Look for the good.......

"Trying to change someone is a waste of time. The very thought of changing someone is saying that they are not good enough as they are, and it is soaked with judgment and disapproval. That is not a thought of appreciation or love, and those thoughts will only bring separation between you and that person.

You must look for the good in people to have more of it appear. As you look only for the good things in a person, you will be amazed at what your new focus reveals." - Rhonda Byrne

Holy Rosary Parish Campout

Iron Skillet Toss Champ! LOL!

Kevin (my hubby)....just chillin'

Claire, Mary, Jenny & Ryan with their booty from the pinata

Kyle's tie-dyed shirt

Ashley's tie-dyed shirt

Emily's tie-dyed shirt

Mary's tie-dyed shirt

Meghan's tie-dyed shirt

Lisa relaxin'

Sisters....Mary & Meghan

Meghan, Amy, Mary, Kyle, Tucker and Ashley hangin' out Saturday afternoon

Meghan and Ashley with lil' Charlie

Susie & Roger with Buster

Even the furry children love the campout!!

What a wonderful weekend we had at the Holy Rosary parish campout at the Berwagana campground in Vassar Michigan! Friday was extremely humid and put a damper on things...Saturday morning was a bit rough as well but mid afternoon the humidity and temperature lightened up a bit and it was much more pleasant. The weekend was full of fun....swimming, volleyball, ladder ball, campfires, smores, tie-dying, pinata for the kids, empty beer can toss for the men, iron skillet toss for the women, pot luck, pancake breakfast and mass outside under tents......it doesn't get better than that!!! Matter of fact...the weather Sunday was so amazing we stayed an extra day!! I am so happy that our family has made a home at Holy Rosary and have formed so many great friendships there. A big thank you to the Corcoran family for organizing and working so hard to make this annual event so fun-filled.

Dealing with Life's Stresses

The following is an excerpt from Dr. Denis Waitley's book "The Psychology of Winning"..........

One of the best ways to develop adaptability to the stresses of life is to view them as normal. Earl Nightingale tells of his visit with his son recently to the Great Barrier Reef which stretches nearly 1800 miles from New Guinea to Australia. Noticing that the coral polyps on the inside of the reef, where the sea was tranquil and quiet in the lagoon, appeared pale and lifeless...while the coral on the outside of the reef, subject to the surge of the tide and power of the waves, were bright and vibrant with splendid colors and flowing growth...Earl Nightingale asked his guide why this was so.

"It's very simple," came the reply, "the coral on the lagoon-side dies rapidly with no challenge for growth and survival...while the coral facing the surge and power of the open sea, thrives and multiplies because it is challenged and tested every day. And so it is with every living organism on earth."

I love this analogy and will do my best to keep it in mind as life's challenges come my way...I hope it helps you, too.

Colors & Textures from the Farm

I love how the rusty brown color of Daisy matches the rusty brown of the tires. She was hunting wabbit in this photo and was lifting the tires with her nose.

The contrast of the blue-ish colored corrugated metal in the back against the old barn wood and the rusty bed frame gives this photo so much personality.

This is a small little building on the farm. I think it housed chickens at one time. The texture of the roof was so awesome but I couldn't quite capture it in the photo, however, it is still interesting with the pretty butter yellow brick against the old wood and roof.

This is one of my favorite photos. Love the one window pane missing and the great color of the barn wood. Not sure what that black paper is, but it sure does add to the photo.

This picture and the one below are of an old rusty trailer. I find it intriguing how the words didn't rust like the rest of the trailer. Great colors!

Ahhh, there's nothing better than old barn wood with chipped red paint! Love the vertical piece of wood with rusty nuts and bolts.

I like the crispness of the window against the blurry side of the black barn reflecting the field and tree. This is a 3rd lil' building on my brother-in-law's property.

Look at the deep texture of this wood! The only thing that would make this picture better is a lil' bird or mouse peeking out of the knot hole!

I liked the harshness of barbed wire against the softness of the foliage. The contrasting colors are equally interesting.

What a cool ol' tire. The colors in this picture are wonderful and I love the green grass surrounding the tire as if "hugging" it.....(am I losing it, or what?)

The above photos are from our vacation at my brother-in-law's farm in Manistee. He and his family have labored many hours cleaning up scrap metal, wire, and many other discarded objects found on the property they purchased a few years ago. However, the things they left add color, texture and interest to the landscape. The 40-acre property consists of a lil' blue ranch-style house along with a barn and a few lil' out buildings. I enjoyed snapping photos of some of the "treasures" from days gone by.

