More Macros

I spent some time tonight experimenting with my new macro lens.

The last Christmas Cactus bloom. This plant has

been blooming since November.

A colorful paperweight.

Old croquet balls.

New Nikon Macro Lens

My new Nikkor Macro 60mm lens came in the mail today. So exciting. I was surprised that it was heavier than my other lenses. This brings a new learning curve for my photography skills.

This lens has a very shallow depth of field, which blurs out the background and areas not in focus very nicely.

Skeleton Key Eye Candy

Repurposed junk jewelry with a little bling added are good sellers at the store.

Mother-In-Law

Mike's parents came over for a rare visit. I thought the light was nice on Betty's face, so I grabbed my camera.

Flickr Widget

I experimented tonight installing a widget on my blog. Clicking on a photo will take one to my flickr site. I'll eventually place it on the side bar.

March Snow...Hail..Wind...Rain

Snow, hail, wind and rain...all in one day, before noon..and it's almost April! As I was leaving for lunch today to run a few errands, I stepped outside and turned right around, deciding an hour at my desk was much cozier.

It's hard to see, but it was coming down pretty hard.

Hail-O

Winning AGAIN!

Every year Cathy and I try to attend the district's Annuity Fair. Almost every year someone from our department wins. The one year we didn't attend we were asked to draw out the winners. The payroll department gives Cathy and I a bad time because we have won quite a few times between the two of us! This year Cathy won a $25 gift certificate to the Olive Garden; Paul won an atomic clock; and I won a $25 gift certificate to Sam's Club. I wish I could be a fly on the wall when they draw out the winners and our department people win. When Dave came down to surprise us at our staff meeting this morning, the whole payroll department came with him. This is a record - three the same year! In the past I have won a DVD player, a weather station with atomic clock and this gift certificate. Cathy has won four times in my "off years," Vanessa, once.

Other items I have won from other places: a wonderful rocking chair from Gardner's Village and a video IPOD.

Winter Walking Gear

I'm looking forward to warmer weather when walking outdoors early in the morning. It may also allow me to sleep in for an extra five minutes when I don't have to pile on the clothes!

Let's see...there's a scarf, thermal shirt, hat, gloves, socks, shoes, cell (with a flashlight app) thermal walking pants and heavy jacket.

Daisy Macros

I decided I need to become more comfortable with my tripod. I also have three macro filters. So I put those two together tonight to experiment. These are a little out of focus, but I kind of like the soft feel of the yellow daisies.

Hankie Collection

There's something about the faded, soft and worn feel and look of old hankies. I have a few I store in an old tweed cosmetic suitcase.

There are certain colors that catch my eye: combinations of yellow, blue and red.

I love children's hankies - very hard to find anymore.

Window treatment in my back bathroom off the garage - old hankies.

Grandma's Hankies

Since I've been fighting some upper respiratory thing I got to thinking about handkerchiefs. I actually saw someone use one the other day. I got to thinking about that - using one, then putting the soiled thing in my pocket or purse, and I was thankful for Kleenex. In this time of reuse and recycle, there are some things that maybe should be disposable, like a Kleenex. Nevertheless, I don't ever remember a time when I didn't see my Grandma Wardle carrying one in her apron pocket. It was used for wiping noses as well as cleaning a grandchild's face with a little spit. In those days hankies were works of art. Always a bit of lace crocheted around the edges, trying out new patterns - think of the hours it took!

In church my mother would pull a hankie out of her purse and fold it a certain way to make a little babies in a hammock, or a mouse that would jump if held in a cupped hand to keep us entertained. My Nanny Bryan would keep her hankie tucked in the front of her dress. A little of the edges would show. Funny what you remember when you start reminiscing.

Two of my Grandma Wardle's hand crocheted hankies.

Babies in a hammock.

Crocuses Mean SPRING!

Crocuses are one of the first flowers that appear between the end of winter and the first of spring.

Macros are my favorite.

Sometimes belly shots are worth the damp jeans and chill you get from lying on your stomach to get the pictures you want.

Stepping from one flower to another.

I was happy this one turned out - the shadow of the bee is pretty fun.

Snow...Rain...Blue Skies - It Must be March

Snow, rain and blue skies all in one day - it must be March.

I stopped just before leaving HAFB south gate tonight and loved the soft clouds blanketing the tops of the mountains. The camera just couldn't capture the sight.

