Taking Pictures



I used to love to “take pictures” in my head when my family traveled anywhere. I’d see a scene and compose a shot of it as we drove by. I guess I still do that to some degree, but now, since I usually drive myself rather than being a passenger, I see something that would make a great shot and think, I wish I could stop and take that picture!


I do stop and take pictures when I can. The following are a few of my most recent efforts. The wind today did cause some problems with the flowers I wanted to capture since they kept moving. Last night, though, the crosses at The Church at Pinnacle Hills definitely did not move as I caught them against the sunset.

What kinds of pictures do you take or wish you could?

Stay Ahead of the Curve … Concentrate



Yesterday I was working on a project at the end of the work day. I looked at the clock and saw I had another 10 minutes or so to work on it. The next time I looked it was half past the hour. Oh, my, I didn’t intend to work overtime, but I did. There wasn’t enough time to get a post done to my blog, which was a bad thing, but I guess it means I have a high ability to concentrate – for what ever that is worth on a day I had other plans!


Concentration is, as a rule, a good trait. There are lots of things I wish I could “tune out” on a daily basis, including the alarm some mornings. A long time ago I decided I didn’t like clock alarms very much, so I asked for a clock radio for Christmas and have awoke to the sounds of Morning Edition on KUAF ever since. I find that having something interesting to focus my mind on makes that transition from sleep to waking much easier. Of course coffee helps make the transition complete!


How do you like to transition into your day?

The Party Animal Comes Out

Our party last night was a success, gauged on how hard everyone laughed and how much we ate.  Vicente grilled sausages, Jade made her special chili, and Caroline baked Paula Dean’s Gorilla Bread for dessert.  Later Steven cooked up salty, buttery theatre style popcorn in a metal popper on the stove.  We ate it as we played games and watched a movie. 

  

All this, mind you, under the watchful eyes of Antonio, our hostess’s Siamese cat.  This is an improvement from last fall’s hay ride when, rather than enjoying the much larger crowd, poor Antonio hid under the bed for most of the evening.  With our small group, it is plain to see that he is a true “Party Animal”!

Our Young Adult group is involved in many different things.  One of the constants that make our various activities appealing is that everyone usually remembers to being their sense of humor along.  We have found our own routine.  That includes using the last Sunday of the month for a Prayer and Praise service rather than Sunday School.  We have lunch, discuss our future plans, pray seriously for a time, then finish with a rousing, contemporary music service.  I think we all look forward to it, not only because it gives variety to our routine, but because we often have visitors to share in the experience.

What are you looking forward to this Sunday?

Spring Showers and Late Nights



There was a soft spring shower falling yesterday evening as I headed home. The light rain softened the outlines of buildings and provided a muted backdrop to the trees beginning to put fourth flowers and the beds of daffodils, hyacinth and other spring favorites. The area around the U of A was quiet with students gone for Spring Break. There was a sense of peace and promise all around, a gathering of forces that will break out in energy when the students return.


My friends who work at the University are looking forward to tomorrow though. They have a day off! I hope the weather clears and the sun shines for them all, especially Rosa who is celebrating the completion of her Masters in International Development from William Carey International University. She’s worked hard for it and has done very well in this program. I expect great things from her … but not until she’s recuperated from the last 4 plus years!


I have plans for tomorrow, too. My Young Adult group from church is planning a Spring Break party at one of our member’s houses. It will be lots of fun, too much good food, and more games and movies than we can possibly get through. Some of them will no doubt crash for the night, but I plan to go home at a reasonable hour, midnight or maybe 1 a.m., and sleep in my own familiar bed. Age has its privileges after all!

Finding Pleasure in Unexpected Places



It seems that weather is my prime motivator this week. I have spent quite a lot of time dealing with the snowmelt water dripping into my office around the window frame. It is amazing some of the things you come to appreciate, like waterproof trash cans. Our landlord has been moved by this latest flood to make a decision on which roofer to call; there is hope that we won’t have to mop up once the repairs are done. But that time is still some days away and rain is forecast for tonight. My trusty trash cans are back in place on the window sill, for the present any way.


