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.  

Pure Love

When everything has been told and retold

countless times,

when the places I have visited,

the things I have experienced,

the steps I have taken because of her

are all transformed into distant memories,

nothing will remain but pure love.  

Paulo Coelho

The Art of Gratitude..Books

“Take full account of the excellencies which you possess, and in gratitude remember how you would hanker after them, if you had them not.” — Marcus Aurelius

We are in week four of our "slow down with stills" class.  The prompts each week are unique and exciting, with a conversation from Christina.  She makes us think deeply about things that might happen on any ordinary day.  Then the ordinary becomes extraordinary.  So it was this week for me.  

The Art of Gratitude...showcase something in your everyday life that you are grateful for and wish to give it more attention.  I have so much in my life to be grateful for.  Good people, warm house, travel, laughter and tears.  All come together to make for gratefulness.  I think I give these examples plenty of attention.  So much sometimes that I forget about the many bookcases, just jammed with wonderful books that I am grateful for.  Just to look at them brings me so much joy...and sometimes as I'm passing, I'll pull a book out of the bookcase and read the back cover once again, telling myself that soon I will come and gather up that book and take it to the couch, make tea, and grab my snuggly and dive it.  I don't seem to do it as often as I would like.  

I am so grateful to have such an abundance of words to roam through.  Pages to turn.  I can transport myself to most any country I choose, just by flipping the text from one page to another.  I can relieve stress, find joy, meet new friends between the covers of that book.  Sometimes if it has a beautiful cover, I can just stare at it and it takes me away...books have always been my release from real life.  I can go to a beach full of people, set up my chair, put on my dark glasses and my floppy hat and crack the cover and once I start reading, I'm the only one on that beach...Sadly though, even though I read something everyday, I don't give this "love" enough of my time.

My son is also a reader, avid I might say.  We had a talk recently and he told me he allows himself an hour in the morning and an hour at night for pleasure reading.  He also said "Mom you love to read, why is it you don't allow yourself more time."  I've been thinking about that.  So I started in January to do what he does on those days when I don't have to be somewhere early.  I read for as long as possible, it might not be an hour but it's better than nothing and I always read at night.  I have two books going at one time.  One is a novel or a biography, the other is either technical or spiritual.  I'm finding that works for me right now.

Gratitude requires us to pay attention. I find I am grateful for so many things and since adding my love of books to my list of things to enjoy each day, I'm feeling much better.  So many books, so little time...I cannot imagine a house without books...It is good to acknowledge how grateful I am for each one of them.  I know I'll never be able to read them all but I'm thankful that just walking by them makes me happy. 

What are you grateful for in your everyday life that you want to pay more attention to.  Write it down somewhere and then make it happen...

Happy February...