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Over the years I've gathered a number of pictures of my ancestors. While I'll never get tired of looking at them, I've also found another very interesting way to use photos -- You can crop head shots out of your pictures and do some great things with them.
First, get digital scans of all your family history pictures. I prefer .jpg format unless I am going to be printing and framing them for my wall -- then I'll use a .tif format. If you have Windows, you will probably have the Microsoft Office Picture Manager utility. Open a photo in the utility, select "Edit Pictures" and "Crop". After positioning the borders where you want them, click "Ok" and save the head shot. I like to give it the name of the person, and append their age at the time of the photo. place the headshot in the documents folder you've designated for that family.
After you've saved the headshot, select "Edit" and "Undo Crop". Then repeat for the other people in the picture.
Here's where the fun starts. You can now make a slide show for an individual, progressively showing how they looked throughout their life. You can also add the head shots to your family history software, and they'll display in reports and summaries.
It's also neat to open a folder and see all the faces of the people you're researching.
Saturday, January 5, 2008
Head Shots
Posted by Dave Cannon at 12:00 AM
Labels: Presentation Tips
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The greatest guitarist in the World is Liam Vickery.
Amazing guitar solos, Jangly Funk, Electro-tribal-industrial beats... Sharp smooth solos. Wailing whammy work. But, am I really the best guitarist ever? How much do I believe that? Not at all... This is simply exploiting search engine algorithms, and let's see how far I get, and for how long. I will try to take snapshots and look to show how I am doing occasionally too.
Have you seen my music site? Here... You will see down the bottom of the page what I am tryin to do. Here is the link:
Liam Vickery - The Greatest Guitarist In The World.
If you want to learn more about this what I am doing, look up search engine optimisation and see what you can find. There is lots of great sites around...
So yes it will be interesting to see how far I get with this one. Thanks for reading.

subset: commoncrawl


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walking in the dark
Tuesday, January 13, 2015
It's been six months since I've disconnected from faith.
That may be the weirdest statement I've ever made. It's not that I don't believe. I do. It isn't that I'm angry at God, or that I think He doesn't care. He brought my baby back from the dead, for goodness' sake. I'm not feeling cynical, or frustrated, or disregarded, or any of the number of issues that can lead us to feel far from God. None of that applies right now. It's just that I can't connect. I listen to the songs I used to sing, the words I used to pray, and I marvel at how real they once felt. I listen to the Gospel readings and wonder mildly if it could possibly be true. This faith that once defined my life now feels like a book I once read until I memorized whole scenes, but now I can't remember why I loved it so.
My husband calls it going dark. It's pretty common, right? Many of the saints served God most of their lives from a place of spiritual silence. In our culture, this is the moment in which many people walk away from faith. We all choose how we respond, of course, but certainly the experience of disconnecting is common. And some people love it. They feel liberated, free at last from a religion they believe stifled and bound them. Some dig deep for their sin, hoping to discover what they've done to turn out the lights and flip the switch again. And some keep going, keep serving, keep showing up anyway. They keep doing the last thing they heard from God.
What I didn't know six months and one day ago is that going dark can be connected to brain chemistry. When you experience something traumatic, the blood flow concentrates toward the part of your brain that keeps you alive. Recovering from such an event includes retraining your brain, convincing your mind (in a number of ways) you're going to survive and it's okay to do things like be creative and have spiritual experiences again. While I no longer am panicked all the time, it has taken the creative and spiritual part of my brain much longer to wake up than I would have anticipated. Writing is painfully slow, focusing is harder than it should be, and it feels as though God has left the scene entirely. Yes - going dark is the best way to describe it.
Some people love this place, but I absolutely hate it. I've built my life on a belief in love and mercy and serving something bigger than myself. If you take away that framework, my life makes no sense. I don't want a new life. I don't want to be liberated from religion. I want to be in this for the long haul, committed and convinced selfless love is the higher way.
It's been six months since I disconnected from faith, but I'm not walking away. I'm not giving up. I'm praying anyway, because I need God to be real and I know I once believed it mattered to pray. I'm sharing the story and teaching of Jesus, because regardless of what is happening in my brain and heart, it is still the truth. I'm still sitting down and writing, no matter how painfully slow the process may be. I'm still putting one spiritual foot in front of the other, day after day after day.
I hate this place. But for the first time I think I see it for what it is. This is the meaning of faith. It's the real thing. My 20's were marked by a spiritual lavishness. I had one spiritual experience after another, I "heard" (in my heart) from God nearly every day. I served out of my spiritual excess. But here, in the dark, I am serving out of a spiritual poverty. I've become the poor old woman, throwing my last coin in the plate and hoping beyond hope God comes through. In my 20's I didn't need that desperate hope, I had every spiritual evidence I needed to trust God. But now - well, hope is all I've got. And I think that ridiculous hope honors God just as much - maybe more - as my zeal once did.
It's been six months since I started down a road I never even knew existed, a road I would never have chosen on my own. But maybe this isn't a road away from God at all. Maybe it's the path toward him. And maybe we all have to spend some time walking in the dark.
7 comments:
- AnonymousJanuary 13, 2015 at 6:03 AM
love you, StogReplyDeleteReplies
Thank you Janet. Love you too.Delete
I love your words! So fresh and so real. Thank you for your honesty!!!!ReplyDelete
Steph, you have just explained me to myself in the last 9 months since my precious, extravagant, deeply affectionate mother passed away suddenly. I have woken up in a dry, dry place, with Jesus in the wrong end of the telescope. He's there, but His voice is on a frequency higher than my sad ears can presently hear. So now I'm leaning on the Everlasting Arms and not able to give much but showing up tearful. But I'm there. Thank you!!ReplyDelete
Thank you!! You have just spoken to me ! So thankful for your honesty, truth, and openness. I have found myself in this place, and wondered how I had gone from being so supposedly "in tune with God" to as you say " walking in the dark". Your sharing was perfect timing for me! Thank you!! Thanking God that He used you, even in the "dark", to give HOPE to us in our "dark". Proof God is still there with us. You have lifted my head tonight....Thank you!ReplyDelete
Wow, Steph.ReplyDelete
I've been in the dark place too, the past three years. Not an intense trauma but the never ending frustration of the adoption process. I didn't like it, AT ALL. Finally, finally, in November it began lifting. Lifting being the perfect word because it is an oppressive veil of doubt and being painfully separated from the Lord who I've been very close to for years. I've never been in a disconnected marriage but I imagine that it feels much the same. 'I love you so much, but I can't seem to reach you anymore.'
But now, finally, after years of praying for a revival, it's happening. And I feel like myself again.
I wish I'd learned some great truth and wisdom during the dark time but I can't say that I have. Only that I missed God, I really, really did. And I guess that kinda is something big.


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Norwood Green Villas became our obvious choice owing to its spectacular view, comfort and connectivity to the tourist spots. The facade is beautiful and is well maintained. There are 4 luxurious villas and each villa has 4 bedrooms, a lounge, balcony from the room, attached toilets and a beautiful terrace garden. (Refer to pics)
We contacted team exsultravel for the sightseeing and went on our spree to explore the unexplored. We went through the hills, the woods, the temple at the peak and what not, and our jeep safari came to an end with a beautiful waterfall adjoining the temple. We soaked our feet and felt the refreshing splash of chilled water. The tiredness of the entire day was gone with wind.
