Lens-Artists Challenge #281 Favorites of 2023

The first week of 2024 is over. I look at this year with goals in mind, and wonder how to fit everything in everything. Starting with a positive attitude, I will continue to meet each week’s photo challenges. Capturing new images with my photo friends. When the computer screen gets too tiring for my eyes, I switch to my new endeavor – quilting. Back at the computer, my genealogy quest has surprised me. I connected with relatives living near Tel Aviv, Israel, London, England, and New Hampshire, U.S.A.

New York City

I have passed this Banksy many times, but just now I discovered the background history.

Yolo County

A short drive down I 80 brings my photo friends to Yolo County and plenty of picture-taking opportunities. We visited various farms on Yolo Arts & Ag Days. A real treasure we waited for was our visit to Glashoff Sculpture Ranch. Amazing! Certainly will try and revisit it!

Sacramento Zoo and Local Critters

Family Outings

Ogden Alpaca Farm in Orangevale with my four grandsons

Roseville Big Trucks with my youngest grandson

Out and about with my photo friends

Traveling east to Placerville

Store Front reminds me of my librarian days

Some portraits of shopkeepers in Placerville

Just having fun being out with friends in Old Sacramento, Bushnell Nursery, Crocker Art Museum, Folsom Farmer’s Market, and a nighttime

Me and my Moxie Love

Moxie is waiting to see what the new year holds for us.

Lens-Artists Challenge #277 Empty Spaces

Patti from P.A. Moed Creative Exploration in Words and Pictures challenges me to look through my library of images and discover how empty spaces contributes to my total image.

To define empty spaces Patti turned to the experts at Adobe. “Emptiness in an image can help isolate the subject and also highlight it by drawing the viewer’s attention to it. What else? It can convey a mood–like loneliness, solitude, fear, or sadness. By isolating the subject and surrounding it with empty space, you also create drama, which gives your images a powerful, visual appeal.”

Another leaf alone catches a bit of sunshine

On the sidewalk in San Francisco. Sea Gull enjoys found sour dough bread!

Sea Gull watching family at the beach in Lover’s Point in Pacific Grove

Do you think that my empty space (negative space) adds to the subject matter? When I look at these images I categorize them as minimalism. So whatever the acknowledged term is I do use this point of view when I am out taking photos.

It is December 2nd. I was reminded that today is my “Half Birthday” by Baskin Robbins. I think they want me to celebrate with an ice cream cake. Well, it is raining, and I am not sure that I want to rush this next birthday. My high school class is thinking about having a group celebration for the Big 75. Three quarters of a century. I do think that I am due a BIG memorable celebration of some sort. Not sure how, where or when. I do have a half year to come up with something.

First things first. Moxie has been diagnosed with idiopathic epilepsy. So far, she has had 3 seizures in the span of 4 months. So far she has no side affect, but the dosage has been increased. She will be on medication for the rest of her life. This means that I need to figure out who will take care of her if I was to plan a trip. At this time no trips are planned.

Being kind of a home body lately for a number of reasons.

There is an unknown canine illness that prevents me from taking Moxie to the dog park. So we retrieve at home. Moxie is reluctant to walk around my neighborhood. I guess she is happy to have me around. In the summer she didn’t want to sit on my lap much, but now she can be demanding of some sitting time. I don’t mind.
The stores are crowded, and parking lots are no fun.
I have so much to do at home. My blog and photography, my genealogy, and knitting.
My newest hobby is quilting. I went to my first guild meeting and I will join in the 2024. I am finishing up a project: a sampler hanging that I started before CoVid. Getting in my last 3 lessons when I put it all together. Pics to follow.

This month I am on Baby Watch for my great grandson Kingston to be born to my granddaughter Alyssa. Due date January 6. Again, more to come!

Lens-Artists Challenge #266 Time

Donna of Wind Kisses says, “Time: It can be wasted, saved, and can slip through our fingers. Some of us have too much, others not enough. Is it high time? The last time? Time for Fall? Taco time? And whatever you decide, I am sure you will agree there is no greater gift than time. Have fun with the endless possibilities this week.” And I hope to have the time to share.

Songs

The first thing I thought of when I heard the challenge was how many songs have “Time” in the lyrics or subject. Just driving around town listening to Sirius XM I heard the Kinks – All Day and All of the Night.

Then I thought of The Rolling Stones – Time is On My Side.

The Vogues – Five O’Clock World

You can probably guess when I was listening to “my” songs!

Clocks and their Places

Unusual Clocks

Clock created on a book for sale at a local craft fair

Clocks used in advertising

Time from many places

The modern way to check the time

And places where time slows down a bit.

And time flys

And I finally can breathe. The past few weeks have not been boring. My Moxie has epilepsy. It is being treated with medication, but watching a 2-year-old Golden have a seizure is scary. A few days later 9/5 my husband of 53 years had a cat scan and we discovered he had a giant aneurysm. VERY scary. We had to wait until today (8 long days) to find out that he has lived with this for over a decade, and that all was good. The aneurysm clotted on its own a long time ago. This was an excessive wait for all of us.

All that certainly brought time into focus for us. And now I must pick up my 3 grandsons from school while their mother, my daughter, recovers from non-life-threatening surgery.

Hot Summer Daze of 2023

Time to catch up with some summer news. August just started, and I know that I am looking at at least 2 more months of warm weather. I just need to plan for this and enjoy time inside as well as outside. I was spoiled by the wonderful, cool start of May and June. July would prove to be another story.

My son and family visited in May. We had breakfast at Mimosa House Restaurant. I had a Tropical Breeze Mimosa if I remember correctly. Well maybe not after my breakfast drink.

For my birthday in June, David, Moxie, and I took a ride up to Nevada City. We were looking for a quiet place to socialize Moxie to being calm on a leash with traffic passing. This is not the place to do this. All cars, trucks, and motorcycles travel down Main Street. I was surprised that Moxie behaved perfectly when I went shopping. I bought some fun socks for the winter.

On Mother’s Day, my granddaughter announced I would become a Great Grandmother at the beginning of next year. Well I’ll have some time to get used to this new title of Great Grandmother.

Got to celebrate my birthday with my granddaughter @ Leatherby’s Family Creamery

My photo friends got out early and visited the town of Placerville. Always something new or old to find to take photographs.

The retired librarian in me liked this metalwork.

Couldn’t help visiting this old-fashioned toy store. I practiced some environmental portraits while I bought Butterscotch Lifesavers as an homage to my father-in-law. Quick story. When Jerry was hospitalized for a heart attack I visited him in the hospital, and all he wanted me to bring him was Butterscotch Lifesavers. End of story.