I just couldn't help myself

I saw these cute gloves while I was out shopping.

I don't know when I would ever wear them

but I just had to have them.

Don't you just love them?

They are sexy and feminine and elegant.

They have just the right balance of lace and ribbon to make it soft yet edgy.

I also came home with this nail art kit.

That was a really frivolous expensive buy and I felt guilty afterward,

but now I'm okay with it. 

I think I'll do a french manicure later.

I feel so girly now.

I don't feel like a 45 year old woman.

Friday Town Shoot Out ~ Look Up....Look Down

Don't forget to click on the photos to ENLARGE the images.

When you're in Las Vegas you can't help but look up at all the flashy ads.

The above photo is advertising Penn & Teller at the Rio Hotel Casino.

If you park in a parking garage at any casino, you can't help but look down.

 Yesterday, it was quite rainy looking down from the Venetian Hotel Casino garage.

On my way home, while stopped at a red light I looked up and saw this decal.

Just a couple of weeks ago, we did some major clean up in the backyard.

Look up in the tree and you'll see what I mean.

There is nothing left of this tree except a stump.

Sasha (that's my dog for those of you who don't know) whined one night because her tree was gone.

Literally. 

She scratched at the sliding door for me to come outside and when I did she looked up at the tree and started whining.  I felt so bad for her.

This is a nice building at Lake Las Vegas,

but the photo is a little boring so I made it a little more interesting.

Below, another wonderful view at Lake Las Vegas

Looking through the window and down to the courtyard.

It's a gorgeous view in my opinion.

Some of you know that I love taking photos while driving down the freeway.

Okay well I'm not usually driving but I am snapping photos from the passenger seat as scenery flies by.

Surprisingly, my photos taken at relatively high speeds from the vehicle turn out fairly well.

Below is one of the photos looking down from inside my passenger's view.

Passing through Shasta Lake California.  The water is awfully low.

Walking a trail in Oregon, I looked down and saw these incredible mushrooms.

Of course, I can't end this theme without showing you some photos I took today in my own house.

Yes, I actually laid down on the floor and pointed my camera upwards.

First, the kitchen.  Pardon all the junk and clutter.  That's just who I am.

Next,  the living room with back on the floor, camera pointed up.

And then standing on the stairs looking down.

I thought this was a really fun theme and I could keep going on and on.

But there are other blogs and other photos to see, so I will let it be.

If you'd like to see those other photos for this theme and/or participate yourself,

CLICK HERE

Enjoy all the images.  There is a lot of inspiration out there.

Let there be light

Even in darkness, there is always light.

That's how I like to look at life.

I pray for those who are in a dark hole to find the light.

Rose Colored Glasses

This is Gayla.

She is participating in one of my photo experiments.

Thank you Gayla for being such a great sport.

Looking through a rose colored glass reflects a distorted image.

The image is not at all what we see right before us.

Looking through this glass makes Gayla look less attractive.

It's not an ideal image.

Sometimes we go through life wearing rose colored glasses.

The only difference is when we walk around wearing rose colored glasses,

the distorted image actually appears much more attractive to us.

We are not seeing clearly and therefore we create this ideal image in our minds.

I don't want to walk around wearing rose colored glasses anymore.

I want to shed the false illusion and see clearly.

I think once I do, I will experience forward movement.

Because really, I'd much rather attract something real than an ideal in my head.

I'm ready to accept what it is I've been afraid to see.

The only thing I have to lose is the fantasy I've created.

What Do The Cards Say?

The cards say I will be back tomorrow to catch up on all my blog reading.

It's been a busy weekend with friends.

I can't hardly wait to see what you've all been up to.

Again, I feel like I've missed out on something really great.

The inspiration I get from reading your blogs is amazing.

Thank you for what you do, all of you.

Much thanks for stopping by my page as well.

I appreciate the time you take to read my ramblings and view my pictures.

Until tomorrow......

Friday Town Shoot-Out Theme: Sounds Around Your Town

This weeks theme of Sound was chosen by NanU.  To learn more about our photography group you can visit the Friday My Town Shoot Out Main Page.  Also, if you'd like to jump right in and participate you can add your link to Mr. Linky and that's also where you will see links of other participants for this week.

This theme was a bit of a challenge for me.

Because I live in Las Vegas I think others expect to see photos of casinos and traffic.

Casinos certainly are noisy and they fit perfectly with this theme, but it's too obivous.

I prefer to show you the unexpected in my town.

But I won't disappoint.

I do have one or two casino photos for your viewing pleasure.

But first.......

A colorful and bejeweled carousel indside one of our outlet malls.

It makes the sound of music as it goes round and round.

Las Vegas 51's minor league baseball game.

Ping! 

That's the sound of the bat making contact with the ball.

