The Fiesta Bowl

Just returned home from a fabulous five day trip to Phoenix Arizona.


Want to guess why we decided to visit Arizona?


Matt's band was invited to compete in


The Fiesta Bowl National Band Championship!


Wow, huh?


Mike and I went along too, on our own little mini-vacation. (Wait till you see the photos I have for you!)


But today, let's talk about the tournament....


It was held in the University of Phoenix stadium.





Awesome venue, huh?


Here's a cool fact for you -- it is a covered stadium with REAL grass.  


How do they do that, you might wonder....?


Well, lemme tell ya.


The whole grass field rolls outside in the sunshine! The grass (with it's 12 inches of soil) grows on moveable giant 'cookie sheet.'


Here's a quick, time lapse video if you want to see the field roll in.





Anyway - back to the tournament.

We competed against bands from all over the United States.






They had a preliminary round and then the top seven bands came back that evening to compete again.








That snake eye formation is one of my favorites -


I had to take a picture of the scoreboard screen to show you how cool that looks
from high above.











Then came the awards ceremony....





and FIREWORKS!




"Live daringly, boldly, fearlessly. Taste the relish to be found in competition -- in having put forth the best within you" Henry J. Kaiser

A snowy snack

Saw a cute snack idea in a magazine.


Luckily, my little nephew was happy to help me try it out.


First grab a flour tortilla and warm it in the microwave for about 15 seconds.





Fold it in half and then in quarters....




Then get some clean scissors and start snipping.....

Did you guess we were making an edible snowflake?


Take time to goof around a little bit....








Put them on a cookie sheet, spread them with some melted butter and bake for 10 minutes at about 375. (You can also shake on some cinnamon and sugar or wait until they are out of the oven to sprinkle on powdered sugar)






We went with a delicate application of powdered sugar....

HERE's the recipe if you want more information.


"Some people like to paint pictures, or do gardening, or build a boat in the basement. Other people get a tremendous pleasure out of the kitchen, because cooking is just as creative and imaginative an activity as drawing, or wood carving, or music."
Julia Child

The problem with snow....

I love snow during the holidays, don't you?





I will admit it may not be the kind of snow you first thought of.....


I LOVE decorating with fake snow!





It adds the perfect touch to the Christmas tree, don't you think?


Yep - it's perfect...




Until it's time to put everything away....


THEN it's a problem.



Those pesky flakes stick to everything!




Trust me I will be vacuuming up snow for at least a month!


..Now you'll just have to.think of poor little me vacuuming up my snow everytime you are shovelling out your driveway, won't you?







And lastly, just so you don't think I'm a weather sissy.
We had some real snow the other day... (well, kinda-sorta)




A lot of people like snow.  I find it to be an unnecessary freezing of water.  ~Carl Reiner

King Crab

A special dinner is the perfect way to ring in the New Year!


Our choice for the perfect dinner?


King Crab!







King crab can be served in a variety of ways. Our favorite way is accompanied by a dish of hot melted butter to dip the succulent crab meat into.























And so you're off...to find some excellent king crab, prepare with care, and serve up a meal fit for a king. The aroma of hot crab and butter rise from the table, everybody's eyes get big, and you all dig in. With sticky fingers, broken crab shells, piles of napkins, and a variety of utensils piling up around your plate, time passes by without notice. Rarely have you been so satisfied. And without a doubt, you will find yourself lounging on the couch or in a big easy chair afterwards relishing the contentment of such a great meal. Alaskan Sea Food Corp.

Happy New Year!

I know you are already thinking about your New Year's resolutions, right?


Exercise more...?


Eat healthier...?


Want to know what Americans' top five New Year's Resolutions are?

1. “I will spend more time with family”

2. “I will fit into my high school jeans again”

3. “ I will quit smoking/ stop drinking”

4. “I will do more fun stuff  this year”

5. “ I will get my finances in order”

That pretty much covers it all doesn't it?


NO...


I have an idea for you...


How about taking a photo a day?


I found a great website that will hold your photos for you in calendar format - FOR FREE!


ShutterCal is a free, calendar-based photography project where you can document your life and improve your photography skills at the same time!


Click HERE if you want to check it out.


And to finish off today's blog, I wanted to show you just a few photos of Penny (remember my folks new PUPPY?) I made them a calendar with photos of her.


I won't bother you with the whole year - just a few favs:


In her little snowsuit for January:



April flowers:



"Carving" a pumpkin in October:



and the fall leaves of November:





"We will open the book.  Its pages are blank.  We are going to put words on them ourselves.  The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day."  ~Edith Lovejoy Pierce


"Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man."  ~Benjamin Franklin

Tis the season

Seems like there are so many wonderful things to take photos of during the Christmas season.


Here are a few of my favorite things....


Our Christmas tree!  (Did you know a small aperture will help lights look star bursty and twinkly?)





Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful.  ~Norman Vincent Peale







Christmas, children, is not a date.  It is a state of mind.  ~Mary Ellen Chase







There has been only one Christmas - the rest are anniversaries.  ~W.J. Cameron









May Peace be your gift at Christmas and your blessing all year through!  ~Author Unknown

(Spotted this at Home Depot -- cute huh?)





I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year.  ~Charles Dickens





Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love! ~Hamilton Wright Mabie

Christmas on the hill

This is the lovely view we have from our backyard each December.


I'm talking about the Christmas tree, not my leggy-looking-rose-bushes-that-are-due-to-be-trimmed...



It's hard to see in that first photo, but the tree is taller than their house -- I'm talking REALLY TALL!




Part of our Christmas tradition is to grab flashlights, jackets and the poodles and head up the
trail for a closer look....


Almost there!




We always take a little family photo too...




This is just a regular ole family's gift to the neighborhood - amazing, huh?




And lastly, just felt like goofing around....

I'm calling it "The Christmas Tree Spirograph" 


I'll be selling limited edition prints at a low price of....kidding.


Spirograph photography (think I should trademark that?) is fun - give it a try 
(Slow shutter and 5 to 10 seconds without a tripod.....oh ya...)




Christmas is doing a little something extra for someone.--Charles Schulz

Lighting up the night

I think every town in America has a house or a street or two that REALLY goes all out with the Christmas lights.







We always try to go for a walk to check things out- of course I brought along my camera (and definitely my tripod!)




I used an aperture of f-31 because I wanted all the lights in focus. That meant that my shutter was open for 22 seconds for most of these photos!













This little boy was just so adorable, I had to sneak a quick shot. (Since I had to hand hold this, so I had to crank up the ISO--that's why it's so grainy)
















It's fun to note that cars driving by disappear with that long of a shutter - all that remains is the streak of headlight and taillight!





Just for fun, check this out:





"Tradition: sit with husband in a room lit only by tree lights and remember that our blessings outnumber the lights. Happy Christmas to all". ~Betsy Cañas Garmon

Madrigal Dinner

What is a Madrigal Dinner you are asking?

According to wikipedia:  A Madrigal Dinner is dinner theater often held by schools during the Christmas season. It is set in the Middle Ages and is generally comedic in nature.  (first photo courtesy of wikipedia)

The meal is divided into courses, each of which is heralded with a traditional song. A play is performed between the courses and a concert of choral music concludes the festivities.

The theme is lighthearted and romantic with lots of laughs.

By the way - here's a quick illustration on how flash is sometimes NOT a good thing:


This next photo was taken with no flash - don't you love the soft glow of the candle and sparkle of the dinner ware?

Now check out how garish and bright everything looks with the flash --- blah! (Or is it just me? Which do you like better?)



Not all of the talent was on stage performing.....


Matt designed, then rented from a studio $17,000 of sound equipment, set it up and then ran the sound -- which included 24 wireless mics!





For me, the best moment of the whole evening was when the lights dimmed, and the whole choir surrounded the tables and sang "Silent Night' by candle light -- you have never heard anything
so beautiful!




You are hereby invited by our royal Lord and Lady to experience the laughter and song of a medieval holiday. Take one evening away from the bustle of the season to feast amongst royalty and close the year in grand fashion. Join your fellow townsfolk in the reception hall for hot wassail or a cup of delicious eggnog before a roaring fire. The trumpeter ushers you into the Great Hall to await the entrance of the royal party. You sit amidst the flurry of his majesty's performers-musicians, singers, dancers, the puppet master and the jester. The comedy, music and artistry ensues about you, pausing only for the feast itself. At last, the evening winds warmly to its close, leaving you full of stomach and full of heart.

The Best of All...

The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree:  the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other.  ~Burton Hillis







Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen.  ~Author unknown, attributed to a 7-year-old named Bobby





It is Christmas in the heart that puts Christmas in the air.  ~W.T. Ellis





Remember
This December,
That love weighs more than gold!
~Josephine Dodge Daskam Bacon



Christmas is not as much about opening our presents as opening our hearts.  ~Janice Maeditere











Perhaps the best Yuletide decoration is being wreathed in smiles.  ~Author Unknown





Keep your Christmas-heart open all the year round.  ~Jessica Archmint









And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled 'till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more. Dr. Seuss