"Selfish?"

Am I being selfish for wanting to be respected, valued, and considered by my children?

Miz Donna's Photo Challenge. Layering Textures.

I had a reminder about Miz Donna's Photo Challenge: Layering Textures so I took several deep breaths and decided that this might be a good way to slowly get back into the blogging mode.

So, here goes. I hope my attempts are ok.  I chose to use two photos that I took a week ago.

original photo

Autumn leaves using a cracked texture in Perfect Effects 3.

 

Original photo

Autumn Thistle after using the Earth texture effect from Perfect Effects 3.

I always enjoy these photo challenges and wish to say thank you to Miz Donna for hosting them.

It's time for another of Miz Donna's Photo Challenges.  There will be a bunch of great links to great shots of FLOWERS over at her place so be sure to click over and take a look.

Bitterweed

 

 

 

 

 “A weed is but an unloved flower.”
― Ella Wheeler Wilcox

Primrose

 

“The earth laughs in flowers.”
― Ralph Waldo Emerson

Thank you for giving us these chances to use our cameras Miz Donna!

Photo Challenge: What I Love About Spring!

Did everyone have fun with this challenge? It's been Spring-like here most of the time but there have been a few days that's made me wonder if Winter has been harder to shake this year. It's not too late to join us, just sign in and post your link over at the Photo Challenge Blog.  We love to see what others shoot!

I love the smell of the fields after a Spring rain and the growing crops peeking up out of the soil. The photo below is corn.

“Spring shows what God can do with a drab and dirty world.”
― Virgil Kraft

It's amazing to watch the winter wheat fill it's heads with grain to be harvested in a few weeks.

“It is spring again. The earth is like a child that knows poems by heart.”
― Rainer Maria Rilke

 

 

How awesome it is to see the blooms open up once again as the days grow warmer and longer.

“She turned to the sunlight
    And shook her yellow head,
And whispered to her neighbor:
    "Winter is dead.”
― A.A. Milne, When We Were Very Young

“I suppose the best kind of spring morning is the best weather God has to offer.”
― Dodie Smith, I Capture the Castle

Don't forget to click over to our Challenge Blog and click the blue links to see all the other wonderful shots for this challenge!

Simplicity: A Personal Photo Challenge

It's time for Miz Donna's Simplicity Photo Challenge!  I had some shots that I was certain would be for my post until this morning woke up with a foggy haze so I had to use a couple of shots to show off our simple countryside.

Something which is easy to understand or explain is simple.

 

 

Simplicity can be used to imply beauty, purity, or clarity.

It can refer to a simple living lifestyle.

 

 

It was a most enjoyable Challenge Miz Donna and I'll be looking forward to the one in May. Please remember to visit the Challenge Link to view more Simplicity photos.

Photo Challenge: Still Life (2nd try)

I hate it when I've worked so hard on a post and find that this blogger is a fruitcake and posted her challenge photos on the Challenge Blog rather than where she was supposed to!

I hope everyone was able to visit all of our talented challengers by visiting our Photo Challenge Blog and clicking their links.  My photos are also posted there because I'm so ditzy.

Photo Challenge: Words

Here I go again, giving it another try with another challenge because I so love to see the photos that my blog buds come up with for each one.  Leave a comment if you'd like and be sure to click the blue links on our Photo Challenge Page so you can view all of the wonderful shots that our other challengers have taken.

Words on a sign to tell a little of the history of the near-by town of Helena, AR.

My e-reader has nicks and smudges but it's becoming more and more full of words for me to read.

Another sign with words telling us some more of the history of Helena, AR.

Don't forget to check out all the  other great "shooters"!

A Personal Photo Challenge: Black and White Photography

I didn't realize my friend had also chosen today for her Black and White Photography Challenge until after I'd also chosen that day to do one but I still wanted to do both so figured out this way to do it.  Hopefully it will be ok.  Be sure to click on her link to enjoy her awesome talent with a camera as well as all of the others who are participating. Thank you Miz Donna for allowing me to join your challenge too.

Sunflowers on Presidents Island, Memphis, TN.

 

Bird Chatter

 

Spring trying to raise her head.

Thanks you again Miz Donna! It was fun!!

Happy Birthday James

From the left, James, Danny, and Rod and their Mother, Wilma.

 

Caught a catfish.

Working in his garden

You  would have been 61 today and I miss you so much.

Exhausted Frustration

Mercy but I've been having some trying times these past many months.  Many days I've wished I didn't even have to face another same ol' day.  Most of those days I've forgotten what day of the week it is but that problem is getting better now that Zach's martial arts classes have resumed on Tuesday and Thursday evenings.

Anyway, I've posted a new photo challenge over on our Photo Challenge Blog if y'all are still interested.  I've been a sorry hostess lately so please accept my apologies. Please don't give up on me!!

 I have been snapping a few photos now and again.  I haven't gotten out very much over the Winter months but I sure hope to as it gets warmer.  On Tuesday I went to a talent show at our local school.

Jillians best friend and Jillian singing "Zippety Doo Dah" at the talent show on Tuesday night.

Alexis and her friend, Falon, singing "Anything You can Do" at the talent show.

My great-niece, Mikah (in purple) and her friend singing "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together".

Our little country school sure does have a load of talented students and Mrs. Palmer, the 5th grade teacher, did an excellent job getting everyone together to let all of us see and hear that talent.

A New Year

 Dear James,

I think about you all the time, And I still don't know
how to act, what to say, or how I'm supposed to feel,,
I take it day by day and just try to deal
With the unanswered questions and all the raw emotions.


I still wait for you to come home,,, or perhaps I'm just waiting

for the time that I'll see you again.