The Way *I* Like Snow

Having grown up in the northeast, I'm all too familiar with the "joys" of winter - the bitter cold temperatures, scraping ice off the car windows in the morning, and, yes, snow. When we first decided to move back to California from New Jersey a few years ago, there were some things I knew I'd miss desperately from the east. Snow was definitely not one of them. And now that we've been in sunny SoCal for a while, I still don't miss it. However, not much can take my breath away more than seeing the snow-covered peaks of the San Gabriel mountains from the intersection near our house. Many days, you can't even see the mountains at all and would have no idea they were even there. But in the winter, when our temperatures drop and it rains here (yes, both of those things happen here!), it's all snow there, and we wake up to incredible views of the white mountains in the distance. It's truly a sight to behold! And I like doing just that - beholding it from a nice distance.

Our temperatures here have been unseasonably chilly (by our standards, anyway) for the last week or so, proven by the fact that even our "local" Saddleback Mountains have a little snow at the very tops!

 I'm so ready for spring and summer!

Oy.

First, a warning... This is not a set of pictures that will have your marveling at my photography prowess. In fact, I lent my walkaround lens to a friend for the weekend, so these were shot with my point-and-shoot using (gasp!) the flash.

Back in January, I asked Jim what he wanted for his birthday (which was earlier in February). I asked him this because he's one of those people who has just about everything he wants, and I wanted to make sure that I got him something that he'd really enjoy. I was expecting an answer like clothes, music, maybe some electronic toy (not that there are many that don't already reside in our house full-time, but still...). So I was a little surprised when he said he wanted a new bumper for his car. Yes, you read that right. He wanted a BUMPER. Um, OK. Now, of course, it was ridiculous of him to tell me that, because he had every intention of purchasing said bumper already, but at least I asked. So order the bumper he did. It took weeks to arrive from God-knows-where, and then he had to drop it off at a body shop in the-middle-of-nowhere-Brea to get it prepped and painted. We picked it up last Friday (which was an adventure and a story all its own, and I'll spare you the gory details), but it was missing a piece. (Bet you didn't even know that was possible with bumpers, did you?) So we had to wait (some of us not quite as patiently as others) for the missing piece to arrive, which it finally did yesterday. Or, one of them did. Apparently it was missing THREE pieces, but Jim decided to live on the wild side and install it without the other pieces (which also means he decided to remove his fog lights in the process, but whatever. It's his car.).

Now, most of my friends and family know that Jim is very, well, attached to his car. He loves doing things to it - things that I usually don't understand but that make it sound loud and go fast. (I sound like a toddler, don't I?) I've occasionally walked out into the garage and been met with sights like this:

That was one of those, "I really don't think I want to know" moments. After seeing him do what I know he's done to that car, I had no doubt that he could replace the bumper relatively easily. And sure enough he did!  I didn't get a before picture, but I caught a glimpse of it with the bumper off completely.

And a few hours later, it was looking brand, spanking new again.

I can hear your Oohs and Ahhs as you admire his fine handiwork.

Just writing this post makes me want to go out and shoot some flowers... But I have to say, I actually think it's pretty cool that he can do all this stuff. Just don't tell him that, OK?

26 Things #18 - Out and About

Our subdivision (or whatever they're called here, community?) has wonderful, large planter boxes at each of its entrances that are changed seasonally. Whoever does the planning really knows what they're doing (as they should - I have a feeling this isn't a small contract for them), and they usually look wonderful. A few weeks ago, the plants were changed again, and this time, each of the areas is full of snapdragons in the most beautiful shades of wonderful! Today I finally remembered to grab my camera when I went to pick up Erin from school (one of the areas is directly across from the school's driveway), and I got some beautiful shots of the booms!

That last one looks almost like it's part of a miniature train set or something. The effect is odd, but I really like it for some reason.

26 Things #3 - Green (and other stuff too)

The month of February is slowly winding down, and as it does, my deadline for my 26 Things project is rapidly approaching. The things that are remaining on my list are definitely challenging, and I'm hoping at this point that I'll be able to complete the challenge. But if not, a new list will be posted for March and April, so I'll be able to start on that one next week. Yeah! In the meantime, though... I've stared at #3, Green, since I got the list. What to shoot? There's so much green around us, it seemed both ridiculous and challenging at the same time. This afternoon, though, as I was wandering around near my front door looking for something to photograph (because when I miss one day on my blog, I feel bad; when I miss two, I start to think I need therapy), I happened to look up at the ferns between our house and our neighbors'. The sun was shining right on them, and from the underside they looked really interesting! So many shades of green, light and dark, shadows - it was really pretty! So I took a few, and thought that I'd done a pretty good job of fulfilling another Thing on my list.

