Featured Blog- And In The Morning There Were Birds

  I've visited hundreds of blogs since I began my own two and a half years ago. During this time I've stumbled upon a small handful of sites run by people who, for different reasons and in different ways, have had an immediate affect on me. And  In The Morning There Were Birds is one of them. The owner of this blog is Teresa Queirós (Teresa Q), a twenty-four year old photographer and actress from Aveiro, Portugal. Self-taught, she discovered an interest in photography in 2004 but only recently started taking it seriously. Most of her work is shot on film and has a very warm, almost ethereal quality which I just love.   

   Why have I connected so strongly with her work? I think the answer can be found in something she wrote a while ago,

"I find the human nature very interesting, so I love portraits- I love to see honesty and vulnerability in them. And that’s what I usually go for. Other than that I just enjoy creating beautiful images- I’m an aesthetic person I guess."

  I've always been fascinated by the many sides of Woman; her mystery, her strength, weaknesses and emotions. This is conveyed through Teresa's photography but she also reveals some of herself as well, she speaks more through her art than through words. Most subjects are friends (actresses or otherwise); she rarely uses models and I think the results are more organic and natural.

  I hope you enjoy her photographs and words (in gray) as much as I've enjoyed the chance to bring them to you...
 
"I do feel that there's always an underlying message or story behind everything you do, even if it's not concious. Everyone is a series of ideas and experiences and emotions, so everything you do artistically has a way of translating who you are, somehow, and that's a message in itself."

"For me light has the ability to bring things to life in a magical way - or an ominous way, or a beautiful way, or a mystical way (it all depends on the light you're working with) - and, most of times, light is what makes the picture."

"I'm inspired by a million things; I'm inspired by movies and music. I'm inspired by light and beauty and people - and by the bones that give them structure. I'm inspired by emotions and words. I'm inspired by dancing and movement. Art in general inspires me just as much as life."

"I like feminine portraits, I like the feminine nature, the emotion and sensitivity."

"I do take self portraits from time to time...as a way of expressing myself emotionally."

"...at some point I'm always hiding behind my hair or my hands or... whatever! It's like I have to force myself not to hide."

 

"I like stories, and dreams, and lullabies, and melancholy, and softness, and light, and mystery..."

her brother Eduardo

A few of her photos left me unsure of how to feel. I love the way images can evoke emotion...

"I don't think I have a favorite scenery, sometimes light makes the scenery all by itself. I like to shoot outdoors, though, surrounded by nature."

 "I've started doing theatre when I was about 15, I think, doing some workshops and little events here and there..It's one of my biggest passions, along with photography and singing. I like to play complex characters who are somehow damaged by life experiences. I like characters with secrets, characters who aren't easy to read, the ones who say the most without saying a word. I like intriguing characters - just as much as I like intriguing people."

  Teresa, I've been wanting to feature your photography for some time and I'm grateful for the chance to show it here. Thanks for taking the time to collaborate with me.




  If you're interested in learning more or seeing more of this work, here are her links:


And In The Morning There Were Birds  (blog)
Facebook
Flickr
Female photography inspiration ("The DPhoto" article)
Interview (nineteen questions)


All work remains property of the owner, Teresa Queirós.  © All rights reserved.

Secret Sunday

 As much as I don't like Fall I have to admit we're having a beautiful Canadian Fall day. I suspect I'll find myself outside later, there are leaves to be raked and I have to scrub out our fountain to prepare for winter. :(

  Time now for the forty-fifth round of Secret Sunday, a chance to share secrets and/or fantasies you've been keeping to yourself. Some are uplifting, some are heartbreaking and some are just plain naughty. All are valid.


Here's how it works:

1) This is open to anyone who wants to participate, from regular follower to casual visitor.

2) If this is something you'd like to run on your blog please feel free.

As always if there's anything you want to share, I'm listening...

Ever Take A Personality Quiz?

 I came across this ColorQuiz through my good blogging friend Heather. I don't usually put a lot of weight in these tests but I do like to approach them with an open mind, so I thought what the hell.   