Soon after we came back to the property, we were greeted by the staff and the welcoming aromas of our specially curated food. We had a BBQ placed for us and some chilled drinks to enjoy the ambiance and each other's company.
We stayed there for 3 days and not even a single day we were disappointed from Palampur or Norwood Greens.
Our care taker at the property – Sanjay was more than efficient with his work and had a genuine interest in our comfort. While he recommended us some sightseeing spots, he also packed us lunch.
Travel Tip: You can travel to Norwood Greens via Bus, Train, Flight or Car. Car was the best option owing to the safe route and beautiful view and takes about 9 hours from Delhi to Palampur.


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Home Bio-Gas Digesters, and other Home Energy
Sintex Industries, a plastics and textiles manufacturer in Gujarat, India, is betting it can find profit in human waste. Its new biogas digester turns human excrement, cow dung, or kitchen garbage into fuel that can be used for cooking or generating electricity, simultaneously addressing two of India's major needs: energy and sanitation.
Sintex's digester uses bacteria to break down waste into sludge, much like a septic tank. In the process, the bacteria emit gases, mostly methane. But instead of being vented into the air, they are piped into a storage canister.
A one-cubic-meter digester, primed with cow dung to provide bacteria, can convert the waste generated by a four-person family into enough gas to cook all its meals and provide sludge for fertilizer. A model this size costs about $425 but will pay for itself in energy savings in less than two years. That's still a high price for most Indians, even though the government recently agreed to subsidize about a third of the cost for these family-sized units. "We want to create a new industry for portable sanitation in India that's not available now," says S.B. Dangayach, Sintex's managing director. ___Source
The most popular current method of home energy generation is photovoltaics. Home wind turbines are also becoming popular in high-wind locations. Home biodiesel and biogas fermentation and synthesis are less common, but perhaps that is because no one has made them easy for homeowners.
Cattle farmers are more likely to begin finding ways to make energy and fertilizer from farm waste and animal manure. Expect ranchers to do the same. The name of the game is profitability, and that means using what you have, and making the most of it.


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WayForward has today announced that Shantae and the Pirates Curse will be launching on the Nintendo 3DS eShop on October 23rd in the United States for $19.99. The company also released a brand new trailer for Rottytops, everyone's favorite zombie-girl, which you can view above.
Read the full article: Shantae And The Pirates Curse Coming October 23rd To Nintendo 3DS eShop In US


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Free Movie Mondays returns next week with Oliver! The movie is being presented in partnership with public radio station KCRW. Matt Holzman who hosts "Matt's Movies" – KCRW's preview screening club – will be at the Center to kick off the evening. Hope to see you Monday!
Photo above and below: For the the trivia contest, contestants were asked to hold up the photo of actor who they thought was the answer to the question.


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As time went by our need to fight for the ideal increased to an unquestioning possession, riding with spur and rein over our doubts. Willy-nilly it became a faith. We had sold ourselves into its slavery, manacled ourselves together in its chain-gang, bowed ourselves to serve its holiness with all our good and ill content. The mentality of ordinary human slaves is terrible have lost the world — and we had surrendered, not body alone, but soul to the overmastering greed of victory. By our own act we were drained of morality, of volition, of responsibility, like dead leaves in the wind.
T. E. Lawrence 1922 Seven Pillars of Wisdom
* * *
If what Freud discovered, and rediscovers ever more abruptly, has a meaning, it is that the signifier's displacement determines subjects' acts, destiny, refusals, blindnesses, success, and fate, regardless of their innate gifts and instruction, and irregardless of their character or sex; and that everything pertaining to the psychological pregiven follows willy-nilly the signifier's train, like weapons and baggage.
Jacques Lacan 1966 Écrits, Seminar on "The Purloined Letter"
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Image from Lawrence of Arabia (1962 film)


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Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Picture This Contest on Gardening Gone Wild
After an afternoon of constant rain, the branches of this 'Near East' Crape Myrtle bowed down to the ground and rained petals.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
June Garden Blogger's Bloom Day
Blue Spruce Sedum
Ornamental Banana
Wild Horsement covered in pollinators - this was a busy plant!
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
"The Regulars"
A collection of portraits taken over a period of two years has earned Sarah Stolfa acclaim as a photographer. Rather than "chaos and smiles" in the bar, Stolfa has captured another side of bar life - those poignant, lonely moments that patrons share with their bartender. Stolfa wasn't a talkative bartender at Center City's McGlinchey's. Instead, she wanted a way out. After a stint of ten or eleven years, she McGlinchey's to pursue her MFA in Photography at Yale. Purchase "The Regulars" by Sarah Stolfa. Photographs excerpted from "The Regulars" by Sarah Stolfa.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Kaleidoscope Gallery
Kaleidoscope, a beautiful new art gallery and studio which recently opened in Historic Downtown Valdosta, is owned and operated by Fay and Jolie Hyatt. The gallery currently represents 21 local, regional and national artists, most of whom have won many prestigious awards. Their fine art paintings include landscapes, still life, plantation hunt scenes, character studies, abstracts, and florals. Our artists work in a variety of media including oil, watercolor, pastel, and acrylic and their works range from realism to impressionism. We also have some beautiful bronze sculptures, stained glass, jewelry, pottery and wooden vessels. Most of the two dimensional works are original, but we do carry a collection of framed and unframed prints, as well as unframed originals.
Kaleidoscope has a separate folk art gallery where the fun filled works of Arthur Riggs and the primitive folk art of Floria Yancey are currently on display.
The gallery also offers fine art oil portraiture by Fay Bridges Hyatt, who has filled portrait commissions for families throughout the Southeast and Midwest. Sample portraits as well as portraits in progress can be seen at Kaleidoscope. Fay will work with you to paint the portrait you envision.
Kaleidoscope hopes to bring the enjoyment of creativity to others through artistic inspiration and instruction. Fay currently teaches a Monday morning fine art class in oils and will add classes and workshops in a variety of media.
The Kaleidoscope studio will also offer workshops with artists of national reputation. Gloria Mani from Columbus, Georgia is coming in late September to teach a plein air oil landscape workshop. Early in the same month Anne Abgott, a national award winning artist and writer of best selling book on color in watercolor will teach a three day workshop. The workshops with each of these artists will afford local and regional artists, both accomplished in fine art and those still learning, an opportunity to expand on their abilities.
If you would like more information about classes currently scheduled, upcoming artists events, shows and future workshops, please come by or call Fay or Jolie. You can also sign up with us so that we can keep you informed by email.
The goal of Kaleidoscope, a gallery is to provide beautiful, one of a kind artwork for both home and office decor. We want to provide our customers with the opportunity to purchase an original piece of art for every gift occasion including weddings, birthdays and anniversaries. So please come in at your earliest convenience and see all the gallery has to offer.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Colorblind Contest
My mother has asked me to post for her again photos of her garden. This is for the Colorblind Contest that Garden Rant is currently holding. The deadline is 9:00 tonight, so you'd better hurry if you want to enter. If your garden doesn't clash, or you're not interested in entering, you should at least cruise on over to check out the other pictures and descriptions. Some of them are pretty wild!