Craving Flowers

"Spring is just around the corner," so the saying goes. I just wanted to hurry it up. I stopped by the grocery store and bought some flowers to bring indoors.

Antique bottles on the window sill.

Daylight Savings Time

It is so hard to adjust to Daylight Savings Time!  Will I ever fall asleep at a decent hour??  (Not so far this week.) Once the hour is gone, where does it go? Is it in a bank somewhere - a huge deficit of hours hidden away? Turning all my clocks ahead one hour is just a reminder that an hour has disappeared, never to be seen again. But I have to admit that I like the longer days of light:)

Before going to bed very late Saturday night, I set my alarm clock one hour ahead. When I got up the next morning I realized that I was so tired the night before that I hit the clock time button twice, adjusting the time to two hours ahead instead of one, and ended up getting up TWO hours early!

A few years ago in the Fall I remember setting all the clocks in the house back an hour and went to bed. In the morning  Mike also set all the clocks back  - so we were TWO hours LATE!

Lady Bug, Lady Bug...Fly Away Home

Miss Lady Bug came to visit me at work today. Took a couple of macros.

Pixie Face & Carrie's Birthday

My mother told me again, today, the story of Ben Lomond's pixie face. She says you know you're going to have a good day when you can see the pixie face on Ben Lomond Peak. Can you see it? I can.

Also, it was Carrie's birthday today. Jared surprised her by restoring a BW Yamaha Motorcycle. Uh, I don't think the stickers or the pink helmet are original!

Does this look fun, or what??

Doree and Eee-pc

Matt and Amber dropped by tonight and brought their puppy, Doree. She's a beautiful 3-month-old apricot-colored cockapoo.
                                 

                              Amber, Matt and Doree
Matt brought over his netbook tonight. It's a Asus Eee  Pc. It'a about 10" wide. Matt loves taking this to his classes at WSU.

A Good Bye..er...Buy

Family Fresh Foods is located in Ogden and is the only store in Utah that doubles coupons every single day. I decided to check it out. I gathered up all my coupons and headed out. While going up and down the aisles it reminded me of a time many and years ago when I would pick up my friend who had bad health and we would drive to Bowmans in Kaysville. They used to double coupons there. I remember one time when the cashier called out "SIXTY DOLLARS!!!" as loud as she could. That's the amount I had saved in doubling my coupons that day.

I saved just over $30 today. I got the gum for nine cents! The toothpaste for .89 and three packages of Bayer Aspirin for .59 each, and the packages held double the amount. I used the $30 I saved to purchase some freeze dried milk and powdered honey for our food storage.

My Old Sewing Machines

After sewing at Jackie's house last night I got to thinking about my old sewing machines.

Featherweights were introduced by the Singer Company at the Chicago World's Fair in 1933. It has a reputation of being one of the most durable sewing macines ever made. It weighs only 11 pounds, while most other portables at that time weighed between 25-40 pounds. It's a great machine for transporting to classes and doing straight stitching.

This beautiful machine came all the way from England and I have it in my studio. Wendy bought it for me when she was on her mission there. Across the street from her flat was a little thrift store. She purchased it for what would have been $5.00 in U.S. currency. It was housed in a wonderful wood rounded case. We packed it as well as we thought was possible, but the case was damaged on the plane on the journey home. Thankfully the sewing machine was not. This machine looks like Jackie's.

This child's sewing machine (hand crank) came all the way from England also. I found it in a little antique store up north. I packed this in my suitcase. It's heavy for a child's sewing machine; it weighs just under 8 pounds.

Toy sewing machines: Isaac Singer believed that if you teach a child to sew, then the adult would know how to sew. These are Singer's Model 20 and were unique chain-stitch machines manufactured from 1900-1950. These sit on a shelf in my studio and are two of my most favorite things.

Hand Crank Sewing Machines

We had our monthly quilt meeting and though we were few in numbers, it was great fun. We met at Jackie's log cabin in West Weber. She set up three of her 22 hand crank sewing machines for us to use. Hand crank means just that - no electricity - the hand crank generates the power. I was sewing on a machine manufactured in about 1922. I found it very relaxing to take hold of that old knob and turn it 'round and 'round to generate the power to make the little stitches in my project.  It was so smooth and quiet. I did find myself now and then lifting up my foot, trying to find the pedal, as if I were home on my Bernina.

The beautiful painting on these old machines is just amazing.

We even used old thread, on the old wooden spools, to sew with.

Here's Janet. This machine is an early 1900's.

Finished pin cushion project.