From Gospel to Life - From Life to Gospel

Wednesday, May 25

2011-05-25T19:57:00.000-07:00

I spent what I expected to be a very stormy day working from home. The hostas are completely open now and still very lovely with their ridged leaves.

Now I'm caught up, for the first time in nearly two months!

Tuesday, May 24

2011-05-25T19:56:00.000-07:00

Even with the backlight not working on the Canon, I can see the LCD well enough to do some composition. We had a good ride even with cool temperatures and a fairly strong wind (nothing compared with Sunday, though).

Monday, May 23

2011-05-25T19:55:00.000-07:00

I tried playing with some of the wind-blown plants in the garden, but liked this blue false indigo by the back of the garage better.

May 16 through May 22

2011-05-25T19:53:00.000-07:00

Monday, May 16

Street light and shadows outside Woodman's food store in North Aurora.

Tuesday, May 17

Our BIG group of cyclists. Unfortunately, this was the last night my little Canon SD870IS worked correctly - the next night, I discovered the backlight was out. Probably a loose connection after carrying it on the bike.

Wednesday, May 18

Our group pulls out onto a busy street.

Thursday, May 19

These lily-shaped tulips are beautiful even when they're a bit past their prime.

Friday, May 20

Having company from out of town made a good reason to visit the Arboretum. Here, a whimsical crocheted "lichen" covers a tree.

Saturday, May 21

My dear friend and National Vice Minister Elaine gives us words of advice at the end of our triennial visitation.

Sunday, May 22

You'd think I would've taken pictures on our bike ride (58 miles in very strong winds) but I didn't take my (now broken) camera. So the orange cat gets his picture taken again.

May 9 through May 15

2011-05-25T19:35:00.000-07:00

Driving home at dusk from shopping with nothing much in mind, I stopped on the Wilson St. bridge over the Fox River and framed the river through its bars.

Tuesday, May 10

One of our fellow cyclists, ready to roll.

Wednesday, May 11

Oops - no picture! I really thought I took at least one...but I was getting ready to go out of town the following day, and I guess I didn't take one at the bike club meeting. Oh well, I almost missed other days, and this one was a complete accident.

Thursday, May 12

At Our Lady of the Snows Shrine in Belleville, IL, for the National Formation Workshop of the Secular Franciscan Order.

Friday, May 13

At the spot where Our Lady of Guadalupe is honored.

Saturday, May 14

Jesus waiting for the little children in the play area.

Sunday, May 15

Evening, back home.

May 2 through May 8

2011-05-25T18:55:00.000-07:00

Monday, May 2

Buds opening can be dramatic when silhouetted against the sky. Not too bad for a gray evening!

Tuesday, May 3

The drizzle started as I was putting my bike in the car to go out for the club ride. I hoped it would stop, so I drove on to our meeting point. No such luck - rained out.

Wednesday, May 4

A MUCH nicer evening for a bike ride - and a beautiful sky at dusk.

Thursday, May 5

An oddity seen alongside the highway.

Friday, May 6

Another of the spring beauties in our yard - the serviceberry.

Saturday, May 7

I was looking for something to photograph in the short time between a morning at our Franciscan candidates' retreat and leaving for a friend's 90th birthday celebration. I found it in the unfurling hostas in front of the house.

Sunday, May 8

I was VERY glad I had a camera with me on our bike ride when Dave brought me to this beautiful garden! What a gorgeous place.

April 25 through May 1

2011-05-25T18:49:00.000-07:00

Monday, April 25

Waiting for the train to get by, with no real prospect for "good" pictures...so I played with the moving train.

Tuesday, April 26

Back to the industrial park where I photographed the flags in the wind - a good place to view the late afternoon sky.

Wednesday, April 27

Another late-night, last-minute photo, of the orange cat doing one of his favorite things, leaning on a human.

Thursday, April 28

Back to the park on the hill, for a sunset over the basketball court.

Friday, April 29

My Franciscan fraternity went on retreat to Cardinal Stritch Retreat Center in Mundelein, IL. I don't know who this is, but a photo of the stained glass in the chapel, before it got too dark, seemed appropriate.

Saturday, April 30

It was a beautiful day despite high winds. When I set out to walk around the lake, I quickly met this doe.

