Hope

I saw my first daffodils of the season yesterday! It's always such a jolt to see them for the first time, because it's such a welcomed sight! I went back to that spot today to see even more beginning to burst.

It just so happens that I sold cut daffodils for the American Cancer Society this past month, so I'm looking forward to delivering those orders next week. No, I mean I am really looking forward to getting those flowers to everyone. I have always wanted to volunteer with the American Cancer Society somehow, so this is my first attempt at doing a little something. A friend of mine in Florida is employed by them and works hard with all the Relay for Life events all over the place.

Back when I worked as a reporter/photographer at the Sullivan Daily Times I interviewed cancer survivors and cancer patients during the walk. Theme-decorated tents up, luminaries lit, music playing... Their stories were heart-wrenching and I will never forget some of the women I spoke and shed tears with. Some of them I knew and others I had just met. But the few women I have interviewed represent the thousands of people this disease has chosen.

May a simple daffodil remind us that there is hope for spring and hope for a cure.

Vigo County wetlands area

The last couple times I've wanted to pull over in West Terre Haute at the Wabashiki State Fish and Wildlife Area (Indiana Dept. of National Resources Division of Fish and Wildlife and Vigo County Parks Dept.) to admire the view it's been too snowy or too muddy. Today was a little different.

As I turned left from Hwy 150 onto 40 there was a gorgeous rainbow that smiled at me. I pulled over and joined two others with Indiana license plates doing the same. We held our phones up to the rainbow and snapped a few photos as we talked and yelled back and forth as we all moved around the water's edge.

"Did you notice it's full now?" one of them said. "Oh, look! Can you see the second one?

It was fun. The sky, with fluffy, white clouds, was both light and dark. There were big raindrops flying around.

If you haven't heard of this area that is often full of beautiful birds you should check out some of Jim Sullivan's photos on Flickr.

Looking from above

Aren't there some amazing surprises in nature? I was hanging out around a water garden with my camera during a little warmer days last year while trying to sneak up on frogs and getting close ups of this and that when I did something I'd never done before. I looked at the inside of an Iris.

It may sound silly, but it was a little bit of an aha moment for me. The inside of an Iris is really cool.

Not only do I think this photo is cool, but the memories of how I felt when I first saw it are pretty neat to recall, too.

The birthday cantaloupe

My niece, Megan, had her 12th birthday this week. She gave up sweets for lent, so she chose to go without cake and ice cream on her special day.

She has loved cantaloupe since she could barely pronounce it, so crazy candles in her favorite fruit made sense in this situation. It was fun to put a twist on tradition. Who knows, maybe we started a new (and healthier) one.

I've probably taken hundreds of photos of Megan throughout her lifetime. Whether she's on the soccer field, in the swimming pool or horsing-around with her family, Aunt Cheryl has enjoyed capturing those memories.

But some of my favorite photos are ones she took with one of my point and shoot cameras when she was about 4-years-old.

Surprisingly, she didn't do too bad. All the photos were from her view, so everyone was looking down at the camera. Way down. Then there are the ones of random wall decor. I printed and saved all of them. They're a hoot.

Way to start out the year, Megan! That was a yummy slice of birthday cakentaloupe.

Cool shoes

Kaitlin is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame. She speaks Spanish and English. After spending a year in California teaching English as a Second Language (ESL) to migrant farm worker families last year she is now giving service at a justice center in Chicago. A cool young woman with some cool shoes.

Beautiful Day Sale

While in Brazil, IN today picking up an order at Clover Signs I passed a local establishment that had this great A-frame on the sidewalk in front of their store. It made my day. I loved it so much I had to snap a photo of it with my Blackberry. Thanks to the sunny skies and not-as-cold-as-it-has-been temperatures it really was quite a beautiful day. Thanks Blue Moon!

President Obama's other house

While in Chicago last weekend I was able to see the Obama's southside home. (The for sale sign is in the neighbor's yard.)

"This Little Light of Mine"

I attended St. Ambrose Catholic Church in Chicago last Sunday. (I'm not Catholic, so I try to follow along as best as I can.) It was beautiful...the church, the singing, the message and the people. Everyone sang "This Little Light of Mine" as services ended. It was stuck in my head all day....in a good way.