Photo Expressions

We Remember

 
  

An Amazing Feat

We are so very proud of our Cristina! She successfully ran the Haney to Harrison Ultra Marathon this past weekend and ran the entire 100 km! Here are some pictures of her experience...

At the beginning of her race...still smiling :-)

 

As the day wore on, her body became quite sore, so her mom would spray her down with a homeopathic pain med.

 

This is just before the end of the race....after 12 hours of running - incredible!

We are so very proud of what Cristina has accomplished and are so proud to share in this moment with her :-) We love you, Cristina!!!

 

Cristina also asked that I include this last photo and these words from her:

"I just wanted to express my gratitude to Marcel and my Photo Express family for sponsoring me and lifting me up so I could accomplish my dream (I know, kinda weird dream!) of racing in a 100 km Ultra Marathon. I had a really hard day out there and I couldn't have done it without them." ~ Cristina

International Justice Mission

I had the opportunity to be invited to a fundraising dinner last night for an organization called International  Justice Mission (IJM). IJM is a human rights agency that secures justice for victims of slavery, sexual  
exploitation, and other forms of violent oppression. IJM lawyers, investigators, and aftercare professionals, work with local officials to ensure immediate victim rescue and aftercare, to persecute perpetrators and to promote functioning public justice systems. Here is Doug and I and my mom and dad.

It is indescribable. You hear about the atrocities going on in our world and while you feel bad, you tend to quickly forget and get on with day to day life.  After last night (and I know what we saw was a "sanatized" version), I have not been able to get the people who need our help out of my mind. I don't know if I ever will. Even more than ever before, I feel the need to "show up", to make a difference, to be part of history, to have a voice that is heard. To make that little bit of difference, that when coupled with the generosity of so many others, means the difference between terror or freedom, life or death for so many in this world.

From IJM - "In a world where families are trapped in slavery, children are trafficked into prostitution, and widows and orphans are forced from their homes, the difference between life and death - between justice and oppression - often depends upon whether someone simply shows up on behalf of those who are suffering." IJM not only rescues children, women, and families, it also helps them restore their lives, and it helps to "correct" the justice systems in these countries and bring about a reduction in the number of offences occuring.  After just 2 years, in one area of Cambodia, there has been a 70% reduction in the number of children enslaved in the sex trade. These children have a voice that is fighting for them and helping them.

We heard the story of Shalinie, a 13yr old girl whose entire family were slaves in a Salt plant in India. She had to stand all day long, 7 days a week, in 5 inches of salt water, with a big rake, sifting the salt out.  Her feet were so cracked and blistered because she was not provided with protective foot wear. Many of you know what salt water does to a cut...imagine the pain of her feet every day! Her 18 month old sibling died there due to no medical intervention being brought to the facility. Her father was beaten when he was too sick to work. They were not allowed to leave, they were not allowed a day off, they were not fed properly or housed properly or taken care of in any way. This is not a life for a family. Imagine for a moment the pain and utter feeling of helplessness that Shalinie's parents felt - to see their children endure this torture.  Thanks to IJM, they were rescued and through the aftercare program, are now productive and happy.  Shaline is in Gr 8 and wants to become a Dr. so that she can help heal people as this will make her happy she says. Her parents employ quite a few families now in their very own salt facility - they give protective footwear, normal hours, a decent wage, and holidays. They are hoping to grow even more, to provide more income to families. They have hope and they have life.

We heard the story of Lisa, a very young orphan, who had been snatched off the street and sold into the clutches of a Russian businesman who held up to 20 girls at a time, to brutally rape them. The girls were tied up and forced to do things that no adult should have to do, let alone a young girl. They were abused, neglected, and totally helpless. With the help of IJM, this man (a loose term) was brought to justice. With the help of the aftercare program, Lisa was able to heal enough to testify at his trial. She insisted that the screen protecting young witnesses be removed so she could say what happened to her with this man in front of her.  With her strength and help, other girls were also able to testify.  Lisa is now in high school and wants to become a lawyer to help others like her. She has hope, she has her life.

