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| Front Cover |
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| Back Cover |
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| October-January, 2016-2017/5777 |
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| February-May, 2017/5777 |
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| June-September, 2017/5777 |
The discussion began last Summer. Suggestions were coming in. It's time for a book Amy. I want to buy some of your 'Reflection' pictures, are they being sold as cards? You need a 'thing', like choosing a major for college. I batted a few ideas around with my friend Cornelius. He is an award winning children's book illustrator, and knows a thing or 2 about publishing. Helpful, very helpful, but, I still did not know what to do with the pictures to bump them up a few notches from a $4 card. Then, one day in January, like a golden nugget spilling into my spirit, the inspiration came. Make a calendar using the 'Reflection' series of photos, and use the Jewish calendar year. Well, everything inside of me leaped for joy, knowing that this was exactly what I was to do with the pictures. That very day, Cornelius happened to call. 'I've got it, I've got it, I've got it!!!', I said! His response was priceless. I shared the inspiration with a handful of people, and each time, the response was priceless, in the best possible way. I saw the finished calendar in my head, but ohmygoodness, I had quite the journey to get there.
The calendar begins in October 2016/5776, which marks the Jewish New Year, or Rosh Hashanah which literally means, 'The head of the year.' The first full day of the New Year is October 3, 2016/5777. I began by researching Friday night sunset times, which, with candle lighting, marks the beginning of Shabbat, or Sabbath. Initially, I included 21 U.S. cities and Jerusalem. When it came time to transcribe that information onto the computer, it was impossible to include all those cities, given the layout I had chosen. I wound up transcribing the sunset times for Boston, Denver, Los Angeles, New York, Miami and Jerusalem. Included in the calendar are Jewish Holidays and holidays celebrated in the U.S. and around the globe. All of the Jewish Holidays can be Googled, for those of you not familiar with their meaning(s). 'Transcribing the information onto the computer', being operative words, was where the bulk of the challenges took place.
I have never done a full blown project on the computer. That said, I found a number of web sites which offer, 'make your own calendar'. Everything seemed complicated, really complicated, and I did not know where to begin. I had the pieces of the puzzle, but I was lost. I finally found a wonderful company called Mixbook, and I was on my way. (I have to give them a huge shout out. From the beginning of my communication with them, their customer service was outstanding, and remained so, right up until the calendars were delivered to my front door last week). So many decisions had to be made. Which layout to use for the front and back covers. Which 'Reflection' pictures best represented each month, what scriptures was I to share and where was I to place them? I did not even know how to line things up. But, with prayer, allot of prayer, quietness, patience and perseverance, the calendar started taking on it's own life.
I started working on the calendar in February and I received the first copy, to proof, 2 weeks ago. I was overwhelmed by the quality of the reproduction of the photos, the quality of the card stock used. I say card stock, because it is beyond paper, it is archival. Mixbook did an outstanding job and I am so deeply grateful. I will be calling on them again. Yes, there are a couple of things which I would tweak if I do another calendar next year, but, off she goes! I am selling the 'Reflections' calendar in my Etsy shop, Lilleypics. (click on 'Lilleypics). It is 12" x 12", and spiral bound. The photos are 10" x 10" and would look beautiful in a frame! This calendar is for everyone!!!!!
On the back of the calendar, I said, "It is my prayer, that those of you who see this calendar are inspired, and blessed, knowing that G_d is the painter, as this collection of photographs would not and could not be, without His mighty hand, G_d is the Creator.'
'In your seed, all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you obeyed my voice.'
Genesis 22:18
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