Shutterbugs and photo-lovin’ friends glad to have you join me for The World Through My Lens 02.2025. For this month’s edition I am joining Kym at A Fresh Cup of Coffee for her Every Day Images and Terri at Second Wind Leisure Perspectives for her Sunday Stills series. Last month, I also happily to be participated in a year-in-review photo challenge hosted by Lysha at A Camera and a Cookbook. Please find that post, here.
Before we jump in here, just a reminder: Once Upon a Time & Happily Ever After occasionally uses affiliate links which are usually italicized. If you click or make a purchase from an italicized link provided I may receive a very small commission at no cost to you. Thank you for your support.
Please find the places and posts where I link-up on this page.
World Through My Lens 02.2025
My blog has been out of commission since early last Monday morning when I discovered a ‘fatal error’ message when I tried to login to my WordPress admin page. Thought at first maybe it was just a glitch with WordPress, so tried to ignore it. Although, there was really no ignoring it because it prohibited me from signing in at all to work on my blog.
By Tuesday, when the error message had gotten longer and more detailed, I knew there was something more to it. I contacted my web host and they identified a problem in the coding for the theme of my blog. They recommended I make a backup of my blog immediately and instructed me on how to do that. Because my blog is very wordy and photo-heavy, the backup took hours. I had to leave my laptop on all night to complete the backup. The web hosting site said they would be able to enable access to the admin page of my blog but it was likely much of my original formatting would be gone.
The hosting site suggested I contact the web page designer who created my theme and ask her to fix the coding issue. I purchased my theme through a gal on Etsy so reached out to her but she is no longer in the blog theme creating business. Back to square one.
Help
On Wednesday evening, I contacted a guy on Etsy who has helped me with blog issues in the past. He agreed to have a look at my problems and promised to get back to me sometime Thursday. True to his word, he corrected the corrupt coding in the theme, and by Thursday afternoon I could log back in but some of the formatting was off. I messaged him and by bedtime, he had everything back to normal. So, I am back to blogging. Again. But missed publishing 2 posts I was unable to complete this week. And this post is very late in the month.
If you ever need help with your blog, please let me recommend GRFX Studio.
Everyday Images #55
shadows: I like the way the light and shadow play on this photo of the girls in the hot tub.
fortune: not sure this fortune was talking to me.
selfie (quarterly): snapped this in our living room before Friday date night.
pink: our plum tree went from bare to full bloom in the blink of an eye. I love the tiny pink blossoms and always hate to see the spring winds blow them off the branches. But they look almost as pretty scattered on our lawn.
sweet: our kitties are not always best friends but it made me smile seeing them enjoying the warm afternoon side by side on our patio chairs.
hot and/or cold: one cold but sunny day recently, I took my car through the carwash and splurged by getting the hot wax treatment. With all the wind we have had, the shine didn’t last long. Time to go back.
Everyday Images #56
at home (monthly): my BFF Sharon sent me this darling glass bunny. I immediately put her on the end table in the living room beside my message board and favorite photo of our home.
dessert: we have been eating better so haven’t had many opportunities to snap pictures of or indulge in dessert. This was PC’s birthday cheesecake. We froze most of it and have only split one piece since his bday on 02.28. It sure is good. Lauren took this picture but I am using it anyway.
neighborhood spot (quarterly): the park down the street is a favorite spot for everyone in our neighborhood. We almost always take the girls down there when they visit. We walk around the park several times a week. And there are always soccer and football teams practicing on the fields.
pieces: of pottery decorating our favorite mom and pop Mexican restaurant, Casita Linda.
sunrise and/or sunset: approaching sunset, the sun was finally peeking out from behind the dust-filled clouds.
hearts: heart, singular, in my case. This is a drop of generic Crystal Light that spilled from our pitcher onto the kitchen island counter top. I ran to get a sponge to clean it off and returned to realize it was in the shape of a heart.
Everyday Images #57
far and/or near: the third grade at Lucia’s school gave an art and music presentation. We were tickled that Lucia’s art was recognized front and center as we walked in the door. And so enjoyed hearing all of those sweet voices singing and signing (American Sign Language) to several patriotic songs. Here is a photo of the whole grade level from afar and our own super star up close.
happiness: Lucia. Standing before her drawing of the San Elizario Mission, here in El Paso, which was recognized in the district art show earlier this year.
current season (quarterly): March is our windy season in far west Texas. I think we have had high wind warnings almost everyday of the month so far. Wednesday was virtually wind-free but otherwise, we are about to blow away. This photo was taken in Lauren’s subdivision looking toward the Franklin Mountains and the mountain road I travel when coming to their house. You can’t even see the mountains for the blowing dust in this photo where they would normally be very visible.
purple: the girls made this photo clips when they visited last week. They painted the clips, then adhered decals to them and added gold trim with a metallic marker.
stairs: Cami inspecting a birthday present.
action: the wind blowing this cedar tree at the outdoor mall.