These are just a couple of stories of the millions of women and children and families being abused, enslaved, tortured, and treated worse than animals. Young children should be playing and laughing, learning and loving. They need food and water, shelter and safety. They need freedom, they need life.

Gary Haugen, working as a lawyer at the U.S. Department of Justice and as the United Nations’ Investigator in Charge in the aftermath of the Rwandan genocide, founded International Justice Mission as a response to a need to help those most vulnerable - to actually restrain the oppressors who are a source of great harm to the vulnerable. Today, IJM has grown to more than 300 professionals working in their own communities to fight injustice. Here is Gary pictured with my brother Ron and his wife Elaine who were the hosts of the table I was at. Next year, Doug and I will definitely be hosting a table at their event.

Last year in Vancouver a "Dessert" event was held with 99 people, that raised $30,000.  This year that grew into the Benefit dinner with over 300 people in attendance with the hopes of raising $100,000.  I haven't heard a total yet, but I'm sure they surpassed that last night. Next year they are hoping to triple the attendance and need a bigger room.

Please consider "showing up" and being a voice for a young child who needs to know that someone in this world can help him/her. Consider having one less lunch out at work this week, or a few less cups of coffee, or one less package of stickers. Every little bit helps, whether big or small, (like the $100 Gary received not long after he started IJM, from a little boy who gave his bike money he was saving up, so Mr. Haugen could go and free the slaves he had heard about.)

YOUR GIFT MAKES A DIFFERENCE

Your gifts of financial support allow IJM to "show up" on behalf of women and girls trafficked into prostitution, boys and girls forced to work long hours in abusive bonded slavery and boys and girls who are beaten and abused by local authorities. A gift of any amount, whether it is $1 or $1,000 will allow IJM to serve as a voice for the voiceless in our world, providing these men, women and children with rescue, support and renewed hope for their lives and futures.

If you are Canadian and wish to donate or learn more about how you can help, visit the IJM Canadian site here

If you are American and wish to donate or learn more visit the IJM Site here.

They also have a 2009 Holiday Gift Campain. Give the Gift of Freedom in honor of someone special.

What a great gift for so many of us who have so much, for the teacher who can only use so many mugs, for anyone in your life who is special.

Sorry this is quite long, and not the usual type of post here, but it is very important. What legacy do we want to leave to the next generation - when someone asks you "what did you do?", be able to answer that you "showed up". You were not one of the ones who ignored the cries for help. You were part of the change!

And keep the children in your prayers.

Michele

P.S.  Please forward the info on to anyone in your life who you think might be willing to make a difference for these men, women and children, who have no voice.

Friends in Need is in Need all year round

This arrived in my inbox today, from Sherry W.  Thanks Sherry for the reminder.

"On Friday, Oct. 30, I had the privilege to attend a field trip with Taylor and 2 classmates to volunteer time to our local Friends in Need Food Bank. The girls had chosen this volunteer opportunity as part of the leadership program at AR School, and will be volunteering their time once per month to assist bagging items, restocking shelves, and preparing the hamper bags.

 While we were there we were given the following information about those in need in our community:

• If you are a single person you are provided with 1L of milk, 1lb of butter and 1lb of hamburger per month, plus your hamper bag
• If you are a family of 2 - 4 you are provided with 2L of milk, 2 lb of butter and 2lb of hamburger per month, plus you hamper bag
• The food bank purchases all meat, dairy and fresh produce from the monies raised through fundraising efforts. If there is little money they can not assist with these items
• The Friends in Need Supports 6000 - 7000 people in our community. These individuals must be registered, have a fixed address, and provide their proof of income, prior to receiving assistance.

I was shocked when seeing the warehouse and the lack of food that was on the shelves. When asked if this was the norm, the staff said they have seen the result of the recession but never in their time of working there have the shelves had not even one box of pasta.

