Sep 25, 2011

Capturing ghostly images....(and memories)

Take one camera…that you have no idea how to use (except on auto…sorta)

Turn some rockin music on the tv...

Turn out all other lights in the house...

Bring in ghost...disguised as a 2 year old...

Give him and yourself each a flashlight...

dance around the room and laugh a lot...

Give hubby the camera…and ask him to give it his best shot...



 











Wha-la…..works like a charm!


 Counting my Blessings
13-18

13.  a free Saturday to do what I want
14.  dancing in the dark with a flashlight
15. spending time with some family
16.  my 4 month old grandson’s sweet smile
17.  a trip to the nursery for mums, with the hubby
18.  my moms enjoyment at receiving pictures I sent her of her 3 Great Grandchildren

 Hope you had a great day today!
Sharon





Sep 23, 2011

Blessings....

If you’re like me...sometimes it’s hard to realize just how much we’re blessed.  Sometimes, life’s problems get us down, and they just get in the way of joy, and definitely take away our spirit of gratitude for all of the Blessings that God has bestowed on us! Sometimes we don’t stop long enough to “smell the roses” as they say…
 





 


 

I know, that I am a “cup half full” kind of person most some of the time…..but not always….sometimes it is a pity party over here…my glass is empty, and that grass over on the other side is sure looking better than mine.  I don’t like it…..but it’s true.  I am TRYING to be REAL here!     Our Heavenly Father never promised us a life here on earth without problems….but he did promise that we could come to him with our burdens….that he would bare them for us…that he would be there through it….he promised us joy and a peace beyond all understanding…. and he promised us a time when there would be no more problems…no more pain… no more tears.

One of my favorite bloggers that I follow has an ongoing list wherein she writes things she is grateful for.  That really impressed me…or impressed UPON me...the need to start one of my own.  I have decided to follow her lead and do the same thing!  No matter how bad my day might be, I am sure that if I think about it, I will come up with many more things to be truly grateful for, that normally I would just plain miss! I don’t know how long Elizabeth’s list is…or what number she’s shooting for…but right now I am going to shoot for 1000 things to be grateful for. That’s for starters anyway.  I plan on sharing them here on my posts as she does. I am so glad she has inspired me, what better way to really realize your blessings...then to purposefully look for them throughout your day.  I bet the more I focus on finding them…the less I’ll have to look!



I know you will also enjoy and be inspired by Elizabeth so you can find her HERE


1.   My Heavenly Father
2.   A husband I love more today than the day we married 
3, 4, & 5.   3 adult children who I am very proud of
.   6, 7, & 8.   2 daughter n law's and 1 son n law that I love
9. 10, & 11.   3 of the most adorable, loveable grand babies....ever! 
12.   It's Friday (can I use that every week)
I have my first 12
This was easy peasy
More  Blessings next time!

Sharon

A few Fixer Uppers

I LOVE houses.....old houses....new houses....big houses....small houses.  I love looking at houses.....in fact I got a real estate license....so I could look in houses...not really.....but it was a perk!  My latest interest though......believe it or not.....has been abandoned houses. I bet you weren't expecting that now were you??  I think it's the new camera....put a camera in someones  hand....and suddenly you look at everything in a completely different way.....at least that is how it happened with me......I think I am Miss Camera Queen all of a sudden.... I have always had a camera....and I always took a ton of pictures....even took photography classes....(though...I don't think I'll be needing a dark room any time soon) but I was always the one taking people pictures...and I still love people pictures....but when my hubby had the camera....he would take so many scenic pictures and thing pictures....we would get home from the zoo....for instance....and have a 100 pictures of the animals....and I'm like....."where are the pics of the kids???"  Of course, back in the day....you take a roll of 36 and hope for the best. You get them developed...and pray for 12 that are half way decent.....cause you aren't going to be cropping or editing anything....no hitting a delete button......and if you were lucky....you didn't stick them all in one of those magnetic photo albums....cause if you did....you were never getting them out of there....and now they're all orangey looking!!  I am really starting to get off  subject here....my point is....now I take pictures of everything....and I am lovin every moment of it!!
A couple of days ago, I posted about our little excursion down to the Garden of the Gods.We came upon a few old homes........This was the 1st...

I yelled for my Hubby to STOP the car....I felt compelled to get out and walk around the property....it intrigued me!

 
 
I looked in the window.....and guess what I saw?????

