These things called, "Silly Bandz"...

Here in Central Ohio, rubber bands in varying shapes and colors adorn the arms of toddler and preteen alike. My students carry the bands on their arms and in large baggies ready to lay them all out and trade with just a moments notice.

Besides just the "normal" silly bands,
there are glow-in-the-dark ones,
sparkly ones, tie dyed ones
and...
so I've been told,
even "smelly" ones.

I watch

and

I smile.

I know that I am witnessing a special memory develop for this generation. Their version of "Cabbage Patch Kids" if you will...

I must admit though,

the whole thing is slightly bemusing.

Who could ever imagined?
Shaped rubber bands for about four dollars a dozen?

Seriously?

Is it a modern Rorschach test

(some shapes are hard to identify...)
or just
simple happiness...
homegrown in our very own state?

Feel free to see what the excitement is about and decide for yourself.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/05/13/eveningnews/main6481251.shtml

moments of bliss...

A picnic packed by dad...
trees waving in the wind...

Happy chatter...
shoes off...

Loved ones sharing an afternoon...
simple blessings...

sun and surf!

In Downtown Columbus, there are many opportunities for happy adventures. One such lovely place is Scioto Audubon Metro Park. Yesterday our family enjoyed the sights. My younger daughter and I especially loved watching the turtles sunning themselves. Some were swimming.. Some were basking in the muggy afternoon heat... Others did a little of both.

With picnic tables, a lovely indoor (and air conditioned) facility where you can sit and overlook a large wetland and many trails to hike, I suggest you mosey on over to : http://www.metroparks.net/ParksSciotoAudubon.aspx and check out all this wonderful park has to offer!

bitty wishes...

I made the garden last winter,
moving stones on a snowy day...
trying to deny how long it was until spring.

Finally the time came when I could fill the circle with soil and sit in the grass surrounded by packets of seeds.

With a smile on my face I envisioned the zinnias...
the cactus quills...
the heirloom candy cane ones...
the canary yellow that would shout happiness...

I picked a few seeds out of each envelop,
scattering them about the bed...


I waited...
I watched the first sprouts...
I transplanted those too close together...

God sent
rain...
sunshine...

flowers!

pausing to enjoy...

In an age of rules,
made by those afraid of lawsuits,
some of the simple pleasures of life are in danger of being forgotten.

One evening,
not too long ago,
my husband and I took our son for a walk.

On a particularly lovely street in downtown Columbus, Ohio
are massive fountains that just beg for toes to be dipped in.

I helped our son take his shoes off
and just for a moment or two,
take a trip into the past,
to a simpler time.

As he played in the water,
I smiled...
and remembered the many times my own mother let me play.

My mom kept a towel in the trunk of our car to dry of my brother and I if we got a bit too damp from an adventure.

Creek wading...
fountain splashing...
even the hand pump at the rest stop...

The possibilities were endless...

Sigh...
I love summer!

Just take a look....

This past weekend, my family and I went to the Columbus Zoo. While in the Reptile house, we came to a large tank teeming with swimming turtles. In the bottom of the middle panel was an alligator snapping turtle. Kids were pressed up against the glass and were talking.

The turtle was so still that many people were guessing it was decorative statuary. I paused at the sight. I had never seen a "fake" turtle in this particular tank, but perhaps the zoo had added one since I had last visited. I was curious, so I bent down in the middle of the hallway and knelt by the window. I peered closely and saw the turtle's tongue ever so gently swaying side to side.

I laughed out loud and pointed it out to the other curious onlookers. Immediately my husband and realized we were seeing the turtle use a "lure" obviously hoping to catch something yummy for lunch. How fun to see in reality what we had only learned about on television.

Did I look silly kneeling on the floor? Quite possibly... But, if I hadn't looked closer, we would have missed out on a delightful discovery.

Three cheers for the snapping turtle! Here's hoping someone added a few fish to the tank.

Tonight and always, I wish you well. I pray that you are led on your adventures and kept safe along your way. May God Bless you and be gracious to you. This day and always! I bid you peace.

The first coneflower blooms...

I've seen a bud on my Black eyed Susan's.

My "Sunrise" cone flowers are growing petals and soon will be sharing their cheery yellow blossoms.

This year though,
it is my pink cone flowers that are blooming first!


Nestled between the lavender and other perennials in my front bed, I didn't notice the smaller plant until their almost fluorescent color caught my eye. My photo does not even begin to do justice to their beauty.



Like so many things, the real deal is so much better than a copy. It is the difference between a real stained glass window made by the hand of an artist and one mass produced with "lead" lines painted on.

Both may be lovely... only one is truly a masterpiece.


Sugar free cookies... or Double Chocolate ones rolled in real sugar...

Blueberry pancakes made with plump berries or ones made with fake pellets of sugar...


Which would you choose?


The best things in life...

aren't fake...