I Wish I Were a Photographer

A Foggy Skywatch!

2012-01-26T21:51:00.001+02:00

The weather this week has been downright wacky - we went from cold and rainy, to practically snowing, to summery short sleeves weather, and now it's getting cold and rainy again. Did I mention that this was all in one week? Ah, winter in Israel :)

Anyway, I happened to be in Jerusalem this week, taking a safety course for work. More photos of the beautiful hotel where the course was hosted are scheduled to be posted soon... but in the meantime, check out this crazy fog that I found out the window of the hotel, this Wednesday!

Hmm, it looked much more impressive in person...

That thing poking through the fog on the left is the Herodion, or apparently Herodium, according to Wikipedia. It's around 2000 years old, which qualifies as somewhat old in Israel :)

Anyway, for more sky-oriented photography from all over the world, go check out Skywatch Friday right now! It's well worth the click - have fun! And have a great weekend, everyone!

Whimsical Windows, Delirious Doors! #8

2012-01-22T23:54:00.000+02:00

Thanks for coming back to our newest architectural meme! My youngest daughter and I were walking up a stairway in our neighborhood last week, when we happened to notice this door hiding below. Even though you can't see the whole thing, I just love the look of it. It reminds me of something from a children's book - maybe it's The Secret Garden? What do you think?

To participate in Whimsical Windows, Delirious Doors, just post a photo of a window, door, or anything architectural, link here, and post a link back to your photo in the widget below. Don't forget to refresh the page to make sure your that your link worked! Have a wonderful week, everyone - thanks for coming by!

Shadow Shot Sunday - with a celebrity!

2012-01-22T00:22:00.000+02:00

We were lucky enough to hear Shuli Natan tonight, in a local concert. She's pretty famous in Israeli circles, primarily for singing the song Yerushalayim shel Zahav (Jerusalem of Gold). I found this video of her singing it back in 1967 - it gets cut off a couple of minutes in, but you certainly get the idea.

Anyway, about halfway through the concert, I noticed that there were some wacky shadows going on behind her, and decided to try and capture them for you:

She looks awfully young for someone born in 1947, don't you think? And wowee, what a beautiful voice!

Way to go, Shuli!

And thanks so much to my dear daughter who was sitting behind me and helped me get these shots :)

For more shadowy photography, go right now to Shadow Shot Sunday 2. You'll be glad that you did! Happy Sunday, everyone!

Marbled Skies - Skywatch!

2012-01-19T23:20:00.001+02:00

I had to go out to work early a few mornings ago, and as I rounded a curve in the road, I was greeted by this lovely sunrise. I just love these kinds of swirly clouds - aren't they pretty?

I wish I could have stayed and admired it longer... but alas, work was waiting. On the other hand, I'm glad that I was able to capture this little bit of it, so that now I can look back whenever I like :)

For more sky-oriented photography from all over the world, go right now to Skywatch Friday. You'll be glad that you did! Have a great weekend, everybody!

Whimsical Windows, Delirious Doors! #7

2012-01-16T00:06:00.000+02:00

We have arrived at lucky number seven of our new little meme! Welcome to Whimsical Windows, Delirious Doors, where you can check out nifty architectural items from across the globe. We have a small but steady group of participants from truly all over - and perhaps with time we'll get even more - but meanwhile, I really enjoy sharing the interesting architecture that I see here in Israel with you, and seeing what you share from wherever you are. It's amazing to see just how similar, and just how very different it all can be!

Well, enough with the intro, let's move on to the photos! My husband and I happened to be very nearby Kibbutz Ein Tzurim a couple of weeks ago, and we couldn't resist stopping by to visit the school that used to be there, Yeshivat HaKibbutz HaDati. It unfortunately closed down a couple of years ago, but the building still stands. It seems a bit lonely, but is still very impressive, unique, and beautiful! Here is the door to the main study hall:

Hmm, there's a little bit of glare from the sun. Hang on, I'll step over here to the side.

That's better. Isn't it pretty? Hang on, I'll get in a little closer so you can see the detail:

The amazing thing is, it doesn't just look beautiful, it feels beautiful. Anyone opening that door gets to touch the beaten metal, and it's a really nice sensation:

That's as close as I got :) Feel free to click on any of the photos, though, if you'd like an even closer view!

And now: please join me! To participate in Whimsical Windows, Delirious Doors, just post your photo of a window, door, or anything architectural, and link to it in the widget below. Even if you haven't posted your own photo, please visit those who have posted - I hope you enjoy the beauty and variety as much as I do! Have a great week, everyone!

Skywatch - clouds!

2012-01-12T22:12:00.003+02:00

Here some are impressive clouds that I found this afternoon. I am such a sucker for clouds :)

For more interesting sky photography from all over the world, go right now to Skywatch Friday! You'll be glad that you did, it's a lot of fun! Have a great weekend, everyone!

Whimsical Windows, Delirious Doors! #6

2012-01-09T00:11:00.000+02:00

Well, the votes are in (as to which day of the week our little meme should be), and it seems that some of us prefer Mondays, none of us prefer Wednesdays, and most of us don't mind either way. So I hereby announce that Whimsical Windows, Delirious Doors will now begin on Mondays! However, the sign-up link stays open for the whole week, so if you'd prefer to come back and post on Wednesday, that's fine too. Truthfully, as long as you come sometime, I'm happy to have you join along - the more, the merrier!

Here are some funky windows that I came across this past week. My son is finishing 8th grade this year, and we've been looking around at various high schools for him. We went to visit one this past week, and while we were waiting for the orientation meeting to begin, I saw these cool as anything windows from afar:

Interesting, right? Little did I know that a couple of hours later, we'd find ourselves on the inside of those very windows:

True, it wasn't sunny by then, but still, I found it a nice ending to a good meeting :)

Have a wonderful week, everyone - thanks for stopping by!

Some shadowy macros

2012-01-08T00:08:00.003+02:00

Well, I had time to take a short walk around on an overcast day last week, and spontaneously started snapping close-up shots of some everyday things. Can you see them for what they are?

(The side of a trash can)

(Something growing on the side of a tree)

(The plastered exterior of a building)

(Some Jerusalem stone on a low wall nearby)

Well, I liked these, and thought they'd be good for both Shadow Shot Sunday and for Macro Monday. Please do go check out both of those weekly memes, you'll be so glad you did!

Oh, and it looks like we're moving Whimsical Windows, Delirious Doors! to Mondays, so I look forward to seeing you back here for that!
Have a great week, everyone!

Skywatch - A Stark Tree

2012-01-05T21:28:00.001+02:00

It was very overcast this past week! Although we're still officially in drought status, it seems to be a much rainier winter than last year - here's hoping!
This past week I was wandering around outside in some on again off again drizzle, and I found this tree. Isn't it lovely?

Dunno, I liked it :)

It's even nicer close up - feel free to click on it to get a better view!
For more sky-oriented photography from all over the world, go right now to check out Skywatch Friday, that great weekly meme. You'll be glad you went - have a great time!

And have a great weekend, everyone!

Whimsical Windows, Delirious Doors! #5 and a question for you

2012-01-04T00:00:00.000+02:00

Here we are, already here at week #5 of my happy new architectural meme, Whimsical Windows, Delirious Doors! I'm very pleased to have you all aboard!

Before we begin, here's my question: Someone suggested to me that we move WWDD to Mondays, since there are already *so* many other Wednesday memes. I don't mind either way - I like keeping Sundays open for Shadow Shot Sunday, Tuesdays open for Ruby Tuesday (no longer hosted by Mary - we'll miss you!), and Thursdays open for Skywatch Friday, but Mondays and Wednesdays are really both open for me. So my question for you is: Which would you prefer, Monday or Wednesday? Please let me know in the comments below - we'll tally up the results by Saturday night, and whatever we decide will be implemented next week! Thanks for your input!

And now, back to business: Whimsical Windows, Delirious Doors!

Here's a nice set of windows that I found this past week, while briefly walking around in Hod HaSharon. This is classic Israel!

Minimalistic and clean. Isn't that refreshing?

Please do participate with me in this week's edition of Whimsical Windows, Delirious Doors! I do so enjoy seeing the things that you all post - our views are all so varied and unique! Just post a photo of a window, door, or anything architectural, link back here, and then post a link back to your photo in the widget below. Don't forget to refresh the page to make sure your that your link worked! Have a fantastic week, everyone!

Shadows!

2011-12-31T22:04:00.001+02:00

A couple of weeks ago, while looking for a photogenic window or door on a nearby kibbutz, I came across this very pretty yard. Isn't it lovely? So colorful and friendly... But only a few days later, while looking through my captures, did I notice the interesting shadows going on here:

Just right for Shadow Shot Sunday - what luck! Go there right now, to check out lots of shadowy photography from all over the globe! Happy Sunday! Oh - and Happy New Year!