  According to the site, "ColorQuiz is a free five minute personality test based on decades of research by color psychologists around the world. There are no complicated questions to answer, you simply choose colors with a click of the mouse! Your test results are completely confidential and we do not keep the results.

This test is based on the work of Dr. Max Lûscher and is used worldwide, most notably in Europe, by psychologists, doctors, government agencies, and universities to screen their candidates. Since the 1950's the test has been given to hundreds of thousands of people."

 I began the test by selecting my sex (male, last time I checked). Then I chose from a pattern of eight different colours, picking the one that made me feel best when I looked at it first, then repeating the process for the remaining colors until none of them were left. I've copied the results of my test below, with my comments beside each one. I've rated how much I agree with each statement from 1-10 (10 being strongly agree). It's not part of the test, just doing it on my own. Here goes...

Color Test - Results


Your Existing Situation

"Very emotional and artistic, enjoys being surrounded by beauty and art. Looking for a partner who always has an eye for beauty and who enjoys close, loving relationships."
9/10  Sandy has an appreciation of aesthetics but it's not mandatory to me that she does all the time. As for a close loving relationship? That's a 10/10.


Your Stress Sources

"Demands to be noticed by others as an important individual
3/10 with a caveat. I'm not hung up on status, so being seen as important in a social standing doesn't interest me. Being considered an important part of someone's life, as someone who's made a difference? 10/10

needs attention and recognition.
3/10 professionally for both. Personal attention: 8.5/10 (especially from women if I'm honest), personal recognition: 3/10 (it's nice to be noticed but I don't do what I do for other people to be praised)

His current situation is leaving him dissatisfied. He feels he needs to make friends with those who hold the same high standards he does. Wants to stand out as someone at the top of his class and be admired by others. He needs to feel in control which makes it difficult to give of himself to another person. He feels isolated and alone but refuses to appear weak and continues to be emotionally distant from others in order to keep his attitude of superiority. "
1.5/10. Isolated and alone? Do I seem emotionally distant to you? The 1.5 is mainly for the part about wanting to be admired, I don't crave it but it's nice to hear.


Your Restrained Characteristics

Open and emotionally involved in relationships and easily finds satisfaction through sexual activity.
10/10


Feels he is carrying more than his share of problems.
1/10  Not when I look around me. I actually feel quite blessed.

He is flexible and laid back, sticking to his goals and working to overcome any difficulty."
7/10  Could be a 10/10 but I'm not always laid back and I sometimes procrastinate or get off track.


He is being forced to put happiness and pleasure on hold due to his limiting circumstances.
0/10  I don't think anyone can be forced to put off being happy, we all decide what approach we take and how much things will affect us.


Believes his hopes and dreams are realistic and sticks to them stubbornly...
9/10

even though circumstances are forcing him to compromise.
1/10  I can choose to be where I am but I'm not really forced. There are very few things that would hold me back from achieving what I want except myself.

Very precise in the qualities he seeks in a partner.
9/10 Precise yes, but I'm also flexible. No partner is perfect.




Your Desired Objective


Longs for a loving, caring, and supportive relationship
10/10 I have this now and it's very important to me.

fantasizes of living in perfect harmony with others.
5/10 "Fantasizes"? No. I'd love to live a life filled with perfect relationships but I also accept it'll never happen. I'd change very few of my relationships and that's all I could ask for.

Has a strong desire for tenderness and affection and enjoys things which are artistically pleasing to the eye."
10/10


 Your Actual Problem


Fears others will try to hold him back from achieving his goals and the things he wants.
2/10 In one particular area yes, but overall it's not something I've given much thought to. If you're determined to achieve your goals you won't let anyone stop you.

Puts on the charm and can be manipulative towards others hoping he can get them to do as he wishes and making it easier for him to reach his own goals.
3/10 with a caveat. "Manipulative" is a pretty strong word. I'm told I can turn on the charm sometimes but it's usually for no other reason than to elicit a smile. Really the only time I try to "get people to do as I wish" is in conversation, steering the conversation and setting the stage for someone to talk about something I'm curious to know more about. It's not forcing it out of someone, but hopefully leading them to the point where they'll feel more comfortable opening up a little more.


