Photo Blogging Challenge: Point of View

July is over! Can you even believe half the year is gone already? From my point of view, it’s a bit scary how days seem to drag but weeks and months go by at the speed of light. And speaking of Point of View, that’s PJ’s prompt this month.

In keeping with last month’s post using quotes, I decided to continue that trend for this prompt.

Point of View #1
Nothing’s beautiful from every point of view.
~Horace
I kept these seed pods because I thought I’d do something creative with them in an arrangement…..in my spare time. By themselves, they’re probably not very beautiful from most people’s point of view. But I love the warm, aged color of the pod.

Point of View #2
Life is like a landscape. You live in the midst of it but can describe it only from the vantage point of distance. ~Charles Lindbergh
Life is messy…especially when we’re in the middle of challenges, crisis and struggles. Sometimes it helps to distance ourselves from the emotion of the moment and see the bigger picture. Sometimes looking at it from that point of view can offer some clarity. It’s like the difference between being in the middle of the lake versus sitting on the bench, looking at the entire landscape.

Point of View #3
There are three sides to every coin (Heads, Tails, and The Edge). Your ability to understand contrasting points of view and your ability to glean what information you believe to be valuable from each side is a crucial skill.
~Robert Kiyosaki
Now, some may look at this and believe it’s just another excuse for sitting on the fence and not making a decision. But, what I’ve learned in 50+ years of living is situations are rarely heads or tails….black or white….rather, they are shades of gray. And, to have the wisdom to discern useful information from contrasting points of view is the secret to compromise and a more peaceful existence.

Point of View #4
From the dog’s point of view, his master is an elongated and abnormally cunning dog.
~Mabel Robinson
Do you ever wonder what goes through a dog’s mind when they look at us? Do they see another strange-looking dog? Or, do they really care what we are as long as what they are looking at plays with them and feeds them? How do they decide whether you’ll be the “alpha dog”….or not!? Cabo is coming along nicely, but I will say he’s a very opinionated puppy!

Point of View #5
A unicorn is just a horse with a point of view.
~Ron Sexsmith
I couldn’t resist this quote! It really makes no sense when you think about it, but it’s a good excuse to use a photo from the point of view of this little filly. I’m sure she wishes she was a unicorn with a horn. Or, maybe this quote refers to having a magical perspective on life?! 🙂

I hope you enjoyed my point of view on PJ’s Point of View prompt. Please visit A “lil HooHaa to see all the other points of view for July.

Photo Blogging Challenge: Different Lens

While PJ’s intent over at A ‘lil Hoohaa  was to use a different camera and/or lens for this month’s challenge…that’s a challenge in itself for me. My beloved Canon SLR died on me a couple of years ago and I replaced it with a smaller, more compact Canon camera (big mistake). So, aside from the camera phone (which has challenges of its own), a different lens is not really an option for me. Soooooo…….

I’ve decided to interpret the challenge in a different way; taking a more esoteric approach to the word, “lens,” which i think fits nicely with my blog’s name, Peripheral Perceptions. So, stay with me and I hope my wanderings will become more clear.

Let’s begin with the word, Paradigm. Everyone has their own lens in which they prefer to view the world. Those lenses, or paradigms, shape how we believe things should work or be done in our version of a perfect world. We all bring knowledge and personal experiences when forming our individual worldview. But, sometimes it’s beneficial for us to look at our worldview through a different lens. In doing so, we just might be able to make a shift away from those ingrained thoughts and expectations. In using a different lens, we experience paradigm shifts that can unmask stagnant thinking and help us look at ourselves and the world in a completely new way.

To further make my point, I’ve chosen five quotes that will, hopefully, help reflect the direction I chose to go this month.

Different Lens #1
Paradigms are like glasses. When you have incomplete paradigms about yourself or life in general, it’s like wearing glasses with the wrong prescription. That lens affects how you see everything else. ~Sean Covey
Entrepreneur is having a major paradigm shift with this recent bout with cancer. The lens in which he views his life has changed…and he would not agree it’s for the better. Looking at life through the lens of brain surgery and chemo pills is affecting how he’s viewing life and how he’s contemplating his future. One thing is for sure, these two little pocket rockets are the best lens correction anyone could ask for!

Different Lens #2
Just one step. Just one mile. Just one dollar. Just one kiss. Just one person. When we look at life through the lens of ‘one,’ everything becomes that much more attainable. ~Mick Ebeling
The paradigm shift mentioned above and the different lens used right now is one of “one day at a time.” The goal being to do one thing each day that makes life feel a bit more normal.

