Catch-all Theme: Pic #7

I chose a "God Sightings" photo for my last typical post on danisdailythousand, because I think it's precisely appropriate. In the Prayer Mosaic at the Grace Ladies' Retreat last month, one of the "stations" invited us to reflect on recent God-moments in our lives.

The instructions written on the blue card speak to what I have been trying to do with this blog in a daily manner over the past two years - "ask God to lead your thinking and remind you of times He has...shown Himself to you".

It also speaks to my continued longing, even though I will no longer document it in a daily photo, to "observe the tapestry of His grace and spend time praising Him." I invite all of us to do this!

Catch-all Theme: Pic #6

I don't like cockleburs. An ice storm can be nasty, as well. God can combine the two and come up with jewels. I see this as symbolic of the way it is in my life, too. Somehow, He can take any negative circumstance and redeem it. How can I help but worship Him in wonder?

Catch-all Theme: Pic #5

Book folding is a craft that fascinates me. Although I have never done such a project, I'm intrigued every time I see a page-turning work. I spotted this particular one in the students' study room at Faith Builders when we visited our oldest daughter there this winter. She didn't do the art; I believe one of her classmates did. I wonder if the person who created it not only urges others to read, but also encourages reading Old English. :) 

Catch-all Theme: Pic #4

Sometimes, in the barrenness of winter, one needs to pull up images of brilliant summer bouquets...to give oneself a boost...with the remembering of the fragrant past...as well as the joyful hope of things to come.  

Catch-all Theme: Pic #3

If good news from a far country is like cold waters to a thirsty soul, (Proverbs 25:25) this line-up has the potential of being a wide refreshing waterfall! In another aspect of observation, I noticed there are the varying amounts of snow on top of the mailboxes. The end one has a considerably larger heap than all the rest. Why is this? I have a theory...

Catch-all Theme: Pic #2

I took this photo several years ago when Ken and I went with Countryside School's Gr. 11 & 12 students on a class trip to Ottawa. At one point, our group went on a self-guided tour through this beautiful old church called the Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica. I'm intrigued with all the arches and fascinating lines captured in this pic. 

Week #52 Theme: Catch-all

Did yesterday's mystery pic stop you in your tracks, or just momentarily stump you? It was the top of the "O" on a stop sign, and here is the full shot of it. This is the last one I'm posting in the What is it? theme, leaving some readers wishing I'd keep on longer with the mystery photos and some just as pleased to move on to "real" pics. :) Well, I can't please everyone, so here we go into a few more ordinary photos.

The countdown is on - this is the last week I plan to post a daily pic from Dani... I have some extra pics from previous themes, or from category ideas I ended up not using throughout the year, so this week I will choose seven of those photos and call the theme "catch-all". (I know that even so, I will not catch them all!) Today's pic is a snowy duck quacking for spring or else a ducky snow shape resting on the deck one frosty morning...you decide. 

What is it? Theme: Pic #7

Here is today's mystery photo - the seventh pic in the series, and your last chance to win. Although there are no prizes for correct guesses, I hope you've had fun.

Yesterday's pic was a big black leggy bug behind a window screen. (Ewww!)

What is it? Theme: Pic #6

Can you figure out today's mystery photo?

Yesterday's pic garnered many correct guesses. It was, indeed, a toothbrush. One person even specified "a patriotic toothbrush" and another, "a feminine toothbrush". Observant detectives, I'd say. :)

What is it? Theme: Pic #5

Here is today's pic for solving.

Yesterday's pic was the round hole (or "ground" slot) in an electrical outlet (or receptacle, depending on which region you're from):

What is it? Theme: Pic #4

Here is today's pic for solving.

Yesterday's pic was a close-up of the top of a salt shaker. Here is the full shot:

What is it? Theme: Pic #3

Here is today's pic for solving.