Sunday, May 1

On a final walk around the grounds, I enjoyed seeing the morning sun through the bright green spring leaves.

April 18 through Easter Sunday, April 24 - Holy Week

2011-05-25T18:43:00.000-07:00

Monday, April 18

Continuing last week's theme, here are buds opening.

Tuesday, April 19

Back to cats...hard to get more comfortable than Krissy is here.

Wednesday, April 20

Now THIS was a last minute effort. I was actually in bed when I realized I hadn't taken a picture. This is simply the street lights through the fancy glass of the front door. One shot and back to bed!

Thursday, April 21

It's no wonder people with allergies have so much trouble in the spring. Never mind the tulips and daffodils, the trees are loaded with blooms (and pollen).

Good Friday, April 22

Taken before the evening Good Friday service started, the grainy image suits the bare church just fine. The Easter Triduum was a time when I very much remembered my mother and her last days.

Holy Saturday, April 23

From the somber to the silly - this is a real street sign.

Easter Sunday, April 24

Nature celebrates new life as we celebrate Christ's resurrection!

April 11 through 17

2011-05-25T18:36:00.000-07:00

Monday, April 11

I stopped at a park on a hill on the way home to get a good view of the sky.

Tuesday, April 12

It was getting VERY dark by the time we got back from our evening ride. This was taken on a pedestrian/bike bridge over the Fox River.

Wednesday, April 13

This time I turned to our garden - a reliable source of photos, especially in spring.

Thursday, April 14

I was very surprised to find that my office mate decorated the office for my birthday! It reminded me of days long ago when we moved decorations from my office to the offices of other team members with April birthdays. It was very nice.

Friday, April 15

Herrick Lake in the rain...with ducks.

Saturday, April 16

This colorful spring leaf is on the parrotia "bush"/small tree in front of our house.

Sunday, April 17

I love the change from bare branches to small leaves! This is a variety of willow.

April 4 through 10 - starting to catch up

2011-05-25T18:28:00.000-07:00

While I have continued taking pictures each day, I haven't had much time for making posts in nearly two months! That's partly because cycling season is taking hold, but also because I've just been really, really busy. I'm going to start catching up a week at a time.

Monday, April 4

I was looking for something after work and found this in the industrial park near our house.

Tuesday, April 5

Left far behind by some of the other riders (who took off far faster than the rated B-C pace of the ride).

Wednesday, April 6

Dave was riding around before the club ride started from Leroy Oakes Forest Preserve.

Thursday, April 7

I took a picture of the very small flowers of the vernal witch hazel after dark.

Friday, April 8

This was after an evening ride on a Friday night. Only a few of us went out because it was quite cold. The flash lights up our reflective clothing quite well.

Saturday, April 9

We saw this toad while waiting for more ambitious riders to climb a steep hill.

Sunday, April 10

Ready to ride! (I guess this means that when I have a limited number of ideas, Dave gets photographed if the cats don't.)

Sunday, April 3

2011-04-04T16:51:00.002-07:00

Branches against the sky work even when the sky isn't very pretty. This bur oak had plenty of branches!

Saturday, April 2

2011-04-04T16:51:00.000-07:00

I was very busy Saturday and didn't spend much time thinking about or seeking photographic subjects. I finally went for a walk at the dead end of twilight. I like the way the jet overhead turned saucer-like with the long exposure.

Friday, April 1

2011-04-04T16:50:00.000-07:00

It pays to be watching for possible photo ops even when you don't have a camera handy. I noticed these stem galls while walking a week ago, and even on a windy, overcast afternoon, eventually this one stayed still long enough for a nice shot.

Thursday, March 31

2011-04-04T16:49:00.000-07:00

I decided that my best bet for photography was to take a detour on the way home and visit the cave along the Fox River at the Red Oak Nature Center (a park we bike through regularly, but don't stop to see the cave). The cave is very small, but would provide shelter as long as you're willing to crawl in. The limestone in the golden late afternoon sun, though, was very nice.

Wednesday, March 30

2011-04-04T16:47:00.001-07:00

I just posted these to the wrong blog - OUCH.
Anyway, Dave is on the left and we were all waiting to start the Wednesday evening bike ride.

