Fuzzy Updates or The Great Caterpillar Infestation of 2010

You might have seen that we had an unidentified fuzzy visitor at our house on Tuesday. For those of you who haven't been following along with me on facebook as I have embarked on the caterpillar adventure, here is an update.

On Wednesday, we were visited by Caterpillar Number 2 (that is one creative name I gave him, isn't it?)

Caterpillar Number 2:

I still didn't know exactly what kind of caterpillar we were dealing with, so I wasn't entirely sure what he wanted to eat.  I decided we would put this one on a bush instead of the grass.








I love how he stretched out on the branch for this second picture.  One thing I noticed is that he had much shorter fuzzys than the first one we found.





About thrity minutes after we said goodbye to Caterpillar Number 2, Katarina called out, "Mom look, it is another caterpillar!" I was sure that she must be teasing me, but I walked over to the tv cabinet and looked down at the floor where she was pointing. There it was......

Caterpillar Number 3:

Katarina wanted to put Caterpillar Number 3 next to Number 2, but he had already crawled away at this point. We put Number 3 on the same bush, and he seemed much more interested in the leaves than Number 2 had been.

Do you think Caterpillar Number 3 looks like he might be getting a little aggressive with that leaf? 

That night my mom called and Katarina told her that we had a Caterpillar Infestation! I thought that three caterpillars did seem a big much, in fact I even wondered if there was some small "Caterpillars welcome here" sign on my door that I didn't know about....but infestation seemed like an extreme word. Surely three caterpillars in two days was all there would be. I was wrong. 

Thursday afternoon. I looked down and noticed something brown. What was it? 

Caterpillar Number 4: 

At this point, Katarina had a plan. We should keep this one so we could watch him make his cocoon and become a butterfly.  She told me his name was Mr. Squiggles (I think she was less than impressed with the names I had given the other caterpillars. I can't imagine why.) 

Since he had a name, she reasoned, we had to keep him. I said we would think about it and put him in a plastic cup.  Still unsure about what kind of caterpillar he was, I gathered leaves and small branches from three different types of bushes in our yard to put in the cup with him. He seemed less than impressed.

At this point I knew I had to get serious. If we were going to keep him, I had to know exactly what kind of plants he would eat. After looking through over 200 pictures of caterpillars. (There are some amazing caterpillars out there. Amazing!) I finally found one that matched. Our Fuzzy Visitors are Cabbage Palm Caterpillars, and one day they will become Owlet Moths. 

We were excited to finally know what kind of caterpillar we had, but as I read further I found a problem. They don't just eat the palm fronds, they eat the blooms and those are located at the top of the palm....about 12 feet up....there was no way I was going to be able to keep this little guy alive. So instead of a funeral, we had a releasing ceremony and put him on the palm tree by our house.  Good bye Mr. Squiggles. 

Friday, Katarina kept going over to the door and looking at the floor for caterpillars.  I assured her that there wouldn't be any more. Once again, I was wrong. Friday night she starts squealing and says, "Mom, I'm naming this one Mrs. Squiggles. Isn't that a good idea?" 

I looked down and there she was, Caterpillar Number 5:  

Katarina has wanted to touch each one of the caterpillars, but she wasn't very sure about them touching her, so I took care of all the actual caterpillar relocations.  I was very proud of her for overcoming her fear and petting Mrs. Squiggles once I got her moved to the tree.  

Katarina made sure that we put Mrs. Squiggles on the same tree as Mr. Squiggles. 

She is hoping that they will cocoon next to each other.  

After five caterpillars in four days......I'm thinking that I need to break out the magnifying glass and search for that tiny sign that is welcoming all the caterpillars into my house. 

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Raw(e) - Challenge 2(6)

The theme is... 

2(6)

...what you have to do is go into

your 2nd folder of photos and post the 6th photo there. Doesn't matter what it is.

How silly, how beautiful, how awful, how embarrassing-doesn't matter!

It just has to be a raw photo-one completely untouched by editing of any kind.

This is a fountain in Scottsdale, AZ, it was taken during a fun day at the park. 

