A Year With My Camera

   In my Facebook group CaptureYour365 someone posted about a year long class called A Year with My Camera. Wait, I thought, what is that? This sounds really interesting. So of course, onto Google I go to find out more about this class. And what did I find? I found an opportunity for Free Online Photography Lessons that will help me to take photos I'll be proud of. Well alright then. I'm in!!

   The class instructor sends out an email every Thursday with all the instructions for each week. There are Workbooks and a Planner that goes along with the course but you don't need these books. The emails will have everything in them. I like to have something I can review and write in so I decided that I wanted the books, so I ordered them from Amazon. The books and planner are well written and definitely worth getting if you're looking to step up your game with your photography, I'm really excited to give this a try. The fun part is that A Year with My Camera will build my skills for the Capture Your 365 project. Capture Your 365 is geared towards promoting more creativity and daily routine for photography while A Year with My Camera deals with the technical aspects of photography.

 

   The class doesn't officially start until January 4th but to get me in practice there's a pre-class assignment of Make 30 Photos. This is not a take a photo a day challenge and I don't have to complete it in 30 days. There is a list of 30 different prompts to help me to think about my photos before I take them. To get me out of the habit of just taking a photo and to start making my photos.  Many times I'll just grab my camera, point it at the subject and click the button. I don't think about what I'm doing before I do it. Yea, I'll check composition and try to stay with the rule of thirds but I don't always look at the background. What's going to show up behind my subject? I really hate when I have a great subject, take a photo then when I look at it I'm distracted by stuff in the background. That is so aggravating!! If it's not too bad I might be able to fix the picture in Adobe PhotoShop Elements. But that takes time and patience, two things I don't always have an abundance of.

    So far I only have about six of the thirty photos completed. But the exciting thing is I'm now looking for ideas. I'm looking around trying to find subjects that will fulfill a prompt. I always carry my camera with me but I don't always take it out of the camera bag and use it. It's not going to take too many pictures like that. The only way I'm going to become a better photographer is to get my camera out of the bag, in my hands and in front of my face. With that said, my goal for the rest of 2017 is to finish taking the photos for the prompts listed. I got this!!

 

4 - Taken at Midday

 10 - Food

 

30 - Texture

 

21 - Just Two Colors

 

19 - Wildlife (I may be stretching this prompt a bit!)

 

9 - Older Than Me (Established in 1880)

I hope you've enjoyed the pictures I've taken. Please feel free to let me know what you think. I would love to have feedback on my "work". I can't really call this work because it's just so much fun!!

Thanks for visiting with me at

Down Home at Dee's

 

 

 

The Good Samaritan - John Marrs

Wow!! I'm not sure how to describe this book. 

   I once was told that if a book invoked feelings when you read it then it was a good book. If the book invoked strong feelings then it was a great book. By this criteria, The Good Samaritan is a great book. Let me start with how the story made me feel. Sympathy, anger, frustration, claustrophobic, horror, empathy, and sadness are a few of the emotions that come to mind. The one thing I dislike are open ended stories however that  is a personal preference and a writing technique that doesn't affect the story content.  This book was gripping and the ending left me with so many conflicted emotions. Most of them disturbing. And questions.What happened next?

   The story begins with a phone call. As the conversation unfolds I realized that one person is encouraging the other, a man, to do something but I don't know what. He is resolved on accomplishing what he is planning.  Then he meets a woman but the woman is having second thoughts. I still don't know what the person on the phone is determined for these two people to do.  But after the person who is "in charge" calls the woman I, realize what the task is and I am horrified. How can one person be so evil and encourage others to take their lives for their own personal gratification? The end of the prologue left me stunned.

   Laura and Ryan are the two main characters of this book. The first portion of the book is about Laura. I learn Laura volunteers at a organization called End of the Line. End of the Line is a call center for trouble people to call and talk to people who will listen and help them. Many of these people are depressed and often suicidal. Usually they are looking for someone to offer them hope. The unlucky ones find Laura. Laura believes she is "helping" when she guides callers towards taking their own lives. Laura hides who she really is very successfully and is fully aware of what she is doing. She presents herself as the maternal type. Someone who is helpful, loving and kind. Because that type of person would never be considered a threat. That type of person can get away with almost anything. 

