SOOC? No. SOOJ

Do you know the Flickr tag SOOC? It means straight out of the camera. SOOC indicates an unmanipulated image. Isn't it amazing that in a handful of years that distinction has become important? Well. All my pictures are straight out of the camera. At least until I learn Photoshop Elements, which is one of my summer projects.

This post is something different. My own version of SOOC.

You see, I am a keeper of journals. I probably have more than 40 journals in plastic storage bins under our bed. I still have each journal I've written except the one gone missing in a stolen purse. Don't you know, I still long for that little notebook.

The first journal entry (I called it a diary back then.) I ever made was on January 1, 1980. The diary was a Christmas present. A treasure in hunter green leatherette with a gold clasp and tiny key. I was 9 years old and I couldn't wait for New Year's Day so I could write an entry in my pre-dated diary. It never occurred to me to do anything but write on the page that the date provided. I remember years of trying to squeeze my stories into the few lines provided for a particular day. I have no idea how old I was before I finally said to heck with that and began doing what I wanted to with my own diaries.
Anyway. We experienced an earthquake that day. Mid-morning, New Year's Day, 1980. At the epicenter, the quake registered 8.2 on the Richter scale. At the time, we lived on Tecera Island in the Azores, many ocean miles from the epicenter, but the earthquake still did quite a bit of damage to the island. Let me tell you, a major earthquake = a major life event. Wanna know what I wrote in my diary?

We had an earthquake today. How exciting! Green beans for dinner. YUCK!

So not kidding. My journaling skills have grown a bit since that day nearly 30 years ago. (Oh my. How can I have lived long enough to remember something thirty years ago??) My journals are a melange of... well. Of me. Here. I'll flip through and show you. My last journal was handmade in Nepal with a graphic black and cream cover and rag paper. In the first twelve pages I have:

~ written in four different ink colors
~ glued in three magazine snippets
~ drawn four doodles
~ tucked in one note from Jeffrey,
~ given Sloane a page to doodle on
~ written a list of Evocative Words and Phrases
~listed Ten Things I Would Like To Do Every Day
~ written a movie review
~ listed 6 books I perused at Borders complete with notes like "library, don't buy" and "Blech!"
~ noted three websites to visit
~ wrote three separate To Do lists

All that and some meandering rambles through my brain in loosely arranged paragraphs. I love to journal. Love it! I carry a journal and pen absolutely everywhere I go. Actually, I always carry a journal, at least three pens, a book, and my camera. But, that's another story.
This post is about SOOJ. Or, it was going to be before I waxed rhapsodic about journaling. From time to time on my blog I plan to post something straight out of the journal. Unedited, unchanged. See? SOOJ.

Come back tomorrow for my first SOOJ post, won't y0u? I think you'll like it. I do. Happy Friday.




I took the first two photographs. The last image is a journal entry by Jo36, journal artist extraordinaire. Click here for a wonderful post about journaling.

The Art of Silly

Don't you just love jumping on the bed? And on a trampoline? Don't you love polka dots, spring sunshine, and excited little puppies that crawl all over each other just trying to get to you? OK. Back to jumping on the bed...

Sloane and I have a tradition that drives Jeffrey crazy. The first thing we do in any hotel room we enter is toss down our stuff and jump on the nearest bed. We jump and jump and jump. We reach up to try and touch the ceiling. I usually have to jump on my knees. Otherwise I'd crack my head on the ceiling.

I have a special gift for silly, for fun. I believe in wearing those pointy party hats, singing off key to get a laugh, squirting Silly String at unsuspecting people. (Actually, I've always wanted to squirt grumpy cashiers with Silly String, but I can't go quite get myself to do it.) I think toots and other stinky smells are hilarious, and I laugh every time someone toots near me. I often peer into other classrooms and make fish faces on the glass. In Lawsonland, we have Stupid Human Tricks Time once a month on Fridays. We also practice groan-worthy Knock Knock jokes and burst into song at random times when the moment seems to call for it.

I think being silly is underrated. Most people outgrow silly while they are still in their twenties. And that just makes them older faster. It is a little known fact that silly is an art form. It is another fact that silly makes you laugh and laughter makes everything better. As usual, Shel said it best:

Put Something In
by Shel Silverstein

Draw a crazy picture,

Write a nutty poem,

Sing a mumble-gumble song,

Whistle through your comb.

