Ten Things I'm Thankful For - 08/11 edition

 Ten things

Only ten?

I'm telling you again, I have hundreds! 

How does one only choose ten? 

Well, I find myself browsing photos, and when a warm memory captures plenty of gratitude for what they evoke in me, that's a keeper. 

Truthfully, they all are. I'm not a gal who likes to delete photos, even all those dozens of same digital ones taking up so much space on my computer. Like about 21,000 of them. Crazy, I know. 

Often though, I find I go back, peruse through my folders by year, month and memory, and feel such a thrill from having all those photo opportunities snapped frozen in time.

 As summer continues, and the heat wave is in the midst of week eight out our way, we're finding a huge reprieve this week with several thunder and rain storms. It's soupy and steamy humid out there, I guess it simply must accompany this marvelous season, here in the east.

 Our forest fire warning is back down again, such a relief each time we find our community in danger. 

As the trades continue working on the new house next door, it's a great relief to find none of them even dare to lite up a cigarette within our area. 

But, why are they making so much racket before 7am? My morning early me time for prayer and a quiet solitude are often interrupted by the sound of machinery working its way down the road, or a heavy hand banging away on another floor. 

Fact is, all of that noisy racket is necessary to get our great new neighbors into their home, so we just continue to offer this summer's increased noises up. 

  Our bikes at Summer House, on the east coast of Nantucket Island

Summer...

It's a grand season for so many promising things in our lives. 

 

 Hiking round the Route Champlain with my gals.

Let us be ever thankful for all it brings to us, with each promise of a new day to wiggle our toes wide awake, before stepping out from our slumbers to meet the morning. 

Here are another TEN THANKFUL THINGS to share with you today, without rhyme nor reason of course, just the way I like it.

Continue finding thankful things my friends, and always rejoice in the here and now, just for today. There is a big picture to blend in with the present, however, one can't overlook anything just.for.today in the process of going about our daily living.

1 - I'm thankful for small celebrations, this one with my sister the night before our visit ended. We were at a Mexican restaurant, sitting outdoors on a high top table, which for me having this ethnic food is a real treat. In our local area, there just isn't anything in the way of Mexican foods, unless that is, one cares to call "Mucho Burrito", the restaurant chain a suffice model of what that is all about.

With my slushy margarita before me, it was just lovely to savor our last evening together, just my sister and I. Our yearly visits have become moments to forever treasure, as we bond together even more in our sisterly ways, making memories to hold dear in our hearts over the years to come.

- 2 - I'm thankful for being able to participate in a fun girlie outing to Cityline TV with a few friends.

Our day began very early, rising at 5:30 to drive to catch the commuter train to the bit Toronto city, on time to walk up to the featured day's live show. Yes, we would be "clappers" as someone called us, part of the live audience for a home specialty type show with Tracey Moore.

It was a very interesting morning watching how they taped a live show. Everyone was so personable, and there were behind the scenes jokes and laughter for all.

On our way out the door, a bag of gifts was presented to each individual as part of a thank you for being in the audience. What fun!

The show was edited and the following week, we were able to see ourselves live on TV, not that this was the highlight for each of us to view ourselves there.

The day included a full morning at the television studio, followed by lots of walking, a bit of shopping, and a great lunch nearby at a place called "Mr. Green Jeans", in the Eaton's Center. 

Our trip back home again on the train offered us a worthy respite from the day's event, and all were ushered home safely after the dinner hour. Overall, it was a grand day, a unique type of outing for all of us, one that still brings a smile to my face as I recall it in my memory.

- 3 - I'm thankful for outdoor cooking during our continued heat wave, where we cook up double the food for additional meals to be enjoyed later during our heat and humidity filled weeks. My hubby is having a great time with his new outdoor grill, and I'm having a great time keeping him company while he cooks. A perfect match during summertime.

 - 4 - I'm thankful for sunny bright colors, like the shoes above our youngest daughter is sporting for fun this summer. On sale for a hugely reduced pricing at the shoe store, I grabbed them wondering if she would even like them, and she did. With the choice of white or neon green laces, she opted to have only one of each color on her shoes. Notice the lovely yellow, crunchy looking grass beneath her feet. This is what all have come to accept as something "normal" during our heat wave.

- 5 - I'm thankful for a house filled with company, for the parade of girls who traveled up to visit, and for the additional parade of kids who came to see all of them while they were here. Shoes were taking over every door entry area, which only put a bigger smile on my face.

All are welcomed here is my motto. And the bigger the bonfire during the evenings, the more chairs gathered in a circle around it, the better.

