Archive for Month: December, 2010
From Our Family to Yours
“Our hearts grow tender with childhood memories and love of kindred, and we are better throughout the year for having, in spirit, become a child again at Christmas-time.”—Laura Ingalls Wilder
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#reverb {d 19} | Weekly Winners
December 19 – HEALING.
What healed you this year? Was it sudden, or a drip-by-drip evolution? How would you like to be healed in 2011?(Prompt Author: Leoni Allan)
Light is healing. I believe that it’s always had the power to heal a person’s soul. When days are dark, and sadness creeps, a few precious moments of light has the power to erase the gloom. Light—it heals me daily. Light shines into my soul and helps me to wipe away all the aches of worry and sadness. Light allows me to extend my passions into the world. Light fills up the room with laughter. Light shows kindness to others. Light twinkles in eyes and allows dreams to be born, to grow, to exist.
I only wish for the this healing light to shine and to continue to shine upon me (and mine) in the new year.
#reverb {d 14, 15, 16, 17, 18}
December 14 – APPRECIATE.
What’s the one thing you have come to appreciate most in the past year? How do you express gratitude for it? (Prompt Author: Victoria Klein)
We had three kids in three years. I don’t really remember them as individual toddlers/pre-schoolers. It’s sad, but I don’t remember it very well. We were so busy and so caught up in the day-to-day going and growing, that I just don’t remember it like I should—like I want to.
Having David later in life, though, has really given me an appreciation for this phase of his childhood. He’s so full of innocence and wonder; he amazes me on a daily basis. His mind is open and learning. His body is always in motion and free. His trust in all of us is infinite and touching. And, through him, I am reminded that our other children were like this, too. So open, so free, so trusting.
Words can not describe my gratitude. Being the best mother I can be, to them, expresses it, but who can know if it will ever be enough?
December 15 – 5 MINUTES.
Imagine you will completely lose your memory of 2010 in five minutes. Set an alarm for five minutes and capture the things you most want to remember about 2010. (Author: Patti Digh)
A stretch hug.
The morning smiles from a certain little boy.
The angelic singing that comes from my daughter’s heart.
My oldest son just needing a hug.
The impeccable comedic timing of my funny thirdborn son.
The unmistakable smell of NYC.
The taste of the best $4.00 ever spent at the meat truck outside the Hilton.
How it feels to walk down a NYC street in a dress and high heels.
The fiery colors of autumn.
Toes in the sand.
How it feels to jump into water on a hot summer day.
Laying on the trampoline while kids jump around me.
Filling our house with friends, drinking, laughing.
That first few minutes of Yoga class.
The feeling of euphoria as I captured images at Center Stage.
The sweat dripping off me at Centennial Park.
Eyes connecting.
Friends embracing each other.
Making new friends while keeping the old.
Eating pizza on the floor of a hotel room at BlogHer.
Cake.
Coffee.
Ice cream sundaes.
My camera and the way it sounds as I snap.
December 16 – FRIENDSHIP.
How has a friend changed you or your perspective on the world this year? Was this change gradual, or a sudden burst? (Author: Martha Mihalick)
I have witnessed friends do so much (SO MUCH) for each other this year. The beautiful thing that I have come to realize is that it’s always been like this. I remember seeing it through the years on bulletin boards, and now I see it through Twitter and our wonderful Blogosphere. Friends can change lives. Friends have made me believe in the goodness of mankind in a world riddled with despair and hurting.
December 17 – LESSON LEARNED.
What was the best thing you learned about yourself this past year? And how will you apply that lesson going forward? (Author: Tara Weaver)
The best thing that I learned about myself is that despite not finishing college, or even going to college for photography, that I can be a success. I. Can. Be. Successful. Because, this is a passion of mine, and because I am doing what I love, it really doesn’t matter if I have a degree. I am who I am, and I do what I do, with one foot in front of the other.
December 18 – TRY.
What do you want to try next year? Is there something you wanted to try in 2010? (Author: Kaileen Elise)
Simply put: I have ideas. There are those projects that I want to work on. In 2010 I have given them thought. In 2010 I have talked about them with others. But, in 2010 I have not gone forward. In 2011 I will. I…
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When giving gifts I don’t like to give them all willy-nilly. If I’m going to give a gift to someone I want it to be meaningful and thoughtful.
