on a weekend

a bit quiet here today, i am loving on that.

i laughed + cried, while watching "the office", last night.

worked with a bit of ginger + lemon, in my kitchen this morning. yum!

am now a regular contributor over at the words to shoot by blog. i am kind of over the friggin moon, about this. ; ) palms clasped, i'm honored.

i was so deeply touched by the royal wedding. so beautiful.

finally got the jellybean cleaned out of the carpet. niiice.

it's left over spaghetti and meatballs tonight.

the storms- southern states, i continue to pray for you.

i purchased this cookbook. and just like so many have written, it's so good! no, it is AH-mazing!

it's a quiet and simple day, with lots of sparkly goodness.

happy weekend, my friends.
any plans?

inventory of poetic days~ dream

“Better never to have met you in my dream than to wake and reach for hands that are not there.”
anonymous~


i adore how the word dream came together, in our photos today. i can easily see a dream beginning as a book gently falls, from ones hands...  


i would love for you to stop over at my friend, sofia's, + read the words she has chosen, for this weeks photos. 


how is your week going, my friends? is it rainy where you are, like it is here?


one love~


christina's photo~ sofia's photo.

"this i believe"

i don't mind that the house is quiet today. nope, don't mind one bit.
i devoured this amazing book.

yesterday we celebrated.
there was cooking, laughing, stories, and pineapple sherbet.
i burnt the green beans and forgot the rolls.
i went to bed exhausted from it all.
but before that, there was laughter and stories.
and for that, i am grateful ; )

my work is over here today, along with so many talented photographers. and i am over the moon about it. thank you, wtsb.

it's back to teaching for me tomorrow, along with work~
won't you leave a light on for me? xo
you are loved~

happy

happy easter, my friends.
you are loved~

inventory of poetic days~ heart

"the way is not in the sky. the way is in the heart."
buddha


please stop over and visit sofia, to read her heart inspired words. ; )


are you enjoying your week, my friends? i hope so. 
xo

within me

"just between us" is a journal, that mother and daughter can share. it really is sweet. and i so enjoy, each time it shows up on my nightstand, with a paged filled in, by my girl. i think this is one journal i will cherish, writing in. ; )

holy week is underway. it's a quiet time for us, a bit of reflection- the days leading us into good friday and then, easter sunday. i can't help but think of the faith, i am blessed to carry within me, as i walk this path.

today is
getting one more meal, out of the fridge and the cabinets, to stay on track for our grocery budget. ...cream scones with dried currents, and a vegetable soup, with great northern beans.

all praise to~ The Most High

you are loved~

on lemons and soul

i don't think i brought words with me today, just lemons. i hope that's good enough ; )

xo

"...d.j's playing the same song, i have so much to do, i have to carry on."
sade

on shortbread~ updated with recipe

don't get me wrong, chocolate is AHmazing. but there are just times, a buttery slice of shortbread and a cup of tea, has it's place in my heart. i must have five recipes for shortbread, when really all a good cook needs, is one. no? ; )

now, i am no baker but~ for me shortbread should be tender, flaky, buttery, a tad salty and should literally melt in your mouth.

"polka dot shortbread" from the cookbook, "screen doors and sweet tea" is right on. one of my favorite cookbooks!

...and those tiny holes in the shortbread? they are filled with strawberry jam and lemon curd. yum! this would be so pretty for the easter table.
ima come back and share the recipe, in case you don't have it. i am running a bit late today and there's some snow on the ground. yes, snow.
you are loved~

“These all butter cookies are dressed up with little dots of jam and lemon curd ( omit the lemon curd for an eggless cookie). The cookies have a great sandy texture from the addition of rice flour , which I love.”

Martha Hall Foose~

Makes 16 cookie wedges

1 3/4 cups unbleached all purpose flour

1/4 cup rice flour

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup ( 2 sticks ) unsalted butter , cold cut into small pieces

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

2 tbs seedless raspberry jam

2 tbs lemon curd ( or omit for eggless and increase jam by 2 tbs)

Preheat oven to 325*F (350)

In a food processor fitted with the metal blade , blend flours , sugar and salt . Add butter and vanilla and pulse several times to form a dough . Press dough into an 8 inch tart pan with removable bottom or into a 1/4 inch thick round on to a parchment lined baking sheet . Score the dough to mark 16wedges . Bake for 10 minutes. (15-20)

Meanwhile fill 2 small piping bags or sandwich bags with the jam and lemon curd.

