The Times, They are a Changin'

I know it's been a long time and I do apologize to all of my readers :)))))) My vacation took me and spun me around a bit. I have been fighting to get back on track with a routine ever since. Life is becoming more productive and my motivation level has kicked in a bit so hopefully, the waves will be crashing a lot more often.

Today's blog is about how time is flying and how I am constantly trying to keep up with it. Well, sort of............Emily turned 12 years old in September and this has been a year with a lot of changes for her and for me. Halloween was one of the unexpected changes. I can remember the days when there was no question what we would be doing for Halloween. This year was a little different. Emily couldn't decide whether or not she wanted to trick or treat. She was still into dressing up and that was fun but just looking at her (almost eye to eye now) and realizing that she is growing up so much faster than I am keeping up was a real eye opener to me. It's very bitter sweet because on the one hand I am happy to see her growing into a lovely young lady but on the other hand I am not happy with her growing into a lovely young lady :) I know that it's what they do and what we need to accept as parents but it isn't easy. I can remember going through this with Michael and it was just as hard then and it really doesn't go away because this life is set up in stages. He is now 25 and living on his own and doing wonderfully (without me :) I am so proud of him and know that he is making a life for himself. I feel wonderful about Michael but it still doesn't make it any easier.

As I watched Emily trick or treat this year knowing that she is REALLY growing up, I wanted to hold onto her and keep her stuck in a moment that was very special for me. Instead of holding her back from the growing that God has intended for her to do, I will turn to my photographs and fill my heart with the joy that I can remember from all of those special moments that I hold dear :)

Emily this year just before we headed out to trick or treat :) The photographs following are just some Halloween moments from years past that I am tucking in my heart and I am not letting go :)

Introducing Cocoa Puff Purington

Not sure if I have introduced Cocoa yet. He has been in our family for 2 years now :) I have to admit that I never wanted to even think about having a dog. I know that they require a lot of attention and they restrict you from going places. But somehow Cocoa found his way into our home and I am going to tell you just how that happened :)

My daughter Emily has a very good friend Abbie. Abbie's grandmother breeds Yorkshire Terriers. Emily would spend a lot of time at Abbie's and she would see lots of dogs and puppies over there. One day she was visiting Abbie and she was told that one of the dogs was expecting a litter :) Abbie's grandmother told Emily that she would gladly 'give' her one of the puppies (haha). Thanks Grandmom!!!! Well, Emily told me this and I told her that we aren't getting a dog. We are getting ready to move and it will be too much to deal with and it's just not a good time. Well, Emily continued to visit Abbie during this dog's pregnancy and the day came when the puppies came and Emily got to see these little babies that fit in the palm of your hand. She was so excited and always wanted to go see the puppies. I kept telling her we couldn't take one. We got a call from the grandmother one day and she told us that the puppies were ready to find a home and we could come and pick out the one we would like to take home. I was confused because I was clear that we weren't taking a puppy. I think my daughter was telling the grandmom that she still wanted one (cute, right??) I got off of the phone with the grandmother and sat down to talk with Emily about this dog and how we couldn't bring one home. All I saw was this look on Emily's face like life itself had stopped and I couldn't do it to her. So I told her I would talk to her dad about it and all along my heart was pounding heavy because I knew she had to have this dog and I wasn't ready. As you can see, we did take a puppy and now I am so glad that we did. Cocoa is the life of our family :) He does need a lot of attention and he can be a bad boy sometimes but he is so full of love and always wants to kiss and play :)

We did ask Abbie's grandmother for a girl puppy and when we went to pick out our puppy she separated the girls from the boys and we picked one of the girls :) Emily actually did the picking and she had planned to call this dog Cocoa Puff. Unfortunately, Cocoa Puff wasn't eating and a vet visit was necessary. The vet was the one who informed us that our sweet little puppy was a male :) Cocoa Puff had already been adorned with a fluffy pink bed, dog bowls with roses on them, a pink leash, and plenty of other frills :)))))) It was a little disappointing for Emily to find out Cocoa was a boy because she planned on primping Cocoa with bows and I even think there was talk of prim and proper dog shows (haha). Cocoa proved all of that wrong and is proud to show his masculine side by thumping on the cats, splashing through puddles and rolling in the mud..........he is a true boy!!! And we couldn't be more thrilled with him and are all attached like glue to this little boy :)

We head off to vacation this weekend and we have to leave our little boy for 2 whole weeks. Another thing that makes it hard to have a dog. Nobody wants them in their homes.......so Cocoa wont be able to join us in our beautiful beach house. It makes me sad because we will really miss our little baby :) And I know he will miss us too. We are so lucky that Jim's mom is willing to care for him for all of that time. I think she has become attached to this guy too...........the last time she watched him, she didn't want to give him up :)

