Herron Studios

Author: Connie

  • Connect

    Whether you set resolutions or not, it’s tough not to reflect at the beginning of the new year.  We look back on the previous year and take stock.  Where were we this time last year?  Are we better now than we were then?  They often lead to what we can do to improve things that might not be as good as we’d like. 

    I began to think about this a month ago as changes started to happen with my calling.   About the time I was released I saw this post over at I Believe in Miracles where she asks if you’ve picked a word for the year. Just one word to focus on for the year. Hmmm… Oh, yeah. That got me thinking, to be sure.

    Then there were many other posts as New Year’s Eve approached. As I read this one over at Segulla about “Playing Big” my word started to come into focus. Something I’ve felt lacking in me.

    I need to connect. Connect through service, listening, and, if prompted, shared experiences. I want to connect more with my family, to listen more to their needs. I want to feel closer to the family that isn’t near – and there are a lot of them. This is going to take some creativity (especially with all of the changes happening in our family at the moment).  To connect with friends, old and new.  And in connecting to share their burdens and hopefully make them lighter. 

    Hopefully, if I “connect” more, it will be one thing that will help me shine a little brighter.

    What are your thoughts for the New Year?

    My hope for all is that you find joy and laughter through any situation and circumtance.

  • I Found Heaven….

    at Coldstone Creamery. 

    I love ice cream. I adore chocolate and raspberry together.

    One recent wednesday, out on date, Kevin and I stopped in for some ice cream (for dinner no less – YES!)  Oh my goodness, they had “Chocolate Raspberry Truffle” ice cream.  This may not be earth shattering to you, but it is to me.  One little taste was all it took and I was in HEAVEN.  Ok, I added my favorite mixins, pecans and strawberries and it was absolutely perfect.  To. Die. For. 

    I think I need a year supply of this ice cream.

    Maybe I’ll go back and take a picture ( I couldn’t find one to put here).  It would be a sacrifice.  But I would do it – Just for you.    That way you can *see* heaven.

    I’m helpful that way.

  • Switchin’ it up OR ….why we need a guard turkey.

    Let’s say you have older children and Christmas is coming.  Let’s say some of those children start hinting really early at things they’d love to see under the tree (Heh.. and some of those things are pretty dang expensive).  Let’s say you also start to notice that those same children are arguing more and more.  What would you do?

    We decided to change things up a bit.  We switched up how Santa Claus works and divided the money out between those childrenwith instructions that they had to buy a present for each person in the family (except themselves, of course).  If they spent less on one, they’d have more for another.  To consider carefully as this was Christmas.

    It’s been SO much FUN!  Each of the children has tried to think what the other would really like to open Christmas morning.  They’ve thought about their interests and personalities.  G. pulled in some money from his paycheck so he could get a little more.  C. used money left over from his allowance to do the same.

    And yes, they stopped asking for things for themselves.  Did the arguing stop?  Hmmmmm…. not completely.  But hey, I’ll take an improvement!  I can’t wait for Christmas morning.  I can’t wait to see their reactions.

    In fact most of us can’t.

    Other years we wait to put ALL of the presents under the tree Christmas Eve.  Not this year.  We decided to taunt each other a bit with what was under the tree as well.  So meet Steve….

    image

    He’s our “Guard Turkey” (He can sing, too).  He’s making sure no one tries to peek at any of the presents under the tree before Christmas morning.  And I can personally attest that if someone examines and shakes a box or bag they will get absolutely NO clue as to what is inside.  We’re all about camouflage in this family!

    Sometimes change is good.

  • It’s like death and taxes……

    Over 2 years ago I was given the assignment to be the president of our church’s Primary organization.  This organization is for children 18 months to 11 years old and there were around 40 children there each week.  I wasn’t prepared for the rush of love that I felt for every single one of those children.  And I knew when I was called that there would come a day when it would be someone else’s turn.  

    That day was today.  Next week it will be her turn to listen as they sing, “Once There was a Snowman!” lightening fast or “I am A Child of God” as the last song of the day.  It will be her turn to make sure to call on one of the children to say the opening prayer.  It will be her turn to listen as they tell her about their Christmas.  