Whimsical Windows, Delirious Doors! #4

2011-12-28T00:56:00.000+02:00

Tonight was the eighth and last night of Chanuka! Here's what our window looked like:

And here are the last licks, trying so hard to hang on. We'll miss you until next year, Chanuka!

Please do participate with me in this week's edition of Whimsical Windows, Delirious Doors! All you need to do is post a photo of a window, door, or anything architectural, link here, and post a link back to your photo in the widget below. Don't forget to refresh the page to make sure your that your link worked!

By the way, I think I figured out how to make a button! Thanks to Dianne for the encouragement, and to Beth for the tutorial! Here it is, please help yourselves:

Thanks so much for coming, I can't wait to see what you've posted!

My Christmas Cactus Blooms On Time!

2011-12-24T23:45:00.001+02:00

I have this lovely Christmas Cactus on my desk at work, which until now has bloomed in February. This year, to my surprise, it actually started blooming in time for Christmas! The plant itself is kind of plain looking, but its once-a-year flowers are breathtaking and unique - they remind me of birds in flight. Here you can see the different stages in the blossoms - first come little buds, and then they get bigger, and then the petals kind of peel themselves back, revealing the stamen inside. It really is wonderful and exciting to witness, year after year, whether or not you happen to celebrate Christmas :)

Feel free to click on any of these, if you'd like a closer look!
As an added bonus, there are some nice shadows happening here, in addition to the pretty flowers themselves. I'm going to post this to Shadow Shot Sunday 2, the new incarnation of my favorite meme. Join us, won't you?
And it's a perfect entry for Ruby Tuesday, too, hosted by Mary at Work of the Poet. Come check it out, to see more reddish photography from all over the world!
Merry Christmas to all of you who are celebrating today! Here's wishing all of us a wonderful Shadow Shot Sunday, and a wonderful year full of peace, happiness, and beautiful flowers!

A moonset for Skywatch Friday

2011-12-22T18:29:00.001+02:00

Last week we had a beautiful full moon. Really beautiful! I was very lucky to find it setting in the west one morning, when I came downstairs:

Isn't that amazing? I think that this is the clearest moon shot I've ever gotten - feel free to click on it, if you'd like a closer view!

Naturally, I'm posting this to Skywatch Friday, that weekly meme that showcases interesting skies from all over the world. Go there right now, and have a great time! Happy Friday, everyone!

Whimsical Windows, Delirious Doors! #3

2011-12-21T00:43:00.000+02:00

Wowee, time is flying - I can't believe that we've reached the third week of this meme! I know that participation is a little low, but it doesn't even bother me - I really enjoy finding something interesting to post each week, and I'm pleased to have a reason to do it! But I'll tell you the truth - I enjoy seeing your posts from all over just as much, so please do keep them coming! And tell your friends to join along :)

Anyway, here's the doorway that I found to post this week. Isn't it just - picturesque?

One thing before I go - I really am new to this whole meme life - does anyone out there know how to make a button that we can share when posting here? Any advice and/or help appreciated!

Anyway, to participate in Whimsical Windows, Delirious Doors, all you need to do is post a photo of a window, door, or anything architectural, link here, and post a link back to your photo in the widget below. Don't forget to refresh the page to make sure your link worked! Thanks so much for coming, I can't wait to see what you've posted! Have a great week! And to all of you who are celebrating, have a wonderful Chanuka!

Ruby Tuesday - our new recycling bin!

2011-12-20T00:10:00.000+02:00

The appearance of this item on my street got me so excited that I almost immediately posted a photo of it on Facebook, which is very unusual for me. Not long after, I realized that non-Israelis have absolutely no idea what it is! So to clarify, this is a bottle recycling bin - people can come from anywhere and slip their plastic bottles through the holes, and every so often the recycling company comes and empties it. So easy, right? Since we didn't have one on our street (until now) I've always collected bottles in the trunk of our car until I remember to bring them to the nearest bin - but now we're the lucky ones :)

And it's an especially pretty one, too - I've never before seen one so nicely decorated! And it even has a touch of red, making this post qualify for Ruby Tuesday, Mary's weekly meme, over at her blog, Work of the Poet. Go check it out, if you'd like to see reddish photography from all over the world! Happy Tuesday, everyone!

Whimsical Windows, Delirious Doors! #2

2011-12-14T07:18:00.000+02:00

Here, we are, up for Round Two of our coolest new meme, Whimsical Windows, Delirious Doors! This is so exciting!

Here's a local synagogue I found - it's a very new building (here in Israel, anything under 500 years old qualifies as new. This building is around 30 years old, so it's practically a newborn) but built in a pretty classical style. Check out these windows:

I especially like how they've thickened the corners of the building:

I really am a sucker for the texture of Jerusalem stone, hard and somehow soft, all at once:

That last one is really nice when you see it close up - feel free to click on any of these, if you'd like a closer look!
Anyway, that's it for now! Please link below to your photo of a window, door, or anything architectural! (You may want to refresh the page after entering your link, so you can make sure that it went through.)
Have a great day!

A bright red sunset, for Ruby Tuesday

2011-12-13T00:15:00.000+02:00

Wow! Check out what I bumped into today, on my way home from work!

Man, oh man am I a fan of this crazy cloud action!
For more reddish photography, go check out this week's episode of Ruby Tuesday, hosted graciously by Mary over at Work of the Poet.
And don't forget to come back here on Wednesday for our new meme, Whimsical Windows, Delirious Doors! We'd love to have you!
Happy Tuesday, everyone!

Whimsical Windows, Delirious Doors! #1

2011-12-07T01:16:00.001+02:00

Well, here we are at last! For those of you who haven't heard, I really miss Mary's old meme, Window Views... and Doors, Too! and I'm hoping to start it back up. I've renamed it Whimsical Windows, Delirious Doors! and you're all invited to participate! All you need to do is take a photo of a window, a door, or anything architectural, and link to it here below. Like Mary's meme, this will be on Wednesdays - I'll put it up each Wednesday morning, Jerusalem time. Here we go! I suppose if this works, we'll need a button and such, but first I'd like to see if anyone shows up :)

Anyway, to get us started, here are a few shots that I've taken over the past few months, with this meme in mind!

Here's a huge clock sort of thing that I found in downtown Jerusalem: doesn't it look like a gigantic smiley face?

Here's an interesting group of windows that I found a different time, not far from there:

And lastly for now, here's an inviting gateway that I saw right here in Efrat while walking to work, just a few days ago:

Okay, that's it for now! Please link below to your whimsical window or delirious door, and tell your friends to come by too! I just love seeing interesting architecture from all over. After you submit your link, you can refresh the page to make sure that it worked :)
Oh, and if something doesn't work smoothly, please let me know so that I can try to fix it! 321toby at gmail dot com

Have a great day all!
-Toby

Ruby Tuesday - a little bit of fall

2011-12-05T17:34:00.001+02:00

I looked around the parking lot of my office this morning, looking for something to post for Ruby Tuesday. In the past, I've found some real beauties, so I figured it was worth a shot. Right behind my car, I found these lovely roses:

Nice, right? Then, just to the right, I found this very large, reddish shrub. It didn't seem awfully impressive from far away:

But when I got closer, it was quite enchanting!

For more reddish photography, go right now to Mary's weekly meme, Ruby Tuesday, that she hosts at Work of the Poet. You'll be glad that you did!

And don't forget - you're all invited back here tomorrow, for the debut of our new weekly meme: Whimsical Windows, Delirious Doors! Please come to see and participate - it should be great!

Happy Tuesday, everyone!

Some shadows in my shot

2011-12-03T23:25:00.001+02:00

Well, they made a new traffic circle near my house, and I love it! I'm a big fan of traffic circles anyway, but this one replaced what had been a particularly dangerous intersection. Now it's safer and I'm happy! And I was even happier when they got ready to plant some greenery in the middle. Look at how cool this is:

Nice, right? I just love the geometry that's going on here. Feel free to click on the photo to enlarge it, and see how many shadows you can find :)

Naturally I'm posting this to Shadow Shot Sunday, beautifully hosted weekly at Hey Harriet. Have a great week, everyone! And don't forget to come back here on Wednesday to participate in the first-ever edition of Whimsical Windows, Delirious Doors! See you then!

Skywatch Friday - and an exciting announcement!

2011-12-01T23:07:00.001+02:00

Want to hear something crazy? It's December! Want to hear something even crazier? It's almost 2012! I remember as a kid thinking of 2012 as far, far beyond reality, when surely all the sidewalks would be moving sidewalks, and I would be old and accomplished. And here we are, still walking around, and frankly, not that old! I guess they weren't making it up when they said time flies.

Anyway, where were we? Oh yes - not only has the year flown by, but so has this past week. It's already time for Skywatch Friday! And fortunately, I have this awesome sunset to share with you, from only two weeks ago:

Isn't that just lovely? I really am fortunate to have access to this big open sky!

Now here's the announcement: after the very friendly encouragement that I received on my previous post, I'm going to try to pull together the first edition of my new meme this Wednesday. I'd like it to include any interesting architectural images, and so I was thinking of calling it Whimsical Windows, Doors and More! But Sparrow wisely suggested Whimsical Windows, Delirious Doors and I have to say that I really like the sound of that one! What do you all think? We still have a couple of days to figure it out, so feel free to add your suggestions to the comments below!

Anyway, back to already existing memes :) If you'd like to see more sky-oriented photography from all over the world, go check out Skywatch Friday right now! You'll be glad you did! And please do come back here next Wednesday to see some Whimsical Windows! Catch you then - have a great weekend!

Shadow Shot - Windchimes! And a question

2011-11-26T21:51:00.001+02:00

Hey everyone! Happy Post-Thanksgiving! I just wanted to take a second to share this cool shadow that I found in my house last week - these pretty windchimes that my daughter received for a birthday present last year. Aren't they charming?

For more cool, shadowy photography from all over the world, go check out Shadow Shot Sunday, hosted beautifully at Hey Harriet. You'll be happy that you went!

By the way - I have a question for you all! Ready? Here goes: Mary used to host a weekly meme on Wednesdays, called Window Views... and Doors, Too! She recently had to close it down, and I miss it dearly. Maybe it's because I studied architecture, and maybe not, but I really do enjoy finding interesting parts of buildings to photograph! Anyway, I was thinking of starting up a new meme in its place - I'm thinking of calling it Whimsical Windows. My question is this - if I do, will you participate? A meme for one is surely no fun :)

Let me know what you think in the comments! If there's interest, I'd like to start it up soon!

Have a great day all!
-toby

Pomegranates for Ruby Tuesday!

2011-11-14T21:34:00.001+02:00

As we know, Rosh HaShana is the holiday of pomegranates. I love pomegranates! But after Rosh HaShana is over, although they're still sold everywhere, I just don't think of buying them. I mean, the holiday is over, right? But this year, somehow I decided that pomegranates are good enough to keep eating, and so I've bought a few more over the last month. Yum! I've been putting them in salads and just munching on them, totally healthy, very yummy, and *very* Israeli!

Opening a pomegranate can be a little daunting - what seems like a great idea can lead to a huge, juicy mess very quickly. Over the past couple of years, we've been using the underwater method, and it's served us quite well. But after reading this inspiring blog post, I decided to brave it alone. And it turned out pretty well!

(check out the white cutting board!!)

Naturally, I'm posting this to Ruby Tuesday, that weekly meme of reddish things, hosted by Mary at Work of the Poet. Go there right now to see more entries from all over the world! Have a great Tuesday, everyone!

Skywatch - a sunset

2011-11-10T23:47:00.001+02:00

This one is so pretty, I just can't resist posting it! Here you go - the sun setting as I was leaving work yesterday:

Nice one, right?

For more sky photography from all over the world, go check out Skywatch Friday right now! You'll be glad that you did! Have a great weekend, everyone!

Shadow Shot Sunday - I missed you!

2011-11-05T22:21:00.001+02:00

Oh, I really missed Shadow Shot Sunday! For those who don't remember, it's that cool as anything weekly meme, hosted beautifully at Hey Harriet. I haven't had time to post recently, and now it's been cloudy, but a few weeks ago, the theme at 52 frames (remember that?) was shadows, and I posted this:

Pretty cool, right? I figured I may as well share :)

Go check out Shadow Shot Sunday right now to go see lots of shadowy photography from all over the world! You'll be glad you did! Happy Sunday everyone, and have a great week!

Skywatch Friday - Sunrise!

2011-11-03T21:49:00.000+02:00

Generally, I have a hard time dragging myself out of bed before 6:30. But last week, for some strange reasons that I won't bore you with here, I had to get up *very* early, and found myself baking chala at 5:00 AM. There I was, engrossed in kneading and braiding, when I happened to turn around. I hadn't realized that I'd be in for such a good show! It started out impressive, and kept getting better and better...

It was unreal! I have to start waking up earlier on a regular basis :)

Naturally, I'm posting this to Skywatch Friday, that weekly meme that showcases beautiful skies from all over the world. Go check it out - you won't regret it!

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Some tiny rubies, for Tuesday

2011-11-01T00:25:00.000+02:00

Looking out the window at my office, I saw this innocent looking bush.

But then something reddish caught my eye. I went outside for a closer look - check this out!

And elsewhere on the same bush, I found this

and this!

So to sum up, I'd say that this plant is lovely, but seemingly a little confused :)

Naturally I'm posting this to Ruby Tuesday, graciously hosted by Mary at Work of the Poet. Go there now to see more red photography from all over the world! Happy Tuesday, everyone!

Skywatch Friday - Winter is on its way!

2011-10-06T20:48:00.000+02:00

Look at this gorgeous almost-sunset I found yesterday as I was leaving work! Ah, didn't we all miss those wintry clouds?

Naturally, I'm posting this to Skywatch Friday, that weekly meme that displays beautiful sky-oriented images from all over the world. Go check it out!
For those of you fasting tomorrow on Yom Kipur - have an easy and productive fast!
And to all of us - have a wonderful weekend, and a sweet New Year!

Happy New Year!

2011-10-02T19:59:00.000+02:00

Well, after a long summer hiatus, I am back! We had a great time this summer, but it was pretty hectic. Now that we're settling back into our regular lives, I'm happy to re-embrace my blogging self!
And there's no better way to do that than with some weekly memes. Lucky for me, we just celebrated Rosh HaShana, when we eat some pretty colorful food. Among other new things, I made some round chala:

Then, to ensure a sweet new year, I added chocolate chips to some of them :)

And of course, Rosh HaShana wouldn't be the same without - pomegranates! My son seeded ours for me this year again, for which I am very grateful - it's a tedious and often messy project:

That's it for now! I think those chalot are just right for Mellow Yellow Monday

and the pomegranate seeds for Mary's Ruby Tuesday

Check them both out this week, you'll be happy you did!
Here's wishing all of you a happy, sweet new year, full of everything your hearts desire! See you back here soon!

Ruby Tuesday - Here I Am!!

2011-08-15T19:59:00.001+03:00

Yes, I've been busy, and yes, I'm still busy! But I truly haven't forgotten you all, my good online friends, and so I just want to take three seconds to post this photo, exactly in time for Ruby Tuesday! Here you go - my big comeback!

It's the bougainvillea that I (very) briefly owned, a few weeks ago. I somehow convinced myself that bougainvillea wouldn't be completely miserable in a pot, on my balcony. And it seemed true, for just over a week, until... it became completely miserable, and I brought it to a coworker of mine who has a garden and was happy to adopt it! It sure was beautiful, though - maybe I'll go visit sometime :)

For more reddish photography, go to Mary's blog, Work of the Poet, where she faithfully hosts Ruby Tuesday each week. You'll be glad that you went! Have a great week, everyone!

The most exciting thing on our window

2011-07-06T08:03:00.003+03:00

Ever!
It started out like this:

You may recall that we had a similar situation last year. But back then, our feathered friend just disappeared one day, leaving one egg behind (which my kids later brought to the Science Corner at school). So imagine our surprise, when we found this:

and then, this!

(Feel free to click on those, if you'd like a closer view!)
Now, just so you all understand, this happened at just the same time that we adopted a new rabbit to befriend Caramel, and happen to be dogsitting for my father in law. And so now, over the past week and a half, the head count in our house has gone from
two adults, three kids and one rabbit
to
two adults, three kids, two rabbits, a dog and three birds!
We really should start charging an entrance fee :)

Naturally, I'm posting this window action to Mary's meme, Window Views... and Doors, Too! Go there if you'd like to see some more cool photography from all over the world. Have a great week, everyone!

A few shadows

2011-06-19T00:46:00.001+03:00

Once again - it's been awhile. But I haven't forgotten you, my faithful readers! And just to prove it, I'm going to share some cool photos that I managed to catch on my way home from work, a couple of weeks ago:

I really am so happy to have found all of these funky shadows - none of which I would have seen if I were traveling by car!

Naturally, I'm posting this to my favorite meme - Shadow Shot Sunday! It's beautifully hosted at Hey Harriet - go check it out right now! And - have a great week, everyone!

Rubies in the shuk, Take II

2011-06-07T00:28:00.001+03:00

You may recall the shuk, Jerusalem's huge open market. Well, Dave and I happened to be there again this past week, and I found - cherries! Check these out - have you seen a better candidate for Ruby Tuesday?

