bananas!

bananas!, originally uploaded by Cat Johnson.

Harrison likes bananas. Weird puppy.

fence Friday: an homage to Claude Monet

fence Friday: an homage to Claude Monet, originally uploaded by Cat Johnson.

caged

caged, originally uploaded by Cat Johnson.

hbw :)

No! It's not child cruelty! It's my daft lad pretending to be a puppy. He's gone into the pup's crate for a pretend snooze. I wish he would snooze for real, this is a child who never sleeps if he can help it!

carrot cake cupcakes with lemony cream cheese frosting

carrot cake cupcakes with lemony cream cheese frosting, originally uploaded by Cat Johnson.

I finally got around to making carrotcake cupcakes for myself. I was waiting for a week to feel well enough to do them, so when they were finally made, I just dolloped the frosting on with no ceremony whatsoever so I could scoff one. Unfortunately, my puppy reached up and woofed four down while they were cooling, had another one when I was doing the frosting, and finally climbed up to the counter and stretched his very long leg and paw up and had another one which he consumed complete with the green paper case. It might not look like much, but it makes me very content. Here's the recipe taken from Vegan Cupcakes take over the World:

Carrot cake cupcakes
¾ cup all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup soy yogurt (plain or vanilla)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup finely grated carrots
¼ cup chopped walnuts (optional)
¼ cup raisins (optional)

For decorating:
Cream cheese frosting

1.Preheat oven to 170°C. Line muffin tin with 12 cupcake liners.
2.In a medium mixing bowl, mix together sugar, vegetable oil, yogurt, and vanilla. Sift in the dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, spices), and mix until smooth, fold in carrots, and walnuts and raisins if using.
3.Spray the cupcake liners with non-stick baking spray. Fill the liners two-thirds full. Bake for 26 to 28 minutes until a toothpick inserted through the centre of one comes out clean.
4.Once fully cooled, top generously with cream cheese frosting.

Vegan cream cheese frosting

¼ cup nonhydrogenated margarine, softened
¼ cup vegan cream cheese, softened
2 cups icing sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1.Cream together margarine and cream cheese until just combined. Sift in icing sugar a bit at a time and beat with the margarine/cheese mixture. When all the icing sugar is combined, whip with a handheld mixer. Mix until smooth and creamy, then mix in the vanilla. For a lemon tang, add fresh lemon juice and freshly grated lemon zest.

bench Monday: the "I can do tae kwon do anywhere" edition

bench Monday: the "I can do tae kwon do anywhere" edition, originally uploaded by Cat Johnson.

We went on a walk. With the dawg (he is so not in my good books, he keeps stealing my cupcakes by jumping up high to the work counter, five cupcakes in one go!!!). Anyways....we went on a walk to one of our favourite places, which, incidentally, is a bit of a dog walkers' paradise, and we found our favourite picnic table and had a picnic. Afterwards the boys jumped up on to it (don't you just love the Pavlov-like response; if they see something to stand on, they stand on it), and now thief-puppy is climbing up to, and my boy decided that it was as good a place as any to practice Tae Kwon Do. He loves TKD so much, and trains four times a week. He's begging to up this to five times a week but we've decided to say no, he needs a life, he's only five.

pretty in pink

pretty in pink, originally uploaded by Cat Johnson.

The Psychedelic Furs

SOOC

circus puppy

circus puppy, originally uploaded by Cat Johnson.

I have to wonder which idiot male taught the puppy to climb up on to the trampoline. Whichever it was, and I suspect collusion between Brunner the Elder and Brunner the Younger, he is daft because this could hurt Harrison. I hope the puppy quits climbing up by himself very soon.

autumn

autumn, originally uploaded by Cat Johnson.

now you see me, now you don't

now you see me, now you don't, originally uploaded by Cat Johnson.

I think Harrison hasn't quite figured out that we can still see him when he closes his eyes. Cute puppy, but very, very stinky!

Aladdin's Magic Carpet

Aladdin's Magic Carpet, originally uploaded by Cat Johnson.

hbw :)

I did this shot for Marneta Viegas, the creator of the wonderful RelaxKids/. We really love the CDs, story books, and Star Cards Marneta has created, they help get my boy (and his daddy) to fall asleep nicely.

a murder is announced

a murder is announced, originally uploaded by Cat Johnson.

hfdt :)

Can you guess whodunnit?

Our local librarian was quite happy for us to do this shot. She pretty much left us to it, unlike the other library users who had a jolly good gander at our antics.

cupcake love

cupcake love, originally uploaded by Cat Johnson.