 

It was an eye opening experience for the girls and myself for sure. I knew that our community assisted a fair amount of people but didn't realize almost 10% of our population. (This number does not include the homeless ) When a female senior came to the door asking for a "Sweet" because it was her Birthday, it of course got me all choked up. There are many seniors who are not making ends meet and only a handful are asking for assistance. Which is tragic considering what they have put into both our community and country.

 

So all said, The Friends in Need, needs our help all year long, not just for those special occasions when we all remember. The shelves are bare, and they need restocking. So the next time you go grocery shopping, maybe make it your mission to spend a little extra and throw it in the Friends in Need bin at the entrance way. Maybe make it a habit once a month or on the case lot sale days to throw a little something their way. 

 

Donations can be made in more than just food: bar soap, laundry soap, toilet paper, Kleenex, feminine hygiene products, baby food, diapers, etc. If cash donations are made, their buying power is greater than ours.

 

They will also take small items such as mitts/gloves, hats, blankets, coats, toys, books, etc.

 

So there is your challenge and maybe send a request for support out to a few friends and we can spread the word to get those shelves stocked up on a regular basis, not just those special occasions.

 

Good deed done??!"

Westbank Fire - from Renee

Renee just sent me this photo news from the Westbank fire. She was going up to visit an aunt. Here is here account of the fire:

I took these photos between 4 and 4:30.  We drove into Westbank just as the fire started and watched it as it came down the hill.  I've never seen anything like it before - it was like the fire was pouring over the hill.  It's really a miracle that no more than 3 homes were taken.  We watched as 2 of those homes caught and burned, it was devastating and certainly didn't look like any homes on that hillside had a chance.  Those pilots and fire fighters are truly heroes!

The people had hardly any warning...  as we drove into Westbank we saw a small ball of smoke above the mountain.  We stopped just inside town and within 15 minutes the fire raced down the hillside.  We heard that police were literally running down streets screaming, "Get out now!  Get out now!".  I met one family who grabbed their hamster, some photos, and some clothes and left not knowing if they would have a house to go back to :(  They had 2 little kids and I felt so sad for them.  The photos I took were from about 1/2 hour after the fire started.  The worst part was the wind blowing straight down that hill over all those homes...  We were visiting my aunt about a half-hour away listening to the news on the radio.  The fire was 15 hectares shortly after it started about 3:30, and by the time we sat down for dinner at 7:30 it was already up to 200 hectares!  It moved incredibly fast!

Say a prayer for all these people.  How devastating.  And how quickly fire moves.

And please make sure to back up your photos and store your negatives and CD's in a separate location from your home.

I'm really not kidding - this could happen to you

I know, I know, I know, you are thinking "another post on backing up and printing my photos".  Guess what...I am going to keep on doing this because if it saves even one more person's photos, it is worth it. Read on to see the email I received from Cheryl and how glad she was that she had printed some of her photos. PLEASE don't wait until it is too late to do something with your memories - back them up and more importantly PRINT THEM!

Hi Michelle,

 I just received your newsletter and as always it contains your reminder of printing your photos as the safest way of keeping your memories.  I just thought I would tell you about a true life incident that I am currently living that illustrates how you can think you are safe but aren’t. 

 Last Sunday night, someone entered my home while I was up and around and ran off with my laptop.  I was devastated by the loss.  I had been intending to do a backup as the last one I had done was a few months ago.  I knew that I had a lot of my photos etc on the laptop but I did have them on backup.  Imagine my surprise when I went to restore the backed-up files to my new computer and realized that the software wasn’t actually backup software but synchronization software.  I sat in absolute horror as I realized that with a click of a button I had just permanently destroyed the files on my external hard drive as it set out to synchronize itself to my new computer (the one with no files on it).  I have since learned that because of the encryption and the deletion process that there is absolutely no chance that I can restore my photos.   I have lost all photos from the last 10 months.  I am however extremely grateful that when I was over to PE in November, February and April I had printed all of my favourites of the special moments .  If it wasn’t for the printed copies of my photos I would have no photographic records of  the first day of school, Halloween, Christmas, My parents return from their year long trip and other special times.  I know now that in addition to making back-ups of your back up I will always make sure that I print the photos that I take and not leave it for another day or until I have tweaked it just right or whatever excuse of the day I have.  You are right that print is the safest way of saving your photos.  If this story helps just one person realize how vulnerable we truly are to loss, even when we think we are safe, it will be worth sharing.

