“Yeah we all shine on, like the moon, and the stars, and the sun.” — John Lennon. Twilight, Mahurangi East, New Zealand. Image: Su Leslie, 2017
Sometimes when I look over my month’s photographs for the Cardinal’s Changing Seasons post, I find a theme that somehow makes sense of the 30-ish days that have just passed. Sometimes a single image captures some truth about my life.
Not this time. My August has been all over the place (emotionally, if not geographically).
Magnolia buds. Image: Su Leslie, 2017
In flower. Image: Su Leslie, 2017
The month began in hope, with our magnolia tree finally in full blossom. Today I noticed the last few flowers amongst the fresh green leaves.
Giveaway Smurf toys provided a fun distraction as I tried my hand at miniature photography.
Too many rainy days meant infrequent trips to the beach. But each visit renewed and refreshed me.
A few cold, rain-free days brought foggy mornings and spectacular sunsets.
“Love is the answer, and you know that for sure; Love is a flower, you’ve got to let it grow.” — John Lennon. Image: Su Leslie, 2017
Not sure why John Lennon is so on my mind at the moment, but going with it, here’s Beautiful Boy from the Double Fantasy album. Because my beautiful boy-child is always on my mind.
“Life is what happens to you when you’re busy making other plans.” — John Lennon
The Changing Seasons is a blogging challenge hosted by Cardinal Guzman with two versions: the original (V1) which is purely photographic and the new version (V2) where you can allow yourself to be more artistic and post a painting, a recipe, a digital manipulation, or simply just one photo that you think represents the month.
These are the rules, but they’re not written in stone – you can always improvise, mix & match to suit your own liking:
The Changing Seasons V1:
Tag your posts with #MonthlyPhotoChallenge and #TheChangingSeasons
Each month, post 5-20 photos in a gallery.
Don’t use photos from your archive. Only new shots.
The Changing Seasons V2:
Tag your posts with #MonthlyPhotoChallenge and #TheChangingSeasons
Each month, post one photo (recipe, painting, drawing, whatever) that represents your interpretation of the month.
Don’t use archive stuff. Only new material!
I share your sense of all over the place-ness, Su. Too many repercussions from personal to global. But still you capture the beauty in the world around you. And provide us with the soundtrack 🙂
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Thanks Tish. The big stuff seems so overwhelming and out of individual control that focusing on small beauties is what keeps me sane(ish). 🙂
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Yes, I feel the same.
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So many good photos. I loved this post!
Funny gas staion freebies photos too.
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Thank you Max. I am such a sucker for little plastic toys. The boy-child was never into MacDonalds so we missed all the Happy Meal stuff. I guess I’m making up for it now. 🙂
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Beautiful Su. Just lovely photos. So beautifully captured. I miss this challenge.
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Thank you 🙂
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Beautiful post, Su. I’ve been so sorely out of touch with all my WordPress friends. I love the John Lennon inclusion to your post.
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Thank you. Sometimes music just says so much more, and does so much better than just words or images. 🙂
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Lovely shots as always, Su, but the one with the flowers may be my favorite. You’re transitioning into spring as we slowly move toward fall. Right now, though, it’s mostly in the mind, as summer still seems to be in full possession of the seasons. I’m okay with that. 🙂 I hope your September is filled with more peace and good weather.
janet
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Thank you so much Janet. I hope the summer feeling lasts a while longer for you. Although I’m sure your autumns are glorious. Su
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I love that John Lennon song—it was so revealing and so emotional. And heartbreaking, given how his life ended right around the time it was released with his beautiful boy still just a baby. I hope your beautiful boy is doing okay.
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The first photo of the moon and the 2 silhouetted tree trunks really speaks to me. There’s a melancholy loneliness implied within it.
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I’ve been holding onto that shot for a couple of weeks, probably because I feel the same way about it. 🙂
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Your first image brings a calm to my day. And The John Lennon quote and song are a bonus.
