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.

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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.
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• 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.
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• I opened the window shade right in front of me to add some light on my face.
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• 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.
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• 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.

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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.

Hope

Icicle Curtain

The temperature got above freezing today. The snow on the edges of the roof began the slow melt.

At this rate, will take quite a while for the snow cover to disappear.

A Buggy Family

I saw this old toy in a shop window in Monterey, CA. Love it.

My husband Dale has a VW convertible. It's our vehicle to peace. When life gets too hairy, we go for a ride and let the wind blow our troubles away for a little while.

We need to wait until late spring before we get to put the top down again. It's worth the wait.

Knit Four, Purl Four

One of Jodie's goals for 2016 is to learn how to knit. She had a head start as a teenager, but had forgotten most of what she learned. So she asked me to teach her while she was visiting over the Christmas holiday.

Funny thing is, I barely know how to knit myself. It was a little like the blind being led by the visually impaired. I couldn't remember all the official vocabulary of knitting, so made up my own terms. On top of that, Jodie is right-handed and I am left-handed. That's always a little hurdle we have to overcome when I teach her a new skill. Luckily, we have experience in working in mirror image, so instead of sitting side-by-side as teacher and pupil, we sit across from each other.

I joggled my memory and taught her a few basics: casting on, the basic knit stitch, the basic purl stitch, then how to put those together to make a stockinette stitch, and how to put them together in another way to make ribbing. I explained how to take a rib stitch and turn it into a basketweave, but we didn't practice that. Out of necessity, Jodie learned to decrease because she somehow kept adding stitches inadvertently. And I showed her how to increase at an edge, because that's the only way I know how to do it. Then she learned to cast off.

I kept invoking the name of our friend Susan, who is a fantastic knitter (and spinner and weaver and baker and dog lover ... but I digress). I also encouraged Jodie to spend some time with online tutorials to get more tips than I have to share - and to learn the proper lingo.

The cool thing was that, after a bit, we were quiet and concentrating, and we began to hear that lovely rhythmic click of the needles begin to happen. It's such a soothing sound. Our little sampler began to grow. Our stitches became more even. The feeling of accomplishment and serenity was palpable.

As a bonus to me, the lesson got me jazzed about knitting again. I grabbed a couple skeins of yarn from my stash, and started (well, started six times due to making mistakes and having to start over) a new scarf for myself. Such pretty colors! Using the rib stitch, it ought to be nice and warm, too.

Let's see if I can get it done before the snow melts.

Rudy's Invasion

Guest post and photo by Jodie Davaz

Another gift card, another Pinterest-inspired delivery! You'll remember that last year Mom made a Santa-style gift card holder. This time around, Mom created certain red-nosed reindeer.

Huh. Reindeers don't have goatees. Why...?

Oh. HuHot guy. Got it. Hah!


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Inspired by
That's What Che Said

From Our Family to Yours...

...a very Merry Christmas!

Snow-Oh-Oh, It's Magic

Guest post and photo by Jodie Davaz

Mom has a long history of handcrafting beautiful ornaments for the family's tree. Recent years have included a number of gorgeous beaded pieces. But this year's glittery pearl snowflakes, made in a team effort by Mom, Jeanne and me, are my favorites yet.

Home for the Holidays

by guest blogger Jodie Davaz

It almost never snows in Oregon. Sure, we have rain – a record in Eugene this year, with rain falling hard every day since Nov. 30. It stops being gloomy after a while. You suck in a couple vitamin D pills a day, sit in front of a happy lamp at work, and curl up with a blanket and a good book at home.

With all the cold and rain, it's hard to be festive. Nobody wants to put lights on the outside of their houses in the rain. And even if we tried to time our outdoor light excursion with the brief cloud breaks, I live in a neighborhood of duplexes occupied by renters who don't want to jeopardize their deposits. It's not exactly a holiday hotspot.

Though I've been planning a holiday visit to my parents since Thanksgiving, I haven't been able to experience a jolly spirit. My sapling-sized (fake) tree fell apart, my stockings refused to hang prettily. Mom and I made a commitment to let the candy canes and wrapping paper explode upon my arrival to town. And boy, did my hometown deliver.

I began feeling the holiday hype when I passed through Ritzville and saw deposits of snow on the ground. In Sprague, pine trees weighed down heavily with snow dotted the landscape. Medical Lake was positively frozen over. And in Spokane, heavy snowfall pelted my welcoming windshield.

