Hey gang, let's talk about what's saving our lives in this bleak mid-winter season.
More than a few people reading this post would say they're experiencing the blues - depressed spirits, despondency, melancholy.
Is it any wonder?
But I'm talking a different kind of blues, the life-giving kind.
Those captivating blues whose shades and hues, textures and images are absolutely unending! Capturing them with my lens is one of my favorite life savers. I sense myself relaxing as I steal a glimpse, frame a shot, capture an extraordinarily ordinary moment.
I sigh quietly and deeply with satisfaction when an image turns out even better than I thought, to see yellows and pinks, purples and reds come right alongside my favorite color in perfect harmony.
Serenity and tranquility surround me, phone in hand. But I'm not clutching that baby to endlessly doomscroll or check email. I keep my eyes peeled for the perfect vision, a sight I want to remember, that unique 'Kodak moment.'
And in doing so, my creativity is stirred, my eyes notice God's creation and His everyday gifts in a fresh way, my thoughts are reoriented, my senses are captivated, my stress fades into oblivion.
I'll crop my favorite shots. That's all. I know nothing about filters and gadgets and weird looking icons and such.
All is well. I'm so grateful.
Enjoy ...
What's saving your life? How do you put your creative energies to work to defeat the blues, the news, the isolation, the fear that so easily comes to call these days?
And what's God inviting you to in the process?
Linda
~ You're welcome to use any of these snapshots ... with full attribution to LindaStoll.net.
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May 2020
January 2019
November 2018
January 2017
August 2016
January 2016
December 2015
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The Book Club Finale
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sharing the blues with
The blue of the ocean brings back memories of our first trip away as a couple where we knew no one in 207. The blue of the sky reminds me that soon it will be cycling season again.
ReplyDeleteSometimes those getaways where you don't know a soul are the best adventures, aren't they, Bill.
DeleteYou'll be on that bike before you know it. Safe travels!
I enjoyed your post and loved looking at your pics (especially those of the ocean). You've put a good spin on the 'blues' and have encouraged me to put my 'creative energies to work to defeat the blues'.
ReplyDeleteIt seems like we need a potpourri of tools to stay mentally healthy ... the food we eat, lots of water and exercise, quiet meditation and time with the Lord, upbeat companionship, service to others, creative outlets ... and yes, often medication.
DeleteI've been there more than once so this is something I'm passionate about!
I'm glad you're here, Wemi. I'm enjoying getting to know you ...
Love that rusty old mailbox!
ReplyDeleteAnd years ago, we had a mid-winter blues party at church. We wore blue, decorated with blue lights, and everyone brought blue food for the potluck/contest. I think the blue mashed potatoes won...
Blue mashed potatoes, huh? mmm ...
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I love the idea of a mid-winter party. Most of us could sure use one right about now!
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Beautiful images and I love the idea of photographing blue! I struggled mightily with depression in 2020. What’s saving my life these days is a three-week hiatus from the online world, watercolour painting, jigsaw puzzles, and the pups.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you visited here today, Linda. I hope something here encouraged your spirit. I do hear you about the depression.
DeleteWatercolor painting. I could get into that! Maybe I should?!
Linda,
ReplyDeleteI am always drawn to the blue hues of oceans and lakes...maybe because they cleanse the soul. I'm making my own creative wreaths for my front door and writing encouraging notes to others who are struggling. Also working on my book. Great post on embracing the blues.
Blessings
Bev xx
Water to cleanse the soul. What a powerful image, Bev. No wonder so many of us are drawn to its majesty.
DeleteWreath making! Yes, that sounds like fun. And I can't wait to hear how that book is going. Sounds like you're redeeming this time of unknown and isolation.
I must admit, Linda, I've been feeling rather despondent these past several days, but your photos cheered both my heart and mind. I adore the color blue, too! Such lovely images you've shared with us. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteI absolutely hear you about the despondency. For some reason, last week was like that here. There are days I have to work really hard to be free from that overshadowing ... and then I can go months feeling 100%.
DeleteGo figure.
I appreciate your vulnerability in sharing where you're coming from. I can assure you that you're in very good company.
He whispers peace ...
Loved the cropped images you shared. I'm a fan of blue not so much the blues. :)
ReplyDeleteBlue dishes always call to me, the ones made in England. If I can set a lovely blue table and have loved ones over that cheers me. Staying connected to God by reading and obeying His Word keeps me in a joyful peace of mind when all around is in turmoil.
Blue dishes, oh yes! Anything from England or Scotland {my dad came from Scotland} speaks to my ancestry in some way and has great meaning for me.
DeleteThank you for that gentle nudge to all of us to stay connected to the Lord in a very personal, focused way. I'm aiming to do it earlier and earlier each day. Some days it's as natural as breathing. Where would we be without Jesus?!