Those both look even better close up - feel free to click on the photos to get a better view!

Naturally, I'm posting these to Ruby Tuesday, Mary's ever popular weekly meme. Go there right now to see more reddish photography from all over the world. Happy Tuesday, everyone!

Catching up on a shadow

2011-05-29T00:35:00.003+03:00

A few weeks ago, we celebrated Yom HaAtsma'ut - Israel's Independence Day. A popular custom on Yom HaAtsma'ut is to go hiking, and explore this tiny but wonderful country that we live in. This year we went wandering around a place called Motsa with friends, and it was beautiful! Actually, we first stumbled upon a 9/11 memorial, which was a real surprise. I didn't know that Israel even had a 9/11 memorial!

It (a bit shockingly) contains an actual beam from Ground Zero.

(feel free to click on that one, if it's hard to read and you'd like a better look)

Anyway, we then moved on to being impressed by more natural beauty:

And at the very end, my friend Dena even found a shadow for me, making it that much more perfect :)

That's all, folks! Naturally, I'm posting this to Shadow Shot Sunday, that always cool meme hosted at Hey Harriet. Go check it out, for more cool, shadowy photography from all over the world.

And - Happy 63rd, Israel!

A Nighttime Skywatch

2011-05-27T00:19:00.001+03:00

My little point and shoot camera is great for a lot of things, but I have to be honest - it doesn't do too well at night. One day I'll probably give in and buy myself a "real" camera. In the meantime, I've pretty much come to terms with the fact that I have a great camera that I love, that works really well for around twelve hours a day :)

And yet, when I found myself passing under that controversial bridge in Jerusalem last night, I was so taken that I decided I just had to try to capture it. I had never been so close to it at night before, and somehow, it seemed to actually glow! The effect of the white cables against the dark sky was really cool, and I was pretty excited. And so, although this photo doesn't do justice, I'm posting it - it's the best I've got (for now):

I guess you had to be there :)

Anyway, I'm posting this to Skywatch Friday. Go there right now if you'd like to see lots more sky photography from all over the world. Have a great weekend, all of you!

A Blue and White Skywatch!

2011-05-19T19:23:00.001+03:00

It makes me a bit sad that I haven't had time for blogging recently. I hope to soon have more time to spend on it! But in the meantime, I'm taking three minutes to post this almost-sunset shot to Skywatch Friday:

I really enjoy the little cloud flecks here! Go to Skywatch now to see more cool sky-oriented photography!

And while I have your attention, do pay a visit to Ilana-Davita, who recently hosted JPix, the Jewish Photo Bloggers’ Blog Carnival. Thanks, Ilana-Davita, for posting the two photos that I submitted, and for doing such a beautiful job!

That's all for now, folks - have a great weekend!

A Black and White Photo

2011-05-01T00:02:00.002+03:00

Well, this week's theme on Fifty-Two Frames (that Facebook meme that I was telling you about) was Black and White. So intriguing! But, unfortunately for me, my camera doesn't seem to have a b&w setting. So for the first time ever, I adjusted a photo into something new with Windows Picture Manager. I've really never done anything with black and white before - it's a whole new art form for me. And it was especially tricky, since I couldn't see what the photos would look like until I got them onto my computer. I had a feeling that something with some interesting shading and texture would be interesting... anyway, here's the photo that I chose to post - both before and after:

It's not fantastic, but it's definitely the best of the options that I had. Also, like most things I post here, it looks better close up, so feel free to click on the photo to get a better view! And please feel free to offer comments and suggestions - I'm really interested in black and white tips!

Also, on the off chance that this qualifies for my favorite meme, Shadow Shot Sunday, I'm going to post this there as well, at Hey Harriet. Go check it out now - you'll be glad you did!

Have a great week, everyone!

A door for Wednesday!

2011-04-27T00:21:00.000+03:00

Well, I'm still trying to walk to work as often as possible, which is truly giving me a whole new perspective on my little town. I get to see a lot more things this way, now that I'm not just driving by with my eyes fixed on the asphalt ahead! And that's how I came across this very inviting front door. Isn't it charming?

I like it! And I'm posting it to Mary's meme: Window Views... and Doors, Too! Go there right now, if you'd like to see more architecture from all around the world. Have a great Wednesday, everyone!

My meme choice for this week...

2011-04-17T00:47:00.003+03:00

is Today's Flowers! I've wanted to show you all these cool planters that my very best friend kindly gave me for my birthday - they are totally funky, and just right for my 3-balcony apartment. I filled them each with white geraniums and salsalei kesef, which the internet tells me are also known as Lobularia maritima. Here's a look at them day after I filled them up:

and here's a look at them just a few weeks later!

These make me happy each time I look out my kitchen window - how could I not share them with you, my online friends :)

And of course, I'm posting this to Today's Flowers. Go there now if you'd like to see beautiful, botanical photography from all over the world! Have a great week, everyone! And a very happy Passover!

Abstract views - and a Ruby for Tuesday

2011-04-04T08:42:00.001+03:00

Well, as I mentioned last week, I've had to cut back (significantly) on blogging recently. If everything goes as planned, it shouldn't have to be for too long - hopefully not more than a month. I'm still going to try and post here once a week, though. Here's hoping that it's better than nothing!

And on that note, I finally found a ruby! I've mentioned before that I never seem to find a lot of red items in my day to day life, so I was quite pleased to find this sign a couple of days ago. And I thought it was pretty ironic that it says "yellow" after all of my red excitement :)

So I'm definitely posting this to Ruby Tuesday, Mary's always cool meme. She hosts it with dedication, week after week, at her blog, Work of the Poet. Go check it out, if you'd like to see more reddish photography from all over the world!

But that's not all! While I have you here, I wanted to share one more thing. I've also been participating in a weekly Facebook meme called "Fifty-Two Frames." Each week has a different theme, and we, the participants, each post to that week's album. This week's theme was "abstract," and I had absolutely no idea what to do! So I walked around outside my office on my lunch break yesterday, taking photos of anything that looked at all like it could be interpreted as abstract art. For the Fifty-Two Frames album, I had to pick just one, but this is my blog, so I've decided to show you the other options that I was deliberating with! I'd love to hear what you think! Did I choose the right one?

Here are the photos:

Here's the one that I almost posted:

And here's the one I chose in the end:

(Feel free to click on any of the photos, if you'd like a closer view. Personally, I think they're all a lot cooler looking close up!)
Anyway, that's all, folks! Comments are welcome! Have a great week, everyone!

Grapevine Shadows

2011-03-27T00:18:00.000+02:00

It's been a while since I had an opportunity to post to my very favorite meme, Shadow Shot Sunday. I've been rearranging my life a bit, and it's meant less time for photographing and blogging. That's okay, I'll be back in full swing at one point. Maybe just not this week :)

At any rate, one of the rearranging parts has included my walking back and forth to work three times a week. This actually does provide for a lot of previously unseen views, which I do my best to capture! Including this one - of a field, freshly carpeted in purple:

This isn't the only purple field that I've seen in our area - it's pretty common in the early springtime. But isn't it lovely! And I noticed that the vines make interesting shadowy lines onto the purple. How lucky! Feel free to click on the photo, if you'd like a (much) closer view.

And for more shadowy photography, do go and check out Shadow Shot Sunday, beautifully hosted at Hey Harriet. Happy Sunday, everyone!

An almost forgotten door!

2011-03-24T00:21:00.001+02:00

I'm so glad that I went through my photos from our trip this past October! I had taken a photo of a strange, futuristic door that I found back then, and it almost slipped through the cracks:

Here, I'll try to give you some context. We were on a layover in France, and we were exhausted. I decided to walk around the airport terminal and look for a water fountain, so I could fill up my empty bottle of water (a great tip that I used this past trip - bottles of water aren't allowed through security, but empty bottles are, and they can be filled up after you get through! Assuming you can find a water fountain...). Anyway, there I was, strolling around, when I came upon this strange structure. I didn't see anyone come in or go out, but wow! What a sight!

Does anyone know what this thing is? Is it perhaps like this? (gasp.)

For more interesting architectural photography from all over, go check out Mary's blog: Window Views... and Doors, too! You'll be glad that you did! Have a great week, everyone!

Ruby Tuesday - Blooming Trees!

2011-03-21T22:43:00.002+02:00

Here in Israel, the trees are blossoming all over - it's a truly beautiful sight. Everywhere you look you'll find these, they look and smell wonderful, and remind us that the winter is almost entirely behind us. I'm embarrassed to say that I don't know if these specifically are almond blossoms, cherry blossoms, or something else all together, but I was pleased to get a shot of them nonetheless!

and a little bit closer:

Feel free to click on either photo, for a yet closer look. The second photo makes a particularly nice background for your computer screen - help yourself!

