Chasing the moon....

Earlier tonight I took my dog for a ride.

As we backed out of the drive way, I noticed this incredible full moon.

I didn't have my camera with me,

but I chased the moon turning this corner and that corner so that I could see it from different angles.

I swear, this is the biggest moon I've seen in a long while.

When I got home I got my tripod out and I took it and my camera outside to shoot the moon.

I played with various apertures and shutter speeds and two different lenses.

I got a couple of double vision moons that I think look kind of cool.

My husband doesn't like the double moon because it's not perfect.

But I think that's what I like about it.

It makes it more interesting to me.

I like a little imperfection now and then.

But then, I got a shot with more detail and more perfection but the sky around it is so dark.

It seems a little bland to me.

There's one that glows and is almost a double exposure and it is surrounded by clouds.

That is my favorite.

Which one do you like?

I really do like this last one.

It's as if the clouds are ready to swallow it up.

I'm Back and Out of My Funk and Excited To Be Blogging Again

I've been in this funk lately where I haven't been interested in doing anything.

I haven't blogged in a couple of  weeks.

I haven't even been playing with my camera since the scavenger hunt.

I think I just needed a break.

As some of you may know,

 I joined Curves awhile back and I have been quite busy at the gym

working out four days a week.

It's not that I am overweight or anything like that but I am out of shape

and much too soft.

I am pleased to say that I've already lost a total of 4 1/2 inches just in February.

I love competition and this month at the gym we are having a contest

for the most inches lost, most dedicated, most weight lost, etc.

So, I signed up and I am going to work my tail off to lose more inches.

Pun Intended.

Speaking of competions.......

I finally entered some of my photos in the print competition this month

and one of my prints one a third place ribbon.

Even though it scored high enough for a blue ribbon

there were other photographers who scored the same amount of points

and so when the judges scored for placement mine ended up third.

I am extremely excited about this and I did so much better than I anticipated.

I was scared and almost embarrassed to enter my photos when I saw how outstanding some of the others were.

But I faced my fear and just did it.

I am so proud of myself.

The funny thing is......

The burro was my least favorite picture that I entered.

My favorite entry is the one that scored the least amount of points.

The good thing is that I did not score below a 22 on any of my prints.

I think I may be bragging just a little bit.

Forgive me if my head gets too big.

The photo I entered in the Club Challenge Category "The Road Ahead" Scored pretty well also.

The highest score you can get is 27.

Even though I scored well, I still did not get a ribbon because there were just too many entrants with a score of 25, 24 and 23.

I am not disappointed though.

And then my final photo scored a 22 which I am stil very grateful.

I really was quite surprised that I did so well.

I am thinking if I had cropped those tree branches before submitting this,

It would have scored a little higher.  This photo is actually my favorite.

This month was a record setter for amount of prints entered.

There were a total of 107 prints entered. 

Amazing, isn't it?

Okay, so now I'm off to go read all of my favorite blogs because I don't want any of you to think

that I have forgotten about you and that I haven't been thinking about you and wondering what you've all been doing and how you are.  I think about each and every one of you every single day.

That is the truth.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Photo Scavenger Hunt

My Camera Club had its first field trip of the year on Saturday.  It was a scavenger hunt.  In order to participate, we were required to bring an empty memory card which was then tagged with a unique number and then we were given a list of ten items.  The rules stated that all images had to be taken on Saturday, Feb. 13th on the marked card and not removed from the marked card.  No cropping, no editing allowed.  We had until 5:00 pm to complete the scavenger hunt.  We could take as many photos of the items as we wanted, however, when we turned in our memory card, it could only have ten images.  That meant if we took several photos of an item on the list, we had to delete the extra images.  The winner will receive a gift and images will be judged on quality, creativity, composition and the best interpretation of the items on the list.  The purpose of the field trip is to teach us to expose properly in camera, to realize that there are photos everywhere and to think a bit outside the box.

This assignment was much more challenging than I anticipated.  It wasn't a challenge to find the items, but it was quite challenging taking a photo that was tight.  I guess I am so accustomed to cropping that I don't really think about getting a tight image in camera.  So, I took over 200 photos and to be honest I wasn't overly thrilled with any of them but I had to delete two hundred photos before turning my card in.  It wasn't easy choosing but without further ado, here is the list of items and my photos I took.

Be sure to click on the images to ENLARGE your viewing experience.

1.) White Cross

2.)  Welcome Sign

3.)  Statue of a horse

4.)  Water Feature

5.)  Ornamental Iron

6.)  Star

7.)  Arch

8.)  Flag (s)

9.)  Chocolate

10.)  Playing

The guy in the last photo was kind enough to pose for me.  The band was still setting up getting ready to play but  wasn't scheduled to start until 4:30 which meant we didn't have time to stick around.

I really like how the horse statue and the water feature turned out as well as this last photo.  The cross and the welcome sign were the first photos I took and I don't like them at all but at least I completed the assignment.  It took us about four and half hours to complete.

Today, I celebrate my love for my sister.

Cheryl and JarieLyn

Happy Valentine's Day, Sister.

I love you.

You are never far from my thoughts.

In fact, you are there every single day and I am reminded how much you mean to me.

Always and Forever

You are my one and only sister.

The one person who understands all my secret signs and body language.

You are the only person in this world

who I believe would come to my rescue

and I would do the same for you.

You are the best.

Love always,

your big sis,

JarieLyn

Liquid Table Setting

Mmm Mmm Good

This is what I made for dinner last night and it really was delicious.

It's so easy to make.

I call it Spicy Steak and Peppers Pita.

