Mom

This is my Mom's high school graduation picture.  I like the picture, 

but it 's not how I remember my Mom.   

 She married my Dad when she was only 16 years old.   They divorced when I was 10 years old and we then moved from a small town in Kansas to California.

Years later, after I moved to Oklahoma, and had children of my own we would go visit her.  This is how I like to remember her, with my kids.  Mom loved to play with them, making mud pies, roasting marshmallows over candles,  letting them have bubble baths by candlelight and even letting them put "paint" all over her patio doors (she would say "it can always be washed off").  She was a fun Grandma and a great Mom.  They were only 3 & 5 years old when she passed away.  I know she would be so proud of them now (that's what Grandma's do, they are ALWAYS proud of their Grandkids)   She has been gone now for 20 years and yet it feels like yesterday.  It is SO hard to loose your Mom and my kids Grandma, she can never be replaced and she is always missed.

Mothers day has never been the same for me without her.

Love & Miss you Mom,

Jana

Sugar Mill Windmill

 We have windmills on our farm, but not like this..... the "sales" are so long, doesn't it look so pretty.

It was huge.  

 The mill stopped operating in 1947 and is now a museum.  In 1997 the mill was dismantled for restoration, and reopened in 1999.  It has all original working parts and the sails can turn again after more than a half a century.  It is one of only two working sugar windmills in the world today.  (The other is in Antigua)  During the 'crop' season, February thru July, it operates one Sunday in each month, grinding cane and making cane juice.I thought it was pretty neat, but then again I like windmills.

Thanks for the visit,
Jana 

Cheri

I am not a mushy, gushy person, but this is really a long over due Thank You.

                                             

Mothers day is this week and I was thinking about my Mom, which brings me to Cheri.  How?  Well, about 21 years ago I got a phone call from my Mom telling me that she had a terminal illness.  I was numb.   I lost it.  Not knowing what to do, where to go, how to handle this devastating news I got in my car and started driving.  Who can you go talk to about something like this?  Who would have compassion, listen, take the time to just be there?  My car ended up at Cheri's house.  

I walked up to her front door and she wasn't home.  I got back in my car and lost it again.  I was sitting there balling like no other, and I looked up and there was Cheri.   She was on her way to who knows where and saw my car pull in her driveway. You see that is my friend......her plans were second to a friend..  Knowing me as well as she did she told her husband that she had better go see why I was at her house. 

I talked, she listened and we cried. 

Another time I called her at work.  Again I was in tears, (honestly I'm not a crying person) crying hard enough she couldn't understand me.  I hung up the phone, because I couldn't "talk" anymore about a horrible situation I was going thru.  In just a few minutes there was a knock at my door........you guessed it.....again it was Cheri.  She left work to come and listen.  Her work was second to a friend, that's Cheri.

                                                  

This quote is perfect for describing Cheri, because if anything, she is loyal.  A loyal Christian, wife, mother and friend. Yep, loyal definitely describes her.  

I could go on and on with stories about Cheri.  She has never judged me, (and believe me there have been reasons to),  has been there for me over and over,  has shown me how to be a true Christian,  and made me laugh so hard my stomach hurt.   I saw her face the news of her husband being paralyzed and NEVER did her faith even quiver. 

 I was never blessed with a sister, but if I were she would be top of the list. 

She is an amazing wife, mother, Christian 

and yes,  friend.  

 OK, now saying all that I must leave with this picture, I can only be serious so long.

This will be Cheri and me someday, hopefully not to soon.  

Still friends ( we have to stay friends, she knows too much)......still laughing.

Thank you Cheri, for so many things, but most of all your friendship,

Jana

If your not lucky enough to know her, check out her blog.....

http://cheri-scicaregiving.blogspot.com/

trust me you will be blessed.

Dandelions

I have had recent guilt.  I blogged about how beautiful the flowers were on my recent trip to the Caribbean and so I thought I would take a picture of Oklahoma's beautiful flowers....

I found the dandelion.

 I played with it...tweeking it a little....giving it the golden look

 Here I tried to give it the "soft" look

My family thinks I have gone crazy.  You should have seen my husband when he saw me out on a country road, down on my knees taking a picture of a dandelion....."You've got to be kidding me"

My daughters reply when I showed her the picture was "Oh, ya"

Maybe I need to get out of the house more, I thought they were "kinda purty!!"

Thanks for visiting my weed patch

Jana

Barbados

I took this thru the window of our tour van (sorry for the reflections).  It is a church on the Island of Barbados.  In the background is the Atlantic Ocean.   One side of the islands is on the Caribbean and drive or in some cases walk and you are on the Atlantic side.  

The Atlantic side is more rugged, windier and yes beautiful.  Even the worst photographer in the world would get a beautiful picture when this is your subject.

I like how there is a contrast between the two oceans, but I still prefer the Caribbean. 

 I guess I'm partial to the white beaches, I think it's the lazy in me.

On the other hand, this is beautiful too.

Thanks for visiting God's  beautiful oceans,

Jana

Beach visitor

I don't know this lady....never met her....

She was NOT my concern when we went to this beautiful beach.

White sand.....blue water.... and a dragon????

Ok not a dragon, but it doesn't belong in my fantasy of a beautiful day at the beach.

The locals didn't even flinch at this creature crawling around on their beautiful beach. I can't imagine laying on the beach, all relaxed and then I open my eyes.......to this.  Oh, the horror of it all.

In all my dreams of laying on white beaches, hearing the tide splash on the shore, feel the sand in my toes,

having rum punch (that's another story) this was NEVER a part of that dream........just saying' 

Sorry for those of you who might (for some strange reason) actually like these things....

I Don't.....

I just want my soft, fluffy dogs back.

Thanks for the scaly visit

Jana

Take my picture....No don't

Normally if you just look at ANYTHING on the islands they want money for taking a picture of it.   Not this man who was selling coconuts out of the back of his pickup.  He would crack them, cut them open for you with his machete ....talk about fresh.  Because he was so nice I thought I would give his business a "plug".  If ever in St. Thomas.....look him up.....Please!!

..

 Heck he saw my camera up ready to shoot and even "posed" for me.   He was very proud of his business and he was glad to pose for the camera.......and then,  at this same stop there was another man who apparently had been handing his goat to people for them to hold for a  picture. .... and of course a "tip".   I was not aware of this because he was leaving and went across the street to sit when we pulled up.

I was just going to get a picture of him and the goat together.  I just thought it would make an interesting photo.   He asked if I wanted to hold the goat, (stupid me, I thought he was just being polite).  I told him no, but thanks.  I didn't know that  this was his way of asking me for money for the picture.   I think he was irritated with me, because this is was my punishment... when I went to take his picture he put his hand over his face. 

Who knew, but I thought it was funny.....I'm weird that way.  

Always have the camera ready....
ya never know when you might get such a great photo of a hand over the face.

Thanks for visiting my great photography.

Jana