 Thank you for all you do and all you teach.

 Cheryl Morrison

Nanaimo, BC

Fundraising Crop this Saturday.

This is a fundraising crop for a local woman battling cancer. Please note - to purchase tickets, contact Andrea or Romina (info at the bottom of the post).  This isn't a PE event, we are just passing along the information. If you aren't doing anything this weekend, what better way to spend it, than scrapbooking all day!  Here is the info:

Well for those of you already registered for this FANTASTIC event here is your reminder and update!  For those of you still thinking about it, well here is your final enticement!

 

Liana Bakker, a registered massage therapist will now be joinig us from 4pm-8pm and taking bookings!  Here's the rub-down - $1/minute for a minimum 15 minute time slot.  Sign ups will begin at 10am Saturday morning and will be first come, first serve.  All who sign up for a massage will be entered into a door prize to win a FREE massage with Liana!

 

Door prizes - did I mention that EVERYONE WINS!!!!  We have tons of fabulous prizes that have been donated from businesses and individuals throughout the community:  Telus, Joey's Restaurant, Whitespot, Starbucks, Epicure, Usborne Books, Kidsmart, Albion Pilates, Pampered Chef, Tupperware, Coke, Arbonne, Close To My Heart, Creative Memories, Memory Workshop, Jungle Jacs, Photo Express and, and, and! 

 

Dinner is being generously donated by Domino's Pizza and Subway so far, and Costco chipped in for bottled water and pop!

 

The support for this event has been amazing, we look forward to sharing it all with you on Saturday!  There are seats still available so pass it along to everyone you know and lets fill those seats for Laura!!!    

 

Last but certainly not least - Sandra from the Memory Workshop, will be celebrating her birthday at the crop and has decided that YOU should get a gift too!  Stop by her store at the crop and wish her a happy birthday and receive free cardstock and ribbon!**  Singing is encouraged :-)

**while supplies last.

  ALL DAY SCRAPBOOKING CROP & FUNDRAISER

Saturday, May 23rd, 2009 - 10am to 10pm

Westview High School  - 20905 Wicklund, Maple Ridge, B.C.

(location generously donated)

 

 $40 per person 

Net proceeds will be donated to Laura Caldovino and her family in support of her fight against breast cancer.

 

A little about Laura -  A 28-year-old wife and mother, Laura was diagnosed with breast cancer almost two years ago.  What was thought to be a blocked milk duct while breastfeeding turned out to be breast cancer that had spread radically throughout Laura's body.  Since diagnosis Laura has fought this disease tooth and nail with traditional and naturalpathic treatments.  With a bleak prognosis, Laura defied the odds and began to beat the cancer.  Unfortunately Laura has recently found out that the cancer decided to kick back and has once again spread radically.  Her fight continues.

The financial strain of this disease is considerable and through fundraisers such as this Laura's family, friends, and communtiy are helping her win this war! 

 

 

Now for you . . . what do you get??!!  Besides a whole day of non-stop scrapbooking and/or cardmaking:

 

:-)  plenty of space to spread out your stuff and scrap to your hearts content!

:-)  a goodie bag full of "stuff" from the on-site scrapbooking vendors and local businesses!

:-)  free coffee, tea, soft drinks and bottled water -   coffee provided by Starbucks

:-)  a buffet-style smorgasboard for dinner  - so far provided by Dominos Pizza and Subway  

:-)  free make n' take projects from Close To My Heart  and Creative Memories.  

:-)  Fan Favourite Layout contest - 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place prizes will be awarded.

:-)  On site stores for all your scrapbooking needs provided by:  Sandra Brindley of The Memory Workshop, Andrea Green of Close To My Heart, and Pam Wakely of Creative Memories.

