My Year In Review

Cindy at My Romantic Home is hosting a review party…it should be a “blast from the past”…

I started blogging this year…actually I opened my blog in September of 2008 but never got the courage to post anything until February 2009. Yes, sometimes it takes some courage to start something new. I had found blogs during the fall of 2008. My husband was working  in Memphis and could only come home on weekends. That was a difficult time and I guess I was seeking something to fill up the emptiness. I did…I found blogging and was off …timidly at first…

Buddy, Zoe and white squirrels think they are the most photographed animals in the world!!!

How many photos do I have of  Zoe…many, many…she was a puppy here…before she changed colors…

 

I found a lot of new things that I liked and some that I was not comfortable with. I loved photography from the moment I got my Canon Rebel for my birthday in January…that is still a love story…I think photography has become my creative outlet. I once painted with oils and acrylics and had my own business for many years. I’ve just not been able to paint for some reason since the death of my first husband. I wanted to and tried to but haven’t been able to find that “special” creativity that it takes. Hopefully, one day I will return to painting but for now my effort to learn photography skills is my outlet.

I also have been forced to become politically active this year. I was always interested in politics and kept up with things but never felt any desire to become active. I’m certainly not the only person in our country that has felt that need this year. Our country has awakened to politics like no other time in my life.  One of the highlights of my life was attending the 9-12 Tea Party March on Washington, D.C. I did things that I had never even thought of and it was even more special because my son and my best friend and her daughter were there with me. I think I may have lost a whole lot of my shyness on that trip. I also realized that this great country has millions of great people who are a lot like me. 2.1 million people attended that march even though no news outlet or government agency would publicly acknowledge the numbers. I saw it and I couldn’t believe it.

 

I’ve been so fortunate to photograph so many people this year (and so many puppy dogs) and have been able to share them with my blogging buddies. They’ve all been so patient with me as I learn and sometimes try silly things with them, but miracle of miracles, sometimes they were actually pretty good photos.

Having friends read things about my family and my life has been, well, different. I’ve always received nice comments about these things and appreciated it. Sharing personal details of my life has been difficult but it has also been a source of healing and personal growth that I never imagined when I started blogging. I just thought the photos were so cool on all the  blogs I visited and I wanted to learn how to take such cool shots.

This is getting entirely too long so, in a nutshell…thank you for being my blogging friends, its been a great experience!!!

See all of you in 2010!!!

Tips For All My Friends…

 

Tips For the remainder of 2009
1.  Stay out of trouble.

2.  Aim for greater heights.

3.  Stay focused on your job.

4.  Exercise to maintain good health.

5.  Practice team work.

6.  Rely on your trusted partner to watch your back.  Take your time trusting others.

7.  Save for rainy days.

8.  Rest and relax.

9.  Always take time to smile.

AND
10.  Realize that nothing is impossible.

It Was a Doggone Good Christmas In Tennessee…

A wonderful weekend of family…

A hero among us...here...

Merry Christmas

We The People by Ray Stevens…

We all need to laugh a little right now!!!

Crazy Christmas Gifts…

I drove to Jackson, Tn. early this morning for a Doctor’s appointment and while listening to the local radio show they were talking about crazy Christmas gifts. Listeners called in with their own versions of “crazy”…I loved the lady who called and told about getting grave markers one memorable year…yep … he told her he loved her “forever”…roflol…I actually called in…I called in to tell about a former mother-in-law who gave me half of a dish towel…she gave the other half to another daughter-in-law…the lady I talked with at the radio station is still laughing.

Disclaimer…this is not the half-towel…I just wish it had looked half this good…

When I received my half-towel, it wasn’t funny, in fact, it took a couple of decades for it to become funny. At least I don’t have to deal with that dingbat anymore… I also got one of a set of figurines one year, the same sister-in-law got the other one…I threw mine away…I know…I should have given mine to the sister-in-law, that’s why I didn’t…

The set of figurines didn’t look this good either…

 

All of this is why I love my son-in-law…he loves me in spite of the stupid things I do…I’m looking forward to having a daughter-in-law one of these days, I’ve learned a lot of the things “not” to do.

 

Michael likes to tell about the “velvet Elvis” that traveled the world with his submarine fleet…Elvis traveled the east and west coasts, and was gifted to many new homes around submarine bases. The painting showed up at a lot of birthday parties, it was presented as as a wedding gift to a couple who divorced after forty-five days. The painting was acquired in Tijuana and painted by a local artist and was last seen at the Millington, TN. Naval Base in 1993 when the submarine branch was phased out of that base.

Do you have any “crazy” Christmas gifts in your past, if so, share them with us in the comments section…we all need a laugh…and you can always use the anonymous option if you’d like :-)

Black and White…

It started like this…

…and ended like this!!! It became much more mysterious with a little tweaking in Picasa…I love Picasa…it entertains me …

Gotta Lotta Love In My Heart….

 

For a first-time group of friends to organize something, I think we did pretty well recently with our little reunion…and what a good cause our proceeds went to…Thanks to all of my very good friends who made all of this possible!!!

Has anyone noticed a “common” theme in my photos this year???

Mary at Little Red House has lots of mosaics today…