England Pictures - 2

Pictures of Avebury countryside.

Ireland Pictures - 2

Dowth is one of three great passage tombs of Bru na Boinne.

Stone wall - Bective Abbey in background


Bective Abbey

Celtic crosses - Monasterboice

Ireland Pictures - 1

Sunset flying to Ireland

Newgrange


Hill of Slane - Slane Abbey




For those of you who keep up with my blog you know, it wouldn't be a proper trip if I didn't take a picture from the plane. Ireland's pictures came out so crisp and clean I can't wait to go back one day!

England Pictures - 1

London Eye

Pathway to Avebury




Cottage in Avebury


Victoria Station


Sorry, I had back to back trips. When I got home from England I had to quickly catch up on work and then fly to Chicago. Now I'm back so I need to catch up on my blog ... bare with me this may take awhile. :)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO A VERY SPECIAL LIL' GIRL!

Happy Birthday Taylor! I miss you very much! I hope you have a great day and know your Aunt Stacey loves you BUNCHES! I wish I could be there with you, but I will be home very soon with lots of goodies for my best cartoon watching friend!
WITH ALL MY LOVE
~ Aunt Stacey

I'm Alive

Needless to say I have been very busy. Currently, I'm in Ireland. I will give you a VERY short teaser story and go into more detail when I'm at a computer that is not charging me $5.00 for 2 mins. (People that know me know I am spending a fortune just typing a few lines with my hunting and pecking skills.)

So I'm in Ireland.... we rent a car. Joy is driving for maybe 1 hour and then it happens.... WE THANKED GOD that we payed extra for car insurance. It seems in Ireland bushes in HUGE pots tend to jump out at rental cars terribly scraping the bumpers. (YES the bumper is totally popped out of place. I took over the driving from that point on. LOL

Many more stories to come with beautiful pictures. For now I'm off on another journey so I can have PLENTY of stories to tell you later.

~Stace

LONDON BABY!!!!!

I'm off to London for a week and Ireland for a week! I am so excited. Ireland should be a great challenge, so far I have no where to stay all that is planned is wandering the country to see everything they have to offer. This should be my biggest adventure yet! I am going to try to find some internet cafes to put some updates out here. If I don't then when I get back (Nov. 15th) I will have a ton of stuff to write about and hopefully some AWESOME photos to post.

To those that I didn't get to say goodbye too... I'll miss ya!
Amy take care of yourself and Kale, don't let him start walking before I come back. :)
Taylor & Nick you guys are my sunshine! I love ya can't wait to get back and watch cartoons with yal! hugs and kisses
And to Mr.Polly.... my messenger is not working and your blog won't let me put comments out there. Please look into fixing your blog and I'll try to check my email until I can get my messenger working.

Well I'm off next time I write I'll be in another country...or just returning.

In the words of my favorite writer "Not all who wander are lost!"-J.R.Tolkien

Passionate and Brilliantly Complex

At first glace one may describe the outward appearance as calm, gentle maybe even confident on the surface. Just enough of the average ingredients so not to draw attention and stand out.

The wind carries through the trees a soft tender voice.
"Look further…"

You move closer to get a better view. Instantly, you get pushed back by an unseen force. Defenses have been raised to keep you away from intruding. Dark and insecure feelings of emotions surround you as you fight to pull back the layers. What is it that is being so closely guarded? Ahead an intense light pierces through the darkness. You work your way toward the light against the invisible force that now seems to be pushing you back. The ground turns to thick murky waters making it almost impossible to move forward. With every new step you manage to take you get ever so much closer. You fight to keep the darkness from engulfing you by willing yourself to only focus on the light. Struggling in this battle with an invisible enemy, you begin to wonder if the message was meant for you to hear. Your initial thought is to turn back.

