Remembering Spring 2018 …

My last post in this blog was in 2014, right before my older sister died.  She was the most supportive and interested fan of my blog.  After her passing, it was too difficult for me to post or share anything here.

Now, this snowy spring of 2018, I’m ready to once again see the world as my camera sees it.  Many things have changed.  I have a new camera.  I’m learning surface pattern design.  And I am nurturing a strong desire to create beauty in any media that I can – photography, art, painting, knitting, designing, sewing, writing and digital art.  Consequently, there’s no telling what will show up now on this blog.  Even cooking is not off limits!

So, here’s to renewed joy for living and to the creation of beauty – even if it’s only seen and appreciated as my camera sees it.

And here’s to you, big sister.  I love you and miss you!

Oh…..

….HAIL !!!

Oh, Hail!

Things were a bit crazy here at home in Colorado for five minutes.

We had a loud, damaging hail storm, dark ominous clouds, sunshine, and tornado warnings – ALL at the same time.

Five minutes later, all is well, except maybe our new roof and poor little plants.

Sunshine and Hail

Ominous dark skies and tornado warnings.  See the hail still falling in the picture below?

Ominous skies

Yep, hail

 

 

 

 

Flowers…

…usually help lift my sagging spirits and tonight I’ve got a case of the “sags.”

(Actually, I have a case of the “sags” all the time now, just in a more literal physical sense. 🙂   Tonight, though, I’m specifically addressing my mood.)

So, short and to the point, here are some lovely flowers I’ve manged to photograph over the last couple of days.

I hope these flowers lift your “sags,” too.

Pink!!

Lots of Color

A Green Beauty

Fitness-Photo Monday

Week 3

Fitness-Photo Challenge Badge

We’re starting Week 3 of our Fitness-Photo Challenge and I hope everyone is having fun moving our bodies and taking pictures.

I’ve had three days of stomach problems and low-grade fever, so not much happening for me the last 3 days, but there is this to share!

Mama’s got a new pair of shoes!   Slip them over one of my new pairs of colorful socks and I’m in fitness heaven with lots of color!

New Shoes!

 

They are SO comfortable and colorful and I just love them.  Better yet, with a coupon I had, they were only $25 at Payless Shoes. Talk about win-win!

On a more serious note.  I’m sorry that since we weren’t able to get twelve challengers for this twelve-week period, the incentives I had hoped to give away during and at the end of the 12 weeks won’t be possible as I needed 12 challengers for sponsorship 😦

Still, I will do my best to have at least two give-aways over the next 12 weeks that I hope will be useful and enjoyable for the drawing winners.   Stay tuned for more on that later.

Someday, I intend to be an uber blogger with lots of followers and participants and can give-away the things I’d dearly love to share with others!  It will happen someday – SOON I hope.

In the meantime, challenge participants please post the links to your blogs in the comments section below so everyone can check out your fun pictures!

Thanks for hanging in here and sharing the fun.

Back to Home.

A Bit of Sunday Beauty

I’ve always loved looking through things.  Yesterday, I noticed my beautiful Easter gift, this orchid, with the light shining through the petals.  Naturally, I grabbed my camera and this is what I saw.

“Let there be Light.”

The Light

Backing off a little bit:

The Orchid

And then there’s this beauty to share this beautiful Sunday.

Lovely in Red

May your Sunday be filled with light and beautiful colors!

 

Bloomin’ Flower or Maybe Not

Husband:   “Honey, can you remember what we planted in that big pot near the patio last year?  I think there’s a weed coming up, but I’m not sure.”

Me:   “Yes.  It was a citronella plant and I think it should be back this year.  Let me take a look.”

Uh…    Hello citronella…

Citronella? Maybe not.

Recycling At Its Best

Why not turn a once beautiful theater into a hustling, happening Indie bookstore?

That’s exactly what happened to the old Bonfils/Lowenstein Theater in Denver.   After closing in 1986 and sitting vacant for twenty years, Joyce Meskis, the owner of the Tattered Cover Book Store had a wonderful vision of the old theater as the new location for her fabulously successful Tattered Cover Book Store.  (The TC has been in business since 1971.)

In June of 2006, the Tattered Cover Book Store opened for business in its new location and continues showcasing new and/or local authors, selling new and used  books, and setting an example for just how well a little vision and creativity can create the ultimate recycled experience.

The Orchestra Pit

The old orchestra pit is now available for small group meetings or just to sit and enjoy perusing a good book!

Looking up to the old stage

This is the view looking up from the orchestra pit to what was the old stage.

The “Balcony”

The view above is looking the other way from the orchestra pit to the balcony.

I so admire people with the vision to create something new from something old that can be enjoyed and appreciated by many.

If you’re ever in Denver and want to enjoy a good cup of coffee and a fabulous collection of books, check out the Tattered Cover.  It’s a bibliophile’s heaven on earth!

Be sure to enjoy a virtual tour of the Tattered Cover Book Store here to get an even better “show” of this ultimate recycling venture.

A Little N’awlins in Colorado

Mimi’s Cafe is a lovely restaurant in Aurora with excellent food and  colorful New Orleans decor.

A friend and I recently had a most enjoyable lunch soaking up the French ambiance and enjoying the excellent food.

When you can’t get away to the “real deal,” Mimi’s “let’s the good times roll” with near-real sights, sounds, and tastes of N’awlins.

Let the Good Times Roll

And All That Jazz

Nowhere to Go

 

Location, location, location….or just irony???

They say location is everything.

Yesterday I walked into my gym,  Bally’s, for the first time in a while.

Hello, old friend

I was huffing and puffing on the treadmill, heart racing like a race car, when I looked out the front window and THIS is the view directly across the highway!

I didn’t find it particularly reassuring.

Inspiring or not?

 

Donkeys

There once was a saying that all roads led to Rome and,  from what I’ve read, they had major problems with traffic congestion caused by donkey carts.

Today, no matter where I tried to drive, there were detours and traffic and lots and lots of irate drivers.

It seems that our fearless city leaders have contracted major construction or repairs for some reason or another on virtually every major thoroughfare in my neighborhood and, in fact, in the entire Denver-Metro area!   And all at the same blasted time!!!

So it appears to me that even today, after thousands of years and thousands of miles away, there’s still a problem with DONKEYS!

Road Closed

 

One of the Lucky Employed