Monday, April 11, 2011

A soul in bloom

I left Saturday in the late morning for my sister’s house, located two hours north in Pennsylvania. It was a lovely spring day and I had the car packed with everything I would need to stay overnight. I had the camera with me as well, and remembered this time to bring the macro lens.

I pulled over at one point to take a beautiful photo of a farm in a valley along rural Rte. 74 in Pennsylvania. Cows dotted the hillside, and as I checked the exposure, suddenly my camera went blank. Turning it off and then back on I discovered, much to my dismay, that my battery was dead. D-oh! And I didn’t have a spare.

And I had neglected to bring the charger.


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Fortunately, my sister lives outside of a big metropolis and along the highway near the turnoff for her place, I found a shop called Batteries Plus, where I bought a universal charger at a good price.

Problem solved.

And I’m glad it was because my sister’s neighbors have the most lovely spring blooming trees. I managed to capture all of these wonderful blooms on Saturday afternoon when they were away. My sister assured me that they wouldn’t mind me with my camera on their front lawn.


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The wind was gently blowing, so I took these between gusts.

I processed these shots using Florabella’s Soft Color Pop action, turning down the opacity considerably, then adding {this texture} from the Les Brumes collection. The texture was free.


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My brother-in-law made one of the most delicious meals for dinner Saturday. Unfortunately, I’m now in love with polenta. I say unfortunately because if the love affair continues, I’m going to have to get bigger pants.


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The best thing is that my sister is on the mend and doing well.

And I love her more than polenta.


If you've never been thrilled to the very edges of your soul by a flower in spring bloom, maybe your soul has never been in bloom. 

~Terri Guillemets


Until tomorrow, my friends . . . thanks for stopping by today.

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54 comments:

TexWisGirl said...

glad your sister is doing better. and really glad you got to spend some time with her and her cooking hubby! :) bigger pants. it might be worth it!

TexWisGirl said...

p.s. those blooms are glorious, as usual!

Anonymous said...

So lovely this time of the year, isn't it? I've turned into a pink petal photography fanatic!

Was wondering if you got your new camera bag yet... the Kelly Moore bag and if so what you think of it? I've been eye-balling them but hemming and hawing as I always do before deciding.

So glad your Sissy is feeling better!!!

Di

Nancy Grossi ~ Churned In Cali ~ The Wife of a Dairyman said...

Glad to hear sis is doing well:) And I'm so glad she assured you her neighbors wouldn't mind you snapping a few photos, beacause those are just gorgeous!

Deb said...

beautiful blooms....Batteries plus is great we have one too...glad to hear the good news on your sister...

Lisa said...

Kate talk about stunning.. I love each of them . Love the third one down. Your POV is something I adore. Glad your had a good time.
Your just like me. My car is full when I go to my sisters. I even need my pillow and fav blanket. :)
I cant wait to go and see her when I get my truck. I miss her already.
Thanks for stopping Kate.
Your filled my heart with these.
xo

Anonymous said...

Gorgeous, Marvelous, Beautiful, Romantic, and all the other adjectives to describe your photos this weekend.
How lucky for us you found another battery
peace n abundance,
CheyAnne
http://cheyannesexton.etsy.com

Mary Lou said...

Good news and beautiful blooms. At least you discovered the battery before you got there..good going.

Reena said...

Lovely, lovely, lovely! Always enjoy hearing how you processed your pics. What a lovely weekend with family and photos. Good health to us all!
Reena
P.S. Isn't this just the best time of year for photos!

Gone Country said...

Love the photos! Sometimes it's nice to be in a city where you can actually find stores to accommodate your needs!

Glad your sister is doing well and that you had such a nice visit.

Ever see the movie Eat Pray Love? Buy bigger pants! LOL!

tj said...

...Amen! To that quote... :o)

...So glad to hear your sister is doing well and that you love her more than polenta...lol ;o)

...Beautiful photos Kate!

...Blessings...

From Beyond My Kitchen Window said...

Anything flowering with the color pink makes me happy. Gorgeous photos.

BB said...

Gone Country took the words right out of my mouth... who needs tight pants??

Great shots, glad your sister is doing better, and thanks for the kind words today.
:-)
BB

Unknown said...

oh, so glad to hear..
I was thinking of you this weekend.
And those photos? Stunning. Stunningly beautiful.

Lynell said...

Stunning photos...
Lifts the spirits on this dreary spring day here in Minnesota.

Low Tide High Style said...

Oh, the dreaded blank screen, I know it well! Glad you were able to get a charger so that we could enjoy these beautiful pictures! And I'm glad your sister is on the mend, I'm sure having you there this weekend was the best medicine!

Kat :)

Brynwood Needleworks said...

What beautiful blooms, Kate! There really is nothing better than spending time with a sister you love more than polenta. ;-)
xoxo
Donna

Char said...

i'm so happy she is feeling better.

gorgeous shots

msdewberry said...

I am glad your sister is doing better! Your photos of spring blooms is gorgeous.

Michelle said...

Such a beautifully written post with gorgeous flowers..P.S. I've never tried polenta ,I guess I should ?

Anonymous said...

You are so blessed to have a sister who outranks corn.

