From Blogs to Books

The written word, with photographs, finally emerges from the hard drive to a paper bound book.  It has been a struggle trying to get this together, to make a hard copy, to preserve my words and my photo's...like most people keep a hand written diary. It does not have a fancy hard cover, it is not of the highest quality, it isn't even for sale, what it is though, is my journey since I started taking photo's and putting my stories with those photo's. I love that I can now hold my stories in my hand, share them with those of my family and friends who don't use a computer, and yes, there are some of those people still out there, and also keep them in a safe place for my children and grandchildren.  If my computer should crash and burn...my work will not go down with it.

I started trying to put this project together quite awhile back.  I tried some of the on-line companies like Blurb.  I blog on Squarespace and none of the companies I checked with support Squarespace.  I then talked to a few other contacts to see how they were putting their own blogs to hard copies and one in particular was very helpful but I didn't move in that direction.  I'd think about it and then let it go...but then the bug would come back again to haunt me.  I really wanted a hard cover copy. What finally got me moving in the direction that I finally took was thinking about the purpose of having a real copy.  I thought about it's intention for me and then had a light bulb moment.  This printing was not to sell my blog or to even share it with anyone in particular.  To print it was just for me and my family someday.  I don't completely trust the computer world now, nor do we know what the future will bring.  What I do know is that I wished I had some writings of my Mom's that I could look back on, that would tell me not only something about her life, but also something about the things that were most precious to her, her dreams and longings and perhaps stories from her past. I have one poem from her about us kids that my brother found after she died.  It is so precious that I have framed a copy for me and my brothers and it now hangs on my wall..one simple poem. Her last gift to us. So there you have it...I want it for me and mine.

Once I understood that then the process became very simple.  I would print it myself on my home printer, which I did.  I started back in 2009 and as of right now everything is printed, bound and ready for storage through 2015.  My hope for this year is to print my blog posts each month. On Squarespace I have a tag that says "View printer friendly version"..I hit that and it lines everything up and I'm good to go.  Once they were all printed and in the right order off I went to Staples where they bound them and put a nice clear cover on the front and a heavy weight colored (black) backing on it.  They look super duper. The cost at Staples was around $5.00 a book. Ink was a lot more money. Here are a few pages to show you what I'm saving:

 And there are my lovely blog post...all bound up by years.

 I'm saving all my special dates with my loved ones..

I want to remember all the special Maine places that I have visited.

I always want to remember my Dad in a special way.

Honoring my family so my children will know their ancestors.

I want to keep the memories alive of all the countries I have traveled to...

I'm a Dreamer, a writer and a photographer...I love what I do.

Most importantly, I never want to forget the gifts that I have been given.  The gifts that really matter.

 

I want the dream to live on in real time and in memories..

It took time, a lot of ink and some special paper but the job is done and I just love it.  It doesn't have to always be about big and fancy or expensive..sometimes it just has to be about the simple reasons of keeping dreams alive and stories told.  I'm glad I did it my way..it makes my blog post special because not only did I write them and photograph them but I also have my hand on them in the printing...I actually loved doing them...as one was printing, I was reading the next one coming up...memories, even for me.

"That is the power of a good story. It can encourage you, it can make you laugh, it can bring you joy.

It will make you think, it will tap into your hidden emotions, and it can make you cry.

The power of a story can also bring about healing, give you peace, and change your life."

                                          Jeff Dixon

I hope all the words in my little stories live up, in some part, to the words above.

Back On The Trail

Mud season is here, then again, mud season brings Maple sugar season at the Audubon.  A favorite walking place for Papa, Me and the boys.  So many trails to choose from but when we are with the boys they always want to go to the Rockery.  Boulders stacked to create arches and a grotto setting, constructed in 1905, provide an adventurous walk along the Rockery Trail, which of course, is very exciting for little boys.  It's a beautiful walk to get to the Rockery, partly along the meadow where the birds sing and fly in and out of their bird houses.  Further along we go deeper into the woods where planks and stairs have been installed to make walking easier and to keep little feet from stepping where they shouldn't.  One of the boardwalks provides a great place for everyone to hand feed the birds.  That's always a lot of fun and really teaches the kids how to be quiet and have patience while they wait for their bird to land on their hand.  Ducks, and water birds, flowers and ferns all grow along the marsh and waters as we continue on our walk to the "big rocks"..With two little ones in tow, it takes a while to get there.  Lot of stopping and bug watching.  First though, back to this visit, our first of the season and we always start at maple sugaring time.

Back on the trail this year has much more meaning for me than in years past.  Yes, it was the first trip of the season but it was also the first time since October that I have been able to walk very far at all and one of the first times walking outside.  It was, to say the least, my first big challenge, and If not for the boys, I would not have made it all the way to the Rockery.  Oh I paid for it the next day but, honestly, it was time to give my new knee a test drive and although I was a bit shaky, I was also excited to be "free" again.

I get attached to things, very attached.  My cars have names and I frequently talk to them when driving.  I have a had time parting with books, even though I might have had them for a very long time.  I think those are the best ones.  If someone gives me a gift, I hold on to it way beyond the time that I should have let it go. So I was not surprised when I was told that I needed a total knee replacement, that I would go through a sort of crazy grieving process  when saying goodbye to my old knee.  I'm not talking about a down and out, crying jag or anything nearly like that but I did sit down one day and sort of think about where me and my knee have been and how far it has taken me in my life.  An inventory, so to speak, of our journey together over these many years.

During these last few years, when the writing was on the wall, that I would eventually need a new knee, so many of my "friends" would say, "no surprise there, you wore the damn thing out".  That used to make me so mad. Now, I guess they were right. Now, I understand that me and my knee walked,biked, swam, traveled all over the world and climbed a few mountains together.  It supported me in my effort to lose over 100 lbs over 35 years ago when I beat the hell out of it on the treadmill everyday. It gave me strength to climb mountains, swim in the lake, and to travel along woodland lanes to visit with nature. It even gave me the flexibility to run after small boys before it finally became to tired to run anymore.  It was hard to make the decision to have the surgery but like everyone says, you know when the time is right and for me, that happened last October, after my trip to Chicago..when I limped in pain the entire time..so goodbye old knee, your really got me to a healthy life style and some very exotic places...

I won't go into the details of the surgery or recovery except to say that I'm not a great sitting in the chair, popping pain pills kind of person.  Oh at first it was o.k. because the pain won out.  Not for long though..It is not an easy process fighting back.  I have great respect for all those people who have lost limbs and fight their way back. I can't even imagine.  Everything that happens to us in life, teaches us lessons.  Spend a few months in outpatient PT, on a regular basis, and it humbles you.  I did my part there...pushed through the pain with one goal in mind...hitting the trails and treadmill again.  I still have some recovering to do, but I am able now, to put one foot in front of the other and go...wherever I want.  I won't be climbing any mountains soon, perhaps never, but I got to the top before and the race is on again.  This morning I got to two miles on the treadmill...I so missed my treadmill.  Now, I've also got myself back on the trail with my most favorite trail guides...the boys.

Yes, it is mud season but the that's o.k.  We navigated around it to the smell of the maple sap being turned into syrup.  We got to taste it right from the maple sugar shack.  Energy for the walk to the Rockery, where not only do the boys climb the rocks, feed the birds and take their own photo's..they continually turn around to make sure I'm there and to encourage me to keep going...even when I wanted desperately to sit on the rock and wait.  Without their little voices calling me and their patience in waiting for me, I am sure I would not have done the whole trial.  So, yes, we are back on the trail again and as I continue to heal I dream about where this new knee will take me and the boys...but know for sure, we are on our way.

Buckets hanging on the Maple trees.

The smoke room at the Maple Sugar Shack.

Jaxson getting his taste of fresh maple syrup.  He wanted more.

 Resting on the tree limb before we start our trail walk.

Off we go to the Rockery.

Did I mention that it was mud season...and who do you think lost his boot and kept right on going..If you could see this up close...Liam is just killing himself laughing..off with the sock and back in the boot.
 

Liam waiting patiently for a bird to come to his hand.

Just a pretty picture along the way.

The bridge...we are almost there...

Finally, we are there and I can sit and rest...but it sure feels good to have made it.

This is what they love.  The boulders and caves. 

Back on the trail. The boys to a place that they love, every time it's different but the same. That is how nature works.  Me, just being back on the trail when there were days I wondered if it would ever happen. At the end of the day all was right with the world again.  I'm not saying that I didn't need a good rest and some ice...but since this day with the boys, I have been walking outside, by myself as often as the weather allows and the treadmill, well, it's there for me whenever I want to use it. I'm starting to bond with my new knee, I think I'll keep it...As for the boys...they surely are Keepers Also...Keepers of our adventures...

Happy Mud Season in New England...Happy Spring...

"The future will belong to the nature-smart-those individuals, families, businesses, and political leaders who develop a deeper understanding of the transformative power of the natural world and who balance the virtual with the real.  The more high-tech we become, the more nature we need."  Richard Louv

Gifts from the Heart

Sometimes in this crazy scheme of life, it gets busy.  Months move on so fast I can barely keep up sometimes.  Then I'll be roaming through my Lightroom photo's and a photo jumps out at me that I really had wanted to put up.  This is one of those photo's.  So, before I completely move on to Spring, I'm going to go back to Christmas, just for a moment.

We have a tradition at my house.  Most of the gifts are either handmade or what we call "time spent".  Each of us have our own talents that end up under the tree each year.  "Time spent" are always wonderful adventures to either an event, a restaurant or a mini vacation.  The giver and the receiver are the only ones who share in that adventure.  We have all been to wonderful places, eaten in restaurants that we didn't know about until the gift and we have visited some unique places.  This year was extra special because we saw the making of handmade gifts spreading, the boys were catching on.

I wanted to share one of my most favorite gifts of all time...shhh, don't let the others hear about this. Although all my gifts are personal and special..this one really touched my heart, for many reasons, not least of which was, to see the tradition taking shape by little hands.

The teapot and cup above is my very first handmade gift from Liam.  His Mom framed it for him and he saved it for me.  Liam takes art lessons on Wednesday afternoons.  He loves it and I have seen many of his creation framed and hanging on the walls of his house.  Now I had one to hang on the wall in my kitchen. The other thing that makes it special is that he made it last year in art class when he was 5 years old.  He saved it for quite a few months, without saying a word, so he could surprise me with it at Christmas.  That's amazing because Liam is not a good secret keeper.  His excited usually wins out.  I honestly was shocked when I opened that gift. So much pride on his face as he handed it to me. So much love in the doing of it.  He knows me well.  We have spent lots of time sharing tea, him and I and it was the perfect gift.  I love that he is beginning to know how to touch someone's heart.  I also know how important it is to little children to be appreciated.  To know that their work and effort matter.  It didn't take me long to hang that painting in my kitchen.  He smiled big the first time he came and saw it on the wall.  He knows how special both him and the painting are.

My friend Jaxson, not to be outdone, is starting on his journey to being creative...and this was his gift to his Mom.  Keeping with the glasses theme, which totally cracked all of us up, he made this 3 dimensional "snowman"...He is quite proud of him and the snowman is also hanging on the wall at his house.  It really warms my heart to see the boys starting to really enjoy working with their hands.  They are having the opportunity to try different things and hopefully something will stick for them. I think they are off to a very good start.

One more from my other favorite guy...Jim.  Jenna has a golden retriever that she loves so much.  You've probably seen Riley on my pages a few times.  He is getting up there in age and Jim wanted her to have a woodcarving of her "furry guy"...so her gift from her Dad was this intricate carving of Riley.  Can I just say tears were thank you enough.  Honestly, it's crazy how much that carving looks like Riley.  He is also now hanging on the wall in her house.

There were many more lovely gifts that day...I always love the Time Spent gifts.  They are the gifts that keep on giving all year long.  

Gifts from the heart are what makes the holidays so special at our house.  It's not that we don't buy gifts also and that we don't spoil the boys like crazy but it's those gifts from the heart that will have lasting memories.  To see it being passed down and to know the excitement that the boys enjoy both in giving and in receiving is the true magic of Christmas.  

As for me, I get to look at my Teapot and Cup everytime I'm in the kicthen.  I just love it so much.

As a side note...all the photo's here were in an art show at our church...just so you know..those walls are not part of my home decor...

What is a favorite Christmas tradition at your house...I'd love to know what warms your heart.

Now moving on to Spring...except I heard we will be getting snow on Sunday...Life in New England...

A New Macro for some Flower Power

The latest camera that I've been toting around is my little Fuji X-E2. I'm really having a lot of fun with it.  It was the only camera that I took to St. Maarten with me this year.  I was a bit worried that it wouldn't do the job because my Canon's are such a huge part of what I love about shooting.  They are getting heavy though and with all the restrictions on luggage now, I just thought the time was right to try something small. Having said that, I wanted a camera that gave me the ability to switch lenses.  

So, right before leaving, I bought the 60mm Macro lens by Fuji.  I was going to do flowers and portraits of my grandsons but as things go, I took two flower shots with the 60mm (you can see those in the previous blog post) and no portraits of the kids.   Shame on me.  Let me just say, it was the craziest vacation ever. So the lovely little lens never got used.

Yesterday I was walking by my bay window in my house when I saw such gorgeous light streaming in and hitting these orchids perfectly...my brain went into gear and I ran to get my Fuji friend.  Popped on the 60mm Macro and I started shooting.  The lens does have a bit of a learning curve.  When I shoot in macro I like to manually focus as it allows me to get a bit closer,  which I did, but for the life of me, I could not figure out why the camera does not tell me it's in focus.  My eyes are not what they once were and to have to depend on them was a challenge.  These are the shots I got, which for the first time using the lens, I happy with them.  I will continue to research looking for the in focus beeper that I love and need.  I was forced to think and work outside of the box on this little shoot but I'm just going to keep on keeping on...

It is flower season finally, and that makes me happy...Here's to more toys, more challenges, more learning and more fun...enjoy...spring is on it's way.

A Little Bit Of Sunshine And Warmth

We had a snowstorm yesterday.  It wasn't suppose to be much but it was enough to chill me to the bones and make St. Maarten a distant memory.  I thought perhaps some of you might need a bit of a snuggle and some warmth and sunshine where you are, so, I brought St. Maarten to you and me...Sit back and enjoy the flight...and feel the warmth...and get in the summer SPIRIT.  Some things you'll see on the Island...more to come later.

 

There now, aren't you feeling warmer already.  Spring will be here before you know it but sorry to say it will never be as warm here as it is in the Caribbean.  It's what makes it unique.

I only brought one camera this time..3 lenses.  The camera was my little Fuji X-E2.  I also bought a new 60mm macro lens to bring along with me.  Sorry to say, I only used it one an that was for the last two flowers that you see.  All the other photo's were taken with the 18-135.  This camera is small, light weight and very easy to carry around.  I do love my Canon camera's and lenses but honestly, the weight on a long trip is to much.  So with a bit more practice here, I'm going to love taking Fuji for long walks.  The Fuji color is amazing.  Just like the old film that we all used to use.  

Thanks for stopping by.  It's always such a pleasure to see you here.