Happy Thanksgiving

Posted on by Rebecca C.

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

 

From my house to yours, Happy Thanksgiving. If celebrating today, I hope it was filled with good food, family and friends. I will be celebrating tomorrow with my family. We had to delay a day to ensure everyone could be there.

I know I have been behind on my days of thanks challenge. I must confess, I have been ill with a cold and cough. But my days of counting my blessings were never gone. I have so much to be thankful for, life is pretty amazing right now.

Until next time….peace….

 

30 Days of Thanks- Days 19 & 20-History & Vintage Negatives

Posted on by Rebecca C.

For the last two days, I have been lost in old negatives.

So, today, I will play catch up on my days of thanks. I am thankful for my love of history and vintage photography. When I receive a box of new negatives, I tend to get lost in the faces and places which is why I am behind on my Days of Thanks challenge. I love the old photos; the small glimpses into the past. I wish I had more knowledge of places.  If I knew local geographically places better, I could possibly identify some of the photos.

I thought, I would share a couple of my recent finds. I cannot wait until I get through the entire box.

I do not know for sure if the photo is a father and daughter. But I like to guess.
I do not know for sure if the photo is a father and daughter. But I like to think, they were out enjoy the day together.

Have a great night.

Until next time…peace

 

Take a Hike Day

Posted on by Rebecca C.

“I believe that there is a subtle magnetism in Nature, which, if we unconsciously yield to it, will direct us aright.”

–Henry David Thoreau –

“In the presence of nature, a wild delight runs through the man, in spite of real sorrows.”

–Ralph Waldo Emerson –

Today, November 17, 2015 is considered to be “Take a Hike Day”.

I love hiking. The trails I take are not long or hard. But I get to go out and enjoy nature. I always take photos along the way. For me, the time spent outdoors gives me a chance to unplug from my computer and just relax. I also find my imagination works over time when I am outdoors which always helps in my writing.

Until next time….peace

Have a Party With Your Bear Day

Posted on by Rebecca C.

Today, November 16, 2015 is “Have a Party with Your Bear Day.” I love these unofficial holidays. I use love sitting up my bears to have a party inside a homemade tent. Spending time outdoors in the tent was the best part of lazy days of summer. My mom would help me construct the tent over the clothes line with three old blankets- two for the side and one for the floor. I would stay out there for hours.

I had tree bears that were my favorite toys. Let me tell you, these bears were well-loved. Two of the bears- a fuzzy brown bear and a Polar Bear were gifts from my grandparents when I was just born. The other brown bear was actually something I won. (Honestly, I think the stuffed bear is the only thing I have ever won).

The local bank was having a contest where you could get a key to try and unlock a small treasure chest. There was no age limit to participate. Can you imagine my excitement when my key unlocked the chest? Inside the chest were a variety of little white envelopes. I can imagine trying to figure out which one to pick. But I finally decided to pick out the one in the middle. I remember, everyone telling me the other envelopes were probably cash prizes. But I didn’t care; I had the best prize, a new brown bear. My best friend from childhood, JJ was with me at the time which makes the memory even better. (He died of cancer when we were 14). On the way home, we placed the bear between us in the backseat of the old van. We thought we were the greatest.

I was so excited to get the bear to go with my other two; the brown bear was their new friend. I remember, spending the entire next day outdoors in my tent. I mean, my bears and I were having a party. My peanut butter and jelly sandwich and Kool-Aid was a fancy party meal.

I still have all three bears. They are sitting on my dresser still watching over me after all these years.

 

30 Days of Thanks-Days 15 & 16- Photography & Software

Posted on by Rebecca C.

I am going to combine days 15 and 16 in the 30 Days of Thanks Challenge. For the last two days I have been working on photos for clients. Honestly, I am still in the process of finishing a project which is due tomorrow morning. I just needed to take a break from editing for a minute.

Day 15

First I would like to say I am thankful for digital photography. I mean, I started working with film. I was recently at a workshop and one of the young attendees did not know what the black 35mm film canister was. Yup, I felt really….old.

To add to the feeling of being old, I tried to explain the first camera I received. The first camera I ever used in a creative manner was given to me by my grandfather. The camera took 126 film cartridges. At the time, the camera was considered to be an older model. I was twelve; I thought I had everything with that old camera. Needless to say, digital photography is better in so many ways. However, I do still miss the film process.

