Sweet shutterbugs, welcome!
I am home from Kentucky and feeling encouraged about my mom’s physical and mental health right now. We have her well settled into a cute new apartment, she has recuperated from the bad UTI and bout of pneumonia with which she suffered over the holidays. Mom is back to dressing up for the day, putting on lipstick, playing Bridge, eating with friends. Hallelujah! Thankful to God for answered prayers. Thankful for my friends and family who have prayed for us and uplifted us with positive thoughts.
Soooo, I am scrambling at the end of this month to get some posts written. Had wanted to kick off my new monthly date night series that I have planned for the last Sunday of each month. But, to be honest, PC and I haven’t had much time this month to ‘date’. Stay tuned for that kick off in February.
Today, I am sharing photos I have taken for the 2 photography challenges I am participating in. There’s the Sunday Stills series hosted by Terri at Second Wind Leisure Perspectives and The Everyday Eye Candy Project 52 with LaShawn at Everyday Eye Candy. Come check out the prompts for this month and my interpretations.
World Through My Lens Week 1
Sunday Stills, 01.06.2019: Reflect
In far west Texas, we rarely have more than a dusting of snow once or twice a winter. The reflection of our pergola in the water contrasts the cold, stormy skies with daydreams of summer days in the pool.
Everyday Eyecandy Project 52, Week 1: You in the Beginning
Snapped this selfie on my Samsung phone while playing with my granddaughter Cady and daughter Brennyn on make-shift sleds in the Ruidoso, New Mexico snow. Edited it using a pixelating filter. I like the way the pixelation brought out the subtle shades in my face and the snowy backdrop.
World Through My Lens Week 2
Sunday Stills, 01.13.2019: Vintage
I have had my father’s christening gown for several years but just discovered a box of other vintage baby items on a recent trip to Kentucky to care for my mom. Thinking I need to arrange all of these in a shadow box to protect them. The postcard announced my father’s birth, 09.07.1927. His hospital bracelet was just a piece of cloth that read ‘Baby Roberts’. I also found a pair of socks, a bootie and a baby shoe and a handkerchief bunny.
Which version do you prefer?
Everyday Eyecandy Project 52, Week 2: Morning
As part of my morning quiet time, I make a conscious effort to look out the window each morning or step out onto the balcony or patio to enjoy our beautiful sunrise skies. El Paso is also called the Sun City for our 300+ days of sunshine each year.
World Through My Lens Week 3
Sunday Stills, 01.20.2019: Window
This was the view outside the window in the living room of my mom’s retirement apartment complex. I liked the warm, inviting glow of the lamp in contrast to the frosty weather outdoors.
Everyday Eyecandy Project 52, Week 3: My Favorite…
weather is snow! And while I was in Kentucky this visit, I was treated to several snowy days. This porch swing is on the patio of my mother’s retirement apartment complex. I like the way the snow enhanced the texture of the wicker.
World Through My Lens Week 4
Sunday Stills, 01.27.2019: Night
On my flight home from Kentucky yesterday, the early evening skies over Atlanta were especially lovely.
Everyday Eyecandy Project 52, Week 4: Happiness is…
the look on my 91 year-old mom’s face when she won at Bingo last Saturday night. So thankful to see her smiling again.
Random Shots
Each Friday, the Lafayette gets new floral arrangements for the common living area and on each of the tables in the dining room. Wintry bouquets were replaced by these sunny blossoms. Instant spring time.
Pizza at Cafe Rio pizza restaurant in Ruidoso, New Mexico. Brennyn’s favorite place for lunch when we visit this quaint mountain village.
Cady sitting by the fire at J. Roberts boutique. Every year, we take a photo of my granddaughter sitting by their cozy fireplace.
Your Turn
Have you pledged to up your photography game this year? Remember how I have been promising to start using my good camera more often? Well, I have become more comfortable with it by joining photo challenges like these. But I have a ways to go yet and much to learn. Maybe you would like to join me? We can grow our photography skills together!! For more information, stop by Terri and LaShawn’s blogs or leave me a message below.
Feels so good to be home, girls. Thanks for sticking with me through thick and thin, good days and bad. Here’s to a happy February for each of us.
Family hugs,
So glad to hear your mom is doing better! I really need to up my photography game and joining in one of these photo challenges would be fun and helpful! The shot of the sunrise is beautiful and I love the pic of your granddaughter by the fire!
Jill – Doused in Pink
Thank you, Jill, we are so relieved that my mom is doing better, too. It has been a long time coming!
You know, every blogger that I am friendly with wants to up their photography game. We should come up with some kind of link-up that pushes all of us to experiment with our cameras and try new settings and techniques. Thank you for the compliments on my photos. These challenges have been fun.
