a lovely bit of happiness.

basically, this sums up my week.

gorgeous views, lovely weather, guitar playing, and great inspiration.

so I decided to share.

here's a little bit of happiness for you.

happy friday ♥

ps - within the next few weeks I'm going to be sharing my methods for iphone photos such as this one - keep an eye out!

home.

 

what I am about to say may cause some jealousy...

you may not want to be my friend after it...

though I hope that isn't the case.

this is my backyard.

literally. 

gorgeous, isn't it? 

oh, how I love my home.

the sweet blue skies. and the gorgeous frosty mornings.

the tall, eloquent trees that mark this part of california so boldly.

the beautiful mountains behind my house; and the pretty blue lake which you can't see as of now..

it's such a lovely place to call home.

I have been thinking lately, and I realized that I have lived in the same 10 square miles my entire life.

crazy, isn't that? 

ten square miles. all my life.

one house in particular for the past 12, almost 13 years. 

we moved in on christmas eve of '99. 

I told my mom the other day that my parents aren't allowed to move. 

ever.

they don't plan on it, thank goodness.

now, I did a "home" post...

 it's your turn. 

it doesn't have to be anything special.

don't feel like your home isn't cool enough to show. 

home is where the heart is; and means something special to each of us.

whether it's your hubby, and you're always moving around; so he's "home"...

or if it's a corner of your house, where you like to curl up with a good book and read for hours.

it could be the highway; you're always on the go and you love it.

home is wherever your heart lies.

so, if you just so happen to create a "home" post, share it with me!

or, feel free to send me an email, if you like.

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really quick, though, before I hit "publish"...

I want to say how much all of you readers mean to me.

the ones who have been followers since the beginning, and the ones I have gained slowly over the past six months.

each and every one of you has a special place in my heart.

I love reading your sweet comments and emails; they make my day that much better each and every time.

hugs to you all! 

xoxo,

ruthanne

you know you're a tourist if....

So, one of the things that comes with living in such a beautiful part of the country, is one of the most beautiful lakes in the world. And I mean that....at least in my book. And in your book too, if you ever came here and saw how gorgeous this place is....Really. it's amazing.

Now you have to understand. In the Truckee/Tahoe area there are two seasons. Winter, and road construction. Regardless of what season it is, however, there are only three kinds of people who hang around here. Legit locals (people who have lived here over 20 years, like my parents, who have lived here for over 35 years), tree-hugger locals (those who have lived here under 15 years), and, the dreaded tourists, those who contribute to our economy and buy into the ridiculous prices that are "normal" around here.

I really have nothing against tourists. No, I love showing off my home to them. In fact, tourists are one of the only reasons my area is still thriving in this economy. My family and I are guilty of being tourists, as well. But. What I cannot stand, however, is clueless tourists. Yes, there is a difference. People who know how to try and not act like tourists are cool. People who are clueless as to how they should conduct themselves as tourists, are not. Let me elaborate.

At the state parksm, there are squirrels. You are not supposed to feed the squirrels. It is posted "DO NOT FEED THE ANIMALS". Quite obviously. So when parents and these cute little kids are feeding the squirrels out of their hands, a big, bold sign flashes above their head, screaming at you "tourist!!". These squirrels are adorable...only if tourists don't do that, making them annoying little creatures who get into everything you leave out (or put away).

These are the silly things tourists do. While at Sand Harbor, a state park/beach on thursday, my mom and I began a list of  "You know you're a tourist if..." 's. here is the beginnings of this wonderful list.

You Know You're a Tourist If...

• You can't figure out how to get the "bear proof" trash cans open...
• You video the squirrels getting into a bag of dorritos.
• You buy your entire lunch at "The Char Pit"...seriously. $40 for a two person lunch is a rip off. The food isn't even that fantastic.
• You have an air pump for your floaty toys in it's original packaging.

It goes on, but I figured I'd be nice...for now. muahahha...