Everything Looks Different.....

through the lens of my camera. 

Though I've always loved photography, nothing prepared me for the grip it has had on me for the last three years.  The digital world has lured me into the pleasure of learning how to create an image, and now I see them everywhere. 

This gorgeous chandelier sparkles in the morning light streaming through the window in my friend's dining room.

The ordinary, in reality, is quite extraordinary.

"People are like stained glass windows; they sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness set in their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light within."



— Elisabeth Kübler-Ross

Spring Shows Up

Spring finally made it through security and showed up yesterday.

She had a little trouble being restricted to 3oz of liquid in a zip lock bag.  You know, Spring is all about exuberance, extravagance and excess in color and fragrance.  Pack lightly?  Please.  She didn't forget her blow dryer, either, for what she calls "the tornado affect."

Welcome, Spring.  We're ready for you.

"Spring is nature's way of saying, Let's party!"

— Robin P. Williams

Winter tries to Spring

Winter packed its bags on Friday, all set for a Saturday departure. 

Spring was due to arrive the next day, and Winter didn't want to get in the way. 

But Spring must have gotten detained in security.

So, Winter decided to hang around a few more days and throw a farewell bash.

.

A Cheerful Look

Months ago, when I first considered starting a blog, I knew one of my main challenges would be maintaining momentum. 

I cringed when I noticed my last posting was written in February. 

But life happens, as I know it does for you.  Even so, I am determined to create a better system.  Any suggestions?

Here is the latest example of how family needs can put everything on hold.

Early last week, granddaughter Piper went into the hospital, in the wee hours of the morning, with a respiratory infection and low oxygen levels.  She seemed to snap out of it and went home.   You can barely see the celebratory balloons tied to her stroller.

A few hours later, she was back in the ER.  Diagnosis: RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus) or as her grandfather calls it, Really Serious Virus.

Glitter, glue, stickers and scissors were the most help in enduring the constant stream of medical personnel, treatments and tests.  But I must not forget to mention the almost hypnotic affect of the Sprouts network on the hospital television.

She's a crafty little thing!  And the more glitter, the better!

Aunt Claudia came by one evening to snap up some bubbles.

We all celebrated at the end of the week when she was able to go home.  In the above photo, you can see her projects proudly displayed along the window sill.  The delicate treasures required some creative packing!

Grateful for medical care; even more grateful when she doesn't need it.


A cheerful look brings joy to the heart, and good news gives health to the bones.
Proverbs 15:30

Remembering

We didn't get it.  Not one single flake.  The predicted modest snowfall bypassed the metroplex and trailed down south.

So, in honor of today's weather forecast, I present an image from ten days ago.

Only a person who dreads the relentless heat of our August days would revel in a day like the one shown here.  This is me, driving down my street at 5pm.

It was sweet while it lasted and I was hoping for a return engagement. 

It was not to be. 

Now, I am going to turn on the Winter Olympics and get my fix long distance.

Though Vancouver is having a little trouble with that snow, aren't they?

The Heart of Love

My favorite one hit the floor this morning.

I was being so careful,

handling it gently like the treasure it is,

when it slipped from my grasp.

I felt it happening,

my fingers struggled to stop it,

but failed.

Not only is it the most exquisite Valentine's Day cookie I have ever seen, it was lovingly crafted by one so dear to my heart. 

But you know, the cookie, though broken,  

is still beautiful.

Still a treasure.

Made in love.

Be loved today.

Because you are.

"Nothing fazes us because Jesus loves us.  I'm absolutely convinced that nothing.....can get between us and God's love because of the way Jesus our Master has embraced us."

Romans 8, The Message

Winter Wallop

Winter gave us a big fat kiss on the cheek yesterday. 

The official record at the Dallas/Ft. Worth Airport was set today at 12+ inches in a 24 hour period.

Branches broke, the crepe myrtles sagged. 

I dashed into my car, camera in tow, before the beautiful whiteness transformed into drab slush.  It was a trick getting up my driveway and on the road, but the city was a feast for these eyes.

A Happy Birthday

"When we honestly ask ourselves which person in our lives mean the most to us, we often find that it is those who, instead of giving advice, solutions, or cures, have chosen rather to share our pain and touch our wounds with a warm and tender hand. The friend who can be silent with us in a moment of despair or confusion, who can stay with us in an hour of grief and bereavement, who can tolerate not knowing, not curing, not healing and face with us the reality of our powerlessness, that is a friend who cares."