Among recent guests was our son and his friend, who traveled to Ontario on a business trip. They were able to spend two nights with us before leaving for Toronto for the duration of their trip. And aside from visiting with all of us, this Uncle was able to meet his new niece.

- 6 - I'm thankful for peaceful scenes like the one above. Caught in a moment of relaxation before an afternoon unintentional slumber, this daughter was fully engaged in her recent reading. I love to capture visible moments such as this one, for they express a contented heart with an afternoon at home, cozy with her blanket upon her, and book in hand. My kind of wonderful.

- 7 - I'm thankful for a rescued baby rabbit. He had crawled inside of our garage shortly before the big doors were closed for the night. Trapped inside behind the snowblower, he was too afraid to come out. A few neighbor girls and our youngest daughter were trying to assist in the rescue plans, gathering the bunny eventually, containing it in a bucket in the hope of walking it back to the forest nearby for its return to his mommy and family den. 

In a flash though, this jackrabbit baby bunny jumped out of the bucket, resuming its position behind the snowblower again. No more bucket for them! Instead one of them saw the mesh bug carrying case on the shelve nearby and concluded he would fit in it. He did!

Off they went to continue their rescue and return to the forest plans with full success. Happy hearted girls were the delightful result from their most logically accomplished, and good deed of the day. 

- 8 - I'm thankful for more seafood during my recent trip to my sisters. The photo above was snapped at Aquidneck Lobster Co. at Fatullis' Wharf, in Newport, Rhode Island.

Here I go again, I know, I know, and for your seafood haters, I'm sorry but I just had to load this incredible photo I was able to snap with my cell phone, when the guy held up this huge lobster for all to see.

On their wharf, evidence of their lobster traps were visible for all to see, their hauls huge within their water region.  I snapped this photo during our sailing adventure.

Below, this is the restaurant portion of the wharf, where my sister and I were able to have a bite of dinner the night before on this very deck. The fish swimming round the bottom of the deck area were incredible to watch by nightfall, schools of small fish in large masses, all parading about in complete unison.

 It was great to watch and salute the sunset, in a place we two sisters never thought we'd end up together in our travels. I loved playing tourist in Newport, what a great place with all the mansions, the cliff walk, the sail boating, and finding such a huge campus of "Salve Regina" along our journey. Wow!

- 9 -  I'm thankful for later evenings in summer, when the ATV comes round, and everyone gets to whiz about through our forest trails. 

 These driving and trail beating sessions are always welcome, as they keep the trails clear from regrowth, and larger upkeep maintenance. Besides, everyone is having so much fun out there, so it's a win-win for all.   

- 10 - I'm thankful for another successful, and safe horse show, where our daughter competed against 28 other riders in all the events of this day. She had some tough competition, but overall she placed well for the amount of riders involved. 

Her earned ribbons were; a 6th, 7th, and an 8th, respectable considering she entered brand new divisions, with her horse not having competed at this particular venue before, so the unknown is always tricky with how the horse will behave. She had to memorize her ten-jump courses, all varied and ever-changing, within each category, so accuracy for remembering where to go in sequence is always judged and graded. 

 

We are always so proud of her ability to challenge herself to newer goals and aspirations. This day, she was very pleased with everything, even if just for the great experience of all things new to her. Having her horse actually take each jump as directed by her, well, that was a big plus factor.

(photo courtesy of Keiko Photography) 

And so ends one more "Ten Things I'm Thankful For", always varied (like I promised), and so very random to be sure. 

Have yourself a wonderful weekend everyone!

perserving the family's history

I am so grateful for the digital realm which has enabled us to take memories snapped and hidden deep within the memory card below the lens of our cameras, protecting them until such a time when all become placed into an archival system, safely preserved for telling the story of our "family's history".

I'm always working madly away trying to tell "our story", loving producing edited and final scrapbook copies I've been able to "birth". Whether by hand or by virtual media businesses, this is personally a lofty and a very worthy goal for me.

 

In the last two months, when I was alerted there was a package ready for me to scoop up from our local post office, and as the postmistress plopped the slim cardboard protective boxes in my hands, my heart naturally beat faster and swelled greatly because I knew, oh yes - I KNEW they contained my book babies, my special printed book versions created via online venues.

I'll go a wee step further by humbly exclaiming although I'm a diehard scrapbooker, I'll shout it out about how deeply grateful I am for this secondary scrapbooking option as opposed to trying to create many same individual books, several in fact, for attempting to gift all of our children when special occasions warrant multiple copies.

I am such a firm believer on being able to provide our future generations, our very own progeny, with visible and tangible ways to familiarize themselves with the "living history" of their family tree members, those who have breathed and walked this land before them.

