Lens-Artists Challenge #326 – This Made Me Smile

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Be thou the rainbow in the storms of life. The evening beam that smiles the clouds away, and tints tomorrow with prophetic ray.

– Lord Byron


So much in this world is rather tough right now, I guess we all feel it… I was thinking, don’t we all need a smile? Let’s share something that made us smile, made You smile – and make the world smile with us! Old or new smiles, big or small, we welcome them all!

Be the reason someone smiles. Be the reason someone feels loved and believes in the goodness in people. ― Roy T. Bennett, The Light in the Heart

Art makes people smile, brings people together.

– Yusaku Maezawa

You know I can’t smile without you.

— Barry Manilow, Can’t Smile Without You

Life is too short not to smile…

– Unknown

You’ll find that life is still worthwhile, if you just smile.

– Charlie Chaplin


I think that anybody that smiles automatically looks better.

– Diane Lane

What sunshine is to flowers, smiles are to humanity. These are but trifles, to be sure; but scattered along life’s pathway, the good they do is inconceivable.

– Joseph Addison

I hope some of these made you smile, and I can’t wait to smile even more from seeing Your choices! (I was thinking of suggesting 1-3 photos…but why, when we desperately need those smiles?) Remember to tag with Lens-Artists and link to this post.

Next week, Sofia will lead us from her inspirational site Photographias – be sure to visit on Saturday 30!

A massive Thank You, Tina, for a wonderful challenge last week! So many things to be grateful for and so many heartwarming messages from you all! Until next time, stay grateful, warm at heart and keep smiling.

Thursday Thoughts – Seen From a Canal Boat

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When I look back on Amsterdam – it was a lovely trip. We took a tour on the canals too, and it was quite beautiful. Let’s visit this friendly city!

A gallery with many characteristics: barges, glasshouses with bulbs and flowers, architecture with crow-stepped gables, etc.

I hope you enjoyed!

Lens-Artists Challenge #325 – Gratitude

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Tina leads this week, on Gratitude. And I would have loved us here in Scandinavia to also have a Thanksgiving holiday. We all have things to be grateful for, even if we sometimes cannot see them for all the troubles in our world. Thank you, Tina, for reminding us with this theme – we cannot be grateful enough for what we have been given.

Remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for.

– Epicurus

Those who follow me know that my gratefulness always include Mother Nature and her wonderful gifts, and the opportunities to travel and learn about the world and our fellow inhabitants. Here are some things that come to mind almost every day – big or small:

My country lives in peace since more than 200 years – and no nuclear war has touched us. May it never happen to anyone, anywhere in the world.

I’m grateful for the trees and forests that grow close to me – the fresh air and the freedom to walk everywhere I want in nature – ”The Right of Public Access” (Allemansrätten) – in Sweden.

I have my wonderful family and a lovely grandchild who is my sunshine.

And, I am grateful there is still snow in the world – and Robins…

Hopefully, our seasons will continue to bring us joy. Another Spring will arrive with fragrant flowers and trees reaching for the sun, making our spirit shine.

Friends – I am grateful for having many good friends – in the blogosphere as well. I also have some old and very longlasting friends. This photo is from Holland in September where I met up with my mathematics professor, Wim, whom I first met on a hike in Lapland more than 35 years ago. To honor Sweden, he wore a Swedish t-shirt with Dala Horses!

In these dark days, I think maybe Light is our greatest gift – let there always be Light.

– Light in all its intrinsic meanings.

Thank you, Patti, for all the Details we could enjoy and be amazed at in last week’s challenge! Now we hope you’ll join us in this week’s Gratitude and please link your post to Tina’s original using the Lens-Artists tag. Next week it is my turn, Ann-Christine/Leya, to host the challenge – until then, keep your light shining!

Thursday Thoughts – The Corso

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The Dahlia Festival is not only flowers – but decorated floats in annual parades called Corso. In fact we saw more than 20 of them in this little town. They were really well made down to the finest detail. The people here start in April with ideas and sketches, then they make the figures and paint them. When the Dahlia season arrives in September, the floats are decorated with flowers the same colours as they were painted in.

I’ll post a couple of the floats, and also a video I made on one of the most impressive ones. You will see that the actors take their work seriously!

First there was a children’s parade, where the floats were drawn by children as well.

Then came the bigger floats made with impressive reality look.

And of course they also were more and more architecturally impressive.

Anubis was one of my favourites.

And finally, the great lion – well, they couldn’t have made it more fascinating than this!

I hope you enjoyed the show!