In the other stuff department... Jim and I took Molly to the surgeon today for her second (and last!) post-operative X-rays. The news was great! He said she's around 90-95% healed, and showed us on the images the differences between what the bones looked like on the day of her surgery and today. Wow! The bones have fused perfectly, and where there was space between them, there's now new bone. It's incredible to see. (Seeing the metal plate and screws is still a little ick-inducing, though.) Molly's now been given the go-ahead to do some off-lead running/playing, as well as taking walks up to an hour long. He said to remain cautious about jumping and things like that for another 4-6 weeks, but that she looks great, and should be fine. (We also have to be careful that she doesn't injure her other leg, but let's not think about that quite now.) So we're happy. Erin was very happy, and show Mollly some Lab-love when she got home from school.

Molly was kind enough to show Erin some right back!

And, just so she doesn't feel left out, a picture of the Puss.

26 Things #23 - It's in a Book

Today is a soapbox entry, and the book referenced in the title is the law.

Do you know what this sign means? 

By looking at the drivers around Erin's school, I think many people do not. These signs line the streets around the school, and every afternoon, without fail, countless parents ignore these signs and make their u-turns anyway, just because it's convenient for them. Now, it's not like the streets around here are all one way or lead to nowhere. In fact, most of them circle around and take you right back to where you started, so if you happen to find yourself facing the wrong direction, it's an easy enough situation to fix. Or (and here's a novel thought) just come from the right direction to start with, and the illegal u-turn won't even be necessary in the first place! (Can you tell that this gets me a little hot under the collar?)

California is quite lenient about where it allows drivers to make u-turns. In fact, they're perfectly legal at most intersections with traffic signals, and (I just learned today) they're even legal across a double solid yellow line. So is it so hard to not make them in the few places where these signs indicate that they're prohibited by law?  Apparently. And don't even get me started about the people who stop or park where there's a red curb! <Sigh...>

I'll climb off my soapbox now and share something happier (and colorful) as well. Today I did my Week 7 assignment for my 12 Weeks to Better Photos course. This week's lesson was about shooting outside, and the assignment was to take some macro photos. It gave me an excuse to go out with my fabulous macro lens and explore the backyard - yet again. But these are some of my new favorite pictures!

Just looking at those makes me happier!

The Apprentice

As I've written about here before, I like to bake. A lot. Thankfully, I don't usually eat what I bake (I leave that to the other members of the household) - not because I don't like the stuff, but because I just don't. It's easier on the diet, I guess. But I like to make sure that Erin has fresh Toll House cookies to take to school each day in her lunch, and that Jim has homemade muffins to take to work. Last Thursday, I had to make muffins, as Jim had run out. He's been enjoying blueberry (or a combination of blueberry and raspberry) muffins for quite some time now, and he asked if we could try something new. Sure! The only problem was, I didn't have much in the house and didn't feel like making a supermarket run just then. The only thing I had was mini chocolate chips, so chocolate chip muffins it was. I used this recipe, which I've used before, and made my usual changes (used a full cup of sugar, 1 cup milk, 1/2 cup vegetable oil, , added a teaspoon of vanilla extract, and used a full cup of mini-chocolate chips), and they were delish. No, seriously. DELISH. Even I ate a few of them. So did Erin. So did Jim. To the point that this morning, I had to make more muffins. Yes, the dozen muffins made on THURSDAY, only lasted until this morning. Yikes. Anyway, as I was starting to pull everything together this morning, Erin (out of the blue, almost causing me to drop over in shock) asked if she could help. What kind of a fool would turn down an offer like that? She set out to measure out the dry ingredients, mixed up the topping, and spread the topping over the muffins before they were baked. It was  like having my own mini-me helping out! It was fabulous! 