Remove shortbread from oven . With a wooden dowel or spoon handle , make small divots around the surface of the dough, pressing about half way through the dough. Fill some dots with the jam and lemon curd. Return to oven and bake 10 more minutes (15-20) or until golden around the edges. Be careful not to let them get too dark; just the edges should begin to brown . Cool in pan on rack .Remove from pan and cut along the scored marks.

note: i used strawberry jam and made sure i just skimmed jam, not large pieces of strawberry. they don't fit through piping bags. 

i  increased my heat to 350 degrees and baked for 15 minutes before and after adding the jam and lemon curd. 

be careful when adding the jam and curd  to the holes, only fill half way up or the holes will overflow. 

enjoy!

on a weekend

sleeping late
mixed matched socks
lazy brunch
hot coffee
photography from film
buttered toast
just being

happy weekend, my friends!

inventory of poetic days~ simplicity

"to find the universal elements enough; to find the air and the water exhilarating; to be refreshed by a morning walk or an evening saunter... to be thrilled by the stars at night; to be elated over a bird's nest or a wildflower in spring - these are some of the rewards of the simple life."  ~john burroughs

don't forget to stop in at sofia's for a visit. ; )


happy thursday, my friends. 


christina's photo~sofia's photo

on photography

a quiet morning. and i am so grateful for the moment.

what lens do you use to get bird photos?
i use a generic 70-300 lens. then i rock the tele-macro.

how do you attract the birds?
a bird house and plenty of bird seed. i place the bird house, close to a window, nearest to my reading chair. i keep my camera close, but raise it gently, because the birds catch the reflection off the window and they take off. i chose a seed with sunflowers, because my dream was to photograph a cardinal, and that is a seed they love. ; )

what is your favorite lens to use?
canon macro 60mm 1.2.8

are they're any lenses you hate?
that canon 50mm whatever. i know people love it, but i don't even like the sound it makes.

are you a camera snob?
nope, i don't care if it's point and shoot, a 4 pixel, a 15 pixel. i shoot for the rush of remembering the moment, not what pixels i had. i have seen friggin miracles come out of kids cameras (lower pix) as they photograph their hoods. so you will never hear excuses come out of my mouth, having to do with pixels, and all that.

do you use photoshop or actions?
sometimes. i love to play with all that. ps can be necessary, but i prefer straight up out the camera, with a bump of curves. especially if im trying to get a photo gig. i'm old school, i go straight for the shot in camera, cropping and all. with that said, that's how i was taught. my photog mentor helped me learn to shoot, with my digital screen covered, so i couldn't keep chimping. and it helped.

what is your favorite type of photography?
anything that evokes emotion or soul. it could be a flower, if it's photographed with soul,
i just get goose bumps. you know that feeling- like only a gospel song can give you. ; )

would you ever teach a photo class?
honestly, i am so shy, i had a hard time placing that question here. ; )
nah, i will leave that to the experts. but what i would host, is a slumber party of photography. ... like a- lets gather on flicker or something and shoot stuff like, photos at dusk, or no excuses- let's get our asses out of bed and catch a sun rise, we always wanted to capture. a photo place to leave it at the door, come as you are-where everyone feels welcome. no cliques. im just sayin. ; )

for this shot above, i used a glass coaster, to soften the shot. i mean seriously, i have always used what i have. my kids need shoes almost every month, i rarely get new equipment. and that's cool with me. used can be good too.

you all are too kind, to ask little old me photo questions ; ) the talent out here in blogland is amazing. i learn from these folks everyday. i am not great at this, but if i can ever help, in any way. just shoot me a question. we're all learning, as we go along.

peace and love to the most high
and the elders for allowing me to place my words here.

on spring

with spring comes natural beauty
colors that no artist can duplicate
weather that man can't predict
skies that only god can paint
a thaw that leads our palms to our gardens
comfort of dirt beneath our nails
earth in our soul

and music that made my morning.

a lovely day to you, friends.

daffodils and such

i loved seeing a bright bunch of daffodils on my desk, and then on a confirmation mailer, from real simple magazine. i bought real simple weddings, cause it's always filled with mad, photo inspiration~ inside there, is a coupon for a free year of, real simple magazine. sweet!

