52 Challenge

A lot of photographers are doing the 365 challenge (fyi- that means they're posting a new picture each and every day.)  I would love to think that I would be up to snuff to do the challenge- but the truth is that I wouldn't be able to make time to post a picture each and every day. So, I will do it my way....I'll post one picture each weekend. Hopefully, like the 365 Challenge- you'll see creative and artistic growth in my photography- and maybe even get to know me better through the year. ;)

And- since this is the 3rd weekend of the year- I will go ahead and post 3 pictures for the past few weekends I've missed....because one of my New Year's Resolutions is to stop procrastinating and always be running behind....so I want to start off "caught up".  :)

This picture is from my Uncle Jim's funeral last Friday. My mom comes from a family of 11 brothers and sisters. This pic is of some of her siblings and some of their spouses....it's difficult to get everyone together...and once they ARE together it's twice as hard to get them all in one photo-looking straight-eyes open, heads back...well, you get the picture. :)

Taken 1-09-11 Ice on Zebra grass.

My Uncle's service was very touching. This is of one of the military men presenting the flag to my Aunt Media. I wish I had a better view- but I was quite a ways back and didn't get the flag in the photo nor the fact that the presenter had tears in his eyes....nevertheless, it's still a touching photo.

Until next weekends Challenge....Shine all your light- and snap a pic or two! :)

Cass!

Spazz Begats Spazzes

So. For Christmas I buy my sweet, feminine, lovely, set-apart daugthers facial masks and cleansers as stocking stuffers. I was envisioning an evening of us girls sitting around doing ped's and facials...listening to classical music and using fancy lotions.
 Because....I like to pretend we're normal. Make you think that we're just like everyone else....we do normal things like pop popcorn and drink cocoa on snowy nights at home.

But- in reality- this is how our pseudo cozy night at home goes..... Kiddles (Rebekah) puts on the stress relieving masks and realizes with great delight that it will scare the snot out of her little brother (which it did!)....and one thing led to another....and here is some of the outcome.....

Kiddles thought she looked really creepy.....so she decided to eat her sister.....because creepy people eat their siblings.


 

And what goes better with a slab of arm than hair and brains???

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And....just to not completely creep you out...and so that you don't think we're totally off our rockers- let me leave you with one of those pictures that implies deep meditative thoughts, warm fuzzies and all the wonderful things that normal people impart.... HA!



Yesterday morning- I went out at sunrise to take some pictures of the ice storm....yes, normal people go outside in their PJ's and boots to take pictures of ice- right??? Right?? Say YES- or I'll sic my flesh eating daughter on you! :)

Shine All Your Light!

Cass




























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Christmas Wishes....

I took this pic a few years ago at a local church...

(This is circulating via email....thought I'd share.)



To All My Democrat Friends ~


Please accept with no obligation, implied or explicit, my best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low-stress, non-addictive, gender-neutral celebration of the Winter Solstice Holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasion and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all. I also wish you a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year 2011, but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures whose contributions to society have helped make America great.


Not to imply that America is necessarily Greater than any other country nor the only America in the Western Hemisphere. Also, this wish is made without regard to the race, creed, color, age, physical ability, religious faith or sexual preference, gender assignment, of the wishes.


To My Republican and Independent Friends ~


Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!




Cass

Through The Eyes of A Child

So, Jakey drew some pictures of me doing what I always do....you know....nothin' much.

This is me sitting on my front porch swing  (notice the Christmas light garland over the door!) looking at the tree in the yard that I have yet to get Christmas lights on. The life of a mother is Sooooooooooo relaxing. :)

After I get weary of sitting on my porch swing thinking of all the things I would like to do....I go take a bath. I splash, splash, splash....and just have a great time. No worries here!!

Then- once I get out of the tub...I check my Facebook or blog!! :)

Yep, that's about all I do.....hopefully your life as a mom is just a cushy as mine! And if it is....then it should be no problem to SHINE ALL YOUR LIGHT! :)

-Cass

The Griffin Girls..and Jakey

So, the kids and I are in Powell Ohio, celebrating Thanksgiving. I have finally had the long awaited meeting with my nephew- Caiden. Caiden is now two and is the "Big Cheese" of the family. :) He's the "big cheese" because #1 he's the star of the show. #2 he's the cutest little star ever #3 No-one has even been a more enthusiastic sayer of "cheese" for pictures!!! :) "Cheeeeeeeeeesssse!" is what he'd say and then he'd inhale real deep and start over! Just a cute, cute, cute little guy!! Loved him to pieces.

My neice Rachel has become a phenomenal dancer- and I so enjoyed seeing her perform her recital solo for us during a sneak peek at the studio the other night.

Today we ventured out into the quaint town of Powell.  

The girls and Jake outside of one of the several little boutique's we went into.

Snow flurries flew today!!! Rebekah photoshopped this picture for me- it wasn't snowing when this pic was taken. The girls and Aunt Marshy crossing the street.....

Little man has been floating around in a house of five females....Today he spotted a bag of Star Wars Silly Bands...how could we possibly say no? :) He's saved a few aside for a special friend.

Kiddles wanted this headband in one of the boutiques. It was $34- of course I said, "You can have it baby!!! I'd love to see it on you!!! You have money!" Suddenly she didn't want it as badly.

Caiden and Jakey.

Renaissance Festival: A Huzzah-tical Day!

