Time is Flying!!

   Wow!! I can’t believe over three weeks has flown by and I’ve only posted once! I could swear the new year just started. How did I lose so much time?! It's unreal how quickly life can get away from me and the next thing I know, I’ve lost time. I have a feeling you probably know exactly what I’m talking about! I’m not always going to write everyday but I want to post at least once a week. Well, that’s the goal I set for myself. I look at it like this, I blog to share the things I’ve created, recipes I’ve tried and to just, well, just share stuff. Who knows, maybe you’ve been looking for an idea on how to make something and “Poof!!” a search brings you here and you find what you’re looking for. But if all I do is post and no one reads it, that’s fine, because this blog is for me. It’s a way for me to express myself, share with others and help me to keep from screaming. Not really.  Ok, maybe a little. Alright, Alright! I’ll be honest, maybe a lot.

   These past weeks have been really hectic. We’ve had several weather events which means I get called in for extra shifts at work. The hard part is I end up staying awake for over 24 hours each time. Then I crash, sleep for hours and feel like I’m dragging the next day. I don’t feel bad but I have no motivation to do anything. Working double shifts really messes with my body’s schedule. Have you had that happen to you? Does it mess with you too?

   So what have I been doing when not working snow? Let me tell you . . .

    

   In my CAPTURE YOUR 365 class I’ve been pretty consistent with taking a photo each day. This is really the first time since I’ve tried doing this project that I have actually made it for almost a whole month with a photo every day. I’m not going to jinx myself by saying anything more about it. Well, I did miss several days and the prompt for those days was Icy Bokeh, Explore, Action, Spontaneous, and What I'm Eating. I just couldn’t come up with anything I could photo for these. I’m not skipping the prompts. I am coming back to them when I have time to set something up.

   My grandson generously loaned me his Pokémon Go Lego people so I am going to be using these as my models. I have ideas for some of the missed prompts and this week I plan to do a Lego photo shoot. From what I’ve seen and heard, these Lego models are easy to work with, don’t mind standing still for long periods of time and never complain. If they are as easy to work with as everyone says, I will definitely be booking more appointments with their agent.

   I want to redo the photo I took for the Bubbles prompt. I have an idea that should  give me a little more practice with the Minty White prompt that I had a hard time with and step up my photo of Bubbles. Who knew photographing white on white would end up being so complicated? But it is. Try it sometimes and you’ll see what I mean. Here are the photos I have taken so far.

4/365 – Overlooked | Unnoticed | Detail | Inconspicuous
    I have passed this chimney so many times and looked at it without seeing it. But on this day I actually saw it because I'm looking for something that fits the prompt. Makes me wonder what type of house went with the chimney and how long has the house been gone.

   

5/365 – Smile | Amused | Joy | Silly
    I looked and looked for something that makes me smile only to realize that something has been with me all day - the flannel lined jeans from Tractor Supply. I happened to look down as I was getting out of my truck, saw the flannel cuff and started smiling because my honey bought them for me so I wouldn't be cold. I instantly knew this was to be my photo of the day. What the photo lacks in technique and style is made up by love and caring. One of the comments I received when I posted this picture in the CY365 2017 Facebook group was that I had on Charlie Brown boots and I have to admit my boots do look a lot like Charlie Brown's.

6/365 - Where I Stand | Look Down | Your Feet | Inspired By
    After working snow shift, when I got home this morning I had to grab my camera and run out the door to take photos. Where I'm Standing is on a swinging bridge by my house. I managed to get my Charlie Brown boots, the shore line and the creek in this picture. 

 
7/365 - Minty White | Winter | Candy | Chalky 
   I am not really excited about this prompt. Maybe it's because I had a headache when I was trying to take the picture. Or because I'm still shooting in auto and haven't jumped to manual yet. Maybe it's because I just didn't have any idea what I wanted to take a picture of because I'm not thinking outside the box yet. I will definitely revisit this prompt in the future after I've done some more learning.

 

  

8/365 – Get In the Picture | You | In Front of the Lens | Recorded

   Saturday’s headache turned into Sunday’s migraine and I wasn’t up to taking any pictures. To be frank, I wasn’t up at all on Sunday until later in the evening. So I did a makeup photo the next day. I decided to give converting a color shot to black and white. Here are both so y’all can compare.

   PS – We just moved into our house and are still “making it ours” so there are two distinct styles of decor in the picture, the previous owners and mine and they seriously clash!!