Tuesday, March 29 - sunset

2011-03-29T19:12:00.000-07:00

After bicycling this evening, I wound up following the sunset instead of going straight home. I hastened to the first place I could get a good look, then wound up stopping again at the spot above. Absolutely gorgeous, between the sunset colors and the bars of cloud in the sky. No one photo captured it all. I am so glad I was out there to see it.

March 28 - Herrick Lake

2011-03-28T18:26:00.001-07:00

I included a similar photo shot at the same place in my Lenten photo series in 2009. I just like the patterns of the logs and the reflections in the water.

March 27 - cat togetherness

2011-03-28T18:25:00.001-07:00

Considering that we weren't sure Krissy (black & white) would ever accept the orange cat when we brought him in...it was nice to see them peacefully coexisting close together in the sun.

Saturday, March 26 - profession

2011-03-28T18:24:00.001-07:00

We had two new members make their lifetime profession in the Secular Franciscan Order on Saturday. I love this stained glass window at St. Patrick's Church on Crane Road.

March 25 - another architectural pattern

2011-03-28T18:23:00.001-07:00

Last week was largely gray, gloomy, and COLD. At least the sun was out on Friday. I liked the reflections in the windows over the entrance to yet another logistics warehouse.

March 24 - at the Westin Hotel Yorktown

2011-03-28T18:22:00.000-07:00

I went to a talk after work, and was looking for something in the hotel lobby that would work for a photo. This "wall of water" was interesting, and I decided I liked my own reflection in the wall.

March 23 - architectural abstract

2011-03-28T18:21:00.000-07:00

Yes, this is part of a building - one of those big logistics warehouses, in fact.

March 22 - river at night

2011-03-28T18:20:00.000-07:00

I was coming home from the grocery store and wondering what I would find to photograph. I decided that stopping by the river for a couple of minutes would work. I think it worked fine.

Monday, March 21 - another day, another ride

2011-03-21T18:34:00.000-07:00

The weather was good today and it's going to be rainy tomorrow, so I went for a bike ride on my own today (and pushed harder than I did last week when I went out alone). As you can see, other than the bike trail, some parts of the river look pretty wild (at least when the islands obscure the houses on the other side).

Sunday, March 20 - spring and hail

2011-03-21T18:33:00.000-07:00

I was at a meeting in Crystal Lake on Sunday afternoon, and we had three episodes of hail. It was hard to walk when I got outside - as you can see, there was a LOT of hail.

I saw my first crocuses of the year...beaten down by the hail. That would probably have been a better photo, but this is what I got.

When I got home, the weather was just fine - we'd had rain before I left but it had cleared up. What a difference 30 miles can make.

Saturday, March 19

2011-03-21T18:31:00.000-07:00

Saturday was a beautiful day, but I had meetings and was busy and didn't get anywhere that inspired me to take a picture. So this tree at VERY late twilight worked for me. (At least this year I am taking some photos of tree branches - I always enjoy seeing them, and this blog certainly demonstrates that they are as easy subjects for me as cats are.)

Friday, March 18

2011-03-21T18:29:00.000-07:00

On the way home Friday, the best thing I could see was the neat cloud formations. I stopped in a subdivision where I thought I could get a good view and snapped a couple of pictures. The guy in his driveway on the cul-de-sac probably wondered what I was doing.

Thursday, March 17

2011-03-21T18:28:00.000-07:00

The Thursday night club rides are usually too fast for me, but I figured it would be OK at the start of the season. It was tough (especially with hills!) but it was good. There is a huge difference between how hard I push myself on my own and how hard I push when I'm trying to keep up with other people.

Wednesday, March 16

2011-03-21T18:27:00.000-07:00

It was a nice evening and no club ride, so we went for a walk down by the river. This is along the riverwalk next to the dam.

Tuesday, March 15 - first club ride of the season

2011-03-21T18:26:00.000-07:00

The Fox Valley Bicycle and Ski Club has its official bicycling season from the start of daylight saving time to the end. Tuesday night, two days after we set the clocks ahead, was our first evening ride of the season (and just barely warm enough - the normal cutoff is 40 degrees and it was barely that to start). As you can see, people were bundled up for the occasion.

Monday, March 14

2011-03-21T18:24:00.000-07:00

I had to go to a meeting about an hour's drive away Monday night. I hadn't taken a picture yet and was sort of watching as I drove. The sky was gorgeous for the first few minutes when I reached my destination - I was glad I was a few minutes early. What beauty!

