Still getting caught up...Be Still 52...week 37

"Creativity is God's gift to us.  Using our creativity is our gift to God." -Julia Cameron

I am still playing catch up.  Today, I decided to work on some of my online classes that I have gotten way behind in.  One of my classes is from Kim Klassen's Be Still 52, which is 52 weeks of creating still life projects that bring calm to the chaos of our lives.  It is a time of creativity, stillness, and soaking in the beauty around us in our ordinary, daily routines.  One of the things we were supposed to do is create a scene with a vignette of favorite things, and to use bunting in the background.  I could not believe I was making bunting this afternoon to use in my project...like I don't have enough to do.  I made the bunting out of old dictionary papers, and twine.  I actually like it quite a lot. I chose to use some daisies from my Valentine bouquet as the subject...yes they are still alive.  See my homemade bunting (the triangle flags) in the background.

Although I like this, I did not quite achieve the effect  I wanted, so I looked around for something else to use for my subject.  I came up with calligraphy ink, pens, and nibs; some old money, and flowers.    Perfect.

The tiny books are from my hubby...he buys me the neatest stuff.  My old calligraphy pens are from my friend, Holly.  The old money was from Jane, my lady that I took care of...the nibs are mine. Preset kk_melancholy.

When my little lady died, I inherited a box she had from her first husband full of old money from various foreign countries, stamps, letters, pictures, and receipts.  I thought these would make a very nice arrangement as well...lots of old stuff.

processed with kk_darkmood, and tweeked a little.

That is enough creativity for one night.  I cannot decide which one I like the best.  I think all of them!

Winter wonderland...

"Even in winter an isolated patch of snow has a special quality." -Andy Goldsworthy

Brrrr!  Was it ever cold yesterday...19°.  It was snowing pretty hard early in the morning.  I wanted to get some photos of a windmill not far from my house.  What could be more beautiful than a windmill sitting in a field of snow?  I decided the dirt road leading up to it would be quite frozen, so I would not have to worry about getting stuck in the mud.  I just had to worry about the iced over streets.  I went debating whether I should tell someone where I was going just in case. I decided to chance it.  I had a cell phone after all.    Did I say how cold it was?  Gloves do not work well with camera equipment.  I have those modified kind with just half fingers, so I can operate my camera.  My fingers were pretty much frozen in 5 minutes time.  The rest of me followed shortly there after.   I got some nice photos though!  Well worth all the effort.  And being frozen.

kk_onair preset...I love how this preset sort of whited out the background.  

kk_prairie preset

taken with my iPhone. Another perspective... Apps: snapseed, distressFX, VSCOcam

kk_prairie...what better preset for a prairie, than prairie?

Same photo as above but with 2 lil owls texture soft chaos #3 multiply 20%, and soft chaos #6 soft light, 100%

HDR preset, kk_prairie preset

I am linking up with Kim Klassen's texture Tuesday.  

More catching up to do...The Big snowfall...

"I wonder if the snow loves the trees and fields that it kisses them so gently.  And then it covers them up snug, you know, with a white quilt; and perhaps it says, 'Go to sleep, darlings, 'til the summer comes again.'" -Lewis Carol

On January 22, we had a pretty nice snow, and it happened to fall on the day we have the grandkids over.  Since it does not snow very often around here, we do not have stores that stock sleds.  So we made a trip to Hobby Lobby, and got foam board to use as sleds.  PawPaw kept saying it would never work, but we decided to give it a try.

Yeah...we are hoping the foam board works...

We packed down a path to use as the sled run...and in no time the kids were sledding with record breaking speed.  The foam board worked...!!!!

I think he will be ready for the winter olympics...

He learned pretty fast how to maneuver to get the greatest speed...

The Eskimo boy...love this hat...in fact, I wished I was wearing it.

Here she was trying to forge another path...so they could race...

I even made a few trips down the hill, but since I am the photographer, there are no photos to prove I actually did it.  Pawpaw watched, and froze...not that were not frozen too, but when you are moving and playing, you do not notice the cold.

Notice how deep the snow is...up to her knees...

Earlier in the day, when it was snowing very hard a fellow friend, and I braved the weather to try to capture some great snow photos.

My friend, Gennean...

Gennean took this photo, and sent it to me.  The vest is one that Jane, my lady who I took care of for so many years had given me.  I finally got to wear it, and it was very warm.  

I think we got some amazing shots...

South acres RR track.  I like how the track seems to go on for eternity.  

An abandoned house...

Another perspective...

These horses had a lot of fun frolicking in the snow...