— Henri J.M. Nouwen (The Road to Daybreak: A Spiritual Journey)

This quote describes my friend, Jan.  My life is richer because she was born, and because she has joined in my journey, and allowed me to be with her. 
 
Jan loves life and embraces it with arms wide open.  Beautiful, stylish and creative, her warm and giving heart draws people like a magnet.  Did I also mention that she has a terrific sense of humor, loves roses and chocolate, and coffee?  If she knew you, having coffee with you would be one of her favorite things to do.

That is just the way she is.

I am thankful to be her friend.
 
Happy birthday, Jan!

The Gift of Time

My sister gave me the best Christmas gift ever.  And it came early, too.   I had a big problem and she helped me take care of it. 

On the weekend before Christmas, she gave me the gift of time. 

Let me tell you what happened.

I barely noticed when it first started a few weeks ago.  The little winged moth seemed nothing more than an innocent traveler  passing through.  Now I think he was the scout, looking for a comfy place to take up residence, to invite his family and friends and populate.

My problem was pantry moths.  Have you ever heard of them?  Let me tell you, they are no fable.  They do exist. 

We declared war.  On the Saturday before Christmas, there was no peace in my kitchen.  Out went everthing in my pantry that was not in a can or hard plastic container.  We scrubbed the walls and shelves, wiped down everything we put back. 

Now look! 

Claudia is the best sister in the world!  Let the baking begin....

My Mother's Point of View

My sister and I went to upstate NY to check on my mother and aunt last week.  They are 80 and 88.

Aunt Aileen and  Mom, May 2009

Vascular dementia has its grip on my mother, and my aunt's heart is getting a little tired.  For now, they still live together, but those days are numbered. 

When I was last there in May for my mother's 80th birthday, I was able to take some sweet portraits of her.  This trip I decided to concentrate on "a day in the life" set, which I'll be processing soon.

One of my favorite images is of the view out Mom's bedroom window.  Every night, when she goes to bed, she opens the blinds in her room.   In the morning, the neighboring building and trees are the first things she sees.  In the summer, the trees are leafy green, blazing orange and yellow in fall, and majestically bare in the winter.  Mom loves that view.  She lies in bed, taking it all in before getting up to start her day. 

This image was taken from her bedroom window the morning of the day I returned home.  On this day at least, Mom and I were seeing eye to eye.

Giving Thanks

Welcome to my home!

My plan for today, "be thankful in everything..."

I have a very long list.

Many Thanksgiving blessings to you!

A Girl and Her Grandfather

God himself has said,
I will not in any way fail you
nor give you up
nor leave you without support. 
I will not,
I will not,
I will not in any degree leave you helpess,
nor forsake you,
nor let you down,
or relax My hold on you. 

Assuredly not! 

Hebrews 13:5b
Amplified Version

Moving On Part 2

We've  moved.

It is a relief to be at this point in the process, even though I'm still settling in and trying to make my new location feel as homey as my old office.  It was small but cozy, and I miss it.  No window in that old office, either, but even for this lover of light, it felt OK.  Now I have a beautiful north facing window, in a larger room, and I'm working on making it home. 

The day of the move was as you would imagine.  The flood of boxes and furniture came,  looking for a place to rest.  But when the granddaughter of one of my collegues showed up, suddenly everything became a lot more fun.

Sadly, Mary Anne had to go home, and I was left to go it alone. 

But it's  been a week now, and I can truly say that it is becoming more like home every day. 

The Hope Center

Moving On

 It was time.  In fact, past time.  I was finally forced to clean out my desk this week.

For the last 12 months,  Exchanged Life Ministries Texas has been gearing up for relocation.   After nine years in a strip center, in a declining area with increasing crime, we will be moving next week to The Hope Center, a glorious building designed for organizations such as ours. 

Cleaning out my desk was like going on an archeological dig.  For a time, I shared my office with a friend.  So when I came upon some of her things, it was a sweet discovery, bringing back warm memories of our times together.  Other found objects were a mystery.  Why are there pieces of broken bowl in a small, square Pottery Barn box?  Perhaps I planned to use them as an object lesson, but I simply can't remember.  And there was a clock that used to sit on a table across the room from me.  It was consigned to that deep drawer when I could no longer read the numbers from that distance. 

But then I happened upon a true treasure.

Another person might call it a fossil, as it is at least, several years old.  A hopeless chocoholic, I switched brands a long time ago.


No, I didn't eat it.

Show and Tell

"It is by chance we met . .

By choice we became friends."