Sunday, March 13, 2011 - first bike ride of the year

2011-03-21T18:22:00.000-07:00

Catching up on postings after a busy week...biking season has begun, plus I had plenty to do over the weekend (oh, and work too). A week ago Sunday, Dave was still recovering from the flu, but it was a nice day and I got out on the Fox River Trail and rode up to St. Charles and back - about 15 miles before I got through, which I thought was a good start (even if it was pretty slow).

Saturday, March 12, 2011

2011-03-12T16:40:00.000-08:00

Another gray, gloomy day...so I sought inspiration in my china cabinet. A glass paperweight, a pewter flower-shaped bowl, and sidelighting from an LED flashlight, and voila.

Friday, March 11, 2011

2011-03-12T10:33:00.000-08:00

Looking forward to daylight saving time and fewer nights when I'm near offices in the dark...

Thursday, March 10, 2011

2011-03-12T10:32:00.001-08:00

Taken while stopped at a traffic light.

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

2011-03-12T10:31:00.000-08:00

The presentation at the Fox Valley Bicycle and Ski Club for this month.

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

2011-03-12T10:30:00.000-08:00

This odd photo (which I kind of like) is the result of not getting around to doing ANYTHING until late. I used a flashlight through a cut glass vase to shine a pattern on the wall, then photographed the wall. I had the camera on my GorillaPod (no hands free for anything else) and used LiveView (which I rarely use on my DSLR) to set up the picture. Desperation for a subject? Yes...and didn't spend a lot of time on it. But at least I did try some different techniques.

Monday, March 7

2011-03-10T20:29:00.001-08:00

I'm ready for spring and bicycling weather...anyone else?

Sunday, March 6, 2011

2011-03-07T11:48:00.000-08:00

On this day, I was privileged to attend the 25th anniversary of the establishment of Living Water Korean Fraternity of the Secular Franciscan Order. The members processed into church carrying the various candles you see above, placed around a statue of St. Francis. The significance is that all these unique individuals, represented by the candles, are one in their fraternal desire to follow Christ more closely through the example of St. Francis. Beautiful.

Saturday, March 5, 2011

2011-03-07T11:46:00.000-08:00

We had a day of reflection on the Admonitions of St. Francis of Assisi on Saturday, presented by Fr. Chuck Faso, OFM. Here is a moment in action.

We were each given an admonition at random to reflect on. I had Admonition 22:

XXII. THE FRIVOLOUS AND TALKATIVE RELIGIOUS
1. Blessed is the servant who, when he speaks, does not reveal everything about himself in the hope of receiving a reward, and who is not quick to speak (cf. Prv. 29:20), but wisely weighs what he should say and how he should reply. 2. Woe to that religious who does not keep in his heart the good things the Lord reveals to him (cf. Lk. 2:19, 51) and who does not manifest them to others by his actions, but rather seeks to make such good things known by his words. 3. He thereby receives his reward (cf. Mt. 6:2, 16) while those who listen to him carry away but little fruit.

My important takeaways from this were: 1) Think before you speak (something I am not always good at) and 2) If someone has done good for me (thereby showing me the love of God), I should learn from that and do likewise to others.

Friday, March 4, 2011

2011-03-07T11:42:00.000-08:00

The rain/snow Friday night made this tree sparkle in the street lights...more beautiful than the picture captures, but worth remembering anyway.

Thursday, March 3, 2011

2011-03-07T11:41:00.000-08:00

It was gloomy (after a couple of nice days) and I didn't have a lot of ideas...so trying the "headlight/taillight" trick again was as good as it got.

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

2011-03-07T11:39:00.000-08:00

Similar to the Tuesday picture, but a little earlier, very much in "golden hour" light. I took a detour on the way home from work to find a high spot where I could photograph the sky...with a tree, of course.

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

2011-03-07T11:38:00.000-08:00

On the way to the bike club walk (next to last for the season, next week we RIDE!) I saw how beautifully the sky was lighting up. I also love the form of trees in winter...so here are both together.

