Rise and shine and enjoy the day!
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Weekly Photo Challenge
The Tracks of My Tears
Photo by Nick McKinney
In the car the other day, I asked my son, Nick, if we could stop for a few minutes along the railroad tracks and take a few photos.
I’m always thinking there is a good photo there and have tried a few times, but have never been completely happy with what I’ve taken.
When we stopped and got out of the car, Nick proposed a challenge: We each take five photos, and then we’ll see who gets the best one.
After literally laying on the road and standing guard for each other to warn of approaching cars, Nick took the prize with this photo I am sharing today.
I love the different perspective he found… I love that he turned the camera to portrait, which I rarely think to do…. I love the blur in the distance, but also the way the lines draw you to the “dreamy, mysterious” distance…. I love the blur of the smooth track and the detail in the rusty fasteners and am fascinated with how this simple hardware design creates the track that holds a train in line…
And I love that this photo and the memory created in those few short moments brings to mind an oldie but goodie song, The Tracks of My Tears … as I smile… and my eyes tear up with pride.
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Beauty in the Blur
As I walked around to the “other side of the house” this past weekend basking in the sunshine and warmth and hope of what’s to come, I noticed how the sun was hitting these dried up pods on the Rose of Sharon bush.
I focused in on the pods and “bokehed” out the background giving it a blur.
Soon these brown pods will turn green and then purple with a bounty of beautiful flowers.
Little bursts of Spring are surely beginning to pop up around here in Mars.
Open your “blurry” eyes this Monday and take it all in!
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
This week’s WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge is Blur: Find beauty in the blur.
Enjoy an EGGcellent Easter!
The anticipation is over – time to dive in.
To brightly colored eggs…
and yummy sweet treats!
And could anything make me smile more than receiving this photo texted to me yesterday of these two cuties making “Jodi’s” Candbury Mini Egg Blondies and decorating it with my name?!??!!
I am truly blessed! Thank you Mason and Ella! ❤
Wishing you all blessings and joy and the anticipation of Easter Eggs YOUR favorite way!
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Is it You?
Is it you come to visit my sweet beloved Star?
Does your spirit fleetingly flutter from oh so afar?
Are you happy, and can you tell me if it is really true?
Is eternity the beautiful place they say we go to?
I miss your bright eyes, your warm heart, your infectious laughter.
I dream you’re with Grandpap dancing happily ever after.
Please guide me and show me the best way to be
your legacy, my hero, my matriarch, my cherished destiny.
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Cardinals have long been believed to represent a loved one who has passed. It is said that when you see one, it means your loved one is visiting you, and they usually show up when you most need them or miss them. I have recently come to appreciate the delicate beauty of the female cardinal with her delicate coloring. The bright red males get most of the attention, but I’m partial to these beauties.
This short poem is written in honor of my beloved Grandma Stella, my star; and this photo I took Saturday morning from our master bath window of Mrs.Cardinal briefly sitting in the dormant Rose of Sharon bush is being shared as part of the WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge: Ephemeral.
If only these walls could talk
If only these walls could talk,
What stories would they tell?
What secrets do they hold?
What challenges have they seen?
What joy did they provide?
What future will they meet?
I was driving through a local park recently and practically slammed on my car brakes when I spied this old structure out of the corner of my eye. I had my camera with me and had to stop and photograph it.
Wishing you moments that stop you in your tracks today!
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
This is my submission for this week’s WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge: Walls.
Roasted Caramelized Garlic Carrots
Are you often looking for new ways to prepare and serve veggies? I’ve got another delicious, nutritious orange food for you today. This time in the form of beautiful, fresh roasted, caramelized, garlicky carrots. Nom Nom! I find so many vegetables are best when roasted. Flavor and nutrients are retained and the flavor is hard to beet. (pun intended)
Lots of fresh garlic, thyme, parsley, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar sprinkled onto fresh young carrots creates a wonderful veggie to complement almost any meal.
We had ours with an herb marinated pork tenderloin and tiny roasted golden Yukon potatoes.
Here is the recipe as I made it. I was inspired by another great recipe Chungah posted on Damn Delicious. Measurements are guesstimates. Make it how you enjoy. That is the true JOY of cooking.
