Thursdays Through the Neighborhood with my Camera

I am forever amazed 

by the beauty that

surrounds me.

Most roads lead to the water

But occasionally I will find a friend peeking back at me.

And the stone walls.

I am always in awe of the stone walls.

Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful,

we must carry it with us or we will find it not.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Our Hydrangea
decides for itself

which blue to be
or not

reaching through pinks
into purples

one growing season
bringing many hues
and moods, pinks
into purples
and purples
into pink

each year the one shrub
getting wider and wilder

Anne Selden Annab
The Fairy Garden Poems # 20

The Fairy Garden Poems

My first bouquet of the season

Last years bounty

Not only have the roses been eked out

The split rail fence is slowly disappearing

I love my hydrangeas

Baker's Beach 2010

Don't grow up too quickly,

lest you forget how much you love the beach

Michelle Held

circa 1960

Yes, that fabulous babe in the white shades is me.

Holding my little brothers hand. GAH!!!

We were dressed and ready to head down to the beach.

My brother and I have said

that we thought this was everyones summer life.

Wake up, make lunch

day at the beach

home

take the beach bag out

repack for the next day.

You mean it wasn't what everyone else did?

Some things just never change

Kenny would want you to know

He is NOT a beach person

He would do this for me

That is what marriage is

The compromises

I love that

Weekend at Bakers 2010

He has always known that if he is going to find me

I will be close to the water, by the lifeguard chair on the left 

It's our spot

weekend at Bakers 2010

Looking through the dunes 

to Baker's Beach

The weather has not cooperated here in New England

We haven't had beautiful beach weather

a day here and there

but nothing consistent

The beach has been part of my life

for as long as I remember

When I uploaded this photograph 

Sky Black and Blue by Jackson Browne came to mind.

Enjoy.

Father's Day

A bittersweet day for many I am sure.

We are lucky to still have Kenny. 

He had a wonderful day.

Had a smile on his face the whole day.

Nothing makes him happier than to have 

Alexandra and Graham

home.

Alison was here, too, which added to Kenny's day. 

She is so kind to him. 

This is one of those days we are so incredibly happy to get through. 

Here are some candids.

Kenny with his Father's Day belt

Alexandra relaxing in the sun

reminded me a favorite song

"And on that day when we will pay for all the deeds we have done,
Good and bad they'll all be had to see by everyone.
And when you're called to stand and tell just what you saw in me,
More than anything I know, I want your words to be,

I had my Father's eyes,
My Father's eyes;
Eyes that found the good in things,
When good was not around;
Eyes that found the source of help,
When help would not be found;
Eyes full of compassion,
Seeing every pain;
Knowing what you're going through,
And feeling it the same.
Just like my Father's eyes,
My Father's eyes"

My Father's Eyes

Amy Grant

Graham playing king of the hill 

with Lola and Gus

Alison and Kenny

Who is the Scrabble champion??

Much of what we do as caregivers can be summed up in two words:

giving attention.

Most people dismiss the value of attention

because this act of care seemingly requires no special skill set.

So, the thinking goes, if anybody can give attention to a loved one in need,

then it clearly isn’t very unique.

But here’s the catch—

so few people are capable of giving the kind of attention loved ones need 

most

because not all attention is created equal.

Even though attention seemingly requires

 no particular set of skills that can be neatly bullet-pointed in a resume, 

it’s amazing how rare a gift it is

to give and receive attention without qualifiers.

This was as beneficial as the conference.

on Newbury Street

Alexandra

Amy

Beer

Goodies

Friday was an amazing day.

I learned more than I ever expected.

I met men and women I have known about but not known.

Incredibly inspiring.

It was a good day.

Love does not consist in gazing at each other but looking in the same direction together. 

Antonne de Saint-Exupery

.

I am heading to Boston today

I am meeting Alexandra

We are going to

the Annual Meeting 

for FTD

This year I am meeting a friend

Someone I met on the phone 

I actually met her mom first

She called after

our CNN project

Sparks Family, FTD on CNN

She told me about Amy

and her sweet Matt

who also had this horrific disease

We keep in touch

We understand each other

This day is so important

A day to myself

A day to learn

A day to finally hold the hand of another wife

Home

And home is not a house- It is a state of mind.

A place of communion and unconditional love.

It is where, when you cross its threshold, you finally feel at peace.

Dennis Lehane

If you can't laugh, the days are just too long.
Lauren Anderson

photo by cheryl sparks
editing Rachel

Kenny makes me laugh.

Years ago he took life so seriously.

He was building our home.

He was saving for our children's education,

for our future.

He worked so hard to keep our home

and our yard looking beautiful.

If anyone needed him, he was there.

We did have fun,

and over the years,

plenty of laughs.

But it was as though he felt that

he had work to do

and there just wasn't much time to laugh.

Now he laughs.

His timing is impeccable.

It cracks me up.

Please don't misunderstand.

I adored the old Kenny.

I would wish for his return in a heartbeat.

But I do feel blessed.

I will enjoy every day

that I am able to laugh with him. 

One cannot collect

all the beautiful shells on the beach;

one can collect only a few,

and they are more beautiful if they are few.

Anne Morrow Lindbergh

photo by cheryl sparks
edited by rachel

Graham had gone for a walk on our favorite beach in St. Croix. 

He came back, and handed this to me.

It's beautiful.

It's not perfect... although today I took a photo of its perfect side... 

We are all a bit like that.

A little bit perfect

a little bit not.