Aww…some Monday

After twelve years without a pet in the house, we brought Lucy home in March 2017 and life has never been the same. She was 10 weeks old and weighed about 5lbs. Lucy was born December 24, 2016, Here is her baby picture.

Yes, she was a little pup, probably the smallest in her litter. She was the last one taken, but definitely proof that sometimes the best things come in small packages. That is my computer keyboard she is laying next to on my desk.

Not long after we brought Lucy home we went shopping for a few things. My wife just couldn’t resist trying a few hats on Lucy and Lucy was not thrilled with the idea.

Lucy is an American Cocker Spaniel. Originally there were three types of hunting dogs, pointers, flushers, and retrievers. Spaniels generally fall into the flusher category. They were bred to flush woodcocks (Cocker), quail, and other game birds that hide in the grass and under brush. Even as a pup, shown here at about three months, Lucy has always enjoyed a game of fetch.

Who said, “Dogs don’t smile”? This looks like a smile to me!

Like I said in my last post, this may be a year filled with photographic retrospect. I have spent a lot of time photographing trees, flowers, birds, sports and hot rods, but I do have an archive of family and pet photos that you have probably not seen and I have not viewed since I captured the images. All of the above images were taken before Lucy was nine months old so you will most likely see her featured again and again. Have a blessed week.

Monday’s Music Moves Me

The theme this week is Time. Song lyrics or titles mentioning time, or calendars, or days of the week. Kudos to Alana for offering the first music prompt for the new year! As a teen of the sixties I was exposed to some the the greatest rock music ever recorded. We had the Beatles, Led Zepplin, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Eagles, The Who, Greatful Dead, Rolling Stones, Jefferson Airplane, Janis Joplin, Eric Clapton (Cream), Since the theme this week is time, the question is, “What about No Time”?

What would you do if you could capture time in a bottle?

Soo…what are you doing Tuesday afternoon?

I gotta put this post to bed, ’cause in getting late in the evening.

Hope last week was a good start to the new year for you. Have a blessed Monday!

Happy New Year

Welcome to 2023. For many, we can only hope it will be better than 2022.

For our family 2022 was a year of adjustments. Our grandson graduated from high school and that made our daughter and her husband “empty nesters.” For me personally the adjustment has been in the lack of family photographic opportunities. Six years ago we were watching dance competitions, baseball games, track meets and soccer matches. We still had three grandchildren in high school and junior high, so there were multiple opportunities to pick up the camera and record an event involving the family. Now, family photography is pretty much limited to birthdays, vacations, and holidays.

Everyone’s schedule is making more difficult to get the whole crew in the same place at the same time. Life goes on. I have decided to feature a few photos from days gone bye (in no particular order) and it will probably become a recurring theme this year. These posts will allow me to reflect on events that have special meaning to our family and post photos that bring a smile to my heart.

The first event centers around our middle grand daughter. While the world was worried about computers crashing, losing data, and the planet sinking into general chaos, Y2K brought us our second grandchild, dancer and future sports trainer. She is currently in her second semester of graduate school, studying sports therapy.

She has always loved helping Nana in the kitchen baking cookies and other goodies for Thanksgiving and Christmas.

This photograph is one of my favorites of Emily. She was a sophomore in high school in 2016. We went to the studio where she took dance and when I snapped this image in natural light, I new I had a winner. Sure enough, the image captured first place in the Tulsa State Fair for portrait.

These two still have a special relationship in the kitchen.

Monday’s Music Moves Me

The new year starts with a no theme/free choice week at 4M. This past year I came across a couple of accapella groups and I am going to feature one of them today. The group is Voice Play. They were contestants on the show “The Sing Off” several years ago. I never saw an episode of that show so the group was new-to-me earlier this year. Turn up the volume, put on your headphones and give a listen to Voice Play.

The bass singer is a uniquely talented individual. He has in excess of a four octave range, he is incredibly creative and has arranged, produced and and sang all parts to his own videos. Geoff Castalucci is one in a million.

Happy New Year and have a very blessed week!

WWII Warbird -F4F Wildcat

Merry Christmas!!!

Merry Christmas to one and all. We have come to the end of another Christmas Music Marathon. I hope you have heard some new-to-you Christmas music from some new-to-you artists. I hope you were able to stop by often and take a few minutes out of your day to enjoy the season and to remember the true meaning and purpose of this day we celebrate.