I plan on paying her in the finished product.  :)

26 Things #13 - Photogenic

Ah... I love long weekends. There's something quite enjoyable about lounging in bed past the time I usually have to get up and start the day, enjoying a lazy cup of coffee, and just relaxing a bit. It feels different, too, when it's an "extra" day as opposed to a weekend day. Erin is off today and Monday for Presidents' Weekend, and we've both been enjoying a quiet morning at home. I was also happy because I had both time and a (somewhat) willing subject to help me complete my weekly assignment for my 12 Weeks to Better Photos course that I've been taking through 2Peas. This week was focused on Indoor Shooting, and it required me to take pictures of someone in both indirect and direct light, making sure to capture catchlights in their eyes. I've learned since we've lived here that our house was definitely not designed to be a natural light photo studio. The light in most of the house is quite horrible. But I was able to find the right circumstances for my assignment, and here's what I wound up with!

First, indirect light:

Then downstairs, in more direct light:

When I was editing the numerous shots I'd gotten, I found this one as well. I didn't use it as one of my main assignment shots, but I have to admit, it's one of my favorite pictures that I've taken recently. I think it shows how far my photography skills have come in the last year or so. It's well-composed, and fairly well lit (OK, I know I have some blown highlights, but I kind of like 'em in this shot). And if I do say so myself, I think the subject is fairly pretty, and extremely photogenic.  So I can check #13 off my list. 

Hidden Gems

Every once in a while, I look out our side windows in the family room and notice that these pretty flowers are in bloom again. They were planted in a really strange location, far away from the rest of the plants and flowers back there, and unless you know to look for them, it's easy to miss them.  But I love 'em. They're so bright and cheerful, and when the sun hits them (which, unfortunately, was not the case when I went out to shoot them this afternoon), they pretty much glow in the light. I only wish we had more of them!

26 Things #16 - Discovery

I am very fortunate to be able to spend a good amount of time volunteering in Erin's school and class. One of my favorite activities to oversee is Science Lab. This is a unique and incredibly well-run program for 4th and 5th grade students where they get to conduct hands-on experiments and projects directly related to what they're learning in their science lessons. The science teacher, Mrs. Stocksdale, puts a huge amount of effort and time into planning each session, and the kids obviously have a blast while they're learning. This week's lab was focused on photosynthesis, and the students' job was to create a model of how it works using colored marshmallows (representing atoms of oxygen, carbon, and hydrogen) and toothpicks (representing the bonds between the atoms).

The kids first had to create molecules of carbon dioxide and water, and then convert them to a molecule of glucose (with some left over oxygen molecules as well), placing them all around a drawing of a leaf.

When the project was completely finished, the students glued down their creations.

I cannot rave enough about these kinds of sessions! They really help the kids visualize what they've been learning about and it aides in their being able to retain the information for longer than until their next test. And it's great fun to see them going from not "getting" it at all to practically seeing the light bulbs go off as it all starts to make sense. Ah, the joys of learning!

Happy Valentine's Day!

OK, I know that Valentine's Day is really a Hallmark Holiday designed largely to allow retailers to make a killing on cards, flowers, chocolate, and jewelry, but I'm a big sap and I actually like it. Not so much for being on the receiving end of those things (although who am I kidding... it's awfully nice!), but I like having an excuse to buy sentimental cards for Jim and Erin, and like looking for special little somethings to leave for Erin to see when she first wakes up in the morning. As I said, I'm a sap. Last night, Jim surprised both Erin and me by bringing us each home a beautiful bouquet of flowers! They are totally gorgeous, both of them, and our kitchen now looks like a flower shop. And then this morning, while working the valet line at school, one of my friends brought each of the "valet moms" a couple of roses as well. They've now been added to Erin's bouquet, and are stunning. I couldn't help but use them as models for my daily pictures today!

 

And finally, one last picture of my Valentine kitty.  She watched the whole production of my taking pictures of the flowers with an "I want to look like I don't care, but I'm actually quite curious" look on her face.  Silly puss.

26 Things #6 - Pair

Erin started playing soccer in the fall of 2008, when she was in 3rd grade. She had never even touched a soccer ball before their first game, and that first season she seemed to spend more time avoiding contact with the ball than making it. She had fun, but one of her favorite parts was shopping for her first set of cleats. She really really wanted the black and pink ones - very girly. And for a few years after that, each time she needed new cleats (which, with a kid whose feet grow as fast as Erin's, seemed to be just about every season), she gravitated towards the girly pink ones. I didn't care. She really enjoyed the game and was definitely improving skill-wise, so she could get whatever color made her happy. Last fall, though, we saw a change. When it was time to get new cleats, she specifically said she wanted more "serious-looking" cleats, and said no to the pink ones. It seemed like everything about her playing got more serious, too. She was more determined on the field, and we saw her game skills improve markedly. She was even nominated for her league's all-star team. These days, her "serious-looking" cleats are seriously dirty and worn, but she loves them. And with the spring season getting underway now (she had her first team practice last night, in fact), we know they'll be getting a lot dirtier in the coming months. And that's a good thing!

26 Things #8 - Brave

Our back yard here is pretty small. I'm talking postage stamp sized. But what I like about it (aside from the incredible sunrises that we've seen from it) is that I can usually find something photo-worthy out there, even with its diminutive size. This afternoon, I wandered out there hoping to find some new flowers in bloom, and instead found this little fella.We have a lot of hummingbirds in our yard (and in this area in general, actually), and I like to encourage them by having a feeder on the patio. They seem to have gotten quite used to us, and have no problem visiting and hanging out at the feeder while we're sitting at the table just a few feet away. This guy was no exception. He happily buzzed around me for a little while before settling on a low branch just feet away from me. He was perfectly happy there, too, not bothered by big ole me in the least. He let me snap away for a few minutes before deciding that he'd had enough of playing model, and he buzzed away again. He'll be back, though. I know it.

26 Things #26 - Modern

We have always been "early adopters" when it comes to technology and geeky toys. I think I get it from my parents (my father brought home a Mac in 1984!), but Jim, whose parents weren't that way at all, is a master of early adoption. He bought me my first cell phone in 1992 (remember those HUGE brick-like things that cost around $2 a minute to talk on?), we've had satellite radio since the very beginning (long before Howard Stern made it a household term), and it goes on and on. For some reason, though, we were late to the texting thing. I remember when I first heard about it, I thought it was the dumbest thing ever. Who on earth would want to do that - sending a short little note to someone, less than 200 characters in length - and why? What's the point? Surely, it would never catch on, so we never added texting to our cell plan. Then I started getting texts from friends who just assumed that I had a plan. And soon I found myself sending quick snippets to Jim about this-that-and-the-other, and he was getting them from other people too. So we added the minimum texting plan to our cell phones, just to see how much we would really use it. Uh, yeah. We used it. A lot. Within a few months, we threw all caution to the wind and made our texting plan "unlimited." (Living on the edge, weren't we?)  These days, I sometimes wonder how we lived without texting! It's so convenient! So fast! So easy! So, why did we wait so long?

26 Things #17 - Yeah!

It's that time of year again. Time for our nation's army of Girl Scouts to hit the streets and stores peddling their addictive cookies. To be honest, I'm not sure if it's my most or least favorite Girl Scout activity. This year, our council, in their infinite wisdom, made some changes to the program and are requesting that each girl order and pay for an inventory of cookies to keep on hand so they can immediately fulfill their customers' desires. On the surface, that sounds wonderful, and I'm sure the customers appreciate it, however, from the perspectives of the troop leaders, parents, and girls, this new system definitely has some flaws. Because of that, our troop decided to do things the way we always have, and our girls have been taking orders and filling them each week, so yesterday I went to our local "cookie cupboard" to pick up our troop's first order. It was only 12 cases, but let me tell you, that's a LOT of cookies!  Yikes! So now I have a nice inventory, and all I need is for the rest of the troop to start selling them and picking them up from me, because I don't want our dining room table to look like this for long! LOL! But anyway, I'm using this for my Yeah! picture, because for most people, Girl Scout cookies are definitely good for a yeah or two!

26 Things #4 - Sweet

Today is Sunday, and as many of my friends (and regular visitors to this blog) know, that means that I do my weekly baking. I made muffins last week (and I make a dozen at a time, so they last two weeks for Jim, taking one each day to work), so today I only had to make cookies. I make chocolate chip ones, specifically the recipe right on the back of the Nestle chip bags. Couldn't be easier! I actually make half a batch each week, and they usually last all week, except when Jim decides they're bit-size, which in his mind means he can eat 6 a day. But I digress... Anyway, this morning, I went about making our weekly supply of yummies, and decided they'd fulfill my 26 Things #4 - Sweet!

Before baking:

Fresh from the oven:

Cooling and ready to eat!

