Amazing moments

I had a friend tell me of her recent experience of losing her daughter in a crowded public area. We all know that horrible feeling when your heart begins to pound.

And all the places your eyes scan looking for that little familiar person.
It happens to every mom and when it does it is awful.

But in this story, when my dear friend found her child, (at the entrance to the building) before she even had a chance to scoop up her baby and cover her with kisses- she was yelled at for all to hear. And called a terrible mother. Already near tears, she agreed and thanked the man for not letting her little girl wander out.

I have been thinking about that experience and the very harsh words that were used against my friend... thinking that is unfair that so much attention was drawn to her minor mistake. What about those amazing moments that she has had, that all women have had? But were never shouted about or recognized?

I mean those moments when you have absolutely had it with a child and you continue to show patience and love waaaaaay past the point that they really deserve it?

Or the times you put energy and love into a project, a dinner, a lesson and then have it flop or no one seems to notice how great it was?
Or how about the fact that you can understand a child's words or story when others thought they were hearing gibberish?
These moments and a list of them could go on and on.

As I have thought about the amazing moments that women have, the ones that no one ever recognizes and shouts about, I thought of these remarks made in April. They were given by Elder Quentin Cook, a latter-day Apostle as he spoke of the great service that woman do.

He said, "Many of these responsibilities do not provide economic compensation but do provide satisfaction and are eternally significant."

Satisfaction and Significance.

The world looks at money and position and power as payment for amazing moments.

But the currency that teachers, mothers, nurses, social workers, caretakers, fathers, counselors, grandparents, guardians, and so on are paid with a different currency.

The currency with which they are paid has no tangible value because the currency of love, compassion, and respect are are heavenly virtues. And as such will be recognized and acknowledge by Heaven.

I do feel that the goodness and good things that individuals do through out their days will be rewarded, but not usually in the currency that we expect.

 Soooooo with that thought in mind, I hope to hear a little shouting - about all the amazing things (big and small) that women have done.

Photos of Sea Glass

 This is what has awaited me for the past two mornings! I've heard them called "rock washes". And that makes sense, it is where the rocks (and sea glass) have washed up onto the beach.

I finally remembered to bring my camera and was able to capture a few of the peices before I plucked them up and  slipped them into my pocket.



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Can you see the piece of brown sea glass in the middle of the photo?

 

Piece of pottery. There were two peices almost right next to each other. Pottery is a rare find for me!





  Seeing pieces of sea glass as I walk along is like going on an Easter Egg hunt,  but with a twist. No eggs, no candy, just little gems that glow in the sun, hide in the rocks and sometimes roll away in the waves.


This one was a peice of green glass that had fused with a piece of brown glass. They must have been in a fire next to each other.



This shows how lovely sea glass looks when the sun shines on them.

This one was just washed up. I was able to photograph it just before the next wave came and tried to roll it away. It didn't succeed - I was able to scoop it up!

This is my collection from today. It was another successful morning.

Best photo yet!

I have joined some other ladies who are trying to improve their photography skills. Nothing formal, but a few in the group have more experience and are willing to share some tips. I have lots to learn. Since I missed the first meeting, I promised I would do my homework and read the manual for our "little point and shoot" camera. It has me baffled all the time. So I have read and played around with the different options. I found one option labled "custom". I have set it to photograph things up close without ruining the light. I am hoping this photo is an omen of things to come.

This is my collection of "yellows" (don't mind the aqua bottle base, I used it as a contrast piece). And I realize that there is a small greenish (citron) piece in there. Not sure how it got so lucky to be included. But I love that you can see the textures and various color hues in this shot.

A Morning's Work

 We've had some low tides lately and I've been out before 7 AM looking at what the ocean has washed up. Good stuff!

My favorite pieces were the darker aqua piece on the left and the orange piece of pottery. I don't find pottery very often.

Natural Habitat

Hopefully, my next post will include some photos of where I find my sea glass.
(Not the actual beach, I don't want to give away my secrets) but I want to try and capture the way sea glass looks just before I pick it up. In my mind, that is when sea glass is most beautiful...to see it laying right where the ocean waves have left it. Mother Nature is the classiest artist around.

Thinking about sea glass in its natural "habitat" brought to mind people.
(So many connections between sea glass and people).

I love seeing a great family portrait (mostly because ours never turn out) but the photos I like best are the ones that capture a certain look or catch them unaware. Something about a photograph in a person's "habitat" really catches who they are.

I was thinking the other day about how Princess Diana and Mother Theresa died around the same time (six days apart). They were such beautiful people. But it was the photos of them caring for others (Diana with her boys and her charities and Mother Theresa with the sick and invalid) that made them more than just an interesting face.

Sunday afternoon, my husband came home from church. He was wearing his white shirt and Child #1 was wearing his white shirt. It was a sweet moment, as the two of them were hugging and sharing how much they loved each other. It was a mental picture I don't want to forget....Father and son, their matching white shirts, sharing their mutual adoration.

I don't think a posed picture could capture such natural beauty. I'm blessed to have such beautiful things in my life.

Sea Glass Photos

I'd like to improve my photography skills but it doesn't help that we have a little point and shoot camera that I don't know how to use. Here are a few that I wanted to post.

This is that purple piece I found a few weeks ago. I am still struggling with how to photgraph it in order to show its true color. If nothing else, you get a peek at my backyard!

-Hope spring is coming your way!

Kirstin

Not glass, just a leaf

Today we went to the beach, we had to get out of the house! It wasn't a day with glass on the beach but the sun was out and so were the crowds.

After sailing child #1's plastic sailboat and both children getting water in their galoshes, it was time for lunch. I was holding the hand of child #2, as we walked up the sandy stairs. She suddenly stopped and I heard her exclaim, "glass, glass".

Looking down, I saw her reach for something on the step. But even before she picked it up, she realized with disappointment, "oh, leaf".