On Photography

The negative is the equivalent of the composer's score, and the print the performance. - Ansel Adams

While many of our pictures are in digital format today, there is still the relation between composer and the performer. Our cameras are the instrument, we are the composer and the images are the collaboration and the star of the show.

There are many different reasons for taking pictures. Some photographers spent thousands of dollars and as many hours looking for just the right shot, catching the light and trying to capture what their eyes behold.

I like to capture moments to relive them later. Memories of what we saw can fade with time, but when we see the pictures, they come alive again. It matters not whether it was the perfect shot or the highest quality, it triggers the senses.

Sometimes it is not what you are photographing as much as it is the feeling you get from looking at it. Something as simple as the way the light hits a tree, or plays with the shadows. I've been taking pictures since I was a kid, and this is only something I've learned in the last few years. 

There are many wonderful photographers who share their work online, and the one who has inspired me the most is the talented lady at The Smitten Image. I used to try and get as much into a picture as possible and now I know that sometimes less is more. Thanks Hilary!

These were all taken with my Canon Powershot SD1200.



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Timber!

Before

It was a sad day when we had our old maple systematically disassembled. The tree was still full of life, but losing the battle with substance. It had a hollow so large we could have rented it out. 


It was outside the bedroom window and if it fell, at worst we could be squashed, at the very least it would mean major repairs. We had avoided that decision far too long for comfort. Each ice storm or wind gust took us closer to calamity.

The team of tree removal specialists got the job done quickly and efficiently, and cleaned up after themselves. Watch the video to see one of their trickier maneuvers.

After

All that was left was the trunk, which was taken down in sections.  This was done about two years ago. The stump remains and the grass is beginning to grow back in where it had died out because of the dense shade. I miss that old tree, but a couple Mimosa trees have sprouted along the fence - I'll take them in trade.



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Quote of the Week

Always when judging

Who people are,
Remember to footnote
The words "So Far."

- Robert Brault

We are all constantly changing, evolving and becoming who we are meant to become. However, we are not there yet, and during our journey we may hit a few bumps along the way. Let's give each other the benefit of not judging an unfinished work of art.

Pictured is our sweet Sophie, and at the ripe old age of 9, she is still evolving. She was always a quiet cat but having been an only cat for more than six months she is now talking more...a lot more.

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Memorial Day

I don't have to tell you how fragile this precious gift of freedom is. Every time we hear, watch, or read the news, we are reminded that liberty is a rare commodity in this world. - Ronald Reagan

Image Source: Chris Waits

Wishing everyone a safe and happy Memorial Day.  Let us all remember those who gave their lives that we might have the freedom to have a happy ending.




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Quote of the Week

Laughter is like a windshield wiper, it doesn't stop the rain but allows us to keep going. - Anonymous

Laughter just may be nature's best medicine...good for the mind, body and spirit. Never mind the rain - bring some laughter into your life and see how far you can go.



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Quote of the Week

I think therefore I am - René Descartes (1596 – 1650)

Image Source: Wikipedia

This sprang from the conclusion that while what he was thinking might be wrong, the fact that he was thinking proved that he existed.

After he was satisfied that he did, indeed, exist, he went on to ponder in what form he existed.  He knew himself to exist as a thinking thing but at that point was not sure whether he actually had a body.

Perhaps he did not have a mirror in which to see himself. But philosophically speaking, he may not trust what his eyes beheld...or did he have eyes?

I don't pretend to understand philosophy, but I believe that it calls for deep thinking. That is the reason for many of the quotes I choose...to make us think beyond just the surface, or the face value of the words.

This post goes out today to my nephew who graduated this past weekend with degrees in philosophy and mathematics. Chris, we are very proud of you and your accomplishments.




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Quote of the Week

Life is the sum of all your choices. -  Albert Camus

This week we wrap up a month of quotes exploring everything from where we are, where we went and what we did when we got there. We discovered why the grass may be greener wherever we are not.  Last week we learned that every step of our life journey leads us to where are today. In conclusion, we are where and who we are at this moment in time, and everywhere we go and everything we do makes us who we are at any moment in time.


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Happy May Day!

What is May Day?

A celebration of Spring

A day of political protest

A neopagan festival

A Saint's feast day

A day for organized labor

In medieval England, people would go a-maying, or gathering fresh greenery and flowers from the woods and fields. This was also known as 'bringing in the May'.  This was described in "The Court of Love" written in 1561.

And furth goth all the Court, both most and lest,
To feche the floures fressh, and braunche and blome;
And namly, hawthorn brought both page and grome.
With fressh garlandes, partie blewe and whyte,
And thaim rejoysen in their greet delyt.


