Little Scraps of Magic

Sunday Musings

Outside my window green leafy trees just pop against a gorgeous blue sky. I really do adore spring!

I am thinking that I need to just go and sit more often...to people watch, listen to the birds, and mostly just "Be." Why do I wait for "homework" to do? Within a 5 minute car ride of work, water beckons, as does this bench.

I am thankful for so much...this glorious weather, a chance to practice my photography skills, second hand books to savor, freshly brewed coffee, pansies and wild mint.

From the kitchen a sliver of delicious rich chocolate torte awaits; I'm going to savor every bit of it!

I am wearing jeans and a tshirt, my weekend warrior outfit.

I am creating something with my photos, and there's a deadline to be met.

I am going to my last photography class in a short bit; time to spend with Kara; time to share my photos and learn how I can make them better.

I am reading some light mystery novels, the kind that don't require much thought and that I can gobble up in an evening - sheer relaxation mode.

I am hoping that somehow I get to inhale salt air soon, laugh at the gulls, and eat some steamed clams.

I am hearing silence broken only by the tapping of these computer keys - some rare time alone.

Around the house, much waits to be done, and honestly, it can just wait. I'm in the mood to savor down time.

A few plans for the week - math tests to give and then correct, along with beginning all the paperwork that comes with the end of the year countdown. We have several weeks to go, but oh, that cruddy paperwork. Bleah! See why I'm savoring down time?

Happy Sunday!

Sunday Morning Musings

Outside my window, sunshine and spring are waiting for me to stick my nose out the door, and enjoy the day's gifts.

I am thinking about how silly I must have looked yesterday, standing, stooping, and squatting with my tripod, some pinwheels, and a child's marble toy - right next to one of the busiest roads in VA.

I am thankful for balmy days, new color in what has been a gray and brown world, and so much more!

From the kitchen, not much is happening, but it will be in a few minutes, since I can hear Dominic moving about. It's almost time for his grandpa to make some waffles.

I'm wearing my comfortable blue sort of chenillish type material, oh so stylish, robe from Walmart.

I am creating photos with motion, a new journal page, and some time for myself.

I am going to my next photography class this afternoon with Kara - going to get my photos critiqued in public. Oh, joy! Not such a bad lesson though because it reminds me of just how my students must be feeling!

I am reading blogs, internet sites, and books on photography, especially - you guessed it - stopping and starting motion. That is, until after today's class when I'll have a new assignment and something new to "focus" on. (Sorry, I couldn't resist.)

I am hoping for some understanding of what this guy is talking about. I had to do some serious reading and research after class; I think he forgets that some of us are beginners in every sense of the word, and that others of us have somewhat of a clue, but hey...we're in the beginners class!

I am hearing grandpa stirring now; breakfast is in the works with omelets and waffles to come.

Around the house is lots of cat hair; vacuuming is on the agenda today. It should have been done yesterday, but hey, I was playing with the tripod and camera.

One of my favorite things is steamed clams; my sister is at the beach this weekend and I told her to eat some for me. I hope she does!

Have a wonderful week, everyone! And, I do know that the picture has absolutely nothing to do with this post, but I like this gent's attitude. He's completely at peace with the fact that his hairdo has gone terribly wrong.

 

Linger...for Just a Little While

I fell in love with chicken feathers today. Who knew these ladies were strutting such glorious arrays? And, let's be honest, the fellas too, as seen above!

Kara, Alex, and I wandered about Reston Zoo today, drinking in the sunshine and sniffing spring.

If you accompany a 2 year old to the zoo, that child forces you to let go of any agenda and any sense of control your foolish mind might dream up. What you think will entrance them or amaze them, rarely does...and things, such as bewhiskered ugly little runty pigs fill them with delight.

And, if you're at all smart, or wise, you simply let go. You meander in a zig zag fashion, ignoring some exhibits and repeatedly visiting others.

And, if you can let go of your agenda, your carefully planned path, and stop when your heart tells you, you become entranced by something as simple as chicken feathers.

They're gorgeous...colors, patterns, textures, you name it, these ladies and gents flaunt it, while quietly going about the business of foraging for food. Mother Nature throws beauty in front of us, gifting us with magic really, but we need to stop, look, and enjoy.

So, I sat, camera in hand, hoping to capture the magic, trying to work around the chain link fence, and wishing these busy bodies would just stay still.

Life is shifting a bit lately; I'm finding a new rhythm, one that's slower, more thoughtful, less filled with business mindless business.

