Week 45 - Grateful

November's Topic for the Focus on Life:2014 weekly photography challenge is,...ful

Here's what Sally prompted us with for week 45:

 Week 45: Grateful

"For the month of November there will be WORD PROMPTS to look deep into your being and reflect on being positive!" 

Grateful:filled to the brim with feeling the appreciation of kindness;

                

Right now I am loving the 'kindness' of our wonderful Arizona weather. 

 

I am grateful for the beauty that surrounds me every day.

Please click on the links below to see what everyone else is grateful for today.

Until Next Time,

Peace, Love and Life!

Cheers,

~Shel~

An InLinkz Link-up

FOL:2014 - Week 39

September's topic is SIMPLICITY for the Focus on Life:2014 Weekly Photography Challenge and for week 39, Sally prompted us with:

Hands

Sometimes it just takes a hand 

to help

to heal

to hold

"We got this"

Now, let's see the HANDS all the other participants captured this week.

Until Next Time,

Peace, Love and Knuckle-Bumpin'!

Cheers,

~Shel~

An InLinkz Link-up

Simplicity: ONE

Our topic for the month of September in the Focus on Life: 2014 weekly photography challenge is SIMPLICITY and for week 38, Sally has prompted us with:

ONE 

One being, one part, one piece.  We are all ONE.

Capture a photograph with only one subject or one piece or a small part of a subject.

This week I received my first certification in the IAQ (Indoor Air Quality) industry of which my husband and I are immersed in with our business.

It is one step, with more to follow.

I am one, of many.

As is this one,.....

Let's see what everyONE else has captured this week, shall we? 

Until Next Time,

Peace, Love and One Simple Step.

Cheers,

~Shel~

An InLinkz Link-up

A Simple Window

For the month of September our theme for the Focus on Life:2014 weekly photography challenge is:

Simplicity

and this week, week 37,   

Sally gave us this topic:

 A Window

The windows on the tree house are pretty special. They are some of the windows from Grandma Emma's original cabin that was built in the 1950's up near my sister and brother-in-law's cabin.  

Despite the fact that, due to it's size, there were relatively few structures lost during Arizona's largest wildfire to date - the 2011 Wallow Fire - Grandma Emma's was one of the few cabins that burned completely to the ground. 

The only thing left was the fireplace.

The Fireplace  - 3 Years After The Fire

At least that's what we thought at first. 

And then we all remembered that the tree house windows belonged to the original cabin. 

The Tree House - with the original Hindman Cabin windows!!

So, they not only provide a view, 

they also provide a 'window to the past'. 

Let's see what other windows every one else has captured this week.

Until Next Time,

Peace, Love and Window Happiness!

Cheers,

~Shel~

An InLinkz Link-up

Lazy Days of Summer!

It's week 35 and the prompt this last week of August, where our theme for the month has been"Outside" for the Focus on Life weekly photography challenge, is:

 "Lazy Days of Summer"

I think I can handle this.

I'm lazin' around with the neighbor's frog. He's still online for goodness sakes. Geeze,......you'd think he'd be enjoying the water by now. 

Everyone have a wonderfully fun and safe Labor Day Weekend!

Be sure to check out how everyone else is celebrating the 'Lazy Days of Summer'.  

Until Next Time,

Peace, Love and Enjoying the Lazy Days of Summer!!

Cheers,

~Shel~

 

An InLinkz Link-up

Every One's Online These Days,....

It's week 34 and the prompt this week for the August theme of "Outside" for the Focus on Life weekly photography challenge is:

"About The Ground"

Sally prompted us to "draw your focus about the ground; you may be surprised at what you find!"

I found this little guy sitting on the ground over in our neighbor's yard, just pecking away at his computer.

Can you believe it?!  

Seems like every one's online these days,....

I wonder what all the other participants found while looking about the ground this week?

Until Next Time,

Peace, Love and Looking About The Ground!

