January 31st

"Me and my shadow

We're closer than pages that stick in a book

We're closer than ripples that play in a brook

Strolling down the avenue

Wherever you find him, you'll find me, just look

Closer than a miser or the bloodhound's to Liza

Me and my shadow"
Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr

Today we had very little sunshine.
I went shopping in Reading, so I did not see
very much of the outside world.
I was lucky for the 5 minutes when the sun did
come out I was walking between shops.
So out came the camera and hey presto, I have a shadow photo.
Normally the silhouette would be sylphlike (I wish).
However, the shopping seems to be showing up rather well too!

January 30th

"Everybody needs a hug. It changes your metabolism."
Leo Buscaglia

Go hug someone to day!

I did!

He enjoyed this

prompt much more than

Day 14!

January 29th

"Always leave enough room in your life to do something that makes you happy, satisfied, or even joyous."
Paul Hawken

Take time today to think of what makes you happy. Yes I know your family do, let's look deeper!

On my first post on this Blog I said that my word for 2008 is FREEDOM.
Over the past 29 days I have been trying to find some of that freedom.
My goal is to be able to say ‘no’ if I am asked to commit my
time when I have already planned to do something just for me.
Often in the past I have said ‘yes’ when I have really thought NO.
I have made some advances in achieving that goal and certainly
have more time to be happy doing all the things I love to do!

January 28th

"Here's looking at you, kid."
Casablanca

Who are you ?

I am a wife

mother

grandmother

friend

cook

photographer

gardener

crafter

and

SOMEONE WHO LIKES TO READ A LOT!

January 27th

"You've got to ask yourself one question: 'Do I feel lucky?' Well, do ya, punk?"
Dirty Harry

Well I did not feel lucky last night!!!

However, today is a new day and I know that I am lucky

because the sun is shining. Colin and I have been for a great walk

around our lovely village ending up in a friend's beautiful garden.

And they say women can talk!!!!!!

January 26th

"You know how to whistle, don't you, Steve? You just put your lips together and blow."
To have and have not.

Lets see you pucker those lips!

They say you have to kiss a lot of frogs before you find your Prince ...

I am just grateful that I did not have to kiss too many

before I found mine!!!

January 25th

"Mama always said life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get."
Forrest Gump

I feel the same as Forrest Gump's Mum,

whenever I open my front door I never

know who is going to be there!

More often than not I will be opening my door

to friends. The only time I open my door to family

is when they forget their key!

Although my children have left home,

they took their front door keys with them

and I would not have it any other way!

January 24th

"Today, I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth."
Pride of the Yankees

we are lucky to be here on our beautiful earth, what makes you feel so lucky today?

I have two rings that make me feel very lucky today:

One ring is my wedding ring,

I have been happily married to Colin for over 38 years

and the other is my keyring.

On it is the key that opens the front door to my lovely home

and my car key which gives me freedom to travel when ever I want.

January 23rd

"All right, Mr. DeMille, I'm ready for my closeup."
Sunset Blvd

This is one little girl I always love

getting close up to!

(a bit of a cheat today but I love this photo)

January 22nd

"There's no place like home"
Wizard of Oz

This is me outside of my home

but I do not like the front

of the house in winter.

I love all my summer

flowers so here is the

front of my house

in the summer as well!

January 21st

Food is an important part of a balanced diet. "

Fran Lebowitz

My F plan balanced diet for life is:

family

friends

food

fun

confectionary

My 5 a day

January 20th

"A laugh is a smile that bursts."
Mary H. Waldrip

A day with these two friends turn all

my smiles into laughter!

January 19th

"Look closely. The beautiful may be small."
Emmanuel Kant

Rain, rain and more rain!

That is the easiest subject

to get up close and personal to today.

Therefore after waiting for the sun

to come out nearly all day

I admitted defeat!

And photographed the rain!

January 18th

"We all need time to be alone; to think, to dream, to wonder."
Billie Roark

Many years have passed between these two photographs

BUT

I still love time on my own to think and plan.

January 17th

"Imagination is the highest kite you can fly."
Lauren Bacall

A sheet of blank paper and my selection
Of water colour pencils are all I need to help my
Imaginative ideas come to life.

January 16th

"You, whose day it is, get out your rainbow colors and make it beautiful."
Traditional Nootka song

Show me colour in your life today . . . . Anna

These are the colours that are in my life every day.

I just love pink and purple.

Maybe that is why I have

an affinity with this poem!

Warning . . . Jenny Joseph

When I am an old woman I shall wear purple

With a red hat which doesn't go, and doesn't suit me.

And I shall spend my pension on brandy and summer gloves

And satin sandals, and say we've no money for butter.

I shall sit down on the pavement when I'm tired

And gobble up samples in shops and press alarm bells

And run my stick along the public railings

And make up for the sobriety of my youth.

I shall go out in my slippers in the rain

And pick flowers in other people's gardens

And learn to spit.