This is where the "who", "what", "where" and "how" questions offer answers for our family's generations to come. 

These methods of preserving our family's story today will make it a cinch for others to come after us, realizing and getting a feel for not only who their ancestors were, but to be able to identify what their passions were during their lifetimes, or maybe how they walked their talk during their lives, plus did they find grace when they came together to "celebrate family". Or on the flip side - did they come together at all as a family, or did they grow to merely become related strangers?

At the present time, I believe telling our story is best accomplished by way of ensuring the preservation of our family's history NOW, while it is still unfolding, telling of those stories on  ordinary and the eventful times of our lives.

It comes to fruition and is realized when jotting down the words to form the story, and by expressing why such moments become cherished the way they are, also keeping the momentos and guarding precious photos for accompaniment. 

In these small things, if archived well for future preservation (acid and lignin free), when we eventually become "the roots" instead of our present day "foliage" of the family in generations to come, others can enjoy physically perusing the pages of our memories, and hopefully come to know and fully appreciate their family heritage. 


As they are perusing pages, each story but remains a mere part of the weaving in the spectacular to the mundane tapestries of our lives, all purposely tightly woven by loving hands. It's an incredible and tangible witness to behold, an eloquent pathway from story to story, as the years progress which we've trodden upon throughout the journey of our lives.

The end goal is to consider how we can not only display and preserve our tapestries, but also to keep alive those warm memories of loved ones near and far anytime we need to revisit there, all right at the tip of our fingers. This is where a photo book comes in handy for all.

Is it worth the effort?

Truth be told, I certainly can't speak for anyone else. I'm not entirely or exactly sure if all those gifted this year with the 16 various photo albums, (created just for them) feel as deeply as I do about this passionate topic of mine.

I do know when making each original copy, I never once saw them as "just a gift project" for me to feel led to create, they were often emotional walks found in the depths of memorable moments, even seconds in some instances, for those I was able to capture through the lens of my camera. 


It's definitely in those steady heartbeat rhythms while waltzing back into the past where I can freeze time forever if desired, and to savor those memories for as long as I wish. 

Even before hitting the completion buttons, they fast became perfect tangible keepsakes to sustain and ignite my own memories, of another time, of an event, all those now already found behind lurking sweetly in the past.

All the photos books I was able to create before the bold deadlines on the calendar for either gifting or shipping for gifts, became golden, keepsakes whereby we were able to purchase our own duplicate copies for safely placing them lovingly upon the family bookshelf, always visible and at hand for reviewing and remembering the together times and the events which evidently ushered in pivotal moments in our family's history for generations to have records of in years to come.
 

In keeping with the preservation of the family's history, and as a brand new year is upon us, I hope with all my heart to place a bug in your ear, asking all of my readers this important question. I'll just go ahead and throw this out there;

How are you preserving your family's history?

Where are your photos?

Have you begun to write your own personal stories, those worth passing along for another generation down the line?

Keep in mind baby steps are important to large tasks, perhaps only work on a small stack of photos each day, offering in total only a few days a week, until eventually your own "story" is completely documented and accomplished.

Here are two previous blog posts below you can click onto to read more about this passionate topic I'm imploring you to begin your own path to jumping on the bandwagon with me. Forgive me though, for I know I am filled with an overbearing enthusiasm, nevertheless always hoping it becomes contagious and your tapestry needles get into your hands in the weeks to come.

• My first online attempt at photo books

• Scrapbooking your family's faith

Photography "color" questions answered

Julie said;

Wow - you photos are great. I loved your mug, and your happy wall idea, and ... well, all of it really!
How do you get the colours so vibrant? My photos always look a little dull.

and...

Justine said;

Excellent post, Renee! I did a collage years ago, but never mounted it. I think it is time to do this in my new house! Thanks for the idea. :o))

Yes, and ditto to the vibrant colour question. I know my camera does 'things', but i have no clue what to do other than to point and shoot. I know there are things like huffing on the lens to soften the look, but what other tricks or settings can you explain to dummies? :o)




Dear Julie and Justine;

A small disclaimer;

Ladies, I am by no means someone who can offer you professional advice. That said, I continually seek to better myself as an amateur photographer.

I am my family's historian, memory keeper, and fun seeker. :)

Here's a whole bunch of hints and tips for both of you, hopefully all good things to pass along. I'll even share all my dud photos with you here. :)

Admittedly I too was surprised, almost shocked myself to see how vibrant the color really was on many of my photos shown here, especially once I had hard copy prints made, or was able to view them in my photo album I made for my husband.

