Category Archives: Holidays

Boone FUMC, Candid Portrait, Event, Holidays

Boone FUMC Community Thanksgiving – 2022

November 26, 2022 Christopher D. Bennett

Thursday was Boone First United Methodist Church’s annual Community Thanksgiving meal. We provide a free meal to anybody in the community that wants one. This year we served over 580 meals. We did both drive-thru and a sit down meal for the first time ever. In the past, it has been one of the other.

Here is a collection of photos from the day:

It was great to see so many former youth group kids there. Both those that are now adults and those that would be in a youth group if it still existed.

It was also great to see so many people I haven’t seen in a long time. Some since last Thanksgiving. Some since even before that.

Amanda, Brandon, Christianity, Dahlia, Greyson, Holidays, Lensbaby, Logan, Russ, Still Life, Teresa

On Balance – 2021

October 30, 2022 Christopher D. Bennett

I’m kicking the decision about Formal Portrait Sunday down the road another week. This collection is the last of the pictures I took in 2021 to share.

A couple are from Halloween night. I don’t get many trick-or-treaters I know these days. So there are only two pictures of people I know from last year.

The rest are from Christmas. Many of them are taking with a Lensbaby, which was my Christmas present to myself last year. Another one will probably be my Christmas present to myself again this year.

Alexis, Animals, Brandon, Candid Portrait, Carla, Elainie, Formal Portrait, Holidays, Jason, Mom, Nader, Olympic Sports, Running, Teresa

2011-05-01, 2011-05-09, and 2011-05-14

February 19, 2022 Christopher D. Bennett

The pictures in the folders 2011-05-01, 2011-05-09, and 2011-05-14 are mostly from a Mother’s Day celebration we held at my house. But there are also pictures there from the RANDOM WEEKLY PHOTO EXPERIMENT (now known as THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE) and Logan running track.

WEEK 17 - MOTION - CHRISTOPHER D. BENNETT

By adding these pictures to the Photography 139 Gallery, I was able to restore the following historic “An Artist’s Notebook” entries to their original glory:

RWPE Y2 #17 – MOTION

RWPE Y2 #18 – ADVENTURE

RWPE Y2 #19 – COLORFUL

RUN LOGAN RUN

Next Saturday’s walk down memory lane will involve the greenhouse formerly known as the Northwest Greenhouse.

Holidays, Still Life, WPC - Reminder

WEEK 336 THEME REVEAL

February 14, 2022 Christopher D. Bennett

I haven’t been exactly celebrating holidays here on “An Artist’s Notebook” for awhile now, but I figure I better celebrate the one true holiday that hasn’t been tainted by crass commercialism. I’m talking of course, of Valentine’s Day.

This is my way of saying Happy Valentine’s Day world!

And since it is a Valentine’s Day, I do like to share one of my favorite scenes from my favorite boy-meets-girl movie. (500) DAYS OF SUMMER.

Tom, the boy of the movie, works for a greeting card company. He is sitting in a meeting where they are discussing designs for greeting cards. One of his co-workers is pitching a line of cat cards. Tom’s response:

Well this is, and Rhoda, no disrespect, but um, this is total shit. “Go for it?” “You can do it?” That’s not inspirational, that’s suicidal! If Pickles goes for it right there that’s a dead cat. Lies, we’re liars think about it, why do people buy these things? It’s not because they wanna say how they feel. People buy cards ’cause they can’t say how they feel or they’re afraid to. We provide the service that lets them off the hook. You know what? I say to hell with it. Let’s level with America. At least let them speak for themselves, right? I mean look, look. What is this, what does this say? “Congratulations on your new baby.” How ’bout “Congratulations on your new baby, guess that’s it for hanging out, nice knowing ya.” How ’bout this one? With all the pretty hearts on the front, I think I know where this one’s going. Yup. “Happy Valentine’s Day sweetheart, I love you.” Isn’t that sweet? Ain’t love grand? This is exactly what I’m talking about. What does that even mean, love? Do you know? Do you? Anybody? If somebody gave me this card Mr. Vance, I’d eat it. It’s these cards, and the movies and the pop songs, they’re to blame for all the lies and the heartache, everything. We’re responsible. I’M responsible. I think we do a bad thing here. People should be able to say how they feel, how they really feel, not ya know, some words that some stranger put in their mouth. Words like love, that don’t mean anything. Sorry, I’m sorry, I um, I quit. There’s enough bullshit in the world without my help.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

