Engaged... by the grace of God!

Well, our son, Garrett, FINALLY got back from Iraq on Tuesday. He came home for the weekend and brought a female person with him. She had flown down from Chicago the day before and was coming to "meet the family". They met when she was assigned to his office as an interpreter and were pretty much twitterpated. Anyone know where that word comes from?
I knew he was going to pop the question, the big one, and was trying to help him think of a way that both would remember for a lifetime. I came up with this: I was having a photography exhibition in the main gallery of our local art gallery. The Emma Kelly Theater is the building beside it. I arranged with the director to have WILL YOU MARRY ME LINDA put on the marquee outside.
It all went beautifully, but because I was inside making a speech while he was outside making his, I didn't get to see it. There are pictures (thanks, Charlotte) that I'll post later.
She said, "Yes!" So in order to show her what kind of family she was marrying into, everyone but me got up at 5:00 the next morning and went dove hunting. She borrowed some shoes and a jacket from Darcie and a camo shirt from Gayle (her future father-in-law). I'll have to say that she's a good sport!
I said, "Engaged...by the grace of God" in the title because when Garrett left for Iraq he said, "How am I going to be able to find a wife in Iraq? I AM NOT marrying anyone in the army!" I said, "Well, you never know how God is going to work things out. I just know that it'll be at the right time and it'll be good."
I knew he was very skeptical and doubtful, but finding a wife there anyway, who wasn't in the army, has been a big boost to his faith. God can do in abundance more than we can ever imagine.
More pics later as they become available. No wedding date has been set yet, but since soldier son has to be in Ft. Sill, OK in May, it'll be before then...and in Chicago...and an Eastern Orthodox Assyrian affair. I'll bet she'll have lots to teach this southern family.

Snow Day by Billy Coffey

Snow had always been one of the wider gulfs between grown-ups and children. Adults wanted to get rid of it as soon as possible and so get on with their lives; children wanted to keep it around for as long as possible and so enjoy theirs more.
This quote is from Snow Day by Billy Coffey. I first heard of him when I was reading his blog http://www.billycoffey.com/ He's one insightful man, so I was glad to see his book in my local library.
I mostly enjoyed it but felt that at times he was too didactic; trying to cram in way too many lessons learned in a short amount of time. One day actually. I'd recommend it, though. It made me think.

Night in the Tropics

My tropical garden at night during the month of October.

Ghost gums

I'm not entirely sure that they are ghost gums, but in that light they seem to have that sort of appearance. This morning my latest attempt to escape the heat took me to Austinville. I figured I could go a little further on this morning's ride after the earlier start -- I had given up the attempt to sleep at around 3.45am. The dirt road in the final stretch (visible in the lower portion of that picture) seemed a little rougher than it was last time I was here (about a month ago). Looks like the storms may have taken their toll out there.

Some very minor flooding on one of the causeways offered some relief, but in reality it was never going to be enough water. That said, the air is always slightly cooler and cleaner in the rainforest -- perhaps I should have just stayed there.

Surprise Pressie

Mom tried to help me paw out our address, but it sure is messy! However, check out the cool address label! Wow!
Look who I got this neat package from! Huge woofs for this pawesome card!!! And look! I've already got my snooter deep into the box!
Oh sooo cool! I love this squeakie stuffie!!! I love it so much that...
... I immediately carry it two rooms away to my bed before I investigate the rest of the box! That's stuffie love!
Dad lures me back to this amazing-lookie box and you won't believe what's inside! Yumzers smell!
Ohhhhhhh! Cookies!!! Not only that! They are homemade by Sedona's Girl Twin! Givemeonegivemeonegivemeone Dad.... Please?????
Aren't these gorgeous? I don't know how she made them, but they are delicious as well as bootiful! She oughtta go into bizness hehee! And here's a movie of me sampling a couple of these exquisite petits-bones! Thank you so, so much Sedona and Girl Twin! xoxoxoxoxo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qls3o7h2xjc

Balance Defined

This is our latest family photo taken last Sunday when our new daughter-in-law's Assyrian family came for a visit. Unfortunately, our son-in-law is missing, because he was taking the photo.
If we do not limit our inflow, we become swamped by the life demands of others. If we practice too much solitude, we risk being flooded by stagnation and a moody narcissism as our life and our art become emptied of all but the big question "How am I doing?" What we are after is a balance, enough containment and autonomy to make our art, enough involvement and immersion in community to have someone and something to make art for. Taken from Walking in this World by Julia Cameron.
I've swung too far wide in both directions in the past. It's easier for me to now recognize when I get out of balance. If I stay home too much, I get slightly depressed and too inward-focused. If I stay away from home too much, I get grouchy because I'm not doing my work at home and also not being creative.
So I try to stay home as much as a twelve-year-old's schedule will allow. I do need contact with the outside world 2-3 times a week for me to feel connected. Of course, I'm talking to my children and parents on the phone throughout the week. I also connect with friends by e-mail and Facebook. I also try to have lunch once a month with a friend, and I have bookgroup and art association once a month. I keep my four grandsons at least once a week. Add church fellowship and homeschool group once a week, and that's plenty of 'peopletime' for me in a week.
My problem is having enough solitude and long stretches of time to think and be creative. That's the lack right now. Until the summer, that's the way it'll have to be; unfortunately.