Cheers,

~Shel~

An InLinkz Link-up

Celebrate the Season - FOL28

Our July theme for the Focus on Life:2014 Weekly Photography Challenge is "Celebrate" and for week 28 Sally, over at The Studio Sublime, prompted us to

"Celebrate the Season"

Each summer we spend time at my sis's cabin in the mountains and I love to 'Celebrate the Season' by capturing photos of all the lovely wild flowers growing all around!!  

Please stop by and see how every one else is Celebrating this Summer Season,....

Until Next Time,

Peace, Love and Celebrating Summer!

Cheers,

~Shel~

An InLinkz Link-up

FOL14 - Week 27

The theme for the month of July for the Focus on Life 2014 Weekly Photography Challenge is 

"Let's Celebrate"

Week 27: Celebration!  "There are so many little celebrations that occur everyday and you may not realize that they happen.  A quiet toast between friends, a smile for a job well done, a candle on a cake, a sparkler all aglow.   Let's Celebrate the season, family, love hope and life!"

Monday was our son's 17th Birthday. 

He absolutely hates having his photo taken - even on his birthday!

Logan, Day 1 - in the hospital.  Then this summer at the cabin actually smiled and let me take a photo before he went on a motorbike ride!! (yippee!)

I snagged a pic of him blowing out the candle on his cheesecake (he's not a fan of regular cake) and then he turned around to see I was trying to snap another photo.

You can tell by the photo that he's not standing still and the look he's giving me is one that says, "I can't believe you're even trying to take a photo of me, mom!" 

Oh well, I still love it. And him!  

We also celebrated our country's birthday yesterday.

The good ol' USA turned 238 years old. 

So, Cheers to Birthdays and wonderful celebrations!!

Click on the links below to see what everyone else is celebrating this week!

Until Next Time, 

Peace, Love and Celebrating Life's Special Moments!

Cheers,

~Shel~

An InLinkz Link-up

FOL14 - Week 26

Wow - half way through the year.  The first part has flown by, if you ask me.  Hopefully the second half of the year will slow down just a tad bit so we can all catch our breath, right?!

For week 26 of the Focus on Life 2014 weekly photography challenge, Sally has given us this prompt:

June 2014: Putting the Fun In Photography

Week 26: Free Space!

"Like the good old bingo cards state, "FREE SPACE" right smack dab in the middle of the card!  We have reached the half way point of the year, REALLY!  

We are half way through 2014!  

For this week you have a "free space" to photography what ever you would like in what ever way you would like."

Oh, so many possibilities.

I took some pics over Memorial Day Weekend while we were up in the mountains at my sis and brother-in-law's cabin.   

I rather like the look of this one, so I played around with editing it a bit. 

And, being our country's symbol of Freedom, I thought it would fit nicely for our 'Free Space' prompt.

I haven't watched the video that Sally no nicely put up on 'softening' your photos - so I'll have to do that because this one might look cool that way. 

Please check out the below links and see what every one else chose as their 'Free Space' this week, won't you?! 

Oh, and be sure to come back 
here tomorrow for the 
Pearls! Pearls!! Pearls!!! 
Blog Hop - Link Up.

I'd love for you to link up with us and show us what you've created with your pearls!

Until Next Time,

Peace, Love and "FREE" Space

Cheers,

~Shel~

Free Space to Grow! ;-)

An InLinkz Link-up

FOL14 - Playing Catch Up

It's been a whirlwind couple of weeks around here. 

Busy, fun, crazy, happy, excited, stressful, frustrating, confusing, shocked, sad, lost,....we've run the gamut.

So, I'm playing a bit of catch-up today with the Focus on Life: 2014 Weekly Photography Challenge.

Sally over at The Studio Sublime, gave us these two prompts for weeks 24 and 25.

Week 24:  Have FUN and get snappin'. To shoot with abandon, basically. 

These folks are kinda making fun of me taking photos. We're all 'snapping' each other 'snapping' each other - fun. And FUNNY! (it was to us, anyway!) I laughed so hard last weekend my sides still hurt.

Week 25: Be Colorful 

a) full of interest; lively and exciting.

b) having much or varied color; bright. 

