Sketched Self-Portrait

This is the self-portrait I sketched today.  My main focus was to create depth by using different shades of the pencil.

Using a picture for inspiration, I converted it from color to black and white to aid me in my shading.

Dominican Republic Trip Journal May 16, 2014

Past camp experiences helped interest me in international work. The missionaries there always fascinated me with the cross-cultural interaction and travels they experienced during missions.  After hearing their stories I wanted to travel internationally too.

A few years ago my Nana went to Ghana, Africa, with a water purification team.  During her stay she wrote us emails. She returned home with beautiful pictures.  Her expression of the African culture amazed and inspired me.  She told us stories of the people she met and befriended there. Nana's example she set of listening to people's stories made me want to explore cultures and listen too.

My brother has faced multiple health challenges since he was very little.  Medication has been present for him almost as long as I can remember. He has encouraged me throughout his journey with his strength and positive attitude.  The doctors and nurses we have met through my brother have touched me in their healing and care for people.  I want to treat people medically and internationally, to help heal them and listen to their stories.

This June I will be traveling to the Dominican Republic with a team from Church of the Apostles Columbia. It is my first mission trip.  I am very excited about the actual trip but am enjoying the preparation as well.  Being on the children's ministry team, I am busy writing skits and learning Spanish. Activities with the children will include but aren't limited to; skits for my team to perform for them, leading them in singing Spanish songs (or them leading me to improve my Spanish), crafts, and games.  My Spanish vocabulary is presently "pequeno" (little) but seeing as I must perform the skits, sing the songs, and generally communicate en Espanol I am trying to teach myself a crash-course on Spanish.
The team will fly into the Dominican Republic and stay at a missionary base before hiking up into a small mountain village.

A Flood of Photos: Experimentation with Water

Monochromatic Reflections

 

At the River

         Spring Puddle-Wading

 Crying Owl

                Rose

Rain Droplet Focus

Ripple Effect

My brother Whit took this picture as I jumped. To see more of his photos, go to:

whitwenttothewoods.blogspot.com

Bird's-Eye View of Everyday Objects

 Coffee Mug

Coffee Bean Grinder

 Lamp

Where Numbers Meet Letters

One

Word builds

Off of another

To fill the blank

But words do not count

So numbers count for the words

Without words numbers are not visible here

Numbers and words together make up this poem

Count words for numbers and read word for word

And you will see the poem where numbers meet letters.

June Dominican Republic Trip

 

Please keep the team and I in mind as we head to the Dominican Republic this June!

Coming Soon... My Sci-fi Novel

Zeth has killed Vincent, Alonna, Trent, and Penelope multiple times.  Each time they suffer a new creative and horrible death, only to wake up from a bad dream.  Trapped in dream layers, they can't find their long-forgotten reality. Not knowing how they got there, or how to get out, all they can do is die again and again, hoping it's still just a dream.

Until they find the book.
Titled Paradox and supposedly written by "A. Genius", the book contains their dreams.  Their past dreams, the present happenings, and scenarios they suspect are their future. But who wrote it? Searching for the author who wrote the story of their lives, they can't help but wonder; "Do we write our own stories, or are we destined to live out the life an ultimate author wrote for us?"

Ode to Coffee: a love sonnet in Italian form

Ode to coffee, the best drink of all;

Oh coffee, you are so nice!

I drink you hot or over ice.

Whether you're venti, grande, or tall,

When I get thirsty I'll give you call.

If it's me you want to entice,

Just hand me autumn's pumpkin spice,

It's my favorite drink for fall.

I even like coffee better than tea.

Baristas at Starbucks brew both with haste,

Their caffeinated concoctions offer a choice.

Each sip energizes, filling me with glee.

No drop of coffee will I ever waste,

For each sip makes me rejoice.

A letter of affirmation to mothers

Lately I have been amazed by the mothers surrounding me in my life.  I got on the computer with the intent of sending out e-mails of thank-you to a couple of wonderful women, and I still may end up doing so, but after I started thinking about how I might want to compose my writing, I was inspired to do a blog post. 

First of all, one of my most powerful influences comes from the women in my family.  I look up to them, and hope to be as great a mother as they are some day. My great-grandmother and grandmother are great encouragers in my life.  I have a great relationship with them and love them both very much.

My brother and I have severe food allergies.  My mom is amazing and cooks us a great variety of safe foods.  She also helped educate the rest of the family on safe cooking.  My aunts in particular are very aware and knowledgeable of our allergies and how to safely cook for us.  Whenever I go on trips with family, my aunts always have my back with meals.  They make my brother and I safe meals and even go as far as making us separate desserts.  Just yesterday we went our cousin's birthday party and were ecstatic to find a safe cheesecake my aunt had made just for us.  

Even out of the family, my mom's friends set a great example of hardworking mothers who really care for not only their children, but their friend's kids as well.

My family is a homeschool family.  My mom teaches my brother and I, and directs a once a week co-op for classes with other homeschool families.  One family offered their house as a meeting facility, so every week our co-op meets there to pool resources and do classes together.  These moms help teach each others children.  Some moms work, one drives long-distance to attend, another opened up their house for a free spot to meet.  Every family has a different belief system, but still are able to work together peaceably to learn and encourage each other.  I'm grateful for these moms who set a good example and devote time and help teach not only to their children, but to their friend's children too.

 I'm surrounded by strong women in my life. Moms, thanks for giving me a great support system and plenty of good examples to look up to.