Day Thirty-One: Father and Daughter

I spent alot of today hanging out at a cute restaurant with my daughter and her friends. My granddaughter and their daughter were at "cheer" practice.....mind you, they are only 5 and 6 years old, but UNI (University of Northern Iowa) held this, and tomorrow they cheer at the half-time of their basketball game.

This is a picture of Kerry and his daughter Peyton. This little Peyton is the best little baby ever. And when her father holds her, they are both very content. So I had a great time photographing them. I finally had new subjects!

I decided to play with some actions from Pioneer Woman, and this experiment was one of my favorites.

PS: Max is finally getting better! He even came with us, and out of the house.

Day Thirty: Goodbye Iowa, or not

I was all packed up this morning at 7am, ready to drive back home. I began bringing my suitcase, laptop, camera, etc. to the garage door. Then my daughter said she wasn't feeling well. Max, who has been on amoxicillan, has not gotten better. He came into my room at 12:30 at night. He was burning up. I gave him Tylenol and let him sleep with me.

So, I took each bag.....suitcase, laptop, camera, purse.....back to my bedroom. That was this morning. It is now after 7pm, and I still haven't had the strength to unpack everything. Of course, that doesn't include my camera and laptop!

My picture for today, therefore, are the bags that got shuffled from bedroom to backroom to bedroom.

Day Twenty-Nine: It's Strep!

It's been 7 days of high fever. It seems there is no advantage to having a doctor for a father. He kept saying as long as the fever responded to Tylenol and Motrin he would be fine. He even talked with the pediatrician and they agreed.

Meanwhile, my daughter found out that strep was going around his preschool. But of course, he didn't have a sore throat, nor was it red. At the doctor's today, it was me and my son-in-law and the pediatrician. They kind of pooh-poohed the strep idea. I kept saying that the only time I ever had strep, I had to force the doctor to take a culture, since I also had no symptoms (that the doctor could see), and sure enough, I had strep.

So they did a culture........and sure enough, Max has strep. Poor Max....suffered for so long. Hopefully amoxicillan will help him fast.

I forgot to take a picture when we were in the doctor's office, so I had Max stand in front of the pharmacy sign at the hospital.

The second picture is poor Max asleep on the sofa when we got home.

Day Twenty-Eight: Camera Bug

Max is still sick. I'm pretty sure he has something more than a camera "bug", but he definitely has the camera bug.

I found some fabulous pictures on his mother's camera. Not only is it from his point of view as a four-year-old, but from interesting angles as well.

So, he is sick....still running a high fever. Sometimes he is burning up, lying around and whiney. Then other times he perks up......he generally wants constant attention. I lie in bed with him for hours......watching kid shows!! Today, for awhile, he was off playing by himself. I found him with the camera, taking pictures.

Though his eyes look fairly sparkly in the pictures......they are really very sad looking, half closed.

Day Twenty-Seven: Gymnastics

Well, another sick day for Max! So I took Josie to gymnastics. She started about 2 years ago. We don't necessarily think she is a gifted gymnast, but they both love to tumble and hang, etc.

But about a year ago, they moved her from the 1-hour class, to the more advanced 2-hour class. Then last week they moved her to the 3-hour class.

So I was just shocked when I saw her at her class. She can now stand on her hands, and she does backbends (called bridge now, I guess), and flips over. She and one other girl are the youngest in this class.....both are not yet 6!

I did the two pictures together to show how she flips. It was very exciting.

Day Twenty-Six: Ice Skating

Today I took Josie to her skating lesson. And poor Max.........still running a fever!

End of Week Four

This is my layout for the end of Week Four......wow 4 weeks gone in 2009!

Day Twenty-Five: Concentration

While Max still has a high fever (the flu, for sure), Josie is busy....here she is busy coloring.

I was playing around with curves, and loved what I got here.....whatever it is!

