I'M HERE!

Yes I'm still around.  I know I said I would be better about posting but I guess that I haven't.  Maybe my excuse is the weather still isn't so hot that I don't want to be out and about.  Actually I'm not sure that is will ever be down here.  One of the things I find so different about the heat here compared to MD summer heat is that here there is always a wonderful breeze.  Also most places I go have so much available shade that between the breeze and being able to often get out of the direct sun the heat is very bearable and for me even enjoyable.  Also the humidity, at least so far has not been at all oppressive. I think that also has to do with the breezes.

So what have I been up to?  Still meeting people though I have seemed to settle into 6 different groups and am focusing on meeting and getting to know people within these groups.  Some are purely social groups, others are craft oriented ones and others are groups that deal with issues of being single in a couples world.
 
 One of the groups is focused on learning how to use Photo Shop Elements and edit pictures that are less than perfect.  This is what I did last Friday.  I have owned and attempted to use PSE for quite a few years.  I could do a bit with it; lots of cropping and auto fixing.  I knew it could do so much more though. Not being particularly "computer literate" I struggled with understanding how to do anything but the basics.  The PSE Club which meets once a month has been a wonderful learning experience.  This Friday I learned one method for taking a photo and making it better.  The instructor said she used it on basically all photos even the ones that originally look very nice.  This is the picture we learned on:

 A beautiful passion flower.  Not a bad picture by most standards, at least not in my mind.

Here is what we ended up with after doing a bit of photo editing:

I think after the editing the flower really pulls out from the background and pops.  Even the colors are more vibrant. It probably still isn't the best it could be, but I was impressed. One thing that does pother me about photo editing on a lap top though is that I'm still not sure how it really looks since it changes with how I have my screen angled.  So I guess until you do a test print I really wouldn't know how it truly is.  You may actually be seeing on your monitor a not so good picture.  I don't know, but for me I am very happy with it.

Next I tackled a picture that I took after Stephanie's graduation.  I didn't think the picture was going to turn out too well because of the direction of the sun and when I downloaded it I was so right.  It was not at all a good picture.  Before the class I played around with some auto correction, but I still was not happy with it.

Here is what I ended up with after the class.  Still not perfect but I think much better.  Maybe in future classes I will learn some other techniques to fix some of the remaining problems like the white spots on her robe.  Maybe I will get up the courage to try and figure out how to fix them on my own now that I am understanding some of the ways PSE does things.

 Ah yes life in The Villages is good on many levels.  I like the weather so far, I like the people I am meeting, and I really like the opportunities I have to learn new things without having to pay for each class.  The clubs here are amazing and people are so willing to share their knowledge with others. 

LOVIN' FL!!!!

I'm still loving FL.  Loving it so much in fact I don't find time to post here.  I will try to do better.  Maybe when it gets too hot to be outside the house much......

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Welcome to 2012.  I can't say I am sad to see 2011 end.  It was a rather turbulent year; not only for me but so many of my friends.  There were so many losses.  I pray that 2012 is a calmer and more peaceful year for all.

THE EXPECTANT ATTITUDE OF FAITH

Once again a statement from my morning devotion struck me as an important one for my life.  A question actually and one I need to work on the answer for.  I know it has been a question I have not been able to answer in the affirmative for a very long time. I think once I could and I want to be able to say yes once again.  I want to be able to say yes without reservation, but I don't think I'm there yet.  The question...

"Can you get the expectant attitude of faith?"

The devotion goes on to explain what is meant by this with another quesation.  It is what actually caught my attention.  

"Not waiting for the next evil to befall you but awaiting with a child's joyful trust the next good in store?"

It's been a long time in my life since I have trusted that good was in store for me.  Even when I knew there was good I always waited for things to go bad, because in my experience they always did.  Good never lasted forever.  It always ended and that was life.  Even now as good as life has been for the two months I find myself not trusting it.  Waiting for the "other shoe to drop".  I know there are still mountains to be climbed and challenges to  be faced in my life.  Many things are not yet settled, but why not face them with an expectant attitude of faith trusting that good is in store not more pain?  Past life would tell me this is naive.   God would tell me this is true trust and faith in Him rather than faith in others, myself, and the world.

FIRST SIGHTING!

Yesterday I had my first sighting that told me "Yes you do live in Florida".  I was coming home in my golf cart after watching the Christmas Parade which was held at the polo grounds.  (It by the way was wonderful.  I will try and get some pictures up here of it.)  Suddenly I saw a group of golf carts pulled off into the grass by a pond.  Being the curious person I am I stopped as well to see what was going on.  (You can do that when traveling by golf cart.  You just pull off onto the grass.) Everyone was pointing and there were a few cameras out.  I happened to have mine with me since I had been at the parade.  Off in the distance, not too far from peoples back yards was a gator sitting out and taking advantage of the afternoon sun. He was a pretty good sized one too!  This is one of the reasons I wouldn't pay a premium to be living with a pond or lake in my back yard.  Another would be slithery things that like to hang out in the tall grasses along the pond.  YUK! I like my nice small, just another house behind it back yard.  Suits me just fine!

STILL FINDING QUOTES

I just finished a book by Sue Monk Kidd.  It is called Firstlight.  The very last couple of sentences in the book are a keeper for me.

"Ultimately we are  reborn to love, because in this expanding, gracious space within us, we arrive at the astonishing presence of God at the core of our life.  We blunder into the heart of God and find our own. "

IT'S BEGINNING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE CHRISTMAS.......

 

My little Christmas tree is up and decorated.  Candles are placed.  A stocking is hung, though not by a chimney.  the nativity sets are displayed.  My home is ready for Christmas or at least as ready as it will be.  I even have a snowman hanging outside my front door.  Though my decorations are somewhat simple I can't say the same about many of the outside decorations on the homes in my neighborhood, and decorations in my neighborhood pale in comparison to others found elsewhere in The Villages. 

Here are a few pictures I took on an evening walk a few nights ago. 

The snowman head on the top of  a lamp post is seen throughout The Villages.  Many people have these and they have them for other holidays as well.  At Halloween and for Thanksgiving many lamp posts were topped by pumpkins.

One of these nights I plan to get into my golf carts and take a cruise around The Villages to see other decorations up close.  The newspaper is going to have a map of some of the best displays I think tomorrow so I will use that for my guide.  There are several locations I know that are not only large but they are synced up to music that you can tune in on your radio.  Of course my golf cart doesn't have a radio so I will miss that part.  But that's okay.