While I was doing all of this, Mia was being a ham of a cat. I'd gone to the supermarket earlier, and when I got home, she decided to be herself and climb into one of the grocery bags. Have I mentioned before that this cat cracks me up? She's her own special brand of Sweet!

26 Things #19 - Everyday

I love my morning coffee. No, let me rephrase that. I live for my morning coffee. The day just doesn't start off right (or well, usually, for those around me - LOL!) if I don't have a cup o' joe before I get to the important tasks of the day. On days that I walk in the mornings after dropping Erin off at school, I'll wait until I get home to make and drink it, but I still have it's nice, warm, happiness in my belly before I start on anything that will require my full attention. Although I love drinking the stuff, making it's never been my forte, and I always relied on Jim to set up the machine in the morning so all I'd have to do is throw the switch and wait. (Interestingly, that seems to run in my family, as my father does the same thing for my mother. In both cases, the men aren't even the ones drinking it at home!) Almost two years ago, though, while at Costco, I found this beauty and convinced Jim that it would be a great addition to our gadget collection at home. He was hesitant at first, but once he saw how wonderful it was, he was hooked. Not only is it incredibly easy to use (hey, even Erin can use it to make us coffee or herself hot chocolate!), but it's fantastic for everyone to get the kind of coffee or beverage they want, and have it ready to drink in under a minute. Ahhh... Hot heaven in the morning!

26 Things #2 - New

Thanks to our selling some unneeded stuff (furniture, and our "old" computer and monitor), we had a little extra cash on hand, and Jim told me earlier this week to go ahead and order myself a macro lens! I was so excited. Last year at this time, I had been thinking about getting one, but in the end, decided on a new walkabout lens instead, to replace my kit lens. I've never regretted that decision for an instant. Since then, I've learned quite a bit, built on my skills, and experimented a lot. I bought a cheap set of macro filters, and have enjoyed them, but knew that an actual macro lens would be a world of difference. My favorite brown truck delivered my new baby around 30 minutes ago, and I didn't waste any time trying it out!

Honestly, I haven't even read the manual that came with it, and I know I have to do that. But that didn't stop me from immediately putting it on my camera and trying it out, figuring it out as I went. Considering I have no idea what I'm doing, I kind of like what I've gotten so far.  Once I read the manual, I know it'll get even better. I can't wait to take it out tomorrow and play some more!

26 Things #9 - Bottoms Up and #24 - Geometric

I managed to kill two proverbial birds with one stone today. Well, with one Girl Scout meeting, anyway. Erin's troop did a field trip today to a local gym to complete a badge on fitness. They got to work with a trainer who explained what they do at the gym, the importance of working out, proper ways to warm up, stretch, exercise, and cool down, and most important, have fun while doing it. (Wait a minute... Exercise is supposed to be fun???)  The girls had a blast. They stretched, bent, push, pulled, and ran, and in the end were all smiles. And while they did that, I managed to capture two of my 26 things!

First up is Bottoms Up.

Yes, that's Erin, and from the looks of things, she was taking this very seriously. When the trainer first had the girls get into this position, I was sure he'd tell them to put their butts down, but no, he actually wanted them up, and for the girls to be on their toes. I'm not sure I could have held the pose as long as they did!

And next, Geometric.

As soon as I saw the medicine balls lined up so perfectly, and the lines from the tile crossing them like that, I knew I had #24 in the bag.

26 Things # 22 - Springy

In honor of all my friends that are being hammered - once again - by Mother Nature and Jack Frost's cruelty, and in celebration of a certain Pennsylvania groundhog doing the right thing this morning, I present to you the springiest things I could find around here! Nothing says spring like the gorgeous flowers that bloom in this area (and I'm almost fearful of your reaction to admit that they pretty much bloom all year round). It's impossible to look at them without smiling. I tried to also get some pictures of the gorgeous yellow ones that bloom on the hill across from my house, but my settings were off and they were awful. But trying to get them was quite an adventure. I'm not a hiker, by any means, and I had to climb up the bramble-covered hillside to get to the bush. On my way up, an enormous bumble bee took an interest in me (I guess I smell good today?), and wouldn't leave me alone. Needless to say, I almost tumbled back down the hill. Note to self, don't wear any kind of a heel next time you even think of trying that stunt!)  But I digress... I present to you: Springy!