Just before guests arrived for my granddaughter’s birthday party, I caught her with her baby sister. One is 3 years old; the other is 3 weeks old.
Category Archives: Family
The Joy of a Child at Play
I had initially dismissed this shot because she’s not in sharp focus, but there’s something that brings me back to it. Her energy. Her pure love of life. Listen. Can you hear her giggles?
Sometimes she’s a blur of joyful energy.
Her name is Katherine Juliet
You’ve seen my numerous posts featuring Elle (Elizabeth Jewel), my granddaughter. Early Friday morning, Elle’s world shifted a bit when Katherine Juliet quietly slipped into her life. I haven’t been over to their house since I finished my babysitting weekend on Sunday; I am anxious to see how Elle is taking to her little sister.
My first cuddle with my new granddaughter.
Her father took this picture.
Her father’s protective love
Her grandfather’s gentle touch
The nurse let Elle listen to Katherine’s heart.
Then she told Elle to listen to her sister’s tummy.
Watch her expressions.
Notice the tight grip on her own baby?
Medicine in her future?
When everyone is paying attention to your little sister, you amuse yourself the best you can, right?
Sunday Post: Unforgettable
Unforgettable? I’m 62 years old, and I have a lifetime of unforgettable moments; I had not truly appreciated that fact until I started to look for images to post for Jakes’s Sunday Post.
I now realize that I am blessed to have had far too may unforgettable moments to post on this blog.
Unforgettable: the first time I opened the blanket to touch Baby Elle’s little toes three years ago. (“Image by Mona” … nope my son/her daddy took this shot.)
Unforgettable: All of the incredible moments I am fortunate enough to spend with her as she grows into a remarkable little girl.
Valentines Day 2013
Her first birthday
Christmas anticipation
SEPTEMBER: Elle
Elle with her first gift from me.
A little flair on the piano.
Sparkling Beads, Bracelets, Princess High Heeled Slippers, Princess Crown, and ATTITUDE!
Covered in chalk dust, she laughs out loud as Daddy stands by.
10 months old
Unforgettable: If you’ve followed my blog for any time at all, you know that I spent the past two summers working and playing in China, part of it trekking about by myself. The first summer, when I was 60, I took a night-train from Shanghai to Beijing alone and toured the major sites with an English-speaking tour group. The second summer, I spent a week alone in Shanghai. This might not be that remarkable to those of you who are seasoned travelers, but it is quite UNFORGETTABLE and remarkable for me because this was my first time out of the United States.
My 1st day as tourist in a foreign country.
Forbidden City: He works with the female to guard the entry into the buildings
Forbidden City: She guards against evil
Dragon in Yuyuan Gardens, Old Shanghai
Tea House in Old Shanghai
Just passing the time in the Hutong
The Great Wall at Mutianyu was rebuilt during the Ming Dynasty in the 16th century upon the foundations of the wall built during the Northern Qi Dynasty (AD 550-77).
Of course, it is impossible to get on or off the wall without passing through the corridor of vendors. I laughed with them as we haggled over the price of silk jewelry bags and chopsticks.
Shanghai in mist
Shanghai at night
Feicheng: Street vendors
Feicheng: They giggled as they took our picture.
Our workshop participants 2011
Workshop participants 2012
Unforgettable: An invitation to dinner in a private home in Feicheng, Shandong Province, China. What’s even better is that we were allowed to “help” in making the dumplings.
The dough is twisted into a thin rope while the filling (made of chives, mushrooms, tofu and other ingredients) is prepared.
She kneaded the dough the same way I do when I make bread or biscuits.
The rope of dough is chopped into small pieces.
Shaping the very thin dough into circles.
This is what the dumplings should look like.
My American colleague in the background
You can see the plates of finished dumplings with the other delicious dishes. The women waited until we were finished before sitting down to eat.
Here I am (the white American in the middle) with our colleague’s sister (on left) and his wife. They gave me the embroidered cloth that is on my shoulder. They said it’s to protect my clothing, but I think it’s too pretty for that purpose and I’ll wear it on a special occasion.
The son brought tears to our eyes as he played so beautifully after dinner.
New to Word press? Whether you’re a beginner or a professional, you’re invited to get involved in my Weekly Competition to help you meet your blogging goals and give you another way to take part in 2013 Lucky Snake Event. (It’s the Year of the Snake!) Everyone is welcome to participate, if your blog is about photography,Video, Graphic Artwork Or Writing.
1. Each week, Jake provides a theme for creative inspiration. Show the world based on your interpretation what you have in mind for the theme, and post them on your blog anytime before the following Sunday when the next photo theme will be announced.
2. Subscribe to jakesprinter so that you don’t miss out on weekly challenge announcements. Sign up via the email subscription link in the sidebar or RSS. GET THE BADGE FOR YOUR IMAGE WIDGET….
Make sure to have the image link to http://jakesprinters.wordpress.com/ so that others can learn about the challenge, too.
Posted in: Sunday Post
Sunday Post Challenge: HOPE
“Hope” is the thing with feathers
“Hope” is the thing with feathers—
That perches in the soul—
And sings the tune without the words—
And never stops—at all—
And sweetest—in the Gale—is heard—
And sore must be the storm—
That could abash the little Bird
That kept so many warm—
I’ve heard it in the chillest land—
And on the strangest Sea—
Yet, never, in Extremity,
It asked a crumb—of Me.
~Emily Dickinson
Hope is the thing with feathers — a Cactus Wren perched on Saguaro Cactus
Hope is enjoying life.
Hope is getting a new life.