Before that I could only view them from the lens in my camera or on my computer. They looked good there (to me), but stunning and way better in print.

Go back to that last post where you saw my photos. Look closely. Notice something? How about all that color oozing out of my subjects? They help set the mood for the photo before evening shooting the picture.

Usually I do seek out the "colorful" in a photo possibility before snapping, color offered by way of something either natural or from the lighting present; ie... the pink boots, the colorful beach towel, scenery through the year, etc. but I do have several "edits" I may or may not use, that is if they compliment what look I'm trying to achieve.

A great photographer friend of ours admitted his use of using the software "photoshop" was a necessary advantage for optimal photos. I don't own that software myself but was shown the differences in his "super edited" photos, ones that look spectacular.

I'm using Flickr for a photo sharing ability and felt inferior for a while when noticing how "bright" and "vivid" many photos from photo artists were there, until I heard many did something, actually fully edited their pics.

If you click over and visit the "Pioneer Woman", she offered a tutorial about a year ago on using PhotoShop with her photos, the way she could produce such depth of color in her ranch animals, her scenery and her food for producing her cookbook. I remember reading the tutorial and thinking, wow, that looks like way too much work. I guess it becomes second nature after a while, though as I mentioned I don't own or us that software myself.

One thing I may find useful is learning all the features on my camera, like the "D-lighting" option on my Nikon camera.

This feature allows me to brighten up background lighting, or improve the natural light on a gloomy day within the photo. Here's an example;

Using D-lighting sometimes works against
the photo,
unless of course you much prefer the
brightness it can offer.

This particular setting doesn't always benefit a photo though, maybe making it TOO bright, but for those with shadows, poor lighting, people with window light behind them and such types of issues, this works well...when I remember to use it before uploading to my computer that is. :)

Once in a while I will use the "I'm feeling lucky" feature on my Picasa photo viewer, and there are times too when this just isn't a bonus, often brightening the light too much or the colors to make them look fake and stupid.

Another feature I'll try if need be is a "saturation" level, which gives depth to color but again, a photo's color can appear almost fluorescent and unnatural.

Even with bright colors, adding color saturation looks ridiculous.
My flash didn't do much for these either, so I was sunk to begin with.

My preference is to "soften" the outer edges or "sharpen" the grain, but only sometimes, depending on the photo.

Soften outer edges like above to offer a focal point

The sharpen feature helps poor lighting,
but obviously my flash didn't help me here.

Therefore, for most of my photos, I look for opportunity to have natural and bright lighting, the right view to capture the scene with sun behind or to one side.

I try to capture a mood, element or a thing just the right way.

Often times I *see* the photo in my head before placing the lens up to my eye, but then again, I have almost as many "duds" as I do good shots. Delete buttons are a good thing for me, everyone for that matter.

I follow the "The Art of photography" podcasts on itunes and when I heard him say for every great photo he snaps, he has to take 100 photos. I knew that was about right...LOL But for those like the colorful beach towel, I enjoy 50 great ones to 10 duds. Color and light are the key to begin with.

If your camera can handle an addition screw-on lens filter, go for it. A polaroid snap-on filter works wonders in summer and in snow/winter photo scenes. A colored filter can help infract light like nothing else.

Another accessory is a rubber screw on hood over the lens area. Its purpose is to cover extra unwanted sunlight. It especially allows for shooting photos directly towards the sun, eliminating the rays overhead that refract into the lens itself to ruin a good shot.

Study your manual and see what additional options or accessories your camera can handle. If you're a visual learner, why not google your camera by name and find additional information and tutorials online rather than hashing out and scratching your head over the accompanying manual's pages that might not make sense.

Check out links you find after a search. Maybe you'll be lucky and find something via Youtube. Why not try this option out?

Check out your flash settings,
and use your manual to discover
more about your camera.

Check out your flash.

Does it reach far enough to reach your subjects? If not, consider a replacement if allowable on your camera. An average of only six feet is the standard it seems for most focus and shoot cameras.

Flash, way too much flash that is...play with your settings

Play with the features allowable for use on your flash. For instance I have six features possible; delayed, night time, action, constant, none.. etc.

I have actually come to love using an SLR and not just everything automatic. My camera has manual setting ability, so I've found the manual a necessary education, blundering often and yet I'm beginning to find success these days.

My husband is an artist, a real artist unlike me (see last post, hehehe). He is a painter and has used various mediums over the years. He sees color and light in various forms I cannot, or have not, until he points out a better way.

