110/365-2 Gathered

"Happy Easter"

This year's Lenten journey was a meaningful one for me, filled with much opportunity for prayer and reflection.  That makes the Holy Week liturgies all the more meaningful and the celebration of Christ's resurrection a time of pure joy.  All that said, by the time I had sung the seventh service in five days, three of which in a period of sixteen hours, I was exhausted.  

We did have a family gathering for lunch after the second service this morning.  Brooke prepared a tasty brunch - baked eggs, roasted asparagus, salad and homemade biscuits that did double duty first with butter then with strawberries. Yum!

The energy level amongst us was quite low.  Not only was I tired, Erin was dragging after spending her morning in the church nursery with sugared-up kids and so was Brooke after all of the meal preparation.  I had hoped top take a photo with all of us, but it was happening today.  When I am too tired to take pictures, I am really tired!

After everyone left, I took a nap, a several hour nap.  I awoke with just enough daylight to snap a few quick shots.  Because we were all so tired, we didn't even touch the Easter candy, not that I bought much.  So, these ignored chocolate eggs were gathered up for today's photo.

Happy Easter, everyone!

109/365-2 Welcome

'Welcome

Not much time for picture taking today, but part of our house now is clean!  We are off to church for the Easter Vigil.  It is a beautiful service though long.  It feels even longer knowing that I have to be right back there tomorrow morning for two more services.  Come the Monday after Easter, Christ is risen and church musicians are dead.

Easter blessings to all!

108/365-2 Optimistic

"Optimism"

As with yesterday, there was not a lot of time to work at my POTD today between school and church.  Though I don't teach on Fridays, I do mentor at the middle school.  Today should have been a school holiday but because of bad weather days taken earlier in the school year, today ended up being a make-up day.  I sure could have used the day off!

I struggled with what to photograph.  Optimism should have been an easy one, but it wasn't.  As is often the case when I am stumped by the day's prompt, I went for silliness.

107/365-2 Starts With B

"Lots of B"

Something strange and wonderful happened today.  This is my Big Baby (aka my oldest daughter), the one who hates having her picture taken.  During lunch today I texted her and told her that I had fifteen minutes from when I got home from school and then had to leave again for church to get today's POTD done and she was it.  Why?  Her name is Bethany Brooke.  And though my last name is Baker, hers is nut; but, she is a baker by profession.  The letter B just surrounds.  I told her that she could call the shots (literally) regarding what kind of photos I took.  

I was pleasantly surprised when I got home from school and she was ready to go.  She was dressed cutely (in black), had braided her hair for a little extra "B" in the photo, and had her props.  Since she works at the public library, her current stack of library Books added a little more "B-ness."

I am happy to have gotten several fun shots that are truly pictures of her, not the goofy angry expressions I usually get when I point the camera in her direction.

I let Brooke decide which photo would be the official POTD.  Big surprise that she chose a black and white.  That's OK with me.  I am a fan of black and white photographs and truthfully, she is more the black and white kind.

There were even a couple of color images that Brooke said that she liked!  Miracles happened today!

I'm fairly sure that today was my lucky day!  I don't get a real photo session with her very often.  Ever?? The extra photos beyond my POTD are Bonuses - another addition to today's begins with B.

Now I'm going to Bed!

106/365-2 Where I Stand

"To-and-fro"

Today's photo prompt is one of the recurring monthly prompts for 2014.  Its goal is to encourage us to literally look at the the places in which we stand during the day.  

Though my week started off chilly, it is finally beginning to look and feel like spring in Dallas.  This makes my walk from school all the more enjoyable.  I like seeing the newly planted gardens along my way and marking their progress from week to week.  I enjoy looking to see what new colors of blooms I will spy along my way.  The birds are chirping.  The squirrels are playing.  We even have a pair of ducks that has taken up residence, if not a permanent residence at least a frequently visited vacation home, in our yard.  New life surrounds me.  Though I have to confess that fall is hands down my favorite season, spring holds a close second.

As much as I enjoy my walk, I am always happy, at the end of my day, to reach the sidewalk leading up to the front door at home.  For some reason, I seem to be overly tired this week.  The fact that I was standing at the end of today was an accomplishment in itself.

105/365-2 Siesta

"Dog Daze"

Our four-legged family members were able to indulge in a siesta today.  The rest of us had to work.  I got home a little earlier than usual and a nap definitely crossed my mind, but I was afraid that if I had gone to sleep, I would have slept until morning.  Though that might have felt good at the time, tomorrow morning when I was not prepared for the day, the goodness would have come to an end very quickly!

104/365-2 The Chicken Or The Egg

"Knowing What To Ask"

I'd like to say that this photo is the result of being tired, but in all honesty it can only be attributed to a  warped mind.