Melt in Your Mouth Cookies

My daughter made these melt-in-your-mouth cookies yesterday.  They are called The Treats Truck's Caramel Crème Sandwich Cookies and are like a shortbread, only better!  Yum!

Tools of the Trade

My daughter and I went to our first jewelry making class today.  Since we are beginners, our instructor had us start by playing with wire.  It was fun!

I used two textures on the photo.  One by inSight Designs, which you can download for free here:

http://insightdesigns.co.uk/blog/2012/05/06/free-texture-grab-undecorated-curiosity/

and one by my friend and photographer, David Gunter, which you can find here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dg_pics/6832773612/in/set-72157605397206845

Embrace Life

I needed an image for my most recent blog post, so I searched my archives for a cross.  This was taken in February during my visit to NC on a photo safari with an online photographer friend.  I edited it using some of Michelle Kane's HeARTy Actions and one of my own texture images.

Chicory Revisited

While taking a walk with 'Sally' the other day, I took my camera along just in case. I took pictures of some dried flowers in the morning sun, and since I had already taken some of chicory days earlier and because the wind was blowing intermittently, I almost dismissed chicory as a subject. I'm so glad I didn't, because this is one of the best shots I've ever taken. Although it looks similar to an HDR, it isn't. The lighting, settings, and timing were just perfect despite the breeze.  I love my son's 60mm macro!

Soft Batch Cookies

My daughter made a batch of her own soft batch chocolate chip cookies... lightly crisp on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside. Yum!

Chicory

“Blue thou art, intensely blue; Flower, whence came thy dazzling hue?”  --James Montgomery

Oregano in Bloom

His cheeks are as a bed of spices, as sweet flowers...  --Song of Solomon 5:13a

Beautiful Gift

My daughter blessed me by taking the time to make origami lilies to decorate a birthday gift to me... a beautiful compact mirror.   She's so creative and such a blessing!  She even made an asparagus, tomato omelet for breakfast and cake balls for a treat.  Tonight's dessert is going to be Curtis Stone's Cider Poached Pears with Yogurt and Toasted Almonds.  Thank you, Tiffany!

Chris gave me a 7-port USB extension, which I needed, as well as some very cool magnetic 'push pins' for our refrigerator.  They have earth magnets that can hold several sheets of paper!  Not only that, but he also bought birthday candles that glow with color.  Thank you, Chris!

And I've already received several birthday greetings from wonderful friends and family. Thank you so much!

What a nice way to begin a day.  :)

You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet!

"The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork." --Psalm 19:1

Have you ever noticed when you wear sunglasses you can sometimes see luminous colors in the clouds?  While running errands a few days ago, I noticed the iridescent colors.  I had my sunglasses on.  If only I could capture what I was seeing!  I then decided to do an experiment and put my sunglasses 'on' my camera's lens.  The shots using the sunglasses were pinkish and somewhat blown-out and not what I expected, but I did take one shot without using the sunglasses.  After all, it was an experiment, right?  I was amazed at what the camera itself was able to capture and reveal beyond what the naked eye could see, even beyond what I was seeing through my sunglasses.  Wow...

Y’know, life is kind of like that, too, isn’t it?   I mean, depending on how we view things, our worldview or political persuasion for example, the ‘lens’ we use will determine what we see.  A meteorologist might look at this picture and simply see what types of clouds they are and foretell the weather, while an artist or photographer might look at it and notice the composition, colors, and ‘movement’.   A creationist might look at this picture and see the intelligence, creativity and handiwork of God, while an evolutionist might see only a natural phenomenon and perhaps even global warming.  1 Corinthians 2:14 says, “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”  What do you see?

On the flip side, have you ever seen something that wasn’t there?  Have you seen togetherness and perceived rejection?  Have you ever seen laughter and thought people were laughing at you?  Or how about conspiracy?  What do you see?  Which lens are you using?  The lens of insecurity and self-focus or of wisdom, discernment, and love?

Then, there are those things that are beyond our scope of vision... invisible, unseen things.  1 Corinthians 2:9 says, "But as it is written, “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him."  Wow!  Considering all the beautiful, amazing, magnificent things we have seen, whether through God’s creation or even through man’s imagination like in the movie Avatar, God is basically saying, “You ain’t seen nothing yet!”