A Visit With Michael :)

Jim, Emily and I spent the last weekend of June visiting Michael. Michael lives in Virginia and has been living there for a year and a half now. We see Michael but he usually comes to visit us. We wanted to get a glimpse of his life in Virginia so we decided to go check it out. We had a great visit and I am going to share some of it with all of you :)

Michael lives in Lansdowne, Virginia which is very close to Washington DC so we added a trip to DC as part of our get together. Michael introduced us to the metro and that rode us right into Washington DC. We spent all of Saturday touring those 'oh so famous' monuments and memorials. One thing I noticed about Washington DC is that it is a very clean city. It looks like a movie set, that is how clean it is. We spent the day walking through Washington DC, taking pictures and walking and walking and walking. We walked so much that my legs felt like rubber when the day was over. Michael led us to a place he had been to before for dinner. It was so nice to sit down and enjoy a meal in the air conditioning. Oh, I forgot to tell you that the weather was so hot that day........somewhere in the 90's!!! We took the metro back into Virginia and spent a few hours swimming in the hotel pool. Emily would never allow us to forget about the hotel pool :)))) Swimming, I think is one of her reasons for existence :))))

Sunday, we visited Michael's church and met some of his friends. His church is so beautiful and welcoming. I really enjoyed it and his friends were very open to us and very welcoming as well :) We did have a little excitement after services but I wont get into that.........the possibility of embarrassment is there and Jim would kill me (oops.........I almost spilled the beans :) It was a small, little fender bender in the parking lot of the church (oops, did I say that?).....and Jim was driving.......oh my goodness, I think I said too much :))))) It was a very small scrape and it held us up a little but no worries. The other person who was hit was not concerned at all because the car they were driving was soon to be passed on to their college bound daughter. They said that they expect this car to get a few bumps and bruises so they wouldn't take anything from us. Wasn't Jim lucky????!!! I think so :))) And MY car, yes, you heard me correctly, MY car only had a small scrape on it and isn't too much to have it repaired :)))) I am expecting it home today all back to it's beautiful self :))) After that we enjoyed a lunch with Michael and all of his friends. It was refreshing to sit with all of these young people and be a part of their day :) Lunch was finished and we headed over to Michael's apartment to spend some time in his pool :)))) Yes, more swimming :) Michael has a great little apartment and it has plenty of amenities that are all very nice. The pool was beautiful and a great way to just relax and cool off. We ended our visit with a visit to Jim's cousin Eddie's. Eddie and Gina, his wife, live 5 minutes from Michael. They opened their home to us and had a meal waiting for us. It was a fun time for everyone.

We enjoyed being in Michael's environment and spending time with him :) I look forward to doing it again and next time I want to see the Smithsonian Museum. We didn't have time for that this time but hope to next time. I haven't been to that museum in so long and from what I remember it was a pretty amazing place to see :)

I included some of the photo's I took while on our visit.............I will give a little explanation for each photo..........Take a look!!!

We started each day at the IHOP :))) How could we not????

Here is Michael being silly :)

The Metro....and if you look close you can see Jim, Emily, and Michael's reflections.

Jim and Emily riding the metro............Jim very happy to have his new GPS who we call Jill :)

First stop.......The White House.....This is as close as we could get to it. We asked if they give tours and they said yes but it takes about 6 months to get clearance for it :) No grand tour for us :)

Second stop the bench outside of the White House and Emily was already getting tired (haha).........we have a long and hot walking day ahead of us.

A White House Fire Hydrant!!! I really was surprised it was green........thought it would be white :) I took this for my dad because he likes to see these :) *just kidding*

A close up of the Lincoln Memorial..........that place was packed. The steps to go up were probably 50 steps and everyone was racing inside because it looked like it was going to rain. I am sure there are that many people visiting there even if the rain isn't coming. A popular memorial :)

This is the view of the Washington Monument from the Lincoln Memorial with the reflection pool in between. It was really beautiful!!

This is what I really wanted to visit........the Vietnam Memorial Wall. It is very amazing to see. Sooooooooooooooo many names and the way it reflects everything is so pretty. This is me in the reflection here :)

Another view of the wall............