Edited to add that you may place your mouse pointer over the strange words to see the translation.


Are there any May Day celebrations in your area?

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Quote of the Week

It's where we go, and what we do when we get there, 

that tells us who we are. - Joyce Carol Oates

This week we have another quote dealing with where we are. This time we focus on the journey and how it affects who we are when we get there. It is the in-between moments that fill our lives and ultimately defines us. Like the branches on this tree, our path can change course many times during our lives, and each branch represents another step in our journey toward becoming who we are.


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Butterflies and Fleece

My wonderful friend, Ashley, made this really cute butterfly blanket for me for my birthday, and presented it to me when they were in town over Easter. 

As usual I am behind on crafty things and often jump on the bandwagon just as it pulls out of the station so I had not heard of the no-sew, tied fleece blankets. Apparently fleece is in now and to make it easier for the sewing challenged (yes, I am in that group) those with craftier minds than mine came up with this method.

The result is a beautiful blanket with a fringe and not a stitch of sewing. How cool is that?

She searched long and hard for colors and patterns that suited me. Cats and wine themes were not to be found, and anything pink was automatically rejected (I don't like pink...at all). Finally the butterfly pattern was selected, and a coordinating solid was chosen. 

To make the fringe, you lay the pieces together with the pretty sides facing out, making sure the edges are even. Then you make cuts into the fabric about 5 inches long at 1-inch intervals. When all the cuts are made, then you simply double knot the strips and you have a blanket. 

Being the curious sort, I wondered what else you could make using this technique and Google provided me with a plethora of styles, uses and methods. You can even fill them for a thicker blanket, make pillows, pet beds or ponchos. 


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Quote of the Week

"There" is no better than "here." When your "there" has become a "here," you will simply obtain another "there" that will again look better than "here."
  

Last week's quote brought to mind this one from the Chicken Soup for the Soul story, Rules for Being Human by Cherie Carter-Scott.

I read this to my husband and said I thought it was a lot like the grass always being greener on the other side of the fence. His take on this is that everything that makes us who we are goes with us so that when we are finally on the other side of the fence and look back, the side from where we came is the one that looks greener now. So the green-ness of anywhere is dependent more on us than the place itself. 

Just a little food for thought to twist your head around on a Monday morning. I'd love to hear your thoughts on this.

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28 and Counting!

Happy Anniversary to my wonderful husband of 28 years! 

I have shared this quote from Robert Fulghum before, but I am putting it out there again because I think it really sums up our life together.

We’re all a little weird. And life is a little weird. And when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall into mutually satisfying weirdness—and call it love—true love.



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Lake Katherine at Reynolda Gardens

Constructed in the 1900s, and named for Katherine Smith Reynolds (Mrs. R.J. Reynolds), this 14-acre lake provided family and friends with fishing, boating and swimming. Silt from building and natural process began filling in the lake and by the 1990s, it was almost completely filled in. It is now a natural habitat for migratory birds and other wildlife. The dam upstream prevents this from returning to its natural state and it will continue as an artificial wetland.

On Easter Sunday afternoon, after strolling around Reynolda Gardens soaking up some natural Vitamin D, we paused to take in the beauty of this wetland. We sat on an old, weathered bench and watched birds flitting from branch to branch, sometimes clinging to the bark of a tree leaning toward the water. As we were walking away, we heard a splash and turned to see two ducks had just landed. 

While I have been to Reynolda Gardens and the surrounding village several times in recent years, I did not know there had been a lake there. There is always something to be discovered, sometimes practically in one's own back yard.

What discoveries have you made recently in your neck of the woods?



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Quote of the Week

And remember, no matter where you go, there you are.  - Confucius

I've heard this quote for years, and often pause to reflect on it's simple meaning. This means that there is your here and this could be be restated to say that "no matter where I go, here I am".

So are you there or here? That depends entirely on perspective. From your point of view, wherever you are is your here, but your neighbor sees you there. However, both of you are both here and there even if you are standing next to each other, since two people cannot occupy the same exact space at the same time. Your here is his there and vice versa.

Confused? Confucius says, wherever you go, there you are!


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Quote of the Week

In the sweetness of friendship let there be laughter, for in the dew of little things the heart finds its morning and is refreshed. -Khalil Gibran

 

Spring is a beautiful time of year made even more special by spending time with good friends. I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter weekend - I know I did. 





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Easter Wishes

Image Source: quaddles.deviantart.com

What do the bunnies and eggs have to do with the Christian holiday of Easter?