More Raw Photos can be found at Sailor & Company. 

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An Unidentified Fuzzy Visitor

When your husband is a tree surgeon, you never know what little visitors will come home with him. Sometimes he brings them home on purpose, like the baby squirrels that we raised. Sometimes they grab a ride in his pocket or on his shoe and he doesn't even know they are there until we find them. Today was one of those days. Thomas came in from work, and Katarina noticed that a little fuzzy visitor dropped of his shoe and landed on the floor.

Time for a quick rescue and a trip to the grass outside.

Thomas held the little guy for a minute before putting him down on the grass.

"Help! I'm falling!!"

Whew! Almost back on top of the leaf.

Katarina wanted to touch him....but at the same time she didn't want him to touch her! Conundrum.

"Hey! I see you looking at me, crazy camera lady!"

"Would you like this leaf?"
....he didn't seem very interested.

I love all his fuzzy little hairs sticking out everywhere.

So cute.

The best part of having this fuzzy visitor today? Seeing the wonder on my daughter's face as she watched him.

Katarina and I tried to look him up in all of her animal books, and online. We couldn't figure out what kind of caterpillar he is, or what kind of butterfly he will become. Do you know?  

If you want a close up look at other people's worlds, 

check out this week's Thematic Photography.

For more things that are making people happy, check out The Happiness Project.

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I Fought With A Color

I take pictures of yellow joyful things. I tweet them, blog them, and collect them with my friends. Kind of like slap bracelets....except my parents don't ruin my fun by telling me they are silly and too expensive.





We put our pictures together to form the Yellow Joy Machine. Anyone who has been reading this blog has heard all about it, but today I'm going to tell you a different side of the story, the secret side.

The story of Tracie and Yellow.....

My mother’s favorite flowers are yellow roses.  She had them in her wedding bouquet when she married my father.  A friend of hers dried some of those yellow roses and put them in a glass box.  That box sat in our living room for my whole life.  I don’t know if you have ever seen yellow roses that have been dried, but they always end up looking more brown than yellow.  They looked dead.

I used to sit in the living room and stare at those flowers and think how appropriate it was that they were displayed there in all their yellowish-brown deadness…just like my parent’s marriage, and their life together.  I grew to hate yellow roses.  Even beautiful alive ones began to look like death to me.

As time went by, I began to feel that way about all yellow things.  In my mind, I would see something yellow, especially something that should be beautiful and alive like a flower, and I would think of it like this...Yellow is what happens when all the purity and beauty of white dies. (dramatic much?)

Yellow shirts make my teeth look yellow.  Yet one more assault against me from this color.

I always thought that yellow crayons were too light of a color to really come out right on paper.

As a child I was sure that yellow had it out for me.  It was a scheming, plotting, hateful little color of death.  I even used to own this cassette tape that I bought out of a dollar bin in a store just because it had a song on it called “I Don’t Like Yellow” Really. I was fighting a battle with a color. Obviously it wasn't able to fight back, but that never stopped me. 

So, the Yellow Joy Machine.  Are you feeling confused?  How does this woman who is carrying on her own personal war with yellow for so many years get involved in something like this? One day on twitter Kim, Megan, and I were tweeting about collecting things that make us happy. Putting them together to form an ultimate joy machine......and somehow it became yellow. Strangely enough, I liked the sound of that. (It made me think of the yellow submarine.  I love the Beatles.)  That conversation expanded and we started looking for yellow things to take pictures of and tweet.

When I took my first picture and told my husband what I was doing he was a little shocked. “Yellow? You hate yellow!” this is a man who has heard my rant about yellow on more than one occasion.

I told him, "I know, but I think that my war might turn into negotiations.  Me and yellow, we’re going to talk."

Over the months, yellow and I have done more than talk.  I would say that our negotiations went well and when yellow needed a home I offered to take her in.  I can now spot yellow joy from across a crowded room.  I look for yellow everyday.  Even Thomas and Katarina are on the lookout for a bit of yellow to brighten up their day.

