Saturday, December 31, 2016

Goodbye 2016


Well, another year is coming to an end and it has me in a reflective mood. There have been highs and lows in addition to the middle that holds together day-to-day life. In the end, it's all good :)

A year ago on this very day, I wasn't very well at all, so I'm extremely grateful in this moment to be able to sit here and type these words. I wasn't at death's door or anything, but I was confined to bed. So it's a blessing to be upright!

I have always loved this day...December 31st. I really feel it. It's like teetering on the edge of a cliff and waiting to leap over an invisible line into the next chapter. Forgive me if I'm rambling or if I lose you here, but this day always makes me feel like I'm truly a part of  "Time". I feel a connection with the past and the future at the same time. It also makes me think of my mom. This was the last day that I spent with her in 2005. It's bittersweet, but I relish the fun that we had and I'll carry that with me for the rest of my life :)

Tonight along with everyone else, I'll say goodbye to 2016. I know it's a bit of an understatement, but it's been a helluva year! So many beloved people in our collective popular culture have left us along with those who we may have personally known and loved. I'll tell you something. It's all made me cherish life even more than I did already and it's reminded me to love even more.

Even though I'm no slouch...lol....I'm gonna do my very best to go just a bit harder on top of what's normal for me, in pursuit of what I want in my life. It can't hurt, huh? :) It's not a resolution...I've just gotta do better.

Thank you for visiting me here in 2016. I have more photos, thoughts, updates on my book and things to share, so I hope that you'll come back to see me in 2017!

I wish health, happiness, love, and the best of everything for everyone in 2017!

Monday, December 12, 2016

Christmas Around Bath

Over the weekend, hubby and I went to Bath. Instead of going to do our errands in our usual town centre, we decided that Saturday errands could be done just as easily in a lovely place like Bath. It's not too far away and the view during the drive is absolutely stunning. Plus, this was the last weekend of the Christmas Market so we thought that we'd go and soak up the atmosphere. It definitely gets me into the spirit of the holidays! Here are some of the photos that I took of the decorations that we saw as we walked around. I hope you enjoy them!

The big tree outside Bath Abbey
Part of the Christmas Market and there's even a yellow house nearby to go along with the name of this blog. I didn't intend to catch the yellow house in the shot, but I guess it was meant to be ;-)

Have a wonderful day!

Thursday, November 24, 2016

Thanksgiving 2016


Happy Thanksgiving to everyone back home and to all who celebrate the holiday! :)

I hope that you have a wonderful day with your family and friends.

I am thankful for everyone who comes here to read my blog...you are appreciated :)

By the way, this is my 800th post! Wow! That's a lot of posts. Here's to the next hundred and even the next 800! I hope that you'll come back and visit me again.

Have a wonderful day!

Tuesday, November 15, 2016

The Hopeful Bench


I took this photo over the weekend while I was in the passenger seat, as hubby and I were out and about doing our Saturday errands. As I've mentioned before, I love trees...whether they have leaves of green or various colors or even when the leaves have fallen off or been blown away by the wind. Every since I was a little girl, they've always given me comfort. I'm not ashamed to say that when I was a little girl, I even talked to them. They listened to me. I know it may sound crazy, but I don't care...those talks got me through a lot as a kid. It was sort of like having an early diary and the trees were taking dictation  :)

These are trying times in our world, but I know that we will get through them. We always do somehow. So when I saw these beautiful trees on that steely grey Saturday morning, I had this thought and these are the words that I shared with this picture on Instagram.

"The leaves are gone for now, but the beauty still remains." 
- Me

The world is still a beautiful place despite the crap that happens daily. I'm not naive by any stretch of the imagination, but I always try to be hopeful with a side order of skepticism. So that's where you'll find me...over here on the hopeful bench ;-)

Have a wonderful day wherever you are!

Wednesday, November 09, 2016

Forward


The election is over and I'm glad about that, but it's an understatement to say that I'm not happy about the outcome. I have no words of wisdom. All I can say is that I think of my parents and ancestors in moments like this and I think of what they would do. And with that in mind, I know that I must get up and get on with this day and do my best to make things right in my own way. I'm ready.

So on that note, I'm just gonna share this picture that I took over the weekend. Sharing a bit of beautiful on this rainy day seems right to me.

Now we go forward...

Sunday, November 06, 2016

Saturday Evening


I'm enjoying taking in the slower vibe of this weekend. As I mentioned on Friday, I'm working on getting back to some things that I love. I got a new can of chai so....yay!!!! :) And I've been working on my book. 

