I'm... Dreaming . . .

. . . of a white pinkish Christmas!

Okay, well, I do live in Texas and on the Gulf coast for that matter...so....that's pretty unlikely, right?

This is the last Photo Art Friday until January 2013, AND this week

was the last Texture Tuesday until next year as well. What's a girl to do?

The prompt suggestion was to link up our best work, one that we would be proud to

display on the cover of a coffee table book. Awww geez, that's too hard to pick and I have to

say I might have a bit of a commitment problem...can't even use a hot glue gun on a craft

project, because you never know when you might want to take something apart and use it on

something else....it's the frugal part of me I guess.

But, I was playing around with a photo I took last year at Christmas and really like how it

turned out. These are Bald Cypress trees, that were not bald yet, and their texture was perfect in my post-processing for getting the look of snow I wanted.

"Walking in a Winter Wonderland"

As far as unlikely, it did snow the first year we moved here, during a Christmas choir concert.

Yes, miracles do happen! ; )  And just in case you're wondering....it was white!

Enjoy your weekend! I have boxes of Christmas stuff waiting to be transformed into decorations.

What about you?

Love, Kim

XO

 

   

Texture Tuesday - Free and Easy eDition

"And yet day and night meet fleetingly at twilight and dawn," he said, 

lowering his voice and again narrowing his eyes and moving his head

a quarter inch closer to hers."And their merging sometimes affords the

beholder the most enchanted moments of all the twenty four hours. A

sunrise can be ablaze with brilliance and arouse all the passion, all the

yearning, in the soul of the beholder."

- Mary Balogh, A Summer to Remember

I concur with the most enchanted moments of all the twenty four hours.

And,

I suppose that it's also the mystery of that meeting that continues to draw me back, again, and again!

6:27

6:33

{KKlassen texture partings, multiply}

6:37

6:46

6:55

All on the same day. . . the fog starts to roll in on 6:33 and by the last photo it was getting closer and closer.

You can't blink, you'll miss it!

Oh and P.S....I almost forgot...today is my day over at Fosusing on Life where I'm sharing some

thoughts about just showing up! Come join me..... :)

Love, Kim

XO

Sharing with Texture Tuesday, Communal Global, Sweet shot Tuesday

A sleepless night led me to this . . .

"As each day comes to us refreshed and anew,

so does my gratitude renew itself daily.

The breaking of the sun over the horizon

is my grateful heart dawning upon a blessed world."

- Terri Guillemets

Yes, I had something else planned, no I didn't get it finished. I sat at my computer last night trying to edit my pictures and I kept falling asleep, so I went to bed, thinking I would get it done in the morning. Well, it was a rather sleepless night (again), and you know those hot flashes can keep one from sleeping very well, and then the amber alert went off on my weather radio, and then another hour later the dog woke me up with a ferocious barking session at 4:30 in the morning. So, I got up to check it out, and that's when I noticed that the fog that was so thick I couldn't see my sidewalk from my front door. And although I hadn't planned on it, I knew I should set my alarm to go watch the sunrise...in only another hour. I almost missed it, slept through two snoozes, left with my camera but forgot my camera bag and had to turn around and go back to get it. And....I was on empty, but no time for gas or I would just miss the whole thing...I had 55 miles left, more than plenty to at least get me there! ; )

It is a good thing too, that I went back for my bag, as my battery died on me half way through the sunrise. And after coffee with a friend, I went home to upload and edit my photos and as I was starting to prepare this post my son tried to refresh the router on my desk and well, you guessed it, he did something that left us all with no internet service for the rest of the day until my husband was able to walk him through getting us back online via a phone call. I seriously thought I would just scrap the whole thing, but....after all of that, my not so quite unfortunate mini-series of events, I thought yep, yep I sorta went to a lot of trouble to get these and well, it was a gorgeous sunrise and not one to keep to myself. So without further delay, I present to you my morning sunrise as it unfolded before me..... (yesterday)

6:43 A.M. (Arrival time 6:39)

6:49 A.M - the actual time of the sunrise, and right on time it was ; )

6:55 A.M

6:56 A.M.

6:57 A.M.

7:08 A.M.

7:10 A.M.

7:17A.M.

7:23 A.M.

7:41 A.M.

8:21 A.M.

I walked briefly on the boardwalk after the sunrise and in the distance, I noticed it right way, I recognized his boat  . . . it's the man I watched fish (you can read about it here).

{Photo Art Friday, theme using her texture signed and sealed, and Kim Klassen's new texture Kristin}

Of course I don't need a sleepless night to lead me to the sunrise, and I think my car could drive itself there at this point and by the time I did get there the fog had lifted by the water. You can see how drastically it changed from beginning to end as the clouds rolled over, and as I do every time I watch the sun rise over the horizon I feel so thankful to live close enough to get in my car, early, to be witness to another day...just not something I am willing to take for granted. My happiness doubled too as I saw the man in the boat, hoping he might look back and recognize me too. Life has a way of nudging us to go do something, I'm glad I listened . . .

