So long, 2014!

Sunset, Canton, NC  -  2011

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It's the last day of 2014, and many people will take time today to reflect on the past year, and make resolutions for 2015. It's a regular work day for me, so I'll have to put off any reflecting until I get home tonight. After taking a shower, I may indulge in a Strongbow Honey and Apple Cider on the rocks while I sit by the fire in my basement office and consider the events of 2014. The reminiscing won't last too late, however, as I plan to be in bed at my usual time of 10:30 or so. I'll leave the heavy partying to others. 2015 will be there when I wake up tomorrow morning.

I am optimistic about the coming year, especially because of some very positive changes that have happened at my job. My family is all in generally good health, and both our daughters appear to have bright futures. No, it's not all perfect, but when I consider the kind of lives most of the people in the world have to endure, I can't help but be thankful for how gracious God has been to me. Maybe that's what we all should think about as 2014 draws to a close.

Happy New Year!

A Joyful Noise

Singers, Waynesville, NC  -  2014

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A Different Quest

Mary, Waynesville, NC  -  2014

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Like many churches across the country, ours puts on a Christmas play featuring the children each year. Proud parents, relatives, and friends come to watch, many toting cameras of various kinds. Our daughters are grown now, but I used to be one of those parents with camera in hand, trying to get a record snapshot of our little star. Now I bring my camera in pursuit of a different quest, to get a single photo that captures the beauty of the performance and the event it depicts. Here is this year's attempt.

More signs, more signs!

Luella's Signs, Asheville, NC  -  2014

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As regular visitors to My Viewfinder 2 already know, I love old signs. I love discovering old signs, and I love photographing them. I especially love when someone else has done the discovering and collecting for me, and all I have to do is shoot. Such was the case at Luella's Bar-B-Que in Asheville. Although the one leaning against the wall is a more modern Corn Hole board, the rest appear to be well done reproductions of older originals. Unfortunately, Luella's was closed when I stopped by to make this photo. Now that I've sampled their signs, I'll have to return to sample their 'que!

Asheville Landmark

Basilica of St. Lawrence, Asheville, NC  -  2014

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Bookstore Window

Asheville, NC  -  2014

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I thought this was an interesting combination of titles chosen for display at the Battery Park Book Exchange And Champagne Bar in Asheville. 

A Week Late

While both girls were home for Thanksgiving, I thought it would be generous of me to peel myself away from the football games for a while and do a holiday-ish activity with the family. I saw that the Grove Arcade in Asheville was having a lighting ceremony on Friday with several fun activities including a performance by the Asheville Symphony Chorus. Perfect!

The festivities weres supposed to begin at 5 pm, and we arrived about 4:45. I was a little surprised to find a parking spot right across the street, but attributed it to being a blessing for being a great Dad. When we went inside the Grove Arcade, we found it beautifully lit and decorated for the Christmas season. I began to wonder what other displays of lighting the coming ceremony would reveal. The crowds inside were light to moderate, but I'll never complain about that.

Five o'clock came and went with no indication of anything about to begin. There were a couple of balcony locations that I thought would be likely for the chorus performance, but no sign of any singers yet. As 5:30 approached with nothing exciting going on, I spied a table with some brochures displayed. One was a card announcing the event we had come to see. I looked over the card to see if there was a schedule of events. That's when I saw the date. November 21. The previous Friday. As in "one week earlier". Oooops!

My mind began to scheme as to how to announce my blunder while still saving face with my family. Nothing came to mind, so I decided to just fess up, and hope that dinner at Papa's And Beer would smooth things over. It did. I know my family. Mexican food can solve many problems.

Well, we missed the event we went to see, but I did get this nice photo of the Vanderbilt Apartments at sunset. So along with the Enchiladas Marias, the evening wasn't a total loss!

Vanderbilt Apartments At Sunset, Asheville, NC  -  2014

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