A touch of color at Manido Falls

Okay, here is the first image that I am sharing from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. This is a close-up shot of one small section of Manido Falls on the Presque Isle River in Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park. I was enthralled by this waterfall! I spent a total of about 3 hours photographing this waterfall, 1 hour at dusk and 2 hours at dawn. There is just so much variety to it. It is a long waterfall with several steps and cascades. I spent a lot of time with my 100-400mm telephoto lens isolating different areas of the falls. I can't wait to go back and camp at this park and explore more of the wonderful beauty that it has to offer!

Multisport club brings athletes together with multi-faceted expo

When you become immersed in an activity, it's good to know that there's other people out there who are just as crazy about it as you are.
For all the exercise enthusiasts and cardio junkies out there, the Inaugural Greater Mankato Multisport Club Expo served as a proclamation that they were most definitely not alone in their interests. The expo was held Monday night at X-Force Fitness and guest speakers on bike maintenance, injury prevention, triathlon transitions and general nutrition for long-distance runners.
After starting off with a group run (go figure, the phrase 'Exercise is my medicine' is on the back of the club's racing jerseys), those in attendance were broken off into groups and rotated between speakers. The guest speakers were mostly coordinated through Dawn Naples, a personal trainer at X-Force Fitness. Aside from the speakers, there was also a raffle for assorted prizes, massage tables and body fat composition tests available for those in attendance.
"We wanted to make (the expo) as inclusive as possible to all athletes," said club organizer Chris Crocker, who kept himself busy by giving the presentation on triathlon transitions, "The topics we're going over are things that all athletes are interested in. I remember when I first got into triathlons and how useful this information would've been to me at the time."
Despite being a new club, Greater Mankato Multisport has already gained some considerable local popularity. The club's Facebook group has 195 followers and Crocker said the estimated total membership is close to 300 people. The club also has a wide range of sponsors like ISJ Heart Center, Nicollet South Bike Shop and Health Improvement Partners.
"The local support for this has has been awesome," Crocker said, "There's a definite interest for it in the area. Whether it's experienced athletes or first-timers, we just want to get people out and exercising."
Crocker said the biggest appeal of the club is in the social connection it gives people. Through the club's Facebook group, members are able to set up group exercises, look for relay teams, set up carpools to races or ask for advice on training. The club also provides what Crocker describes as a "safe environment" for first-time triathletes to try their hand in the sport.
"One of the biggest things that keeps people from doing triathlons is the open water swimming," Crocker said. "But with the group swims we do, experienced swimmers are there to help get people through it."
"Besides," Crocker added. "If I can learn how to swim, anyone can."
As far as future events go, Crocker said the club will try to make the expo an annual event and that they are currently trying to set up open water swims at Hiniker Pond once summer rolls around. The group has weekly runs every Sunday morning at the Mankato YMCA and they usually have a few members sign up for most of the local racing events.
Coming from an self-proclaimed exercise junkie, I like how the multisport club is being so inclusive to all levels of exercise discipline. It's not a club for the elite athletes of the area; it's a club for like-minded individuals who are just looking for some companionship with their hobbies.
Anyone who's ever done a long run by themselves knows how bad it sucks. It's good to know that there's clubs like this out there that help make those training runs a little less lonely.
The multisport club's website can be found here.

Long Shadows

Took a little break from blogging. Think I needed it after the trip! Took a short trip to Wisconsin to see my family for Thanksgiving.

Over the last couple weeks, the weather has been unseasonably warm. Really great bicycle riding for later November/early December. Sunday it was about 60 and filtered sunshine - the bicycle trails around Council Bluffs were very busy.

In just over 2 weeks we will have the shortest day of the year. With the sun so low in the sky, the shadows are long even in the early afternoon. In a 2 hour ride you can start out comfortable with long sleeve base layer and jersey with a light jacket. The sun starts warm you and need to shed a layer. And quickly, you are quickly donning the jacket again.

But a cheap price for mid 50 degree days in December. Soon the temperatures drop as the sun starts on its arc back up toward the equator. For now, we just enjoy the warm weather riding our bikes.

