Category: writing

Thursday Thanksgiving—the June Edition

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I wrote on Monday that I was going to keep up my “experiment” of writing a gratitude list every morning, but that I was scaling down the list to three each day rather than trying to match the number of the day. I am finding myself stretched. It’s easy to list the same things over and again—my family, music, the “new” old piano, church family, rain, birdsong outside my window. . . .  But at the same time, I am finding other gifts. As I drive to work, I sometimes find myself noticing the clouds—large puffy clouds edged with silver, or low-hanging rain clouds, and sometimes the dark black clouds holding the summer thunder storms. Last night, as I went to sleep, there was the sound of those large, heavy raindrops falling on the roof and the low rumble of thunder. We are in need of rain right now as the winter rains have “dried up,” so to speak.

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In our community, there are the high school graduates beginning their lives. Some will be going on to college or to the military while others will be going straight into the work force. There are the eighth graders who are leaving behind middle school to go to high school in August, my niece included. (When did she become old enough to go to high school? She is so grown-up looking, and quite beautiful, if I must say so myself.) And those fifth graders are moving up to middle school. Look out, world! There’s a whole new generation coming! And as I watch the young people in my community and family grow up and mature, I am more than hopeful.

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Today, there is a sad kind of thanksgiving in my community, too. My across-the-road neighbor passed away yesterday after some struggles with his health. I am, of course, thankful, that he has been with us for as long as he was. He was one of those men who would give his shirt if he knew he was helping someone else. I know how thankful I was for him and his daughter several years ago when we lost our home to fire. He was the first fireman on the scene and took control of the fire scene. We still lost the house, but he worked hard to save the things he did. And while we mourn Mr. Heyward, we celebrate his new life in heaven, where he is whole and healed (and if there are hunting grounds for deer and beautiful scenes to photograph and grass to cut, I’m sure he can be found scoping out the situation and getting ready to work).

Since beginning this experiment of daily gratitude, beginning the day on a positive note, I find that my entire day is better. Oh, I still have the same issues and frustration, especially with students who come to class thinking that because they are not being paid a salary that they are entitled to pass or that they do not have to work and earn their successes. Then I have the one or two students who appreciate everything little thing that every instructor in the building gives them. Ms. Jackie, Ms. Nancy, Natalie, and others remind me that I am reaching someone, and my work is worthwhile.

So, even thought it is cloudy and gray, I know there is sun behind those clouds. I will be thankful for those clouds and for the rain they may bring. I may not like getting my feet wet or having to tote the umbrella, but I will rejoice and be glad in this day.

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June 1—The Experiment Continues

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Actually, it’s not even a new experiment. Gratitude lists and journals have been around for a long time. Ann Voskamp wrote about her experiment to collect a list of 1,000 gifts, and she continues.

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Last month, I began an experiment of my own. I wrote a list of things for which I was thankful and grateful. Each day of month of May, I wrote down that number of gifts. By May 31, it was hard not to repeat that items, but you know, I think it’s okay to repeat myself, especially if that repeated item is something for which I am truly thankful, such as my music and my recent piano lessons. I have rediscovered my joy in playing piano, now that I actually have a piano to play!

So, this month, I am modifying my experiment in two ways, and again, I have to confess that I am not being extremely original. I read the other day about The Five Minute Journal, a printed journal with several prompts for the day:

  • Three things for which I am grateful;
  • What would make today great?
  • Daily “I am” affirmation statement?
  • Three amazing things that happened today
  • What would have made today even better?

According to the originators of the The Five Minute Journal, there is power in beginning and ending the day on a positive note. The three things in the gratitude list set the tone for positive things. The daily affirmation also helps us think positively about ourselves. (I am notorious for putting myself down, so this affirmation thing is really kicking my backside and changing the way I think.) At the end of the day, there is a bit of self-reflection on the positive things that happened, and reflection on how we could have met the goals of the day and how we can make the next day better.

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All of this goes into my journal where I write my morning pages (a la Julia Cameron, The Artist’s Way).  It’s one of my three daily pages right now.

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There is an old saying that we see what we look for. So, this month, I am going to try to see the gifts in front of me, those things that God has given me—and to the world, and to accept those gifts with a thankful heart.

Will you join me? I bet we can come up with at least 1,000, but perhaps even 10,000!