While the Christmas story is found in the books of Matthew and Luke, the purpose of Christmas is found throughout Scripture and no more profoundly than the book of John. John 3:16 is a familiar verse to most followers of Christ. It tells us that God loved us so much that He sent his only Son to be a sacrifice and by placing our trust and faith in Him we will receive the gift of salvation and eternal life. John 3:17 proclaims that Christ did not come to this world to condemn us but that we would be saved through His sacrifice. Again we see there is only one path to eternal life and it passes through Jesus Christ. The book of Act confirms this point when Peter told the rulers of the people of Israel, “…for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

Seven hundred years prior to that holy night in Bethlehem the prophet Isaiah told us exactly how the coming of the Savior would happen. Isaiah 7:14 gives the details, “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son and shall call His name Immanuel.” Isaiah 9:6 confirms the Messiah is coming as a child and not a warrior on a white horse, ” For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; and the government will be on His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

The virgin has given birth Child has been born and the Son given. He has paid the price for sin and one day the book of Revelation tells us He will return with the saints to establish His kingdom on earth. His name will be King of kings and Lord of lords.

I have placed my faith in the person of Jesus Christ and upon this firm foundation I attempt to build my life daily. We live in an unstable world and it becomes more unstable daily. God is the same yesterday, today and all of my tomorrows. Christ told me in John 14:6 that He is the way the truth and the life. That’s good enough for me. May you and the ones you love have a very Mery Christmas and the most blessed of New Years. Peace.

Lucy is guarding a very special tree in our house. It occupies the space in the front window. The ornaments are extra special. We have four grandchildren and I have taken photos of each of them from infant to age 18 and we have place photo ornaments on this tree. There are 73 ornaments on this tree, 18 of each grandchild and 1 of the oldest granddaughter and her husband. Every ornament is a special memory and I can spend hours looking at this tree and remember Christmas past.

Sunday night, after the Martina McBride concert, my wife and I took advantage of the opportunity to see the lights on the Fayetteville square. Fayetteville is only about 20 miles south of our house, but we rarely take the opportunity to visit. There was a time when we had to visit Fayetteville often for shopping and entertainment, but Bentonville now has a full assortment of activities and many Fayetteville residents head north for restaurants, concerts, and special events.

The spirit of Christmas around our house. She does all of the work, I just take the photos. Merry Christmas to one and all!

My wife and I lead a small group Bible study each Sunday morning. We’ve been leading this group for about five years now. Well at our group Christmas party the class members gifted us with tickets to the Martina McBride Christmas concert in Fayetteville, AR. The Walton Performing Arts Center seats about 1200 and it is the perfect venue. There is not a bad seat in the house and has a very intimate feel. You don’t feel like your sitting in the rafters of an arena venue. It is like 1200 friends seated in the living room and Martina has come to entertain us. It was indeed a special gift.

After the concert we drove a couple of block to the town square and admired the Christmas lights. My wife asked a young couple to take our photo with our phone. There were some reflections in the lens and it shows as those white spots in the image.

I know I posted this song by David Phelps the other day, but Martina performed this classic in her concert and she can still bring the goose bumps with her voice.

Live instruments add a special touch to any concert. While Martina did not bring a full orchestra, she did have a ten piece group to back her up and they were a perfect compliment to her timeless voice. If you ever get a chance to see a Martina McBride Christmas concert, I suggest you get your tickets early and make your Christmas holiday special.

Have a blessed Christmas!

Each year Decorating the Christmas tree(s) is a task that my wife likes to get done the week before Thanksgiving. We have had as many as five trees in our house ranging from four to nine feet tall. This year there are two trees and both are seven and a half feet tall. One is a pretty standard tree while the other is a more narrow variety. The tree in the main living area is decorated with traditional ornaments while the tree in the TV room is decorated with photo ornaments of the grand kids. I have featured that tree in some form nearly every year since we started displaying it. You will likely see that tree very soon.

The main tree has two new ornaments this year. Since my wife’s birthday is early in December it is not unusual for her to receive Christmas themed gifts. This year our daughter got her two new glass ornaments. One is the state of Arkansas where my wife was born and we now reside. The other is the state of Oklahoma where I was born and raised.

Of course Lucy is a permanent fixture around the house and makes a pretty nice decoration under the tree.

Christmas is the happiest of holidays for most of us. For others there is a hole in their heart. Loved ones are separated by various circumstances. Parents and spouses have loved ones serving in the military and deployed to the ends of the earth. First responders must work holidays and cannot celebrate with family. Others are spending their first Christmas without a special loved one. For whatever reason Christmas must be celebrated in the mind and heart. May your Christmas be special. May the Lord bless you, comfort you, and remind you that He is always near and loves you and those you miss more than you can know. Have a blessed Christmas.