Stolen Moments of Creativity

I have been really busy lately. . . work stuff, home stuff, cross country stuff. It's all good, but it's all been keeping me away from my blog, from visiting your blogs, and from grabbing big chunks of time to create. But, even in the midst of all this work, I have stolen a couple of moments of creativity to share with you:

Moment #1
We have finished dinner, and Paul has gone downstairs to rest after having cleared the dishes.  Clara needs some help getting started on her homework, but before we can start, she gasps. "Mom, look at the sky!"  An amazing sunset is developing.  We grab our iphones and post photos to instagram. The sunset continues to develop. "Whoa!" she says. It just keeps getting better and better. We post more photos but eventually run out of witty captions to add.  "You should get your real camera, Mom." So, I do.  Homework can wait.

Moment #2
It's been an unseasonably warm weekend. It was over 81 degrees yesterday when we hosted about 2,000 runners for a huge high school cross country meet. I spent ten hours on the field, most of it working in the first aid tent.  I helped runner after runner as they collapsed from heat exhaustion at the finish line. I half-carried them to a chair in the shade, gave them a cup of water and placed an ice bag on the back of their necks before returning to the chute to see who else needed help. So, today, I'm enjoying a well-earned nap.  Or, I would be if the dogs would stop bugging me. I finally give in and open the door to let them out.  The air is hot, humid and full of bugs. Dragonflies make slow, lazy circles around the yard. Although I'm a bit unnerved by their presence, I grab my camera and wade out into their midst. I still have the long lens on my camera from yesterday's meet, and I capture one dragonfly mid-flight. Sometimes it's good to be brave.