Pincochle!

I won't write much today. I'm on my way to spend hours and hours playing pinochle. What better way to usher in 2008!? :-) Happy New Year everyone!!

Niagara Falls at Night

Sometimes I just like to share photos with you. I drove over to Niagara Falls this evening (it's about a 45 minute drive from where I live ... but I spent more time than that waiting to go through Canadian customs!) to walk around and take some photos of the Falls at night. This is the American Falls (New York State) viewed from Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada. Enjoy!



My new lightbox

Or you could call it a light tent. Whichever. Anyway - Pat put an idea in my head about a year ago, and I finally got around to building my own light box. I am rather excited about it because it will help me learn to do some photography using special lights indoors ... and I haven't really done much of that sort of photography. Rather than causing you to yawn by posting it all here, I decided to create a static page about the process that I used to make my lightbox and included links to other people's websites about building lightboxes using various methods. So, please take a quick look at the page that I created about building my own lightbox ... it includes sample photos.

Current Events

I normally don't post in my blog about world events or about anything controversial. Plenty of opportunity out there for controversy and for finding out about world events. You don't need my blog for that.

But this time I'm going to do just that. I have been unusually shaken by the events in Pakistan the past two days. I mean, I have admired Benazir Bhutto because she so badly wanted to bring democracy to the middle east, because she took a hard line about the radicals in Northwest Pakistan on the Afghani border, and because in a culture where women are not often successful in the political arena, she was elected by popular vote TWENTY YEARS ago!

But I don't know that all of that would normally be enough to break through my emotions. Yet, I have been tearing up every time I see the stuff about her death on the news. I have to admit that I am a bit scared. I think that she was the best thing that could have happened to the Middle East. The whole question about democratic elections going on on schedule is tough ... do them on time and the party that will bring democracy to the country won't have a candidate. Postpone/cancel them, and the people who killed Bhutto get what they want. And the whole question of their nuclear weapons scares me, too. I can't put my finger on it ... but I have a very bad feeling about this situation....

I mentioned previously that I was pretty upset by that book, The Kite Runner. Well, I've been wanting to go see a movie today, and I thought it was too soon to see that movie, so I decided to see another one that I've wanted to see, Charlie Wilson's War. Dummy, me ... did I forget that I wanted to get away from the current events for a couple of hours?

It was interesting, though, how all of this ties together. The book helped me to put the time frame in perspective (Afghanistan as an independent nation doing well, then the Russian occupation, then the Taliban coming in). And it also helped me to put a face on the average Afghani ... beyond the girl with the green eyes of National Geographic fame. And the movie reminded me of the United States' roll, financially (and otherwise) in helping Afghanistan overcome the Russians and the long term implications of that aid that we gave them.

It was creepy, watching that movie today, because at one point the Julia Roberts character is introducing the then president of Pakistan, and she starts her introduction with "President Zia did not assassinate Bhutto." (Referring to Benazir Bhutto's father.) It was creepy ... knowing that they filmed the movie how long ago, not knowing that Benazir would be assassinated while the movie was running in the theaters.

One more creepy thing about the movie ... they used the music from "And He Shall Purify" from Handel's Messiah while the Afghani's were using the American purchased weapons to over take the country from the Russians. I'm still contemplating what the significance of using that song at that part of the movie was....

Well, I am not normally one who loses sleep over ANYthing at all. But this is keeping me up at night. I think that I'm going to go read my new book (about the Iditarod) until I fall asleep....

And He shall purify the sons of Levi, that they may offer unto the Lord an
Offering in righteousness. (Malachi 3:3)

Reading Material

You may have noticed that Michener's novel Chesapeake was on my "Currently Reading" list in the right-hand sidebar for a loooong time. No, it was not an oversight. I read VERY slowly and Michener's novels are VERY long! But I love them, and I love to take my time with them and enjoy them thoroughly. Chesapeake is a wonderful novel. The story only covers about 400 years (some of his novels cover thousands!), and includes four main families that live on one particular river that feeds into the Chesapeake. I started the book when I was in Africa this summer. I figured that it was a great book to be reading when I had two 24-hour travel days going and coming back from Kenya, as well as any random times in between things while there. I read a lot during those two weeks, but didn't come near to finishing. I have continued to enjoy the book for the past several months, and finally finished it this weekend.