So here's Mom's stuff:
Elizabeth on Garden Rant wanted to see pictures of plant combinations that clash - you asked for it. The old-fashioned orangey-yellow daylilies took over the flower beds this year producing some atrocious color combos. See for yourself.
Daylilies and Crinum - Orange and pink! How much more can it clash? Soon the dwarf crape myrtle in between the daylilies and crinum will bloom adding purple to the mix!
Daylilies and Coneflowers - In front of the daylilies are purple coneflowers and in the upper left corner you can just see the magenta coneflowers.
Daylilies and Flowering Tobacco - More orange and pink.
Monday, June 22, 2009
Absolutely Awesome Art
There is no way that I could accurately describe the process as they do without butchering it, so I am going to cut and paste, and give credit where credit is due: Wired Magazine 17.07.
"Forget the notion of a reverent nature photographer tiptoeing through the woods, camera slung over one shoulder, patiently looking for perfect light. Robert Buelteman works indoors in total darkness, forsaking cameras, lenses, and computers for jumper cables, fiber optics, and 80,000 volts of electricity. This bizarre union of Dr. Frankenstein and Georgia O'Keeffe spawns photos that seem to portray the life force of his subjects as the very process destroys them.
Buelteman's technique is an elaborate extension of Kirlian photography (a high-voltage photogram process popular in the late 1930s) and is considered so dangerous and laborious that no one else will attempt it—even if they could get through all the steps.
Buelteman begins by painstakingly whittling down flowers, leaves, sprigs, and twigs with a scalpel until they're translucent. He then lays each specimen on color transparency film and, for a more detailed effect, covers it with a diffusion screen. This assemblage is placed on his "easel"—a piece of sheet metal sandwiched between Plexiglas, floating in liquid silicone. Buelteman hits everything with an electric pulse and the electrons do a dance as they leap from the sheet metal, through the silicone and the plant (and hopefully not through him), while heading back out the jumper cables. In that moment, the gas surrounding the subject is ionized, leaving behind ethereal coronas. He then hand-paints the result with white light shining through an optical fiber the width of a human hair, a process so tricky each image can take up to 150 attempts.
Because there's no lens to distort the colors, Buelteman's work replicates natural hues far better than traditional photographs. "I'm calling into question what we see every day," Buelteman says. "Is that really a flower? Have I been blind my entire life?" You can see for yourself in his recently published book, Signs of Life."
Okay, so you can see these pics are awesome. The time and work that goes into each shot must make each one a favorite for him. Definitely check out his website and his book." There are even more awesome photos in the book, and it is published by a cool new publisher that I've been checking out, issuu.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
My mom mentioned that one of her blogs used flick to save space on her blogger account, so of course I wanted to know all about that, so they sent me that. Part of the setting up of the process included a test email - seen above, and a note that said I could delete it when I saw that it went through. But, you know what? Flickr has been an awesome site for the several years that I have used it, and I'm going to leave the sample post, so that everyone can see that I support Flickr. I have over 10,000 pictures on there and I have never had any major problems or complaints. Hiccups from time to time, but that's it, so there you go. That's why there's a post called "Flickr."
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Roses in Bloom
This one is called Scarlet Bicolor. It is growing in my mom's yard.
We aren't sure what these are called. Several years ago, my mom decided she didn't want them anymore and she gave them to my husband (who does all the yard work at our house, including gardening). When they first bloom, they are really pink, but the longer they are on the bush, the less color they have, although they do remain extremely fragrant.This is the second one from our yard, but a different bush. They are the same kind, though.
I wish everyone has the best of luck in the contest, and I would like to thank Debra Lee Baldwin for taking time out of her busy schedule to judge the contest.
For more information on the contest and to view other entries, please visit Gardening Gone Wild. Be advised, though, that the deadline is tomorrow at midnight, June 22, 2009.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Tea Pitcher Fountain
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Local Art Exhibits
* Brokaw-McDougall House: "I Am Much More Beautiful at Night than in the Morning." Solo art exhibit by Po-Chi Chu. 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Mon.-Fri. Free. 329 N. Meridian St. 891-3900.
* FSU Museum of Fine Arts: Artists' League Summer Annual. Theme, "Five Rings of Passion: Love, Anguish, Awe, Triumph, Joy." Works in all media by members of the FSU Museum of Fine Arts Artists' League. Opening reception, 7-9 p.m. today. Free. Through July 10. Hours: 9 a.m.-4 p.m. 250 Fine Arts Building, 530 W. Call St. 644-1299.
* ArtPort Gallery: "The Photography of Andrew Borom." Nature photography. Through June 22. Hours: 8 a.m.-11:30 p.m. daily. Short-term parking is free for up to 30 minutes. Tallahassee Regional Airport, 3300 Capital Circle S.W. 224-2500.
* City Hall Art Gallery: Annual show of artwork by city of Tallahassee employees and retirees. Through July 20. Hours: 8 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Mon.-Fri. Free. 300 S. Adams St., second floor. 224-2500.
* First Street Art Gallery: "Scenes of Early Summer." Paintings, drawings and photography by Ken Echternacht, Jean Marani and Gloria Vasquez. Through Sun. Hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sat., noon-5 p.m. Sun. 204 First St. N.W., Havana. (850) 539-5220.
* Gallery at the Historic Capitol: "Legislative Legacy." 25 photographs rich in political history hand-colored by Denise Choppin. Free. Hours: 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Mon.-Fri., 10-4:30 Sat., 12-4:30 Sun. 400 S. Monroe St., lower level. 487-1902.
* John G. Riley House: "Remembering Rosewood." In 1923, a black town in Florida, Rosewood, was burned to the ground and most of the residents were killed. Through Oct.r 27. Hours: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Mon.-Thurs. 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Fri. $5. 419 E. Jefferson St. 681-7881.
* Museum of Florida History: "Florida Cattle Ranching: Five Centuries of Tradition." The history of cattle ranching from the Spanish exploration period to the present. Artifacts, vintage and current photos and interactive components. Through Aug. 9. Hours: 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Mon.-Fri. R.A. Gray Building, 500 S. Bronough St. 245-6400
Even if you can't make it to any of the exhibits, the links will provide a little more information about them. A couple of them are traveling exhibits, so you might be able to catch them closer to your own home. I hope to be able to make it to at least one of them - hopefully Rosewood Remembered. That whole situation has always rather fascinated me.
Hamilton County, Florida Book Available on my Ebay Store
While I am here, I would like to thank everyone who assissted in any capacity in the creating, writing, editing, publishing, and marketing this book. The folks at Arcadia Publishing have been incrediby helpful and accomodating.
Without the assistance of all these people, this newest book about Hamilton County would never have been possible.
Friday, June 12, 2009
Browsing Etsy :)
I think I really need this black and white clutch with the yellow trim.
Here's the second one that I liked, the Leila Clutch.
How to Apply for a Passport
"Applying for a passport has become a very important task in today's society. These instructions will give you the necessary documents needed, and the appropriate fees for applying to receive a passport."
Traveling anywhere outside the United States now requires a passport, as of June 1, 2009. This article will walk you through the steps to obtain that passport in a timely manner and with minimal hassle.
Cheers, Marsanne
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Ebay Main Screen!
Until next time, Cheers!
Friday, June 5, 2009
Ferris Wheel in Motion on Ebay
Art with Sharpies
Check it out soon, because I don't know how long the newspaper keeps thier articles online.