Your Actual Problem #2


Impressed by unique and one of a kind things, and by people with exceptional personalities.
10/10

Tries to takes the characteristics he likes in other people and apply it to himself as well as coming across as a unique individual.
7/10 Mostly true. Sometimes I'll meet someone in person or on-line and realize that they have certain qualities I either lack or would like to improve on. I'll make a conscious effort to change, not to be like them but to improve myself. I don't feel a need to be unique, I just want to be me.    

Identity Crisis

  

 Lately I feel like my blog has been going through an identity crisis. I suppose what's really happening is I'm just questioning myself more about the reasons I'm writing, who I'm writing for and the direction in which I'd like to take this. Over time I've found the blogs I relate to most are the ones that are very personal, written by people who talk about their day to day lives, struggles, feelings etc. I have no problem talking about my own, I do it all the time with some of you through our e-mail conversations. Yet when I feel like sitting down and writing a post about something I often draw a blank. Strange.

   The intent of this site first and foremost has always been to offer something that will hopefully be of benefit to some people. That aim will never change. Simply put, Life In Quotations is about life and how I experience it. Some things I write about are very obviously me and others might seem unrelated, but they all represent who I am in some way. A post about a girl battling anorexia may have little to do with how I've lived but it's a subject that affects me deeply and so I put it out there. Not only because issues like this are important and need to be discussed but because it represents the side of me that needs to care, and does. Everything I bring to you says something about me, sometimes you just need to dig a little deeper to make the connection.

   In an upcoming post I'll be featuring a photographer whose work has captivated me over the past year. Her photos say nothing directly of my life but embody so much of what I find beautiful and inspiring. I hope you'll drop by, and as usual if you have any suggestions for what you'd like to see here feel free to let me know.

Secret Sunday

We had a great Thanksgiving dinner with some friends last night, a week after our actual Thanksgiving in Canada but it was a nice evening all the same. And we all got massages from their daughter who has just become a licenced RMT so it couldn't have been much better. I love getting a massage!

Time now for the forty-forth round of Secret Sunday, a chance to share secrets and/or fantasies you've been keeping to yourself. Some are uplifting, some are heartbreaking and some are just plain naughty. All are valid.

Here's how it works:

1) This is open to anyone who wants to participate, from regular follower to casual visitor.

2) If this is something you'd like to run on your blog please feel free.

As always if there's anything you want to share, I'm listening...

Thin Threads

Every once in a while when Facebook or Blogger go down, or there's an issue with Blackberry, or my computer dies (rarely thank God) I realize how amazingly simple it would be to lose my on-line friendships with all of you.

I guess it's something I've come to take forgranted, but when it's that easy to get in touch with someone by the click of a mouse it's also that easy to lose them.  It's actually kind of scary that relationships that have grown so close over the years hang on a 1/4" computer cable.


Photo credit here .

Non-Thanksgiving Weekend Recap

Thanksgiving weekend has almost come to an end. This year Sandy and I will be celebrating a week later since we've been invited to dinner next weekend. So we took the past three days to get some things done around the house.

Friday night after work we went to Home Depot and picked up eight pieces of door trim and a shelf which I had cut down at the store, to be used as a new top for a hutch.

Saturday morning Sandy made my usual chocolate chip pancakes and bacon, we went for a walk then headed out to run some errands. But first we stopped by our local bistro for latte (it's become our favourite place even though this was only our second visit). I sensed the girl behind the counter was upset about something, turns out she had family trouble so we talked about that for a while. I find this happening more often, I don't know if I'm just meeting people who are more obvious with their emotions or if I've become more attuned to reading body language and facial cues.  Anyway the latte was great, although I still haven't found anyone who makes it like Sandy does.

We ran out to a few places, came home and I installed the last bracket on the new downstairs railing.

