Hooked on watercolor

Here's my first digital watercolor, and it only took a few minutes to do.

I posted a picture of the shot (straight out of the camera) before I turned it into a watercolor. I'm completely hooked on DW now :) Who knew it could be so easy, given the right instructions?

Daring to believe

Monday mornings ...

This was taken shortly after I got my 50 mm 1.4 lens, as I sat in traffic.

Yesterday, made for a very long day on the road, made more so as we travailed a great distance on limited sleep. It only punctuated the pain experienced early, this Monday morning.



What do you do ... what do you say to someone whose future feels glum? Remind them of alternatives? Quote scripture?

What do you do if that person dwells in the world of wouldda’ couldda’ shouldda’s ... even when reminded that their current actions and mindset command their lot?

Do you remind them of their glory days before the fall, so they can relive happier times? Dare you speak of fun trips and happy moments experienced in their powerless absence and despite their misery?

I saw my son yesterday, and these were questions I asked myself. He gives too much of himself in search of feeling accepted or loved. A downfall a lot of people have, really. But this is what brought him to where he is now ...

I sat feeling deficient and inept as I searched for words of comfort, ones that would hit the core of the hurt and feelings of hopelessness.

On a lighter note, I take refuge in feeling blessed about his extraordinariness. He’s a huge presence of love, strength and intelligence. And has grown so much. He towers over me to where I have to get on my tippy toes and strain my neck to get to him :)

Starfruit ... what my body needs.

Yesterday, my eating was dictated by being flexible (ate at a BBQ/gas station, conveniently off the exit), sensible (fruit and veggies off the turnpike service center) and needing comfort (scone and tea also off the turnpike service center). Today, I craved fruit and salads. Craved it, not thought I should have it. I am sensitive to my body’s needs and I am currently at peace with food.

White peacock among delicate nectar.

The butterfly was taken at Flamingo Gardens, the same day I got my Malachite shot.

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Hunny shined his light on this gloomy Monday with hand-delivered, long-stemmed roses ... and I didn’t have my camera to document :(

And to compound the thoughtfulness and good taste, I came home to find a new, rocking purse, big enough to hold my camera! :)

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I dare to believe in happily ever afters. I do.

Autumn

In case you can't tell, my theme for today is the season, Autumn or Fall :)

This was taken in San Jose, Costa Rica. It wasn't taken in the Fall (it was summer time), but the fallen flowers reminded me of it. For this shot and the one subsequent, I used my 18-55 Nikkor lens. I created a gradual blur to both using the lens blur filter and linear gradient ...

This was taken at Flamingo Gardens, and is another shot of fallen flowers. For this shot, I also added spotlight lighting and experimented with a color wash look for the first time. Lots of steps behind it ... I followed the directions in the very, user-friendly book I bought today. If you'd like the title, drop me an E-mail and I'll be happy to share it with you :)

Fall

Fall fills me with promise of cool winds and darker skies;
Halloween's knocking, a harborbinger of eerie surprise.

The veil between the worlds is thinner, this I was told;
Stories of ghosts and goblins -- they make my veins go cold.

With shades of burnt oranges, reds and brown;
Warm smells of spices and and feasts abound.

Camping and carnivals, are but weeks away;
Hoping the rain holds up, lest hopes go astray.

A nip in the air and textures I adore;
A season to favor, of this I am sure.

~Lita

This was taken at the Bonnet House. Ok, I'm sure I could find a colorful array of fallen leaves, I just haven't been looking for them.

I will see my son tomorrow at long last. Yay!

I hope your weekend is filled with peace and pleasant comforts :)

Wild monkey appreciation

Here are more spider monkey shots that were taken while I was out with Laura last weekend. It was incredible how they're found in the wild like that. They are growing in numbers, as we saw so many families and babies :) Although we're not supposed to feed the wildlife, the groundskeeper gave them treats they gladly accepted.

I've only got 2 or 3 more monkey photos to go to complete the set, but I'm just too tired to finish working on them tonight. Today has been a good day ... TGIF!

Mom and her young

Hey, I want some too ...

Something about this one reminded me of a gargoyle ...