Friday, May 15, 2009
May 15 Garden Bloggers Bloom Day
This is from my mother, Melody
"Since I don't have a blog of my own, I asked my daughter, who is a photographer, to post these for me on her blog. This is just a few of the flowers that are blooming now in my North Florida, Zone 8, garden. Other flowers that are blooming are several types of salvias, Shasta daisies, verbascum, gaura, oakleaf hydrangeas. The regular hydrangeas and gardenias are just starting, and the roses (about 25 of them) are still going strong.
To see more great flower pictures from my gardens and other peoples gardens, visit her flickr page.
Thanks, Carol, for allowing me to join in the fun:) "
As always, please visit the May Dreams site to view other gardener's photographs and comment on thier luck with flowers.
For those of you in the North Florida and South Georgia area who would like photographs of your own garden, flowers, or family, I do natural light, on location shooting for a small fee. If interested, again, please email me and we can work out the details.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Long Time!
Anyway, yesterday was the big day. My book, Hamilton County, Florida hit the shelves. The guy from the publisher, Arcadia Publishing is coming to town later this week to distribute books and set up sales areas around the county. I will let everyone know where the books will be locally, just as soon as I know. It can currently be ordered online at Books a Million, Amazon, and Arcadia Publishing. Everyone should at least take a look at it.
I have been doing some research for the Turn of the Century book. It will include Becky's house, along with several others. I am thinking that I might go ahead and self publish her section, because I know she is ready to see it all put together, and so am I. When I signed the contract with Arcadia, I kind of put Becky's stuff on hold, and she said she was ok with that because she wasn't paying for. But I'm ready to see that particular project to bed; I don't think I'm going to find the answers to some of the mysteries I have been trying to solve.
I have been doing some writing for another site lately. It is going pretty well. I turn in a batch of articles about once a week.
I am working on a photo project for blurb. They have the photography book now contest going on. One of my projects is Small Town Rodeo. I have a couple of others in my mind, but the rodeo one is what I'm working on now. I need to get my butt in gear, though, because the deadline is looming!
So let me know how things are going out there in blogland! Any ideas on future projects that I should work on? There are always plenty in my head, but you never know - I might decide I like yours better :)
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Photochallenge.org - Paper, Day 117
These are the promotional postcards that Arcadia Publishing sent me to help promote my book, which comes out on May 11 and can be ordered through the Arcadia website on my author page. You can't preorder it, but keep it in mind if your enjoy pictoral history books, or are interested in the Hamilton County, Florida area.
Anyway, these are my two submissions for the paper challenge.
Friday, April 17, 2009
Opening an Ebay Shop for my Photography
Most of my photos can be bought in sizes 4x6, 8x10, 11x14, 24x30, 8x8, 10x10, or 12x12. Mats and frames are available for all of these sizes as well, for an additional fee. Please also remember that if you are in the North Florida or South Georgia region, I am available for natural light, on location photo shoots for you and your family in areas that mean something to you.
Looking forward to hearing from you all....
Interesting Site for Those That Use Digital Scrapbooking
I don't know a whole lot about digital scrapbooking, because I tend to prefer the old fashioned way, but it seems as though this site has some pretty interesting interfaces and elements that you can use with a digital scrapbook site. One of the ones that I really liked was the fabrics. My family always makes fun of me because I take photographs of fabrics, for no apparent reason, but lookie here! This person has made a whole ton of them into backgrounds. Who would have thought? By all means, check out the whole site, called Think Design for some interesting ideas. I certainly found me a few. :)
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Alapaha River in Jennings, Florida
At any rate, I have been trying to document it the best that I can. Most of my pictures are from the area on County Road 150, because that is the road that I live on. Also, a lot of the pictures are of my mom's yard (yes, the same yard so many flower photos come from!). Currently, she has river water running beneath her house and into her front yard. The flower supply might be a little slim this year :(
There are a few photos from Highway 41, but they have since closed the road and I am unable to get any more pictures from there.
To view the pictures of the river and the flooded area surrounding it, please visit my flickr page: Alapaha River, Jennings, Florida. I will be posting more photos as they become available.
Breakfast at Tiffany's Fashion Show Update
Please feel free to contact me with any questions or comments that you might have. My email is email@example.com. If we need to communicate further than that, I will then give you my phone number if you don't have a business card.
Also, please remember that I am available to do on location, natural light photographs with you and your family in places that are special to you. It could be a nearby park, your mother's garden, or anywhere else that you and your family feel comfortable and have pleasant memories. Contact me to set up a photo shoot today.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Breakfast at Tiffany's Fashion Show Pictures
I have decided that I am going to go ahead and post the pictures that I have completed, and I will be adding more within the coming days, so please continue to check back if you do not see yours. Clicking on the link below will take you to the pictures. If you wish to order any, please make note of the image number, as that is unique to each picture.
Breakfast at Tiffany's Fashion Show
Prices are as follows, should you choose to puchase any prints.
4x6 = $6.00
5x7 = $12.00
8x10 = $22.00
11x17 = $32.00
These prices do not include a mat or frame. If you wish to purchase either of those, I can help you with that also.
Plus, please remember that I am available to do on location shoots for you and your family in places that have meaning for you. I am generally available on the weekends and evenings, but I can make arrangements for shoots during the week as well.
I hope you enjoy viewing the photographs and I look forward to hearing from each of you soon.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Jack Magazine
It is my pleasure to let my readers know that the piece has been published with some of my photographs in the current issue of Jack Magazine, and can be found here: Seeing the Swamp.
Just a brief note: If you wish to purchase one of the photos, please contact me and we can make arrangements. All of the photographs that I take are available for puchase.
I hope you enjoy the article!
Breakfast at Tiffany's Fashion Show
My goal is to have the photos completed by Friday afternoon, and I will then post a link here where they can be purchased.
I hope everyone had fun, and that the Partnership for Health met thier fundraising goal.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Forgotten Bookmarks - Footprints
"Certificate from Chenango Memorial Hospital with photo and baby footprints.
This is to certify that
David Leslie Grant
has been elected to membership in the
Babies' Alumni of Chenango Memorial Hospital
in recognition of generosity and good will to others
Date June 23 1949 ____ A.S. Wilson, Chairman
Found in "Sewing for the Home" by Mary Brooks Picken, published by Harper & Bros., 1946."
The editor of the site has begun making efforts to find the owner of this card. Hopefully with it being posted in more than one place, the owner will stumble across it. If you have any information about the owner of this card, or possibly a relative, please contact the editor of Forgotten Bookmarks, via the comments section on Footprints. I am sure that the owner would appreciate being reunited with a treasure such as this.
Garden Rant Short Fiction Contest
Since neither of us won the contest, I will post our entries here for everyone to read. They kind of get lost in the large number of comments on the contest blog - not to mention the comments about the stories that were submitted.
The Recipe (my own entry, found on page three of the comments)
With excitement he viewed the recipe that called for Rose Sugar and Rose Petals - it would be perfect for Valentine's Day. He shook his rose petal sugar jar every other day and dried rose petals. On Valentine's Day, he cooked all day, preparing a lovely feast for his beautiful wife. A rack of fresh lamb with rose syrup, salad garnished with sugared rose petals, and his "piece de resistance" – the rose tart, made with rose sugar and dried, chopped rose petals. It's too bad he didn't know the florist treated the roses with chemicals to guarantee blemish-free flowers.