Hilary said...

Beautiful pics. I'm glad to hear that your sister is doing well. I did the same thing once... forgot the charger at home and we were on our way to the cottage for over a week. We also picked up a universal charger along the way. Whew!

Maria said...

What a lot of prettiness. I love that second one with the twiggy lattice and the girly pink blossoms.

Glad to hear sister is good, polenta is good (already know that) and the camera is back to being good. :-)

Jeanne Walker said...

Being able to look out upon those gorgeous flowering trees next door should help anyone feel better!!
Thankful that your sister is doing better and hopefully you had a good sister weekend!! You both married cooking men...how blessed are you both!

Have a wonderfully blessed week!

Caroline said...

OMG!!! Heavenly!

Anonymous said...

Oh, how stunning. What a good job you were able to find a universal charger; it's something that does often get forgotten when going away - too much modern technology!

CJ xx

Suzanne said...

Beautiful Kate. Glad to hear your sister is on the mend.

Chesapeake Bay Woman said...

Wow, you talk so calmly about being stranded with a dead battery. I'm quite sure I'd have lost it, at least once or twice. But that probably has as much to do with menopausal hormones as anything else.

The pictures are lovely. So glad your sister is doing better and that you got to spend some time with her.

Karen thisoldhouse2.com said...

My soul needs more blooming... maybe when the flowers START! to bloom around here I'll be feeling the love.

your photos are just beautiful, the feel is amazing... MUST TUTOR MYSELF IN THE ART OF TEXTURES!!!

wildbanshee said...

Oh Kate, pink, pink, pink my favorite color, what would be the name of the bush or tree whichever must have one.

Kathryn Dyche said...

Beautiful images, so glad to hear your sister is on the mend.

Sarah said...

I'm sure glad you got your battery charger; it would have been a shame to have missed such beautiful shots!

Also glad your sister is doing so much better. Watch that polenta - it's addictive. I love it too, too much!

Country Gal said...

Such beautiful photos I love that kind of pink soo pretty.
You should see about getting a duel battery pack that attaches to your camera it holds two batteries at a time, Papa and I have one each on our cameras and extra batteries just because we take so many photos and they last for a week or more on one charge. Have a great day !

Nurse Nancy said...

So glad that your sister is better. Nice shots of flowers....know what it feels like to have a dead battery.

Jen at Cabin Fever said...

Glad your sister is doing better! I have never had polenta. In fact, I don't even know what it is. ha.

Oh, and your photos are lovely, as always. :)

Cabin Fever in Vermont

beth said...

so glad your sister is doing better !
and lucky for her, it looks like she is surrounded in pure spring gorgeousness.....

and polenta...and maybe bigger pants. not the worse thing that could happen.....lol

Mary said...

Gorgeous, my friend! So glad to hear that your sister is doing better. And oh, polenta sounds really good right now, so thanks! ;)
xoxo

Unknown said...

I love looking at your photos first thing in the morning. I can sit and look at them with my cup of coffee and imagine I'm somewhere in the country......Thanks for you hard work...really enjoying it.

The JR said...

hahaha, more than polenta....

Glad she's mending.

Those pictures are beautiful. I love the blooms.

sharon said...

love the blooms on the tree. Isn't spring so wonderful!! all the magical colors of mother nature at her best. Thanks for sharing once again!
Glad to hear your sister is on the mend.

The Weaver of Grass said...

I have a tree just like that in my garden and it is in bloom too.,

Daryl said...

Gorgeous .. well worth stopping/buying the charger .. its always good to have an extra.. one at home, one for the camera bag, that's my motto. I am having it embroidered on a pillow, a t-shirt and a sample .. ;-)

Carolynn Anctil said...

So glad to hear everyone is doing well. That first photo is a stunner! Can't say that I've ever had polenta. I do, however, have other vices.

GailO said...

From the photos to your sister's improvement... your post has me smiling:)

Cloudia said...

your shots and attitude feed my soul. So glad you are my webFriend!




Warm Aloha from Waikiki


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Gale Wall said...

Beautiful flowers. And I love polenta and the many flavorings you can give it. Being a southern girl I love my grits too.

Charlene N. K. said...

What a happy blog with lovely flowers captured gorgeously!

Liz said...

There's nothing quite like the soft, misty colours of spring blossoms is there? Love the first pic Kate, fabulous...
Lizzie
xxx

Lili said...

Good to hear you got to spend some more time with your Sis as she continues to heal. Those blossoms are so gorgeous. That's what I need, a universal charger! Good deal! xo ~Lili

Jill of All Trades said...

Pink, pink I love pink!

Julie Gatherum-McGuire said...

Stunningly beautiful. I have never added texture to my photos, but I'm so ready to try. Thank you for sharing your gift every day!

Julie

Bluebird49 said...

I'm so glad you have sisters...it must make it easier when we lose parents. To look at them, and see parts of your mom in there.

I've never had polenta, but there's not been too many foods I've met I didn't like. :(

mrs mediocrity said...

so glad to hear that. about your sister, of course, not the polenta. lovely photos.

Victoria Strauser said...

Gorgeous bloom photos! I love spring blooms!