We celebrated Easter with family and friends, each bringing a few special dishes to share. No one stressed or fussed.  We let go of baking 3 or 4 types of cookies, of a breakfast that while delicious, packed on the pounds.We let go of dragging out every decoration, simply enjoying some fresh tulips lifting their heads to the sun, and we turned the table over to play doh and painting. We slowed it all down; we enjoyed the gifts the day brought to all of us.

Mary Oliver says it so much better in these lines from "Invitation:"

   it is a serious thing

Just to be alive

   on this fresh morning

      in this broken world.

        I beg of you,

do not walk by

  without pausing

    to attend to this

      rather ridiculous performance.

You'll be so glad that you did.

 

Childhood Games

I spotted this a few weekends ago in Ellicott City, and it made me grin. Creativity and recycling packaged together...who could ask for more?

Aimee asked us to think about childhood games. Ahem, Aimee, a 60 year old brain has to think wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy  back for this one. In fact, this 60 year old brain partnered up with google to jump start some memories. After quite a bit of rooting about in these brain cells, I came up with:

Old Maid: We played this for hours and I can picture Denise, mom, and I sitting on the floor in a circle playing this one. No one wanted to end up with that Old Maid! I can still see her with a black hat perched on white hair, a pair of black glasses, white belt, and blue jacket. Now, please tell me why it is that I can see her so clearly when I had to google games from the 50s and 60s? So not politically correct today, but much fun, none the less!

Chinese Checkers: I loved this game with all of its multicolored little marbles. It seemed quite exotic to me, and I know that I thought it really was Chinese. So foreign and exciting. I felt quite the woman of the world. Truth be told, I just loved the colors and the noise they made rolling around in the game tin.

Rummy/Gin: 4 kids + a job as a milkman = not much disposable income. In hindsight, I think we might well have been classified as "poor" or nearly so. We never felt it, though. Cards didn't cost much and they proved quite versatile with all that you could do with them, including building a house of cards, a good old fashioned game of "War,"  and a bit later, learning to play solitare.

Scrabble: Honestly, I remember my parents playing this more than I did. Dad always won. Always. Here's what mom didn't know for a very long time. Dad had learned to glance away and then look back at the tiles. The grain on the dreaded x and q varied a bit from the other letters; dad could tell them apart, so he never ended up with them. With each loss, mom muttered some words that I generally didn't hear otherwise. Fast forward years later...Phil's brother, Mike, gave us this game for our first anniversary. It nearly led to divorce court and to this day, we refuse to play this game together. Let's just say we interpret the rules VERY differently.

Monopoly: Once we got past the arguing over who got what piece, we loved this game. Of course, we didn't play by the "official rules," but since we all agreed to the variations of those rules, it didn't much matter. For some reason, I loved the railroads. The lure of travel? Who knows, but I made it my mission to acquire them. Utilities ran a close second. Denise played smarter; she went after "Boardwalk." Guess who won more?

Googling this did reassure me that I didn't completely fail the memory game. Turns out that kids in the 50s made their own fun more than playing store bought games. Thanks, google...appreciate it!

 

 

Sunday Morning

Looking through my window savoring blue skies and the warmth of the sun on my face.

I am thinking about family connections and the threads that run through all of us.

I am thankful for so much, most of all a husband that loves me dearly.

From the kitchen, all is quiet. The chief cook and bottle washer is snoring gently in another room.

I am wearing a fuzzy soft blue robe.

I am capturing the magic of flowers on my table.

I am going to relax into this day.

I am reading flea market style magazines and delighting in the possiblitiles.

I am hoping to go exploring somewhere today.

I am hearing traffic mixed with birdsong and the creaking of our house as it settles.

Around the house, two fat cats dream of tender vittles in their bowl.

Sunday morning bliss.

Photo Heart Connection: February 2013

So many photos tugged on the heart strings this month...a trip to the beach and a new lens equaled a great deal of fun.

But, I kept coming back to this one.

Winter photos often frustrate me; there's so much brown and gray. Dark depressing colors - ugh! I need sunlight, crave it.

So, as I sat and stared at this shot, trying to figure out what drew me in, I realized that the almost golden light on the dry marsh grasses caught my eye and my heart.

And, there's a peacefulness here, one that my heart needs in the midst of papers that wait to be corrected, emails that wait to be answered, and students that wait for my attention.

This one offers a bit of solitude and peace, a time to quiet my monkey mind, and a time for me to breathe.

 

It Works for Me!

Over at Artsyville, inquiring minds would like to know, "What's working for you?" After mulling it over for a few days...and quite frankly, being brain dead, for most of those days, I've compiled my list:

...vanilla spice lattes from Starbucks

...macro lenses

...wide angle lenses

....photo walks

....curling up with a good book (Just picked up J.D. Robb's newest!)

