On a Dark and Starry Night

On a dark and starry night…

The night of the black supermoon (which we can’t see from here).
© 2015 Angelia's Photography
The night of the Chinese New Year.
© 2015 Angelia's Photography
On this black night, we trekked to the country to see the stars.
© 2015 Angelia's Photography
I wish I could say we camped or built a fire, roasted a marshmallow or two. Slept in a tent and had a nice hike the next day. Preferably around a lake where we could watch the birds catch their breakfast.
© 2015 Angelia's Photography
But no, we just took photos. I took photos. My husband checked my skymap app for planets and maybe hacked a few portals on Ingress. Heh.
© 2015 Angelia's Photography
We drove an hour. We stayed an hour. We drove an hour home.

This is the life of a city dweller and the lengths we have to go to look at more than one or two stars in the sky.

Was it worth it? Was it ever!
© 2015 Angelia's Photography

Leaving behind the city glare. Immersing into the deep dark under the brilliant twinkle of lights.

It was pure bliss.

And I learned that letting go of a normal night schedule. Getting out and being free to roam and adventure. To bask in the glory of the heavenly skies…it is wonderous and magical.

It is a glow I missed seeing. A midnight blanket I needed to snuggle under. A tremendously soothing space for my soul.
© 2015 Angelia's Photography

Night, the beloved. Night, when words fade and things come alive. When the destructive analysis of day is done, and all that is truly important becomes whole and sound again. When man reassembles his fragmentary self and grows with the calm of a tree. ~Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

It’s Called a Meal Plan

My husband and I started this…

Not a diet.

Not a fast.

Not a fad.

Not a resolution.

Not even a lifestyle change.

Nope, not even that.

It’s a MEAL PLAN.

That means, we figure out what we will eat for the week, and then buy what we need from store. And the last step in this process is…making it.

Sticking to the plan. Making it work.

And while that is not easy…it’s a better start than just making up meals as you go along. And well, that is pretty much what we have done for YEARS.

Actually, one time, we made a meal plan. A week’s worth. It was AWESOME. We had a plan. We would eat at home. We knew what we would fix and shop for. We’d save TONS of money from not eating out. YEAH!

Then?

Disaster. That week four of our five family members were in a roll-over car accident. Outright creamed and knocked over by a giant Chevy Silverado as they happily headed home from ice cream.

Worst day of my life. Probably because, I was the one member NOT in the car.

From that day on, meal planning was cursed, and strictly forbidden. Because. Hello? Accident from Hell.

So as this year begins, we have thrown caution to the wind and created a MEAL PLAN.

Oh, God.

But so far, no accidents. No near disasters. No bad mojo.

It’s a just a meal plan, dammit.

And a damn good one at that.
© 2015 Angelia's Photography

Well, except for the nuts. One cup is a trillion calories. A handful is a good guide. And eat as many carrots as you want. Crunch. Crunch.

So Day 3 of the “plan” and all is well. I have even danced like no one is watching in my old Zumba class.

So take that, doomsday plan! In your face!

As you can see by our fancy meal planning board, part of our plan involves GREEN juice.

© 2015 Angelia's Photography

Yes, GREEN.

© 2015 Angelia's Photography

As in, all veggies, and no fruit syrup.

My sweet tooth cried.

But that is okay. It’s good for you! And do you know what I discovered? I feel a heck of a lot happier when I am on the GREEN juice plan.

© 2015 Angelia's Photography

Maybe, my body is getting all the nutrients it needs and so it concentrates on sending me feel-good hormones.

© 2015 Angelia's Photography

I don’t know if that is what it is. But, I’ll take a another cup of whatever it is!

© 2015 Angelia's Photography

Oh yeah, GREEN juice!

My husband has a special recipe. He takes spinach, cucumbers, zucchini, a pear, a few mango chunks, and a bit of lime.

So yes, a bit of sweet (the pear and mangos) and sour (the lime) to offset the taste of pure boatloads of spinach.

© 2015 Angelia's Photography

We actually didn’t have all these ingredients last night. My juice connoisseur husband was having a fit. He had to use Apple instead of pear. And NO LIME at all. The shame.

© 2015 Angelia's Photography

But I thought it was fantastic!

© 2015 Angelia's Photography

Guess I don’t have the juice palate. Because I honestly can’t tell what from what. I just chug-a-lug and be happy.

So happy!

If you want to know more about green juice and other benefits. You can check out the video we watched before we started Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead. And keep in mind, I don’t take everything I see or read to heart. It’s a guide. It’s one movie’s opinion. Believe me, there are plenty more where that came from.

Our good friends recommended the movie and they juiced with their meals. It looked like they discovered the fountain of youth or something. They look absolutely amazing! We tried the Whole Foods juice (they have a juicer on-site). And liked it enough to invest in our nifty juicer.

Isn’t she a beaut?

© 2015 Angelia's Photography

Cheers to you who are trying something new this year. Cheers to you for doing something that makes you feel better and feel happier.

Wishing you much success!

And for those without New Year Resolutions? Cheers to you too.

I dislike resolutions and that is why I have a MEAL PLAN.

Another Happy Birthday New Year

Yes, I married a New Year’s Eve baby. I fondly call him the last gift of the year. He dislikes that his birthday is the same day everyone is partying for a different reason. I suppose he has a point…

BUT, we do make the best of it. We don our hats. Present our gifts over dinner and cake. Sing HAPPY BIRTHDAY at the top of our lungs. From morning to almost midnight is birthday, birthday, birthday!

Then, we quickly switch out hats for the countdown to midnight.