Hope is dancing with the girl you love.
Hope is having fun and hanging onto the thrills of life, knowing that there are bumps and possible crashes ahead.
Hope is sledding in the desert, hoping that you slide safely to the bottom, enjoying the ride.
Hope is giving and receiving a vase of red roses.
Yesterday, while taking pictures at the picnic, I learned that hope comes from enjoying life, spending time with other people, giving time, sharing laughs and struggles.
Thank you to jakesprinter for another inspiring challenge. If you haven’t visited his blog, step on over; I think you’ll enjoy it.
Blessings: Mixed and True
I’ve been doing all of my work on a 13″ MacBook which eventually slogged into near-retirement; when I updated and upgraded, I did it in a major way. I have gifted myself with a 27″ iMac.
Wonderful machine! I am truly blessed to have it.
However, the images that looked pretty darn good to me on my little laptop screen make me cringe when I open them on this big beautiful blessed screen. It’s humbling and I am not so quick to throw pictures up on my blog anymore. (Maybe I’ll get over that.)
Since I feel the need to include an image or two in every post, for your amusement, here are two I did as a study in depth of field. I won’t bore you with every shot from f/18 to f/4 … just the beginning and the end. These Willow Tree figurines (Father & Son and Mother & Baby) represent my life…my family’s life…30 years ago.
And if you’ve followed my blog for any length of time, you might have figured out that the TRUE BLESSINGS in my life are my family, beginning with my two sons.
Click on an image to see the real effect of the difference in DOF.
f/18
f/4
I think it might be interesting to use this as a metaphor for the people in our lives. Sometimes strongly with us. Sometimes fading into the background, but still there.
The Miracle of Life
This is not my work. My son took this picture of my daughter-in-law, my granddaughter, and my highly anticipated grandchild (due in 3 weeks).
For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. NIV Psalm 139:13
Life!
It’s been 40 years. We have accepted the extinguishing of life as a right. I pray that we someday realize that we, as a nation, have been wrong. I pray that someday we realize that all life is sacred…not just the life that we see walking beside us.
Through the eyes of a child
Look at life through the eyes of a child, who is amazed and awed by the wonders of the world.
My favorite model, my granddaughter, who is almost 3.
Can you imagine approaching your day as if you did not dread it, anticipating it to be boring, routine, possibly stressful or dreadful? Can you find something in your life today to look at closely, to appreciate, to find interesting, delightful, or wonderful?
St. Paul writes, “When I was child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man [woman], I put childish ways behind me.” (1 Corinthians 13:11)
I think that life might be better if we did not put away all of our childish ways. I think that we would enjoy life more if we approached it with the wonderment and delight of a child. Perhaps our enjoyment of life might spill over to those around us and they just might just have a good day.
I Miss Blogging
Ducks on a pond
In the past, I posted nearly every day. Like a child showing every drawing and scribbled attempt at poetry, I snapped away, made a few edits, posted, and said to the world hey look at me look at what I did! I did it!
I’m still taking pictures; having the camera in my hand is like holding the hand of a trusted dear friend. However, there have been a few changes in my life. First, I’ve promised myself better health, which means getting more sleep. Second, I’m more focused on work, prepping for classes and preparing reports. Finally, I moved into a small place, by myself. (Someday, when I find a way to write about this without hurting others, and in a way that it will help others, I will….maybe.) The move has almost doubled my drive time to work and to my son’s house.
Consequently, I have less time to edit pictures, write, post, and read other blogs. And I miss it so.
Most important, for some reason, I’m rarely happy with my pictures. Is my eye becoming more discriminating? Or am I in an artistic slump? The truth is probably a combination of the two.
Last week, between appointments, I stopped at a city park and worked on getting a sharp focus. The above shot of the ducks is the only one out of 83 shots that does not disappoint me.
But I had a treat today as I babysat my best playmate, my granddaughter. She had just gotten out of bed, and because I was focused on work, when she asked, “Grandma Mona, I need your iPad please!” I handed it over and took out my camera, forgetting all about the work.
She ignores the camera quite well.
Sweet face framed with early morning fly-away hair
Focused
She said, “Daddy’s iPad is broken…I spilled apple juice on it.”
2012 in 12 Images
I’ve read many posts about the difficulty of choosing only 12 pictures that would capture a year. I concur; the task was challenging in many ways. I am sure that I was not the only one who experienced a roller-coaster of emotions while lingering over a year’s worth of images — images that tell stories and conjure up memories. Click on any image to see my descriptions and view the slideshow.
JANUARY: Day at the zoo with Son and Granddaughter.
FEBRUARY: Photo workshop in on an old ranch in the high desert of Arizona
MARCH: Butterfly exhibit and the Desert Botanical Gardens in Phoenix
APRIL: I met “Lizard Man” at Tempe Town Lake. He agreed to a few shots only if I took one with him.
MAY: My Granddaughter, who is my favorite subject and playmate.
JUNE: We said goodbye to my father…truly the kindest man I’ve every known.
JULY: June 16 – July 23 working in China. How could I choose only one picture to represent this vast country and incredible experience? I took this shot of the plane before take-off with my iPad.
AUGUST: I adopted 4-yr old Cocker Spaniel Sophie, a true blessing in my life.
SEPTEMBER: I am captivated by the moon.
OCTOBER: Sophie and I took pictures in Sedona, Arizona during Fall Break.
NOVEMBER: My friend on Miami Beach
DECEMBER: My family — Daughter-in-Law w/ Grandchild #2, Son #1, Granddaughter, Son #2 & his fiancée.
