I’m working on getting more of my vacation photos ready, as well as a little story that happened over the weekend and trying to pop over to all of you today.  But I woke up thinking about the word materialize and I’m wondering why we have a word for something that cannot be done.  Did it come from Star Trek?  Or maybe magicians?  Have you ever seen anything materialize?

I live in a small town, in the long-winter-cold, where the ice cream shops close for the winter and return in the spring. This was the scene at our local ice cream shop the night before they opened.

And I went by the next morning too. Belt’s will have lines like this all summer long, and I’ve never tried them, lol.

Do you have signs of spring around you?

Whew, what a trip! I do not know where this bridge was, lol. The beginning of our trip took us south through Chicago, into Indiana, East through Indianapolis, into West Virginia and Virginia and North Carolina – where Dennis had to visit a plant – down through South Carolina (barely sliding through before that huge snowstorm!) and into Georgia (Savannah), then finally Florida, Jacksonville, Daytona Beach, through Orlando, to the Everglades, down to Key West, back up along the Gulf Coast to Homosassa Springs, then back home through Atlanta Georgia, Chattanooga Tennessee, through Kentucky and back up through the longest part of Illinois. Boy, I got tired just typing that.

It was a very long trip, with many miles of various terrains flying past the window, but we managed to get out a few times and check things out.  I’m feeling a wee bit overwhelmed with nearly 3000 photos to go through!  I have gotten the car unloaded, things put away, laundry completed, oh!  And the nice surprise when we got home to temperatures in the 20s was that the furnace in our place had crapped out while we were gone and the temp in the house was 43 degrees!  Brrrr!  We spent the evening trying to figure it out, finally gave up and called the repair man and yesterday morning the heat was back on and I now feel like I can tackle the photos.

However, I might suggest that you do not choose to switch from a PC to a Mac right before a huge trip – the Mac stayed home for the trip, safe at home, and here I sit trying to get my mind out of PC mode and into the simplicity of Mac mode and finding a groove for keeping my photos organized where I can actually find them and know which ones I’ve shared – - – and yeah, I’m just a wee bit overwhelmed.  But I’m happy to report that I’m pretty excited about some of the photos!  I can’t wait to wade through them and relive the moments of their taking and share like crazy!

So yeah, I’m not sure which state this bridge was in, but I think it was in the first day or two of the trip, snapped through the windshield while going 70 mph with the crappy little point and shoot, and I can’t decide which way I like best.  I hope it transfers to you the feeling of adventure I felt. :0)

Things have been a little crazy around here lately – that happens sometimes, it’s in the name, “chaos”, duh! – and I feel like I’ve been somewhat neglectful of my blog and my bloggy friends and I’m very sorry for that but I also think it’s going to continue for a couple more weeks.

The tufted titmouse from yesterday and these birds here were taken a couple of weeks ago at my parents’ house in Missouri – it was an impromptu trip, long story, but anyway, this female cardinal seemed a little different shade than the others, more yellow(?), I liked her colors!

They are such regal looking birds! But back to the chaos, we had our quick trip to Missouri, Oklahoma and back, Camp Angel all last weekend (such a great program!), trying to help a dear friend with wedding planning (they are marrying April 10th and I’m matron of honor – still trying to figure out how to hold my bouquet and the camera, maybe I’ll just strap them together), trying to keep up with my photo-a-day diary (hard copy, not electronic, but I’ll post all about that at some point, promise), diet/exercise/frustration/lack of motivation (ps I have posted over at our weight blog), and I’m sure there’s more, but, drum roll please. . .

We’ll be leaving towards the end of next week for Florida! Yay, warmth! But, I’m also going crazy with all the pre-trip what-not’s. While I’m gone Macro Monday will be on semi-autopilot, but that’s about all that will be here, I will post my photo a day via facebook (link to me at the bottom of the page) like I did for our Maine vacation.

So, please know, I’m not turning my back on you, I love you all! Things will calm back down, just a little time – ps, did I mention that I’ll be swimming with manatees on my birthday (Feb 8th)?! Fun!

Hopefully, I’ll make it back from the trip relaxed and refreshed and ready to take on the world. :0)

I’m rather happy to leave this year behind. No, it hasn’t been a bad one, I’m just ready for the new one. I’m not one to make New Year’s resolutions but I don’t mind looking back and seeing what was accomplished. I fell in love with facebook this year. I love instant access to so many friends! I love catching up with people I hadn’t talked to since high school. And I love that any time I have a question, from where should I eat in a town I’m visiting to why my dumplings did not dump – I have an answer within minutes.

I spent the first half of the year dieting and the rest of the year keeping it off. I lost 60 lbs and have been successful at maintaining. Now it’s time to finish off those last 25 lbs. I feel better with those stupid 60 lbs gone, I can happily wear a size 6 jeans and am still always shocked at how comfy a medium shirt is.

I got to meet up with more bloggers.  I saw Kaytabug in Missouri (again), Leanne in Iowa, and Jientje in Illinois.  I need to meet more Wisconsin bloggers, lol.  But we’re hoping to make it to Florida in February and with any luck I’ll meet more bloggers that trip.

I started the Macro Monday meme – thanks to you all for playing along!  I love seeing what you all share each week!

I got my first (and only) tattoo, celebrating being a cancer survivor, one butterfly for each year of survival ~ I look forward to adding more butterflies.

I went to Maine, and saw Stephen King’s house!  I’ve been reading him since junior high school – my English teacher always took his books away, lol.

I met my in-laws for the first time.   It was hard for us to communicate since I can’t speak Spanish and they don’t speak much English, but we had a good time. They’re back in Honduras now so I’m not sure when I’ll have the chance to see them again.

I rode the entire 30+ mile green circle trail, more than once!  And learned the benefits of wearing ugly padded biking shorts.

Our photography business grew and continues to grow!  So, I photographed many beautiful brides and ate a ton of wedding cake ~ it’s amazing I lost any weight!

And I got to play with so many babies!  And teens and couples. . .  I took more photos for business than pleasure this year but I guess that’s ok.  I am hoping to find more time this coming year for my nature photo safaris.   I do have fun shooting peoples

Yeah, I think it’s safe to say it was a great year! Although, an exhausting one.

While I was busy snapping photos of various murals on our walk in downtown Philly, I totally missed something I wouldn’t have minded seeing closer. As I began editing the photos I got curious about the white car, the empty slot and the green signs – what is going on there?

I had to crop in to check it out – Zipcars – hmmm, makes me think of strollers in malls where you deposit some money and borrow the stroller. Or that old episode of either Twilight Zone or Ray Bradbury where all cars were the same and white and when you needed to drive you just got in any car, after work you got in any car, etc.  It appears a Zipcar works along the lines of a rented stroller.

Of course, I had to google it, I’m a pretty good guesser, that is how they work!  How cool is that!  Much better than Green Bay’s bicycle borrowing thing.  And I just looked and found 6 zipcars in Milwaukee – looks like they’re available for $7 an hour or $60 for the day – and gas and insurance are included!  I find it touching that each car is named. . .hmm, wonder what the white car’s name is.

We’re spending the day at the Fall Wedding Show in Green Bay – I’m sure it will be fun!

It was fun getting these little treat bags ready. Actually, believe it or not, it went rather quickly.

A future bride.

I didn’t really think “Fall” should be in the name of an August Wedding Show, but, we have been seeing trees changing so maybe Visuelle Productions do know what they’re doing.

Both of these trees are right across the street from our house.

This one is in our yard!