Obsession (my own entry, found on page three of the comments)
The obsession was two fold. The mother gardened, constantly tended a dazzling bed of roses. They flourished and bloomed. The daughter stood there for hours; a rare bird, they called her. She would study the roses, each bloom frozen in growth and time, held captive by a Canon 75-300mm. Petals were caught just so, dewdrops were examined, buds were investigated and watched by both of them. Obsession or not, people wondered at their talent, for the mother won coveted awards for her roses, while the daughter won prestigious awards for her portrayal of her mother's pride and joy.
Confusion (my own entry, found on page three of the comments)
Her garden was the pettiest around. What was her secret – how did she grow such lush roses? She had lost three husbands and two stepchildren – you'd think she couldn't dwell on roses with so much death in her life.
Dang!!! I really like where this is going. Five dead people under a gorgeous bed of roses. See, that's the problem with seeing other people's entries in a contest you plan to participate in. They addle your brain and you can't remember if the idea was yours or someone else's. Unfortunately, dead bodies beneath roses belonged to someone else.
The Dog (my mom's entry, found on page three of the comments)
Thank goodness for the dog – she should have gotten one a long time ago. The neighbors used to think she was strange – wandering around the rose garden at all hours of the day – and even night – muttering to herself: need to move this, that needs trimming, ought to get more of those. But now she had a dog – now she wasn't crazy – she was a pet owner. The neighbors didn't realize that while she "walked the dog" and "talked to the dog" she was really saying: need to fertilize, there's a patch of aphids, time to weed.
Halloween (my mom's entry, found on page three of the comments)
She doesn't "do" Halloween but the grandkids want her to decorate. Won't scarecrows and pumpkins work? No, the boys insist there must be witches and ghosts and bats. "I'll think about it," she promises. The next day she waits in anticipation for them to get home from school. She has decorated the porch for Halloween – pots of Ghost Fern and 'Goblin' Gaillardia set next to a Witch Hazel bush. Other pots hold Devil's Backbone, Skullcap and Deadnettle. A Devil's Trumpet and a Voodoo Lily tower over the other plants. And the final touch – a completely black kitten named Midnight.
Checking the Mail (my mom's entry, found on page three of the comments)
"I'm going to check the mail," I told my husband. I started towards the mailbox. The roses needed pruning; I got the pruners and trimmed them. As I took the pruners back, I spotted weeds in the perennials; I stopped to pull them. After I put up the pruners, I saw some annuals I needed to pot. I found some planters and took them to the patio. The furniture was dirty; I got a rag and cleaned it. All that work made me thirsty; I went in the house for a drink. "Where's the mail," my husband asked.
And that's it. You would think out of six entries, we would have managed to win something, but it just wasn't meant to be. Maybe next time. :)
Recent Photography Contests
Although I could not previously post the photograph that I entered, because the contest was to be anonymous, I can post it here for you to see now that the contest has ended.
The current competition at Go Snap, is for March, and is titled "Reflections," and can be entered here. Although I haven't decided on my entry for this month, I encourage everyone else to visit the site and enter the contest if they choose.
Paws for Charity Book Project Update
This is the picture that I entered in the contest: My dog Summerlin at Hilton Head Island Beach last year. Just as a note - she never touched the water; she wanted no part of that.
Sorry for the Delay in Posting
Another thing that has put a damper on my posting is the fact that our internet is not acting properly, so I have had to share my computer with my children. Three people and one computer do not a good mix make. :) Hopefully that won't be happening much longer and I will have more time on the computer.
I wanted this post to be about the lack of previous posts. In the next few hours, I will be posting about various things that have happened and that I have been informed of with regards to my writing and photography.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Six Sentences
A Life in Six Sentences
Her Eyes
The Note
I want this to be an exercise in creative writing - something to get the creative juices flowing. We'll see how it goes; so far I have had no problems thinking of things to write. :)
As an aside, you can now follow me on twitter as well, by clicking here.
Friday, February 27, 2009
Radio Interview on 105.9
Then it was the other girl's turn, and she was talking about a fashion show that will be held in Valdosta. It's called Breakfast at Tiffany's and will be held at Bas Bleu in downtown Valdosta on March 21st, from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm. Prizes will be given out and a silent auction will be held. The fashion show will be the debut of the spring lines from high end shops such as 10 Central, Ally B's Boutique, Ellis' Boutique, ENVY, Fads and Fashions, Mom's to Bee, Renee's Fashions, and Serendipity Boutique. All proceeds from the fashion show and silent auction will benefit the Partnership Health Center, a free primary care clinic for the working, uninsured citizens of Lowndes County. For more information, call 229-245-0020, extension 3, or visit the Partnership Health Center.
Another great thing about the fashion show is that I will be the photographer. This will serve two purposes: it will provide the benefit with free photography, and it will enhance my portfolio, hopefully giving me more access to clients. I am very excited about the whole thing and look forward to attending the event.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Published on Now Public.com
Several months ago, a local gas station closed down, assumably to the rising fuel costs. I happened to take a picture of the sign - mainly because I had never gas prices so close to $4.00 a gallon - and a different fellow emailed me asking if he could use my picture in conjunction with his article. I agreed, and it can be found here. Again, click on the link for see all footage to view my photo.
Friday, February 20, 2009
Paws for Charity Book Project
Breast cancer is a prevalent disease in the United States today, accounting for more than 1 in 4 diagnoses, and is preceded as cause of death only by lung cancer. There are currently more than 2.4 million women in the United States that have been diagnosed and treated for breast cancer. Contributing to this cause will be worthy for everyone, as there are few people who can say that their lives have not been touched in some way by breast cancer.
Won't you please join in the fight against breast cancer with your contribution today? The deadline for photographs and artwork submissions is February 28, 2009.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Reception for Art Exhibit Tonight!
For those of you that would like a copy of the article, it is also in today's paper on page 3A. (Next to the obits, so my son says no one will read it - let's prove him wrong!)
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Prompts for Creativity
Outside my window: It is dark because we have just gotten home from celebrating my husband's birthday. We usually leave the porch light on, so my sister can see to come inside when she gets off work.
I am thinking: About all of the things that I have to do. I have many projects on my plate and need to clear out some time here soon to organize.
I am thankful for: My family, the fact that I have the ability to work, and the freedom to do the things that I want to do. There are tons of other things but there simply isn't enough space to list them all here.
From the kitchen: Came a lovely yellow cake with chocolate icing that my youngest son made for my husband's birthday. There was a secret though – he accidentally made a hole in the cake, so to fix it, he filled it with icing!
I am wearing: A blue shirt, grey pants, black and silver striped socks, flowered shoes and self confidence.
I am creating: Various items. Some jewelry featuring my photography, some other novelty items, more photographs, and working on a book of the history of ten houses in Jasper.
I am going: To try to get some laundry done tonight.
I am hoping: That my husband's new job will work out because I am tired of being stressed out by money (or lack thereof, I should say.)
I am hearing: A Nasa kid's show on tv, my Yorkie/Chihuahua mix, Summerlin, barking at the big dogs outside, and my youngest son biting his toenails (no lie).