Monday, February 28

2011-02-28T16:23:00.000-08:00

We had an ice storm Sunday night. It was challenging to crack enough ice off the car to go to work this morning! Unfortunately, I went to work before the sun came out and turned everything sparkly. However, I got home in time to realize that the sunset was being captured in the ice on the heptacodium...and had time to play with different camera settings and capture it. This is my favorite because it's very clear that the sun is showing in the ice drops.

Sunday, February 27

2011-02-27T18:22:00.000-08:00

I should have taken another shot of this cake before I started eating it (to turn down the flash), but it's nice to have a picture memory of a special dessert at our favorite restaurant, Giordano's in St. Charles, customized for us by a special waitress who has become a special friend.

Saturday, February 26

2011-02-27T18:19:00.000-08:00

It was snowing off and on yesterday, which made some of the plants look pretty over at Mayslake Village.

Friday, February 25

2011-02-27T18:17:00.000-08:00

Krissy was very comfortable on her perch when I went to get the camera. Of course, once I turned on the camera and aimed it at her, she woke up and started grooming. So, I decided to make the best of it.

February 24, 2011

2011-02-24T18:32:00.000-08:00

No ideas today - gray overcast weather - and tired of using the cats as a last resort. So the night scene (with the porch light on) through the fancy glass in the front door seemed like an OK choice.

Feb. 23, 2011 - Art exhibit

2011-02-24T18:31:00.000-08:00

This is our friend Gingie Noe at a reception for an exhibit of her paintings at Kishwaukee College. I don't remember the exact title of the painting (which she said was her favorite) but the idea is "Going Home." All of us heading for the light...

February 22 - out for a walk

2011-02-24T18:29:00.000-08:00

This passing car on Rt. 64 in St. Charles was taken before the weekly Fox Valley Bicycle and Ski club winter evening walk. So, I got my photo AND some badly needed exercise.

Monday, February 21

2011-02-21T19:19:00.000-08:00

The "old cat" (Krissy, on left) is getting more used to being around the "new cat". It's also close to dinner time and Krissy isn't likely to leave when there's food involved.

Sunday, February 20

2011-02-21T19:18:00.000-08:00

Sunday was rainy and dreary, and I was busy all day. Finding a place for a photo just involved shooting from behind the wheel (yes, as you can see, the light was red).

Feb. 19, 2011

2011-02-21T19:17:00.000-08:00

I went for a walk Saturday morning, and thought this ice abstract was quite artistic. I was walking by a pond when there was a big cracking sound and the ice settled. I'm glad I was there!

Feb. 18, 2011

2011-02-21T19:16:00.000-08:00

Now THERE's a comfortable cat.

Feb. 17, 2011

2011-02-21T19:15:00.000-08:00

I got home too late for anything but a picture of less snow. The snowbank closest to the camera was a wall taller than me after the blizzard! (See earlier photos...)

Feb. 16, 2011 - the thaw

2011-02-21T19:14:00.000-08:00

It wasn't a pretty day...but it was (comparatively) WARM. It's amazing how fast all that snow melted!

Feb. 15, 2011

2011-02-21T19:13:00.000-08:00

It's been a week since I posted the last photo...but at least I've taken photos every day since then!

Valentine's Day 2011

2011-02-14T19:12:00.000-08:00

Chocolate cherry cake...the best thing I learned to make in microwave cooking classes back in the early 80's. A box of cake mix, a can of cherry pie filling, 1/2 cup of sour cream, and 2 eggs...mix, put in a microwaveable bundt pan, cover with plastic wrap, elevate on a plate in the micro and cook for 12-14 minutes (modern high-powered microwaves would be at 12 minutes or slightly less). Take it out of the microwave, uncover, and rest on the counter for another 10 minutes before taking it out of the pan. Once I switched to a silicone bundt pan, there were no more worries about the cake sticking (and do NOT grease the pan). Obviously I like frosting (from a can). Quick, easy, and GOOD.

Happy Valentine's Day!

February 13, 2011

2011-02-14T18:42:00.001-08:00

It was well above freezing and a nice afternoon for a walk...at least with waterproof shoes on, since some of the sidewalks were more like wading pools. This view down by the river really appealed to me.

February 12, 2011

2011-02-14T18:41:00.000-08:00

I noticed the poinsettias at Mass on Saturday evening before I figured out that they were probably in honor of Valentine's Day (they certainly weren't left over from Christmas).