Love all of the snowy pics and the photo of Cady by the fireplace. Glad your mom won Bingo, she looks happy! Autumn has a fundraiser for a black light bingo that I need to get tables together for soon… never been to such a thing! lol! I need to text you back about that therapy stuff that Nathan is doing. I was going to text you a photo or two of what exercises he has to do. Have a great day!
Carrie
curlycraftymom.com
Black light Bingo would be a great option for the seniors where my mom lives. Wonder if they would enjoy it? Please let me know more about it. Do they use special boards? The elderly folks might have trouble seeing their Bingo cards under the black light unless they glow or something. But I think it would be so much fun for them!
Thanks for all the info about Nathan. I have shared with Brennyn. Now we need to find out what they are suggesting exactly for Cady. Maybe if it is a device she has to wear, we can hold off until summer vacation. Our poor babies!
So glad your momma is doing better!!!!
& I’m loving those bingo cards. Something I can even see with those big numbers 🙂 haha
How cool is all that vintage stuff. I love old things that have touched the family through the years past
Oh, Rebecca Jo, they have some really great jumbo Bingo cards at my mom’s complex. They really try to make it easy for the elderly to continue to play as long as possible. They have 3 nights of Bingo and have a cover-all where the winner wins a nice sum. We try to go with my mom whenever we visit her. Thanks for coming by.
Very fun to be in these two new projects! I love the vintage items. I prefer the first shot of them over the second!
Thanks for letting me know which photo you liked best of my pictures of my dad’s baby things. Are you enjoying 52 Frames again this year? I learned a lot from my time participating in that challenge but my life just getting crazier and making photography impossible.
I’m glad your mom is doing so much better! Loved her smiling, joyful face as she won that round of Bingo! When I visit my mom in the nursing home, she can’t wait to tell me how she did in Bingo! Loved all your beautiful photographs, Leslie! I’m glad you could share glimpses of your life from January. Amazing to see all that snow, that must have been the same storm that hit us in Sedona, causing us to change out entire road trip itinerary. Sure gave me some interesting stories to tell. Sunday Stills in back in my hands in February…I took January off and had two other bloggers host it. Hope to see you around more and Happy New Year!
Isn’t it funny how Bingo is so important to our moms!? My mom had begun to dislike going to Bingo because she wasn’t winning. Ha! Spoil-sport! Told her she has to go no matter what. But now one of her closest friends at her Bingo table has died, so it will be difficult to see Harold’s empty chair.
Glad to participate in Sunday Stills. Will probably stick with one big post at the end of each month sharing the photos for that month’s prompts. I need to get my behind in gear for this week. Planning to take pics this weekend.
Love all your pictures, Leslie, and so glad to hear that your mother is doing well now. I know you miss her but are so glad to be home. Enjoy the rest of your week!
Hey sweets, thank you for the kind words about my photos. My mom had a great week with the exception of losing a dear friend with whom she ate breakfast every morning. But she sounds better and seems settled and comfortable in her new apartment. Thank goodness.
Welcome home, Leslie. I’m glad that your mom is doing much better. I love the shot with the bingo card!
That’s so cool that you have your father’s Christening Outfit. I love both photos but if I had to chose, I would go with the first.
Thank you for ‘voting’ on which vintage photo you prefer. I like the black and white one, too. Need to gather those items from my sweet daddy’s childhood and have them put in a shadow box. Will do that!
Just talked to mom this morning and she sounds so much stronger. Despite her 37th fall she took last night. The woman is made of rubber! Amazingly she has not never broken anything. Knock on wood!!
I’m happy to read your mom is doing better. I know that’s a weight off your shoulders….
These photography challenges are fun, aren’t they? It helps with documenting your life. I like looking back to see how much I’ve grown as a person and as a photographer. I hope it’ll provide you with the same happiness.
Really enjoying the photo challenges. Need to get my pictures taken this weekend for the week. Fire is the word for one challenge and nature for the other. Our mountains were lovely this morning; I try to make a conscious effort to notice them everyday and not take them for granted. Will probably use them for my nature photo.
So glad my mom is doing better. Huge relief to all of us. Thank you!
Lovely photos, and what precious finds from when your father was born. I absolutely love that photo of the swing chair in the snow.
I’m so glad that your mom is doing well, Leslie!!
How wonderful you got to enjoy some snow…I’d hate to have you be left out of the fun!!
I put some of my dad’s baby things along with some of my husband’s in a shadow box. It was fun to have it to look at!!
OXOX
Jodie
http://www.jtouchofstyle.com
Wow, I am so glad to hear your mom is getting dressed for the day and doing all the things!That has to be a great feeling for all of you. Thank God and bless her heart at 91 she is still doing her thing.
The vintage baby items – so cool. I love the first picture.
When I see these photos I am inspired to get better at photography! So much on my to do list! Wish you lived closer and could teach me a thing or two!
xo,
Kellyann