Yes, everyone guessed correctly for yesterday's pic - it was the twisty, sharp barbed part on a strand of barbed wire, as seen in the pic below. My sis reminded me that we used to call it "bob-wire". And we weren't even from the south!

What is it? Theme: Pic #2

Here is today's pic for solving.

Yesterday's was the stem of a Martin's apple. Here is the full shot: 

Week #51 Theme: What is it?

The end of the second full year of my blog is drawing nigh. In two weeks from now, I plan to post my last every-consecutive-day pic and end danisdailythousand as we know it, not because it hasn't been fun or that it hasn't been a good thing, but more because "all good things come to an end". I plan to take a break and possibly add to this blog occasionally but it is more probable that I will start a new kind of blog in the future. 

All that said, we come to the theme of the current week. I've been wanting to do a sort of guessing theme during one of the last few blog weeks, so here we are. I'm starting out with an easy mystery pic for you to figure out. You may keep your guesses to yourself, or post them in the comments. The following day, I'll post the answer as well as another pic for solving. 

Love Theme: Pic #7

I love this man. He is steady, witty and wise. He cherishes me and shows it in so many ways. On Valentine's Day, it is special to be noticed with things such as a card, chocolates and flowers, but even more meaningful to me is his everyday, forgiving, growing, never-going-to-quit kind of love.

Love Theme: Pic #6

I love words, and I love the ways one can describe things with words. Take, for instance, A. A. Milne's way of describing anticipation:

“Well," said Pooh, "what I like best," and then he had to stop and think. Because although Eating Honey was a very good thing to do, there was a moment just before you began to eat it which was better than when you were, but he didn't know what it was called.”

Love Theme: Pic #5

This scene captures a number of things I love...music (both played and sung), visits from family with us sitting around the living room and reminiscing, a certain black Bear who has become lodged in our home and hearts over the years... 

Love Theme: Pic #4

I took this picture on the most somber day of our Holy Land Tour, the day we made some stops along the Road to Calvary - where Jesus likely walked on His way to the Cross. This art work hangs on an outside wall just above the set of original stone steps leading to Caiaphas's house. It depicts a part of the suffering that Jesus endured after He was arrested and was led before the high priest. I remember that day in Jerusalem I kept thinking, "He did this for me!" There is no greater love than this: He laid down His life so we could live.

Love Theme: Pic #3

How many hearts or partial hearts can you spot in this picture? When we visited my brother Troy's family a number of years ago, I learned that I am not the only mom/cook who likes to make a special meal for the ones I love on Valentine's Day. For serving us a dinner both lovely and nutritious, my sis-in-law Sharon decorated the table and food in memorable sweetheart fashion.

Love Theme: Pic #2

"If I am in a state of heart and mind whereby I see more clearly and love more deeply, then by means of painting I rescue those fleeting moments, making them permanent." - Frank Webb

I like to capture images of my daughters "rescuing the moments" together, by way of making my own lovely memories last longer. 

Week #50 Theme: Love

Since this week of blogs will end on Valentine's Day, I thought I would post daily pics that have to do with love in some way. This heart-y jersey was designed by our oldest son a few years ago for identification purposes. It was constructed to assist his ladylove (who is now his wife) in picking out which one he was among all the suited-up hockey players out on the ice.

Guest Blog Posts Theme: PIc #7

By Elaine Gingrich:

“My friend Glenda and I took photos of her irresistible peonies, blooming in meek expectancy near her door, just a couple weeks before she herself slipped through Heaven’s gate, leaving my heart longing to breach the barrier between. I long to live with the meek beauty of these blossoms, radiant with expectancy.”

Elaine and I have connected through our common love of word craft, and our friendship has deepened through our “sistership” as daughters of God. I was in a writers’ group with Elaine back when I was a young mom and going through some difficult seasons of loss and depression. She made sure I was “doing okay” and became my mentor without either of us, I think, intentionally making it happen. I view it as a gift to treasure. Elaine creates her “photos” mostly with words, through poetry. She thinks and feels deeply. I love the way her poems exude gentle wisdom and hope.

Guest Blog Posts Theme: Pic #6

By Heather Kuhns:

“Speak to your children as if they are the wisest, kindest, most beautiful and magical humans on the earth, for what they believe is what they will become.” Brooke Hampton 

Heather lives in northern Wisconsin, a place that holds many growing-up memories for me. Since she is considerably younger than I am, we haven’t spent a lot of time together in the same places. We see each other sometimes when my family vacations/visits relatives in her home area. I remember thinking, when Heather was born, that her parents had chosen such a lovely name for her. From my observations over the years, I’d say she delights in nature, is a feminine soul (among a small crowd of brothers), adores children, and has a unique streak of flair painted down the center of her creative canvas. She may not consider herself a professional photographer, but I do – when I view her splendid work.

Guest Blog Posts Theme: Pic #5

By Ricky Martin:

“This photo of the Island of Flores in Guatemala was taken in July 2017. Jasmine and I took a boat tour around the island and got to witness storm clouds rolling in. I like how the bright colours of the buildings contrast with the dark sky and water.”

I have known Ricky all of his life and he has known me all of his life, but I have known him longer than he has known me; I am his mom. Even before he was two years old, some of the outstanding traits he has now were already obvious. He was an even-keeled little guy while being emotionally sensitive, was definitely creative, and could easily make others laugh. Today he is a steady, loving husband to his wife Jasmine, he is a college student doing a 3-year course in Graphic Design (creating videos is also a happy sideline for him) and he still is the funny, witty spark of a family gathering.

Guest Blog Posts Theme: Pic #4

By Sharon Kuepfer:

"Danette is one of my favorite people! She's witty, smart, friendly, conversational and full of ideas... I snapped this picture of the two of us with Beaver Lake in the background, near to my home stomping grounds where I spent many of my growing up years..." 

Sharon is the type of friend with whom, when I see her again after a long absence, it’s easy to pick right up where we left off last time. We have done so much pondering out loud and laughing together on various occasions. She inspires me with her courage and perseverance when it comes to tackling new things, especially in the writing field. One of her recent projects or hobbies or ventures (just what do you call it, Sharon?) is her series of facebook posts which are words and pics centering on homey themes, done in a free-flowing, conversational style. A signature feature on her photos is a caption banner, the implementing of which had her friends and family asking, “How did you do that?” It’s one of those new things that she figured out on her own.  (See, what did I tell you? :))

Guest Blog Posts Theme: Pic #3

By Curtis Cressman:

"I enjoy photography, especially when it involves capturing God's Creation around me. I just learned blue jays aren't actually blue at all. The pigment in their feathers is brown! Scattering light in the structural parts of the feathers causes us to see a beautiful blue. And I was thinking...God often does that in our lives. If we allow Him, He can help take the brown and ugly and turn it into something wonderful for the Kingdom."   

"For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." Isaiah 55:9

Ken and I started getting to know Curtis’s family better when we began attending the same church as they do, about 15 years ago, and our families have become very good friends over the years. Curt is no longer a shy little fellow as I knew him back then; he’s a tall young man who does a fine job of leading out in church and youth group responsibilities. He knows what he believes and will voice it, as well as live it. I’ve enjoyed what I have seen of his photography and other creative expressions on social media, as well as in the guessing games/activities corner at our church’s annual summer camping.  

Guest Blog Posts Theme: Pic #2

By Wanda Driedger

"Day 146: Our dinner menu consists of Ham Balls, Macaroni & Cheese, Peas, Broccoli Salad and Strawberry Cheesecake for dessert. We’ve only had it twice this season, so it’s time to add this menu of comfort food to our meal plan again. 

