why flickr is awesome

so, i've mentioned flickr a bit in passing, mainly as a way to let the rellies know where they can see pictures of the kids...but today i'm going to tell you why flickr is awesome and what i do with it (besides post pictures of the kids for the rellies.)

it's free to join flickr, so you can upload photos and look at other people's photos and check out groups, if you want. you get 100 MBs of uploading goodness, which suffices for the casual photo uploader. if you get hooked on it, like me, you can upgrade to a "pro" account, for $24.95/year (rodney upgraded my account for me a couple of days ago, as an early birthday present--thanks, hunny!)...this allows you unlimited uploads, access to statistical data about which of your pics get the most views (and other info, i haven't figured it all out yet)...i quickly learned that would be a necessity for me, if i wanted to participate in a few of the themed groups (i do).

initially i joined so that i could participate in the "bend the rules sewing" flickr group--an offshoot of the awesome book of that title, by amy karol (http://www.angrychicken.typepad.com)...and in my playing around i discovered thousands upon thousands of groups...if you can think of something, there is a group for it (well, almost, i tried to find a group dedicated to dead stuff as art/home deco--inspired by this post of loki's-- http://lokikohall.blogspot.com/2009/01/dead-envy.html--and couldn't find one, but that is a pretty obscure and random thing to search for). if you don't find a group dedicated to a topic you MUST photograph and share, then you can start your own group.

so, by joining groups, like one dedicated to a hobby of yours, for example--in my case, sewing/crafting--you start to see other people's photos, and their photos that are posted to the group link back to their photostream, so you can see all of their pictures (if they are set to be public--you can set your pictures to be private, and then only people you approve can view them, if you want)...and you can see what other groups they belong to...and then it's more six degrees of photo heaven. you may stumble across an awesome group you never knew existed and have to join. i did.

my latest discovery is a monthly scavenger hunt group http://www.flickr.com/groups/monthlyhunt/pool/ . i fell instantly in love with this idea: at the beginning of the month a list is posted of 20 words or phrases--sometimes there is a theme, sometimes not--and the members of the group are challenged to post one picture for each item on the list, either something they go out and find or something they may already have in their archives. once you complete the twenty item long list, you post a mosaic of your photos, and the group can vote on them, if they want. just for fun. some of this month's words/phrases: piquant, umami, crisp, bitter, salty, sweet, tomb, illegal, kanji, pink slip, maximum efficiency...it is the absolute perfect group for me, as it has cool words, awesome pictures, is mentally challenging without being impossible or overly time-consuming, and it's fun! i love the way it has shifted my thinking, inspired creativity, and brought my camera permanently out of the dresser drawer. my camera now goes everywhere with me--i never know when i might find the perfect photograph!

there are groups dedicated to various forms of 365--you take a photograph every day. some of them are self portrait groups, themed groups, assigned item groups, etc. etc. i haven't quite mustered up the nerve to join one of the 365 groups yet, but i do plan to. i love the idea of that small promise, to take a photograph every day. i love seeing what people come up with, how people capture their days, their lives.

it's a strange, world-wide community of people who, like me, love photographs.

today i am grateful for:
1) vesta doing the dishes
2) hazel folding the laundry
3) jubal not being insanely clingy
4) the pleasure of cooking meals
5) the radish sprouts in my new garden bed

home again, home again, jiggity jig

we had a good time in sun river. the days leading up to it were a bit rushed and stuffed, a little stressful...but not too bad. and everything went fine. wyatt wayne was amazing. i'm sure carly (dad's dog) disagrees, as he wanted to play with her all the time, and she wasn't having any of that...but he's a puppy and it's in his nature to want to play with other dogs. he had to spend more time than i would have liked shut away in our bedroom, but only because he was so excited about carly and the new people about. he only had two accidents in the house and when we took him outside he sniffed and played about, but didn't run off or misbehave. he came when called and pottied when asked. he didn't chew and destroy everything in sight, held in the contents of his bladder and intestines through the night and was sweet and fun.

we biked and hiked and saw falls. we attempted to visit the newberry caldera, but the roads were still closed due to snow. it was a good time, relaxing with our family, playing mancala with the kids, finishing reading (and then watching the movie of) The Golden Compass. it was nice to cuddle in bed and on the couch with rodney and lounge around in bed watching trash tv and feeling lovey.

it was excellent to get back home! first thing i did was to travel around the yard looking at all the plants. i planted out as many tomatoes as i could fit the morning we left and they were all hanging in there--looking fuller and greener than they did in the pots. my beet, chard, and collard seeds all hung in there and grew bigger. the carrots doubled in size. the beans jubal and i planted last week that were just barely breaking the surface when we left were up and had big, gorgeous green leaves. the radishes monumental. the onions deep green, tall and strong. the roses have buds. the spinach positively lush and shiny and with round, folic-looking leaves. the lettuces karen gave us all light green and filling out. amazing. the fruit trees that were in bloom lost all their blossoms and the maple out front got all its deep red leaves. so much can happen in just a few days.

back to regular life now...a trip into town today to get supplies for my sock knitting class and a cup for jubal that doesn't leach carcinogens into his water. lunch together and maybe a bit of walking around eugene. i have another soap order to make and multiple sewing projects on the horizon--i'm into these little notebook wallets now, fun and quick, and handy.

i'm feeling happy and enjoying the world and my place in it.

gratitudes:
the orders that keep sliding in
playing mancala with hazel, who taught me how
that ODE decided in our favor, even if it doesn't go where we want it to. some kind of justice prevails!
kisses from rodney, which are perfect and sweet, and blot out the rest of the world for their moments
jubal's strong body and perfect heart