Christmas Waning

Celebrating 31 days of Christmas.

As the Christmas lights fade, a new year is about to begin.

Away in a Manger

O Tannenbaum

Celebrating 31 days of Christmas.

I Didn't Peek...Honest

Celebrating 31 days of Christmas.

Getting some more use out of my Epson V600.

Romeo, the Christmas Elf

Celebrating 31 days of Christmas.

Advent

Celebrating 31 days of Christmas.

An Event for Everyone

8-12 There were sheepherders camping in the neighborhood. They had set night watches over their sheep. Suddenly, God’s angel stood among them and God’s glory blazed around them. They were terrified. The angel said, “Don’t be afraid. I’m here to announce a great and joyful event that is meant for everybody, worldwide: A Savior has just been born in David’s town, a Savior who is Messiah and Master. This is what you’re to look for: a baby wrapped in a blanket and lying in a manger.”

13-14 At once the angel was joined by a huge angelic choir singing God’s praises:
Glory to God in the heavenly heights,
 Peace to all men and women on earth who please him.

15-18 As the angel choir withdrew into heaven, the sheepherders talked it over. “Let’s get over to Bethlehem as fast as we can and see for ourselves what God has revealed to us.” They left, running, and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger. Seeing was believing. They told everyone they met what the angels had said about this child. All who heard the sheepherders were impressed.

19-20 Mary kept all these things to herself, holding them dear, deep within herself. The sheepherders returned and let loose, glorifying and praising God for everything they had heard and seen. It turned out exactly the way they’d been told!

Bible verses courtesy of Bible Gateway.

Celebrating 31 days of Christmas.

Christmas Oinker

Celebrating 31 days of Christmas.

Festive Tree

Celebrating 31 days of Christmas.

Humble Magus Kneeling

Celebrating 31 days of Christmas.

Mesmerizing Christmas Present

Celebrating 31 days of Christmas.

Happy Face

Celebrating 31 days of Christmas.

Baby's First Christmas

Celebrating 31 days of Christmas.


Techie Corner
This was a very impromptu shot at a family Christmas gathering tonight.  I probably would have tried harder to get a more formal shot if I had realized how pretty the down-lighting would look.

She was actually sitting on a sofa with people on either side of her.  No photoshopping was done to hide the sides or background – it was all done with lighting from my on-camera flash being bounced to the ceiling and back down again.

Angels We Have Heard on High

Celebrating 31 days of Christmas.

Christmas Decorating 1972

Celebrating 31 days of Christmas.

Getting some use out of my Epson V600's photo scanning abilities.  Print wasn't in the best shape.

Bows and Peppermints

Celebrating 31 days of Christmas.

Joy

Celebrating 31 days of Christmas.

Step into Christmas

Celebrating 31 days of Christmas.

All is Calm, All is Bright

Celebrating 31 days of Christmas.

Christmas Light Drive

Celebrating 31 days of Christmas.

A Salute to Mom at Christmas

Celebrating 31 days of Christmas.

Five years ago today we had the biggest blizzard in the Cities since the Halloween Blizzard of '91.  When it was all said and done, over 16 inches had fallen, with drifts up to 24 inches.

At the peak of the blizzard was my mom's funeral.

Our little church family was a real tight-knit group that day.  The pianist got stuck in the alley at home.  We sent my now-husband to go get her in his 4WD truck.

The men were on shovel patrol, which was a full-time job.  The snow just didn't stop!

My relatives came down from Fargo/Moorhead and Little Falls to be there.  By the grace of God they made it there and back in one piece.  Although my oldest niece and her husband got stuck a couple blocks away and had to trudge through the drifts to get to the church.

And my mom, well, she was late to her own funeral.  The hearse kept getting stuck.  They finally got to the church, but when they tried to pull around the corner, the hearse got stuck in the middle of the intersection.  A jerk in a Hummer came barreling up the street and started honking like crazy.  The hearse driver (usually the stoic type, right?) gets out and starts yelling at the jerk.

And me?  I laughed.  And laughed and laughed and laughed.  After everything that happened in the last month of  my mom's life, I so needed that.   I'm sure she was laughing in heaven as she would definitely find the humor in it too.