Wishing you all the most blessed Thanksgiving, filled with much gratitude and love!!

"Gratitude bestows reverance, allowing us to encounter everyday epiphanies, those

transcendent moments of awe that change forever how we experience life and the world." - John Milton

Love, Kim

XO

sharing with Texture Tuesday, Photo Art Friday

I found Autumn falling . . .

. . . ever so gently!

"No shade, no shine, no butterflies, no bees, no fruits,
no flowers, no leaves, no birds - November!"

- Thomas Hood

I went for a walk, and not only was I finding fall, but apparently Mr. Thomas Hood has never been
to Texas in November . . .


. . . because I found some shade.

And not just some shine . . . but some Texas star shine.

Yes there are still butterflies . . .

My submission for Photo Art Friday - the theme this week is digital still life - and I'm very, very loosely

interpreting it this week. It's life, it's very still, and I digitally manipulated the photo by adding textures, ta da!

{ The first 3 textures I used are from Bonnie called Soft Sunset, Margin Call, Vintage Vellum and then

finished with Kim Klassen's texture Kristen }

I found the bees were still buzzing . . . I even got a little serenade from this one!

{ Foto Friday - texture}

 

And the plants are still growing fruit.

  Vines are still flowering. . .

 And not only are there still leaves, but they are turning beautiful colors against a bright blue fall sky!

And when it comes to the coast, here you will always find birds. These are our resident Quaker/Monk Parakeets and quite a chatty bird, almost always greeting me when I arrive for the sunrise.

"For man, autumn is a time of harvest, of gathering together. For nature, it is
a time of sowing, of scattering abroad."

I hope you all are enjoying a beautiful fall day where you are!

 Love, Kim
XO


Sharing with Photo Art Friday, Foto Friday, This and That Thursday, Finding Serendipity,
Thursday Favorite Things, A Rural Journal, Fabulous Friday, Little Things Thursday,
Favorite Foto Friday

Texture Tuesday . . . dream edition

The epitome of beauty

and of grace

in the water,

curiously they gaze back,

playfully as if to invite.

Sounds that are melodic

echo in the air,

harmonic like a symphony,

spontaneous and free.

The super surfer

a soul of the sea,

deeply spiritual

and one of the most endearing

creatures of the Earth,

your voice calls to me.

- Kim



{KKlassen deardreamer, overlay}

{KKlassen deardreamer, overlay}

{KKlassen grundgedup, overlay}

{KKlassen Oasis/Carol, overlay}

My in-laws were visiting for a long weekend and we took them on a Baywatch Dolphin Cruise off of Pier 21 in Galveston (there are no propellers as it's a jet drive boat and safe for the dolphins). It couldn't have been a more perfect day, not only weather wise, but for siting dolphins. You could hear them before you could see them, and see them we did! This is by far not only the most I have ever seen, but they were so playful, and as you can see at one point getting right next to the boat.  I don't care how many times I see this incredible creature, it always feels just as magical as the first time....and all for only $10!

I dream of one day being able to swim with this amazing animal!!

Love, Kim

XO

sharing with Texture Tuesday, Communal Global, Sweet Shot Tuesday

Scavenger Hunt Sunday

Thar she blows . . .

November has been disappearing before my eyes, but somehow I don't think I'm the only one!

And wow, just wow, I can't believe it's almost Thanksgiving!

  My in-laws have been visiting, we had my son's last freshman

football game on Thursday night, Varsity Friday night (undefeated District Champs),

my daughter's All-region Choir performance Saturday night, after an afternoon of fun and

a dolphin cruise...the most dolphins I have ever seen at one time! OH MY!

Oh, and a choir performance on Sunday for Veterans Day....deep breath! And then a nap...

So I'm forgoing my prompt commentary today, in order to be efficient. ; ) And because I have a tooth ache!

{ nature }

{ vintage or retro }

{ whimsical }

{ cooking }

{ week's best }

I hope your weekend has been a good one!

Love, Kim

XO

The lines we draw . . .

The prompt this week over at Bonnie's Photo Art Friday is lines . . . obvious lines.

And I started thinking about lines . . . the obvious lines we draw in the sand so to speak,

and the ones we draw with artistic expression, and with love.

 The first one has to do with boundaries, which ironically don't necessarily just keep others out. 

Sometimes those lines we draw, restrict ourselves, like blinders. You know, like the ones they put on mules, and horses to keep out the rest of the world. But that can make for a very lonely place to be.

Or those lines were put there for exclusivity to purposely leave others out.



There are lines we will cross out of necessity and sometimes we cross them from kindness

to cruelty. Of course there are always those lines that we try to balance like a beam in the night out of indecisiveness due to fear, even vulnerability.