A couple years ago we gave my parents Riverdance tickets at a well-known theater in downtown Buffalo. They, like many parents, are hard to buy for because they have everything they need or want. This was one gift that they really loved, and after all these years they still remember it. Giving the gift of memories is my favorite kind of gift to give. If I’d given them a sweater or a handbag (or something equally simple and mundane) I’m positive that they wouldn’t remember [that gift] as much.
Another gift that goes down as one of my favorite that I have ever given was what I gave Michael last year. I had remembered how fond he was of Scotch, but I didn’t know what kind to get for him. I asked a few Scotch aficionados, but I really wanted to get the particular brand he’d told me about on a trip he’d taken to the Cayman Islands.
I went out to the garage, where he was building shelves:
“So, I was chatting with ‘my girls’ on Skype and one of them wants to buy her husband some Scotch for Christmas. What was that kind you liked?” I asked Michael.
“There are a lot of good Scotches. But, the one that I liked was called The Glenlivet,” he reminded me with his answer.
BINGO! Even though he guessed that I got him the Scotch, before Christmas morning, he still cherished it (and still does—on occasion—as it’s still not gone.) And, for the record, I’m totally not bitter that his gift to me trumped mine. It’s all about the meaning and thoughtfulness of the gift.
Too, when it comes to the kids, we make sure that we are getting them something that will be special to them. There isn’t a lot of money to spend, per child, this year, so we make sure that it’s something that they can use, something they actually want, and something that speaks to their heart.
Speaking to the heart….that’s the true meaning of Christmas and giving.
*More info about Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C):
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-2 tickets to a movie premiere on Saturday, January 22nd — movie TBD
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Picture It Outside of the Box {Week 8}
Thank you to Jen, Jenty, Tara, Jodi, Nikowa, Sarah, and Lotus for participating in the “Picture It Outside The Box: Holidaze” challenge!
The challenge for {Week 7} of “Picture It Outside of the Box” is:
{Fun With Bokeh}
Lotus recently posted how to have some fun with bokeh on her blog via one of her #reverb10 posts. Her submission for the “Holidaze” prompt was actually from that post and the inspiration for this challenge.
{The following is directly from Lotus’ blog.}
You’ll need:
- black posterboard or construction paper
- tape (black is a bonus, but regular works)
- cutting implement like x-acto knives, scissors, shape punchers
- optional: lens hood
- recommended: your sense of wonder!
If you’re using a lens hood, trace a circle around it on your black paper. If you’re using your lens straight up, CAREFULLY trace a circle around it on your black paper. Cut out your circle.
Next, you want to draw and then cut a small shape (about 1/2 inch, or 15-20mm) from the middle of your circle. If your shape is too big, you get poor results. Popular shapes include hearts, stars, and crosses. You can get creative here, and that is part of the fun.
Be very careful with your shape – clean lines, no tears, clearly shaped and cut. This is easier to do with x-acto knives or shape punchers than with scissors.
If you are using a lens hood, tape your black circle carefully to it, making sure to block out all light around the edges. Attach your hood to your lens.
[Note: if your hood is too far from your lens, your results may suffer. Closer to lens = better. Another method is putting your paper circle inside a lens filter ring. This also eliminates need for tape. Experiment to see what works best for you!]If you are using your lens with no hood, cut a strip of black paper to wrap around the lens, about 1 inch wide, like a cuff. Tape that shut on the lens, and tape your circle to that, so it sits in front of your lens. This must be flush, no light leaks!
PLAY WITH THE LOVELY BOKEH. SMILE. REPEAT.
I did this one year with heart shapes, and I can’t wait to play some more, because I had totally forgotten how to do this. Lotus reminded me, and I wanted to pass it along in a challenge.
This particular challenge will open through the new year, as the Picture It Outside Of The Box challenge takes a break over Christmas.
When it comes back there will be an awesome announcement with a new project that will DEFINITELY be awesome (believe me!)
Until then…. have fun playing with “the lovely bokeh”.
Oh! And, don’t forget that there’s still time to win 1,000 Free Business Cards!
{Click: Merry Christmas: 1,000 Free Business Cards}
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