a year of happy

reading between the lines

As a woman of a certain age,
I've gotten really good at
reading body language.

You know what I mean--
that age-old way of speaking
with gestures and expressions
that doesn't need any words.

Just look at the expressions
on these faces....





You can tell at first glance
each person's emotions,
just by reading their faces.

But in this new virtual world
of blogs and emails and text messages,
how are we to know
what people are really thinking and feeling
when we can't see their eyes
and read their body language?

Today I'm blogging
over at "Vision and Verb",
and I'm asking this question:
how is everybody getting along
now that nobody's speaking
body language anymore?! 

I hope you'll follow me over
and let's talk about it.
How do you communicate
when all you have is words?

_____________________________


"Vision and Verb" is one of
my favorite blogs.
It's a collaboration of
several multi-talented women
from all over the globe
who share their life experiences
through their photography
and their written words.

I'm so excited to be
a guest blogger there today!
Won't you join me?
Just click here
to read my post,
"Reading Between the Lines."

a photo that needs no words

I'm back!
We spent the last ten days
on a humanitarian expedition
in Managua, Nicaragua.

What an experience!
I almost don't have words.
But over the next few days,
I hope I can find the words
to tell you some of the things
we saw, and felt, and experienced.

I've got to wade through
all the photos I took.
That could take awhile...
I went a little crazy!

So many of my pictures
had to be taken
from the window of a moving bus.
But hopefully even though
they aren't spectacular,
they will tell our story.

We served with a group
on a medical/dental mission.
Because of confidentiality reasons,
I won't be able to share
that aspect of the trip.

But I will be able to
share a few stories
and photos of the country
and the people there.
Here's one that needs no words.





__________________________________


On another note,
my friend Wendi shared a video
on her blog today
that really touched my heart.

So I decided to pass it on.
I hope you feel it too.

It's about Stephanie Nielson,
who writes a blog called
the NieNie Dialogues.
You may have heard of her.

She is amazing and beautiful
and I wish I could be
more like her in so many ways.

Here's her story:

(If you can't see the full screen,
click here for a popout window.)

a few photos from my favorite photographers

Ever since I got my new camera,
I've been fascinated
with learning photography--
not just as a means
to document our lives,
but as a form of art.
I'm finding new ways
to express myself,
to develop my creativity,
and  to enjoy life.

I've also been following some blog links
to some fabulous photographers
and their beautiful photos.

I would love to be able to
spend a day with one of them,
to pick their brains
and watch them work.
That would be such a treat!

I thought I'd share
a few of my favorite photos with you--
I think you'll like them too!


I love Marcie Scudder's photos...
click here and here and here
to see a few of my favorites.

Here's a peek
at a few of Bob Towery's photos...
click here and here and here.

And two more....

Diane Varner

John Barclay


Do you have some
favorite photos
you'd like to share?
Maybe one of your own...
or one from your
favorite photographer?
Leave a link in the comments!

someday

Last year, I took my son
to a new doctor's office
down in Provo.

On the walls hung
the most amazing paintings.
They were huge
and just filled up the space
with their beauty.
I couldn't take my eyes off them.





Finally I went to ask
the girls at the desk
if they knew
anything about the artist.
I decided I really wanted one
of these paintings for my home.

It took a bit of tracking down,
but I finally found out
that the artist is local
and his name is Christopher Young.

And I discovered
that a painting I had
fallen in love with years ago
was also by this same artist.





I haven't yet been able to
get one of these paintings for my home--
but someday, someday,
I hope to have a huge
40" x 60" painting
hanging front and center.
Wouldn't that be wonderful?!

Visit Christopher Young Art
and view all of his beautiful paintings--
then I'd love it if you'd come back
and tell me what is your favorite!

My favorites are his landscapes
and scenes from Italy in Gallery 1.
Be sure to look at
"Venetian Boats" and
"Duomo, Firenze."

I wish you could see them
in all their full size glory--
the computer screen
just can't do them justice!

three great links to make you smile

Link #1

On Saturday,
I received a package in the mail.
How often does that happen?!
Not often for me.

This package was from a new friend--
Sherry from Everyday Possibilities.

Sherry makes the most beautiful
mixed media paper goods
and collaged altered art.

Her shop is called Bella Rennie
and as it says on her site,
her art is "sometimes whimsical,
sometimes serious and
always with an eye to grace and beauty."

Take a look at what she sent to me.





This whimsical gift card--
wouldn't it be cute in a frame?

And this lovely bookmark.
I'll use it everyday!

Thanks, Sherry!
Be sure to visit her blog
and her shop.
You don't want to miss it!


________________________________


Link #2

The other day I discovered
a new photography blog
that I really like.

It's called
Dream Tomorrow, Live Today,
Cherish Yesterday,
and the photographer is
Bob Towery.

I'm really taken
with his amazing photos,
but I also like
how he writes about
what he did to get
his great results.

This is the first photo I saw.
You should take a look--
it blew me away!

Here's another one...
but don't take my word for it.
Check it out.
I think you'll like it too!


________________________________


Link #3

And finally,
this link is a video
from my 17 year old son.
If you like chain reactions,
you've got to see this!




______________________________

Do you have any great links
to share with the
rest of us today?
Please do in the comments!

click here and smile

Isn't it great
how the internet works?

You find something good,
and tell a few friends.
They like it too,
and tell a few more.

And pretty soon,
everybody's clicking
on that one good link
that made you smile.

That's how I found
the t.ruffle girls.

I heard about them from Beth,
and she found them
through Relyn.

And now I'm telling you.

You need to check out
the t.ruffle girls.

Each morning,
the one who loves ruffles
posts a dazzling, delicious photo.

And later in the day,
the one who loves turquoise
stops by to leave a note
with the juiciest words
to complete the day's post.

