but the greatest of these is love

So faith, hope, love remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
-1 Corinthians 13:13

Although I didn't realize it was from the Bible at the time, I first read this quotation perhaps a week ago in what has become one of my favorite books, Speaker for the Dead by Orson Scott Card. A few days later, I was reading my Bible - 1 Corinthians 13 - and chanced upon it again.

When I did, I felt a sort of connection to these words. Why? I'm not sure. Maybe it was because the words rolled off my tongue, like lovely poetry. Maybe because it's a verse that rings true.

And while I wasn't planning on doing a one word for 2011, I realized that this verse held the one word I need to keep in mind this new year:

Love.

I need to love this year more than ever. Love my family. Love God. Love my friends. My enemies. Myself. People I don't know now and won't ever. The people I do know, as much as I dislike some of them. Those in need of help, and those who aren't. I need to bring an open heart into every encounter so that I may be free to love as Jesus loves, without prejudice or profiling. 

This year, I need to love.

I've Been Dreaming of a White Christmas...

Goodness! Where has this time gone! It's been nearly a week since I last posted.

Well, life's been... busy. Since I last blogged....

It snowed! Yes, we got around 3 inches down on the ground, and sticking, last Saturday. I got up early on Saturday, just after six, and went outside to take a few photos. It was still dark, so most of them didn't turn up well. This one did. Before the snow, it didn't seem like December, like Christmas was only a few weeks away. Now, I'm listening to Christmas carols on the radio :)

Kusy had a lot (and I mean a lot) of fun in the snow.

That orange ball is the remains of a Good Cuz. It is missing its legs and no longer squeaks, so we bought him an early Christmas gift of a new, green one. He loves it already :)

I love how crisp and sharp this photo turned out.

Ah, going on a long, trans-Siberian trek with his faithful orange ball...

... and then running insanely throughout the snow-covered yard and the piles of poop that the flurries hide. Oh, joy.

Of course, what snowy day would be complete without hot chocolate and marshmallows?

Note: I just released a digital scrapbooking kit, called Let it Snow, on my design blog, Tabby Cat Designs. It's my first one, so it's not too good. If you'd like to download it, free, go here.

And a special thanks to all of my followers and readers - your comments mean so much to me, they make me smile. Thanks a ton to everyone! If I could, I would give you a free pie or a cookie or a cake, or something :)

Let it Snow!

I could hardly believe my eyes when, on Tuesday afternoon, beautiful white flurries began to drift, ever so slowly, down from the sky like tiny Christmas angels. It was not even December, and I hardly live in an extremely snowy place.

But, there they were: little snowflakes falling like the leaves did a few months back. The flakes were tiny as they drifted across my line of vision, slight. They refused to stick together, to gather into snow that I could shovel.

The sky was that lovely shade of blue perfect for snapping a few photos. Cold bit at my gloveless fingers, but my ears were could not have been warmer.

*Note: this is NOT a fur hat! Zero animals were killed to make it. I checked, specifically. I mean, you couldn't pay me a million dollars to wear something made of real fur, no matter how cozy it seemed.*

It was odd luck that allowed me to capture such a decent-looking self portrait (usually, I look horrible).

Somebody was a little too obsessed with my hat, and wanted to murder it at all costs.

That somebody was also a little freaked out by the slippery, icy deck, and insisted on climbing on top of (and sitting on) the little stool on our porch.

Yesterday, too, it snowed, even harder then it had on Tuesday. It wasn't shovelable, either, but several inches are predicted for this weekend...*cheers*

It is SO hard to believe that not even a week ago, I was able to take these sunny-looking, vibrant colored (and totally unedited except for the watermark) photos:

 These dandelions littered a neighboring lawn, still fully intact even as the weather began to turn into bitter, but refreshing, cold.

I love the bokeh on this stop sign. This photo is so vibrant it is hard for me to believe I took it at the end of November.

Even though no one will see the leaf that left this imprint, ever again, it has left a legacy that will last for years.

