random reflections

SNAP: Christmas Decorations

I couldn't decide on photos for this final SNAP of the year, but ended up choosing one of our tree and three ornaments. The bottom two are the first two photos for Eileen's Winter Scavenger Hunt:  alternate: angel. I do have a few others to post, but need to get a bit more serious about scouting out the photos for the hunt.

If you celebrate, I hope your Christmas was wonderful. Ours was delightful despite a rash of colds and upper respiratory infections. I managed to escape the worst of it until the day after Christmas. I had high hopes of getting a lot done around here, but have spent the last two days reading, napping, and trying to shorten this cold before we need to leave for Chicago. I'm not relishing the idea of wearing a mask the whole time we're there to help out with the new baby!

Many, many thanks to Helena for hosting this wonderful meme all year. I've loved it, and am anxious to print them out in one form or another as I think they'll be a nice record of what I observed over the course of the year.

SNAP: December Views From My Windows

A few weeks ago I posted a SNAP collection of photos taken from my windows. Here's this week's version with a decidedly different view.

The top two photos were taken out windows in the front of our house---basically looking north. The bottom two are looking out the back. I love that the reflection from our Christmas tree in the living room shows up in the photo on the bottom left. A few years ago, Tracy started putting a little lighted tree on our patio table. We can see it from our kitchen and dining room and I've always enjoyed it. Everything, as you can see, is covered with snow. The trees outside my studio are no longer covered with snow, but it will be awhile before the snow in the front yard disappears. Nonetheless, the weather forecast is for warmer temperatures and rain on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Since we have travel plans in the near future, I'll be glad for better weather but sorry to see rain, instead of snow, on Christmas. Guess it's a good trade-off. 

Sarah is expecting a baby any day now. Her original due date was January 11, but after last week's exam, the doctor unofficially moved her due date to Christmas Day. She's ready now, but I'm hoping that the baby does not come on Christmas Day. Everyone, as one of my friends noted, needs their own birthday. Typically, we'd leave here the day after Christmas to celebrate Christmas with Sarah and her family in Chicago, but this year we're waiting for the baby, and planning to spend some extra time helping out. It won't be before Christmas, as Christmas for Tracy's family, is always held here. There will be 17 of us this year, although Mason and Molly won't arrive from Oregon until after dinner. Aside from two more batches of cookies, and some wrapping, I'm as ready as I can be. If you celebrate Christmas, I hope your preparations are going well.

SNAP 50: Gingerbread Houses

Last week we made our second annual trip to the Eastman Museum for the arrival of Santa Claus and to look at the gingerbread house display. The gingerbread houses are made by various groups, and there is a silent auction to raise funds for restoration projects at the museum. The George Eastman House was all decked out as usual. Skylar was old enough this year to really enjoy a rather lengthy scavenger hunt where you hunt for items in many of the gingerbread house displays. It took several of us to help her finish it! Not as easy as one might think.

These are four of my favorites, although there were many, many more that were worthy of a photograph. Off to link up with Helena and other SNAP enthusiasts. But before I go, a photo of Grandpa and Skylar watching Santa come down the main staircase in the Eastman House.

SNAP: A Visit to Kittelberger's

Last year, my friend, Maureen, introduced me to Kittelberger's. I knew the name as a wonderful florist, but had no idea that it was also a large and beautiful gift shop. They opened a small restaurant just around the corner a year or so ago, and yesterday we made our second annual Christmas visit to Kittelberger's. We had a lovely lunch, and then walked around the corner to the store. I purchased two small gifts, an ornament, and a scarf for myself. Last year, I started to take some photos but got so interested in the merchandise, I came home with only one or two photos of the floral department. Yesterday I did a bit better.

One of the nice things about Kittelberger's is the way they design their displays. Many are color coordinated, and some are theme oriented. The photo on the bottom left shows a display devoted to things with cardinals and a few other birds. I was surprised to see the starburst from the light in the photo on the upper right when I uploaded it. Sometimes I try to get this effect (with rare success); yesterday it was effortless.

Thanks, as always, to Helena. I will miss these weekly memes next year. I'm going to have to come up with some reason to get that camera focused for a reason every week.

SNAP: Zoo Lights

We spent the week of Thanksgiving in Chicago with Sarah, Adam, and Caleb. Sarah is expecting a little girl in January so a lot of our time was spent moving their office from the second floor to the basement, and then painting one wall with pink and gray stripes to turn it into a nursery. The crib and dresser got set up, but there's still some decorating to do. The last night we were there, we rearranged the living room to make space for the Christmas tree, which will then be used for baby paraphernalia. The weather was unusually warm, so Saturday night we took off to the Lincoln Park Zoo to see the Zoo Lights.

The zoo was packed but it was still possible to walk through the zoo to see the amazing variety of lights. What you can't see in the still photos are all the interactive lights. The only disappointment (to Caleb) was that the polar bears and penguins were "sleeping." He told the Sunday School director that it was all his mother's fault since she made us eat early! Actually, we were incredibly lucky to get a table at a restaurant just across the street from the zoo. We ate there a year ago, and it's a very family-friendly place with good food.

