Reflections V

Bratislava, Slovakia - February 2007

Reflections IV

Vienna, Austria, January 2007.

Here's Matthew

I had to share this photo with each of you, isn't Christine's baby boy just darling!!

Reflections III

Bratislava, Slovakia - February 2007

Reflections II

Taken in Bratislava, Slovakia, February 2007, near the Danube River.

Happy Birthday Dad

This is a favourite photograph of Dad & I.

Miss you Dad, some days more than others.

Reflections - A new series for the week

Bratislava, Slovakia, February 2007, near the Slavin Monument.

A nod to Lady Bird Johnson

You may have noticed the comments on the last post, Rachel (born and raised in Texas) asked if I (being Canadian) was aware of the reason for the wildflowers along the roadsides. I was able to answer a resounding yes and I thought that I would provide a bit of background information for those of you not in the know. The following information I found at this website and more information can be found here.

LADY BIRD JOHNSON (b. 1912)
Lady Bird Johnson, born Claudia Alta Taylor, was First Lady of the United States from 1963 to 1969. She spearheaded a campaign to clean up the nation's roadsides by removing litter and landscaping with native flora. Her idea became law in 1987, when the government required that federal highway funds be spent to plant native species. On her 70th birthday, in 1982, she founded the National Wildflower Research Center, a nonprofit organization dedicated to conserving and reestablishing the country's indigenous plants.

The National Wildflower Research Center is located right here in Austin, Texas.

Enjoy your Monday!!

dry shadow
under the parked white car --
spring downpour
—Jeffrey Winke

Spring comes to mind

This has been an interesting week. The weather has been cloudy, with sporadic bouts of rain all week. Scott commented today that is the longest stretch of this sort of weather that he can remember since moving here to Austin. We are not complaining, it will be blissfully remembered once the sun scorching heat sets in. The wildflowers have benefited greatly from the rain that has fallen over the past several weeks. The Texas Bluebonnets are out in full force, turning the roadsides into impromptu gardens. Along side the state flower or instead of, there are a multitude of other wildflowers about, in so many delicious shades of yellow, red, pink, yellow and orange. The trees are either blooming, leafed out or have the most delicately shaded green tinged buds on their branches, not to mention the gorgeous new growth on the evergreens. With the overcast sky one can truly appreciate the broad range of green tones in the surrounding vegetation. This is truly an awe inspiring planet we call home!!!!

Hope the weekend holds great promise for each of you.
Enjoy the journey!!!

The Play of Shadows III

The Play of Shadows III

Conservation Minded

Water seems to be on the minds of many, with Spring (at least in the Northern Hemisphere) comes thoughts and adventures into the realm of gardening, lawn care, and so much more. Sew Green is a new blog I have discovered, and this interesting blog post concerning water conservation was posted recently. Along the same lines of reusing and recycling, this artist has started salvaging gems from old jewelry and fashioning them into reclaimed wedding rings, I read about her here . Vivaterra is a favourite of mine, they have some gorgeous pieces. So many of the items are made from materials that have been reclaimed, reused or recycled in some manner. Every bit helps, so remember to do what you can.

Hope the week has been treating you well.

Enjoy the journey!

P.S. One more thing, about swiffers, although convenient they are waste mongers. Read No More Dirty Little Secrets for the particulars. I offer a reusable option, I now use an old dishcloth or rag attached to the swiffer mop head. It is something I can launder and reuse over and over again and it remains a convenient cleaning tool. Other alternatives can be found here.

Happy First Day of Spring!!!!

The Play of Shadows II

Concerning the new series of photographs, please bear in mind the differences are subtle. I enjoy the seeming undulation, or sense of movement in the shots. Today is my parent's wedding anniversary, it is still difficult to believe that as of next month it will be four years since Dad's death. His birthday is the 26th of this month (Monday), each year Karen and Scott go out for pie to celebrate and to remember. Dad loved dessert, he introduced me to the decadent pleasure of pie for breakfast (only Mom's homemade pie would do). Last year on his birthday I went for a long walk and happened upon a beautiful turtle who was out soaking up the sun. I sat there in the grass as close as I dared so as not to frighten the turtle and just marvelled at its beauty. Thoughts turned to Dad and I enjoyed the memories that randomly came to mind. I loved my Dad (always will) and miss him everyday, some more than others.