Thus, I began the book that you see now in the sidebar, The Kite Runner. I wanted to read that book in anticipation of seeing the movie. It is a very powerful book. It reads almost like an autobiography. I can't tell you how much the book makes me cry. And I can't even begin to describe to you how the book has been keeping me awake at night. Not that I'm sitting up late reading it (five days into reading it, I'll probably finish this evening) ... but that the story is SO upsetting to me that I have laid awake thinking about it. And believe me, I'm not a "lay awake nights" kind of person. I am typically asleep when I hit the pillow. But this book ...... well, let's just say that I'm not so sure I want to see the movie now. And my mother, the Librarian, says that if THIS story bothers me, then I probably shouldn't read the author's next book, A Thousand Splendid Suns, which she says would upset me much more than this.

Without giving away any of the story, I guess I have to say that I am appalled at the things that human beings are capable of. And, so often, children are the victims.

I don't know if I would recommend either book. I loved Chesapeake, but if you don't like the epic aspect of Michener's novels, you won't like it (it's 1000 pages long!) And I know that The Kite Runner is a powerful novel. But you might not want to read it if you don't want to be upset.

I think that I need to find a happy book to read next...

Stepping up my game...



One of the things that I am doing with my time (aside from uploading resumes by the hour and working on connections) is working on stepping up my photography. My goal is to find the best way (for me) to sell my photography. I'm exploring stock photography, online galleries, fine arts websites and looking into displaying images for sale in local venues. We'll see if anything comes of all of this.

In the meantime, I know that some of my technology needs to be stepped up as well. When I was at my friend Lisa's house the other day we were talking about her photography business and she was showing me her cool touch pad mouse. It basically comes with a regular mouse and a mouse that works like a pen. Then she showed me how she uses the special mouse with photoshop to post-process images. Amazing! I can't believe I've been using a regular mouse all this time.

So, I splurged and bought myself a touchpad mouse and pen. I am considering it an investment to help my (eventual) business.

I have been playing with my mouse-pen the past week or so. Just to show you one of the things that it will do, I included a signature image at the top of this post. With some practice, you can use the pen to create images with your own handwriting. It also allows greater control of which pixels you're working with.

Here are some photos. The first is my general workspace setup. The second and third are the pen and the little holder that it sets in when not in use. The final image shows my hand using the pen on the special mousepad (included with the package). I would highly recommend this type of peripheral for anyone who does a lot of photo editing or graphics work.






Merry Christmas!!

I want to point out that since I have not been as crazy busy this year as I have in every single Christmas season for the past ten years or so, I have had more opportunity to reflect. I have been increasingly convinced that the amount of commercialism associated with Christmas is not glorifying to God. I also have to admit that my brother and sister-in-law might argue with me because (as usual) I bought quite a lot of "stuff" for their three (wonderful) sons.

That said, I also want to point out that probably my favorite gift this year was a copy of the entire DVD set of BBC's series, Planet Earth. Have you seen any of the episodes of this amazing series? If not, you really want to check it out. They took cameras and crews to some amazing places all over the earth, in a National Geographic (albeit British) sort of way. The result is 11 hour-long episodes of some of the best cinematography that you could ever imagine seeing.

I watched the "Caves" episode with my mom this afternoon. I can't wait to dig into the other episodes over the next few days. Thanks, Karl & Danielle!!

Silent Night

What song is more appropriate for Christmas Eve than Silent Night? And, have you ever heard Libera? Well, this will most definitely move you. Have a very Merry Christmas!



(Oh, and I am now so excited that I was able to stick with my advent blogging that I am committing myself to keep up with updating my posts regularly! So, stay tuned ... upcoming topics will include my recent reading pleasures and life in the Buffalo area.)

Away in a Manger

No Christmas season is complete until you have heard a child sing this gorgeous song to The Savior. Billy Gilman has a beautiful and crystal clear voice. Enjoy!!



What Child is This?

My two favorite melodies are Rachmaninoff's Vocalise and Greensleeves. Did you know that they think that Greensleeves might have been written by King Henry the Eighth for Ann Bolyn. Interesting! Anyway, did you know that Jessica Simpson has done some Christian singing, early in her career? She does Christian music with such wonderful heart! If you like Jessica's version of What Child is This?, you'll need to listen to Breath of Heaven (Mary's Song), which I think she does an even better job with!



An "aside"...

