Month: January 2016

Nature photo challenge

/ edebock / 6 Comments

A week ago, a friend and former student of mine nominated me to take part in a Facebook nature photo challenge. The idea was to post one nature or wildlife photograph every day for seven days and to nominate one other person on each of those days to take up the challenge.

I am very much an amateur photographer. In fact if there was a word for less than amateur, that would probably be me, but I love playing with my camera and once in awhile I even manage to take a really great photo. I’m quite certain that that’s because I’m fortunate enough to live in the age of digital photography and cameras that make all the tough choices for me!

Accepting the challenge sent me out into that bright, sunny January morning with my brand new camera in hand. At -5ºC, it was unseasonably warm, and since I live on the edge of a very tiny town, a few minutes of crunching over the newly fallen snow took me to an area where it was easy to snap several nature shots. Next, the challenge sent me searching through my older photos for some of my favourites.

For those of you who aren’t my friends on Facebook, here are my seven selections:

#1   This is my favourite shot from that sunny winter walk. The seeds against the brilliant blue sky hold hope of spring and new life to come. 

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#2   This one was taken on a hike in the hills near Hardisty, Alberta in late September.

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#3   I’ve always said that you can take the girl away from the ocean, but you can’t take the sea salt out of her blood! A series of nature photos from me wouldn’t be complete without at least one ocean scene. This one was taken at Porteau Cove Provincial Park on Howe Sound, just a short drive north of Vancouver, BC.

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#4   This is probably my all time favourite macro photo.

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#5   I love the colours of fall. Though they’re more subdued here on the prairie than in some other parts of Canada, there’s still much beauty to be found at that time of year. This one was taken on a hike near Gwynne, Alberta.

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#6   I wanted to include at least one photo from our international travels in this series, so here’s The Old Man By The Sea on the Pacific island of Saipan.

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#7   Choosing the final picture for this seven day challenge was difficult as there were so many possibilities! I finally chose this one because nature isn’t always beautiful scenery. Sometimes it’s weird & wacky creatures like this mantis that  I also photographed on the island of Saipan!

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All of these photos were taken with easy to use Canon point and shoot cameras.

Pilgrimage

/ edebock / 2 Comments

If you know me personally or have been reading my blog for very long, you know that my husband and I love to travel and you may not be surprised to learn that we’re busy preparing for another trip. I included a hint to our destination in my last post, but no one guessed where we’re going. Since I’m bursting at the seams with excitement and can hold it in no longer…

Richard and I are leaving Canada on January 21st for a ten day tour of Israel! Although we’ve explored a number of fascinating places over the years, I don’t know if I’ve ever been as excited about a trip as I am about this one. When someone asked me recently if it was a mission trip or a vacation, I wasn’t sure how to answer. It’s definitely not a mission trip, but I hadn’t really been thinking of it as a vacation either. So what is it? Our pastor came up with the perfect term. We’re going on a pilgrimage!

Pilgrimage, a journey undertaken for a religious motive. Although some pilgrims have wandered continuously with no fixed destination, pilgrims more commonly seek a specific place that has been sanctified by association with a divinity or other holy personage. (www.britannica.com)

Knowing that I’m going to stand on Mount Carmel where the prophet Elijah called down the fire of God and the Mount of Beatitudes where Jesus Christ delivered his Sermon on the Mount; enjoy a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee where Jesus calmed the storm and walked on water; float in the Dead Sea; visit Bethlehem, the birthplace of Christ, and Nazareth where he spent his childhood; pray in the Garden of Gethsemane and view the modern city of Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives almost takes my breath away. These are just a few of the highlights of our very busy itinerary!

I’ve prepared differently for this trip than for any other. For me, doing lots of research before a trip is part of the fun of traveling, but this time I’ve done less of that and a lot more spiritual preparation. On Christmas Eve, I started reading through the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John in my NKJV Chronological Study Bible. Frequently referring to the maps at the back of the book, I jotted down the various locations and what happened at each of them. I’ve read all these accounts many times before, but this is the first time I’ve specifically focused on where things happened and it has really helped tie everything together. I finished that today and will spend the next few days looking at some Old Testament references.