But finally, driving down the street to my parents' house, the real holiday magic set in. Here, the snow lay thick on the ground. Here, neighbors took time to plan exquisite lighting of their homes and yards. Here, Mom has decked the halls and hung the stockings and put up a tree and wafted cookie-smell through the house.

I came home to my family, but I also came home to Christmas.

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These little fellas greeted me as I walked in the door. Don't be fooled by the macro photo; they each are about the size of a quarter. This, a close-up shot of the all-encompassing holiday spirit I have the luxury of feeling tonight.

After the Storm

We ended up getting around a foot of snow.
The streets were plowed.
The driveway was shoveled.
The berm was removed.

Then the moon broke through the clouds, and rose over our home.

The Christmas Storm

The view from my front porch on the longest night of the year. It feels like Christmas now.

Whipping the Meringue

It wouldn't be pumpkin chiffon pie without it

Coming In for a Landing

Reelin'

This week's coloring meditation

A Favorite Quotation

"Ah, shit. That damn bird is perched on my head again!"
~ John Steinbeck
   in Cannery Row

Inscribed on the Cannery Row monument. I'm sure I read that quote in this plaque!

Bougainvillea

Every time I return to California, I fall in love with this plant all over again. The way sunlight filters through the petals is exquisite ... then they flutter and shimmer in the breeze. I was surprised to see the blooms in November. I didn't remember the flowers lasting all year.

Then there are the details. Though we have some really gorgeous flowers here in the warmer months, there's nothing quite like a bougainvillea in north Idaho.

It's like a prayer.
Amen.

Divebomb!

This was the most memorable moment of my morning on the bay. No telephoto needed. Yike!

Flight

Breaking

Here's another photo inspired by painter Ran Ortner

Line 'em Up!

I have a minor OCD issue.

I can't drink my tea until the logo, the holder and the lid line up.

I line up my french fries and Cheetos, too.
It's a feature, not a bug. Not too severe as oddities go. 

Crash!

 
I was inspired by these incredible paintings by Ran Ortner that I saw online yesterday. Click through to view all his incredible artwork!

Just Another Flower Photo

Here's a little something to brighten my life on another dark and soaking wet day.

Hard to believe I took this photo just a month ago ... where it was warm and sunny outside in California.

It's All in the Details

Gilt mirror frame

California Waterway

Autumn glory on the Sacramento River

[click for larger image]

Another in my series of Passenger Seat Photography at 70mph.

Thar Be Dragons!

Wildlife photography of fantastical beasts along America's highways.

[click for larger image ... it's worth it!]

Another in my series of Passenger Seat Photography at 70mph.

Self Portrait Week 40: The Microscope

I got a new toy for my birthday. A microscope. With it I received an attachment so that my smartphone can be used with the eyepiece to take photos of the fun objects I'm studying.

Jeanne and I were trying to figure out how to attach the phone to the eyepiece, and this photo was taken by accident. I love facial expressions full of focused concentration! (And there's nothing quite like an "up the nose" shot!)

We did eventually figure it out. I don't have any slides yet, so we put a piece of tissue paper (with a small hole in it) under the lens and captured this image:

This is going to take my love of macro photography to a whole new level!

Now ... how do I capture a snowflake?

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Photo Tips I Learned:

• Don't be afraid to try out new equipment or a new technique. If you feel intimidated, have your scientific kid help you out.
• When using your camera with your microscope, remember to take if off "selfie mode."
• Beware of those who have a knack for photobombs!

In the Shadow of Shasta

Dale and I drove by Mt. Shasta in northern California last month as Autumn made herself known.

[click for a larger image]

This is another in my series of Passenger Seat Photography at 70mph.

Rock Pidgeon

This one likes Mexican food. It was perched on the roof of El Torito, overlooking Monterey Bay.

 

Sittin' on the Dock of the Bay

Sittin' in the morning sun
I'll be sittin' when the evening comes
Watching the ships roll in
Then I watch them roll away again, yeah

I'm sittin' on the dock of the bay
Watchin' the tide roll away, ooh
I'm just sittin' on the dock of the bay
Wastin' time

~ Otis Redding

Monterey Bay, California

[Click for larger image]

Benediction on the Bay

Monterey, California

Lone Tree, Eastern Oregon