Friday ~ Light

giving my brain a workout today

writing this post in phrases of 

six words using the theme light

sharing five random thoughts with you

1. looking forward to springing forward in

 two weeks and enjoying more light

 at the end of the day

2. I'm trying to figure out how  

to pack lightly for our trip

 to Thailand in a couple weeks

3. took this photo several weeks ago

fits today's prompt and theme perfectly...

the light shines in the darkness

 the darkness has not overcome it
(John 1:5)


4. here's another photo for a different
"light" photo prompt earlier this week

5. so thankful for the sun today
adding extra light everywhere I look

this little light of mine, I'm

gonna let it shine (today)

Linking with Six Word Fridays, Random 5 Friday and Whatever is Lovely

Goodbye February

taking a moment to find joy in the little things

{pretty}

Another week full of pretty things...mountain views, waterfalls, spring flowers, sunsets...

{happy}

We had a "weekend son" and it was fun to have a boy around the house for a couple days. We took him hiking, because he's a city boy, and well, we love to hike. Hiking always makes me happy!

On Monday we tried to go cross country skiing. We finally have enough snow and decided to go on Monday to avoid all the weekend crowds. Well, Monday it decided to rain and rain and rain. The radar showed the showers passing through, but sometimes the mountain produces it's own weather and I guess that's what happened. We skied for about 20 minutes before we were drenched and decided to quit. 

{funny}

Um....the other day I wanted coffee in the afternoon and so I made a pot. Except I forgot to add the coffee and I ended up with a pot of hot water. 

I also showed up at a violin concert without my violin. My daughters and other students were playing at a local nursing home. I taught a lesson before heading out to the nursing home and had the following exchange....

Me - "I guess I won't play anything today. I think there are enough students playing to fill our time."

Student's mom - "Oh, but I've never heard you play and would love to. Please play."

Me - "Ok. I'll at least take my violin along and see if there is time."

So I went up stairs to get my violin case and then headed down and out the door with my kids.  At the nursing home, I opened my case to find there was no violin. It appears you have to put your violin in the case and not just carry the case. Oops!

{real}

My 9 year old had an orthodontic consult this week. It looks like she'll be getting braces in a couple months. Thankfully we have good insurance and the length of treatment at this stage is relatively short (6-9 months).

I'm linking up with Life Through the Lens, It's the Little Things, {pretty, happy, funny, real}, Little Things Thursday

Black and White Wednesday ~ Perspective

One of the things I'm learning in photography is that a change in perspective can add a lot of interest to a photo. For me, finding a different perspective adds a creative challenge. Sometimes I like the result and other times I don't. 

Here are my black and white photos from the week....

Linking up with  Black and White Wednesday and BWW

Homeschool ~ How We Do It

I don't know how many of my readers are fellow homeschoolers, or who might even care about what a typical day looks like for us, but here it is...

Let me start by saying that no two days end up looking the same. We have a general routine, but we are very laid back in our routine. A typical day may mean we stay home all day, it may mean we run errands, it may mean we have a class or field trip, it might mean I teach a violin lesson (or 3), it may include a trip to the library or a walk to the part. I guess what I'm trying to say is that there really is no such thing as a typical day for us.

But generally, here's what we do.

6:30 am - I wake up and head downstairs for coffee and reading (Bible, blogs, email, current book)
7:15 am - The girls wake up and play in their room
8:00 am - I head up to say good morning to the girls and get myself ready for the day
8:30 am - breakfast, clean-up and chores
9:15 am - lessons start (we do any or all of the following: Bible, math, grammar, spelling, history, science and violin practice).
12:00 pm - lunch
afternoon - This is where things vary from day to day. Sometimes we spend more time on our lessons, other days the girls have the majority of the day to do what they want.

This week is NOT a typical week. Although I try to keep our extra-curricular activities to a minimum, this week we have something every day. I tend to stress over weeks like these - or the weeks we'll be missing our "formal" lessons for our trip to Thailand, but I need to remind myself that it's just a different form of learning and it's ok. In fact, I can think of no better way to study geography than to travel to a different county and experience. I would MUCH rather have the knowledge that comes with experience over book knowledge.

And so today we went skiing...and rock climbing. Tomorrow we go to the symphony. Wednesday we go to the orthodonist and then play violin at the nursing home. Thursday we go to art history and painting.

Every life experience can be an avenue for learning if you let it.

Paths

Trust in the Lord with all your heart,

and lean not on your own understanding.

In all your ways acknowledge Him,

and He will make your paths straight.