Day Twenty-Four: Chocolate Chip Pancakes

While his daddy stayed home with sick Max, his mommy, sister Josie and me (Grammy) went to IHOP and then to the Children's Museum.

This was, of course, at IHOP.

Day Twenty-Three: Welcome to Iowa

I have been looking forward to this weekend for almost a month. My daughter with my granddaughter and grandson were coming to Minneapolis for 3 days.

Then this morning my daughter called. I assumed she was on her way. Instead she told me my grandson Max, 4 years old, was running a high fever and probably had the flu.

So instead, I got in my car and drove to them. It is a 3 1/2 hour ride, but today was treacherous. It was windy, and blowing the snow across the highway making for "white out" conditions.....horrible.

But here I am. I shot this while driving, grabbing my little point and shoot from my purse, and between white-outs took this!

My second picture is my little Max who I found in his mother's bed. I couldn't resist doing 2 pictures today as it tells my story!

Day Twenty-One: Me Being Silly

That's me, trying to take a picture of me, with Maccabee's hat on. I put an arrow, so you can see how far I missed the mark!

Day Twenty-One: Experiment

I'm a day late.....and a lot more than a dollar short! I don't know what happened, but I forgot to post a picture yesterday. Perhaps because I was so busy experimenting with the pictures. Anyway, this is a picture of little Maccabee that I played around with.

Day Twenty: I love America

I again needed to help my friend and her sons, but that didn't keep me from watching the inaugeration. I love America!

Day Nineteen: Poor Baby

I spent the day helping my friend. She has a new baby (3 weeks old), and the cutest little 20-month-old. He was running a 103 fever, so she needed to keep the two apart......which is where I come in. Even running a fever, he ate well, played and he has a great sense of humor.

I love this picture.....even tho' I know I used a way too slow shutter speed, I think the effect came out great.

End of Week Three

Wow....this is one way to count down the year! Three weeks of 2009 already gone. So here is my layout for Week 3.

Day Eighteen: We are Family

Today my grandkids had basketball games. The first game was my granddaughter's game. While waiting for the game to begin, her brother sat with her.

I love this picture.....it is so tender.

Thank you to Sarah and Emma.

OMG....I cannot believe that I was given a blog award....and I got two of them! I am so honored, and from 2 unbelievable photographers that I have been learning so much from.

I always thought I loved photography.....but once I joined this challenge, I realized that really I was mainly taking snapshots (sometimes good ones by mistake) of my children, then my grandchildren. Although we are only 17 days into this. project....I love this. And the awards are just an unbelievable honor!

And, I have to say now, how much I love everyone who leaves me comments about my photos!

We need to list 5 things we are addicted to. Ok, here it goes...

1. It has to be my camera....expecially my new 40D.

2. My Keurig coffee machine, that makes my hazelnut coffee, and makes tea.

3. My laptop......mainly for pictures and scrapbooking.

4. Photoshop, because I can use it for actions, and I love actions.

5. Sweets.....any kind as long as it's sweet.

Now my Five people to receive this award are...

1. Mily http://milyphotography.blogspot.com/

2. Jasmin http://jasmin-adaydreambeliever.blogspot.com/

3. I don' know this person's name, but I love the photos: http://scrapkitchen.typepad.com/project_365

4. Annie: http://web.me.com/adelinebrett/365/Project_365

5. Kelly: http://mzkellyb-project365.blogspot.com/

Sorry, Annie.....you're link didn't work when I tried it, hopefully this one will:

http://web.me.com/adelinebrett/365/New_365_Blog/New_365_Blog.html

Day Seventeen: What Is It?

You know all those picture puzzles that say what is this picture? Well, what is this?

(Give up? It's the snow on our deck....it's melted between the boards of the deck. I love the pattern. Amazing what a little snow will do!)

Day Sixteen: Brrrrrrr

It's cold here! Last night at minus 17 degrees, I stood in my garage, and shot across the cul-de-sac. I'm still happy with my new 40D......I took this picture with it.

