Friday Finds!!

Sometimes…

when we least expect it

something beautiful and special appears before our eyes…

Yesterday, while going through some of my late mother's effects

I found the most incredible treasure.

It made me cry…

because it brought back a memory of finding her sitting on her bed

reading it as I walked into her room just a year or so ago…

It was a letter.

Worn and stained and creased 

with the love of many openings and closings

over almost 70 years…

Written on Valentine's Day 1944

from a brother whom she loved dearly.

She was 16, he was 21

She often described him as her favourite brother

because he was so good to her growing up as the youngest sibling.

I love how he calls her "toots" and teases her!

He was away at war, a Sergeant with the R.C.A.F., at the time of writing.

He never came back

His plane shot down during a mission over France

Missing. Presumed Dead.

It gave Mom so much comfort in her life

and now, somehow I find comfort in being able to hold it.

…and read it...

A glimpse into the young woman 

who was too young to join her father and siblings in service.

…and her very special relationship with her brother

who clearly loved her very much.

It seemed appropriate that I found the letter just before 

our Canadian Remembrance Day.

Sgt C.C. Evans  R.C.A.F. before going overseas

I think I owe, not only my freedom to this man,

but also the wonderful relationships

that I had (and have) with my own brothers 

as a result of our upbringing by a woman

who so cherished her brother as a friend, a sibling and mentor.

Thank you, Uncle Bud.

…and thanks to Kim, for the opportunity to share my Find!

Janetxo

The slow road back…Skywatch Friday and Random 5 Friday

Hello Again…

Yup…

It has been a while…

SO

without further ado 

I am beginning my return to the blogosphere by
posting a photo to
Skywatch Friday

Autumn Sunrise taken from our back deck

AND
by joining in at

a meme brought to us by my friend

Nancy over at A Rural Journal

5 Random Facts about me/my life/whatever

ONE

I have been away from blogging for almost a year!

I am hoping to reunite with some old blogger friends

 and to make some new ones as I get back up to speed here

I am fumbling with the controls but I am hoping 

it will all come back to me - like riding a bike again…

TWO

Speaking of bikes…

I bought a new one this summer

I searched long and hard for an old fashioned bike like I had as a kid!

You know the kind?

With only one speed...

The kind where you pedal backwards to brake...

I found one called a 'Classic Cruiser'

Google Image  - no credit available

That's me!

A classic cruiser

still wobbling after all these years

...or maybe wobbling again?

All I need is some spokey dokeys and streamers!

THREE

I live in, what I consider to be, a small town in Ontario, Canada

Having come from the 'Big Smoke' aka Toronto five years ago

it feels like a small town to us, and has just the atmosphere we were seeking.

My brother, on the other hand, feels that I still live in a 'city'.

He and his wife live in the middle of almost 100 acres of forest,
that my parents bought to build their retirement home on many years ago.

The nearest town is easily 15 or 20 kilometres away.

I love to visit because it is such a peaceful place, full of memories
and a great place for photos
but it is too isolated for me to want to live there…yet!

Burnt River near Donald, ON

FOUR

As I type I can feel the ground vibrating beneath me…

some earth compacting machine outside my house.

We are getting sidewalks on our quiet smallish town crescent.

They are replacing the ancient water infrastructure

We have heard this would be happening since we moved in 5 years ago!

They started late this summer

One day they cut off our internet, and then broke a water pipe.

They had to work into the night to fix that!

Another day they dug a HUGE hole in my lawn.

I had fun going out and photographing all the chaos!! 

I don't think they'll have the road paved by winter's first snow dump!!

FIVE

Since losing both of my parents, in less than 10 months, last year

I have been searching all over for my creative mojo

I continued to take photos and, 

occasionally, to experiment in Lightroom.

I pushed myself to post on my Flickr page with some regularity.

What prevented me from totally abandoning my photography

was an e-course, Beyond Beyond, with Kim Klassen.

I am so grateful to her for allowing me to start after the course was in progress, 

and to take a combined class.

Random 5 Friday is a next step on my slow road back…

Thanks for the opportunity, Nancy!

Janetxo

P.S. I have just found a very special treasure in my Mother's belongings…
Will share it in separate post for Friday Finds with the lovely Kim Klassen!!
 Why not hop over and check out both the treasure and the meme!

if this link does not work due to server issues please try
 http://aruraljournal.blogspot.ca

http://skyley.blogspot.ca

Skywatch Friday!