A Very Thankful Thursday

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I must say that the last couple of weeks have been “roller coaster” weeks—things going up and down, emotions swinging widely. I have been watching my father age for months. He turned 88 years old in March, and began looking (and perhaps acting) every one of those years. Last week, something changed; he began to “perk” up, gain some energy, regain his appetite. He even wanted to take the boat to the coast to go fishing. And on Tuesday, he did! The difference? Something really kind of simple when you think about it: the doctor began changing some of his medications and eliminating others.

Tuesday evening was also fraught with worry and concern when I took one of my sons to the emergency room because he had become extremely dehydrated after working outside in ninety-degree heat all day. After two liters of intravenous fluids, he was more or less himself again. I am so thankful that we have more than adequate medical care in our community. However, Wednesday began with problems of its own. A terrible wreck near Columbia had traffic tied up literally all day long, until the five o’clock p.m. commute home. Ten vehicles were involved, one of which was a gasoline tanker, which ignited. Miraculously, only four (which is four too many) people were injured, and there were no fatalities. It was definitely God’s hand involved. My normal thirty-five minute commute turned into a two-and-a-half hour commute, and was extremely late for work. However, I work for an understanding staff and administration.

This morning, I began my day, as I have most of this month, by writing a list of gifts, the same number as the date. Today, May 28, prompted me to write twenty-eight gifts, and it is hard to think of new mercies every day! Today, in my list is my thanks for my mother’s eighty-years, fifty-seven of which have been devoted to me, my sister, and my brother (I’m the oldest, and fifty-nine have been devoted to my father. This is truly a gift to have both my parents when so many of my friends from school have lost their parents.

I went out to capture beauty, since beauty is part of my list of gifts. Our God is a remarkable artist, isn’t He? Color, shape, texture, scent—Amazing! IMG_6185

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Thursday Thankfulness

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Last Thursday, April 30, I took a bold step for me. I began counting gifts, one for each day of the calendar. On April 30, I listed thirty things. On May 1, I listed one; on the 2nd, I listed two. On the third and the fourth, I fell off the wagon, but got right back on it on the 5th. So, here I am on May 7 listing seven things for which I am grateful, with some images perhaps.

I signed up for Alene’s and Susan’s “Radiant HeART” class, which combines painting and photography. The painting part (Alene’s lessons) scares the bejesus out of me; I’m more comfortable with Susan’s photography lessons. This week, Susan sends us out with our cameras to capture images of those things for which we are grateful. So, in the spirit of the gratitude lesson, here are my seven things for this Thankful Thursday:

1. my blooming orchids. I’m not sure I’ve ever had a true green thumb. I can kill most plants pretty quickly. But I found out years ago, shortly after I married, in fact, that I can grow and keep phalaenopsis orchids. I have two window sills full of phals, or more commonly known as moth orchids because of the shape of their wings. Right now, I have seven in bloom; the eighth one is beginning to wilt. These orchids are just beautiful, and they remind me to see beauty.

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2. Books. . . . Did you know I loved to read? I think sometimes I’d rather read than photograph things. I still very much love the feel of a real paper and ink book in my hands and the smell of a new book, too, but since I live in a small space, I have turned to reading electronically more and more. Just give me a good book, and I can escape for hours. I do very much like my new Kindle Voyage. I can read in broad daylight, outside in the bright sun, and I can read in bed at midnight in the dark. It was definitely a smart purchase for me. (Aaron can keep my old Kindle.)

3. I must confess that I do not like to do the dishes, and I have a sink full of dirty pots and pans. So, why should I be thankful for a kitchen that needs a thorough cleaning and organizing? First, I have the kitchen. We endured complete loses of two homes to house fires in the last eight years. (Yeah, that’s a lot!) We have been in this home for more than two years now. I have the kitchen. And I have the food to prepare for meals. I cannot imagine the numbers of people who go without meals daily to the point of starvation. So, I am thankful for the pile of dirty dishes that accumulates in the sink.

4. Blue skies and sunshine, even though I am more of an inside person, I treasure the moments I can look outside and see the sky and the sunshine. The grass looks greener; the pond is more reflective. This must be the way heaven looks in part.

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5. The gift of music—I know I’ve listed this as part of my thankfulness before. I am a musician, and I gave up music for many years, except to listen to it. I let my children be the music makers in my home. But now, I am returning to it. I take piano lessons again from a wonderful teacher; I challenge myself with pieces I’ve never played before, pushing my technique and my abilities. And when I play beautiful music, I feel God’s peace. (I just hope His ears do not feel assaulted!)