    She’ll be wonderful. 

    I will miss them, but it was time.

    Next week I will try not to cause too much of  a disruption in Sunday School with my husband.

  • Follow the Yellow Brick Road

    Follow the Yellow Brick Road

    Yellow brick road

    It’s done and yes, it was insane.  It took all week, but I finished C.’s quilt.

    It was insane enough trying to finish his quilt.  While he was at school.  One day I spent the day quilting out of the house just to be able to get in more quilting time.

    It also happened that I needed to finish it during a week when I had a Nativity program for the children at church for the ward Christmas party.  A meeting to work on things for next year in Primary.  And a baptism in Primary.  All very good things.

    The children always amaze me when they do a program.  They were so excited to do be in the Nativity.  We had itchy angels and levitating sheep.  Last year the wise men got a little lost.  This year the shepherd’s got seperated, but they found each other again.  It was great.  Having children act out the birth of the Savior just adds a beautiful touch to the season.

    And the baptism was wonderful.

    There were blips this week.  Some bigger than others.  But I’m really glad I’ve had the other moments to balance things out.

    And I’m really glad the quilt is done in time.

     

    PS  –   Yellow Brick Road is the name of the pattern.  I think the only resemblance to any brick road, yellow or otherwise, is that some of the squares in the blocks look like bricks.

  • Classic Children’s Books

    connie-and-sharon-1My younger sister and I

    This picture only serves to illustrate why I believe I’m destined to have long hair my entire life (believe me – I have other pictures of me with short hair MUCH, MUCH  worse).

    But that isn’t what I was going to write about.  What books did you read when you were really little?  I wouldn’t have tried to remember if it hadn’t been for a post over on Compulsive Writer.  I didn’t really start to read a lot until much later (not that my parents didn’t try).  So it was difficult trying to think what I read then.  Ok… it might have more to do with the fact that my memory has never been even remotely good and wouldn’t you know it?  It’s getting worse.

    But I did remember this book and some fond memories of the main character, Frances.  Probably because she wouldn’t go to bed.

    frances-book

    What got me started reading to the point that I think Mom wished that she hadn’t gotten me hooked?

    trixie-belden

    When I was reading them there were 44 books in the series.  I remember because I read them all at least twice.  I was around 11 and I’ve been in love with reading ever since.  Thanks, Mom.

  • Life

    Life

    I can’t help but be grateful for some very simple things this time of year.  There have been years when there was too much going on in our family to consider cooking for Thanksgiving.  So when I can cook a meal I know they’ll all love it only adds to my enjoyment of the holiday.  Thanksgiving is in fact, probably my favorite holiday for that reason.

    When things were a little different in our lives I found this poem by Charlotte Brontë.  It goes right along with why I take so many pictures of nature.  There are other reasons, but for me, this illustrates what I feel as I try to capture those images.

    Zemanta Related Posts Thumbnail

    Life

    Life, believe, is not a dream,
    So dark as sages say;
    Oft a little morning rain
    Foretells a pleasant day:
    Sometimes there are clouds of gloom,
    But these are transient all;
    If the shower will make the roses bloom,
    Oh, why lament its fall?
    Rapidly, merrily,
    Life’s sunny hours flit by,
    Gratefully, cheerily,
    Enjoy them as they fly.

    What though death at times steps in,
    And calls our Best away?
    What though Sorrow seems to win,
    O’er hope a heavy sway?
    Yet Hope again elastic spring,
    Unconquered, though she fell,
    Still buoyant are her golden wings,
    Still strong to bear us well.
    Manfully, fearlessly,
    The day of trial bear,
    For gloriously, victoriously,
    Can courage quell despair!

  • What’s in Your …. Pictures?

    What’s in Your …. Pictures?

    So I saw another tag on Jeanne’s Blog. It’s all about pictures, but doesn’t require too much thought (and that’s a good thing for me).  I do have pictures of my children.  I promise.  You’ve seen some.  I just don’t store them on the computer that I use regularly.  So I wondered when I read the directions what would be the result.

