Central Park: ON TOUR

Unending Walkways

Horse Drawn Carriage- Magical

Fountain Draws Folks to Her

Innocence of Children Playing in the Park

Capturing Young Love

Water Fountain

Nature is calling me home. Photography has always been one of my favorite hobbys. I especially love the works I see online and in WordPress Blogs I follow. These photos I took were with my Panasonic DMC-ZR1 this spring as I relaxed alongside others enjoying a stroll in Central Park. I found peace here. It brought calm for me and it still does as I ponder life in general.These are ordinary photos taken in an extraordinary setting. Enjoy my unique tour today of the World’s Most Beautiful Park.

May God Grant Serenity to You Today.

Please Let Me Introduce You To Luke.

Luke is a handsome young man.  Luke is so friendly.  Luke is 19 years old and has autism.  Luke can be violent.  Luke has bipolar. Luke loves his mother.  Luke has hurt his mother physically.  Luke says he is sorry.   Luke loves disney movies.  Luke loves.  Luke’s mother is Alesia.

I hope I can write more about Luke. I have been asked to share of my almost 20 years of wisdom. However, it makes me cry to write about him.  He lives at home with me, my husband, and our youngest son Elijah.  I hope I can tell you stories about him soon.  This is a beginning. Photos taken mostly by me or my husband with a Sony Digital or Panasonic DMC-ZR1 unless otherwise noted:

Luke did not learn to walk until he was past three years old. Here I am taking him to one of his many therapy appointments. Besides Autism, he had Hypotonia.

Luke at school working with his speech therapist this day.

Luke at his special daycare program. He was kicked out for his behavior after a couple of years. You can’t tell from this photo!

Luke  on one of his last vacations he could take since being diagnosed with Bipolar. We flew to Hawaii on this trip. We hope to fly again, but we are always worried we will get kicked off!

Luke has carried this Alligator around with him for years. Thank God Toys R Us still makes them. Luke is getting his head rubbed by my husband. It soothes him.

Luke at his High School. He was in a contained learning center. Alittle over the shoulder action in this photo.

Good Times!

High School graduate photos we had taken by a very patient photographer named Tera!

Seattle On Tour- A Unique Perspective

Today’s installment begins a fresh series of tours and great spots to stop in various cities I have been lucky to venture into.  It seems fitting to start in my hometown of Seattle.  I have lived here for more then 20 years and I believe it is one of the most incredible cities that everyone should go to once in their lifetime.  Come along as I show you around with the help of you guessed it – Linus.  If any of you have been following me in the last 2 weeks, I have highlighted this little Seattleite as my very special friend that sticks closer then a brother.  Well here he is again- Hanging out with me and now you too.  Enjoy my photos.  They were taken with my Panasonic DMC-ZR1:

Linus-I am really trying to show my friends from out of state about our great city Seattle. Oh- YOU want me to tell them to go eat at IVAR’s in Seattle. It should be a must stop for any tourist!

This is the Fremont Troll. Linus thinks it would be a great stopping point in the Fremont District of Seattle. I agree.

Seattle Spaceneedle – the LANDMARK of our great city all 604 feet of it! I highly recommend going up only if it is sunny! The view would be spectacular.

Snoqualmie Falls. It was highlighted in the TV series TWIN PEAKS. Great place for a picnic lunch Linus states! He has been there and he should know!

Mom- I am really getting tired. Lets do another round of photos for our followers tomorrow. Your Son, Linus!

Mom- Really you can share more photos tomorrow. I need the computer!
This is my son in 2008 on a modeling shoot. I do not take credit for this fantastic shot, but I do take credit that this is my fabulous son Elijah!

Thanks for stopping by.  I plan to share more photos from Seattle and other places I have had the great joy of visiting in my journey that we call life.

Milestones

 

One year ago I stopped wearing a watch.  I have worn it only once during a plane trip. During the year, I realized how freeing it was to not be on a time schedule. I began to even lose the desire of  wanting to know the time.  Yet now I reach a year out of taking off the ole ticker and come to realize how fast time has gone by.  How can it all ready be Thanksgiving?  Yet here it is upon us.

