Friday, February 16, 2018

February Faves

Friday!  The end of the week!  It's time to look back at how I've been blessed this week.  Susanne hosts a group of thankful people each week on her blog.  Join in if you want with your own 

1.  My decision made, we purchased this camera.  I chose a 'point and shoot' again because I just don't want to expend the necessary energy it would take to learn to use a dslr camera.  I'm satisfied.  I've taken quite a few photos and finally figured out how to upload them to my computer.
Canon PowerShot SX730 Digital Camera w/40x Optical Zoom & 3 Inch Tilt LCD - Wi-Fi, NFC, & Bluetooth Enabled (Black)
2.  I just started a new thing.  Every day, I am writing a short diary entry just about what I did that day.  I'm not much of a journal person, but I recalled that my grandmother and my mother didn't write in journals; they simply recorded their daily activities, especially if they were on a vacation or extended trip.  So I decided to just write a simple summary of my day.  So far, it has been working for me--that is, I haven't abandoned the effort yet and it has been almost a week (which may be a new Willow record).

3.  Since I can check my diary and remember what I did during the week, I can report here that on our evening walk the other night, I was struck with just how much I enjoy walking in the evenings.  I think we began this tradition more than twenty-five years ago when that was the only time The Professor and I had any downtime.  I know that even now it is refreshing for us to walk in the moonlight and starlight.

Walking into the sunset



4.  Do you celebrate Lent? (Does one celebrate Lent or observe Lent?)  Most years, I contemplate a way to observe this season, either by giving up an activity or food or by including something in my daily routine--like reading a devotional or inspirational book.  This year I have chosen two things.  First, I am spending some time each day in decluttering my home.  One day it was accumulated papers.  Another day, I finally organized the coin collection books and so was able to 'declutter' a bunch of duplicate pennies I've been planning to check. [note here:  I've been a coin collector since I was a wee girl and my uncle taught me about collecting coins.]

5.  Another thing I'm doing this Lenten season is read a devotional book.  My artist group is joining together and we are each reading a different book and then sharing what we are learning each week.  My choice is Henri Nouwen's book The Return of the Prodigal Son.  Although the others are familiar with him and his writings, Nouwen is a new author for me.


AND
a couple of fun photos, just because.



7 comments:

Wendy said...

Glad to see you finally got your new camera. Hope you have fun using it. I would say we observe Lent. Sounds like you are making it a productive time.

Julene said...

I have enjoyed your list this week. A new camera and learning how it works is a fun thing! :) Lent: Biola Lent Project is what we are following.
Pretty pansy and bug in the making!!

ellen b said...

These days it's more and more important for me to write down things. :)
Congrats on the new camera!
I'm choosing to dig in and listen to sermons on the inerrancy of the Bible for Lent.

Karen said...

Congratulations on your new camera! Have fun with it:) I do observe Lent, and I hope you enjoy The Return of the Prodigal Son as much as I have in the past. Neat idea that you're all reading something different and sharing. I stopped by today to look at your posts from last year on Santa Fe! My husband and I are going there later this spring, and it's a first for him. I just love the area. I remember you talked about some nice hikes, and the cliff dwellings, which sound like something we'd both like.

Faith said...

I've seen the book but haven't read it yet. In fact, I might be getting it for my hubby's birthday this summer :) Nouwen is a great author! Our church leaves it up to the individual regarding Lent. We have a lot of saved Catholics who attend our church and they tend to be the ones who practice Lent. I grew up Methodist so never did Lent. Now that we are inter-denominational/Evangelical, we sort of observe it by not necessarily giving up something but by focusing on what Christ did for us.....I tend to gravitate more towards devotionals about the Resurrection and Calvary during this time. I also try to add something to my life...this year it is to walk daily just for praying. and yes I keep a journal but haven't been consistent. When i was a young child and teen i wrote faithfully every single night in my diary. And then I burned them when at college. I might explain that sometime soon in a blog post! :)

CONGRATS on the new camera. It's similar to mine that i really need to get out again. I'm kind of tired of just using a smart phone. :)

YAY for walks with your loved one. :)

Have a great week!!

betty-NZ said...

It's good that we all have such choices in cameras these days. One that you are comfortable with makes a big difference in the photos you take, I think! Love your 'just because' shots!

Susanne said...

Yay, glad you got your camera and made the right choice for you! Love the picture of the sunset...so soothing. The devotional you chose sounds like a good one. I'm not a big devotional person, definitely takes me more than a year to get through one, but a good one really can deepen our walk.