Living in Coastal North Carolina has its advantages: mild winters with an occasional cold snap, fresh seafood and sandy beaches. If you’re like me, no matter how mild, winter has worn out its welcome and a warm weather vacation can’t get here soon enough. While I can’t do anything about the temperature, I thought I’d share a little virtual sun and surf with you. Â Enjoy!
When I saw this guy, I immediately thought of the toad from Hans Christian Andersen’s Thumbelina.   As a little girl, Thumbelina was one of my favorite stories.  I had the book and a 45 (not a gun – just vinyl), I’d crank up my record player and spend the afternoon listening to my favorite tales.
I love everything about butterflies because they tickle my imagination. Â As they flutter from blossom to blossom, I might get a glimpse of a fairy kingdom or catch sight of a killer hiding in the garden. Â Oh, the possibilities…
For the past three weeks, I’ve participated in an online class offered by WordPress (Blogging University). The class was Blogging 101. Wow! That’s all I can say. Â I’ve been blogging for a while but it’s been a lot of trial and error and hoping. This class boosted my confidence. Â I realized I knew more than what I thought but that I had plenty of things on which to improve. My fellow bloggers were awesome. Â They took the time to read my posts as well as leave helpful comments. They truly were great neighbors.
Because of the assignments (challenges) issued, I was forced to step out of my comfort zone. Â I visited other blogs and left comments (that was something I didn’t often do). Â I am now following a variety of different blogs – writers, travelers, photographers, etc. – I have found they each offer something from which I have benefited.
I must admit there was a downside to the class. Â Working a forty hour week doesn’t leave me with much time to devote to my current work in progress and completing the assignments pretty much sucked up most of my evenings. Â Having said that, I think the pros outweighed the cons. Â In fact, I’ve already signed up for Blogging 201.
After racking my brain for the past couple of days, I’ve decided on my feature. Picture This. Â It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words. Â That being the case, they definitely have stories to tell.
Being a visual person, I often find my muse hanging out in unexpected places: a garden, an abandoned barn, or an alleyway. Capturing those images has become a hobby of mine.  Each Thursday, I’ll share a picture and include a quote, a caption, or background information.  And with any luck, your creative self will be inspired, too.
dsmcknight.com 