Each day this summer I've tried to 'drink my colors'.  I mixed various fruits in my glass each morning, add ice and water and drink several glasses and then at the end of the day, eat the fruit. It's really refreshing, especially here in the desert with the 100+ degree temps.

I hope you're all having a great summer!  Be sure to hop around and see what 'colors' every one else has captured this week!

Until Next Time,

Peace, Love and Colorful Fun!

Cheers,

~Shel~

An InLinkz Link-up

FOL - Week 21

**I'm trying to link up with the FOL2014 Group this weekend but due to the internet connection in the mountains being totally useless, I may have to link up on Tuesday when I return home and pop over to see everyone's photos and comment next week. Sorry folks!!** :-) 

May's topic for the Focus on Life 2014 weekly photography challenge is 

'In, At and About' 

and for week 21, Sally over at  

The Studio Sublime, gave us the prompt:

This Week Fill in the Blanks: 

At or In the __________, I_________.

  

This one stumped me for a bit, but then I realized that

In the mornings, I take care of Coco and Kiki.

I fluff their seeds, refresh their water, talk with them and watch them snuggle.

It's rather difficult to get a focused photo of these two cuties!

It's a morning ritual that is rewarding!

Be sure to see what all the other 

Focus on Life 2014 participants 

have captured this week!

Until Next Time,

Peace, Love and Snuggles!!

Cheers,

~Shel~

An InLinkz Link-up

FOL14 - Week 20 - The View About The Ground

**If you are looking for the 
Pearls! Pearls!! Pearls!!! Blog Hop II
Info and Sign Up Post, Click HERE. 
 _______


May's topic for the Focus on Life 2014 weekly photography challenge is 

'In, At and About' 

and for week 20, Sally over at  

The Studio Sublime, gave us the prompt:

The View About The Ground

I'm always looking at the ground - usually for cool rocks. 

I decided to photograph something else this week though.

The grass with it's tiny yellow 'flowers' and this fallen leaf from the Grapefruit Tree.

 

This seemed a bit more 'summer' than rocks. 

Plus, the rocks were hot to stand on and photograph in my bare feet and the grass felt good despite the 104 temperature!

Hop around to the other participants this week and see what they captured in their "View About The Ground". 

Until Next Time,

Peace, Love and Looking About!

Cheers,

~Shel~ 

 

An InLinkz Link-up

FOL14 - Week 19 - Good Things Inside

May's topic for the Focus on Life 2014 weekly photography challenge is 

'In, At and About' 

and for week 19, Sally over at  

The Studio Sublime, gave us the prompt:

Good Things Inside

She told us that this was a good prompt to think 'outside' the box.  

Not quite sure I've accomplished that this week or not but since Mother's Day is Sunday, I thought a photo of these might fit the bill and be rather appropriate.

 These are Kiki's eggs. 

Coco and Kiki are our Peach Faced Lovebirds.

Coco's on the left here, and Kiki's on the right.

 

 Coco's my baby and can do no wrong. 

But Kiki,...she's a piece of work!  

I still love her though.

She's just barely 2 years old. Coco is somewhere between 8 to 10 years old (I simple can't remember the year he was born - bad mommy!!).

 None of their eggs have ever had anything 'inside'. Well, one did last year, but it didn't form all the way and after about 28 days or so, she just quit sitting on them. As I cleaned up their cage the other day and held these up to the sunlight, it doesn't look like there's anything at all in these little guys either.

Poor Kiki. She's such a good little 'Mama in preparation'. 

She's still sitting on her little eggs, protecting them with all she's got and building her little nest. 

Driving Coco nuts. (you know, just like normal pregnant women do to their men!)

And, she's got 'good things inside' as far as I'm concerned. 

Good instincts and a pretty little song voice. 

And one of these times maybe she'll have eggs with 'good things inside'. 

Coco and Kiki "Inside" their "love shack"! ;-)

Hop on over to all the other participants this week and see what 'good things' they have 'inside'! 

Until Next Time, 

Peace, Love and Happy Mother's Day to all of you Moms out there!  (Including Kiki!!)

Cheers,

~Shel~

An InLinkz Link-up