9/365 – Game | Fun | Family Time | Bonding

   This prompt I had fun with. I picked Clue because it’s one of my favorite games. Now I want to play a few games of it. I spent many hours playing this game when I was a kid. I would play against myself. I was an only child until I was ten so finding ways to occupy myself was a must.

 10/365 – Print | Book | Page | Photo

   Next to photos, a good book is my next favorite print. I love winding down at the end of the day with a cup of Sleepy Time Tea and a good book. The book I’m currently reading is “Sunday’s at Tiffany’s” by James Patterson. So far this book is awesome. I highly recommend you read it.

   While I was taking my photos for the day, my boyfriend says to me “Now I really know you’re weird. You’re taking pictures of a cup of tea, your glasses and a book”. I laughed and replied “I kept that a secret until it’s too late for you to run.” HaHa!!

11/365 – Steam | Mist | Vapor | Boil

   I had a lot of trouble with this prompt. I tried to get steam from a mug. No go. Then I tried for steam from a pot of boiling water. Nope. So I settled on steam on the bathroom mirror after a shower. The patchwork in the reflection is the shower curtain I made from a pattern I found on the Better Homes and Garden website. This is another prompt I will definitely be revising to perfect.

12/365 – Icy Bokeh |Iced | Sun Bokeh | Frozen

   This is the one I just couldn’t get done. Stay tuned for future posts on this prompt.

13/365 – Currently Loving | Interest | Hobby | Enjoyable

   I am currently loving having my horse Fedora at our place. Steve & I took advantage of the unusual warm weather and got the field and barn ready for her to be here. She seems to be loving all the room she has here. Dory has been running around the field with her head and tail held high.

14/365 – Inviting | |Comfortable | Cozy | Snug

   Last weekend was hectic. What was supposed to be a long weekend with Friday and Monday being holidays I ended up working because of bad weather. This photo was taken after I got home and sitting by the wood stove watching the flames, feeling the heat after being out in the cold and taking a few minutes to unwind was too inviting to pass up.

15/365 – Now | Realization | Discovery | Sign

   I took some time and went out to the field to play with both of my big girls. We had a great time running around playing tag. I was tickled to be able to get this photo of the two of them running. Especially Rosie as the look on her face is pure enjoyment.

16/365 – Quiet | Muted | Tranquil | Soft

   Lantz Mill was built around 1813 and was destroyed by Union troops in 1864 during "The Burning", a campaign where Union troops went through the Shenandoah Valley burning mills, farms and homes to debilitate the South and to help bring the Civil War to an end. The mill was rebuilt in 1865 and operated until the 1970s. I picked this to represent Quiet as the wheel is no longer turning and is now quiet, waiting to restart. Lantz Mill is listed in the National Historical Registry. If you'd like to read more here's the actual copy of the registry documents and the description of the historical value this small mill has to our community.

http://www.dhr.virginia.gov/registers/counties/shenandoah/085-0933-0001_lantz_mill_2007_nrfinal.pdf

   I took this photo in color then converted to black and white in Adobe Photoshop Elements. I chose the infrared filter to give the mill the old timey look. Photoshop Elements is a wonderful way to give your photos different looks. A photo that just didn’t look good in color can become awesome when converted to black and white or edited using one of the filters the program has. I love to take a photo and just play with the look using all of the options this software provides.

17/365 – Bubbles | Soak | Giggles | Bath Time

   This is another prompt that I just couldn’t come up with something to photograph. I firmly believe that only those who are passionate about improving our photographic skills and techniques will understand what I did and not judge. That being said . . . 

   I tried and tried to find a way to photograph bubbles. I took several photos of cranberry juice after being poured with the bubbles. Nope. Just couldn’t pull it off so I didn’t take a photo and I didn't have a lot of time to set anything up.   

  But the next day I got what I needed and wasn’t even trying.  I'm cleaning the toilet with Scrubbing Bubbles and guess what? You're got it - I had bubbles!! So I grabbed my camera and took pictures. I made sure no one could tell the bubbles were in the toilet bowl and I did take the photos after I had cleaned. :)  

   I mention the not being judged part because my boyfriend gave me a look and said "You're taking pictures of the toilet now?" He already thinks I'm weird so I just answered yes and keep shooting.  Lol.

 

18/365 – Chosen | Preferred | Popular | Selected

   Today was another unusually nice day so I took advantage of the day and did an activity I'd choose over almost any other - riding. Dory and I did a few laps around the field. Our neighbors goats caught her attention and Dory was trying to figure out what those funny looking "horses" were.

