Colleen's Store

A couple of days ago, I tried to surprise my friend for her birthday and failed. I moved 2 hours away from her so it was a crazy plan.   She wasn't home, but I broke into her store and shopped anyway.  We started a journey together many moons ago.  We are creative soul mates....we can talk about our passion for days without end.  She moved out to the country and started working on her little shop.  She slaved over the details and made her husband nuts with plans, but he did as she asked and now Prairie Peddler is now a reality.  The first day I walked into her little shop, tears ran down my face as I exclaimed "Oh, Colleen, your dream has come true." 

 This is Colleen's dream....

 Cut not the wings of your dreams,

for they are the heartbeat and the freedom of your soul.

~ Flavia ~

I love and miss you dearly, Colleen

Winter

Winter has kept me close to home.  Not that I mind....but my cranky body keeps me close not allowing me to wander very far with my camera.  Cranky, because I find as I get older I do not tolerate the cold as I once did.   Growing up at the base of Wolf Creek Pass in southwest Colorado, winter came early in October, blanketing the ground with white wonder and staying long after the first notion of spring.  I loved it there.  I was always up on the mountain partaking in winter by skiing, snowmobiling, ice skating and cross country skiing.  I don't remember my body being "cranky".  So now one block from my house I capture winter. This is it...not a flake of snow this day but alluring in it's own measure.

Happy Birthday, Chase

Today is the birthday of a little boy who is very special to me.  Chase...celebrates his third birthday today.  Three whole years...where does the time go. 

His birth is a well written story of love....love of mothers really.  Two mothers and a grandmother to be closer to the truth.  And I would say his birth started as a prayer for us all.  A prayer from one mother for the gift of a baby she could not have, a prayer from another for a baby she wanted but couldn't keep and a prayer of courage from me to help lift them both up.  Jordan, in the most precious and abundant love only a mother could understand, gave Chase to Jen who in the most precious and abundant love only a mother could understand gave us more than we all could have dreamed of and gave themselves back and more.


Adoption....dear, true and a gift from God to all of us.


We have an open adoption...where we can see Chase when we want and share in his life thru a wonderful blog by Jen and thru letters and emails.  Chase has a brother he shares with us.  Tate loves cars and trains and using blocks to build elaborate creations.

Adoption...dear, true, abundant selflessness


 I first gave everything I am to a special little girl, my daughter, on the day she was born who became Chase's mother.  She gave everything she was to him, a chance.   Now both of  us race thru his veins and when he listens closely he can hear us whisper..."I love you, no matter what." 

I am so proud of you, Jordan
I am so thankful for you, Jen
I am so blessed to have you, Chase.

My Mother

My mother has cancer....again. She was given her news the day before her birthday in 2003. She has fought and won....twice. Now the beast is back. I have been blessed to be able to be with her during the first few weeks back, with breaks from my work at a school and luck...I guess. Many would not think going to treatment was luck or sure not a blessing but when I look at the minutes I may have left with my mom, each is a blessing even at treatment.


The cancer treatment center should be a place of sorrow but I see hope in every drip thru the I.V. tube. My mom sees hope too. Sometimes she is brave, sharing her story with others as they are tethered to their chairs for two to three hours. Sometimes she is the only listening ear that understands her new friends fears. Sometimes she is the delicate aging woman, with wrinkled hands reaching for me for support.


For the first time, this time, I looked into the eyes of my mom and saw confusion for just a second before I saw the tears as she whispered, "I can't remember what we were talking about just now." I cried, as I held her shaking hand, blaming her "chemo brain" for her short memory, knowing that along with the chemicals that were raging in her body to save her life...again...she was also slipping into the unknown for us both. That place that all mature people go where memory is short, where I will have to remind her of what happened a minute ago, a year ago and a lifetime ago.


I ask God for the patience to do just that. Remember and remind...


But today, I will remember her like this picture...my family was coming to my house to celebrate September birthdays, to surprise my sisters and mom, when they arrived I started snapping pictures like they were coming down a red carpet...so today I will remember my mom, on the red carpet, eyes full of life like the movie star she is to me.

I love you, Mom.....

Mosaic Monday

Mosaic Monday at

Little Red House

Come see all the great artists and their Mosaics.

