Tchaikovsky Nutcracker Suite - Russian Dance Trepak

Good Sunday morning to you all!  July surely has gone by quickly, hasn't it?!

I join Natasha in Oz on Sunday's by posting one of my favorite songs to her Sunday Song link.  You can find all the information on her blog 5 Minutes Just for Me.  It's a great way to have a little peace and quiet at the beginning of the week!

One of my favorite pieces is Tchaikovsky's "The Nutcracker Suite".  This is the "Russian Dance" from his suite.  I hope you enjoy!

Until next time, take care and God Bless!

XoXoXo

The August Break 2011

Hey there! 

I found another blog where I can link my photos.  Hopefully, I'll get better with each one.  This one is going to be in August - All Month!  NO RULES!  You can find more info here at Susannah Conway's post on all the fun!


Click HERE


Got to get feeling better, grab my camera, and maybe walk around the neighborhood.  You never know what kind of beautiful flowers, plants, wildlife, etc., might be found just begging to have its photo taken!

See ya!

XoXoXo

{Texture Tuesday} Dream eDition

Well, I remembered it was Tuesday this week, no help needed this time!

Our challenge this week from Kim at Kim Klassen's Texture Tuesday was to incorporate "dream" into one of our photos. 


Click HERE

I chose this photo of an area around Mt. Rushmore, taken by my sister after I pooped out halfway up the trail.  I cropped it and added 2 of Kim's textures:

         Dream - soft light 100%
         Stained linen - multiply 100%

I added a quote on "dream" from Walt Disney in Walt Disney Script and receded it a bit.  Maybe I shouldn't have receded the quote - I think it's a little hard to read this way. 

Before:

 After:

More next time!

Take care and God Bless!

XoXoXo

Kim Klassen's Skinny Mini eCourse final week

Hi there!


I made it through Kim Klassen's Skinny Mini eCourse!  Yippee!  She is a super instructor, very easily understood.

Here are my before and after photos, some are much better than others.  Take them for what they're worth: a learning experience!
These will all be 1)before, and 2)after.

Day 6: 

Day 7:

Day 9: 

Day 10:

Thanks so much Kim!  I had a blast!

XoXoXo
Day 8:

{Texture Tuesday} Aurora eDition

Whoa!  It's Tuesday! Oh my gosh...almost missed it.  Thanks to Allison at Alli-n-son for her email with a BIG reminder!!!

Texture Tuesday's here again at Kim Klassen's!  Why do you go over and visit for a while?

Click HERE

Well, I had a photo all ready to go, but changed it to this one.  My husband, sister, and I went to Seattle last fall, stopping at Mt Rushmore in South Dakota on the way home.  We went on the path up toward the magnificent carving of 4 of our presidents: Washington, Jefferson, T. Roosevelt, and Lincoln.  I pooped out half way there, but Hubby and Sis managed to go as far as was allowed and took some photos that are a different angle than normally seen of the monument.

The weather was perfect that day in September!  See how blue the sky was, and cloudless!  This was on the same path Nicholas Cage and company were on in National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets.  Pretty cool, huh?! 

Here's my "after" shot of the monument, using Kim Klassen's "aurora" texture - multiply @ 78%, both photo and text - hard light @ 100%.

Hopefully, I'll be able to remember next week's post without an email reminder! LOL!

Take care and God Bless!

XoXoXo

Saint Theresa's Prayer

Good Morning All!

I received an email today from a cousin of mine, Daryl, in the Houston, Texas area.  I was supposed to send it on to at least 10 additional people, but I decided to post it here.  If you want to copy it and send it on to those you want to bless, please feel free to do so.

I'm not Catholic, but you don't have to be to want to bless someone with the sage words of this prayer.

Prayer is one of the best and most powerful free gifts we receive.  Read the prayer below. REMEMBER to make a wish before you read the prayer.  That's all you have to do. There is nothing attached. Just share this and see what happens on the fourth day. 

Saint Theresa's Prayer
May today there be peace within.
May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be.
May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith.
May you use those gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you.
May you be confident knowing you are a child of God.
Let this presence settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love.
It is there for each and every one of us.

Take care and God Bless!

XoXoXo

 

Kim Klassen's Free Photoshop Skinny Mini eCourse

Hey there - Happy Sunday!

I signed up with Kim Klassen for her FREE Photoshop Skinny Mini eCourse which started this past Monday.  I'm playing catch-up this weekend, 'cause we had the grandkids a couple of days this week, and a couple of All-Star ballgames to attend.  Grandson was in both of these!  He made a run and caught the ball that ended the game.  His team WON!  Yay!!! 

