Flaws & All

Adult friendship is something I wrestle with. Those closest to me are busy with families & day-to-day life, as am I. We may only see each other a few times a year, but time together melts away our months apart. Living over 500 miles away from where I grew up has led to many such relationships. We may reminisce some, but soon we are united in the present. Distance dissolves as we share in the bond of our daily struggles & joys. As we confide our heartaches & adventures, laughter abounds.
When I am continually told what I “should do” to “fix” myself I simply hear how broken I am. Friends uplift one another. They guide & reflect when asked, but share a common understanding of love despite imperfections. We commiserate & jest over our foibles. I am embraced for all that I am, not for just parts of me. My faith & my teaching are integral to who I am. Editing them out of conversation is to be someone other than myself. Friends don’t impose their lifestyles on each other. Friends don’t come into my house & tell me to throw things away, nor do I enter theirs & tell them to throw things around…. We accept each other for how we live as well as for who we are. Friends embrace each other for who & where they are, without need to change one another.
What would the holidays be like if shared in the love of friendship?

Moonset On Saluda

We spent the morning decorating inside & chatting with long-distance loved ones blessed with snowfall. I sifted through a years' accumulation of shopping for others before heading out with my brother for the finishing touches. As we drove home, I was awed back into reality by the yellowing crescent moon. The moment we returned home, I scrambled for my tripod to catch a few images before sitting back to watch. The amber moon turned to orange & then rose before it set behind the ridge. Our Heavenly Father is so very good & we are so richly blessed !

Winged Victory?

Viewing random strings of lights can be much like cloud watching. Tom does such a great job with ours. Once, a red lit tree looked like the outline of a cow. Another year, white lights in the same tree seemed an incredibly detailed portrait of an elk. This year, one of our red trees is cause for much speculation. One neighbor sees a giant bow, while her spouse sees a reindeer. I see the bow...but I really see the Greek statue, "Winged Victory of Samothrace"...I love that!...Especially the metaphor !

Lines At Night

I was disappointed when I saw the branches in my nighttime shots of Christmas lights. I didn't like the busy lines interfering with the image. When I looked closely at the branches, I delighted in their warm lines. I reset the tripod taking only pictures of the branches & really like this one.

Lights Across the Lake

The folks directly across the lake become "neighbors" this time of year when they illuminate their pine with lights that reach across the water towards us. We reciprocate by adorning the back of our home for them. One of these years, I will make the drive up the hill to their home & introduce myself...who knows, maybe even today.....