My boy decided he wanted to do some baking today so we made star-shaped cupcakes. I helped him weigh the ingredients, then he mixed the cake batter himself and spooned the mixture into the silicone moulds (aren't they the best!). We baked them, allowed them to cool, then made buttercream icing. We divided it into four batches and coloured them blue, green, pink, and yellow. He then decorated the cakes and just couldn't wait to tuck in!

autumnal

autumnal, originally uploaded by Cat Johnson.

roll up, roll up!

roll up, roll up!, originally uploaded by Cat Johnson.

My boy had a week at Barracudas' Summer Camp and the last day was circus-themed. I didn't want him to look like a prat all day so we agreed that he would dress up as a ringmaster. I blinged up a red jacket and gave him his magician's top hat (which usually fits because he hides a rabbit inside for magic tricks).

fence Friday: the "blackberry picking" expedition

fence Friday: the "blackberry picking" expedition, originally uploaded by Cat Johnson.

hff :)

We went blackberry picking and had to clamber over this rusty old fence to trespass in a farmer's field (slaped wrist, Cat!) to get to the juiciest berries. The crumble was yumalicious and I still have enough in the fridge for more yummy puds :)

SOOC

I wanna be like you

I wanna be like you, originally uploaded by Cat Johnson.

Oh, oobee doo

Blooming puppy has discovered toys that so do not belong to him! Caught him eating monkey earlier, and now he's moved on to Mr Tumble.

Nathaniel and Harrison

Nathaniel and Harrison, originally uploaded by Cat Johnson.

dog and sprog

.raw

.raw, originally uploaded by Cat Johnson.

hfdt :)

First, I should tell you why I'm posting a semi-pornographic image of James. It all stems from the RAW debate of last week, where I did a snappy snap but shot it in RAW by mistake. Boy, that opened up a whole can of worms! So, having dicussed our plans for today, James suggested we do this shot of him in the raw.

So there you have it, my husband in the raw, never to be seen this way again on the web! Enjoy (or not).

and they call it puppy love

and they call it puppy love, originally uploaded by Cat Johnson.

Donny Osmond

The boys look pretty happy with the new pup, all three are besotted with each other.

As an aside, I totally loved Donny Osmond when I was about my boy's age. No accounting for taste :)

fetch!

fetch!, originally uploaded by Cat Johnson.

I guess it's official, I am a dog bore with the photos of our new pet, Harrison. Never taken pictures of mutts before so this is a huge learning curve for me.

Chinese lanterns and jasmine fence Friday

Chinese lanterns and jasmine fence Friday, originally uploaded by Cat Johnson.

hff :)

The fence in my back yard, I'm real glad the jasmine is flowering, it's so pretty.

Harrison

Harrison, originally uploaded by Cat Johnson.

Our new puppy, Harrison. Had just got home home after a very long journey from Wales and on his first visit to the garden he decided to eat a gardening toy. Methinks some doggie training is needed. Apologies for the rubbish shot, the old P&S doesn't really have the speed to keep up with this labradoodle!

The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying

The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying, originally uploaded by Cat Johnson.

Essential reading when one is facing one's own imminent demise.

ultraviolet

ultraviolet, originally uploaded by Cat Johnson.

It's amazing what you can do when you accidentally shoot in RAW!

And even more amazing what a stink it caused, with a couple of folks patronising me for not shooting in RAW all the time, precious buggers!

the gloaming

the gloaming, originally uploaded by Cat Johnson.

hfdt :)

Been having a bit of a rough day thanks to the meds I'm on. Luckily I don't usually suffer all that much so one off day every few weeks isn't too bad. Dragged James down to one of our favourite spots this evening and requested that he lie down on a jetty to get the sunset. he refused, and probably quite rightly since it was covered in bird poo, so we opted for a picnic table instead.

Harrison

Harrison, originally uploaded by Cat Johnson.

This is our new puppy, Harrison. We drove to Wales yesterday to look at him and it was instant love at first puppy dog kiss for my boy. Harrison is a petite F1 Labradoodle and he is so cute. He was very excited yesterday and was near impossible to photograph but I'm sure when he moves in with us next week he will calm down :)

We have struggled with names and thought of loads, but have finally gotten down to two: Dante or Harrison. In the end we have decided to go with Harrison (for Harrison Ford) because he was in our favourite movie, Blade Runner and it works well with our cat's name which is Ridley.

ponds + osiers, witches houses

ponds + osiers, witches houses, originally uploaded by Cat Johnson.

hff :)

We went to a birthday party last week and there were so many cute fences, good witches' houses, pony rides and so on, I was really spoiled for choice with the pictures I made.