:-)  Additional vendors  -  Kidsmart;  Epicure;  Usbourne Books;  Silpada Designs; Arbonne;  and  Liana Bakker for massage!  

:-)  door prizes - donated by on site vendors and local businesses  - EVERYONE will win something! 

:-)  50/50 draws

:-)  friends and fellow scrappers to inspire and get inspiration from!

 

To sustain our creativity throughout the day we ask that each attendee bring with them a small potluck snack.  ** be sure to label any non-disposable containers with your name and phone #.

 

Also we will be running a "garage sale" table for any scrapbooking/crafting "stuff" you have kicking around that you would like to donate.  Items donated to the table will be for sale during the crop by donation.  Of course all proceeds raised will go to Laura and her family and any items still remaining will be donated . 

 

To  register please contact:

 

Andrea Green

andreagreen@shaw.ca

604-459-0279

 

Romina Orchard

rominaorchard@yahoo.ca

604- 375-2950 

 

Payment by cash or cheque only.  Please make cheques payable to Romina Orchard. 

 

***Goodie bags and door prize eligibility available to those who register their name by Friday evening but walk ins will be welcome the day of :-)

 

 "If you or anyone you know is able to donate a door prize item, service gift, or even a cash donation for Laura please contact Andrea Green or Romina Orchard."

Mitchell's Walk for a Cure

(Michele's note - Mitchell is Rhonda's son (our photographer).

Hi every one,

Once again, Mitchell will be participating in the JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation) Telus Walk for a Cure on May 31 2009. This year he'll be walking at Swanguard Stadium instead of the Vancouver Zoo. Mitchell has had juvenile diabetes for nine years now, since the age of three. Mom asked him to write something in his own words, so excuse any spelling mistakes and read on...

"Please donate money to support Mitchell Wellicome at www.jdrf.ca/walk. I would like to thank you for your help last year with the walk to cure diabetes.

It was fun at the zoo. This year we are not going to the zoo we are going to the swan guard stadium in Burnaby Sunday May 31 2009 your help would be appreciated
You can give your support by a donation at www.jdrf.ca/walk

Thank you for your support
Mitchell Wellicome

Email my mom at rcwavv@hotmail.com"

Everyone is welcome to come join Mitchell on this walk. His team name is still the same: "Mitchell's Stingers". To make a pledge, please go to the website and search for "Mitchell Wellicome".

Thanks for your support!
The Wellicome's

Cheddar Chive Scones

Here is the recipe for the Scones that Rose made, it was a very requested recipe.

Cheddar Chive Scones

16 large scones

Bottom of Form

Bottom of Form

Ingredients

• 4 cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, divided
• 2 tablespoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 3/4 pound cold unsalted butter, diced
• 4 extra-large eggs, beaten lightly (cold)
• 1 cup cold heavy cream (Can use milk, but I usually use whipping cream)
• 1/2 pound extra-sharp yellow Cheddar, small-diced (I use whatever I have sometimes, just make sure it is strong)
• 1 cup minced fresh chives  ( I don’t use this much, I buy a package of it at the store and make sure there is lots in it and use about half and freeze the other half)
• 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water or milk, for egg wash

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Combine 4 cups of flour, the baking powder, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add the butter and mix on low speed until the butter is in pea-sized pieces. Mix the eggs and heavy cream and quickly add them to the flour-and-butter mixture. Combine until just blended. Toss together the Cheddar, chives, and 1 tablespoon of flour and add them to the dough. Mix until they are almost incorporated.

Dump the dough onto a well-floured surface and knead it for 1 minute, until the Cheddar and dill are well distributed. Roll the dough 3/4-inch thick. Cut into 4-inch squares and then in half diagonally to make triangles. Brush the tops with egg wash. Bake on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper for 20 to 25 minutes, until the outside is crusty and the inside is fully baked.

Happy Easter

May the newness of new beginnings and freshness of spring brighten your days and may your Easter blessings be plentiful.