The crowd goes wild as they cheer for their team.

Woo Hoo!   I love my baseball.

And baseball players are way cuter than football players.

The sound of a waterfall in my local park.

The sounds of water splashing, motors whirling, and laughter on Lake Mead.

My blender makes a very loud noise when I'm making smoothies.

But it's well worth it when it comes out like this...

Yummy.  Lots of anitoxidents and lots of protein.

The sizzle of the food in the frying pan as I cook dinner.

Mmm Mmm tasty.

And as promised, a peek inside a busy casino.

The crowd watches in amazement as the bartender balances a bottle on his forehead.

There is music playing in the background,

people talking and laughing,

glasses clinking,

applause breaking out,

and the ding ding ding of the slot machines.

Night life.  Can you hear the energy?

No, I don't think you can with this photo but it's the only one I have.

Thanks for visiting me this week.

XOXO

Cowboys under pink and blue skies...... er ceiling.

Another image that is pleasing to my eye.

I love the colors.

It makes me feel content, serene and lonely all at the same time.

Maybe I'm just feeling lonely today.

I think sometimes I expect too much from people

and then I am disappointed when it doesn't go my way.

I hope I can learn and grow from my past mistakes and make my future better.

Should we lead with our heads or follow our hearts?

Are there times when we should hold back our thoughts and not be so intense

or should we allow our passion to get across no matter what the consequence?

Spelling Bee

When I was in elementary school my favorite subject was spelling.

I loved words and I loved that I was good at spelling words.

It made me feel very smart and I liked that I was better at it than the other kids.

When I got to high school I was still an excellent speller and English was my favorite subject.

It seems though that my brain doesn't quite work the way it used to.

Maybe I've bumped my head too many times on hard surfaces.

Maybe this high technology has dumbed me down.

At any rate, sometimes I find it difficult to remember how to spell the easiest of words.

I was over at Alicia's blog earlier today.  Hers is one of my favorite blogs to visit.

She writes delightful posts and always makes me smile.

Also, she lives near my hometown so I am familiar with lots of places that she blogs about.

Anyhow, I digress.

Today, she wrote about winning second place in a spelling bee once.

Then she posted her results from a spelling quiz she took that was created by Twitter.

Of course, this sparked my curiosity about my own spelling and so I couldn't resist taking the quiz either.

My results are posted below.  Of course, I'm dissappointed that I didn't get a hundred percent,

but I'll smile just the same with ninety five percent.

After all, an "A" is an "A", right?

Created by Oatmeal

Maybe you're up for the challenge too. 

If not, maybe you have time to stop by Alicia's blog.

She's very friendly and welcoming.

Sitting By The Fire

Ah, there's nothing like a blazing fire to warm the body.

This is another western motif inside the Roadrunner Restaurant.

It almost feels like I am in the scene watching from a distance.

In my mind's eye, I can feel the cool crisp air from the night breeze,

and I can feel the warmth from the fire whip around and encircle my body,

pushing the cool air away from me and warming me from the outside in.

Oh, the imagination is a wonderful thing to possess.

Blue Skies Over Cowboy Silhouettes

Last night I had appetizers and drinks with a friend.

The Roadrunner bar and grill is a cozy restaurant decorated with western motif.

This particular photo is of the upper wall and ceiling.

I thought it was absolutely beautiful with the blue sky glowing.

The rest of the restaurant is designed to feel warm and cozy

and is a throw back to the days of the old west.

Ladies Only

A little harmless flirting never hurt anyone.....

The abandoned suitcase

The other day when my husband and I went shooting,

I spotted this suitcase in the desert.

Being the imaginative person that I am,

I dreamt up all kinds of stories as to why it was abandoned.

The possibilities are endless,

and yet only the most morbid of scenarios stands out as the strongest.

I thought the suitcase was the perfect prop for a photo shoot,

but first,

I had to clear my mind of the scenario I dreamt up.

So, I asked my husband to check the suitcase to make sure it was empty.

Prior to his checking,

visions of a dead body cut up into little pieces danced in my head.

Can you blame me?

You hear stories all the time of the desert being used as a dumping ground for bodies.

Thank goodness, there was no such thing inside the suitcase.

There was a full name, address, and phone number though.

The curious side of me wants to research the person and check it out.

But I will leave it be.

And though the suitcase was empty,

it did have bullet holes scattered throughout.

Obviously it was being used as a target.

Or was it?

Friday Town Shoot-Out BIRDS

Tthis week's assignment for the Friday Shoot-Out is birds and was chosen by Scriptor Senex.  If you'd like more information on the town shoot outs you can go to the main page and read all about it.  Also, if you want to dive right in and participate you can add your link to Mr. Linky by going here.  This is where you will also see links to other blogs that you can browse for this assignment.  Check it out.  It's a lot of fun.