So, I'm watching CNN, and they've got some opposing opinions about Christmas in this secular society. Anyway - I just want to point out something that the one guy said: If they decided that on Martin Luther King's Day it would be politically incorrect to display images of or talk about Martin Luther King, we would think that is ludicrous! Right on! Christmas is Christ's Day.
I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day

Okay, we're only a couple of days away now. So, I'm getting down to some of my absolute favorite Christmas music. This is the Carpenters' version of I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day. I love the words, but you really need to listen to all of the verses. (Oh, the music is out of sync with the video ... but it was a long time ago....)



God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen

Here is God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen, accompanying footage of our troops in Afghanistan and Iraq. Please remember our troops overseas and their families here in the US. Pray for their safe return.



Handbells

What would Christmas be without some handbell music? :-) I heard handbells played by a group of children the other day. It was nice. Here you have "Hark, the Herald Angels Sing". This group sounds nice, too. Enjoy!



Gabriel's Message

Not much time to type this afternoon ... but I wanted to share with you Sting's version of "Gabriel's Message". I think I'm going to go strictly sacred this week leading up to THE day! :-)



White Christmas

Another movie for you today. This time the classic "White Christmas" with Bing Crosby, Rosemary Clooney, Danny Kaye and other big names ... enjoy!



It's a Wonderful Life

Okay, this one isn't a song. But I was about half way through watching It's a Wonderful Life when I remembered that I hadn't blogged yet today. So I wanted to remind you of this wonderful movie. Maybe life isn't going the way we planned or even hoped, but our lives have purpose ... God uses each one of us for His purposes and His plans. Enjoy!



Hilarious!

Well, I can't tell you which Christmas carol this is because it's a whole bunch of them. I guarantee you'll smile through most of this ... and when you're not smiling it will be because you are laughing out loud. All I can say is ... how the heck could they memorize this music!? Amazing!!



Claymation We Three Kings

I LOVE the Claymation Christmas special that came out a few years ago. It is made up of several vignettes portraying several different Christmas carols. It's a fabulous special. My favorite vignette (although I love them all) is the one for "We Three Kings". Well, it's not that I have any belief that there were exactly three kings ... but that's a different discussion for a different day. Yeah. Anyway, tonight I went with some friends to see a "living nativity". It was about 20 degrees outside ... but totally worth the fun. The presentation consisted of ten different Biblical scenes. I wasn't surprised to see live sheep at the shepherds part, nor was I surprised to see a live donkey in the stable with Mary, Joseph & the baby. But when they had a live camel (in chilly Western New York in the dead of coldest winter!) I was amazed. What an interesting looking animal. Well, now that I've been spending a few hours smirking to myself about the camel, I HAVE to post this video!! This is one of those performances that has caused me to never be able to listen to this song again without picturing and hearing it done by the Claymation folks. You need to pay special attention to the camels' feet and knees. :-) I love the end where the star shines bright on Bethlehem. Enjoy!!



If you enjoy the Claymation stuff, check out some of the other vignettes from their special: the introduction by two Claymation characters, Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer performed by the California Raisins, O Christmas Tree, Carol of the Bells which is one of my favorites of their songs ... it's hilarious! Watch this one if you have time!!

Some Children See Him

Have you ever heard this Christmas song? If not, you really must listen to it. The words to this song always bring me to tears. This version is sung by Kenny Loggins.



You can also listen to a version by Andy Williams, Tennessee Ernie Ford, James Taylor or more. Enjoy!

The Muppets 12 Days of Christmas

What would Christmas be without the beauteous sounds of Miss Piggy fighting through eight verses of increasing desire to take over the performance? You simply must watch this one to the end. Enjoy!



Angels We Have Heard on High

Angels we have heard on high
Sweetly singing o'er the plains,
And the mountains in reply
Echoing their joyous strains.

Or is it "Echo BACK their joyous strains"? Hmmm... This past weekend I went to a church service and they sang (from a Power Point slide) "Echo back..." and then that same afternoon to that same church to a Christmas pageant which ended with carol singalongs. Same church, same music pastor, power point slides, same song, same day ... but in the afternoon it was "Echoing..."

I sent him an e-mail this morning to ask about it. He told me that he also found a third version, dated 1937, that went something like this: "Angels we have heard on high, sweetly singing through the night, And the mountains in reply, Echoing their brave delight!” vs. 2 “Shepherds why this jubilee? Why these songs of happy cheer? What great brightness did you see? What glad tidings did you hear?” vs. 4 “See Him in a manger laid whom the angels praise above; Mary, Joseph, lend your aid, while we raise our hearts in love."

