The Little Things

Even as a little girl, I loved Johnny Jump-up flowers. I would gleefully "deadhead" whole clusters of them at a time and skid into the kitchen in my eagerness to show Mama what I'd found. She got quite used to seeing my grubby little fists open up to reveal jagged stems and crushed blossoms.

Johnny Jump-up flowers pop up in the cracks on the patio and hug the edge of the vegetable garden. They're perky and pretty and happy.

In the Cracks

Around the Garden

The next time you're in a funk, make a tiny bouquet of Johnny Jump-ups and put it on your desk. I'm telling you, it will lift your spirits right up.

Mini Vase, Multi-colored Johnny Jump-ups

Mini Vase, Purple Johnny Jump-ups

“Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.”
-Robert Brault

However, if you're really in a royally bad mood, you may want to forgo the flowers and the inspirational quotes and head for the nearest bakery instead. If even homemade baked goods don't cheer you up, I'm at a real loss.

2 Cats and 2 Peaks

Like clockwork (and much to the chagrin of Brother #3), Mom and I woke up at 6am eager to get our vacation rolling. By 6:30am, we were feeling decidedly less chipper as we hauled Brother #3 out of one bed only to find him sinking into another as soon as we turned our backs. By 7am, we were positively dying to run across the street to eat breakfast at "2 Cats" (which turned out to be inside a cheery inn).



2 Cats, Downtown Bar Harbor



Finally (read: 7:15am) we got Brother #3 in gear, took over a quaint corner table, and turned our attention to the menu. Still bleary-eyed, Brother #3 chose French toast and fresh fruit. Mom and I decided to split a 3 egg omelet.




Brother #3's French Toast and Fruit




My Mistake!


Aside: Two months ago, I would have been the one dragging my feet to go out to breakfast. For years, breakfast meant only one thing: a cup of Oat Squares cereal, 1% milk, and berries on top (pictured here). You'd think I had never heard of eggs, pancakes, or waffles. While pancakes and waffles are still too much like dessert-in-the-morning for me, I now look forward to ordering an omelet every once in awhile (especially if it's full of veggies and has salsa on top).

But when my breakfast order arrived this morning it was not what I had expected. My plate appeared, piled hile with hash browns (potatoes in the morning - AH) and an enormous homemade biscuit that dwarfed a very eggy looking omelet (as a recent egg convert, I don't like my eggs to taste like eggs). There wasn't a veggie to be seen. Brother #3 woke up enough to say you ordered a walnut, apple, and cheese omelet, of course there are no vegetables in it. Right.

I'm not very proud of my immediate reaction: This was a mistake! I want my Oat Squares. I can't eat this. Let's face it - I'm just simply NOT flexible. Going out to breakfast is the worst. This biscuit probably has 300 calories in it. I didn't even workout this morning. This omelet tastes LIKE EGG. I spied a Hannaford down the street...would anyone notice if I made an escape for the cereal aisle?




2 Cats, Escape Route



Don't worry - I didn't actually throw a temper tantrum (at least not out loud). I slowly managed to adjust. This is big, this is big! Although I didn't touch the hash browns, I ate 75% of the biscuit, all of the omelet, and a little bowl of fresh fruit.

About an hour into our hike, I wished I had eaten all of the biscuit and swiped a piece of French toast from Brother #3. After many wrong turns and family squabbles, our half-day hike up Sargent Mountain and Penobscot Mountain in Acadia National Park turned out to be (to our delight) appropriately labeled as "difficult".

Even the mid-morning hazy skies couldn't dull the views...crystal clear waters (freshwater immediately below and saltwater beyond that), dozens of little islands, and miles of green in every direction. We all agreed - it looked exactly the way we had pictured Maine three years ago when Mom and Dad announced unceremoniously that we would be moving here after my high school graduation. The chirping birds, the trickle of running water, and the total lack of other hikers on the trail only heightened our idyllic surroundings.


Our Hike, More or Less*


*We aren't quite sure what we did - although Mom and I have trusty internal alarms, we do not have equally dependable internal compasses.