Now, on with the show!

All of my photos were taken in Las Vegas.

REMEMBER TO CLICK ON THE PHOTOS TO ENLARGE.

YOU DON'T WANT TO MISS ANYTHING.

This little fellow is a dumpster diver. 

He's waiting patiently for someone to toss him some scraps.

This little bird drove me nuts. 

He was quite elusive and I chased him for a long time before finally catching this image.

Gorgeous swans posing perfectly for my camera.

Look at the light reflecting off the water.  So pretty.

A lovely mail peacock moving in closer to see what I'm all about.

Yes, this bird was very into me and my camera.

Beatiful colorful ducks enjoying the water.

I couldn't resist showing you the duck's feet.

My least favorite bird.  I think they are so UGLY.

But I thought this was an interesting photo.

A rooster roosting in a tree.

Thanks to Scriptor Senex for choosing this theme.

Train

Another photo taken from inside the vehicle driving at 70 mph.

Introspection

I was going to say that I'm feeling a little nostalgic today, but that's not it.

Rather, I think I'm feeling a little introspective.

I see myself in photos as a child and I seem perfectly happy.

I won't bore you with all my memories because I'm one of the rare breed who can remember things back to before I was two years old.

Sometimes I wonder if there was a turning point in my childhood that turned me into an insecure adult.

I'm not talking about a lack of confidence or capabilities.

I'm talking about my personal relationships.

Logically, I know there are people who love me.

My parents, my husband, my siblings and a few friends.

But to this day I've never really felt loved except by both sets of grandparents.

My mom's parents, Dewey and Hazel Knight, my papaw and mamaw really loved me with all of their hearts and I felt it deep inside.

I've never felt that with the rest of my family or my husband or anyone.

I'm not writing this because I'm unhappy.

I just wonder why I don't feel loved.

Sometimes I think I am just completely screwed up.

I hold too tightly to certain people in hope that I will someday feel their love for me.

But if I didn't have that hope,  I wouldn't have such a rich imagination.

 If I felt the love deep inside, I think it would enrich everything in my life.

I've let past behaviors cloud my judgment.

I'll do my best to live in the present moment and to cherish each interaction that is before me now.

Because that is the real thing, isn't it?

I still look at the sunny side of life and I am a cheerful person,

but sometimes,

like today,

I get tripped up.

Relationships are like bullets

The bullets pictured above are over thirty years old.

They lay in a closet in Oregon until we brought them home with us.

Yesterday, we went out in the desert to practice shooting in a secret location.

Six rounds in the cylinder of my gun.

Aim, squeeze, fire.

Aim, squeeze fire.

Aim, squeeze, MISFIRE.

Click, Click.

Aim, Squeeze, fire.

Aim, Squeeze, MISFIRE.

Click, Click.

Aim, Squeeze, MISFIRE.

Click, Click.

You get the picture, right?

Thank goodness the bullets didn't explode into our faces.

I think relationships are kind of like those bullets.

A person can hold onto you for thirty years

but if all they do is keep you in the dark,

hidden away and kept at a distance,

performance is bound to suffer.

Like the bullet that sat on a shelf, forgotten

 we too, want to soar through the air with power and condifence,

proof of our loyalty

But....

There's bound to be a little misfiring once in awhile due to years of neglect.

The moral of the story?

Nurture your relationships if you want superior quality.

That's all it takes.

A little attention.

A little interaction.

A little sharing back and forth.

That's it.

If you want unpredictabliltiy,

unstable performance,

then by all means

neglect your friendships, the loves of your life.

That's me.

It was really windy yesterday.

I will not say, "I'm Sorry."

I've made a decision to get rid of one of my most annoying habits.

I will no longer say, "I'm sorry" if I happen to bump into you.

Instead, I'll look into your eyes, I'll smile and say, "excuse me."

I'll no longer say, "I'm sorry" if you lose a loved one.

Instead, I'll say, "my thoughts are with you during this terrible time."

I'll no longer say, "I'm sorry" if I happen to cut you off in traffic.

Instead, I'll give you a friendly wave and say, "oops, my bad."

I'll no longer say, "I'm sorry" if your significant other leaves you.

Instead, I'll embrace you and say, "I'm here for you."

I'll no longer say, "I'm sorry" for sending too many emails.

Instead, I'll say, "I share with you because I'm building friendship"

I'm not sorry anymore.

What do I have to be sorry about?

I haven't done anything wrong.

Sorry is a bad word that denotes inadequacy, worthlessness, insignificance, and sadness just to name a few.

But I am adequate, worthy, significant and joyful.

So, bye bye pathetic SORRY word.

I'm not a doormat.

I don't need you any more.

I am on a path of self-discovery.

Painted Gun

Click on photo to enlarge