Lens Artists Challenge #168 – Seen Better Days

/ Leya

Tina’s challenge this week is – Seen Better Days. Old, worn and dilapidated …yes, but I’d like to think one of the reasons to why so many of us love these things, and even take photos of them, must be because ageing is unavoidable. Things around us have all seen better days, and so have many of us. We have to accept it and find the intrinsic, inner beauty in what remains of the former glory.

Because often we can find a different beauty now. Just like deep love grows from a stormy infatuation, other values can make things shine. Shapes and colours for example.

Or, like this dilapidated shed, softly dressed in a snowy winter gown.

But – sometimes everything appears to be just a sad story…

Sad, but not without beauty, is Kyrkö Mosse – a famous car graveyard some 200 kilometers from my home. Standing silently there in the forest, even I can feel them talking to me. Someone, somewhere, once found the car of his dreams, and now that car has found its final resting place here, in the middle of nature. (All toxic parts have been taken away from the cars.)

Well, what can I say…Thank you, Still Restless Jo, for giving me the idea to this post when she read this week’s title! Jo wrote: ”Things that have seen better days? Ha! Sounds like me,” Sorry my friends, but I just could not resist the coincidence! Because today happens to be my birthday, and here I am – seen in better days. The photo on the left was taken when I met the world’s oldest blogger, Dagny, in 2017. I had just turned 60 and Dagny was 106 years old. The last photo was taken for my teacher’s ID-card, and I had just turned 50. Those were the days, and life was easier then in so many ways.

Should I reach the same age as Dagny, ( who is now 109, going on 110 – and still blogging…) my qualified guess is I would never look as bright and alert as she does…and I would certainly not be blogging.

Thank you all for the beautiful Autumn colours for Amy’s challenge last week! You offered some really sparkling and fiery entries – no wonder so many of you declared Autumn as your favourite season!

We are looking forward to seeing your posts for this challenge, and please link to Tina’s beautiful original post and use the Lens-Artists tag. Next week we are delighted to welcome I J Khanewala of Don’t Hold Your Breath as our guest host. Until then, stay well and be kind.

126 reaktioner på ”Lens Artists Challenge #168 – Seen Better Days”

  1. Pingback: Beautiful Great Blue Heron Gets Lucky | Babsje Heron

  4. Hi Ann-Christine

    Was it really your birthday! Happy Birthday to you! I hope you had the day you would want it to be. I adore the idea of your friend Dagny still blogging at 109 and the photos you shared in your post. Your car graveyard is haunting and beautiful. “Someone, somewhere, once found the car of his dreams, and now that car has found its final resting place here, in the middle of nature.” May we all find a beautiful resting in nature at the end.

    Here’s my Lens Artist Submission offering for Seen Better Days. I have just had eye surgery number 5 on Thursday, looking forward to seeing better!

    Beautiful Great Blue Herons’ Autumn Day

    Best, Babsje

    Svara

  6. Pingback: Lens-ArtistPC-168-Seen-Better-Days – WoollyMuses

    • Thank you, Amy! Yes, she is an amazing lady – I hope she will find joy meeting other people now that corona restrictions are not that strong.

      Svara

  12. Hi Leya –

    I could not agree more strongly when you write “ageing is unavoidable. Things around us have all seen better days, and so have many of us. We have to accept it and find the intrinsic, inner beauty in what remains of the former glory.” So true! Your dilapidated shed is a gorgeous photo, “softly dressed in a snowy winter gown.” And your lead photo of the doors, wow. What they must have looked like in their glory days!

    Here’s my Seen Better Days offering with a Great Blue and an Osprey

    Beautiful Great Blue Heron’s Guest…Osprey Fish Tail Lore

    Best, Babsje

    Svara

  13. Pingback: Beautiful Great Blue Heron’s Guest…Osprey Fish Tail Lore | Babsje Heron

  15. Happy birthday to you. Surely she she has found the fountain of youth in her blogging. They say, use your mind and have a purpose and you will live on. TWO beautiful women in this post. My guess is she enjoys your blog as well. You inspire so many of us…as she does. Donna

    Svara

    • Thank you for a warming comment! I think you are right about Dagny. She had a hard time during corona, not being able to communicate in real life. I hope she is feeling the warmth from people now as restrictions are much fewer. And if we all are inspiring together, life will become easier!