They came right up to the fence to see us...probably looking for something nice to eat...

Only we did not have anything for them to eat...

I was going to say cows in the snow, but these are bulls...They were pretty curious about us.  Probably wondering why we were out in the snow...

I love this picture too...the irrigation line seems to go on and on...all the way to the houses in the background...

Another abandoned house..with a bicycle parked outside it...

The pecan orchards that I walk by almost everyday...

Sunken garden at Cahoon Park

Cahoon Park

Love the reflection...it looks like the tree has leaves in the reflection...

The day after the snow, the sun was shining, and Maggie wanted out to play in the winter wonderland herself.  It was so cold that the snow was frozen hard, so she just walked on top of it.

Maggie...snow cat...

Hmmm.  I think I will make a snowball...see it at her feet...

In no time at all, she was rolling a ball for a snowman again...

I'll roll it this way a little while...

It was a tricky job...the snowball kept getting away from her...

Come here...

She went into her sneak up, and attack mode...

Take that, you old snowball...

This was as far as she got with her snowball...no snowman today...

She did not stay out too long...soon she wanted into our nice, warm house...

The warm house...calling her name...

and settled in by the heater...

Ahhh, heat...

I think everyone enjoyed our snow, that was pretty much melted in the next couple of days.

Catching up around here...guests, and twins 3rd birthday...

"I believe...that everything happens for a reason.
people change...so you can let them go.
things go wrong...so you can appreciate them when they are right.
and sometimes... good things fall apart so better things can fall together." -Marilyn Monroe

In case you did not notice, there were no posts for a long time...but it is not without a good reason.  My good friend, Deborah, from Carlsbad texted me one morning with a shocking message...Her brother had a mild heart attack, was flown by helicopter to a hospital here, had a CT scan, and it was found that not only did he have a heart attack, but he had cancer too!  Long story, short her brother and his wife stayed here while doing the 15 treatments of radiation therapy.

me and my friend, Deborah...

Kenneth

Kenneth, and Deborah

Her brother, Kenneth, sailed through the radiation treatments.  The doctor said he might have various side-effects, but he seemed to not have problems at all.  With each treatment, he seemed to be getting better, and better.  I attribute it to the fact that he is being bathed in prayer by friends, and family.  His wife, Betty, made things very easy for me.  I found my dishes miraculously washed, and put away, laundry mysteriously washed, and folded, my windows washed, and the pool area swept.   We had many wonderful conversations, shopping trips, and meal preparation time together.  I was sure sad when the treatments were over, and they went home. But I know they were glad to get back, because there is nothing quite like home.

I, also, made a trip to NC for the twins third birthday.   It is always a fun time when I can see the twins.

Yummy cupcakes made by Jordan...

Sawyer...

Wearing some cake, and ice cream...

Tate enjoying his cupcake, and ice cream...

Sawyer...

Tate...looking serious....

The lighting of the candles...

These suitcases were a big hit with the boys...

Party time is over...time to go home...

They took these suitcases everywhere filled with everything...

Serious again...doesn't it look like he is reading this?  Maybe he is...

Luke...taking iPhone photos...

Later in the day, we went to the Y to swim.  Luke bought them goggles,  diving rings, and diving sharks.  They could not wait to get to the pool to try out the new items.

First pair of goggles...Come on let's go...!

They had to wear them on the way to the pool.

 Finally in the water.  This Y is a fantastic facility.  I was very impressed with the lifeguards, and all the staff.

Swim lesson time...

Play time...notice the goggles are off...they did not wear them very long before they wanted them off.

Goggle adjustment time...

One of the things I gave the boys for their birthday, was the Mercer Myer book, I was so mad.  It was one of Mark, and Luke's favorite books when they were boys.   It seems like it will be a favorite of the twins as well.  Each morning they crawled in bed with me, or Luke, and wanted the "Mad" book read to them.  I am so glad the boys like books so well.

Reading...

On my last day there, I wanted to try to get at least one photo of me, and the boys.  It is hard to get everyone settled down for a good photo.  Two out of three people in focus is not bad.  I think the boy's hair is pretty styling.  I think Luke enjoys doing it so much, because he does not have any.

We almost got a good picture.

 

I was happy that Zach was working on the day I flew home, because that meant I got to see him.  I stopped by his restaurant, and had a nice visit with him.  Man my head looks so tiny next to his head.  

It was a good trip, good to see Luke's family, and good to see Zach, but I was glad to get home to Warren, my cat, and my own bed.  Ahhhh!