It's so much fun,
and really creative.
You just can't imagine
what will come next.

Check it out.
Just click here....and here.....
and here.....
and smile!


Photo from the t.ruffle girls.

cheer up, get happy, and all that jazz

.
How do you cheer yourself up
when the winter blahs
have got you down?

Do you listen to good music?

.
Do you get back to nature?
.

.



Do you nuzzle a baby's cheeks?

.

Gretchen Rubin
of The Happiness Project
shared a list of
19 tips for cheering yourself up.

Here's what is
so interesting about that...

The list was made 200 years ago!

It's true.
Gretchen read it in a biography
of the English writer Sydney Smith.

In 1820, Sydney wrote a letter
to his friend, Lady Georgiana Morpeth.
It seems she was
down in the dumps
and needed a lift.

The list has some
really good ideas.
(And some are a little quirky.)

Here are my timeless favorites:

• Be as busy as you can.
• Struggle by little and little against idleness.
• Don’t be too severe upon yourself, or underrate yourself, but do yourself justice.
• Do good, and endeavour to please everybody of every degree.
• Live as well as you dare. 

.
You can read the entire list
at The Happiness Project.

.
Check it out...
and let me know your favorites!



. .

home to me

Yesterday, there was a beautiful post
over at Shutter Sisters
called Home Sweet Home. 

At the end, Eleaca asks,
"What makes where you live Home?"

I thought about this question
all day yesterday.

I thought about it
in a lot of different ways.

Close up,
home is where my people are.
I'm home
whenever and wherever I'm with
my family--D and the kids
and now their spouses
and that sweet grandson!

But when I step outside,
home is these mountains.
.


 
.
.

I walk out my door,
and every way I look
I see mountains.

The top picture
is north.
And to the east,
this beautiful mountain
towers over us.



 

.
When I travel,
I miss the mountains,
and they are the first thing
I look for when I return.

They tell me I've come home.
They also tell me direction,
and I'm always
very turned around
when I leave!

A few years ago,
I learned just how much
the mountains mean to me.

After the tragic death of a dear friend,
my sister and I
took a few days off
to get away from it all.
We decided to stay at a lodge
at a nearby ski resort.

It was summer,
so it was a quiet get-away.

I think I just wanted to rest
and think and grieve.
But what happened
was amazing.

Our room had a balcony
with a view
unlike anything
I've seen before.

The mountains literally
filled up the space--
you could almost
reach out and touch them.

We kept thinking we should
get out and do something...
hike, ride the tram, shop.
But that's not
what I needed.

We ended up sitting on that balcony
looking at the mountains
for three days straight.

We watched the sun and shadows
dance across the scene.
We saw the mountain's moods
in the morning, the afternoon,
and well into the night.

It was peace and tranquility,
and at the end of it,
my hurting heart was healed.

I now call it mountain therapy.

It's another reason
these mountains
are home to me.

__________________________

What makes home HOME to you?
.

______________________

In other news....

you asked how I did
with my action photography
at the swim meet yesterday.

I took hundreds of pictures.
I've heard for people like me
it can take that many
to get a good one.

But I think I did get ONE!
.

___________________________


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A Year of Happy: One Hundred Photos

a few thoughts to think on

I've got a few random thoughts
to share with you today.

The first comes from Skelliewag.

It's titled:
Productivity in 11 words

And it goes like this:

One thing at a time.
Most important thing first.
Start now.


I love it. My theme for the day.

.

_______________________

This next one comes from Sue
at Vision and Verb.

She quotes Barbara Sher:

“You can learn new things
at anytime in your life
if you’re willing to be a beginner. 

If you actually learn to like
being a beginner,
the whole world opens up to you.”


Sue's advice: Try something different.

I like that too!

_________________________

_______________________

And from e.e. cummings:

"We do not believe in ourselves
until someone reveals
that deep inside us
something is valuable,
worth listening to,
worthy of our trust,
sacred to our touch.

Once we believe in ourselves
we can risk curiosity,
wonder,
spontaneous delight
or any experience
that reveals the human spirit."

__________________________

On a lighter note,
Bill Watterson could be
describing me here:

"Calvin: You can't just
turn on creativity
like a faucet.
You have to be
in the right mood.

Hobbes: What mood is that?

Calvin: Last-minute panic."

_____________________

And one more for the road
from Lemony Snicket:

"It is always sad
when someone leaves home,
unless they are simply
going around the corner
and will return
in a few minutes
with ice-cream sandwiches."




You guys coming back
around the corner soon
with those ice cream sandwiches?!

_________________________

What are you
thinking about today?

blogs to watch in 2010

These are a few blogs
I'm keeping my eye on in 2010:

• Vision and Verb: This is a fairly new collaboration blog created by and for "women of a certain age." These women are so talented in photography and writing, and have joined together to create something beautiful. So far, I really enjoy it--and I expect it will continue to please! Each of the collaborators also has her own personal blog--check them out to see some amazing photography! I especially like this one.
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• Blog Segullah: This blog is also a collaboration of several women. They are LDS and the themes of their writing often deal with life as an LDS woman. They write about many different issues--and one of the interesting things is the conversations that follow in the comments section. The blog has been going quite some time, so there is plenty of back-reading if you're interested.
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• The Pioneer Woman: If you want a good laugh, read this! The Pioneer Woman is very popular and you're probably already a fan...but I'm still recommending it because I enjoy it so much. She is a city girl turned cattle rancher's wife--and describes her life in hilarious detail. Here's my question: how can one woman be so good at so many things--writing, cooking, photography, home and garden, she does it all! (And she offers free high-res downloads of many photos, like this one.)
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• What blogs are you watching? Do share!

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___________________

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subscribe in a reader!

A Year of Happy

A Year of Happy: One Hundred Photos