thankful thursday - sunsets

Living in Arizona, I sometimes take spectacular sunsets for granted. I remember my parents going outside to watch a beautiful sunset and, as a child, I thought that was pretty lame. After all, the sun sets every evening.

But now I am the one hurrying outside to watch the outrageous display of colors in the sky. Sometimes I sit on patio and watch the drama unfold. I've been known to pull over when I'm driving just so I can snap a photo or two of an especially pretty sunset.

We have had quite a few incredible sunsets the past several weeks and I endeavor to pay attention to them. To appreciate them. To savor them. And to remember them.

It's not that I think I won't see another one - I'm pretty sure that is inevitable, at least as long as I live in Arizona.

A sunset is a gift. It is a brief glimpse of the infiniteness of our Creator. Like snowflakes and fingerprints, no two sunsets are the same.

I think God makes the really spectacular ones to get our attention. To make us stop for a minute and just be still. To recognize who the artist is and to say, "Thank you!"

"Those who live at the ends of the earth stand in awe of your wonders. From where the sun rises to where it sets, you inspire shouts of joy."

Psalm 65:8

thankful thursday - the arts

Earlier this week I went to Lunchtime Theater at the Herberger Theater in Phoenix with one of my more adventurous friends. For just $12.60, we get a delicious box lunch and a 50-minute performance. We've seen one-act plays, musical revues, song and dance shows and more!

Dawn and I have been attending Lunchtime Theater three or four times a year for the past several years and while we have enjoyed every performance we've seen, this most recent one was extraordinary! Operantics is opera for those who love opera, those who hate opera and those who don't know. In other words, it's for everybody! The music was hauntingly beautiful, the talent of the singers was phenomenal and after watching/listening to this show, I think I would like to see an entire opera - something new for my bucket list!

After the show the audience was invited to sit back and watch another show - FOR FREE! - as part of Herberger Theater's Outreach and Education program. It was presented by Un Corazon Flamenco and featured authentic flamenco dancers.

Hmmm. This could be interesting. And something I had never seen before.

It was absolutely entrancing! The owner of the studio performed as well as one of her students, a 10-year old girl. The skill, endurance, precision, and strength these dancers possess is incredible. We learned a little about the technique, some about the costuming, and even something about the instruments. There were two things that I thought were quite interesting: the musicians (guitar and percussion) follow the dancers, not the other way around like most other forms of dance and it is rated the second hardest dance form (she did not say what the hardest one is ;-)) due to the muscular strength and control the dancers possess, the counting, and the improvisation involved.

This young lady is considered a PROFESSIONAL for competitions. We very much enjoyed her professionalism, talent and heart for flamenco!

I am thankful God has gifted us with talents like the ability to sing or dance. I am thankful that people develop these talents and share them with others. I am thankful for public and private schools that still teach the arts to our children.  

thankful thursday - colors

After taking a six-month hiatus, I decided to do another photo 365 project this year. The idea is to take a photo every day to document your everyday life, to become a better a photographer and to learn to use the full potential of your camera (doesn't matter if it's a smartphone or an expensive dSLR or something in-between).

Capture Your 365 (CY365) is the website I use and they send me a prompt via email every day. This week has been "Color Week" with prompts like "monochrome" and "draw" and "mostly white." As I have thought about what I want to photograph to capture the prompt AND my everyday life, I realized "color" was in my thoughts a lot. And then I began to ponder how we see colors and if all animals do.

You may remember from high school biology that the retina of the eye contains two types of photoreceptor cells: cone photoreceptors (called cones) that respond to different wavelengths of lights allowing us to see colors and rod photoreceptors (called rods) that are sensitive to light and dark changes, shape and movement. Cones require bright light to work while rods work in low light situations.

Some animals, such as humans and closely related primates, have three different cone types allowing them to see all the colors. Other animals, such as dogs, cats, ferrets, hyenas, "color-blind" humans and many more, have two different cone types which allows them to see some colors. Interestingly, this may actually improve an animal's ability to distinguish colors in dim light, an advantage for nocturnal animals. And still other animals, like all marine mammals and the owl monkey, have just one cone type and see in shades of black and white.

