Solitude In The Middle Of Town

On April 28, 2016 By My Crazy Graced LifeIn animals, Daily Prompt, Nature, Spring, Thankful Thursday, The Daily Post1 Comment

A beautiful and perfect spring day resulted in a 3 mile walk around town. And, even though Allen, Texas is a busy place there was no shortage of solitude found.

This dove looked a little lonely.

Dove

The turtle was having a little mid-morning adventure.

Turtle

And a duck found a water-filled ditch to have a little swim.

Duck

You would never guess the amount of traffic surrounding this little oasis of abandoned tracks.

Railroad Tracks Railroad tracks 1 Railroad sign

The tracks provided a treasure of wild blackberries.

Blackberries Wild Blackberries

And, that resulted in this delicious blackberry cobbler for dessert.

Blackberry Cobbler

I love my little town.

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/prompts/solitude/

Halloween in April

On April 27, 2016 By My Crazy Graced LifeIn Daily Prompt, Teenagers2 Comments

This morning it was time to break out the lighthearted side of life. No adulting just a playful, tongue-in-cheek attempt to laugh at myself and take that oh-so-serious mask of life off for a bit.

The gym I go to, Title Boxing Club, has been stepping up the fun aspect of our work outs by incorporating a ‘Wacky Wednesday’ contest each week. This weeks theme was the 60’s, 70’s or 80’s.

Oh I rocked this contest. Pulling out the Halloween stash I put on my make-love-not-war-peace outfit.

Apr 27 Wacky Wednesday (2)

When I got back home I heard my 16 year-old in the living room so I jumped into the doorway and yelled, “PEACE BABY!” The expression on his face was totally and completely worth dressing up in the middle of the week at the end of April.

So worth it.

Apr 27 Wacky Wednesday (1)

He snapped my picture and proceeded to add it to his Snapchat story. I love to see my son laugh – even if it is at my expense.

No serious adulting masks today. Just a little spirited enthusiasm to brighten a Wacky Wednesday.

Happy Hump Day!

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/prompts/mask/

Whisper

On April 25, 2016April 25, 2016 By My Crazy Graced LifeIn Daily Prompt, Photo Challenges, Spring, The Daily Post2 Comments

A whisper of beauty, serenity, and peace to start off this morning and a new week.

Flowers

Happy Monday!

This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice in it and be glad.

Psalm 118:24

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/prompts/whisper/

WPC – The Future

On April 8, 2016 By My Crazy Graced LifeIn Family, Grandchildren, Photo Challenges, Weekly Photo Challenge, wpc4 Comments

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know well the plans I have in mind for you – plans for your welfare and not for woe, so as to give you a future of hope.

The future: Life growing inside a mother’s womb.

The following pictures were taken to chronicle the pregnancy of our daughter’s first child.

16 weeks

Kkelley 26 weeks 26 weeks

Kkelley 35 weeks 35 weeks

Kkelley 39 weeks 39 weeks

Claire bday Claire

For Claire the potential for accomplishments are endless. Maybe she will cure cancer or end poverty. Perhaps, though, she will quietly work behind the scenes to make the world a better place.

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/photo-challenges/future/

Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge – Big Roads

On April 5, 2016April 5, 2016 By My Crazy Graced LifeIn Cee's Fun Foto Challenge, Daily Prompt, Photo Challenges, The Daily Post4 Comments

Driving in Big D is always an adventure. And, it’s always very busy.

On most days the HOV lanes (High Occupancy Vehicles) save me tons of time and I love them. However, those who jump the lanes when they aren’t supposed to put people at risk every single day. And that gives me some anxiety.

In other words, I have a love/hate relationship with driving in Dallas.

But then again, who doesn’t?

Author’s note….I did not snap these pictures. I gave my son the camera and told him what I wanted and he took them. I concentrated on driving.

LBJ Freeway

A good traffic day. flowing-and-going

TEXpress connector

One of the many interchanges in Dallas. This one is commonly referred to as the High Five.

I’ve often thought that if the cars were hovering it would be just like The Jetsons. 🙂 Also, at the tallest point of this connector between LBJ Freeway (aka 635) and North Central Expressway (HWY 75) we are more than 12 stories high.

Don’t look down just focus on the road…

HWY 75

Coming down off the connector the traffic is definitely more congested.

At the end of each day, when my family is home safe and sound, I offer a prayer of thanksgiving.