The wind picks up returning the tender voice.
"Look further…"

The little things

Isn’t it strange how some of the best feelings in life come from the littlest things people do for you. With time actions can either break down barriers or reinforce them with stone supports. It’s the little things that are often over overlooked, but easily accomplished that act as the demolition crew. If at anytime you allow pride and stubbornness to paralyze you from doing those little things for someone else you are creating new walls to tear down. Life is too short to take the people you care about for granted. Remember each day what they have done for you and the impacts they have had on your life. Regrets are what everyone tries to avoid, do not let the day come that you did not see the little things that were brought into your existence.

Here I go again...

I'm off on another business trip in Chicago. It's nice to see good friends and I look forward to seeing the ones I have yet had a chance to meet up with. The fall colors are so beautiful and something that you miss out on living in Florida. Today I'm off to conquer the city and take a dinner cruise later tonight. No worries the camera will be close so hopefully I will get plenty of great pictures.

Making Strides

I am participating in the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer again this year in memory of my grandma Mary! Getting people involved and educating them on this deadly disease is critical in helping to find the cure for cancer. We have lost enough loved ones to this enemy! I humbly ask, if you like reading my blog and would wish to sponsor me please go to the below link. All donations will go towards cancer research and any amount you can donate will be appreciated!

http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR?pg=personal&fr_id=2183&px=1353342

Take me away....

Off to the land where happy endings are abundant.

Never Fails

Doesn't it always seem the moment you let your guard down is when you get blind sided?

Happy Birthday

It's not supposed to be proper to tell a ladies age, but then again when has anyone ever thought of me as proper? To a very special person in my life, Mom happy 52nd birthday. I hope you have a wonderful day!

TRUST

Hard to earn, easily lost.

Irony

I was looking through and editing my photos when I came across this crash I took a picture of. If you click on the picture it will enlarge the view, this should assist you in figuring out why I thought this was so ironic. If enlarging the photo does help you see the irony let me just point it out. In the back ground in the middle of the crash is a bill board that says "LOVE" and the accident happened on "Paradise". I don't know about you, but this pretty much represents most my experiences with the two.

Back by popular demand

I did not think anyone consistently read this blog, so I took a break and just kept my photos and writing to myself. After several emails and posts to my blog from friends I decided to keep this going for a bit longer. I love all the feed back I get on my posts,they give me a different perspective than just being in my own silo. I believe all the comments help make my work better. A very special thank you to all those that keep checking on this site to see if I have actually updated it. I really appreciate you guys!

XOXO
~Stace

P.S.
Keep looking there will be more to come..... (sheeesh) LOL

Next Stop ......

I'm off on my next adventure.
Can you guess where work has me going this time?
Here's a hint.....

Late Nights of the Sleepless Wander

Late nights, time passed by filling it with endless journeys never actually leaving the comfort of my bed. Cuddled up under the warmth of a big cozy blanket. The only part of my body left unprotected by the warmth is my head, which is laid upon a pile of pillows. A fan circles frantically above, ironically results in gentle wafts of air down upon me. Ever so softly working the strands of hair tucked from behind my ear, tickling my cheek as they are blown past to their final resting place in front of my eyes.

Staring out of the window at the darkened pasture. Moonlight peers threw the trees that rustle in the wind. Their limbs sway back and forth almost acting like a pendulum put into motion hypnotizing its audience.

The stage is set. Never can you put a pattern to your thoughts that will lead you to your journeys. Sometimes they are to the past, while others are just of the days events. Still some, though not yet happened, could be viewed as fantasies being worked out so one day they may become reality.

It’s only moments away, your mind will be leaving from your awareness of happenings outside your window to thoughts that begin to draw back the curtains leading you on your nightly quest. Where might tonight’s take you?

Reality Check….

* Can you lend a shoulder to a person going through a rough time if you didn’t like them in the past?

* Are you too concerned with what is on the other side of the fence that you do not see what is right in front of you?

* Do you set standards for others that you have no intention of following?

* Have you found your treasure, but set it aside for fools’ gold?

* Is it ever just black and white?

* Do you realize your own actions are what can make someone better than you?

* Have you ever proven to yourself you can accomplish something you never thought possible?
Do you remember how that moment made you feel?