I'd like to thank the wonderful folks 

who commented or e-mailed me about my whereabouts and my absence...

My computer is all better,

and because of my external drive and the 'geniuses' (genii?)

at the Apple Store, I am happy to say that I didn't lose any of my photos!!

My vertigo is subsiding

My mother, I will always miss, 

but I know she'd want me to get back to my photography as she loved it so much.

(When she passed away her desktop wallpaper was my Snapendipity header)

So...

here I am...

I have signed up for a few photography e-classes with Kim Klassen 

in an effort to get my photo mojo going again!

I have a new blog as well as Flickr space specifically for my classwork.

and now

I am trying to gradually get back to participating in the photo challenges 

.... and blogging here again.

I am not sure how frequent it will be to begin but hope to get back up to speed eventually.

Since it is Friday...

and since I have just begun to go through our honeymoon photos...

I thought I would start with a post for 

Skywatch Friday

This was taken in Willemstad, Curacao

The sailboat was leaving Sint Anna Bai and heading out to sea at sunset.

Other than cropping and watermark I have made no adjustments to this photo...

Thanks for visiting!

Hope to be around more from here on in!

Let every dawn of the morning be to you as the beginning of life.

And let every setting of the sun be to you as its close.

Then let everyone of these short lives leave its sure record of some kindly thing done for others;

some good strength of knowledge gained for yourself."

~ John Ruskin

Janetxo

http://skyley.blogspot.ca/

technical difficulties *sigh*

My computer has taken an 

iDIVE

It is quite iLL

and has another iAPPOINTMENT

at the Apple Store next Tuesday

where they will try to save my "stuff".

Please cross your fingers for me 

as all my photos are on it!!!

Wahhhhhhhh!

Hope to be back soon!

Janet xo

{Celebration} 52 photos project yr2 wk28 and photo art friday

"Dinner & drinks, 

coffee & cake,

ceremonies, gatherings,

candles, dancing or twinkling lights -

all beautiful ways to 

uplift & recognize the people

or occasions in our life."

~ Bella Cirovic

This month I am celebrating one year as a blogger!

A year ago today I asked my best friend Mr. Google 

for websites that might provide some inspiration

for my rekindled interest in photography.

I discovered Bella's 52 Photos Project

and, as they say,

the rest is history!

It took me a few weeks to figure out the blog thing... 

My first blog post was for Bella's 'something borrowed' challenge 

- a drawer full of pens I had 'borrowed' on my travels through the office -

I was trying to get caught up on past challenges and had watched a video tutorial

 Bella had made about how to fake a "Lensbaby" look..

So I combined that with the next challenge, which was to go for a photowalk...

and this was my submission

Nothing could have inspired or motivated me more 

than receiving an e-mail from Bella asking if she could feature my photo

and seeing MY picture posted here on 52 Photos Project the following week!

Bella had also featured Vivienne McMaster around that time

which led to my taking Vivienne's 'Rule Free Photography' e-course

I had two wonderful regular 'followers' (Nancy & Angie) who encouraged me 

with comments each time I posted...

and as I began visiting the blogs of other posters 

to 52 Photos Project and Nancy's Rural Thursday

I discovered more blogs, more tutorials and more friends!

I learned how to use PSE from Kim Klassen 

and I discovered textures

and Bonnie's Photo Art Friday!!

I had it in my mind to celebrate my year of "blogography" 

by taking my 'featured' photo from 52 Photos

and apply Bonnie's pdpa Cobblestone background/texture.

I thought I could create an image that would mimic the way leaves leave their outline

on the a sidewalk or Cobblestone after several days of dampness...

which we have certainly had!  

It didn't exactly turn out as I had planned but I sorta like it!

It reminds me of fireworks or colourful party streamers...

Perfect for a celebration... 

of 

discovery & learning,

encouragement & inspiration 

and worldwide friendships.

Seems like the perfect time to recognize you, the people in my blog life with a huge

Thank You

to everyone who has ever left an encouraging comment
and to the wonderful folks who
take the time to come up with challenges and provide space,
 who design textures and provide tutorials
and to new found friends.

Everything I have learned,
I have learned from them
so don't forget to visit the amazing people
who unselfishly share their knowledge and work!!

Awesome weekend, all!

Janet xo

       

:  :  :  :  :

That first blog "The View from Here"

was laid to rest when my father passed away in February, 

as I had borrowed the name from his newspaper column.

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