Merry Christmas

Wishing everyone all the best of Christmas and happy & healthy 2022!

Happy Christmas, and may your road be clear

This year is drawing to a close and, much like last year, Covid has moved into our lives in far too many ways. So as we face the uncertainty of what 2022 holds for us, I share this hopeful sentiment (prayer) found in the lyrics of the Greg Lake song, I Believe in Father Christmas.

"I wish you a hopeful Christmas
I wish you a brave new year
All anguish, pain and sadness
Leave your heart and let your road be clear."

Church at Home

The Covid dictated Church-at-Home continues for me, at least until they bring back my favourite part — coffee hour. And who knows, maybe the online version is where I'll stay anyway. I did like it better when the people were in full screen though, not the split screen version shown here. This started about a month ago, I presume to add the bulletin right on screen so people could follow along easier. It's too small for me to read but maybe others can. While I prefer the full screen, beggars can't be choosers. This version is better than having to go in person…at least for me :)

O Christmas Tree

 On Comet, on Cupid, on Donner and Blitzen!

Meditation…is not allowed

Country Road Night Shot

Vehicle travels along a country road at night. I like the effect.
—-
Captured with an iPhone 11 Pro

Printer Conversion

Converting my Epson WF-7710 from a dye sublimation printer back to pigment inkjet printer. Thanks to some great support and premium quality pigment inks from Ink Owl, I soon be printing my own photographs again - up to 13" x 19".

My Twitter Five

I posted this on twitter today because I felt it worth noting. Social media is an extremely fluid, constantly changing and evolving environment. So when five individuals can stick with you for 14 or so years, that's something to celebrate… and certainly something to be grateful for, especially in these uncertain times of constant change. 

Below is my actual tweet: 

---
@BobRodkin "A very special #ThankfulTuesday tribute to five of my originals from 2008
@lindyasimus @fuzzyredrobe @Pepperfire @lornepike @SueSutcliffe
Thanks making my Twitter life so much more worthwhile, and for sticking with me all these years #fivestars #thebestoftwitter #thebestofsocialmedia #inspirational #thankful #attitudeofgratitude"

Frosty Fall Morning

Desiderata

Country Dogs

Ain't Much Left Of Me

"Do I have to get down on my knees?

And ask the Lord above, have mercy, please…"

~ Blackberry Smoke - Ain't Much Left Of Me 

https://youtu.be/88lEWTEk3jg

Welcome

I've been using some variation of Photoshop ever since it hit the Mac world a lifetime ago. These days though, with making pictures mostly on my iPhone, it's Photoshop Express that seems to have become my go to app. What I can do on my iPhone within minutes, that used to take hours on a desktop, is simply incredible!

Mental Health Awareness

Today is Bell Let's Talk day and no matter where you go online you'll see posts from friends and family, and it seems everyone else, that use the now famous hashtag. All imploring each other to just talk. If you feel the need, just talk. The presumption, or I least my presumption, is that if you post or repost one of these hashtags then you are suggesting you're one that is open to talking.

That's an interesting thought, because I don't believe it's actually true. I think everyone has good intentions. Unfortunately, most fall short of the mark.

I see people posting that I know I've tried to talk to... just a, "can we get together for coffee" sort of approach. And, after several attempts, I just give up. So when you say 'Let's Talk', what does that mean? I imagine it means you have to be specific, "Like I'm totally depressed and I don't know what I'm going to do, I have to talk to someone!" Anything less and you get shuffled aside until the busy life is able to accommodate. That sounds harsh, I know. I don't mean to... most people are very busy. Jobs, kids, life... none of it stops and some are going so fast on their personal treadmill that stopping just to chat is out of the question... yet I think you have to find a way. It's exactly those subtle pleads that hide a bigger picture. 

So, if you're all about singing the Bell Let's Talk mantra, please...please, back it up. Don't just say the words, or repost them. Be there. Really be there. Someone's life may depend on it.

International Holocaust Remembrance Day

Today is International Holocaust Remembrance Day

 

In a 1995 interview Leonard Cohen said this about his song, 'Dance Me to the End of Love', a favourite of mine.