It’s hard to be too discouraged over the vagaries of the weather with spring so obviously at hand. I enjoyed not only my garden flowers this morning, but a patch of delicate blue wildflowers next to the recycle bin when I set out the trash. Rogers has a good curb recycle program as well as a community recycle center that is efficient and easy to use. It always makes me feel as though I am doing something good for myself and others when I recycle. On a fine spring morning, even this mundane task was a pleasure.


What everyday tasks make you feel good?

Sunset Glowing in the West … That Seals Up All in Rest

I left Fayetteville yesterday evening as the sun began to set.  There was a low bank of clouds with just enough breaks in it to ensure a lovely, pastel hued sunset.  It glowed brightly over the valley as I reached the Johnson exit and was a lovely pink and rose as I cruised across the prairie that stretches west of Springdale off toward Tontitown.  This created a winter landscape worthy of a picture postcard.  Fields frosted white with the retreating snow were dotted by the dark shapes of cows.  Ponds and pools of melt water reflected the rich pinks of the sunset glow.

The bad weather Sunday led to our little church closing – the preacher who was to speak that day had to drive in from Siloam Springs where they already had a foot of snow by 9 a.m.  That meant I enjoyed a rare day when the furtherist from home I got was walking the 100 yards to our gate.  It was a good day to enjoy that Sunday mandate and pleasure, a day of rest.

In our fast paced society, it is hard to find a balance between activity and rest.  We often get out of sorts when we can’t go as fast as we wish whether on the Interstate, in our work schedule, or to our “play dates.”  When something like this spring snowstorm makes us change our regular routine, we get a gentle reminder that taking time off to rest now and then is a blessing.

BTW: I took my title from the Bard, Sonnet 73, more or less.

Taking Pictures in the Snow

I had fun going home Saturday afternoon stopping to take pictures in the snow. The one I am sharing today is of the woods near my home filling up with snow. I was not quite as lost in a poetic mood as Robert Frost when he wrote "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening," but I felt a romantic (in the artistic sense) pull by the scene of big flakes dancing down among the trees.


On yesterday’s evening news there were a lot of pictures shared by viewers to both Channel 40/29 and Channel 5. There were some great “snow people” shots, especially “bathing beauties.” I hope you made the most of the snow either by building a snow sculpture or taking some great pictures or throwing snow balls or any number of other snow day activities. If you didn’t, you won’t have many more chances as it is melting fast!

Welcoming Spring … The Good Life and “Rollin’ with the Flow”



I stopped by a friend’s house on the way out of town Thursday. We watched the evening news where the weatherman told us we could get 3 to 5 inches of snow this weekend. What a way to bring in spring!


Of course, the forecast for next week is that temperatures will reach near 70 so any snow will melt in a hurry, but this equinox storm reminds me that if you are going to live the good life you have to be flexible. You have to take what comes and thrive … or at least survive. You can’t get locked into your plans so deeply that you can’t adjust, otherwise, when something comes out of left field, you can’t deal with it because it wasn’t in your day planner.


We know that is true about the “big stuff,” but it is also important to be flexible about the every day annoyances of life. I was going to post a story yesterday about the spring snowstorm we may have this weekend, but, when I went to the Rogers Library to do so, all the computers were either busy or booked. That put an end to the neat little scenario I had planned for the day. What to do? Go with the flow and wait until I could get to a computer or change my plans for the rest of the day? I chose the first option and enjoyed the other things I had planned for yesterday as well as making room for blogging today. Yes, I had to get out in the rain, but I get to wear my L.L. Bean “Gumshoes” to keep my feet dry, buy a loaf of cheese bread for dinner, and listen to more of John Ringo’s Into the Looking Glass on the car stereo.


Having your plans upset can be frustrating or an invitation to “run with it.” In general, “Rollin’ with the Flow” is a lot more fun.

Spring Break is Coming … Go Bird Watching or Learn to Cook in a Dutch Oven at Hobbs State Park



Most schools in the area will be on Spring Break this coming week. The kiddos (and some older adventures as well) are sure to want to try something new and exciting with their wonderful week of freedom. Many parents are thinking frantically of things to do that aren’t too expensive or involve a lot of driving. They dread the refrain of “Are we there yet?”