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/prompts/street/

Weekly Photo Challenge – Landscapes

On April 3, 2016 By My Crazy Graced LifeIn Nature, Photo Challenges, Photography, Weekly Photo Challenge, wpc3 Comments

WPC: Landscapes

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/photo-challenges/landscape

One of my very favorite vacations ever was when we visited Moose Lake, Montana. I was in the early stages of playing with photography, but the scenery was so magnificent that the pictures couldn’t help but come out good.

Moose Lake Poppy Moose Lake MT creek

all copyrights belong to @terezpics 2009 and mycrazygracedlife.com

Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge – Small Roads

On March 31, 2016 By My Crazy Graced LifeIn Cee's Fun Foto Challenge, Photo Challenges, Photography, Travel7 Comments

This challenge took me much longer than I had planned or anticipated. It’s always fun, though, looking through my archives and taking that inevitable trip down memory lane.

My roads stretch from Texas and Tennessee to Europe, China and Japan. I’m fond of saying, “Have passport – will travel” and I’m always ready for a new adventure!

St. Joe, TX 2001 Visiting friends on their 100 acres in Texas. So much land they had their own dirt roads.

Tennessee 2003 Spending time in Tennessee when my baby was still a baby and my niece was still a little girl.(now she’s in college in Scotland!)

Small road and well-traveled alleyway off the beaten path in Beijing, China.

Great Wall, Beijing 2008

While the Great Wall may not qualify as a small street, alleyway, parking lot or driveway now, let’s face it – at one time or another it probably served each of those functions.

Co Cork 2008 This small street in Co Cork, Ireland is similar to many streets found across the Atlantic pond.

Brugge Belgium 2008 The cobbled alleys in Bruge, Belgium took quaint to new heights.

Finally, Taiki-chō, Hokkaido, Japan. Absolutely stunning country roads with the Hidaka Mountain Range in the background.

Thanks for joining me on my roads-less-traveled adventure today!

Weekly Photo Challenge – Dance

On March 24, 2016 By My Crazy Graced LifeIn Boys, Photo Challenges, Photography, TeenagersLeave a comment

Happy. Smiling. Living the moment. Enjoying the life.

Dancing.

One of many favorite pictures I have of my boys.

photo copyright @terezpics 2004

They were 3 and 5 years-old in this picture and now they are 14 and 16. They are still apt to be just as fun-loving and goofy. Just not as keen on me getting pictures of it.

Ben and Patrick under the railroad trellis

No matter – I love my boys to bits.

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/photo-challenges/dance/

Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge – Outdoor Seating

On March 22, 2016 By My Crazy Graced LifeIn Cee's Fun Foto Challenge, Family, Photo Challenges, Seasons, Spring2 Comments

According to my TimeHop from six years ago the North Texas area received a lot of snow. The ‘dusting’ our weather guru’s had forecasted overnight turned into a crazy 8 1/2 inches by the time we woke up.

Generally speaking, we do not get a lot of snow in this area. Ice, yes. Snow – not so much. To say we were surprised would probably be bit of an understatement. Particularly, since just 3 days earlier we had been dining on the patio.

For this post I give you then and now views of outdoor seating on my patio.

Patio Dining Mar 2010 March 18 – enjoying family time gathered around the patio table.

3 days later everything was covered in snow. This year, though, winter skipped us completely. Spring is definitely in full force.

The Bistro Table: snowy in 2010 but, today, just waiting to be enjoyed.

A Spring Sunday

On March 17, 2016March 17, 2016 By My Crazy Graced LifeIn Boys, Dogs, Family, Nature, Photography, Seasons, Spring, Teenagers, Thankful ThursdayLeave a comment

Sunday morning brought blue skies, warm temperatures and a sprinkling of clouds. It was a beautiful contrast to the week just finished, which had been dreary, gray, cloudy and rainy.

Having enjoyed Mass followed by lunch with friends, the weather was too pretty to stay inside. So, with hubby out of town and, looking to spend some time with my boys, I coaxed my teenagers into putting on their shoes – and putting down the game controllers – to go for a walk.

After loading dogs, baseball gloves and the camera into the car we headed off to explore a newly completed walking/biking trail in our town.

A relaxing, laid-back time was had by all as we wandered, played, explored and enjoyed each others company. The mild temperatures and rain ‘greened’ everything up – seemingly overnight – and the natural beauty we experienced was fresh and new. Flowers and trees in various stages of blooming along with green, green and more green everywhere we looked.

I managed to snap a few good pictures; capturing moments on this journey called The Teenage Years. At 14 and 16, my boys, in the blink of an eye, will be heading off to begin the next chapters of their lives and I’m grateful for these moments of togetherness.