I love Christmas music.
That's what makes me feel
the spirit of the season.
Here's a new version
of a less common carol
that I really like....
December 20, 2011
November 7, 2011
April 19, 2010
it's the grand opening of...... THE BLOG CAFE!
Welcome to The Blog Cafe!
We've been looking forward
to this for days now....
and it's finally here!
Have you heard about The Blog Cafe?
It's a virtual get-together
where we meet up every Monday
for some good treats
and fun conversation.
Each week, we're gathering
at a different blog--
our host blogger gets to choose
a local hot spot
where we're going to "meet",
what we're going to "eat",
and what we're going to talk about.
Then the rest of us
will stop by sometime
during our Monday
to leave a comment
and share our thoughts
on the day's topic.
Anyone who'd like to
take a turn can
choose a week to be the host.
And this week, it's me!
I decided I'm going
to take you to a place
that has one of my
favorite treats....Smart Cookie,
and the treats are on me!
You can have your choice of
all kinds of yummy cookies....
or choose two
and create a one-of-a-kind
ice cream sandwich.....
.
Or you can have my favorite:
frozen hot chocolate! Yum!
.
Now, just picture it....
we're sitting around the table
with these guys
hanging around above us.
.
And we're talking and laughing
and shooting the breeze.
Listen in---
here's what we're talking about....
So several years ago
when my kids were really small,
my husband gave me
the best gift for my birthday.
He gave me the gift of
an evening ALONE.
I sat in a bubble bath
with my favorite book
and the door LOCKED.
And he didn't let anyone
knock on the door
or call out my name
or need me for anything
for what seemed like hours,
(but it was probably just one.)
It was wonderful.
Just thinking about that
gets me wondering....
if you had the gift of a day,
not just an evening,
but a whole day
to do anything you want,
what would you do?
No responsibilities,
nobody needs you,
there's nothing you HAVE to do.
Where would you be,
and who would you be with,
and what would you do?
.
If I had the gift of a day,
there are two things I'd choose out of.
And since I'm making the rules,
I'm going to tell you both!
If it was a day
when I had lots of energy,
I'd be in Italy,
walking through a
quaint little village
with my camera--
or maybe driving
through the countryside
in a red convertible
with the top down.
I'd be with the locals
so they could show me
the best places,
and of course, I'd speak Italian.
I'd eat great food,
and I'd take tons of beautiful pictures
that I'd hang on my walls
to get me through
until the next time
I had the gift of a day.
But---if I felt like I needed a rest,
I'd be on a beach in Hawaii,
with my toes in the sand,
sitting in the shade of a palm tree,
a cooler of good fruit
and ice cold water beside me,
watching the waves until sunset.
Yes, indeed. That's where I'd be.
.
Now it's your turn:
if you had the gift of a day,
what would you do?
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
We've been looking forward
to this for days now....
and it's finally here!
Have you heard about The Blog Cafe?
It's a virtual get-together
where we meet up every Monday
for some good treats
and fun conversation.
Each week, we're gathering
at a different blog--
our host blogger gets to choose
a local hot spot
where we're going to "meet",
what we're going to "eat",
and what we're going to talk about.
Then the rest of us
will stop by sometime
during our Monday
to leave a comment
and share our thoughts
on the day's topic.
Anyone who'd like to
take a turn can
choose a week to be the host.
And this week, it's me!
I decided I'm going
to take you to a place
that has one of my
favorite treats....Smart Cookie,
and the treats are on me!
You can have your choice of
all kinds of yummy cookies....
or choose two
and create a one-of-a-kind
ice cream sandwich.....
.
Or you can have my favorite:
frozen hot chocolate! Yum!
.
Now, just picture it....
we're sitting around the table
with these guys
hanging around above us.
.
And we're talking and laughing
and shooting the breeze.
Listen in---
here's what we're talking about....
So several years ago
when my kids were really small,
my husband gave me
the best gift for my birthday.
He gave me the gift of
an evening ALONE.
I sat in a bubble bath
with my favorite book
and the door LOCKED.
And he didn't let anyone
knock on the door
or call out my name
or need me for anything
for what seemed like hours,
(but it was probably just one.)
It was wonderful.
Just thinking about that
gets me wondering....
if you had the gift of a day,
not just an evening,
but a whole day
to do anything you want,
what would you do?
No responsibilities,
nobody needs you,
there's nothing you HAVE to do.
Where would you be,
and who would you be with,
and what would you do?
.
If I had the gift of a day,
there are two things I'd choose out of.
And since I'm making the rules,
I'm going to tell you both!
If it was a day
when I had lots of energy,
I'd be in Italy,
walking through a
quaint little village
with my camera--
or maybe driving
through the countryside
in a red convertible
with the top down.
I'd be with the locals
so they could show me
the best places,
and of course, I'd speak Italian.
I'd eat great food,
and I'd take tons of beautiful pictures
that I'd hang on my walls
to get me through
until the next time
I had the gift of a day.
But---if I felt like I needed a rest,
I'd be on a beach in Hawaii,
with my toes in the sand,
sitting in the shade of a palm tree,
a cooler of good fruit
and ice cold water beside me,
watching the waves until sunset.
Yes, indeed. That's where I'd be.
.
Now it's your turn:
if you had the gift of a day,
what would you do?
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Remember, it's The Blog Cafe!
Everybody is welcome--
come introduce yourself
and let's get to know
each other better.
Would you like to
be a host sometime soon?
Send us an email at
theblogcafe@yahoo.com
and Jenny the Calendar Girl
will get you on the list!
You can learn more about
The Blog Cafe here.
And next week,
we're meeting at
Jenny-Jenny's place--
Be there or be square!
April 13, 2010
right in the middle of town
I took "A" to school this morning.
The sun had just come up,
and the shadows on the mountains
were so beautiful.
Carrying my camera around with me
has made me stop and notice things
that I hadn't paid any attention to before.
For instance,
about a mile away from my house
right in the middle of town
and across the street from the cemetery
lies this open field.
I drive by it several times a day.
And yet I've never paid attention
to the beauty of it all.
But when I look at it
through a camera lens,
I realize how breathtaking it really is.
Right in the middle of town.
Some people would pay
big bucks for a view like this!
The sun had just come up,
and the shadows on the mountains
were so beautiful.
Carrying my camera around with me
has made me stop and notice things
that I hadn't paid any attention to before.
For instance,
about a mile away from my house
right in the middle of town
and across the street from the cemetery
lies this open field.
I drive by it several times a day.
And yet I've never paid attention
to the beauty of it all.
But when I look at it
through a camera lens,
I realize how breathtaking it really is.
Right in the middle of town.
Some people would pay
big bucks for a view like this!
April 1, 2010
picture morning
It's time for
Team Up Thursday photography!
Our theme this week
is "Morning."
Isn't it amazing
to see what
morning looks like
on opposite sides of the world
and in opposite seasons?
Arizaphale's photo was taken
at Port Vincent in Australia.
I think it's beautiful--
the peaceful water
with the lone boat
under the sparkle of the sun.
My photo is in Utah and shows
beautiful Mount Timpanogos at sunrise.
This is the mountain
that is right outside my door.
This week I went out
on a couple of early mornings,
hoping for a spectacular sunrise,
because that's the best way
to say morning to me--
the sun coming up
over the mountains.
It was such a peaceful experience...
so quiet as I watched and waited
for the sun to come up.
I could hear a few early birds
singing their morning song,
and a rooster crowing it's welcome
as morning slowly arrived.
To me, it's the best part of the day!
Check out the other
Team Up Thursday diptychs,
or come play along!
Visit Melody
or Megan's
blogs
and find out how to get started!
March 29, 2010
finding happy in march
blooming buds
melting snow
a beautiful sunrise
early birds at play
children outside laughing
a brisk walk
signs of green
open windows
spring cleaning
quick storms
warm sunshine
a peaceful heart
What has made
you happy in March?
March 20, 2010
apache blessing
"May the sun
bring you new energy by day
May the moon
softly restore you by night
May the rain
wash away your worries
May the breeze
blow new strength into your being
May you walk
gently through the world and know
its beauty all the days of your life."
—
Apache Blessing
March 13, 2010
the three 3's that inspire me
On her blog yesterday,
my cute cousin posted
her favorite things in threes--
and she invited her readers
to do the same.
Her favorites inspired me....
and so I'm doing it!
These are the three 3's
that lift me up,
encourage me,
and motivate me
to keep going.
Songs
Dream Big by Ryan Shupe and the Rubber Band
Viva la Vida by Coldplay (sung by these kids)
Places
Snowbird in Little Cottonwood Canyon, Utah
photo courtesy of http://www.flickr.com/photos/vxla/ / CC BY 2.0
The Salt Lake LDS Temple
The Ocean
Books
The Greatest Salesman in the World
The Book of Mormon
A Heart Like His
What are the three things
that motivate and inspire you?
March 12, 2010
life is beautiful
these words are an excerpt from
Richard G. Scott's "Finding Joy in Life"
Do you take time
to discover each day
how beautiful
your life can be?
How long has it been
since you watched the sun set?
The departing rays
kissing the clouds,
trees, hills, and lowlands
good night,
sometimes
tranquilly,
sometimes with exuberant bursts
of color and form.
.
What of
the wonder of a
cloudless night
when the Lord
unveils the marvels
of
His heavens—
the twinkling stars,
the moonlight rays—
to ignite our
imagination
with His greatness and glory?
You are one of the noblest
of God’s creations.
His intent is that
your
life
be gloriously beautiful
regardless
of your circumstances.
.Sun
Sunflower photo courtesy of
Perception Photography.
March 5, 2010
el salvador at dawn
As I told you here,
we went to El Salvador
last November
on a humanitarian services trip.
After a week
of really long working days,
we were given
a day of rest and
recuperation
at a beach-side resort.
On our last morning,
our 17-year-old son "A"
got up early,
and with his little
Coolpix camera,
went for
a nature walk.
I wish I would have
gone with him.
(I, ever-efficient,
was scrambling
to try to fit
everything
in our luggage
to go back to the States.)
In those few
calm peaceful moments,
he was the only one
on the beach.
And this is what he saw.
we went to El Salvador
last November
on a humanitarian services trip.
After a week
of really long working days,
we were given
a day of rest and
recuperation
at a beach-side resort.
On our last morning,
our 17-year-old son "A"
got up early,
and with his little
Coolpix camera,
went for
a nature walk.
I wish I would have
gone with him.
(I, ever-efficient,
was scrambling
to try to fit
everything
in our luggage
to go back to the States.)
In those few
calm peaceful moments,
he was the only one
on the beach.
And this is what he saw.
All of these photos
are straight out of
his Coolpix camera.
I think he did a
really great job, don't you?
_______________________
You can read more
about a few of our adventures
in Guatemala and El Salvador
by clicking on these links.
airborn
earthquakes and volcanoes
necessities or luxuries
monkey business
Copyright
- Blog Design by Perception Photography. All images are subject to copyright. If you see an image on this blog that you would like to use, please contact me at jolyn at upbothways dot com. Thanks!
