Scavenger Hunt Sunday - August 21

Geometry

Loved this little squirrel the other day - cleaning up after the kids at the Challenger Soccer Camp in Amherst.  See the geometric shapes behind him... natures own background (or should I saw "non-Nature"  ;))

Brushstrokes

Strokes of color -- celebrating Samantha's birthday on the Connecticut River yesterday.  Love Cook's champagne and our fun glasses on the boat.  :)

Hanging by a Thread

Learning how to slalom waterski.  This photo is Samantha, my step daughter "hanging by a thread" trying to pull herself up out of the water on one ski.  It is not as easy at it looks --- and you can see the water in her face, streaming up her nose as she struggles to get this "high" out of the water.  She tried 4 times and to get this "high" is considered a true success of determination.   Next time she will be up and skiing -- guaranteed.

Collage

Learning how to dive with Uncle Jim & Cousin Jason at the Cook Family Summer party.  Schuyler loves the water and it was wonderful to watch his uncle teaching him how to dive.  Jason Cook, his cousin is an amazing diver from Amherst and dives with the UMASS College team.  You can see his twist in the air - just goofing around that afternoon.  Very cool!  

On the dotted Line

I absolutely love the ducks on the river.  When we got there in July we found that one of the mother's had baby ducklings.  So amazing and beautiful to watch her take care of them all --- in a row -- following her --- on the dotted line.  :) 

The rules are simple:

1. Anyone can participate.
2. You're encouraged to take five new photos this week for the challenge. Creativity is also encouraged!
3. If you get stumped, you may use one photo from your archive (although I'm not too strict about it - I do my best to take fresh shots).
4. Link up here on Sunday (or Tuesday at the latest) - you can use the button above.
5. Leave comments for at least five entries around yours 
6. Have fun!

Tutti Fruity Power Shake

My recovery drink of choice!  In preparation of running my 28th marathon in New York City - I have slimmed down by watching what I eat, counting the calories and trying to limit eating and drinking what I love in moderation.  My miles have increased and my recovery is so important to being able to get back out there again and hit the pavement with more miles at a faster pace.  After going through chemotherapy for my lymphoma this past year my body is really in tune to what fuel I ingest.  So the recipe is lots of salads, protein, fruits and water!  My whole grains are limited, but I love Heritage cereal in the morning.
 We love our Vitamix for juicing and mixing our protein drinks.  Best investment ever!

Here is my Power Shake recipe that I zap together in my Vitamix every other day - unless there are high mileage days that just need that extra boost!  Try it! You will love it too!

1 cup Orange juice
1/2 cup Strawberries (fresh or frozen)
1 banana
1 scoops Whey Protein (Vanilla Ice Cream flavor)
1 scoop GU2O powder (or your electrolyte powder of choice)
ICE

Optional:  Mix it up with frozen mango or pineapple too!

Blend it up in your Vitamix or blender

Serve it up cold in a frosted mug!

So yummy and refreshing and it give me a LOT of energy!  :)

World Cup Dreams

Our trip to Mt Hood was truly amazing --- every day ---- every moment --- family, skiing, friends, and more.  It met and exceeded all expectations all the way to the ride home.  We met wonderful people, ate at great restaurants, skied GS and Slalom, learning along the way -- coaching and hanging out with some amazing little ski racers and watched Schuyler improve and grow to love the sport of skiing even more than ever. 

This one day all the World Cup Olympic athletes supporting "World Cup Dreams" were at the mountain.  They were in town signing autographs the day before, but little Alexandra Welters heard that they were at the top of Mt Hood and the kids waited for them to return to get these amazing athletes to sign their helmets. A little funny was that Schuyler hiked down and back to the rock on the snow (which was quite a ways) to retrieve a Sharpie for helmet signing.  We saw him hiking in his ski boots as I brought him his skis to ski to mid station (the location I am talking about is almost 8000 feet).  I was pretty proud of him, but totally thought he was nuts (or just has a big crush on Alexandra!)  shhhhhh

We got to meet the World Cup athletes and this website talks more about the foundation, but I was impressed with the work that they are doing to support these amazing young athletes.  Insurance, training, etc... costs a lot and with no support -- this foundation helps them all around.  I really want to get more involved in their efforts - hopefully next year when we return to Mt Hood! 

These photos were my choice for Black & White Wednesday - they are not of the World Cup athletes, but of our own Mount Snow Ski Club kids at the top --- looking so happy and so proud to be skiing at camp that week ---- it was a sight to see!  And my son Schuyler...... got to love that smile!

"Bumble Bee" Beauty

Straight out of the Camera

Photographing flowers in my yard I focused on these bees in my hedges

Beauty of nature
The top photo I really love best!
But the second one where the bee is "in flight" is pretty cool too!
Hope you like these shots as much as I do!
Please leave a comment if you stop by! 




Nancy E

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What are the rules for SOOC Sunday?

•On any Sunday you can post any photo you like (it must be one of your own)

•that hasn’t been tweaked or altered in any way (cropping is OK).

