Weekly Header Challenge -- Back from Break: My Favorites

It's time for the Weekly Header Challenge!

"Headbanger" Participants

Fishing Guy 

Kathy 

Imac 

Lew

I'm joining in the group above for this weekly challenge.

Click on the other participants' blogs to see

what they've come up with!

Theme ~ Back from Break:  My Favorites

Chosen by Tom.

Happy New Year!  We Headbangers are back from Christmas break, and ready for a new year of photography adventures together.  Starting with the image I used for my header, here are some of my favorites from our time away.  These were taken on Fernando's and my driving date to see local Christmas light displays.

The above wasn't the best Christmas light display, or the nicest image in composition, but I was able to crop it nicely for my header.  My favorite Christmas light display is this one, below:

Across from that house, was this one, below, bedecked in a cascade of white lights.

And, the below is a close-up from another display.  It was such a mild day that we got out of our car several times to enjoy the lights, and in many cases, accompanying music.

This was our own "light display."

I collect snowflake ornaments and hope to have our tree covered in them.  But this Christmas, our tree also sported several leaf ornaments.  These ornaments are all actual leaves; a local artist turns them into amazing works of art, and I love them hanging on my tree.

Finally, I can't not post a food photo from our time away!  Here is one of my favorites from New Year's Day, when we had a traditional Italian meal of ravioli.  My parents celebrated with us, and my mom and I spent all afternoon making these beauties.  I messed up the recipe a bit, but the ravioli turned out yummy, so all was forgiven.

Again, Happy New Year!


Treasuring life's moments,
Christine

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Weekly Header Challenge -- Something New

It's time for the Weekly Header Challenge!

"Headbanger" Participants

Craver VII 

Fishing Guy 

Katney 

Imac 

Lew

I'm joining in the group above for this weekly challenge.

Click on the other participants' blogs to see

what they've come up with!

Theme ~ Something New

Chosen by Moi.  That's me.  :)

For this week's theme, I decided to show off my new Christmas tree ornaments.  I collect snowflake ornaments, and this year's new finds were special.  I made my first snowflake discovery in August!  I was up at the Lake as a surprise for my mom's 75th birthday, and she and I spent one day touring the Thousand Islands and Boldt Castle.  At one of the shops in Alexandria Bay, I found four tin snowflake ornaments, heavily discounted because--well, it was August.  I think my mom paid for them, too!  They're all brown and white on tin, with different patterns.  Here's the one in my header:

The next ornament I found I literally almost walked into.  After Thanksgiving, my parents, brother, Jacob, and I went to The Growing Place to pick out Christmas trees for our respective homes.  In their gift shop, I walked in and right up to a display featuring snowflake ornaments hand-crafted by a local artisan.  That went in my shopping bag!  It ended up being the only purchase that day, because when I went up to the counter to pay for my tree, the cashier told me my dad had already paid for it.  I love my family.

My final two new snowflake ornaments (I usually acquire only one per year!!) were given to me by my younger brother, Jeff, who was with us on the Christmas tree excursion.  He had heard me exclaim my love for snowflake ornaments, and how I collect them for my tree, and when he picked my name in the family grab bag gift exchange, he found a few gems to give to me.

I had wanted this post to feature something more profound, seeing that things are finally turning around for the better in our family, with employment, financial issues, etc. now starting to be resolved one by one.  However, these snowflakes remind me that family--and people, and experiences--are so much more important than things.  And when I decorate our family Christmas tree next year, I'll be able to cherish the memories of people and experiences surrounding these new gifts for my tree!


Treasuring life's moments,
Christine

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Weekly Header Challenge - E Pluribus Unum

It's time for the Weekly Header Challenge!

"Headbanger" Participants

Craver VII 

Fishing Guy 

Katney 

Imac 

Lew

I'm joining in the group above for this weekly challenge.

Click on the other participants' blogs to see

what they've come up with!

Theme ~ E Pluribus Unum

Chosen by me.  :)

First, I apologize for my late posts!  Things have been busy since Danny started back to UIC, with car schedules, train schedules, school schedules, and a host of other issues that have recently cropped up.  I wish I could take more time to work on these posts, but my creative mind is rather shot right now--and it's my own theme, too!  I just sigh and tell myself to everything there is a season...

My header image is the second one below, of a one-mile run held before the Labor Day parade a few days ago in Naperville.  Out of many runners, one race.  I wanted to stay recent with the images I chose, and since I literally just uploaded these, I chose them.  Enjoy the race!
 

The pace car--er, motorcycle.  :)

My header image.

Friends race--I love that the young girls are running!

Another friend's daughter.

That's it for this week!


Treasuring life's moments,
Christine

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Weekly Header Challenge - Holiday Preparations

It's time for the Weekly Header Challenge!

"Headbanger" Participants

Craver VII 

Fishing Guy 

Katney 

Imac 

Lew 

I'm joining in the group above for this weekly challenge.

Feel free to click on the other participants' blogs

to see what they've come up with!

Theme ~ Holiday Preparations

Simply put, we have no money to spend on Christmas this year.  This includes three major areas of celebration:  We did not purchase a Christmas tree, we are not spending money on gifts, and we are spending very little on Christmas dinner (fortunately, my mom obtained most of the needed food items and I help making it with her).  Ironically, we gave away our artificial Christmas tree last year to a needy family (we definitely don't feel bad about that!); so, there is no tree in our front window.  The small extended family grab bag in which we will be participating will include homemade gifts, and over the next few days I'll have guys in the kitchen making cookies and treats (with my help, of course!) for the people whose names they chose.

