5 posts tagged “nikon”

I could not choose between which yellow dress photos to post, so I posted both. 

There is a yellow glow seeping in between the cracks of my heavy drapes. It is sunshine, beautiful honey colored sunshine. Warm and crisp, bright and soft. I have huge windows on my home, I threw open my heavy dust soaked drapes and let the light pour in. My kitties Loved rolling back and forth in the beams, eventually falling asleep in the sunshine which was next to the toasty wood stove. They were happy. So was I. 

 I was chatting with my friend Heartshapedsky yesterday on the phone, she gave me an idea. I think I might try it. She was telling me how effective her new hula hoop was in her workout routine. Yes, I said hula hoop. It is not your kmart $5 hula hoop, it is a custom made weighted hula hoop, made for a hula hoop dance class. How much fun does that sound like? I think of my days on the playground and in PE, hula hoop spinning around my tiny body, listening to the two balls  swirl around inside, I always got the kinked one, I was never fast enough to get one of the new pretty sparkle ones. I still worked it though! My other fave on the playground was hopscotch. Tossing a pebble out over the numbered squares Jumping out avoiding the square the pebble fell into, and picking it up on the way back to the beginning. I also loved wall ball, one of those big red bouncy balls being hit against a large wall of the school. I loved the echo sound the ball made every time it was hit. I loved riding bikes, and playing hide and go seek, and tag, monkey bars, swings,  and... I loved playing.

So I was thinking, why did I stop? What was the reason I stopped playing? Did I stop because it was no longer cool to play when I hit junior high? Because my body started to grow quickly and I stopped playing because it was painful? Because I had no friends to play with? The answer is Yes. All three. 

I am now nearly 36 years old and I struggle to work out. "Work out" has become a bad word for most of us. A chore. It is not fun (although Heartshapedsky would disagree, she loves it, but she is taking hula hoop classes) I was thinking what would my day look like if I did not set time aside to work out, but to play. 

9am-dishes

10am- laundry

11am- clean bathroom

12pm- lunch

1pm-Play!

 

What would happen if I set time aside to go out and play? To hopscotch on the sidewalk for twenty minutes, to hula hoop, jump rope while singing "Cinderella dressed in Yella..." Could I invite friends over to play? set up play dates? What would someone think driving by my house seeing grown women playing hopscotch and laughing like we were still 10 years old? Would they stop the car and join in? 

My shopping list:

- hula hoop

- jump rope with the plastic beads on it

- sidewalk chalk

I wanna play!

1.flannel sheets fresh from the dryer, makes it hard to make the bed without climbing in
2. the way Ruby feels in my hands and the pull on my neck from her strap, out on a photowalk looking for beauty in everything
3. black and white photography, I love the ones that are mostly dark, I have not been able to shoot for black and white yet, I will make that a lesson this winter, because when everything is all shades of gray anyway, it is the perfect time to look at things in a dark and light sort of way
4. my bird feeders full of swarming tiny birds and my cat making those chatter jaw noises from the top of the cat tree
5. feeling very crafty lately, I like making little brooch thingies with vintage buttons
6. the smell of my house right now, I made lemongrass soap, I call it Polly's Poppy seed soap after my Granny who passed last year. It was her favorite soap and she gave me an old spice jar with poppy seeds in it for the soap. I mixed that small jar into my giant costco sized container. I like the sound it makes when I shake it.
7. hot coffee, that always has to make the list.
8. the carrot soup I made yesterday. It took almost three hours to make, but it was delicious!
9. a list of stuff to get at the craft store, I love the craft store!
10. I have bags of sorted buttons, the sound of them rubbing against each other is nice. I like the colors, the size, the designs, each one telling me humble stories of the past. A giant vulcanized rubber black button, bigger than a silver dollar,  with an anchor carved into it. The bottom half of the design has been rubbed away. What sailor wore this? what did he do that would make this wear mark on the button?
11. husband brought home a bonus check yesterday. Another bit of money to squirrel away for potential hard times. I don't want to waste that bit of money now and have him lose his job and wished I had it for a meal later.
12. baby sister coming by last night and showing me her new vintage clothing purchases. The bug has bit her. There is something about vintage clothes, they have a richness to them. They are different than anything you can find at the department store. They are unique and fun.
13. oversized sweatshirts and sweatpants, tall socks and slippers, tank tops and t-shirts under the sweatshirt. SO COZY!!!


My to do list today:
1. put laundry away from yesterday
2. put the washer stuff in dryer
3. clean kitchen up! I need more space in there!
4. make some more soap today

12.  

Yesterday I said what my monster was made of, now I will describe what My protector is made of.

