Showing posts with label beauty. Show all posts
Showing posts with label beauty. Show all posts

Monday, November 19, 2018

Hey! It's November Already!!

Hey folks. Yeah... I'm still here. I've been to this blank page more times than I care to count so let me try to catch up.

I can't begin to put into words how fast time is flying. It really messes w/my head some days. Working crazy shifts back and forth; I usually don't know what day it is, nor the date. Everything is a blur.  AARP Mag. says this:
As I get older, time seems to just fly by. Every year seems shorter. Am I normal
That's normal. Blame it on how your brain marks time — through novel experiences that create memories. Growing up, you’re learning and changing and making memories. Then, as an adult, you settle down into a routine, which makes the days, weeks, months and even years start to blur. “When those days don’t change, they meld together until something — such as seeing a friend’s grown child you haven’t seen since age 2 — shocks you back into memory mode,” says British psychologist Claudia Hammond, author of Time Warped: Unlocking the Mysteries of Time Perception. To keep time from flying by, you need to deliberately create new memories, Hammond explains. “Go somewhere different and do new things this weekend. On Monday, when you look back, the weekend will feel as if it were a longer period of time.” 

Got it? ✔


The summer for me truly flew by. I worked straight thru without vacation. I grew lovely flowers, herbs, tomatoes and sunflowers in pots. Things didn't quite work out like I wished, but I'll try again next year, God willing.




Then it seems the Fall came and went so quickly. We didn't even have Indian Summer!!!! This year we had beautiful color, but lots of wind/rain, so the beauty didn't last for long. I caught what I could.




Fall is my most favorite season to shoot for obvious reasons. 😉

Still working @ and loving the store. June made a year, I got raise. 👍 I have quite a few favorite customers, especially the elderly. I love giving them time and attention. #priceless

Mom entered memory care on August 1st. Still emotional about it even though it is for the very, very best. She has adjusted; it's a nice place for her. We've been going through the process of breaking down her home to put on the market. The sibs and I already have established homes, so we didn't have a need for much of mom's stuff. And I mean she had STUFF! An entire house full of her life to be dismantled. I give ALL props to Sisters #1 and 2 for their hard work on this. We would be lost without them.

This makes me think of my own house full of STUFF! If someone had to do the same for me, they would catch the same type of hell we're catching right now! I think my books and craft things would be enuff to make someone want to strike a match. Oy vey ....

... which brings me to this book I picked up the other day from the library. I'm afraid I "keep" too many things for various sentimental reasons. I really need to let go. In gathering things from mom's, I tried to keep it "down" - only taking what I could use around the house but I took a lot of her books, etc. Just because they once belonged to her.

Alzheimer's is a bitch of a disease. It totally robs folks of their lives & memories. I don't know what stage of life mom is trapped in right now, but she's NOT in the present or even the past few years. We don't know what to talk to her about. The most we can do is listen to her talk of times we know nothing of and agree. We "lost" her nearly four years ago. It's hard. But it's life.

"Better Days"


What else?? 🤔

OH! Remember the Arbor Day Tree Photo Contest I mentioned in my LAST POST OF APRIL? (Sheesh...), well... I WON FOURTH PLACE!!! I was on a natural high for sure! I left the gallery, went straight to bar down the street, bought myself a celebratory drink, sat outside on the patio & enjoyed my few moments of fame. I was SO happy! I looked like this: 😀




Otherwise, that about sums up the past few months. Nothing exciting on the horizon; I wish I could change that but... it is what it is. I've been practicing being ' present in the moment' for the past few days; not racing ahead in my thoughts - not looking back, but being right in the moment. It's a hard practice but it's where God said to meet him - right here/right now. It feels strange, yet peaceful.

We are spiritual beings having human experiences.

Peace.

*All photos by Cuppa"T" Photography (aka: me)

Thursday, September 28, 2017

Speak It


This became a reality for me over the last couple of weeks. I'll try to keep it brief.



  • I shot a pic & mentioned on FaceBook that I wished someone could draw it for me.
  • I get a response from a FB friend that I've never met personally (but have been FB friends for a few years) that he could do for me - no problem
  • I'm OVERWHELMED with gratitude. I mean just out of nowhere someone says, 'yeah... I can do that....'
  • We haggle over price; well, I haggled - he told me he would do it, send it & let me decide what to pay him
  • Now... clearly he doesn't know that I am clueless with that much power. Hell, I don't even know how to charge my OWN photography, let alone put a price on someone else's
  • He keeps me posted on his progress, saying he wanted to find or build a frame
  • I'm FREAKING over this much generosity. I mean... DYING
  • Today...... this arrived
Original by S. Blakely
SERIOUSLY?????? All it took was the 'speaking' of it? Or that he thinks I'm pretty cool & enjoys my photography? What? Who? How? Why?

I cannot even put into words how grateful I am. When I keep thanking him profusely, he just says, 'thanks - glad you like it.'

What price do I put on this? The time he took to sketch this out on canvas, the shipping...

Oy vey.

I am abundantly blessed.

Namaste


Thursday, July 6, 2017

Catching Up, Part I


Let's see if I can recall what's been going on in life.

In the previous post, I already talked about the new job (I Think I Work There), so let's check that off the list.

I've been getting rather irritated with all forms of social media, including the news on TV and right now, just about anything electronic except my iPod. The 'Pod' is my quiet friend that holds my music (everything from Journey to Joe Sample to Adele to The Crusaders to Heart to Maxwell, etc.) and my Podcasts. It's soothing, like a book.

