Friday.
Edition 31.
Hurricane.
This week has been a blur. If you read my post on Monday then you know that my family in Naples was affected by Hurricane Irma, but that they are all safe.
Facebook.
I don’t spend much time on my personal Facebook page. When I do visit it, I usually catch up on people’s lives in a stalker-ish type of way. I don’t always have anything to add, so my comments are infrequent and I rarely fill in the “what’s on your mind?” box to add to my page. That has been completely different this week. I have been the relayer of updates on my family to the rest of the extended family. I have shared information about local resources so that those who do have internet are able to know where to find them. I have checked updates of others to be sure they made it through the storm safely.
I have heard from friends who had to take turns holding the door so that the wind did not blow it in. I have cousins and friends who have waited 3-4 hours in line for gas. I have seen photos of the devastation. Photos from Naples…streets I have walked on. Photos from Immokalee … the town I graduated high school from. Photos of lives ripped apart.
Yet, I have also been privy to hear of the kindnesses and compassion that have taken place in the wake of devastation.
Soccer.
I mentioned that I did not attend Miss Sunshine’s game last Sunday. However, I did attend her game in Lynchburg that Saturday.
Photography.
Normally, this is not a photo that I would share because the ball and hands aren’t in focus. I know that some people like that movement in their shots, but that would not have been my preference for this photo. Even if I had frozen the shot in focus, I would have known that this is right at the throw by the fact that her foot is being dragged. [Handy hint if you don’t know soccer…futbol…both feet must stay on the ground during a thrown-in. This action gives you more oomph.]
I’m sharing the photo because I finally took the time to learn something new about my camera because I was frustrated by this shot. I am still working on learning how things work on manual and aperture priority modes, so when I can’t practice (such as for a game) I’ve been relying on Auto mode.
My Nikon had a handy-dandy action setting right on the top knob. On that setting, the shutter speed was always quick enough to freeze movement. On Auto mode, my Sony Alpha 7II captured this photo at: ISO 100, f/11, 1/250… too slow of a shutter speed. I did know the Sony had a scene selection (the SCN setting on the top control knob), I just didn’t know how to change it. Once on it, you press the menu button and under the camera tab, you can find scene selection (mine was on page 7). Ta-da! Now I need some more action shots…good thing Miss Sunshine has a soccer game tomorrow.
Movies.
I mentioned earlier in the week that I often pick up movies at the library. These were a couple that we recently watched.
Have you seen either of them? What did you think?
Wales is a place that my heart has always been drawn to and that I hope to get to visit, so I found the landscape scenes in King Arthur to be entrancing. As far as The Zookeeper’s Wife, I love movies based on true stories about people who did brave things.
Turning 40.
Yay…me! In case you missed Tuesday’s post…I turned the Big 4-0 on the 12th. We decided to have a family dinner at Outback and then came back home for cake.
I was sooooo stuffed, but it was all sooooo good.
Birthday Presents.
My parents had already sent me presents in the mail which I saved to open on my actual birthday. I love this bracelet and they also sent a wine glass that says the same thing.
I like that…aged to perfection.
Exercise
Stress has consumed much of my week. Sometimes I let it paralyze me, but I finally got back into the gym on Wednesday and once again started tackling my mile long to-do list.
I was in Florida for Hurricane Wilma. It feels strange to be away from my family as they move through this cleanup process after Hurricane Irma.
Music.
The song I chose this week is by the band Broods. They are out of New Zealand and I like their music. I chose this specific song because…my parents were the beginnings of the formation of this woman who is still discovering…still growing…still evolving.
I hope that you all have an amazing weekend.
Fall is on the march here in Southwest Virginia. Leaves are beginning to change. The sun’s not sure he wants to cooperate with cooler weather, but I still plan to get out and walk amongst the trees.
Let your light shine!
Amy