•In other words Straight Out Of the Camera.

•Link to Murrieta365 http://www.murrieta365.com/ in your post so others will know where to go if they want to join in the SOOC fun.

Superman Schuyler!

Looking at the photos I took this past week - this truly is my favorite  --- besides the group pic I posted earlier this week.

This is my favorite photo because you can see the energy in Schuyler's hands, his outstretched fingers, the smile up to the sky, his legs spread perfectly apart and the ribs sticking out really show he is making an effort.  The blue from the pool and the green trees in the background just make the photo feel fresh and colorful!

The boys had so much fun Lucas' 9th birthday at the pool and Schuyler was hamming it up with the "Superman" pose.  So cool.  They grow up way too fast, and I want to enjoy every moment.  I am so glad that I am a photographer and can capture these fun photos and smile so much when I look through them posting my faves of the day!  Enjoy!

Little Miss Kimmy

My sweet niece Kimmy - it was her turn to graduate, her turn to grow up, make decisions for herself in life that will help her to make her mark on the world.  I have watched her grow up into a beautiful young woman, despite all the challenges that life has hit her with along the way.  We are all proud to say she received her diploma from Bellows Free Academy Fairfax (where I also went to high school) in Vermont.  She has decided to go to college at Johnson State College and when I asked her if her "friends" were going there, she replied ... "no, but there is one girl from my school that will be there".  How cool is that - she is going off on her own to discover the world.  Reminded me of me, when in my 30's I packed all that I owned and put it in the truck with my dog, Chester and drove across the country for a job, a ski experience and life change.  Here Kimmy is at age 18 - off to college!

We wandered off to the grassy lawn in front of my sister Laura's house at the farm in Georgia Vermont and  I photographed Kimmy --- Here are some of my favorites from that "shoot" to share in black & white.  Hope you like them as much as I do.

And best of luck to my sweet niece on her adventure in life....








Please leave a comment if you stop by! 
I love to read your comments!  :)
Thanks!

Birthday Party Fun!

Tis the time of year for birthday parties!  This weekend Schuyler had so much fun with his friends at Lucas Birthday party --- I was able to get some fun shots of the boys in the air!  They don't like to pose much for photos at this age, so catching them in the air having fun is just the pose they prefer.

This one below as my favorite - so much I had to go directly to the CVS one hour and get it as a 5x7 for an addition to our present for his family.  Hope you love it as much as I do!

The Beauty of Wildflowers - Macro Monday

It has been a while since I have posted to the photography memes and I just was dying to share this classic flower photo with hovering bee....  such a cool shot!  I was waiting in the light rain for my husband who was off to get tools to fix the broken down motorcycle, so I busied myself with photographing the wild flowers.

Please leave a comment if you stop by!

Thai Pork Satay

Thai Pork Satay

Rated:	Prep Time: 45 Minutes	Ready In: 55 Minutes
	Cook Time: 10 Minutes	Servings: 4

"Cubed pork marinated in a tasty peanut butter sauce is grilled on skewers with water chestnuts, green and red bell pepper slices, and chunks of sweet onion."

INGREDIENTS:

1/4 cup crunchy peanut butter 1/4 cup finely chopped green onions 2 tablespoons soy sauce 2 tablespoons lemon juice 1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar 2 teaspoons minced garlic 1 teaspoon ground coriander 1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

1 pound pork tenderloin, cubed 1 (8 ounce) can water chestnuts, drained 1 medium green bell pepper, cut into 2 inch pieces 1 medium red bell pepper, cut into 2 inch pieces 1 small sweet onion, chopped skewers

DIRECTIONS:

1.	In a medium bowl, mix peanut butter, green onions, soy sauce, lemon juice, brown sugar, garlic, coriander, and cayenne pepper; add pork, and stir to coat. Cover, and marinate in the refrigerator at least 30 minutes.
2.	Preheat grill for high heat. Thread marinated pork, water chestnuts, green bell pepper, red bell pepper, and sweet onion alternately onto skewers. Transfer remaining marinade to a small saucepan, bring to a boil, and cook for several minutes.
3.	Lightly oil grate. Cook skewers for 10 minutes, or to desired doneness. Turn skewers while grilling to cook evenly, and brush with boiled marinade during last few minutes. (from Allrecipes.com)

Motivational Quotes for running & life!

"Pain is Temporary, Pride is Forever"


"Life begins at the end of your comfort zone."


Only those who risk going too far can possibly find out how far they can go.


"It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out where the strong stumbled, or how the doer could have done better. The credit belongs to the one who is in the arena, their face marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and falls short again and again: There is no effort without error. But he who tries, who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends themself in a worthy cause, at best knows the triumph of achievement, and at worst, fails while daring. Their place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory or defeat." -Teddy Roosevelt


"Eventually you learn that the competition is against the little voice inside you that wants you to quit". - George Sheehan


 It is never too late to be what you might have been ~ George Eliot 


The glass is neither half full nor half empty. It's just a glass of water. Drink it already.