Sunday Stills
02.02.2025: two-week challenge feeding and watching the birds continues: we don’t have a lot of dramatic, flamboyant birds in El Paso. We get excited about anything that isn’t a pigeon. Caught these doves hanging out on the pergola over our hot tub.
02.09.2025: monthly color challenge: rosy red: while in Phoenix, we visited Freddy’s Hamburgers where the color theme is all about rosy red.
02.16.2025: frosty: Santa Fe at sunset.
02.23.2025: fresh: produce. We don’t have a Trader Joe’s in El Paso but their produce always looks so fresh and crisp. I think this was taken at Whole Foods, which is the closest thing to TJ’s. Love all that green.
Your Turn
Struggling with a stomach bug today. Woke up sick about midnight and have kept the road hot to the bathroom all day. Have you guys had it yet? Brennyn and her family are coming for a visit on Thursday. I hope I am back to normal. Will spray the whole house down with Lysol.
Thank you for spending some of your busy day here with me. Hope you will join me in visiting Kym at A Fresh Up of Coffee and Terri at Second Wind Leisure Perspectives to check the images they’ve captured for these photo challenges.
Make it a great rest of the week!! Off to dust and vacuum.
Hugs and kisses,
I enjoyed all of your photos. You did a great job matching the word and photo!! I’m so sorry you are sick. Stomach bugs are horrible!!
I am back among the living – stomach bug is gone!! Thank you.
I am so glad your blog issues were resolved! You have got some really beautiful photos to share this month. I love the coloring of current season and those pink blossoms are so pretty.
Oh, girl, me, too. I am still having hiccups with my blog but at least I can access it again. Thank you for your sweet compliment on my photos.
Hi Leslie, this was a lovely compilation of photos of the girls, of you, and hubby’s bday I love the scenery and wow how neat those doves decided to rest there above the hot tub. I hope you are feeling better, no fun to have the full or feel lousy. The kitty cats know the nice place to lounge. Take care, and have a great weekend, Jessica
Thank you, my friend. I need to remind myself to slow down and smell then photograph the roses everyday!!
Always lovely having a little peek into your world Leslie – so many pretty things and happy family shots. Thanks so much for sharing little snippets of your life with us.
Thank you for stopping by. I love taking pictures and my fam are my favorite subjects. When LIFE gets crazy, I need to remember to slow down and snap pictures. Helps to calm me down!!
What great images for Kym’s prompts, Leslie. But you outdid yourself with the images for Sunday Stills. I giggled at your comment about pigeons and love how you framed the doves. The composition in the Red diner is fabulous and wow what a wonderful shot of the Santa Fe Sunset! Well done this month, my friend!
Thank you so much for the compliments. I wasn’t sure about the way I framed the doves. It was pretty much accidental and when I reviewed the photo, I toyed with the idea of trying to do a tight crop just around the bodies of the birds. Thank you for supporting my final decisioin to leave the pergola beams in the shot. You say the sweetest things, and any compliment from you about my photos is a badge of honor. Thank you!!
I’m so glad you were able to get the coding issues fixed on your blog. I think I would just melt into a little puddle of goo. I couldn’t believe the photo of the wind blown dust! I really dislike wind storms, but I guess you’d get used to them. Do you have dust all over everything outside? Loved seeing the photos of your grands as always…so beautiful!
https://marshainthemiddle.com/
I would like to say I get used to wind storms but after all these years living in the desert southwest, I still complain when the wind gets rowdy. We do have dust all over everything outside after one of the worst storms. But most of the months of March and October are windy so it is pointless to clean up until the windy season passes. Thank you for your sweet words, my friend.
You are turning into quite the photographer! I love the pic of the two kitties by the jacuzzi, and the beautiful blossom.
What a nightmare with your blog. Good that you found someone who can help. I made a note of the name.
Thank you!! I really enjoy taking photos when I remember to slow down long enough to do so. Hope if you ever need blog IT support, you will find my ‘fella’ helpful and affordable.