I Heart Macro

Since my last entry for "I Heart Macro", I have aquired a new toy - a Canon 1100D!! It has been a dream of mine to own one of these DSLR cameras for almost 2 years now. I also have on loan from a close friend, a macro lens so my daughter and I have been having a bit of fun with it. I only really used it properly this weekend.

Today I photographed some of my usual favourite things - mostly flowers. But I decided to venture out and capture some Australian wildlife also. Here are a couple of my favourite photos taken with the macro lens...

NEW CAMERA - Rather excited!!

It has been a rather eventful week; meeting yet another new specialist, more tests, trying to get to the bottom of my poor health and discovering I have a few more unpleasant diagnosis to add to my list. My loving husband took me shopping today to buy me a gift - something to keep me occupied while I am not able to work for a while longer.

I am now the proud owner of a Canon 1100D camera. And so begins the task of learning how to use this new acquisition effectively. (I do own a film type SLR camera which I haven't used since buying my little compact digital camera). This is my first Digital SLR camera... I can't wait to get out and try it...

I Heart Macro: Daisies

I am not a photographer and I don't have a big fancy digital camera (though I wish I did). My macro shots have been captured on my humble Canon Digital IXUS 950 IS. I am a macro addict, though. I don't edit any of my photos (I am not creative enough for that).
I love the way the macro setting captures the tiny details of things, not really visible to the human eye. :)

Daisies are so beautiful to macro!

Cleveland Point

The day after my "A Walk in the Parklands" I had another specialist appointment down in an area of Brisbane called "The Redlands" - named because of its rich red soil. We moved to this area when we first came up to Brisbane back in 1989 and I raised my children there for 20 years.

Just walking in the main street of Cleveland had me reminiscing of days gone by when my children were younger, and I realised how much I have missed this peaceful area over the last 2 years. Life has become so busy after remarrying, becoming an "other mother" to 5 daughters (2 of whom are young teenagers) and the enormous curve-balls of my daughter's severe illness, my own chronic illness & injury and my oldest son's continued struggles. 

I decided to drive down to Cleveland Point to sit peacefully with a nice hot chocolate, take some photos (my camera was still in my handbag), read for a while and perhaps watch the sunset.
Two days in a row of time out and "self-care" - that must be a record!!

So peaceful

The Lighthouse was built in 1865 and is the only remaining timber structured 19th century lighthouse in Moreton Bay.

And then the sun began to set...

I LOVE sunsets... such a beautiful reminder of God's amazing creation.

Glimmers of Hope & Thoughts on Being a Nanna...

Being a Nanna but unable to be one. It sounds like a contradiction but that is the reality of my "Nanna status". It's impossible to get excited about or feel the joy of being a grandparent when you are not allowed to see your grandchild.

When you find out you are going to be a grandparent, there is so much anticipation of the joy, the memories and there is the enjoyment of watching a little one grow, develop, learn, discover. But when you are denied all those "normal" grandparent experiences, when you have a grandchild but you are not able to experience those aspects, you remain in a limbo of sorts. You are not there by choice but by force. You grieve, wait, pray, wonder and hope that one day the silence will be over, that one day your son will come home, that one day you can hug your son and grandson and tell them how much you love them. And that one day you can meet this new grand child who has only just begun...

And then one day, a tiny glimmer of hope:

A glimmer of hope, amongst the months of silence, brokenness and helplessness. A very short visit, which leaves you hoping and praying for breakthrough, for healing. A glimmer of hope, and a belief that there is the possibility of change, reconciliation and freedom.

The possibility that life could be different one day... But just like before, that fleeting moment disappears as quickly as it came. It does, however, answer that gnawing question: My son misses me & his family... He DOES think of me. He came to me, he sought no one else. And while I am left wondering when I will see him next, I can hold on to that very tiny thread of hope...

A Walk in the Parklands

After my usual Thursday afternoon appointment, which involves Prolotherapy (glucose injections deep into the muscle) & Neural Prolotherapy (glucose injections into the nerves), the aim is to stimulate muscle repair and nerve regeneration - damage as a result of a car accident I had in November 2009. This weeks total was 80-90 injections!!

I was feeling a little sorry for myself, and when I noticed an empty meter parking space as I drove through the City, I decided to pull over and pay the $10 for a 3 hour time slot and explore Roma Street Parklands in Brisbane City. I hadn't been there for a number of years and last time I had 30+high school students in tow - not so easy to appreciate the scenery amongst the noise and activity.

I crossed the road and entered the Parklands - I was surrounded by so much greenery and colour. It was beautiful!! I spent the next few hours exploring and marvelling at God's creation and attempting to capture it with my humble little Canon Digital IXUS 950 IS.
Here are a few of my images:

To quote Shug in Steven Speilberg's The Color Purple: "I think it p****s God off when you walk by the colour purple in a field and don't notice it." 
And in that vain, here are some more:

I am allergic to bees, so taking this one (my hand only 5cm away from it) was rather risky!

I really love this photo with its contrast of colours.

Grevillea.. One of my favourite Australian natives

Then I came across a garden of amazing colour... so beautiful!!

On my way back to the car, I decided to check out the 'The Old Windmill'. I have driven past the windmill many times over the last 20 years and do so every Thursday afternoon.
Dating back to 1828, the windmill is the oldest surviving structure in Queensland, Australia and was situated at the Moreton Bay penal settlement, up the hill from the Brisbane River. In 1842 when the penal settlement closed, it was converted into an Observatory and Signal station. Through the late 1880's and into the twentieth century, the fire brigade used it at night as a fire observation tower. It has also been used as a tower for radio and television research, as well as the first experimental television broadcast in Queensland in 1934... quite a history.

I thoroughly enjoyed my day exploring new & forgotten places in the beautiful city of Brisbane which I have often taken for granted.

Hopefully the 3 hours in the sunlight has assisted in boosting my severe Vitamin D deficiency. :)

Texture Thursday

I love using the macro setting on my humble Canon Digital IXUS 950 IS.

I thought this turned out pretty well for a very basic camera... one day I plan to invest in a more expensive camera with all the gadgets and settings.

Castle Combe - one of the most quaint and beautiful little towns I visited in the UK.