Flashback

My girlfriend from work and I did what we hadn't done in over a decade: we went skating!!!

I was so nervous about needing to skate close to the sidelines, with doubts that my body could not handle spills the way it used to years and years ago, but after a couple of hours, I started to gain my confidence and get back in touch with atrophied skills. This skating rink reminded me of the one I used to frequent up north in my youth ... sure brought back memorable times ... :)

I brought my cheapie camera, afraid that one tumble would ruin my prized one. I blurred out the girl to the side (probably too much) and changed the tones:

Me and my girlfriend from work:

This is Hank who has been skating at this rink for 20 years. He saw us taking pictures and insisted we take his in this position ... couldn't disappoint the guy, could I? He was very nice, and tried to give us pointers, lol.

So no profound pictures today, only ones that document what I did today that was enjoyable :)

Lunch hour getaway

I went to the Enchanted Forest Park yesterday for lunch and this is some of what I saw:

This horse was at a distance, but came closer to pose.

A wooden bridge

The low-lying, yellow flowers, coupled with the bench, caught my fancy.

Pentas -- Always eye-catching with the red clusters of pretty. Butterflies love them.

Pony peeking at me through the fence.

Horse back curve ...

An anxious habit? Perhaps, as it was enclosed in a small pen.

Ibis around the tree -- I liked the momentary way the tree framed them).

These photos remind me that shoots don’t have to be reserved for quieter, unrushed times, as they were shot during my lunch hour.

I also took some shots of my girlfriend at work, one of which she added to her on-line singles profile. She liked them so much, she asked that I take more today. It’s nice working on portraits apart from my own. Plus, it feels good when that person is pleased enough to want more.

Digressing .... Am I dependent on stimuli from the world outside? I choose instead to focus on internal stimuli -- creations from within ... ones that birth inspiration, delight and intrigue.

I choose to live an authentic life, filled with integrity, health, passion, appreciation and beauty. Photography is my passion ... Photoshop is my passion ... Words are my passion. I fall in love with them time and again, especially when used in simple, yet novel ways.

I exercise my body for strength so it can get me where I need to go.

I nourish my body for health so I will always feel good.

... Ok, pressed for time so will have to fix any format mistakes later ... Off to watch movie with Hunny, and then have to finish new portraits of my coworker for tomorrow ...

Adieu ...

Work perpetually in progress

Spider monkey taken at the Bonnet House

Most of my work day consists of me sitting there, boss-less and paralyzed from doing anything truly productive. I don’t make the most of those wasteful hours. Instead I worry. Most would take advantage, but I feel guilty. Guilt is a byproduct of scruples. Work ethic is a part of having scruples ... or is it? I need to learn to relax and let go – to stop resisting.

I am thankful for a great many thing, including my teeth, lol. Teeth are important, as are a sound mind and body, both of which I’m equipped.

Is showing insecurity and fear a sign of weakness? I think not. I think if anything, exposing them for what they are allows us to heal and embrace all of who we are. Those who openly acknowledge their fears, who show their vulnerabilities, who learn from and move past them, are brave -- are strong and are all the wiser for it.

My co-worker shared a quote with me that I so love and added to my list of favorite quotes: "Always be a first-rate version of yourself instead of a second-rate version of someone else." - Judy Garland

I received calls from individuals only too ready to place blame. If there’s anything that gets me ruffled and puts me on the defensive, it’s being wrongly accused. We should all choose to live in a state of "how can fix this?" instead of "who can we blame?"

... Anyway, each day I wonder how I will do with eating strictly raw. I’ve been indulging more on processed food and would like to cut back down. I’m also trying to keep my neurotic tendencies down, and live a life of simplicity and effortlessness. I don’t want to work too hard at anything, and that goes for my digestion as well. I’m thinking of what TT said about going 2 days on God-made food (unprocessed) and one day on Man-made food (processed – what the body doesn’t recognize). She said that enables ample time for our insides to eliminate most efficiently. I’ll have to say this is the ideal, as it would keep my neurotic tendencies about food down and enable me to live and enjoy a little bit of everything with minimal guilt.

The house is being worked on; and a lot of stuff is out of place as a result. I liken it to myself: work perpetually in progress ... :)