   As the chapters go on, I find that Laura doesn't like her life. She hates the house she lives in, her marriage is in trouble and there is a mystery around one of her children. The fact that Laura's childhood was difficult comes as no surprise but the events that she suffered through causes me to have sympathy for her. How awful for a child to have to suffer through what she did. Losing her mother to illness, her father and two sisters dying and then the things she suffered while in the care of a foster parent. So although I am horrified by the way she "helps" people in a way I do understand how she can justify it to herself. Laura truly believes she is helping people but is honest enough with herself to admit that she does not do it out of selflessness, she admits that she does this because she craves the control over another person and the thrill of hearing their last breath. 

   Laura is as deceitful and manipulative to her family as she is with others. Laura  does everything she can to make others do what she wants and to make situations turn out the way she wants. She has no limits to what she will do even if it hurts her children.  I  Laura because she is manipulative and mean but at the same time I admire her because she is honest with herself about who she is. How many of us can honestly say we admit who we really are? Laura disguises her true self to others but never to herself. 

   The second part of the book is when we meet Ryan. Ryan has lost his wife. She is found dead. Ryan doesn't want to accept the fact that his wife committed suicide until all the evidence presented by the police gives him no choice. He is devastated. He loved Charlotte and the baby she was carrying and  believed they had a wonderful future together. Ryan cycles through the stages of grief but as anyone that has dealt with loosing a loved one to suicide these stages of grief are not the same as loosing a loved one through an accident or illness. There's the added component of trying to understand why our loved one felt so desperate that they saw killing themselves as the only way to end the pain. We deal with the additional guilt of questioning our actions. Did we do anything that caused them to feel that was their only option? How could we not see how sad and depressed they were? Was there anything we could have done to prevent their death?  We try to find answers to the why they did it. It was during the stage of trying to find out why that Ryan came across Laura and The End of the Line.

   Now I find out to what extent that Ryan will go in order to find answers and to confront Laura to make her confess her treachery. I learn that even the "good guy" isn't always so good. That when faced with situations that the normal mind cannot comprehend, emotions take over and the resulting actions lead to fatal and devastating consequences. 

You'll have to read the book to find out all that happens with Laura, her family and Ryan. You won't be disappointed.

Thanks for visiting with me at

Down Home at Dee's

Thanksgiving - Fantasy vs. Reality

  

 

   Every year I have this fantasy of what my Thanksgiving will be like.  I see a house full of family and friends. Everyone is dressed festive but comfortable, each reflecting their individual sense of style. I see my friends and family talking, laughing and having a good time. Some are standing around in groups with small plates of appetizers and others are standing next to the appetizer table snacking. We all have a glass of freshly made holiday punch. Kids are bundled up and playing outside. Jumping in leaf piles, running around playing tag or jumping on the trampoline.

   The appetizer table is covered with wonderful, bite sized creations that never fill anyone up no matter how much they eat. There's a carefully laid out cheese and cracker tray, a veggie tray, an assortment of delightful fresh baked savory and sweet tarts and of course, a homemade cheese ball. The appetizers and the punch miraculously, never run low. My holiday decorations are perfectly arranged as if ready for a magazine shoot. The house is filled with wonderful aromas of delicious cooking food and soft music plays in the background. Over the music, I hear the hum of conversations around me. I flutter around the room talking to everyone. I catch up on the current events happening with friends and family.  I am graciously accepting compliments on how beautiful my house looks and enjoying the spotlight, but being modest about my accomplishments.

