Pictures this time.

I am thankful today for some time with my camera at the botanic gardens.

100 Gifts

I've been reading the book "One Thousand Gifts", by Ann Voskamp.  Ann was given the challenge of writing down 1,000 things to give thanks for, and the book is about her embracing the challenge and the way it changes her life as the spirit of gratitude becomes a habit.

With it being November, and the month of Thanksgiving, I am giving myself the challenge of writing down 100 things to give thanks for this month.  That's about 3 things a day.  While it seems pretty easy to think of 3 things to be thankful for, I think the challenge is the consistent intentionality - taking the time to notice, and be thankful for, the blessings that would otherwise be overlooked or taken for granted every day, consistently, for 30 days.  My intention (there's that word again) is to post throughout the month sharing the blessings in my life that I'm taking the time to acknowledge.  Some will include pictures, some won't.   Join me in the challenge if you'd like, and if you do, write a note in the comments, and we can give each other support and encouragement along the way.

So to begin the challenge, here are the first 3 things on my list:
I am thankful for:
1. Sunshine on my face.
2. The sound of a child at play in an imaginary world.
3. Getting through the days homework without drama.

What I've been up to.

It's August 31st, and I have been noticeably absent from my blog page.  Ha.  To say the least.  I have been busy, however.  I have updated my SmugMug page, and would love to show it off to you.  Go see it here.  Let me know what you think.

I have entered 2 exhibits in the Tamron Garden Macro Contest.  Follow this link.

And I've been taking photos.  Lots and lots of photos.  These are some I took at the Getty museum yesterday.  

Fourth of July Fireworks.

Some pictures from the July 4th Fireworks show at Torrance Beach.  The first picture was taken with a fish-eye lens.  I had the idea of taking pictures of the fireworks with a fish-eye lens, but we were too far away.  I ended up taking the fish-eye off and using just my wide angle lens.

Unexpected beauty.

Abalone Cove.  The name alone elicits visions of blue seas, shimmering beaches and rock pools teeming with life.  While the sea was a magnificent color that day, when we visited Abalone Cove, there was no shimmering beach, and we were there at the wrong time of day for rock pools.  It's not a pretty beach.  It's covered in rocks worn smooth by the ocean waves.

We found a delightful little plant we'd never seen before.  A nondescript little plant, covered in what looked like blisters.  And while we got a few pictures of these curious little flowers, those were not my favorite pictures from that day.

These are my favorite pictures of the day.

Unexpected beauty.

Spring blossoms.

Spring is here.  Officially.  And how do I know?  Our peach tree is full of blossoms. The day I wake up, open the blinds, and see blossoms on the peach tree is the day I consider the first day of spring.  I'm always amazed at how fast the tree fills with the beautiful pink blossoms, each a promise of a sweet, juicy fruit.  The blossoms appear long before the green leaves start appearing, and so the branches are bare but for the bursts of color that paint the starkness with pink.

Just a picture.

The theme last week for Project 52 was Silhouette.