As always, God’s timing is impeccable. My ladies Bible study group recently started doing Beth Moore’s study, Stepping Up, on the Psalms of Ascent (Psalms 120 to 134). In ancient times, Israelite pilgrims sang these psalms as they made their way up to the holy city of Jerusalem for the three great festivals of the Jewish calendar: Passover, the Feast of Weeks and the Feast of Tabernacles. What fitting preparation for my own pilgrimage which will culminate in that very city!

Of course, when people hear where we’re going, some of them think we’re crazy. “Aren’t you afraid?” they ask. No, I can honestly say that I’m not. I’m not naive; I know what’s been happening in that part of the world, but afraid? Not in the slightest. I feel a deep sense of peace knowing that we’ll be as much in the palm of God’s hand in Israel as we are anywhere else on the planet. We are going on a guided tour though. We’ve wandered some pretty sketchy parts of Asia on our own, but I do draw the line at the Middle East. There, I want the safety of a group and a reputable tour company that has sent hundreds of people and brought them all home safely.

We’ll be staying in some pretty nice hotels where Wifi will be available, but this is the trip of a lifetime and I don’t plan to spend it sitting at a keyboard. The blog will be silent while I’m away, but I will have lots to share when we return!

What’s your purse-onality?

/ edebock / 1 Comment

Are you a big purse person or a small purse person? Do you have multiple purses for various occasions or to complement different outfits or do you have one basic bag that goes everywhere with you? Do you prefer a shoulder strap, shorter handles or a clutch? We women are as different as our handbags!

Several years ago, I tried living life as a small purse person and it worked for a little while. It had to have a built in wallet compartment though and I insist on having the hands free convenience of a shoulder strap. Shortly after we went to Japan to teach English in early 2008, the zipper on the last of those little purses wore out (possibly from trying to stuff too much into it!) and I knew I had to replace it with something bigger. During the year that we were there, our days off were like mini vacations and I needed a purse that would accommodate extras like my camera.

Of course, I also had to purchase a wallet as the new, larger purse didn’t have a built in one. Off I went to Seiyu, Japan’s version of Walmart, and found just what I was looking for at a very reasonable price. Though I’ve worn out several purses since that time, I never dreamt that I’d still be using the same wallet almost 8 years later! It’s beginning to show some wear, but I’ll likely have it for quite awhile yet.

Several months ago, I was given what I believe will be the perfect purse for traveling. It can be worn over the shoulder or cross body for extra security. I tried using it as my everyday bag (yes, though I have a couple of  little evening purses, I’m pretty much a one bag goes everywhere girl), but it was actually TOO big. I quickly tired of digging to the bottom of it to find things. I’ll soon be taking it on a long awaited trip though. In addition to the usual items found in my purse, it will handily carry my camera, sunscreen, sunglasses and a scarf. Those (especially the last item) are hints to where I’m going. Can you guess?

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the travel purse

I don’t know how gals who carry teeny, tiny clutches do it. I seem to carry my life in my purse! I found my present one, made of genuine leather, for less than $25 at a Boxing Week sale. (That’s our Canadian equivalent to America’s Black Friday sales and begins on Boxing Day, December 26.) It’s a mid-sized bag with lots of handy compartments. It seems a wee bit cramped right now but that won’t last. When I get everything loaded onto the new smart phone that I was given for Christmas, I’ll no longer need to carry an address book, a calendar or the electronic Bible/dictionary that has gone everywhere with me for many years.

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for everyday

So, what else is usually found in my purse? Keys, notebook, pen, chequebook, bowling score cards, a mini folder full of rewards cards from a wide variety of stores, a packet of tissues, a reusable shopping bag, hand lotion, lip balm, nail clippers, emery board, a tiny pair of folding scissors (I’ll have to remember to leave those out when I switch to the travel purse so that I don’t lose them going through airline security), medications, a cloth for cleaning glasses, bandaids and safety pins (after all, I was a Mom and a school teacher for a lot of years!), and a spare pair of earrings for those days when I’m out and about and discover that I forgot to put any on. I also carry a travel toothbrush and a tiny tube of toothpaste. After surgery to remove a cancerous tumour from one of my main salivary glands followed by 6 weeks of radiation to my neck and jaw in 2014, I’m supposed to brush my teeth every time I eat. I hate having to brush in public washrooms, but it’s a small price to pay for hopefully keeping my teeth!

What do you carry in your purse?

What’s your purse-onality?