   Suddenly, it's time to sit down and eat. The table is gorgeously set with beautiful dishes and piled high with perfectly cooked food. The stuffing is a gorgeous golden brown. The green beans have a perfectly placed pat of melting butter on top. The mashed potatoes are beautifully whipped. The gravy is hot and thick with no lumps. Biscuits look like they will just melt in your mouth and homemade honey butter waits to be slathered on a piping hot biscuit. And the turkey. The turkey is the picture of perfection. Crisp golden-brown skin covering moist turkey meat. Then there is the dessert table, filled with all kinds of home baked goodies. All my guests gush over how scrumptious the food appears, how delicious the dessert table looks and how beautiful the table settings are.

   We all find our seats that are marked with adorable place markers I made. The children have come inside, washed their hands and are quietly waiting for their food to be put on their plates. A simple but heartfelt Thanks is said and now we get down to eating. Bowls of food are passed around and everyone fills their plates. The children sit, eat what's put on their plates and politely join in the conversation with the adults. The food never runs out and everyone gets their fill.  Thanksgiving dinner goes off without a hitch and everyone has a great, relaxing time.

   Yea, I know. I've been watching too many Hallmark movies. So what would my Thanksgiving really be like? About the only thing that my fantasy and real life Thanksgiving have in common is a house full of people. Other than that, well, I'll let you decide.

   Everyone arrives at the same time and it's a bottle neck to get in the door. Once inside the kids are running around the house yelling and chasing each other. The dog decides to chase the cat and knocks over the table with my "meticulously" arranged appetizers. These "meticulously" arranged appetizers consists of slices of cheese and crackers thrown on a paper plate, chips in a bowl with the dip still in the store container and carrot nubs with a bottle of ranch dressing. There's not a tart or cheese ball to be seen. The dog suddenly stops chasing the cat to clean up the mess by gobbling up what spilled. The kids who are now chasing the dog all try to stop suddenly and land in a pile, resulting in the child on the bottom receiving the brunt of everyone's weight and is now in major crying mode. Adults wade into the fray to pull children off the pile and end up with bruised legs as kids trying to untangle themselves are kicking anything in reach. Once that riotous event has been smoothed out, the kids and dog are sent outside to run.

   During this chaotic time, I notice that there seems to be more friends and family than I planned for. But no, that can't be. If anyone decided to bring a guest they would let me know. Right? Wouldn't they? I begin to casually do a head count and come up with four over. Huh. So I do another head count. Yep. Four more than planned. Hmmm . . . Now I have to figure out what four. Are they adults or children? This makes a difference since normally children eat less than adults and I have just enough food. Four additional children would explain why there was so much excitement when everyone arrived. However, my hopes are soon dashed as I realize that my son's partner, that wasn't going to come, is now here. Then I spy my daughter and see that she has her niece and the little boy that lives next door in tow. One adult. Two kids. Ok. I'm still in good shape. Until I see the missing fourth person. It's my son-in-law's brother. I know I'm in trouble now because he can pack food away. But I love that more of my family are here, the more the merrier!

   As the adults finish cleaning up the mess of the appetizers, I dash to the kitchen to check on the cooking food.  The potatoes are boiling and ready to be mashed, the green beans are cooking and the store-bought biscuits are ready to go in the oven. I open the oven to make sure my turkey is browning nicely only to find the oven isn't hot. I forgot to turn it on!! What do I do now?! I run into the living room with a look of panic on my face and say "I forgot to turn on the oven! I have a raw turkey!" I receive stunned looks from all who hear my announcement. My daughter calmly picks up her purse, grabs her keys and heads out the door. Everyone left in the room is staring at each other with looks of horror and puzzlement. Horror because there won't be any turkey on Thanksgiving and puzzlement because we're wondering where my daughter is going. Then everyone begins to talk at once and the children are crying.

   I make my escape back to the kitchen to begin digging in the refrigerator for something to replace the turkey. I hear the front door slam and in my haste to see what's going on, I hit my head on the refrigerator.  I hurry into the living room rubbing my head and see my daughter is holding a plastic bag from the local grocery store. We all gather around her wanting to know what is in the bag and find . . . ground turkey. All right then. Sore head forgotten, I grab the bag, race back into the kitchen, quickly make up turkey meatballs and throw them in the oven. Yes, I make sure the oven is on. I drain and mash the potatoes which turn out very lumpy. Throw butter in the green beans and shove the biscuits in the oven. Jar turkey gravy is spooned into a bowl and heats in the microwave.

   When the food is done I yell for everyone to grab a plate and eat. I almost get trampled as everyone stampedes into the kitchen to get food. Children fuss about what they won't eat. Parents tell them to eat what's put on their plate. The noise level rises. Everyone finds a spot to sit, eat and visit. The dog steals food when she can, causing the big kids to laugh and the little ones to cry. Adults hurry up and eat, grab the kids, clean them off and rush out the door after hasty goodbyes. When silence descends and the coast appears clear, I gingerly step out of the kitchen. Thanksgiving dinner by most standards would be considered a disaster as this was not a relaxing event but all in all, everyone had a good time because we are spending time with those we love. After all, who needs a boring, quiet, movie scene Thanksgiving dinner. Good thing I don't. But maybe, just once . . . .

Thanks for visiting with me at
Down Home at Dee's

Blogging - Looking Back - Part 2

  I started another blog on October 4, 2013 and I called it A Little Bit of Everything. I changed the name and the web address because I changed my email. I couldn't merge my old email that my original blog was under and the new email so I decided to start a new blog. This blog lasted until June 11, 2016 with a big gap in posts between May and December 2014. During this time I got involved in a relationship that ended with my heart being devastated after I dropped my guard and allowed myself to love again. I don't get over heartbreak quick or easy and writing seems to help me heal. Or at least keep me busy so I don't focus on the hurt.

   As I  begin another trip down memory lane, the first post on my new blog tells of the new addition I made to my household. My wonderful pup Rosie. This blog is more of a mix of memories, events and projects. I talk about places and things I've done, classes I signed up for, photo challenges I participated in, goals I set, 52 Lists Project, Project Life progress, projects I completed, baking ideas, products I tried and my start into woodworking. This blog is definitely more if a diary style blog. A lifestyle blog. When I first started reading my posts I wasn't sure of what I thought about it. But as I kept reading I find I like it. It's nice mix. I very well may keep this style up.

   I started Project Lift again in 2014 but didn't complete it. I don't think I got up to February done. I also started a PL album in 2013. I got further along in that year but still didn't complete it. I don't remember if I began a Project Life album for 2015 but I know I did for 2016. I have one for 2017 and I am doing a lot better toward finishing it than I have in the past. The four years I've not completed are projects that will be added to my long term Project Bucket goal list.

    2016 is when I discovered Ali Edwards and her One Little Word class.  I signed up and chose the word Focus. I did get almost five months worth of lessons done and then life derailed me. My mother came for a visit. What was going to be a two week visit ended up a five month stay. There were so many things my mother wanted to do that after her debilitating surgery in 2008 she has not had the opportunity to do. Then she had to have emergency heart and was not able to return home until she had completely recovered. It was during this time that I quit blogging.

   I enjoy sharing and writing about my life. I find this to be very therapeutic for me. I often think "Maybe one day someone will do a google search and find my page. Maybe I'll have a post that will help them or give them an answer to a question they have or just make them smile." Sure I would love to make money from blogging as so many others do but that's not my main goal here. My goal is to just share. Share the projects I make and how to make them, give reviews of products I've tried, tell about places I've been, progress I'm making on projects I'm doing, and well, you get the idea. A lifestyle blog.

Thanks for visiting with me at

Down Home at Dee's

Blogging - Looking Back - Part 1

  I have wanted to be a blogger for a long time. I guess that makes me a blogger-want-a-be.   I started a couple blogs and then quit. No one followed my blogs or made comments. Maybe that's part of why I quit. Why continue if all I'm doing it for is myself? But I enjoyed it. Now that I think about it, that reason alone should be enough for me to have continued.

   For fun I decided to go back and read my old blogs. See what I posted about. Review the projects I completed. Where I was in my life. What a great time I had going back and reading my posts! My first blog was called Scrap On It! But I later changed the name to A Little Bit of This & A Little Bit of That. I started my first blog on July 23, 2011. It's hard to believe it has been that long ago. I started as a way to help me recover from a break up of a toxic relationship. To take my mind off the hurt and heartache I was dealing with. The relationship ended terribly late 2010 but recovering from the emotional and verbal abuse I suffered took a long time. I was devastated when the relationship ended. Looking back I don't understand why. That was one of the worst times of my life. It's funny how we can convince ourselves something that is so bad for us is good and not realize how bad it is until we are no longer in the situation. But I digress.

   My first post introduced myself and talked about how many UFOs (Unfinished Projects)  or PHDs (Projects Half Done) I had. I talked about how I made a list, organized my projects and how my system worked for me. After reading my post I want to reorganize, update my system and begin working on unfinished projects again.  I just realized that my post invoked the very emotion I wanted. Excitement to do what I wrote about. It doesn't matter if I am the one that got excited. The post accomplished what I wanted it to do.

   The next several posts dealt with sewing/quilting projects, baking fun, scrapbooking pages,  techniques I tried and events that were happening in my life.  As I read through each blog post the memories start rolling in. The fun of doing the projects and the satisfaction I had when I completed something created the desire to jump back in to getting stuff done. Remembering the fun I had with family and friends.  Not to mention wanting to do more blogging.

   A later post I did talks about the book 52 Scrapbooking Challenges by  Elsie Flannigan. I forgot all about having this book. I talk about the challenges, my scrapbooking goals and what I completed. Reading this post makes me want to pull the book out and start the challenges all over again. Fifty-two challenges is only one layout a week. That's an easy goal for sure. And I don't have to do the challenges in order so I can switch things up a bit. In another post I write about sketchbooks by Scrapbook Generations. These books are filled with sketches that are easy to follow and adapt to whatever scrapbooking style you have. I completely forgot about having these books too. I've moved away from traditional scrapbooking and gone in the direction of a Project Life style memory keeping but these books remind me of how much I enjoyed creating pages. Something I think I will start doing again.

  I found a blog post that deals with being alone. Living alone. Doing things alone. Having a life alone. Of stepping out of my comfort zone and creating a life. Funny how life changes but remains the same. I am no longer alone. I've been in a relationship for almost a year. I've been in a couple relationships since the one that broke my heart and started me on my path of blog writing. Anyway, I am not alone anymore but the possibility of no longer being in a relationship is looming in the horizon. If issues aren't resolved, the change will happen in the very near future. This brings me back to my post about being alone. I am again looking at the possibility of being alone.  Living alone. Doing things alone. Creating a life alone. But this time being alone won't be as difficult. I think this time being alone will be just fine. I actually like the idea. In fact the truth be told, I actually miss being alone. How funny is that?

  There was a post that had a Project Bucket List. I went through the list and realized that I completed almost all of the items on it. I have to say  I was quite pleased to see that. Out of eleven items I listed I got six done. I don't think I got them all done in a month like I planned. I actually don't think I got them done in the same year.  But the important thing is they got done. Not bad. I definitely will need to make another Project Bucket List. I did find another post where I made a List and this one was LONG. This list didn't get as many completed as the first one. Some of the items on the list still aren't completed. That tells me I need to keep the list short and easier to complete.

   I got to one post about my big baby Sweet Pea. I recently lost him to cancer. Seeing that post made me want to cry and laugh at the same time. So many memories. During this time in my life I felt like my life didn't have a lot of meaning and I was just existing.  But as I read this blog and remember the events behind the posts, I find I'm missing that time in my life and I'm upset with myself for not appreciating the time more. Perhaps there is a life lesson in this for me. Appreciate and enjoy where I'm at in life the moment I'm in it.