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Around the time this is publishing, the plane that I’m on will (hopefully) make its descent into Chicago’s airport. I’m spending the week in Pittsburgh for work, so I won’t be able publish the submissions I got for BELIEVE until I return. This will happen either late Friday or on Saturday. However, that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t get to work on this week’s theme:

STILL LIFE

STILL LIFE! What a great theme for Year 9 of THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE!

But what exactly is a STILL LIFE image? A STILL LIFE image is simply a picture of an inanimate object or objects. The object can be manmade or it can be from nature. A flower or a plant is a subject for a STILL LIFE image. A dog or a human being is not a subject for a STILL LIFE image. Food is a popular STILL LIFE subject. The great thing about STILL LIFE photography is it allows the photographer to manipulate his subject.

Meditate on the following quote while considering your inanimate subject for you submission from one of the greatest photographers of all-time, Diane Arbus:

I really believe there are things nobody would see if I didn’t photograph them.”

I look forward to seeing your interpretations.

RULES

The picture has to be taken between 12:01 PM today and 11 AM next Monday. This isn’t a curate your photos project. This is a get your butt off the couch (unless you are taking your picture from the couch) and take pictures challenge.

You can send your images to either bennett@photography139.com OR you may text them to my Pixel 5.

That is all I got, so if the good Lord’s willin’ and the creek don’t rise, we will all be sharing our idea of STILL LIFE in this place that is little more than my life held still next Monday.

Christianity, Flowers, Holidays, Mom, Music

Jesus It’s Me Again

January 6, 2022 Christopher D. Bennett

It is time for another collection of flower pictures I took in my Mom’s yard. There are only a few of them this time.
These pictures were taken on August 16, 2021:

My Mom’s house is set to go on the market tomorrow. It is a bittersweet moment, but it is definitely past time that the house becomes a home to a new person or peoples.

Today is Epiphany. And while I haven’t mentioned many holidays recently, Epiphany is the day that I have my Christmas decorations up. Although this Christmas season that consists of decoration a Nativity set in the yard and an outdoor tree that I put lights and decorations I didn’t care if they broke on. Epiphany, if you don’t know, is the celebration of the Magi visiting Jesus as a child. Strictly speaking, it was probably years after Jesus was born. Not the day he was born.

In Eastern Christianity, Epiphany celebrates the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River by John the Baptist.

Regardless of how and why Epiphany is celebrated, I thought today’s title was apropos. I don’t know that anybody has figured out where the names for these Thursday posts come from, but they are song titles. Since today celebrates the divinity of Jesus I thought I would share the song lyrics:

Lately Lord, I almost feel like dying
I wake-up like a child alone at night
Sometimes Lord, I just can’t keep from crying
And I can’t find the strength to carry on
Jesus it’s me again
Down on my knees again
Asking you please again
Reach out your hand
Jesus it’s me again
I am on my knees again
Asking you please again
Reach out your hand
Jesus it’s me again
I’m down on my knees
And I’m asking
To reach out your hand
Time to time I try to find a reason
To talk to you a time to before
But this time Lord, it’s more than I can handle
And I know I just can’t take it anymore
Jesus it’s me again
Down on my knees again
Asking you please again
Reach out your hand
Jesus it’s me again
I’m on my knees again
Asking you please again
Reach out your hand
Yes asking you please again
Reach out your hand

The song, while depressing on the surface, is a reminder to me that wherever you are, that is where God will meet you. And how many times should you forgive? Seventy times seven. Which doesn’t mean 490. It means infinite. Infinite forgiveness!