I found a flower bush, still in bloom, and could not resist picking one of the lovely flowers and holding it up to the setting sun.

Sorry for the length of this post - I had way too many photos to post, as I've hardly posted a single picture through all of November. Also, please vote in the poll at right. And thanks to all of my followers - we're up to 75!

Happy holidays everyone, and I hope that you stay warm and cozy this winter.

Cornet Crazie's Photo Contest

Cornet Crazie's blog, Treble Clef, has just hit 700 posts... congrats, Cornet!

                                                              

Here are my entries:

Something about this photo just screams fall. I took it in a rural pumpkin patch - the sunflower's gorgeous crimson colors caught my eye. It didn't turn out quite the way I intended - unfocused in some places - but I love it.

To me, this photo simply embraces autumn. Beautiful blue sky, bold orange leaves, just a few wispy clouds and a vintage air. What's not to love?

If you'd like to enter the photo contest, go here. The first prize is a blog makeover by Olive Tree.

Kusy's Dog Training Log

I hope all of you remember my dog, Kusy, who my family adopted three and a half months ago. Since I am his main trainer, I have decided to start keeping a monthly log of his progress, starting today. Once a month I will recap what he knows, what he has learned, and what we need to work on in the coming month.

{I have been wanting to share this photo of Kusy going raspberry-picking, for ages. He goes into our tiny raspberry patch and forages for leftover berries. It is quite amusing to watch! I apologize for the blur.}

Commands, Tricks, and Behaviors Kusy knows:

Kusy obeys the commands sit, give paw, and beg. We are working on having him obey consistently without him having to first see that you have a treat. His best trick is without a doubt begging. Being a Beagle, he absolutely adores food. So whenever someone is eating, or preparing, food (especially in the morning) he runs from person to person and starts begging without any command or hint from a human! He just knows there is food and starts to beg. Sometimes his effots pay off and we drop him something. It is absolutely hilarious to watch. I'll try to make a video of it to show you guys.

What Kusy is learning:

At the moment we are working on several tricks and commands. Down, walk (like heel), stay, and come are our main priorities. I am also teaching him to roll over, spin and push a door closed. Kusy is also not allowed in most of our house. He likes to try and cross the forbidden doorway, though. Earlier we have just relied on yelling and the trusty spray bottle full of water, but that didn't eliminate the behavior and just taught him to retreat when he saw someone approaching angrily. I have decided to try a postitve reinforcement method instead. When I cross the doorway, I have Kusy sit and tell him to stay. I wait for several minutes before returning, providing a treat and lots of praise, and releasing him from the stay. I have only just tried this, so I haven't seen much improvement yet, but I suspect he will get better as I continue the training.

What We Need to Work On:

There are three main issues we have to work on. First, and foremost, is the extreme seperation anxiety. Kusy barks and howls and whines whenever anyone leaves, even if he isn't completely alone. When my mom, brother and I leave to work/school, my dad stays at home. He is sleeping where my dog can't see him. So Kusy barks and howls until my dad comes out to yell at him. Kusy knows that by barking and howling someone will come out to yell at him and he will know he's not 100% alone. When he really is alone, he barks, knows no one is there, squeezes out of his crate, and often urinates/defecates indoors. That's why I'm asking my dad to give up some sleep now to be able to get more sleep later and try this: sit outside the doorway to Kusy's room quietly without Kusy knowing and seeing him and wait until at least 3 seconds of quiet before coming into the room. This way Kusy learns that barking won't have anyone come to him. I hope this will work, but my dad doesn't really want to try it. He just wants to sleep. I hope I can convince him to try this out for a week or two at least, until Kusy learns that barking won't bring people running.

The second issue is carsickness. Ninety-five percent of carsickness in dogs is due to stress rather than motion sickness. Kusy used to vomit a lot whenever in the car, but now he usually only pees into his crate and then whines the whole way. Because of this issue, we can't take Kusy with us anywhere, but leaving him alone isn't much of an option either. This is a HUGE problem, as you could imagine. By desensitizing him to the car, showing him it is a good place through treats, and going on short drives to fun places, I hope we can get him to at least tolerate the car.

