Photos have been removed but may return...:)

Hello, all,

My journal here was about my photography and the interesting little things that I wanted to share about them. When AOL transitioned their journal site to the blogger they had to remove the photos links since they were shutting down their photo repository site. I decided that I may come back and redo these at some point but for now I was successful at moving the words to this new blogger. As I have time I may go back and add the photos......I have some of them handy, but it would take a long time so we will see...however I will begin with one thought today and photos to go with it.

I plan to use these entries as a way to spark ideas for future...even the words alone can trigger the little thoughts I had from the photos. Photography, writing and speaking are all connected. Many of the tecniques we use to be proficient in one area apply to the others. An obvious one is staying focused...as my daughter is here working on her pumpkin! LOL...:)

AOL is shutting down our journals and FTP Space

....AOL will be losing their creative journaling population..... I have transferred my journal to blogspot but the photos and some of the fonts need correcting...I will just leave things as they are for now....because I have begun another blog here and this one will just be an archive blog... I made the deadline: Oct. 31, 2008....I had to publish 355 entries and no more than 15 at a time...it didn't take too long...but it did transfer......I hope to use it as a resource for inspiration......

Here is my new blogspot photo journal site: my photo and journals friends: http://littlethingsphotoblog.blogspot.com/ I hope you will join me and follow my site.

Some History:

If you haven't already heard I"m here to tell you that our blogging space here at AOL is going to be shut down.....I don't know why or what drove this decision..although I"m sure I'll learn more in a few days since this message is so new. I am open to ideas on where to go to do a similar blogging feature. My email will probably live on for awhile but really the main reason I stayed with AOL was to retain my old email and to blog. I don't know what AOL is thinking but maybe reading the People Connection blog will shed some light on this.

Here is the text of the email I received late yesterday, which I am sure the other AOL journalers also received...it's probably a result of someone's cost benefit analysis. I"m going to explore some of the sites that others who left AOL created during the last big fiasco and see what they are doing now. This is so dissappointing...but I will try to remember that when one door closes...another one opens!

Dear AOL Hometown/FTP user,

We’re sorry to inform you that on Oct. 31, 2008, AOL® Hometown and FTP will be shut down permanently. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

Though you will be able to modify your Hometown site and access FTP until this date, we urge you to save your AOL Hometown/FTP content immediately, and consider other options for hosting your site. Read more about how to download and save your Hometown/FTP files here.

In the meantime, please bookmark the People Connection Blog, where you can find out more about AOL Hometown/FTP. You can also subscribe to the People Connection Blog RSS feed to stay informed about any changes. We’ll be updating the People Connection Blog often, so please check it regularly.

Thank you for your patience and understanding as we make this transition. Again, we apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

Sincerely,

The AOL Hometown Team

Dolphin in Green Glass

Hello, all! this photo was taken at my newest neice's Baptism reception. I loved the way the dolphin stood out in the light behind it shining through the green glass. There is so much vibrant color going on here it is amazing.

Dophins are one of my sister's favorite sea creatures. They are quite nice. This wooden carved dolphin is one I brought back from Mexico and gave to her...I also have one of my own but not quite this big. I love the colors in the green glass behind it...it's really a bowl that sits on it's side. The sun was shining very brightly. If was a nice photo moment. It is interesting to see the different effect when I turned the photo to a portrait view....I have to fix that signature though. ;) Maria

Church Bells

It's time for an entry! About time....the summer has sped by and I took a little vacation from my computer blogging. However, I miss my journal friends...so I am back to see who is still journaling and feeling the force. Since my last entry I've begun to learn playing the Church Handbells at St. Louise. I love the sound and am having so much fun learning. It's going to be performance time soon with the holidays just around the corner. Although we practice twice a week we only play a few times a year...joining the group was the main way I get to hear the bells on a regular basis.

The church bazaar season is starting soon and I plan to have a table with my cards and photos again as well as some practical books, stationary and calendars. I also plan to have my dulcimer to play....St. Francis in Burien...just need to find that signup form. It's so much fun talking to people and seeing all the other tables on my break. This will be my third year. I don't make a lot of money but usually enough to cover most of my expenses.

There is also a Costco photo contest which I want to enter...the deadline is approaching soon...end of September..the only holdback is that I need to choose a photo....the title is "Give us your Best Shot"....A scene that shows life at its best...it's an International contest. It should be fun..just go to http://www.costcophotocontest.com/ and look for the photo contest.

Here is a photo of the bells I've been playing with the others...there are at least 24 or so of these bells....St. Louise is in Bellevue. It's a challenge reading the music so I use a colored marker to make sure I"m not ringing someone else's bells....so to speak! :) Maria

Dear Diary page

Dear photo diary,

I'm waxing poetic tonight. Life is so interesting when you stop and think about it…we strive to find out who we are from others and yet we are the ones who know ourselves best... it is in asking that we find out more discrete information. This helps us listen to our internal voices telling us who we are now and whom are moving towards being. A photo can open up new worlds of light for us to explore. As long as we keep moving towards the light we will continually discover ourselves anew.

Yours truly,

Maria and my cherished hammered dulcimer....leading me in different directions yet remaining in my photo blogs.

The Sun Does Wonderful Things

I was at a music camp recently in a beautiful spot in Ollala, Washington..... where there were old growth cedar trees and wonderful big leafed maples....plenty of opportunity to see what wonderful things the sun can do...yes it did come out over the weekend! Like the sun we can all do wonderful things...if we just set our minds to it! Maria

Optimism and you

Hello, all,

I've decided to share some of my word posters. Today the poster is on Optimism. I'll be giving a speech on Positive Thinking and how it can be a great asset to your career on July 14. It is not alway easy to be optimistic but it is definitely important to maintain a positive attitude on things. It can make the difference between moving forward and being stuck in the present or past. I've found so many great quotes and websites on the subject. With the internet today you have an endless resource for this subject. A sunrise or a sunset is about something new coming..a new day or new night. I love the symbolism and it's there for us every day.....even in Seattle where the clouds sometimes cover the sun itself...I know it's there behind them. In the evening or morning the clouds sometimes make for a wonderful canvas of reds and oranges which I know is not unique to Seattle and that's even better...because no matter where you go the sun is there to remind you of something new and fresh coming!

I took this photo in Ixtapa, Mexico. It's one of my favorites. Maria