While I'm having my chilled out weekend, I've also been soaking up the good things and for me that often means a bit of nature. I took this picture yesterday evening as the sun was going down. I love the mellow vibe and I love that gorgeous color in the sky. Saturday evenings are my favorite.

I hope that you're having a wonderful weekend wherever you are :)

Friday, November 04, 2016

Weekend Drinks and Writing

Happy Weekend!

It's a rainy day here in Wiltshire, but I don't mind so much as long as the rain doesn't last all weekend ;-)  The rain is just gently dripping off the trees, so it gives things a bit of atmosphere. It's perfect weather for writing which is what I plan to do today and most of the weekend. I'm kind of unofficially participating in Nanowrimo...kinda sorta :) I've participated before and I must admit that I didn't get very far, but my writerly mind is in a better place than in years past, so I'm gonna see what I can do. It's hilarious to me though that I didn't officially sign up. I'm not chicken, I just need a nap :) So I thought that perhaps I'd just be unofficial this year and under the radar a bit and see what blooms or doesn't. I'll keep you posted :)

Yeah, I think that that's what I'll be doing this weekend....visiting my characters who have been left in limbo for too long lately. It'll be great to be surrounded by these "people" that I like :)

One other thing that I'm gonna have a bit of this weekend is this (see below).



I absolutely love this Drink Me Chai. It's got just the right hint of spiciness...I love my spices ;-) I had my last bit of it today, so I'll have to pick up another can tomorrow when I do my grocery shopping. It's delicious and fits in very well with my favorite season...fall! I wasn't paid to say this, it's just one of my favorite things ;-)

What are your plans for the weekend? Whatever you do, I hope that it's lots of fun!

Have a great weekend!

Tuesday, November 01, 2016

Saturday, October 29, 2016

All of the Yellowness


So the last time I posted, I mentioned that the leaves around here hadn't changed very much, well ask and you shall receive. It seems that a couple of days after I wrote those words, nature decided to ask...

What you talkin' about Dori?


LOL!!! 

I took these pictures a couple of days ago and lemme tell you, the tree across the street just went crazy all of a sudden. It's like the trees got together and said, "Let's show her what we can do!"

 Wow, have they been doing it :) Everything is just beautiful! I thought about how perfect it is that the tree right across the street decides to really give us all of the amazing yellowness...I mean after all, this is the Yellow House ;-)

I've never seen it so beautifully yellow and I love it!

Happy weekend!

Friday, October 21, 2016

Bits of Fall


Happy Friday!

I thought that I'd share this photo that I took a couple of years ago. As I've mentioned many times before, I love fall...it's my favorite season. This beautiful tree with its yellow leaves gets me into an autumn frame of mind. I loved taking that walk that day  :)

The trees still haven't changed around here a whole lot, but when they do I'm hoping to get some pictures to share.

Have a great weekend! :)

Monday, October 10, 2016

Sunday Walks


Hubby and I took a nice walk yesterday morning and we really enjoyed it to say the least. You may be surprised to know that we had to walk along and across a very busy road in order to get to this spot, but it was worth it. Once we had safely crossed the road and walked through the gate, the speeding traffic melted into the background as we walked along this path. We couldn't really hear it after a bit and as we walked further we didn't hear it at all.

The view was stunning! I'd never walked there before, but hubby visited this spot when he was seven, so it was a happy return for him :) This is now one of my favorite places to walk. We walked up the hill that you can see in the distance. It wasn't that steep, just a little bit, and before we knew it we were at the top. It was a good physical workout, but for me personally, it was good for the soul also. It did its job of renewal. I couldn't be surrounded by all of that beautiful nature and not feel it down deep.  :)

I hope that you had a great weekend. Have a wonderful new week!

Wednesday, October 05, 2016

The Changing Leaves


Today I thought that I'd share one of my favorite photos. I took this a couple of years ago and I've shared it here before, but I thought that I'd share it again. It puts me into a good mood...an autumny mood :) Fall is my favorite season and whenever I see this picture I think of the leaves changing colors, warm drinks, and lovely layered clothes and boots.

The leaves are still very green here, but I know that soon the leaves will start putting on their colorful show. I'll do my best to try to capture some of it and share it here.

Are the leaves changing where you are? Leave a comment and let me know  :)

Have a great day!

Tuesday, October 04, 2016

The NMAAHC

Happy Tuesday! :)

I'm a little bit late, but I wanted to acknowledge something wonderful that happened at the end of September. On September 24th, The National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) officially opened in Washington, D.C. I had been reading about it for some time and following the building's progress. I was so excited to see it come to fruition. 

Courtesy NMAAHC

'The National Museum of African American History and Culture is the only national museum devoted exclusively to the documentation of African American life, history, and culture. It was established by Act of Congress in 2003, following decades of efforts to promote and highlight the contributions of African Americans. To date, the museum has collected more than 36,000 artifacts.'

- From the NMAAHC

As I watched the dedication ceremony online on September 24th, I was incredibly proud and moved. I thought of my parents and grandparents who are no longer here and I thought of all of my ancestors who laid the path for me. All of the speakers were wonderful and I especially loved hearing President Obama and Congressman John Lewis speak. I have always admired the many, many sacrifices that Congressman Lewis has made in order to seek racial justice and I felt especially full of emotion in watching him. He has worked so hard and I'm so grateful that he was there to see this day. And having President Obama there to open the museum at this moment in history was amazing!

Courtesy NMAAHC

This museum is a great addition to the National Mall and even though it is The National Museum of African American History and Culture, it is a gift to all Americans. African American history is American history. And I hope that people from all walks of life in our country and from all over the world go to visit, because we all need to try to understand each other's cultures much better and how humanity is woven together strongly by the many contributions of all. There is so much venom and bigotry and misunderstanding that seems to swirl around the world daily, so I think that we really need places like this museum. We have to SEE each other for what makes us unique and beautiful and also see what we have in common as human beings. This isn't about division, it's about celebration of a culture, a beautifully rich culture.

I can't wait to go and visit. I want to see it and I feel deep down like I'll be there to witness it for my parents and ancestors who are no longer here. I've seen glimpses of the exhibitions from social media and I have such recognition of many things. When I finally get to visit, I imagine it'll be like a homecoming of sorts, especially since I'm living abroad right now. I can't wait :)

I particularly love this piece here about the museum's design. It's a beautiful building on top of being such a great place of knowledge.

Tuesday, September 20, 2016

A Work In Progress



Hello :)

Sorry that it's taken me almost two weeks to get back here. I appreciate everyone who visits me here. I've been doing a bit of repositioning over these last couple of weeks. As I mentioned in my previous post, I'm working on switching over a bit from my obsessive job search to a more balanced way of being. It's easier said than done, but I'm stepping along the way slowly but surely.

It's been like waking up from a very detailed dream and you have to gather yourself a bit to remember how you were before. I've had my lists out...I love making lists :) I've been thinking and asking myself....

"What did I used to do?"

"How do I get back there, but with some balance?"

I still need to look for a job, but I need the other part of my life too. I refuse to go on spinning and chasing my tail and letting it make me crazy. The job will come and I'll keep looking for it, but I have to be ready when it does come. So this past two weeks I've been working on finding my footing again and thankfully finding my writing again. Yay! :)

One important part of writing is getting back to this blog that I love, but haven't been giving enough time to. This place...this Yellow House...is a part of that balance too. After all, my Yellow House...this Yellow House...is a state of mind...a place of light (at least that's where I'm aiming). So here I am and I hope that you'll keep visiting me. I have photos and thoughts and my book progress and just things that I want to share. The world is so chaotic sometimes, so I want to share some (I hope) good things. Please join me if you can :)

Have a wonderful day!

Wednesday, September 07, 2016

A New Season

It feels like back-to-school time even though I'm not in school now. I guess that some things never leave you and it is "back-to-school" time of a sort. Most people have gone or are going back to school and work after the summer break and life heads into all things fall. Labor Day was this past Monday back home and we had a bank holiday here on the Monday before, so now my mind has clicked over into this new season.

My summer was good. This year we finally got quite a few hot days, so I soaked it up. Nothing huge happened, but the nice simplicity of warm summer days was welcome. I spent quite a bit of my time job hunting to no avail, but hopefully something will turn up soon. It is what it is.

Hey, if there's anyone out there who'd like to hire me or who knows of a job, let me know! Drop me an email :)

I didn't spend much time at all on my book this summer, mostly because of my job hunt. As many of you know, job hunting takes up a lot of time.

