Lord, I Was Born a Ramblin' Sam

The shopping is done. The presents are wrapped. The cards – well, so what if they’re a little late. There is no tree this year, but the Nativity and the stockings and the votive village lend an understated glow to the room.
And now comes the best part of Christmas – quiet moments of peace and reflection, time to ponder the blessings in life and to offer silent thanks for each and all of them. Thanks for friends near and far, for the gift of having someone to hold close...

The theme for this week’s Community Photo Challenge is ‘Give Thanks for…’. Join us by entering an image that conveys the meaning of these words to you – and help us all to better understand the things that you are thankful for.
If you know me or have read previous entries in this Journal, you already know that Thanksgiving is perhaps my most favorite holiday. While Christmas has deeper and more profound meaning, the overwhelming nature of its celebration and all the preparation...

This week's Community Photo Challenge topic is, appropriately, Autumn. This photo is just for fun, since I am honored to continue to serve as a judge, but I hope that it inspires you to find one of your favorite autumn scenes and post an entry.
Our fall has been gloriously warm and sunny for the most part, but lack of rain in late summer and early fall has subdued the color - and finding opportunities to capture the traditional beauty of the season has proven challenging. This photo was taken...

Okay – My first try at this didn’t end so well, but we’ll try again. This is really more of a test than anything – and a chance to promote the Community Photo Challenge. Their theme this week is ‘Spooky’ in honor of the season. While this image is more...