Naturally, I'm pleased that they fit so well for our Ruby Tuesday theme! To see more reddish photography, head over to Mary's blog, Work of the Poet, to see lots more. Happy Tuesday, everyone!

Skywatch - flatline

2011-03-17T22:50:00.001+02:00

Well, I haven't been online as much as I would like - I apologize! But I couldn't let the weekend come without at least posting something to Skywatch. I hope to be more active next week - I promise! Anyway, the weather has turned very warm and dry, with no clouds in sight. Not terribly exciting, I know, but a bit dramatic in its own way. Here is the sun just about to set, this afternoon:

And then, just after - here's the flatline that I was referring to :)

Pretty though - right?

Do go check out Skywatch Friday, that ever-popular weekly meme with participants from all over the globe! You won't regret the click. Have a great weekend, everyone!

Skywatch - from a few weeks ago

2011-03-11T00:01:00.001+02:00

Sadly, this wasn't a great skywatching week for me - the skies went from cloud-free to so cloud-filled that there wasn't much to see. And so I'm glad that I have this photo from a few weeks ago that I can post! It was a good one!

Feel free to click on the photo to get a closer view! And for more sky-oriented photography, go check out Skywatch Friday, that weekly meme that attracts hundreds of participants from all over the globe! You'll be glad that you went. Have a great week, everyone!

Ruby Tuesday - finally, some red!

2011-03-07T22:27:00.000+02:00

I've said it a few times, and I'll say it again: although I truly love participating in the Ruby Tuesday meme, I often feel that there just isn't that much red in my life. I know it's a little bit strange - maybe it's because I don't live in a big city? But whatever the reason, I find myself constantly seeking out red objects, and not finding an awful lot of them. And so imagine my surprise when I saw these lovely tulips growing near one of our local supermarkets, just over a week ago!

At first I thought that maybe they had grown accidentally, until I found more and more, all planted in neat rows. How cheerful!

For more reddish photography, do go to Mary's ever-popular meme, Ruby Tuesday. Have a great Tuesday, everyone!

A Double Whammy Sunday

2011-03-06T00:05:00.000+02:00

I found this somewhat poignant flower outside my office this week. What do you think?

Okay, fine - it is a little bit poignant. Just sitting there, all alone, amongst the empty branches. No? Anyway, here it is, a little bit closer up:

Feel free to click on either of the photos, if you'd like to see them even closer!

Anyway, thanks to the interesting shadows - I especially like the ones of the stamens onto the petals in the second shot! - and to the flower itself, I'm going to post this to both Shadow Shot Sunday, hosted beautifully at Hey Harriet, and to Today's Flowers. Go check out both of them, you'll be glad that you did! Enjoy the rest of your weekend, everyone!

Skywatch - another week gone by

2011-03-04T00:17:00.000+02:00

Well, I didn't have the bloggiest week - things have been very busy at work and at home. But there's always next week! They seem to go by so very quickly nowadays...

Anyway, here's the view I had while waiting for the bus late this afternoon:

Feel free to click on it, if you'd like a closer view! And for more sky-oriented photography from all over the world, go check out Skywatch Friday right now. You'll be glad that you did!

A decorative window

2011-03-02T23:00:00.001+02:00

Here's a sweet little window that I found while visiting Kibbutz Tirat Tsvi not long ago. For those of you who don't know, Tirat Tsvi is not only a lovely place to visit, but also holds the record for the hottest recorded temperature in Asia! Nowadays it's not quite that hot, but still plenty warm :)

Anyway, I thought that the placement of these shutters was cute. They don't seem to be at all functional, but they do add a nice look!

Oh, and the ladybugs are nice too :)

For more architectural photography, go check out Mary's blog: Window Views... and Doors, Too! Have a great day, everyone!

Skywatch - a three part sunset

2011-02-24T21:41:00.001+02:00

Here's the sunset that I was lucky to witness a few evenings ago. As I was leaving work, I found this:

By the time I got home it had melted into this:

And about ten minutes after that, into this:

(Feel free to click on any of the photos, if you'd like a closer look.)

As you all know, I'm a sucker for clouds. But I'm a real sucker for wispy clouds! Now that the days have been getting longer, I'll have a better shot at catching these great sky shows!

For more sky-oriented photography, check out Skywatch Friday, right now! You'll be glad that you did. Have a great weekend, everyone!

Tsfat Architecture - that's all for now

2011-02-22T22:10:00.000+02:00

Well, for the last few weeks I've been showing you the photos of interesting windows and doors that I saw in Tsfat this past summer. And here comes the very last installment of the series!

That's all, folks! Tune in next week for some more recent photography! And for now, go check out Window Views... and Doors, Too! graciously hosted by Mary. Happy Wednesday, everyone!

A personalized shadow

2011-02-19T20:07:00.000+02:00

At my office/factory, we have a sandblasting cabinet. For those of you who may not know (as I didn't before I started working there) it's a kind of machine in which one can safely shoot very fine sand at an object; it's wisely in a cabinet so that the sand doesn't fly all over the place. It's used primarily for cleaning paint off of things, but has the interesting benefit of adding texture to things that it shoots. I noticed not long ago that people were using it to personalize their coffee cups, and decided to join in the fun. Basically, you cover your whole cup with protective plastic, except for the area that you want textured, and voila!

Naturally, the happy side-effect is the cool shadow now projected onto my desk! I guess we now have a newer version of this older post:

And so I just couldn't resist posting this to Shadow Shot Sunday! It's beautifully hosted as always at Hey Harriet. Go check out her weekly selection! And have a great week, everyone!

Skywatch - better late than never!

2011-02-18T12:31:00.000+02:00

Well, sometimes life gets in the way of blogging. Not important things, mind you, just working full time and keeping the kids fed :) Anyway, I apologize for the delay in this post, but since I'm blessed with so many good sky views, I figured it can't hurt to post a little late. Hey, it's still Friday, after all! Here you go!

That's the sun rising, two mornings ago. Lovely, don't you think?

For more beautiful sky views, check out Skywatch Friday. Have a great weekend, everyone!

Some more interesting windows and doors... from Tsfat!

2011-02-16T21:48:00.000+02:00

Well, it's Wednesday! Here's my next installment of interesting windows and doors from our vacation this past summer, in Tsfat:

How lucky for people to live in the midst of that beauty! I hope we get to spend more time in Tsfat the next time that we go. Tune in next week for the last installment!

And for more architectural photography from all over, go to Mary's meme, Window Views... and Doors, Too! You'll be glad that you did! Happy Wednesday, everyone!

A ruby - I think the end of my Christmas Cactus

2011-02-15T07:36:00.001+02:00

Three years ago, the Christmas Cactus on my office desk flowered beautifully, and I happily posted the results. Wow, I can't believe I've been blogging here for so long!

Anyway, last year it flowered again, a little less intensely, but beautifully. The color is really special, and if makes the whole office happy for a few weeks each Winter. But last year, I noticed that making those huge blooms was apparently very stressful on my plant, and it never really recovered. A lot of the plant ended up dying altogether.

And so now I have a little left of my plant. Imagine my surprise to see that it made one last flower! I'm not sure that there will be anything left by next year, so I wanted to show you now, just in case. It starts out by making this interesting bud, and then starts peeling itself back:

There you have it - maybe the last flower! If anyone out there has any advice about how to save this poor thing, feel free to leave some advice in the comments!

And in the meantime, I'm enjoying the flower that I do have, and I hope you do too!

For more reddish photography, go check out Ruby Tuesday, hosted by Mary at Work of the Poet. Have a great Tuesday, everyone! And a great week!

A shadowy find

2011-02-13T00:19:00.000+02:00

I know that this isn't a view of one particular, isolated shadow, but the game that the sunlight and shadows are playing here was really mesmerizing to me when I found them on Friday! Walking down a busy Jerusalem street, my friend and I suddenly saw this enchanting cemetery through a door off to the left. What a find! Jerusalem is like that, with all sorts of ancient secrets tucked away in places you'd never suspect, but still, it really took me by surprise. What a treat!

Feel free to click on the photo, to get a closer view!

Despite the ambiguity, I'm posting this to Shadow Shot Sunday, hosted graciously at Hey Harriet. Go check it out - it's my very favorite meme, and I'm sure you'll love it too! Have a great week, everyone!

A fast Skywatch

2011-02-11T01:54:00.001+02:00

Well, I fell asleep on the couch, and was about to go up to bed when I realized that I hadn't yet posted this. So here you go, all of you who were anxiously awaiting my Skywatch post for the week!

There you have it, this strange, hazy sunrise from a few mornings ago. The weather here has been rainy, thank God, but a bit strange at times...

