a year of happy

happy mother's day!

I often go walking
in meadows of clover,

And I gather armfuls of
blossoms of blue.

I gather the blossoms
the whole meadow over;

Dear mother,
all flowers remind me of you.

O mother, I give you
my love with each flower

To give forth sweet fragrance
a whole lifetime through;

For if I love blossoms and
meadows and walking,

I learn how to love them,
dear mother, from you.

Words: Phyllis Luch, 1937–1995. © 1969 IRI

a photo that needs no words

I'm back!
We spent the last ten days
on a humanitarian expedition
in Managua, Nicaragua.

What an experience!
I almost don't have words.
But over the next few days,
I hope I can find the words
to tell you some of the things
we saw, and felt, and experienced.

I've got to wade through
all the photos I took.
That could take awhile...
I went a little crazy!

So many of my pictures
had to be taken
from the window of a moving bus.
But hopefully even though
they aren't spectacular,
they will tell our story.

We served with a group
on a medical/dental mission.
Because of confidentiality reasons,
I won't be able to share
that aspect of the trip.

But I will be able to
share a few stories
and photos of the country
and the people there.
Here's one that needs no words.





__________________________________


On another note,
my friend Wendi shared a video
on her blog today
that really touched my heart.

So I decided to pass it on.
I hope you feel it too.

It's about Stephanie Nielson,
who writes a blog called
the NieNie Dialogues.
You may have heard of her.

She is amazing and beautiful
and I wish I could be
more like her in so many ways.

Here's her story:

(If you can't see the full screen,
click here for a popout window.)

family outtakes

 






















































I have no words.
Care to give it a try?

playing with water for team up thursday

UPDATE:


This week I've joined up
with a Flickr photography group
called Team Up Thursday.

Every Thursday,
members of this group
post a photo based on a theme.

Here's what's fun about it.
Everybody is teamed up
with somebody else, 
and the two of them
pair their photos together
and then post them in a diptych.

This is my first week
and my partner is
Arizaphale from Australia.

Arizaphale blogs at
"Now Where Did I Put
My Flaming Sword?"
Her blog is so much fun--
she makes me laugh
every time I read it.

Arizaphale in Australia
is 17 hours ahead of me
over here in Utah.
So my Thursday
is basically her Friday.
And when she's awake,
I'm asleep....it could
get really confusing!

This week our theme is Water.


And here's our Water Diptych:





Click on it to see it full size.



You can see all of the group's photos
on the Team Up Thursday Flickr page.
And if you'd like to join in the fun,
it's not too late.
Visit Megan at Mental Inventory
and she'll get you set up!

___________________________________

At first,
I couldn't think of a good way 
to photograph water.

I took this shot.





It was fine, but boring.
I wanted to try to see
water in a different way.

So I put food coloring in it.




It still wasn't quite
what I was looking for.

So I thought I might
play it safe and I
started hunting
through my archives.

I found photos
from our vacation at Bear Lake,



 


and camping trips to the Uintahs,






and a trip to the Northwest.







They all have water.

Then "J" came over --
and told me,
"You've got to take a new photo.
You can do it!"

So we started brainstorming.

And we had so much fun
finding beautiful ways
to see water through a camera lens.












Thanks for your help "J"!
I'm learning so much
about photography from you!

three great links to make you smile

Link #1

On Saturday,
I received a package in the mail.
How often does that happen?!
Not often for me.

This package was from a new friend--
Sherry from Everyday Possibilities.

Sherry makes the most beautiful
mixed media paper goods
and collaged altered art.

Her shop is called Bella Rennie
and as it says on her site,
her art is "sometimes whimsical,
sometimes serious and
always with an eye to grace and beauty."

Take a look at what she sent to me.





This whimsical gift card--
wouldn't it be cute in a frame?

And this lovely bookmark.
I'll use it everyday!

Thanks, Sherry!
Be sure to visit her blog
and her shop.
You don't want to miss it!


________________________________


Link #2

The other day I discovered
a new photography blog
that I really like.

It's called
Dream Tomorrow, Live Today,
Cherish Yesterday,
and the photographer is
Bob Towery.

I'm really taken
with his amazing photos,
but I also like
how he writes about
what he did to get
his great results.

This is the first photo I saw.
You should take a look--
it blew me away!

Here's another one...
but don't take my word for it.
Check it out.
I think you'll like it too!


________________________________


Link #3

And finally,
this link is a video
from my 17 year old son.
If you like chain reactions,
you've got to see this!




______________________________

Do you have any great links
to share with the
rest of us today?
Please do in the comments!

we are all connected

 

"From the standpoint
of daily life....
there is one thing we do know:

that we are here
for the sake of each other -
above all for those
upon whose smile and well-being
our own happiness depends,

and also for the countless
unknown souls
with whose fate
we are connected
by a bond of sympathy.