                             
Nothin....notta.....empty.....but still intriguing.....  got closer....nothing left in this one...
but it was neat to walk around and take pics of the property.


I love the look of distressed wood......however I could do without all of those bullet holes....Yikes!!
  I hope those appeared after the place was vacated!










 I think a burial is in its near future............


These were sitting on the property....

 



Here are a couple of other abandoned homes we found.......



Quite frankly.....I was not convinced this one was abandoned.....so I would not get out and walk around....hubby thought it was.  I kept waiting for a curtain to move......I've seen to many scary movies!


 

and another........




This one was vacant....doors wide open....for sale....still to chicken to go in though.......





I wanted the house....just for the pond!





I want a pond......or a river.....or a lake......or an ocean!




I saved the best for last.....but this post is getting a bit long...and I a am a bit too tired.....
so I think I will save it for another time!


Good Night.....
Don't forget to say your prayers.......
Sharon


Sep 21, 2011

Alvin Update....Garden of the Gods


Hey There! Well here I am on my second post….I didn’t think I would ever get this going. Thanks to Sara and Elizabeth for the comments and of course my daughter who commented on my tester post….does she count? LOL!

So far, no more sightings of our Chipmunk squatter.  As of right now, Hunter Hubby is not having any luck!  We can’t find the little thing, though I think I heard him in the basement yesterday….unless of course there is more than one of them. SHUT MY MOUTH!  Haven’t heard him since though, so I am SURE he has left the same way he came in……ok…..I know, I know….but anything it takes to keep me calm!
Anyway, on to a new topic. Several weeks ago, I bought myself a little gift. A new camera....oh yah!!
I have been wanting one ever since my first grand baby was born 2 years ago, but I just couldn’t justify spending the money, since I already had a camera that took pretty good pictures, for a nothing special camera.  Finally....Sadly...the camera quit working….so I was forced....FORCED I tell you.... to go out and get a Cannon t2i. I am so excited! So far, I really do not know how to use it, but I am going to be starting a class in a couple of weeks…through a local college….and following that class, I will take another one on Photoshop.
This purchase, is one of the reasons that I started this blog. I am looking forward to seeing my photos go from just ok…..to AWESOME!! I can’t wait to see the progress.
Not long after I got the camera….The Great Hunter Hubby and I ........




...........went on a little overnight trip, down to southern Illinois to the Shawnee National Forest, specifically to The Garden of the Gods. The area is over 300 million years old.




The view was beautiful! The Rock Formations incredible!

As I stand and see all that is around me, I am truly amazed, once again, by God, our creator!

Had a wonderful day with the Hunter Hubby!
(even though it was 100+ degrees)



 












 





 



 



There are absolutely no rails anywhere around here, I hear that an average of one dies here every year!  People were climbing everywhere.....including Hunter Hubby!  I'm getting a bit nervous at this point!!























I like this picture....but not exactly sure why it stands out to me?







Ok......Hope you have enjoyed these because it just took me forever to get them loaded, then lose them, then load them again, then change the size, then move them, then try and figure out how to get spaces between the paragraphs, not figure it out, but manage to get some anyway....but not everywhere I want them. Then get ready to post....preview....and see that still, some of the photos that were on here, are not on here anymore!! Maybe next time, it's getting late. 
Hopefully it doesn't take me a couple of hours every time I try and post! LOL!

Glad you stopped by, Please come again!
Sharon


Sep 18, 2011

Alvin..........

Remember these little guys??  Aren't they adorable??



                                                                         google.com
 
So cute...watched them as a kid.....my kids loved the chipmunks.....oh yeah so cute.....but today ....yes .today.....not so cute.......today......reality has set in........today.........these little guys.......look more like this.....



                                                                       wikipedia.org

  and today......one of them.......at this very moment is running freely......... somewhere in my house!!!



ALLLLLLLVINNNNNNN!!!!!




Thank God for my hunting, fishing,TRAPPING hubby........who now is attempting to trap this critter in one of his traps.....with a carrot........not to worry though.....no harm will come to the little guy.....he will be released down Opossum Hollow along with this little critter..


 

......captured a couple of weeks ago while enjoying some of summers bounty,  provided to him by our garden! 

Might be a bit difficult sleeping tonight.............stay tuned!

My First Post.....maybe

I have been playing around with this thing for weeks! Here I thought I was getting pretty good at computer stuff.....wrong!  So I am going to hit the publish post button and see what happens.....here goes nothing!