All kinds of joys!

The world at large, far as I can tell, doesn't really need any more images--at least in the way it needs potatoes.  With millions of pictures taken every day, in almost every patch of land known to man--and woman--not counting the boxes of family photos stored in attics and scrapbooks, we have, I'd say, plenty of images to last seventeen lifetimes.

But what I need, personally, is mastery in making them--for my own pleasure.

Yesterday, Joy came for lunch--a beautiful subject in any light and with any camera--and she agreed to let me try out my new expertise on my Nikon.  Suddenly, most of what I'd learned about camera dials disappeared--though I did get a good shot on my iPhone. The ones I did take on the Nikon weren't transportable to my new computer to show you because I had forgotten to buy the little cable that reads memory cards.

After Joy's visit, Elena came for a sleepover.  As I was making dinner, Jan came in and said I had to come right over and join the dance party in progress, Elena already there with her tap shoes on.  Even Jan with her knee brace was dancing!

"Wake me up early!" Elena said--and I did: 7:00.

"Let's make crafts!" she said the minute her eyes popped open--so we set about gluing rhinestones on paper.

Then we went outside, this being my day to water, and blew up about twenty balloons.  She finally figured out how to tie off her own balloon and was thrilled.  Woo-hoo! "Did you see that, Yenna?  I did it myself!"

I'd planned to drop her off at dance camp, then do a few errands and meet Jan for yoga.  But I couldn't leave!  Seeing her dance was so much fun that I had to stay and postpone yoga until tomorrow.

This child is the happiest human I've ever met.  For two hours, she danced, smiling every minute.  She smiles when she falls asleep and she smiles when she wakes up--and almost every second between the two.  Everything is a new adventure, every mastered skill a reason to celebrate!

Learning to take pictures is as engaging for me as learning a new dance step, mastering balloon-tying, meeting new friends, or inventing a new recipe (as Elena did last night with cherry popcorn salad).  Though I'm a few giant steps from mastery, I've learned from Elena that it's the attempts at mastery that make me smile, even here all by myself!

Cherry Popcorn Salad

Make popcorn
Melt a little butter and pour it over.
Then a little salt.
Then squeeze the juice from about ten cherries and pour it on top.