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lakeside seating

Give us 84 degrees in the City of Lakes and we will hit the beach. It was a beautiful May day for playing hooky, lunching at Sandcastle, and watching the waves with my favorite beach bum, even if we didn’t get our toes wet.

blog052915_nokomis-beach146/365: nokomis beach, may

09.26.13 lady in red

The only thing brighter than the sun and redder than the apples on our field trip to Applewood Orchard was my sweet Zola Belle and her Chuck Taylors! Later, when she walked home from school in just her socks, I learned that these adorable hand-me-downs from big brother Sawyer were already too small. Glad we got one day – and the shot.

blog_chuckt's@theorchard269/365: zola @ the orchard (red chuck t’s)

09.07.13 coffman recap

Free hummus. Live jazz. Old friends. What more could a girl want?

blog090713_coffmanreception150/365: coffman gallery opening reception

‘Meditation & Medium‘ works by Terra Rathai & Antoney Lakey is on view in the Coffman Gallery on the University of Minnesota campus until October 7th, 2013.

09.01.13 crystal brown

The lake at the cabin is the color of tea. For years I assumed that it was the iron – this is the Iron Range after all – but it turns out that it’s a tannic lake; the brown color comes from decomposing leaves and wood, not iron. It’s crystal clear, it just has a warm color. When the sun shines through the shallows, the rays dance like streaks of honey on the golden sand.

blog090113_selfportraitonthedock244/365: self-portrait on the dock

08.27.13 school days

The first day of school is more bittersweet now that I’m a parent. When I was a kid, I was always excited to start a new school year. Now, time seems to move too fast. Summer is a blur.  While I’m excited for the new, I sometimes wish I could press ‘pause’ and just take it all in for a while.

blog082713_firstdayofschool239/365: first day of school

07.06.13 the scoop

I’ve been taking the same picture of Sawyer scooping tadpoles at the sandpit, reflected in the pond, every year since he was three. This time, his great-uncle Barry joined in on the fun. There is a Norman Rockwell kind of nostalgia and timelessness to this image that always makes me smile.

blog070613_barry&sawyer187/365: scooping tadpoles

07.05.13 i love a parade

One of the highlights of Fourth of July at the cabin is the Side Lake parade. It’s got everything: waving princesses in convertibles, families on floats, marching bands in full regalia, and plenty of candy flying through the air. People line the streets with camp chairs, cars, and coolers. Everyone’s decked out in red, white, and blue. It’s a tradition that reinvents itself every year but always remains true to our memories of parades past.

blog070513_sweetpea186/365: sweet pea