Nearing Spring... Last of Winter.

Not the sun or the summer alone, but every hour and season yields its tribute of delight; for every hour and change corresponds to and authorizes a different state of the mind, from breathless noon to grimmest midnight.
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

I am amazed at every season's change, I anticipate it. At the end of the summer I cannot wait for the season to cool our steamy, un-air-conditioned apartment. At the end of winter I actually look forward to that unruly hot summer.

Not only temperature changes, but other things as well:

The summer gets us thinking about vacations and fun, trips to the beach, being outside. The days are long, and even the nights are warm.

As we enter into fall, it is harvest, the vegetables change to sweet potatoes and pumpkins, we get ready for Thanksgiving, it is the beginning of the holiday season, the days begin to get shorter.

Into winter, the days are at their shortest, it begins to get cold (well, a California version of cold in my case). We imagine cuddling up at night drinking tea by the fire. The mountains are crowned with white. The holidays are in full swing. Some snowboard, ski, visit a cabin or play in the snow.

By the end of winter, spring is a relief. New life begins to grow. It is the time to start gardens, farmers markets are full of fruits and vegetables. The air is cleaner, the sky clearer. The birds are noticeably louder.

At the beginning of each season I enter in thinking: No, THIS is my favorite season. Winter is almost over, and spring is almost here (March 20th) and I am thinking: Spring is my favorite season.

Eat Well, Eat Responsibly

I do not mean to stand on another soap box, or do I? ha! I just share what I am passionate about and what is interesting to me. How could I not write, right?

In wake of recent news, and a recent blog by Greg Boyd, as well as some of my own thoughts, I am reaffirmed in my decision not to eat meat (I have many reasons, this happens to be one). Admittedly, I do eat fish, but I try to do this responsibly. (note: I have decided to only eat meat when it is offered to me, but I don't cook or oder it)

I do not share my thoughts to convert anyone into being a "vegetarian," nor do I condemn anyone for eating meat - it is not inherently wrong or sinful. I only suggest we try to eat consciously.

"Eat Well,
Eat Responsibly"

In Boyd's last blog he discusses how "we have reduced farm animals to commercialized commodities whose only value is found in how efficiently we can produce and slaughter them for profit." The more I read and see documentaries (click here to watch - warning, its graphic) on how our meat is processed, it saddens and disgusts me. I know eating animals is a natural thing, but there is nothing natural about factory farms and way meat is raised here - it's cruel and revolting. Animals aren't consider life in this manner, they aren't considered creatures that are created by God. There are alternatives: buying and eating meat from free range animals - where the animals are at least aloud to be animals, instead of products, before they die.

My choice has been not to eat meat at all for these, and other reasons. So, there you have it, my soap box. I welcome any thoughts and comments. Or if you want to make fun of me, that's cool too - my family is the best at that =)

Lunar Eclipse

This was my best attempt at capturing the eclipse.

Photoblog

I haven't really jumped back into photography since my wedding... almost a year ago! After putting it on the shelf for a while, I'm inspired again.

I am going through a little phase with nature, flowers, plants, color, textures... and food. I still love taking photos of people, and hopefully I will be able to take more soon (anyone? anyone?), but for now my photography/cookbook has been my inspiration!

These photos are an ode to Justin's parents' backyard... there are some interesting plants back there.

Outlaw 'em - there I said it

To tell you the truth, I haven't given gun rights much thought before. I don't know much about the debate, but right now I am so upset about all the shootings recently (below) it is making me ask: "Why are guns even legal?"

The old argument is: "Guns don't kill people, people kill people" ... I understand, but how are all these distraught people getting a hold of guns? What if they didn't have guns available? What is going on here?

All I know is I am leaning towards being in favor of outlawing guns. I know its the second amendment right, but I don't agree with it. We have the right to bare arms to defend ourselves, how many times are guns used as a defense? I know it is a sport for some people hunt, but that is a small percentage of people (and what is up with handguns and automatic weapons?).

How did these people get guns? (only a partial list):

April 16th: Virgina Tech - 32 killed
Dec '07: Nebraska Mall Shooting - 19yr old kills 8
Dec 24th: Washington - a girl kills her whole family - 6 killed
Dec 9th: YWAM & Colorado church - 24yr old kills 4
Feb 2nd: Chicago - Lyane Bryant Store - five women killed
Feb 7th: LA - 19 yr old killed his family and swat officer
Feb 7th: Missouri: Man opens fire in City Council meeting - 5 killed
Feb 9th: Louisiana College - a nursing student shoots and kills 3
Feb 13th, yesterday: Oxnard - 14yr shot a 15 year
Feb 14th, today: Illinois University - 5 killed

Sight: It's a beautiful thing.

What happened now, right? I know.

Think about it: our ability to "see" is amazing! It can be one of those things you don't miss till its gone.

I think about this because yesterday I had an "optical migraine" - I think. After staring intently at the computer for a few hours, which I know I shouldn't do, I had a blurry wavy spot blocking my vision, causing blind spots. Then it spread on my right eye and my whole peripheral vision was blurry and moving, like wavy lines, like pavement on a hot day. Needless to say, this really freaked me out. It went away after about 15 minutes - it was a long 15 minutes.

I am a paranoid person, I will admit this. It's sort of humiliating to say, but it's true. Please don't judge me. Being paranoid, I instantly thought "what if I go blind!?" My future life started to flash before me, what would it be like? Would Justin and I still go to Cairo? I'd never be able to see a mountain again, or see my child's face. What about my photography? Would there be an element of fear involved, waking up late at night and not being able to see what is making a "noise"? I really do torture myself.

I went to the eye doctor. I pretty much "failed" the peripheral vision test (don't understand what that means as far as my vision goes), and I have a lot of floaters that could be blocking vision and pulling on my retina. But my retina isn't coming unattached, I guess I'm not going blind. What we do know, my job is hurting me! These hours of staring at the computer. They recommend I set an alarm for every TEN minutes to look away from my computer (and for those of you who spend lots of time on the computer, you should do it too!) ... so here I go.

For Me, this is Candid - My Dreams

I had a dream this morning while I was in and out of sleep. It was wonderful, I was fighting waking up. I got to see someone I haven't seen in a long time, I wanted to enjoy every second of it. It was strange because I knew it was a dream. They were images that I miss, things I haven't seen in so long, and things I will never see again. And the fact that I knew it was a dream kept me from taking those simple things for granted.

Dreams are amazing. My imagination is not that vivid when I am fully awake. Dreams have been comforting and a way to hold on for just a little bit longer. They have aloud me to not forget certain things. The way he looked, where he sat, the way he talked, walked. It is the only way I can meet up with him. What a gift. Deep down my mind has remembered these things, just when I think I am forgetting.

Just like the movie Science of Sleep all the ingredients were right for that good dream. The last thought before I went to sleep, a song I heard earlier in the day, a conversation I had, a memory... Put them in a pot, stirring and the dream is cooked up.