Do a loony-goony dance

‘Cross the kitchen floor,

Put something silly in the world

That ain’t been there before.

Silly lets you get away with things you'd never try otherwise. Silly gets a laugh, which is a gift to the laugh-er and the laugh-ee. Silly keeps you from being embarrassed and helps make the most of tiny moments. I say, "Bring on the silly!"

Now. Where's that hotel bed when I need it?




Art by Tricia Tusa, one of my most favorite illustrators. This silly post is especially for my love, Jeffrey. Who shows me his silly side every time I need it. Happy birthday, my love.

My Kind of Facebook

I've been invited a few times to join Facebook. So far I've resisted because of the massive time sucker it seems to be. I love my blog and I'm happy in this little corner of the Internet. But. I wonder.... I wonder what I'm missing. Anything?

So, what are you thoughts? Do you Facebook? Why or why not? If you do, will you tell me about it?

Do tell.



Evocative image spotted here, photographer unknown.

This Weekend I'm

wishing you...

petal strewn breakfasts,

songbirds in every tree,

and roses in all your cupboards.

We're so tickled here at Casa Lawson that we're practically giddy. We have friends from Oregon visiting this weekend. We're planning to spend it talking, eating, exploring, shopping, and going on mini-adventures. All of it wrapped up in lots of laughter and storytelling. It's such a blessing to share time with friends isn't it? And these are the best kinds of friends. The kind you can be apart from for two years and pick up the conversation without a pause or a stumble. We just hug, exclaim, and starting talking. That's us. So, I'll be back Monday or Tuesday.

Happy weekend, dear friends. Won't you tell me what delights you have planned for this weekend?



All images scanned for greeting cards, photographers unknown.

M is for...

* magic * music * men* mystery * mooing at backyard cows * Mediterranean cruises * miniskirts * month of May * musing * meaningful conversations * money * meatball sandwiches * monarch butterflies * menus on chalkboards * Moonstruck * magicians * moonbeams * melodies * myriad emotions * mommas * money-back guarantees * Milky Way * muscles * mummies * monkeyshine * miracles * mountain-top views * masks * Mickey & Minnie * magnificent mother-in-laws * morning fairies * "Mommy" * M&Ms * making things * modern art * magic eight balls * microphones * memories * mangoes * mythical creatures * mice * Mississippi Mud Pie * monuments * meandering back roads * melons for breakfast *maple trees * more is more * music boxes * miniature rooms * Mexican food * magic wands * moonlit paths * mellow moods * my love * museums * McLeod's Daughters * maybe * magnolias * Mac N Cheese * magazines * mosaics * movies * Mark Twain * movement * metallic ribbons * matchbox cars * midnight * mountain ranges * mail * middle of an Oreo * masquerade * minstrels * macaroons *

Don't you just love the alphabet?

To see more work from these excellent photographers, click the individual links. M by KikaBR. Mask by Big Fat Rat. Macaroons by mngc. Magnolia by wv mary. To find out more about the Alphabetica project, see the sidebar. To see the entire project so far, click the Alphabetica label at the end of this post.

What I've Been Doing...

taking walks
wrapping gifts
grading papers
eating strawberries
singing loud and long
doing too much housework
planning for someone's birthday
getting the rest I've been needing
discovering happy-making, new-to-me music
anticipating happy adventures & welcome company
visiting art museums with gorgeous gardens
writing long over-due thank you notes
testing students for too many days
staying up too late and watching
finishing up the Sparkle Room
wishing for more peonies
just plain stealing ideas
reading lots of books
picking up the slack
finding inspiration
taking pictures
laughing

What have you been up to?



These photos were taken at the beautiful Philbrook Art Museum during Spring Break.

It's the Little Things

This time of year is a difficult one for teachers. Usually, my job leaves me invigorated and excited. Most days, the requirements of wife and mother bring their own pleasures and energy. But, sometimes... Oh, some days I just need more. My to do lists aren't getting any shorter no matter how diligently I work. The demands on my time continue increase, my energy lags, and my family deserves better than they are getting. Do you know what I mean? Haven't you ever wanted to yell, "Stop the world!! I want to get off!!"

