Snowflake (30)

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It's not much of a snowfall, but this may be all we get this winter, so I thought I'd better capture the "Snowflake" theme this morning.

Music (29)

*My husband and son took me to dinner tonight, for my birthday. Afterward we came home and watched a Blue Man Group concert on TV. I took this picture of the screen, and caught it just when it was transitioning from a close-up to a long-shot (that was a serendipitous accident). I like the blur, because it gives a sense of the movement.

Gift (28)

*This is my friend Sherry. She took me to lunch, today, and gave me a birthday gift. Thanks, Sherry!

Bench (27)

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Alcohol (26)

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Indy cars burn alcohol for fuel, and to quote my husband, Dan, who is a racing fan, "If you want to go fast, burn alcohol, don't drink it."

I took this picture at the Unser Racing Museum this morning. The museum was opened a couple years ago by Al Unser Sr. The Unser family is from Albuquerque.

Retro (25)

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The old Route 66 passed through Albuquerque, where Central Avenue is now. Here's the 66 Diner, housed in one of the many original structures lining Central Avenue. I took a drive down Central this afternoon to take these photos. Too bad I didn't have time to stop for one of the 66 Diner's burgers and malts!

Cactus (24)

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These cacti are also in the church yard (previous 2 pictures). I may have to post a second cactus photo when they are in bloom in the spring.

Time (23)

*This clock is on one of the gables of the church in the prior photo.

Church (22)

*This is the San Felipe de Neri Church, in Albuquerque's Old Town. It has been in use as a place of worship, continuously, without interruption, since 1706.

Portrait (21)

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This pretty lady was sweet enough to let me take her picture this morning, outside, after the worship service. Thanks, Betty!

Soup (20)

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A variation on an Andy Warhol theme. He seemed to prefer Tomato Soup, but my favorite is Chicken Noodle ;-) The center soup can is the original photo I took. The duplication and colorization of the others, as well as the lighting effect, was done in Photoshop Elements.

Souvenir (19)

*Over the years we have hosted a number of foreign exchange students. This little smoking Cossack was a souvenir given to us by a young lady from the Ukraine, who stayed with us a few weeks. When you put one of the little wicks into his pipe and light it, he "puffs" out smokerings! He's just over 2 inches tall.

Code (18)

*About ten years ago I took a "Writing for Publication" class at the university where I worked. As a requirement of the class, I wrote and submitted a number of articles to magazines. Three of mine were published that semester. One of them was in a children's magazine, and was titled, "Klever Kodes for Kids."

To make this image I photographed the cover and the article, inside, and put them together into a montage of sorts.

Arrow (17)

*This big red arrow stands at the intersection of Carlisle and Indian School Road, in Albuquerque. It's a long-time landmark, but I haven't been able to find any information about its origin. I don't know how tall it is, but you can get an idea based upon its relationship to the passing vehicles. The tip sticks into a stone and concrete base.

Distorted (16)

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Red Robin's strawberry lemonade in one of thier crooked (distorted) glasses!

Collections (15)

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The name of this little cafe is Jimmy's Cafe. They have a wonderful collection of pictures of famous people named "Jimmy" - or James, Jim, Jamie, etc. The collection includes movie stars; politicians, including all of the U.S. presidents who were named James; movie and TV characters, like James Kirk; and even cartoon characters, such as Jimmy Neutron and Jiminy Cricket. Many of the photos are autographed. This wall is only one of five walls that display framed pictures and movie posters. A sixth wall is entirely covered in a huge painted mural of more "Jimmys."

Fences (14)

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A common style of fence here in this part of the Southwest.

Statue (13)

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These bronze statues of frolicking children are favorites of mine. The five statues are located on a corner near an elementary school here in town. I wanted to show all five of the children, but also thought it would be nice to show a close-up of one of the artistic faces. So . . . this was a Photoshop Elements day.

This one might be a good one to click on and view larger, so you can see the individual children more clearly.