Since the weather forecast looks promising for outdoor activities next week, how about taking part in some of the interesting programs planned at Hobbs State Park? Are you unfamiliar with this local resource? Well, drive 10 miles east on Highway 12 from Rogers and you will discover one of Arkansas’s newer treasures. Here is how the State Park website describes it:

Arkansas's largest state park in land area, Hobbs State Park-Conservation Area (HSPCA) covers 12,055 acres along the southern shores of … Beaver Lake. Twenty-two of the park’s 60 miles of border stretch along the shores of Beaver Lake. The park lies between Beaver Lake to the north and War Eagle Creek to the south. It stretches across a part of Benton County southeast of Beaver Lake and extends into Madison and Caroll counties.

That is a lot of park to explore! Thankfully there is help. The Visitors Center is a great place to start. The Park staff has a schedule of family friendly activities lined up for the week of Spring Break including hiking, cruses, nature studies, scavenger hunts, craft and topical workshops. Whether you want to take a lake cruse or try you had at learning to cook in a Dutch Oven or fancy becoming knowledgeable about box turtles, the opportunity awaits you only a short drive away.

A Day for the Saint, Shamrocks and Chocolate Cake



St. Patrick’s Day has always been one of my favorite holidays. When we were children, my sisters and I always wore green to escape a pinch. As I grew older, I enjoyed learning about the Irish heritage this day has come to embody.


It is, of course, a religious holiday – the feast day of Saint Patrick who brought Christianity to Ireland in the 5th century. Over the years, it became a day to celebrate Irish culture and history both in Ireland and in the “Irish diaspora” around the world. In America almost everyone, Irish or not, celebrates it not only as tribute to the “old country,” but as a memorial to the contribution of Irish immigrants to the rich national mosaic that is the United States.


Nigella Lawson, television personality, cookbook author, and kitchen diva, offers a tasty addition to a day best know in Boston, Chicago, New York, and Fayetteville’s Dickson Street for green beer. In an NPR Morning Edition interview she gives us a recipe for Guinness Chocolate Cake that puts green beer where it belongs, as a novelty best reserved for one day only. It inspired me to want to heat up the oven and drag out the mixing bowls. How about you?


(While it is worth the effort to get the real thing, if you can’t find Guinness you can try substituting another beer, a carbonated water, or soft drink in this recipe. Be warned, though, that it will change the flavor and possibly the texture of this cake.)

Home Made and Hand Made

A few years ago my sister, Margo, started attending pottery classes. Her first efforts were sad, but she’s gotten better and better. The pitcher in the picture accompanying this post is her work.

One of my favorite pieces was an early one, a plate shaped like a leaf. She found a huge fall leaf, pressed it into the clay, and shaped a plate from the resulting imprint. The glaze she chose added to the naturalistic style of the piece.

This past weekend my sister dropped in for a visit. We were talking about interesting recipes. She had a new pie recipe she wants to try for her next church social. She plans to bake it in a deep dish she made in her pottery class. Now that’s and exercise in creativity – your home baked pie in a hand made dish you crafted yourself, how satisfying!

What are some of your favorite creative experiences? Care to share?

Sunlight at Last

On my way to work this morning I had to get out my sun glasses to fight the glair as the sun tried to make an appearance. This afternoon the sun came through my office window now and then as the skies began clearing in earnest. Now, thanks to the beginning of day light saving time, I’ll have some time to enjoy the nice, sunny afternoon. I think I’ll walk over to the post office. Sometimes it’s great just doing a simple errand on a day when the promise of spring is definitely in the air.


How are you using this fine afternoon?

Racing for the Prize


This Saturday a brand new entry in the national marathon schedule makes its debut. At 8:00 in the morning a large crowd of runners and spectators will gather for the First Annual Bentonville Half Marathon. Some of the proceeds as well as donations will benefit local charities; this year’s recipients will be the Bentonville Schools Foundation and the NWA Food Bank.