(That's Belle on the top step). I'll be giving the handrail a dark espresso colour, it's oak so it'll take the stain well.

Then I replaced the top of the hutch (it's a long story but basically Belle has been hanging out on it and over time it got ruined. She's not up there much at all now). The hutch used to be part of a desk, if you're familiar with Ikea furniture you'll know how it goes together with pegs and metal pins etc. I measured off locations for the lighting and the door and drilled new holes, then used my nail gun to install the new top. A bit of paint to touch up the raw edges and it looks mint:

Oh yeah, when we took the unit off the wall the world's biggest clump of fur fell to the floor. No lie, it was the size of a football. I should have taken a picture.

The rest of the weekend was a blur. Sandy worked in the garden while I did the indoor renos. I tore out the old door and frame in the laundry room which looked like this one (it was mint green):

and with her help installed the new one. If you've ever tried replacing a door, even with a prehung one, you'll know how fussy a job it is checking for level and shimming it etc. Today I also cut and installed three new door frames. Here's how it looks now:

It's only primed, it'll look a lot better once I've filled the holes in the frame and everything's painted white. Nice and fresh. In amongst all the sawdust and power tools I answered some e-mails, we went for walks, read etc.

So, how was your weekend?

Secret Sunday

Well it's Thanksgiving weekend in Canada and how am I spending it? More renovations around the house. Our "real" Thanksgiving will be next weekend, one of my staff has invited us to dinner. I'm looking forward to it.

Time now for the forty-third round of Secret Sunday, a chance to share secrets and/or fantasies you've been keeping to yourself. Some are uplifting, some are heartbreaking and some are just plain naughty. All are valid.

Here's how it works:

1) This is open to anyone who wants to participate, from regular follower to casual visitor.

2) If this is something you'd like to run on your blog please feel free.

As always if there's anything you want to share, I'm listening...

60,000 and Counting

I noticed that number of hits on my counter when I stopped by to check my blog tonight.  I haven't posted a lot lately but have more ideas I'm working on, suggestions of what you'd like to see here are always welcomed. Thanks everyone for reading me!

Secret Sunday

Hey everyone it's time for the forty-second round of Secret Sunday, a chance to share secrets and/or fantasies you've been keeping to yourself. Some are uplifting, some are heartbreaking and some are just plain naughty. All are valid.

Here's how it works:

1) This is open to anyone who wants to participate, from regular follower to casual visitor.

2) If this is something you'd like to run on your blog please feel free.

As always if there's anything you want to share, I'm listening...

7x7 Award (Pimptastic Edition)

A while ago the amazing Jennifer Fabulous tagged me with the 7x7 award. (I'm not sure where the pimptastic part comes in but I like it). This was a great chance to go back through the past couple years and re-read things I'd forgotten I wrote.

The way it works is, you list your top posts under these categories and then pass the award on to seven others. Simple enough. Here goes...


Most Beautiful

I would have thought my most beautiful post would have turned out to be about a woman but that wasn't the case. If You're Struggling With Something... presented the story of Nick Vujicic in his own words. Nick was born with no arms and no legs but hasn't let that stop him from leading a life more fulfilling than many more "able-bodied" people experience. He's a remarkable person, a powerful speaker and I get inspired every time I hear him.

Most Helpful

I've had great feedback from my "Greater Understanding" series. This is where I openly present real-life subjects that I feel aren't talked about enough, whenever possible through the words of people actually living these experiences instead of from just textbooks. So far I've covered depression , female orgasm , tears , anorexia , living with an alcoholic parent and self-harm. My recent post Sex and Guilt also prompted some great comments and discussions.

Most Popular    

         

Based purely on the number of views, Ink (Contains Nudity) has been my most often-read post with 5,423 hits so far, or almost 10% of my blog's overall total. Proof I guess that if you really want to be read, include something about sex or nudity. Based on the number of comments received Bloggers Over Borders (bottom) is my most popular.

