New Year's Eve

As I look forward to midnight, already hearing the neighbor's fireworks, it's exciting to ponder a new year. For me, I want to be sure to make 2008 a year of gratitude and love. I have so much to be thankful for...

Happy New Year, one and all!

Thank God for Christmas!

This year Christmas has been so full of so many special gifts. Here are a few:

• Much of my family is close by and we enjoy being together - especially at Christmas - over a puzzle that's too hard for one but just right for all of us; over Christmas cookies that looked horrible last year and pretty fantastic this year;


• Health and happiness - what rich blessings!


• Mom and Dad - how special each day is with them!


• My sister who looks great in majorette boots - tassles or fringe - she wears them both well. And the new tiara that just finishes the outfit. For my brother-in-law who loves her.


• My nephews - so different and so wonderful.


• Great niece and nephew - thanks to my much older sister.


• My boy - the Yorkie - a 12 year old sweetie!
• My sweet friends - all so unique - who add so many dimensions to my life!
• And a Christmas magnolia flower on my baby magnolia tree!

In the hustle of the trips to the airport and videos from Tahoe and brunches and Christmas cookies and puzzles and 1st grade Santas, I pause and look at my Nativity and remember the real Gift of love - the greatest love story of all times. I pray I never forget it or lose sight of it.

Amen!

Resting Up

Sometimes things land in your email and you simply have to share. Is this precious, or what? This must be the real Santa resting up for the big night!

If you're interested in tracking Santa, Norad will help....

The Christmas Spirit

What a great shot of some of my favorite things - beautiful children and a bulldog! I didn't take this picture but I would love to spend some time with them and see what I could do! Merry Christmas to all and may your holidays be joyful!

Senoia Candlelight Tour of Homes

Sunday evening was the annual tour of homes in Senoia. What a beautiful little village! The homes are always beautifully restored and decorated. I would love to have one of those old homes but I'm afraid I would need a staff to keep it clean and to help pay for it...

Christmas Spirit - Enjoy

Remember to scroll down and turn off Bach before starting the video. This one is fabulous! Enjoy as you plan for Christmas!

Deck the Halls

I love Christmas! In fact, when I retire, it may be Christmas all year round at my house. People can just talk about the crazy lady with the Christmas trees up in August! Can't wait!

Precious

My blog is a happy place! So in honor of a great little animal who passed away Monday, I'll share a bit about what Precious' life showed me. First of all, this photo is Precious and her human at my last birthday party. She and her Mom were the hostesses. Precious looked terrific in her hat - always quite the lady.

She reminded me to love family always and unconditionally; to stay close to them; not to whine or complain; to love life and find joy in every minute.

In Precious, God gave Celia a great gift and a lifetime of "precious" memories. God bless Precious and Celia!

Celia sent me this once - how true----

Inner Strength

If you can start the day without caffeine,

If you can get going without pep pills,

If you can always be cheerful, ignoring aches and pains,

If you can resist complaining and boring people with your troubles,

If you can eat the same food every day and be grateful for it,

If you can understand when your loved ones are too busy to give you any time,

If you can take criticism and blame without resentment,

If you can ignore a friend's limited education and never correct him,

If you can resist treating a rich friend better than a poor friend,

If you can conquer tension without medical help,If you can relax without liquor,

If you can sleep without the aid of drugs,..

Then You Are Probably The Family Dog!

November Sunday Afternoon

I almost waited too late to get the autumn leaves at Mom and Dad's. Here are the last ones of the year. I love Sundays!

Blue Ridge

This past weekend we went on our annual mountain adventure. Here's a shot of Fightingtown Creek in Blue Ridge, GA. Our cabin sits on this creek. North Georgia in November is a sight to behold!

God's Smile

I wasn't the lucky photographer to capture this shot - but I wish I had been. God's Smile - I love it!

Halloween Creatures

In this shot you will find the world's biggest Florida gater fan and the devil. Adorable, aren't they! By the way, the devil (Gater Hater) has doubled in size in four weeks! Go dawg!

Why One Should Keep One's Camera with One at All Times and Should Keep One's Windshield Clean

My latest favorite shot.....

What a Beautiful World

My Boy

Yesterday was Mom's birthday and we spent it at Judy's house. My boy just loves her creek and heads there as soon as we arrive. Isn't he adorable? (And I'm not partial....)

Happy Birthday, Mom!

A thought - St. Teresa's Prayer

May today there be peace within. May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be. May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith. May you use those gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you....May you be content knowing you are a child of God....Let this presence settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love. It is there for each and every one of us.

The Beautiful Beauty Berry

Before the mockingbirds eat them and while the other flowers snuggle up beside them, I had to get a shot of my fabulous beauty berries. Yet again, another reason why I love Autumn!

Proud Baby Dawg Mom

Dana's Gift

When you work hard, good things come your way. Dana was surprised this weekend to get her newest baby, a six-week old English Bulldog named Gator Hater. What a great dawg!

Goodbye Summer!

I love autumn! And as we welcome the shorter, cooler, beautiful days of fall, we bid farewell to our favorite summer joys. If I had to pick one favorite summer flower, it would have to be the thistle - I am a bit Scottish on Mom's side so this really makes sense. When I do happen across one, usually on the side of the road, I always want to stop and take in the wonder of such weed foliage and such a magnificent flower. There's a story there for sure.

Here's a lovely poem to usher summer into our dreams and autumn into our days....

THISTLE-DOWN
Johnson, E. Pauline

Poem is in the public domain.. -
Ce poème est du domaine public.


