Coming Out

No, this is not what most people now days think of when someone is talking about "coming out". I am talking (or typing) about my favorite season......Spring. It's when the snow melts, the baby animals are being born, the flowers start blooming, everything starts to green and the trees start to bud. A couple years ago, I planted one of my favorite trees. The Pussy Willow - weeping variety. I will call it Tom (you'll find out why as you read on). It is awesome in the summer when it's full of leaves and in the fall as the leaves change colors. But I think it's at it's best in the spring as the buds or "catkins" as they are called, start to come out of their shell. What exactly are pussy willows? Click here to learn more. In doing some research on the origins of the name, I came to discover that they are dioecious. Which means there are both male and female of the species. The male of the species, produces the showier "catkins". Mine is male, hence the name Tom {as in tom cat :)}. Tom has been doing a strip tease lately and exposing his "catkins". Here's a couple awesome photos of Tom "coming out"

Brothers

Sisters

My sisters Michelle and Cristie got all of the creative and artistic talents out of us four siblings.

My talents are in music

and in the kitchen
.

However, over the past few years, I've developed an addiction to the computer. More specifically, as mentioned in a previous post, to digital scrapbooking.
I've had a ball going through old pictures I either physically have or scanned photos I've borrowed from relatives. Recently, I've rediscovered some of them and now intend to use them as blackmail.

Here's the latest with my older sister Mushy Oatmeal. I think this was 1st grade (but I'm not positive).

More Photoshop Magic

Grandma Beth

HI

The Fam

On a recent trip to the North Pole, aka Moscow, Idaho, I got the chance to spend a week with my mom and help her with her blog. The stories she posts are fascinating to read and are so well told it's like you were there with her. While on my trip, she came across an old letter written by her father to her mother circa 1951 and has been "blogging" about it. After returning home, I received an email from her requesting some pictures I used to make a collage for hers years ago. She wanted them to go with her stories. I had to search several boxes of storage, but I found them. Here's a preview.

Teenage Drama Queen

Wishing my niece Sarabeth my best wishes on her 13th birthday!

Mom was right!

"You can't depend on your judgment when your imagination is out of focus." -- Mark Twain

After reading a recent post on Livin' Til I Die & Other Fantasies, I was inspired to dig out my old photo albums and embark on a quest for the truth. After going through many the pages of pictures, laughing, crying, and reminiscing I come to discover MOM WAS RIGHT! Babe was not a babe! LOL! The poor thing. Here's a photo circa 1987. Judge for yourself. Just remember to use your imagination. She really was a wonderful cat.

Boise Foothills

What a beautiful morning! It was not snowing and we actually had blue skies for a change. This is a shot of Bogus Basin and the Boise foothills. Can you believe their going to destroy this view by putting in another shopping mall? How rude!