      Svara

  18. First of all, Happy Birthday Ann-Christine, hoping that your have a great day.
    And it is so inspiring to see your blogger friend reach that age and still be alert and still blogging. I guess I will be past my expiration date when I reach that age. By the way the dilapidated house is my fave although it is really a sad thing to see.

    Have a good day AC!

    Svara

    • Thank you, it seems that shed is a favourite with many. A happy winter last year. And Dagny – she is just amazing! Who would believe she is 109?

      Svara

  21. What a great textured pair of doors, and how picturesquely snow-covered the shed that follows.
    On your theme of aging, you may appreciate the hopeful ending to Tennyson’s ”Ulysses”:

    ”Tho’ much is taken, much abides; and tho’
    We are not now that strength which in old days
    Moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are;
    One equal temper of heroic hearts,
    Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
    To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.”

    Svara

  23. What a wonderful post, AC! You are wise to show us the benefits of aging and giving us inspiration with the world’s oldest blogger Like you, I am often fighting the stereotype of ”old” and trying to find the hidden treasures of our age. (Yes, we are a few years apart.). You’ll notice that I am not brave enough to post a photo of myself!! Last but not least, Happy Birthday!!! Many you have a wonderful, enriching year filled with plenty of happiness, good health, and satisfaction. ❤️❤️

    Svara

    • Thank you for a positive and lovely comment, Patti! I believe we should age naturally and I think we should not be afraid of recognizing it . We will all get there…the alternative is worse. If we just could accept the natural process, I believe we would all live a life more fulfilled. If we don’t accept ourselves, we will never live our lives to the full.
      Wishing you everything you wished for me. ❤
      AC

      Svara

  24. You are one fabulous lady, Ann-Christine! I hope that your birthday has been wonderful and thank you so much for the compliment of including my words. I adore that first Polish photo and strangely for me have warmed to the snow shot too. Mellowing in my old age. 109 and still blogging is crazy!

    Svara

  26. These are just so very wonderful Ann-Christine – each one equal to the amazing quality of the previous and of the next. I guess if forced to I would single out that snow-covered shed – that is simply magical. Loved your closing look at the past and into the future – marvelous! I think just like your friend you’ll be a feisty, creative blogger well into the 100s ❤️

    Svara

    • Thank you, Tina! Always positive and fun comments from you. And I love that shed too- in every season. Dagny is an amazing lady – nothing compares to her!

      Svara

    • Thank you for a lovely comment, Ruth! I was fortunate enough to meet her in person. What a tough lady! The first thing she asked me was how many followers I had…and she has had loads of visitors. Right now she has had to move into an elderly home – and she hates it. For the first time in life she cannot do just how and what she wants to do. I hope she will be more free to do that when all corona restrictions are gone.

      Svara

  32. Having ‘met’ you on Zoom, I can testify that you are far from dilapidated. But these photos of dilapidation reveal their own peculiar beauty, so we have nothing to fear from the march of time.

    Svara

  35. Pingback: Seen Better Days (Lens-Artists’ Photo Challenge #168: 10-2-2021) – priorhouse blog

  36. Hello, Dagny is inspiring and that was a nice away to wind down the post
    also, enjoyed seeing the shots of you – and I lek how you connected it to what restless Jo added.
    —
    and the graveyard for cars is a nice reminder about things and the shelf life they have – the beauty they bring and then the vapor or short existence as well

    Svara

  39. Happy birthday Ann-Christine, almost the same date as mine, but you are a little younger. I also feel that I have aged doubly over the last two years, I find it hard to enjoy going out much, but hope that will change as the county quietens. Love your photos, the shed is such a wonderful photo.

    Svara

    • Thank you, Jude – then I wish you a happy birthday as well! I agree it is hard to go out, and when I went to an Autumn market in Hovdala castle this Sunday, I was shocked by finding myself together with 3000 others…Never seen so many there, but I guess as we let go of most of the restrictions for corona last week, people jumped to the opportunity of going out. I might have guessed it, but I did feel uncomfortable most of the time even if it was held outdoors. I too hope to get used to it…Thank you for liking that shed – I walk there once a month about…and still love it.

