THE AVATAR...

Hi, everyone.
Today I would like to talk about a picture. I get so many questions from people who are always curious about the avatar which I use on all of my blogsites. Someone is always asking me what it is supposed to represent. well, for all the curious-minded commenters out there, it is a picture of an angel.
I first saw the photo on a ghosts and angels website, although I don't remember which one. Still, I do not claim to own the picture, I just find it inspiring and hope the owner will indulge me in its use. Anyway, there was a story on the website which told about the origin of the picture. I can't quote it verbatum, however I can tell it as I remember it. If I am wrong, I hope someone will correct my telling of the events.

Sometime ago, there was a lady who had entered a photo contest at her church. She wanted an unusual photo to enter in the contest. One evening, about dark, she was driving along and saw some clouds and a bit of the Milky Way reflected in a lake. She thought the image was pretty and would make an interesting picture for the contest. She stopped, got out of her car, and took a few shots of the lake reflection. she then took her film to be developed. Later on, when she went to pick up the prints, the developer asked her where she had gotten the angel, but she had no idea about what he meant, until he showed her the prints. There, in the middle of one of them was the beautiful image of an angel. Even though she had taken several shots, the angel appeared in only one photo; the rest were of clouds and stars reflected in a lake. The lady entered the photo in the contest and won first prize. The young man who got her permission to post the photo on the internet had known the lady for several years, and believed her regarding the picture's authenticity, but he took the shot to an expert in photographic techniques, just to see if the man could provide an explanation for the image in the photo. The photo expert verified the pictures authenticity, but could offer no explanation for the image in the print.

This photo has been viewed by many people, most of whom have no trouble seeing the 'Angel image' right away; your's truly included. Then, there are others who view the picture but are unable to make out the Angel without seeing it a few times. Still others never see the angel image. I am posting a larger version of the picture here to see how many viewers can see it  easily, and how many others have trouble spotting the Angel. I welcome comments from viewers of this amazing image.

This is a very striking image, with the Angel peering over her right shoulder. It is something which fits into the realm of the unusual; very unusual, indeed. I hope everyone enjoys seeing this picture and also enjoys the amazing story behind it. Just another one of life's wonders, I guess. At least, it is a wonder to me, and I am sure to all of the other people out there who believe in miracles...and Angels. Take care. Anna

Unusually Delicious...

Hi,

Here is something which I discovered while stumbling around the internet. I don't remember where I found it, or I would give credit to that site. Still, I don't think the site owner has a patent on the stuff or anything like that. This is really delicious and good for you, too. Enjoy!

Banana Ice Cream

3 Lbs. Ripe bananas, peeled and frozen

Put bananas in a blender or food processor and blend or process until there are no lumps left. This is already 'soft serve' ice cream that's ready to serve and eat, but you don't have to stop there. You can add anything you like to flavor the ice cream. I added sugar-free chocolate syrup to mine, (1 cup), and came up with chocolate/banana ice cream. you might also add one or more of the following:

Sugar free caramel syrup

Vanilla extract

Almond extract 

Strawberries

Nuts

Semi-sweet chocolate chips

and many more... 

If you add nuts or flavorings to your ice cream, you may want to sweeten it up a bit with a little honey which you can add to your taste. When the 'soft serve' ice cream is stored in the freezer for a few hours, it will get firmer, just like regular ice cream.  This dessert is low in fat and, has only about half the calories of regular ice cream, even with many of the add-ins. Try it for yourself and taste just how good it can be. Anna

Yield: 16-1/2 cup servings
Nutrition facts (Banana Chocolate):
Serving size: 1/2 cup; Calories: approx. 92; Fat cal: 0; Carbohydrate: 24.4 gr.

Not Your Average...

Hi,
I believe that there are things in life which are too coincidental to be coincidences. I also believe that all of the different aspects of a person's life tend to be 'tied' together in some way. Let me give you an example of these.
About two years ago, I became an avid fan of a Korean pop singer named Ko Yu-Jin. I loved to hear him sing so much, I wanted to try to learn Korean just so I would be able to understand the lyrics of the songs I heard him sing. I had such an overwhelming desire to do this thing that I felt there must be some other, more important reason for wanting to learn the Korean language; I just didn't know what that reason was.
In the fall of 2009, I started attending classes at a local junior college, and I met a young lady there who was an exchange student from Korea. I had learned quite a few Korean words, and the lyrics to a couple of pop songs by then, and I was able to sing to her in Korean. The girl was so happy because she said, in very good English,
"Oh, it's so nice to hear my own language!"
It was then that I knew the real purpose for my desire to learn Korean; I was supposed to help this sweet girl, who had been in America for three-and-a-half years, not to feel so homesick for her own country.We are now good friends. She helps me with my Korean and I help her with her English.
I feel there are things in this world which are meant to happen, and that we should always look for these 'ties' which bind the fabric of our lives together in ways that it should be connected. I know I am always open to these experiences and that they have made my life richer by helping me view all of the different parts of my existence as one whole picture.
Thank you. A

A Place To Start

Hello.

There are so many things I want to put here, on this site, that I really don't know where to begin. I guess a good place to start is with a short posting about the blog itself. I want to explain that this is a family-oriented site, like all of my other blogs, and it must be kept kid-friendly for my family's sake. No bad language, bigotry, racial slurs, nor rude comments will be accepted for posting here. Those who follow these rules will see their comments posted here; everyone else will not. Thank you for your time and attention. A