Cherish each moment.

The Play of Shadows - A New Series

The first in a new series I have entitled, A Play of Shadows. I rediscovered a group of photographs I took several months ago and thought I would share a few of them over the course of the week. I was experimenting with light and shadows and quite like the images that were created.

Enjoy the journey!

Good day to you

Scott and I had a terrific weekend, quite relaxing, but not nearly long enough. So glad that Dave and Laurie are safely back in Canada and we trust that they are settling in nicely to being home again. Easson loved the hand knit blanket we sent last week, I must remember to ask Kim to send us a photo of the wee little mite bundled up nice and snug in it. I finished my first hand knit baby sweater this weekend, just have a few stray yarn ends to weave in. I will share photos soon.

Enjoy the journey!

Love doesn't just sit there, like a stone; it has to be made, like bread, remade all the time, made new.

Ursula K. LeGuin

A special place

So another weekend is upon us, what wonderfully wacky adventures does life have in store? It is so fun to consider the possibilities. Thought I would share a couple of shots of a place that holds a special place in my heart.

Enjoy the journey!!!

frosty morning--

the foal watches its mother

nudge my pocket
—Mike Farley

Inspiring

Nick Brandt is a photographer whose work I truly admire. Check out his website, as well as here for a preview of his work. Mr. Brandt is a true inspiration. I have a copy of his book entitled On This Earth, it was a gift from a dear friend of mine. I just adore the author's dedication:

For Orla-
who I'm eternally grateful is also on this earth.

Have a terrific Wednesday and remember to make the most of each and every moment!

a patch of blue
on the scarecrow's shadow...
first crocus
--Ed Markowski

Easson is 2 months old today!!!!

Scott and I wanted to send tonnes of love to our wee wonder of a niece Easson. Has it really been 2 whole months since your arrival!?!

Limestone

Questions were asked about the photo in yesterday's post, it is in fact a rock. For those who are interested, limestone predominates here in the Austin area. Further information can be found at Wikipedia discussing the Geology of Texas, as well as the Texas Hill Country. Today I have included a closeup of yesterday's rock.

So for a bit of randomness. I can hardly wait to try this new cookie recipe, Chocolate Chip Ginger-Molasses Cookies, they sound divine.
Here is a photograph of a favourite tree I discovered in Bratislava.
Leftovers are superb, especially if the previous night's meal was a success to begin with. Last night Scott and I enjoyed hot sandwiches made with the leftover chicken and gravy, served along side the remains of the roasted potatoes and carrots - simply delicious.
The knitting project I mentioned yesterday is a blanket for Easson. Scott chose a beautiful colour (#301) of Mission Falls - 1824 Cotton yarn and it has knit up beautifully. The blanket has had the loose ends all woven in, been laundered and blocked. It is now dry and waiting to be packaged and sent on its way to the wee one.


It looks like more rain today, there are few things I love more than the sound of the falling rain. Enjoy the journey!!!

Delights

Scott and I stayed up later than usual last night enjoying Mother Nature's visual and sound performance, the first of the season. The thunder and lightning was gorgeous and the sound of the rain a soothing balm for the senses. We enjoyed a terrific roast chicken with potatoes and carrots for dinner, it was delicious. Scott remarked that it was the best tasting meal we had had in over three months. Nothing like a home cooked meal to delight the soul. Hope the weekend was most enjoyable and may the week ahead bring much joy to each of you. Last night I was finally able to finish knitting a project I have been working on for what seems like an eternity (a three month hiatus does not help). Yeah!!! All that needs to be done is to weave in all the ends of loose yarn, then wash, block and allow to dry completely. If all goes well I should have it in the post by the end of the week. I will share a few photos later in the week.

Enjoy the journey!

Spring blossoms in all their splendor

spring shower
the umbrellas
in full bloom

—Helga Härle

P.S. There are a few new photographs uploaded to our flickr account, all were taken in Bratislava last month. Enjoy the weekend!!!