Click HERE

 Kim's course is really well done!  Easy to follow, on video, so if you forget something (really?), you can go back over her instructions easily.  I don't have Photoshop, tho'.  My program is Paint Shop Pro X3 (PSP X3).  These programs are pretty much the same, just a few differences.  My photos have the same result, just done a little differently in one or two steps.

Day 1:  A photo of my beautiful calico, Susie, before and after.  We just had to add some text to a photo here.

Before...

& after.

Day 2:  Here are a couple of photos from our garden: a stargazer and a gladiolus.  We had to adjust the contrast and add text.

Before...

& after.

Before...

& after.

I really like the way the stargazer turned out!  Love the glad, just because it's RED! LOL!


I don't think there was anything for Day 3. 

Day 4:  We used one of Kim's images and one of her beautiful textures, then added text.

Before...

& after.

We have one more week of these very informative classes.  You might want to hop over to Kim's to see when the next eCourse is.

Until next time...take care and God Bless!

XoXoXo

{Texture Tuesday} The Pretty in Pink eDition

Time flies when you're having fun, right?  Must have had a blast this last week, sorry I don't remember it! LOL!


This week's Texture Tuesday assignment is "Pink" and to use at least one of Kim Klassen's wonderful textures.  I used two of her textures and one overlay.  Don't have any idea where I got the overlay - sorry to whomever created it.  I must have really liked it, or I wouldn't have kept it, so thank you for your creation!


The before...

and the after.

My "recipe" includes:
                                            My photo with depth of field changed to focus mainly on the flowers
                                            Kim Klassen's Serendipity - Luminancy Legacy @ 60%
                                            Kim Klassen's Subtly Yours - Screen @ 14%
                                            "My favourite colour" overlay, color changed to light pink - Normal @ 36%




Click Here!

 Why don't you visit Kim's Texture Tuesday and see all the beautiful creations submitted!  You'll be amazed at the talent there!

Until next time...

XoXoXo

Tombstone Tuesday - Alice Moore French, American War Mothers Founder

Alice Moore French was my 4th cousin, twice removed through our Forsyth line. 



Located at Greenlawn Cemetery, Franklin, Johnson Co., Indiana
photo by Joy Logan Burkhart


 

Alice Moore French
source: American War Mothers website

Alice Moore French (1863–1934) was born in Johnson County, Indiana, to Joseph J. and Ermina Forsyth Moore.  Joseph Moore first operated a country store and then a department store in Trafalgar, Indiana, and by judicious investment amassed a considerable amount of land there. He and his wife had three other children, only one of whom, Frank, survived infancy. After passing through the local grammar school, Alice attended Franklin College, graduating in 1882, and then the Boston (Massachusetts) School of Art and Design where she developed her skills in woodcarving and painting. In 1887 she married Eli M. French, a railroad man from Frankfort, Indiana, and together they had one son, Donald. When her husband died in 1894, French and her son moved to Woodruff Place in Indianapolis, residing there until her death. She was very active in women's clubs, including Kappa Kappa Gamma from her college days, the Woman's Department Club, and the Monday Club.

She was probably best known, however, for her founding of both the state and the national divisions of the American War Mothers in 1917. In August 1917, Don Herald of the State Food Commission attended a meeting of the Woman's Civic League in Indianapolis in hopes of persuading a woman to push ahead the food conservation program in Indiana. Alice French was chosen and initiated a circulating letter campaign aimed at women with children in the Armed Forces. Her idea of convincing these "War Mothers" to pledge to conserve wheat, meat, fats and sugar was supposedly inspired by her attorney son's enlistment in the army. Indiana Food Commissioner, Dr. Harry C. Barnhard, was so impressed with her letter that he forwarded it to Washington, D.C.; authorities there soon sent back a telegram requesting French to "mobilize" her War Mothers.

The Indiana Chapter was organized first and incorporated on 18 May 1918. Interest spread to other states, and a National Organization was incorporated in August 1918 with French as its first president. After the war, the group continued its efforts to aid soldiers; one of the most notable was the establishment in 1926 of the American War Mothers National Memorial Home to provide food and shelter for families visiting Fitzsimmons Veteran Hospital near Denver, Colorado. The group also had a postage stamp devoted to it in 1934. French was very enthusiastic about forming an International War Mothers modeled after the League of Nations and traveled extensively throughout the United States and Europe to encourage methods of addressing differences other than bloodshed. Although the organization was originally open only to mothers of World War I soldiers, its membership now includes mothers of soldiers who served in World War II, the Korean War, and the War in South Vietnam.  Biography source

American War Mothers' flags were placed in windows or in living rooms for all to see.  If you had more than one child in the Armed Forces, you had that many stars on your flag.  If you were unfortunate to have a child killed in action, the blue star was replaced by a gold one.

Blue Star denotes a son or daughter in the military



Gold Star denotes a son or daughter in the military, killed in action.

 XoXoXo