• cheese
• over sized sweatshirts fresh from the dryer
• My Husband
• warmth from a fire
• hand made blankets
• kindness
• a smile form a stranger
• eye contact
• my camera
• red leaves on green grass
• yellow
• hot soup
• fresh apple crisp
• coffee
• guidance from unusual places
• trust
• love
• laughter
• mr. Obama
• happy tears
• lemons in my water
• tea with honey
• tea cups
• my home
• the sound of a flock of birds taking flight
• pizza from my favorite place
• the train whistle in the night
• textures of mushrooms
• nature
• trees
• kittens
• tall socks
• granny panties
• art
• crayons
• scrapbook paper
• being a homemaker
• the smell of fresh laundry
• jim henson
• the coen brothers
• books
• picture books
• music
• the sound of my brother playing guitar
• heart shapes (a sky even)
• clouds
• blue
• rain on my roof
• sudoku
• yoga
• wit
• colorful umbrellas
• lawns covered in leaves
• bare branches
  
• raspberries
• stripes
• polka dots
• lockets
• my wedding ring
• flannel sheets
• sunshine
• being in country where I have choices
• snarky waitresses
• the word comfort
• unplugging my phone
• donuts
• home made soap
• bananas
• photography
• popcorn
• finding things I need inside of me, like the Ruby slippers, I have had them all along
• animal crackers
• the scent of vanilla
• breathing
• green
• thick tights
• finding jeans that are long 
• Light
• open minds
• open hearts
• charity
• the smell of a frosty morning
  
• bread
• jam
• fresh farm produce
• organic farmers
• walking
• skipping
• teeter totters
• the woods
• vintage things
• stories told
• no bake cookies
• me

What are the things that insulate YOU, what protects YOU form your monster?

This is something I have a hard time with, focusing.
I ramble, I stray, I get distracted. Today I am shooting the newborn. Lily, was born yesterday. C section, Lily was too big to fit through the pelvic bone. She was over 9lbs. What was I talking about? Oh yeah, focusing!
I need to focus and really concentrate on the shot, SEE the background. Pay attention to more than the face. I hope she is in a room with a large window. My indoor lighting SUCKS!!!! I don't know lighting yet. I am hoping my class will teach me something.

My class starts in two weeks. Same teacher as I have had so far. I think I would benefit from a more structured class though, you see, he is rambley like me. This is not good for my education, but I like the guy personally, Nice Guy! Ha! My friend from the other classes is in this one as well. I am a part of a local photography group, they just adopted a once a month date to meet and learn from each other, critique class. I had to miss the first class for my nieces birthday party. But one of the gals in the group offered to pick me up for the next one. I am totally taking her up on that. I am going to put myself out there, I am sure these people are kind and will be so helpful. I want to learn, and I learn best from other people. I am also going to ask for someone to help me get to know my flash, I have no idea how that thing works. It frustrates me, so I dont use it. 

Ramble Ramble Ramble... what shall I say next...
well, maybe goodbye for now, I need to shower, I am offensive.

Compliment of the day:
Lavender, You are a good pet owner
Thanks You Me! I try very hard.

Mr. Lavender has given me a two cat limit, I have three.
We take the best care of our lovely kittens that we can. They are each wonderful cats in their own way and they are all little shits. They do not get along. I did not capture a good photo of Helios, she is my 15lb orange and white tabby, she is a total cranky bitch and I love every ounce of piss and vinegar. We have had her for 9 and a half years. Then there is Mr. Bones, he is old. I found him almost dead in someone's garden on a photowalk one day, and I could not let him die alone. I knew he was a neighborhood stray as we used to feed him on the back porch. I brought him home a few weeks after the passing of my other  cat Twilight (XO, I still miss her, she died when all the pet food was being recalled Grrrrr) Mr. Bones is much better now, he gained a few pounds and has trained us quite nicely. His back legs are pretty messed up, he cannot jump or climb, he can barely walk. He Rows when he wants up on the couch and we pick him up, he lounges on the couch all day. And we come to Luna(tic), I fell victim to the "free kitten" sign. She climbed up to my neck and would not let go, she found a home. She LOVES to play, if anything moves it is her prey. I love them all so much.
Since we lost our sweet twilight last year during the cat food recall thing, we decided to make our own cat food. Helios lost a few pounds and became less cranky, Mr. Bones began to heal, and luna is coming up on two years and is barely mellowed. We use all organic local ingredients. Expensive, but our cats are healthy and we know they are not eating poison.


Now I would like to wish HOMEBODY A VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!
May today and the next year bring you Joy, Love, happiness, candy, hugs, goodness, kindness, light, cupcakes, purrs from kittens, safety, comfort, sweetness, music, dance, cotton candy, poetry, and much much more!!!
I have an old book that used to be my great grandmothers, it is called "Fortune Telling Birthday Book" she wrote peoples names and years they were born in this book, I was the last name she recorded inside before she passed. I have taken over, recording my own friends and family inside. Your Birthday Fortune reads:
you have an abundance of natural ability and with your mind made up, can accomplish much. You are impulsive and your intuition is more apt to be correct than your careful reasoning. You like social life and have many enjoyable interests outside of your home.

Enjoy Your DAY!!!