The Call: Sunlight as Bokeh — Cheryl

Just because it’s pretty.

The Response: Summer Sun — Jessica

Final weekend of softball and what a gorgeous day to play!

The Call: Gummi Bears — Jessica

Well, it’s not quite a pattern…a random pattern? That’s kind of an oxymoron isn’t it? The green was meant to break up the pattern, but I didn’t have enough left in the bag to create anything really interesting. Gummi bears were my favorite childhood candy and I still have a soft spot for Haribo (the original).

Response: Mixing Patterns — Cheryl

I know that some people don’t like (or dare) to mix patterns, but pairing the wings of this swallowtail with the petals of this rhododenron just seems natural to me. ; )

The Call: Web Made of Pollen — Cheryl

If I had to use only one word to describe the pine pollen around here, I’d choose “inescapable.” On the way to the golf course this morning, Luke pointed about quarter mile down the road and asked, “Is that pollen?” Yes. Yes, it was. That “mist” shrouding everything was actually pollen.

The Response: Ball — Jessica

Baseball season is over. Words cannot describe my joy!

Well, actually that’s a little heavy-handed. The boys love to play (and so we let them) and I have grown to appreciate the game a whole lot more than I did when my oldest was in Little League.

But, really, I’m glad it’s over. Five to six baseball events per week (that doesn’t include my daughter’s softball practices/games) adds up and keeps you running for too long.

The Call: Old School — Jessica

That roll of film is probably at least ten years old. It’s back from my first SLR camera — a Nikon N80 purchased right before I got pregnant with my daughter in 2000.

A friend of mine was moving and knowing how crazy I was about photography asked if I was interested in buying her old darkroom items. Of course I said yes. Now, I’m going to try this crazy experiment: non-electric camera, way-expired black and white film and darkroom equipment that I have no idea how to use… Should be interesting.

Response: Woven Cord — Cheryl

This is a cord from one of Mom’s old hairdryers. Would you plug it it?

The Call: Wet Grass — Cheryl

The rainy weather makes me want to stay in and sulk.

The Response: Operation Hovercraft — Jessica

Early in the day, they were sulking around bored and bitter with hurt feelings over some perceived slight. So we pulled out the science book and did some “science.” It certainly cheered up the mood in the house.

The Call: Superhero — Jessica

My three-year old, Luke, is a very bold superhero — as I’m sure you can tell by all the scrapes and scabs and bruises.

Response: He Takes No Prisoners — Cheryl

Luke is very bold on the golf course, and it not just because he’s always wearing something that’s bright orange.

The Call: Boat and Reflections — Cheryl

This evening, I washed the morning/afternoon dishes, put dinner in the oven, gathered up my stuff (purse, keys, camera) and headed up to Torsey Pond, where the late afternoon/early evening light seldom lets me down.

The Response: Scout House — Jessica

Twice a month for the last ten years this has been the gathering spot for cub scout dens followed by boy scout patrols. Now, five hours before his eighteenth birthday, he is finished. All the requirements are turned in. After his board of review it will be official: he made Eagle!

The Call: Truth Goodness & Beauty — Jessica

It is finished. The big day has come and the students have all moved their tassels to the other side. I’m bursting with pride but the main thing I want to do is crawl into bed and sleep for a week!

Response: Ripped — Cheryl

Shortly before we left for church, Stella fell outside, ripped her tights, and skinned her knee. She’s had them for years, but now it looks like they’re finished.

The Call: My Faith is White — Cheryl

As the French playwright Jean Anouilh said, “Beauty is one of the few things in the world that do not lead to doubt about God.” The Church intuits that immediately. When we’re in the presence of something beautiful — an act of forgiveness, a newborn baby, a sunset — beauty wounds us. It has a visceral effect on us that is delightful, that increases our humanity. Beauty also reveals to us that there is something more to the world and something more to beauty than the beautiful thing itself. It leads to contemplation. That contemplation consists of wondering at where the beauty came from. It would be impossible for a human being who has just received a bouquet of flowers to not reach into the flowers to find a card. The beauty of the flowers moves us to wonder about the sender. Then when we know who sent them, we enjoy them all the more. Every act of beauty does the same to us. It moves us to find the author and the reason.

—Father Peter John Cameron, O.P.

The Response: Alex and Me — Jessica

They do grow up. No need for faith on that matter.

The Call: Peek-a-boo — Jessica

Our fish got a new, smaller home the other day. They are still a bit jittery and only peeking out from behind the rocks before swimming back to cover.

Response: Fish Bones — Cheryl

Dennis gave me these earrings years ago. I like them because they’re funky and fun. Interestingly, I’ve had more than one person ask me if they have any religious significance. I generally reply, “Not to me.” : )

The Call: Tomahawk House — Cheryl

I’ve long admired the design of this house (especially when those lupines are blooming), which sits next to Natanis Golf Course. It wasn’t until last year, though, that I learned that the house is owned by Natanis and is available as a rental.

The Response: An Attempt to Organize — Jessica

I know some people are able to use bookshelves as design elements — creatively arranging knick-knacks and bric-a-brac. Not me. My bookshelves are purely functional and not really functional enough. I need about three more to really be able to pull everything out and arrange the books in some kind of logical order. Today was the day that I promised I would clean them off and attempt to organize them. They are one of the first things that people see when they walk into my home.

The Call: Breakfast with Austin — Jessica

Since the show debuted when my daughter was three, all of my younger kids have been fans of The Backyardigans. But none has been more feverent in his devotion to the show than Luke. One year the Easter Bunny brought him the full beanie baby collection of characters. Austin, the purple kangaroo, is his favorite.

Response: Pelikan Violet — Cheryl

Today’s Call provided inspiration for the background on an art journal page.

The Call: Covered Cover-up — Cheryl

This is the apron I wear most often. Not only is it stained with olive oil, peanut butter and other foodstuffs, it wears many shades of ink and paint.

The Response: 100% More Dirt — Jessica

Company is coming for the oldest son’s big high school graduation. Therefore, now is a good time to take care of all those mysterious stains on the upstairs carpets.

The Call: Summer Haze — Jessica

We seem to have skipped spring and gone straight to mid-summer. The last few days have been full of heat, humidity and haze.

Response: Bunny Barber Shop — Cheryl

Today at the Maine Fiber Frolic, we watched this angora bunny get shorn. There was a haze of rabbit fur all around her.