Emily and Michael having fun in the hotel pool :))))

We loved Virginia :)

Mom is Making Friends at the Beach

My mom is making friends at the beach :) She sent me a picture of one of her new friends yesterday :) hehehe!!! Her and my dad took a trip up to the beach early in the morning and this guy paid her a visit :) Luckily she had her camera to capture the moment (way to go mom). I encourage the camera, haha, as most of you already know :) And she did quite a good job with her photography skills. I am proud :)

This little guy is actually called a ghost crab and it is rare to catch him out like this. I can remember when I was a kid and we would vacation at the beach. Whenever we would go to the beach around sunset these little guys would come out :) They used to give me the creeps because you would catch them from the corner of your eye, turn your head and there would be nothing there. Creepy right???!!! That is the reason they are called ghost crabs :) When you did get a quick glimpse of one, they'd be scurrying and always traveling sideways so fast it was hard to see them. And then they would disappear in the sand. And not the sand by the shore, the dry sand where you would lay your blankets down. Don't think that my mind wasn't wondering about those little critters while I was laying on my blanket :) So, these little buggers are not easy to capture with a camera (another way to go mom). She doesn't know what she captured here. She told me he was moving fast but would stop like he wanted her to take his picture (how funny!!) He is cute but I still get the creeps. Keep that camera handy mom, we all enjoy seeing your new friends :))

Sketch

Several people have asked me to post Cheryl's sketch of Emily. I have to tell you that this sketch of Emily looks exactly like her and Cheryl did a beautiful job :) It's one of my favorite photographs of Emily that she used and the sketch is even better. I will cherish it for my lifetime :) And I am sure it will be an heirloom in our family :) Now the photo that I took of this sketch has some glare because it is under glass. It doesn't take too much away from the sketch :) I just adore it!!!


I am also going to post a photograph of Cheryl :) This picture is one that was published in her local newspaper :) She is shown here with her grandchildren and some of her artwork. The newspaper article was recognizing her as their local artist :) Doesn't she look great...........not much different from high school right? Lucky her :)

Showcasing Talent

I'd like to take a minute to showcase a friends talent. Her name is Cheryl and she has been a friend to me since we met in high school :) The years have moved us apart physically but we do manage to keep in touch mostly by email. Once you have a friend like this, no matter where you are or how far away, that friend will always be in your heart. And that is where Cheryl is with me. She has recently been able to touch on some talent that she has and the results are amazing. The first talent that she shared with me was her drawing. She surprised me with a sketch of my daughter and I was just blown away. It's one of my favorites and I have it hanging in our family room. Everyone asks about it and always has wonderful things to say. Next, I hear that Cheryl is making wooden birds. I had no idea how one goes about doing something like that and I never saw her work but was happy that she was able to enjoy spending time with another new talent. Not long ago Cheryl gifted my parents with one of her wooden birds for their new home at the shore. I had only heard about it until last weekend when I went to visit them. They showed me the bird and I was stunned. I looked at this piece of wonder and was in total amazement at how perfect this was. That's another thing......Cheryl doesn't throw anything together, she perfects what she does with the most pleasing of ways :) I asked her how in the world does she begin a project like this. And she told me that you start with a piece of wood. Please take a look at the picture of this bird that she created and look at the detail and preciseness that is put into this beautiful piece of art. Some of you on my blog list know Cheryl and I am sure you will be quite amazed at her special talent. Cheryl, I hope I haven't embarrassed you too much. I am happy to showcase your gifts and thank you for sharing them with me and my family. You are truly a blessing and I am happy to have you as MY friend.

Happy Birthday Dad!!!!!! For Friday, June 13

I couldn't very well showcase my mom on her birthday and not do the same for good ole dad :))) And I could never leave out dad. He is much too special for that. Look at that happy face on him in this picture. He has always loved the ocean. And now he gets to live near that ocean. What a way to retire is what I say. I hope I can live near the ocean someday and enjoy it's simple pleasures :)


My dad has been a major influence in my life. He has always been a hard worker and sacrificed a lot of his time for his family. His priority has always been to support his family and that he did and he did it happily. He is a very selfless man and always puts others first. That is probably the most important thing that I have learned from his example. Taking care of others, doing for others and being there for others that is what my dad is all about. He's a very carefree, laid back kind of guy. He's the kind of guy that everyone enjoys to be around and is easy to get along with.


One of my dad's special qualities is his love of nature. I know that he taught me how to be fascinated and enjoy what nature has to offer. And how to notice the greatness of the simple things that cross our paths like the birds we see everyday. He has studied these things and shares all of his findings. It's a simplistic way of life that he lives but it's full of deep wonder.