But despite all this, the true celebration of Christmas is a reality in our home--we are celebrating the fact that God sent His Son to earth to live as one of us, to show us the way to Him, and to die on a cross for our sins.  This can be celebrated without a tree, without gifts, and without a special meal if it had to come to that.  I chose my header photo from last year's images; it's part of my mom's decorations at her and Dad's home, and it reflects what this season is all about.

I bring you good news of great joy!

Decorations are always nice to help celebrate, so I used what was on hand, a few "gifts" that appeared on my front porch, and a few purchased items to make our home cheery and festive.  Here's what I did.

This "wall tree" was constructed out of tree branches Fernando and I picked up on a neighborhood walk, some spruce trimmings from a sweet neighbor's yard (she invited me to glean), a small strand of white lights for a few dollars, and my own gold and silver snowflake ornaments (I collect snowflake and icicle ornaments for our tree each year).

I made these trees with the mysterious gift of garland left on our front porch (in a bag with a bow on top), and purchased cone shapes and decorative Styrofoam balls.  They need stars, which I couldn't find at the dollar store so will be attempting to make from paper later today.  Here they are on my fireplace mantel:

The Frasier fir trimmings were from Home Depot, which collects them as they trim trees for customers, and they give them away for free.  The rest of the blue decorative balls ended up in a flower vase on the left.  I wish the candles were white, but the blue ones were free since I already had them from a clearance sale at IKEA probably a few years back.

The white decorative balls ended up in a trifle bowl I've used only once or twice with another blue pillar candle I found; all ended up on my dining room table.  The tablecloth is from a post-Christmas sale at Target years and years ago.  I think I paid $4 for it--it barely covers our super-long table but it's blue!

More Home Depot tree trimmings got tied together and draped over the clock in our front living room, above.  Then, holly garland I've had for forever got hung in its usual place in our foyer, below.

Finally, I haven't put it up (later today!), but here is a close-up from my manger:

These figurines were purchased by my Italian grandmother at a Ben Franklin store (some of you may remember that long-ago five-and-dime store!).  They are  papier-mâché and not at all expensive, but they are dear to me for the history they contain.  And they're what Christmas is all about.


Treasuring life's moments,
Christine

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Weekly Header Challenge - Thank You

It's time for the Weekly Header Challenge!

"Headbanger" Participants

Craver VII 

Fishing Guy 

Katney 

Imac 

Lew 

I'm joining in the group above for this weekly challenge.

Feel free to click on the other participants' blogs

to see what they've come up with!

Theme ~ Thank You

I wish I had one single image to portray this theme of thanksgiving!  I think this is the highest number of images I've posted for these weekly challenges, but I narrowed it down as much as I could.  I started thinking about what to be thankful for, in a year filled with Fernando's job layoff and back surgery, my own back problems, no money to spend on Christmas, and many other "bad" things that have happened.

I decided that this sunrise is a good way to show that hope does not disappoint, and that as surely as the sun rises, we are in His care.  A quote about thanksgiving in all circumstances:

Be anxious for nothing,

but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving

let your requests be made known to God.

And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension,

will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:6-7 NASB

Thank You for hope!

Thank You for my country.

Thank You for family who loves me enough to play my favorite game with me!

Thank You for autism, because You are glorified in our weaknesses.

Thank You for little and fun reminders that You care.

Thank You for a hubby who helps me build kitchen drawer organizers!

Thank You for signs of spring.

Thank You for leading and guiding my sons in their lives.

Thank You for long life for my parents for us to enjoy them!

Thank You for awesome teenagers.

Thank You for all the wonderful beginnings we celebrated this year!

Thank you for guys who help me in my garden.

Thank You for daisies in my yard.

Thank You for strong, godly sons.

Thank You for sunsets right in my own suburban back yard!

Thank You for garden strawberries that help make this possible.  ;)

Thank You for flower gardens.

Thank You for peaceful spots near home.

Thank You for technology!

Thank You for garden harvest.

Thank You for hard workers at home.

Thank You for Jacob's tree in autumn.

Thank You for my bench in my little corner of back yard.

There is so much more to be thankful for, but this sampling helps me realize I have ever so much to be thankful for!


Treasuring life's moments,
Christine

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Weekly Header Challenge - Purple

It's time for the Weekly Header Challenge!

"Headbanger" Participants

Craver VII 

Fishing Guy 

Katney 

Imac 

Lew 

I'm joining in the group above for this weekly challenge.

Feel free to click on the other participants' blogs

to see what they've come up with!

Theme ~ Purple

I didn't think I'd use this picture for my header--it's not all about purple!  But since I just took it, and since purple is a dominant feature in the rainbow (the I-ndigo and V-iolet of the ROYGBIV colors), I figured I'd feature it.  It's a reminder of God's promise to never flood the earth again.  It was especially significant this past Sunday, since these were the very storms that brought tornadoes and devastation to our nearby Illinois towns.  It was a triple rainbow for not-quite-enough-time for me to get a picture, but a double rainbow is pretty special, and I've never captured any rainbow from end to end.

Now, lest I persist with piles of paragraphs and punctuation, I present to you, dear people, my purple pictures!

Chives in bloom.

Honeybee on purple variegated beard tongue.

Jacob graduating from JJC.

Purple clematis.

Wildflower at a local park, hiding deep in the grass.

Crocus at a friend's home.

Scilla in my spring garden (it's more blue than purple).

Convocation at Western Illinois University.

Purple onion growing in my garden.

Purple fireworks (looks kinda blue, huh?).

Grape preserves canned last September--yum!

Thanks for perusing my plentiful pictures!  Perchance you'll pass this way again soon!


Treasuring life's moments,
Christine

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