 

19/365 - Chilly | Frigid | Wintry | Brisk

   I was finally able to book an appointment with the Lego models. Yea me!! Y'all are right. These guys are the best models around. The only catch was if a Pokemon happened to show up my models were going to try to catch it. Luckily, I was able to get a photo of them in the act of catching a Pokemon on the "pond", which met the Chilly prompt. Definitely a good day for a photo shoot. :)

   I have gotten behind with my prompts. So far I’m trying to get into the habit of reading the morning emails that tell about the daily prompt, reviewing what others have posted in the Facebook Capture Your 365 2017 group to see how they interpreted the prompt and finding something to photograph that fits the prompts. I’m looking at the composition of each photo and using the rule of thirds. I haven’t stepped out of the comfort zone of the auto settings yet but I think soon I am going to be ready to do that. In February I am going to start working on the “Your Life Through the Lens” class that is a part of the Capture Your 365 class. Take a month to work through each lesson until I am completely comfortable taking my camera off auto.

   I have a Nikon D40 with the wide angle and zoom lenses from Ritz Camera and I love it. I purchased this camera many years ago and it’s no longer available but there are newer models to choose from if you are looking to invest in a DSLR camera. I prefer Nikon over Canon for a DSLR camera but that’s just my personal preference. When I was comparison shopping I was trying to decide on the Nikon D40 or the Canon Rebel. I have smaller hands and the Nikon fit my hand better plus I found the menu buttons easier for me to figure out on the Nikon. I acquired several filters (Quantaray MC Skylight 1A, 4 Point Cross Section, Circular Polarizer, Spot, Diffusion, Fogmaker and Hoya Infrared R72) and I recently got a Targus TG-DL20N flash from Walmart. I have all of this fabulous camera stuff and all I’ve done is take photos on auto. No wait, I did take a photography course through Northern Virginia Community College not long after I got my camera but I’ve forgotten everything I learned.  I received free classes from Ritz Camera and I took as many as I could. They were very informative. But again because that was many years ago I don’t remember too much of what I learned. So I am going back to the beginning. Taking pictures with my wonderful DSLR camera on auto and step by step transitioning over to manual settings.

   It’s not the camera you have that’s important, it’s getting out there, finding things to photograph and learning to look at the world around you with different eyes. Grab the camera you have whether it’s on your phone, a point and shoot or a DSLR and join me in new some adventures.

A Tribute to Sweet Pea and Herby - A Tale of Loss and Heartbreak

   A chapter in my life is coming to a close and I am not sure how I feel about that. I certainly don’t like how it is closing.  I’m not sure if I can explain this clearly but I’ll give it a try.

   In 2001, my daughter’s then boyfriend wanted to give her a calico kitten for Valentine’s Day. My husband (now ex) and I decided that we were fine with this as long as the kitten was male. Laura assured me this was the case so the kitten became a part of our family. Several months later my marital situation changed and I moved into an apartment. I asked my daughter if I could take her kitten with me for company and she said yes.

   The kitten was an indoor cat but did get out one night and was gone until morning. It’s a boy so no big deal, right?. Well a little over a month later a friend stopped by and said something about how the kitten was getting so big and actually looked pregnant. “No way” I said, “It’s a boy.” My friend started laughing and said “Girl, don’t you know that calico cats are almost always female?” So it turns out my kitten wasn’t getting big just because it was growing. It was getting big because it was going to have kittens. He was a she and her name became Baby. Several weeks later I welcomed four additions to my little household. I was not planning to keep any of these kittens but the third kitten born was a beautiful, yellow tabby. I have always wanted a yellow tabby and so now I had one. I named him Sweet Pea because he was such a sweet boy. Yes, I did make sure he was a he by the vet. My little family consisted of Squirt (the cat I already had), Baby and Sweet Pea.

     About two years later, my daughter comes home with a little Siamese mix kitten. A dirty, scruffy looking ball of fur. I told her “No, we just can’t have another cat. We already have three. No way!” Yep, you guessed it, the little fur ball stayed. He was such a loving little guy we named him Herby the Love Bug. Our fur baby family now consisted of Squirt, Baby, Sweet Pea and Herby.

   Time passed and we all were doing well. Then in 2008 Squirt got sick. She was 16 and wasn’t recovering from her illness so I made the painful and heartbreaking decision to put her to sleep. My heart was so heavy and shattered. Squirt was my kitten or should I say I was her person. I still feel the absence of her in my life.