My dad has always been there for anything that I have needed. And he is always happy to be needed even if it's just a conversation for advice. He jumps at the chance to help. He is the core of our family and he has shown all of us why it's important to care about each other. We have been blessed with this man in our lives and I know that I appreciate that the blessing for me is to have him as my father. He is the meaning of what a father is and I thank God for this blessing every day. Today I wish my father the happiest of birthday's and I'm going to throw in Father's day too...............happy father's day. Dad you deserve the best of the best and I am so happy to have you to love me :))))

Happy Birthday Mom!!!!! For Monday, June 9

Today is my mom's birthday :) And I want to ring in her day with a sentimental tribute in her honor. She will probably hate the picture I chose to broadcast of her (haha) but I love it. And this picture is very appropriate in her life right now. She recently retired from working for 'A LOT' of years. Her and my dad have moved their lives just minutes from the ocean :) This picture of her with the ocean in the background is perfect for today. Her granddaughters roaming the beach with excitement behind her is also perfect for today's picture :)

My mother may be another year older but she never shows her age EVER. She seems to have this youth gene that people would stand in line to buy if they could. Let's hope that golden gene has been passed on to me :) Not only does she look young she also defies age in every aspect of her life. This woman runs circles around me and I am amazed daily at her motivation and energy. I already know that I do not have that gene (haha). She never settles for what is. She is always reaching for more to stimulate her life. And I know that she keeps my dad huffing and puffing behind her trying to keep up with her motivation.

This woman has been in my life not only as my mother but also as my friend. She has always been my biggest supporter and we share a relationship that I thank God for daily. I know it has always been her plan to perfect our relationship and keep it growing in a wonderful way. It's a true gift to have a mother who is emotionally present in my life and is ALWAYS there for me. It's an appreciation that I will never take for granted.

I admire my mother for so many things. One, she takes charge and never leaves any stone unturned and takes her life very seriously. Two, she strives for perfection and doesn't settle for anything less. Three, she has an undying love to share that I have had the pleasure of experiencing and has also been passed down to my children who also adore her. These kids have been openly loved way before they were born. My mother made her presence known in their lives and formed a tremendous bond. I could go on and on with my admiration but I don't want to overwhelm her :)

I would like to wish her the happiest of birthdays today and thank her for being the mother that she is and for loving me the way only she could do :)

I love you Mom!!!!!

My Photography Website!!!!!

IT'S HERE!!!!!

My Website has made it's way onto the World Wide Web :)

It's pretty basic right now but the important thing is that it is out there for potential clients to see.

I have my son, Michael, to thank for it. He did all of the work to get the website out there for me. I am so thankful for him :)

I am HAPPY!!!

Take a minute and go check it out....

http://www.imagesbyrobin.com/

Couch Potatoes

I think your basic couch potato is someone who hangs out on the couch and fiddles with the remote. We have a different scene at our house. Our couch potatoes are of the furry kind. I go out for the day and come home and find a site like this. He has to be the most comfortable cat in the universe. Does he have any clue how much that couch cost me? I mean look what he is doing to the cushion. Can't he just lay on the seat part of the couch like the rest of us? What is he thinking? The life of a cat..........especially the one who belongs to a sucker like me.

Oh and he isn't the only one who takes camp on my couch.

Take a look at this one.

You can't really tell where he is but he is on the couch, I can assure you :) I took this picture the same day that I came home and found the cat squishing my couch cushion. Yeah, Cocoa is also sleeping on top of the cushion. Luckily he is too tiny to really move the cushion around :) And another positive thing about Cocoa is that he doesn't shed (thank God!!) The cats are really keeping me busy with that. I'm really considering shaving them in the Spring (haha, can you imagine???)

I have to give praise where praise is due..............This pretty little lady was taking her nap right in her own little bed. What a sweet kitty!! Or I guess she could have hurried and jumped in her bed when she heard me coming in the door. Either way, she gets the slack today :))))

Now I need to go clean off my couch :)

Twin Bambi's

We often have visitors in our backyard and the other day I was graced with these little cuties. The pictures do not do them justice at all. They were moving so fast and were not very close to me so it wasn't easy to get a picture. On top of that Cocoa was barking like a mad man trying to protect his property :) This is just a glimpse of the wild animals that live in our midst. It's really not that horrible of a place to live. Wait, somebody slap me!!! Let me rephrase that......It's really not that horrible of a place to live in the Spring, Summer and Fall :)))))))))

Model in the Making

I Couldn't resist posting this. Emily and her friend were helping me practice with my new camera yesterday and we really had a good time :) Emily was hesitant at first and didn't want to do it but once her friend was doing it, Emily jumped right in. I think we have a model in the making :) And with me as her mother, there are sure to be plenty more shots like these :)

