30 Days of Photos: 30

This is my last of the 30 Days of Photos! I'm kind of glad I can get back to my usual stuff. This one is a picture of someone I miss. That's easy.



my dad! He died in 2002; I can hardly believe it was 9 years ago already. This is my parents on their 50th anniversary. They made it to 59 and a half by the time Dad died. This weekend we are celebrating my mom's 90th birthday!! If Dad had stuck around he would be 95. It's probably a good thing he went when he did; he was declining and probably would not know who we are by now. But I still miss him. He was a great daddy and grandpa! I love you forever, Dad!

30 Days of Photos: 29

a picture that can always make me smile



I thought this was such a magical moment, and such fun to witness this momentous day in our country's history. It makes me smile to see this happy, loving family entering the White House and a new era. It's nice to have young people in the White House again!

30 Days of Photos: 28

a picture of something I am afraid of



Bears! When I was a kid, my sister's friend was killed by a grizzly bear while camping in a national park. Ever since then I have been very cautious and afraid when in bear territory. Once while camping in a Minnesota state park, a young black bear crossed our path. I was so afraid the mama bear would come raging toward us. She didn't. Nothing happened. I have never been threatened by a bear. They still scare me. I accept my fear as a healthy caution that will help keep me safe in those rare times I venture into their home turf. (And I have been known to wear bear bells and to talk or sing loudly while hiking in bear territory. You won't catch me trying to sneak up on a bear!)

The Gift of Sleep

Yesterday after I posted my "blah" message, I took a 2-hour nap. Then last night I slept for 9 hours. Today I feel like a new person! I'm happy and energetic. And the sun is shining today, which also boosts my mood. Hooray!! I think it was sleep deprivation that was making me blue. I'm so much better now.

And here is something exciting: I am fast approaching a Big Blog Milestone!!! Watch for my announcement about how to celebrate it (and wish me luck dreaming up what this will be).
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30 Days of Photos: 27
a picture of me and a family member



from left: my cousin, my sister, me (taken at my son's wedding in 2009)

The Blah Blues

Lately I have been feeling down in the dumps. I don't know why. I have been blaming my trip to Georgia.. after experiencing that great spring weather and warm sunshine, maybe I'm depressed at returning to snow territory. I'm so tired of slipping on ice, driving in icky conditions, not being able to see traffic due to huge snow piles, and being cold.

But I don't know if that explains my dumpy feelings.

Maybe it's just a tough transition from being busy and hanging out with friends in Georgia, to returning to my quiet home. I don't think so, though. Deep down I am kind of a home body and love hanging out at home with husband while we each do our own fun things: a combination of sewing, computer use, reading, meal prep, knitting, watching TV... some of these are done separately, some together.

I've been out for dinner with friends and attended a church meeting that was inspirational, and church today was warm and fun and joyful with lots of babies in attendance.

So... why am I feeling blue? It's probably nothing that a good nap can't cure. Or a sewing session where I get lost (in a good way) in the creative process.

I'll try to bumble through my day and hope I cheer up. Isn't depression depressing? I think so.
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30 Days of Photos: 26
a picture of something that means a lot to me --



My happy marriage! I know how lucky I am to have a great husband and happy life with him. It is truly a fabulous gift. (another reason to wonder why I'm blue)

30 Days of Photos: 25

a picture of my day

This one is an unusual assignment. How does one photograph a day? I decided to show you my main "stations." If I don't work (which I only do part time and sporadically these days), I'm usually at home doing some of these activities:

my computer.. I spend too much time here, writing my blog and reading others, checking email, doing Facebook

I like to watch Dr. Phil at 3:00 p.m... I usually sit here and knit while I watch.

If I'm not busy with other stuff, this is where I do my sewing. Often while I sew I listen to public radio. Sometimes I watch TV, but day time TV stinks. Sometimes I'm here all day. Other days I never get to step foot inside the room.

Kitchen. This represents meal prep, cleaning, and other household stuff I have to do.

That's a typical day, not including the errands I may run to the post office, church meetings, an occasional lunch with a friend, and other stuff that fills the hours.

On Friday my day included making some blocks for Sunshine Lotto. Here they are:



My Gratitude List:
1. a few days in warm sunshine
2. visits with several friends this week
3. reconnecting with friends from the past
4. hubby is good at fixing things (e.g., furnace) and thus has saved us a lot of money
5. hubby and I recovered from illness and enjoy good health once again

30 Days of Photos: 23 & 24

Day 23 -- a picture of my favorite book

When I was in my late teens I was introduced to this book by my mother. I was at the perfect age to appreciate the issues and to feel a life-changing impact from this book. I have read it 3 or 4 times and continue to be awed by the power of this "simple" story.


Day 24 -- a picture of something I wish I could change

Poverty! I am truly worried about the gross inequities in our world and where we are headed. Many of our problems, I believe, are related to the imbalance of resources and wealth, and the prevalence of greed. I believe that if we could eradicate poverty, other problems would not be as dire.

30 Days of Photos: 22

a picture of something I wish I were better at...

Claire - Line Drawing by MJB Junior

I would love to be better at line drawings. I'm a line drawing doodler but wish I could do drawings of this lovely caliber. In my next life, maybe.

30 Days of Photos: 21

a picture of something I wish I could forget...