Some of the early prompts this week were variations of black and white or monochromatic which I did as white/gray. While it was fun to experiment with these photos either in finding naturally colored subjects or with editing, I quickly realized that seeing EVERYTHING in shades of gray would be very monotonous and boring.

Other prompts lent themselves to aspects of color. It was fun to experiment with subjects that made the colors pop or fade away or shoot in bright sunlight or in shade. 

As I looked back through the photos I took this week, I became increasingly grateful for the gift of color. While there is definitely beauty in black and white, I think I much prefer to view the world through my rose (and pine green and periwinkle and butter yellow and ...) colored glasses.

thankful thursday - new adventures at an old favorite

It is no secret that we like Disneyland and go as often as we can. Some years we get an annual pass and go four or five times. Other years we go once or maybe twice. We have often been asked if it gets old. Our answer is always a resounding, "NO!"

One of the advantages of going often is knowing the layout of the park so well that we don't need a map to find the nearest restroom or to know the fastest way to get from Indiana Jones in Adventureland to Dumbo in Fantasyland is NOT through the hub. Another advantage is knowing when something is new or different.

We were at Disneyland this past week and experienced several new adventures!

1. NEW FOODS - Disney chefs work overtime developing new recipes to ensure their menus are varied and tasty. Some foods are permanent replacements or additions while others are holiday or seasonal favorites. We try to enjoy both our favorites as well as something new when we go.

I am not a big mayonnaise fan. Period. But, being adventurous, I tried two foods this trip that most people would not put mayo on but for some reason the Disney chefs thought they should.  Elote corn-on-the-cob is a seasonal favorite at the park. If anyone told me I would eat corn-on-the-cob with mayo, parmesan cheese and Tajin seasoning (chili, lime and salt), I would say they were crazy - but I tried it and it was delicious! The second was a bratwurst with sauerkraut, green onion aioli sauce (like mayo) and dried cranberries on a grilled bun. I was doubtful about the cranberries and almost ordered it without them but was sooo glad I didn't. The combination of flavors and textures was a dance party in my mouth!

2. NEW TWIST TO AN OLD RIDE - The Disneyland Monorail, the first daily operating monorail in the Western Hemisphere, opened in 1959 and we have ridden it dozens of times. It's a great way to get a bird's-eye view of the park and to rest your tired feet for a few minutes. 

   

Often there is a long wait for the monorail but this trip there wasn't and we were able to ride in the very front with the driver. Similar to the difference between sitting in the front seat of a car and in the back seat, the view is totally different up front. And, a bit scarier as you see the monorail lean to the side on the narrow, single rail as it makes a turn! FYI - anyone can sit "up front" - just ask!

3. NEW USE OF THE PARKING LOT - This trip we stayed at the Grand Californian, one of the Disneyland properties. Like everything Disney, they go out of their way to make their guests comfortable. The entire downstairs is a lobby area with lots of comfortable couches and chairs, a fireplace and a pianist playing a grand piano. It's a great place to relax for a few minutes. 

One evening when we returned from the park, we were enjoying a cup of coffee, a Mickey gingerbread cookie and the beautiful music in the lobby when the fire alarm went off. Within minutes they resort staff had the lobby evacuated to the front parking lot. Along with hundreds of other folks, we enjoyed the nightly Disneyland fireworks from the parking lot of the hotel where the staff tried to make sure guests were as comfortable as possible, passing out solar blankets and engaging in conversation. After about half an hour the all-clear was given and we returned to the hotel.

4. NEW WEATHER - Southern California is noted for it's beautiful weather pretty much year round and most of the time we are at Disneyland it is sunny and beautiful. Occasionally we've had overcast days with intermittent showers.  

But this trip we had rain ALL DAY LONG. Despite the wet weather, people were still having a good time with lots of smiles and laughter. We made it a game to find the route with the most covered walkways.  A few rides were closed like the Storybookland Canal Boats and the Tea Cups but most were open and had lines waiting in the rain. Now that's what I call true fans!

I am thankful for new adventures wherever we go. They make life unpredictable and fun. They give us something to anticipate even when we're doing something we've done before. They help us see the positives around us rather than dwell on the negatives.  

"I think what I want Disneyland to be most of all is a happy place - a place where adults and children can experience together some of the wonders of life, of adventure, and feel better because of it."

~ Walt Disney