    For me it’s one of the first pictures I took with my current camera, out at our favorite gardens again back in 2006.  What can I say?  I really like nature shots.

    bumble-bee

    If you’d like to play along here’s what you do.  Go into your pics folder, open the fourth file, (and if you have many of them go by 4’s opening folder after folder) until you find a 4th picture.

    And then post it!  (See?  Simple.)

  • Are you Bold?

    Or maybe not so much…

    I saw this tag on Della’s Blog and it’s kind of interesting to go through and both see what you HAVE done and what you’ve chosen NOT to do.  Or maybe you just haven’t had the opportunity…. It made me think a little… Ok… everything makes me think. 

    The things I’ve done are in bold.  Feel free to swipe the tag for your own and take inventory yourself.

     

      1. Started your own blog
      2. Slept under the stars
      3. Played in a band
      4. Visited Hawaii
      5. Watched a meteor shower
      6. Given more than you can afford to charity
      7. Been to Disneyland  (Would Disneyworld Count?)
      8. Climbed a mountain
      9. Held a praying mantis
      10. Sang a solo (How about a solo on an instrument?  or sung a duet?)
      11. Bungee jumped
      12. Visited Paris
      13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
      14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
      15. Adopted a child
      16. Had food poisoning
      17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
      18. Grown your own vegetables
      19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
      20. Slept on an overnight train
      21. Had a pillow fight
      22. Hitch hiked
      23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
      24. Built a snow fort
      25. Held a lamb
      26. Gone skinny dipping
      27. Run a Marathon (half)
      28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
      29. Seen a total eclipse
      30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
      31. Hit a home run
      32. Been on a cruise
      33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
      34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
      35. Seen an Amish community
      36. Taught yourself a new language
      37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
      38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
      39. Gone rock climbing
      40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
      41. Sung karaoke
      42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
      43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
      44. Visited Africa
      45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
      46. Been transported in an ambulance
      47. Had your portrait painted
      48. Gone deep sea fishing
      49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
      50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
      51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
      52. Kissed in the rain
      53. Played in the mud
      54. Gone to a drive-in theater
      55. Been in a movie
      56. Visited the Great Wall of China
      57. Started a business
      58. Taken a martial arts class
      59. Visited Russia
      60. Served at a soup kitchen
      61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
      62. Gone whale watching
      63. Got flowers for no reason
      64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
      65. Gone sky diving
      66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
      67. Bounced a check
      68. Flown in a helicopter
      69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
      70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
      71. Eaten Caviar (I’ve had foie gras though)
      72. Pieced a quilt
      73. Stood in Times Square
      74. Toured the Everglades
      75. Been fired from a job
      76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
      77. Broken a bone
      78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
      79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
      80. Published a book
      81. Visited the Vatican
      82. Bought a brand new car
      83. Walked in Jerusalem
      84. Had your picture in the newspaper (I was on TV once though)
      85. Read the entire Bible
      86. Visited the White House
      87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
      88. Had chickenpox
      89. Saved someone’s life
      90. Sat on a jury
      91. Met someone famous
      92. Joined a book club
      93. Lost a loved one
      94. Had a baby
      95. Seen the Alamo in person
      96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
      97. Been involved in a law suit
      98. Owned a cell phone
      99. Been stung by a bee

     

    I’m thinking there are still a ton of things left for me to learn and see (Ok… Rock climbing… SOOOOoo not going to happen).

    What have you done?  What would you add to the list?  (For instance – Going to see Wicked completed a lifelong dream of mine to see a Broadway musical.)  What dreams have you completed?  What dreams do you still have yet to finish?  Hmmm… 

    See?  It made me think.

  • Over the Moon

    Over the Moon

    There was a fantastic post (again) over on Pioneer Woman Photography by Ivoryhut all about taking pictures of the moon. This is something I’ve never been able to really do. Get a good picture of the moon. Thanks to her post I have the best shot I’ve ever taken.

    mr-moon

    No tripod, middle of the night, holding my breath and praying it would work.

    I’ll take it.