focus on life–week 22- foodie

“What ya eatin?” asked Sally Russick in her ever charming and inspiring weekly prompt for the focus on life series at the Studio Sublime.

Here’s the answer



That’s my mum, a true foodie.  There is nothing she can’t cook.  As a family who had four out of six members have braces, she could whip up a soufflé of almost any size at moment’s groan.  Here she is holding a whole container of “Christmas cookies” [I have no idea what they are really called I just associate them with Christmas].  Can you make them out?



Baby goat cookies!! Ok, well baby goat shaped cookies would probably be more correct.  They are buttery, but not what I think of as shortbread and I believe the icing is like an egg white type thing.  See, I am clearly not the foodie.  I know, now you are thinking why baby goats?

When Averleigh was quite young, she had some kind of dislike/phobia of goats.  This was before she could speak. If you turned the page of a book and a goat was there she would hide it with her hand.  If you made a “meh'” or “bleat” or other vague goat-like sound she would shake her head and cover your mouth.  The goat shaped puzzle piece was always thrown across the room… You get the idea.  It was comical that this idea of hating goats seemed to go on forever for no apparent reason at all.  Then one fine day she fed some baby goats, after much convincing, and it was decided that baby goats – and only baby goats- were actually ok. 

How many three year olds get goat cookies atop a birthday cake? Oh but she is loved!

I’m betting this isn’t going to sound at all strange when I see what the rest of you are all munching on right here

PS. I will have an anklet to share for the blog hop Saturday, I’m not sure what
 time yet, but there will be a post ;)

focus on life–week 21–reminisce

This Sunday Averleigh turns 3.  Based solely on the word Reminisce – the moment I saw that prompt arrive from Sally – I thought man, how did she know! How did she know I would be thinking a lot on the recent past this week.  Last year when she turned 2 I wrote a bit about her birth here.   In even quicker words, she arrived way early, way tiny, way dramatic and way beautiful.



I thought I’d share some of the unusual things in her little memory box of things.  Averleigh weighed 750g about 1 lbs 10oz and was less than 13 inches long.  It’s hard to really convey how tiny that is.  The diaper on top is like a maxi pad, it had to be folded down twice to allow room for her umbilical line [rather than an IV if they are quick about it they can use the vein and artery in the umbilical cord remnant instead].  Sitting on top of it is one of the hospital “bracelets” she had on her ankle that slipped off.  Then there is the cork from the Champagne we popped on her zero day.  The day that was my due date we celebrated with a very small party.  Just cake and balloons with the Grands and one of my brothers and sister-in-law (her guardians).  Underneath you can see a set of leads, these would be changed routinely so at some point a nurse stuck a set on, what seemed at the time, a massive diaper (small). 

I never did get a blood pressure cuff, she went through a couple of sizes of those. That seems odd to say but the cuff itself stays in the isolet with the babe, they each get their own.  There are other odd memories, like weighing her diaper.  I recall fetching one back from the trash when I didn’t know she was back on a diuretic, the nurse was just about to update me but I had been too quick to get my time with her.  Premature babies really need dark and quiet so you aren’t allowed to bug them.  Averleigh was feed every two hours at the start but you could only touch her every four.   She was four days old when I held (skin-to-skin for warmth) her for the first time and it was for just about 10 minutes.  I was heartbroken the next day when that nurse wouldn’t let me.   I found out later that first nurse probably just took pity on me as I had to leave the hospital that day.  Normally they don’t let them out to be held until they don’t have that umbilical line, because you cut out all sorts of infection risk if you never need an IV or a central line.  The umbilical line was there to feed her, she wasn’t getting any milk yet then.  I realize the memories are fading a bit since I can’t automatically tell you what day they started – I can tell you it was 1 cc.

Sunday we are having a party in the park with friends.  We are going to play, have a little buffet breakfast with lots of toppings for some Eggos (I cannot remember the last time i had one), lots of fruit, muffins, and of course cake.  It’s rained all week but I’m certain we will get some sun to celebrate our born feisty girl.  I like that every year I get a whole bunch of happy memories of her birthday to edge out some of the originals.

Ok, time to head over to the Studio Sublime and see what Sally Russick and the rest of the gang got up to.

ps.  I promise to share pictures!
pps. I know I kinda cheated, that it's not my childhood - but this is the real focus on life this week!

focus on life–week 20–looking up

Here we are week 20, wow.  I was doubting I would have something to share, but wanted to keep up.  Sally Russick of the Studio Sublime has given week after week of thoughtful photo prompts, I always look forward to receiving.  So I whined last week about being sick, and man was it a tough one. I had no voice at all for three days and Tuesday I did spend a great deal of time looking up, the only way to relieve the sinus pain, but no photos.  Here is a moment instead from Thursday afternoon.



I was sitting on my front step looking at these metal butterflies I had installed six years earlier.  They had this open scrollwork I guess you would call it, naturally I felt compelled to fill those spaces with polymer.  I remember researching about outdoor use and most said to stay clear.  I figured it was worth a shot, I could always remove it if ti faded or degraded.  I have to say it has held up remarkably well!  We get nice hot summers and damn cold winters and these are screwed into the brick so they have been in place to see it all (on a west facing wall). 

When they first went up it was a variety of marbled purples, copper, green and white.  The copper, green and white look the same today as they did then.  The purples however have shifted to blues which I find quite curious since usually red pigments are so much stronger and more lightfast.  Still looks good to me so there they stay.

Time to go look up what everyone is looking up at …

Focus on life–week 19–hope

*she croaks* Hi folks!  I’m late to posting this week’s picture in the focus on life series from Sally Russick of the Studio Sublime.  I just attempted to read a bed time story and only got half way through – she will have to wait until tomorrow to see where the fat rat is running with the pat of butter.  I’m SICK.  Averleigh had it the last week, nasty sore throat and five days of fever and general malaise, well, she passed the torch. 

This week had us searching for a picture to capture some hope in our lives.  I didn’t take anything that really spoke to me but I did have a email appear on Wednesday from my dad simply titled “Averleigh and friend”.  I know how much she has been hoping for this day to come back around.  Last summer, feeding “chippy” was a regular thing.  A long winter later he has finally reappeared this week.  I bet he was hoping for her as much as she was hoping for him.



More tea, more ginger, more drugs for me and this will pass.  Off to see what hope was seen through so many lenses on Sally’s post.

focus on life–week 18- abstract

First an update on week 17 and the best shoes ever.  She totally loved them and couldn’t take her eyes off ‘em.  They’ve already seen a whole lot of action and are holding up just beautifully.  Happy child, happy mama!



She loves to tell me that there are two bears in the Octopod: one is Shellington, one is Barnacles.  This is not true, Shellington is a sea otter and she loves to have me argue that point with her.  She has found debate humorous since practically her first words (when she would insist the globe was a ball).  Sigh.

Here comes week 18, when Sally Russick of the Studio Sublime prompted us to look for and create an abstract with our lens.  She included some great instructions for capturing a light trail.  I had big plans and then the week just sucked the life right out of me (boring day job reasons).  So Friday afternoon I found myself searching for the app she mentioned may be one to try.  Try I did, it didn’t work – it saved white boxes instead of pictures.  Never mind, there were all sorts of others to try out.  I liked the one called “Slow Camera FREE – Shutter FX for Professional Photographers” catchy name huh?



I was taking pictures basically while shaking my phone at a variety of angles and then there are all manner of different effects you can add. the sample above starts with the view of my curtained window shaking north/south with aqua filter.  In the middle is a shot of the TV, drop your right ear to your shoulder and you should see his face.  On the right is through the screen looking at next door’s satellite. 

This one ended up being my favourite.  It has some filter on it too, don’t recall which one. I think there were 12 different ones in the free version, I didn’t take a look at what a purchase gets you.  I sure did have some fun though using the light to sketch out a picture. 

Now it’s time to see what this creative group came up with right here, on Sally’s blog