"...it's curious how songs begin because the origin of the song, every song, has a kind of grain or seed that somebody hands you or the world hands you and that's why the process is so mysterious about writing a song. But that song came from just hearing or reading or knowing that in the death camps, beside the crematoria, in certain of the death camps, a string quartet was pressed into performance while this horror was going on, those were the people whose fate was this horror also. And they would be playing classical music while their fellow prisoners were being killed and burnt. So, that music, "Dance me to your beauty with a burning violin," meaning the beauty thereof being the consummation of life, the end of this existence and of the passionate element in that consummation."

 

With everything I learn about the Holocaust, it's horror seems to become even more profound and crushing...how that is possible I don't know. 

 

https://youtu.be/NGorjBVag0I

500px = Inspiration

I've been browsing through my 500px account this morning. What's interested me lately is how many contributors are using a mobile device, such as an iPhone, versus how many are using DSLRs. The answer is the latter, and by a very wide margin.

My iPhone 11 Pro has virtually replaced my DSLR. The change had as much to do with budget as anything, AND almost without exception everyone I know wonders why anyone would cart a DSLR around. I fell into that thinking and, for every day use, it's not wrong. Family events, selfies, quick snaps while shopping, eating out, whatever. You just can't beat the device in your pocket that has an aperture of as low as 1.2. A DSLR lens with that capability is just way out of reach for me and my bank account.

However, landscapes and nature shots that I like to take, with nice closeups using a 600 mm or even 1200 mm lens, a tripod and fast shutter speed...that just can't be beat. And those are the pics on 500px that inspire me, make me dream. I've long had my dream gear picked out but the money simply hasn't followed...yet.

Starting in on decade seven for me today, so there's still lots of time to create the future I envision. Stay tuned.

A Fresh Start

Well, it's a fresh start for this blog anyway. Actually, no. I think I'm having a fresh start in a number of ways.

Since 2021 began I've been working hard on securing my online presence. And by securing, I mean scaling it back in a fairly significant way. I unpublished 10 various blogs; I deleted three Facebook Pages; Sixteen social media accounts are gone; the remaining accounts have a less identifiable user name; most significantly, I've deleted more than 32,000 twitter posts — also known as tweets, a term I've never liked much.

What's left? This blog, although previous old and irrelevant posts are deleted. My 'Home' page is now a simple business-card-type that sports links to all the online accounts that I still want to be active with.

What's most exciting to me though is this blog. I want to use it as my re-commitment to writing, and perhaps an odd photo will creep in as well. My goal is at least 5 posts here each week. We'll see, because part of improving as a writer is reading more... and I'm not known as a speed reader so that'll chew up some time.

Off now to start my first novel of any length. Barack Obama's 'A Promised Land'.

Peace out...

Six Zero

 This is it.

January 2021. 

The month where I officially mark the end of my first six decades in this current body of mine. On January 26th. I will begin Decade Seven. And it will be a new life.

No more looking back, only looking forward. No more wondering, agonizing over what could have been, what should have been. From here on, it's all about what will be... and that starts today.

For many reasons, it is a brand new world out there. And so, for me also, it will be a brand new life.

Don't get me wrong, the struggles remain. But there have always been struggles, and there always will be. It's just part of this journey we call life. Enjoy each day, be thankful for the shortcomings, as they serve to heighten the joy of the good that will happen...and there will be a lot of good. Watch for it, embrace it, and above all, share it.

Ultimately, life is about love. That I can do. That, everyone can do. Let's do it together.

Welcome to Decade Seven.

Three Movies: Bohemian Rhapsody; Rocketman; Yesterday

Received a gift of three movies today that all sound amazing. Have wanted to see them for a long time. Bohemian Rhapsody, Rocketman, Yesterday.

BOSTON

Feeling some BOSTON this afternoon 😎 

Greta Van Fleet

Isn’t this sweet!? 😎 

The first brand new record I’ve purchased in at least 30 years! 

The Beginning of My Collection

I purchased two lots of cassette tapes in the past week totalling 80+ cassettes for $23. Here are 60 of them. The quality is really amazing, as is the diverse genres. Collecting #CassetteTapes and #VinylRecords is a whole lot of fun 🤩