Les and a Little More

Salt and Light

2011-12-01T16:51:00.001-05:00

This past summer as Atanas and I were looking tirelessly for a place to live in Goteborg, we got pretty stressed out and really started to think of other places we could go if there were not places to live in Goteborg. At the very last minute, and I mean last minute, Atanas got a call from his Mom that a co-worker's uncle, that lived in Goteborg, was looking to rent a room in his home. Atanas immediately emailed Slobodan and arranged for us to stay there for a little while, until we found a place of our own. We were so happy to have found a place to live. Also, what are the chances of finding a Macedonian family for us to live with in Sweden?? God's providence, that's what!
From the moment we landed and Slobodan picked us up at the airport, we could tell this was no ordinary man. Things just got better once we got home and met his wife, Mira. Even though she and I didn't speak the same language, we both agreed that we felt like we had known each other forever. Atanas and I commented many times that they just felt like family right off the bat. Mira said it best the first night we were there that God brought us all together. For something to have happened so "randomly" and to live with perfect strangers, this was a match made in heaven for sure.
Mira and Slobodan have become our family here in Sweden! They truly are Salt and Light of the earth! We have never met people so kind, generous and light hearted in all our lives. They are always happy, full of joy and always happy to help out any way they can. Never heard one grumpy thing the whole time we were there!! They have been such a help to us in a country we know NOTHING about! I wish that everyone could meet them. They are just precious to us. Nothing we could ever do would be able to repay them for all the kindness they have shown us. We have been in our new apartment for a week and miss them already! If nothing else comes out of our time here in Sweden (except, of course, Atanas' Master's Degree!!) and Europe, we have met some amazing people and ones that we will never forget. It's not by chance that we are here. It's all part of His plan and it could not be more evident.

Toasting on Thanksgiving to our new home.

Mira teaching me how to bake bread! She's an amazing cook!

Slobodan preparing grapes for his wine!

Happy Thanksgiving! Part Two!

2011-11-24T18:14:00.000-05:00

Well, it's almost the day after Thanksgiving here. Most of you are sitting around the table rubbing your very full bellies! Enjoy the moment. Look around and enjoy being there with everyone. Stay as long as you can. It's my favorite time. That is the good stuff; the time after we have eaten and we are all sitting and talking. I miss my family, but had had a great Thanksgiving and one that I will never forget! Atanas and I put together our new bed in our new home. We toasted with champaign and had a pizza for supper! What a night and it was fabulous. I am so thankful for Atanas and all that we have together! Here are some pics and a short video of the night!

Ikea assembling fool!

Why would you need anything else??

Happy Thanksgiving!!! xoxox

Just before we pop the cork!

and my Happy Toast!!!

...and the Happy Dance...

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T04:47:00.000-05:00

I just wanted to wish everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving! Atanas and I are spending this year's holiday in Sweden, but we are there in our hearts. Tonight, as you eat your turkey and dressing, we will be putting together our new bed, so that we can move into our new apartment this weekend. We are so very thankful for our new place and to have such a great family of Macedonians here in Sweden. Slobodan and Mira, the people we have been renting a room from for the past 3 months, have been beyond kind and generous to us. They have become our little family away from our homes. This year, I am so thankful for them and all the guidance and help they have given us. As much as I would like to be in Memphis right now, I am equally happy to be here with Atanas while we prepare our new home! Love and miss you all very much. We really have amazing families that support and love us so much!

Here are some pics from last year, in Memphis! Oh to be around this table...

Tom, the turkey!

Best table ever!

Catching up with family and friends!

Love you!

We miss you, Miss Vesna!! xoxo

God's creations.

2011-10-31T14:33:00.000-04:00

I went out today to a little island off the coast of Gothenburg, Sweden with Mira and Slobodan. They took me to the tiny area where they keep their fishing boat. It was a very foggy day, so we didn't have very much visibility. I am sure it's just fabulous to look out to the sea on a clear and sunny day. However, I think the weather conditions being misty and foggy, made this all the more vibrant and beautiful. A few snails have made an old mussel shell their home. I can't get over how gorgeous the shell is. Just had to share it. If you click on the image, you can see it larger and it's even more fabulous.