Maddie

Maddie, originally uploaded by Cat Johnson.

for Penny, my favourite little girl :)

I'm like a bird

I'm like a bird, originally uploaded by Cat Johnson.

hggt :)

Nelly Furtado

Happy Birthday, Staci Lee

I gotta feeling: that tonight's gonna be a good night, the "third wedding anniversary" edition

I gotta feeling: that tonight's gonna be a good night, the "third wedding anniversary" edition, originally uploaded by Cat Johnson.

hfdt :)

Black Eyed Peas

James and I celebrated our third wedding anniversary by having a barbie at our house with some really good friends. Lots of my boy's school friends came along so it had a real family atmosphere, with fun and games. I have to say, these guys are ace! When asked to lie down on the floor, down they went, which is perhaps why it looks like a Stockholm syndrome hostage situation. Seriously, they all lay down willingly.

I love my friends beyond words, they are fabulous, and I wish that I'd been able to extend the invitation to people who live further away from us, and of course to my Flickr friends.

Maddison

Maddison, originally uploaded by Cat Johnson.

I love photographing Maddie, she is so incredibly photogenic and a delight to work with.

haiku (with hollyhocks and the merest suggestion of a fence)

haiku (with hollyhocks and the merest suggestion of a fence), originally uploaded by Cat Johnson.

hff :)

a hollyhock shot up to meet the summer solstice ~ Masaoka Shiki

I am feeling very Zen today.

Higham Colts Summer Holiday Football Academy

Higham Colts Summer Holiday Football Academy, originally uploaded by Cat Johnson.

We aren't a football family, but my lad's friends play football so who am I to deny him this? So, this week he's been attending a course for kids his age. He was pretty darned rubbish at the start of the week, tentatively kicking the ball, feeling nervous, generally not quite getting it. But today after completing the three day course, he was awarded a special Higham Colts drinks bottle for being the most improved player on the course. We are so proud of him. I think (and hope, because as I say, we aren't a football family), that he will be an avearge player, handy in a kickaround with his mates, but I am so happy that he won something for trying hard and giving his all.

here it goes again

here it goes again, originally uploaded by Cat Johnson.

hfdt :)

OK Go

I am a very broke mommie. Why, oh why, did I think it would be a good idea to get my boy on to a football (or soccer for my overseas friends) course this Summer, it's costing a small fortune.

We are not a football family, oh dear me, no! James is a rugby man, I am more athletics and swimming. But little guys like to do the same as other little guys, so I dutifully sent him on a vacation training academy course. And he loves it! Cool. But...and here's the rub, all the other kids are really into football and turn up in full strip, skin pads, football boots, the lot, and my boy is feeling left out. So today after the academy we went to a sports shop to purchase one set of shin pads and a pair of socks. Then we discovered the socks were so chunky that his trainers didn't fit, so we had to buy proper boots. Then I felt bad that he didn't have a fancy kit in which to run around, so more money...

My compensation for all thiis money spent? A facedown tribute to OK Go's seminal video. If you haven't seen it, check it out, it's fun. I just wish I had the boys re-enact a few of the moves standing up. Maybe next time...:)

bench Monday: a whoosh of hollyhocks

bench Monday: a whoosh of hollyhocks, originally uploaded by Cat Johnson.

hbm :)

My mom has been visiting with me this weekend and this afternoon we drove her home. My boy immediately jumped on to this old wall that my dad built roughly 40 years ago when I was the same age as my lad. I used to go up and down on it pretending to be a Russian gymnast on the beam, and I came off a lot. I still have the scars to prove it. My boy stayed still long enough for two or three shots, and then he was off pretending it was the vault. Not sure he was being a Russian gymnast, he was probably vaulting for England.

birthday girl

birthday girl, originally uploaded by Cat Johnson.

This little cutie-pie had her 5th birthday party and this is just one of the hundreds of shots I made. For some reason she adores my boy, so much so that she tells everyone they are getting married. My boy has other ideas, although I would be happy for them to pair up when they're older because Miss M is delightful. Howver, my boy says he will wait until they get all the presents, then cancel the wedding, mercenary little monkey! Expect more posts from the party, we had so much fun!

the spider plant and the spider

the spider plant and the spider, originally uploaded by Cat Johnson.

This beautiful spider plant was a gift from my good friend Susan. She learned that I had grown a spider plant many years ago but that James had thrown it away when we moved house; naughty James! And lo, upon learning this sad tale, a beautiful spider plant arrived as a gift. I took it into the garden today to photograph it and found Mr A R Achnid sitting there looking pleased with himself. I love spider plants but am not so fond of spiders!

the road to nowhere

the road to nowhere, originally uploaded by Cat Johnson.

Had a meeting with my oncologist this morning, not good news. The lesions are increasing, we are out of treatment options.

the frog prince

the frog prince, originally uploaded by Cat Johnson.

