While taking photography in college I dreaded one assignment in particular; photograph the sunrise. It’s hard enough to make an 8:00 a.m. class, let alone be out of bed before dawn trying to get the perfect shot — hoping to not screw it up and have to repeat it the next morning. It was the assignment that everyone in the communications department knew about and dreaded. But, it turned out to be the one assignment that I loved most.

Nowadays I’m up by sunrise (like most Moms), but am busy getting ready for the day that I miss the beauty of the actual sun rising. Miss it no more: Discovery Channel has developed a series called “Sunrise Earth.”

Shot in HD, each episode highlights sunrises from around the globe. We’ve watched a few of these shows as a family during our quiet time before bed. My favorite so far is one done in China: We watched the peaceful nature of Chinese fisherman using birds to catch fish. Read the description from the Discovery Channel Web site:

Sunrise Earth International
Li River Cormorants
TV-G, CC

In the last hour of darkness, witness a 2,000 year old working partnership between fishermen and their fish-catching birds, the great cormorants. Dots of light bob at the end of slender bamboo rafts, attracting fish for the trained diving birds to capture … “

These episodes are peaceful, quiet and beautiful. Give one a try one day soon.

I’ll leave you with a sunset for the day:

Photo courtesy stock.xchng

Related:

• View user submissions of sunrises at Discovery.com.
• Find when you can watch “Sunrise Earth.”

Spring is officially here and April is the most beautiful month. Let’s celebrate the beauty of the month with some ideas to keep ourselves sane this month, and maybe enjoy some quality time too:

• Buy or pick a small bouquet of flowers for your home. Set them on the dining room table so that when you are eating you’ll be reminded of the beauty of the month.
• Gut your clothes closet this month … getting rid of the 80 percent of clothes you don’t wear. Be honest with yourself and donate any items that you 1.) no longer fit into 2.) don’t really like. Do the same with your shoes.
• Buy a new scented candle and light it at night after the kids go to bed. Let this light remind you to take time for yourself each and every day, even it is it just the few minutes to light this candle.
• Save money by buying items that typically go on sale in April: TVs, appliances, dairy products. See the complete list at: workingmother.com
• Look up and make a new spring recipe.
• Get geared up for beautiful weather by looking at some springtime photos.
• Start planning for a summer getaway. It need not be a big, expensive vacation. Just plan on some quality time taking a break with your family.