Day 16

Along with digital photography, I love my photo software. Actually if you would have been in my house today, you would have caught me telling the program “That is not what I wanted to do”. Because, the program has a clear vision of what is in my mind. (Ha! Ha!). But at least with the program, I can save pictures that are not exactly the image I had wanted for my client.

Until next time…peace

30 Days of Thanks-Day 14-Work

Posted on by Rebecca C.

Today, November 14, 2015 I am thankful for my work. When I graduated with my Master’s Degree in Business, I had different plans for a career than what I am doing now. But the jobs were not available in my area; I still do not have any intention of moving out of state.

So, I stumbled into writing to make some extra cash while I took part-time temporary jobs. One writing job turned into another, I have managed to build a steady client list. By working with different editors, I am learning new techniques and increasing my skill set. I am enjoying the  learning and research process.

I guess this is what I am supposed to do.

Until next time…peace…

30 Days of Thanks–Days 7, 8 & 9–Playing Catch Up

Posted on by Rebecca C.

Ok, I know I am behind. I cannot say I am behind on giving thanks or counting my blessings; I just behind posting for the challenge. I try to count my blessings or give thanks on a daily basis. I truly believe when I am thankful, I attract positive energy. So, I will play catch up before I go back to researching for my article which is due tomorrow.

Day 7

On Day 7, I was thankful for the extra writing work which is the reason why I am behind with my posts. Whenever there is a chance to pick up extra work, I try to accept the jobs. The extra money always comes in handy especially this time of year with the holidays fast approaching.  I also like to show clients, I am flexible with deadlines.

I really do enjoy the entire writing process (well, most of the time). I have become more efficient in my researching. I try really hard to stay focused. I tend to research relatable topics that show up in my search. I can start with one subject matter and end up reading something entire different. What can I say? I like to learn.

Day 8

I am thankful for impromptu visits. I have a large extended family. My great aunt once said, “We have cousins by the dozen.” I never realized how much that was true until I got older. I love the impromptu visits from my cousins or other relatives that I have not seen in a while. We catch up, laugh and share stories. What more could a person ask from life? Laughter is good for the soul.

Day 9

Today, November 9, 2015, I am thankful for YouTube. I know that may seem crazy. I like when I am having trouble concentrating, I can watch videos (usually music) to find inspiration. I enjoy finding new bands, groups, or singers to give me motivation to create. And, I like to find groups that are not as well known or dedicated to a specific genre. I think some of their work is amazing.

Until next time….peace….

30 Days of Thanks-Day 3

Posted on by Rebecca C.

“Come forth into the light of things,

let nature be your teacher.”

William Wordsworth

Today, November 3, 2015, is the third day in the 30 Days of Thanks challenge. I am thankful for all the wildlife and nature that surrounds me on a daily basis. I live in a rural area which I love. The view from my front porch amazes me on a daily basis.

If a stuck with my writing, sometimes just stepping outside to view the birds at my feeding or notice the clouds in the sky helps me focus on the words. I absolutely love photographing wildlife and nature. I just find viewing animals, insects, the changing weather, sunrises, and sunsets to be inspiring.

Raccoon

Even the Raccoons make me smile even when they are being pesky on my porch.

 

Just Rambling Along....

I find watching the birds to be hilarious at times…..

Author’s Day

Posted on by Rebecca C.

Today, November 1, 2015 is Author’s Day. I was once asked, “Who is your favorite author?” My rather bold response was me. Even though, at the time I was a teenager and my writing was so…bad. I put my dreams away to be a writer for the longest time. Until last year, I started writing again with the realization, I love the way the words flow onto the page. Who knows, maybe one day my name will be on a published book; a dream come true. (Actually the dream is closer to reality than I had ever imagined possible).

Until then, I write my blogs and journals. I also write for others, mostly content with a couple magazine articles in review. (I mean, I do have to pay my bills). The work is tedious at times. But I love the structure, meeting deadlines, and having others review my writing style.

Back to the question…..who is my favorite author? I honestly cannot pick one. My shelves are lined with Charles Dickens, Jane Eyre, Mark Twain, JRR Tolkien, various anthologies, and of course a more up to date authors like J.K. Rowling and anything related to Star Wars.

Now, who is your favorite author???