Different Lens #3
You see things through a different lens when you have a child. ~Kevin Nealon
Photographing children forces one to look at life through a different lens and try to capture the feeling of a fleeting moment in time. It’s much more than just point and shoot…and hope something of value wanders into your lens field. And, when you look at life through the lens of a child, everything is a wonder!
  

Different Lens #4
Art is kind of the lens through which I think about God. ~Dan Colen
There are many different forms of art. Drawing, painting, sculpting, photography, mixed media, textile, writing, performing, etc…the list goes on and on. God created the universe and everything in it, We were created, so it follows logic that the need to “create” is ingrained in our DNA, and is a reflection of our Maker. It’s been that way for millions of years. Peanut realized this when we went to a museum of art and archeology where she saw artifacts humankind created dating back to 5500 BC.

Different Lens #5
In life and in politics, it’s helpful to try to perceive the other person through the most generous lens. ~Megyn Kelly
And that, unfortunately, doesn’t happen a lot anymore in our culture; maybe not in any culture. We’re so quick to be judge, jury and executioner for anyone and anything that goes against our opinions. Our current political climate is a perfect example. There is no photo to literally portray this quote, but I hope closing with something beautiful will motivate everyone to try to be kinder and more generous, and choose to look at situations from different perspectives and lenses. Perhaps in doing so, we can let go of our judgmental, critical minds and focus on looking at life through the lens of appreciation and generosity—treating all people with respect, and giving others the benefit of the doubt.

One thing for sure is we all use different lenses interchangeably when looking at life. Paradigm shifts may force us to change lenses, but it’s in the refocusing of our lens that makes all the difference.

Hope you enjoyed my interpretation of PJ’s prompt this month. Now you can visit his page and see the lens in which others viewed this topic.

 

 

Photo Blogging Challenge: Look Up

 

 

 

Here we are again with PJ’s Photo Blogging Challenge. Where do the months go? This month’s prompt was Look Up. Bloggers from all over participate by taking photos with the month’s theme in mind and posting them at the end of the month. I tried to take a little different, less literal approach this time. Enjoy.

#1 Look Up….
Early in the month, our grand-niece was baptized in her Mama’s baptismal gown. You could say we all Looked Up to God for extending his grace to this wee one and sealing her with his covenant.

#2. Look Up….
Our nephew graduated from high school this month and his future is Looking Up.

#3. Look Up….
When you’re a puppy, Looking Up is the norm. This is Cooper, a nephew’s Australian Shepherd pupper looking up from the ground.

#4. Look Up…..
We were told Peanut would receive an award at her end-of-the-year school assembly. As we were sitting through all the awards, listening for her name that was not being called, I began to get a little worried there’d been some sort of mistake. But there was no mistake. Her name was called for the last award, The Glory of Missouri proclamation from the Missouri State House of Representatives. The Glory of Missouri is awarded to 14 students in participating schools, each student representing one of the 14 virtues displayed in the house chamber; Knowledge, Liberty, Equality, Law, Justice, Fraternity, Education, Progress, Honor, Truth, Virtue, Temperance, Enterprise, and Charity. Peanut’s award was for Knowledge. She may be someone to Look Up to in the future!

#5. Look Up….
It was a fun challenge this month and I hope you enjoyed my take on “Look Up.” I’ll leave you with the goldfinches we’ll be Looking Up at in the sky…after they finish emptying the bird feeder.

Be sure to Look Up the other photo challenge entries over at A ‘lil HooHaa.

Photo Blogging Challenge: Color!

Late to PJ’s party over at A ‘lil Hoohaa this month, but better late than never? Especially since the theme is COLOR!

April was a colorful month and the enticing spring flowers, Easter festivities and warmer weather made sure I got out to enjoy all that color….except for the last three days when Mom Nature decided to dump buckets and buckets of water on us. Oh, and today, it’s barely making it out of the 40sF. So it’s April that’s going out like a lion.

Back to more enjoyable thoughts.

Color #1
The oddest thing happened one day at War-Mart. Four very large hanging baskets of violas jumped into my cart. So, I took them home for some early spring color in the planter pots. The lovely lavender and yellow colors were just what I needed that day to make me smile. 🙂

Color #2
Sometimes Twix gets to go to Preschool Open Gym time a local gymnastics gym. It’s always very colorful in a gym with the mats. And…then there’s the splash of pink color hanging on the rope.

Color #3
I featured this earlier this month, but it bears repeating. This colorful display is what greeted Entrepreneur and I when we went to the hospital for his radiation treatments. The sea of cheerful, yellow, daffodils probably brought smiles to many worried patients.

Color #4
Easter is always colorful with egg hunts and baskets. This year, Peanut found a very colorful lollipop in a basket from her great-grandparents.