The day was wild and crazy and wacky – just like my mom.  Merry Christmas, mom.  I love you.

Berry Christmas

Celebrating 31 days of Christmas.

Christmas Circa 1958

Celebrating 31 days of Christmas.

Digging through my mom's negatives again.  Scanned with my Epson V600.

Believe

Celebrating 31 days of Christmas.

Rustic Charm

Celebrating 31 days of Christmas

Angel Bear

Celebrating 31 days of Christmas

Christmas Cookies

Celebrating 31 days of Christmas.

NOEL

Celebrating 31 days of Christmas.

Hark! The Herald Angels Sing

Celebrating 31 days of Christmas.

Christmases at Grandma's House

My 800th blog happens to fall during my 31 days of Christmas challenge.

What better way to commemorate a milestone blog than to reminisce about childhood Christmases.

Even though my last Christmas with grandma was 1982, I still remember the sights, sounds and smells.

Driving up to Grandma's on Christmas Eve and staying overnight in the tiny attic.  Stumbling down the stairs Christmas morning - red kitchen radio playing, bacon frying, coffee percolating on the stove, cookie jar that looks like a school house, turkey in the oven, kitchen table and chairs that look like scrambled eggs.  Presents.  Christmas dinner.  Long ride home.

This is me at grandma's house, scanned with my Epson V600 from a photo.

31 Days of Christmas

Today begins my second annual month of "Christmasy" blogs.

Back in 1977, KFC was giving away these lovely candles during the month of December.

Living the High Life

I have no idea who these people are.  But I think the guy in the middle thinks he's hot stuff.  It's all about the socks.

Scanned this from some of my mom's color negs and stylized it.

Storms Arriving Shortly

No Extra Cost

This is an image I took with a film camera over 20 years ago.  Digitized and highly processed, I tried to give it a postcard feel.  I could envision this being sold in the Machine Shed's gift shop.

The 50s in Color

Color images weren't all that common in the 1950s.  This wedding had one roll of color slides added to the mix.  I'm sure the slides cost a mint!

More experimenting with my Epson V600.

Smoosh

Slight Chance of Rain

Trying out my Epson V600 negative scanner again.

Lick

When all else fails...CATS.

Perception

Are you seeing what you think you're seeing?  Are you sure?

From a trip to the Franconia Sculpture Park in 2007.

View from a Water Taxi

I heard on the radio the other day that there was an accidental fire in the John Hancock Center in downtown Chicago, which made me think back to the last time I was in the area, which was 2007.

I pulled up images from that time, which included this view from a Chicago Water Taxi ride through the canals.  I updated the image, stylized it, and changed it to black and white to emphasize lines and structure.

Move! That! Bus!

I originally took this image in 2009 during the taping of a home reveal for Extreme Makeover Home Edition.

I was feeling nostalgic today and decided to update and stylize it.

You can read more about that eventful day in my original blog post.

Sliver Moon

Spudlings

This is the shot I was planning last night.   After my Spudling Surprise, I got down to business and set up my lighting the way I had wanted in the first place.

What a difference lighting makes!  Feel, mood and texture totally transformed from last night's blog pic.

Spudling Surprise

Fingerling potatoes in a vase, you say?  Sure, why not.  But where is the surprise?

The surprise was on me.  I realized after I hit the button on my first shot that my flash was not on.  I look at mistakes anyway because sometimes I'm pleased with the result, as was the case here.

Tomorrow I think I'll post one I took with flash.  I like both versions!

Wazzup

Shadows in the Light

Frowny Face

Blink

Basic Flesh

A throwback to the days of film and dust and spotting prints.  Lots of prints.  Thousands and thousands of prints.  I am not joking nor exaggerating.

Anyone in the biz who was a spotter had their own palette of inks on the back of a discarded photograph.  I still have mine!

This bottle is part of a set I acquired from a former boss when he decided to close up shop.

I thought this particular bottle would be appropriate on Friday the 13th as it sounds especially macabre.

Before the Collapse

In March of 2001, I was taking pictures of the 35W bridge over the Mississippi in downtown Minneapolis.

6 1/2 years later, this bridge would collapse into the Mississippi, killing 13 people.


Testing my new Epson V600 scanner again, as this was back in my film shooting days.