Many times a day
I realize how much
my own outer and inner life
is built upon the labors
of my fellow men,
both living and dead,
and how earnestly
I must exert myself
in order to give in return
as much as I have received."

Albert Einstein

at my life's crossroads

When I think of
my life's crossroads,
I can always
see my mother
somewhere nearby.

I can hear myself
call her name
the minute I run in the door
after school every day.

I can feel
her cool hand
on my hot forehead
in the throes of a sick flu.

I can see her
skillful hands
teaching me to make
cinnamon rolls,
and doll clothes,
and a properly made bed.

She's always near
in those memories,
guiding, comforting,
smiling, and singing.

She is part of my
adult crossroads too.

My wedding day....
there she is in her
cheery red dress,
taking care of all
the little details
so I can enjoy the day.

I see her worried look 
as I head to the hospital
for the birth of my second child,
a whole month early.

I can feel the
clasp of her hand
as we worry together
over a wayward teenager.
 
I can see
the warmth in her glance 
as we lock eyes
over the tiny bundle
that is my newborn grandson,
and we don't even
need to say a word.

My mother.
Always there.
At every crossroad.
Whenever I need her.

She has set the stage
for the kind of mother
I too hope to be.





Today I will give her
this little gift
to celebrate her
special day.

How could it
possibly be enough?

Happy Birthday Mom!


_______________________

Have you read this one?

Home to Me

Baby Mac Attack

Best of 2009

playing grandma

.
.

I got to play grandma
the other day
while "J" was working.

I love it.


 


I love that
this little guy
recognizes me and
is excited to see me.

I love it when
he falls asleep in my arms.

I love the smell
of his baby soft skin.

And I love
taking pictures of him.






No matter
that I consistently
lop off the top of his head.

That's because
every time I get out my camera,
he races over to
chew on the strap!






I'm just not quick enough
on the draw.


Too bad.
I'll just have to keep practicing!

the busy biddy

If it's somebody's birthday,
if my sister is in town,
if the girls want to go shopping.....

we always go see Janet
at The Busy Biddy!

Janet has turned
this little house in Orem
into the cutest shop
of gifts and home decor!

.

.
Why do we like
The Busy Biddy so much?
.

.
It might be
because of all the
cute holiday decor
Janet always has in store.
.

.
Maybe it's because
she always has
clothes that are
to die for.
.





(Look at these cute aprons!)

.
Maybe it's the jewelry
and darling accessories...
like this purse!
.




.
And these pins!
.

.
And these bracelets!

(Just click on the photos
to see all the cuteness up close...)
.





.
But I think the main reason
we like The Busy Biddy
so much is because of
Janet herself!
.




Janet is always smiling.
She's always positive.
And she always
makes you happy.

Really....
she makes
The Busy Biddy
the place to be!





.
This is what
I'm giving my mom
for her birthday.

It's Busy Biddy bling....
and I can hardly wait!
.
.

a snowy mountain road

There was a road, 
a mountain road
in a winter canyon
leading to a cabin
where a little fire was burning.

And on that road
there were some cars,
some happy cars
filled with laughing girls
heading to that cabin
where a little fire was burning.

And on that mountain
it started to snow.
A heavy snow,
a blinding snow
on slushy roads
which now were really slippery.

And in those cars,
there were some leaders,
some worried leaders
and some quiet girls
who all were now not laughing.

And in those cars,
those worried leaders
saw other cars
slide off that road
where they now too were slipping.

So on that mountain,
those anxious leaders,
turned their sliding cars
with their frightened girls
away from that cabin
where the little fire was burning.

And down the mountain
those sliding cars
with their frightened girls
inched toward their homes
where worried parents were waiting.

But two of those cars,
those sliding cars
got stuck on the ice,
that black black ice,
where no one now was moving.

And near that road,
that slippery road,
there was a river,
in a rocky ravine
toward which those cars were veering.

Then in those cars,
a frightened girl,
a faithful girl
said to her crying friends,
"Now we must start praying."

So on that mountain,
good praying girls
asked their God in heaven,
to keep them safe
on this road where it was snowing.

When to the car 
there came a man,
a kind-hearted man,
who called to the leaders,
"Is there a way I can be helping?"

And so that man,
he took those girls,
those frightened girls
into his van
and down the mountain went driving.

And more kind men,
in their big big trucks,
drove more crying girls
to meet their friends
who now were safely waiting.

So now at home
those grateful girls
with their thankful leaders
are once more safe,
and everyone now is laughing!

Thank you men,
you kind, kind men,
who stopped to help
some frightened girls
on a mountain road
where it was really snowing!
.

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/psd/ / CC BY 2.0

(Mountain photo courtesy of MC.)