The third issue is fear of many things and slight aggression, based in fear most likely (he once snapped at someone, although that person was fingering/grabbing his snout while Kusy was growling at his to stop and back off). Kusy doesn't like men and visitors to the house, and is scared of everything from chirping crickets, to kittens, to balloons and that spiderweb decorations people put outside around Halloween. He is also scared of people we meet when they ask to pet him. With treats, though, anything can be remedied. Kusy also sometimes get too rough in play and tries to mouth humans.

Wish us luck, please! If you have a dog and would like to do a log like this too, I would love to read the post so please leave a link.

aching for... something

Sometimes, the moments right here right now just don't content me.

I mean, there are places to see, people to meet, photos to take and careers to contemplate. And so much more!

There is a world out there, and it is waiting for me!

It is days like these that make me wish for the future in 5, 10, 15 years. Going to college. Having a job. Being an author, a teacher, a mayor of a small town, a vet tech, a dog trainer, a diner owner, a photographer, or maybe even something else. Getting married. And one day, hopefully, having kids.

 I have all these dreams, all these ideas, that cannot be fulfilled in the cream colored suburban house with a tiny backyard in a city named for onions. I'm sure many girls wish to live where I live. But I wish to live somewhere else. Somewhere rural.

 That's why I love road trips oh so much. Seeing all these houses and imagining the lives of the people who do call them home. Imagining myself in their place. Wild dreams. Hopeful dreams.

Even déjà vu sort of dreams, like driving through small towns and feeling as though you have been here before and as if you will one day be back.

That's exactly how I felt driving through a particularly charming town in rural New York state. The countryside outside of the town was so pleasant, and then I felt oddly as though I've been there before.

Maybe even as though I'd be there again someday.

Who knows? I just might.

(Note: these pictures have zero to do with said town. I stupidly did not take any photos there...)

Big Steps

Okay, I did it.

*deep breath*

I signed up for Facebook. I (hopefully) won't get addicted to the site. Hopefully.

Of course I won't put a link to my Facebook on this blog, even if I ever find out how to do that. I dislike stalkers :)

And because I hate short posts, here's a photo I've been meaning to post for over a month.

School Means...

Sleep-deprivation. Too much homework. Ridiculous, demeaning binder systems. Feeling too skinny and too young for my age again. New turf fields. Ten hour long school days counting over-long, late bus rides. Chilly autumn air. Friends again. Immaturity. Stress and aches. Reality.

What does school mean for you?

It's been three days of eighth grade- nine of September- and already I look back into summer and wonder, did that even happen? Lounging in the warm sunny grass, wearing short shorts and tank tops without shivering, and endless hours that can be filled with whatever one desires- it all seems so long ago. Just about a week ago it was hot, humid, sunny and delightful outdoors. But then September struck, and ever since it's been chilly.

It's odd, isn't it? How once September rolls by the weather seems to cool down, however reluctantly, as though the earth knows and understands our odd calendars? As though Mother Nature must mourn the beginning of school and the loss of inquisitive children exploring her beautiful nooks and breath-taking crannies?

School begins. Reality starts. Summer (and freedom) ends.

And, to top off the summer, I leave you one of my favorite photos of Kusy:

The Cat Stalker

It all begins about one week ago, when I was returning with Kusy from a walk and saw a small, scruffy, collar-less, orange tabby cat calmly walking down the middle of the sidewalk away from my house. Kusy naturally stiffened and watched intently, and the cat kept walking down the street, across a little intersection. I didn't think much of it and went to my house.

Two days later, I was also returning from a walk with Kusy, when I saw the same orange tabby cross the little intersection, heading towards my house. He stopped to scratch his (as I don't know whether a male or a female, I shall use 'he') claws on a tree, then continued on down the street. He laid down by my next door neighbor's car and watched Kusy and me go home. By now I was intrigued.