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Thank you Sally.
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If your season is changing, then so is ours. You are about to come into the nicer weather and we are about to deteriorate into not so nice weather.
Global tensions are high and I’m sure they have an effect on personal tensions. It is a good world and we will heal.
Hugs, Leslie
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Thank you Leslie. Our spring weather can often be pretty wild and unpredictable, but ultimately summer is on the way for us. I am hopeful that there are enough good people in the world, but I’m definitely having my hopes challenged at the moment!!!
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Keep the faith, Su.
Leslie
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🙂
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🙂
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Your magnolia bud pictures are stunning, and the rainy day one makes me feel at home 😉 I’m having a musical afternoon with blog posts, having so far been diverted to Simon and Garfunkel, Dusty Springfield and now John Lennon!
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Thanks Anabel. It’s a miserable rainy day here and I suspect by the end of it the magnolias will all be reduced to a pile of slush. But my neighbours freesias are out, so it really must be spring! 🙂
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Oh wow. Just beautiful, Su!
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Thank you so much Luanne. 🙂
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So many lovely photos of your month Su. I hope things are settling down for you emotionally. Being thrown out of kilter is disturbing. As you approach spring and warmer weather, we northerners enter autumn, “Too soon” she cries! and I am hoping for warm weather to continue so I can get to those less crowded beaches! However, I do like autumn so I shan’t be too sad and the Aussie family are over for a few weeks too which will be exciting. Wishing you a more convivial September
Jude xx
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Thanks so much Jude. I’m coming to terms with the new normal and learning a lot about myself in the process — as we all do when life throws curve-balls at us. I hope your autumn is long and gentle. It’s my favourite season wherever I live, and I did particularly enjoy English autumn when I lived there.
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The pictures are all beautiful, Su! As to John Lennon… he´s one of my biggest heroes, maybe the biggest. I love his songs and lyrics more than I can say and always find my way back to them. xxxxxxxxx
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Mine too. I so vividly remember hearing of his death. It was the first “celebrity” death that really impacted on me. My first “I remember exactly what I was doing when I heard” moment. His music is a great legacy, but I can’t help wondering how much more he could have done.
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That´s exactly what I always wonder too – what he could have done with his music if he were still alive. It always felt like he was just at the beginning of his potential really, even though he was a Beatle!
The first celebrity death that impacted me like that, although I can´t really say that I was a big fan or anything like that, I just liked her like so many other people did, was Lady Di.
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I feel the same way about John Lennon. I wasn’t really a Beatles fan (although I’m old enough to remember them as a band), and I think that both Lennon and George Harrison did much better work solo and in other collaborations.
I was living in England when Princess Diana died. I was pregnant with the boychild, and I remember the Big T coming back from the supermarket and telling me he’d heard it on the car radio. In the UK, it was like the world totally stopped for about a week — until after the funeral. It was the most incredible outpouring of grief — and anger. She was such a complex figure and her death opened up all sorts of fissures in British life. And it was 20 years ago yesterday.
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I still know where I was when the news reached me of her death. And we all watched what was happening outside Buckingham Palace and the burial on television. I remember how angry I was that they first denied to lower the flag… 20 years now, my, how the time has passed… I feel suddenly quite old!
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It does seem strange that it was so long ago. I also remember how angry people were at the Royal Family’s apparent lack of concern. Have you ever seen the movie ‘The Queen’ — with Helen Mirren in the title role? I thought that offered a really interesting take on the situation.
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I did see that film and I agree, it was a really interesting take on the situation. And Helen Mirren was brilliant – as she so often is 😉
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Yes; she’s a fantastic actress. 🙂
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So many beautiful photos Su. I love them. I’m sorry your August has felt all over the place. I can relate. Here’s hoping for calmer weather for both of us – mentally and emotionally.
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Thank you so much. I’ll second that wish for both of us. 🙂
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❤
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Ah the rains of August in New Jersey. And July. And June.
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🙂
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