I enjoyed seeing your "blues", Linda. I once did a 52-week photo challenge to try and up my picture-taking skills. I really liked how carrying that phone (with its camera) really made me pay attention to my surroundings. I was always looking for "the shot". Maybe I need to do that again. Right now, running is saving me from the winter blues.
ReplyDeleteA 52 week photo challenge sounds fascinating, although I admit that I do get restless over long commitments to courses and stuff. I'm enlivened by paying attention to my surroundings and appreciating what's right in front of me. Seems like the older I get, the more distracted I become!
DeleteAnd you know that even though I'm not a runner, I get challenged and motivated by your posts. It's like I'm cheering you on from the sidelines! You sure do show us how to do the active life well, friend!
For some folks these days seem to be
ReplyDeleteamong the worst of times,
but that seems quite the mystery
'cause we're still doing fine.
Sure, there's COVID in the air,
and lockdowns are a bummer,
but that is nothing to compare
with an old-time polio summer
of star-bright promise cut so short
in lives t’were just begun,
transitioning from healthy sport
to an iron lung.
It's something that the world forgot,
but I'm just glad that I did not.
Thanks for the reminder that we are not the first people to go through a pandemic, a disaster, a crisis that greatly impacts our lives. Whatever the impact - physical, mental, spiritual - we truly are never the same.
DeleteHopefully, when all is said and done, for the better? 'All things work together for them that love God, who are called according to His purpose {Romans 8:28}. I'm clinging there.
Thanks Andrew for your poem. I am glad I have not forgotten either. Been there, don't want to go back, for sure.
DeleteYeah Andrew thanks for the perspective. I have all I need so no complaints here
DeleteI enjoyed your "blues," Linda! Looking around blue and green seem to be the prominent colors in our world. It would be a fun challenge to find and photograph some of the other color schemes, too. Blessings on your day!
ReplyDeleteExactly, June. This intersects with my One Word and that's where I'm going with it this year. Not quite sure of the next color ... but I think I know. Serendipity. This makes me smile, breathe deep, and anticipate the project.
DeleteYou understand, don't you ...
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Lovely images, Linda! I noticed green grass too! Is your winter more spring-like than snow winter-like? Books are my life-lines as well as anytime I can break into the Canadian Rockies with my camera.
ReplyDeleteOh, I wish it was like spring here! Some of these shots weren't taken in the last month or so. We don't have spring on the Cape ... we seem to jump from winter to summer in a flash.
DeleteWeird.
And you, my friend, are sheer genius with your camera. Every visit to your site calms me, inspires me, gentles me in all the best ways. You are an inspiration ...
Loved your blue photos. So creative and such images you captured. Doing something we enjoy is so life giving to us and our souls. I have been creating pictures with little beads.
ReplyDeletePictures created with little beads sounds intricate and fun!
DeleteI don't know anything about filters, either. When my youngest son moves out, we'll have an official guest room, and I am thinking about a beachy theme for it. These photos are inspiring!
ReplyDeleteI don't spend too much time thinking about things I can't do anything about. I don't want to live with my head in the sand, either. So I try to pray about the country and the world as I hear news, and then go on about my business for the day.
That and the Bible and books and Christian music are lifesavers for me just now.
Many days I just launch into song at the oddest moments, other times very purposeful. The old hymns are speaking to me and I'm grateful for my growing up years when we were immersed in every word, every verse.
DeleteSome days, the Lord has honored my sacrifice of praise and lifted me out of very low places. Praise His name ...
Thank you for these hope-breathing photos, Linda. Love them! My favorites are of the ocean. But your photos of sea glass always intrigue me, too. I know you collect them and they have special meaning connected to your niece. So when you hold them up to the light in a window, do they throw color beams? I have those "in a funk" days, too. I try to intentionally search for daily graces, tying in with my word of the year - grace. That's such a great mental health link. So necessary, even more so this past year. Love and blessings to you, dear friend!
ReplyDeleteI like what you said about being intentional about searching for daily graces, Trudy. Sure, sometimes grace just falls into our lap and we love those experiences. Other days, we have to seek His face and His presence with more focus, not that He's gone anywhere, but our own circumstances cast a shadow across our vision.
DeletePraise God He doesn't change like shifting shadows, always answers when we call. He doesn't grow weary of our pleas and petitions and praises. Where would we be without Jesus?!
Especially now.
Blue is my favorite color and I love how you spun the word from despondency to life giving blues. Very cool. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jean, for those kind words. It was just plain fun!
DeleteI love blue in all its varieties. So very nice of God to make color for our pleasure. Thanks for sharing the blue photos. Gail
ReplyDeleteI'm thinking He must love blue, too, considering the color of the skies and the seas, so much of creation!
DeleteOh I love all of your wonderful snaps! Made me day. You sure put the BEAUTY into the BLUES. Hugs and blessings, Cindy
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you found a little something to celebrate here today, friend!
DeleteEnjoyed the photos. I am realising how much I need and crave beauty.
ReplyDeleteMaybe that's one of the gifts of mid-winter, recognizing that craving for beauty ... and unleashing whatever creativity God has given us in making it happen in our hearts, homes, and communities.
DeleteWhat an amazing collection of blues here, Linda! I need to take up a challenge like this myself. But in the meantime, I'll draw encouragement from you!
ReplyDeleteIt was fun. Serendipitous!
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After the very worst cancer-night yet, I'm still happy.
ReplyDeleteKitten tries to leap to rafter,
falls yowling to the ground
while crippled Bella, barking laughter,
scoots happily around.
Shelby’s head-down in the dog food bag,
back feet kicking in the air,
while little Red, the Heeler-nag,
asks what she’s doing there.
Labby’s doing what Labs do,
crashing ‘gainst the door
because he’s mad his walk is through,
and he wants some more.
Cancer may seem endless night,
but these are God’s gifts of delight.
I'm guessing that Barb was running for the hills?!
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No, but Barb IS raising her eye unto the hills for strength...
DeleteI love blue. The next dress I sew will probably be blue! What what keeps me going in staying in God's Word. Without that, I would be a mess.
ReplyDeleteI do a most of crocheting and sewing to get my creative energies going. If only I can break the habit of starting a crochet project and then starting another before finishing the first one. As we speak I'm contemplating crocheting little hearts just because Valentine Day is around the corner.😁💟
I love that you'll thinking about Valentine's Day, Regina. Little hearts sound absolutely fun!
DeleteLinda, what a wonderful way to flip the winter blues on their head and turn them into something lovely! Your phone takes great pictures ... what kind is it? Mine, not so much, but I don't know if that's because of the phone or the fact that unless I have my reading glasses on, I can't really see what I'm photographing. :-) Thank you for sharing your favorite shots with us, my friend.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad they've touched you. You're kind.
DeleteI have a simple Samsung Galaxy S8. And yes, I often have to take my glasses off or look over the top of them to see clearly. You're not alone!
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Linda, what a beautiful post and images to calm! Finding the extraordinary in the ordinary gives me a respite from the world’s chaos. God is merciful and full of Grace...so much to offer Him praise and worship. Thank you my friend for your ministry!
ReplyDeleteYour constant flow of beautiful images always makes a visit to your place inspiring ... and yes, calming, Pam. Beauty and creativity does that for us ... whether of our own making, another's design, or the Creator's handiwork.
DeleteThose buoys look familiar....hmmmm could they be from 3 years ago while I visited Martha’s Vineyard and ferried to the Cape?
ReplyDeleteI am a realist and much of the time I am in the present. I never seem to wish it was a different time or wish I could be elsewhere. As long as my mind keeps busy, I am happy as clam. There is so much to enjoy and involve myself in....so I guess my happy place is an active mind.
I found some just a week or so ago on a we've-gotta-get-out-of-the-house outing! Is it 3 years already? Time is flying quick, Carol.
DeleteAn active mind! Who knew it would be that simple ... and available. I'm opting for less scrolling these days and more in person, real life activities. I feel healthier and saner, too!
Lovely images! I'm intrigued by the puzzle wall.
ReplyDeletePurple is my favourite colour, followed by yellow and turquoise. I was thrilled that my new mint green teacup and teabag holder matched one of my teapots. Tea is definitely helping me get through these tough times.
I've never made so many mugs of tea in my life, Margie! It hits the spot multiple times a day in this season.
DeleteIt warms and nurtures on more than one level, doesn't it!
I loved your photos! I had to sit and think on your question. When I have felt "blue", I usually turn on some music (loud) and sit down to send out some notes. Thinking of others has been helpful to me in looking beyond the challenges of the day.
ReplyDeleteYou are so right, Joanne. Reaching out to others is a positive response to all that's weighing us down. Not that we're hiding our heads in the sand, but it's a superb recalibration that it's not all about us.
DeleteAnd there's a whole lot of hurting people out there we could encourage, using the same energy that it took to continually focus on ourselves.
The photos are beautiful Linda. So calming, great color combinations and through provoking. I love the thoughts of days gone by with the rusted mailbox, the Five Little Peppers and How They Grew books, the ocean, etc. Very soothing.
ReplyDeleteMarilyn, thanks for that encouragement. I've found my therapy of choice ... and it makes me incredibly happy to hear that others are enjoying my attempts at creativity.
DeleteLove the photos! The intentional cropped lens helps to shift and focus one's gaze. I have started "messing about" with paints especially acrylic pouring. It's a great stress reliever and gets my head into a different space.
ReplyDeleteAcrylic pouring is a completely new term for me, Kathreen! I'm going to check it out !
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