Scavenger Hunt #3

This is a swap on Swap-Bot that I'm participating in that I thought looked fun. The goal is to take five photos (from a list of ten items) and give some information about them - where did I take it, is it part of a series of photos, or whatever other information that I think is interesting. 

Another option is to use old photos that I have taken. This latter option is what I chose to do. I always enjoy going through photos that I've taken and seeing if they bring me back to when I took them.

Purple

I took this photo on June 8, 2019, in Osceola, Wisconsin. The town has a committee that does floral or natural displays along the main and side streets as a way to beautify the community and drive throughout town. One of my favorite colors is purple, so this display caught my eye.

Diamonds

On June 18, 2017, Sophia (then 16 years old) completed this diamond quilt. This was, by far, her most ambitious quilt because of the cutting and layout she needed to do to create the diamond pattern. She was very happy with how it turned out.

Keyboard

I had totally forgotten about this "learn how to type" program that I had Sophia and Olivia do as part of homeschooling. Here, on April 23, 2013, Sophia is playing a game on computer using the keyboard to learn to type.

Wheels

On June 18, 2018, the propane company came out with a Bobcat to move our tank to a new location after we had a fire that burned down our hobby shed. The propane tank was about 15 feet - at the most - from it. Thankfully, our neighbor who was a retired firefighter saw the fire (we weren't home) and turned off the tank. Things could have been quite different had he not done that. 

Flags

On May 28, 2018, Memorial Day, I visited Fort Snelling National Cemetery. Someone had put a flag in front of my parents' gravestone - as they did in front of the gravestones in the entire section. I was so touched to think that someone took time out of their day to honor my dad who served in the Korean War. 

Shopping

On March 12, 2020, the shelves at Walmart were completely stripped of paper products - toilet paper, paper towels, and napkins. Other sections of the store, likewise, were bare. It made shopping for the basics quite difficult.

Mountains

For Sophia's (homeschool) high school graduation, we took a trip to Washington (state) and Alaska. This is one of the many mountain ranges in Alaska. It was such a beautiful place to visit. We went there before she graduated since the costs increase substantially in the summer there. This was taken on April 27, 2019, on the way to Girdwood, Alaska.

Boots

Of course I could have used a photo showing a normal pair of boots, but why do that when these attractive blue plastic boots were documented on June 3, 2012? Sophia, Olivia, and Colton (their cousin) went to a dairy/creamery operation. Everyone had to wear these blue boots when they went into the creamery. 

Vintage

This was one of my favorite ornaments when I was a girl. When my parents died, my sister, brother, and I went through the ornaments and I picked this one. On December 8, 2013, the little red fawn with white fur trim was on our Christmas tree. 

Glass

By far, one of my favorite places we visited when we were in Seattle, Washington, was Chihuly Garden and Glass. The glasswork there - both inside and outside - was spectacular. I especially liked this boat scene with the glass orbs in and around the boat. The black floor reflected the boat and some of the orbs. I could have spent hours there looking at all the different colors and patterns of this on exhibit alone.

September Scavenger Hunt

On Swap-bot there's a September Scavenger Hunt which I thought sounded fun. There are five items to photograph: Something unexpected, something monochromatic, something battery-powered, something made by a child, and a newspaper headline. Below are the photos I took that show these items.

Something Unexpected

On September 1st, this bald eagle flew right past the pontoon boat I was on. It was amazing to see the eagle in flight so close. No matter how many times I see an eagle, the wingspan still amazes me. It can range from 5.9-7.5 feet.  

Something Monochromatic

In the 4-H Building at the Minnesota State Fair, there was a drawing that was done by a youth in black and white. The pattern as well as the shading gives this image such an intriguing multi-dimensional look. 

Something Battery-Powered

Nothing exciting...just the remote to the t.v. and cable. Living in the country, we need to have cable in order to see the local stations. 

Something Made by a Child

This was a quilt at the Minnesota State Fair in the 4-H building that was done by a youth under the age of 18 years old. 

It caught my eye because the frogs are three-dimensional and are made from fabric.

Even the center of the fabric flowers are somehow folded and attached to the flower petals.

There was another quilt in the Creative Activities building that also had three-dimensional elements to it. It has piqued my interest in wanting to create something like this. 

A Newspaper Headline

At the Minnesota State Fair, there's a newspaper museum in the same building as 4-H. There are many different types of letterpress printing machines there that are operated by volunteers to give visitors a feel of a 1930's newspaper office. It is operated by the Minnesota Newspaper Foundation. 

"The Maynard News" is type set and then printed by volunteers. They also print free items - like bookmarks, posters, postcards, and notepads. 

My Favorite Photos - February 2022

 As I looked back on my photos from February 2022, I realized that I didn't take a lot. Normally, I have hundreds that I take each month...easily. For some reason, I just didn't take a lot this month. These are the ones that have special meaning for us or that I like.

We celebrated the Lunar New Year on February 1st with a dinner at home. 

Meanwhile, in Thailand, Sophia was celebrated the Lunar New Year by going to a celebration and out to eat. 

I've been seeing quite a few birds this month - including this pileated woodpecker. I didn't realize they had white on some of their feathers until this one spread out its wing.

The blue jays are prolific. They like the shell corn, especially, at the feeders.

Sophia has been exploring Thailand and going to some beautiful parks and natural places outside of the city where she is living while studying abroad.

Danny enjoys basking in the sun. Here he is on the chair in the living room.

Aspen can almost always be found with a stuffed animal by her side. She has "Bunny" by her head. This is her favorite one.

Sophia is still in Thailand. February marks her second month there. She'll be there until May 1st. This is one of the many temples she visited. It actually is considered an art gallery because an artist created this temple-like structure. Around the exterior and inside the buildings are many references to wants vs. needs, and how one should aspire to only live with one's needs and not succumb to one's wants. 

Sophia saw this rhesus macaque in Thailand at one of the temples. I can't believe how close she was able to get to it. I love monkeys...so I was happy to see this one out and about, and not trapped in a zoo.

Olivia and I were driving one day and saw these two deer cross the road and then stand on the side of it. They joined the rest of their herd - another four deer in the woods.

On February 24th, I organized a service event after the Lions' evening meeting. We had Lions and guests working together on four hands-on service projects. We did three collections as well - so seven service activities in all. People really enjoyed the evening. 

One of the projects was filling these hand-sewn bags made by the two Lions in the back (one with a white shirt and the other a red shirt). They also made 81 pads to put with the 27 kits that will be given to Global Health Ministries (GHM). GHM gives the kits to girls in third-world countries who have their period and are not allowed to go to school. With the underwear, reusable pad holder, and reusable pads, they will be allowed to go to school and get the same education as the boys do.

We made two fleece-tied blankets for the Ronald McDonald House. This is an easy and favorite project to do for volunteers.

One of the projects was making handmade/handsewn placemats that were embroidered with our club's name, the name of the Lion, and the year. This, along with a card and a variety of food, were given to Lions who have not been able to attend meetings due to health issues. Olivia came along on these visits with me. 

I worked for a month on this quilt top. It's a variety of animal prints in the center - squirrels, deer, hedgehogs, raccoons, and more. There are a random assortment of border prints. The fabric came in a kit. All I had to do was cut all the pieces and sew them together. Now I just need to do the backing and have it quilted. 

Sophia completed her second month of studying abroad. She's enjoying the warm weather, trying new foods, and doing her classes. She said the classes are easy - just generals - so it has allowed her to do some exploring that she wouldn't normally be able to do if she had a challenging workload. 

3-2-1 November 2021

I've been enjoying the 3-2-1 swap on Swap-Bot that I started participating in earlier this year. It's always good to take some time to reflect on what makes me happy, what I'm looking forward to, and things that I'd rather forget. Below are my answers for the swap.

3 things that made me happy in November

Seeing how happy Olivia was for her senior photos. She had her make up done first.

Then she had her curled and styled. This took the longest time since her hair is almost to her waist.

She wore a dress that we purchased in China when we adopted her. The Chinese headdress is one that she chose specifically for her senior photos.

Another set of photos was taken in her Tang Soo Do outfit. 

Gathering as a family for Thanksgiving. We had 14 people at our home for the holiday. It was nice to gather again in person after spending it with just our immediate family (of 4) in 2020.

Seeing the planets and moon so clearly on many nights throughout the month. During November, Saturn, Jupiter, Venus, and the moon are all were visible in the southern sky. I've never seen that many planets and the moon so close to one another. 

This is Venus to the left and the moon nestled in the tree branches.

This is Jupiter (upper left), the moon (middle), and Venus (lower right above the barn). It's not a clear photo because I didn't have my tripod. 

2 things that I'm looking forward to in December

Seeing Sophia perform in the Festival of Christmas. We saw Sophia perform in the Festival of Christmas earlier today. She's in the handbell choir this year as she was last year. During her first year - freshman year - she played the harp. 

These are photos from her first year when she played the harp: 

These are some photos from this year's Festival of Christmas. The first three are from the pre-concert handbell choir in the lobby. 

 

This is Benson Hall before the performance. I used a wide-angle lens so I could get the entire stage and the front section of the hall.

The chamber orchestra is in front, then the wind symphony, and then handbells. The choirs went on stage after doing a processional.

The conclusion of the Festival of Christmas with all the student musicians/performers on the stage and the conductors in the front. 

Finishing the quilts that my mom started, but never had a chance to finish before she died. This is one of the quilts that I was working on during December. All the quilt tops are now sewn. It's a matter of assembling the tops, battings, and backings; sewing them together; and then tying them so that the batting stays in place.

1 thing from November that I'd rather forget

Having problems with allergies. I'm not going to share a picture of what severe allergies look like. Suffice it to say, my eyes get really red, and my eyelids and under my eyes get super puffy. I have to do eye drops multiple times per day and then coat the skin around my eyes with Vaseline. 

I'm hoping that the colder weather stops whatever allergens are causing this reaction. It's not only me...many other people in our area - including pets - are experiencing the same thing.