The Call: Broken — Jessica

I took a Lensbaby class today, taught by Corey Hilz, at the local botanical garden. The best part was that I finally got my hands on an Edge 80. It was lovely!

This particular photograph is not really a very good representation of the lens (this one is better!)…I’m not quite sure where the slice of focus is. It almost seems like an angle of focus with the vertex being the gap in the planter and one ray going up to the right and the tree and the the second ray going down to the right and the bench. It took a bit to get use to and I’d love to be able to play with one more. Some of the portraits that I’ve seen are truly magical. Since I’m very slow to really find the focus manually, I’m not sure how effective it would be as a portrait lens for my little kids; but, maybe I could convince the older ones to sit still long enough for me. Maybe?

Response: Broken Window — Cheryl

When I saw today’s Call, I thought, “Well, that gives me plenty of shots to choose from.” With six kids, something around here is always getting broken. Luke set up this photo of the shed years ago. He used a rock on the window. A few years after that, the doors got broken. Sam and his screamingly fast runs down the driveway on the plastic tricycle was largely responsible for that.

The Call: Paintbrushes — Cheryl

I love buying art supplies, but not brushes. There are simply too many choices: natural, synthetic, squirrel, sable, pointed, round, 4, 3, 6, 10. Don’t even get me started on prices.

The Response: No Water — Jessica

I passed by the garden today. I’m looking foward to getting out and clearing away the brush. I’ve got big dreams for the garden this year — for our pantry and for my daughter’s science component.

The Call: Butter, Sugar, Eggs — Jessica

I love to bake. In my other life (or my next life) I would love to open a bakery and spend all day with flour, eggs, sugar and butter. I am always amazed at how they transform into the most delicious things. It seems like a miracle to me.

Response: Crystalline Proof of God’s Existence — Cheryl

A sky filled with snowflakes is a sky filled with teeny, tiny miracles.

The Call: Living Water — Cheryl

Whoever drinks the water I shall give will never thirst.
— John 4:14

The Response: Nice Water — Jessica

Yes, water is nice. I should drink more of it.

The Call: A Place for Everything — Jessica

I am not an organized person by nature. It’s a constant battle to keep my house and life on track. The spoon drawer is a good example; yesterday, it was over flowing with pens, papers, bottle caps, batteries, and so on. Fifteen minutes later all was in order.

Now, I secretly open the drawer during the day just to gaze on one spot in my house where everything is in the right place. It’s so calming.

Response: I Relish my Crystals — Cheryl

When I take the time to organize something, I do a bang-up job. I’m not so good at keeping things organized (or finding them after I’ve organized). Nevertheless, I try to do it with aplomb, and that’s why I keep beads in etched glass vases, glitter in silver salt-and-pepper shakers, eyelets and brads in glass cigar tubes, and Swarovski crystals in a relish dish.

The Call: Piling Up — Cheryl

There are days when I just can’t be troubled to do laundry. Within a week, I inevitably regret that decision.

The Response: So, What’s for Dinner? — Jessica

As a child, I was a very picky eater. Often, after turning my nose up at another dinner, my poor frustrated mother would sigh, “I hope when you grow up you have children that never eat what you cook either.”

Fast forward a few years and I’m now troubled by that curse! My palate has matured and seasoned but now I have to cook for a picky husband and four picky children.

So, what’s for dinner? The question troubles me daily (except Thursday which is always pizza day!).

The Call: All That’s Missing is the Rum — Jessica

It’s been cold enough for the past two weeks that the water in the planters has frozen solid. The mint doesn’t look like it minded too much…

Response: Layers of Cold — Cheryl

Bridget and I headed out to Maranacook Lake for today’s call. That big white bubble in the ice is at least eight inches below the surface.

The Call: Blue Paint — Cheryl

Art time (when I can fit it in) is always the bright spot in my day.

The Response: Between the Fence and the Shed — Jessica

A bright subject calls for a dark ground — with the little tiny bit of snow we’ve had that poses a big challenge.