Now that we're moving into this new season on the calendar, I've decided to move into a new season personally too. I'm going to do more of what I love. I've missed writing and I find that it's at the core of who I am. The absence of it during the summer reminded me so well. I'll be getting back to my writing a lot more and finally finish my book and also I'm going to read more. Words have always given me solace, so that is where I will turn as I go through this rough patch in my life.

I'm going to return to that which has given me joy all of my life...creating, writing, and reading. Therefore, I'm making room for more of these in my life...


And I'm going to drop back into the world that I'm creating in my book, so there'll be more of this...


I'll still be job hunting and I'll stay ready for when the job comes, but I need a bit of balance. Both sides of my life...the job hunt....and my creativity need me to give them my time. This will serve me well because I'll be happier and more productive.

So it's "back-to-school time" for me and that means a new season in my life, after the beautiful summer :)

Have a great day and new season wherever you are!

Thursday, September 01, 2016

Happy September


Hello September! :)

A new month has arrived and like a lot of people that I talk to, I can't believe that it's already September. Where does the time go? I guess that it's all about perspective though...we just have to enjoy every moment no matter how quickly it seems to pass. I'm all for that.

I took the above photo the other day and I was struck at how blue the sky was. It was glorious! If you look very closely, or click on this pic to enlarge it, you can see the faintest bit of the moon near the center of the picture. This photo makes me happy for a few reasons:

1) I love the color blue as I've mentioned many times before, and the lamp post matches perfectly. 
2) I love the moon. It's so mysterious and I've always been really drawn to it.
3) I'm reminded of that wonderfully beautiful day!

Simple pleasures...

Happy September wherever you are! :)


Friday, August 19, 2016

World Photo Day


Happy Friday!

Since it's World Photo Day, I thought that I'd share a photo. I took this back in 2013. I like the way that the tree branches scatter across the path as they simultaneously reach to the sky.

Have a wonderful weekend! :)

Monday, August 15, 2016

Morning Sunshine



I shared this picture on Instagram this morning and I thought that I may as well share it here too. I took this early this morning as the sun was rising and flooding diagonally into the kitchen window. The sunlight made the roses glow. These are from our backyard and are probably the last few for this year, so they're even more precious to me.

Have a great day and week wherever you are!

Friday, August 12, 2016

Book Spotlight: Learning to Fly by Jane Lambert


I'm very excited to share a great book with you today, by the talented debut novelist Jane Lambert. Learning to Fly follows the story of forty-year-old air stewardess Emily Forsyth. She has a wonderful, jet-set lifestyle and a handsome husband-in-waiting boyfriend to top off what seems to be the perfect life. Then one day it all comes crashing down as her dashing pilot boyfriend leaves her to 'find himself', or so he says. Emily takes stock of her life in the aftermath and decides to follow her dreams.

Monday, August 01, 2016

Happy August


It's a bit rainy today, here in my corner of Wiltshire. It feels more like early autumn right now, instead of the first day of August, but I'm okay with it. I have no choice, right? ;-) Usually by this time of the year I'm wearing a sweater and wishing that we'd have had at least a bit of warm during the earlier days of summer. Well this year has been different. We actually had some really warm...downright hot weather during July, so I'm satisfied...a bit of proper summer like my hubby would say :) So it's all good.

I took the photo above this morning. I love how the spiderwebs in the trees hold the raindrops and they're suspended in the act of dropping from the sky. I love nature's gentle, simple beauty.

Have a wonderful day wherever you are!
Happy August!

Tuesday, July 19, 2016

A Hot Summer Day


Today is the hottest day of the year so far here in the UK and I'm REJOICING!!!!

Listen, okay...it's causing me to sweat a lot, but I'm so HAPPY because this is such a rarity where I live here in the UK :)  I come from a place where hot summer days are a sure thing and often you're usually chasing a cool spot. Lol. It can be hot as heck back home!!! The summers are hot and yes there are cold winters there too. However, I'm a summer person so I love the warmth even when it's really hot, because my bones don't hurt so much when it's sunny and anyway that's what they make popsicles and fans for ;-)

Coming from a hot place, I must admit that I took the warmth for granted. But after over a decade on this side of the pond, I truly appreciate a hot summer day like I never thought that I would :)

So today as I sweat it out a bit, get my water intake up, and see my skin glisten, I'll be rejoicing about all of this warmth and sunshine and these beautiful blue skies!!!

Warm summer weather looks good on you UK!! :)


Wednesday, July 13, 2016

Balance


Just a little view from my world...

