Treasures in Hershey

Last weekend I enjoyed a Ladies Retreat in Hershey, and, yes, there was an abundance of chocolate and I indulged! Beautiful spring weather greeted us and God's extravant grace filled our souls!

My special treasure from God was discovered Saturday morning before the first session. The hotel had a pond on one side of the lane and a small creek meandered on the other side. Ducks were friendly and two geese swam the borders. The two above were in dreamland.

I wondered over to the little creek as the two geese were honking their way across the lane. Wondering what was up I soon found out! In the shrubs along the creek bank was a family of geese -- 5 goslings! This photographer's dream -- God's treasure to me. I was able to snap away for several minutes as they took their time walking around.




A little serendipity moment just for me.

The Wonder of Digital Photography

My baby leaves started opening Saturday morning, the 18th. On Sunday morning "half-inch baby leaves, perfectly shaped, stretched their little frames for all the earth to see." (See March 30th post, Baby Leaves)

The pictures above were created on Photoshop Elements using the Magic Extractor feature. Just Friday morning my sister-in-law, Bobbie, showed me how to use it to eliminate the background in a picture. I love the results! The top picture shows the leaves still wrapped together, loosening their hold, under the blossoms. The bottom picture are the baby leaves.

I started using Photoshop Elements two years ago and have finally reached a level of satisfaction. It took 8 months to get over the hump and understand how it works. What fun I have had since then!

I went digital about 3 years ago when my friend, Cindy, started me on a 2 megapixels camera. Within a year I went to 6 megapixels. On the computer you have an entire world of opportunities to work with your pictures.

At this time I make note cards and bookmarks from the pictures I take, and, of course, ones to put on my wall. I purchased an assortment of mats from a place called Redimat on the web. Although your minimum order is $100, you can choose any colors and sizes of mats you desire. I have a rainbow of colors to accompany my pictures.

Photography is a wonderful and fun hobby to spend time on. I highly recommend going digital!

The Little Things . . . Under the Shed

Saturday afternoon found me in the backyard with Sammy, our energetic dog. It was sunny and comfortable, and I felt good as I walked around the yard. I noticed the jonquils in our neighbors yard were in full bloom, so I grabbed my camera and went over to take some pictures.

After I snapped a few shots I looked around her yard and saw some color over at the shed. So I walked over to see what was there and found these blue beauties peeking out from under the shed. I love the color! It was a serendipity find--and I thanked the jonquils for calling me over so I could find this new life in spring!

“Our Lord has written the promise of the resurrection, not in books, alone, but in every leaf in spring-time.” Martin Luther

Spring . . . signs of new life . . . just like my baby leaves.

In the song “Pass It On” by Kurt Kaiser, the second stanza says:
“What a wondrous time is spring,
When all the trees are budding
The birds begin to sing, the flowers start their blooming;
That’s how it is with God’s love,
Once you’ve experienced it.
You want to sing, it’s fresh like spring,
You want to pass it on.”

I love capturing pictures from serendipity moments. They hold a special place in my heart. As Jean Webster says, “It isn’t the big pleasures that count the most; it’s making a great deal out of the little ones.” There’s just something wonderful about finding unexpected treasures along the routine of your day.

A popular saying in our day, author unknown, calls attention to the little things too: “Enjoy the little things in life ... for one day you’ll look back and realize they were the big things.”

Open your eyes to the “little things” as you go through your day and discover a serendipity moment.