Snow Dog

We received a lot of snow today, and Sally was sooo cute romping through it.  She loves it!  She bounds and pounces as if she was a cat or a fox.  Must be the beagle and sheltie in her, because I just can't picture a pug doing that.  (^_~)

Everlasting...

A bouquet of dried flowers carefully arranged by my sister-in-law with flowers from her wonderful gardens.  Isn't it neat how God designed some things to retain their beauty long after their season has passed?

"Doriath" texture by Max F. Williams

Gracie: Almost 6 Months Old

My granddaughter, Gracie, and her daddy visited today while her mommy worked out, and of course, I couldn't help but take her picture.  Max said her mommy looks like this when she's tired.



Her pretty little outfit with matching headband was given to her by our mutual friend, Laura Burbank.  Thank you, Laura.

Christmas Symbolism

You know how some people try to find symbolism and meaning in everything? Well, while I may not do that exactly, I did wonder if the Christmas cactus actually had anything to do with Christmas and if it contained any symbolism in relation to Christ.   I don't want to be one of those people who try really hard to make something fit when it doesn't, but then I realized that if Christ is, indeed, the Creator... and I believe He is... then it stands to reason that His creation will reveal things about and have a connection with Him, right?



A Christmas cactus is also known as a holiday cactus, because it generally blooms around Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter.   It's scientific name is zygocactus, which is Greek meaning 'joined or yoked cactus', because of its segmented 'leaves'.  Whenever I think of words having a Greek name or origin, I always think of My Big Fat Greek Wedding.  Anyway, if you're familiar with the teachings of Jesus, you might have been reminded of His invitation found in Matthew 11:28-30:

Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Who couldn't use a little rest, huh?

A Christmas cactus is an epiphyte, another Greek word meaning 'upon plant', because if a segment is broken off, it can grow on another plant, but is not parasitic.   Rather, it is a type of symbiotic relationship called commensalism in which one organism benefits while the other neither benefits, nor is harmed. Jesus invites us to abide in Him in a relationship that promises blessings.

While the Christmas cactus can be propagated through seeds, it is generally propagated using one or more of its segments.  If you know anything about Christianity, you know that it is propagated by spreading the 'seed' of the Good News, also known as the Gospel, but it is most effectively propagated through personal contact and discipleship.   It is only when we are willing to give of ourselves and love one another, as Christ commands, that others can know and come to understand the love of Christ.

So... how's that for symbolism? Do you think it's a stretch? Or could it be a small part of God's revelation to man through His creation?

The Gift

I recently did a photo shoot for a brand new family for Christmas.  Little Annabelle is a precious and long awaited gift.  Thank you, Lord, for giving her life.





This was the last shot I took after the session was finished and I was ready to put my camera away.   Annabelle looked so peaceful and adorable in her little baby hammock, I just had to get that last shot in.

The Storyteller

I did a Christmas family photo shoot a couple of days ago. This is one of my fave shots from the session. I asked a question about their recent holiday trip, and their son was quick to give an account. Candids tend to be some of my favorite shots, because they show natural interaction and expression.



Thank you, Rahne, Kris, and family! You all are so much fun!

Senior Portrait: Josh 2011

Josh is a wonderful young man who loves basketball and food.  He also loves the Lord and helps with a children's church ministry.   He's kind of an extension of our family, too.  Thank you, Josh, for allowing me to take your senior portrait. :)





















Which one is your fave?

Chocolate

Here, have some chocolate. Feel better now? --Anonymous

“Nobody knows the truffles I’ve seen!” --Anonymous

“Chocolate is nature’s way of making up for Mondays.” --Anonymous

“Look, there’s no metaphysics on earth like chocolates.” --Fernando Pessoa, Portugueses poet (1888-1935)

I had actually bought these chocolates last Monday when I took my daughter and niece for a girls' day out. We hit a few thrift stores, walked down Church Street in Burlington, had lunch at Sweetwaters and then bought some chocolate from Lake Champlain Chocolates for dessert. Yum!