You can wear terrible shirts and grow more fat

And eat three pounds of sausages at a go

Or only bread and pickle for a week

And hoard pens and pencils and beermats and things in boxes.

But now we must have clothes that keep us dry

And pay our rent and not swear in the street

And set a good example for the children.

We must have friends to dinner and read the papers.

But maybe I ought to practice a little now?

So people who know me are not too shocked and surprised

When suddenly I am old, and start to wear purple.

Perhaps we all have our own last line, what outrageous
thing will you do when you get old?

Photography prompt 1

1. Place your camera onto aperture priority "A" or "TV". This allows you to change the F/stop aperture setting and your camera will sort the shutter speed for you
2. Pop your ISO onto 100 - 250 depending on your light situation.100 being outside and good lighting, 250 for inside with some natural light
3. Now move your fstop to the lowest number on your camera, this could be anything between 1.4 - 3.5. Focus on your subject, take your photo
4. Now move the fstop to 5.6 , snap. Next move to fstop 11, snap
5. Can you see a difference? Your first photo shows the subject in clear focus with a blurry background. The last photo shows all the area in clear focus!

These are my efforts for the day!

The camera I used was a Canon 400D

January 15th

"Make rest and refreshment a necessity, not a luxury."
Dan Zadra

These are all the ingredients I need on the table

beside me to make my moments of

rest and refreshment complete.

All I need is more time to enjoy them!

January 14th

"Attempt the impossible in order to improve your work.”
Bette Davis

What I feel I really need to improve my work is more time.

Since Colin retired 7 years ago he is always saying

that he is going to do more cooking!

So today I might have negotiated a deal.

He gets lunch 3 days a week and I have more time.

Seems fair to me.

Today's lunch was Leek and potato soup!

January 13th

"When in doubt, take a bath."

Mae West

"Save water, bath with a friend"

How cute is my Friend?

January 12th

Savor life's tiny delights---a crackling fire, a glorious sunset, a hug from a child, a walk with a friend, a cup of soup, a kiss behind the ear.

John Anthony

Question

What little thing brings comfort to your day?

Answer

These little devils ...I aways save the

red ones until last!

January 11th

"Families are like fudge…mostly sweet, with a few nuts."

Anonymous

This family nut would like to remain anonymous.

Although I think she may have inherited

some of her mother’s traits!

January 10th

"The eyes are the window of the soul."
English Proverb

“I have looked into your eyes with my eyes.

I have put my heart near your heart.”

Pope John XXIII

How beautiful are these eyes?

January 9th

"Take time every day to do something ridiculous."
Philipa Walker

"Lets see the silly side to you!"

Were Anna's words of encouragement today.

Now not wanting to look too silly I thought

I would put some lipstick on.

Not sure if that helped though!

January 8th

“The best colour in the whole world, is the one that looks good, on you!”

Coco Chanel

Today is the day to admit that behind closed doors

not only do I wear purple Crocs

but I also wear purple striped socks!

January 7th

"Look back and smile on perils past."
Sir Walter Scott

Someone certainly smiled when they saw my blog.

The first week of 365 + 1

Looking back and knowing that I needed to make

myself take part at the beginning of the project

makes reaching day seven and

still posting on time

no small achievement.

January 6th

"Hold out your hands to feel the luxury of the sunbeams."
Helen Keller

When I look at my hands these days I see my grandmothers hands.

So why should I worry she was a wonderful lady.

Not only did she show me how to cook, sew,

and knit with my hands.

She also gave me the gift of love

by holding them when they needed to be held.

Jaunuary 5th

"I am beautiful no matter what they say"
Christine Aguiler

When I look in the mirror I do not see the woman

that I feel on the inside.

Inside I feel young!

January 4th

"Normal day, let me be aware of the treasure you are"
Mary Jean Irion

No matter what you put on top of your head!

January 3rd

"Life is too short and too amazing to spend time worrying about imperfection"
Ali Edwards

My eyes may not be perfect but

I am grateful I can see.

January 2nd

"I´m gonna make a change.For once in my life. It´s gonna feel real good. Gonna make a difference. Gonna make it right I'm starting with the man in the mirror"

Micheal Jackson

My eyes are the mirror that reflects my thoughts and my feelings.

Through them I have seen everything that has shaped the person I am.

Today they have seen the coffin that took my Dad on his final journey.

A poignant day because in my eyes he led a sad life.

However, who am I to judge?

I am the daughter that he never really knew.

My word for 2008 is .... FREEDOM

January 1st 2008

"A day without laughter is a day wasted" - Charles Chaplain

Q. What is your main goal for 2008 ?
A. Reach 2009
Q. How are you going to acheive this ?
A. By treating my body with respect.
Q. How ?
A. Give up Wine, Chocolate, and start running 3 miles a day!

Now that is funny!

Staying well behind the camera for now.

The way I feel at the moment is not good

but as the days go by I am sure I will get back to normal.

The weather is lousy and the grey sky does nothing to lift my mood.

How awful does this read not me at all.

So best stop writing.