Friday, February 11

2011-02-11T18:17:00.000-08:00

After several days of sunshine that encouraged outdoor photos, today was much warmer but overcast. (When a morning temperature of 7F is 20 degrees warmer than the morning before, it means something!) So, it's back to cat pictures for the day.

Thursday, February 10

2011-02-11T18:15:00.000-08:00

The Fox Valley Bicycle and Ski Club worked at the Northern Illinois Food Bank last night. We packed 260 or so boxes and sorted through donated bread, discarding breads more than 2 days out of code and boxing the rest. It's good to work as a team, especially when you're helping others.

Wednesday, February 9

2011-02-11T18:12:00.001-08:00

When I saw this hanging off the building while on a walk, I wondered what it had looked like a week earlier, right after the blizzard.

Tuesday, February 8

2011-02-11T18:11:00.001-08:00

The start of another stretch of bitterly cold weather...but the sun shining through the trees was beautiful (from indoors).

Monday, February 7

2011-02-11T18:10:00.000-08:00

I have to say that the blizzard made winter more photogenic, at least for me. Also, I'm getting to work when it's still the "golden hour" and the light and shadows on the snow are very appealing. It's nice to take some photos in DAYLIGHT.

Sunday, February 6

2011-02-11T18:09:00.000-08:00

Last Sunday was a gray and gloomy day. The most interesting thing I saw was in an Asian supermarket we were browsing. "Vermont" and "Curry" don't go together in MY mind...but apparently they do here. (No, I didn't buy any - if it had said "mild" I might have tried it.)

February 5...ready for a thaw

2011-02-05T09:07:00.000-08:00

The ice sculpture formed from the willow bush and our overflowing gutters is quite impressive again. This time I wimped out and photographed it from the comfort of the kitchen window.

February 4 - another view of snow

2011-02-05T09:06:00.000-08:00

Saw this from the 2nd floor walkway between buildings and liked it. Yes, this is a bench.

February 3...still plenty of snow

2011-02-05T09:05:00.000-08:00

A different viewpoint (5th floor of a building) but still plenty of windblown snow patterns to enjoy. (This is much easier to enjoy from INDOORS looking OUT than it would've been the other way around, especially as we had subzero temperatures Thursday morning.) I didn't have trouble getting to work on Thursday, but we live on a main street. Many people were still snowed in.

February 2, 2011 - Aftermath of the blizzard

2011-02-02T17:28:00.000-08:00

As long as the large swaths of wind-blown snow were pretty, I thought I'd pick a more "artistic" picture for today's blog. This reminded me of the lines in the sandstone in Utah. For more photos of the storm, go to http://www.klickfamily.com/vickie/BlizzardOf2011/

February 1, 2011 - the blizzard of 2011

2011-02-02T16:31:00.000-08:00

The big blizzard started here about 2PM. It got much worse at night, with winds gusting to 50 mph and even some thunder and lightning! What a good night (and day) to be indoors. We were grateful that we COULD be home before the storm started.

January 31

2011-01-31T18:50:00.000-08:00

I've managed to take at least one photo a day for a whole month now. This is another "one shot" day.

January 30 - out at Johnson's Mound

2011-01-31T18:49:00.000-08:00

We joined the Fox Valley Bicycle and Ski Club for a winter outing at Johnson's Mound Forest Preserve yesterday. This was taken while I was snowshoeing for the first time.

January 29

2011-01-31T18:48:00.000-08:00

Krissy doesn't want to share her food with anyone, but Mousey is OK.

January 28

2011-01-31T18:47:00.001-08:00

I think this one is self explanatory.

January 27

2011-01-31T18:46:00.000-08:00

Most days I'm not getting around to pictures until evening. This day, I saw what I wanted when I got in the car to go to work - before wiping the snow from the windshield. This is the elm in our front yard through the snow.

January 26 - Ultra Foods

2011-01-31T18:45:00.000-08:00

This was a "one shot" day. We went grocery shopping and then out to dinner. This shelf of aloe drinks (!!) is what caught my eye.

January 25, 2011

2011-01-25T19:19:00.000-08:00

After the bike club's walk this evening, I stopped at a park beside the Fox River to see if I could take a reasonable picture. While I couldn't hold the camera still enough for the 1 second exposure this told me I needed, I kind of liked the vertical lines that resulted.

