48/365 Color from the Garden

"Dandelion"

Though the temperatures around here have been fairly mild during the month of February, it is still winter; nothing is blooming yet.  When I read today's prompt, "color from the garden," I knew that I was in for a challenge.  I figured the best I would be able to do was to photograph the bright red berries on the holly tree.  Ever optimistic, I decided to take a stroll around the yard.  As I suspected there wasn't anything . . .except this cheerful little dandelion.

It is funny how in a sea of brown grass and bare trees the bright face of this dandelion is so stunning.  It is not but an inch in diameter yet it jumps out from the barren ground.  It screams of life, of possibility, of hope.  As I think about the coming spring that will bring with it  the blooming flowers and trees, I realize that in a month or so this little dandelion at best will go unnoticed and at worst will be considered a nuisance, a weed.

Have you ever felt like this dandelion?  In one context or to one person you are beautiful and meaningful and in another or to another you are merely an annoyance or a distraction from what is supposedly truly important. I really thought about this today.  I know,  kind of crazy to ponder the existence of a dandelion, but I realized that it and I have so much in common.

I was fortunate to have colorful flowers to photograph - just not in the garden.  This is the bouquet of flowers that Weber gave me for Valentine's Day.  They too are quite beautiful - in a different way than the dandelion.

"Valentine's Day Bouquet"

Beauty comes in so many sizes, shapes and colors in flowers . . . and in people.  

47/365 Emotion

"Canine Bliss"

Before the year is up (or maybe the month), everyone in my family is going to start running every time they see me heading toward them with my camera.  They are all fair game as far as I am concerned.  Today was Adidas's turn.  He was so intent on chewing his bone, though, that he barely even noticed me.

He did stop to give me one of "those looks."

46/365 Pride

"Pride and Awareness"

Erin, Edgar Weber and I (and anyone else who would like to join us) have formed a team to walk for the North Texas Walk for Lupus on March 30.  Erin is ready to start soliciting sponsors.  I'm proud to have her on my team every day!

45/365 Love

"Words of Love"

I am not one of those people who saves every card and letter that I get, though sometimes I wish I was. It's not that I'm not sentimental; it's that I don't like all of the clutter.  I know, I know, I shouldn't consider cards clutter.  I guess I am lucky to be able to say that through my lifetime I have received so many cards and letters that I honestly don't know what I would do with them all had I saved them.  Don't judge me. I am not completely heartless; I have saved some.

I love the card that Weber gave me today for Valentine's Day.  Though he says these things to me every day, sometimes it is nice to see them in print.  I decided that I wanted to photograph the card using multiple exposures, something I have never done and really had no idea what I was doing.  My goal was to create an image that contained both the outside and the inside of the card.  I did manage to do that.  I also learned that I now have just enough information to be dangerous when it comes to this technique!  It's time to search for some kind of tutorial so that I can learn how to do this correctly!

Today I also wanted a picture of the two of us together.  Working with the camera's timer for self-portraits is still quite challenging to me; this one is not as sharp as I would like.  The positive here is that something from today is way better than nothing.  We had added difficulties trying to get this shot because the dogs and the cat thought they needed to be in it as well.

Happy Valentine's Day!!

May your hearts and homes be filled with love.

44/365 Swing

"Never Too Old to Swing"

Between this being a long teaching day for me followed by singing for the Ash Wednesday service tonight and then having choir rehearsal afterward, I did not even pick up my camera today.  This is the first day of Capture Your 365 that I fell completely short.  I knew it would happen.  How fortuitous that this failing occurred on the first day of Lent - something else for which me to repent.

I posted this picture her back in early December when it was actually taken.  Since it fit today's prompt, I decided to use it as today's official Picture of the Day.  I would have taken it today if I could have.

43/365 Celebrate

"Girls just wanna have fun - Mardi Gras 2013

"I assume this makes me the designated driver?"

42/365 Entertain

"Juggling Life"

We did no entertaining today nor did I have the time to set up a shot to give the illusion that we were entertaining anyone.  I took a little different perspective on today's prompt.  Who isn't entertained by a juggler?  I certainly am.  And this picture sums up our day pretty well . . .juggling life to the best of our ability.