Snow? Really? I can hardly wait . . .

Everyone wants to talk about the weather . . . making "weather" a topic of conversation is tedious, particularly the lament about weather changes!

Weather is not a disaster or a topic to bemoan, weather is Mother Nature; granted she runs amok occasionally, but "weather" is a part of our ever changing seasons . . . something to be grateful for!

Forecasters are predicting snow and I am eagerly awaiting it's arrival; snow is a blessing, snow brings moisture, snow waters my garden, fills the reservoirs, and allows the ski basins to open; snow adds natural beauty to the upcoming Holiday Season for all our twinkling lights to reflect off!  

I LOVE snow! Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow . . . . I can hardly wait!

Snow, It Is a Coming

Winter Blessings

If you can't be in awe of Mother Nature, there is something wrong with you!  Alec Trebec.

PhotoArt Friday

Bonnie at Pixel Dust Photo Art, who sponsors Photo Art Friday, has asked that we challenge ourselves to try some edits we have been wanting to try, but have felt that may be too difficult or that we just haven't had the time to do.

I love the painting effects that can be applied to photographs by combining various filters in PSE.  Haven't really had the time to play with it a lot and the one or two that I have accomplished, I can't seem to keep the various processes in my mind . . . still can't , but maybe I don't need a recipe,  I just need to let myself play!

This is a photo taken in Thailand, love it, unfortunately I got a flash back . . . the rendering didn't help it a lot . . . but . . . I like it a lot better now!

Original Photo

Buddha with various PSE filters

Rendered Buddha with two Shadow House Creations textures

Rendered Buddha with pdpa texture "Fanciful"

I did  a couple of more PSE filter pieces, but plan to use them in Nancy Donaldson's Texture Challenge (all pulped out), 'cause I used her textures!  I'll upload what I did on Tuesday morning . . .

Thanks Bonnie for hosting and thank you for looking!

"We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing". George Bernard Shaw

52 Photos Project/Week 32 ~ Twinkling Lights ~

Bella's prompt this week for the 52 Photos Project is 'Twinkling Lights', which will soon abound all over cities and towns, from uptown to downtown, to our local neighborhood!

During the eventful, celebratory Thanksgiving this year, I seemed to have caught a cold/flu, something, and I'm not quite up to exploring the neighborhood or checking out the town for great twinkling lights . . . just yet, but . . .

I did take photo's of the lights on my mantle (still dressed for Thanksgiving) reflecting off my mental raven and my beautiful little occasional light that throws lights off its beads . . . a little mundane possibly, but I love my year round twinkling lights!

Thanksgiving Mantle

Warm and Welcoming

I do have a couple of great photos' of luminarios and Christmas lights taken over years' past, and I did think about substituting; I enjoy Bella's prompts and picking up my camera . . . so I decided that although maybe not quite "magical", I'll be presented with another opportunity to photograph this magnificent colorful Holiday Season.

KK's Texture Tuesday/Gratitude

This weeks Texture Tuesday theme, hosted by Kim Klassen, is "Gratitude".

I often forget what a enchanting little town I live in until I have out of town guests and we spend the weekend sightseeing around Santa Fe.  It is always new to me, seeing the beauty that is a part of this town, the beauty that surrounds Santa Fe, and I am grateful that Santa Fe is a part of my being, that I am not only grateful for the past that is a part of my life in Santa Fe, but the beauty that is the Santa Fe I live in.

Santa Fe, The City Different

(Original photo rendered in a black and white sketch, layered with the original photo, blending mode vivid light @100%; layered with Kim Klassen's "Poetic", linear burn @ 100%.)

I am also grateful for Kim's gift of her texture "Poetic" which is a part of my photo rendering, as well as the text "Gratitude" which was a texture gifted by Bonnie at Pixel Dust Photo Art.

If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, "thank you," that would suffice.

Meister Eckhart

Project 52/Week 31/Giving Thanks

This weeks challenge on Bella's Project 52, Week 31 was A time to share {Giving Thanks}.

Thanksgiving this year was the first thanksgiving for my great niece Sierra Rose; and it was Sierra that made our Thanksgiving this year especially thankful.

Sierra was born January 4th at 27 weeks old and weighing just a little over a pound.  Sierra is now a healthy, happy 10 month old baby, and a reminder of just how fragile life can be and how important it is to give thanks for all the miracles in our life, from the ordinary to the extraordinary!

Sierra, November 24, 2K11

Sierra, November 24, 2K11

Sierra Rose, 4 days old

For this and all in my life, I give thanks.