I love fences...I love the way their repetitive lines draw to or away from me.  They sometimes lead to an adventure or keep me from danger. I never let them box me in or define my space and thru my lens they are a thing of beauty.

Mosaic Monday

Little Red House: Mosaic Monday



Welcome to my first Mosaic Monday.  Whew....that was scary.
I am working on my goals already this year by posting for the first time on another blog.  If you are seeing my pictures for the first time, welcome and I look forward to hearing your comments.

Possibilities

I was inspired this year by The Blue Muse not to set a resolution but to pick a word or have a word pick me that represents what I see in 2011.

Possibility

My 2011 word.  I thought about what possibility would look like and came up with the photo.

Before the BIG snow

Next to the the porch, below the front window, behind the bushes remains a little of what was yesterday and what is today.

Yesterday is but a dream, tomorrow

but a vision. But today well lived

makes every yesterday a dream

of happiness, and every tomorrow

a vision of hope. Look well,

therefore, to this day.

Favorite Shots from a Favorite Place

I have a favorite place right down the street from me to shoot photos.  I go there and let the place speak to me.  I have taken 100's of photos of this place which is abanded, broken and to me with just the right light....

BEAUTIFUL.

It is funny when you let the location choose the photo you get some of your favorite shots.

Happy New Year

Looking back...looking ahead...good ole' New Year.   I am always thrilled about the new year.  Although I have decided not to make an official resolution...I am working on a "word" to jump start my year and look for the possibility in all I see.  Oh that's it....my word Possibility.


I am excited about the blog and have decided to go in a different direction this year.  I have found many, many wonderful blogs and sites that have been an inspiration to me and I will soon have them posted to share with all. 


I am looking to spread my wings and go beyond my comfort zone and participate in a few blogs outside my own....including

Little Red House:  Mosaic Monday 
 ShutterSisters: One Word Project


Oh, the Possibilities....


Here on my blog I have decided to do weekly posts calling it "The Big 52"


I also am a part of a great group of aspiring photographers here in Greeley.  We have a club called Light Shooter's and we meet the second Wednesday of the month at
Zoe's 715 10th Street, Greeley, CO. 
We are looking forward to the new year and hoping to do some community projects to take advantage of our photography skills.


New Years...I am inspired...come along with me.....

Jordan's Birthday

Jordan's birthday is Dec 26th....even at 20...yikes...she still feels ripped off. 





The days will come when you don't have the strength

When all you hear is you're not worth anything

Wondering if you ever could be loved

And if they truly saw your heart they'd see too much

You're beautiful

You are made so much more than all of this

You're beautiful

You are treasured, You are sacred, You are His

You're beautiful

And praying that you have the heart to find

Cause you are more than what is hurting you tonight

For all the lies you've held inside so long

And they are nothing in the shadow of the cross

You're beautiful

You are made so much more than all of this

You're beautiful

You are treasured, You are sacred, You are His

You're beautiful

Before you ever took a breath

Long before the world began

Of all the wonders He possessed

There was one more precious

Of all the earth and skys above

You're the one He madly loves

Enough to death

By Mercy Me

Remember God Loves You.

And so do I

Happy Birthday, Jordie



Moments

“As happens sometimes, a moment settled and hovered and remained for much more than a moment. And sound stopped and movement stopped for much, much more than a moment.”

John Steinbeck

Christmas Blessings

Although some of our family was not with us...they were in our hearts...the others found themselves in my camera lens view....

 Dad Jorgensen

Peyton

 Cassie

Jordan and Em

Twas the night before Christmas and all thru the house

....not a creature was stirring

Christmas Gifts

I also had the pleasure of shooting for my friends Christmas List.  Her daughter and son make a perfect picture for a Christmas Gift.  It was very cold that day but they were troopers.



Jordan

Looking back thru my pictures...I found this of our beautiful daughter Jordan.  She is studying at Aveda Institute in Denver.  She is often chosen to model for the other students.....I know why. 

Daughters are angels from heaven to fill our hearts with unending love.

You are beautiful Jordan.

Christmas Portraits

I had the blessing of taking the Hertzke Family Christmas photo's.  These are may fav's....