January 24, 2011

2011-01-25T19:17:00.000-08:00

As long as I was going outside to get the latest layer of snow off the driveway, I figured I'd take the camera with me and see what I could find. Shadows are nice when the leaves are off the trees and bushes.

Sunday, January 23

2011-01-23T16:07:00.000-08:00

Some melting today after frigid weather...and our gutters are frozen, so we're getting water over the side and ice sculptures on our bushes. It's not good for the bushes (or the gutters!) but it is pretty and sparkly. We had sun today too, which is great.

Saturday, January 22

2011-01-23T16:05:00.000-08:00

After shoveling the light snow yesterday morning, I was headed for my Secular Franciscan fraternity meeting...and saw this chunk of snow on the sidewalk shaped very much like the Franciscan Tau cross. Yes, it's from my boots...but it still looks like a Tau.

Friday, January 21

2011-01-23T16:04:00.000-08:00

At this time of year, any sign of lengthening daylight is a GOOD thing. When my workdays always end after dark, it's pretty depressing. While I was still at work when I took this sunset picture over the "new" building (now almost 13 years old), at least it was near the end of the workday AND there was still some light. Hoping for spring...

January 20, 2011

2011-01-20T19:28:00.000-08:00

This crystal water lily was illuminated from the side with a small LED flashlight. (Maybe I get a point for trying a different lighting technique...)

January 19, 2011 - cat closeness

2011-01-20T19:26:00.000-08:00

When we got home from taking the orange cat (OC for short) to the vet last night, he wanted to be close to Krissy more than he wanted food! Krissy, on the other hand, wanted to eat more than she wanted to get away from OC. So...tails were touching (though only for as long as it took for Krissy to satisfy her initial hunger).

January 18, 2011

2011-01-18T18:23:00.000-08:00

A variation on the theme from Saturday - this time taken outdoors. I think all the little marks in the snow are from birds. I liked the minimalist effect of the snow-covered rock and the twigs with the marked-up snow.

January 17, 2011 - ice and snow

2011-01-18T18:22:00.000-08:00

This odd-looking picture is actually a street light taken through my windshield while rain/sleet was sliding down the windshield. I took several of these while waiting in the parking lot across the street from our home while Dave worked to get the driveway passable (both for a car and for humans). None of the pictures I tried look as interesting as I had hoped, but it was at least an experiment (and got me to pay some attention to my surroundings, which is part of the point of photography for me).

Sunday, January 16

2011-01-16T18:55:00.000-08:00

I was hoping to find a subject in daylight today, but it was dreary and not too promising outdoors. I walked into St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church in Crystal Lake and the first thing I noticed was this bright stained glass window. Problem solved.

Saturday, January 15: Footprints

2011-01-16T18:54:00.000-08:00

Late Saturday afternoon when I still hadn't found a subject to photograph, I looked out of our bedroom window and saw various footprints in the snow. This took a fair amount of post-processing to look the way I wanted it to, but it worked. (No, I don't know what made the prints.)

Catching up on posts: January 14, 2011

2011-01-16T18:51:00.000-08:00

I've managed a picture a day for a couple of weeks, but posting them is another issue. This relaxed cat was Friday night's subject.

January 13, 2011 - Northern Illinois Food Bank

2011-01-13T19:30:00.000-08:00

Spent the evening with other members of the bike club at the Northern Illinois Food Bank in St. Charles, packing boxes like this for senior citizens. The club only volunteers in the winter months when we can't ride, but it's a good thing to do any time.

I will always associate this activity with the first time Dave volunteered...November 11, the day we knew that Mom was dying. It was good that he could be with other people and working on something worthwhile that night.

January 12, 2011 (posted a day late)

2011-01-13T19:27:00.000-08:00

This was taken outside the Batavia Public Library before I went in for the Fox Valley Bicycle and Ski Club meeting. I expected the church to look much brighter than it did.

On to today's photo.

January 11, 2011 - snowy Tuesday

2011-01-11T19:56:00.000-08:00

Not really a bad day here, weather-wise - the 3-5 inches of snow predicted was pretty much 3 inches of light snow at our house, and when I hear about the snowfalls in the South, we got off VERY easy. I have a fondness for milkweed pods (I went crazy photographing them with my first digital camera, late one afternoon when the light was just right) so the snow on the pods seemed like a natural choice. So far, it's a novelty for me to be able to photograph something in daylight (even with heavy overcast). I'll look forward to spring for that.