Proverbs 3:5-6

Joining with Still Saturday, Scripture and a Snapshot, Sunday Community, Sunday Stillness and the Weekend Brew

Friday ~ Twist

giving my brain a workout today

writing this post in phrases of 

six words using the theme twist

sharing five random thoughts with you

1. got some new wine glasses recently

really like the twisted glass inside

2. trying to read three classics annually

my next classic is Oliver Twist

3. i really, really dislike doing yoga

twisted triangle pose - no thank you

two knee spinal twist pose - maybe

4. purple robe, twisted crown of thorns

prince of peace, king of kings

Christ died for you and me

5. For as churching cream produces butter,

as twisting the nose produces blood,

so stirring up anger produces strife.

Proverbs 30:33

the voice of the LORD twists the

oaks and strips the forest bare.

And in his temple all cry,

"Glory!"

Psalm 29:9

Linking with Six Word Fridays, Random 5 Friday and Whatever is Lovely

Mid-February

taking a moment to find joy in the little things

{pretty}

I have two hellebore plants and both are blooming. I'm thankful the snow and ice didn't seem to have damaging effects on them. 

{happy}

Our homeschool group went roller skating on Valentine's day...so much fun and surprisingly good exercise. My girls aren't naturals, but they had fun and did a pretty good job. We need to go again soon. 

I've been watching bulbs begin to poke up out of the ground all over my neighborhood and now I have several making appearances in my own garden. So exciting to see signs of spring.

The girls are still taking their art history/painting class. These two works are in the style of Miro. They created them by closing their eyes and randomly drawing on their paper. Then they opened their eyes and used their lines to create an image. 

by Sydney age 9

by Kayleigh age 7

Also really happy for me....my instagram photo submissions have been featured quite a bit this past week. I talked a bit yesterday about how participating in these photo prompts has sparked a new level of creativity in me and I am encouraged by being chosen and featured. This is a giant collage I put together which shows my photos and others that were featured. 

{funny}

I get these ideas for photos....last week I wanted to photograph this heart ornament hanging off the scroll of my violin. 

In retrospect I realize I could have laid the violin flat on a white surface. But at the time my mind was stuck on the ornament hanging so I set up the following.

Often I have little "stages" set up like this so I can create a shot. If you ever just dropped by my house there is no telling what you might find set up.

Our backyard is so muddy and squishy. At first glance it doesn't appear to be, because it's fully covered in grass. But this is what happens in just a few minutes when I send the girls out for fresh air.

{real}

In addition to the mud, our yard is full of salamanders and frogs. 

Every year, like clockwork, we start to hear them at night. They are LOUD, but I love it....have a listen.

I'm linking up with Life Through the Lens, It's the Little Things, {pretty, happy, funny, real} and Virtual Refrigerator

Black and White Wednesday ~ Nurturing My Creativity

I've recently found a new outlet for creativity and it's unleashed a part of me I didn't know existed. I haven't always thought of myself as a creative person. (even though I'm a musician). I guess I was comparing myself to people who create visual representations of their art.

But creativity is more than that. If God is the Creator, and He created us in His image....then doesn't it stand to reason that we were created to be creative? That each one of us has a need and ability to create?

Photography, specifically Instagram and the daily photo prompts I follow, has opened up a whole new world of creativity for me. Without them, I tend to photograph landscapes, nature and people (specifically my kids).

But participating in daily photo prompts has made me think outside the box. Take the photo above. Any guesses on the prompt? This photo actually fulfills two prompts from two different lists.

Then and now......and feet.

Here area  few other favorites of mine....

the prompt for this one was black and white...I love the beautiful, vivid colors of flowers,
but when I see them in black and white I look at them differently.




Drink of choice....I love having hot tea in the late morning and early afternoon during winter.
Using a clear mug and setting it on top of music gives the photo a completely different look.

Finding new ways to photograph my violins has been really fun.

I did this one without a prompt, but then submitted it to "curved". 

Here's another one you've probably already seen....the prompt was "tiny",
so I got out my 1/32 size violin and put it next to my full size violin.

The prompt for this was pastel....Just a stack of books with a pastel color scheme and then photographed off-center.

The other creative outlet I've recently found....blog link-ups. I've been participating in Like Mother, Like Daughter's {p,h,f,r} link-up for over a year. I love the weekly look at blessings that surround me.

Some new ones I've chosen because they are fun and they fit what I'm already doing here. Others have been chosen because they stretch me creatively....like My Memory Art's Black and White Wednesday and Six Word Fridays.  Another one is A Glimpse of Our Life's Scripture and a Snapshot.

I am loving these challenges and how they stretch me and nurture me creatively. When I get beyond the obvious and dig deeper, I come alive. I'm trying to set aside time each day to grow in this area and satisfy this need to create.

How do you nurture your creativity?

Linking up with  Black and White Wednesday and BWW

Love this....

Love

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind….Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Matthew 22:37-38

Praying you can fall in love with the Lord all over again....fall in love with reading His word. 

Joining with Still Saturday, Scripture and a Snapshot, Sunday Community, Sunday Stillness and the Weekend Brew