Our New Grass

This year we have grass :) We have always lived tucked in the woods surrounded by trees, dirt and leaves. Never really had grounds to keep in a pretty way. Here we are in our new home and have a huge lawn in the front that we need to take care of. You would think that we'd be fighting over who is going to do it, like we do with the rest of our responsibilities. Well, we are fighting but we fight because we all want to do it (haha). Jim swore he wouldn't want to do it but he keeps hopping on the mower trying to show us how it's done :) And I just knew it would be something I'd love to do from the start because I love being out in the sun for whatever reason, well unless there are bugs attacking my face then you can forget it (haha). We never expected our usually lazy daughter to be anxious to take on this responsibility :))))))) She wants to cut the grass when the grass doesn't need to be cut. And yeah, it's pretty clear why she wants to do it...........haha, who wouldn't want to drive a motor vehicle before you are actually sixteen :))) I get it!!!! I guess we can save on that ATV we were considering (hahahaha)..........but don't tell her (ssssssssshhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!) We can just let her have fun cutting the grass for now :))))))))))))

5 Boro Bike New York

We did it...........and we did it with 30,000 other cyclists. That is The 5 Boro Bike Tour in New York City. This is the second year we completed this ride. Michael, Jim, Gayle, Tom, Ashley and I were the riders this year :) We did it last year too and the excitement of biking through the streets of Manhattan, soaring through Central Park, bopping over city bridges and all of that without traffic was just as amazing as it was the first time. I love going into the city and I never tire of it. I like getting a glimpse of the Statue of Liberty, grabbing a bite to eat at South Street Seaport, and doing all of that with family and friends. It's a very memorable day and I already look forward to doing it again next year. It's a lot of miles (close to 30 even with the short cut) but every mile is just as fun as the next, well, with the exception of the upgrade on the bridges (ha.........really burns the muscles :) Check it out, you might want to join us next year :)))))

Ode to Oreo

In Memory of Oreo.......

Oreo came into our lives about 3 years ago and he was a Christmas gift for Emily in hopes to fill her need for a puppy :) I think it worked because Oreo cuddled and liked attention. I never had a guinea pig before and I think Oreo was the coolest guinea pig ever. There was one time when he bit me on the forehead and well, that wasn't cool at all. It really wasn't his fault........I was carrying him in a way that freaked him out and he bit me. Let me tell you that was the most painful bite I ever felt. OUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He didn't make a practice of biting, thank God. We lost Oreo after a battle of Upper respiratory infection and we will miss him much. Emily insisted we bury him in the backyard since she was so unhappy how Jim through Spunky in the trash (ick). Spunky was our other guinea pig. He looked just like Oreo and he died of the same thing just a few months before Oreo. Our zoo over here is dwindling and getting a lot more manageable.

Splish Splash Summer!!!!

This is something the Purington's are excited about :) We are finally getting a pool!!! After that long, hard Winter I think we deserve it :) I have never had a pool in my life..........the only pool that I can remember is a plastic or blow up pool. At 46 years old, I think I am more excited than my daughter :) I love hanging out in the sun and what better place to hang than by a pool.......and your own pool at that :)

I am not one who likes to keep things to myself and I am totally into sharing what I have so please be excited with us and join us for a dip on a warm summer day. It will make it even more enjoyable to have friends able to enjoy it too :)

Pool Party at the Purington's YAY!!!!!!

Booming the Business

A little sneak peek into a vision that I am making happen. Photography has always been my passion as most of you know but most of you don't know that I am pursuing a dream to make it more of my life. I always hear that you should do what you love and I have finally accepted that THIS is what I love and I am going to do it.

I am still putting all of the pieces together and feel a bit unorganized but it is happening and I am not letting go this time. I am holding on to the camera and clicking away :) I don't have my website up yet but when I do, you will all be informed and can see my progress.

Our moments go by so quickly it's hard to cherish them all.........A photograph can make that happen and I'm all about that :)

IT's here..........

Spring is what is finally here!!!!!!! It feels like we went through Boot Camp to get here. Who out there knows what I am talking about??????? I know you do!! Snow, Ice, Freezing Mixes, School closings (haha). We all survived that dreaded Winter and can now sit back and soak up our just rewards. And don't tell me that I may be speaking too soon because I know that after the Winter I faced (ha)......there couldn't be any more of it, could there? How dare you even think it!!!

I look up to the sky while I sit at the bus stop and I see the little buds popping out of the trees, the grass is greener, the air smells sweeter, and yeah even the bugs are a sign of better days to come. It gives me a huge appreciation for the simple things that will never be overlooked by someone who has faced a Pocono Winter :)

Goodbye to 30 degree temperatures and let's watch those thermometers raise and set our minds to shorts, flip flops, suntan lotion, and riding around town with the windows down.