I have friends who run in marathons. I admire their determination and the commitment to training it takes to compete. I also admire those big ol’ metals they get when they finish in the allotted time! In fact, I admire all those folks who run the race to the end. It’s a little like finishing any big project or a tough class in school - one of the most important but intangible rewards is proving you have the grit to stay the course. And, just like running in a marathon, the determination to finish the race is one of the characteristics of those who seek the good life.

I you are out early Saturday, stop by the Courthouse square in Bentonville and cheer on the runners.

What other interesting events are going on this weekend? Use the comment section below to clue us in.

Mysteries on the Way to Work … and Elsewhere

As I drove to work this morning I saw several vignettes that stirred my story telling imagination.  The first was a young man striding down the sidewalk with his long, black coat flowing behind him.  I wondered where he was going and what he planned to do.

A little further down the street there were several police cars and a van parked on a side street.  A group of men with riot shields were gathered at the side of an abandoned house.  Since there was no indication of traffic control or any media trucks in evidence, I concluded that the Rogers S.T.A.R. team (Special Tactics and Response team) was in training.  That scene could generate all sorts of stories.

Out on the Interstate I saw a pair of men standing on a walkway at the edge of the golf course at an apartment complex.  They were staring at water bubbling up and running over the walk.  Those fellows had a problem, beginning with figuring out where that water was really coming from.  Did that mini-geyser make or break their day?

I like to keep my imagination engine tuned.  As well as all the stories I’ll never have more than a glimpse of, I spend a lot of time listening to audio-books or reading.  In fiction I usually find a beginning, a middle, and an ending.  This morning I listened to some of each of the following:  Metzger’s Dog on my MP3 player, Word Gets Around in my cassette player, and Playing for Pizza on my car CD player.  I also have a copy of The Huffington Post Complete Guide to Blogging beside the chair where I was reading last night.  I like having several book projects going at the same time … it exercises my brain keeping up with all the different threads.

How are you keeping your imagination tuned up and your brain exercised?

A Community That Cares

One of the good things about NWA is the ready response of our people to the needs of others.  While there are many organizations, both national and local, addressing the varied concerns of our community, there are also spontaneous outpourings of generosity when there is a specific crisis to be faced.

I heard about one such community benefit this morning on public radio station KUAF’s local news.  This event is planned for Friday, March 12, to help Casey (Young) Wolfe and her family.  Casey, a Rogers elementary school teacher, is fighting cancer.  The proceeds of this dinner and silent auction will go to help with her medical bills.

"Casey's Cancer Posse" Benefit Dinner and Silent Auction
For Rogers elementary teacher, Casey (Young) Wolfe and her family
Location: Kirksey Middle School
2923 South 1st. Street, Rogers
Time: 6:00pm to 8:00pm
Ticket: $10 adults $5 for child under age 12
Tickets will be $15/$10 the night of the event
Ticket available at "Gracious Living Interiors" 1502 W. Pleasant Grove Road in Rogers or "Hook Line and Sinker Bait Shop" 98 E. Locust Street in Rogers
Arrangements for silent auction donations can call: 479-640-2016 or 479-531-2289

(Community Calendar page from TV station 40/29)

There is still plenty of time to put this worthy cause on your calendar!

Are their other benefit events we should be aware of?  Let us know in the comment section below or email me at rastites@gmail.com .

What a Tangle … and I Haven’t Even Had Breakfast Yet!

My sheltie, Tipper, barked the moment the meter reader’s pick-up reached the gate at the top of my driveway.  I stopped work on untangling the puzzle some night marauding raccoon had made of the bird feeder.  I yelled at the dog (who only barked the louder), put up the ladder, greeted the cheery young man checking our electric usage, and got back to refilling my Droll Yankee feeder.  Again it was ready for a day’s worth of birds landing to choose between sunflower seed or peanuts and those masked raiders of the evening who will enjoy the challenge of getting every last seed the birds leave behind.

Solving puzzles keeps us all involved with life – human and critter alike.  Some of us solve the crossword in the morning paper and some of us have feeders to deal with.  What are you puzzling over today?

Leave a Legacy, One Day at a Time

Part of seeking the good life is nurturing our spirits.  “North of the Tunnel” many of us typically set aside some part of Sunday for that purpose.