Then, two days later, this Monday, I was saying goodbye to my mother as she drove to work when, lo and behold, I saw the same cat yet again, heading the same direction it had the first day I'd seen him. I rushed home, grabbed my point-and-shoot and my flip flops, and rushed to follow the cat- hence the 'cat stalker' part.

I followed him down the street (the cat only looked at me once). The cat then turned down the sidewalk of number 5134. I immediately thought of the cat man, who lived across the alley from the house down which's sidewalk (does that make sense?) the cat had walked. I rushed around the block, and the cat man was sitting in front of his house (as he often does), shirtless, bald and very gray bearded, as always. I crossed the street and walked along, but of course I didn't see the cat anymore. The cat man feeds cats in front of his house. I have seen at least 5 or 6 different cats by his house (maybe more). I don't know whether he owns them- none of the cats wear collars.

By then I was used to seeing the cat exactly every other day, so I didn't expect to see him in front of my house Tuesday. I had walked outside to my front lawn with my brother, setting up the hose to water the lawn. And there was the cat, walking the same direction he had twice earlier. I ran into my house, grabbed my d3000, and followed the cat. He turned into the same sidewalk once again. Some pictures from that day:

Now for today. I had been sort of hoping to see the cat again, and was prepared with my d3000 and a baggie of chicken in my shorts pocket. I took several walks throughout the day, hoping to happen upon him. Around four o'clock (I'd seen him a few times around 4-5 pm) I went for a walk. I walked past the cat man's house. The man wasn't outside (a bunch of cats were, though), but walking down the sidewalk by the house next door was none other than the cat. The cat. I, of course, rushed home, to grab a bottle of water and some small bowls. I set up the bowl of water and some chicken (the cat never found these though) and waited with the rest of the chicken pieces and my camera on my front steps. After a while, I saw the cat heading past my house. I waited until he was close by and slowly walked towards him, bending down. I thew some chicken pieces by him, and retreated to my side door to watch. As soon I turned away, the cat began to eat the chicken! Once he was done with what I had thrown him, I slowly came back and put the rest down, hoping to lead the cat to the little bowls. I once again retreated, this time upstairs to watch from my top roof. The cat ate all the chicken but the ones in bowl! Once he was done, he pooped ( hehe) on my neighbor's front lawn, and walked off towards number 5134. The first picture in the post is from today when he was hiding under my mom's car, watching me put down some chicken.

I am not sure whether or not this cat is a male or a female. I don't know whether someone owns him/her (there's no collar, so I'm leaning towards him being a stray). I don't think he's feral, because he walks around during the day and didn't run off when I approached him. He is a gorgeous cat, though. I wonder what his story is. Imagine tracing back his paw prints to the day he was born, to see exactly what life had in store for him. Was he an abandoned pet? A lost pet? Just a friendly feral? I guess I'll never know.

In Liberty's Shadow

Here is, as promised, the NYC/New Jersey part of my trip. First, we spent three pointless hours crusing the streets of Jersey City. First, there are all these one way streets with no way to turn around. Seriously. We went at least four miles in the wrong way before finding a way to turn around! The hotels are all hidden where no one can find them. And the people- well, the drivers are just BEYOND courteous! NOT. We saw a minimum of four middle fingers and heard at least, I dunno, thirteen honked horns. Granted basically all the middle fingers came from the same idiot, as well as at least four of the honked horns. Anyway, we spent 3 and a half hours combing (ish) the city for a Super 8 motel. There is one in Manhatten, but who in the world wants to pay 250 bucks a night (even if it's only for a night)? In our wanderings, we found ourselves at the waterfront, at a dead end, with an enormous monument before us. What suprised us, is what the monument honored.

Katyń- the slaughter of 20-something thousand Polish officers and intellectuals by Russians. Sure, back then they were Soviets- same thing. We had no idea a monument to Katyń stood in Jersey City. It is amazing that this monument to the thousands of lives brutally lost in the Russian wildnerness, actually stands- that it is allowed to stand.

