Light bulb - TP

We're turning up the lights with Carmi's lightbulb 
( a most Eureka experience) as this week's theme for

THEMATIC PHOTOGRAPHIC

"You have to find what sparks a light

in you so that you
 in your own way 

can illuminate the world." 

Oprah

The light bulb commands an important duty, inconspicuously.

Yes, light bulbs are usually unnoticeable in all their shining glory-

What did the light bulb say to the work of art?

Let me light your way.

Are light bulbs really so unremarkable?

(about 8:30 at night sometime in December)
Do you think anyone noticed us? asked the light bulbs.

Grouped together they're a bit showy.

and stunningly bold.

Thank goodness for lighting right?

Just maybe these light bulbs will receive more attention-
but we all know the chandelier will take all the credit!


"When you have exhausted all possibilities, remember this, you haven't."
Thomas A. Edison


Enjoy your day and remember to notice the light bulbs in your world, okay?

Bandages

Bringing out our bandages
it's what we do.

No matter where you are
that's where you're shaking the world.

We all carry useful, honorable and compassionate 
bandages -
together we
 make things better.

Hey cousin!
Karina sees Danny giving out candy at the Dew Days Parade

"Next to the wound, what women make best is the bandage."
Barbey d' Aureuilly

Our body heals with play

our mind heals with laughter

and the spirit heals with joy.

Of course after every good ride sometimes

a whole lot of 

healing/fixing is necessary.

I believe growing up in the Girl and Boy Scouts of America

is key

for everyone involved.

On the left is Danny and Mason with their Cub Scout troop.

This weekend's parade on Saturday
for Farmington Dew Days

Wait a minute. I didn't know Jack Sparrow lived in Farmington?!

He sure gets around doesn't he?


Best bandage ever, share more face to face conversations!

Band Aid Jingle


In the end
you realize the best thing in life 
is not something you can touch,
but something you can feel.

Thanks for stopping by to say hello!
Take good care of you!

In The Metal

Living life 

"In the Metal"

Want to hear my story?

(Read more!)

"Man, they said we better, accentuate the positive"

our week's theme for

THEMATIC PHOTOGRAPHIC
is "In the metal."
goes well with

GOOD FENCES

(plant seeds)

Look into my mirror and see

Vintage Brass Lady Bells
and 
Fence

"Can you remember who you were before the world told you who you should be?"
Charles Bukowski

Eliminate the negative

(smile)

Latch on to the affirmative

(swing)

Oh, listen to me children and-a you will hear 
About the elininatin' of the negative
and the accent on the positive
and gather 'round me children if you're willin'
and sit tight while
WE START REVIEWING
the
POSITIVE
and 
Don't mess with Mister In-Between.


Somebody changed the wording on this metal sign! 

(love more)

For the better I'd say.


"There is a voice inside of you
That whispers all day long,
"I feel this is right for me,
I know that this is wrong."
No teacher, preacher, parent, friend
or wise man can decide
What's right for you--just listen to
The voice that speaks inside."
 -Shel Silverstein


"There is no one alive who is Youer than You."
You know what to do!

Where I work we're deep in the United Way project and posted
 at every turn are words reminding us to carry out
 random acts of kindness.

"You cannot do a kindness too soon,
for you never know how soon it will be too late."
Ralph Waldo Emerson


 Thanks for stopping in 
take good care of you!

Words

I'm linking with Wednesday Words on Sunday.

To me

A list of -
Random words tumble across 
the open page of my thoughts
 much like tennis balls 
in all their glory
scrambled across an open court 
all joining in their own simple untold story 
waiting to be heard-
by you.

A big thank-you to those that create these word lists.

WEDNESDAY WORDS

by River
Word list in green Italic

Energy filled the caravan of wistful dreams,

 slinging on the backs of farmers 

whispering absolute morsels

 that contain drops of thought 

on young minds like morning dew, 
sharing tidbits of garden-ways,

risking their old sworn habits

in exchange for wisdom from earth's
 true harvest-tracker,

 the garden gnome.


The more you do what you love,
the more energy you have.

Some Days I Feel Like the Gazelle

Sometimes (the best moments) arrive when I resonate with something I just read.  

Hello sweet baby Gazelles how are you today?

From the Khartoum Zoo.

SATURDAY'S CRITTERS

Like for instance reading this short piece.