Phew! What a rush.

A good Happy Birthday, Happy New Year kind of rush.

So far this year, I have eaten a BIG BOWL of black-eyed peas.

I have driven my new car – every day. See, I bought a car on my husband’s birthday. Well, I leased it.

We planned on using one car for the next three years and that is why I traded my car in a year ago. It did work out the last year. There were a few challenges. The break-in hit me especially hard. No car in the driveway…but really, that wasn’t the only reason to get a car. There were many. It was time and I needed it.

I didn’t think my credit would be good enough to lease, but lo and behold.

A brand new car!

I love it.

So, a very HAPPY NEW YEAR from our family to yours!

© 2015 Angelia's Photography

2015 – Be good to me.

How is yours going so far?

Another Year Comes to an End – So long 2014

Well, here it is.

Another year (year!) has passed by. This one as lightning fast as the last few years.

But I am not going to stress about it. I think I will just climb on up and take off into 2015. No use waiting around, let’s fly!

Ah, but first, we must recap the year. And you know how I like to do it? In photos, of course!

Last year, I posted one photo for every month of the year. I just read back through it and questioned several months. Did that really happen in 2013? Seems so long ago! But, no. It did and this year, I have no doubt will seem just as surreal. I think having a baby and young girls around has something to do with it. It makes me question my sanity, my memory, and my timelines.

Good thing I have this blog to keep it all straight. Heh!

I didn’t stick to my one photo rule this year. But I am making galleries of each month.

    Just click on the photo to scroll through all the photos and captions.

January
I had the honor and privilege of photographing the birth of my cousin Tasha’s twin babies. I can’t even describe what it meant to me to see these two precious babes as they are born into this world. To see the faces of all the family as they meet them for the first time. To see these first time parents cherish and count little hands and feet. It was just too beautiful for words. So, I took photos and I really do hope they always remember them.

February
I tried to photograph a snowflake. I was part of a hunter’s wedding (as photographer). I did not partake in the odd groom’s cake that “bled” when cut open, but I did eat a piece of hog meat. It was pretty good! Also? My grand baby turned six months old!

March
Jason and I visited Mayfield park in Austin. They have beautiful paths and gorgeous peacocks! A photographer’s heaven. This is the first place I saw spring start to come alive.

April
G-Baby visits the zoo for the first time. We took her to the Dallas Zoo. We loved it, but she mostly slept. Jason had surgery on his shoulder (not pictured). Molly turned ten years old. And Brandon turned the big 21!

May
My daughter’s first Mother’s Day. G-baby is 9 months old! And I got to visit with Norie Sato at the opening of the Chisholm Trail Parkway. A parkway that has the image I took of a Texas Toad made into a mosaic designed by Norie on a pillar next to the road. It is part of the public art program in Fort Worth, Texas. I keep meaning to post about it. It is the coolest thing I could ever be part of. Part of my “work” on the side of major freeway…forever? Wow…

June
We took a road trip to Oklahoma. Enjoyed a few food truck Fridays at the park. And met a baby kitty who eventually came to live with us. We call her Maya. She is probably the gutsiest cat I have ever met. I guess she has to be to live with us and four dogs. She was one of Bridget’s presents for her 8th birthday.

July
As if four dogs, and a new kitty weren’t enough. We decided to renovate our house. Top to bottom. New floors, and paint. We took down wallpaper and we took down chair rails. We textured walls. We even painted all the brass a nice oil-rubbed bronze. This was exhausting!

August
Honestly, the remodel was still in full force. My cameras were put away from all the dust and debris. But I did get it out for baby’s ONE YEAR PHOTOS and party. G-Baby is a whole year old! I didn’t post the party pics (since there is a post on that). These are few outtakes from our photo sessions (never seen before images!).

September
My baby Salem turns twelve-years old. Oh my heart. She is still my baby even though she is 80+ in dog years. Also, I took photos of the 9/11 rainbow. This was seen all over the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex on the morning of 9/11. Pretty cool.

October
I took a five-day trip with my sister. We went to Oklahoma to hang out with my mom and take her on day trips to where she grew up. It was a lot of fun to see “our history” and spend time with my big sister and mom. This is also the month my (now famous) Texas Toad print got displayed at the Art7 Gallery in downtown Fort Worth. They did a Fort Worth Public Art exhibit.

November
I got real sick. I had surgery to remove my gall bladder. And I got much better. On my last recovery day, after sitting around ALL DAY. I thought to myself. WHY? Why am I sitting here? This is my last recovery day and I should go to the gardens and take photos of fall color. So, I did. I got there 45 mins before closing. Phew. Thanksgiving I was well enough to travel and got to spend it with my sister and her family in Houston, Texas. Of course, we took G-Baby to the beach on the last day. She does not love the water, but she dug the sand (heh, get it?).

December
Lots of fun in December. One of my candlelight photos from a past service got shared (with permission of course) on the UMC (United Methodist Church) main page Christmas Eve. It received over 7,000 likes. This floored me. Such a nice way to end the year. These are photos from this year’s service and a few Christmas thrown in as well. My husband’s ex-wife makes me cookies and fudge every year. This year, she really outdid herself. And this time, instead of to the family, it gets labeled as mine. Ohhhhh yeahhhhh…. She knows! She knows!

Happy NEW YEAR to you all! I treasure every one of you! I wish for you a most blessed year, full of love and kindness.

And… Happy Birthday to my husband – the New Year’s Eve baby. He is the big 4-0! Finally, he is in the 40’s! Wow.

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