Enjoying the Simple Things
As a child, I was fortunate to spend part of the summer at my grandparents. Their house was situated in the countryside, surrounded by open fields and woodland. They even had a dog for me to play with, and I always enjoyed my visits there.
The best part however, was their garden. A real, old fashioned garden; you know the kind that is filled with herbs and colorful flowers, apple trees and a variety of tasty berries, in addition to numerous secret hideouts. And a swing. In other words; a true wonderland for a little girl.
My granddad has passed away, but my grandma, now well into her 80s, is still very much alive. She is in many ways a remarkable lady; always well informed and with a clear mind.
Through the years I have learned a lot from her. She taught me that there is wisdom to be found in reading the words of others, always providing me with books (some with inspiring photographs too:) From her I learned that there is beauty and peace to be found in the love and respect for nature and its inhabitants.
I learned that some of our greatest treasures in life, lies within our own imagination and ability to create. And she showed me how happiness is really about the small things in life. That what truly matters, what bring to us the greatest joy and satisfaction, are quite simply – the simple things.
A very good example of the above; raspberry jam. Home made, of course, from her own garden. Mmm…
Beautiful bluebells. I remember how I always used to pick some for her, just to be rewarded with that special smile. They were clearly her favorites. Now that I have kids of my own, I find it easy to understand her joy. I love them also.
Another one of planet earths tiny miracles; small but perfect.
Below are a few more details found in my grandmas garden. Also a quote that I like; about finding joy in the simple things, and being truly alive.
If the sight of the blue skies
fills you with joy,
If a blade of grass springing up in the fields
has power to move you,
If the simple things of nature
have a message that you understand,
Rejoice, for your soul is alive.
~ Eleonora Duse
Month of June
June. The sun wakes me up in the morning. I take my camera for a stroll. Hear the bees buzzy song, feel the warmth against my face. It’s a good start for a new day.
The small people in my life are hardly indoors these days, there is so much to explore out there. Their adventures are neverending. Their days are never long enough. Neither are mine.
I put some music on, and do my work with a smile. Then spend a few minutes in the shade. Closing my eyes, feeling how it’s good to be alive. Wildflowers nearby nodding their heads in the breeze, as if they agree.
The evening envelops everything in a softer light. I’m letting my thoughts wander, looking out over the lake. Trying to figure out the mysteries of life, while dipping my toes in the water. Tomorrow is yet another day.
This is what I am longing for, all winter.
A Touch of Summer
Here’s a few more macro photos, this time with a more summery touch.
Yellow – the color of sunshine
Ready, steady – fly!!!
With my nose (and lens) well down into the grass, I found this little funny looking guy. He is actually no more than 1/3 of an inch. He looks kind of puzzled don’t you think? I can only imagine what I must look like to him..
Oh, look! A photographer!!
Water – something we can’t live without
These were taken yesterday. It was actually quite windy outside. I know, not really a good day for macro shots.. the sharpness probably could have been better.
The summer is long, though (that’s a good thought isn’t it) Hopefully it won’t be too windy, as I would love more opportunities to explore this fascinating world of macro.
Not so Frosty
Just to balance, and perhaps share a little warmth in the middle of January; here’s a few summer photos.
Another Summer
Though there are still a few weeks left, it’s an inevitable fact that another summer is coming to an end. It has been a good summer. We have been traveling more than usual, and spending a lot of time outdoors. I even got to travel a little all by myself, which was also good, allowing me the time and opportunity to take lots of pictures!
I always get a special feeling this time of year; some strange feeling about the passing of time. It’s a mixture of sadness and thankfulness. I’m thankful for each wonderful summer day, for every experience along the path of life, – still; I should have made so much more of this time.
It occurs to me that it’s such a contradiction; Time is a gift. Time is given to us for free. Time is new every morning. Still we never seem to have enough time! How can this be? How can so much time go by so quickly? The comforting thought is; there will be another summer. Another summer to rejoice at the beauty of life and nature around us; a quiet lake at sundown, lazy ocean waves towards a beach, or a walk in the soft rains of summer. When I think of this, the feeling of thankfulness is clearly the most present one.
Land of Bricks
This week we decided to take the kids for a little vacation to Denmark.
On our way to the hotel I saw these windmills colored by the evening sun
The main purpose of the trip was, of course, a visit to the famous Land of Bricks – Legoland.
If you would like to take a walk in this garden, you have to be about one inch tall…
Mr E and Mr S had some success in gold mining
GiddyUp now! We’ve got some horse thieves to catch!
A knight in shining armor
And another one… no wait, where did he go?
Ah! There he is!
After queuing up for 45 minutes (…) I got this picture of a very happy pilot
Evening sun over the landscapes of Legoland
I can’t help wondering how many hours of work that have been put into creating this world of Lego. It’s not just the buildings, the surroundings are just as impressive. Talk about attention to detail! Must have been a fun job though! 
Our favorite souvenir from the trip; Lego brick shaped ice cubes!
Captain of the Boat
Warm sun and blue water, a small hidden beach with soft sand… What more can we possibly wish for?
Our young captain. Great responsibility requires great concentration!
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- Just my kind of summer day..
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- Some “champagne” for celebrating our first boat trip!
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- Anchoring the boat by the beach
Trying Out the Small Boat
We’re planning some boat related activities this summer, and a few days ago we took the kids to a nearby lake to try out this small one.
Mr C was eager to help put the boat on the water, but he wasn’t that keen on rowing..
Mr S handled the boat quite well (after all, he is soon to be a school boy) but then he lost his ball into the water… and watching it drift away out of his reach, he couldn’t stop a few tears from welling in his eyes.
Good thing we have big bro Mr E to take care of such disasters. The ball was safely brought back to it’s owner.
After the boat ride(s) they jumped into the water while still having all their clothes on… which made me a bit too busy for taking more pictures!
Towards the Horizon
Today I let this photo and these words speak for themselves:
Focusing on the Sunny Days
I occasionally do a bit of scrapbooking. There are several reasons why this hobby has caught my interest. The most important one of course, is my love for photography. But I also enjoy being creative with different colors and styles.
The other day I decided to do a layout on last summer. It was a poor summer though, to be honest. I don’t mind a few showers, but this summer, the rain kept pouring down for… well, more or less 3 months. The kids were bored. They wanted to go to the beach, they wanted to do all the summer related activities that we dream of during the long winter. Of course, there are lots of things to do even if it’s raining. But after two weeks of everything being wet, all the time, it’s not so charming anymore.
However, planning my layout, I decided that instead of focusing on the rainy days, I would rather concentrate on the very few, sunny days in June; when I took these pictures of Mr C in our back yard. At that point we all thought we were in for a warm, lovely summer – good thing we didn’t know!
We got less than a week of warm sunny weather that year. Still, those days were good days. So instead of remembering the summer of 2007 as a poor one, I will remember it as a small one. Hence the title of my layout, which means just that; Small Summer – or in Norwegian: Liten Sommer.