"Say you are a gazelle, grazing an African plain. The soundtrack from The Lion King in the background. A hungry lion stalks you from a distance. He sprints in to attack, but today you manage to outrun him. By instinct, a fight-or-flight reaction, you feel momentary anxiety. Experience and genetics have taught you to run and evade danger, and it does take some time for your heart to stop racing. But soon enough you can return to happy grazing as if nothing had happened. Chomp-chomp, blissful chomps, until the lion comes back for round two. (From the chapter Push the Button in Smoke Gets In Your Eyes, by Caitlin Doughty.)

Are You Feeling Like A Gazelle Today?

Are you a hunter or a hunted? 

Who-o-o, who-o-o, who-o-o.

The owl- is one of life's most curious creatures.

I'm watching you!

"When the owl sings, the night is silent."

 (Quand le hibou chante, La nuit est silence)

Charles de Leusse

Critters and people, children and owls and crowds watching, all enjoying Nature's free bounty.
"...it would be interesting to find out what goes on in that moment when someone looks at you and draws all sorts of conclusions." said the owl.


But I shall leave more on this, later!

      

Enjoy your day and may happiness follow you everywhere you go!

"We have a calling: a need to be close to Nature, where she may cleanse our souls and wash away the stresses of yesterday.  It is emotional recompense for the cost of living." Fennel Hudson

Monochrome - TP and Good Fences

Carmi has offered 

MONOCHROME

"You don't take a photograph, you make it."
Ansel Adams

as this week's theme.

for 

THEMATIC PHOTOGRAPHIC

And

I'm joining with

GOOD FENCES

"Taking pictures is savoring life intensely, every hundredth of a second."
Marc Riboud

Monochrome

or

Color?

All photographs are momento mori. To take a photograph is to participate in another person's (or thing's) mortality, vulnerability, mutability. Precisely by slicing out this moment, and freezing it, all photographs testify to time's relentless melt."
Susan Sontag

Say hello to Emmie my constant buddy for the last few days.

"The camera makes everyone a tourist in other people's reality,
 and eventually in one's own."
Susan Sontag

"Time exists in order that everything doesn't happen all at once,
and space exists so it doesn't all happen to you."
Susan Sontag


Photographs make time stand still.

"Photography takes an instant out of time,

altering life by holding it still."

Dorothea Lange

Thank you for stopping by to share my moments in monochrome and color but mostly thanks for just being here,

you make my day brighter.

Take good care of you.

Chances Are

It just seems your on my way.
If you are an ant and this is your hill.
Incredible Ant Facts here.

Did you know ants move an estimated 50 tons 
of soil per year in one square mile?

Today's title actually arrived from this song playing now.
  It just really hit home for me. I hope you enjoy it as well.

Chances are
heard here.

In the video the moments are taken from the wonderful movie "Hope Floats) and if you haven't seen it you should.

Thoughts on taking pictures

and living life, 

one day at a time.

You say 'Tomato' I say 'Tomato'

Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers

"The goal is not to change your subjects,

but for the subject to change the photographer."


And most importantly, how life can change the photographer.

It's good to be flexible
 (and have a job willing to twist with your schedule as well)

My view out the window at about 5:24 am
I'm kind of on a 4 day vacation
staying with three of my darling munchkins
and their adorable dog, Emmie.
and one fish 
(Karina swears needs its water changed now!)
Children!
hehehehe

Then my view a little later

It promises to be a beautiful day.

I always love this time of day when all you hear is the sound of birds

and nature.

Everyone still sleeping.

The world is just nature before your eyes.

Not even one random fisherman.

Just

Coffee for one

with a pup.

Later this day-

See the flag? We were sure the wind was going to blow it away on Sunday!

Minnesota where the temperature isn't anywhere near 111.

But it can be known as the WINDY CITY!

Reach for the sky.

Hold on to your hats!

As are most of us right now I'm sure,
 I'll be taking a real vacation at the end of this month.
New places and sites to discover!

I have no idea who anyone in this picture is but the lady in glasses caught me!
I just love cities and people and tasty treats along the avenue!

Life is just what we make it.

I hope you are carving some special moments in your life as well.

From Hope Floats,
"So when you find yourself at the beginning
Just give hope a chance to float up.
And it will, Hope Floats up."

and

"They say that beginnings are scary
endings are usually sad,
but it's the middle that counts the most."