Most Controversial            

Few things get people more worked up than talking about sex and relationships. In my two-part post A Foolish Heart's View Of Love , I decided to stir things up by giving my views of love, relationships and sex that are a bit outside conventional thinking (although becoming increasingly more widely accepted). The comments that resulted were just what I had hoped for.



Most Underrated

I was disappointed that Why Do I Get So Close To My Bloggers only got one comment (although I smiled when I saw who it was from). This post is kind of a behind-the-scenes look at the rewards I get from my relationships with you guys. Please go back and read it, it's lonely.


Most Surprisingly Successful

Back in December of last year my very dear friend Rasha wrote this post. It had a big impact and stayed with me ever since, recently I decided to write my own and Letter To A Younger Me was the result. I consider it surprisingly successful not because of the number of comments but in the way it hit home with some of you and the amazing things you said. I'd like to do another one in five or ten years and see how my views on life have changed.



Most Prideworthy

Bloggers Over Borders. I ran this project as an effort to bring us together internationally beyond our computer screens, and hopefully turn strangers into friends as a result. It was a massive undertaking that ended up costing me a fair amount of money, but I was prepared for it. Not everyone followed through but most did; overall it was one of the most satisfying things I've done and I consider it a success. Bloggers Over Borders created a lot of buzz and I'm thinking of doing it again in the future.



And now I pass the 7x7 award on to the following:

Bella from Fragments of Me
Celia at High Heeled Life
Jade at Blush of Dawn
Jill at Life After College
Melanie from Melanie's Randomness
Rasha at And this is what She said
and for a splash of something spicy, France at Sometimes The World Begins

A rain check goes out to Agata, Miss Always Carried Away . Perhaps when your exam is finished you'll have time to do this? I'd like that.

Secret Sunday- with a twist

Today is significant for my blog in a way. Some of you may not know that Secret Sunday actually started out on Nov 20, 2009 as Secret Fridays. The first post received a fair amount of comments and I decided to make it a regular weekly feature, it ran forty-one times before I decided to switch it to weekends. And today marks the forty-first round of Secret Sunday, for a total of eighty-two posts with no sign of slowing down.

The reason I started this feature is I felt it could help people connect, by realizing there are others who have experienced or are now going through what we have, and to show we're not alone in our thoughts. I'm happy to say that with your help I think I've been able to achieve that. Some of my blogging friends have since also decided to do their own; Rasha, who runs hers on Tuesdays and Charlotte, who also has hers on Sundays.

Before we get started, whether or not you decide to leave a secret/fantasy with me, I'm curious. What things that people write in about do you find the most interesting?

Okay, here we go.

It's time for the forty-first round of Secret Sunday, a chance to share secrets and/or fantasies you've been keeping to yourself. Some are uplifting, some are heartbreaking and some are just plain naughty. All are valid.

Here's how it works:

1) This is open to anyone who wants to participate, from regular follower to casual visitor.

2) If this is something you'd like to run on your blog please feel free.

As always if there's anything you want to share, I'm listening...

Bad Blogger!

I haven't visited your blogs for a while, not feeling great about that but I should have more time this weekend. Thanks to all of you who have continued to leave comments and not disowned me! I'll be by to see you soon. :)

x

Idea For a New Feature- Whaddya Think?

I'm trying this again to see what you guys think. I first posted this idea back in April of last year and got lots of positive feedback but no participation. If you think it's a good idea I'll run with it but it'll take you (yes you) to make it work.

Through talking with some of you and reading your blogs, one thing I've noticed we all seem to have in common is the wish to have more freedom to write whatever we want to. Very few of us are anonymous; we have family, friends and co-workers who read us so we tend to be very selective about what we write. I know some of you who have dozens of readers, yet there's still that one person that makes you think twice about what you say.

So, in the spirit of Secret Sunday I propose 'Free For All Fridays'. This would be a chance for you to submit anything you wish you could write about on your own blog but can't for whatever reason. I would then post it 100% anonymously if you didn't want to be identified.

This is the committment I make to you:

-I won't ask why you prefer not to write it on your own blog, or ask you to provide any further background beyond what you've given me.