Happy Monday!  (^_~)

Gracie: 100 Days Old

My family has a tradition of taking a baby's photo at 100 days old. Although I don't know what the significance is, I do know celebrating a baby's 100th day is an Asian tradition. My parents had my photo taken, and since it's really the only tradition to be passed on, I decided to continue it and was delighted when my son and daughter-in-law wanted to do so as well. So, my daughter and I teamed up and did a photo shoot with Gracie.



Gracie was asleep when we began the photo shoot.



I couldn't resist getting a closeup of her pretty little mouth.



When she awoke, she was ready to go! So we started with a pose to try and match her daddy's.





I thought it would be cool to get a shot of her daddy's and my baby portraits with her. Her daddy's portrait on the left was taken by Beltrami's, and my portrait on the right was taken somewhere in Okinawa.



At one point, Gracie rolled off the pillow from her tummy and onto her back. It seemed to pleasantly surprise her.



The pink scarf tied into a bow was my idea, but her daddy laughed, because it was so big. He said it looked like a turban. We all laughed until I was in tears. But don't you think she looks adorable?



Her mommy then dressed her in a pretty outfit handmade by Jean, a dear friend.



This is the setup. One studio light, natural light from a window, a mirror to the right (not shown) to bounce some of the light, and a softbox diffuser on my on-camera flash. Gracie's mommy helped direct Gracie's attention by shaking a soft flower rattle, while Gracie's daddy fixed a cup of coffee for her mommy. Working together... it's one of the things that helps keep family traditions alive.

If you like these, check out her sneak preview pic: Sneak Preview: 100 Days Old

Full Moon

There was a beautiful full moon tonight...




"When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?" --Psalm 8:3, 4

The Northeast Kingdom

My daughter and I took a road trip this past weekend to explore the upper Northeast Kingdom of Vermont.  While our primary objective was to visit the Abenaki Clan of the Hawk grounds, we were also hoping to catch sight of a moose or two, but the only wildlife we saw was a rafter of turkeys.



We took Sally along, which made the trip a bit more adventurous.



We stopped at this spring water access to refill a few water bottles. The water was cold and refreshing. Notice the date of 1892 on the side of the concrete reservoir.  Vermont has several public water accesses along its back roads.



We passed by this quaint little country store and just had to turn around to check it out. Everything, from food items to a wide array of collectibles and antiques, was displayed in a folksy and artistic manner.



The Amish peaches smelled too wonderful to resist, and they were the best tasting we've ever had.



They also offered homemade cakes, pies, and cookies, as well as jams, pickles, and even free range eggs.



There was no cell phone signal, and we didn't bring a GPS, so I took a couple of wrong turns. But we might have otherwise missed the majestic view of Lake Willoughby had we been less adventurous.



After getting back on track and stopping by a large general store that was akin to a country Wal-Mart, we finally found our way to the Clan of the Hawk grounds where the Abenaki hold an annual pow wow.



No one was around, but the property is open to the public. We briefly stepped into the Welcome Center cabin, peeked into the locked Chief Looking Glass Museum, browsed the non-denominational chapel and bookstore, and walked across an open field to the stone labyrinth. The labyrinth is considered a sacred place of healing. There was also a small altar where people can place a small offering to the Creator. There were pouches, glass stones, bracelets, tokens, and a small wooden flute.



We noticed some small red pouches hanging in a tree nearby as well. The pouches are prayer bundles that people hang to leave their prayers in the sacred place.

There seems to be something about having a tangible place or person to go to in order to have our spiritual and physical needs met, or going through a ritual to make things more 'real'. We tend to be drawn to the mystical. It's one of the reasons some people have difficulty with Christianity. It's not mystical, and although some people call a church building 'the house of God', it in and of itself has no power to heal or transform, nor does it magnify any spiritual energies. And as much as we'd like to think we can and must do something, there is nothing we can do to earn our way to Heaven or appease an angry god. Jesus Christ offered Himself up as a sacrifice in our place to pay the penalty for our transgressions. He has done the work. All we must do is have faith and believe the things He has revealed.  "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:  Not of works, lest any man should boast"  (Ephesians 2:8, 9). I'm so glad He sits at the right hand of the Father making intercession for us.