BEYOND a ridge of pine with russet tips
The west lifts to the sun her longing lips,
Her blushes stain with gold and garnet dye
The shore, the river, the wide far sky ;
Like floods of wine the waters filter through
The reeds that brush our indolent canoe.
I beach the bow where sands in shadows lie ;
You hold my hand a space, then speak good-bye.
Upwinds your pathway through the yellow plumes
Of goldenrod, profuse in August blooms,
And o'er its tossing sprays you toss a kiss ;
A moment more, and I see only this--
The idle paddle you so lately held,
The empty bow your pliant wrist propelled,
Some thistles purpling into violet,
Their blossoms with a thousand thorns afret,
And like a cobweb, shadowy and grey,
Far floats their down--far drifts my dream away.

Princess Butterfly

Doesn't this butterfly look like a princess to you? There's something regal about something so beautiful.







This shot was taken at Callaway Gardens by a friend of mine. Don't miss the ladybugs!







This one is mine.

They Make My Heart Sing

Today, after lunch with my family, I sat in my sunroom reading Water for Elephants. The book is good but not good enought to keep my mind off of what was all around me. I had squirrels, nuthatches, chickadees, cardinals, woodpeckers, hummingbirds, mourning doves, juncos, Carolina wrens, blue jays, brown thrashers, titmice, and even a precious chipmunk. I did far more watching than reading and finally went for my camera. This shot is the squirrel claiming the nut feeder for his very own. He sat there most of the afternoon daring any of the birds or other squirrels to get near it. Worked on me as well. I took a couple of pictures and left the boy alone. I love Sundays!

PS - The book is excellent!

Precious!

You probably will want to go to the bottom of this page and pause Bach while you watch this adorable little girl...I don't know her but I wish I did!

Doug Goes Diving

These pictures are unbelievable to me. There is a remarkably beautiful world out there in the ocean!


Doug went to Bonaire in the Netherlands Antilles. Looks like a fabulous trip to me!

What Big Ears You Have....

Doug took this shot last night in Judy's back yard. Who needs flowers, right? Happy Birthday Judy!

School Stuff Slide Show

This album is powered by BubbleShare - Add to my blog

Ponder and Reply: This Door.....

For this exercise, this shot taken in Barcelona by my nephew represents our class. Considering your comfort and familiarity with your camera, your manual, course resources, your blog, the shots you have taken, the responses from your families - have you flung the door open, run through and seized the day or are you still on the outside, struggling to open the door and peek through? Please let me know your thoughts........

I have baby cardinals

Just had to share...

Isn't Rain a Beautiful Thing!

If you live in the southern US, you know how we haven't been seeing too much rain lately. Severe draught, water restrictions, ya-da-ya-da-ya-da.

So yesterday we had 2 inches of rain and the humans are happy, the grass is happy, the frogs are happy, and the flowers are happy!

You can't really beat all that happiness - and thankfulness!

The Fox Theatre - Atlanta

From the time I was a little, little girl, I remember going to the Fox. Story has it that when I was about 18 months old, I got away from Mom and Dad and ran laughing and screaming around the orchestra section with Dad in hot pursuit. Now I am a volunteer usher and I love every minute that I can be in this Atlanta treasure.

This shot would have been better if I hadn't been driving - making a right off Ponce onto Peachtree - at the time. I don't recommend getting this shot this way!

Ponder and Reply (1) if You Want to Share

I took this photo in the strength and conditioning room of the Butts-Mehre Building at UGa. Disregarding the crazy angle and the fact that I took a picture of a sign, does it say anything to you about photography?

When you took your camera off the auto setting, how many black shots did you get before you figured out what was wrong?

You tried to read the manual and it read like a Greek technoguide.....then what?

Blog!@#$% Is this woman crazy...I'm too old/young/pick your own adjective to blog!

Furthermore, am I attempting to make photography a spiritual experience and ram something down your throat?

OK - Is that enough raw meat to evoke a response from you? If so, please leave a comment.....

P.S. GOOOOOOOOOOO Dawgs!

Boys and Fishing

There's a song called "God Loves to Talk to Boys When They're Fishing." I think of it when I enjoy these pictures. Something about the black and white makes me able to hear the song better in my head.....

Will a Dragonfly show up here?

Well, one doesn't know these things until one tries - so here's one of my favorite dragonflies. You know you've been on the bridge a long time when the dragonflies start posing for you. I guess with every minute that passed I looked less and less like a predator.

New Photo Class Starts

My Intermediate Digital Photography class has begun at GYSTC and is off to a great start! I have some very promising photographers involved in the class. We are sharing our photos through our blogs.

So what are we doing? We are pondering what we love and taking lots of pictures of those things. We're experimenting and getting creative. We're taking hundreds of pictures and deleting most of them. We are taking chances with manual settings coupled with a bit of knowledge, curiosity, and daring - hoping for that great shot....

Here are a couple of my recent efforts.

By the way, like the new look? Since 99% of my photos are taken outdoors, I changed to a more outdoorsy style. Like my hair, my blog is subject to change without notice!

Great Photo Weekend!

I got in the way of some super stuff this weekend!

Summer Reading

So nice to have time to read just for the fun of reading. I just finished The Land of Mango Sunsets by Dorothea Frank. I met the author a few weeks ago at a reading/signing and she was delightful. I love her characters and her stories she weaves in this book. Actually, she just reminds us to live and love because not much else really matters! Betsy, do NOT buy this book - you have a birthday coming....

One Year From Today!

I retire ONE YEAR FROM TODAY! :)

New Camera

I got a new camera for Mother's Day - THAT BUSTER! I love it!!!! Stay tuned for new pictures!