{in the picture} ~ December 2012

 

I am just not believing it!!

I missed the last link up for {in the picture}!!!

I'm a little disappointed in myself,

actually very disappointed!

Our last prompt was "celebrate."

I chose to celebrate Christmas!

This ornament has special meaning to me.

It hung on our very first Christmas tree forty years ago! 

I  have a large collection of "The Night Before Christmas" books and love to look at the beautiful art work!

ringing bells in celebration

We lost power on Christmas day due to an ice/snow storm.

I celebrated having brand new cozy slippers to keep my feet warm.

 

Well, I did it!!!

I took at least four self-portraits a month in 2012!

I'm quite proud of that!!!

 

The experience has been a good one for me.

I started off shy, embarrassed and feeling ridiculous!

Then, I loosened up some and

even took a planking photo in a public place!!

I still don't like being in front of the camera, but I realize how important it is that my children and grandchildren see some photos of me.

 

Thanks,  Christy at Urban Muser for hosting this great group!

I've enjoyed seeing each of you each month!

In The Picture ~ November 2012

 

It's time again for {in the picture} with Christy at Urban Muser.

Eleven months have come and gone since I began this project!

Over forty-four posted self-portraits!

One more month to go!

I'm proud of myself!

I'm going to make it!!

 

I realized that I had shown my face, my feet, my back, my shadow, but I've never really shown  my hands!  Hands are expressive and I didn't want to leave them out!

 

My hands say "I LOVE YOU!"  I've used this hand sign with my grandchildren since the first one started preschool. His Mom actually started this practice. When she dropped him off at school she waved with one hand and said "I love you" with the other. When his twin brothers were born, I dropped him off for my daughter and of course had to never forget the hand signs!!  It's a family tradition now! Anytime we separate we wave and give an "I LOVE YOU!"

Today, I'm sending this out to you!!

My hands hold the amazing things of nature!

Huge leave!

I think it's a sassafras leaf. If anyone knows please tell me!

 

 

My hands hold the little critters!

I was told this is a beetle cucumber beetle.

He was on this persimmon and then crawled onto my hand.

 

My hands hold the beauty of nature!

Brown withered leaves are beautiful in the morning frost.

I also love the curlicue on the left side of the leave.

 

 

Our optional them this month was "gratitude." I'm sitting outside journaling near the open crawl space of our house. My husband is under the house adding some insulation to the pipes. We've had a terrible pike rattle lately!  I'm the "gopher." I sit at the door listening, waiting for him to tell me what he needs and I "go for" it!  I even crawled under the house and took him what he needed. Okay, so where is this going??  I'm grateful that he's able to fix so many things around the house and he does it, even though he hates it!!" :)  There's always some grumbling, but he gets the job done!

 

 

One more month to go!

{In The Picture} ~ October 2012

 

I almost forgot to link my pictures!! I did them earlier in the month and then got busy and forgot about them!!  I'm just barely making the deadline!!

Our optional theme this month was "my favorite place."  I have several favorite places where I like to take photos, but due to a very busy month, I couldn't find the time to return to any of them. So, I decided to show you my "favorite place" that we take our 1940 Ford Pickup to attend a street rod show. This show is in Robber's Cave State Park in Oklahoma.

 

I wandered down by the lake and watched the sunrise. I've been trying to get a photo where the morning sun is behind me. I still haven't quite gotten the light that I want.

 

After watching the sunrise, I discovered the underneath of a building that looked like it was once a boathouse. I stood under the building in the quiet and watched the mist rising from the lake.

 

 

 

 

This picture was taken in the same area. Look at those muddy shoes!! You can tell I've been walking in the morning dew and through the dirt!

 

This fall festival includes a car show, craft show, and carnival rides. Later that afternoon I treated myself to a ride on the Ferris wheel!

 

 

Two more months = eight more self-portraits!

I think I'm going to meat my goal!!

 

If you'd like to see more scenery pictures of this gorgeous state park, I blogged about it here.

{in the picture} ~ September 2012

 

The theme this month for {in the picture} was taking shots from a new perspective. If you take the majority of your images in color, try black and white. If your take mostly your feet, try your hands. You get the picture, try something different. I didn't know what to do. I've done black and white, color, hands, feet;  a little bit of everything! I finally decided I'd show you my favorite side, my photography side! I put my trusty little point and shoot camera on the tripod, set the 10 second timer, and ran back and forth!

 my camera ~ Sony A55

 

 

 Getting down is easy, getting back up is not so easy!! 

 

 

me and my shadow 

classic pose

I saved the most unusual for last!!
A once in a life time shot!!
Totally unplanned!!
A little shocked when I saw it on the computer!!
It's me reflected in....

 a donkey's eye!!

 

I visited a pumpkin patch this weekend which had a petting zoo. I was trying to take a close-up picture of the donkey's eye. I never dreamed what would really show up!  I took a little artist license and blew out the background leaving only the eye!

 

That's it for another month!!

Yea!  I'm still keeping my goal of four a month!!