Day Fifteen: Happiness Is....

On Day 5 I used a picture of my ribbons. I had had a Canon 40D for 3 days, but it needed to be returned because it was not working. I made a comment, that I could tell my picture of the ribbons was not as good on my Rebel XT as it would have been on the 40D.

Someone very wisely commented that when my new 40D came back, I should make a comparison. The original photo on Day 5 had been Photoshopped to "crisp" it up. This time I show the unedited photos from each camera.

I now feel very vindicated for wanting a nicer camera. Can you tell the difference?

Day Fourteen: Happy Feet

Okay, again a small cheat. This was my granddaughter's dance program last night. Before this challenge, I never would have taken a picture of her feet. What fun it was to look through my zoom and see how perfectly she was doing the steps! Good work, LeeLee.

Day Thirteen: Garbage in the Snow

I am kind of cheating. After posting my grandson's picture, which I really wanted to use, it began snowing. I've been waiting for snow! So I took pictures.

This is really from yesterday, but I'm counting it for today (I know, cheat, cheat).

I love weird things, and this was such an odd photo.....I loved the saying on what is now a garbage bag waiting to be recycled.

Day Twelve: Concentration

Lack of color today. This picture needed no color to show my grandson Sam concentrating so hard on an X-box game with his friend, he couldn't even say "hi"!

Week Two

This is the end of my week two. Since I'm trying to do 2-page layouts when it makes sense, I am putting both week 1 and week 2 here, so you can see them side by side.

Day Eleven: Color Under Foot

Did I say, I love color! This is our rug in the entryway.

Day Ten: Another Love

I love books. I could, and have, spent hours in a bookstore or library. And, again, with my philosophy of a "full box of crayons" I have alot of books. Fiction, non-fiction, craft books, photography books, and books on my favorite artists. I also have 3 books written by me.

This photograph is part of a long, waist-high bookshelf in the loft. (It is where the yellow taxis sit). It also has photos of the family.

Above the bookshelf is a 6 foot long oil painting by a favorite artist, and good friend. Oh, maybe one week will be devoted to my favorite art in my house.....

Thanks for looking.

Day Nine: The Yellow Taxi

When I was little, one of my favorite books was the Little Golden Book titled "The Taxi that Hurried". I am absolutely fascinated with yellow taxis. I love the look. My favorite pictures of New York are ones where the street is filled with yellow taxis.

So today my photo is my "Homage to the Yellow Taxi"! The top of my bookcase in our loft has yellow taxis I've collected (they were toys for my grandson, but I kind of took them over), and the book that started it all!

Day Eight: It's a Fiesta

I can't believe that it is not until Day Eight that I remembered my very favorite "happy place."

Opening my kitchen cabinet makes me happy. Not because I am good cook, cuz I'm not.......I hardly cook. But I love to go into this cabinet to just stand back and look at it, as if it is a still life.

So it is no wonder that I would have to have this photo in my color phase!

End of My Week One: First Layout

I was going to go week by week from Thursday to Wednesday for my layouts. But using the beautiful pre-made layouts, it seemed like more of a hassle than I need go thru! I call myself an efficiency expert......tho' I guess it would really be called lazy.

So.....ta-dah.....this is my first week layout.....(unless I change it, but so far I'm happy with it).

I've amended this idea, a little.....I am going from Monday to Sunday. So my first week actually has 4 days.

Day Seven: Night Color

I want a nice looking double-page layout for my first 2 weeks......so, I'm sticking with my inside color theme. Besides, it was barely snowing this morning, so I ran out with my camera trying to catch a snow picture. But......... as I said it was "barely" snowing, and I couldn't get the shot I wanted. Then it stopped snowing! You'd think in Minnesota I would have tons of fabulous snow shots, but nothing since January 1st.