-I won't censor content or change the text, it will appear as you've submitted. If for some reason I feel a strong need to make an alteration I'll ask first.

-Length of your post doesn't matter. It could be about any subject and can take the form of a true story, fantasy, poem, whatever you're in the mood for.

-Because this is going through me first, you may feel a need to hold back certain information. I understand that and wouldn't take it personally.

-Those of you who know me, know how much I honour privacy. I promise I will never reveal your name. Ever.

If you have something you'd like to reveal or get off your chest but don't want to do it on your own blog, please send it to me by e-mail at barrysquotations(at)gmail(dot)com. I'll move forward with this based on how much response I get.

Secret Sunday

Things have been a little quiet around here lately but I'm working on something, plus a major announcement. Bear with me!

It's time for the fortieth round of Secret Sunday, a chance to share secrets and/or fantasies you've been keeping to yourself. Some are uplifting, some are heartbreaking and some are just plain naughty.

All are valid.

Here's how it works:

1) This is open to anyone who wants to participate, from regular follower to casual visitor.

2) If this is something you'd like to run on your blog please feel free.

As always if there's anything you want to share, I'm listening...

Secret Sunday

We got back a short time ago from a great weekend visit with family and I realized I still needed to do this. It's time for the thirty-ninth round of Secret Sunday, a chance to share secrets and/or fantasies you've been keeping to yourself. Some are uplifting, some are heartbreaking and some are just plain naughty.

All are valid.

Here's how it works:

1) This is open to anyone who wants to participate, from regular follower to casual visitor.

2) If this is something you'd like to run on your blog please feel free.

As always if there's anything you want to share, I'm listening...

Sex and Guilt

 If talk of sexuality offends you please skip this post.

photo credit

  A girl vows to honour her faith and remain celebate until marriage, then feels remorseful after giving in to the urge to masturbate. A woman in her mid-forties finds herself attracted to a boy more than twenty five years younger, but quickly shuts down when she realizes their difference in age. A girl fantasizes about her boyfriend's best friend while she's having sex and tries to put it out of her mind. A woman confesses a sexual fantasy about an animal and wonders if there's something wrong with her.

   Something that's become very obvious to me in these conversations is there's a tremendous amount of guilt out there. I want to talk a bit about it because I believe it's not only unfounded but potentially self-destructive.

   Sexual fantasy has a huge advantage over sexual reality because we're in complete control over everything that happens.  It's our mind's playground; we're free to imagine doing anything we want with no consequences.  None. No one's affected and nobody gets hurt because we haven't actually done anything.

   So why is there so much guilt?

   It was once believed if your sex life was adequate you wouldn't need to fantasize (in 1908 Freud wrote, "a happy person never fantasizes, only a dissatisfied one.") Today the opposite is accepted. University of Vermont psychologist Harold Leitenberg, Ph.D., and South Carolina's Kris Henning, Ph.D. reported in Psychological Bulletin that people who frequently fantasize have sex more often, engage in a wider variety of erotic activities, have more partners and masturbate more frequently than people who don't fantasize often. Other studies have reached similar conclusions.

   Sexual fantasies are normal.  If you're uneasy about what's running through your mind, it's important to realize that no matter what it might be there are other people who think and feel the same. We should explore these thoughts and try to understand them rather than be fearful.       

   A few of my female friends have told me they have erotic rape fantasies**, and a couple of them have acted them out with their partners. This is not a wish for it to actually happen.  Most often these thoughts involve an attractive man whose restraint is overwhelmed by the woman's attractiveness; it feeds a want to be desired. Not surprisingly, guilt (and uneasiness) often follow.         

  Near the top of my blog is one of my favourite quotations, "If you want to know where your heart is, look where your mind goes when it wanders."  It can also be said, ""If you want to know where your desire is, look where your mind goes when it wanders." Perhaps sometimes you close your eyes and find your mind drifting to someone else while making love with your partner. Whether an old flame, a friend or the construction worker you saw earlier come to mind it's nothing to be distressed about, it happens often and is quite normal. The danger lies when the urge to make some of these desires come true becomes overpowering, or if you prefer to live in the world of these fantasies rather than with the reality of sex with your partner. If you're able to keep this in check, in most cases there's little to worry about.

