Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Chicago, Chicago



We drove 14 hours- all five of us packed in one car, luggage and all. The best trip of my life.


Chicago.

Car horns. Busy sidewalks. Suited-up men talking on their Blackberrys. Brief cases. Shopping bags. Taxis. Gum on my shoes. My mother freaking out as we cross the busy street- holding each of our hands. Wind-soo much wind. The Magnificent Mile. The Sears Tower. Navy Pier. Lattes. Darling boutiques. Wonderful dining on every corner. The feeling of excitement the city brings to me. Mine and my sister's plans to move up to Chicago as soon as we graduate college. New clothes, and much bragging to look forward to when we got back home.
...
Yep, I am a small-town girl who dreams of an internship at a major advertising firm in New York. Who dreams of being able to go shopping on a whim. Who dreams of going out and actually having a place to go. Who will be on top of every new city trend out there... and the list goes on.


But for now, I am perfectly content with my sleepy street, 30 classmates, neighborhood parties, and the sound of crickets as I fall asleep.


I will save the city for later.


Saturday, July 25, 2009

Her Locket


He was in the local department store with his sisters and grandma when he saw it. It was the perfect Mother's Day gift and he knew it would look perfectly around her neck. He remembered that he had just enough money in his piggy bank for it- but he had left it all at home. Frustrated, he shyly asked his grandmother to pay for it, promising to pay her back as soon as he could. As they were leaving the store, all he could do was think about his mother's face when she saw it. It was perfect to him and he knew it was perfect for her. He couldn't hide his pride.
On Mother's Day, his mom opened up both of his older sisters' very creative gifts, and loved them. He was starting to worry that his wasn't good enough. His sisters were both artistic and had crafted his mom pieces of art and he felt his gift paled in comparison. Why couldn't he paint something beautiful like that? Why couldn't he take pretty pictures? He began to realize that butterflies were fluttering throughout his stomach and his palms were becoming sticky.
But as his mother picked up the final gift, everyone in the room knew that the ten dollar locket was the most precious gift of them all.
...
She still wears her son's locket proudly- every single day.

Thursday, July 23, 2009

Going forward...or going back?

The young little girl, so innocent.
Playing with her prized dolls
in the closet beneath the stairs.
Swinging beside the blossoms in the back yard.
Climbing the big magnolia tree,
wanting to reach the sky.
Dreaming of angels.
Dancing without a care,
in her own little world.
...
The little girl is grown up now.
The closet beneath the stairs is empty.
The swing beside the blossoms
moves only by wind now.
The lonely magnolia is bare.
...
But the little girl is still there.
She still dreams of angels.
She still dances in her own little world.
...
Even as things change around her,
one thing will always stay within her;
that precious, little girl.
...
Growing up is hard. I am at a point now where part of me can't wait to go to college and get out of here, but another part wants to go snuggle up in my mom's lap and let the world pass by.
I wrote that poem among many for a poetry class last year. I think it's my favorite because I feel like it perfectly describes what goes on in a mid-teen's thoughts:
Going forward... or going back?

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Finally




I am finally, officially, amazingly, so happily HOME. As boring as a small town gets, I have never been so glad to be back. I have missed my sheets, my cereal, my camera, my dog, and all of you, of course, for weeks. Today I have plans to lounge around all afternoon (!) and then tonight play some exciting board games with my greatly missed friends.


Home Sweet Home.

-suzyQ

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Weary


Just got back from the beach and I am exhausted from the trip!

Tomorrow I will be heading to tennis camp and after that, I will be going to the farm for a couple of days so this will be my last post for a while.
I am so, so ready to just be home.
-suzyQ

My Brother's Hands


My sweet little brother is growing up.

One of my favorite of his features- his hands.