   The last post I made on this blog was June 21, 2013. I didn’t post every day or even every week. Sometimes I didn't  post every month. There was a period of time where I didn't post at all. Almost eight months without a post. When I began writing again, my post talked about why I quit. One of the reasons was that no one read my blog. And I tell why I started writing again. I started writing again for myself and for my daughter, who was my only follower. This is a reminder to myself to keep writing even when I feel no one is reading. If one person reads, enjoys and get something from what I post then that is a reason to keep writing. Even if that one person is me.

   As I read my blog I realize I got a lot of things done. My posts may not have been fancy. Sometimes they were "clumsy".  Some had a lot of pictures, some had few. I didn't think to do step by step directions on how to do something. But after reading my blog from the beginning to end, I am motivated and excited to go and retry some of the things I did then. So I guess that makes my blog a success even if it's just me that benefits.

   So if you are a new blogger, a long time blogger or a hit or miss blogger, keep writing. Even if you are the only one who reads your blog, keep writing. You will enjoy going back and reading what you wrote. You will get something beneficial from your blog. And that makes writing your blog worth every minute you spend on it.  

Thanks for visiting with me at

Down Home at Dee's

A Day to Remember

 

  

   I don't think anyone who was old enough on this date sixteen years ago doesn't remember the disbelief, horror and pain the events of that day caused. Even as we watched the events unfold on tv we had disbelief that something so horrendous could happen here in our country. Horror at seeing the images on tv of the planes hitting the Twin Towers. Terror while watching people jump out of windows to avoid being burned alive only to plummet many floors to their deaths. The pain that engulfed us as we watched thousands of people die including the first responders who courageously waded into the chaos to rescue survivors and the passengers who rebelled and prevented their plane from crashing into the White House. On this day, sixteen years ago, we as a nation lost our sense of security and our innocence.
   I remember what I was doing when I heard of this tragic event as if it was only yesterday and not so long ago. I was working for an asphalt company driving a dump truck. When I got the news over my company radio I was sitting at a light at the intersection of Van Dorn Street and Eisenhower Dr. Van Dorn St is a north / south road located in Alexandria, Virginia. I happened to be going northbound. The intersection I was at is located at the bottom of a hill and has a limited view ahead. I got the call about one of the Twin Tower being hit then another call that the Pentagon had also been hit. Disbelief and shock was my first reaction. Why would anyone do such a thing? How could they do it? My mind couldn't grasp the idea or make sense of it. The signal light turned green and I proceed to travel north. As I crested the hill, in the horizon I saw a huge, thick, black plume of smoke rolling skyward. My disbelief turned to horror. A chill ran down my back. I was supposed to be working that day in the South Parking Lot of the Pentagon doing paving. The contractor wasn't ready for us to start so the job was postponed. I also used to work in the Pentagon for the Chief of Naval Operations and the section of the Pentagon that was hit was the area where I worked. My son was in Pennsylvania and was flying home that day. In my panic I couldn't remember from what airport he was flying out of, what flight he was to be on or time of departure. I spent many hours in agony wondering if my son was on the flight that crashed before hitting its target. I cannot even begin to describe my relief when I finally was able to speak to him and verify he was okay. My daughter was in high school away for the day’s turmoil and I knew she was safe. But she too dealt with fear that day. She knew her brother was flying out from Pennsylvania and she thought I was at the Pentagon unaware that the job had been canceled. Her friends had parents who worked at the Pentagon and they were unable to find out if they were safe. This event affected everyone who was old enough to understand its significance.

    Let us take a moment sometime today to remember those who lost their lives on this tragic day sixteen years ago. Remember the ones who were in the Twin Towers and the Pentagon, the passengers of the four flights, the first responders and the civilians who bravely joined in to help. Let us remember those who survived the attack on our country that day, the search and rescue teams who valiantly put their own safety at risk to look for survivors, then later for the dead and everyone whose Herculean efforts helped to try to put order to chaos. The ones left behind by this tragedy are still suffering the trauma of the aftermath.

     This day sixteen years ago touched each one of us in some way. And we as individuals and as a Nation will never be the same again.

 Thanks for visiting with me at

Down Home at Dee's