Weekly Quotation: Eleanor Roosevelt

The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.

― Eleanor Roosevelt

Weekly Quotation: Ralph Waldo Emerson

For every minute you are angry you lose sixty seconds of happiness.

― Ralph Waldo Emerson

Weekly Quotation: Mark Twain

The best way to cheer yourself is to try to cheer someone else up.

― Mark Twain

Weekly Quotation: Pablo Picasso

Everything you can imagine is real.

― Pablo Picasso

Weekly Quotation: Mother Teresa

Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.

― Mother Teresa

Weekly Photo Challenge: Up

I took these photos on a beautiful, clear blue sky day. I used the blue sky itself as a background while looking up. We often don’t view flowers looking up from underneath.

Look for more up photos here:

http://dailypost.wordpress.com/weekly-photo-challenge-up-2/

Book Review: It’s Spring!

It’s Spring!

Written by Linda Glaser,

Illustrated by Susan Swan

Published January 1, 2002 by Millbrook Press 

Genre/Topics: Seasons, Nature, Realistic

Ages: 4+, 32 pages 

 

It’s Spring! is a colorful and educational book about how the season changes to Spring. The book follows one boy as he experiences different things during Spring.  It begins how winter coats are no longer needed, the ice melts and then there are puddles to jump in. The different senses are in the book as he feels  the soft buds on his cheek, hears birds cheep, and smells daffodils. Spring is now the season to plant and he starts a garden. He notices that the sun shines longer and the days are warmer. The illustrations are very unique, because it’s made with three-dimensional cut paper then layered to give depth and photographed with lights to give shadows. The pictures almost appear as though the flower is popping out of the page. The back of the book provides Spring nature activities. 

 

Happy 1st Day of Spring!

 

Weekly Quote: Gail Carson Levine

There’s nothing wrong with reading a book you love over and over. When you do, the words get inside you, become a part of you, in a way that words in a book you’ve read only once can’t.

― Gail Carson Levine, Writing Magic: Creating Stories that Fly

A – Z Photo Challenge: W is for Waterfall, Wind Farm, & Waterfront

W is for Waterfall. This photo was taken in Alaska.

W is for Wind Power Plant or wind farm for energy. This photo was taken during a drive across Washington State.

W is for waterfront.

Click here for more W photos!

http://flickrcomments.wordpress.com/2012/06/05/a-z-archive-w-challenge/

A – Z Photo Challenge: V is for Vegetables, Venture, View

I’ve been a little busy, so it took me some time to figure out my V photos for the A – Z challenge. The only thing that came into my mind is a violin, yet I don’t play a violin. Finally, I looked in the dictionary for inspiration.

V is for Vegetables. It appears to be pumpkins and squash.

V is for Venture. I went on an exciting venture to the Great Wall of China.

V is for View. This is the view from my parent’s deck.

Click here for more V photos!

http://flickrcomments.wordpress.com/2012/05/29/a-z-archive-v-challenge/

Weekly Quote: Madeleine L’Engle

A book, too, can be a star, a living fire to lighten the darkness, leading out into the expanding universe.

― Madeleine L’Engle

Weekly Quote: Maya Angelou

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.

― Maya Angelou

Weekly Photo Challenge: Hope

This week’s photo challenge is hope. Many things inspire and give us hope in life. I thought of many ideas, so I may highlight additional photos later. Last week, there was a snow storm and I captured this vibrant kale growing. It provided hope that even though it’s winter there is color and spring will come soon.

I took this photo earlier today with frost. I thought it appeared lovely with the ice crystals that the plant hopefully continues to grow.

Weekly Quote: J. K. Rowling

If you don’t like to read you haven’t found the right book.

- J. K. Rowling