Here is a pretty choir version of this hymn. Enjoy!



O Come O Come Emmanuel

One of my absolute favorite Christmas Hymns is O Come O Come Emmanuel. I love the melody, the dramatic rise and fall of the dynamics when it is performed well, and the solid theology contained therein. I have been reminded lately that Israel waited for their Messiah with great anticipation for many centuries. And in that moment, that one moment in time when the Christ child entered our world, those of us for centuries to come would gain eternal benefit from his incarnation. Rejoice! Rejoice!

Stephen Curtis Chapman has taken the lyrics and set them to a new and gorgeous melody. Enjoy the paintings of winter scenes and listen to the amazing words of this beautiful song. Rejoice!



Organ Music

Sorry this is a bit late to be Saturday's post ... I warned you I might get behind this weekend. :-) Anyway, I was hoping to find a video that went along with something called Why There is no Trumpet Christmas as a follow up to yesterday's Tuba Christmas. But I can only find the audio, and really, it goes against the spirit of what I'm trying to do here. So ... if your ears are ready to be abused, go ahead and click on this link which will get you audio so that you can find out why there is no trumpet Christmas like there's a Tuba Christmas.

In the meantime, since I have had the distinct honor this weekend of hearing some wonderful Christmas music played on the organ, I'll share with you this video of just that type of music.



Tuba Christmas

For several years in a row I had the opportunity to go to the Kennedy Center one evening in December to see a "Tuba Christmas" concert on the Millenium Stage (the free concert series). If you've never seen Tuba Christmas, you really out to try to find one. They have events all over the country. This video shows you one from Boston, but if you go to YouTube and search "Tuba Christmas" you can find videos from Tuba Christmas in lots of parts of the country, including Chicago, New York City at Rockefeller Center, and even California. Just imagine a couple hundred tubas playing Christmas Carols. Included in the group of instruments are traditional tubas, sousaphones, euphoniums and baritone horns. It is quite a sound!! Enjoy!



The Vienna Choir Boys

When I was in college at Geneseo they had a special events series to which I had tickets every year. I will never in my life forget the year that the Vienna Boys Choir sang for us. I guess I was expecting a bunch of irrationally well-behaved unrealistic vocalists. Well, I was SO wrong. I mean, it was an amazing and unforgettable concert. But it went something like this: a bunch of young boys came out on stage, sort of poking each other and goofing around on stage (a little) ... until the conductor raised his arms. Instantly the kids shot to attention and the room was filled with music like that of angels. I'll never forget it! Here is a clip where the choir shares a bit of camera time with Perry Como.



You can also hear them sing O Tannenbaum and Still, Still and Joy to the World and Adeste Fideles. Enjoy!

My posting may be sporadic from tomorrow through Monday as I will be in Virginia attending a Christmas pageant and visiting friends. Don't tell me that you're jealous. :-)

All Is Well

This arrangement of this song (arranged by Michael W. Smith) is one of the most powerful things I have ever heard. When I hear this song, I feel like I am standing in the field on THAT night, hearing with my own ears, the multitude of the heavenly host glorifying God and announcing that the Messiah has come. I have heard this song a million times and it still brings tears to my eyes! I just HAD to include the lyrics.

All is well all is well
Angels and men rejoice
For tonight darkness fell
Into the dawn of loves light
Sing a-le
Sing alleluia
All is well all is well
Let there be peace on earth
Christ is come go and tell
That He is in the manger
Sing a-le
Sing alleluia

All is well all is well
Lift up your voices and sing
Born is now Emmanuel
Born is our Lord and Savior
Sing alleluia
Sing alleluia
All is well



Back on September 12, 2001 our church held a special prayer service (as I'm sure that many churches did). One of the AV guys put together a slide show of 9/11 images that was shown during that service. This song, "All is Well", was the musical background during that presentation. Talk about moving! But talk about appropriate. Even amidst much evil, we can say that ALL IS WELL because Christ came to earth THAT day, laid in a manger, lived his life here on earth, suffered, was brutally murdered, and rose again to bring peace with God to all who live on the earth. All is well!

P.S. Michael W. Smith has a new Christmas album out this year. It's WONDERFUL!! He even has a duet with Mandisa. Here is a video with MWS talking about the new album. MWS is also involved with a project called Operation Christmas Child and he talks about it in this video. Another amazing Michael W. Smith Christmas song is Emmanuel. This video has footage from the movie The Passion of Christ, so it's a bit graphic....

ALL IS WELL!

Celtic Woman

Have you heard of Celtic Woman? It's a group of five Irish female musicians. Four of them sing, one plays stringed instruments. It's like listening to the music that we will hear in heaven one day. Some friends and I stumbled across a PBS broadcast featuring them last Spring. We were enchanted. I still am whenever I hear them sing. This is O Holy Night. But, just in case you're also hooked and need more, I'll include some more links at the bottom. (Or you can just buy one of their albums.)



Also check out:
* White Christmas
* Carol of the Bells - my violin player readers really, REALLY need to watch this one, by the way!! (And I want feedback, too!)
* Wexford Carol
* Silent Night - one of the most beautiful versions of Silent Night I've ever heard!
* Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
* Little Drummer Boy
* O Come All Ye Faithful - the theology in this song is just so wonderful!
* Away in a Manger
* Over the Rainbow - okay, okay, I know ... not a Christmas song. But it's one of their most popular songs, and you'll definitely see why!!

(Sorry so many ... I just couldn't stop......) Enjoy!!

Oh - and if you've now had your fill of warm fuzzies for the holidays, check out this funny little thing that reminds me of a phrase that my friend's mother says all the time: DON'T THESE PEOPLE WORK!!??

Chanticleer

I love listening to ensembles with tight vocal harmonies. Chanticleer is just one of those groups that appeals to me. I saw them on NBC's Today Show this morning. They have just released a Christmas album called "Let it Snow", and this is footage from the recording studio when they recorded their version of The Carol of the Bells. Enjoy!



Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow!!

Well, because it snowed overnight and because it is supposed to snow all week, I thought today would be appropriate for "Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow"!

This one features Michael Buble audio and video that is a montage of snow footage, mostly scenes from Narnia's The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe ... scenes from when Lucy first discovers Narnia where it is always winter but never Christmas (ruled by the White Witch).



I also found a jazz pianist version. I've never heard of this guy before, and I have to admit that I think he needs a haircut. But it's pretty music nonetheless. Enjoy! Hope it's not snowing where you are. (I KNOW I have a reader or two in Florida!) :-)

You're going to have to stand up for this...

In my opinion, the Hallelujah Chorus by Handel should ALWAYS be played with an orchestra of about a thousand instrumentalists and a choir of over a thousand voices. It's just such an amazing piece of music, yet not quite equal to the event that it celebrates! You know the story, don't you? Tradition has it that King George II heard the opening notes to the Hallelujah Chorus and instantly stood up. Well, if you're in the presence of the king, and he stands up, you stand up, too. Thus, the entire audience was on their feet for the duration of the piece. Well, since this piece celebrates the birth of my King, I am always moved by the fact that an audience rises to its feet when the opening notes are played. So, please stand and listen to the Hallelujah Chorus conducted by Robert Shaw.



Another nice version of the Hallelujah Chorus can be found here. If you want to read more about the speculations as to why King George stood up, you can find the whole story in the Wikipedia article. Enjoy!

TRAVEL & ROAD TRIPS

General Thoughts on Road Tripping
DC Amani Safari to Nairobi, July, 2007
Europe semi-roadtrip, Summer 2005
Alaska! Lou Ann's Folly, Summer 2003
Lou Ann's Great Adventure, Summer 2001

CURRENTLY READING

The American Presidency
Do What You Are
Photoshop - Masking and Compositing
The Chronological Bible - I'm working on another "read the Bible in a year" program, this time arranged in a chronological format.

RECENT DVD'S

Start Trek: The Search for Spock
Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan
Solomon
The Good Shepherd
Six Degrees of Separation
Star Trek: The Motion Picture - the first movie, 1979
Atonement
Disappearing World - Masai Women
Definitely Maybe
The Stepford Wives - the 1975 version
Star Trek: Voyager - Season 1&2
Flight 93
Cars
The Last Brickmaker in America
Martian Child
One Night With the King

MOST RECENT MOVIES

The Dark Knight - you really ought to see it in IMAX!!
Get Smart
WALL-E
The Happening
Iron Man
The Bank Job
The Other Boleyn Girl
Vantage Point

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