tagged. . .

i have been *tagged* by Boho and
Meg
We have to post these rules before we give you the facts:
Players start with eight random facts/habits about themselves.
People who are tagged write their own blog post about their
eight things and include these rules.
My Eight Randoms..
1. "gray" is my middle name. the same as my Father's.
2. driving in the back seat of a car, the sight of raw meat, the smell
of green peppers cooking, and the feel of wet felt are all things that
make me want to vomit.
3. i am a big tom-boy though i love to wear skirts,
chunky jewelry, and lip gloss.
4. id rather roam in an abandoned barn than go shopping at the outlet stores..
5. i am not afraid of public speaking, snakes, traveling alone, or walking outside
in the woods at night. i am, however, afraid of the germs on doorknobs,
handrails, and in public bathrooms.
6. i used to dream about having three boys ~ Finn, Charlie, and Cole.
instead i have four cats ~ Marty, Lucy, Big, and Little.
7. i will get crabby if i do not get time to myself.
even as a child i used to hide in the window-well just to be alone.
8. i prefer Little House on The Prairie and the Andy Griffith Show
over Desperate Housewives and American Idol.
*since most of my friends have already been tagged, feel free to send me your own eight randoms!
Posted by
jen at 11:25 AM |
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July 29, 2007
sigh. . .

swept away, barga cemetery ~ canon 20 d
you know those vacations in which everything
was beyond perfect and beautiful and fun and peaceful,
that when you try to describe it to another,
words just fall short?
well that's how it was.
coming back down is always a bit difficult for me.
i laid in bed this morning and wondered how i
could find a way
to return...
Posted by
jen at 08:33 AM |
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July 26, 2007
BARGA.

barga view, canon 20d
“You may have the universe if I may have Italy"
~ Giuseppe Verdi
Posted by
jen at 08:23 AM |
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July 16, 2007
places. . . .

lily loo, canon 20d
we all should have those kind of places..
the places that have a way of removing the layers
that have fogged up our windows.
the places that take us away
from this and that
and him and her
and when and how.
the places where not much matters but the
sun on your face and the music that lingers in the street.
the places where you dont have to do any pretending or performing.
the places where you do whatever you can to return to
in spite of finances, work, schedules, or duties.
the places that make you feel beautiful even though
you feel a bit old.
the places that perhaps saved your broken heart and
made you believe in second chances.
i am off to such a place.
and i will return with beautiful photos and stories to share...
Posted by
jen at 09:42 AM |
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July 12, 2007
timing....

my italian lovelies, barga, canon 20d
there is a time to move.
there is a time to get a divorce.
there is a time to get a new job.
there is a time to cut your hair short.
there is a time to throw away your Wham album.
there is a time to clean behind the dryer.
there is a time to pay bills.
and then there is a time to go to barga italy and get lost in the people, the food, the wine, the mountains, the music, the old churches, the fabulous art,
and oh, that italian love....
Posted by
jen at 04:01 PM |
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July 11, 2007
help needed....

lost one, canon 20d
for a couple weeks a little black cat has been showing up around the house.
pets are often "dumped" at the pet store close by and they usually find their way over
to our side of the block.
anyhow, this little guy was hungry and scared and clearly not used to living out on the streets. he was crying and crying so i called him over and he jumped right up onto my lap and fell alseep. he's been sleeping on my porch ever since.
he has been brought to the vet, been fixed, tested for feline lukemia (he's clear), and given medicine for the owie he had on his paw.
but here is the problem.
i cannot have any more pets at my house.
and the nearby shelters are full.
i have two foxes that live in the woods
behind here that will most certainly eat him
right up.
he is so sweet and he needs a home.
so chicagoland and suburbs of, PLEASE contact me
if you know of a home for this poor
little guy. jen@jengray.com
thank you....
Posted by
jen at 09:17 PM |
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July 10, 2007
gentle. . . .

soft petals, canon 20d
even though i did my face up pretty well, she knew.
"you have cry eyes. what happened?"
~oh im just tired
"bullshit. you cant fool me"
~okay. he said this and didnt do that and
i did this and i shouldnt have said that
and today,
i just feel ugly.
and she listened gently as she wrapped my hair in foil and paint
and she softly washed my head and combed out the tangles
and by the time she blew my hair so it was straight and long
i felt better.
my hair stylist is a little angel.
she knows that sometimes all a girl needs is to have someone
listen to her and play with her hair.
Posted by
jen at 08:24 AM |
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July 06, 2007
good . . .

down the street, canon 20d
there have been moments i have seriously doubted the big
decisions i have made throughout my life. i wonder how
things would have been different "if i had only..."
but i cant ignore the fact that every experience of my
life has attributed to who i am today. the good, the bad, the ugly,
the beautiful, the scary, the sad....it has all shaped me in one
way or another.
and the truth of the matter is, i am happy with who i am.
and i dont live in fear and anxiety the way i used to.
and i no longer need to please others so deeply.
and i do not have to sacrifice myself to fit in any mold.
oh sure, there are still things that i am working on
and i still spin out from time to time,
but i take great comfort in knowing that i have
made it through a really rough road and have
turned out pretty okay.
my life is good.
being able to say that and mean it is one of my greatest
accomplishments.
Posted by
jen at 08:50 PM |
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July 03, 2007
diagnosis...

orange,red,green ~canon 20d
and we wonder why those of us raised in the seventies are a little
left of center...
my breakfast choice of champions....
quisp
my favorite posessed doll....
blythe
the movie that freaked me out for years to come...
Ssss
the toy which gave me a massive head injury...
clackers
Posted by
jen at 06:58 PM |
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July 02, 2007
eyes...

somebody's watching, canon 20 d
i am watching her
watching him
watch every woman
that passes by.
it makes her uncomfortable and
she pulls her sweatshirt down over her little belly as she watches him
watch Her, the one with the flat, tanned stomach...
she watches him watching the tv.
the gaze and sudden absence from all connection during
the victoria secret commercials.
she wonders if she can grown her hair long like that by the
end of summer.
she sees how different, how happy he acts with that one waitress.
the one that looks nothing like mommy. the one that looks nothing like her.
she pretends to read the menu as he stares at Her ass.
word up boys.
your daughters watch you.
and every glance, and every time you take notice,
she is taking notes, and she is making comparisons,
and she is wondering what she can do to become
what you seem to hold as something so important.
Posted by
jen at 06:02 PM |
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