It is a beautiful, true monument. Anyways, back to Jersey City. After hours of searching, wrong turns and middle fingers, we decided to stay at a Days Inn we saw in our wanderings instead of the Super 8 we couldn't seem to find. Our room was on the 8th floor.... and from the window, guess just what we could see in plain view. Yep, the Super 8 Motel.  Turns out it was just up the hill from us, out of view from the main street. We made do without free breakfast, though. The Days Inn offered a trolley to Manhattan. Of course we signed up, but by the time we found the hotel and knew about the trolley the next time available was going to leave us wandering NYC in the dark. Fine with me- Times Square is amazing. Seriously. The library has such long hours! Like until 11pm- my neighborhood library closes at 8 at the latest. Bryant Park has the coolest trash cans in existence, plus an awesome 'sunlight' from a nearby building. Bike buggies (or whatever the name is) are everywhere, as are honking taxis. And people. Including half-naked girls wearing only a cowboy skirt and hat and tiny decals you-know-where. And sporting a guitar. Also including bucket drummers and people with pit bulls with insanely awesome ears. We even saw a cockroach scrurrying across the sidewalk (don't worry, not in Times Square but nearby). And.....

This insanely awesome live camera thing above the Forever 21 store in Times Square! Can you find me? Here's a hint: look above the yellow word 't-shirt' at the bottom on the picture (near the right end of the word). I'm in a colorful striped shirt holding a black camera up to my face. My dad, mom and brother are standing around me. Still can't see me? Look at the bottom of the big blond girl's yellow camera, then go straight left. Can you see me yet? This is basically the only worthwhile picture of NYC there is to share. The D3000 isn't good on low light, even with flash. I must admit, Chicago has NOTHING on NYC at night. New York never sleeps. Chicago does.

Anyway, we came home on the 11pm trolley, though it left 15 minutes later because *someone* (no clue who, s/he didn't show up) didn't come to the trolley. Yeah, the driver had a list. The trolley was packed on the way back the the hotel. On the way to NYC, we were the only ones (plus the driver).

When we got back to the hotel, I went to get something from the car. Then I saw these cats to the end of the parking lot. I went closer.... and there was a kitten! I have been having a recent obsession with cats, and this kitten was adorable. Gray and white. The adult cats ran off real quick to hide from me, but the curious kitten stayed, watching the oddball carrying a pillow (in other words- me). My dad made me go inside, though. Sigh. However, I had a perfect view of the area where the kitten had been, from the window. Too bad it was too far away to see much. I did see what must have been a cat moving down there- maybe it was the kitten. That was the last I saw of the kitten.

The next morning, we went to Liberty State Park. Ever since I wrote an article about the Black Tom Explosion of 1916, I have been dying to go see the site, which is in Liberty State Park. Grrs, but I didn't get to go. I did, however, see Ellis Island and Lady Liberty. Here's a tip: if you ever go to Ellis Island, don't buy their vanilla ice cream- it has no flavor at all. Too watery. Bleah.

I rode on this ferry to get to/from Ellis Island, to and from the Statue and to and from the mainland. Not this one specifically- there were at least 3 ships like this, named things like Miss New Jersey, I think- at least it was something like that.

This amazing flag of faces was in the Ellis Island museum. When you looked at it from one way- you saw the American flag. Another- hundreds of faces.

A tree of words listing American words and the country or people they originated from.

A view of the building on Ellis Island as we departed on the ferry.

I called this picture Enlightening Lady Liberty.

 

This one... Under Liberty. (I took the picture from on her pedestal :)

This last picture is far from my favorite. But I love the title I bestowed upon it- In Liberty's Shadow. So simple, yet can be taken two ways. The literal one- being in the space upon which the shadow of Lady Liberty- Liberty Enlightening the World- is falling. The more meaningful one, of being behind liberty. Without liberty. In the shadow of those with liberty, yet unable to reach it- the fate of too many people, both in America and out of it.