Capturing the silhouette of leafless trees in my backyard brings on thoughts of Thanksgiving and Winter approaching very soon.

One of the advantages I found was that I was learning a new way of living in the moment.  I was not stopping to look down at what time it is.  My memories were extended to be longer memories as I was in no hurry.  This is especially good when you are sharing your time with a friend.  As I reminisce of my memory with another I am transformed.  My memory of that memory is deeper. To be free of my watch allows me to transfix myself on others.  It is good to be absorbed in the moment with another human being.

Another awesome experience I can trace back to my watchless hand experiences is that I like to capture time if you will with my camera.  I am more keen on the seasons and the earth around me.  I realize we are days away from the traditional Thanksgiving meal.  I take photos of reminders of the season and am glad that I have freezed time for myself.  I have made an image of my own history tonight for you to view on these photos.

As the evening progresses on, I see the Majesty of the time through my lens. I am thankful to have spent the day with my family and new friends I met today.

Looking to these images makes me smile.  It is a capture of the time, although it can never come back, that is now a memory instilled in my mind through a photograph.  I have learned probably the most valuable lesson of all this Thanksgiving Season.. It is not to worry about the future.  I can not explain it, but something inside me is changing.  It transcends understanding. It is beyond understanding.  It is in God’s Hands.

My chair represents to me with all the leaves gone not so much an isolated area anymore. Perhaps it is a reminder for us to not allow ourselves to become isolated from others. Leave enough time for others to make a difference.

Thank you to all my readers that have stuck around to read my various posts touching on all kinds of themes.  I have 75 of you reading which I call a MILESTONE and from the bottom of my heart, I am so grateful.  I began 6 months ago writing and am so proud to belong to the WordPress community of writers.  This month I have bombarded you  more then usual as I became challenged with NaBloPoMo which inspired us all to write more this month.  I hope I have met the challenge with quality reading and imagery for you all to enjoy.  Until my next installment!

 

NapbloPoMo Rocks for Linus

Thank you readers so much for acknowledging my dog and the Gift he has been to this broken woman in my earlier post. Enjoy a few more great shots of him as he is quite handsome!

  This is Linus after smoking some weed.

 This is Linus after smoking some weed.

This is Linus after smoking some weed.

This is Linus asking for more weed.

And that concludes another set of great photos I took of Linus here in Seattle where we make our HOME! FROM your friends,

Snoopy, Linus, and Alesia

NaBloPoMo Meet My Dog Linus

I love that term NaBloPoMo.  It is getting me in the groove of writing. What a cool word to rejuvenate those creative writing juices and find the essence of why I want to write.  Partly it is to please my readers, but also it is important to me to tell a story.  A part of my story involves someone I want you to meet. It is my very dear friend Linus.  Linus sticks to me closer than a brother.  He is the love of my life.

That might be alittle dramatic, but when you see his photographs and understand what Linus has meant to me- you will get it! Linus came to my home in a cardboard box almost 13 years ago.  He was suppose to have been our sons’ best friend, but as fate would have it he became a mama’s boy. You guessed it!  Linus is a dog.  The last couple of years I suffered major medical problems.  I had a rather large brain tumor that thankfully was removed last year.  I ended up in the hospital for three weeks after it was removed and had months of rehabilitation as  I suffered a stroke and many complications.  When I arrived home, it was as if Linus knew I had went through the ringer.  He almost never leaves my side now.  He looks for me in the shower by putting his nose through the curtain.  He cuddles next to me anytime he can get and finds me within a couple of minutes if I have left one room to go to another. Animals are special indeed. He was healing to me and love all wrapped up in FUR!!  Here are some of my favorite photos of him I have taken with my Panasonic DMC-ZR1 or my Ipad 3 with Instagram:

Linus ready to cuddle- an English Springer

Linus and your blogger. He still wants to stay near me and cuddle. This was taken during recovery of my surgery.

Linus on the Beach!

Linus showing off!