Finding beauty

I've always been interested in photography.  When I was in elementary school, I took a snapshot of a sunset on a lake with my parents' 110 camera. It turned out pretty good and my mother suggested I enter it in the county fair photo contest.  It didn't win any awards but it was exciting to see it on display.  Unfortunately I never developed my interest into a hobby.  Until now.

It all started again last summer (2010) when I purchased a digital point-and-shoot camera to have handy for capturing moments of daily life - family events, holidays, James paddling, etc.  I played around with it, snapshot here, snapshot there - you know, annoying family members and such.  As I learned the camera's settings I became fascinated by close up shots, especially of nature. The more I photographed the more I began finding beauty in everyday little things all around me.  The details of tree leaves, the color of fall grasses, the individual petals of flowers, bumble bees, the list goes on!  Then I began to notice that  while out and about with my camera I felt calm and peaceful.  I was focused on "seeing" the world around me, "being part of" the world around me. 

I decided to go a step further in June of this year and bought myself a Canon Rebel SLR. My justification - it's an investment in me and it's cheaper than therapy!  I love it!  I've joined two camera clubs in hopes of learning how to use it and to how to produce high quality creative photos.  I plan to post the best shots on this blog in hopes that you too will see the beauty in everyday little things.

Confession:  I played hookey from work today.  I prefer to think of it as a mental health day.  It's the end of September, gorgeous outside, my flowerbeds need weeding and my soul needs feeding.

It was a bit warmer today, about 82, not hot by any means.  The neighborhood was at work or school and the cicadas have stopped chirping.  Nothing but an occasional car passing by. It was quiet and still.  I found my old, work-in-the-yard sneakers, yes I had to go searching for them, and proceeded outside to rescue the neglected flowerbed.  This isn't just any flowerbed, it is my Mother's Day peony bed.  My family and I dug and planted it shortly after moving into our new house.  When we arrived in the midwest, I was amazed all the different types of flowers growing here. I'd never seen a peony in the south and had to have one, or five.

                                                                spring 2005

Anyway, I am ashamed to say that my passion for working in the yard has dwindled over the past few years and the bed was looking pitiful.  The peonies were fine and the black eyed susans were fine, although out of control, but the bed itself was quite neglected.  So I plunked myself down began pulling.  And clipping.  And pulling . . . As I began to see the the soil and feel it on my fingers and under my fingernails all the guilt about playing hookey faded away.  I was peaceful and feeling good about myself for getting outside and actually doing something (rather than sitting on my deck saying, "I really need to work on that flowerbed"). Perhaps this weekend I'll get some mulch and complete my project.  It does look much better.

In the busyness of life, I had forgotten how satisfying it is to work in the yard. I am positive that I  accomplished more today at home, nurturing my flowerbed and my soul, than I would have at work. 

Flowers always make people better, happier and more helpful; they are sunshine, food and medicine to the soul.

-Luther Burbank

Welcome!

I love flowers of all kinds but there is just something special about the sunflower to me. Perhaps it is their height, or their strong fibrous stem.  Maybe it is the complexity of the heads. Or just their friendly face.  Whatever it is, I think they are magical and they make me smile. 

If you're really lucky, you'll spy a yellow finch sitting atop a huge head picking seeds.  You know the little bird feels like he hit the jackpot!

 And just look at this girl - blowing you a kiss!

A few interesting sunflower facts:
1.The heads consist of 1,000-2,000 individual flowers joined together by a receptacle base
2. Sunflower oil has became a widespread cooking ingredient
3. Sunflower leaves can be used as cattle feed
4. The stems contain a fiber that can be used in paper production
5. Only immature flowerheads track the sun. Mature flowerheads typically face east and do not move
6. They can be processed into sunbutter, much like peanut butter but marketed for those with nut allergies
7. Sunflowers produce latex and are the subject of experiments for producing hypoallergenic rubber
8. There are approximately 60 species of sunflowers
9. It is the state flower of Kansas
10.  It is impossible to be sad while looking at a sunflower!

I hope you will enjoy my blog and visit often!