This was the blue sky that I looked out upon this morning. It was a beautiful sight. If you've visited me before, you know that I love all things blue.

Even though we've just had a bit of rain this afternoon, I still remember how the day began. I know that above the clouds there's a blue sky still up there somewhere, so I'm cool with that. We need both the sunshine and the rain. It's all about balance, in weather and in life :)

Happy Wednesday!

Sunday, July 10, 2016

Keeping Grounded


Happy Sunday :)

I thought that I'd post this picture again that I took last summer. Of course the sun hasn't changed much since I last shared this picture and that's what grounds me right now. It is timeless.

Last week was a terribly hard week. The news from back home left me not knowing what to say and so I prayed. Over this last week I've heard some people say that prayer does nothing...well I don't believe that. Prayer works in a variety of ways. I know that everyone is different and everyone deals with things in their own way. I totally respect that. Whatever anyone's beliefs are, they are theirs to hold. I am a live and let live person. For me though, prayer helps me hold myself together so that I can go on and look clearly at what is and at what I can contribute. The problems are immense, but we have to work towards better.

When I see this picture that I took of the sun setting over Wiltshire last summer, I see something concrete during these turbulent times. It's the sun that my ancestors saw rise and set every day of their lives and they somehow persevered. So I will too. They went forward and we must also...to something way better.

Sending love and light wherever you are in the world...

Friday, July 01, 2016

Happy July

Happy new month and halfway mark of the year to all...time really flies. I can't believe that we're at the midpoint of the year already, but it's here :)

I always like this point in the year because it gives me a chance to look back on the first half of the year and look forward to the remaining six months. If I haven't done a whole lot of what I intended in the first six months, I'll usually take stock and think of how hopefully I can finish the year better. We shall see :)

I hope that your July 1st is great wherever you are. Happy weekend!!!

Friday, June 24, 2016

Blog Tour: Following Evan by Elida May

Here's a wonderful book to add to your summer reading list! It's called Following Evan by Elida May. You can read an excerpt and find out all about it below!



 
 Summary


Three years on from the sudden death of her husband Matt and a subsequent miscarriage, interior designer Laura is still lost in grief, hiding out in the smart London townhouse that was going to be her family home. On the encouragement of her best friend Carla, she signs up to a dating website and receives a message from a mysterious stranger, imploring her to visit him in New York because he has seen her face in his dreams.

Meanwhile, Laura visits an art gallery and is captivated by a painting of a beautiful woman in a flowing dress. It seems to be speaking directly to her, beckoning her to take a leap of faith.

These seemingly disparate events lead Laura on an epic journey to the bustling streets of the Big Apple and the desert landscape of Wyoming, where the clues to her future happiness are waiting to be discovered…


Friday, June 10, 2016

Happy Friday


I took this picture a few days ago out in our backyard. The rose was peeking into the window so I went outside to get a closer look. It was so beautiful as you can see. I'm glad that I could capture this beautiful rose at this moment in time and share it here.

Happy Friday and happy weekend wherever you are! :)

Monday, June 06, 2016

A Pineapple, the Weekend, and Backyards


My weekend was good. The weather got really nice and sunny yesterday, so I loved that. I've REALLY come to appreciate sunny days since I've been living here in England :)

As you can see in the photo above, we have ourselves a pineapple here at the Yellow House...maybe it's the warmer weather or maybe it's that I need to eat more fruit or it's a bit of both...I vote for a bit of both. I don't eat really lousy, but I can definitely do better, so this pineapple is my mascot for eating more fruit. I'm publishing its picture here before it gets eaten, so that whenever I need to be reminded to eat my fruit and vegetables more, I can come here and remind myself ;-)

Also, I took the photo below this morning when the sunlight was so nice. This is in our backyard. I love the sunlight coming through the trees in the morning. I took the picture with my phone so it's not sharply focused at all (my phone camera isn't great)...but I thought that I'd share it anyway just to let you see what my morning looked like.



Happy New Week!

Wednesday, June 01, 2016

Happy June

I'm a day behind because of the Bank Holiday/Memorial Day weekend holiday. Today feels like Tuesday instead of Wednesday, but I'm not complaining. It just means that the weekend is that much closer. Woo hoo! I can't believe it's June already.

Here are some photos that I took over the weekend with my phone through the windshield of our car. Don't worry, I wasn't driving :) They're rather fuzzy, but I thought that I'd share them here anyway because I love sharing snaps of the countryside out here in Wiltshire. The intensely blue sky in the upper photo is just the effect of the windshield.




