Tubular, Man

I had a colonoscopy last week. This drawing reminded me of that fact.

My Guitars

These two have been languishing in the corner for far too long.
I wish I had the urge to take them out and let them sing again.

Ca't Get Enough of This

I've been listening to it all morning.

100 Feet

Dark room
Popcorn
4 Star Movie:

Not a bad way to spend an afternoon

Comfort Food

Like an after school treat ...
graham crackers and peanut butter

Peacock Spirals

This week's coloring meditation

Jammies, Slippers & Hot Tea

How I'm spending my day.

Unfortunately, it's not for relaxation.
Sometimes ya gotta do what ya gotta do.

Bird's Nest

We had a big wind storm last Fall that rattled all the dead pine needles out of the trees in our front yard. As Dale was raking them up, he found this beautiful work of architecture.

Up close, it really is quite a wonder of engineering.

Deep in, I found this. What a treasure!

Crystal, China, Glass

I'm going to start a new theme on my blog:
#CornerOfMyHome

My Happy Place is Just Around the Bend

This week's coloring meditation

I Woke Up to Love

A beautiful surprise


... just because

Brrrrr

There's a whole lot of this hangin' around outside these days.

A 2016 January Day

The last time I wrote my answers to this meme was about 6 years ago. I'm a little off my game today with no photo I feel like editing, so thought I'd give this a go.

Outside my window...
icicles are forming, and melting, 

and forming some more.

From the kitchen... 

I hear dirty pans left over from lunch
calling my name.

I am wearing...
Sunday laid-back clothes. I dare not leave the house.

OK, they're not that bad, but almost.

I am thinking... 
far too much

about things I have no ability to change.

I am going...

to chat with my attorney

to figure out next steps.

I am hoping...
the court hearing will soon be scheduled

so I can be dismissed of my trustee duties.

I am creating... 

a list of life-giving activities I can do

once I'm no longer bogged down in extended family obligations.

I am hearing...
one of Dale's testosterone filled movies.

The surround sound is impressive at this volume.

I am watching...
all seven seasons of The West Wing

with my favorite guy who loves politics
and well written words

I am reading...
A Modern Priest Looks at His Outdated Church 
by James Kavanaugh written in 1967.
Many of the same concerns remain.

I smell...
The remaining aroma

of hot berry pie.

Around the house...
are small piles of objects

patiently waiting to return to their cubbies.

One of my favorite things...
is taking pictures.

Photography puts my mind in the present moment, at peace.

A few plans for the rest of the week... 

a home blessing, shredding some documents, folding freshly cleaned laundry.

For fun I plan to color, to take pictures, to go on Pinterest and dream crafty dreams.

I am thankful for... 
Dale, always.

Always, always, always...

You, Too, Can Be a Star

I played with my star filter and the Christmas tree.

It turns every point of light into a 4-point star.

The closer I get, the bigger the star becomes.

I think my snowgal is the star of this photo.

Squiddish

This week's coloring meditation

Our Wonderful Young Adults

Christmas 2015

Jeanne, Jodie

Jeff & Julie

Ba-BAM!

What kind of laser light shenanigans is this?

I was playing with my rainbow filter. It turns every point of light into a spectrum. Check it out on the entire Christmas tree!

Neat-o, yes?

Drip ... drip ... DRIP

The temperature rose to 36 today.

Self Portrait #41: End of the Season

Since I was unable to complete my goal of one self-portrait each week in 2015, I've decided to continue my challenge into this year. I have so many ideas that I still want to try! However, I've decided to do them as whimsey hits, rather than sticking to a weekly schedule.

Today, I took down the Christmas tree. But it asked me to take its picture a few more times before crawling into its box for the next 11 months.

More tree photos to come.

---

Photo Lessons I Learned:

• I decided to take this photo with my camera's phone since I had no room to put the tripod in front of me.
  .
• I took the photo during daylight hours. I wanted to keep the background as dark as possible so that the tree's lights could shine. So I closed the blinds behind the tree and turned off all the lights on that side of the room. I'm quite pleased with the way the light is bouncing off the ceiling.
  .
• I opened the window shade right in front of me to add some light on my face.
  .
• The photo was quite grainy, so I softened it during editing. I also needed to add a bit more color to my face and brightened my eyes.
  .
• I like the reflection of the lights in my glasses. I was pleased that they didn't cover my eyes.

Temari Balls

These are the temari balls Jeanne made for Dale and me as Christmas gifts. For a first attempt, I think she did well.

She made the stands, too. They are plastic cups from the dollar store, turned upside down, decorated with snowflake stickers and glitter. The balls sits in a circle of hot glue that creates a lip to keep the balls in place. Pretty crafty, that girl!

Jeanne plans to post photos of all the temari balls she made and talk about the process on our art blog, AuralArtists.

My Favorite New Expression

In 2015, there was quite a disturbance in the Force in my family of origin. One person stirred up some discontent. Others followed, adding their own woeful tales. Others still acted as defenders. Yet others watched the scene unfold in long email threads with their mouths open in disbelief. With nearly 30 people involved, there were plenty of opinions to toss about.

My sister Janet, who wasn't really embroiled in any part of the situation, but who was on the email thread, contributed this inciteful statement:

It became my mantra for the rest of the year as the turmoil continued over months. Each time the situation started feeling overwhelming, each time another barrage of spite was tossed my way, each time I had to respond with patience to impatient people, I'd look at the sticky note I'd attached to my pencil holder and repeat her sage words.

Thank you, Janet. You were a bright spot in a murky swamp.

Let's Read This Year

I'm hoping to spend a bit more time lost in the leaves in 2016. Maybe you'll join me. Today I finished this book.

.
.
.
.
.
A gripping story from the headlines made for a quick read, but not great writing. Far to linear for my taste and too lacking in place and detail. The last chapter was worth the entire book.