December 25, 2009
December 23, 2009
Christmas
This is the Christmas card my paternal grandparents sent out in 1923. As I studied the picture, one word came to my mind - simple. The decorations are simple and lovely. The sentiment expressed is simple and heartfelt.
Perhaps simplicity is the key. Christmas is a time to remind ourselves of our blessings and the most important ones are simple and basic. Love of family and friends, freedom and the glorious, beautiful world we live in. Sure, life is full of many difficulties. But maybe, just maybe, it would all make more sense if we remembered to concentrate on the simple things. God's son wasn't born in a fancy palace. God's greatest gift to the world came to us in a simple manger. Surely this is part of God's message to us. The true beauty and fulfillment in life is found in the simple things, enjoyed in simple ways. The simple, basic values in life endure forever.
I wish for you a Christmas filled with smiles, laughter and hugs and a New Year of peace, health and hope.
Simplicity.
Simple.
I first posted this in 2005 and decided to repost it again this year. It may become my traditional Christmas post...
December 22, 2009
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I took this shot while the snow was coming down. It was taken through both a window and a storm window ( and a fair bit of grime, too, if I'm being honest. ;)). Even though it is blurry (it was very windy) and lacking in decent contrast, I love the way it came out. It feels "antiquey" to me and I love the color of the frozen water. This is SOOC. Anything I did to change the contrast, etc. took away what I liked about it, so I left it alone.
December 21, 2009
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The view out my bedroom window. That is the top of the fence and the pussy willow. The sun was brilliant today, although it was still quite cold and windy.
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The blizzard, looking through the storm door. It was so windy and snowy that the snow covered the back of the wreath as well as the front. ;)
December 20, 2009
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Well, we got the blizzard. It snowed all afternoon and all night and continued until midday today. The wind was howling and blowing the snow into big drifts and roads were closed due to whiteout conditions. I took this picture this morning before it all ended and before several more inches had fallen. Final snowfall amounts: about 24-30 inches with lots of deeper drifts. School has been cancelled for tomorrow as the plows work to get the roads cleared. I'm predicting a white Christmas! ;)
December 19, 2009
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The snow started falling early afternoon. They are predicting 15-18 inches, maybe more. And since the wind is really blowing, we should get a lot of drifting. The thing is, being by the water, sometimes our temperatures don't stay cold enough long enough to have all the snow they say is coming. Sometimes it will turn over to rain instead. They are saying it's a blizzard, but I guess we'll have to wait and see! ;)
December 18, 2009
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My Christmas tree in abstract.
I know. More playing with the Christmas lights. But, it only comes once a year... ;)
Thought for the Day
- "We will show forth thy praise to all generations." ~ Psalms 79:13
Through the lens
365 Project 2009
It has been said...
- "Fun is about as good a habit as there is." ~ Jimmy Buffet
- "The family is one of nature's masterpieces." ~ George Santayana
- “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of other’s opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.” - Steve Jobs
- "It is more fun to talk with someone who doesn't use long, difficult words but rather short, easy words like 'What about lunch?'" ~ Winnie the Pooh
- "Life is an endless struggle full of frustrations and challenges, but eventually you find a hair stylist you like." ~ Unknown
- "The time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time.” ~ Bertrand Russell
- "The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, the education, the money, than circumstances, than failure, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company... a church... a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past... we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it." ~Charles R. Swindoll
- "Love is love. All, everything that I understand, I understand only because I love. Everything is, everything exists, only because I love." ~ Leo Tolstoy
- "You receive through the same doorway through which you give. The way to receive freely is to give freely. Quality is more important than quantity, since the universe amplifies thought into circumstance. Begin giving, and let God perfect your giving." ~ Brad Jensen
- "For each new morning with its light, For rest and shelter of the night, For health and food, for love and friends, For everything Thy goodness sends." ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
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