Analía and I played Scrabble at least twice a week over vacation. We usually drink mate while we play, and we play for a couple hours at a time. We’re pretty even when it comes to who has won the most games.
I had three “I” tiles for a couple of frustrating turns during this one game. Personally, I think they really need to add a hyphen piece to the game, because then I could have played this over a triple word score and beaten Ani so bad… if only…
We had flaky weather for all three days of the camp; it would go from clouds pouring down over the sun to it blazing out from behind them. Also, I think that mud was a camp theme, along with Love.
I want to remember everyone as enthusiastic and together as in this photo.
One of the women who does a lot with fundraising and publicity for the school offered to print, mat, and professionally frame two of my photographs for an auction at an art fair that’s coming up later this month. Wow! It’s been pretty fun. And I feel a bit spoiled.
Anyway, here are the two photographs that will be raffled off, along with the paragraphs I wrote for them. I think I enjoyed the writing as much as taking the photos.
This photograph captures a part of Buenos Aires that is veryspecial, but also sadly mysterious, to me. The window of the house you see here is the one just across the street from my abuelo’s home in Santos Lugares. I feel that the wall, the shadows, the curtain and the shutters are all so characteristic of that area and time. In short, this photo resonates with me because of a notion of the place that I have in my mind. But sometimes I wonder: what is behind the curtain? Who closes the shutters at night? What kinds of lives are lived within those walls? I suppose those are things only the cat in this photograph will know.
Dad finally fixed the back tire of my bicycle. It had sat, unused, for about six months after we had already settled into our new home in San Fernando, the grime from the shipping container left on itundisturbed. I spent about forty-five minutes washing the dustand scrubbing the rust off the steel and chrome parts of the bikethat afternoon he repaired it. It was summer and pleasantly warm. I enjoyed the cool water spilling from the hose over my toes andthe effort I put into making the bicycle shine again. I stepped back, satisfied with my work and could not wait for the next beautiful day, to coast down the street with the sun on my shoulders and a summer breeze at my back.
Filed under Cat, Home, Just a Post, Random
That’s it. I’m finally going to do it. I’m going to stop being so finicky with these photo sharing sites–uploading all my “nice” ones to one and then the “best” ones to another and having multiple copies floating around.
I’m just going to archive all my photos on Flickr.
I’m not a “hard blogger.” (If I was, this is where I’d give my top 10 reasons for choosing Flickr as my photo-sharing service.) So you’ll just have to be content with me leaving this little update as it is.
Beware of outdated links as time goes on. I’ll try to keep the site tidy as I do this. It is a major project, however, and as things are I’m a little preoccupied. But having to deal with two photo sites is a waste of time too.
Peace out.
Filed under Just a Post
So, Zooomr moved their servers from the States to Japan a little less than a month ago. They’re still working out the kinks and waiting for everything to arrive. It’s understandable–that’s a major project to undertake, moving all that information. That’s why some of the photos on my blog aren’t showing up. I haven’t taken them down, they’re just somewhere between the U.S. and Japan.
As you can tell, I haven’t posted any new photos for a while. The reason is that I want to showcase the older photos before I start with all my new ones. Once Zooomr is back on its feet, I’ll have quite a lot to do.
In the meantime, I have a post about tripods (and my lack of one) in the works. So, watch for that. And if it doesn’t appear within two weeks, send me an email prompting me to stop procrastinating.
Chau, and enjoy your week!
Filed under Just a Post
I just love this little set of dandelion photos I took when Rachel came over one day. It was spring. I had on my favorite sweater. The yard was full of plump, puffy dandelions. The afternoon was one of fresh air, sweet friends, and good conversation. Even if I did believe in wishing on dandelions, there was nothing I would have wished for–except maybe that these good times would go on forever.
But you know what, I’m glad that life is the way it is. Sometimes, life is like spring: a time of growth, warmth, flowers, and sunshine. Sometimes, it’s miserable. My hope is not in the past, present, or future; my dreams are not wrapped up in time. Jesus is Lord over it all–and that’s not just wishful thinking.
I absolutely love this photo of Natalia and Claire from one of the family get-togethers. They both look so beautiful. I mean, they both are–all those kids are just precious.
Claire especially loves Natalia. She always takes her by the hand and asks to be pushed on the swings. Natalia always happily obliges. I thought they looked so sweet, sitting together with Claire on Nati’s lap, the light shining in through the glass patio windows–the perfect picture moment.
I’m going to miss these asados, these wonderful times of hanging out with family and good friends. I’m going to miss these people!
After more than two months without internet, I am finally (though almost reluctantly…) back. The good news is that I have piles of new photographs that I can actually do something with now that I’m back online.
So, about this photo: These are blossoms from our peach tree in spring. I feel that looking out a window and seeing a natural display of colors, life, and beauty is one of the many–but most–pleasing things in this world. Seeing the peach tree was like that: the most perfect and lovely shades of pink; whole, delicately shaped petals–all arranged in a most marvelous display.
I think Joyce Kilmer expressed it better in his poem “Trees.” The first and last couplets are my favorites. (Emphasis added by me.)
I THINK that I shall never see
A poem so lovely as a tree.A tree whose hungry mouth is prest
Against the sweet earth’s flowing breast;A tree that looks at God all day
And lifts her leafy arms to pray;A tree that may in summer wear
A nest of robins in her hair;Upon whose bosom snow has lain;
Who intimately lives with rain.Poems are made by fools like me,
But only God can make a tree.
I apologize for not posting for such a long time–the internet in our house has been down for over a month now. It was hard to get accustomed to not having the internet at my fingertips all the time, but I guess I’m doing alright now. I do wish it was back so I could get my homework done more conveniently, however, I am enjoying the hiatus.
Just in case you’re wondering, the photo is of our old, scruffy Chasy, curled up in the living room while the rest of us go about our evening work.
Filed under Dog, Family, Home, Just a Post, Random
A smile of amusement was brought to my lips a few minutes ago when I saw that someone had gotten to this blog by searching for “BIBLE VERSES ON PHOTOGRAPHY”.
I’m afraid I must inform everyone that the Bible does not mention photography seeing as how cameras (in the most primitive sense of the word) were not invented until around the 11th century.
I suppose some people cite the second commandment in Exodus 20:4-6
“Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.”
to mean that photos and statues are taboo. However, reading the next part of the passage we see in relation to them that “Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them.” We, obviously, should not worship photos or what they depict–God is Creator and we are His creation. However, we don’t make idols and worship them today (at least, in the same sense that ancient Pagan cultures did) and I think that photography (in the normal sense of taking photos, preserving memories, etc…) is just fine with God. If there was all of the sudden a movement to worship photography and having a camera and worshiping photos (however silly that sounds) became a temptation for Christians, things might be different.
I think that God delights in beauty–He is, after all, the inventor of Beauty. And I think He delights in seeing us use the talents he has given us. In my opinion, the skill of taking photos and depicting things in the beautiful way that photography allows us to do is just like any other talent: it can either be used for God’s glory, or not.
Filed under Just a Post, Random
Good Times 
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