With his itty bitty tutorials over the years, I can now find my options myself. He actually loves many of my shots and says, all is spot on. I like those compliments from my extra picky artist husband, grin, grin. He has already decided I need a better camera already, we'll see. I think picky artists like him should learn to pick up a camera of their own, don't you? :)

Most of all ; * Never* give up shooting photos, just keep snapping away and practicing for that is what makes one improve as a photographer.

Learn from those who use the same type of camera as yourself. Visit your camera sales store and pick their brains. Keep learning. Perhaps you can find a photographer club in your local area, a few courses or a mentor who will teach you everything they know. Lucky you!

Just learn all you can about your camera, read about artistic light impression possibilities (for light in photos, sunlight, moonlight, etc), and most of all -try, try, try again.

I hope something here helps. If you have any more questions, fire away. :)

Photography Surprises!

Yep, this is me, goofing off!

I've shared before how I've loved taking photos since I was a young child. I used my parents camera, remember the ones where you had to lick the bulb before slipping it into the flash clip area?

Oh yes, those were definitely "Kodak" days, in fact, it was a Kodak camera I used back then. Sweet! I wonder what happened to it anyway? Not sure.

Mimicking my daughter actually!

Anyway, the other day my husband about spilled his coffee all over his shirt and tie when he was reading the "Globe and Mail National newspaper" during a short break in the routine of his office hours. He called to let me know a few of MY photos were in the newspaper!

I was stunned and thrust into a frozen state, not sure what he was talking about...at first.

You see I've been uploading some of my favorite photos onto my "Flickr" site/folders" over the past year or more. I was alerted a few weeks ago about the "Globe and Mail" newspaper search for photographers using a winter scene as the focus for entry photos.

On a dare I submitted a few and thought no more about it, just happy to be able to submit, excited actually. And then, I was alerted to their new "Canadian City Street" theme and entered a few more. It was those photos my husband saw in the newspapers, in full color yet! Woohoo!

He tried to bring home a copy for me to see and keep as a momento of sorts but someone else had stolen it away. So I went online to view the photo entry slide show. Sure enough, there were my photos, twelve of them! You can view the slide show HERE.

And then, I submitted a few photos in their "beach" themed category and was notified all four entries were accepted. What fun this has become for me! No, sorry to say there is no remuneration involved, just credit for the photos featured in the newspaper and on the Flickr group page. It's all good though for me. I'm having a blast just being a part of this!

I love this little hobby of mine! :) It gives me much pleasure to snap photos of the normal to the weird. And I am forever indebted for the invention of the digital camera! I am.

I've come to appreciate how my photos can be used in unlimited and unique ways for gifting purposes, blessing another in both usual and sometimes unusual ways. Over Christmas I made 7 photo albums, 4 collage mugs, a mouse pad for my husband to use at work, and framed a few.

I experimented using both "Snapfish" and "Vista print" both which I've used before but not for making collage mugs and a mouse pad.


The photo album I created for my husband included 490 favorites, a photo portfolio of sorts.


They say every picture tells a story, and for him when viewing it, every photo did in fact tell a story recollected with deep inner emotion. You could say - he liked it! :) He actually loved it! So did I!


When one of the albums from "Snapfish" was due to arrive very late due to that severe storm in the North Carolina area, I was offered apologies and granted a surprise 50 reprint gratias offer.

Smiling to myself, I had a light bulb idea. I decided right there and then I would use the reprint offer to have a wonderful assortment of my favorite photos printed and I would use them in my craft room in a huge collage on one wall, to be deemed my "Happy Wall".


I just received them in the mail and can't wait to begin my project. Aren't they just so colorful and tell me, does looking at them even begin to make YOU smile?

I would like to encourage everyone to tuck their camera deep inside your purse, handbag, knapsack or keep it nearby at the very least. Grab it when life presents something that makes you smile, anything is fare game because it becomes a very deep and personal thing.

Take photos not only of people or animals, but of scenes before you, things, personal pleasures and allow those photos to stand the test of time when the next generation sifts through your personal belongings and says; "I wonder what she was thinking when she snapped this photo? I love the angle or I love the photo in general". It's your photo memory legacy folks.

So go ahead, check your batteries. Dump your memory card onto a disk to save what is already there. Buy an additional memory card to keep with your camera.

Snap away!

Take gazillions of photos. Savor the moments when something touches your heart. Delete the rest that aren't worthy of keeping. Oh the joy of a digital camera!

Least of all, please!

I would love to encourage you to just go ahead and - USE IT! Or... Lose it! Lose the memories. Lose the moment. Lose the precious personal thoughts as they disappear into thin air and no Kodak moment was sought, or savored for good.

Just for fun, I would like to share my newest photo creation with y'all, a very personal item that offers me continuous and repeated smiles.