6. Solitude: I have been given this idea a great deal of thought recently. I am an introvert, and periods of solitude are important to me. I am thankful that I have the choice to be able to have that time, whether I am sitting my corner of the couch with that good book, my knitting or crocheting, or my pen and journal. I am thankful that when I need company and intimacy with other people, I can seek it. For me, solitude strengthens me and renews me. it quiets me and those squirrels running rampant in the brain. I can do as we are commanded, “Be still, and know that I am God.”

7. Motherhood—Raising children is frustrating; sometimes, it is just plain aggravating and maddening. Many days, I have wanted nothing more than to run away and hide from the demands of the children. Yet, I wouldn’t trade those days for anything. I told another mother, who is raising her second child (she has a much older child—one that’s almost twenty years old, I think), that although our children grow out of certain needs from us, their need for us as mothers is endless, and sometimes endlessly frustrating! But I look at my two grown sons, and I am proud of the men that they have become. I see the influence I have had on them: both of them are musicians; both are kind and loving (most of the time anyway). And both are independent and strong, each in his own way.

My challenge to you is to continue to count your blessings one by one, as the old hymn directs us. It does help pull you out of the doldrums.

Thirty Things for Which I Am Grateful

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A couple of years ago, I decided that Thursdays would be my day to share a gratitude list. I am more or less (right now, it seems less) faithful to that decision. I’ve neglected my writing and my blog for nearly a month now, telling myself that my work schedule simply did not include time to write entries, to gather photographs, or to be “inspired.” This morning, I skimmed through Ali Edwards’ blog, and saw an entry for twenty-seven item gratitude list. Since today is April 30, I thought that, surely, I could come up with a list of thirty things for which to be thankful.

  1. Friends who “get” me. I’m one of those introverted people, and sometimes, I am “misunderstood.” I am not really shy because I will talk to perfect strangers in the checkout line at the grocery store or at Wal-Mart. I even help perfect strangers pick out the best kind of needle and thread to use to repair a dog bed! But I am not one to make a spectacle of myself in a large group. I appreciate those friends who understand that when I prefer to stand on the edge of the crowd or not engage in the “large group activity,” I am not aloof or shy. I am just uncomfortable in that setting.
  2. My family, especially my mother, who may understand and know me better than I know myself.
  3. Rain, even when I feel the way Noah must have felt after forty days on the ark.
  4. New plantings—basil, cilantro, tomatoes, peppers, peonies, hibiscus, dianthus.  .  . .
  5. Old plantings—Grandma’s camellia, the roses covered in bloom, the lilies that haven’t bloomed yet. . . .
  6. Music—inspiring music that feeds my soul as well as the fun music that energizes me.
  7. Books—must needed escaping and inspiration
  8. Coffee in the morning—not because I need the caffeine, but for the comforting warmth.
  9. Tea in the middle of the day to relax, unwind, and “chill.”
  10. My gadgets—the iPad, smart phone, Kindle, computer, Zune (what will I do when the Zune fails?). These things can be time wasters, but at the same time, they connect me to world outside myself.
  11. A comfortable hand-knitted shawl of soft yarn to ward off a chilly morning
  12. My sons—endless sources of joy, pride, and inspiration (as well as more than a few aggravations and frustrations)
  13. My piano—I’ve said it before: the piano is a gift from a church member who understood what it would mean to me.
  14. My church family
  15. My camera that helps me to see the world in new ways and to worship outside the four walls of a building
  16. Freedom to choose and free will—It seems such a simple thing that I often take it for granted that I have the ability to choose what I do, where I go, and so forth. I can pretty much do whatever I choose to do. But I also recognize that this freedom comes with a price: a responsibility to use my freedoms with care.
  17. Sonic Lemonberry Slushes—‘nuff said.
  18. Chocolate (see #17).
  19. Creativity and imagination—Oh, yes, I have a healthy dose of imagination at times! I can imagine the best and worst of any situation! But the fact is,  I have been given the gift to create things, whether it is an interpretation of a Brahms’s “Romance” or a Chopin prelude, or a knitted sweater, or an interesting photography. And that is a gift from God.
  20. New life—and not just the new life springing up outside in nature. I have three great nieces and nephews, and two of them will be baptized on Sunday.
  21. Colleagues who make work fun and meaningful
  22. Meaningful work, knowing that what I do makes a difference.
  23. Forgiveness—Of course, there is the theological aspect of forgiveness, but there is a gift in forgiveness that allows me to start over with a clean slate.
  24. Beauty, both natural and man-made. Beauty is an earthly representation of God’s kingdom.
  25. Modern medicine and old wisdom: God-given knowledge that helps us live better.
  26. Reliable transportation—I’m still holding out for my candy-apple red Alpha Romeo convertible, but right now, I am thankful that I have my older Taurus that gets me to the places I need and want to go.
  27. Writing instruments of all sorts—There is something in the feel of a good pen on paper that “inspires” me to write. One day I may get used to writing and composing on the computer, but for now, I am thankful that people still make old-fashioned fountain pens.
  28. Bandit—Bandit is the last of Freckle’s descendants that I know of. I’m not sure when I became a cat person. I think Aaron forced to be a cat person when he brought in Freckles and her four kittens and asked me to help Freckles. She had a huge abscess on her neck. I just knew the vet would tell us that she would never recover and the humane thing to do would be to put her to sleep. But no, the vet cleaned and stitched her up, and she healed. We’ve had several generations of her descendants, but Bandit will be the last.
  29. Health—right now, I feel stuffy and have the sniffles as if I am getting a cold or having an allergy attack, but over all I think I’m in pretty good health!
  30. The end of this list! I was beginning to wonder for a bit there (somewhere around item 5) if I would come up with thirty things! The lesson, though, was that the more I looked at my life, the more I realized that I have been given so many gifts. I can see that even my messy kitchen is a gift because I have a kitchen to mess up, and I have food to prepare. The same cannot be said for everyone on the planet.