This second one was taken on the same day, but the clouds were starting to roll in at this point. I liked how moody it looked along this road with the tree striking its elegant pose. No one needs me to say it, but I'm gonna say the obvious anyway...nature creates some beautiful scenes.


It was a great weekend. I look forward to sharing other photos from time to time. Wiltshire is a lovely place and it reminds me of where I come from back in Georgia. I hope that you'll visit me again to see what else I have to share :)

HAPPY JUNE!!!

Sunday, May 29, 2016

My New Domain



Hello :)

As mentioned before here, change has come to the Yellow House. From now on you will be able to find me at www.fromayellowhouse.com , so please update any bookmarks or links that you have to my blog.

I'm excited to be embarking upon a new era for the Yellow House, so I hope that you'll continue to visit me here as I go forward.

Have a wonderful day!

Friday, May 20, 2016

Another View Just Above The Rock


I thought that I'd share another photo today. This one was also taken on Good Friday. I took quite a few pics that day :) I realized after posting the photo yesterday that the rock was right below the frame of today's photo.

The tiny black flecks above the trees are birds. They were having a good time that day and so was I!

Happy weekend wherever you are!

Mars at Opposition This Weekend



I'm a bit of a stargazer, so I love taking a look at the heavens on the nights when we have a clear view here in the UK. I've been like this since I was a little girl. I've always been intrigued by the beauty and the majesty of the night sky. When I look up I feel small next the the vastness, but I also feel something great within because I know that the corner of the night sky that I can see is a part of something greater.

I get extra excited when there are events happening in the night sky and this weekend, in the early morning hours of Sunday, May 22nd, the planet Mars reaches opposition in the constellation Scorpius. This is a great time for osbservation. The magnificent red planet will be visible on the southern horizon. It'll reach its highest point in the sky at around midnight BST, but it'll be visible for much of the night. I don't know how clear the view will be here on Sunday morning, but I'm going to give it a go and see what I can see.

Ian Savage, Head of the Jessops Training Academy has said, “For those wanting to get a clearer view, this is the ideal occasion to look up into the sky and delve into the curiosity of our universe. With the right kit, you’ll be amazed at what you can see.”

I'm always interested in learning more about the night sky and I'm increasingly interested in learning what I can about capturing what I see on camera.

Here are some tips for capturing Mars from the Jessops Training Academy:

  • Mars will be visible for much of the night, reaching its highest point in the sky at around midnight in the UK. However, make sure you are positioned somewhere where the air is clear to ensure better visibility. Travelling out to a country location will be of a huge benefit as you’ll have less light pollution ruining your view.

  • Once night falls, give your eyes a chance to adjust to the darkened environment. It takes around an hour for your eyes to get adjusted to seeing in the dark, and letting them adjust will give you the best views through the telescope.

  • Shooting Mars will be different to capturing a regular night sky. First of all, you’ll want to use a longer lens. As you’re capturing a specific part of the night sky, not the whole thing, this will allow you to hone in on the planet. A lens with a minimum focal length of at least 200mm is ideal, if not then a decent optical zoom will suffice.

  • Lens-wise you want to follow two simple rules – wide angle and fast aperture. A wide angle will allow you to capture an expansive view of the sky, while a fast maximum aperture will allow your camera to gather in as much light as possible. You can think of a telescope as a funnel to collect lots of light and concentrate it into a tiny beam that will fit inside your eye, this means you will be able to see objects fainter than your eye alone can detect.

  • Deciding which telescope to choose amongst the multitude of different options is a challenge even for the experienced observer. For the newcomer, there are some great, affordable options such as the Skywatcher Capricorn 70 TQ1 Telescope. The 900mm focal length on this telescope, combined with the sub-£100 price makes it a good choice for starter users to get their bearings. It also comes equipped with an equatorial mount, a feature you’ll see on all high-end telescopes that allows it to track objects as they traverse the night sky.

  • If you find that you are getting an obscured view through the telescope you might want to check the collimation – or alignment – of the optics. Reflecting telescopes are the most susceptible to this so you will need to refer to the instruction manual for details of how to collimate your particular telescope.

  • Once you start to spend a little more money you start to see the real jump in quality. Celestron’s computerised telescope is a more serious tool, with which you’ll be able to glimpse the rings of Saturn or the surface of Jupiter. Take it somewhere darker and you’ll be able to see distant galaxies, and its database of celestial objects will make this easy for you. It’s an incredibly lightweight and transportable piece of kit.