In my church yesterday, Pastor Steve preached about leaving a legacy.  He read the account of the stockpile of supplies that King David left his son, Solomon, to build the Temple in Jerusalem from 1 Chronicles 28.  Like this ancient king, each of us will leave a legacy for the next generation.  The question is, will it be great like King David’s or poor?  We should also keep in mind that the greatest legacies are not material but are those that influence others. 

One thing that makes life good is neither dwelling overmuch on the past or waiting impatiently for the future but living fully now – in the moment.  Since it is undeniable that we are building a legacy, like it or not, we should be inspired to live today well so that our impact on other people is positive.  Each and every day you rub shoulders with eternal beings – all those people around you.  When you make a positive impact on their lives, you are creating a legacy worthy of the name.

What do you thing about legacy living?

The Birthday Girl: “I’m just learning to have fun!”

One of my dearest friends is a very serious, organized woman, but she’s trying to reform!  Rosa’s doing her best to learn to have fun, be spontaneous, and enjoy a season of rest now and then.  Since this is her birthday month, we had good cause to practice these new skills.  In a brief e-mail exchange we set up lunch for today.  Our choices were Hugo’s and Bliss, both just off the Fayetteville square.

Hugo’s is a Fayetteville institution since 1977.  Located in a basement with bohemian charm, they serve award-winning burgers and an eclectic American menu.  We arrived at 11:15 and the restaurant was already beginning to fill.  By the time we left three-quarters of an hour later folks were waiting in line for a table.  The beautiful spring-like day had many prospective diners standing on the sidewalk outside.  Rosa had the Black and Blue Chicken Sandwich. She said it was a perfect blend of spicy chicken and cool blue cheese.  I had a fragrant Quiche Lorain, one of the specialty items on the menu.  It had been a long time since I last eat at Hugo’s, I’ll make a point not to wait so long for my next visit.

A short walk up the street and around the corner took us to Bliss Cupcake Cafe, Fayetteville’s only gourmet cupcake shop.  Opening last November, this unique pastry shop brings a metropolitan trend to Northwest Arkansas.  Bliss serves cupcakes and drinks and nothing else – not breakfast or lunch items, just a fabulous array of tasty cupcakes.  Their menu changes daily with each week’s selections posted on their website.  With such selections as Red Velvet Razorback, Caramelicious, and Cloud Nine there is always something to like in their sleek, modern storefront.  We sat at one of the indoor tables (Bliss offers outdoor seating as well) and enjoyed our delicious choices before ending our celebratory lunch.

Rosa and I talked about how many hometown treasures we have in Northwest Arkansas like these two affordable indulgences.  Do you have a recommendation for our next outing?

A Good Start for March

There are some early harbingers of spring we always look forward too. This morning I saw the first crocuses blooming in my back yard. As I looked out of my kitchen window, I saw their sunny gold cups nestled in the seared grass. This winter has been long. We usually see our first crocus in February and the daffodils in full bloom by the first week in March.


Unlike the old adage about March (in like a lion out like a lamb), this first week of the month has been fairly quiet and increasingly warm. This weekend offers the opportunity for outdoor activities with the temperatures predicted to go into the upper 60’s. One of my friends plans to get in a long training run for the Hogeye Marathon in April. Another is parking cars for the Razorback basketball game with Old Miss. The news anchors on the 10 o’clock news last night were discussing plans to play golf. What are you planning? Let us know in the comment section below.

Baseball and Daffodils

It may be March, but the baseball season has already begun!  Not only are the Arkansas Razorbacks off to a running start with a 6 to 1 record, but the Northwest Arkansas Naturals are looking forward to opening day.  If you enjoy baseball, need a part time job, and have a little free time, check out their job fair this Saturday, March 6, 2010, 9a.m to noon.

For my part, I agree with one of my best friends who said baseball is for warm summer evenings.  Add in a hotdog, cold drink, and fireworks to end the evening … hurray for the “boys of summer”!  But it will be awhile before the ping of bats at Arvest Stadium is a regular occurrence.

It’s still March and my daffodils are pushing up their heads in the garden.  The weather says spring even though there are still another 16 days of winter.  Guess I’ll keep my snow picture up on my Facebook page a little while longer.