Day 29/30 Black & White

2011-10-26T10:56:00.000-04:00

Black and white...When I saw the challenge for today, it got me thinking about color and the absence of it. There is a country song out by Jamey Johnson that is called "In Color". This song reminded me of when I was little and Daddy would watch those WWII films on TV. I just imagined the whole world in B&W back then, not just photos, but reality. But in this song, he points out that it was all so much more dramatic, amazing and/or terrifying in color. I have attached a video (not the official) of this song and I am proud to say that my very own Uncle Buddy, aka Maurice Edwards is pictured from minutes, 3:26-3:29!

Shooting in black and white is a bit different from just converting any digital shot from color to black and white. I have to say that I really do love color better. However, Gothenburg is a gray city and it rains a lot. Shooting in black and white seems fitting.

Camera: Canon Rebel Xt

Lens: Canon Stock lens 18mm-55mm

ISO: 800

Aperture: f/4

Flash: no

Day 28/30 Flowers

2011-10-26T10:41:00.000-04:00

I went into town to my favorite little flower shop. It is located in Victorian Passage, which is this cute little passage way that cuts through from one block to the next. There is a wonderful coffee shop, where I love to have a latte, and just across the street is this precious flower shop. It's so English to me. I am in love with moss, as you know, and love the mossy, moldy pots on display. Once we get into our new place, I will be getting some cute flowers for the balcony!

Camera: Canon Rebel Xt

Lens: Canon Stock lens 18mm-55mm

ISO: 400

Aperture: f/4.5

Flash: no

Day 27/30 From a distance.

2011-10-16T18:39:00.000-04:00

From a distance...anyone else singing that song now?!! LOL...Anyway, today's challenge was to shoot something from far away. We actually live in Hisingen, which is a large island and part of Gothenburg. I went to the waterfront and aimed at the city center (hardly a skyline)! I really love how the sky looks in this shot.

Camera: Canon Rebel Xt

Lens: Canon Stock lens 18mm-55mm with Wide Angle/Macro lens.

ISO: 400

Aperture: f/8

Flash: no

Day 26/30 Something close-up.

2011-10-14T11:59:00.002-04:00

Well, I had fun with this one. I used my Canon for all of these shots and attached my macro lens. Some of these it's hard to even tell what the picture is. Of course, my favorite shot is of my wedding bands. I just love them, what they stand for and the simplicity of them. Diamonds are particularly hard to photograph, but I think I captured them pretty well. The other pics are, rust, mortar between bricks, moss, my knuckle, end of a 2x4, and my jeans.

Camera: Canon Rebel Xt

Lens: Canon Stock lens 18mm-55mm with Macro lens.

ISO: 400

Aperture: f/5.6

Flash: no

Day 25/30 Something Pink.

2011-10-14T11:42:00.000-04:00

My new hot pink vest... I wear it almost everyday. I just love love this shade of pink. Next to my all time favorite color, red, hot pink is a very close second. It's just the happiest color out there. I also took a shot with my iphone of these precious pink flowers. Everyone here has them in their little planters next to the front door. So sweet.

Camera: Canon Rebel Xt

Lens: Canon Stock lens 18mm-55mm

ISO: 400

Aperture: f/29

Flash: no

Camera: iPhone 4

ISO: 100

Aperture: f/2.8

Flash: None

Day 15/30 Silhouette.

2011-10-08T15:28:00.001-04:00

Silhouette. Failed mission, but I am posting this anyway. These days, my only readily available subject to photograph is myself. This makes getting a good silhouette that much harder. I have put this off for a week now, and as I started shooting, I knew why. Lighting is everything when it comes to a good silhouette. I decided to try the backlighting using my lights in the bedroom. There are these LED lights in here, so I thought it might be easy to get a shot of my feet blocking the light to get a foot silhouette. Well, accomplishing this not easy, and I did not make a passing grade. I will be revisiting this challenge in the days and weeks to come. Next time, I will try more natural light and Atanas!

As you can see from the pics, the iPhone was able to capture the best silhouette of my feet. It's hardly passing, but it's tons better than I got with the Canon. Bottom line is that I have a lot to learn about the settings and light for the Canon.