Many Christian traditions are rooted in pagan rituals. The egg, the pagan symbol of rebirth, was adopted by Christians as the symbol of Jesus' resurrection. Decorating Easter eggs dates back to the 1200s at that time when eggs were a forbidden food during Lent. People would paint and decorate eggs to mark the end of the Lenten season and eat them on Easter Sunday in celebration.

Some sources say that the word Easter is derived from Eostre, a goddess of Spring. Rabbits, known for their prolific procreation symbolize fertility and new life. 

The Easter Bunny arrived in the U.S. in the 1700's, courtesy of some German immigrants. This mythical, egg-laying rabbit was originally called Osterhause, Oster being the German word for Easter. 

Wishing you a joyous Easter!

Click here for an interesting article and video on Easter facts and traditions.



Also see:
Easter Delights
Hot Cross Buns - an Easter Tradition



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Quote of the Week

Yesterday's future is tomorrow's past. - unknown

Time is always marching forward. Today is both your past and your future. Use it to make a memorable past and a hopeful future.

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Quote of the Week

Look not at the days gone by with a forlorn heart. They were simply the dots we can now connect with our present, to help us draw the outline of a beautiful tomorrow. - Dodinsky

It is now Spring here in the Northern Hemisphere, and with Spring comes renewal both in nature and humanity. With the onset of warmer weather, more daylight and the blossoming of the trees and flowers comes a sense of anticipation and rejuvenation. This is often accompanied by the occasional bout of Spring fever and/or allergies. 

Today's quote reminds to look back, not with sadness, but with the knowledge that the past led to the present and both help us prepare for the future. Unlike the game we played as children where all the dots were numbered and everyone got from the beginning to the end along the same path, there are many different ways to get from where we've been to where we are going.

Let's pause for a moment of reflection and make the connections that will lead to our beautiful tomorrow.



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8 Ways to Improve Your Memory

Do you keep misplacing your keys? Do you go upstairs to get or do something and can't remember what? Did you forget the name of the person you just met?  

Even if you think your memory is too bad or it's too late to change, know this, the brain has an enormous capacity to adapt and change - even into your senior years.  Your brain is part of your body so it stands to reason that what keeps your body happy and healthy would do the same for your brain.  Here are some tips to keep your faculties at their best.

Sleep. Get plenty of sleep.  Sleep deprivation compromises all mental function, including key memory enhancing activity.

Physical Exercise.  Exercise increases oxygen to the brain, reducing the risk of diseases that can lead to memory loss and enhancing the effect of helpful brain chemicals like serotonin, noradrenalin, and dopamine.  Each of these chemicals is vital to a physically, emotionally and mentally healthy body.

Focus.  Pay attention and be patient.  It takes about 8 seconds to process a piece of information into memory.  It helps to make a connection between new information and previously stored information. I think this one could make the most difference because in our fast-paced lives we are just moving from one thing to another so quickly we are not absorbing the information.

Mental exercise is also essential for a healthy brain.  Like our bodies, our brain becomes used to the same exercises, so keep your mental exercises new, challenging and fun. Try working the Sunday crossword puzzle or play memory games, such as Lumosity, on the computer.

Nutrition.  We all know that eating a healthy, balanced diet with less fat, carbs and fewer processed foods, is supposed to keep our bodies healthy. The same applies to our brain health as well.  Try adding more whole foods to your diet including fatty fish (omega 3), colorful fruits and vegetables, nuts, whole grains and wine (in moderation, of course).

De-Stress.  Stress plays a large part in short-term memory loss. For improved mental function, try some form of meditation.  Meditation means awareness, so anything done with a single focus, blocking out all other distractions, is effective meditation. Notice that there is only a one-letter difference between meditation and medication.

Friend Therapy. Humans, being highly social animals, do not thrive in isolation. We need meaningful relationships for both emotional and mental health. Research has shown that the more active your social life, the slower your memory decline.  To stay socially active consider volunteering, join a club or church, get together with friends more often, and don't overlook the value of having a pet - animals are very therapeutic. 

Laughter. Laughter is the best medicine for brain and body alike.  It engages multiple areas across the whole brain. Focus on finding the funny in everyday life, hang out with fun, happy people, and surround yourself with things that evoke good memories and make you smile.

Keep in mind that there is a boatload of information and tips for healthy brain function and better memory. These are just few ideas to get you thinking, reading and becoming invested in yourself. 


Sources:
How to Improve Your Memory
Brain Chemical Messengers
Memory Loss

Disclaimer:  For information purposes only and not to be taken as medical advice.




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Quote of the Week

May your blessings outnumber
The shamrocks that grow,
And may trouble avoid you
Wherever you go.
- Irish Blessing

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Any celebrations planned for tomorrow?

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