Summer Break

For five and a half years, we have happily brought you Focusing on Life. We've loved every minute of it but this summer we decided we needed a creative break. We will do something we've never done - take off the months of July and August. 

We plan to use this time to relax, spend time with family and friends, catch up on personal projects and recharge our creative batteries. 

One of our stated objectives is to create a safe, welcoming community for creatives to share their art. We believe we've done this so we encourage you to continue to share your art with us on our Flickr page and Instagram feed (#focusingonlife) and we'll share ours there as well. We'd love to see what you're up to this summer!

Wishing us all a joy-filled summer!

The FOL Sisters

Focus On You

This week we've officially entered SUMMER. I am not ready for the heat and humidity, but I am ready to enjoy the summer flowers. I don't know of another flower that says summer better than a simple, sweet daisy. Honestly, can you even look at one without smiling?

I love these daisies against the gorgeous blue sky that Evangelina Murray has captured. Her photo makes me think of happiness and light and makes me feel a little nostalgic. I had daisies in my wedding bouquet way back in the early 70's!!  You can see more of Evangelina's beautiful photos on her Flicker stream.

Keep those summer photos coming to our FOL Flicker stream. Just a reminder that our focus this month is backlighting. Early summer mornings are a great time to get out and capture the light!

Summer Reading

by Linda

Well, the kids are out of school and the temperature's up. It must be summer! I still look forward to summertime with as much glee as I did as a child! Certain aspects can appear not so fun but all in all, summertime is fun.

It doesn't matter if you stay in town or plan a get-away trip, there's nothing like longer days and backyard BBQ's with family and friends. And fireflies, oh yes fireflies! Those magic little creatures that appear for an instant. I remember spending many summer evenings chasing those little flying insects. This is something I have been able to do with my grands and to see them delight in it as much as I do just warms my heart!

Summer's more leisurely pace (and high temperatures) often has me looking for a book to get buried in while I wait for the oven outside to cool down, at midnight, or 2 AM.

But I digress...

There is an app called Overdrive that I enjoy. It connects with my local library and allows me to check out books, audiobooks and videos. They stay on my device for 14 days then they go away. While the selection is not as extensive as what is actually available in the library, new titles are added daily. It's getting there. It is just so convenient to just do the whole thing online. No trips to the library to check out/return books. If a title I want is checked out, I can place a hold on it, just like at the library, when it is available I get an email and it pops in on my bookshelf. (virtual bookshelf)

Anyway...

Overdrive has partnered with Big Library Read. This is like a giant book club all online. The selection of the month is available for immediate download. I was somewhat interested in this when I got the email but didn't look at which book was selected. Then I started watching Genius on the National Geographic channel. Are you watching it? It's about Albert Einstein from his higher education to the end of his life. 2 different actors play him. I think they did a great job. His name has become synonymous with genius. I'm no Einsten but Albert Einstein is a well known name but how much do we really know about him? We know he was a scientist, but who was he? And for that matter, how much do we know about his first wife? Mileva Maric?

Here's a spoiler-she was from Eastern Europe at a time when Eastern Europeans where looked down upon and she was a women at a time that women were forbidden to attend school and she was born with a handicap. She was also quite a genius herself, having managed to attend school and do very well in the face of a male dominated society. Extremely well, she was a physicist and mathematician, a lone woman in a male dominated profession. She was at least at bright as Albert Einstein and perhaps, more, and there is much discussion about how much input she had on the many papers he wrote and published during their marriage and how much input did she have on his most famous paper - the Theory of Relativity.

You know, that one. The one that involved lots of physics and math.

The paper he won a Nobel Prize for, and interestingly gave Mileva the prize money, was a paper he wrote in 1905, while married to Mileva, was an explaination of the photoelectric effect.

You can imagine how surprised, and interested, I was when I took a look at which book was selected for the Big Library Read.

"The Other Einstein" by Marie Benedict. This book is based on facts but there are so few facts about Mileva Maric Einstein, the author did have to use her imagination to fill in some of the gaps, a fact she acknowledges. Mileva did not keep a diary but there were numerous letters written between Mileva and Albert that capture the nature of their relationship. A relationship initially based on intellect and equality as well as passion. This book was very thoughtfully written. It was not written to discredit Albert Einstein in any way. It was written to show Mileva and her life with Albert Einstein, her struggle with choosing between an intellectual life and a domestic life which is probably one of the reasons their marriage did not last. And it's fascinating. She was fascinating.