  • If you’re really committed to night photography and think it’s going to heavily contribute to your portfolio then you may want to look at a camera that specialises in low light. Investigate mirrorless systems as there are some great, low-light mirrorless cameras out there that are multi-purpose, such as the Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark II. 
These are great tips! I'll be referring back to these as I step further into photographing the night sky. Hopefully one day I'll be able to share something wonderful here. Until then I'll be out there this weekend hoping to get a glimpse of beautiful Mars. Happy Weekend!

*Disclosure: I was not compensated in any way. I just thought that I'd share these tips.

Thursday, May 19, 2016

Simple and Random Rocks


Hello :)

I was scrolling through my photos earlier and had fun looking at what's there. I've been lucky enough to capture some beautiful bits of scenery here and there, but sometimes I've taken random pics just because. I love being out in nature so much, so when I'm out walking around the Wiltshire countryside pretty much everything that I see is fair game :)

Here's a perfect example above of my anything goes mentality...I took a picture of a rock! Hey, who knows what was going through my mind, but in the end it gives me a chuckle so it did its job even though it's simply a picture of a rock. I remember this day...Good Friday...and I remember how gloriously beautiful the day was. This simple, random photo takes me back and it brings to mind the joy that I felt on that day, so random is good :)

Just thought I'd share ;-)

Have a great day wherever you are!

Monday, May 09, 2016

Lines of Trees and Mondays


Happy Monday! :)

I know that sometimes we cringe when we hear this greeting because Mondays can be rough sometimes. But, sometimes Mondays can be great! Everyone has their feelings about this day. I have had my share of bad Mondays, but I've also had rough Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, etc. These days I just think of Monday as a new beginning. It's a new week and a new day and you get another chance at things, so I'm good with that. It's great to be alive :)

Anyway, I thought that I'd just share a photo today to get the week off to its start here at the Yellow House. I took this photo back on Good Friday when hubby and I took a walk that morning. It was a cold, but gorgeous morning. Here's the other photo that I shared from that day. The other one was more picturesque, but I like this one too. I have a thing for trees and especially lines of trees :) These trees are along a fence and are sort of a dividing line between the fields.

At that point when I took the photo, there weren't any leaves on the trees because it's been so cold here in England. We finally had some beautiful warm weather here over the weekend though and I wondered if the leaves had finally shown up on those trees. Everything seemed to come to life this weekend so I hope that the trees are finally cloaked in green.

I think that we'll just have to take another trip out there to check things out again, now that it's not as cold as it was on Good Friday. I look forward to it. I'll have to snap a few photos again and share them here.

Have a great week wherever you are!

Thursday, April 28, 2016

Changes


I wanted to share some information. Very soon I will be changing over to my own domain. I don't have an exact date, but it will be coming in the very near future. I appreciate everyone who visits me here and I hope that you'll follow me as this change happens. I just wanted to give you a heads up.

I've been meaning to change things over for quite a long time now, but life happens and the move kept getting pushed to the side. When I get closer to the day that it happens, I'll put up a short post to share the information.

The new site will be at www.fromayellowhouse.com .

Watch this space for further updates :)

Tuesday, April 05, 2016

Enjoy the View


I was looking back through my photos and thought that I'd share this recent one.

Back on Good Friday, hubby and I went for a walk that morning and it was so beautiful. The view was extraordinary and we could see for miles. 

Enjoy the view! :-)

Sunday, March 27, 2016

A Decade of Experiences

Today is a big day in my life. Ten years ago today, I stepped off the plane and started this journey of living in England. I can hardly believe that it's been a decade, but it has been. When I think about these years, one line comes to mind from Charles Dickens...

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times..."
(From A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens, 1859)


Don't get me wrong with that worst part, but it just resonates with me. Life is a balance of the good and the bad and in ten years we as human beings go through a lot. The thing that makes me rejoice though is that despite the ups and downs, I'm still standing :)

My gratitude for this experience of living away from where I was born is surrounding me as I type these words. I've wrestled quite a bit with being away from my family, but on the other hand I've been having this gift of great experiences. So in the end, I can't complain at all. All is well :)

I look forward to seeing what's next. Onward to ten years plus...let's go!

Happy Easter


HAPPY EASTER

Sending love to all in this season of renewal  :)