      Svara

  42. A very, very happy birthday Ann-Christine . . . thank you for all the interesting photos but, above all, for yours ! Delighted you included the pic with Dagny . . . oh what I would give to emulate her . . . methinks it is her interest and participation in life which leads her bodily organs to allow it to continue . . . God’s blessings . . .

    Svara

    • My apologies for being back ! I have just spent an absolutely wonderful half-hour on YouTube following the various entries for Dagny Carlsson of Stockholm . . . may I suggest that every reader here does the same ! Guts and glory – what a terrific lady who will very much give back more than she gets . . . who is afraid of the years looking at her telling all of us off !

      Svara

    • Thank you very much, Eha! As for your thoughts on Dagny, I think you are right – Corona wore her down not being able to communicate and meet people in real life. That’s why she had to move into a home for elderly. hopefully she will now regain her spirits and continue communicating!

      Svara

  43. What an interesting post. And as for your photos of yourself All I can say is that maybe you did look a bit younger but the older you is still someone I would like to meet one day!

    Svara

    • Aw, thank you, Anne – I’d love to meet you as well! We would have a good talk over a cup, and maybe I could find some old photos from my horse addict teenage days!

      Svara

  44. Happy Birthday! Looked through comments and wondering, could someone share the link to Dagny’s blog? Not yet on my radar and a general search didn’t show me anything that seemed ‘the right Dagny to which was referred….” – 😀

    That said, I always remember when my dark brown hair Mom first started going gray – she would hold out one strand or another and say, ”this gray hair? This showed up after the boy plowed his bicycle through a fence – 38 stitches!… This one? Sis in ER, and prepped for emergency surgery, and no clue what was going on…. This one? Sigh – my husband decided to pull off to the side of the road and take a nap, because he was so tired, didn’t get home until 4am the next morning – And he didn’t call! I stayed up all night, worrying about him bleeding to death in a ditch. When he arrived home? I told him of my worries, and he looked shocked and surprised and said, ”Well, now, hon, have I EVER done that to you before???” – – – :D.

    So I guess, overall, I was blessed to just look at wrinkles, gray hairs, etc., and think, ”badge of honor – here’s where I smiled often – these lines? showed up after I hadn’t laughed for nearly two years. These gray hairs? Oh, YEAH! I EARNED THOSE! Fair and Square and no one gonna take them from me, or try to cover them up!

    😀

    Svara

  46. Firstly, Happy Birthday, A C! Love these images…your friend at 109 is amazing. As to the other images, I love the old shed, and of course the car that I didn’t get to see at Kyrko Mosse!

    Svara

  47. First happy birthday Ann-Christine 🎂🥂 A great selection and I remember that shed and rickety stairs from ages ago it seems. I like the idea of the Car Graveyard and am well pleased they remove all the toxic bits. 🙂 🙂

    Svara

  50. Happy birthday once again, Ann-Christine! I must say that your soul is so young that these numbers cannot apply to you. Over 60?? 😮 Also, I don’t see much difference between these two photos. Thinking of blogging at 110 makes me a bit anxious. I do hope they invent something else by then, such as thought travel. The door is magnificent and I’d guess from Poland? I have just visited a ghost town and I know what I’d be posting. Cin cin with a nice glass of red.

    Svara

    • Cin cin, Manja! Birthdays must be happy in order to make the celebrated person forget how many years has passed…
      Poland, yes, many interesting doors there. Looking forward to your posting!

      Svara

  52. I hope I wouldn’t be blogging at 109. She’s impressive. I so adore your photos and post. We can all use some easier times. It’s been a rough 18 months for the world.

    Svara

    • Thank you, Cee – and I agree, she is really impressive. She fell and broke her arm last year, but now she is up and going again – amazing. I feel the last two years have brought at least another two years (four all in all) on me. And I guess most of us feel the same…I share your hopes for easier times.

      Svara

  53. You don’t look ten years older in your picture, in fact, I think you look better in the photo with your friend, when you had the added years! Lots of lovely old pictures there for us to look at, even the sad ones look good!

    Svara

  54. Firstly Happy Birthday 🎉🎂
    I love your photos. I think older people have such interesting beautiful faces, life stories are etched there. And you look much younger than your years

    Svara

    • Thank you, Karina, I love older people too. My grandmother was the sweetest little lady ever – wrinkles all over. I think it told of a life well lived, and as you say, stories are there. And thank you kindly for your comment.

      Svara

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