If you're looking for an online book club, or a good summer read, check out Big Library Read through Overdrive.

All you need is a library card.

Do you have one?

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Summer Stroll

by Leigh

It's not officially summer quite yet, but it sure feels like it in my neck of the woods!  The cooler days of spring have past and anytime spent outside now is either early in the morning or late in the evening.  If you dare go out in the middle of the day you better be near a pool to cool off!  I've found myself waking up earlier in the morning so I can spend more time outside before the afternoon heat forces me back in.  The other morning I took a stroll through one of my favorite yards....where I grew up.  My parents have lived here since I was six and the backyard was a dream for my six year old self.  Even now at forty-something the backyard is still one of my favorite places to be and it has become my own test garden for various landscape design ideas.  I pretty much have free reign back there and I'm always trying new and different things.  Landscapes are ever evolving.  I don't think you're ever *finished* with your yard.  No sooner than you think it's right where you want it....an ice storm comes through and takes out mature trees.  The areas that were always perfectly shaded nooks are now full sun exposure so I move some plants around, create new areas and planting perennials that I was never able to before.  Beds become mature and some plants thrive while others just peter out allowing for new design, new ideas, new plants.  Along the sidewalk above we ended up with an area that stayed very wet.  The Boxwoods and Roses quickly died from having "wet feet".  Then I decided to try a decorative gravel and some containers, but it was kind of blah.  Then I remembered one of my favorite plants....Horsetail Reed Grass.  It can be tricky because it likes to spread...quickly and is considered invasive.  It also likes to stay wet and will grow in ponds.  This particular area is bordered by concrete on all sides and stays wet....Horsetail Reed ended up being the perfect solution and looks super cool around the curved sidewalk.

A boring, old shed needed to be dressed up a bit.  A simple wrought iron window basket was the thing to give it a pop of color and bring it back to life.  Virginia Creeper climbs up the sides and helps the shed to blend in a bit more.

Soft Mexican Feather Grass is planted along a back sidewalk.  Even from the patio the grass offers a nice visual with it's gentle movement in the wind.  It's one of those plants that begs to be touched and I can't pass by it without running my fingers through the soft blades.

The shady areas are full of perennials such as Hydrangeas, Hostas and these dainty Autumn Ferns.  They thrive in the understory of the mature trees and really show off in the late afternoon when the sun shines through them.  They continue to grow and spread and even pop up in areas that I didn't intend for them to be, but at some point you have to let go of the reigns and see where the plants lead you.  I can design and plan all I want...but the ultimate plan is designed by mother nature herself.

A Summer Flower Arrangement

by Kelly

I hope some day to meet God, because I want to thank Him for the flowers. ~Robert Brault

 I got a wild hair on Sunday.

Right now my backyard is a carnival of bright, bold, colorful flowers. It's one of my very favorite things about summer actually, and to celebrate, I decided to make a summer flower arrangement with some of the blooms.

Using the Floret Farm Cut Flower Garden as a jumping off point, I went about my yard in search of greenery and flowers to make an arrangement.  For greenery, I used a few stems of weigela, some fern fronds, and dusty miller. Then for the flowers I chose roses, hydrangeas, astilbe, veronica, zinnias, and calibrachoa (small petunia-like flowers from my back porch pots) - all in shades of pinks, corals, and yellows.

I started by filling up my container (an antique silver pitcher that belonged to my husband's grandparents) with water and wedging some pieces of floral foam inside.

Sidenote...start by doing the foam first then adding the water...just trust me on this one.

Next I placed three branches of weigela into the vase similarly to the example in the book.

Then I added in the fern fronds and placed my stem of rose clusters near the front so that they would be the focal point (more or less).

To complete the arrangement I simply added in the other flowers trying to vary the shapes and maintain some visual balance in the overall arrangement.

I am so happy with the way it turned out!

The great thing about an arrangement like this is that there is no real right or wrong way to do it.  And I just love the fun mix of shapes, colors, and textures.

They other great thing about making this arrangement (besides the fact that it didn't cost me a penny) was the sheer delight of playing with flowers that I grew in my very own garden.  Thirty minutes of fun, messy play...a brief escape from my pile of laundry and sink full of dishes. Plus, as an added bonus, I get to enjoy my lovely arrangement whenever I walk into the kitchen.

It truly is simplest things that make me happy. Thank you, as always, for letting me share them with you.

Until next time,

Kelly

Slow Summer

by Leigh

I'm learning to love the summer.  When my kids were younger I was not a fan of summer break especially the unpredictable schedule....for someone so routine based like me that fly by the seat of your pants summer left me feeling frazzled.  I began to notice a shift in my attitude last summer.  While before I counted down the days till my kids were back in school now I find myself trying everything I can to prolong summer break.  I found myself getting sad when it time for my much beloved routine to start again.  What is going on with me?!

Maybe it's because my kids are older and more self sufficient.  Maybe it's because I'm enjoying spending time with them.  Maybe it's the thought of having a freshman and a middle schooler that's causing an early midlife crisis.  Maybe it's because I'm realizing more and more that the days are long and the years are short!

Here's to a slow summer....a savoring of pool days...spur of the moment road trips...and time spent with family.

Summertime!

by Linda

Here we are, getting ready to say good-bye to May. And-good news-a three day weekend is coming up! YAY!

Memorial Day is the official ushering in of summer. Around here anyway. There will be lots of boats on the road as people start breaking them out of winter storage and heading for the lake. That being said, the lakes will be full of boats, jet-skis, water-skiers and swimmers. (except Lady Bird Lake which usually bans jet skis on holiday weekends, but I digress)

The smells coming from backyard BBQ's will be everywhere! Neighborhood swimming pools will be a sight of noodles and beach balls!

Kids everywhere will be eagerly anticipating the end of school, unless they were lucky enough to get out before Memorial Day.

Summer vacations and trips to grandma's house will be on everyones mind.

Anticipation! It's great, isn't it! To be caught up in all the possibilities is fun! To plan serious down-time is almost as good as actually experiencing down-time! Kids, of course, look at summer as endless days of NOT going to school. Remember that feeling you had walking out of school on the last day? Best feeling ever!

Around here, Memorial Day is usually rainy and this year looks to be no different. It takes more than a little rain to ruin a perfectly good weekend.

Our family has begun summer vacation planning. How about you? Where will you go? What will you do?

We will go to the beach, it's a summer tradition. The grands have already started asking when we are going. Better get planning! I know how short summer really is!

...

sidebar-taking pictures of fireworks is hard. I obviously need practice.

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Summer Favorites

By Cathy

The summer is coming to an end. Officially autumn doesn't begin till later this month, but for many of us vacations are over, children are back in school, and we’re beginning to feel a little change in the air; a little less heat and humidity. Most of you know I don’t particularly care for summer, but I promise this isn’t be a negative post about summer. Even though I’m not a fan of summer, there are things that I can ONLY enjoy during summertime. I try to look for the best in everything, so I went outside (IN THE HEAT), sat in my swing, and quickly wrote down ten things I will miss about summer. Then just as quickly I went back inside! 

So, here they are, ten things I love about summer.

1. dragonflies dancing in the air, their wings shimmering in the afternoon light

2. birds and insects singing their choruses all day and croaking frogs at night

3. the beauty and smell of fresh fruits and veggies

4. homemade ice cream and watermelon on the Fourth Of July

5. walking barefoot in the morning dew

6.    watching the antics of hummingbirds as they swarm the feeder

 7. relaxing under a shade tree

8. seeing the vibrant colors of flowers

  9. spending extra time with family, hearing their laughter, feeling their love

10. extra hours of daylight, which is great for photographers

I stopped at ten, but I probably could have gone on. Summer is a time full of good times and memories. I wrote this list in my Journal Of Lists. Yes, I have a journal that is full of lists. I love lists. Anyway, when I’m hot and miserable next summer, I can get out my journal, read this list, and focus on the things that brings me happiness in summer.

If you were to sit down and write a list of the things you’d miss most about summer, what would be on it?

By all these lovely tokens September days are here,

With summer’s best of weather and autumn’s best of cheer.”

~ Helen Hunt Jackson

The Benefits of Boredom

by Kelly

There is virtue in work and there is virtue in rest. Use both and overlook neither. ~ Alan Cohen

When is the last time you were bored?

No really…I mean it.  My guess is that your life looks anything like mine, there is seldom the opportunity for boredom.  But recently, while on vacation, my family got a front-row seat to boredom.  And it was the very best thing that could have happened to us.

So let me back up for a minute.  A couple of months ago, my husband, my adventure-seeker and intrepid traveler, starting firming up the plans for our vacation to Costa Rica.  Passports up to date…check.  Airline flights confirmed…check. Accommodations set up…check.  Check, check, check.

Regarding the accommodations, our VRBO rental boasted that it had the three, must-have amenities for American travelers – air-conditioning, satellite television, and Wi-Fi.   And when we finally arrived to our destination, the first thing Tripp did (as he usually does) is turn on the air-conditioner, turn on the TV, and check for internet connection.  Typically, in that order.

After choosing our bedrooms and getting settled in, the first thing Tripp noticed was that the satellite dish wasn’t working.   We were in a fairly remote area, so we only got one, poorly connected, local station.  In Español no less. But no TV, no problem!  We had internet!  Or so we thought.  Because after an hour of unplugging and replugging and checking and resetting, it became clear that, although we did indeed have access to the internet, it was nothing like the speed or bandwidth that we, as uber-connected individuals, have become accustomed to.   But it was getting late and starting to storm.  Plus we hadn’t eaten dinner yet and all of us were getting fairly “hangry’.  So we decided to let it be and go back into town for a bite to eat.

Now, I would just like to pause here for a minute to acknowledge the fact that all of the ‘problems’ we were facing are so totally #firstworldprobs.  OK?  And we knew it.  Lack of high-speed internet is not a real problem and I am grateful that, even as a ‘plugged in’ family, we knew the difference.  And what happened as a result, has been far more gratifying than anything we could have experienced while online.

Anyway, long story, short…the satellite never worked and the agonizingly slow Wi-Fi was the best that Costa Rica had to offer.  And with two days with no real ‘activities’ scheduled, that meant we were going to have to get creative…literally and figuratively.

I’d also like to add here that as an introvert, I am totally fine – no…in COMPLETE HEAVEN – when I have nothing to do and nowhere to go. Quiet time at “home” is my nirvana, whether I’m at “home” at my permanent address or at “home” on vacation.  My husband and daughter are wired differently however.  Both of them love to go and do, so two days with nothing planned was more like their worst nightmare.

One afternoon, I could see Tripp restless and roaming around the house and I asked him, “Dear, are you ok?  Are you bored out of your mind?”  To which he replied, “Yes… but it’s probably a good thing.”

I’ve been thinking about this conversation on and off for a month…how being bored can be a good thing.  And how rarely the thought of boredom even comes about in everyday life.  And how could it?  Between cable TV, Netflix, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram (just to name a few), there is no shortage of ‘entertainment’ or ways to fill up the space in our lives.  And it’s so easy…with just a touch, a world of entertainment is right at our fingertips…quite literally in the palms of our hands.  I also wonder if it’s a bit of a cultural thing too.  In society that prides itself on productivity and flaunts busy-ness like a badge of honor, it’s almost like boredom has become a dirty word.

But I would like to state for the record that boredom can be a good thing.  Because with no access to TV, we spent more time with our faces in books.  With limited access to social media, we socialized with each other over afternoon cocktails and ping pong.  Without all the noise of a plugged-in life, we spent two quiet days wandering, daydreaming, napping, and resting.  Really resting – body, mind, and spirit.  A complete reset for our souls.

The more I have pondered it, what if, rather than classifying boredom as apathetic tedium or a restless ennui, we could see it differently.  Similar to whitespace in photography, what if we saw boredom as breathing room…space for our world-weary souls to rest.  Whitespace is a critical element of design in all of the graphic arts – the use of which creates more meaningful and more aesthetically pleasing compositions.  So why wouldn’t I apply these same design practices to my own art?  The art that is my life?

More than any trinket or tchotchke, this was the one souvenir that I really wanted to bring home with me…permission to be bored.  The gift of breathing room. The freedom from hustle. The feeling of peace.  The connection to who and what matters most.  Because these are the benefits to boredom…and these are the gifts that keep on giving.

Until next time,
Kelly

Happy Birthday America!

by Carol

HAPPY JULY FOURTH!

"Those who won our independence....valued liberty as an end and as a means. They believed liberty to be the secret of happiness and courage to be the secret of liberty."

Louis D. Brandeis

"I look forward to a great future for America - a future in which our country will match its military strength with our moral restraint, its wealth with our wisdom, its power with our purpose."

           John F. Kennedy

"We must, indeed, all hang together or, most assuredly, we shall all hang separately."

Benjamin Franklin

Our country tis of thee

The Good Old Summertime

By Cathy

In The Good Old Summer Time

There's a time in each year
That we always hold dear,
Good old summer time;
With the birds and the treeses
And sweet-scented breezes,
Good old summer time.
When your day's work is over
Then you are in clover,
And life is one beautiful rhyme,
No trouble annoying
Each one is enjoying,
The good old summer time.
In the good old summer time,
In the good old summer time,

Written by: Ren Shields

Published in 1902

This past week we official entered summertime. It’s the time of pool parties, vacations, outdoor concerts, and magical summer evenings. Summer has been defined as “a period of fruition, fulfillment, happiness, or beauty.” This sounds like a wonderful time of the year and for most it is.

For some of us, that is simply not true. It is not magical at all. For some these hot, humid, long days turn us into cranky, grumpy individuals that are often genuinely sick. We have what is call Summer-onset Seasonal Affective Disorder. The long days of summer literally drag us down and zap every ounce of our energy. Instead of the lethargic state of Winter SAD, Summer SAD shows up as agitation. We’re not ourselves, we’re jittery, we’re extremely irritable, and physical ill. Life seems more animated with loud shrieks of playing children, bustling crowds, and wild colored clothes. All those things together with heat, light, and humidity create a cacophony of sights, sounds, and feelings that overload our systems.

Summer depression wasn’t even recognized until 1986. Health professionals suspected the cause was the heat and humidity. So the solution was cool showers, air conditioning, swimming in cold lakes or heading North. Although these solutions are useful for immediate help, they don’t stick around. We can stay inside, lower the AC thermostat, and darken the room, but ultimately we have to go out doors and WHAM, we’re hit with the heat and harsh light and the physical symptoms return. Now it’s known that the summer light also adds to the problem.

During the entire summer my focus is survival. I spend the summer coping with severe headaches, dizziness, nausea, insomnia, and overwhelming fatigue. I feel isolated. I can no longer go on hikes, wander small towns, or just sit in my swing. I can’t be part of the summer fun. I try to cope the best I can, but my normal positive mood is hard to find in the heat. When I just can’t stand being inside any longer I find a shady spot and put my feet in a tote full of ice water. It does help! Wish I could carry a tote of ice water with me everywhere I go!

 Here’s several ways I’ve learned to cope with summer.

• I eat a light breakfast every morning to start out the day in a cheerful mood. I try to get plenty of protein and lots of fruits.
• I try to only get out in the early mornings. Late evenings would be good also, but I live in an area with mosquitoes!
• I build in quiet times during the day: playing the piano, journaling, reading, or editing pictures
• I limit caffeine, electronics, and distractions.
• I keep a list of summertime happy things. Some days it’s only that I saw a butterfly out the window.
• I look for indoor places to explore like museums and flea markets.
• When I want to take my camera out and wander, I do it in the mornings, preferably near some kind of water. I make sure there’s plenty of water in my cooler, an energy snack, and a resting place in the shade.

Summer-onset depression is thought to affect less than one percent of the population. That in itself is a cause of stress. Try telling your friends and family “you hate summer” and you’ll be met with all kinds of looks, words, and helpful suggestions. “Try staying out more and your body will adjust to the heat” is one of their suggestions. I’m here to tell you that only worsens the problem! There’s also the helpful souls that say, “drink more water, you’re just dehydrated.” Nope, that doesn’t help either. Very few people understand the comment “I HATE SUMMER!”

I know there are some of you out there that completely understand how I feel. I know I’m not the only one. If you have any great suggestions for coping with summer, I'd love to hear them. For you summer lovers, if you do happen to find us outside and we’re complaining or cranky, please forgive us. It really can’t be helped and we will be better about late September or early November. You’ll most likely find us smiling and very happy in December, January, and February and listening to your complaints about the cold. While you’re out there enjoying your summer, we’ll be inside dreaming of snow!

I hope you enjoy your summer whether you're outside or inside!