Photo Albums of Yesteryear ...

This afternoon the collective family in Spokane held its birthday bash for February-born members. It snowed, we were all bundled inside a small abode, photographs were being snapped by proud grannies amid the chaos and conversations. To which, someone quipped that the photographs would simply end up in some dog-eared old photo album.

It brought to my mind an interesting question. With digital photography and social networking as prevalent as they are, how many people still actually print out their family snapshots and stick them in a photo album, or even a shoe box? And generations from now, who and how will our progeny stumble across these old family photographs?

The times they are a-changin'

Today I was tinkering around with some shell photographs I had taken a couple of years ago. I wanted to see how various effects changed the visual impact of the image.



Watercolor Effect




Dry Brush Effect




Watercolor Effect




Contrast, No Effect Filter Used



Love is love and love, and also love ...



Sweetheart Roses
I had my way with this digital photograph of mine,
along with adding watercolor effect to final image

 Here it is Saint Valentine's Day, the day which has come to commemorate love. I was curious to see if this was just another commercial Hallmark moment, conjured up to make beaucoup bux on the sale of Valentine Day cards. But I was grimly mistaken. Google it if you are of a mind, ironic history.

But in the here and now, couples are gazing into each other's eyes, heartbeats a pitter-pat, cards/flowers/chocolates/dinners/movies/trips/jewelry/other presents are offered as tokens of undying love. Such is the way of it.

Not being currently in an intimate relationship, my tokens of love were shared with my sons, grandchildren, siblings and dear friends.

Following my divorce aeons anon, I would chaff at being a single on a spectacularly couples day. I went to dinner with galfriends, or went to a movie, or stayed home and emotionally stewed.

But, no more.

I'm quite content to let my definition of "love" embrace more people, and if not specific people, then acknowledge that we all need to be more accepting, tender, tolerant, compassionate ... loving ... of one another. Is this but a rationalization? Perhaps, but I'll continue the intent and eventually it will comfortably slip right over Saint Valentine's Day and perhaps infiltrate the other 364 days of the year.

Oh my! I was simply going to share the digital photo I played around with! I hadn't even considered all this other stuff coming into the mix. I'm obviously still a work in progress.

Had fun working on the image. Did it rather after the fact, so it wasn't shared with my loved ones. I may print out some cards with the image and continue the lovin'!

AND ... today is also Paul's (my older son) birthday! Congrats, my son, my son! I well remember that rainy, wonderful morning we brought you home!