A soft day

Today seems like any other day, but also seems to be a day when I see and feel many soft things. Soft fragrant fields of wild flowers, small containers of soft, ripe fruits for sale, a gentle breeze, and the soft feeling of clean bedding that makes you want to sleep the day away. Alas, there is much to do yet. Here is a picture that reminds me of softness.

Logo

School work, house work, boredom waiting for Mike to get back from Maine. I was able to keep myself occupied today. My cousin Sonja surprised me by asking me if I would take the pictures at her wedding in October. It is going to be a really low key affair, with them getting married at their house, casual dress for guests, simple and relatively small. I developed a questionaire for them and thought I'd develop a logo too, just in case anyone asks who did their photos. In keeping with the spirit of my blog, I kept the name, Phoenix Dreamer and added the bible verse which talks about faith and fire. I found the bird silhouette online, added a burning center, since the phoenix is a bird that bursts into flame and voila! My logo!

Always things to do with a new house

have a list of things I've been trying to get done: painting, curtains for the downstairs, calling for floor refinishing estimates, laundry, etc. etc. etc. It never ends, but in a way I'm glad because this house will someday be beautiful!

Unfortunately for me, Mike is in Maine again and I wish I was there too. He'll be back soon and I hope I finish some painting before he gets here. I also have many pictures that have to be re-framed and hung so that is also on the above list and it is my picture for today. Also, a nice portrait of mom from the birthday party the other night

Fruit

This summer I've been trying to cut down on diet pepsi (also known as liquid heroin for me). I've also been enjoying some local grow fruit, which I do like alot. Trying to replace caffene with a healthier choice is hard for me, but I do enjoy tea both hot and cold, water, and fruit juices. So that's my picture for today. I took the picture in the evening then added a soft glow filter which I really like. Two of my African bowls are also shown in the picture. I love to use them! Speaking of healthier choices, time to make dinner!

Clouds and a birthday

I took this picture of the interesting clouds in the blue sky:
Then inverted the colors which caused the picture to transform to this:

Tomorrow is Uncle Charlie's 50th birthday and we celebrated tonight at my grandparents with a wonderful homecooked meal and cake and ice cream. Uncle Charlie was his typical self, he always purposely looks cross eyed whenever I take pictures. Here he is holding up a birthday present from my grandfather...his once favorite shirt!
After dinner, we all got VERY sleepy (Poppie for real, the rest of us are fakers)!

Thursday assignment a day early: Two things somehow connected

Answer from yesterdays picture: My ivy plant with two cool filters:)

Linda's assignment was pretty cool this week: Come up with two things or people that are somehow connected and yet, are independent of each other. That was my take. Thankfully, there has been only one thing (or one person I should say) on my mind since last night. The two objects below are so different from each other, one might say they couldn't possibly be connected:

Trish gave me the idea for the stamp design from her earlier post this week. The fruit and bowl represent Africa, which is where the bowl came from. The paint is what I've been doing today in one of the upstairs bedrooms. Both of these things are connected to me because they represent two things I wish I was doing with Mike right now. Sometimes all you want to do is be with the person you love and do normal things, like paint a room, do laundry, watch a TV show. Other times, you want to share your adventures, like going to Africa, traveling, discovering something new. Either way, Mike is the only person I would like to do those things with, the normal things, the difficult things, the adventures and the trials. If we did them together, it would all, the good and the bad, be worth it. Mike: I love you. And that is the connection between those two pictures .

3 guesses

Can you guess what this is? Look carefully! Tomorrow I will give you the answer!

More falls

Chittenago Falls is about 160 feet high and looks just unbelievably large from the steep roadway. Unfortunately, Mike and I couldn't get into the state park for better pictures because the police had it closed down today, some type of investigation going on. So trusty Karen (the GPS) led us to Pratt's Falls a few miles away, about 130 feet tall and not quite as massive, but beautiful just the same. There was once a mill here, built in the late 1700's, but long gone now.

God's ability is bigger than my anxiety!

Today I went to a church in Johnstown and heard a great sermon on worry. Not that I am a huge worrier. I tend to store it all up and then, boom! Anxiety central! But today I was reminded that worrying means I don't believe God will do what He has promised: fulfill all my needs. My fridge is the picture today (cruddy picture I know) but a silent reminder of some of my worries: A picture of my mom (represents my worries for my family), A father's day card for Mike (represents my worries for him), Bills (my August budget is on there), My sponsor child in Ethiopia (Ashenafi and also a reminder of my friends in Kalomo, Zambia), and my voting information (represents my concerns for our country). All of these are things I worry about from time to time. BUT today, I look at the fridge and remember God's promises to those who love Him:

A promise to sustain me: Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you. " Isaiah 46:4

A promise to hear my prayers: Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you." Jeremiah 29:12

A promise to protect me: When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames willnot set you ablaze." Isaiah 43:1,2

A promise to give me unimaginable love and a home: No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him." 1 Cor. 2:9

My worry fridge is now a reminder that God's ability is bigger than my anxiety! Amen to that!

Bad allergy day

First of all, if you are new to my blog and are looking for last night's PNO pictures, scroll down to Thursdays entry for those!

Today was a very bad allergy day for me so I didn't really leave the house much. Spent much time just trying to breathe and doing a few household chores. Once again, the couch seems inviting when you can't breathe well. Best I could do for today.

To be young

Ahhhhh, to be young again. To enjoy a delicious treat.

To chase bubbles in the twilight.

To learn from a trusted adult.

To be a trusted adult learning from a child.

To savor the sweet simple pleasures of a golden marshmellow.

(pictures from our 2nd Parents Night Out at church!)

Thursday assignment and a treasure

Today's assignment, by Trish, was to take a picture at 4:00pm of whatever you were doing, one to the left, right, back, front and I think up and down too. Trish, I love this assignment, it is so creative and intelligent and wonderful! I wish I was someplace better...but alas, the couch was calling:

My boyfriend has had this picture in his attic forever and he is starting to think it might be worth something. It appears to be a watercolor of Picasso's The Lovers with Picasso's signature and some markings that say it either hung in the National Gallery of Art in D.C. or was meant to hang there. Could this be a masterpiece? Was it stolen and found its way to my boyfriend somehow? Or is it junk? We're making some inquiries now!

Late Tuesday Post and Wednesday Post

Well, that trip was too short! Here I am home again. While doing some cleaning this morning, I noticed a duffle bag stuffed with books still in the dining room. One thing I need a ton of is book shelves! I have way too many books:)
Ugly picture...now onto Maine. We were in Portland and only 6 miles away from this place called Old Orchard Beach. The beach was beautiful, with lots of grey green sea water, quaint shops, and of course, very crowded at this time of year. Here are just a couple of pictures from the beach:

A misty morning for a trip!

Off to Maine for just a few days. Will return with pictures :)

Ewwwwwwww, mom!

So my mom says to me today, "there's this really cool spider you have to see and I know you are trying to conquer your fear." I'm thinking, yeah, okay, spider, no biggee, I can handle it. She took Bre and I out to the spot (I was walking slowly and carefully so that spidee didn't attack me unawares), but alas, no wretched beast was to be found, only snacks for said beastie.

Upon leaving, she suggested we go check it out again. And there he was, ewwwwwww! gross! scary! Just posting them tonight made my skin crawl. I really really don't like spiders!!!!! Enlarge for full horrifying effect:

Searching for the truth

Sometimes when you're looking for truth, things only seem to get more out of focus. I've come across a situation where I want to know the truth, but it may never happen. This photo represents my inner struggle, looking out of the blurry window. I know eventually I'll let it go and focus on what really needs to be done to help those in need. But for now, I'm stuck between the light and the shadow, between grief for others and anger for myself.

P/S leaving for a quick trip to Maine sans computer, probably Sunday or Monday. I will definitely still be in the contest as long as I post the pictures when I get back, right? Right?!?

Altamont Fair

Thursday assignment: Song lyrics and photo

Much as I tried not to use this song, I just can't help it because the lyrics are so powerful to me. The song is Change by Blind Melon and the lyric is:

And as we all play parts of tomorrow,

Some ways we'll work and other ways we'll play,

But I know we can't all stay here forever,

So I want to write my words on the face of today.

Writing has always been a part of who I am and it is one of the truest ways we can be remembered, even if it is just by those who loved us. Our deeds, both good and bad, will eventually pass away from memory, but words can live forever. So here I am writing on today's beautiful sky.

First hike of the year is a 3-in-1

Today I got up and decided to go hiking. After much debating, I decided on a familiar spot, Hope Falls outside of Northville. I'd been there several times, BUT I'd only gone to the FIRST falls...there are actually 3 of them. So off I went in search of the secret second and third falls. This is the first falls, known as Hope falls:

Roughly 1 mile passed this comes the second falls, deep in the woods and much more secluded:

And finally just a few yards more until the most beautiful in my opinion, third falls:

Of course, these photos can't show you how peaceful the soul feels while it wanders alone in the woods. Nor can they express how the forest empowers and enlightens. But perhaps they can serve as a testament to the glow I feel in silently wandering through this splendid creation!

Yummy

I'm relishing in all of the fresh fruits my recent shopping trip yielded...particularly the blueberries! It took me many shots to get this and I'm still not happy with it. I did try some different things with the camera, shutter speed, etc. and at least I was able to get the wet drops on the blueberries, the late afternoon sun and the rich wooden color of the counter top!

Mama's rice and beans

I love my grandmother's Puerto Rican rice and beans. This is only the second time I've attempted to re-create her cooking. The picture is horrid, but the food in actuality is really yummy. Don't go by the picture:)

Lots of lines

Xavier

Xavier is my cousin Jonathan's little boy, three years old and absolutely adorable! His grandfather (or papa) also happens to be my favorite uncle and the two of them have a very special relationship. It's so fun to watch them together because they love each other so much. These photos are priceless to me :)

no more teaching this summer:)

This was a bridge made of spagetti constructed by one of the groups presenting today. Very cool! Made me hungry:)

Building the presentations, practicing for the big day tomorrow

One more day to go....