Category Archives: Random Thoughts

Random thoughts, musings, orphan ideas needing a home, and other writings that just didn’t want to fit into any other category

Celebrating Fathers… and Families…

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Hi Folks:

I’m old enough to remember when a family was considered to be a combination of a mother, a father and 1.8 children – although I was never sure which one of the kids lost out on that one.  But if that was considered ‘normal’, my family was, and continues to be anything but normal.  Of course, if you go back 600 years or so the word family meant ‘servants, domestics or members of a household’ (from the Latin familia) so the etymology has changed a bit over time.

In his book ‘Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah‘, Richard Bach wrote:

“The bond that links your true family is not one of blood, but of respect and joy in each other’s life. Rarely do members of one family grow up under the same roof.” Continue Reading →

For Marcia…

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Hi Folks:

Eleven years ago today Marcia proposed to me – down on one knee and everything. After much deliberation and careful consideration (all of which took about ¼ second), I said ‘Yes’.

We continue to say “Yes!!” to each other every day.

I wrote this poem for her and wanted to share it with you:

Every morning,
as you awake,
I caress your fingers
with my face…
and know we two are loved.

Happy 11th Anniversary, Darlin’!!

Forever and For Always,
Me.

Flowers for Mother’s Day

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Hi Folks:

We started this project by making a photo book for our mothers for Mother’s Day.  Marcia’s mom is no longer with us, but wherever she is now, we trust she appreciates it!  Mike’s mom is still here, so this is dedicated to her and to all of the other Mothers out there today (including Marcia!)

We made this book in Lightroom 4, using images made by both Marcia and Mike.  Thanks also to ‘The Board of Wisdom‘ for providing the quotes for us!  If you click on the image below it will open the e-book as a .pdf file.  We trust you’ll enjoy it!

Flowers for Mother's Day

Hugs,
M&M

Children of Peace

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Hi Folks:

This is a very short post, and really just a shout out to some amazing people to help raise some awareness of the project with which they are involved.  We heard about it from the creative folks at Insivity in their latest newsletter, and the possibility is so beautiful it really must be shared.  Today also marks the third day of ‘Random Acts of Kindness Week‘ so the timing is entirely appropriate!  There are so many places where this idea could be applied. Not going to bog this down with too many words… just follow the links and be inspired.

♥

Hugs,
M&M

 

 

* (with thanks to Finn Hayden of Streaming Movies Right for letting us know about the correction to this URL)

Learning to See… Again.

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Hi Folks:

This post has been brewing for a while, but for one reason or another I’ve put it off. Yesterday R.C. Concepcion posted a beautiful poem called ‘Every Moment‘ and I thought maybe it was time.

I’ve been a photographer for so long now that it informs how I see the world. I look around me and see my world in frames of images, colours, nuances of light, shapes, textures… this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but sometimes it can be. Let me explain. Continue Reading →

Film: A Leap of Faith

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Hi Folks:

Just a quick thought, appropos of nothing really, but I invested a good portion of the day sorting through thousands of old 35mm slides… I started photography seriously when I was about 15, and started shooting digital back in 2005 (a few years later).  I still shoot both film and digital and won’t come out in favour of one over the other, but in looking at those images from decades ago it occurred to me that shooting film always involved a leap of faith.  There was no live view, no instant review on the camera’s LCD, no histograms.  As a photographer one took one’s accumulated knowledge and experience, working knowledge of the camera and film in use and made an exposure or series of exposures based on a ‘best estimate’ – but it was often days or weeks before the results could be viewed. By then the moment had indeed passed and could never be brought back again. In shooting slide film the image ‘in hand’ was the finished product, which put great onus on ‘getting it right in camera’.

I fully appreciate the latitude and the options digital processing offers, but to me there was always a certain mystery involved in shooting film.  I don’t think I’ll ever lose that feeling.

Now go out and make some photographs!

Hugs,
Mike.

IMG0005

Swift Current Creek, SK, 1982 (Kodachrome 25)

Happy New Year!!

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Hi Folks:

Today is the first day of 2013. To start the year off right, we wanted to share this quote with you from Howard W. Hunter:

“This year, mend a quarrel.
Seek out a forgotten friend.
Dismiss suspicion and replace it with trust.
Write a letter.
Give a soft answer.
Encourage youth.
Manifest your loyalty in word and deed.
Keep a promise.
Forgo a grudge.
Forgive an enemy.
Apologize.
Try to understand.
Examine your demands on others.
Think first of someone else.
Be kind.
Be gentle.
Laugh a little more.
Express your gratitude.
Welcome a stranger.
Gladden the heart of a child.
Take pleasure in the beauty and wonder of the earth.
Speak your love and then speak it again.”

Have an amazing day and an incredible year!!

Hugs,
M&M

P.S. This is a message we can all send to each other: Israel and Iran: A love story?

Happy Holidays!!

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Happy Holidays, Everyone! There are so many different celebrations this time of year… The first day of Muharram/ Islamic New Year has come and gone, as has Hanukkah, and we’re sitting on the edge of the winter Solstice.  Today is the first day of the next cycle of 13 Baktun – the Mayan Long Count – so how do you envision the next 26,000 years?  Christmas, Kwanzaa, Saturnalia are yet to come this month, but whether you celebrate any or all of these or something more personal, we wanted to wish you a safe and happy Holiday Season and a New Year filled with as much love, joy, peace, adventure, contentment, prosperity and excitement as you can handle! Continue Reading →

Creating Connections…

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Hi Folks:

Today is our blog’s third birthday, so happy birthday to us!!  We originally opened our doorway on this little corner of the ‘net as a place to share ideas, thoughts and feelings and to create connections with others, so ‘Creating Connections’ seemed like an apt title for today’s post.
Continue Reading →