So, this photo was taken lying on my bed......with my head facing the headboard. These are softer colors in the bedroom, tho not on purpose. The padded headboard comes in really handy when I lie in bed with my laptop. And the pictures above the bed is of my first grandchild, Sammy, when he was 1.....he's now 8. I found an old window frame at a flea market, repainted it.....and put in the pictures. And the quilt is one of the first I ever made. Tho' I have really bright ones that I love, this one is my favorite.....it actually sits on my bed over a denim comforter. It is made of different fabrics, and in the middle of the night I love to run my hands over all the textures. Did I mention ADD......not just bright colors, but I also love textures!

Day Six: Color Contrast

I think, maybe, I am a color junkie!

I probably love color becase no matter what the winter weather, I always feel warm, toasty and safe inside. In the photo, the inside color didn't show up as clear and bright as I wanted, but the contrast is definitely there. Life inside....life outside.
Even in our hot, humid summers, though, I still love all my inside color!

Day Five: Ribbons of Color

Continuing my theme of color, I love colorful ribbon.......obviously! These are some of my ribbons in my craft room. They make me very happy.....just looking at them.

Looking at this picture, I can tell I had to take this picture with my Canon Rebel XT, as my 40D went back. It is being exchanged, but I can sure tell the difference in sharpness and brightness of color. At least this validates my excuses of why I needed a new camera! So, for another week or so, I will be using my old camera....oh well!

I Found It!

I know this is going to be cofusing, since this corrects what I just wrote.....but you will probably read this post first!

This is what I saw yesterday: "One of the sites I visit for Project 365 inspiration issued a challenge for us to take a picture of what we saw from where we were sitting right that moment. The catch to the challenge, we could NOT photograph our computer screens! From where I sat, I saw my family picture wall. "
It is from Lynn at http://wallstreetredneckwife.blogspot.com/

Day Four: Color from Where I Sit

I love going to everyone' s blog and seeing the interesting concepts we all come up with. Yesterday I visited someone's blog that spoke of being in a challenge of shooting a picture exactly where you were sitting. At the time, I thought it was clever, but did not realize the idea with stick with me.

So today, sitting as I always do, in my red leather chair in our living room, the tv in front of me, my laptop on my lap and my camera next to me, I remembered this challenge.

In keeping with my color theme for the week, what I look at everyday as I work on my computer, talk on the phone, etc. is exactly what I decided to try photographing. The blogger said you couldn't move from where you were and you couldn't photograph your computer! I followed the rules as I remembered them.

This picture is the result.....my view everyday when I am home. It is my comfort, my inspiration.

*****If anyone knows whose blog this was that I read, and what challenge she was talking about it, please post it here. She should get credit for this great idea. I tried going back over what I looked at yesterday, but I didn't find it.

Day Three: More Color

I'm calling these first pictures "my inner color period". This is a photo of some of my fabrics in my sewing room. I love to buy the brightest colors I can find....I like to combine bright colors with black and white. When the urge to quilt hits me, I always say I need that big box of crayons to pick from!

I may try to finish this first week with photos of colors that surround me in my home. That will make a nice Weekly layout, I think.

I really want to go outside and take pictures of the beautiful snow, and icicles hanging from the trees. Unfortunately, I live in Minnesota.....although everyone thinks we are always covered in snow, we have had snow, but right now there is not much left.

We are supposed to have a snow storm later today or tomorrow, and then I'll be outside with my camera.

For now I'll do the inner me with all the color I love surrounding me!

Day Two: Color

I love color.....the brighter the better. When I saw this basket of yarn, I knew this was perfect for today. These are my colors!

This basket has been sitting in my house forever.....yet I never would have just taken a picture of it. I love this challenge, I am learning to see my world and use my camera to document it.

Day One: Happy New Year!

This is a new year, new hopes, new dreams, but same old morning.....my addiction is hazelnut coffee with french vanilla cream.

And, I put the clock in the photo to show I was up at my normal time of 7:30 or so on this new year morning.

Happy new Year everyone.