25 year class reunion

"High School Sistas"

This past Saturday night was our Kearsley High School Class of 1985 reunion. What a blast from the past! The eight of us pictured above rented a limo for the event for some extra bonding/reminiscing time before the reunion. Some of the girls came in from Arizona, and Tennessee......so glad they made the trip! Many of my classmates were very recognizable and I knew immediately who they were and then there are those that have changed so much! Facebook was a great tool for getting us back in touch with each other prior to our reunion. If you want to reconnect with friends from high school, I highly recommend starting a Facebook page. I came away from the reunion with many thoughts....

1...I really miss the ones that live so far away
2...wondering why the heck us friends that live within an hours drive don't get together more often??????
3...that all those high school insecurities were a waste of time
4...I will attend any future reunions if at all possible (I hadn't been to one since the 5 yr reunion)
5...after graduation, life begins......it is then our choice as to what we want to become.....this thought made me reflect on the past 25 years. A sense of peace, happiness. and pride came over me. I love where I am today and I am excited about where this life will lead me.........

Kogut Family Vacation

Beautiful sunset over Lake Michigan from Manistee

We spent Sunday afternoon canoeing on the Pine River. This photo was taken in the truck on the ride back to the farm.

Kyle, David & Ryan... my boys....acting silly as usual

Our nephew's little tike, Lucas, was stylin' in his blue shades. There's nothin' like a baby to bring so much laughter and joy. He was the source of entertainment on many occasions.

Typical boys......catching (and a couple of times, eating) bugs!

Ahhh, a day at the beach is food for the soul. We spent a few afternoons at the beach. This year the water was warm and refreshing....usually Lake Michigan is so cold I barely get in but this year was wonderful!

Ryan & David (cousins)

David & Ryan

Kyle......if I take his photo without him knowing, I can actually get a "normal" shot!

Cousins

This is my favorite photo of the entire week! Our nephew Paul is holding his son Lucas in the glowing sunset. Just beautiful!

No caption needed here.....

Another great vacation at the Kogut farm in Manistee. My brother-in-law and his wife own a lil' blue house on an old farm of 40 acres next to the 40 acres the entire family owns and hunts. Every summer my husband's family gathers at the farm and sets up campers and tents for 5-7 days (Thank you, John & Debbie). We are tucked in the wilderness, however, a quick 10 minute drive we are at Lake Michigan and downtown Manistee.....the best of both worlds. The week consists of a canoe trip, afternoons at the beach, hikes through the woods, campfires, smores, card games, countless Monopoly games for the young cousins, and the most delicious food we can muster.......we Kogut's know how to eat!! I am blessed to be part of such a wonderful family!

Fun with acrylics!

"Creepy Halloween"

10X10 stretched canvas
layered with paper then covered with acrylic paint
©Teresa Kogut

This was so fun to paint! It was quick, loose and free......just letting the painting take me where ever it wants with no purpose in mind....so fun! I am considering crackling/antiquing it....what do you think? Should I leave the colors vibrant or grungy it up a bit?

Across the pond

It makes my day when I see wildlife in my back yard. These deer were on the other side of the pond out front of my studio. Last week, I was walking down the driveway to my studio and lil' bambi was only about 20 yards from me. I didn't see the mama deer and was worried she was an orphan so I was happy to see mama with lil' bambi yesterday. There is a lot of farm land around us and also a large park just south of us so we get a glimpse of wildlife here and there....so far we've seen deer, turkey (as many as 50 at a time), pheasant, coyote, fox, geese, ducks, blue heron & green heron.......oh, and course, the usual bunnies, squirrels, chipmunks, muskrats and many varieties of birds. I am grateful to live here tucked in among the animal's playground.

Rockin' America's Birthday

SHOUT! at Evart, Michigan July 3

(click on pictures to enlarge)

Kyle & Ryan

We had a great time Saturday in Evart, Michigan watching Kevin's Beatles' tribute band SHOUT! The boys and I hadn't been to a gig in quite a long time......I forgot how amazing they are!! We had great seats, too, front and center. The fireworks started while they were still playing which was a treat! Good ol' hot summer weather without a cloud in the sky. We stayed at a hotel behind the fairgrounds that night and spent the 4th with friends on a private lake (thanks Diane & Craig). What a great weekend! Hope you all had great weather and fun festivities, too!