Through the peace negotiations with yellow, I learned something.  Sometimes your negative feelings have nothing to do with the color, or thing, or person that you have been blaming them on, or associating them with for many years.  Making an intention to start those negotiations with yellow opened up a whole new world of color and joy for me.

Now when I look at this yellow rose, instead of fighting with it, I can appreciate the freshness of life and the joy that it contains.

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Sometimes Kids are Sticky

See my toes here

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Hold Us Together - Matt Maher

A very precious friend gave this song to me yesterday and it just speaks to exactly where I am in life right now, on so many levels. I've had my heart hit the floor more than once in the last month and I've found that the only place to find answers in the dark is on my knees. There is light and there is joy....and today I am embracing love.

Hold Us Together by Matt Maher

It don't have a job

Don't pay your bills

Won't buy you a home

In Beverly Hills

Won't fix your life

In five easy steps

Ain't the law of the land

Or the government

But it's all you need..

Love will hold us together

Make us a shelter

to weather the storm

And I'll be my brothers keeper

So the whole world will know

That we're not alone

It's waiting for you

Knockin' at your door!

Every moment of truth

When your heart hits the floor

When you're on your knees then...

Love will hold us together

Make us a shelter

to weather the storm

And I'll be my brothers keeper

So the whole world will know

That we're not alone

This is the first day of the rest of your life

This is the first day of the rest of your life

'Cause even in the dark you can still see the light

It's gonna be alright.  It's gonna be alright

Love will hold us together

Make us a shelter

to weather the storm

And I'll be my brothers keeper

So the whole world will know

That we're not alone

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I Got it From My Momma

I am participating in this Blog Bash with Brittany. Today she would like us to write about our moms. How they inspired us, a great memory or story, anything about our moms.

I only have one problem with this assignment. I kind of made a deal with my mom that I could only write about her on my blog once a year...which is hard because I have so many great, hilarious stories about my mom. So many. But one thing that my mom taught me was to keep my word. So I just can't write about her anymore this year.............


I can, however, tell you that one time I wrote about her on this blog. A special tale of the time she made me water dirt. I can, in fact, put her picture on here (really, I can't do that either, but my mom will forgive me for bending the rules a bit....right mom? Love you!) and make it a link to the story.

Go ahead. 

Look at my mom.

Why is she hiding?

Click on her and find out!

You know you want to!

What did I get from my momma? Some crazy mad gardening skills!

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Is it Breakfast Time?

You know what makes me smile?

Breakfast for dinner
With an icing-cinnamon-y dessert
(especially when I don't have to cook it myself!) 

What is your favorite dinner or food?

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Blog Bash

The day has finally arrived! We are bashing blogs! 

Wait...what?  

That doesn't sound right......

We aren't bashing blogs, we are having a blog bash....a party....a celebration of blogging. (That is much better)

Brittany, who is Not Your Average Teen, is throwing this little shindig, so let's all tell her thank you and make sure to bring her a nice gift (she likes comments, blog followers and twitter birds)

I'm providing the cookie dough for this party - it fulfills all my food requirements, contains sugar and does not require cooking.

I even got dressed up for the occasion....

"Is that a Christmas tree behind me?", you ask.

Would you believe that I was so excited about the blog bash that I dressed up 8 months early? 

No?  

You think that I took an old picture from Christmas and tried to pass it off as being today? 

You think that I am actually sitting here in my pajamas, wrapped up in a polka dot blanket? 

Hmmmmph. I refuse to answer that question....on the basis that you might just be right!

All right, moving right along. Introduction time!

Hello, my name is Tracie and I am a blog-a-holic. "Hello Tracie"

I have been married for eight years to a wonderful husband named Thomas, who provides no shortage of blogging material.  We had three very different weddings (to each other!) We have a six year old daughter named Katarina.


I am a survivor of childhood sexual abuse.  Even though that doesn't define who I am, it changed the direction of my life. I volunteer with the Army of Angels, an inspiring group of survivors who are committed to healing and leading joyful lives.

I am a follower of Jesus. Worship is like fresh breath to me.

You will often find me singing, and sometimes dancing!

I love getting crafty.  I taught myself how to knit, and then started knitting squares to send to Africa.  Cross-stitching.  Jewelry making.  Photography (especially pictures of Yellow Joy).  My dream is to buy a lathe! (shhh...don't tell Thomas)

One time I learned how to speak elvish. 

You can also find me reading....watching movies (and complaining about all the ways they weren't like the book)....and watching classic television.

Everyone in my family likes to wear fun shoes.

Brittany has given us some Blog Bash Questions:

1.) Why do you blog?

Before I became a blogger, I was a blog reader. I loved reading other people's blogs and getting a look into their lives.  Eventually I decided to start my own, and share my life and stories. Blogging is a great creative outlet for me. I enjoy the writing. I enjoy the relationships that grow, and being a part of the blogging community.

2.) What do you blog about?

My blog is pretty much a mixed bag. You get a little of my family life, some sexual abuse advocacy (not every day, but it sneaks in there), discussions about books and movies, photography, a helping of silliness and joy, and a whole lot of me!  There is laughter and tears........it's life!

3.) What do you find to be the biggest reward you get from blogging?

I have been so blessed to be able to write and share my life and my photography through my blog. I have built lots of great friendships in the blogging world, and had a chance to strengthen relationships with people I know in real life as they have gotten to know me better through my writing. The other thing that blogging gives me is an opportunity to speak to sexual abuse survivors. That is my passion, to be an encouragement to survivors and let them see that there is hope and healing.  
I love sharing my heart.....and having some fun along the way!

4.) How long have you been blogging?

I started blogging in 2006, and then had a long hiatus before picking it back up in 2009. 

5.) Let's hear the story behind your blog title! :) 

My blog name is From Tracie.  Pretty straightforward.  It is everything there is to read from me!

Other than my blog, I spend lots of time with my other true loves...Twitter - Facebook - BlogFrog (I'm just getting started with the whole BlogFrog thing, so feel free to stop by and help me learn how to do it! ha)

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It Has Been Eight Years

I met Thomas when I was working at a bookstore. I sold him hundreds of cds and books and we became friends.

I remember the first time Thomas told me he loved me, before we took a scary ride on a tow truck. 

He proposed to me on the beach. I said yes.

Eight years ago, at midnight, we had our first wedding (there were two more that followed)  

He is the love of my life and I am thankful for every day of these eight years.

Thomas,

   You are a wonderful husband, father, provider and best friend.  I know that we have had lots of struggles over the last few years, but I also know that in the future, we will look back on this time as a growing experience.  It will be the time when we learned how to make it through anything as long as we are together.

    I see how hard you work everyday for this family, and I want to say thank you.  I love you!  You bring joy to me everyday.  You make me laugh.  You encourage me in everything I do (crazy or not!) you are my biggest fan....and I am yours!  You never fail to dream big (even when I rain down on those dreams with practicality) You have made me a more fun person (even when you have to drag me to it!)  You pray for us and with us everyday.  You are awesome.  I can never say enough how much I love you and how thankful I am that God gave you to me. Happy Anniversary.
Tracie

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Pictures that Deserve Wall Space

I love to take pictures, but so often they just end up being put on a disk. A few of them will make it to the facebook page, and even fewer to the blog.

There is always this list of pictures in my mind that I want to get printed, framed, and hung on the wall. Kat's prompt this week was a great reminder to go through some pictures and think about which ones deserve a little wall space....

I love every single thing about this picture...the water, the flowers and colors, the look on Katarina's face, even the silly antler headband.

 She glows.

 This is Katarina with my cousin's dog, Annie. 

That look on Katarina's face is pure puppy-loving joy.

This picture was one of those that really spoke to me. I was looking through the pictures on the camera later that night and I had this realization.....she isn't a baby anymore. Sure, I knew that in my head, but this picture brought it all home.  My baby is growing up.

Now that you have seen some of the pictures that have been on that list in my mind, which one of these do you think should be hanging on the wall?

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