Flowers to Brighten a grey Seattle Day

Hello all!   The day is a little grey here in Seattle today so let's cheer up with a smiley cup filled with flowers. ...two of my favorite things...smiles and flowers.   I love white flowers especially.   It has been really hot and sunny the last few days and then we got our usually Seattle break from the sun yesterday and today.  It's cooler and feels good!

I've been busy doing things around the house and working.   July is usually a busy month.  Last Sunday the 787 rolled out of the shop...that's a plane and I attended the celebration viewing.  It is inspiring.....soon it will fly!   Next week I get to go see the Pink Martini, a band which plays some older songs with singers who sing in different languages than English....

Went to a Mariners game recently and had so much fun...love those garlic fries and home run flies!

Ok..gotta go now.  Wishing all a great day!     Maria

 

 

Happy 4th of July 2007

It is absolutely gorgeous here in Seattle today.   We are going to check out some local Fireworks at a park nearby our home.   It's hard to think about Freedom when so many in this world don't have it...even us here in the U.S.    I'm always getting in arguements about it because I take the side that says we do have freedoms..much more than in other countries.   Yet, so many things are banned now...most of our suburbs around Seattle are banned from fireworks..except at the public events.  We have so many restrictions on us...must wear seatbelts,  no smoking limitations, all for good reasons....yet, it is not a gentle society.  I wish it was.   We continue to fight and get angry.   I still think it's better than it could have been...we just need to stay vigilant that we keep the rights we really need...freedom of speech, freedom of religion....life, liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. 

Below is a photo of a postcard  of some fireworks here in Seattle at the Spaceneedle sending you a note for a fun and safe 4th.     

Before I end...here is something on a more humorous note from JibJab...it's pretty good...check it out....  Star Spangled Banner  

 

Later all!  Maria

Time for Flowers

I haven't been on a flower shoot for awhile.  These three are random flowers that I found in May.  The fourth an intriguing surprise.  The two photos of the rhody's are in front of Seatac city hall...and the rose photo was taken in front of an empty house for sale in Georgetown a few miles from where I live.   Flowers never fail to make me smile.  I'm constantly entranced by them wherever I see them....even on my fingernail...:)   Maria

              

                                      

                   

The Pike Place Market in June

The Pike place market is a great place to get fresh fish and seafood.  It's so much fun to watch all the people too.   The other weekend it was a special celebration...it's the 75th year for the Market and they were having their parade of pigs.  It's a charity fund raiser but it recognizes the symbol of the market which is a bronze pig.   Enjoy the slide show.   No this isn't one of those fish stories...it's true!

Maria

Today, Today, Today!

Living in the moment means knowing it's today!   We plan for the future..we fret and learn from the past but the reality is always in the present...now,  today!  Let's not forget how important it is to live in the moment.   Wouldn't it be great if we could always be aware of the enjoyments of each moment...the warmth of the sun's rays,  the dreams which can begin each of our days, the brightness of the smiles from the ones we love, the hugs that we get at those unexpected times.  Remember...it all begins with today, today, today!....  Another photo from my sun transition series. ..a little reminder that the beginning is always Today!   Maria

 

              

 

 

 

 

My Sun Transition collection - 2nd image

Hello, all! 

This is the 2nd image in a collection I am working on called My Sun Transition Collection.   I am a big fan of sunrises and sunsets.  You can't tell from a photograph whether it's a sunrise or sunset unless you know the location.    I keep finding wonderful quotes that just cry out for being put on a photo with a sun transition scene.  Hopefully I can amass several of these photos and captions.  So far I have four photos I love and have been commissioned once for them. I produced framed and matted selections for a recent Toastmasters Conference as gifts to Speakers and Judges.  That was so exciting to me and they turned out so well.   Wouldn't it be great to have them in a gallery or show?  When the time is right...:)

I like these times of transition ...between day and night in these photos of dawn and dusk.  It is an ultimate indicator of change for us.   As the sun gives way to the darkness and the moon and stars and vice versa it reminds me that in transition there is beauty and change.   It is said that change is good.   I would really miss it if we didn't have beauty of the sunrises and sunsets so I would have to agree:  change is good!   The next time you get hung up and are resisting the change that must be...think of the sun and the beauty in times of transition.  Look for the beauty in the change, you may be surprised to find it takes your breath away!...That's my thought to start the week!:)     Yours truly,  Maria

Therein lies Immortality

Hello, all!

Flowers find immortality of sorts by being photographed.  It's one way to make them last far past their original lifeline.  Isn't photography wonderful?   What about that which we don't photograph with a camera?  Aha!  We have memories.   With People it's hard to capture moments in photographs and yet we can capture the event itself to trigger our memories.... Our memories are what gives life immortality.....as we pass them on they live from generation to generation as stories.   Therein lies immortality in stories and photographs.   Today, my story is a new image haircut.  I will eventually get a photo.  It's  more sophisticated rather like the photo of the flowers below.   It's good to change some things as time goes on.  Seeking a little more simplicity and elegance is a good thing.  How do you want to be remembered?  I'm not sure yet about me.....but I do like this photo I took near the Public Market of these memorable white poppies and the surrounding leaves and flowers...:)

Maria