Art, Bill, Calendar, Carla, Cathie, Dawn, Drone, Elizabeth, Holidays, Iowa State, Jesse, Joe Duff, Kim, Kio, Logan, Michelle, Micky, Sara, Shannon, Still Life, Tamara, WPC - Submissions

WPC – WEEK 328 – HOLIDAYS

December 27, 2021 Christopher D. Bennett

The August image of the 2022 Photography 139 Calendar is a drone shot of the High Trestle Trail Bridge:

Tomorrow I will share the September image from the 2022 Photography 139 Calendar.

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HOLIDAYS proved to be fairly popular theme.

But you didn’t come here to listen to me talk all tommyrot about participation rates. You came to see the submissions:

Dawn Krause

Elizabeth Nordeen

Shannon Bardole-Foley

Michelle Haupt

Tamara Peterson

Christopher D. Bennett

Kim Barker

Joe Duff

Micky Augustin

Dawn Krause

Carla Stensland

Bill Wentworth

Sara Lockner

Kio Dettman

Jesse Howard

Logan Kahler

Cathie Raley

Elizabeth Nordeen

But enough dwelling on the past. Time to look to the future. We are all interested in the future, for that is where you and I are going to spend the rest of our lives. And remember my friend, future events such as these will affect you in the future! This week’s theme:

EDUCATION

EDUCATION! What a great theme to end Year 8 of THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE on!

But what is an EDUCATION image? An EDUCATION photo is a picture of anything that relates to EDUCATION. Kids in school. A picture of school. Degrees. Diplomas. Books. Libraries. But not all EDUCATION happens in a school. I would actually argue that next to no EDUCATION happens in schools, but that is another subject for another time. However, my point is don’t discount other forms of EDUCATION. For example, back in my prime, I used to take fools to school on the basketball court all the time.

As you consider your possible subjects for EDUCATION, mediate on this scene from one of my all-time favorite movies GOOD WILL HUNTING:

CHUCKIE
Yeah, cause I think I had a class
with you.

At this point, several interested parties materialize. Morgan
Billy and Will try, as inconspicuously as possible, to situate
themselves within listening distance. A rather large student
in a HARVARD LACROSSE sweatshirt, CLARK (22) notices Chuckie.
He [Clark] walks over to Skylar and Lydia, nobly hovering
over them as protector. This gets Will, Morgan, and Billy’s
attention.

SKYLAR
What class?

CHUCKIE
Ah, history I think.

SKYLAR
Oh…

CHUCKIE
Yah, it’s not a bad school…

At this point, Clark can’t resist and steps in.

CLARK
What class did you say that was?

CHUCKIE
History.

CLARK
How’d you like that course?

CHUCKIE
Good, it was all right.

CLARK
History? Just “history?” It must
have been a survey course then.

Chuckie nods. Clark notices Chuckie’s clothes. Will and Billy
exchange a look and move subtly closer.

CLARK
Pretty broad. “History of the World?”

CHUCKIE
Hey, come on pal we’re in classes
all day. That’s one thing about
Harvard never seizes to amaze me,
everybody’s talkin’ about school all
the time.

CLARK
Hey, I’m the last guy to want to
talk about school at the bar. But as
long as you’re here I want to “seize”
the opportunity to ask you a question.

Billy shifts his beer into his left hand. Will and Morgan
see this. Morgan rolls his eyes as if to say “not again…”

CLARK
Oh, I’m sure you covered it in your
history class.

Clark looks to see if the girls are impressed. They are not.

When Clark looks back to Chuckie, Skylar turns to Lydia and
rolls her [own] eyes. They laugh. Will sees this and smiles.

CHUCKIE
To tell you the truth, I wasn’t there
much. The class was rather elementary.

CLARK
Elementary? Oh, I don’t doubt that
it was. I remember the class, it was
just between recess and lunch.

Will and Billy come forward, stand behind Chuckie.

CHUCKIE
All right, are we gonna have a
problem?

CLARK
There’s no problem. I was just hoping
you could give me some insight into
the evolution of the market economy
in the early colonies. My contention
is that prior to the Revolutionary
War the economic modalities especially
of the southern colonies could most
aptly be characterized as agrarian
precapitalist and…

Will, who at this point has migrated to Chuckie’s side and
is completely fed-up, includes himself in the conversation.

WILL
Of course that’s your contention.
You’re a first year grad student.
You just finished some Marxian
historian, Pete Garrison prob’ly,
and so naturally that’s what you
believe until next month when you
get to James Lemon and get convinced
that Virginia and Pennsylvania were
strongly entrepreneurial and
capitalist back in 1740. That’ll
last until sometime in your second
year, then you’ll be in here
regurgitating Gordon Wood about the
Pre-revolutionary utopia and the
capital-forming effects of military
mobilization.

CLARK
(taken aback)
Well, as a matter of fact, I won’t,
because Wood drastically
underestimates the impact of–

WILL
“Wood drastically underestimates the
impact of social distinctions
predicated upon wealth, especially
inherited wealth…” You got that
from “Work in Essex County,” Page
421, right? Do you have any thoughts
of your own on the subject or were
you just gonna plagiarize the whole
book for me?

Clark is stunned.

WILL
Look, don’t try to pass yourself off
as some kind of an intellect at the
expense of my friend just to impress
these girls.

Clark is lost now, searching for a graceful exit, any exit.

WILL
The sad thing is, in about 50 years
you might start doin’ some thinkin’
on your own and by then you’ll realize
there are only two certainties in
life.

CLARK
Yeah? What’re those?

WILL
One, don’t do that. Two — you
dropped a hundred and fifty grand on
an education you coulda’ picked up
for a dollar fifty in late charges
at the Public Library.

Will catches Skylar’s eye.

CLARK
But I will have a degree, and you’ll
be serving my kids fries at a drive
through on our way to a skiing trip.

WILL
(smiles)
Maybe. But at least I won’t be unoriginal.
(beat)
And if you got a problem with that,
I guess we can step outside and deal
with it that way.

I look forward to seeing your interpretation next week.

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Next Monday will mark the beginning of Year 9 of THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE. Here are the 52 themes for next year:

1. Black + White
2. Rock
3. Triangle
4. #love
5. Junk
6. Believe
7. Still Life
8. Harmony
9. Hobbies
10. Government
11. Abstract
12. Shadow
13. Framed
14. Gratitude
15. Orange
16. Letters or Numbers
17. #Instagood
18. Square
19. Slice of Life
20. Hat
21. History
22. Flower
23. Children
24. Service
25. Self-Portrait
26. Entertainment
27. Road Trip
28. Work
29. Wild
30. Odd Camera Angle
31. People
32. Family
33. Animal
34. Weekends
35. Circle
36. Colorful
37. Green
38. Paths
39. Signs
40. Ruins
41. Violet
42. Macro
43. Lines
44. Art
45. Decoration
46. Strong
47. Communication
48. In the Air
49. Street Photography
50. Water
51. Explore
52. Body Part

Now you can start thinking on them, but you can’t start shooting them. Them’s the rules. Speaking of rules…

RULES

You can send your images to either bennett@photography139.com OR you may text them to my Pixel 5.

That is all I got, so if the good Lord’s willin’ and the creek don’t rise, we will all be sharing our idea of EDUCATION in this place that is little more than result of my misspent learning next Monday.

Amanda, Calendar, Carla, Elainie, Flowers, Holidays, Macro, Still Life, Teresa

Christmas Treats – 2021

December 26, 2021 Christopher D. Bennett 2 Comments

The July image from the 2022 Calendar is a picture of an Easter lily.

Tomorrow I will share the August image.

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Last Saturday a few people got together at Teresa’s house to make Christmas treats. I stopped by to take a few pictures.

I think next year Johnathan, Logan, and Brandon might get an invite. However, I’m not in charge, so we’ll see.

Amanda, Angie, Black & White, Calendar, Candid Portrait, Carla, Cathie, Dawn, Elainie, Elizabeth, Holidays, Jen, Jesse, Kim, Kio, Logan, Michelle, Micky, Nature, Sara, Tamara, Teresa, WPC - Submissions

WPC – 327 – CANDID PORTRAIT

December 20, 2021 Christopher D. Bennett

The January image for the 2022 Photography 139 Calendar is an image I took for THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE. It is of a corn crib (methinks) that was blown askew by the derecho. It is slightly east of Boone on US-30.

Tomorrow I will reveal the February image.

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Thus far, CANDID PORTRAIT has proven to be a very popular theme.

But you didn’t come here to listen to me talk all tommyrot about participation rates. You came to see the submissions:

Kim Barker

Elizabeth Nordeen

Carla Stensland

Shannon Bardole-Foley

Christopher D. Bennett

Tamara Peterson

Jesse Howard

Jen Ensely-Gorshe

Angie DeWaard

Jen Ensley-Gorshe

Teresa Kahler

Michelle Haupt

Kio Dettman

Micky Augustin

Logan Kahler

Dawn Krause

Logan Kahler

Cathie Raley

Sara Lockner

HOLIDAYS

HOLIDAYS! What a great theme for Year 8 of THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE! But wait, I thought the themes were random? Seems also convenient that HOLIDAYS is the theme the same week as Christmas? Yeah, it does seem convenient. Perhaps even desperately random…

But what exactly is a HOLIDAYS image? Simply put, a HOLIDAYS image is just any image that suggest the celebration of a HOLIDAY. Opening presents, decorations, making treats, hanging with family or friends or co-workers. There are so many possibilities! And yes, Christmas is this week, but that doesn’t mean you can’t go to the basement and pull out your favorite Arbor Day decoration and take a picture of that.

While considering your possible subjects for your HOLIDAYS image, consider the following quote:

A lovely thing about Christmas is that it’s compulsory, like a thunderstorm, and we all go through it together.
-Garrison Keillor

RULES

You can send your images to either bennett@photography139.com OR you may text them to my Pixel 5.

That is all I got, so if the good Lord’s willin’ and the creek don’t rise, we will all be sharing our idea of HOLIDAYS in this place that is little more than where I go for my personal holidays next Monday.

Alexis, Amanda, Anela, Animals, Candid Portrait, Carla, Dahlia, Elainie, Elizabeth, Greyson, Holidays, Jason, Johnathan, Kanoa, Logan, Photoshop, Shorty, Tamara, Teresa

Sneaky Snake Root Beer

December 5, 2021 Christopher D. Bennett 2 Comments

This year for our family Thanksgiving I wanted to attempt to make root beer. I had Glenn Peterson’s recipe in hand and I also fruitlessly pursued another recipe, but I’m not really sure how different root beer recipes can get.

Glenn’s recipe was a little vague on a couple things, but it goes like this:

Recipe for homemade root beer (X 2 for 10 gal water cooler)
4 lbs. sugar
3 ½ gallon water
1 bottle Root beer extract
1 bottle Root beer flavor
4 lbs. dry ice.

Add 4 lbs. sugar to 3 ½ gal water. Stir until sugar dissolved. Add 1 bottle root beer extract and 1 bottle root beer flavor. Stir until mixed. Add 4 lbs. of dry ice ½ to 1 hour before serving. Use gloves when working with dry ice. Dry ice will cause the container to look like a witches’ caldron. Do not stir nor put a lid on container. When “steam” from the dry ice disappears, root beer is ready to drink.
This recipe was shared with Glenn while in the Army. He started sharing it with Pack 150, Madrid at the Blue & Gold Banquets/ Crossovers and Arrow of Lights Ceremony from Cub Scouts to Boy Scouts.