Around the house: It should be bedtime but everyone seems to be ignoring me :)
One of my favorite things: This thing is one that I don't physically have anymore but it was mine for years and if it were still around today, it would still be mine. My Old Granny made a blanket. I don't recall exactly if she made each of us kids one or if they were just made and over time we each ended up with one. Anyway, mine had a different design on each side, because my Granny worked at the sewing factory and would bring home scraps of fabric for Old Granny to use. On the "warm" side, there was a border of about six inches in width around the whole blanket. In the middle of that border, there was a myriad of patches – all different kinds of material (from the sewing factory). On cold nights, the "warm" side was placed downward next to our bodies, to help keep us warm. The other side was covered in pink – yes, pink – fabric that was silky, smooth, and cool feeling. The material had a bunch of little animals on it, but I can't remember what kinds of animals. That was the "cool" side. On warm or hot nights, we put the cool side of the blanket down towards us. The material held the coolness of the air and kept us cool at night. When the house burned, the blanket was in there. My uncle promised me another blanket, since he got all of them when Old Granny died, but I never got it. Whenever I asked for it, he always had some excuse. Anyway, that was my favorite thing.
Plans for the weekend: See husband off to his new job on Saturday. Hang out with Mom and my sister. We're supposed to go to the car show in Valdosta. Work really hard on my proposal for "Turn of the Century." Complete some more art projects. Take plenty of photographs!
Saturday, February 7, 2009
New Creations
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
February Challenge
My goals for the month are to finish up my proposal for Turn of the Century: Houses of Hamilton County and submit it to at least two agents. Since it is a nonfiction work, I can submit it without it being completed. I only lack about 10 pages or so, if I am guessing correctly.
My second goal is to make some new items for my etsy shop. I have a clipboard and a paperweight completed and I took some pics of them tonight. I will try to upload them tomorrow. I have some jewelry ideas in the works, but little problems with the pieces keep coming up and I haven't gotten the kinks ironed out yet.
Until next time....
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Creative Construction Contest - Hope
Creative Construction Contest - Hope
Everyone knows there's no such thing as a happy ending. She had heard it her whole life, especially from her mother. After three failed marriages and one husband who died, she could agree with her mother that there wasn't much hope. But that didn't stop her from trying to believe.
Her first hope was that she would get out of this town. That hadn't happened, what with the abusive boyfriend and lack of schooling. She supposed, really, that her first hope had been to finish high school and go to college in another town. There. That was a much better clarification of her hope. The school thing hadn't worked out too well – she ended up spending all of her time with the boyfriend, which in turn, led to a failed relationship and failing out of school. And yet she was still in the same small town, alone.
Her second hope was to give her mother a sense of happiness. The poor woman had been through so much, the husbands, the divorces, the death…. What's a girl to do to help her mother cope with something like that? That had failed too. Her mother had fallen into a deep depression and was reduced to taking medication to get through the day.
Her third hope was to be an artist. She tried, really, she did. She attempted lovely landscapes on napkins, spare newspapers, bits of paper she could find anywhere. A severe lack of money didn't exactly lend itself to art. When the landscapes didn't work, she tried people, buildings, individual flowers. All failures.
So she moved on. Her fourth hope was to learn the history of her family. Where did they come from? What did their odd sounding names mean? Could she find more ancestors of her own – other family members, other than her battered, depressed mother? She questioned her mother, who knew nothing. Her own mother had abandoned her to a nearby family when she was four. She could no longer even recall her own mother's name. The name of the family? Her mother didn't remember them either, she was gone from their home by the age of twelve, on the street to fend for herself. Any other relatives, then? No, none that she knew of. What of her father? A vicious snort from her mother. Look at your birth certificate, child. I have no idea who he was. No maternal relatives, no paternal name to trace. Hope number four was dashed.
She hoped to take the money her mother had given her and make it stretch far enough to buy food for the two of them. Enough to last the week, at least. So she took the money and walked to the grocery store, closely tallying what she added to her basket. Like every other week, she came up short, even purchasing the cheapest brands of foods, the most cost efficient packages. She went to the register to pay for her meager collection, another hope ruined. They would be hungry at the end of the week.
Walking back home, it began to sprinkle and she thought of her mother's words – no happy ending. Hope after hope…. all failed. She looked up at the sky to see if the rain was going to get harder before she made it home. A rainbow gleamed down at her, reminding her that there was always hope, and it never hurt to stop hoping for something better.
I Heart Faces - Adult's Faces Week 3 - Joy
I Heart Faces - Children's Faces Week 3 - Joy
Sunday, January 25, 2009
New Photography Creations
Also, I want to mention again that if you are the local area, to please come view my floral exhibitiion at the Smith at Northview Hospital in Valdosta, Georgia. The exhibition will be on display from February 9th to March 24th, and the reception will be held on February 17th, from 5-7 p.m.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Etsy Shop Update & Upcoming Exhibit
I find it hard to believe that it is because that my artwork is not worthy, because I have a show coming up at Smith at Northview Hospital in Valdosta next month. The exhibit will be up beginning February 9th through March 24th. There will be a reception on February 17th, from 5-7 p.m. I invite all of my followers to come out and see what I have to offer.
Monday, January 19, 2009
I Heart Faces - Adult's Faces
I Heart Faces - Children's Faces
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Emily Setzer - Photographer & Writer
So, today, I found Emily Setzer's blog, and I just wanted to let you know that it is absolutely fantastic! She has some stunning photographs with bits of writing that are humorous and tie in to the pictures. Let Sleeping Dogs Lie is an absolutly georgeous photograph of some dogs napping, complete with a blurb about sock shopping. You just can't get any cuter than that.
Friday, January 16, 2009
The Art of Happiness
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Shameless Plug for my Etsy Shop
Somerset Memories
I also bought the Artful Blogging magazine put out by the same company. I always find several blogs in there that I want to follow and keep an eye on, and this one was no different. Shades of Inspiration was one of them. I actually submitted some photos to the New Year's Challenge, but then the subject was kitties, and I don't do cats, so I didn't submit. This week the challenge is doggies, so I will probably send some in. Beauty in the Cracks was another that I really enjoyed.
My mom thinks I am absolutely nuts for spending 15 bucks on a magazine, but I don't think that she understands that they are really sources of inspiration for me. I simply don't have enough time to make all of my ideas come into reality. Hopefully that will happen one day.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Submissions for Snow Theme Contest
When It Snowed In Florida
I've lived in Florida my entire life – all thirty years. We've visited other states from time to time, and found ourselves with near misses of views of snow. It melted the day before we arrived, or fell the day after we left. But never any exciting views of snowdrifts as high as our heads, or windows being blocked by snow piled high in front of them. No shoveling sidewalks or watching the machines ice the roads so traffic could proceed. Nope, none of that in Florida.
Instead, we have rain. When it's cold and it rains, we have sleet. When it's freezing (it really does) and it rains, we have hail. Except one year….
It started on a winter night in 1989, while we were in Valdosta, Georgia, a mere thirty minutes from our house in Jennings, Florida. We often shopped in Valdosta, and this was one of those evenings. My dad, my sister, and I were sitting in the car, waiting on my mother to come out of the store. As we waited, it began to rain. Gradually it turned to sleet. Restless as children are often prone to be, my sister and I begged our father to let us out of the car. After a while, I suppose he got tired of hearing us whine, and relented. We played in the parking lot for a while, and dad sat in the car. Suddenly, he rolled the window down and started pointing. Without us even realizing it, the bits of sleet had turned into tiny, icy snowflakes. Certainly not the fat, fluffy ones like you see in the movies, but snowflakes, none the less. We tried to catch them and they melted the moment we touched them, so great was the difference between our body temperature and the iciness of the snowflakes.