Colin's Bike 'Trip'

Hi all - thank you for your kind words and concern around Colin's recent fall. We have come through the worst of it and he is healing really well. I'm sure by now most of you have heard about Colin's broken shoulder blade. If not, here's the quick version: he and my brother Flynn took my son Paul up to the bike park to take some pics of Paul on his bike for my scrapbooking. Colin decided to show Paul proper technique on entering the 'bowl'. Well, as you've probably deduced, it didn't go so well. Colin took a really bad fall and fractured his right scapula (shoulder blade). He had a couple of pretty brutal days, but is now coping quite well and healing up quickly.

The best part is that when it was all unfolding, Flynn didn't realize that Colin was seriously hurt, so he just kept taking pictures LOL! Thanks Flynn :-) So I'm taking lessons from my brother-in-law Frank, who made a video of his knee injury, and put together a tribute for my sweetheart, Colin...

Don't worry, it's not graphic :-)

Enjoy,

Kate

The Power of the Print

With the "instant gratification" of digital photos these days, we tend to forget the effect we can have by handing someone a memorable print.  This past week we hosted 2 Japanese students (Natsumi and Tomomi, pictured above).  We took photos on the first day and 2nd last day with the family.  Then we made a little collage, uploaded it to Foto Depot and ordered three 5x7 prints (1 for each girl, one for our wall of fame).  We picked them up next day and snuck them into simple black frames.

At dinner on our last evening together, we presented the photo gifts to the girls.  The Japanese culture is a little more reserved than ours, and at first they just stared at the photos while Elaine and I looked at each other.  Then a tear appeared in the corner of Natsumi's eye.  Before long, the 2 girls and Elaine were all weeping and hugging.

We didn't see this side of Tomomi and Natsumi all week until we gave them the printed photos.  Now of course we miss them even more but we are glad we were able to make that emotional connection with them, all through a simple printed photo.  If you are wondering how to impact someone's life, one of the simplest ways is to show you care by giving them a special photo!

Trust us with your memories,
Ron C

A quick reminder...

Recipe requests from 25th Anniversary crop

Oh my goodness! I came across these recipes in the bottom of my to do pile (which only seems to grow!) from the 25th anniversary crop.  I had promised to get the recipes and share them from the dishes you requested.  I can't remember who gave me these, but thank you! If these are your recipes, if you could send a photo of the finished recipe, that would be great!

So better late than never, here they are:

Artichoke Dip (tastes great served hot)

1 can artichoke hearts drained and chopped
1 cup mayo
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1 minced fresh garlic or 1/4 tsp garlic salt
dash of lemon juice

Combine all ingredients, heat if desired. 

Cheddar Artichoke Quiche Cups (4 dozen)

2 jars (7.5oz ea) marinated artichoke hearts
1 sm onion finely chopped
1 clove minced garlic
4 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup dry breadcrumbs
1/8 tsp dried oregano
1/8 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp dry mustard
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
2 tbsp minced fresh parsley

1. Drain artichokes, reserving 1/2 the marinade. Chop artichokes. Set aside
In a skillet, saute onion and garlic in reserved marinade until tender. Set aside

2. In a large bowl, combine the egg, breadcrumbs, mustard, oregano and pepper. Stir in the cheese, parsley, reserved artichokes and onion mixture.

3. Fill miniature muffin cups 3/4 full. Bake at 325 degrees for 15-17 min. Cool for 5 min before removing from pan to wire racks. Serve warm or cold. Refrigerate leftovers.

Almond Roca

1 box of Almond Roca mix from Costco (pink box- Brown &Haley)
1/3 cup brown sugar
2.25 sticks of butter

Follow directions on the box. 

Super easy and super yummy!

Introducing Jaxson...

Congratulations to Kaylyn and Shane (and big brother Brayden) on the Birth of Jaxson!!

Mom and baby are home and doing well after an eventful birth including an emergency trip to Royal Columbian. The end result is a beautiful happy baby boy who I can't wait to go and squeeze!

Here are a few other photos

Don't you just love that "newness" of a newborn?!