While the computer is so very necessary, it's all too much some days. FaceBook is the same ole thing; Twitter is too much, too fast coming at me (minute by minute thoughts), I post my pix on F.Book, so why do I need Instagram?? (I refuse), I still don't know what Snapchat is (and don't want to), and I DON'T own a Smartphone. "BREAKING NEWS" alerts & on the TV every time someone farts; if you let it, it can burn you out and make you kinda sad. Well me, anyway.



I've clearly subscribed to too much into my e-mail so I end up deleting mounds of things that become overwhelming. Even at times, the art tutorials I watch on YouTube end up making my armpits itch because 1) there are so damn many of them, and 2) since I have the attn. span of a gnat, if my 'creations' don't resemble what the artist is doing - I'm done. Grrrrr....

I'm still crazy in love with my Cannon, Sony & Nikon cameras, but without 'fresh things' to see, I'm getting tired of my own photography. It's gotten to the point that when I post, folks say - 'hey - were you at the 'so-n-so' right there? (Sigh...... so much for mystery). I need to saddle the cammies up and leave town! New things; new sights.

This is what I'm having in mind to soothe my savage beast. Mmmm..... travel. Inexpensive travel.

Yes, my shots are lovely, but how many frickin' ways can you look at a flower?

Zinnia: by me
See what I mean?

{Laughing}

I've also been reading. Let's catch up on that tomorrow. I promise I'll return. God willin' and the creek don't rise.

Wednesday, November 30, 2016

Feelin' Me



My Collage

So.... one day I realized when removing my head scarf from the night before, that I look rather 'regal' with this thing on. This very thing that I've worn since childhood (don't forget your HEAD RAG!!); this very thing that I see women sport on the regular thinking I would never dare try....

I took it a little further and added some sparkles from crafting down my forehead/third eye and added a touch of lip stick.

And Queen Makeda arrived. I'm not real fond of photos of myself, especially when I try taking a 'selfie' with a full scale DSLR (I don't own a smart phone), but here, I feel.... pretty.

Someone told me I looked like Maya Angelou.

I replied: "AND STILL I RISE." :-)

Thursday, April 2, 2015

April Love 2105 - Day Two


April Love, Day Two - "My Favorite Flower"

A summer never goes by that I don't load up on the gorgeous Tuberous Begonia. The leaves are thick, rich dark green, while the blooms can range from reds to pinks to brilliant oranges. I usually buy several of each color and watch the magic begin :-)


Pictures by: me

April Love 2015

April Love, Day One

Of course I forgot about April 1st being the start of April Love 2015, after I promised myself to be on top of it!!

April 1, 2015 - "My Morning View"


This isn't my usual morning view. When I worked @ the law firm "in the woods", this was my morning view upon arriving @ work every day. I always took the time to shoot as I walked from my car. If there is nothing else I miss about not being out there, I DO miss the woods and all the beauty that came with it.

Picture: by me

April Love 2015

Thursday, November 20, 2014

Holy crap; Holidays are coming


I am one of the folks who puts so much pressure on themselves for the holidays that I truly go numb. I mean numb like my anxiety reaches such a height that I don't have room for one other thought. Here are my bullet points so I'll keep it short.
  • I'm not working (still)
  • Bills (what else is new)
  • Christmas shopping on extremely limited funds
  • Having my mother over for Thanksgiving (she barely eats anything & last year kept her coat on - SCREAM!!!)
  • This causes me to drink more wine than usual
  • Cooking Thanksgiving dinner (when I'm panicked, I can't focus & cook my best)
  • This causes me to drink more wine than usual
  • What to get for James (son) for Christmas - especially w/very limited funds
  • My sister's annual Ohio State v. Michigan game (great company, great food, but WAY too much alcohol consumed by all, especially the Sig.Other (sigh...........))
  • This makes me not want to attend, but I will... which will cause me to drink more wine than usual. :-)
Then on the other hand, I long for the families and the commercials showing everyone gathering for the holidays, laughing, exchanging gifts & having a good time. All the way down to the perfect Christmas decorations by Pier One. Lol.

I would like to enjoy the holidays in these ways:

"Christmas by Pier 1"

"A calm, happy, normal Thanksgiving"; and

"A nice, elegant New Years"
I told mom that I wish our family had traditions we adhered to yearly. She told me to star my own traditions. What is she trying to do, give me a stroke? Lol. But.... if I want it, it has to start with me. And that would cause me to drink more wine that usual. :-)


Photographs via the Internet




Monday, August 12, 2013

Summer Update, Part II













The summer fireworks didn't fail to please. It's amazing to be so close that you can feel them rattle your whole body!!

Summer Update, Part I

Lake front condos. Good use of an abandoned building.


A super cool 93 year old I met on  the boat. I was instantly attracted to her jewelry. She was a beautiful spirit.


One of the many house for sale on Kelley's Island. It screamed my name.


Dockside

Dockside drinks & shade

The Peace Monument, Put-In-Bay, Ohio

A cool fountain in the park. The water was very blue

CANNON BALLS!!!! Lol. Symbol from the Battle of Lake Erie

Not too far from everywhere :-)

"Peace Pole". When I was shooting of News/View, an assignment was to find a peace pole. They're very rare.


There was no shortage of Tiki Shacks
It was a very hot day; I took this from the shade of the woods
Water therapy. So relaxing

My kind of place


My mother & I took a day trip of Lake Erie Island hopping. It was a beautiful day & just what the doctor ordered for me.

Closing December

It's Christmas Eve, 2025. It's very quiet here @ home, no TV or music. I got off work, got car headlights replaced, came home, ate s...