No, not the city of Seattle! I love Seattle! What I want to forget is how grumpy I was with our kids one day while on vacation there. I apologize, my dear children. If you can't forget that day, I hope you can forgive me. Wish I could forget how I ruined the day for everyone!

30 Days of Photos: 20

a picture of somewhere I'd love to travel: Panama

30 Days of Photos: 19

a picture of me when I was little

30 Days of Photos: 18

a picture of my biggest insecurity



My biggest insecurity is trusting that I am likeable/loveable. I'm afraid of having no friends and being disliked! Even though I've had over 50 years of evidence to the contrary, this is a hard one to combat. I'm still working on it.

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and in other news... I finished another book. Kitchen Boy, A Novel of the Last Tsar by Robert Alexander is a fictionalized account of the last weeks in the lives of Tsar Nicholas and his family as they were imprisoned and executed at the time of the Russian Revolution. The story, as you can guess, is told through the eyes of the kitchen boy. It is almost a mystery or a tale of intrigue as there are some unknowns that you keep wondering about as you read. Parts of it are kinda gory, as you can imagine a mass execution would be.

I am happy to report that my illness is abating, and I'm feeling much better. Hooray for health!

Sick - And I Don't Like It!

In December I was sick with strep. Now in February I'm sick again with a sinus infection. Uffda. I had several years in a row of never getting sick, and this year I've been hit twice. Doesn't seem fair, does it? Is this what happens when one begins to age? I hope to be back to normal ASAP so I'll have energy for my life. For two days now, I've been parked on the couch doing nothing, interspersed with naps.

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30 Days of Photos - 17

a picture of someone who has made a huge impact in my life lately



That would have to be Penny, our pastor. She has helped inspire me to do lots of study and thinking and re-directing my life focus. It's wonderful to have experienced this growth in my spiritual life and self. She has been so good for me. (She sometimes uses visual aids that make me laugh.)

30 Days of Photos: 16

a picture of someone who inspires me



Jane Addams has been my hero ever since I read a book about her when I was about 9 years old. I would like to be more like Jane.. fearless and caring.

"Jane Addams was a pioneer in the field of social work and co-founder of the Hull House, a settlement house for lower class immigrants in Chicago. A noted pacifist and internationalist, Addams fearlessly took unpopular stances and became the first American woman ever to receive the Nobel Peace Prize." (Taken from a web site honoring women who have won the Nobel Prize.)

30 Days of Photos: 15

a picture of something I want to do before I die

picture borrowed from thewirts dot com

BECOME A GRANDMA!!!

"I Read Your Blog"

Lately I've had several people tell me "I enjoy reading your blog." It always startles me a little. I know I have a few followers (whether or not they actually come here and read is another question). And there's that little map that shows a red dot from places people have come to visit me. That really blows me away! People from other continents read my blog??! Awesome.

When I sit down and write these notes, I feel like I'm talking to myself. Usually, like now, hubby is fast asleep, the house is quiet, and I'm just typing stuff that's in my brain. It doesn't feel like I have an audience.

So I'm surprised when people tell me they read it. I have to stop and think "did I say anything stupid or private in my recent post?"

Thank you for reading my blog, Dear Whoever You All Are!!! I love that you come to visit. Are you too busy to leave a comment? I do love those comments! But, never mind. I see your red dot on the map, and that makes me happy, too.
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30 Days of Photos: 14
a picture of someone I could never imagine my life without



My children! They sure filled up my life with happiness and love and joy and angst. Of course, angst. I had to be honest and not just include the flowery part. Raising children is hard. And amazing ... in many good and surprising ways. I love these guys!!

30 Days of Photos: 13

a photo of my favorite band or artist



My absolute favorite photographer is Henri Cartier Bresson, 1908-1974. He was a French man who quietly went about, snapping photos of everyday scenes. People tended not to notice him, so he was able to catch them in very natural poses and expressions.

Every bit of every frame was important to him. His scenes were sometimes a tad off-kilter (from what people may expect) because he was looking at the whole picture, and wow, was he successful. His pictures really communicate. I just love his work.

He lived and photographed during some very turbulent times. He himself was arrested by the Nazis but escaped after a couple of years (wow). He photographed the liberation of a concentration camp, some famous people including Gandhi shortly before Gandhi's assassination, and the photos I really love... everyday people caught in unusual actions (the middle of a jump) or expressions (he was a master at catching great facial expressions.)



Je t'aime, Monsieur Bresson!

30 Days of Photos: 12

a picture of something I love



PIE! My mom makes the best home-made pies in the world. Coming in at a very close second is my sister, K. A rare few others are in the running, including Shirley Wilson. I'm decent at pies (I made this one in the photo, it's a peach pie), but mine never look as perfect as my mom's and sister's. They taste great, though. Maybe I should make a pie today.........

30 Days of Photos: 11

a picture of something I hate



Hot weather! I'm not comfortable in heat, and especially heat combined with high humidity. It makes me grumpy and lazy.
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Coming soon to a blog near you: pictures of our annual quilt show. It started a couple days ago; I'm just looking for time to organize photos and post a few of them. Stay tuned!

30 Days of Photos: 10

A picture of the person with whom I do the most messed up things.

Haha! This is easy! I have these 4 goofy friends. They make me do the most crazy things. I would be sane and normal except for their bad influence. What is a girl to do??