Divine Discontent

I'm still finding many jewels in Walking on Water by Madeleine L'Engle. This one gave me some insight into why I usually feel a little edgy and not completely content.
She writes, "Divine discontent, a longing to find the melody in the discords of chaos, the rhyme in the cacophony, the surprised smile in time of stress or strain. It is not that what IS is not enough, for it is; it is that what IS had been disarranged and is crying out to be put in place."
I once wrote in a photographic bio that I liked to take photos of the world as I wished it to be. I usually only take photos of beauty or idealistic things. I know the importance of photojournalism. We need to see things as they really are. I just feel that my place in the scheme of things is to record beauty; to inspire. Maybe that's my way of rearranging and of putting things back in place.

WONDERFUL HANDWRITTEN RECIPE BOOK

I asked your Dad to get me the big stepladders out today, so that I could search the top rows of shelves in the dressing room - you guessed it Jonny, I was looking for some particular books amongst all the boxes.





I was disappointed in my search, however I found treasure anyway. I came across this long forgotten handwritten recipe book.

Duck and hare both feature in it - sorry boys!





The handwriting changes, probably with age, from easy to read through to difficult to decipher, but then that is half the fun - it is like learning to read a whole different language.

Recipe one is for Mock Turtle (calves head) - very popular in those days! We won't be trying that one.





Funnily enough there is a recipe for Elder Syrup - very similar to the Elderberry Rob which I made a couple of days ago. This recipe is much more fun though. It is suggested that it should be mixed with rum and taken warm to treat a cold. Must try that one!





What I love about books like this is all the history. I will never know the woman who carefully wrote and indexed this all those years ago. Did she get the book when she was first married, did she live on a farm, in a village, or was she a town dweller?





Her recipes ranged from Lobster through to the aforementioned calves head, complete with tongue and brain, biscuits, puddings, wines, preserves and vinegars, as well as household cleaning recipes.





We ate differently in those days and the value of some things which we now consider a luxury was far less, so I am unable to judge what sort of kitchen she kept, was she well off, or poor?





Whoever she was, I hope she had a happy life. Unfortunately I don't even have a name for her, but to be able to read her handwriting and her recipes is a real privilege.





So, Jonny, it was wonderful to see you and to speak to you this morning! Don't forget to let me have some photographs - either that or get that blog going. Good luck with the 'observation' on Tuesday.





Lots of love,





Mum

xxx

Storms

This picture of the Surfers Paradise skyline has been doing the rounds on the Internet over the last few days. It was apparently taken during a big storm we had earlier this week, showing the Q1 (which claims to be the tallest residential building in the world) being struck by lightning. Apparently it was struck eight times on Monday night's storm. If that's true, I suspect it probably took a few more this evening. I wonder how much this possibility was considered during the pissing contest that motivated some developer to spend a few million on the "world's tallest residential building" (at least until someone comes along and builds a bigger one).
I suppose if it can survive eight lightning strikes, it's clearly there for the long haul. Still, I just wonder if that news might have caused some of those considering purchasing an apartment there to have a second thought. I just wish I'd been the one who took the picture -- I've been trying to photograph lightning for years without any success at all. On the other hand, there's always Photoshop.

Winter Ride

Damn, it felt good to be back on the bike! Over 2 weeks since I rode. Weather had been in the pits. Today dawned clear, light winds, and promise for moderate temperatures.
The ride will be the first one for the winter riding season. The thermometer in the car was reading 37, plenty warm enough. Parked at the Wabash Trace Trailhead headed toward Manawa and the Trail Center. A little wind from the SW, but not enough to stop me.
What DID stop me was the ice on the paved trail. Everything was fine until I got to the road to mountain bike trails. Just past there, the trail was ice-covered (see photo). I was not ready to tackle the ice, to rode around the lake.
On the way back to the trailhead, I decided to ride on over the Xtreme Wheels. Added a couple more miles and short visit with Bill.
Forecast looks good for most of the week. I'm planning to end the year with a bike ride on Wednesday. Who's up for a New Year Day ride -- start the year off right? (FYI, as of today, the Lake Manawa Singletrack is ICE)

Black Hills Fat Tire Festival

Information of the 4th Annual Black Hills Fat Tire Festival is up on their web site. Disappointed to see that this year they are again doing the Mickelson Ride on Saturday/Sunday. This denies Mickelson Ride folks time to visit the vendors, demo a bike, and watch any of the races.
The other problem that you don't have a chance to sign up for a Monday morning ride. Last year the easier ride(s) on Monday were (apparently) canceled by that morning. Started to make a ride, but when I could not keep up just climbing the muddy hill before the singletrack, I gave up.
IF I attend this time, it will be to see my friends, and take photos in the Badlands and Black Hills. It would be nice to complete the Mickelson. But not sure I want to use the whole festival to do it. Also, never got my "Beer-Muda" t-shirt that year (was told they did not arrive.) Looking forward working more with HDR (High Dynamic Range) photography.