For more interesting sky photography from all over the world, check out Skywatch Friday, that ever-interesting meme. You'll be glad that you did! Have a great weekend, everyone! And have sweet dreams - I'm off to bed

Tsfat Architecture #6

2011-02-09T22:22:00.001+02:00

Wow - we're up to six posts! I hadn't realized that I had taken just so many photos when we were in Tsfat over the summer. And yet, this won't be the last post of its kind :)
And so, with no further ado: here are some more interesting doors and windows from Tsfat! Well, I guess we can start with these arches that we found while walking through the Old City...

Nice, right? And now we can move on to this door within a door within a gate:

And here are the lovely windows that were just outside that doorway:

I really like that last one! I suppose that's why I saved it for last :)

For more interesting architectural photography, go to Mary's cool meme: Window Doors... and Doors, Too! Have a great week, everyone!

Ruby Red Peppers in my salad!

2011-02-07T23:00:00.001+02:00

Here they are, in this salad that I made for lunch a couple of days ago. It consisted of cucumbers, peppers, carrots, homemade croutons and cottage cheese. Heavenly, I tell you!

Feel free to click on the photo, if you'd like a closer view!

And for more reddish photography, go check out Mary's wonderful weekly meme, Ruby Tuesday. You'll be glad that you did! Have a great day, everyone!

A Skywatch Sunset

2011-02-04T00:57:00.000+02:00

Sorry I'm late in posting this - better late than never?

That's our local sunset from a few nights ago. I really like it!

For more sky photography from all over the world, go check out Skywatch Friday, that ever-successful weekly meme. You'll be glad you did! Keep warm, everyone, and have a great week!

More Architecture from Tsfat!

2011-02-02T18:29:00.000+02:00

Here's my next installment of photos that we took in Tsfat over the summer - what a fun day that was!

That last one made me laugh - even the kiosks have fancy doors in Tsfat :)

For more architectural photography, go to Mary's cool meme: Window Doors... and Doors, Too! Have a great week, everyone!

It's Raining!! A Ruby for Tuesday

2011-01-31T18:26:00.000+02:00

Well, after waiting, and praying, and complaining, and waiting some more, the heavens have opened up and it's been *pouring* rain over Israel ever since Saturday night! Thank God. And even better (who would have thought it could get better) this wet weather provided me with an interesting ruby:

Dunno, I was behind this guy, and all I could think about was Ruby Tuesday! Never fear, I was stopped when taking this :)

For more reddish photography, go check out Mary's wonderful weekly meme, Ruby Tuesday. You'll be glad that you did! Have a great day, everyone!

Skywatch - Another matching sunrise and sunset!

2011-01-27T22:17:00.001+02:00

Wow! I had thought that twin skies were pretty unusual, but it happened again! On Tuesday morning this week, the sun rising on my way to work looked like this:

And then, on the way home:

Okay, I guess they're not exactly the same. But pretty similar no? And both beautiful, I think :)

For more sky-oriented photography from all over the world, go check out Skywatch Friday right now! Happy Skywatching, everyone!

Back to Tsfat

2011-01-27T00:14:00.018+02:00

Remember, a few months ago, we were in the middle of posting a bunch of windows and doors from Tsfat? Well, we may have gotten sidetracked, but that doesn't mean we can't pick up where we left off, right?

And so, here are some more cool doors that we saw on vacation this past summer, spending a few hours in Tsfat, up North. First, this lovely mosaic:

This fun door-within-a-door:

Here's my then nine year old daughter peeking inside - a perfect fit!

And this fancy, jeweled grillwork on a small window:

Isn't that pretty!

I'm posting this to Mary's fun meme: Window Views... and Doors, too! Go check it out right now, you'll be happy that you did! Have a great day, everyone!

A hi-tech shadowy macro

2011-01-23T19:48:00.001+02:00

I've been participating in a facebook group called Fifty-Two Frames, in which we each post a different themed photo each week. It's fun, and this week's theme was "Macro." As we all know, I only have a little point-and-shoot Canon (though I love it!), and certainly no macro lens... but I decided that this photo of a PCB that I shot at work was as close as I was going to get:

Pretty cool, right? I liked that one.

But lo and behold, as I was looking through the series that I had shot, I found that I also had some cool shadow action going on - the connector's shadows remind me of a picket fence:

Excellent! I'm so pleased with this double whammy of a photo shoot :)

I'm posting it to Shadow Shot Sunday, that always excellent meme, hosted at Hey Harriet. And I'm also posting it to Macro Monday (another great meme that I'm usually too intimidated to post to), hosted at Lisa's Chaos. Have a great week, everyone!

A Shiny Skywatch

2011-01-20T22:36:00.001+02:00

I caught this one on my way to work a couple of days ago. Man, I'm going to miss wintry clouds when they're gone!

For more cool sky photography from all over the world, go check out Skywatch Friday - you'll be glad that you did! Have a great weekend, everyone!

A New England Door!

2011-01-20T07:21:00.000+02:00

Here's another door that I found in Massachusetts this past October. I really liked the design and color - what could be lovelier? Plus, I've always been a fan of combining yellow with periwinkle :)

For more interesting architectural shots, come take a look at Mary's meme, Window Views... and Doors, Too! It's worth a visit. Have a great rest of your week!

Some ruby red... triangles!

2011-01-18T19:47:00.000+02:00

I've been bringing different games and puzzles to work recently, and here's my most recent one. I like it a lot, if only because it's full of triangles (the obvious choice for best shape ever) and - it's got red! Finally, I have something that's actually RED to post for Ruby Tuesday!

Okay, it may not be the fanciest piece of photography you've ever seen, but - it's RED!

For more reddish photography, go to Mary's always -popular meme, Ruby Tuesday, on her blog, Work of the Poet. Happy Tuesday, everyone!

Flowers from Today - it's been a long time...

2011-01-16T21:31:00.002+02:00

Well, the weather didn't really provide many shadows this week. But in fairness, it didn't provide a lot of flowers, either. However, I have this photo that I took last month - at one point in the morning at work, my computer was being used by someone else, and I wandered around outside, looking for something to photograph. I found this kind of beat up flower, and liked it:

It's got a bit of character, don't you think? It's holding it's own :)

Anyway, it's been a long time since I posted to the Today's Flowers meme, but it's a good one! Why don't you go over there right now, to see for yourself. Have a great week, everyone!

Skywatch - Thanks, Moran!

2011-01-13T20:36:00.001+02:00

I happened to wake up on time yesterday, and noticed that the windows were glowing a bit red. I looked outside, and found this:

Nice, right? I was pleased with it, and pleased with myself for having found it.

Around eleven hours later, I was in a meeting with my boss and another coworker in a windowless office. My boss got a phone call from his daughter, Moran, who told him that the sunset was beautiful and he should go outside to see. He happily told his daughter that he loved her, and the three of us went outside. Naturally, I grabbed my camera on the way:

Wow! I'm a big fan of clouds, as you all know, but those were really something special - thank you so much, Moran!!

Feel free to click on either photo, if you'd like to get a closer view. And do go check out Skywatch Friday, for more sky-oriented photography. Happy Skywatching, everyone! And have a great weekend!

A modern arch!

2011-01-12T16:30:00.001+02:00

On our trip in Boston a few months ago, we found ourselves walking past this intriguing building. I'm sad to say that I don't know what it is (and the folks we were walking with weren't really interested in stopping to find out), but I really like it!

Maybe I'll have time to stop by and get a better look the next time I'm in town!

I'm posting this to Mary's cool meme - Window Views... and Doors, Too! Go there now, to check out more interesting architectural photography from all over the world.

Happy Wednesday, everyone!

Some whole foods - Ruby Tuesday?

2011-01-10T22:09:00.001+02:00

I've been using more and more new ingredients in our kitchen, and they seem to be slowly taking over my counter. (I find that leaving them on the counter reminds me that they exist, and encourages me to keep using them.) I think the collection is actually very attractive, which is fortunate. Do you agree? Feel free to click on the photo if you'd like to get a better view:

I know that there isn't much actual red here, but those orange ones are technically called red lentils! And so, I'm allowing myself to use this photo for Ruby Tuesday, that always-fun meme, hosted by Mary at Work of the Poet. Go check it out right now, to see reddish photography from all over the globe! Have a great Tuesday, everyone!

Shadowy Arches

2011-01-09T00:02:00.000+02:00

There I was, waiting for my father-in-law's appointment at our fancy shmancy new local medical center (just a check-up, never fear) when I happened to look out the window. I saw these arched shadows, and immediately thought - Shadow Shot Sunday! And, ever-responsible, ran out the door to get a shot. Oops. Well, they still hadn't called his name when I got back - I'm not completely evil, right?

Judge me as you will. But I still think that these shadows rank among the classier that I've found!

Go check out more fun shadow photography, at Shadow Shot Sunday, beautifully hosted as always at Hey Harriet. Happy shadow searching, everyone! And have a great week!