My day spent at the Renaissance Festival was huzzah-tical! (<----that's my own word meaning totally off the charts- GREAT!) Do you know how you can tell that I had such a great day?? Because my pictures are less than great. :( I was really disappointed in the pictures once I got them off the card. Oh well. That just means I was more involved in the overall experiences around me than the technical aspects of taking a picture. And all in all- that's a good thing.

I owe a huge amount of gratitude to my mother for making me my renaissance costume. I regret that we never did slow down enough to get Mark to take my picture. It's totally my fault. However, I will get a picture of me in character taken and posted as a very grateful THANK YOU to my mother. ;)

The first shoppe we really slowed down and paid attention to was the glass shop. I was amazed at the detail and exquisite medieval designs the man was making. It was phenomenal to watch.

I saw this guy several times throughout the day. He was like a "Go-Go Gadget" from the middle ages.

I thoroughly enjoyed the patrons as much as I enjoyed the scheduled shows. This lady and her husband were dressed as fairies with their animatronic shoulder friends.

It's hard to tell whats going on here- but this man had a dragon "hat" on his head. The sticks in his hands made the wings of the dragon appear to be "flying". He's ducking down to say hello to this little girl- who understandably was a little skittish to be nodded at by a flying dragon!

Speaking of dragons...this mans costume was incredible! He and his wife had matching leather dragon costumes....complete with tails, feet and painted faces.

This act is called "Barely Balanced" they were awesome. You're looking at three people balancing at each other and the guy on the top is juggling knives. Notice the girl has a bare foot and one blue boot? That's because she's got a broken foot and had undergone surgery on WEDNESDAY. We saw this act on Saturday morning. Talk about dedicated.

The Queens chocolate shop. Oh my. Chocolate fit for royalty....to be sure. A friend and I split a chocolate and caramel cracker with marshmallows and nuts in it. Oh my. About a million HUZZAH's worth of praise for the concoction...adn I dont even like marshmallows or nuts! LOL!

I shot a bow and arrow for the first time. The first four arrows never left my little booth. LOL. I wasn't "getting it" and then.....Wah-lah....lookey there! I shot this guy right in the face! It was fun!!!

The "royal family" attending the jousting match.

The faeries of the realm come out to play during the Renaissance festival. The faeries are beautiful. This faerie named, Twig doesn't speak. But she dances, plays a flute and happily poses for pictures.....

Twigg had just shared some pixie dust with an elderly, disabled man and he was blowing her kisses and they rolled him away.

As we left this mime was entertaining small children.

He wasn't as impressive as the mime my family and I had encountered in San Francisco, but he was quite entertaining to the little children. ;)

I have many more pictures to share- just not the time to post them....

Until I get more time- Shine all your light and have a Huzzah-tical day! :)

Cass

May The Force Be WIth You

Sometimes, as a mom I have fantasies delusions. We assume that we mean as much to our children as they mean to us; however, this has been proven blatantly 'not so' to me. Not at all. Not that my children don't love me- or need me- not that we don't have a wonderful bond- but something happened last week that really brought the jolting reality home to me that we're on totally different emotional, fuzzy-wuzzy feeling levels.

The lucky thing for us moms is that our kids have a great way of bringing us back to earth. Sometimes with a jolting thunk.

My little guy, Jake had been gone out of town with his dad from Thursday until Tuesday. I was sooooo excited to see all the kids again and was sooooo happy for them to be home. Jake flew up the sidewalk towards me....it warmed my heart- I bent down to scoop him into my arms- but he kept his break neck speed run.... zooming right past me....yelling out a hasty "hey mom!"....storming into the house and down the hallway he's hollering- "where is my light saber?? I missed it soooooooooooo much."

I closed my eyes. And grinned. Let's be real here. At least I know where I stand. Ha! After he found not one but two of his light sabers he slowed down and talked to me...and he did inform he that he loves me MORE than Obi Wan Kenobi. Boy. Do I feel special. I am more loved than the dude in a brown robe that has the ability to channel an imaginary force. Gee.

Okay, I admit, I felt like channelling a little bit of force upside his blonde little head (only for a sec though) but the only thing I forced was a kiss and a welcome home hug.

The other kids have done similiar things in the past...all kids do. It's just that I was here by myself for several very quiet days on end....and they were with their dad, out of state, having loads of fun- so of course he didn't greet me at the door with the same enthusiasm. Of course.


After all the kids being gone like they were- I wish I had "the force". The kiddos brought back about 5 days worth of laundry from their dads....and I stood in the hallway surrounded by open suitcases full of dirty clothes- some of them wet. (don't know why) and I said, "Beam me up, Scotty!" And Jake-looking quite confused said "What's a Scotty?"

I said- the guy from Star Wars, one of Obi Wan's friends. Jake shook his head. He was positive I was wrong. Well, it turns out I had the wrong nerdy, galactic show in mind- Scotty is from Star Trek- not Star Wars.
Oh well. It's not like I would have been picky about WHICH galactic nerd beamed me up from the laundry pile.

Shine all your light! And, may the force be with you.


Cass

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In other news- I've been on plenty of adventures of the last month or so- with several more in store! :)

My friends Robin and Dale and I went to VA to ride the Creeper Trail- here are some pictures from the adventure...sometimes in early October.

If God had wanted to be a big secret, He would not have created babbling brooks and whispering pines.  ~Robert Brault

There is nothing like walking to get the feel of a country.  A fine landscape is like a piece of music; it must be taken at the right tempo.  Even a bicycle goes too fast.  ~Paul Scott Mowrer, The House of Europe