january afternoon

white wicker
on a winter's day
bids me come
watch
and stay


as twlight's pink pastel
spreads far
before me

homemade game

we’re playing a lot of Pollyanna

these days

it’s almost a craze

at our house

such simple things involved

in the making of games and

memories

full moon

have you ever wondered

what it would be like

to be nocturnal?

imagine the sights

night after night

under the light

of a winter moon

sparrow and me

yesterday evening

we watched

as the sky unfurled

an astounding glory

part of the ongoing story

of grace

winter grey

i love the grey days

the blue haze

the subtle ways

that winter shows

His splendor

magic markers

i so enjoy color

and couldn't pass up

the sight of these three

sitting kingly

on my husband's desk

if i had a palette of pink

the shades could number in hundreds

not to mention the hues

of red, purple, blue, and

wonderful yellow

so do colors just "happen" to be

or like you and me

come from the mind

of someone

yesterday's trash

litter transformed

birdhouse miracle

it was a grey day

the melting snow, muddy

some would say

the ugly part of winter

but something as simple

as this bright blue

can infuse in me and you

a sudden ray of

happiness

crossing the line

my prayer

is that like he

it can be said of me

she finished strong

*footnote: this is the final posting from last week's race.

Hope you enjoyed. Tomorrow i'll be back to "everyday slices

of life." Happy Saturday!

finisher

run on

run strong

those gone before

will be waiting

*footnote: I think the following words from the Apostle Paul go well with this image:

"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."

Have a good day!

replenished

water passed out along

the way

reminds me

of what He said one day

"if you give drink

to the thirsty

you've done it to me"

and for what do men thirst

in this age

of scientific proof

and technology?

be it money, fame

power

or be it love?

cresting the hill

he reminds me

that even when it's an uphill climb

the decision to smile

is always

an option

together

when the way
becomes weary and long
friends keep us going
keep us strong

preparing

in the moments before

runners were called

to the line

i couldn't help but

notice

the focus

of number one, three, zero

for him

this wasn't a saturday jaunt

just something to do

and when he finished first

far ahead of the rest

i felt jubilation

for his quest

accomplished

before the race

the announcer asked everyone
to place their hands on their hearts
as he sang the national anthem

amazing, how many
bowed their heads and closed their eyes
were they moved by thoughts of patriotism?
saying prayers of thanks for the ability to run?

or perhpas petitioning ONE
for the men and women of Haiti
whose race of "another kind"
has barely begun?

I’m pausing today, the 17^th of January to write a note concerning the next week’s blog entries. If you have been following along, you know the photos I’ve chosen to use thus far have been from “slices of my everyday life” since January 5^th. It is my hope to continue recording words and images everyday through this year of 2010. I wanted to let you know that this coming week will be a bit different. Yesterday, I had the opportunity of witnessing my son run in his first half-marathon. I took my camera, of course and shot several pictures before, during and at the end of the race. I found the day, and the resulting images quite inspiring. I have decided to devote this next week, (beginning today) to posting images from that race.

Seeing “life” as a race or journey is a well known metaphor. It is used in many great works of literature. I know it best, however, from the Scriptural references found in the book of Hebrews. The writer of Hebrews says in Chapter 12:1-2:

Therefore, since we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses, let us strip and throw aside every weight and encumbrance, (the sin that clings so closely) and let us run with patient endurance and steady persistence the race that is set before us

focusing on Jesus who is the leader and source of our faith and also its Finisher…….

I can’t describe in words the feeling I had yesterday at the 4 mile mark as I began to see runners emerging from the fog. The verse quoted above flashed through my mind and I thought of those who have gone to heaven before us, watching as we run our individual races here on earth. Then, later, at the 9 mile mark and finally at the finish. On a cold, wet, overcast, January morning, it was truly an inspiring thing to see. I hope the images to follow will be an encouragement to you. I know that a few of you who follow the blog are runners. I hope you are especially encouraged. Thanks again for taking time out of your day to check out the blog.

muffin mix

i finally made

the chocolate chip muffins

with zuchinni and

flaxseed

magnificently moist they be

and nuts on top

i'll store some in the freezer

(my secret stash)

shhhhh

don't tell

at lunch, on a lighter note

have you seen the commercial on t.v.

that uses all the happy faces?

well, it's got me seeing them

at unexpected times

in unexpected places

what do you think

of this green and blue

i see spontaneous joy

do you?

meant for another kingdom

it is my feeling

that horses

bear on their hearts

the marks

of majesty

another world

yesterday, i was in Narnia

where remants of a world gone by

are transformed

there

the old and crippled

are beautiful

you may not believe me

but that's ok

they didn't believe lucy

either

fencepost

something happened

during the night

that left the land

and all that was on it

changed

favorite place

at day's end
such stillness
as i've ever known

settles here

walking boone

we needn't go far
to find wonder

sun dog

i wonder where they got the name

sundog?

formed by ice crystals

or diamond dust as some would say

a refraction of the sun's rays

i'd vote for "crown of God"

or "heaven's halo"

the field and years gone by

its curving rows, fragile
catch my eye
and as i stand on the road nearby
the silent scene
speaks loudly
of childhood rides in pickup trucks
and walks through winter fields of white
illumined by pale moonlight
and laughter

arctic air mass

it's two degrees
wind gusting at thirty miles per hour
from my kitchen window
i count six cardinals tucked tightly in the pines
a stunning sight
as snow swirls round about

chili's on
and all is well
in my world

serenity

the blue of the snow
and the rust of the trees
what could be more innocent
or gracious
than these?

secret snow

it came quietly in the night

transforming

trees

fences

and old porch chairs

layer on layer

like love

covering loneliness

lesson of the lowly

see how he sits
tiny heart beating inside his breast
adequately dressed
for a day such as this
content and lovely
this small one

consider the birds

“consider the birds” he said

and as i stop

to watch these very three

hopping and bobbing

under the tree

something new

like the fresh snow from heaven

is given me

So, I asked my son on the way home from seeing the movie Avatar if he could help me set up a blog. Just what everyone needs, right?? Something else to read. But what if James Cameron had decided there were enough movies already. I would have missed out on his visual feast. And though sci-fi is not my meal of choice, I did find parts of it delicious.

My son, fresh home from 2 years in the Peace Corps, (and having maintained a successful humorous blog during that time) wanted to know the purpose of such intended blog.

“Two things”, I answered. “To keep me stretching and growing in photography and writing and to have an outlet for them.”

“Alright,” he said, “just don’t expect any hits”.

“You mean I won’t become famous like the Julia girl???”

Oh, well. . . Onward!

The subject matter: “Slices of Life”

The goal: to record by images and words something beautiful, enlightening, and hopefully surprising from my everyday experience for each day in the year 2010.

The promise: to keep it short, to the point, and interesting for my future readers. (sorry son!)

So, if there are any of you out there…interested in what a “would be” photographer and writer sees in the course of her everyday Kansas existence…..WELCOME!