Lens-Artists Challenge #124 – Now and Then

21 november, 202021 november, 2020 / Leya / 85 kommentarer

Now and then – Then and now

Nothing is ever really lost to us as long as we remember it.
― L.M. Montgomery

Amy is our host, and she says: ”For our challenge this week we’d like you to tell us about your perspective on now vs then – it could be before and after the pandemic or any other changes you have experienced.” See her perspective on what the current changes can bring to everyday life!

As I was contemplating what major differences there are in my own life now, compared to a few years ago, some things stand out very clearly to me. I will try letting the images tell most of the story, as you change between Then and now, Now and then in my series. ( A new possibility with the block editor – but you have to go to my site to see it. I found out it doesn’t show in the reader …) Somehow I wish it was just as easy to mend things that are broken…

Due to climate change, our winters here in Sweden are very different from those we had only a couple of years ago. These two images are from November 2017 and November 2020.

Two of my best loved hiking trails have been destroyed. The forest is down. Colourful grasses are now taking over, and soon the old stumps will be totally hidden in the new vegetation.

Traveling is no longer an option, due to Covid19 and the pandemic. But, also in order to save the world from more air pollution. Instead of exploring exciting new places abroad, this autumn we built my much longed for glasshouse, where we greatly enjoy a quiet lunch every day.

Ever since I was a child, the forest has been my second home. I usually walk for hours every day, often in the company of my mother and my dogs (in this photo, Mille and Totti). In Spring we always pick wood anemonies and have ”fika” with coffee and cakes in the warm sunshine. Mille left us 2014 and my mother, this unruly year, 2020.

And all the lives we ever lived and all the lives to be are full of trees
and changing leaves.
― Virginia Woolf (To the Lighthouse)

Changes are obvious to us all this year… and now we are looking forward to seeing Your perspective! Don’t forget to include a link to Amy’s post and use the Lens-Artists tag so that everyone can find you in the WP Reader. Next week, Tina will be our host for Challenge #125 on November 28th. Be sure to visit her site.

Lastly – Thank you for sending us so many delightful walks through neighbourhoods all over the world! It has been an adventurous week, a glorious and expressive week. As always – We are grateful that you want to share your world so generously.

Thinking of you who are celebraing Thanksgiving, and to all of us – Take care, stay warm, loving and safe.

I’m a big bath person – or

21 november, 2020 / Leya / 17 kommentarer

– Yikes, the bath bomb went off…

For Debbie and SixWordSaturday

Wordless Wednesday

18 november, 202014 november, 2020 / Leya / 22 kommentarer

Lens-Artists Challenge #123 – Found in the Neighborhood

14 november, 202015 november, 2020 / Leya / 230 kommentarer

We must be willing to let go of the life we have planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us. – E. M. Forster

We are all trapped in our Covid19 bubbles – and at least here in Europe we are facing tough restrictions again. This gives us a chance to rediscover our surroundings – indoors and outdoors. And, it also means a chance to develop our photography and think outside the ordinary box. We have had some months to practice already…

Neighborhood – this might just mean taking a photo from the kitchen or office window, but, macro possibilities are obvious as well – a tiny neighbourhood with many new surprises.

Here are some suggestions to get you on track for Found in the Neighborhood: What makes this place (thing, person, pet…) what it is? How can I look at the everyday from a new perspective? Try organizing a creative stilleben you have never seen before! Details might reveal new worlds, or maybe you just noticed a new or redecorated house nearby?

Last week I decided to go a few minutes northwest and visit Gumlösa church, a church I haven’t visited since I was 10 years old. It is too close to home I guess… but so worthy of rediscovery!

According to old documents, the church was consecrated 26th of October 1192 by Archbishop Absalon in Lund. At the consecration was also Eirik Ivarsson, Archbishop of Norway, and bishop Stenar of Växjö. Many relics were preserved here, among others: a hair from the Virgin Mary and a piece of the Holy Cross.

The church was also constructed for defense. In the late Middle Ages they built the upper part of the tower and the stepped gables.

Gumlösa church is the oldest dated brick building in Scandinavia. It went down in a fire in 1904, where only the massive walls and vaults survived, together with the little Crucifix in the third image. But the church was soon restored to its former glory.

While walking along the aisle, notice the white sheets of paper on the chairs – the text says: ”This chair is for the Holy Spirit”. A subtle way of helping us to take better care of each other.

*We do not remember days, we remember moments.* – Cesare Pavese

After the church visit, we slowly walked back home through the last colours of autumn. For many years I had a venerable old friend, a beech tree, standing in my own forest, but unfortunately, my friend is now withered and gone. To my great surprise, this day I found a new friend – another old giant! So close to my home, but on a path I had never walked before. I stopped for a while to listen, and to feel grateful for finding him.

We met some more curious friends on the road – Belted Galloway cattle from Scotland. They have no horns and wear a ”double” coat. Very friendly. Do you know their nickname?

There is so much to discover, if only you open your mind and all your senses. Follow that road, follow your curiosity – even if you cannot go far away from home right now. There might still be lovely surprises around the corner… I hope you will go find them.

Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less. – Marie Curie

A big thank you to Ana for her timely challenge, ”The Sun will com out Tomorrow”, and to all of you for your sunny and uplifting responses!

Have you seen these:

Andy’s early morning rays at Aekshots

Yan gives us birds flying into the sun in From Hiding to Blogging

Sarah, of Travel With Me, shares sunrises and sunsets from all over the world

Dianne of Rambling Ranger gives us a glorious glimpse of Alaska

Linda of Grammy Writes leads us to Castle Rock

Before I go – take care and stay well – next week Amy will be your host – see you then!

What a Little Swirl Can Do

14 november, 2020 / Leya / 50 kommentarer

SixWordSaturday at Debbie’s – thank you for cheering me up!

Wordless Wednesday

11 november, 202011 november, 2020 / Leya / 21 kommentarer

Lens-Artists Challenge #122 – The Sun will come out Tomorrow

8 november, 2020 / Leya / 100 kommentarer

Last week, you shared beautiful, creative, and interesting photos for Patti’s “Focus on the Subject.”I think we learned something new all of us! This week Ana of Anvica’s Gallery is our guest host – be sure to visit her inspiring blog and get even more inspired!

Where I live, in Sweden, winter is very dark, and for many months there will be a constant lack of light and energy. November is the starting month of this seemingly endless period. Some people even use light therapy, spending hours in a totally white room in order to cope with the everyday darkness. There has been more of this since the winters do not provide us with enough snow anymore.

One may not reach the dawn save by the path of the night.

– Germaine Greer

My own solution is spending time outdoors as much as possible during the few hours of light, soaking up sunrays for the pineal gland. But with the last leaves gone, so are the bright colours. ”How to survive November” is a common struggle for us Nordic people every year.

The evening sings in a voice of amber, the dawn is surely coming.

– Al Stewart

*If you have extra to spare, share some of your sunshine with others. Those who are in a dark place may just need that small break in the their clouds to see some sunlight again.*
― Christine E. Szymanski

”Just living isn’t enough”, said the butterfly, ”one must have sunshine, freedom and a little flower”.

– Hans Christian Anderson

I believe this year, these days, this butterfly’s statement is more accurate than ever. So remember – the sun is still there, somewhere behind the clouds. And it will come out tomorrow.

Now we are looking forward to seeing Your part of the challenge! Don’t forget to include a link to Ana’s post and use the Lens-Artists tag so that everyone can find you in the WP Reader. Next week, I, Ann-Christine, will lead the challenge on Saturday, November 14th. Until then – stay safe and well.