There are even those we cross knowing full well it may be wrong, but would rather go with the majority than
to stand up for what is right. We may even make the bad choice of crossing anyway knowing there may be danger on the other side, lured by self gratification.

And then, this week on a foggy morning walk, I came across literally hundreds of spider webs all filled with dew (and no I didn't need my spray bottle, ha). All of these lines, silk lines, carefully and masterfully spun.
Did you know that a spider has different silk that he puts in his web? One is sticky to catch his prey and the other is not and is carefully woven in so that he can walk in his own web without getting tangled in it himself.

Nature is such a miraculous thing, and I know I say this a lot, but it has so much to teach us. I find it hard

to believe that we weren't wired with the same instincts as a spider knowing what line he can walk or cross.

For a spider, it's all about survival. Walk on or cross the wrong line and . . . .it's over. For humanity, I'm not sure it's any different. The difference is we don't weave a web for just ourselves. We weave a world web and what we do to that web affects us all. When some of the lines of the web are broken or someone else

gets caught, we do have the ability to throw them another one . . .  but sometimes we look the other way?

In the long run, that affects the lines we all have to walk. . .

My thoughts have run very deep in the last few months especially as I have seen so much division in our country. And the lines that have bothered me the most are the firing lines. The ones we line others up on, aim at and shoot with hurtful words. Bullets pierce the flesh - words pierce the soul. And one is more easily healed than the other.

My wish for us all, is to see these lines drawn not so that they continue to divide or exclude, but to meet somewhere, anywhere . . . just so they meet.

And that second line, that one comes from artistic expression . . . and that one is freeing.. It frees us from

ourselves to ourselves and ultimately to others. It allows us to express the deepest parts of who we are and

can inspire others to do the same. My hope is that the lines we continue to draw will be ones that lead us to peace and love. Because a web that is built together is a stronger one.That may be a tall order, but hey, one can dream can't she?!!

 Much love, Kim

XO

Sharing with Photo Art Friday, Finding Serendipity, Foto Friday, This and That Thursday

Little Things Thursdays, Thursday Favorite Things, Favorite Photo Friday, Fabluous Friday

To love, accept and appreciate . . .

"One of the most satisfying experiences I know is just to fully appreciate

an individual in the same way I appreciate a sunset....I don't find myself

saying, "Soften the orange a little more on the right hand corner, and put a

bit more purple along the base, and use a little more pink in the cloud color,"

 . . . I don't try to control the sunset. I watch it in awe as it unfolds."

- Carl R Rogers

{A huge thank you to my kids for getting up extra early to allow me to witness this incredible sunrise}

 

It would be freeing wouldn't it, to just accept and be accepted for who we are.

To love and be loved unconditionally simply for no other reason than because we are human.

I mean, isn't that what we all strive for in this life anyway, above all else, to be loved?

And to belong? To not have to compromise our beliefs just to fit in?


I think when we allow for a mutual exchange of our experiences and knowledge and of how we

all see things, it will teach us respect, understanding and empathy towards each other.

It is, in these things that I believe we will find unity in our humanity, and love for our neighbor.

Because there is no hope for humanity without tolerance, no hope of love without first loving.

The intolerance I see growing simply breeds hate, hate destroys hope and without hope we become a world

full of despair and filled with fear. And fear is crippling. Maybe more like paralyzing  . . . going

neither forward nor backward.


And hasn't history shown us over and over again that action needs to accompany wisdom,

because without it, it serves no purpose at all. It serves no one, not even ourselves.

To be loved, accepted and appreciated, we first need to find a way to love, accept and appreciate those

around us where they are, and for who they are. Not for who we want them to be.


Every sunrise is different and unique and no two are ever the same. We don't expect them to be the same.

In fact it would be inconceivable to think we could change a sunrise. And why would we want to?

Yet we have all at one time, probably thought we could change someone else, maybe even the way they 

think. And who are we to think we should? I have seen a lot of sunrises and I admit there have been times

when I was disappointed because it wasn't what I thought it would be, or should be, or what I had hoped.

Because of my unrealistic expectations, I blinded myself to what was before me.  And I asked myself that

scary question, "How many times have I done that with others?"


Over the last 4 years I have had the opportunity to develop a bond with nature in a way that has taught me

many things. Nature's biggest secret . . . is her patience. She has a rhythm, nothing is rushed, and everything

has a purpose. So do we. So do the people that cross our paths, it is simply not our job to change them.

My wish is that we could learn to embrace and accept our differentness. And when we get past the

expectations, then we will begin to see and appreciate the incredible things about those around us unfold in

awe as well.


Because perhaps, just maybe, we are all different because we were not meant to be the same!


Love, Kim
XO


Sharing with Texture Tuesday, Sweet Shot Tuesday, Communal Global