Do women ever grow up

I was in my favorite coffee shop this morning. It was busier than normal. Too busy for my taste. I am used to being there during the quite part of the day- to pay my bills, balance my check book, read, etc. It is like my office away from my house (as is it for many)

It was loud today however, too loud for my reading - even with my mp3 player. I gave in and just sat for a moment trying to pick up on the conversations - listen without gawking sort of thing. (you know that, I know you do)

There were three older (70ish) ladies two tables over from me. Listening to their conversation ended up being quite hilarious and a bit eye opening. Their conversation was basically that of a group of thirty year old woman mixed in with some complaints about technology from the one. Honestly, do we as women never grow up and move on from the same gripes? Husbands, kids, family, one was quite hung up on the de-personalization of humanity due to Facebook..... can we not move past the same thing and find something better to talk about? As I said, it was both good for a giggle and eye -opening.

When I am 70(ish) and hopefully able to hang out with my "coffee chickas" I will make it my goal to bring up interesting things to talk about.... a bit more philosophical. I will try to get my group to use their experience and wisdom to pull out a decent conversation.... like-> do you think that major events (births, deaths, tragedies, etc) define us as a person? make us who we are?

However, I probably will just be bitching about my husband and kids.

Woodshed Wisdom

There are some things I was thinking about as I split wood on Mother's Day. I started telling these bits of knowledge to my daughter as she watched me work. I realized I was spouting off some pretty good "Woodshed Wisdom" I ran to get a piece of paper - good thoughts are rare these days, wouldn't want to let them go to waste!

A lot of what holds true to logs seems to hold true to people:

* Anything will break if you hit it in the right spot

*The logs that are the hardest to deal with are those that are spoiled rotten inside

*Letting go at just the right time is key to not getting hurt

*Read a log before trying to split it- it will tell you where to hit- much like people

*If you are too tired to do the job it is near impossible

*Start with the biggest, hardest logs- you will be too tired at the end to split them.
Conquer the toughest task first

*If you keep your eye on the target and swing hard you won't miss. Closing your eyes or being hesitant will lead to failure.

*Use momentum

*A log much like a family- is strongest where all it's branches come together.

*You have to work around a knot, you can not break it.

*The base of a tree is toughest for it has the most experience/years on it.

Manual labor can give a person perspective

Warning- You are about to see my "mom pants" also known as my work jeans.... they keep everything where it is suppose to be.

Yes, logs were hurt in the making of this slideshow- deal with it!



Pictures taken by Addie with Nikon D60
in three separate attempts (to get the whole sequence)

Meet Kirby

Photography by Julie Saari

Kirby
Movil Maze
Northeast of Bemidji
April 2010

I had just finished a meeting downtown. A truck with a trailer pulled up and parked as I crossed the street heading toward my vehicle. The emblem on the side resembled that of a super hero, and maybe Kirby (The Bike Guy) is a super hero, at least in the world of bikers. Kirby grew tired of trying to make a living and decided to try to earn money doing what he liked instead. This decision seems to have served him well. Mobile bike repair with same or next day service is something this town obviously needed. But there is a man behind the business

Meet Kirby H. (aka The Bike Guy):

Water, pine trees, wood smoke and ‘smores, that was the beginning of my personal Bemidji. I guess I am lucky that my parents loved to camp. When I was a kid the word “Bemidji” was magic. I have heard it said that a picture is worth a thousand words, but to an eight year old growing up in the middle of the Red River Valley, the word “Bemidji” conjured up a thousand pictures. Here a few words about my town, you will have to fill in your pictures yourself.

Summer, the camping was in the summer.............

To read more go HERE

To see the photo shoot go HERE

I am: a mom, yet more

I am:

I am a mom

I am blessed x 4

I am a wife

I am a business owner

Yet I am still a woman
(who is still wild/untamed)

I am a work in progress

Love me for who I am
Appreciate me for who I am trying to become
Don't try to change me, rather enjoy it
You can't hold back the wind.

I posted over here too - a note to my daughter (more pics too)
I wrote a post here - for my son (a pic too)
Mother's Day funny below

Happy Mothers Day!!!

Love to all the moms out there
and a special hug to my mom.
Sorry I can't be there today.

Waiting

Hey. Where have I been? What am I doing?

I don't know that I really can answer that . I am in limbo. Waiting.

Waiting for nicer weather to start the outside stuff again. Waiting for the motivation to tackle the grass that is taking over the garden soil - lawn trying to reclaim it's old territory.

Waiting for the next stage of my life - so I don't have to wonder what I will be doing when I grow up.

Waiting for summer always.

Waiting for my kids to grow past this stage and then wondering how they got so big so fast.

Waiting for things to slow down - knowing they never will, not soon anyway.

Waiting for one kid to get over the bug - stomach crud... waiting for the next one to get it, or for myself to end up head first in the toilet.

Waiting for my next thing and missing the opportunities in between the ones I am waiting for

Waiting for the wash machine and the dishwasher to finish, waiting for the kids to get on the bus and off the bus, waiting for rain, and then praying for sun.

Waiting too long to go to bed, not wanting to give in to the tired.

I am still here, I am just waiting.

What a friend is

Description of a friend:

One that will pull one of her best employees and "make her" be your babysitter for Friday night so that you can still go to a party (thrown in your honor).

Thank you!!!!