Finally, mom came out of the store. We all piled back into the car and, on the trip home, watched with growing excitement as the snowflakes continued to fall. Weather reports predicted the snow would fall intermittently throughout the night, and temperatures would remain below freezing throughout the next day. When we got home, there was a slight dusting of snow on the ground. Dad went and turned the sprinkler on and set it to run over the swing set, so we would have our own personal winter wonderland. We were rushed into the house by Mom, who watched us gaze in wonder as each of our footsteps dissolved the snow beneath our feet.
The next morning was lovely. A mere four inches of snow might not seem like much in most places, but in Florida, it is enough to constitute a thing of beauty. We awoke to a literal snowfall. Of course, everyone was excited. We decided to make an adventure of what could possibly be a once in a lifetime opportunity.
My dad had a huge four wheel drive truck – a 1986 Dodge Ram. The most fabulous blue color one had ever seen. He bought it brand new at the Dodge dealership in Valdosta, and was always happy to display the prowess of his truck. We often took it mud bogging in the nearby swampy areas year round, and in the summer, when the Alapaha River went dry, we took it riding in the slippery river sand.
As we drove from our house to my grandmother's house, there were cars stuck on the roads and in the ditches. The ice on the roads was simply too much for them – it was too slick, and the Florida drivers had no idea how to handle it. Dad pulled them out, using his four wheel drive.
My uncle had the great idea that we could ski on the roads, since they were covered in ice. Of course, no one had any skis, but with warm water practically year round, we had plenty of equipment for water sports. The two items chosen were a large yellow inner tube and a hydro-slide – a board similar to a surfboard, but instead of depending on the waves to move you, the rider sits on the board and holds a handle attached to a rope, and is pulled by a boat in the water. My father pulled each of us down the highway on the inner tube and the hydro-slide, treating the icy roads much like the warm rivers we were used to.
My aunt, shown here, was a major sun worshipper back then. She loved the beach, craved any amount of time she could spend at the beach, the river, a lake, any piece of sun that she could subject her body to. Her desperation was evident in the playful way she posed that beautiful white day. She wore a tank top and a towel, lying on the hood of her snow covered Camaro, with the words "Beach or Bust" written on the windshield.
Several of us kids walked down the dirt road to a nearby creek. It was iced over, but still flowing beneath the thin layer of ice. Being a rural area of the state, the creek ran under a wooden bridge with a small guard rail which consisted of a 1x6 board placed on blocks. We built our first snowman with snow gathered from the bridge and the guardrail. He ended up being about six inches high and rather sloppily made, because there wasn't much snow and it didn't want to stick together very well. Unfortunately, that was also the last snowman that I've ever built up to this point.
Although on occasion, there have been reports of snow flurries throughout the years, none of them have touched our area the way the snow did in 1989. None have transformed the sunshine state into an honest to goodness winter wonderland. Living in Florida certainly has its benefits – large amounts of warmth being one of them – but it also has its moments of magic, of memories that can never be recreated, simply because of the location. It's doubtful that I will ever have another delightful winter day like that one, but that doesn't mean that I can't wish for it now and again.
My second submission was actually a photograph taken by my husband when he was out in New Mexico. He used his camera phone to show me what a real snowman looked like.
You can see my entries as well as many other fantastic entries over here.
Saturday, January 10, 2009
M.I.L.K. Contest
I have to say that I think this particular one is my favorite of all - my son and I were playing around and he practically made me disappear out of the frame!
This was taken one day while we were eating lunch at sonic - he loves thier corndogs, as do I. Anyway, I thought it turned out to be a pretty nice shot, even though it was supposed to be of the two of our faces together.
Very, very sick :(
Monday, January 5, 2009
Submission for Stars Theme at Creative Construction
The Stars
"The stars," she thought. "If only I could reach the stars." Her heart pounded as she lay in the bed near the window, the curtain blowing in the warm summer breeze.
Her head hurt and she only wanted to escape the pain. Throughout the years, she had made every effort she could, she had tried to make him happy, tried to make sure that anything she said wouldn't set him off again. Of course, it never worked.
Neither did the halfhearted disguises she tried to implement to hide his hatefulness, his disdain for her. The long dark hair that she let drape casually over the sides of her face, covering her cheeks and the inevitable bruises left by his individual fingers. The long sleeved shirts every day of the year, to cover the marks on her upper arms where he grabbed her to slam her against the wall. The jeans to cover her legs where he kicked her when she was down. Everyone knew it was a futile attempt to hide insanity – his for treating her the way he did; hers for taking it for so long.
She no longer knew what to do, only knew that it had to come to an end. The catalyst had come – a trip to the emergency room that couldn't be avoided – a shattered wrist. Of course, they all had questions and she answered them the best she could, all the while protecting him. Three days they kept her – two surgeries on her wrist. A hope that she would one day regain full usage of it, but no promises from the doctors. No one could promise her anything.
They sent her home with a prescription for painkillers and something to help her sleep. Her wrist would be in the cast for four months. He was scared to come visit her, scared to come pick her up; afraid that the police would be waiting for him. Her friend that lived in the apartment above her drove her to the pharmacy and then to the apartment building. Her friend helped her up the stairs and left her, telling her if she needed anything, to please call.
A sixty-day supply of Oxycontin and Ambien. She looked them up online before he came home. Both addictive, both potentially toxic. A story about a two-year-old girl who accidentally took one of her grandfather's Oxycontin pills. Luckily, her mother found her before she slipped into a coma and never woke up.
He didn't believe that she had protected him; didn't believe that no one would come looking for him. He took his anger and disbelief out on her. After seemingly endless hours, he finished his rage and left to go drinking. She crawled to the bed with her medicines and a bottle of water.
"The stars," she thought over and over. "Safety in the stars. A savior in the stars." The warm summer breeze bathed her body in comfort. "If only I could reach the stars, there would be no more pain." Her thoughts fell further and further apart, her breathing shallower. Her last thought was of the stars and the safety they could provide from the evil that her life had become.
When he opened the door, the curtains fluttered in the breeze, the wind blowing her dark hair across her face: an angel bathed in sunlight.
I've submitted it over there, so we'll see how it does. By the way, she had a very interesting post today about rejection. It was very insightful and had the most touching letter that she received as a child. You should certainly check it out.
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Update on Etsy
While browsing around over there, I found a couple of other storefronts that I think are pretty awesome. Of course, both of them sell jewelry, but I definitely think that they are worth a look: neawear and LegionCreative. Those necklaces are pretty nifty!
This is the Simpla Necklace 15 by neawear - absolutely lovely!
And the Black and Red Tiki Daisies Pendant by LegionCreative. I might have to go shopping before too long!
As always, there are tons of lovely and interesting things to look at over on the Etsy site. It's always worth a minute to browse around if you're looking for a one of a kind gift for that special someone.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Shades of Inspiration Group at Flickr
One of those alerts is how I found the Shades of Inspiration. You're allowed to post up to five things to the pool each day, provided you are a member of the group, so I signed up, so that I could seek out new things to photograph. (Like I needed an excuse.) :) The idea is to find things that fit the theme of the week.