...Suduko and crossword puzzles at the end of the day

...early morning prayer time in our school chapel

...dark chocolate sea salt caramels

...working my way through Trader Joe's coffees

...journaling

...photoshop elements

...weekend time with the "grands"

...making lists

...picking up homemade pierogis and halushki on Fridays during Lent

...destashing and decluttering

...art time in the studio

...sending/receiving cards through Postcrossings

...having my photographs printed as postcards and sending them through the mail

How about you? What's working right now?

 

Here...

Here...

Head bowed, buffeted by a bitterly cold February wind.

Tears streaming down my face

Eyes blinking against the sunlight's glare.

 

Here...

Head turned toward a radiant sun

Lost in the magic of stay puff marshmallow clouds

 

Here...

Numb hands gripping the camera's body

Wondering how to begin to capture this magic

 

Here...

Kneeling on wet damp sand

Listening to the shreiking of laughing gulls

Watching the itty bitties battling ferocious gusts of wind

 

Here...

Tasting gritty bits of sand

Capturing magic

 

Here...

 

Snow Geese and a List

                                                                       Snow Geese on VA's Eastern Shore

Over at Artsyville, this week's topic is "Unintended Use." Here's a few items that come in handy, but not for the purposes which they were intended for:

1) My macro lens often serves as a telephoto lens, although I did use an honest to God telephoto lens for thepics above.

2) Newpaper bags come into use as grandson diaper disposal and bags to stuff shampoo bottles - and the like - into as I travel. I've learned the hard way that no matter how much I'm careful, the darn things leak.

3) Used up gift cards spread glue and paint very nicely.

4) Old phone books or magazines serve as table protectors when I glue things. Glue, turn the page, and glue some more. I'm no longer getting glue where I didn't intend glue to be!

5) Toliet paper tubes make great "bincoulars" for the grands. Let them color or paint them, and then add some stickers...even better!

6) Enclosed envelopes for remitting payments find another life for practicing tearing (fine motor skills) or grocery list making.

7) Bubble wrap and corrugated cardboard (coffee cup sleeves) make neat textures in paint, and those toliet paper tubes above? Well, they make awesome circle prints! Potato mashers and combs of all sorts also create awesome texture.

8) Empty peanut butter jars hold water for art making.

9) Wine corks in an decorative container get emptied and replaced, over and over again, by the two year old grand.

10) A decorative wooden red bowl often serves as a hat for the same two year old.

11) Paper bags make awesome books.

And, I'm sure there's more, but I'm heading off to breakfast and then some exploring on Virginia's Eastern Shore.

This Is What I Know...Making a List!

Over at Artsyville, it's "List It Tuesday" once again, and although the kind folks there are quick to reassure me that I don't need to post on Tuesday, and that since I have all week to post, I'm really not late...well, the teacher in me says if I don't do this on Tuesday, I really am late. So, notice, please, I am on time this week! (It may not happen again any time soon...)

We've been given free rein this week, so I thought I'd revisit "This Is What I Know."

1. I'm happiest wandering about with a camera, focusing on what ever might catch my attention....the roots of an onion (cool surreal photo) or rusty bikes at the shore (to the bewilderment of 2 teen age boys). Doesn't matter one bit!

2. Photoshop is a wonderful thing. I get lost in it, playing for hours, pushing the envelope, just to see what happens, 'cause, you see, there's always the "undo" button. Wouldn't life be wonderful, if we could just hit that undo button once in a while?

3. I love vanilla spice lattes. Love them.

4. McKay's used book store is saving me a fortune.

5. When there's a two year old or four year old boy, or both, in my house, and it gets quiet, I better check on what's going on and quickly. Noise is wonderful because I know what they're up to.

6. I am going to the beach over Presidents' Day weekend, and if all goes well, I'm going whale watching with my husband and my sister. And, I get to play with my new wide angle lens. Since I really love my sister, I will let her play with the lens as well, and then I bet, she figures out a way to get one soon as well.

7. I need to stay out of "Chico's." I find way too much to buy in that place.

8. My husband is an awesome cook, whether it's homemade soup and bread or it's cookies. He does it all and does it well.

9. I love middle schoolers. They make some folks shudder, but all in all we have a blast. Right now they are humoring me and seriously trying to figure out how to calculate rates, bases, and percentages. No kidding!

10. Teaching ancient history is suitably gross enough to capture those same middle schoolers' attention.

11. I work with an awesome group of people.

12. I miss journaling and need to get back to it.

13. I need to win the lottery so I can quit, shoot pictures, write in my journals, and oh, maybe once in awhile, clean my house. Notice what's at the end of my list.

14. My daughter and I are taking a photography class together beginning in April. Yay!