Skywatch - A Sunrise

2011-01-07T01:03:00.000+02:00

Well, we had a lovely sunrise this morning! It looked like this in the East:

But I thought it was cool to see the sun shining on the hills in the West, too:

And here you can see it reflecting off the windows in the town across the highway:

Cool, right?

For more interesting sky-photography, go check out Skywatch Friday, that always-fun meme. Happy Skywatching, everyone!

A window for Wednesday - already!

2011-01-05T15:58:00.000+02:00

Wow, this week is going by quickly. I'm glad that I didn't forget Mary's great Windows and Doors meme! Here's my entry for today:

I really like this one!

For more cool architectural photography, go check out Mary's meme, Window Views... and Doors, Too! You won't regret it. Happy Wednesday, everyone!

Ruby Tuesday - hands off of that, please!

2011-01-03T23:11:00.000+02:00

Here's one from our trip to the States that I wanted to post a while ago. Well, better late than never! We found these chairs in a storefront in Chicago. They certainly do make an impression...

Not much to add to that one, I don't think :)

For more reddish photography, go check out Ruby Tuesday, that fun meme hosted by Mary at her blog, Work of the Poet. Happy Tuesday, everyone!

Shadow Sunday - Happy New Year!

2011-01-01T19:10:00.000+02:00

I just can't believe that it's 2011! Well, I guess I can believe. But time sure does fly! Seems like just yesterday I was trying to get the hang of signing '10 instead of '09...

Anyway, the weather here turned cloudy and even a bit rainy this past week. I know that Europe and North America have been covered in snow, and so I thought that we could all do well by remembering greener times. Here are some photos that I took of Cindi's backyard, this past October:

Wow. Can't you just feel it?

For more shadowy photography, go check out Shadow Shot Sunday, hosted once again at Hey Harriet. Happy Sunday, everyone! And have a wonderful New Year!

At last - a window

2010-12-29T23:17:00.000+02:00

Finally, I got access to my old photos! And so, now I can begin to present you with all of those windows and doors that I had waiting in the wings! Let's start with a local one - I found this on a kibbutz near my home town. You just don't see this kind of thing nowadays, even on a kibbutz. Or at least I don't :)

I thought it was a good candidate for Mary's Wednesday meme: Window Views... and Doors, too! Go to her blog right now to see more fun architectural shots. Happy Wednesday, everyone!

A Happy Birthday Surprise!

2010-12-28T08:12:00.001+02:00

My birthday was about a week and a half ago, and I was pleasantly surprised to receive this little card from a coworker of mine. My first thought was, "where on earth did she find a carnation today?!" Until I looked closer, and saw that it was made of tissue paper! Wow.

Here's the card. It says: Sweet Toby - Congratulations - Happy Birthday! Health, Blessings and Happiness. Who could ask for anything more, right?

Oh, I know - I could ask how to make these amazing flowers! Which I did, of course, and now my kids and I have been filling our house with tissue blossoms :)

For more photography with reddish tints, go check out Ruby Tuesday, loyally hosted by Mary at Work of the Poet. Happy Tuesday, everyone!

Strange shadows

2010-12-25T22:59:00.001+02:00

I found that the sleeve of my sweater was creating some interesting images when the sun shone directly on it. Maybe I need to use my time better... but I still think that these are kind of cool :)

I like the last one the best! Feel free to click on any of them if you'd like to get a better look.

To see more shadowy photography, check out that ever-cool meme, Shadow Shot Sunday, hosted over at Hey Harriet. And for more close-up photography, go see Macro Monday, at Lisa's Chaos. Have a great week, everyone! And Happy Holidays!

Skywatch - Angelic Clouds

2010-12-23T21:50:00.000+02:00

It's amazing to me that the sunsets around here are prettier on Thursdays, on a regular basis. Do the people in charge of the Skywatch Friday weekly meme have some pull in the heavens? Here's what I found this afternoon - I really liked these wispy, angelic clouds:

Nice one, right? The one on the bottom left reminds me of an origami crane :)

For more interesting sky photography, go check out Skywatch Friday. Have a great weekend, everyone!

A window from overseas

2010-12-21T23:02:00.001+02:00

So like I said, our household computer isn't working, and that's where I keep the photos that I've downloaded from my camera. And I have so many photos of windows (and doors!) that are just waiting to be posted! But alas, they're stuck for now.

However, my husband just reminded me that he has copies of the photos that we took on vacation a couple of months ago! Thanks, Dave! After quickly looking through his collection, I found this cool shot that I had planned to post:

That's my nephew, Eli, on a staircase at the Children's Museum in Boston. That sure is a fun place! I was especially grateful that Eli stood still for a minute to let me get this shot - here we have an especially nice selection of windows, both inside and out. Feel free to click on the photo, if you'd like a closer look!

And do go check out Mary's fun architectural meme, Window Views... and Doors, Too! It's a lot of fun, I know I'm going there right now. Happy Wednesday, everyone!

Sorry I've been away - here's a ruby!

2010-12-20T23:53:00.000+02:00

Well, our household computer is on the fritz, and so I haven't had much chance to post anything. I missed posting to some of my favorite memes! And yet it worked out a bit tonight, and so I'm taking this opportunity to post something that thankfully wasn't yet downloaded from my camera :)

Here's a friend from my office parking lot, that land of red bounty. I wouldn't call one tree a full-fledged Autumn, but it was lovely nonetheless:

You too, can participate in Ruby Tuesday, Mary's ever-interesting meme! Just post a photo of something red, and link to her blog, Work of the Poet. Then go there, and sign up. Have a great Tuesday, everyone - hope to see you here again soon!

Ruby Tuesday, Post-Chanuka

2010-12-14T13:19:00.001+02:00

Well, I'm on a lunch break here at work, but I wanted to quickly share these Chanuka rubies with you. Of all the photos I took while we lit Chanuka candles last week, I think that this one is the reddest:

And here's what that same menora looked like after the holiday, just before we cleaned it off. I really like looking at all of those stalagmites and stalactites!

And here's the pile of leftover wax that my kids salvaged from all four of our menoras:

Skywatch: Morning and Night

2010-12-09T22:32:00.001+02:00

I went in to work a little earlier than usual today, and found these neat-o clouds:

Lovely, right? But when I turned the corner and could see behind the buildings, I realized that the clouds were just a part of a bigger picture - the sun was still rising!

I was pretty pleased with myself for having caught it all. But imagine my surprise when I found a matching sky on my way home, just before sunset:

Right? Maybe it's just me, but I found it quite cool that they seemed so similar. And beautiful, naturally - feel free to click on any of them, if you'd like to enlarge them and get a better view!

For more sky-oriented photography, go check out Skywatch Friday, right now! You'll be glad you did!

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Some local windows, for Wednesday

2010-12-07T22:00:00.000+02:00

It's very common for people to have pretty ironwork around here, in front of their homes, on windows and on doors. Maybe it's a Mediterranean thing, I don't know... Still, you see a lot of standard patterns, making ones like these really stand out. I like them a lot!

Lovely, right? Feel free to click on either photo, if you'd like a closer look.

I figure all the windows in these shots qualify this post for Mary's neat meme, Window Views... and Doors, too! Go check it out right now, to see more interesting photography from all over the world. Happy Wednesday, everyone!

A shadow - just in the nick of time

2010-12-05T18:55:00.000+02:00

I really liked the interesting mat under the flowers in Cindi's house. The photo of that didn't come out so well, but look at the cool shadows that I accidentally caught while trying!

For more intriguing shadows, go check out Shadow Shot Sunday, that always-excellent meme, hosted over at Hey Harriet. Happy Sunday, everyone!

A short, squat ruby

2010-11-30T01:08:00.000+02:00

Here's another one from Sharon, Mass. I found this one to be absolutely adorable!

Do you get it? I thought perhaps it was hailing a taxi, but it turns out that this fire hydrant's little flag is so that it can be found in the snow. How innovative! I grew up in Chicago, which gets plenty of snow, but I don't recall ever seeing any of these cuties.

For more reddish images, go check out Ruby Tuesday, graciously hosted by Mary at Work of the Poet. Happy Tuesday, everyone!

Sunset, this afternoon!

2010-11-25T18:57:00.000+02:00

Check out the sunset I caught this afternoon as I was leaving work! It was really unbelievable - I'm glad I had my camera so that I could prove it to myself later :)

For more cool sky photography from all over the world, check out Skywatch Friday, that cool-as-anything weekly meme. Happy Skywatching, everyone!

A ruby - I didn't forget!

2010-11-23T02:01:00.001+02:00

I found these in Sharon, Massachusetts, a little way into October. Can't you just feel the brisk air? I really have always loved autumn!