Let me explain. I work in a logging camp in Northern Alberta with my sister Michelle. Our logging season starts mid-summer and ends beginning of spring. We cook, clean, and basically make this a home away from home for the loggers who live here. Our schedule is mostly routine; breakfast, lunch, and dinner always happen at the same time every day to accommodate the loggers on shift-work. Some days it feels like a stuck record; doing the same thing all over again, except creating new menu every day to keep things interesting and appealing (: However, it’s one of the most rewarding jobs I’ve done;  racing with the clock to finish the meals on time, seeing a tired face light up when receiving a plate of steaming warm goodness, listening to stories from their families back home, or just simply having clean sparkly floors when we are done the daily cleaning—it’s grown on me and has helped me realize the joy serving others can be." 

Wanda is one of my newest friends. I met her on the Israel Trip that Ken & I went on last November. She is one of “The Driedger Girls”, as our tour group referred to the five ladies (Wanda, three of her sisters, and a cousin) that joined us from Alberta. Since then, I’ve enjoyed seeing some of Wanda’s photos - of the trip, and otherwise. I am inspired by Wanda’s friendliness, love of adventure and zest for living. And, I'm intrigued by her unique job.

Week #49 Theme: Guest Blog Posts

By Audrey Miller
"I love this photo because to me it tells a story of life's unexpected gifts.  I have a friend who also enjoys nature photography and we had been talking for a while about trying to arrange a little photography road trip some afternoon. Finally, we picked a day that worked for both of us and headed out.  It was a fairly warm spring day.  As we drove east of town on our random journey, we got a huge surprise.  There had been an ice storm that morning just east of us.  We knew nothing about it but as we drove we were both surprised and delighted to find that the whole world was turned into a sparkling, beautiful landscape as every little twig and branch and needle was coated with ice.  It was magical and I exclaimed over and over about the beauty of it and the fact that we had no idea we were driving into this.  This photo is my favorite that I took that day.  Just looking at it invokes in me that same feeling of gratitude and wonder that I felt that day."

This week, we have a special treat: I have invited seven different guests to share one of their photos on my blog each day. In addition to viewing their unique photo, you will get to read their description of it, and I will tell you about my connection to the guests and/or their work.

Audrey Miller and I grew up in the same community but our paths didn’t cross much – I left the area to teach school and then to get married fairly soon after her family moved in. I was happy to find her photography page, Hunt for Beauty, on facebook in recent years. (You can also find her new website at www.huntforbeautygallery.com) Her incredible nature photos are often scenes from a beautiful area I hold dear to my heart: northern Wisconsin. I love “hunting for beauty” through Audrey’s eyes and photo lenses. 

Ladies' Retreat Theme: Pic #7

It's maybe a little hard to see in this photo, but a number of ladies are untangling a mess of yarn there in the center. To me, this scene is symbolic of what happens at Ladies' Retreat. Life gives us tangles sometimes, and we can get frustrated and discouraged over the knotty situations. There's nothing like being able to bring the whole confusing jumble to a circle of trusted friends and get some help with hands-on sorting out; to gather courage to go on with clarity of purpose. 

Ladies' Retreat Theme: Pic #6

The workshops offered on Saturday afternoon were a new and wonderful addition to the Retreat weekend. An artsy sister pair taught a workshop on watercolor painting, entitled "Worship With My Creativity" and a word-lover mom taught the one called "Worship With My Mind", in which she explained how to effectively study a passage of scripture. I was so grateful that these two workshops were available at different times, so those ladies - like me - who wanted to, could attend both. (The painting pictured above is not mine; I don't know whose it is, but I think it's beautiful.)

Ladies' Retreat Theme: Pic #5

Here's a pic of the youngest lady at Retreat 2018. The little munchkin was the only baby there this year which is surprising when you consider the amount of moms who attend. (There's a bunch of great dads out there, is what I think.) I just loved this child's sweet smile and waking-up expressions, not to mention that darling bedhead feature!