It looks like a fajita and it basically has the same ingredients but it has a different taste to it.

These are the ingredients I used for this dish.

2 green bell peppers diced

2 red bell peppers diced

1 large red onion diced

2 cloves garlic diced extra small

Steak (I cheated.  I used seasoned steak strips from Costco that are fully cooked)

White pepper

Red Pepper Flakes

Provolone Cheese

Whole Wheat Pita Bread

Saute' the peppers and onions in 1-2 Tbsp. of olive oil on medium high heat until soft.

Sprinkle with white pepper and red pepper flakes

I like mine spicy so I don't measure I just sprinkle over the whole dish.

add garlic and steak strips and saute another 5-6 minutes

stirring occasionally so that it doesn't stick.

Lay whole wheat pita on a plate and add provolone cheese to it.

Microwave for about 15 seconds to melt the cheese and warm the bread.

Add steak and peppers and fold like a taco.

Eat and enjoy.

Mmm Mmm Good.

The thing about bell peppers, onions and garlic is that these three ingredients can create a variety of tasty dishes that are completely different from one another and it's very healthy too.

The other night I made my own version of kung pao chicken using the above as my main ingredients. I added a few more items such as water chestnuts, green onions, red pepper flakes, chili peppers, kung pao sauce from Panda Express, chicken.  I then put this over steamed brown rice and presto, another healthy tasty dish.

I always use those three ingredients when I make spaghetti too and I always use whole wheat spaghetti.

You can't tell the difference and it's much better for you.

What kind of dish can you make with bell peppers, onions and garlic?

I'd love some new recipes.

Photo Shopped

This is a photo I took of a wall decal.

I edited it in photo shop and this is the look that satisfied me.

I love art.

I love wine.

I love black and white.

I'm feeling much better today.

The clouds are still hovering but I do see the sunshine peeking through.

Thanks to all my blogging friends who left encouraging comments.

I appreciate you all so much and you really do make my days brighter.

I'm a little behind in reading your blogs but I will get to them.

That's a promise, because when I don't read your blogs or view your photos

I am truly missing out on knowing your joy,

seeing through your eyes,

learning something new,

gaining perspective,

feeling inspiration,

nourishing my soul,

feeding my brain,

warming my heart.

Yes, your blogs do all that for me on a daily basis.

Who would have thought?

Not me.

Lost

This photo conveys how I feel inside at the moment.

Use your imagination.

If you're thinking it, I'm probably feeling it.

Friday Town Shoot Out: Circles

This theme presented me with inspiration everywhere.  I didn't want to stop shooting.  I saw circles around every corner.  The most difficult thing about this theme is choosing which photos to post because I have a lot.  I narrowed it down but I'm still posting quite a few photos so I hope you all enjoy seeing circles through my eyes.  I'm starting out with the Radio Shack logo because it's an R inside a circle.  Perfect.  It also represents the first letter of my last name.  There couldn't have been a better omen if I had been seeking one.

Oh, and don't forget to click on the photos to enlarge the image, especially on the cropped photos
and the photo of the moon.  You really can't tell how bright it is until you enlarge the image.

That moon last week exuded such a perfect glowing circle.  It was so bright .

I zoomed in with my telephoto lens and it about blinded me.

See for yourself.

An interesting jewlery holder

One of my favorite things to do is tour model homes.

I think it is so much fun and it's also great for inspiration and creativity.

The next few photos are from one of my tours.

Monday I drove to Pahrump, Nevada for wine tasting.

The following photos are from my trip.

The first photo is from the winery and the other photos are from the restaurant where I had lunch.

Chocolate, Cherry and Pistachio Spimoni

And in my favorite boutique where I met up with my friend Gail...

I found lots of circles in my house.

But I'll just show you a few.

Pardon the dust.  I'm lazy when it comes to that job.

This week I have not been motivated to cook.

Tonight, I brought home a pizza.

Does that mean that it defeats the purpose of my work out today? 

Hmmm.

Oh well, I won't take myself down that guilt trip.

I've got better places to go.

Yummy.

Click on this link if you'd like to see more circles and/or add a link that leads to your blog to participate.

Check out the Friday Town Shoot Out main page to learn more about this group.

I appreciate you stopping by.

Mucho Gracias.

Friendly Generation Gap

Gail is one of my best friends.

She is twenty five years older than I am and looks fabulous at seventy years old.

I met her when she worked at the District Courthouse.

We hit it off right away and I worked my schedule so that we could have lunch together every day.

She's been retired now for five years and lives about an hour away

but that hasn't been a deterrent for our friendship.

We keep in touch regularly through e-mail, phone, and personal visits.

So, the other day when I went wine tasting in Pahrump,

I couldn't leave town without contacting my dear friend.

We met each other at our favorite gift shop in Pahrump and started taking photos.

Snapping photos is just one of the many things we have in common.

Gail loves to have her picture taken.

She is quite the extrovert and loves to be the center of attention without being conceited or self-centered.

She knows how to have fun.

She has lived more since being retired than while she was working.

She dances with the Silver Tappers,

a group of tap dancers for senior citizens who perform all over the State of Nevada.

She makes jewlery and every time I see her she has a gift for me.

She likes to drink wine with me and we always have the most juicy conversations.

She's also very much in love with my husband and she calls him her dreamboat.

I'm not jealous though.

She is one smart cookie and I am blessed to have her as my friend.

The above photo is courtesy of my friend Gayla.

ILLUMINATE

Tommasino's Restaurant in Pahrump, NV

This is where I had lunch yesterday