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After sleeping in a little this am... and helping write some notes of thanks to people for all the help we received since my father became ill... I packed up and left my mom's house around 3pm and started on my way back home.

Sabrina and I made a stop at the Allegheny National Forest... and delighted in the gorgeous scenery there. TONS of colorful leaves... stunning streams of light coming in through the trees... it was incredible. Soooo meditative... so restful... it was exactly what I needed.

After the break... the weather became increasingly stormy... and I drove the rest of the miles in PA in the thunder and lightening and rain. And so... we have stopped early for the night at a very posh hotel... and are enjoying some relaxing time.



*photos by Elaine A. Russell

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It is definitely summer here in Potter County... with hints towards the coming fall. Today for our daily drive, my mom and I went over to Bradford (about an hour away) to visit with her sister and her sister's husband (AKA as my favorite aunt and uncle). Sabrina went along for the ride... and seemed to enjoy it.

Along the way there were some detours... yes, there is road work even here in the backwoods of PA. We went thru little towns such as Coudersport, Olmstead, Mina, Roulette, Burtville, Port Allegheny, Turtlepoint, Eldred, Prentisvale, Duke Center, and into Derrick City... and yes, those are the real names too.

We had a nice visit... and I walked around the back end of their yard... past the little field where we used to have occasional family picnics... where we tossed lawn jarts at each other (before they were outlawed as dangerous)... and past where the old badminton nets used to be.... towards the woods. Past the crab apple trees that the deer love.... past the black walnut tree where the squirrels live. Dodging bear scat... and the occasional gopher holes... and took a few photos... which you see here. The lantern is on their little barn.
Because sometimes you just have to take some time and wander.....


(photos by Elaine A. Russell)

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"...to everything there is a season"... and often quoted bible verse... brought to mind as it will be recited at my father's memorial service tomorrow. I thought about this all day today as my mother and I were taking our daily drive in the countryside... evidence of summer life all around us, even as the sadness of death has been weighing on our hearts...

...and so on it goes...



(photos by Elaine A. Russell)

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Today has been a rough day..... feeling the pains of the Lupus. And so... beyond keeping up with the laundry, cleaning and dishes... I haven't gotten much done. Last summer I took a trip to see family in PA... and I have a bunch of photos from that trip on my computer. The photo equipment I had at that time was dying... and the lenses had spots all over them. As a result, all the photos I took on that trip need to be retouched... and it is something I have not made the time to do yet. So today, I worked on them for a bit.
These are some of those photos.

The pictures here were all taken deep in the forests of PA. I love it there. And I thought that ... being in the middle of winter... some greenery would be welcome. .. hope you enjoy....




all photos by Elaine A. Russell

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So.... the other day I went into Old Towne... here in ABQ. Walked around for a bit.... looked at the wonderful carving of the Our Lady of Guadalupe that is carved into a tree near the San Felipe de Neri church. The sky is often-times just amazing here... totally awesome and saturated in the deepest blues ever. I couldn't resist taking some shots of the bare trees against this magnificent blue.



Today was a rough day.... had a run-in with a guy via email. When things like this happen... I really need to take a moment and realize that sometimes there are just jerks in the world. No amount of reasoning with these people helps. Things like this always upset me... and when I am upset... I clean. Maybe it's because of my heritage... or my mom being a "bit" OCD.... but I always clean when I am upset.




So now-- the laundry is caught up, the dishes are done...the kitchen is clean....


Living Simply Tip for the day:
Clean a little bit every day. It's much easier to quickly wipe things down as you go; rather than to try and do major cleaning once a week. This also saves money... because you don't have to buy caustic cleaners that are often-times pricey as well. Instead, just a quick wipe with soap and warm water.. and you are done.