Glorius Red Bud Blooms

"As for me, I know nothing else but miracles,
Whether I walk the streets of Manhattan,
Or dart my sight over the roofs of houses toward the sky,
Or wade with naked feet along the beach just in the edge of the water,
Or stand under the trees in the woods,
Or talk by day with any one I love,
Or sleep in bed at night with any one I love,
Or watch honey bees busy around the hive of a summer forenoon...
Or the wonderfulness of the sundown,
Or of stars shining so quiet and bright,
Or the exquisite delicate thin curve of the new moon in spring...
What stranger miracles are there?”

~Walt Whitman, 1819-1892

Happy Birthday Emma!!

Wishing our beautiful niece Emma, a birthday celebration full of wonder & excitement!!! Here's to another year full of love, laughter & adventure!!!

Thinking of you on your special day.

Sending tonnes of love,

Scott & Melanie

oxoxxo

yesterday

Inspired by this I baked a batch of peanut butter cookies in the afternoon. There is nothing more delectable than eating cookies still warm from the oven. I am so enjoying having a fully equipped kitchen to prepare our meals in. I have been trying a few new to me recipes and must admit the roasted cauliflower soup we had last evening was delicious.
I read about The Kitchen Diaries by Nigel Slater recently here and was most intrigued. The copy I ordered arrived in the post yesterday and I had a wonderful time reading through the first few chapters last night before bed. I should think it will provide a tremendous amount of inspiration in the months to come. The mailbox was full of goodies yesterday, our wonderful and ever so thoughtful cousin Emily sent me a parcel. Thanks so much Em, I truly appreciate your kind and generous spirit. Speaking of Emily, she has recently ventured into Blog Land and you can read all about her pursuits here.
It is another gorgeous Spring day in Austin and I am looking forward to enjoying a hike this afternoon. There are so many plants emerging from their winter respite, budding and blooming, some more exuberant and showy than others but beautiful nonetheless. Spring is such a marvel, remember to take in all that she has to offer. For those in climes still in the grips of Winter, don't lose hope, Spring is on its way.
Enjoy the journey!!!


thunder--
the new lambs press against
their mothers' bellies
--Sue Stanford

“A man finds room in the few square inches of the face for the traits of all his ancestors; for the expression of all his history, and his wants.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Lunar Eclipse

Here are some great shots I found on flickr:

Eclipse Collage
5, 4, 3, 2, 1, black!
Bijna 0.00 uur

The red buds and dogwoods are blooming here in Austin. What a gorgeous sight they are! I will see if I can take some decent photographs this week to share their beauty with each of you. Hope the weekend was most enjoyable and that the week ahead proves to be a memorable one.

Enjoy the journey!

candlelit church
all the shadows
mine
~Petar Tchouhov

New photos on flickr!!!

To enjoy at your leisure, we have uploaded new photos that were taken in Bratislava during the month of February.

Enjoy the weekend!

Fridays hold such promise

Love this photo.
This recipe sounds delicious, as does this salad and bruschetta !
I am really inspired by The Space In Between project, port2port creates gorgeous letterpress pieces, her most recent works are orchids.
I adore Ashley Goldberg's work, especially this.
Wishing everyone a fabulous weekend.
Enjoy the journey!

crossing the stream
on the next stepping-stone
a tiny frog
~Patricia Prime

P.S. I love the play of light and shadow in the following photos, found by way of simply photo:

commuting
independent shadow

Hello There March!!!

Hopefully I am on the road to recovery, definitely feeling better than I was over the past two and half days, still not great though. Just have to take things nice and slow. I am so looking forward to being healthy again. So needless to say the suitcases remain packed and there are a tonne of things that need to be tended to. Fresh air, clean laundry and I will be doing some extensive surface cleaning today, just to be on the safe side. Is it just me or did the past couple of months just fly by? Can it be March already?! Scott and I are looking forward to catching up with everyone over the next couple of weeks. We have missed each and everyone of you.

This is a great photo!!

Enjoy the journey.