Camera: Canon Rebel Xt

Lens: Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II

ISO: 100

Aperture: f/4

Flash: No (hence the blur)

Camera: iPhone 4

ISO: 1000

Aperture: f/2.8

Flash: None

This was taken in Lisbon, and it's a good silhouette.

Camera: iPhone 4

ISO: 80

Aperture: f/2.8

Flash: None

Day 23/30 Sun Flare.

2011-10-08T13:03:00.002-04:00

Dang it if I didn't wake up this morning to a really cloudy and pretty gross day. That said, I left my Canon at home, because I knew there was no way I was getting flare of any kind today! Ha! I was wrong. At about 6:00 the clouds parted and I was able to get some sun flare with the iPhone. Man, I wish I had the other camera with me. I guess I learned that I shouldn't leave home without it. Sun flare...I like this pic. Click on it to make it larger.

Camera: iPhone 4

2011-09-30T15:59:00.001-04:00

Yes, day 15 is missing. I had no subjects to photograph for the silhouette. I will make that one up. Anyway, tonight's objective was to shoot the trams as they pass using long exposure. This is best accomplished at night with low ISO and a slow shutter speed (shutter stays open longer), hence the exposure being 'stretched' out. I am very happy with these photos tonight. It's my first time shooting with long exposure and I love the effects. I only used the Canon tonight because I can't change the shutter speed on the iPhone.

Camera: Canon Rebel Xt

Lens: Canon Stock lens 18mm-55mm

ISO: 100

Aperture: f/6.3

Shutter Speed: 5.0

Flash: No

Day 14/30 Eyes.

2011-09-28T08:31:00.000-04:00

I am proceeding on with the challenge from day 14. I have lost a few days due to weather and other things. I will catch up on the missing days as the weather and other things allow. Today, I was to photograph eyes. I used both cameras today, and as you can see, there is no contest...the Canon wins out with quality. I am hoping to get a better handle on lighting and ISO settings through this 30 day challenge.

Camera: Canon Rebel Xt

Lens: Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II

ISO: 800 (Too high)

Aperture: f/1.8

Flash: yes, on camera

Camera: iPhone 4

ISO: 1250

Aperture: f/2.4

Flash: None

Day 10/30 A childhood memory.

2011-09-24T13:47:00.000-04:00

As soon as I saw this, I knew exactly what I was going to photograph. Only a couple of things from my childhood made the moved from the US to Europe. I brought along this apron that my grandmother, Lessie Parker, aka Mema, made for me, because it means the world to me and I could not stand it if something happened to it. It's been to NYC, DC, Lisbon, and now Gothenburg. Mema was the most amazing seamstress. She was always making clothes for us. She made anything from gowns with matching robes, to wool winter coats. This little apron was something I wore at her house when I would spend the night and cook with her. I spent almost every Friday night with her until about the 4th or 5th grade. She was my bestie. This apron takes me back to her kitchen where we would make Coke floats, divinity, spiced tea, waffles, sweet tea, and by far the BEST pralines on the planet. No doubt where I got my sweet tooth!

Camera: Canon Rebel Xt

Lens: Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II

ISO: 400

Aperture: f/1.8

Flash: Yes. On-camera flash

Camera: iPhone 4

ISO: 640

Aperture: f/2.8

Flash: No

Day 9/30 Someone you love.

2011-09-23T18:01:00.000-04:00

Tonight, I decided to take pictures of the man I love doing what he loves! Yes, soccer is the name of the game! Every time I shoot his soccer games, I am reminded how hard it is (for me, at least) to shoot action, especially indoors. I brought my little arsenal of equipment to the gym tonight, in hopes of getting the perfect shot. I got some good shots, but the clarity is not quite there. Needless to say, SI won't be calling me anytime soon. It's always fun to see Atanas play. He puts his all into each game, just as he does with everything else. I posted a few shots (out of 175), all taken with the Canon.

Camera: Canon Rebel Xt

Lens: Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II

ISO: 200

Aperture: f/1.8

Flash: Yes. On-camera flash

Camera: Canon Rebel Xt

Lens: Canon Stock lens 18mm-55mm

ISO: 800

Aperture: f/5.6

Flash: Canon Speedlite 430EX II

Camera: Canon Rebel Xt

Lens: Canon Stock lens 18mm-55mm

ISO: 800

Aperture: f/5.6

Flash: Canon Speedlite 430EX II

Camera: Canon Rebel Xt

Lens: Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II

ISO: 800

Aperture: f/1.8

Flash: Canon Speedlite 430EX II

Day 8/30 A bad habit.

2011-09-22T12:52:00.000-04:00

Well, it was easy to find what I wanted to photograph, smoking! I hate it with every inch of my being. I know that it's much more than a bad habit for most, that it's an addiction, but I think it's a choice you make and that bad habit quickly turns into a life altering addiction. It's selfish and it effects so many lives, other than the smoker's life. It makes me sad that I have family and friends that are smokers. I have seen first hand, as most of us, what it does to the body...Smoking kills and there is NO DOUBT about it.

I have posted a few pics, two that I took today and a few that I have taken on other occasions.

It's so ugly and super tacky.

Thanks for all the trash.

"Smoking Kills"

Too bad America doesn't have the balls to put decent sized, real warning labels on cigarettes.

"Smoking accelerates the aging of your skin"

Yeah, it ages the hell out of you!

I am looking for forward to tomorrow!

Day 7/30 Fruit.

2011-09-21T13:09:00.000-04:00

I headed out to the market for some great shots of fruit and the market was closing. Dang it. We don't have any fruit at home, other than the fruit on the trees. Needless to say, I think I got an ok shot of some plums before being packed. I only had the Canon today, so there is no comparison.

Camera: Canon Rebel Xt

Lens: Canon Stock lens 18mm-55mm

ISO: 400

Aperture: f/14

Flash: None

Day 6/30 From a low angle. Nighttime Pears.

2011-09-20T14:48:00.001-04:00

I tried something a little different today. I took my photos just as the sun went down. They were taken at 8:20 PM. The pear tree in the backyard is especially beautiful. It's loaded with pears. The limbs and trunk are covered fabulous moss and lichen! I just love it. It takes a beating in the wind here, but stands ever strong. I think it's really amazing in these pictures. In my opinion, the Canon won tonight. I love that the pears light up too! I just had a better, external flash, so that gave me some flexibility.

Camera: Canon Rebel Xt

Lens: Canon Stock lens 18mm-55mm

ISO: 200

Aperture: f/3.5

Flash: Canon Speedlite 430EX II

Camera: iPhone 4

ISO: 1000

Aperture: f/2.8

Flash: Yes

Day 5/30 From a high angle. A

2011-09-19T15:28:00.000-04:00

I took my camera out today in hopes to get the perfect shot and left my CF card at home! So, Atanas was kind enough to pose for me tonight. Getting a shot from a high angle at home when you are only 5'2" tall, is a little hard. I did the best I could... The Canon won today. I love the contrast.

Camera: Canon Rebel Xt

Lens: Canon Stock lens 18mm-55mm

ISO: 100

Aperture: f/4

Flash: On Camera Flash

oops! Soccer shoe in the shot.

Camera: iPhone 4

ISO: 640

Aperture: f/2.8

Flash: None

Day 4/30 Green. TMM

2011-09-18T07:53:00.002-04:00

Green. I took this as the literal form of green. I didn't want to over think this and take a picture of a hybrid car or something corny like that (not that hybrids are corny), that is "green." I went out to the yard and took a few shots of my favorite things that are green. Tomatoes, Mint, and Moss.

I think the Canon won today. I love the bokeh created and the focus on the subject.

Camera: Canon Rebel Xt

Lens: Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II

ISO: 200

Aperture: f/1.8

Flash: None

Camera: iPhone 4

ISO: 100

Aperture: f/2.8

Flash: None

Camera: Canon Rebel Xt

Lens: Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II

ISO: 100

Aperture: f/1.8

Flash: None

Camera: iPhone 4

ISO: 80

Aperture: f/2.8

Flash: None

Camera: Canon Rebel Xt

Lens: Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II

ISO: 100

Aperture: f/1.8

Flash: None

Camera: iPhone 4

ISO: 80

Aperture: f/2.8

Flash: None