I consider myself to be a reasonably fit person, but hiking never fails to bring me down a peg. Just because I can run 10 miles doesn't mean I can go out and hike the same distance. After the first steep stretch (and by steep I mean I had to use my upper body to help haul my sorry legs up), I worked up a sweaty sheen and had a nice calf burn going. While I loved being challenged and moving at a good clip, I didn't hesitate to stop and take pictures...and rest for a second and take a swig of water.

Some of my favorites of the day:



Jordan Pond




A Pretty Warm-Up At Water's Edge




The First Sign of the Ascent




Peak #1!




What's in the Pack? (2 waters, a camera, a cell phone, a raincoat, a bag lunch)




What Happens When Brother #3 Navigates




Swimming Hole Between Peaks




Good Photography?




Scenic!




Peak #2!




Bag Lunch, Lichen-Covered Rock




On the Way Down




Sandy Saltwater Beach



A Picture's Worth A Thousand Words

...in theory.

I think if you're a good photographer, whole albums truly can stand alone. However, even the loosest use of the term "good" is generous when it comes to describing my adventures in photography thus far.

I'll have you know that I'm embracing my uncanny ability to butcher even the most photogenic objects and landscapes with horrible lighting, distracting backgrounds, and terrible angles. White lie alert.

I admit I cringe when I see how much clearer and more polished other bloggers' photos look on sites like TasteSpotting and Foodgawker (warning: do not look at these sites if you're feeling hungry...but if you want to torture yourself type "cheesecake" into the search bar) - but I'm trying to let go of the whole impossibly high standards thing and laugh at myself a little more.

Here's a quick peek at some of the sights that have made me smile lately (with captions of course).

Adirondack Chairs for Two

Cherries, Antique Dessert Bowl

A Cart of Flowers

Ogunquit - Pretty As A Postcard

Working Harbor, Dockside

Colorful Colanders from LeRoux Kitchen

Our Backyard Mom's Organic Farm

Pansies, Rock Vase

 

Snippets of Sunshine

At long last, my camera has arrived! I love my new toy - even though it's smarter than I am.

I've unearthed the on/off button, played with the zoom function, discovered the slideshow setting, and located the tiny trash bin for "erase" - not bad for a technologically challenged girl like me! There is also a twisting dial that specifies different settings (pets, landscapes, portrait, auto, etc.) for optimal photography, but I'm quite delighted with the "easy" option that offers "worry free shooting even for beginners".

With a bit of help from Brother #3 and a quick glance at the manual, I've even managed to set the time and date! When I get tired of not understanding 75% of my camera's functions I suppose I'll consult the manual again...but for now the trial/error method seems to be much more my speed.

Here's a quick look at a few of my first snapshots:


Lilacs from Mom's Garden

After what felt like weeks of rain, bright beams of sunlight finally broke through the enormous cloud over Maine that had been stubbornly stationary for far too long. The passing glimpses of blue sky and sun provided sweet relief for us and spurred a blossoming frenzy in the yard.

Red's Eats in Wiscasset, ME

The line coming out of Red's Eats (a tiny lobster shack in the quaint and coastal town of Wiscasset) is as much a part of the town's landscape as the understated yacht club, the adorable boutique In the Clover, and the post office are. It's not uncommon to wait for over an hour for one of Red's infamous lobster rolls (voted best in Maine several years running) - each one offers a full pound of lobster on a toasted split-top bun and an array of condiments to choose from.

Although Red's has become a hot spot for tourists, locals swear by Sprague's Lobster - a relatively unadorned shack located across the street from Red's. Rumor has it that Sprague's rarely has a line, offers ample waterview seating on their private boardwalk, and sells lobster that is comparable to Red's (often at a lower price).



A Boat of Flowers at Red's Eats



An Overflowing Garlic House



Easy Reads



Pink Jack Rogers Jelly Sandal



The Latest InStyle - A Grocery Store Gift from Mom!