"I will not die an unlived life. I will not live in fear of falling or catching fire. I choose to inhabit my days, to allow my living to open me, to make me less afraid, more accessible, to loosen my heart until it becomes a wing, a torch, a promise. I choose to risk my significance; to live so that which comes to me as seed goes to the next as blossom and that which comes to me as blossom, goes on as fruit." -Dawna Markova


"Running is a big question mark that’s there each and every day. It asks you, 'Are you going to be a wimp or are you going to be strong today?'" Peter Maher


"Get busy living, or get busy dying." from Shawshank Redemption.


"Be the change you wish to see in the world." - Gandhi


'I wish I would've run.' But few have gone to bed thinking 'I wish I wouldn't have run.'


"We will either find a way, or make one."--Hannibal


"To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift." Prefontaine #2: 


A lot of people run a race to see who is fastest, I run to see who has the most guts. " Prefontaine #3: 


Pain is temporary, quitting lasts forever." Lance Armstrong

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn't serve the world. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."  - Marianne Williamson in Return to Love.

"Your body hears everything your mind says." - Naomi Judd, 


"Obsessed is just a word the lazy use to describe the dedicated." -Anonymous


 "Anyone can give up, it's the easiest thing in the world to do. But to hold it together when everyone else would understand if you fell apart, that's true strength."


If you have a body, you are an athlete
- Bill Bowerman (co-founder of Nike)


 To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift. Steve Prefontaine


We must embrace pain and burn it as fuel for our journey."
-Kenji Miyazawa


“To fail is a natural consequence of trying, To succeed takes time and prolonged effort in the face of unfriendly odds. To think it will be any other way, no matter what you do, is to invite yourself to be hurt and to limit your enthusiasm for trying” ~David Viscott


 It is never too late to be what you might have been ~ George Eliot 


Mary R. Wittenberg, president, New York Road Runners Club:
"A marathoner is a marathoner regardless of time. Virtually everyone who tries the marathon has put in training over months, and it is that exercise and that commitment, physical and mental, that gives meaning to the medal, not just the day’s effort, be it fast or slow. It's all in conquering the challenge."


 "I thought of that while riding my bike."
Albert Einstein on the theory of relativity.


"Life is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment and making the best of it, without knowing what's going to happen next. Delicious ambiguity." Gilda Radner


""The best pace is a suicide pace, and today is a good day to die." -Steve Prefontaine" 


 "Steyu" - Cherokee Indian
This translates as "Be Strong". It is good for Cross Country teams because a) only your teammates will know what it means, thus reenforcing the secret society you are a part of; and b) because this is as long a sentence as you can string together in support of your teammate when you are racing like there is no tomorrow.


 "For everyone who thought I couldn’t do it. For everyone who thought I shouldn’t do it. For everyone who said, ‘It’s impossible.’ See you at the finish line." - Christopher Reeves


"If you are going through hell, keep going." Theodore Roosevelt.


‎"For everyone who thought I couldn’t do it. For everyone who thought I shouldn’t do it. For everyone who said, ‘It’s impossible.’ See you at the finish line." - Christopher Reeves


Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.  Isaiah 40:30-31,

“You don’t have to get it right; you just have to get it going.” – Mike Litman


 "Everybody wants to know what I'm on. I'm on my bike busting my ass six hours a day. What are you on?" -Lance Armstrong


"The most important thing I have learned about life to this point is --it goes on." -Robert Frost


"In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer." ~Albert Camus


 "Make voyages. Attempt them. There is nothing else." Tennessee Williams


"Do, or do not. There is no 'try.' " by Jedi Master Yoda


When Your Legs Are Tired, Run With Your Heart.


"Nothing worse then knowing that it's in you and never letting it out"


"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit." 


"Run when you can, walk if you have to, crawl if you must; just never give up. " — Dean Karnazes


If everything seems under control, you're just not going fast enough. Mario Andretti


"Feel the fear and do it anyway."

"The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well." -Pierre de Coubertin 


"Nothing will work unless you do." Maya Angelou 


"If I continue to do what I've always done, then I am going to get what I've always got." Anonymous.


Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, "I will try again tomorrow." - Mary Anne Radmacher.


Unless you test yourself, you stagnate. Unless you try to go way beyond what you've been able to do before, you won't develop and grow. When you go for it 100%, when you don't have the fear of "what if I fail," that's when you learn. That's when you're really living. - Mark Allen


"Energy and persistence conquer all things." ~Benjamin Franklin

"But everytime we think we've reached our capacity for greatness we look up and we're reminded that that capacity may well be limitless." ~ Aaron Sorkin (from The West Wing "20 Hours in America")


 It's supposed to be hard. If it wasn't hard, everyone would do it. The hard... is what makes it great. (Jimmy Dugan)


‎"There are clubs you can't belong to, neighborhoods you can't live in, schools you can't get into, but the roads are always open." - Nike