January 10, 2011

2011-01-10T19:36:00.000-08:00

It's been a busy day and a busy evening, so the cats get photographed again. As you can see, the orange cat is NOT on the bed (he's actually on the top step of the cat stairs) and Krissy is on the bed and about as far away from him as she can get. However, it's QUIET (mostly) which is a huge improvement for Krissy.

Sunday, January 9 - Epiphany party on the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord

2011-01-10T19:35:00.000-08:00

We had a party the way Secular Franciscans do it - with Mass and then lots of good food! Nice way to spend a Sunday afternoon in January.

January 8, 2011

2011-01-09T07:18:00.000-08:00

This is a drive-by photo of some of the remaining Christmas lights - a lovely display of snowflakes. This one is significant not because of the quality of the picture, but because Dave really encouraged me to take this (even to the point of driving by a second time so I could be prepared and on the right side of the car). I don't always share my goals with him because I think he may see them as unimportant or silly...but it's good that I told him I was trying to take a picture a day this year, because he IS helping, suggesting photo ops, etc. (I did take some other photos on Saturday the 8th, but all things considered, I liked this one the best.)

January 7, 2011 - patterns

2011-01-07T20:41:00.000-08:00

This is just part of a piece of electrical equipment (maybe a heat sink). I saw it in passing and liked the pattern.

A lot of my life is spent looking for patterns. In my work, I look for patterns of behavior to identify problems with the systems we develop. In the rest of my life, I look for patterns, too. Today I was thinking about the times I've said yes to various challenges presented to me - often situations where I see no alternative but to deal with the challenge, where others see that "no" is an option. I've accepted my second major job change in less than six months now - that's one kind of challenge. The more important ones, to me, are the difficult personal situations such as dealing with Mom's illness, or planning my father-in-law's homecoming when we had 24 hours to get everything ready for a bedridden person. Sometimes, particularly in the workplace, I wonder if I am too willing to say yes where I am told I'm needed; at home, I feel good about 'showing up' in these difficult situations - even if 'showing up' is often all I'm capable of. I know God puts me in these situations for a reason! For today, I'm content to recognize that I have said yes many times when it was important - all the times I've said no can wait.

January 6, 2011 - Epiphany

2011-01-06T18:56:00.000-08:00

I've been putting off using the orange cat for my daily photo, but obviously I ran out of nighttime photo ops fairly quickly. This is a stray that we were feeding outdoors for several months before Dave brought him into the garage when the nights got too cold. Krissy is having to learn to deal with him...slowly.
I've really wanted to have another cat, but Krissy is so afraid that we didn't see how she would accept another cat, even though she's also lonely when we're both at work. This cat is so gentle and easygoing, he may be the ONE cat that will eventually get Krissy to accept him. What are the chances the right cat would show up at the right time? I'm grateful.

January 5, 2011 - New opportunities

2011-01-05T18:02:00.000-08:00

Today I accepted a new assignment at work (which doesn't start until after we meet the deadline for what I'm doing now). It will be my second new assignment in six months - after working on the same project for six years before that. It's a really good match for my experience and I think it will be a positive change.

I'm continuing to struggle with balance now that I'm back to work. Photography was literally out the window - the car window, while I was waiting at a light, going to the vet's for medicine. At least one out of ten was reasonably interesting. I guess having to find time for everything does mean I am forced to try "nontraditional" photo opportunities like this. I didn't manage much exercise today - just 10 minutes of walking. I'm still sore from Monday's 15 minute workout! So go the resolutions...such as they are. Fortunately, I promised when I became a Secular Franciscan to pray morning and evening, so at least THAT stays.

January 4, 2011 - Jury duty

2011-01-04T20:08:00.000-08:00

Spent the day at the county judicial center for jury duty. Despite the fact that it was a VERY cold day, we bundled up tonight and went to the bike club's evening walk - counting the leader, there were three of us tonight. Once we were moving, it really wasn't bad (at least not with the layers I was wearing). When we got back from the walk, I decided I liked the look of the sculpture at the entrance to the St. Charles Library. So here it is.