More Planets

This is the night skies over Honolulu taken by my son Mark back in Nov 2006.
I think I have found another addiction....

PLAYING in Photoshop

I have been playing in Photoshop tonight - making "planets".

This photo below started as a panoramic I took of the shore line in Lunenberg Nova Scotia June of 2007. I took five pictures and stitched them together in Photoshop to get the panorama.

In this new technique, I have taken my panorama and bent it into a circle. It is called making "planets" and it is just too much fun!

Isn't that just the coolest technique? Click on it to get a larger version and to see some of the detail. It is much clearer in real life but I have shrunk it to save space on Blogger.

What do ya think?

Il Divo - Amazing Grace

Please turn off the music to the left.

Wow - this is so incredible I went out today and bought the CD.

Hold on to your seats at about the three minute mark - you will have chills up your spine.

Amazing Grace was written by a slave trader who by the grace of God recognized his wretchedness before a glorious God who alone could save him from his life of sin. If you don't know the story behind this song and the writer, click here John Newton, Amazing Grace.

Hope you enjoy this. It brings tears to my eyes because I too was a wretched, lost, blind sinner, but for the grace of God. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. Eph 2:8-9

The Heavens declare the Glory of God

The skies display His craftsmanship.

NASA

Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make Him known.




They speak without a sound or word; their voice is never heard.





Yet their message has gone throughout the earth,
and their words to all the world.




The message bursts forth like a radiant bridegroom after his wedding.
It rejoices like a great athlete eager to run the race.




For His unfailing love toward those who fear Him
is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth.

Consider Him who made the heavens.....

photos courtesy of NASA

Oh Christmas Tree!

Take a look at how the world decorates their Christmas trees... beautiful!

Shortbread!

Just a quick update on the Christmas baking post...the shortbread is ALL GONE!!
just a few crumbs this morning.
hmmmmm

Christmas Cards!!

Do you believe it?? Yes, I made a card today! Several of them. For someone who never, EVER attempts cards because I cannot think smaller that 8X8....well I did it! Allison and I started at about 3 pm this afternoon and we just finished up about an hour ago - that is just over six hours of card making (and a little TV watching) and my back is killing me! But I have just over thirty cards to send out for Christmas... okay, New Years because if dear husband doesn't get the family letter written tonight they are NOT going to make it on time.

So here are a sampling of our creations today!

Hey - now to get them into envelopes with the yearly newsy letter, addressed, stamped and taken to a mail box!!

Merry Christmas everyone.

Christmas is here!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas! (sung to the tune of "It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas")

And I love it.

The only thing missing is my sweet kids - Paul and Allie in Victoria (where I hear there is snow!) and Mark in Northern Manitoba - Thompson busy firefighting in minus 40 weather. They will not be home for Christmas. sigh...

But Harold is home and so is Allison and that means Sammy her fiance is around here a lot too - eating... and playing board games with us. You can't marry our daughter unless you love to spend the evening playing board/card games and eating chocolate covered almonds. That is just the way it is. He has passed. Although he prefers taco chips and cream cheese spread which Allison makes for him twice a week!

With about 30 candles lit last night and some goodies prepared, a few friends and neighbours stopped over for some Christmas cheer.

We had fun and it looked very festive around here.

Now it feels like Christmas is underway even if I am not quite ready. But that doesn't matter. It will come anyways and the love of family and good food will make it a great time together.

Then I will hit the gym and try to undo the damage.

I have not yet made my Christmas cards....and should be doing that right now...but I am really tired and so uploading a few pics and a short blog seems a little easier tonight. Heading to bed in 30 minutes with a good book seems even easier. The Christmas cards may arrive after Christmas - I have 40 of them to make. yup...I am running a tad late.

My to do/buy list is getting shorter and my VISA longer...sigh..but they are all, for the most part very practical items for these grown kids of mine. You know... socks and underwear. haha just kidding.. although they do make a good stocking stuffer.

I baked this morning - up at the crack of dawn because they had to be done before work at JSI today...which BTW has a HUGE shipment coming in this Wednesday....give Laura three hours to get it all out though...hear that Laura? Three hours....hehehehe. I digress.


Yes, I made Gingerbread men and shortbread cookies early this morning and I am so proud of myself. And number one son decorated them... because he had the day off and I was flying out the door.

I wasn't going to bake this year...
At ALL!!
No time!!

The plan this morning was to head to the gym and work off a few of the treats from the weekend.

But Harold asked if I could please make some gingerbread men for him to take to his office party tonight. How could I say no??? This was a special request.

So instead of the gym I nibbled on gingerbread dough. mmmm

And since the kitchen was covered in flour and ginger bread dough, well why not make some shortbread too.

So I did.

As soon as it cooled though I packed up half of the shortbread to slip into the ever growing box of stuff I need to ship off to Mark.

I knew it would not last long around here... mmm melt in your mouth shortbread - just butter, icing sugar and a little flour to hold it together.

And Harold decorated the gingerbread men. Did a mighty fine job I think. I mean, really how many 27 yr olds take the time to do this kind of work.

Hahah - love that guy!

David is now eating the shortbread that was not packed... okay I have had a few pieces myself too.

Enjoy the season. Enjoy the small things. Enjoy the moments with loved ones. Give thanks for all the blessings. Rejoice! For we were once lost, but in Christ, found! This is amazing grace!

What you REALLY want for Christmas...

Come. Just unwrap the paper from this corner, peeling back the tape. Go ahead. Look. It’s all right—keep breathing. I know, I know … breathtaking, isn’t it?

visit this beautiful posting by Ann Voscamp at Holy Experience

PHOTOgraphic

In June of 2007 I took one of my best photos when visiting Peggy's Cove in Nova Scotia. I have often considered getting it blown up and framed. It was a perfect foggy morning and, well it is just one of those great shots! The boats were lined up beautifully, no shadows and vibrant colours. The photos just said to me - this is where the fisherman leaves his boats after a long day at sea. I could smell the fish in this photo. I love it!

Here is is. I actually cropped this one down - and you will see why in a minute. You might remember the one I scrapbooked and hung at JSI for a while. I have reduced the quality for the blog, but the original is a real keeper.

Today Allison and I were running around doing a little Christmas shopping and we decided to check out the new Indigo Book store. I thought I should pick up a photograpic magazine for my stocking (shhh, Santa still comes to our house) and for my firefighter/photographer son, Mark.
My jaw dropped when I saw this..... now take a look at that picture of mine up above one more time.

Of course I bought it and made a bee line home to compare the shot with my own? I mean - was this guy there the same day as me? or .... what????

Well, if it weren't for the little white boat next to the red one....well I would swear.....

This photographer must have been there a few hours after me when the fog was lifting a little. Either that or those three boats always park in the same place every day, which I have heard fishermen do.

So there you go... a brief moment of excitement ...but no, it is not mine...maybe one day. :)

In the meantime I am going to dream of my next camera upgrade (Olympus E3 or E30??) and keep taking photographs.