Thursday Thoughts – Happy Birthday Sweet Mum!

Photo from last year’s birthday, when you turned 84.

 

Today you turn 85, and you two have been married for 55 years! The sun is shining, and we will make it a memorable day for you – despite the difficult times we are living in.

Lens-Artists Challenge #69 – Seeing Double

Tina’s challenge for the week sounds like this:  ”Double trouble, double-time, two’s company, take two ….  the world is filled with references to twosomes. This week, let’s double our pleasure and focus on things that come in twos.”

In fact…my first thought was of shoes – they always come it twos! These art clogs stand in a street in Malmö as a memory of one of Sweden’s most beloved actors at the beginning of the 20th century. He was from my part of Sweden, Skåne, where clogs were the only footwear needed in the old days.

In Tbilisi, Georgia, one of the most common things to see in twos are…dogs! But in the header, two lovely young women as well, peeping out from an art studio.

As you grow older you will discover that you have two hands, one for helping yourself, the other for helping others. – Audrey Hepburn

And people talked to the stray dogs, took time to feed them or to just give them a warmhearted pat. I loved how this young man kept his hand resting on the sun warmed, relaxing dog, and with his other hand using his modern, electronic device. Overall the people in Tbilisi did not use cell phones that much. ( If someone did, you almost knew it was a tourist…) They seemed to care more about the living beings around them.

Some years ago we had a pair of swans often landing at our summer house, and we were kindly allowed to admire their young – if we kept the distance of course.

Parent and child – a loving and comforting twosomeness.

The most desired gift of love is not diamonds or roses or chocolate. It is focused attention. – Unknown

Lastly – young lovers strolling this magnificent Spanish beach towards the setting sun.

Thank you for all the lovely variety of Layers sent for Amy last week! Now – Tina, Patti, Amy and I look forward to seeing Your twosomes.

 

Friendly Friday Photo Challenge – Moving

Amanda is moving, and she wants us to move too…my examples are all from my memories. Moving can be a tough thing to do…

…but Totti of course loves it!

The cranes are moving south in October, but here they had just arrived in early Spring.

Moving big chunks of a house – not easily done. Use another crane!

 

 

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #67 – Candid

What I like about photographs is that they capture a moment that’s gone forever, impossible to reproduce.
– Karl Lagerfeld

Taking photos of people or animals when they have no idea that you’re doing it is called candid photography. One of the beautiful things with photography is being able to catch someone in the act. It adds natural life to your pictures. Even if my choices here are mostly in B&W, of course feel free to use what you find most suitable for your shots!

So, this week I thought we would go for candid photos of people or animals – Have fun with the challenge, and we are looking forward to seeing your candid finds!

It is always about keeping your eyes open and be prepared when an opportunity comes up – have your camera ready and just shoot.

Remember to take many photos…the digital cameras give us unique chances to choose which photos to keep or not:

Your first 1,000 photographs are your worst. – Henri Cartier-Bresson

Sometimes it might feel a bit difficult to photograph people – at least if you are a shy person, like me. A great help can be if you have a longer lens that gives you the possibility to ”hide” behind it and still get close. With a little luck, and practice, you sometimes get one of those lovely smiles – or two.

If your pictures aren’t good enough, you’re not close enough.

– Robert Capa

But, sometimes maybe you should not get too close – catching the moment is also catching your own feeling of what is in front of you…

Photography is a love affair with life. – Burk Uzzle

My photos were made in Bhutan, Morocco, Denmark and Georgia (Tbilisi).

Thank you for all the wonderful frames filled for Patti last week! If you haven’t seen her beautiful post yet – please pay her a visit!

 

 

Friendly Friday Photo Challenge: Mistakes

Friendly Friday – and Mistakes. In the header, a street in Copenhagen with a very famous Danish toy figure trying to amuse a little girl – but she started crying and ran away to hide behind her dad… And below, the mistake of leaving your tasty bit unattended…

Thursday Thoughts – Treasured Moments of Joy

Tonight, after a lovely day out, hiking and enjoying the sunshine, I was contemplating what really made me happy and in a good mood these last weeks. Do you often reflect upon what makes you happy? We should. At least reflection brings me more harmony.

To experience things together with my children is a great joy. In Umeå, we had some really bright and crisp days with much snow. The walks were gloriously fresh and beautiful. We laughed and talked and had Swedish ”Fika”.

My son and I had an excellent guide – his sister. Here admiring the sculpture ”Green Fire”

I loved seeing David without a skateboard too…but keeping his skate shoes on of course…

Two saints – for a day…

This bench was warm…I don’t know if it was because of the two saints sitting there, or… obviously it also could have been warmed up by its previous guests – who left two empty bottles in the snow…But I do believe the answer lies inside the concrete…

Meeting lovely people is another great joy. Umeå seems to be the place where many of them live… – this lady looked really sweet, and had left her home knitted mittens on top of the bag. It’s warm today, she said,  – last week we had – 25 C.

Passing by this balcony, we could not help stopping to admire the bird house. As the door was open, the lady came out and said hello – all smiles and waving to us.

”Imagine Peace”

Finally, I must return to the homely book store once more. It holds still another answer to what brought me great joy those days – Imagine Peace.

 

 

 

Tuesday Photo Challenge – Crawl

Tuesday Photo Challenge – Crawl

For Dutch Goes the Photo this Tuesday – Crawl! I thought I had no photos of crawling creatures…but found these. I was looking for a snake shot of a Swedish viper. But No, did not find it…I hope a Galapagos Land Iguana is OK – at least when it is eating from a cactus. And the Swedish variety is a nice little spring frog.

And I could not refrain from giving you this human crawl as well…spotted in Switzerland some years ago…Enjoy!

 

Tuesday Photo Challenge: Memories

Tuesday Photo Challenge – Memories

After a wonderful, one month long, trip to New Zealand 2011, suddenly our tour guide from The Lord of the Rings tour in Wellington turned up for our Midsummer celebrations in 2012. And he brought a girlfriend as well. One of the best Midsummer events ever!

 

 

CFFC: Things People Play With

For Cee this week –  Things People Play With

Notice the difference in toys here…grown-ups and children! Just some years ago…

 

CFFC: Busy or People Working

For Cee this week – Busy or People Working.

Bumble bee busy…and people working! In the header – a combination of both!