Ladies' Retreat Theme: Pic #4

A new feature this year at Ladies' Retreat was a Prayer Mosaic. The planning committee ladies set up a tasteful, meaningful display of different invitations to prayer at tables in a room off the beaten path. For instance, one table held a thanksgiving tree, on which we could hang little papers with things we are thankful for written on them. On another table was a rope we could tie in knots, depicting the worries we wrestle with, along with an appeal to untie the knots one by one as we surrender control of these worries to Christ. This photo shows one of my dear friends at the global needs prayer table. 

Ladies' Retreat Theme: Pic #3

Another important part of the weekend is the FOOD. Over the years we have had our meals supplied by various methods, but whether our very own caterer looked after them or groups of Grace ladies planned, cooked and served them, we've never gone away from Retreat hungry. (It also may or may not have anything to do with the bountiful snack selection...) This year the Sunday morning breakfast included a most delightful blend of fresh berries to accompany yogurt or cold cereal. 

Ladies' Retreat Theme: Pic #2

During the inspirational time on Saturday, two of the ladies did a skit called "The King's Daughters". They portrayed our daily devotional time with God as accepting an invitation to meet with the King. The two-person skit was well done, and the point well made; I have thought about its challenging message numerous times since.

Week #48 Theme: Ladies' Retreat

Last weekend I attended an annual event for my "sisters" from Grace Church: The Ladies' Retreat. I always anticipate it for weeks ahead, and always delight in it greatly the weekend of. On my blog this week, I will post some pics highlighting various aspects of the Retreat 2018. Today's photo shows a foursome concentrating on some version or other of dominoes. Playing games is a prominent part of the weekend. Some ladies enjoy games that have been around for a long time; ones that show up at Retreat year after year. Others go for word games of any kind, while some ladies head toward the strategy-type games. (the games whose equipment takes up considerable yardage on the table and whose time span easily takes up considerable numerals on the clock) And then there's the exciting group games played with a large group of excitable-under-pressure women sitting in a circle in the lounge. I have lovely memories of all of the above, at some point over the years.

Green Theme: Pic #7

What an amazing palette of greens one encounters at The Butchart Gardens! Last summer, we enjoyed a visit to this spectacular quarry-turned-garden while we were in Victoria, B.C. Now this winter, when we need a little reviving, we can recall the beauty of the place via photo tour. 

Green Theme: Pic #6

Take your pick of beans: green or jelly. We had a beany morning at my twin sis's place during our Out West holidays last summer. Our first pick was green beans and then the subsequent picks were jelly beans to add some fun to preparing the first pick for canning. 

GreenTheme: Pic #5

The dainty-curved gossamer ends of these green seed pods and the dancing circles of light around them calls me to name this a fairy photo. Sometimes the magic is right in my own flowerbed. 

Green Theme: Pic #4

The greens and blues of western mountain scenery enhanced our enjoyment of a hiking day last summer. 

Green Theme: Pic #3

Around this time last year, we were in a very green part of the world - Trinidad and Tobago. Every day, I drank in the beautiful scenery surrounding us, from the tropical foliage that grew in the wild to the lush potted plants that gardeners arranged artistically. It seemed that even a non-green thumbist could have been successful in raising plants there. Just stick a seed or seedling in some dirt, set it outside, and bloom! there's your gorgeous greenery.

Green Theme: Pic #2

Yesterday I indicated that the color of hope is green. Then, upon seeing this fruit on the grocery store shelves, I wasn't so sure. Maybe yellow is more like it. Can I hope that these bananas will actually turn from hope to hope?

Week #47 Theme: Green

This week, in the middle of cold and barren and grey, I have decided to "go green" with my blog pics. In this first photo, you can see the brilliant grassy slopes of Spring that dazzled us in Plymouth, Massachusetts while we toured that area on a trip out east a few years ago. Green must be the color of hope!

Birds Theme: Pic #7

If this was a youngster bird, its mom or pop would probably chirp, "Don't sing with your beak full." (I don't think he could if he tried.)