So, I challenge you today to think of thirty things for which you are grateful. I think making my list this morning has lifted my spirits and has made me put some things in perspective.

Seeing Red

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No, I’m not angry. It just seems that everywhere I look this week, I see red and variations of red:

IMG_6050 A new hibiscus for the secret garden that is so secret it doesn’t know it’s a garden.

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IMG_6064one of the buds on the red knockout rose my mother gave me for Christmas two years ago

IMG_6043one of the bottle brush bush blooms at the “retreat” at Bennetts Point

See? I told you, there is red everywhere this spring!

Thursday Gratitude

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Oh, my what a two weeks! I’m back in the classroom for another mod at Remington. I have some good classes, some wonderful students, and great colleagues. It has been a very long time since I have taught in such a mutually supportive environment. Of course, I often feel that I am the “odd woman out” as one of the general education teachers in the Allied Health Sciences program. I don’t have to wear a uniform, and I don’t have a personalized lab coat. I teach one of the more “creative” courses, and therefore, sometimes I feel out of place, like I should be over in the cosmetology department! But I enjoy my place here, and I can stand the long hours. I am teaching from 9:00 a.m. until 10:30 p.m.–four classes spread out throughout the day. Needless to say, that I am more than thankful for the weekends!

It’s coming up on Easter weekend. I have missed the Holy Week services, but I will be able to attend the Good Friday service. Easter morning will dawn bright and early for the Sunrise Service and breakfast. I am looking forward to those services.

It is pollen season in South Carolina, and I have had respiratory issues for the last week. Thankfully, I am on the mend, even if the laryngitis remains for a while. I do need some real time off to let my voice rest. However, you know what they say about rest and the weary! I do intend to rest–and work in some walks with the camera this weekend.

I do have much to be thankful–fulfilling work, dear friends, and Jesus.

Thursday Thanksgiving

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It has been so long since I’ve written a gratitude list. This used to be a regular part of my blog. But then “life” happened, and I made some changes, and.  . . . 

Excuses, excuses.

So, today, I’m starting over. On Thursdays, I will post a list of things for which I am thankful. Ann Voskamp calls them “gifts” in her book One Thousand Gifts. In her book, she lists some of the ways that keeping a gratitude list helps: being thankful actually can make us healthier. It relieves depression, and certainly, not being depressed leads to better health. Being thankful and grateful makes us more pleasant to be around, for sure, and it leads to better performance all around.

So, here is my list for this week:

  • cherry blossoms. Several years ago, my darling husband decided that the blooming cherry tree in the back yard was taking up too much space, so he cut it. It was definitely a “George Washington” moment around the Fulmer household. I was heartbroken and devastated beyond belief. I looked forward to that cherry tree coming into bloom every spring. I knew that when that tree was in bloom, it would be warming up soon. DH (darling husband) told me that it would come back, that it would sprout from the stump. And it did, and finally, there were cherry blossoms on the tree this year!