   In early 2013 I decided to make a move to the Shenandoah Valley and start my life fresh. Leave all my heartache of failed relationships and broken dreams in Fredericksburg. My fur family of Baby, Sweet Pea and Herby made the move with me. Even though I left Fredericksburg behind, I did bring pieces of it with me in the form of my fur babies. But the pieces were all of good memories.

   Now I’m starting to lose my fur babies and I feel as if I am not only losing them and pieces of my heart but I’m losing a part of my past. The good parts. The best parts.  Along with a part of myself. The last sixteen years overall have not been good. Much of that time has been quite difficult with some good sprinkled in to keep me going. Baby, Sweet Pea and Herby were a part of that good.

   This past July Herby got sick. He had an ear infection that was getting worse. I was treating it with over the counter medicine but that wasn’t helping. I took Herby to the vet and she found a lump inside of his ear. The vet gave me medicine to help the infection but without surgery the lump wasn’t going to go away. The medicine didn’t help and Herby developed an abscess inside his ear. On July 14, 2016, I made the decision to let Herby, my love bug, be put to sleep. He was thirteen.

   Sweet Pea was also having issues with one of his ears and he had lost a lot of weight. I took him to the vet and a lump was found in his ear. The vet cleaned his ear but as with Herby, without surgery the issue wouldn’t go away. At almost 16 years old the vet didn’t recommend Sweet Pea having surgery but to keep the infection under control and let Sweet Pea live out his days. Unfortunately, this didn’t happen.

   Last weekend I was playing with Baby and Sweet Pea with a laser dot and Rosie, my very large dog, decided to try to join in the fun. She jumped off the couch and landed on Sweet Pea by accident. Rosie irritated the bad ear and caused serious injury to Sweet Pea. This past Monday I made another trip to the vet with a fur baby and returned home empty handed. I have lost another piece of myself and my past along with losing pieces of my heart. Sweet Pea was the sweetest, easiest going cat I have ever seen. Plus he was my kitten as much as he was Baby’s because I delivered him.

   I keep expecting to see him lying in front of the wood stove. Or hear him telling me he’s hungry or wants a treat. Or sitting in his box sleeping. Or on the back of the couch watching the birds in the front yard. Or Sweet Pea and Herby, “my boys”, lying together on the couch. I didn’t have time to mourn the loss of Herby because my mother was visiting with me and while here, she became ill. Now the loss of Herby is hitting me like a tidal wave.

   Baby is now all I have left from the trek I made from Fredericksburg. She is all that I have left to remind me of the good times I had there. But I am afraid that soon she too will be gone. Baby will be seventeen in December and she already has that frail, elderly look about her. Plus with the boys gone she has no companion to cuddle with and keep her company. Baby has never been alone her whole life. My hope is that when her turn comes she goes to sleep and doesn’t wake up. No more trips to the vet because of illness or injury and not coming back home.

   I am mourning not only the loss of my Herby and Sweet Pea. I am mourning the beginning of a closing of a chapter in my life. Somehow I feel that when my babies are gone I will lose an additional part of myself. I will lose who I was. I will lose the good portions of my life in Fredericksburg. I know this sounds completely irrational. How can I feel like this when I have my memories? I can’t answer that. I only know that is how I feel and what I’m dealing with.

   Maybe it’s because when I looked at Baby, Sweet Pea and Herby feelings of peace and contentment flash though me. When I pet them I have quick flashes of memories of the times I was happy. They have kept me grounded and have been my anchor all of these years. Baby, Sweet Pea and Herby have been the reason I kept going when all I wanted to do was go to bed and never wake up. I had to keep going. Who would care for my sweet babies if I were gone? And so I stayed. I kept getting up every morning, surviving the day and coming home to them.

   I have added to my family over the years. I now have Rosie and a horse named Fedora. They will keep me going now along with Baby.  But only Baby is from my “past life”. It’s funny that I came to The Valley to leave behind my heartbreak and yet I feel such a sense of loss over that life now that Herby and Sweet Pea are gone. It is almost as if by losing them, I am losing all hope in the dream of the life I so desperately want coming true. I thought I had put that dream away long ago but it appears I was wrong. Now I must figure out a way to deal with that along with dealing with the loss of two of my beloved friends.

Sweet Pea loved sleeping in the empty planter in the sun.

 

 

Sweet Pea enjoyed the heat of the wood stove.

 

Sweet Pea and Herby were rarely far apart.

Herby had beautiful blue eyes.

   My sweet girl Baby has been looking all over for Sweet Pea. She is missing him. 

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

Deana