The Call: Little Helpers — Jessica

My oldest son was looking for a way to earn a few extra dollars, so I pointed out some outlets that needed to be replaced and gave him a copy of Time-Life’s Basic Wiring.

He diligently set to the task with a few helpers in tow. Of course the whole incident had to be documented.

Response: Out on the Ice — Cheryl

I ventured out into the woods with Dennis, Henry, Bridget and Sam. Such a trek is a common adventure for those four nature lovers (well, calling Dennis a nature lover is a stretch, but he does love woods and water). Anyway, we took a circuitous route to the pond and a straightforward route home (about 3 miles in all, according to the pedometer Dennis got at last week’s sales meeting in Vegas — where he walked about 16 miles in four days!) The ice on the pond was quite solid, but the swooshing sounds of the water beneath the ice was disconcerting. In the end, I’m happy to report that the excursion came off without incident (unlike the posting of this response, which was delayed by a breakdown on the server end).

The Call: The Wonders of Water and Light — Cheryl

I marvel at the way Henry soaks up nature and enjoys every moment of being in it. I marvel at what a camera lens does to sunlight. I marvel at how cold 25 degrees can feel when you’re near the water and the wind is blowing. I marvel at the beauty all around me. I marvel at the fact that I seldom noticed said beauty, until I picked up a camera.

The Response: Cuddle — Jessica

I didn’t think about taking pictures of my babies nursing until the third one. Since then, I’ve taken a shot of all of them; however, I don’t think I’ve ever actually posted one online. But, I do marvel, at how much calmer and sweeter both of us feel after nursing-cuddle time.

The Call: Fast Shoes — Jessica

Yesterday at Target I bought my daughter a pair of cute red flats. Luke, who was shopping with us, piped up and insisted that HE wanted some red shoes too. “Okay, Luke, let’s go and see, but I don’t think they have too many little boy shoes in red.”

Lucky for us they did! In fact, the store clerks were busy restocking the shoe shelves and the ONLY shoes out in Luke’s size were a pair of bright red ones. Luke was thrilled beyond belief and I was thankful for the Providence that gave us what we needed right when we needed it.

Response: Glorious — Cheryl

When I saw today’s Call, I was at a loss. Divine Providence pulled me through, though, after I decided (at the last minute) to take the camera with me when I picked up Luke at the Y.

The Call: Ice-Coated Road — Cheryl

The weather warmed up last night, resulting in pea-soup fog and water on top of any snow/ice that never got cleared away (creating a very slippery surface). This is a situation I generally wouldn’t bother driving into, but Jack had a dental cleaning at 11:30. After the appointment, I decided it would be a good idea to motor over to a local brook for pictures of it in the fog. With a temperature of about 40 degrees, the main thoroughfares were fine. Since the road near the brook is curvy and busy, though, I didn’t want to just pull over on the side with the kids in the car. Therefore, I ventured (in my Chevy Venture) down a side road that leads to open space. It took a little longer than a few moments to realize I had made a mistake.

About 35 minutes later, a tow truck with a winch (courtesy of AAA and our membership dues) arrived to haul us back to asphalt more amenable to friction. The driver told me that he and his cohorts (there in a second truck to winch his up the hill, if necessary) had already pulled a number of cars up that particular venue. That tidbit of information helped me feel a little less stupid for heading down there in the first place, but not much.

The Response: Grey — Jessica

A warm front came through our area too and brought rain and grey, cloudy, overcast skies…the whole day was coated in grey.

The Call: A Symphony of Light — Jessica

The afternoon sun is like a symphony of light over the baby’s crib. It’s empty because he prefers our bed — less glare. : )

Response: A Symphony of Artists — Cheryl

When Dennis and I started dating in 1988, he introduced to me to a symphony orchestra’s worth of new musical artists. Now, after being married for 19 years (today), he serenades me on any one of his many guitars.

The Call: Frozen this Time — Cheryl

When I don’t feel like wandering far from home, I can step out my front door, walk down the road less than half a mile, and take pictures of the creek.

The Response: Eternal Rest — Jessica

The final end of all our wanderings… Not trying to be gloomy — just needing a reminder to focus on the things that are truly important.