So here's Week 48:  The Zoo Lights

If you look closely at the bottom left photo, you can see a cute almost five year old peeking out! Off to link up with Helena and my fellow SNAPpers (a bit late since the photos didn't get edited until late this afternoon.)

SNAP: Weather Extremes

We've had an unusually warm and sunny November, for which I've been very grateful. This past weekend we set two records:  one for a high temperature and one for the amount of snow in one storm for November!

From top left:  On Friday at the University of Rochester (54°), on Friday afternoon (72°), Saturday evening (rainy and 37°), and Sunday evening (at the beginning of the storm, 32°). We ended up with nearly a foot of snow with very windy conditions. Linking up with Helena, as always, our lovely SNAP hostess!

 

Best wishes for a wonderful Thanksgiving tomorrow if you're in the US and celebrating. I have so much to be grateful for, and I count those blessings every day.

SNAP: Views From My Windows

On Monday we drove up to Niagara-on-the-Lake to pick up a watercolor we ordered and had framed. It had been a month since we'd been there last, and I was surprised to see that most of the leaves on the trees along the Thruway had fallen. The predominant colors were faded yellow and brown. Not so here in town yet. Our proximity to Lake Ontario buys us another week or two, so when I looked out the living room window yesterday I was struck with how much color still remains. 

From top left: the view out my kitchen window looking to the west. You can see the new brick sidewalk here, and the hanging plants and yellow mums that still have not succumbed to a heavy frost. Top right: out the kitchen window looking north across the street. You can see a bit of the new landscaping here. The grass probably won't fill in until next spring, and then I'll do a big sidewalk/landscape post. It's very different from what we had before, and I love it. Bottom left: out the living room window looking south. Most of the color here is yellow and a bit of orange. Out big Japanese maple which has bright red leaves has lost most of them already. Bottom right: out the hall window looking west. I'm guessing our bright red maple will be leafless within a week or so. But I'm so grateful to have had such a mild and colorful fall. Often by now, we're like the Thruway, brown and dreary.

Linking up with our fine hostess, Helena, for the weekly SNAP of 3-4 related photos.

SNAP: The Grocery Run

Our church has sponsored The Grocery Run (a 5K race/walk) for the last six years. This is the third or fourth time I've walked the 5K. 100% of the proceeds go to hunger ministries, not only at our church but across the city. This year over 1200 people participated, and $41,000 was raised. It was perfect weather for it, really amazing for November---sunny and in the high 40's, nearly 50° by late morning. Some years it's been snowing!

In addition to funds, participants bring donated food to FoodLink, a nonprofit organization that sponsors food cupboards, backpack programs, and summer food programs for children. The top left photo shows folks loading the truck with the donated items. The top right is a photo of our retired Associate Pastor for Outreach who has always come in costume for the event. Now our current Outreach Pastor, Lynette, also comes in costume. I love the frame someone created for photo ops! By the time I remembered to take a photo of the finish line, most folks had finished. Needless to say, the runners were done well before any of the walkers! It's a great way to get some exercise and do some good at the same time.

And so, our election. I went to bed at 10:30 knowing in my heart what the results would be, was awake in the middle of the night for over an hour, and awoke to more anxiety than I can express. One consolation is that Hillary appears to have won the popular vote. (I've always believed the Electoral College was a flawed process, and today confirms it.) I find it so hard to understand how one can vote for someone who has shown such contempt for so many groups of Americans, but I also know there is a sense of futility felt by many that causes them to latch on to anyone who promises them a better future. Now to move forward, and to find ways to bridge the wide divisions that exist in this country. So I'll be praying to find ways to bring about reconciliation in my small corner of the country.

SNAP: Halloween

Monday I posted our activity for Halloween, but I saved some photos for this week's SNAP.

The upper left photo is my favorite of the little cat and little panda trick or treating. Their adorable baby sister was dressed for the event as well. I babysat for Madelyn on Monday morning while Betsy helped out at Skylar's kindergarten class. The pumpkins are this year's masterpieces carved by Matt--Mickey Mouse for Ella and Little Pony for Skylar. They chose the patterns from the internet, and Skylar helped poke the holes along the design that mark where Matt needs to cut. Much more elaborate than anything that was ever done for him as a child! The bottom right is of a neighbor's chihuahua dressed up as a taco. Too cute!

Linking up with Helena as always, the wonderful hostess of SNAP--a series of three or four related photos.

SNAP: Signs of Fall

When we were in the Finger Lakes Saturday, it was clearly peak time for the foliage. Despite the gray skies, the leaves were lovely. 

The prettiest views were along Cayuga Lake, but there wasn't any good place to stop for a photo, so most of these are from the Rochester area. The upper right is my view walking across the pedestrian bridge from the University of Rochester campus to my assigned parking lot. The sky that morning was a prelude to the totally dark clouds that arrived over the weekend. Today was cold, but lovely, and Matt was finally able to get some more work done on our landscaping. Sadly, the weather forecast is dismal the rest of the week, so we'll see when he's able to get back to it.