a visitor

while photographing muffins at work, this little guy walked up and sat on my lighting equipment.

T4 Bacteriophage Plush Toy!

The perfect way to accent your couch or add extra pizzaz to any room, microbiology plush toys! I found this and had to share it. Everyone needs one! This website also has plush toys for most of the well known microbes. its awesome!

"I want to do for microbes what Walt Disney did for rodents." ~Drew Oliver

Check the whole collection!

http://shop.neatorama.com/store.php?giant-microbes-plush-toys-pg1-cid85.html

Cuteness

Leather Work

Recently, I have been just working a lot- not very exciting. But this summer I did a cool leather project. For those who were not at camp, I figured I could post a couple pics since I don't have anything to post about recently.

The proven hope God gives is found in the fact that He changes us when we ask Him too. Hope that He does indeed gift us with unquestioning confidence despite pain; and a deep running river of calm trust in the face whatever tempests might come. He transforms us- lifting our minds above limited perspective to gasp the limitless possibilities of the heavens.

Far beyond the physical pain, one of the hardest things is ongoing internal agony. But what joy that we are never left alone with this. God is our shield and constant deliverer. He does not save us from the fire, but in it the midst of it. No matter the circumstances or the outlook, He does provide what is truly best for us.

He empowers us with His strength to meet every hardship. Just like the Pentecost for the apostles and the latter rain will be before the time of trouble- we can trust Him. Even stronger then our own instincts for self-preservation is His fathomless care for us.

As He helps to grow, we can surrender those self-persevering instincts and desires for a pain-free life. With His grace, we can let Him carry the knowledge of our horrific experiences and trust that all His promises are still true.

We are called to lay down our ambitions for the singular purpose of following in His steps. If He leads us towards what we are most afraid, we must simply let go and let Him carry us through it and we will be alright.

Camping

This past weekend Caitlin, Shaila, and I got to camp in the awesome Catskill wilderness in NY state. It is a few hours north of NYC, but mostly forgotten and beautifully primitive.
God blessed and helped us find the perfect campsite. and it rained before and after we camped, but we had great weather while we where there. yay for God taking care of everything. it was so refreshing to be out of the office and enjoying the awesome outdoors. :)




home sweet tent


Here is the view looking out of the tent. yayness


caitlin contemplating the cold water at the swimming hole


shaila (really she is a pro surfer, she just hasn't realized it yet)

filtering water tasty water


enchanting water


fire! :D

The Rain-Color Song

Sunset is almost here and I’m off work. With glee, I hoist Bird to his post on my shoulder, snatch my guitar bag, and make a quick exit to my car for our ritual. A short drive finds me parking by the hill at CA and trying to coax Bird to go outside with me for the third time today. I’m demanding on little indoor-loving birds ;)

I find our favorite patch of grass and pull out my guitar while Rabbit settles into his preening. The clouds shroud the sun and obscure the sunset colors that I often look to for music inspiration. This evening the air is tingling fresh as it sweeps over summer grass, heralding the promise of rain. Mmm. It more than makes up for any sunset splashed across the sky canvas. A gentle thunder rolls from one horizon to the other. My fingers pluck the strings while dark blue clouds tumble and dance towards me. I lean my head back and breathe deep the scent-colors of coming rain and evergreen. Intuitively, my fingers find chord-colors to match. Another gentle thunder softly calls across the expanse. I echo it with my lowest string while I play the waltz of scent-colors on the higher strings.

Looking up and to my left, I see a beautiful streak of rain like a blue bride’s veil shimmering. I accompany it as it flows in the wind. The breeze, now steady, carries only the scent of almost here rain. Bird notices and stops preening. My fingers tease the strings in a quickening syncopated style as little raindrop feet patter towards me. Bird starts to worry about getting wet as I hurry to conclude the rain-color song. Now big drops of sky collide against the Earth. I stash my guitar in its bag and rush for the car. Bird leans forward with all his might as if to say “Faster Mom. Faster! I’m melting!!”

Just as we duck inside the car, the veil of rain is upon us. It encompasses the little valley in a cleansing deluge deserving of its own unique song. It is all one long symphony with numerous movements in the ongoing and changing theater of nature.