Prickly

(Sedona, Arizona)

I've recently been going through my pictures from our Sedona hike in February. The light wasn't that great, although the scenery was gorgeous, so I've been playing around with processing to get the pictures more in line with what it actually looked like.

Garden

(Mount Vernon garden)

Flourishing

(Sedona, Arizona)

Psalm 92:12

The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon...

Juniper

(Sedona, Arizona)

Hagia Sofia

Ben proposed in front of the Hagia Sofia in 2005. In 2006, we got married. In 2007, we happened to be in Istanbul on a layover from Italy and returned to the spot where he proposed. Today we celebrate having been married five years. It's been a wonderful adventure!

Before the storm

The trees were beautifully silhouetted against the sky as I watched the storm coming in, waiting for the rain.

Candlelight

Last night the power went out due to the massive storms in our areas. Good thing we had candles to read by.

Home

We're back in our little house after house-sitting for my aunt and uncle while they were in China. It feels pretty homey to be back.

Liquid nitrogen and cooking

The chef we watched on Friday night prepared a number of dishes with liquid nitrogen, taking cooking as chemistry to a whole new level. It was my first exposure to molecular gastronomy - an interesting field! I was surprised by how little protective gear he wore, given that most people are so paranoid about working with it. In fact, he scooped his hands through it several times and then dumped the bowl's contents onto the counter, to the surprise of the people directly in front of him. It immediately separated into droplets and harmlessly evaporated on the floor.

Watching people as they tried the hyper-frozen food was quite amusing. They were warned to keep their mouths closed and to chew quickly, with hilarious results.

Beautiful

Ecclesiastes 3:11

(NLT)

Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time.
He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so,
people cannot see the whole scope of God's work from beginning to end.

Gourmet

Last night Ben and I had a chance to see a Spanish chef prepare a number of interesting dishes. Here is his take on a ham sandwich.

Bloom

Portrait...

...of the artist as a young shadow.

(With apologies to James Joyce)

Orchids

The orchids on the windowsill have burst into bloom!

Al fresco

We're enjoying dinner outside as much as we can before it gets too hot.

Scene from the kitchen

Saturday's weather elevated even lowly pot lids into an interesting scene.

Rest

(Lake District, England)

Hebrews 4:9

There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God...

Contrast

I always love it when the sunshine streams in through the windows in the afternoon and creates patterns of light and shadow on the rug.

Coastline

(Florence, Oregon)

Luminous

Darlingtonia Park in Florence, Oregon

Obscure

This map next to the elevators in the parking garage at work is remarkably obscure... I can just picture some official sign creator completing it, leaning back to gaze at his handiwork and saying, "Well, if that doesn't make everything clear, I don't know what would."

Warm

(Adliya, Bahrain)

As the weather gets up into the 90s here in Dallas, it's starting to feel more like summertime Bahrain all the time.

Reflection

Downtown Dallas

Prosperity

(Trees at Sahalie Falls, Oregon)

Psalm 1:1-3

Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked
or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers.
But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
and on his law he meditates day and night.
He is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither.
Whatever he does prospers.

Good to the last

We went out for Thai food recently. It was so tasty that I forgot to take any pictures until it was all gone...

Lines

I'm not usually a fan of modern architecture, but downtown Dallas may be changing my mind. The combination of clean lines against blue sky is very pleasing.

Juxtaposition

This week I am working in Dallas's Arts District downtown. I love the juxtaposition of the ultramodern architecture with the cottage garden type flowers across from the building I'm working in.

Nostalgia

(Wandering in downtown Adliya)

I'm definitely a little homesick for Bahrain right now.

Keep on

(Trail up Mount Pisgah, Eugene, Oregon)

Today is my first day without work since last Tuesday, so I'm pretty excited to have some time to get organized again. Right now Benjamin and I are definitely in just-keep-going mode, but it is good to have work to do while looking for long term jobs.

Rain, rain

It has been incredibly rainy and cold yesterday and today. Not traditional late spring weather in Texas, I'm told. It's great weather for cocoa and blankets, though!

I lift up my eyes

(Jackson Hole, Wyoming)

Psalm 121

A song of ascents.

I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the LORD,
the Maker of heaven and earth.

He will not let your foot slip—
he who watches over you will not slumber;
indeed, he who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.

The LORD watches over you—
the LORD is your shade at your right hand;
the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.

The LORD will keep you from all harm—
he will watch over your life;
the LORD will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore.