Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more.
If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough.
Oprah Winfrey
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For those who are celebrating today….
Happy Thanksgiving. May your day be filled with peace,
love and an overflowing of blessings as you spend time with your family and friends.
Have a wonderful day!
Until next time…peace
Today, November 15, 2016, is I Love to Write Day. What can I say, words fascinate me. I could spend hours writing. When I am not writing, I am usually reading, taking photos or creating stories in my mind. I use my photography to capture moments in time. Often a simple photo leads to inspiration for an entire night of writing.
My first dabble in writing came from a simple outdated journal. My parents use to attend auctions where second hands goods and other oddities where available. They brought home a box with various items including an outdated calendar journal. The dates were two years old.
I carefully crossed out each day to make the year correct. I entered daily notes. The kind only an eleven-year-old in the late 70’s would find fascinating. Seeing a deer across the road, painting rocks with old fingernail polish than throwing them into the pond, playing hide and seek with my cousins, or riding a skateboard down the “large” hill. Reading the entries always make me smile and nostalgic.
The old outdated journal became my first source of a lifelong love of writing. I left my writing for a while to pursue a business career. After some time, loss of job, and reorganization of my priorities, I am slowly returning to my true love, my calling. The more I write, the more I realize who I am.
Never consider an old outdated journal or other “junk” items as a waste of money, for a child, the inspiration may be the root of a lifelong pursuit.
Until next time….peace
“Moonlight drowns out all but the brightest stars.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings
Just thought I would share my Supermoon photo. The gorgeous night allowed me to spend a lot of time photographing the moon. The only thing that worried me was the rustling in the woods behind me. Logically, I know the creature was a squirrel, raccoon, deer or an opossum. But my mind always seems to wander to Bigfoot, werewolf, or even a Dementor.
Needless to say, I kept turning around to see if anything was heading my way. Of course, nothing ventured out of the darkened woods. The moment provided me with inspiration to write the rest of the evening.
Until next time…peace
November generally signifies the beginning of the holiday season. No matter how you celebrate, the holidays can be stressful. Normal schedules instantly over fill with holiday activities, extra school events, party invites and family obligations. During all the hustle and bustle, focusing on the fun part of the festivities may seem difficult. Consider creating a gratitude journal.
What is a Gratitude Journal?
Basically, a gratitude journal is a diary. Unlike normal diaries, the gratitude journal focuses primarily on the positive aspects of each day. Even the most chaotic, stressful days have a positive moment. Being thankful and focusing on the special moments can help ease the stressful days.
Creating the Gratitude Journal
The gratitude journal does not have to be anything fancy. A simple spiral bound notebook or composition notebook will work. Other types and styles of journals are available. Pick one to inspire your journal writing time. As you begin to order holiday gifts online add one to your cart. Or get creative; make your gratitude journal into a cherished memento. Later on in life, you may find the entries funny, heartwarming or unbelievable.
Writing in the Gratitude Journal
One of the most important aspects to consider in keeping a gratitude journal is making the time to write. Getting into the habit of writing journal entries may seem difficult in the beginning. After a few days, the urge to write may surprise you.
Remember there is no right or wrong way to keep a gratitude journal. Focusing on the positives may help reduce the stress of the holiday season.
Many people decide to keep the gratitude journal just for the month of November or just the week leading up to the Thanksgiving holiday. Other people decide to keep the gratitude journal throughout the entire holiday season right into the New Year. Some find the journal entries inspiring and decide to continue. The length of time depends on your personal desire.
Halloween is one of my favorite times of the year. As a child, my mother would take my siblings and me to go trick-or-treating with my cousins in town. No matter what, there would always be a group of us together. My mom and aunt were always nearby to supervise.
Our customs were either handmade (sometimes at the very last minute), hand me downs from older cousins, or garage sale finds. None of us thought anything of it, we were just there to have fun and get candy. We would travel for blocks and blocks. Until we were all so tired, we wanted to head back to my aunt’s house to warm up. Often, we wore out before the ending siren blew.
Back at my aunt’s house, we would gather in the living room to exchange candy, drink hot cocoa and eat no-bake chocolate cookies. My mom and aunt would always inspect each bag to ensure the candy was edible. I think, they would sneak many pieces for themselves during the inspection process.
My Halloween’s are less eventful now. What can I say? I enjoy the comfort of my fireplace. But I still carve pumpkins and hand out goodies to trick-or-treaters who venture out my way.
Did you celebrate Halloween? Do you now? What is your favorite Halloween memory?
Happy Halloween!
Until next time……peace
Today, October 26, 2016, is National Pumpkin Day. As soon as the cold air begins to settle in here in Michigan, everyone goes crazy over pumpkin-flavored foods and beverages. I personally tried a pumpkin spice latte which was okay. But I admit I am still hot tea type of person.
Since today is National Pumpkin Day, I decided to look up different facts about pumpkins.
According to the Pumpkin Patch, pumpkins are actually a good source or potassium and Vitamin A. No wonder, Pumpkin Juice was so popular at Hogwarts. Along with vitamins, the facts about pumpkins are very interesting.
Wondering how to celebrate National Pumpkin Day? How about carving pumpkins? I currently have three pumpkins on my porch. My favorite one is small, orange and bumpy. I am sure it’s more along the gourd variety than a pumpkin. I just love it for the oddness. I have not found the inspiration to carve them yet. But who knows, maybe with National Pumpkin Day, I will.
Until next time…peace
Sources:
Guinness World Records., (2016). Heaviest pumpkin. Retrieved from:
http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/heaviest-pumpkin
The Pumpkin Patch, (2016). Unusual pumpkin facts., Retrieved from:
Spending my birthday working on my writing. Glancing out the window, I no longer see rain. Snow is falling. I cannot believe it! I am just thankful for my cup of hot tea and the warm fire.
I hope everyone is having a wonderful day!
Until next time…peace
“Fall has always been my favorite season.
The time when everything bursts with its las beauty,
as if nature had been saving up all year for the grand finale.”
~Laura DeStefano~
Today, Thursday, September 22, 2016, is the first official day of autumn. While ushering in the fall season, the day marks the end of summer. I personally love this time of year. Even as a child, I just found the fall season fascinating.
The crisp fall air suddenly ushers in cooler nights. The sunsets occur earlier, bringing perfect weather for stargazing and bonfires.
The local football season is in full swing. Pumpkin spice is a major ingredient in various products. As the season slowly marches on, changing leaves bursts into vivid color across the Michigan landscape. Bringing one last moment of natural beauty before the blanket of winter engulfs the area.
Walking through nature, I can honestly view the signs of the wildlife preparing for the upcoming cold winter months. I love watching the squirrels and chipmunks gather acorns. The little critters scamper across the dirt paths in front of me. Of course, the chipmunks chatter loudly in my direction as if to tell me I am intruding on their personal space.
I try to enjoy these last moments of fall before winter brings nature to a quiet standstill.
Until next time….peace
One of my favorite subjects to photograph is mushrooms. I just find all of them beautiful even in the midst of decay. The puffball starts out pure white. Over time, the decay starts to set in creating the signs of decay with various colors.
“The sudden appearance of mushrooms
after a summer rain is one of the more
impressive spectacles of the plant world”
~John Tyler Bonner~
In Michigan, the end of summer rainy days allows for the arrival of vast amounts of mushrooms all over the woodland floor. Bringing a sense of fascination and wonder, I spend a large amount of time photographing each one. I am slowly going to try to identify each one. I cannot guarantee I will find the correct name for each kind, but I am willing to try. The colors range from a purest white to a deep red. Some mushrooms seem to appear out of nowhere only to be gone before the next day.
The colors of the mushrooms range from a purest white to a deep red. They seem to come in all shapes and sizes; each unique in their own way. Some mushrooms just seem to appear out of nowhere only to be gone before the next day. I would love to attend a course just on identifying Michigan mushrooms.
Of course, I use the different photos of the mushrooms as inspiration for writing about fairy worlds.
Until next time….peace
Rebecca's Vintage and Wildlife Photography 