 
Last night I had dinner with Deb.  This woman is a most marvelously talented writer, educator and business woman, generous of heart, stylish and creative to the core.  Most of all, she is my friend. 

Many years ago, we met as young mothers at a Bible Study Fellowship class.  She loves to give me credit for sparking a creative fire that transformed her into a one of the most stylish women I know.  We share a love for color and fashion, and a determination to avoid the "matronly" look, even as the years carry us along. 

Though she moved to another city, I have never lost my friend.  Deb has the gift of pursuit, and she has held fast to me.  Our children have grown up, our bodies have changed, our lives are different.  I love her dearly and was so happy to have dinner with her last night when she dashed into town.

Here she is showing me one of her new accessories.  We do love our show n' tell.

It is a Village

A couple weekends ago, we headed out to Traders Village in Grand Prairie, Texas for a fun afternoon with our friends Jack and Melodie.  It was a chilly day and threatening rain.

There are acres of vendors in the open air, selling anything you could want or imagine.  A few vendors set up shop in what look like storage units, but most sellers brave the blazing summer heat or the winter chill, with a few balmy days thrown in.  It was our first visit.

In addtion to the fun of wheeling and dealing, here is what struck me:  the families.  Everywhere there were generations of families, selling and shopping.  Strollers were piled high, sometimes even with a child riding along. 

Every person was carrying something.

And sometimes the cargo was precious, indeed.

Child Photography in Ten Minutes or Less

Subtitle:  Child Photography in Ten Minutes or Else

This is not a how-to. 

Here is how it all started.  I'd just returned from Walmart (yet again) with a little pumpkin.  The pop of orange pumpkin against the purple dress took my breath away.

You know the feeling you have when you can picture the child, the prop, the mood, in one beautifully affecting image?  It's all right in front of you, so close.  Everything seems possible. 

Then comes reality.  The light is fading fast.  It's cool and we can't  find her shoes.  Go with the flip flops.  Pop them on and out the door we go. 

Note the natural smile.  And the flip flops.

Take a shot. Check the histogram on the back of the camera for proper exposure? Forget it! No time. Subject restless. Hope for the best, and maybe we'll get lucky.

Good spooky Halloween look.

Ooops, lost the top of her head.

Ditch the pumpkin.  Tend to baby.

I'm going inside; how about you?

Time elapsed:  8.5 minutes

Later, the shoes were found in the clothes hamper.

Time Divided

Today I brought home a stack of books from the library.  Ever since I was a child, the public library has been a place of refuge and adventure.  Usually leaning toward fiction, with a particular fondness for mysteries, today's finds were an unusual topical mix. 

Life in Color by Garza and Lupo
The Complete Eldercare Planner by Loverde (for my mother, but I guess I am next in line)
Cool Spaces for Kids by  Sam Scarborough  (for Piper and Eli)
Depression is Contagious by Michael D. Yapko, Ph.D (really curious about this one)
I Wasn't Ready to Say Goodbye by Noel and Blair (a book on grief)
Digital Photographer's Handbook by Tom Ang
Swimming by Nicola Keegan  (a novel)
Secret Sayings Hidden Meanings by Graham Cooke (not from the library, a gift from Jan for my soul)

I started Swimming and was almost immediately captivated by the story.  It is a first novel and I was curious about the author.  Her bio, on the inside back cover, reads, "....divides her time between Ireland and France with her husband and three sons."  There must be a story here. 

So then I started thinking.  How would my bio read?  "Karla divides her time between Walmart and work...."  Not quite the same.

Then I realized that my stack of books truly did reflect my life.  My loves (God, family, friends) and passions(God, photography, work) intertwine and overlap .  In my case, there are no clear divisions between the people I love, and the things I love to do. 

So here goes.  "Karla is doing her best to divide her time among....."

I'll bet it's this way for you, too.

For Brent

Well, the fun had to end sometime. 

After 10 full days of visiting and frolicking with baby Eli and Lindsay, we had to say goodbye at the airport today.  Only one thing could have made our time better, and that would have been the presence of husband and dad, Brent. 

Thank you, Brent, for sacrficing and sharing your family with us.  We missed you lots!

Brent, remember the misty morning when I was visiting in Knoxville last month?  You and little Eli toured garage sales in the neighborhood.  If he is anything like his parents, he is on his way to becoming a  bargain hunter and will learn how to profit from a good buy.

Hmm...didn't that baby carrier come from Craig's List?

And you know, someone is always watching to see what's going to happen next!