Roasted Caramelized Garlic Carrots
Ingredients:
15 fresh new carrots with stems trimmed, no need to peel
4 cloves garlic, coarsely minced
1 Tbsp dried thyme or 2 Tbsp fresh thyme
1 Tbsp dried parsley or 2 Tbsp fresh parsley
1 tsp. coarse sea salt
1 Tbsp. coarse ground black pepper
Approximately 1/4 cup olive oil
Approximately 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Wash carrots and lay in a single layer on a baking stone or baking dish.
Drizzle with olive oil.
Liberally sprinkle with garlic, thyme, parsley, salt and pepper to your taste and liking.
Drizzle all with balsamic vinegar.
Toss to coat.
Roast for 30-40 minutes – turning once or twice during cooking.
I daresay even kids will enjoy these carrots that turn out so sweet and delicious. I found them almost addicting!
Enjoy!
Cheers & Hugs
Jodi
Orange you a Cutie!
Hey – remember a few days ago when I challenged you (I use that terminology loosely) with “If you are what you eat, then eat something cute?”
Well – this week’s WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge is ORANGE – and guess what we call Clementines around here?
CUTIES! (a brilliant marketing campaign established to target kids and their parents). Are you familiar?
So you really can eat something cute! And these little buggers are so sweet and delish right now!
Orange you going to try one?! (Couldn’t resist…)
I actually have some more orange to post, but I’m going to save it for tomorrow.
I made some luscious roasted carrots for dinner last night. Look for the recipe tomorrow. They are seriously like veggie candy – caramelized with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, cracked black pepper, thyme…. Ooooh La La!
And while we are talking about sunshine…. We were – weren’t we?
Oranges come from Florida, the Sunshine State, so yes – you see my logic – right?
I declared yesterday “50 Shades of SUNSHINE Day.”
Mikey and I got two wonderful walks in – one at lunch time and one after work – and no coat needed at 50 degrees and sunshine! WOOHOO!
Spring is in the air!
Enjoy your day – whatever it brings. Find the sunshine!
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Reward
This week’s WordPress Daily Post Weekly Photo Challenge is “Reward.”
There are so many things I could think of to post that represent “reward” in a photo, but I decided upon this one that brings so much joy to my heart and such a huge smile to my face – e v e r y single time I look at it!
As a baker, there is no greater reward than for someone to completely and thoroughly enjoy what you baked – right?
Have you ever seen greater enjoyment over eating a sweet treat than this little guy eating a chocolate Thanksgiving Turkey Oreo Cookie Ball I made this past Thanksgiving?
I snapped the photo from across the table trying to freeze the joyous moment in time.
This is REWARD to me!
Can you look at it without smiling?
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Iridescent Ice Bubbles
I was talking with a friend yesterday who asked how I was doing. You know… just the usual small talk.
She commented, “I’ll bet you wish you were back in Florida with your friend in the warmth.”
And yes – I do wish I was back there, especially with my dear friend. And especially because our high temperatures have barely reached double digits for the past two weeks let alone get above freezing….
Yet, as I explained to my friend, if it weren’t for these bone-chilling temps, I’m not sure I would appreciate the warmth of Spring and Summer or trips to Florida as much….
I truly love the beauty of the four distinct seasons we are fortunate to experience in my part of the world – life here in Mars. It always amazes me that our yard can look so differently in the different seasons, and the snow and ice I tromp through in the Winter to get to the mailbox is the same yard I lay in and walk through in bare feet in the Summer and pile leaves on in Autumn and watch life burst through in Spring.
And though the temperature was a mere 9 degrees F yesterday, the sky was a deep azure blue and the sun was shining so brightly and reflecting on the snow that I needed sunglasses.
It was melting the icicles on the back of our house, and they were glistening and sparkling like bright diamond shards against the clear sky. And the crystal droplets created a beautiful sheet of frozen iridescent ice bubbles on the deck beneath.
Through the lens of my camera, there is so much beauty to be found.
Thanks for the reminder, Lori, and your continued support and friendship. 🙂
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
PS My top photo is another entry for the WordPress Daily Post Weekly Photo Challenge Rule of Thirds with Bokeh
the creative life in between 