Blogger's Community Photo Challenge- WINTER

Bloggers Community Photo Challenge

Bloggers Community Photo Challenge: Blogger's Community Photo Challenge- WINTER

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"There's a certain slant of light,

On winter afternoons -"

"When it comes, the landscape listens,
Shadows hold their breath

_Emily Dickinson

photo - winter afternoon "slant of light" _rRose

Happy Valentine's Day to All!

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY TO ALL!

Plato -Every heart sings a song, incomplete, until another heart whispers back.

photos: _rRose

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Valentine's Day lace & ribbons

Laces and ribbons are a delicate Valentine's Day symbol. Their association with love and romance can be traced to ancient times. At that time when kings and knights went to battles their ladylove presented laces to them.

There is yet another reason attributed to popularity of Laces as Valentine's Day symbol. Hundreds of years ago ladies used to carry lace handkerchief. If at times a lady accidentally dropped her hanky, courtesy demanded that the man standing near the lady pick up the handkerchief for her. Sometimes, ladies used to drop their handkerchiefs deliberately in front of the man they liked and wanted to meet. Lace therefore became a tool in the hands of ladies to encourage romance. Gradually, people began to associate lace with romance and started using paper lace to decorate chocolate boxes and Valentine cards. Even in present times laces are used in Valentine's Day Decoration and Cards._valentines

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Blogger's Community Photo Challenge-FOOD!

Bloggers Community Photo Challenge: Blogger's Community Photo Challenge-FOOD!

Bloggers Community Photo Challenge

This week's Challenge is FOOD!

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Food is the most primitive form of comfort.

_Sheila Graham

Ask not what you can do for your country. Ask what's for lunch.

_Orson Welles (1915 - 1985)

lemonlemon cake by _rRose

Round Robin Challenge "Not Of This Season"

The Round Robin Photo Challenges: Round Robin Challenge: Not Of This Season

The Round Robin Photo Challenges

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"There is no season such delight can bring,

As summer, autumn, winter and the spring."

_William Browne, Variety, 1630

"Not of This Season"

hayfield in blueridge mountains- va - _rRose

May God Bless America

Bloggers Community Photo Challenge - "Still Life"

Bloggers Community Photo Challenge: Community Photo Challenge- Still Life

Bloggers Community Photo Challenge

- a classic still life -

it's one of the oldest traditions in art history -

- flowers bloom from antiquer pitcher _rRose

- my boots in snow _rRose

Happy 2009 to All!

Whose woods these are I think I know

His house is in the village though;

He will not see me stopping here

To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer

To stop without a farmhouse near

Between the woods and frozen lake

The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake

To ask if there is some mistake.

The only other sound's the sweep

Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark and deep.

But I have promises to keep,

And miles to go before I sleep

And miles to go before I sleep.

_Robert Frost-1874-1963

antique surrey in snowy woods_rRose

Merry Christmas - Happy Holidays to All!

There is a little bit of Santa Claus in all of us.

_rRose

"Christmas Traditions of Joy,

both big and small
so precious from the start,

are moments to recall
and treasure in the heart." uk

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL!

photos: _rRose

Yule Moon

The Full Cold Moon; or the Full Long Nights Moon - December During this month the winter cold fastens its grip, and nights are at their longest and darkest. It is also sometimes called the Moon before Yule. The term Long Night Moon is a doubly appropriate name because the midwinter night is indeed long, and because the Moon is above the horizon for a long time. The midwinter full Moon has a high trajectory across the sky because it is opposite a low Sun.

Full Moon names date back to Native Americans, of what is now the northern and eastern United States. The tribes kept track of the seasons by giving distinctive names to each recurring full Moon. Their names were applied to the entire month in which each occurred. There was some variation in the Moon names, but in general, the same ones were current throughout the Algonquin tribes from New England to Lake Superior. European settlers followed that custom and created some of their own names. Since the lunar month is only 29 days long on the average, the full Moon dates shift from year to year._farmers almanac

December Moon - Night Fire Moon: Nuupapana

Meditation:

December's great path of the moon is suffering.
Out of suffering comes compassion for people we never noticed before, the ones in a crowd whose eyes we cannot meet. Out of suffering comes appreciation of what ws overlooked before: a sunset, a dawn, a butterfly, the delicate movement of light on a wall. How long does anything last?

What is the nature of your suffering? Illness or accident? Something you did not do right? It is too late for regret. If the stones of suffering are too heavy, drop them. If pain is unbearable, imagine another world of white light. Pink blossoms. A gently flowing stream. Music. The laughter of children. Make yourself live in this imaginary place until the pain moves on.

There is a reason for your suffering. Pain is part of the lesson. Tell it to scour your heart. Pain is a way to acquire new eyes and ears. To be quiet when you have always spoken. To take a journey when you'd rather stay at home. To do with your hands one thing that you are really proud ofl. Pain will make it beautiful. Pain makes reality possible.

The day is a gift. Do not waste a single moment. Hold snow in your hand until it melts. Notice the color of the sky. Listen to the wind. Watch a bird flying south. Smell winter on the wind. Suffering is the transformation of the self into a sharper, clearer world. There, loving kindness begins._wood

dec. full long nights moon
moon clouds

photos: _rRose

Bloggers Community Photo Challenge - Christmas Season -

Bloggers Community Photo Challenge: Community Photo Challenge-Christmas Season

Bloggers Community Photo Challenge

This Challenge is.....The Christmas Season! It can be anything representing Christmas. A Santa photo, a church, a nativity scene, you can make your own Christmas card, a Christmas scene, you can do a collage. It can be ANYTHING, just no moving photos or slideshow.

Images of our Family Christmas Season _rRose

Christmas waves a magic wand over the world,

and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful.

_N.V. Peale

WISHING A JOYOUS MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL!