Crying out Again…

Gulf Oil Rig Explosion Photo by Anthony Watts

For the life of me I don’t understand why it takes a disaster of enormous magnitude and claiming the lives of many before we begin to cry out loud and clear that immediate action needs to take place so that something like this never happens again. Then and only then with expediency barking at our heels do we begin to address the issue(s), to examine what happen under a microscope, appoint a commission and sift through the accounts leading up to the disaster with a fine tooth comb… Why?

In the case of the Gulf oil spill day 55 and counting, we have been down this road before and the outcome has still been the same. Only the terminology, oil lingo, company name and community have changed. So where do we go from here as we watch the live feed of the oil gushing out of the pipe day after day, waiting and praying that we can some how stop another oil leak… which right now would take a miracle from God.

Mr. President I believe that you already know and understand the energy direction that this country needs to take. Your direction will help us to embrace a new energy policy for the 21st century, which is a key component for the survival of our natural resources that we are the primary partakers of. I cry out to our Senators, congressman/woman, Democrats and Republicans, Corporate CEO’s and we the people… stop all of the separate agendas, playing the blame game and name calling. We have a community that is hurting, eleven families that are grieving at the loss of their loved ones. Not to mention livelihoods threaten, and eco-systems changed for ever. We MUST agree on the right energy policy for this country, arrogance and greed will bleed us all dry and destroy the abundance that nature has given to us.

Do we ignore the warning signs so that we can continue to worship profits and benefits’, all the while looking the other way until it all blows up in our face… and then the cry goes out loud and clear again that something must be done? Whether it is Wall Street, the Auto industry, the Coal industry, or the health industry we MUST STOP REACTING TO THE DISATER and ENACT laws, policies, procedures and guidelines FIRST!

I ask our lawmakers and voters to think, really think about the consequences of sticking our heads in the sand and doing what amounts to be nothing at all but crying out and saying that something needs to be done. The Gulf oil spill disaster has brought us all to a crossroads and we can either stay on the same road of crying out again or take a new road that has never been travel on before… or as our President expressed, let’s make it right for the people in the Gulf and especially those who have lost loved ones… Let’s get it RIGHT!

Trish

To return good for good is human; to return good for evil is divine. –Taken from Our Daily Bread June 6th 2010



HELP TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE GULF
http://www.handsonneworleans.org/

More Cloudy Days for Louisiana…

New Orleans Dining

Katrina

Pensacola Beach, Florida

Taken For Granted - "We thought that we would have it (pristine beaches) forever"... from a

woman on Pensacola Beach.

Brown Pelican: Time Magazine

Katrina Photo: Photographer Unknown

Pensacola Photos: by LJN

New Orleans Photos: by Trish

Trish Nicholas Photography @

www.wix.com/TrishN/Trish-Nicholas-Photography

Gallery Photos may be purchased courtesy of
Redbubble: http://www.redbubble.com/people/tmeian

“May you begin your day by being a blessing to someone else and you will find yourself blessed in deed”… for it truly is more blessed to give than to receive!

It’s Just Because I Love You Day!

I would love to start a holiday called “It’s Just Because I love you Day”, a day for anyone celebrated by anyone. You would choose how and when the celebration begins and ends. Ok to those of you reading this you are probably wondering what kind of holiday is this. A holiday with no set date and month in which to celebrate it, well that’s a stupid idea…right…? No… Wrong!

Let’s take a look at Mother’s Day while it is still fresh in our minds. This is a day set aside in May to honor and celebrate Mom to the highest extent. We shower her with cards, flowers, gifts, and taking Mom out for dinner. A set date on the calendar that our minds have been programmed to engage in. For me I believe in a true expression of one’s emotions happening in real time, not in a day called Mother’s Day. Now don’t get me wrong it is nice to be treated special, no Sunday dinner to prepare, receiving lots of cards and gifts from loved ones. Yes, a very special day, but what about the other days on the calendar? I also happen to think that it would be great to have a day when you decide to do something special for your Mom or Dad or anyone for that matter just because you love them.

My first experience with it’s just because I love you day came early in my marriage one Valentine’s Day. I received a beautiful card from my husband and nothing else, my expectation was to also receive a box of chocolates and some flowers. I did not understand this ‘untraditional’ Valentine’s Day until many weeks later. It was on a Saturday when I was doing some house cleaning. I was in my sweat pants and t-shirt, hair pulled up with my total focus on getting the job done, when my husband walks in with this large box and some beautiful flowers. Right away I responded with it’s not my birthday, what’s the occasion?

There was no special occasion or date on the calendar; it was my husband’s real true emotions in his real time. This expression of his love for me far exceeded the traditional Valentine’s Day gifts that husbands present to their wives. Through out my marriage I have been the recipient of it’s just because I love you day, and I must say I have personally learned a great deal from this sincere expression of how much I am loved and thought about by my husband. I believe this is the greatest form of honor and celebration that you can bestow upon a person.

Why not surprise that special someone in your life with a just because I love you day and start your own personal holidays. Who knows, “It’s Just Because I Love You Day” may catch on?

What was in the box? A huge chocolate chip cookie in the shape of a heart that said… yes, you guessed it… Just because I love you!

Trish

Just Because

Just Because

Just Because
Just Because

Dance With Me

Dance With Me photo taken by Julius Nicholas

Photos by Trish

http://www.wix.com/TrishN/Trish-Nicholas-Photography

To Purchase Gallery Photographys: http://www.redbubble.com/people/tmeian

If you have a just because I love you day experience and would like to share it with me,

Send me a tweet! or a Facebook poke! or you can e-mail me your story at Phototljn21@hotmail.com

Featured . Org - http://www.wish.org/

Help make a wish come true!

God loves each one of us as if there were only one of us. - St. Augustine

Have a safe Memorial Day weekend!

God Bless all of our service men and woman and their families.

Flowers for Mom

Mother Sweet Mother you are like a beautiful spring bloom,

Mother Sweet Mother your warm heart is as pure as the summer sun,

Mother Sweet Mother your smile is as full as the eastern sky,

Mother Sweet Mother your arms open wide as the sea to embrace me with your love,

Mother Sweet Mother, oh how I love you so!

And in ALL that God created he choose you to be my mother.

Thank you Mom!

Happy Mother’s Day!

Trish

Since this priceless gift God gave us
Must from us one day depart,
Lavish her with love and kindness,
Real true love, with all your heart. – Stairs

Tulip Mommy

Window Dressing

Bird Tulip


Featured May.Org: http://www.mochamoms.org/


Photos by Trish

*New website: www.wix.com/TrishN/Trish-Nicholas-Photography


*To Purchase Photographs: http://www.redbubble.com/people/tmeian


To all Moms everywhere have a Happy Mother’s Day with your family!

The Ugly Side of Technology

Hello...

A few Sunday’s ago I received a video on my cell phone of my granddaughter walking… wow technology at it’s best, she lives in VA and I don’t. Technology has opened up a whole new way of living and sharing our lives with others. We have all at one time or another witnessed technology at its best in the medical field as well as in the legal community.

Many of us are becoming increasingly aware of accidents and deaths related to talking and texting while driving. On Easter weekend I encountered an out of state driver texting behind the wheel… technology’s ugly side. We are all guilty of using our cell phones when we are driving. This device compliments of technology enables us to have 24/7 contact with anyone that we desire to communicate with and at any given time. But why, why do we risk our life and the lives of others… for what. And don’t fool yourself into thinking that only young people are doing the texting while driving, trust me the woman that I encountered on the road was not a young person, a matter of fact she should have know better.

Do we think that by telling ourselves that I could never be in an accident or cause an accident while I am talking or texting behind the wheel... that happens to other people not me. This mindset is simply ridiculous, illogical and down right STUPID! The fact of the matter is that taking our eyes off of the road for a second can change your life and the lives of others in an instant.

Maybe just maybe if we start thinking about our cell phone as a mere telephone, then we might change our current user behavior. Yes, I know that it is easier said then done. The expanding cell phone technology has taken us beyond just calling and receiving calls. I have first hand experience with the latest cell phone model which comes with a movie already downloaded on it. I am sure all of these cool applications can make it quite challenging for all of us.

If you are serious about making a change here are a few suggestions that I hope you will consider when you are driving. why not take the Oprah pledge, print it out and post it in your car, get a hands free device and keep your conversation short… what ever it is that you are discussing can surly wait until you can give it your undivided attention. AND if it can’t wait then PULL OVER!

I hope and pray that from here on out you will seriously restructure your user behavior before you make that call… if not consider this, it could be your LAST CALL!

By Trish

“Life is too short to be little. Man is never so manly as when he feels deeply, acts boldly, and expresses himself with frankness and with fervor.”- Benjamin Disraeli (British Prime Minister and Novelist) 1804-1881

“Circumstances are beyond human control, but our conduct is in our own power.” – Benjamin Disraeli

http://www.oprah.com/oprahshow/Watch-a-Special-Message-from-Oprah-Video_1


The time is always right to do what is right. – Martin Luther King Jr.

Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing
Isaiah 43:18-19 KJV


Take The Pledge: http://www.oprah.com/questionaire/ipledge.html?id=4


FACT: Teens, Cell Phones and Texting
Text Messaging Becomes Centerpiece Communication
by Amanda Lenhart, Senior Research Specialist, Pew Internet & American Life Project
April 20, 2010
One in three (34%) texting teens ages 16-17 say they have texted while driving. That translates into 26% of all American teens ages 16-17.
Half (52%) of cell-owning teens ages 16-17 say they have talked on a cell phone while driving. That translates into 43% of all American teens ages 16-17.
48% of all teens ages 12-17 say they have been in a car when the driver was texting.
40% say they have been in a car when the driver used a cell phone in a way that put themselves or others in danger.
To read the full report log onto http://pewresearch.org/

PULL OVER! T-SHIRT from Zazzle.com

April 30th is National No Phone Zone Day!

Mark your calendars be a part of this lifesaving event and tune in to Oprah’s show on Friday, April 30Before then, sign the pledge and pass it on to stop texting and driving.

This season called spring

Everyday I hear the heighten chirping of the birds and see the flowers pushing their way up from underneath the soil. The earth is talking to us and leading the way, it is the season called spring setting the stage for summer.

The sights and sounds of spring are infectious to us all. Our bodies behave as if they have never felt the warmth of the sun and air, creating an inner craving to embrace nature and a desire to simply take a walk in it. It is our winter body awakening to this season called spring. We are reuniting ourselves with the creator of it all; we are becoming one with nature once again.

Spring with all of its breathtaking beauty around us, fills our very being with a sense of hope and renewal.

I thank you Lord that I am able to see this season called spring!

Trish

The Spring
By Thomas Carew

Now that the winter’s gone, the earth hath lost
Her snow-white robes; and now no more the frost
Candies the grass, or casts an icy cream
Upon the silver lake or crystal stream:
But the warm sun thaws the benumbed earth,
And makes it tender; gives a sacred birth
To the dead swallow; wakes in hollow tree
The drowsy cuckoo and the humble-bee.
Now do a choir of chirping minstrels bring,
In triumph to the world, the youthful spring:

"I think that no matter how old or infirm I may become, I will always plant a large garden in the spring. Who can resist the feelings of hope and joy that one gets from participating in nature's rebirth?" - Edward Giobbi

"Spring makes its own statement, so loud and clear that the gardener seems to be only one of the instruments, not the composer." - Geoffrey B. Charlesworth

Photos by Trish

New Photography website: www.wix.com/TrishN/Trish-Nicholas-Photography

Blog Highlight:http://www.michelleostyle.blogspot.com/

April.Orgs: http://www.giftoflifefamilyhouse.org/

http://www.donors1.org/

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life - St. John 3:16

Have a Blessed Easter!

Eighteen Years

In December of last year my husband (Ljn) accepted what some in the IT profession would call the opportunity of a life time, at least that’s how we feel about it. I am happy to say that the timing of this promotion came at a time when both of us were ready for a change of scenery and lifestyle. For me the thought of living and residing close to the beach is right up my alley, for I am a self proclaimed summer girl who could spend her every waking moment with her toes in the sand.

Besides the many things that are associated with selling your home in one state and buying another home in a different state, I didn’t realize how hard it would be to say good-bye to a home that you have lived in for eighteen years. It hit me the other day when I was taking down personal family photos, which is a “must do” task when it comes to selling your home and setting the stage for potential buyers. With most of the family photos gone from their usual places our home had an eerie feeling of emptiness, it was as if it were no longer a home… our home. I was totally caught off guard by my emotions and immediately began to rationalize all of this.

A few days later when I was viewing some more properties it hit me, the packing up of the good dishes and personal items had triggered a sense of mourning. It was then when I realized the memories of living in this house will remain with us, our children, grandchildren, family and close friends forever.

I now have started to rejoice with the thoughts of the many memories that we will make in a different home and new location. We are looking forward to meeting other people and establishing new friendships.

To all of our family and friends we’ll see you at the beach!

Trish

“We all have our time machines. Some take us back, they're called memories. Some take us forward, they're called dreams.” – Jeremy Irons


Be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead!" - I Peter 1:6

My home is not a place, it is people. ~ Lois Mc Master Bujold

Photos by Trish

***New Photography website:

www.wix.com/TrishN/Trish-Nicholas-Photography


***IN THE SPOTLIGH - http://www.hiatoys.com/

Love Favorites

Now these three remain:
Faith, hope, and love
But the greatest of these is love. - I Corinthians 13:13

Many waters cannot quench love, rivers cannot wash it away. If one were to give all of the wealth in his house for love, it would be utterly scorned. –Song of Solomon 8:7

2KnEL

Feelings fade, knowing last forever...
Feelings change, knowing stands fast…
Feelings betray you, knowing sustains you…
Feelings burn the fuel of love, knowing love creates it…
Feelings give you a ticket to the concert, knowing love creates the gift, inspires the artist to compose, stage and perform.

You want to know what love is…., you want to know it so well, that nothing can make me doubt it, oh nothing! Don’t trust in what you feel, go with what you know.

2KnEL – Too Know and Experience Lovee
Written by Ljn

Icy Blue Heart

Begin by loving again,
Begin by loving again;
when all that once mattered
Seems ruined and shattered,
then begin by loving again.

The Lord sometimes gives and sometimes takes away,
there’s happiness followed by pain;
but when hearts are breaking,
there’s joy for the taking
in learning to love once again...

Words by Theodore E. Morrow

Wishing everyone a very Happy Valentine’s Day!

Trish

Nick, thank you for loving me unconditionally…

I could not resist, including some of the photos from our recent snowfall. To those who love winter and the snow that comes with it! ENJOY!

Snow Shadows

Winter Feeding

Snow Peeking

Photos by Trish

Lens Vision

http://my.pho.to/lvm/s2/albums/lens_vision/