When I feel this way, I always remind myself that it's the little things that matter. That there is joy to be had everywhere you go, if you'll only choose delight.

a pretty girl in a pretty dress

presents, just because

cars that smile at you

grade school art

cozy classroom corners

the Pee Pee Dance

really great lessons

the door to my classroom

private jokes

useful, beautiful art

one perfect cupcake

a bucketful of friends

and a winner

or two

Wishing you much joy and delight of your own.



I thought you might like a little peak into my second grade classroom. That purple wall was a doozy to work with, let me tell you. I am thrilled with the happy, perky way it turned out. I love my classroom! Oh, yeah. If you click on some of the pictures, you'll end up visiting some of the wonderful friends I'm talking about. Try it. It's fun.

Hello, Friends

I assure you. I do know that you are not all sitting around with bated breath just wondering when I will return to this little space. I also know that you are probably not clicking here every day just dying to know where I am, what I'm up to, and who won the give away. I know you can, indeed, live without a jolt of Relyn for more than a week. Funny thing is... I'm not sure I can. It's amazing how quickly blogging friends become real world friends. And, how quickly you miss them.

Anyway. It has been quite a week, and promises to be another rough one (or two) coming up. I will return as soon as I can. To my blog. And yours. I do apologize for not finishing up with the giveaway in a timely manner. I meant tomorrow - not last Tuesday. Yeah. Sure. That's what I meant. ;^)

Love and misses,


This lovely image was featured in House Beautiful magazine. Sorry, photographer unknown to me.

This Is The Face.

This is the face that belongs to the girl.

This is the face that belongs to the girl, the girl who will be drawing...

This is the face that belongs to the girl, the girl who will be drawing two lucky winners.

The month of passions giveaway ends Tuesday evening. If you haven't entered the drawing for a book and other goodies, won't you please enter today? Click here.



This is Sloane a few weeks ago during one of our spring break jaunts. More on that soon.

On Beauty

I've been collecting beautiful images of women for a while now. I don't know why exactly. I just enjoy beauty. I think we all do. I am speaking here of the skin-deep sort that our mothers often assured us would fade. Who doesn't love to look at something beautiful? Someone beautiful?

I do enjoy beauty, very much. But. In my mind and with my heart, I believe that there is more to beauty than a pretty face. There is style, confidence, that certain something - joie de vivre.

I remember the summer I right before I turned 16. We were at camp and there was a guy named John who was adored by all: adults, teenagers, boys, men, children, and women. Oh, yes. The women surely loved him. He and I were sort of together - really just trying to decide if we would be better as friends or more. He was the kind of guy who loved people. He never met a stranger and always made you smile. I remember that he flirted with a very plain girl and I asked him about it. I told him that he could have his pick of girls, why flirt with a plain one? He looked at my quietly for a long time and then he said something I've never forgotten. He said, "Oh, Relyn. Everyone woman is beautiful. Every woman. You just have to know how to look for it."

John was right. He was. But, there's more. There is also the way that a person's beauty grows the more you know them, the more you love them. I've always called it the ET Syndrome.

Do you remember the first time you watched the movie? The first glimpse of ET was very nearly horrifying. Even if he wasn't scary, he was certainly ugly. Do you remember the end of the movie? Remember how adorable he was? How cute? Do you remember talking to people who hadn't seen the movie and indignantly asserting that Yes, ET was adorable. No, he was not ugly. Remember? The ET Syndrome. That little extra-terrestrial became cute because we got to know him, his personality, his voice, his great big heart.

Imagine a world where we all lived by the ET Syndrome. Think how much happier your high school years would have been if you had chosen your crushes based on character rather than height or a smile. Just think how much happier you would have been to have been judged the same way. By how you made someone feel instead of how you looked. Would it have made a difference?

Don't get me wrong, I love beauty. One of life's greatest gifts is an appreciation for beauty. In flowers and sunsets. In food and interiors. In faces and bodies. And I don't think that personal beauty is shallow. I don't believe that a love of beauty is a bad thing. Just that we should begin to live with a new standard. That we should begin to teach our children by example that spirit is more valuable than skinny. That character counts more than calories. That generosity makes for a better life than great genes. That if you know how to look for it, every woman is beautiful.

Just think how amazing our world would be if we celebrated heart, mind, spirit, compassion, enthusiasm, joy... the who of someone instead of the bone structure. Imagine how much happier our children, our teenagers, our marriages would be if we honestly measured beauty in character, in passion, in intelligence, in spirit, in generosity.

Karen Radkai's photograph, A Single Bloom can be purchased here.