As always, feel free to click on either photo, for a closer view. And to see more reddish photography, go check out Ruby Tuesday, graciously hosted by Mary at Work of the Poet. Happy Tuesday, everyone!

Shadows - here's hoping for a bloggy week!

2010-11-20T22:16:00.000+02:00

Well, I didn't post much last week. Life is just busy, what can I say? But I'm hoping that this week will be a little livelier. Let's start it off right, with a nice shadow.

I found these fire escapes in Chicago. Suddenly realizing that my kids had never seen anything like them here in the Jerusalem area, I decided to take a photo. And then I noticed the awesome shadows that they were creating, and I took one more :)

I like them a lot!

For more cool shadow photography, go check out Shadow Shot Sunday, hosted at Hey Harriet. You won't be sorry!

Happy shadow hunting, everyone! And have a great week!

Skywatch - this afternoon

2010-11-18T21:49:00.001+02:00

Well, I've started working longer days at work. I used to come in from 8-4, and now I'm supposed to come from 8-5. But alas: the sun sets around 4:30, and I keep missing it! So I've been trying *very* hard to come in early, around 7, with the intention of getting out by 4. Needless to say, easier said than done...

And so, today, I was sitting at my desk around 4:20. Suddenly, I got a call from my friend Dena. "I just wanted to tell you," she said, "that there's some crazy sky stuff going on. I thought you'd want to know."

I grabbed my camera and ran out to the parking lot. The view isn't as unobscured as the one from my balcony at home, but still, not bad:

Wow, right? Click on the photo to get an even better view.

What can I say? Thank you, Dena! It's good to have friends, and especially ones who look up :) Here's hoping that I'll get better at scheduling my time, and won't need to employ spies...

For more sky-oriented photography from all over the world, check out Skywatch Friday! There are some amazingly talented photographers who post there - you won't regret the click.

Happy Skywatching, everyone! Have a great weekend!

European Shadows

2010-11-13T22:31:00.001+02:00

On our trip last month, we stopped over in France. We were pretty tired, to say the least, and had just enough time and energy to be bored in the airport, but not quite enough time or energy to go see anything interesting in Paris...

I did find some intriguing shadows while wandering in the walkways between terminals. So here's one of my impressions of France :)

(Do click on the photo to get a better look - it's more impressive that way!)

So all in all, it wasn't a total loss! And let's hear it for France's Charles de Gaulle airport, which is very friendly about giving 10 free minutes of wifi!

I'm posting this to that wonderful meme, Shadow Shot Sunday, graciously hosted at Hey Harriet. I highly recommend you go there right now, to check out lots more interesting shadows from all over! Happy Sunday, everyone!

Autumn Thursday and Skywatch Friday, all in one

2010-11-11T23:01:00.001+02:00

There's a meme called Thursday Challenge that is interesting - its theme varies from week to week. My only problem with it is that I never remember to check what the theme is ahead of time. I signed up to get a reminder, but it never worked, and so I haven't participated much over the past year :(

However, last week and this week, I was pleased and surprised to find a reminder email in my inbox! Something apparently clicked behind the scenes, and now I'm in the loop. And wouldn't you know it - this week's theme is Autumn! I've been waiting to post a foliage pic from our trip to the US - what could be a better excuse?

There you have it, folks: Autumn. Isn't it lovely? And since I think that the bright blue sky makes those Autumn colors stand out even more impressively, I'm posting this to Skywatch Friday, too. Go check out both memes, to see what other fun things have been posted! And have a great weekend, all of you!

Ruby Tuesday - some local rubies

2010-11-09T01:42:00.000+02:00

Here is the view that greets me each morning, about three minutes into my morning commute. I've been trying to get in to work a little earlier, in order to leave before dark (and not miss any lovely sunsets) and the morning light on these trees is just enchanting.

When you get close up to these intriguing trees, you see that what makes them red is seemingly thousands of tiny Chinese lanterns. They're really lovely!

For more ruby red photography of the week, go check out Ruby Tuesday, graciously hosted by Mary at Work of the Poet. Happy Tuesday, all!

Shadow Shot Sunday - at last

2010-11-07T07:18:00.000+02:00

Well, I've been trying to get back into the swing of posting a photo every day or two, and it hasn't been easy. I have lots of photos, just no time to sit still and post them, you understand :)

Anyway, when I caught this out of the corner of my eye at work the other day, I said "Toby, that is the best shadow ever! You are just going to have to make some time for it." And apparently it worked, since here I am:

This little guy was crawling on the screen on my office window. I am truly honored that he sat still while I fumbled around for my camera. Thanks, guy!

For more cool shadow photography, go right now to Shadow Shot Sunday, that excellent meme hosted at Hey Harriet. Happy Sunday, everyone!

Skywatch from October - here you go!

2010-11-04T20:07:00.001+02:00

It's time once again for that always-appropriate meme, Skywatch Friday!
Looking through my photos from last month, I came across these lovely sunset shots. We were getting ready for our trip at the time I took them, and I truly, completely forgot about them until this moment. I'm so glad I thought to browse through!

Nice, right? They look even better close up - click on them and see for yourselves.

And for more sky-oriented photography, go check out Skywatch Friday, where you'll find great shots from all over the world. Happy Skywatching, everyone!

Goodbye, RivkA

2010-11-03T04:11:00.000+02:00

Well, I've been in kind of a slump. We were shocked and saddened to hear this past Friday that our friend from so long ago, RivkA Matitya, had left this world. We used to know RivkA back when we hung out in the Bnei Akiva building in Jerusalem in the early 90's - she was always there in the Yavne Olami office, where she spent so much of her time. She was always a burst of smiles and energy, and we were happy to talk with her, again and again!

Then we lost contact, and when I first heard about the Coffee and Chemo blog, I was sad to realize that it was written by that same sweet friend of ours from way back. Until I started actually reading her blog, and saw that RivkA wasn't in any kind of a slump herself - she was still all smiles and energy, but using it now to live her more adult life with her husband and kids. She was seemingly a whirlwind of energy, running from event to event, loving her family, teaching swimming classes (!) and more. We did get to actually reconnect in person a couple of times, at various happy occasions and at the JBloggers picnic that she organized in Jerusalem, just a little over a year ago. Here's the photo that I have from then - you can see her beaming (as she always has) in the middle:

To give you a small understanding of what she was like, here's part of one of her blog posts from 2007:
~~~
Okay, so here is the deal: I don't want people to look at me with sad, "droopy" eyes.

I don't want people to think of me and feel sad.

I don't want people to see me and feel sorry.

I don't want to be the cause of worry and concern.

I know that when you first hear the news, it's a bit of a shock. So it's okay to be sad in the beginning (I was too). But don't stay there!

You can ask me anything.

I'm totally open.

I don't mind talking about the cancer or what's going on.

Chemo certainly affects the day-to-day of my life, so there's no ignoring it.

But I really don't intend to hang out in some dark, depressing emotional pit.

So here's what I want:

When you think of me, be happy.

When you see me, smile.

Read more: http://coffeeandchemo.blogspot.com/2007/08/no-droopy-eyes-please.html#ixzz14BB0gdA7
~~~

Anyway, it didn't work - we were sad on Friday, and I know I've never cried as much at anyone's funeral as much as I did at hers, on Saturday night. Then Sunday morning came around, and I found this sun rising on the way to work - and somehow couldn't help but think that RivkA had gone from lighting up our world to lighting up the heavens:

And I started to realize that I was doing just the opposite of what she would have done - we're meant to be happy, and take advantage of every good thing that life gives us! If we can all start acting the way she did, the world will quickly become a far better place. So I'm going to try, and I hope you all will too!

In that spirit, here's a fast, funny sign that we found in Sharon, MA just a few weeks ago. I know, those of you from Massachusetts may not find this funny. But some of the rest of us do!

(By the way, as a humorous aside to our Boston trip: my Israeli coworkers are shocked that I [or anyone] can pronounce "Massachusetts." They claim that saying it aloud must be part of the U.S. naturalization test.)

May RivkA's family be comforted among the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem! Shiva information can be found on her blog, Coffee and Chemo.

Please daven (or send happy thoughts) for the memory of RivkA bat Yishaya.

A ruby by any other name...

2010-10-25T23:29:00.000+02:00

There we were, shopping with my mom in the Lincolnwood Town Center. Dave wandered off, and when he came back, he said he had found something for my blog. I wasn't sure if it was a funny sign (for my other, funnier blog) or something lovely, for this one. Turns out, both my guesses were wrong - and yet, he was totally right. How could I possibly resist this?

As you may have guessed by now, I'm posting this for Mary's Ruby Tuesday meme. To participate, just post a photo with some red in it, and link to her blog, Work of the Poet. Then go there yourself to sign up, and of course to see what other interesting reddish photography has been posted!
Happy Tuesday, everyone!