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  • camellias. I’ve told the story so often about Grandma’s camellias and how she brought some seedlings with her when she left her home in Georgia after she married my granddaddy. This year, we had some deep freezes in February, the kind of freeze that goes to into the low tens and teens. One morning, it was 12 degrees here by the ponds! That kind of freeze! The camellia was budding, and I knew for sure that the buds had frozen, and I would have no bloom this year. God amazes me time after time. The camellia is in full bloom!
  • piano lessons. Okay, I know how to play the piano. I took lessons from the time I was eight or nine until I finished college. I could, at one time—the end of my junior year in high school, play Chopin’s “Military” Polonaise! I can’t now, but still. . . .  This year, I decided I wanted to take lessons again. I am studying with Wanda Neese, instructor of piano at Newberry College. I have rediscovered my love for the piano and for music in general.
  • blue skies. Not only have we had cold weather, we have had rain. I think one weather reporter said that in February, there were only six consecutive days of sun. March didn’t start out any better. We’ve had rain and clouds for seemingly days on end. But today, the skies were blue, the clouds were white, and the wind was just a gentle breeze.

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Share your gratitude in the comments below, or link up with me!

A Tuesday Technique and a Texture Tuesday

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I wrote about my cherry blossoms on Saturday. Today, I’m using one of the images to made Saturday. I played with my Lensbaby Composer Pro and Sweet 35 optic and a set of extension tubes to try for some macro photography. Let me tell you, it is sometimes much harder than it seems. There was a light breeze that kept shaking the tree branches. I knew that shooting wide open (2.8 on the Sweet 35) would allow me to use a fast shutter speed, which would minimize the shake. But I had to put the camera in the branches, and I kept bumping them. I finally resorted to hauling out the tripod. Even then I still had some problems getting close enough to the blossoms to make the image I wanted. I had hoped to get some images with the water drops from the rain that morning.

So, I chose the image above to work with. The first thing I did was make a few adjustments in Lightroom—white balance, tone, exposure, contrast, clarity. I have to admit that I make adjustments “to taste” as opposed to formula or correctness. If it looks like I want it to, I call it “correct.”  I also cropped the image to focus on the larger bloom. After my basic adjustments, I opened the image in Photoshop. (I may be one of the few photographers who still use CS6 rather CC.)

One of my favorite actions is the Levels Boost Action from the girls at Love That Shot. I’ve used this action for years. I think it boosts the contrast just a bit more and brightens the image. Then I had fun applying textures. I like textures with some kind of script on them. I think these old-fashioned papers can give the image a vintage look.

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I used a vintage postcard paper from a collection of textures and overlays. I use a free action from MCP Actions to place textures (texture applicator). I used that MCP texture application action, set the blending mode to soft light with an opacity of 60%. I did not like the script over the flowers, but I wanted to retain the color of the texture. I took a Clickin’ Moms’ class last summer, and I learned a trick that helps me retain color but lose texture. Here’s the trick:

1. Make sure you are working on the image itself and not the layer mask. This is important.

2. Use the lasso tool and outline the area where you want to remove the color.

3. Select Filter>Blur>Gaussian Blur. Pull the slider to a high number—10 or higher. On this image, I think I pulled the slider to the right to 25. This removed any traces of the script but left the color.

Then I added Kim Klassen’s Magic Texture (KK2). I reduced the opacity to 30% and set the blend mode to soft light. I brushed a little of the magic texture off the lighter portions of the image. 

By the way, the water drops are evident in the cropped version.

Sunday ReFrame Rescue

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Today was an odd Sunday. For one thing, I had no one to go to church with me. I decided to be a “heathen” of sorts, maybe even a pagan, if you will, and worship at home—on the John Deere yellow swing with my camera and my sketch book, drawing pencils, and ink. My worship was more meditation than worship. I listened to the sounds around me; the bird choir sang the hymns. I felt the respiration of God in the light breeze that blew around me—not enough to rustle the pages in the sketch book, but enough to let me know that He was there. Yes, it was an odd Sunday in that my pew was bright yellow instead of mellow brown, that the hymns were wordless, that the Gospel was the Breath of Life around me.

After yesterday’s blues, today was a day of reframing and rescue, a day to remember that God’s breath is all around me, breathing with me and through me, and that no matter what my emotions may tell me, He never leaves me lonely or isolated. He is present always.

Sometimes, I need an odd Sunday to remind me.