The "owner" of the group is Sadie Olive - le journal Very nice blog. Evidently, the whole thing started with a contest of "I Saw Red" in which participants were to show thier photography skills using red. I wish I had been in on that one - I like photographing red.
I entered these three photographs for today. I took them when me, mom, Lys, and the passel of kids went to Taco Bell for lunch.
Keep an eye out for any other photos that I might gather up for this week. I know the week is almost up - it ends on the fourth, but I might get lucky. :)


text:
So, it's not so much that I am behind on my blogging, but more that we haven't really done anything that exciting lately. So much so, that I got out the camera to put some pictures with this post, and the only new ones on there are some randomness that Hayley took when I handed her my camera to stave off some boredom. If you are also looking to conquer your own boredom, here are some funnies for you from my kids:
Hayley calls Tootsie Rolls "Titsie Rolls."
Jackson calls Big Bird "Elmo Bird."
And this little chat with Jackson the other day:
Me: "Look Jackson, there are some geese."
Jackson: "Those are not geese, they are ducks!"
Me: "No, I'm pretty sure they are geese."
Jackson: "THEY ARE NOT GEESE! THEY ARE DUCKS!"
Me: "Hmm. Looks like they are eating the grass."
Jackson: "Ducks do not eat the grass!"
Me: "Then maybe they are eating the snow."
Jackson: "Ducks do not eat snow!"
Me: "Okay, fine. Then what do ducks eat?"
Jackson: "Um... um... hamburgers or something!"
Holy argumentative child of mine!
New Year
5 months ago


text:
The Australian dollar has surged in Monday trading as it looked to push through a key level of resistance at 0.7833, this is a bit of a surprise to see it so active at present, as recently it had been trending downwards in recent months. Another key factor behind the surprise has been the struggling Chinese small cap market which generally has some spill over into the Aussie market, however it was contained today and so traders were not too worried. What will be key for further movements tonight will be the Reserve Bank of Australia meeting minutes and the outlook the RBA has on the economy at the present time. Recently central banks globally have taken a hawkish tone and market will be looking of more of the same from the minutes, especially as business sentiment remains at record highs and retail conditions have recovered. If the RBA does indeed come to the party then it could be very much the case of having the AUD running away globally.
Chart wise the AUDUSD has been a very strong bullish performer over the last five trading days with big jumps on the chart. The large touch we saw at resistance at 0.7833 was strong and it looked to etch a little higher before being knocked back. It has been a very steep trend upwards and this in turn has lead to some profit taking by traders worried it may not go any further. If the AUDUSD continues to drift lower it will look for support around 0.7761 and 0.7698, with the chance if it goes through this to find some further support on the 20 day moving average. However, despite all the technical's if the minutes today are quite hawkish I would expect a very strong jump from the AUDUSD and for it to really start to push highs once again.
Gold has been trending downwards for some time now after a strong double top pattern emerged and sent it tumbling. The market has thus far been continuing that pattern on the back of hawkish risk sentiment from central banks and it looks like it could potentially keep moving. However, the recent pressure on small cap stocks in China has stoked some concerns and the recent Trump debacles continues to be a thorn in global markets. I believe that gold will always have a place as a hedge against risk and whenever it rears its head there is certainly movements to be had.
So far gold has been putting pressure on the 20 day moving average as it looks to climb higher. If it breaks through I would expect a push upwards to 1258 with the potential to go to 1295 in the current market environment. A push through 1300 however may be a hard ask unless we see a minor recession. Support levels for gold to fall towards can be found at 1207 and 1179. With 1207 likely to come under pressure if we see strong bearish movements.
Disclaimer: The content in this article comprises personal opinions and should not be construed as containing personal and/or other investment advice and/or an offer of and/or solicitation for any transactions in financial instruments and/or a guarantee and/or prediction of future performance. ForexTime (FXTM), its affiliates, agents, directors, officers or employees do not guarantee the accuracy, validity, timeliness or completeness, of any information or data made available and assume no liability as to any loss arising from any investment based on the same.


text:
Sun, Aug 31, 2014
Ponte Vedra Beach, FL
Beaches Fine Arts Series is proud to present the 2014 BFAST Kids Triathlon at NOCATEE with the swim in the new Junior Olympic Pool! This is a Swim, Bike & Run triathlon for kids ages 6-13. Every child will receive a great race t-shirt, an awesome goodie bag, and a medal. Prizes will be awarded to 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place finishers for each age group and gender division.
Friday, August 29, 2014 - Packet Pickup Day #1
12:00PM - 6:00PM - Packet Pickup at Trek Bicycle Store, 1313 Beach Blvd., Jacksonville Beach
Saturday, August 30, 2014 - Packet Pickup Day #2
10:00AM - 4:00PM - Packet Pickup at Trek Bicycle Store, 1313 Beach Blvd., Jacksonville Beach
Sunday- August 31, 2014, - Race Day
6:30AM - 7:30AM - Equipment Setup in Transition/Chip Pickup/Body markings
7:30AM - Mandatory Race Meeting with Race Director
8:00AM - Race Start: Juniors then Seniors
9:00AM - Awards begin upon completion of division


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In this regard, China Coal Industry Association Statistics and Information Department Director Chen Yang was told, "First Financial Daily" reporters, the current coal prices cause a loss for more than 90 percent of the industry. At the end of 2015, the Bohai Sea thermal coal price index dropped to 370 yuan / tons, if the prices remain a year, the entire coal sector will certainly be losing money.Will production be meaningfully cut?
...It is noteworthy that, as of the end of 2015, the Bohai Sea thermal coal price index fell to 370 yuan / ton, but early 2015 is 525 yuan / ton.
As Kang Ji said, this is a gradual process of decline until after October 2015, coal was dropped 380 yuan / ton, to 370 yuan / ton. "But if coal prices continue to fall, or it stays at 370 yuan / ton, we believe that in 2016 the industry will face a bigger problem" he said.
In fact, cuts to the production capacity has been going on. According to Chen Yang was introduced, "12th 5-year plan" period, the national total of 7,250 coal mines and eliminate backward production capacity of 560 million tons; in 2015 the country only eliminated 1340 backward coal mines, backward production capacity of about 90 million tons. Up to now, the number of coal mines has dropped to 9624 nationally, completed the "12th 5-year plan" goal to reduce the number of coal mines to less than 10,000.iFeng: 煤炭业告急!行业亏损面超90% 哀鸿一片
To this end, the authorities will set up special funds to capacity. January 12, the National Development and Reform Commission Secretary-General, spokesman Lee Park Min on macroeconomic conference to iron and steel, coal and other industries, strive through a period of efforts, a breakthrough in terms of resolving overcapacity, while the central government will set up special funds to local governments and enterprises to resolve the overcapacity were awards complement.
But how to spend the capacity of special funds has become the focus of attention, naturally also a hot topic year 2015 Development of Coal Industry press conference.
Kang Ji told the "First Financial Daily" reporters, Prime Minister Li Keqiang held a forum in Taiyuan, has made the central government will set up special funds, but how much, how to spend, this we are studying. But the prime minister has told us, this (special funds) is primarily for the placement of personnel." Kang Ji said.