Quick Thought

Three

A light night tonight, I think.  No pun intended.  I think a quick quote for the evening and then it is time to relax and recharge for tomorrow will be here before I know it.

A man is what he thinks about all day long.  ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

More candles and lighting

The Wick

Blessed are those who believe, for indeed they shall fly.  ~Grimble from Guardians of Ga'Hoole

Here it is, another evening, another posting.  Where does the time go?  I've got some new projects bouncing around in my mind, just need to start working on them.  One is a Valentine's idea.  You would think that means plenty of time to work on it?  Oh no, got to get moving now in order to have them shot and ready for posting in about a month's time.  Last year I had fun with some candy.  This year, well I have an item that we actually received for Christmas that I think is going to work out pretty well.  I will find out once I get working on them.  No matter what, it should be fun.  I mean I get to play around with my camera - what more can I ask for?

I hope everyone had a great weekend.  And, have you gotten used to writing 2011 on things?  I have not.  2010 just keeps slipping out.  Happy Sunday evening/Monday morning everyone!

Sometimes You Just Have to Go With the Moment

Concentration

Finally.  Sometimes you just have to go with the moment.  Well, actually that should probably happen more often than most of us let it.  We should have the presence of mind to enjoy the moment as it is happening and not get caught up in the future, or even worse the past. 

I have a favorite sentiment that I share with others, probably much to their dismay, but it goes something like this - everything always works out in the end.  It may not work out the way you imagined it would.  It may not work out the way you hoped it would.  And even better yet, it may not work out the way your feared it would.  But one way or another everything always works out in the end.  And usually, no one but you will know if the "end" is how you were hoping it would be.

I have talked in the past about many of my "happy mistakes" when photographing.  And quite often those "happy" mistakes have become some of the pieces that I am most proud of.  So, it worked out in the end.  Even though, in the process I was probably pretty stressed out that I was not getting exactly what I was hoping for. 

On New Years Eve, I decided to burn these handmade candles that I've had for several years.  They were fun to watch burn.  A few days after New Years, we let them finish burning.  And as I was playing in the melting wax - as I cannot resist doing that (and if  my mom was there, we would have been making wax fingers I'm pretty sure), I had to get out my cameras and had a great time trying to capture the beauty of the candles and the flames.  It's always challenging working with flame as your light source, but the results you get can be very dramatic and totally worth it.  So, over the next little while, I'm sure you will be seeing more of these fun candles.

Okay, just one more please

At least for now that is . . .

Untitled

So, I told my brother and dad when we were walking this morning that yesterday was the last of the Coke pics for a bit.  And yet, here I am, posting just one more.  What's wrong with me?

Well, in my defense - I mean I have to defend myself, no one else is going to do the job so I guess I better - yesterday was the last of that, specific Coke picture.  This is indeed a Coke bottle, but a very, very different style - a little more modern if you will.

But, that's not the worst part . . . I told them that I had worked on some new photos and that my brother Kelly was going to enjoy them very much.  And, now he will just have to wait a bit longer to see what I am talking about.  I'm pretty sure he'll be okay with it though - I mean he's pretty used to my ways by now.

Hopefully tomorrow night.  I just didn't want to post until I had some time to spend on getting the pictures processed just right.

And now, I am off to read . . .

Motion and Action, Talking and Meaning

Circa 1899

Never mistake motion for action.  ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

So, is it just me or have you known people that fit that quote quite nicely.  Hopefully that person is not you.  I think the same feeling can be said about not mistaking people that are talking for those who have something to say.  And I have definitely known one too many a person that fits that way of thinking.  And if you have known someone like that . . . hopefully that person is not me.

I'm Just a Little Excited

Refreshment in a Row

I think I've discovered the secret of life - you just hang around until you get used to it. ~ Charles M. Schulz

I feel like a kid in a candy shop.  This morning I went for my walk with my brother and my dad.  It's been awhile since I've walked with them.  Winter colds, winter break and an overabundance of work has kept me from walking for longer than I would like to admit.  And so I went today, ready for a good workout and some pleasant conversation.  Little did I know I would be leaving with a book of quotes.  Do I need to tell you how excited I am?

My brother Kelly and I share books back and forth all the time.  He mentioned this book to me about a month or so ago that he wanted to loan to me because he knew it was right up my alley.  And after reading my "explanation" last night it reminded him to bring it to me this morning.  Yeah! 

He told me to read the preface first, but I just couldn't help myself and flipped through some of the pages to read a few of the quotes.  Love it!  I can't wait to share some of those little nuggets with you.  But first, I must finish reading another book that Kelly loaned to me and one that my son bought for me to read.  So, I am off to bed to get some reading in tonight.  I've only got three more chapters in the book from my son.  Good night all . . . until tomorrow.

Quotes - I've got some explaining to do . . .

Enjoy

First of all, let me just say - Happy 2011!  Can you believe a new year has begun?

And, here is the first quote of the year:

All the art of living lies in a fine mingling of letting go and holding on. ~ Henry Ellis

So, over the past several weeks, I have been asked about my quotes.  Mostly the question has been where do I find them all.  And I would like this to be a pretty simple answer - but if we've ever met, then you know I can't give simple answers.  So, let me share with you my love of quotes.

As long as I can remember I have been a quote collector.  I have heard them or read them and write them down.  The really, really great ones I commit to memory.  Right after high school as I was preparing to go off to college, a friend of mine, gave me this cute, tiny little book.  She had filled it half way with all sorts of quotes and gave me the explanation that the other half was to be filled in by me.  I held onto that book for many, many years and added quite a few quotes of my own to it over the years.  Currently, I have setup a word document for keeping all of those wonderful quotes - the funny ones, the inspiring ones and the ones that just give you chills to think about them.  And that is where I pull my quotes from.

Now, where do they come from to get put into my little old Word document?  From books that I read, from shows and movies that I watch, from posters that I see in the stores, from songs, from friends and family.  Basically from anywhere that things are happening.  That is where my quotes come from.

And just like my photos, I never know which quote I am going to share until I sit down to write out my posting each night.  Sometimes it is from things that have happened during the day.  And sometimes it is from thoughts that have been rattling around in my brain.  But mostly it is just from reading through my quotes until I come across one that makes me smile - and that is the one that gets shared at that moment. 

I am glad that you are enjoying them.  I know I do.