{in the picture} ~ August 2012

Although August was a very hot month, I did manage to get out and take my self portraits!!  Hope you can't see me sweating in them!!  Our suggested theme for August was "my life, right now."  What's happening at this point in my life? 

Right now my life centers around home and

spending time with my grandsons and family!

Right now I'm waiting on cooler weather so I can enjoy going on photo excursions.

Right now I'm staying indoors as much as possible. I've been strolling through flea markets, antique stores,

and quilt stores. Can you find me in the busy window? It was 104 degrees and I really wanted a coke out of that machine!!

Right now you might find me slipping off my shoes as I travel with Mr. H in our 1940 Ford Pickup which is red, not orange!! 

You might find me taking pictures out of the windows and

attending street rod shows. Check out those cars in the background!

 

As you can see, my life, right now finds me happy!
MY LIFE IS GOOD!!!

{in the picture} ~ July 2012

These self portraits seem to be rolling around faster and faster!!  Our optional theme this month from Christy at Urban Muser was reflections.  Here I am in reflection!!

classic window reflection

I was leaving the library loaded down with my purse and books when I happened to see myself as I passed this window. I managed to dig out my camera and capture my reflection, plus a beautiful sky and a cool lamppost!

classic rear view mirror reflection

computer screen reflection

Do you see me among the flowers of my desktop picture and the trees behind me?

 

one last computer reflection

I closed the lid of my computer and saw my reflection in the words on the top. Not much of a reflection, but I thought it made a cool photo!

my eyes are in the top letter

camera in the middle letter

and my shoulder is in the bottom letter

abstract reflection

I'll just have to explain this shot!  I have an old rusty wagon in my flower bed. In the corner a puddle of water collected after I watered. You can barely make out my shape and camera, but I'm there!

my favorite reflection

I was combing my grandson's hair when he wanted to try on my glasses. I took his picture because he was just so cute and realized that I'd capture my reflection in the mirror!!

This was fun!  I did want to find more unique reflections, but, that just didn't happen.  I wonder what Ashly will suggest for a theme next month!! 

{in the picture" ~ June

I think maybe I've finally broken through the horror of self-portraits!!   I've done something I never dreamed I could or would even try. Each month Christy gives us a suggested portrait idea. This month's was "planking." I had never heard of such a thing!! I read her message and looked at web sites she suggested that illustrated "the plank."   Christy even posted an interview with Cynthia who has taken some great "planking" photos. You should go read it, she's gutsy!! You set up your camera, lay face down, and snap the shutter!  They actually go out in public places, lay down, and take their pictures!  Oh, I can't believe there are such brave souls out there!!  I though well why not try it in the privacy of my yard and just do one. I hid behind a cedar tree and snapped the first one in my shade garden.

One led to two...

two to three!!

Then, when I was taking pictures at the Old Mill, I just did it!! I just layed right down in front of the back door where no one could see me and did it!!  Believe it or not, it was fun, it was silly, it was liberating, and it made me laugh!!  So there!!

I also found myself taking pictures of my feet this month! A lot of pictures of my feet!  You will notice a lot of barefoot pictures...that is my favorite way to be!!

And last, but not least I took the following photos for a Black and White Class I was taking at Big Picture Classes. Our prompt was to take a picture showing expressions. I'm looking out my front window wishing it wasn't so hot and longing for rain!  It was 107 degrees the day I took this and no rain in sight!! 

Here's more proof that I've broken through the horror!! I sat up my tripod, sat down in my rocking chair, made faces and used my remote to click away!   The one in the center, my children may recognize, it's my "don't mess with me look"!

You know, I'm even excited to see what our next suggested prompt might be!!

{in the picture} ~ May

May has been an extremely busy month! I didn't have time to plan any shots for this month's {in the picture}.  I just grabbed the moment when I could.  Each month Christy gives us a suggested theme that we can use if we'd like. It helps to keep us thinking of new ideas for our self portraits. This month's theme was "big world, tiny you."  One morning when I was watering my shade gardens I thought, this will work for the theme. My shade gardens have azaleas and hostas in them. I have a total of about 30 azalea bushes in all colors. Sorry to say, they've already finishing blooming this year.

I also helped Mr. H mow the yard this week. I put my straw hat on and was ready to get started!

As I was traveling this month, I stopped in Yellville a small Arkansas town. I love to take pictures of historic buildings, they intrigue me. Not only do I love the structures, but I love to read about their history. This building is the Marion County Courthouse which was erected in 1905, and then modified from the burned-out shell in 1943-44. There are several historic buildings in Yellville. You can see another behind me in the reflection in the window.

If you read my blog you may recognize this picture. I've edited it a little differently than the one I used for my black and white class here. I took this on Mother's Day in the restroom of a frozen yogurt place. I liked the mosaic mirror. Since the wall behind me is a neon green and not very becoming I converted it to black and white and added a texture!!   Trust me, it's better in black and white!!

That does is for May!

I can't believe I'm keeping up!!

I've still been taking four self portraits a month!

I must admit, it is a tad bit easier than it was in January!!