Wordless Wednesday- Some Fun Fall Photos

Just a few of the things I've found interesting thus far this fall.

Cheers, 

Tara

Falling in Love... with Fall

Good morning, all!


It's that time of year again.  Fall has arrived (well, almost).  The leaves are changing colour and falling from the trees, the bulk of the summer heat has left us, and the days are getting shorter.  


While weather-wise, I will admit, I am not a fan of fall, I have to say that I see it's appeal.  The colours around us are so dynamic and the leaves on the ground, if raked into a pile, lead to endless fun for  the kiddies.


This time of year is great too, because the routine returns to our lives.  The kids have gone back to school, and while we can't just pick up and go any more, it is good to be back to "the grind."  As much as I adore the freedom that summer brings, I will admit that I do so much better when I have a routine.  I would really like to believe that I am awesomely self motivated, and I guess I am to a certain extent, but I really do need deadlines, and fall is good for that.


Fall is also a time of new beginnings.  New scenery, new friends, new opportunities.  To that end, I have chosen the fall to start a few new projects.  As you all may know, I have been working at improving my photography skills,  since I have discovered that is a huge passion of mine.  In the next little while, I will be opening a web store to showcase some of my work.  I hope to have it open in the next day or two, and I hope you like it.  In the long run, I want to have my own photography website, but I am starting small for now.


I also plan on overhauling my blogs in the hopes of getting them "out there" a little bit more.  I don't plan on making huge changes, but rather little tweaks here and there.  I'm going to make more effort to update them regularly and market them more effectively, as I would really like the freedom to work outside the home less, and in the home more.  I want to have the freedom to live comfortably and work hard, while still being here to be with my child.  I think that the time I've had off has taught me a lot about my priorities.


Right now though, I am on the hunt for an outside job in a field that is completely new to me.  I know that I can't physically do the work I was doing, and so I have re-done my resume to reflect my desire to do something that both challenges and inspires me.  For the first time in my life, I am actually excited about the direction in which things are headed. 


What about you?  How do you feel about this time of year?  Are you a fall lover?  What    are your plans for the coming season?  Leave me a comment below!


Cheers,
Tara

Ponderings

I absolutely love this time of year.  Warm weather, blue skies, sunshine.  There's just so much to do, and so much to see. Beauty abounds, it really does.  Don't get me wrong, there's a certain beauty to the winter, but for me, summer is where it's at. 


One of my favourite things to do in the summer is walk.  Not only is it good exercise, but it's a good time to think, and unwind.  In the past, I've needed a purpose to my walks.  I found that I would tend to give up if I didn't  have to be somewhere. 


Something's changed though.  I've started enjoying looking out at my city, and seeing all the beauty that's out there.  Even in the scruffiest of neighbourhoods, there's beauty to be found.  To that end, I started making sure that I never leave the house without my camera and video camera.  Too many times I'd see something that I'd really like and wish I had my camera.  That doesn't happen now.


At first, it was a little difficult.  I'd spend so much time "looking" for a good shot that I often missed the most interesting things.  I thought that I had to take my photos based on what I thought others would like, when all along, the only person I had to please was me. So, I started taking pictures of what interested me, and soon enough, I found that it was second nature.


These days, when I go on my camera walks, I let the camera decide where we're going. I know that sounds like a really odd thing to say, but it's pretty much what happens.  I don't plan, really, other than deciding on a direction to start out in.  I do what feels right.    That really works for me.  I take a lot of photos that look interesting to me, and people seem  to like them as well.  At first I worried that they were only humouring me, but as I get more comfortable with it, my confidence has soared.  


Today, I had some child free time, and my cameras and I went out for a walk.  And soon enough, I was in my zone, taking my photos and feeling good.  As I walked, I got an idea for a painting I wanted to do, and an idea for another project I had been planning, and I started thinking about how awesome life is.  Sure, there are troubles that come up sometimes, and it's not always easy, but it's definitely worth it to be alive, and to get out there and experience the world.  It's so easy to get trapped in a negative mindset, but I just can't do it.  There's just so much to be happy for.


I walked through a park, and was looking at this piece that had all these sayings on it, and while I was snapping off pictures I realized how happy I am that this creative side of me was unleashed.  I love creating, and the more I create, the more I want to create, and the more I feel I have to create.  Taking pictures is definitely what I feel drawn to, it's like a living, breathing being that needs to come out, or it'll eat me from the inside out.  You know, nothing dramatic, or anything.   Hehehe. 


I think that, when I grow up, I want to be a photographer.  I think I've got a pretty good eye, and, while I don't know much about the finer points of photography, I can certainly learn, can't I?  It feels right, so I'm definitely going to see what I can do to further this goal, and in the meantime, I'm going to keep snapping away.

A Springy, Sunshiny Day

Greetings!


So, it's a nice warm sunshiny day today, and I thought, to be different, I'd do my writing on the balcony.   And get a little sun while I'm at it.  I really do love my balcony, I get to look out over the downtown, and see all the goings on.  I'm a city person, it makes me happy.


One slight issue with this plan,  the sun is creating a really bad glare at my laptop which makes it impossible to see almost anything.  To rectify this, I am sitting out here with one of my son's blankets over both my head and my laptop, which fixes the glare issue, but kind of defeats the purpose of sitting out in the sun, no? Plus, I'm pretty sure anyone who can see me thinks I'm insane.


Oh well, insane looking or not, it's nice to be outside in the warm air after months of being cooped up. Winter is so long, and the spring and sunshine are definitely welcome.  


I love spring, it's a time of rebirth, where everything is fresh and new.  Everything looks brighter, and there's a certain lightness in everyone's steps.  It's a time to be creative, too.  I've taken up painting and drawing, not because I think I'm any good at them, but simply because I can. It makes me feel good. These things also make me want to write more, which is awesome.  That is my true passion, and one I'd like to engage in more often. I've always wanted to be a writer, but I never really pursued it because I doubted my ability to do it well. Either fear of failure or success has always held me back.  


This year I've done a lot of growing both emotionally and spiritually, and I'm learning to trust my instincts more.  I've had a lot of good feedback about the stuff I've written thus far, and I'm trusting that it's not just people humouring me because they love me.  It's because there's value in what I've written, and people enjoy reading it.  So, I'm going to take advantage of the season of growth and rebirth and indulge my passion for writing whenever I can.  I'm sure I'll be sharing it with you along the way.


For now though, I think I'm going to take this blanket off my head and enjoy the sun.


Cheers!
Tara