My friend Janet spotted and called this abandoned home amongst the brilliant Fall foliage to my attention on our walk at #ChristmasintheWoods yesterday. More to come later on our fun day, but thought I’d share this for my daily #wwMc (Walk with My Camera) photo today. Happy Sunday!
I couldn’t believe it when I spotted these dandelion blooms on my walk yesterday! Dandelions typically bloom here in early Summer. What are they doing amongst the fallen leaves of Autumn?
It reminded me (like oh so many things) of a song 🙂
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
This week’s Weekly Photo Challenge is Refraction.
The instructions said: For this photo challenge, show us what “refraction” means to you. It could be an image taken in a reflective surface, it could be light bent from behind an object, or it could mean remedial math homework.
So can you tell what this is?
Some of you might recognize it from this post.
I thought this photo pretty much embodied refraction of light in reflection and the way it is ‘bent’ in the ripples of water behind our boat from the sunset on the lake.
And even if it doesn’t, I kinda like this photo, and it brings back memories of this lovely evening. 🙂
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
My handsome walking buddy/best friend, Mikey – wwMc – Walk with my Camera
This photo I took yesterday coming home from our walk reminded me of this song and this show.
I used to love watching “The Courtship of Eddie’s Father.”
I forgot how profound it was!
“Sumthin’ always keeps sneakin’ in there,” says Eddie.
Boy – can I relate! 🙂
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Standing out in the Crowd – Perfection in Imperfection wwMc9 – Click to enlarge
On my walk yesterday, this leaf stood out so boldly among the others. It was an unseasonably warm 80 degrees F October afternoon, but the sky was filled with fast-moving clouds and the warm wind was whirling the leaves all around Mikey and me. This leaf with its vibrant color and curvy shape laying on the fallen tree just spoke of perfection in it’s imperfection to me.
And does anyone else see the little face in the bark staring at the leaf and it’s eye reflecting the orange glow? Or do I just have a really wacky imagination?! I can’t take my eyes off “him.”
Yep – these are the things I notice on A Walk with My Camera #wwMc – at life in between.
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Spider Web, Conneaut Lake, PA
This spider web caught my eye on my early Sunday morning walk down to the lake.
The thick and heavy morning dew dangled precariously in droplets that would soon disappear on the delicate threads of this web that daintily makes its home between the fence post pickets.
It reminds me of the fragility of life and the crazy webs we so often weave.
I love that having my camera with me causes me to take special notice of things I might otherwise overlook and nudges me to ponder deep and reflective thoughts.
Photography is so much more than just taking pictures. It’s about observing life, sharing unique views (literally and figuratively), evoking emotions… It is art.
I dream of being an artist of life.
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
I made some Snickerdoodles this past weekend to take along to Krautfest. They are such a simple, old-fashioned cookie, but one that folks seem to really love.
Every time I bake these, I think of my friend, Janet and her sweet mom. Before them, I had never heard of Snickerdoodles. I recall visiting one day, and their house smelled so cinnamony wonderful with these fresh-baked treats cooling on the kitchen table. I can remember tasting my first one and loving it. They are a bit crispy and crunchy on the outside and tender and chewy on the inside. Nobody in my family had ever baked these – not even Grandma, but they have become one of our family’s favorites. I have passed this recipe on to my daughter-in-law, Colleen, who has begun making them too.
The nice thing about Snickerdoodles is you can make them in a pinch as you typically have everything you need on hand. They can also be made pretty quickly, as this is one dough that really doesn’t need refrigerated before baking like I usually prefer to do. I think because shortening makes for a firmer dough – but if there is someone out there that knows more about this than me, I hope you will offer your feedback.
Snickerdoodles
1 ½ cups sugar
½ cup butter, soft
½ cup butter Crisco shortening
2 eggs
3 cups flour
2 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
¼ cup sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
Makes 4 dozen cookies
My cookie secrets include: Always add a little extra flour (included in this recipe), underbake, bake on well-seasoned baking stones, use electric oven.
ENJOY!
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
My WordPress friend, Barbara at Silver in the Barn, has been encouraging me to join in on the fun at the WordPress Daily Post Photo Challenge. Feeling a bit intimidated to enter my extremely amateur photos, I’m stepping out and just doing it.
This week’s challenge theme is Dreamy: A misty morning, your handsome spouse, your grandmother’s house that’s also your elementary school and the Eiffel Tower — this week, show us something dreamy.
Well – after waking up early Sunday morning at Conneaut Lake after Saturday’s Krautfest, I couldn’t resist taking a walk down to the lake and snapping some photos of the “dreamy” fog while the sun was trying to break through for what ended up to be a gorgeous Fall day. I’m so glad I captured this, because it didn’t last long. I sat on the dock and got a very cold and wet bum, but it was such a dreamy few moments as I remembered the day before, thought about the day to come (celebrating my oldest son’s birthday), and simply cherishing the moment.
My “walk with my camera” (#wwMc) sure led me to a dreamy place for this week’s challenge. And interestingly, as I look at this photo, I want to mention it was not taken in black and white or edited as such, this is the natural shot “in color.” It was that foggy, and taking the shot into the sunrise created the silhouettes. Not sure what all the technical terms are. I’ll be learning some day….
Thanks for the nudge, Barbara. You’ve been such a great encourager all along. I truly appreciate you. (check out her awesome blog and photos!)
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
It was an absolutely gorgeous Fall weekend, and a great one for the Annual Brugnoli Krautfest Party! What a joy to be a part of the amazing festivities.
You may be thinking to yourself – “What the heck is a Krautfest?”
Our family has a long-running tradition of making homemade saurkraut, and our amazing Joyce and Rob know how to turn a “chore” into a party!
So about 40-50 family members and friends ranging in ages from 2 to 82 got together on Saturday with 600 pounds of cabbage and made a party out of making kraut!
Join me through a pictorial journey of the wonderful day.
It started with cutting…
then chopping and slicing and dicing…
Marty used his grandfather’s 100-year old cabbage cutter and embraced the heritage of using something today his grandfather used in exactly the same way all those years ago.
and new generations learned the tradition.
there were measurers and salters…
Then lots and lots of pounding and stomping and smooshing and smashing.
There was food galore!
One of my favorite treats of the day were these Reuben Pierogies! We sauteed potato and cheese pierogies in butter until browned, then layered with a slice of pastrami, swiss cheese, picked purple cabbage, and a small dollop of Thousand Island Dressing.
Warm soft pretzels were served with homemade mustard and cheese sauces.
We also had Parmesan Ranch Crusted Pierogies and Buffalo Hot Sauce Pierogies.
There was pumpkin painting,
There were games…
Zip-lining and Swinging
Friendship, Hugs, and Laughs
Delicious cocktails – my favorite was the Bourbon Apple Cider with Rosemary Sprig!
We ate halushki, halupkis, pork and saurkraut, kielbassi, german potato salad, cheese polenta with homemade sauce. Oh the delicousness!!
We sang!
The saurkraut is divided up evenly between all the crocks and buckets to send home with each family…
to wait – and taste test – and wait some more – remembering the special memories we created and looking forward to enjoying the fruits of our labor throughout the year.
It was a BOOtiful day! Thanks Joyce and Rob for your amazing hospitality. We love you dearly!
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
A daisy among the colorful Fall leaves – trying to hang on for just a little bit longer to Summer – the season it loves.
the creative life in between 