Strength to watch the setting sun

I’ve always believed that having strength meant completing a task no matter how difficult, once you committed to it. But what if the task no longer has relevance in your life, what if the task at hand is doing you more harm than good. We are still told to stick it out so at the end we can say “Well, I might not have won but I did passed the finish line” as if to imply the people that didn’t make the finish line are quitters. Yes, Quitters, a word we all dislike and a word none of as want to bare the stigma of.

I chose Strength as my word to carry me through 2010. I thought I’d needed strength on my side to get me through a few challenges this year, one being the 365 photo project. I completed January and February relatively easily. March however, has been another story. When I started this project it was with the intention of improving my photography, moving to the next level. I am finding that while I can take a photo a day, at least half my images are not something I really want to share. I have not been posting many of them here nor in the blogcamp 365 group on Flickr. Half the time I am taking a photo because I need one not because I have a creative urge or the subject in the picture is meaningful to me.

Project 365 is forcing me into photographing things I have no real interest in taking, producing images that often have no real story to them. I have conjured up all the strength to go against everything I know to say “No More” I am hanging up my boots on the 365 photo project officially. As much as it pains me to stop the project only 3 months in, it is better than wasting another 9 months. I will be free to concentrate on exploring other avenues to improve my photography and … well there will always be an abundance of photos to share with you here.

may you find you have the strength of the Hulk within.

The Life Cycle Of A Cookie

The life cycle of a cookie is a very shot one at my house. Apparently I live with a cookie monster that can’t stop at one.

MIX


BAKE


EAT

I don’t normally cook with packet mixes…. EVER, but the kids wanted these Betty Crocker Rainbow Cookies one day while grocery shopping.

I have to admit that Betty Crocker’s rainbow cookies are excellent and easy. Now, I always keep a packet on hand for the times I need to whip up something quickly for the kids.

What is something that never lasts long at your place?

On Imagination

Imagination alone makes this ride fun. Without it he’d just be going around in circles.

I recently read a blog post about imagination, which got me thinking (I would link the post but have forgotten who wrote it). I believe imagination to be very important part of child development. I believe imagination is something that needs to be nurtured and encouraged from a young age. I believe everyone possesses imagination be it in different quantities and forms. I believe if you don’t use your imagination you can forget how to use it and I believe imagination makes the world a better place.

If you ask a parent what key elements they believe are important for their child to possess you will rarely hear the word imagination pop out first. It’s always the academic’s that get a mention, reading, writing, math and spelling. So much emphasis is placed on the academic, there is homework and even extra after hours schooling. Many parents want their child to be smarter than the kid next door and their child to be the best rather than the best their child can be. Pushed by the theory, the smarter you are the better job you can get and the more money you can earn, the bigger house you can live in, the better car you can drive and the easier life can be if you have money.

Yet imagination has made the world what it is today. Regardless of how academically intelligent people are with out imagination we would not have electricity, buildings, cars, computers, the internet and so on. We would not have millions of books and movies to choose from and wonderful and interesting art to gaze at.

Imagination is not always fantasy. It’s also about dreams and picturing your future, it’s about being creative and expressing yourself.

Nurture your imagination today.

Aplologies, Co-odination and Dating

I feel, lately every time I post
I need to apologies for my absents
Is it just me?
Or do others feel like this.
I put a lot of pressure on my self at time
Pressure to do my best
Pressure to take the time and read
Read what other people passionately write
You give your time up to post about
Interest, life, fears, desires
Your blogs make me think, laugh, cry,
Wish I knew you better,
They make me wish I could chat to you over a cup of tea.
Your comments make me feel like I am not alone
I apologies not because of my lack of posting
But because of my absents from your blogs.
The very people whom without
My bloging experience would be nothing
The people who have accept my blog
Welcomed my blog with open arms and
Who like my blog.

In my absents one would think
I’d have plenty to write about.
Well this is not true
I think the problem is
My photos don’t match what I’d like to say
And heck things need to match
I rang a store that custom builds computers to complain
They want to sell me a white screen with a black keyboard and mouse
The 20 something technical geek on the other end of the phone
Didn’t understand my desire for co-ordination
And they don’t sell white mice anyway.

However my daughter seems to have her life worked out
At the age of 10
A conversation in the car saw her planning her whole life
Starting her own floristry business at he age of 18
Employing her mum for slave labour
She asked me when she could get a boyfriend
I’m so glad she knows she needs to ask first
But the thing that made me happier was what came next.
I told her, she could have a boyfriend at 20 but only if he is nice
She said but mum I only know 2 nice boys
I’ll have to look at boy’s profiles on the internet
(Now I don’t internet date so I don’t know what they are teaching my daughter at school)
I go along with the conversation and ask
Well, what would his profile say.
To be met with this response.
He must not be a sloppy eater and he shouldn’t fart a lot, because that is smelly and disgusting.
Oh and he cant say rude word like the H word or that SH word either.
Now I know I am teaching her well.

So while my daughter is planning the next 10 and beyond years of her life
I struggle with the day to day planning
I wonder if I've bitten off more than I can chew with the 365 photo thing
I always want my next photo to be better than the last
But this is not always possible
Some days are boring, some days nothing happens
Some days I have no inspiration
And some days I have no time
I am falling behind and I need to start thinking
About what I really want to be doing and the purpose of this project for me.

Thanks for listening, I won’t bore you with anymore today.

I AM ..... Still Here

Wow where does time go? I’m beginning to feel like a stranger here. I’ve rarely logged into my blog account or even the net for that matter. Not for lack of wanting, I got on a roll processing wedding photos and really want to get them finished as I have ask if I will do another wedding late March. Not sure what is happening with that yet but I would like to be finished my current processing if I take on another job for someone. I don’t feel like I have anything interesting to say so I totally stole this idea from Vicky.

I am: Me

I think: That my dreams are far too bizarre to share with others

I know: you can’t predict your future, you must create it.

I want: to finish processing wedding photos. Only 70 images to go

I have: good intuition and should trust it more

I dislike: the queues in the understaffed supermarkets in my local area.

I miss: being around blog land and reading other blogs more that I ever thought I would.

I fear: I will one day turn into that crazy cat lady but with no cats.

I feel: like I am still suffering the effects of the flu I contracted last week

I hear: the humming of the refrigerator between the snores of a young girl

I smell: nothing because of a blocked nose

I crave: nothing so badly that would hurt me if I didn’t get it

I search: for my car keys and glasses often

I wonder: what people really think

I regret: surprising nothing (and I thought about this for a long time)

I love: my camera / pc more than any other material possession I own

I care: far too much most of the time

I am always: dreaming of travelling and seeing more of the world

I worry: just like my mother. Yikes!! scary

I remember: everything except when I choose to forget

I have: no patience for people when they don’t try to help themselves

I dance: with two left feet

I sing: in the car and get told to stop

I don’t always: think positively

I argue: mainly at bed time

I write: because it challenges me

I lose: on principle rather that winning on a lie

I wish: writing came easier for me

I listen: well when I find conversation interesting

I don't understand: why it is hard to cure irrational fears when you know they are irrational

I can usually be found: with a camera in my hand

I am scared: when I think about how I cannot protect my children from all that may harm them in life.

I need: a cup of tea and a nice long sleep.

I forget: everything except for when I choose to remember

I am happy: more far more often than I am sad.