one of the things in my life,  that seems to never drift far from my mind, is having photos of the kids in boxes and containers. it haunts me, it really does. these beautiful baby and childhood photos~most of which, the dates aren't even written down. im not going to lie, this gets to me.
...so slowly i will throw the idea of a perfect scrapped album + time issues out of my head, and just begin. even if i have to go old school, and rock a glue stick, and a photo album. i can't tell you, how my heart swells knowing, i carry the stories to these photos, and they sit. i get tears in my eyes, just thinking about it.
insert a loving but painful truth here~ my grandmother was a friggin amazing cook. she used to cater parties, and if she was booked, there were people who would change the date of their parties, so she could cater. she's gone on now, and she never wrote but a 3-5 of these many amazing recipes down. big sigh. i thank god, i was by her side, watching and learning as she cooked. 

one plus is i have started weeding through duplicate, and unwanted photos. i just can't see, needing a 100 photo albums, to tell the story, within my heart. ; )
if you have any ideas or a system that helped you, please do share. im not the only one dealing with this bit of heartbreak, am i? ; )

happy day, my friends.

on a sunday

i am placing these photos here, straight out of the camera. the sun beating down and blowing out the photos, and all. ah yes, the sun. the beautiful, warm sunshine. the temps were in the 80's and it was a beautiful day.
chicken and fish tacos on the grill
tomatillo salsa
corona
limes
coca- cola out of glass bottles
and reading the sunday paper on the stoop.
the house is a mess
the windows are open
laundry calls me
but~
the movie "dirty dancing" awaits us. sigh. ; )

a lovely sunday to you, my friends.

on "evangeline" and hyacinth

i came home with a book of poetry, "evangeline" - longfellow. and stems of hyacinth.
my heart swelled as i read the inscription, from a teacher to her student, on christmas day, 1921.
i sat down on the floor of the old, musty bookshop, forgetting about the world, if only for a moment.
smiling at each page, and carefully cradling the spine.  i made my way to pay for the book and slid the book in my back pack. and not for one moment, did i forget it was there.

i grabbed a few stems of hyacinth and made my way to the train platform...
swaying back and forth along the tracks, until my stop- where the ghetto "and a tale of acadie"
merged.

"this is the forest primeval. the murmuring pines and the hemlocks,
bearded with moss, and in garments green, in distinct in the twilight..."
henry wadsworth longfellow

have a most beautiful weekend, my friends.
xo

ps: my stove is back in action! ; )

inventory of poetic days~ habit

"An authentic life is the most personal form of worship. Everyday life has become my prayer."
sara ban breathnach 


habit is our first word to prompt our diptych + words. 

i am so happy to be pairing up with sofia at  etre-soi on a this fun project. 

it's amazes me in this blog world, how i find myself, running my finger tips over the page of a favorite artist i admire, then years later, placing my photos beside hers, and walking the path of friendship. ; ) thank you, sofia. 
come and visit us on thursday's + don't forget to stop in and read sofia's words, as we find the poetry in our everyday lives with~ inventory of poetic days.  

how are you, my friends? are you enjoying your week? 

*my photo is on the left, sofia's, photo is on the right. 

weekending~

my stove top and oven are out- the repair man said - "the system is fancy dancy" so it might take a while for the piece to come in. ------------------- complete silence on my part....im all- but you SO don't understand. sigh.
 ....im bout ta take it back old school... now where's me hot plate? ; )
rain
and
hail
it's really the best weather for crafting with the family.
bird watching
in the community bee keeping program again- hoping to share some honey, this season. ; )
paging through books
working on a list to share, of my favorite cookbooks
i had to laugh the other day, a few people mentioned my spring list was long. right, but where else would i share my long springy list, besides my on line journal. right? ; )
oh, i bought a new stapler, and honestly, it lights me fya! swoon~ for paper pro staplers. i walked through the office supply store, and wow, i was in heaven. all the paper, glues, envelopes, that fresh paper smell... AHmazing.

weekending with amanda.

happy day, my friends.

moments

after dinner, i stood washing the dishes, kind of fixed on the gentle happenings,
outside of our window.
the sun was setting, the geese were making their way from the water,
settling into our yard for the night.
my daughter leaned in beside me, and snapped this photo-
apparently she didn't want to forget the moment either. ; ) i dig that.

one love~

have a most beautiful weekend, my friends.
*ps: thank you erin, for identifying them as canadian geese.