* If you don’t know what you really want how can anyone else?

* Are you so scared to get hurt that you do not realize by blocking out the possibilities of pain you also block out the joy?

* Will you hold on to something when you should be letting it go?

* How many friends can you say that make you laugh when all you want to do is cry?

* Do you say you want something so desperately, but your actions portray a different story?

* Is there ever a time in life where you can truly put into words exactly how you feel?

* Do you cherish people in your life that you don’t have to say anything at all and they know what you are thinking?

* Are you prepared for the history you write today?

* Have you ever done something crazy just to say you did it?

* When you’re done playing, will it be your turn to be played?

* Should I continue???

The Hotel

Inside the Hotel they actually have waterfalls that flow into a lake and boats you can ride to take you to all the restaurants. (The lobby rises 100 feet with live palm trees, and exotic birds inside.)

Walking around outside the colors are so bright I can't wait to get a moment to take more pictures.
The view from the balcony is unreal. I could get used to this.....

California Girl

I was sent to CA for work this week. After a lay over in Denver CO, I was placed on this puddle jumper that sat 24 people. Needles to say, with already traveling 6 hours on one plane, a 1 hour lay over and given a new meaning for cramped quarters (on a plane I wasn't so certain was big enough to hold all 24 people including 4 crying kids and still get off the ground), with 2 hours still to travel, the above picture needs no further explanation.
Landing in Plam Springs, California I was amazed at the view outside my window. Watch out Cali there's a new girl in town!! :)

Fairy Tale....

You have to kiss a lot of frogs before you find your prince….. Pucker up!

Life....

In the morning the sun rises casting soothing rays of light on two strangers faces. A smile crosses their lips as they become gently drawn into each other’s eyes.

By the afternoon the sun has moved swiftly across the sky high above the trees, moving ever so much closer to the horizon. The two still drawn together have made an unspoken promise to cherish each other’s presence. Each one feeling that the other is as precious as the light that is slowly fading.

One stretches their arm out to reach for the other’s hand as the sky turns to darkness. Heart pounding loudly in their chest as if trying to beat it’s way to freedom. Breathless, the lone person turns frantically trying to find light through the darkness in hopes to locate the out stretched hand.

Night has set. Just as reality seeps in to awaken one from their sleepless nights only to see the lonely darkness surrounding them.

Was this just a dream?

Journey to a New World

The world can look so different just by opening yourself to new perspectives. Can you stray from your comfort zone and look at things from all sides just to get another point of view?

Inside Joke

This is for a friend who is "a zillion" miles away and in the cold weather. Thought this might help bring a smile to you on a Monday morning! Remember next time you are in charge of the keys... :)

Hold Back

A home where all were welcome by open doors. Presented like an outstretched hand; warm, compassionate, giving of everything without looking ahead to the possible consequences.
Nothing held back….

Too many have come just to take and never fully giving anything of themselves in return. Now worn and run down. Whole sections of the home completely crumbled only rubble remains. Other areas have had pieces stolen from its walls and floors leaving it’s last remaining support and foundation weak.
Hold back….

Consequences have taken their toll, the home is now closely guarded by blockades to act as it’s own protection so no intruder can harm the last of it’s supporting walls. Left forgotten the wind is the only penetrable visitor. Unaware what is carried on the wind is the soft whispers of a voice. Words, barely audible creep in through the cracks of the blockades becoming more clear the closer they get to their destination. The battered door hung on rusty hinges and is tightly held shut by several locks. The home draws in a depth breath summoning up the last of its remaining strength. Can these words act as keys to open a door considered to be forever closed?
Just hold back….

In my thoughts

We live most of our lives in our thoughts. Memories act as direct journeys back to points of time. Whether they are good, bad or indifferent you travel to these places the same way. You may hear a song, smell a fragrance, see an object or person that instantly trigger your thoughts to take you away from the present and into your own world. Frozen by your thoughts, your body is still, your face is expressionless, but your eyes tell your story.