   Fantasies can be good for our sex lives and relationships. They can work as an antidepressant, a way to briefly escape reality, release aggression and satisfy curiosity. Most people don't need a reason, the arousal factor is reason enough. So indulge and let your mind run wild.    



**In an erotic rape fantasy the woman is typically approached aggressively by a dominant and attractive male who is overcome with desire for her.  She feels or expresses non-consent and puts up minimal resistance, he overpowers her and takes her sexually. Her resistance is a token "no" and she enjoys the experience. It's often a common theme in romance novels. This should never be confused with less common aversive rape fantasies where a woman is forced against her will, often violently and does not enjoy the experience. The percentage of women who have experienced rape fantasies is far higher than most people believe, most study results I've seen put it somewhere between 55%-62%.

Etsy- "Lynn Elizabeth Photography"

                                                       "Tillamook Beach IV" 8x12


I've decided the time is long overdue to promote some businesses that my on-line friends are running.       


The first is Lynn Elizabeth Photography, owned by my dear friend Rebecca Hauck. Becca's first love is her two children but not far behind is a passion for photography. Much of her work involves outdoor subjects like this...

"Driftwood" 8x12

and this...

"Let's Go Adrift" 8x12

I have both hanging in my office. It's hard not to be biased when talking about someone who has become an important part of your life but these photos really are striking and I've had some great comments from people who drop in to talk to me. The subjects Becca shoots have personal meaning to her; maybe it's because I know a lot of the history behind them but I feel it shows through in her work.

"Lighthouse" 8x12

  I placed two separate orders a few weeks apart. As a business transaction things went as I had expected, a bit better actually since the photos arrived a couple days sooner than I had anticipated. Each picture came in a sturdy cardboard package with a protective covering inside, hand-signed and ready to frame.

"Tutu Black and White" 8x12

Even better than doing business with a friend is knowing they're handling it professionally and with pride. You can drop by her shop here.         

If you have an Etsy shop or other small business you're running on-line and you'd like to get a little more exposure, please drop me a line and I'll consider featuring you in an upcoming post.

Secret Sunday

Time for the thirty-eighth round of Secret Sunday, a chance to share secrets and/or fantasies you've been keeping to yourself. Some are uplifting, some are heartbreaking and some are just plain naughty.

All are valid.      

Here's how it works:

1) This is open to anyone who wants to participate, from regular follower to casual visitor.

2) If this is something you'd like to run on your blog please feel free.

I'm listening...

Age Differences and Dating- What Are Your Thoughts?

here

Is there anything I enjoy talking about more than relationships? Probably not. Over the past few weeks the subject of age has popped up in a few conversations. Today a friend who's my age was telling me about grabbing a beer with a team-mate after a baseball game last night. There's no romantic interest there (trust me), but she said she was sitting with him when she realized that he was fifteen years younger than her. My reaction was, "So? You think of these things?" And she said yes, it does matter.

On the other hand, a few days ago I was talking with someone who was friends with a man thirty years older (she was in her early/mid twenties, he in his early/mid fifties and involved with someone, but she felt it could have lead somewhere if he wasn't).

I don't take issue with any of this. It's widely accepted that men who are going through a 'mid-life crisis' often take notice of much younger women, and I'm no exception. But regardless of whether you're male or female and attracted to someone of a significantly diferent age, I generally think it's fine. Romantically, love is love and you can't stop your heart from feeling what it will.  Practically I admit it can be something that makes you stop and think. Do you want to be a forty-five-year-old woman with a seventy-year-old husband? If so, great.  Of course, a thirty-year-old with a sixteen-year-old girlfriend would be downright creepy, so I admit there are always exceptions.

How do you feel about it, would you date/sleep with/ have a serious relationship with someone much younger or older than you? If so, what age gap do you consider acceptable?