Glenn’s widow Tamara shared the recipe with me a couple years ago.

The one thing I didn’t know is how much is 1 bottle of root beer extract and how much is one bottle of root beer flavor. I compared it to other root beer recipes and determined Glenn’s recipe calls for a 2 oz bottle of each. I changed his recipe slightly. I used 1 4 oz bottle of Shank’s root beer extract.

Johnathan and Logan assisted in the making of my first batch of what I am calling Sneaky Snake Root Beer. Here are some pictures:

Logan is wearing some of my Mom’s old dish gloves.

This is one of my favorite family pictures ever.

I decided on the name for my root beer on Saturday while cruising around Monroe County with Teresa. I was originally going to name it after Naima sorta and call it something like Gold Dog Root Beer, so I could put her mug on the bottles. However, I decided to name it after an old family memory. Maybe I was feeling nostalgic because Thanksgiving this year was obviously bittersweet at it was the first major holiday we’ve had without Mom. But I decided to base the name off the Tom T. Hall song “Sneaky Snake”.

When I was a kid and we would go down to my Dad’s darkroom, the music was mostly provided by his 8 track collection. My favorite of his 8 tracks was blue. It was Tom T. Hall’s Greatest Hits Volume II. I can’t swear that it was Volume II, but it was pretty close. My favorite song on this 8 track was “Sneaky Snake”. I still love that song, even though next to nobody outside of my family seems to appreciate its greatness.

The lyrics are:

Boys and girls take warning
If you go near the lake
Keep your eyes wide open
And look for sneaky snake
Now, maybe you won’t see him
And maybe you won’t hear
But he’ll sneak up behind you
And drink all your root beer

And then sneaky snake goes dancing
Wiggling and a-hissing
Sneaky snake goes dancing
A-giggling and a-kissing
I don’t like old sneaky snake
He laughs too much you see
When he goes wiggling through the grass
It tickles his underneath

Well sneaky snake drinks root beer
And he just makes me sick
When he is not dancing
He looks just like stick
Now he doesn’t have any arms or legs
You cannot see his ears
And while we are not looking
He’s stealing all of our beer

And then sneak snake goes dancing
Wiggling and a-hissing
Sneaky snake goes dancing
A-giggling and a-kissing
I don’t like old sneaky snake
He laughs too much you see
When he goes wiggling through the grass
It tickles his underneath

So this is what the label on the bottle should look like, or would look like if I could get it to print correctly:

I’m definitely not a graphic designer, but I do like the picture part. The picture of the snake is from about 10 years ago, when I found a snake in Shorty and Doris’ flower bed. I photoshopped it up a bit though.

I might not explain everything about this under normal circumstances, but my nearly professional labeler Elizabeth is concerned that people might think it is name after the “I’m a Snake” guy of YouTube fame. It definitely is not. So don’t even try thinking that!

I have a few bottles of Batch 001 left. I’ve earmarked a few for December Movie Night. And the rest, well they might go to Elizabeth’s progeny. They apparently are big fans of Sneaky Snake Root Beer!

I’m going to continue to experiment with the recipe. Try different brands of extract. Try Glenn’s original recipe. I want to try mixing in some vanilla at some point too. I definitely need to figure out a way to capture more carbonation. I’m not sure how to do that yet, but I have some theories. Batch 001 will be followed by Batch 002 and 003 and so on and so forth more hopefully.

Boone FUMC, Candid Portrait, Event, Holidays

Boone FUMC Community Thanksgiving – 2021

November 28, 2021 Christopher D. Bennett

Once again, this year my church hosted a free Thanksgiving meal for the community. Once again, due to the pandemic it was carryout only. Here are some of my favorite pictures from the day: