Tuesday, June 8, 2010

What Is Beautiful To You? (and a contest)



Straight Lines


Wavy Lines

Thick Lines

Zig Zag Lines

 
Do you see beauty in the fruits of your labor?
 (This is our first EVER lettuce and spinach crop!)




Do you see it in your back yard? 
 These sweet babies are not in my backyard, but you can check out The Raccoon Chronicles to see loads of lovely pictures of raccoons in the Grape Ladies backyard.

Where do you see beauty? Don't forget to leave a comment HERE to enter my contest!

34 comments:

  1. These are all beautiful. :)

    I see beauty in the cloudy and rainy days and in the scenery right outside my window.

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  2. Sandy--You are so right...beauty is all around us. It can be found even on the worst days.

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  3. I think as a writer, you need to be able to find something beautiful in everything. And, more importantly, be able to convey that beauty to others. Thanks for sharing the pics!

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  4. wow what neat pictures. i love coonies and i know the grape ladys blog and been going there a lot and more now more cause the kits are coming round. for me i see beauty every where every day even in the most small stuff. you just gotta stop for a little time and look or listen or touch. ...hugs from lenny

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  5. aww look at those beautiful raccoons :o) I like the wavy lines and congrats on your lettuce and spinach. It certainly tastes better straight out of your own garden. Well done! And thanks for your similes, theyre great!! hehe sorry about the maggots.

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  6. Bluestocking--You are so right...Don't you just love looking at buildings that are vacant and crumbling. I always imagine what their stories are...

    Lenny--I think I found The Grape Lady through your sidebar. I love the pictures on her blog. You are right too...you've got to look at the little details in life. I noticed when we went for a ride on Sunday that in some roads the cracks were filled with lovely green grasses. A tiny detail I would have never noticed if I had been in the car. :)

    Niki--I hope you hop over and check out the link. The Grape Lady has tons of pictures. There are some with 6 raccoons in them! I'm glad you liked my wavy corn picture.

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  7. I definitely see beauty in my garden, especially in the tomatoes. They won't be ripe for awhile though, another month or so. We always grow lettuces, and love it, but haven't tried spinach, which we love. How did yours do?

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  8. I always see beauty in my backyard, beautiful squirrels, beautiful birds, beautiful geese, beautiful turtles, beautiful elephants...well, not really, but it doesn't hurt to dream big either!

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  9. Love your pics! I find beauty in calloused hands and smile lines near the eyes.

    Great post!

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  10. At the moment? Sleeping children. The quiet in the house and the angelic looks on their faces. :o)

    Thanks for those gorgeous pictures, Sharon!

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  11. Joanne--We've grown tomatos and cucumbers for several years. Last year we added peppers, potaotes and melons to the mix. This year we've added a LOT more. It's so much fun. We even planted broccoli! The spinach is great! I bought starters and am now able to pick a bit every day.

    Brian--You'll have to watch out for elephants...They have big feet. :) I'd like to see a few less bunnies and a few more deer in my back garden.

    Kathi--You are right, evidence on your hands proves what tyoe of person you are.

    Jackee--Ohhh, they are so sweet when they are asleep. :) I'm glad you like the pictures. I think I'm going to try and write an NF piece about them...

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  12. I like the wavy pic... It's hard to define where i look for it.

    Maybe in love, or in youth like babies... or maybe in nature.

    I like organized things, not abstract stuff.

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  13. Physical beauty is everywhere=in nature, people, structures, etc, but it is fleeting...I think the deeper meaning of beauty is more abstract, it is a feeling and it's everywhere, in every moment and it is up to us to find it, to seek it out, especially when it is not obvious...Personally I believe love is the most beautiful, enduring feeling that exists; to me, the shared love of family and the unconditional love of animals are particularly beautiful because they fill my heart with joy!...Happy Wednesday Sharon!

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  14. Awwww What a lovely post and question! I see beauty in them!! I always try and see beauty everywhere! Otherwise I'll go mad!

    Your spinach and green stuff look so healthy and yummy!! And those raccoons are just the most perfect raccoons ever!LOL!

    Take care
    x

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  15. Love this post. I see beauty, and God ... everywhere in this magical, mystical creation. Anyone who has "eyes to see" cannot help but be amazed continuously, hmm?

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  16. I probably find beauty in the oddest places, but that's part of being a photographer. We're "trained" to see things others might miss.

    Those raccoons are adorable. Of course, that might be because they aren't attacking my garbage. ;)

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  17. I love these pictures! Are they from around where you live? I see beauty looking out my window right now--it's green and some birds are flitting around.

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  18. Jeff--I'm glad you like the photo. It surprised me when I got down on the ground to take that picture. I thought it would be a perfectly straight line of corn. Love an babies are beautiful!

    Jacqueline--You are right about beauty in love. When I look at my grandparents that have been married for 60+ years I see it. My granddad has taken on the role of care-giver and it is beautiful to watch him gently taking care of Nanny.

    Jennifer--Recognizing the beauty here is helpful...I'm going to take a trip to a more hilly area and get some better photos of strip farming. It is beautiful!

    PJ--You are so right! God did all of this...

    Old Silly--Thanks for stopping in! You are right, you have to be in awe of God's work.

    Stina--I love photos of old worn out buildings, especially in black and white. I wish I was a photographer... :)

    Terri- Thanks! I took these photos in about a 10 mile range of where we live. We have a big window in our breakfast room and I can see our lovely veg patch growing bigger every day. I think that is gorgeous.

    Thanks for stopping in Everyone! Have a super day!

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  19. Beautiful to me has to be trees. I love seeing green out every window of a house... wind clicking through the leaves... rustling, roaring, or shady in the heat of summer (this one I have yet to see, since I live in the NW)...

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  20. Wow, I like to see beauty in many things...I love water, for me it´s the sum of all that is perfect. But a beautiful day on the fields is equally awesome!

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  21. Beautiful photos. My favorite photos (besides ones of my children :) are nature photos. I tell my kids my favorite color is green because of the bright green that pops in spring is so gorgeous and exciting!
    I didn't know you grew any crops?!
    My hubby grows tomatoes and cucumbers in the backyard. I love just going back there to get fresh veggies for dinner.

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  22. I love the beauty of nature! It's awing when you stop and think about it.

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  23. Shakespeare--I love trees too, especially big old ones. Thanks for stopping in today!

    Clara--I adore the water. We have a cabin (lake shack) that is now about 10 hours away. It kills me that we are hardly using it. The lake is crystal clear and surrounded by mountains. It's a Corp Lake, so there is very little building around it. Thanks for stopping in today!

    Kelly--I have many secrets! Growing vegetables is just one of them. LOL. We are growing our first ever broccoli, carrots, peas, and onions too. We've been growing cuccumbers, peppers and tomatoes for years. Last year we grew some potatos too. :)

    PJ--It is amazing when you stop and think about all the living things around you...I adore taking nature pictures. I preferr if no people are in them.

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  24. Gorgeous photos! I like the thick lines, personally. And aw - racoons! I haven't seen any of those for ages.

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  25. Aww I love all of the beauty in the fields and all of the greenery, so gorgeous! I hope you have a nice weekend and thanks for your comment, I tried my best to review the book! It's fun analyzing things and understand what one is reading. I hope your writing is going well! :)

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  26. Beautiful pictures, Sharon - and hooray for your first spinach and lettuce crop! I see beauty in nature when I take my dog for a walk in the park (even if my good friend Sharon isn't there to enjoy it with me.) :(

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  27. Talli--I have a photo of strip farming, which has wider lines than the terrace farming picture that you liked. I'm planning a road trip Friday to try and get a better shot. There are some really nice strip farming farms NE of here.

    Sierra-I'm so excited for you getting your first place. It will be wonderful!

    Susan--I miss us walking the dogs together, too! (But I suspect the lack of distractions {me} allowed you to finish Kessler...

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  28. Right after I finished reading your post, I turned my head and saw a squirrel on my deck. They don't usually come up this high on the hill, so I was surprised.

    I love finding beauty in nature, especially when it takes a little bit more looking to find it.

    When we lived in China, we found that most of the natural beauty in the city had been wiped out ... but I heard this strange noise one night and realized there was an owl living across on the roof opposite our apartment building. That owl was my little friend for as long as we lived in China. I grieved when I had to leave him. But it was cool because the week before we moved, I saw another owl up on the roof with him. He finally got himself a mate! It made me feel better about leaving. :) (Sorry about my long, rather convoluted story!!)

    Amy

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  29. You just made me cry, Amy! You have a gift with words...and making them connect to the reader. No wonder I read your posts!

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  30. Hi Sharon .. first congratulations on the award from Stephen .. and I look forward to reading more of your work and seeing your pictures .. I loved these different lines and thoughts ..

    & a garden too .. well done - the season's first are always wonderful and tasty .. I love flower blossoms .. because they give my mother such pleasure .. but all nature, peace and quiet ... looking up through the canopy towards the sun, through the bright green leaves and waving branches ..

    All people and things are beautiful - have a great weekend .. Hilary

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  31. Thanks so much for stopping in Hilary! You are right all things and people have beauty in them. :)

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  33. Hi, well you obviously have a keen eye for beauty. Your photos are excellent, and your writings inspiring. I see beauty right here on your blog. I'm so grateful and FLATTERED to have you as a follower on my blog. You're very good at this, far better than most. I'll be here frequently. Have a great day.. Keri from www.alwayscurtsywhenyousneeze.com (a.k.a. Sam)

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