Flower of the Day – Crocus

February 25, 2019 ~ oneletterup ~ 9 Comments

In anticipation of Spring…
My contribution to Cee’s Flower of the Day Challenge

Towards the end of February and the beginning of March, I always looked for signs of crocuses in our front yard. A first sign of Spring. After tramping through the soggy grass, I’d discover them poking up out of the ground despite the cold weather or lingering patches of snow. It wasn’t long before they were in full bloom.

A family of crocuses appeared every March right next to the maple tree. A hardy little bunch, they managed to muscle their way through massive amounts of roots, thatch, rock hard soil and mulch. Year after year.

No gardening effort required on my part.
Very independent.
I liked that.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA — Hello Spring!
March, 2010

Photo a Week – Black & White

February 23, 2019 ~ oneletterup ~ 6 Comments

Nancy Merrill is hosting a photo challenge. The theme this week – Black & White

IN A NEW POST CREATED FOR THIS CHALLENGE, SHARE A BLACK AND WHITE PHOTO OR TWO (OR MORE).

College visits.
Many years ago, my son and I spent a week together driving from one southern state to another. Visiting potential colleges.

One college campus per day. Tours. Info sessions. More questions than answers. Trying to decide which one was best…for him.

Not an easy time in a teenager’s life.
Or his parents’.

Photo a Week – Pink

February 18, 2019 ~ oneletterup ~ 2 Comments

Nancy Merrill is hosting a photo challenge. The theme this week: Pink

IN A NEW POST CREATED FOR THIS CHALLENGE, SHARE A PHOTO OR TWO (OR THREE…) FEATURING THE COLOR PINK.

Once upon a time…decades ago…my daughter was all about pink. Pink shirts. Pink pants. Pink sweaters. Pink tights. Pink Care Bear. Pink pj’s. Pink robe. And slippers. You get the picture.

And on the occasion of her 5th birthday, appropriately dressed in her favorite pink lace covered party dress, she was thrilled to open a gift…and discover it contained…a pink raincoat.

At age 5, there was no such thing as too much pink.

1987 bday044 copy

Photo a Week – Depth of Field

February 11, 2019 ~ oneletterup ~ 6 Comments

Nancy Merrill is hosting a photo challenge. The theme this week: Depth of Field

IN A NEW POST CREATED FOR THIS CHALLENGE, SHARE A PHOTO OR TWO (OR THREE…) PAYING ATTENTION TO YOUR DEPTH OF FIELD.

Before downsizing and moving to a condo, we witnessed the annual arrival of flowers in our yard…a sure sign that warm weather was on the way.

Fun to photograph up close and personal. Depth of field…narrower the better.

First the crocuses, which often poked through the last clumps of snow. Anxious to see the sun. Nestled next to the maple tree. Their purple tips a sure sign of Spring.

Next came the mystery flowers originating from a bag of assorted “no name” bulbs. Which is what happens when you buy from a discount store. Surprise!

And then the wildest of wild…black-eyed susans. So comfortable in our plot of land. Spreading out and popping up in every corner.

Just a small sampling from our previous life…

Tuesday Photo Challenge – Growth

February 9, 2019 ~ oneletterup ~ 3 Comments

I think that one’s art is a growth inside one. I do not think one can explain growth. It is silent and subtle. One does not keep digging up a plant to see how it grows.

Emily Carr

growth

This post inspired by this week’s challenge hosted by Frank at Dutch goes the Photo
The prompt: Growth

Lines

February 8, 2019 ~ oneletterup ~ 6 Comments

This post inspired by: February photo a day Challenge

Today’s challenge…Lines

Let’s think warm!

Sun + Blue sky + Vacation…

Such was the case ten years ago on our one and only anniversary cruise.

Lucky enough to enjoy beautiful weather and calm seas, I was able to explore the ship – camera in hand.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Photo a Week – Unexpected Windows

February 3, 2019 ~ oneletterup ~ 2 Comments

Nancy Merrill is hosting a photo challenge. The theme this week: Unexpected Windows

IN A NEW POST CREATED FOR THIS CHALLENGE, SHARE A PHOTO OR TWO (OR THREE…) USING AN UNUSUAL WINDOW.

~~~

An unexpected view.
Sitting on a sunny porch.
Relaxing on vacation.
One June day.

Glanced down
To see peaking at me
A hole in the wall
Surprise…

Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge – Black and White

February 2, 2019May 28, 2020 ~ oneletterup ~ 7 Comments

Cee’s Challenge topic this week is Black and White

frosty window black & white — Winter Morning Window

(only 46 days until Spring…)

Tuesday Photo Challenge – Rose

February 1, 2019 ~ oneletterup ~ 12 Comments

Here is my entry for this week’s challenge hosted by Frank at Dutch goes the Photo

The prompt this week is: Rose

My sweet son has often made it a tradition to give me flowers for my birthday. Or for Mother’s Day. Or as a combo since there are years when they coincide.

When he was a senior in high school, he included a two page letter…describing what each of the 10 roses signified…looking back on how we navigated his childhood together. His love and gratitude expressed.

I’m not the only writer in the family.

He may not have realized it then, at only 18, how much his words touched my heart. I still have those two sheets of paper. Carefully printed words to mother from son. Although there hasn’t been another letter like that one, the roses have continued for many of the last 13 years.

Beautiful bouquets arrived on my doorstep in May.
A mix of favorite colors.
Always deserving of a photo or two…or three.

Photo a Week – Contrasting Colors

January 26, 2019May 28, 2020 ~ oneletterup ~ 7 Comments

Nancy Merrill is hosting a photo challenge. The theme: A Photo a Week Challenge – Contrasting Colors

Contrasting colors are colors that are on approximately opposite side of the color wheel. Yellow and purple, green and red, blue and orange, and a myriad of variations in-between each of those….This week’s challenge is fairly wide open as far as subject goes, just try to use the color wheel as a guide.

~~~

Orange was my favorite color when I was in my teens and twenties. Orange bedspread. Orange blanket. Orange beanbag chair. Orange stationary. Orange flair pens. Orange Tupperware. And on and on. When we ordered an orange formica countertop for the bathroom sink in our 1980 starter home, nobody thought twice. It was on the list of standard colors. After all, it was 1980. And it matched the orange shower curtain.

Orange is no longer my favorite color, but I love seeing it come back in style…especially when it is worn by my favorite grandson.
He was stylin’ with contrasting colors in the summer of 2017….when at the age of 14 months… he made quite a splash at the beach.
His first time dipping toes in the ocean.
And digging in the sand.
With an orange Tupperware scoop…courtesy of Grandma.