Color #5
What self-respecting color addict wouldn’t include a photo that personified her bio? As a 96-crayon-box person, I might resemble this remark….um photo. 🙂

Don’t forget to visit PJ’s place to enjoy more colorful month-in-reviews.

Photo Blogging Challenge: Four

PJ, over at A ‘lil HooHaa has been hosting a photo blogging challenge for four years this month. And, in honor of that momentous occasion, this month’s challenge is centered around……you guess it….Four.

I thought this would be a slam dunk this month. But I would have been misinformed. This was a much bigger challenge than I anticipated. On one hand, I’m still dealing with Entrepreneur’s post-brain surgery adjustment. He’s doing well…I’m the one who seems to be struggling.

So, you all will need to give me a little bit of latitude on some of these selections. 🙂

#1 Four
Included in this row of Bradford Pear trees are FOUR trees in full bloom. They lasted all of about four days before a late spring hard freeze turned all those lovely white blossoms brown..

#2 Four
Bridget is one of FOUR kittens that came to live with members of our family 12 years ago. The no-kill shelter nicknamed them the “Irish Kittens” because they found them on or around St. Patrick’s Day. Three are from one litter, the fourth was found somewhere else, but was assimilated in with the others. All four assimilated together nicely into the bed.

#3  Four
My grandfather’s violin (or is it a fiddle?) still has all FOUR strings in tact. Circa early to mid 1900s, I really don’t know its story other than he owned it. Wish I knew more.

#4 Four
Twix has a puzzle with FOUR separate puzzle scenes in one, which may be a little confusing when you’re only three years old. 🙂

#5 Four
Here’s where I need a bit more latitude. Since March is the month to celebrate St. Paddy’s Day, what better way than to look for FOUR-leaf clovers. What? You don’t see any in this shot? Neither do I. But, there may be one hiding in there so I think it should count. 🙂

Bonus FOUR foto!
Twix turned three years old in February. However, due to unforeseen circumstances, she was not able to have her “official” party until this month. So, here is the ONE-YEAR-LESS-THAN-FOUR-year-old birthday girl with FOUR presents. I thought it only fitting to include this since PJ’s photo challenge is celebrating FOUR years old this month.

Whew….Be sure to visit PJ’s place to see how others interpreted the prompt this month.

February Photo Challenge: Love

Well, I had visions of wonderful “Love” photos for February’s photo challenge from our winter vacay to Mexico. They were going to be fabulous. And then this happened. 

The month became a blur and now it’s time to share……and I’m literally putting this together the afternoon of February 28th. So, for what it’s worth, here’s my five for Love.

Love #1
Twix turned three years old earlier this month….back when life was more normal than it is now. As tough as it sometimes is to keep her mind stimulated, she’s such a delight to have around every day. It goes without saying that the grand girls are right at the top of the Love List.

Love #2
Along those lines, Twix loved getting a birthday phone call from a set of great-grandparents who sang happy birthday to her. When asked how old she was, she was happy to show them.

Love #3
In this part of the state, everyone LUVS Central Dairy ice cream…from a local dairy that made its mark in middle Missouri back in 1920. A second location was established in 1934 and included an ice cream parlor, which is still in operation today.

Love #4
I love it when our family is all together…wherever it may be. This is a feeble attempt to maneuver a selfie-stick at a local restaurant to commemorate the occasion.

Love #5
And why, you may ask, was everyone together in middle Missouri in the middle of February and not on a Caribbean beach? Well, in case you missed the link at the beginning of the post, it was because of Entrepreneur’s recent brain surgery…on the day we are suppose to celebrate Love….February 14th, Valentine’s Day. Not exactly the way I’d intended to spend the day, but there’s nothing like a good old-fashioned crisis to bring together those you love most. And it drives home the importance of those Love vows we took 36+ years ago.

There’s my February Five. I hope you find time to make your way over to PJ’s place to share in some more blogging love. 

Photo Blogging Challenge: Express Yourself!

The first month of 2017 is almost on the books, and here we are again with PJ’s monthly photo challenge. This month’s theme is Express Yourself. And, I must say it was more than a head-scratcher for me.

In the end, I opted to combine two of my loves to express a little of who I am and some of the mindsets that have made me who I am today. Those two components are photography and quotations. No extra commentary will probably be necessary for this month’s five. All the photos except the first one are from a trip Entrepreneur and I took earlier this month to Meridia Beach, Florida. The amaryllis was a December gift and was suppose to bloom for Christmas. Obviously, it knew my muse would need it for January!

BTW, that “star” by the crescent moon is Venus.

Be sure to visit PJ’s A ‘lil Hoohaa on January 31st and see what others expressed this month.