xo

xo

“We honor them because they chose to defend us, and they died in that defense. We honor them because they chose to serve, even if it was unpopular or dangerous. We honor them because their blood purchased our freedom.” – Bob Livingston

read the great full article here

i love remembering.

sometimes i am guilty of thinking about things in the past that were sad & painful, but i guess we all think of those memories at times right? i reach to them a lot when i am writing my poetry and stories as they are a fantastic means for true emotion.

anyway, today is going to be a hot day & summer makes me extra nostalgic.

oh the memories! (again, not all good ones. like, well, my “fat” summer, the summer my teen boyfriend left me for good,  the summer most everyone was 21 except me! the summer i got fired from the library, oh wait… that is a good memory)

try to lean back today, close your eyes (even if just for a moment) and think of some of your favorite memories.

the sort that draw a smile on your face that makes you look like you’re up to something…

… and who knows, maybe you are.

xo

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ps the picture above is from a 2009 road trip we took to Tennessee, and then i put the fun polaroid and texture on it via picnik.com

a couple weeks ago i really thought the cold weather was coming to an end.

i was all “hello sun!” & “howdy flowers!”

but i was a fool. a fool i say!

because yesterday i went to TJMaxx wearing leggings & tshirt & ballet flats and a spring coat & i was FAH-REEEZING walking in. and then again…. walking out.

i know that may sound odd, like, why didn’t i check the weather before i left. well, i did and it said it was going to be 57 or something so i felt like my outfit was very appropriate. & i have an attached garage so i don’t exactly know what it feels like until i am exiting my car at my destination. of course i could step outside a moment before getting in my car, or else go check the mail or say hi to a neighbor, but when i have TJMaxx to get to, i’m sorta like a cop in high pursuit. i don’t speed or anything, just extremely determined. and i wear aviators.

so anyway, i’m just really tired of this weather. today is worse then yesterday actually, just as cold and not a smidgen of sun.

i want to go to the beach so bad.

or at least play in the sun.

that’s the main reason i want to move south. i just can’t imagine living the rest of my life in utter coldness for half the year. – not. gonna. do. it.

ok, well, other than this ughhed weather, life is pretty good. my sister is about to pop any day now (she’s having a baby girl), my gum infection is getting better, i bought a super cute eyelet top yesterday, nugget wants me to hold his hand when i sit by him on the couch (heart puddle), and i think my husband is going to bring dinner home since i texted him that i would really appreciate it if he brought dinner home. fingers crossed.

have a lovely friday!

xo

xo

i started feeling better later last week. i really hit a low after the stem cell donation. i got home friday (march 5th) and the following saturday, sunday and monday i pretty much was crying throughout the day and had no idea why.

i’ve been given a few theories, one of them being that it could have been a side effect of the anesthesia. all i know is that it definitely was connected to the process because i felt that way immediately after it & then it faded &  i was right back to my super sunny self! ok, mildly pleasant self with an extra dash of annoying sarcasm in honor of  lost time.

i’m even wearing yellow pants today just to show off. & to confuse young and old alike, preferably at the same time.

so i had a photo session with my niece yesterday & i am really smitten with the turn out.

this was my first session with my new camera, my Olympus epl1 & although i was frustrated with it at times, i am committed to making our relationship work. i wish i could say it’s because i am just so  driven but really it’s cuz i’m way too lazy to camera shop again.

& because it is a red flag when you start dreaming about purchasing the perfect  camera & wake up dizzy & semi-angry when it all hits you that it was just a dream, but it felt so real!

and i really do love the camera, so i don’t want to let it go.  i just need to be more patient, and i don’t have patience for technology. i am not a gentle soul with technology. i’m more of a “who’s that crazy lady wrestling her camera?“  i’m working on that.

today was  65, so me & nugget went to the park asap. the wind was blowing all around & though it thoroughly tangled my hair, i did love  it so.

i am very excited for lovely weather.

xo

xo

xo

my first practice shot with soft focus.

my second practice shot, this is right about when i started falling in love with soft focus. the sunlight was not even that great, yet it created a very luminous, gentle photograph.

a close up in soft focus.

just testing the clearity with completely still objects. again, the lighting was not ideal. i took this in auto, no special focus.

nugget loves to line things up. it's adorable. he lined up his cars and then proceeded to watch television with them. again, this shot was taken in auto only.

me, taking a picture of myself with my new camera in soft focus. i did this with my other two cameras too. i'm very sentimental that way. plus, it's a great way to keep track of each new hair-do as i grow with my cameras. oh, and the dress is not a nod to the weather, yeah right! i picked it out while playing dress up and decided to snap a pic before i had to put on my two pairs of pajama bottoms & grizzly bear robe.

nugget wanted me to take his pic after he caught me taking my own in the mirror. so without further ado or any pride, here is nugget, his fake cheese smile and my messy bathroom vanity.

this was in soft focus and low light, but he wasn't moving.

this was taken in auto only. very crisp and true to color. he was not moving though, i was dealing with a lot of blur with movement which concerns me. but it was a high ISO due to bad lighting.

practicing with the flash. i left it on soft focus, i started getting addicted to soft focus. this was taken in a very dark room.

i took a picture of my ring. this wasn't on macro. soft focus AGAIN!

so, last week my brand new camera arrived in a partially opened Fedex box.

i was very nervous.

just a couple months prior, i was over the moon when i ordered the Fuji HS10 but i had to send it back three days after getting it because it wasn’t what i thought it would be. and that taught me a valuable lesson, before you expend all that energy flying around for something, how about waiting until you actually get it.

so, this time, after placing my order, i sat very composed at my computer and didn’t even smirk, cuz a smirk can lead into a smile and a smile can turn into laughter and then laughter can make you dance and then dancing with a running start is well… flying…. so i didn’t want to risk it.

ok, maybe that’s a big fat lie.

i couldn’t help but be excited, but only in a “we’ll see” sorta way. a more cautious-excitement, if you will. like a blind date feeling. you’re excited but refuse to get too happy until you actually see him in person rather than his best photo from seven years ago that he gave your friend.

well, i actually am having a lot of fun with this camera. and am happy to say that i am going to keep it.

the pros so far: great image quality, art filters that really make a difference, great zoom,  3fps burst (3 frames per second),  HD video, fantastic size

the cons so far: sometimes slow to focus, blurry pictures with lots of movement.  but, these test shots were in poor lighting so i want to test movement shots in better lighting.

so, it’s a keeper!

i’m very excited to take it places this year, in the sun!

xo

hello everyone.