Holographic (12)

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Now, if there's anyone out there who is thinking of lifting my Visa Card number for nefarious purposes, it won't work. This was a gift card, and it's all used up . . . empty . . . useless. Useless, that is, except for being the subject of my "holograph photograph."

Chinese (11)

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We ate at this little Chinese restaurant, The Great Wall, last evening, before going to our mid-week Bible study.

And here was my fortune. I'm packing my bags!

Mountain (10)

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You never have to wonder which direction is East when you're in Albuquerque. The Sandia Moutain Range is on the extreme east side of Albuquerque, and is visible wherever you are in the city. The elevation, at Sandia Peak, is 10,678 feet; Albuquerque's elevation is over 5,000 feet at the mountain's base. This shot was taken this evening, from the deck in my backyard, looking . . . east, of course.

Apple (9)

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A new grocery store just opened in our neighborhood. I stopped by for a few things this afternoon and thought the produce was so attractive - especially the apples.

Thanks to Dan for making this picture possible. He gave me a "purse camera" for Christmas, so that I no longer have to say, "I wish I had a camera with me!" This one was unplanned, and taken with the new camera.

Carved (8)

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This is the back of one of a pair of carved "lion" chairs we now have. One of the chairs is a rocking chair, the other is not. The front ends of the arms, where your hands would rest, are also carved lions' heads, with their mouths open and roaring.

Dan remembers these chairs as a little tyke, but they were old even then - not sure how old. Both of them have loose joints that need work, but we're not sure how to do that without destroying their value as antiques. (Where are those Keno twins from Antiques Roadshow when you need them?)

Fish (7)

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This is an "ulu" (pronounced ooloo), a cutting implement originally made by the Inuit (Eskimo) people of northern Alaska. They use it for hunting, fishing, skinning, filleting and food preparation.

This ulu was given to us by our church family in Juneau, as a farewell gift, when we moved to Albuquerque. It is hand carved from fossilized bone. Although we have a second ulu (less elaborate), which I occasionally use in the kitchen, this one sits on our bookcase, in the family room, to remind us of our good friends in Juneau.

Pasta (6)

*This pasta salad has been a favorite in our family for years. I asked my son, Tim, if he wanted me to bake a cake or a pie for his birthday dinner tonight, and he said, "Neither. I'll finish off the pasta salad for dessert."

Here's the recipe:

Broccoli Cauliflower Pasta Salad
1/2 head cauliflower, chopped into small pieces
Equal amount of broccoli, also chopped into small pieces
2 cups macaroni shells, cooked and cooled
1/2 lb. bacon, fried crisp and crumbled

Dressing
1 cup Mayo
1/2 cup vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
salt and pepper to taste

Mix dressing ingredients together and set aside.

Combine cauliflower, broccoli and macaroni. Add dressing to salad, and mix well. May be refrigerated, if desired, at this point (so you can make it up ahead of time). Just before serving, stir in the bacon pieces.

Newspaper (5)

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Randy Woods, Publisher of People Scene, a local newspaper in The Woodlands, Texas, wrote and published this article about Ruby, my lost-and-found pen pal, and me, complete with our photos! When I visited Ruby over the holidays, she gave me three copies of the newspaper.

Sundial (4)

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After work today I stopped by the Explora Children's Science Museum to photograph the vertical "Icarus Sundial," which stands in front of the museum. I was actually going to take several pictures so I could pick the best one, but my batteries died after I took one, so this is what you get!

Can you tell what time it was? (You'll be able to see the numerals if you click on the photo to enlarge it.)

Wavy (3)

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We ate at Nothin' But Noodles last night. This is one of a pair of glass ceiling sculptures they have suspended beneath the lights. Looks like a giant spinach noodle, doesn't it?

Wooden (2)

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I picked up this piece of driftwood from the shore of the Arctic Ocean, and brought it home with me as my souvenir of our trip to Tuktoyaktuk, Northwest Territory of Canada.

Handmade (1)

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This little dragonfly ornament was beaded by Betsy, a co-worker, and given to me as a Christmas gift.