-suzyQ

Takes me Back


Mentholatum. She applies it to her temples and under her nose every night before immediatley dozing off. When I was a young child, I would snuggle up with her in bed, while she would read countless children books to me and dazzle me with her many stories that I had heard many times before. She was Super Grandma-swinging with me on the swingset, pushing me in the stroller, always playing with me, rocking me to sleep every night, and being my idol; she could do no wrong. Now, I get to experience new sides to "Super Grandma". I get to experience her wise wisdom and good sense of humor. I also realize that she is not perfect, and that makes me love her even more.
I do, however, sometimes miss those old days...
A faint smell of mentholatum in the air- takes me back.
What takes you back?
-suzyQ

Sunday, July 12, 2009

Beach Bums


The beach is one of my favorite places to go. Whenever we come down here, we all get to be carefree for a couple of days and just enjoy eachother and the calm atomosphere. We all dread to go back to the "real world" and face worries and everyday stress again. Luckily, though, I will be back in a couple of weeks :)
Yeah, we are definitely beach bums.
Where do you "get away" from it all?
-suzyQ

Saturday, July 11, 2009

Love


"I love you Su-Su," she says as she looks up at me with her big, blue eyes. She has been walking around telling every member of our family this for the last hour. She is the second youngest person in our family, and probably the most entertaining. "I love you too, sweet girl," I reply, and then she goes on to the next person, leaving me with a smile on my face that lingers all day.
Unconditional love- the best thing out there.
-suzyQ

Friday, July 10, 2009

Fruit Love




Loving the beach- and my family!
-suzyQ

Thursday, July 9, 2009

Mom Time


Traveling up to the beach, it was just my mom and me. It has been so long since I have really had time to really talk with her, and I enjoyed every minute of it. I caught her up on things going on in my life, we went shopping, and ate at a nice little seafood place for dinner. I love mine and my mother's relationship. A lot of teens worry or feel uncomfortable about telling their mother certain things, but my mother and I talk about everything. I am always open with her-she is my best friend.
"There never was a woman like her. She was gentle as a dove and brave as a lioness… The memory of my mother and her teachings were, after all, the only capital I had to start life with, and on that capital I have made my way." - Andrew Jackson
I love Mom Time.
-suzyQ

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Boys Will Be Boys


We threw a birthday party for my dad last month and invited all of the families on the street. I had my camera out- trying to get a picture of everyone- and of course, all the elementary-aged boys hid themselves from me. This little one, however, has not hit that "too cool for school" phase yet. He gladly smiled his best smile while I snapped the picture. I guess while boys may be boys, children will always be children- blissfully innocent.
I am headed to the beach for a few days with my huge family- 22 of us in one house!
Wish me luck.
-suzyQ

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Rainy Days



The sound of rain on my tin roof is incredibly serene. I think it's time for a nap.








-suzyQ

Monday, July 6, 2009

Relaxation


I regularly go out to my trampoline, jump for a few minutes, and then lie there and enjoy my backyard. This time of year especially, I go out about seven o'clock when the tempature starts cooling down, and the sun is in the perfect spot. I love to just sit there and listen to the birds, admire all the green around me, and try to see how long it is before I hear a car pass by- which is usually a meager ten seconds. I can almost always hear the neighborhood boys playing next door. Sometimes, I even bring my camera.
I urge you to find a place where you can just enjoy everything surrounding you... and relax.
-suzyQ

Sunday, July 5, 2009

Freedom


"We seek peace, knowing that peace is the climate of freedom." -Dwight D. Eisenhower
-suzyQ

Saturday, July 4, 2009

Independence Day


July 4th has always been one of my favorite holidays. We have a huge family reunion down by my grandparent's pond with 150 of my closest relatives. There is always mounds of delicious food, and it is a great time to catch up with some of my long, lost cousins. Today, I enjoyed following around one of my youngest cousins whom I get along with very well. I have never realized the difficulty of capturing pictures of toddlers until today, but I did manage to get a few cute ones in there.





Here are some other pictures I managed to shoot today of various family members.





friendship.


peace.

family.


I hope you have a wonderful Independence Day, and I hope you take some time out of your day to honor those who have made this country the wonderful place that it is.

Happy Fourth of July!






-suzyQ