My boy found a teeny weeny frog in the garden today. He put it in his bucket and brought it indoors to show me and his Daddy. He then asked if the frog could live with us. I said no, perhaps the frog would like it better outside in his own house and near his family. I was assured that he was a very clean frog, would be no bother, and could eat any bugs and flies that came into the house. Eventually, we asked the frog what he would like to do and he croaked, and it's quite remarkable how they can speak when they want to, that he would like to be in the garden with his family. We let him go and he hopped off to frolic with the other frogs.

here comes the sun

here comes the sun, originally uploaded by Cat Johnson.

The Beatles

There's nothing quite like the sun to bring out the desire for a water fight for my boy :)

arthuractive

arthuractive, originally uploaded by Cat Johnson.

Snappy snap time, car battery has conked out so had to content myself with the back garden to try and exhaust my boy who has described himself as arthuractive.

head over heels

abracadabra

abracadabra, originally uploaded by Cat Johnson.

hfdt :)

Steve Miller Band

my beloved monster

my beloved monster, originally uploaded by Cat Johnson.

Eels

Infants and Juniors at my boy's school had sports day today. This is my beloved monster warming up for the races. Surprisingly, he came third in his running race (reviewing the shots, I think he may have come second but it was awarded to someone else), and he came first in the sack race. I'm a proud mommie because he didn't have a meltdown when he didn't win, and was a gracious winner.

I'm extra proud of him because his sports day poster was chosen by the school council to be the program cover for the Infant School. A few people thought I had done it for him, but if it had been my work, it would have been very different.

war and peas

war and peas, originally uploaded by Cat Johnson.

...but not quite the epic that Tolstoy imagined!

How much do we love Toy Story toys in my house. Lots! I think what I want, what I really, really want...is a toy Bullseye, now that horse is fine.

spiral dominos, an homage to Robert Smithson

spiral dominos, an homage to Robert Smithson, originally uploaded by Cat Johnson.

Explored, 12 July 2011 #169


hfdt :)

aka the domino effect

aka the OMG, I am up a high ladder to get this perspective!!! edition

chain reaction

I have long been an admirer of the creative and provocative work of Robert Smithson. This is my small homage to his amazing earthwork spiral jetty, although it goes nowhere near his genius or creativity.

I use the dominos to help my son learn addition and subtraction, a fun way to make basic maths a bit more fun.

sports day

sports day, originally uploaded by Cat Johnson.

Infants and Juniors at my son's school are having sports day this coming Thursday. My boy and his friend are both rotten bad losers and serious bad sports, so my friend Penny and I decided to try to be good mommies and have a sports day practice at the weekend. For me, it backfired big time. My boy had a major meltdown because he didn't win a race, and things went from bad to worse, with him forgetting all the things I'd been practising with him about how to be magnanimous in victory, gracious in defeat. He stomped off far away from us, refused to join in, and had a huge paddy. When we finally persuaded him to do a running race (he is very fast, he won but refused to accept his medal. Boy, did he sprint away from his friend at that point. It all ended in tears when his friend marched over and told him he was a bad loser. Technically correct, but my lad chucked a complete mental of stratospheric proportions all the way home. Unfortunately, his chum reminded him in the queue at school this morning that he's a bad loser.

The picture on the right is my boy's entry for the school council's design a poster for sports day. The writing is all his own and he copied some of the photos I shot for the sack and running races.

I scream, you scream, everyone loves ice cream.

I scream, you scream, everyone loves ice cream., originally uploaded by Cat Johnson.

Stag night Ken-wannabee

Stag night Ken-wannabee, originally uploaded by Cat Johnson.

James is off out to drunk to excess and eat hot curry with one of our friends who is getting married soon. The reference to Barbie's boyfriend, Ken, is a mickey take because we call our son's teacher Ken, he is such a Ken doll with all his little co-ordinated outfits. I told James to look as vacant and crazy as possible, I think he did a good job :)

I am a pirate

I am a pirate, originally uploaded by Cat Johnson.

about a boy

My son is growing up! He and his classmates all dressed up as pirates for school because it was transfer day. So all the kids from Reception moved up to Year One, and boy, they all looked so proud. In assembly when the head teacher welcomed them as Year One, they all sat up straight and tall, bursting with pride and excitement at not being the youngest in the school any more. They're all great kids and have achieved so much over the past academic year, all down to their mommies and daddies investing time in them.

daisies, with a hint of fence

daisies, with a hint of fence, originally uploaded by Cat Johnson.

Explored, 8 July 2011, #128


hff :)

Eels

Take heart my little friend
And push back your seat
Soon we'll be far away
Far from the street
Where you learned how to be
Not what you are