumpkin Fairy and you really have magic.

I would rather sit on a pumpkin, and have it all to myself, than be crowded on a velvet cushion.

~Henry David Thoreau~

Last Day in France

Our last day in France was spent back in Paris before flying out. One last evening. We decided a trip up to the top of the Eiffel would be a perfect ending to a perfectly lovely trip! And yes, it was!!

Hill-Top Town

The drive and climb to this ancient village of Les Baux ended up being so worth it. It was pretty much composed entirely of pale, aged stone, {one of our favorite aspects of France anyway}, and was seemingly removed from the world below.

It has a spectacular position in the Alpilles mountains, set atop a rocky outcrop crowned with a ruined castle overlooking the plains to the south. {We ended up wishing we had come earlier in the day, to spend more time here.}

The defensive possibilities of Les Baux led to the site being settled early on in human history. Traces of habitation have been found dating back as far as 6000 BC, and the site was used by the Celts as a hill fort around the 2nd century BC. During the Middle Ages it became the seat of a powerful feudal lordship that controlled 79 towns and villages in the vicinity.

Continuing in Provence

To continue our travels in Provence, this monastery, turned mental hospital, was the unfortunate home of Vincent Van Gogh, when he was committed at his request, in 1889. We read the interesting story of his life as we wandered the ancient halls and rooms~it has been a monastery from Roman times~and was later dedicated to the treatment of the mentally ill.

This courtyard garden photo,with its 3-d affect, is one of my favorites from our travels.~We have it set as backdrop on our computer, so I almost feel like I live here~yikes! { If I ever go nuts, you'll know where to find me =/ }

Provence

In Provence, we noticed, the towns look way different. Older and more rustic. We loved the colors of windows and shutters, the sound of fountains trickling in the sun, the slower pace.

Doesn't Shannon look peaceful, sitting in the warm sun ! {or just tired?}

Many of the ruins are from the Roman era, like this gigantic aqueduct. We hiked way up to see it from another angle~it was so worth the climb. At the top, we ran into a couple, who had seen us in the restaurant on my birthday, clear back in the Loire Valley a week earlier. What a coincidence! We exchanged photographing each other.

Later, there was a free dance show/concert, with that huge aqueduct for backdrop. Stunning, actually.

On to Provence

Another goofy transition which now seems a blur in my mind~with rental cars and train rides~to get us down to Provence.

Our Charming hotel in the Loire was going to be a hard act to follow. Indeed, this is the only photo I took of the new place.

We loved the street markets and shops in Provence. Though we didn't buy much, we enjoyed looking, petting dogs and sampling the tapinad {from Antonio Banderes?}

I sorta wish we had bought one of these tablecloths!