Lake Effect

I'm always glad to receive a picture of Greg & Michelle and think they enjoy the self portraits like Bob & I do. This one was taken late last fall on one of their trips to northern Wisconsin.

Journaling:
"Lake Superior is cold even before winter. That air chill combined with the gorgeous country gave Greg & Michelle even more reason to snuggle. 2008"

Art Washes Dust

I liked the purple, orange & black color schemes in last year's Halloween papers, so was glad to find complementary pictures and quote for the seasonal layout.

Journaling:
"Art washes from the soul the dust of everyday life"--Pablo Picasso
The decorative scarecrows on the streets of Martinsburg provided that dusting!

A Few More Favorites from Last Fall (2008)

"Painted Lady"

We were returning from our Anniversary Trip in Berkley Springs last September when Bob stopped at an overlook. While he photographed the gorge below, I tried out my new telephoto lens, photographing the butterfly on the nearby wildflowers.

Journaling:


"Slender body, four broad wings
The common species is the prettiest of things,
Vivid colors, Patterns of art
A closeup of her does good for the heart."

Scenic Route

It rained most of the trip to Gettysburg yet we sure had fun, staying overnight in the peaceful farmland of Scotland, Pa.

We took the long way home traveling Rt. 30W from Chambersburg to Bedford, stopping 7 times along the way.

Scenic Route unfolded

I had many good memories and pictures on the return trip from Gettysburg, when we took the scenic route home. I wanted to create a time-line with pictures from each of our stops, so I created a folded layout. Bob says this trip reminded him of what we did when we were younger.

Journaling (modeled after Kenny Chesney lyrics):
"Sure feels good for some time to stand still
Even if it's only for a little while. . .
Being with you sure makes me smile."

Cale

Our first trip of the summer was an overnight jaunt to Cleveland, Ohio to visit my sister Amy and her family. Amy's youngest son, Caleb, is 4 years old and a little shy but he loved Bob. Bob played with him, with his doctor's kit and musical instrument. Cale loved the action figures and cars we gathered from our kids old toys to take to him.

I modeled this layout from a Jenni Bowlin ad in a scrapbook magazine. I love the chipboard buttons and her simple designs.

Journaling: "Cale smiles big when ticked by his Dad on Father's Day 2009."

Uncommon Valor

One of the highlights of our summer vacation to Virginia was the visit to the National Museum of the Marine Corps in Triangle, Virginia. Opened in 2006, the Museum features many full size models of soldiers-so life-like that one could think we were at a reenactment instead of viewing a display. The main reason I wanted to go was to honor my Dad, one of the surviving Marines who fought during the Battle of Iwo Jima.

Journaling: "Among the Americans who served on Iwo Jima, uncommon valor was a common virtue. My Dad was one of those soldiers, and we captured some of the emotion at the National Museum of the Marine Corps. In a simulation, we received a briefing before boarding a Higgins Boat to land on the beach at Iwo Jima. The Corps most important icon is in this gallery: the flag raised on Mt. Suribachi."

4th of July

I was happy when Bob thought it was a good idea to travel to Ohiopyle, Pa. on Independence Day afternoon when a friend told us about a farmer's market there. We traveled to the "National Pike" via Rt. 26 from Bruceton Mills to Markleysburg. Bob photographed scenery along this route for one of his "Country Roads" pages and stopped first to show me a beautiful lily pond full of the gorgeous pink flowers. He did not notice the goats sunning along the right of the road and turned around to capture a shot of the ornery brood. The Old National Pike is Rt. 40 and is a 50s vacation land. I remember traveling that road with my Mom & Dad from their Maryland home to Uniontown, Pa. The "Lone Star" restaurant where they went out to eat is still in business! After our jaunt to Ohiopyle we went on west to Uniontown and stopped for a nice meal before heading back to Morgantown to rest a while before going out again for the annual fireworks. This time I tried my hand at slow exposure photography to capture some shots of the fireworks over the PRT station on Beechurst Avenue. We had so much fun.

Journaling: "Red running gears, blue bodies, and white canvas made up the Conestoga wagon that traveled US Rt. 40 in the 1800s. On the Independence Day, 2009, Bob and I drove our silver Honda up Rt. 26 to historic Rt. 40, stopping to photograph goats sunning and a peaceful pond full of water lilies. We journeyed off the National Pike to Ohiopyle Falls, then looped from Uniontown to Morgantown in time for fireworks."