We went to Lunenburg on Wednesday (quaint little town with bright painted buildings) for an amazing Italian dinner. On route I was trying to get some photos of the scenery minus the highways and byways and document the car ride.
I tend to shoot in Manual which means very different camera settings for inside the car than for outside the car. To shoot in Manual you have to think quick on your feet and sometimes I am not so great at speed. I went to take a photograph of the pine trees outside and in my haste I totally forgot to readjust the camera settings.
So I ended up with an overexposed pine tree line up. I like and thought it would be an appropriate photo for Fun Photo Friday! Yet another beautiful mistake.
Valentine's Day - Making a bit of a fuss
Last week, we made a bit of a fuss about Valentine's Day - we had a family friends over for dinner, we made a red themed meal (steak, red potatoes, and chocolate mousse with raspberries), made heart-shaped confetti for the table and big heart cutouts to pin on our chests.
The little bit of frou frou made the evening that much more enjoyable and festive.
Now if this heart looks familiar it is probably because you saw it here:
On the film - Julie & Julia
I like airplane rides and now that I take photos - I like taking photos through airplane windows. On my way up to Canada, there was a beautiful sunset. I love the dramatic colours.
Going on a Vacation
It is really hard to beat the exhilaration of going on vacation especially when the vacation includes getting on a plane and going to see people that you love.
I headed up to Canada.
It is cold and I am consistently dressed in 3 layers minimum but so far so great :) More on the vacation later.
Going to the Farmer's Market
I absolutely love going to the Farmer's Market. It is the perfect place to purchase local produce, check out local arts and craft, eat amazing food, and people watch.
We went to the Farmer's Market in Halifax located right on the waterfront. We sipped on lattes, munched on perogies (yum!) and buckwheat savoury crepes (double yum!), and purchased fresh scallops, local white wine (Tidal Bay) and fresh bread.
Highly recommended!
Buckwheat crepes and scrumptious perogies
Everyone have a great week!
xxx
Helpful links:
Some artsy ideas for Valentine's Day 2013 thanks to the actual Martha Stuart: HERE
Information on the city of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada: HERE
I am officially on vacation - can I hear a WOOT WOOT!!
As a result I nearly forgot Fun Photo Friday - but here I am keeping up consistency :)
Earlier this week was Valentine's Day - Happy Day of Love (all together now - "AAAWWWW").
So on Tuesday we had family friends over for a red themed dinner and my crafty Mum aka Martha Stewart did heart shaped confetti-esque cutouts for the table - it was darling.
A day to tell the people in your life that they mean something to you.
It is a day to be grateful for the ability to love and to be loved.
Days like this should be more frequent.
So go spread the love today and everyday.
On the last two of my picture-taking expeditions I came across some profound graffiti. Now the graffiti was just words but I loved the simplicity of it. It wasn't flashy, or really artistic but moving nonetheless.
So like the good photographer that I am - I took a photo and later layered it (using Photoshop) with a textured photo.
Et voila!
Thank you ~icon®
Below is some other love graffiti that I enjoyed:
From the blog "Little Brown Pen" by Nichole
Paris Pink: HERE
From the streets of London, the ever mysterious Banksy
To see more and read more and perhaps do some shopping, click: HERE
From the blog "Street Art and Graffiti in the City of Tel Aviv - And Me" by Daniel, a piece by artist DeDe
To see the write up click: HERE
I am lucky in many ways. One is that I come from a family that loves spending time with one another.
The whole Lewis clan does not live in Barbados but over the weekend the originals were all together. Papa (my grandfather) and his six children (aka Top Tier) were all on the same little island. We dined, brunched, and limed at the Yacht Club with rum punches in hand.
We always make sure to get photos on such special occasions.
The Top Tier
Girly Dinners
On Saturday night, I had eight of my girlfriends over for dinner. I made creamy, not-so-healthy linguine, bread rolls, and salad (made by Sanj). I am not the biggest dessert maker but everyone likes to finish the meal off on a sweet note — so with the help of pre-packaged satchels of powdered goodness, I made hot chocolate and topped each mugful with a dollop of fresh, actually-whipped-by-hand whipped cream.
We chatted about life, played games, laughed, cried, had great background music (if I do say so myself) and simply basked in each other's company.
It was a merry night!
I didn't want to use flash at the dinner table (I wanted the warm glow) so I shot with a very high ISO and used my 50mm 1.8 fixed lens. The shots are grainy but they convey the right mood.
East Coast walks
Yesterday I had lunch with family and friends at a Cattlewash beach house. The company and the food was amazing, Papa and I sharing a glass of wine with lunch was priceless.
Cattlewash is on the East Coast of Barbados, the rugged Atlantic Ocean side. Walks along this beach are always peaceful and make for some lovely photos.
I love the long shadows
"The Banana Man" by Evan Jones
My dad went to Wolmer's Boy School in Kingston, Jamaica. There he was taught a poem that he recites up to this very day. The poem teaches you not to judge others and to value simplicity in life.
When Dad recites this poem, his Jamaican accent is pronounced, he commands the room, and he makes it through just about 3 stanzas.
This passed week, he said the poem on two separate occasions. We loved it!
Below is the poem in its entirety for you to read and enjoy. There is a video of a Jamaican schoolgirl reciting the poem as well, if you are a more visual person like me.
"The Banana Man" by Evan Jones
Touris, white man, wipin his face,
Met me in Golden Grove market place.
He looked at m'ol' clothes brown wid stain ,
An soaked right through wid de Portlan rain,
He cas his eye, turn up his nose,
He says, 'You're a beggar man, I suppose?'
He says, 'Boy, get some occupation,
Be of some value to your nation.'
I said, 'By God and dis big right han
You mus recognize a banana man.
'Up in de hills, where de streams are cool,
An mullet an janga swim in de pool,
I have ten acres of mountain side,
An a dainty-foot donkey dat I ride,
Four Gros Michel, an four Lacatan,
Some coconut trees, and some hills of yam,
An I pasture on dat very same lan
Five she-goats an a big black ram,
Dat, by God an dis big right han
Is de property of a banana man.
'I leave m'yard early-mornin time
An set m'foot to de mountain climb,
I ben m'back to de hot-sun toil,
An m'cutlass rings on de stony soil,
Ploughin an weedin, diggin an plantin
Till Massa Sun drop back o John Crow mountain,
Den home again in cool evenin time,
Perhaps whistling dis likkle rhyme,
(Sung)Praise God an m'big right han
I will live an die a banana man.
'Banana day is my special day,
I cut my stems an I'm on m'way,
Load up de donkey, leave de lan
Head down de hill to banana stan,
When de truck comes roun I take a ride
All de way down to de harbour side—
Dat is de night, when you, touris man,
Would change your place wid a banana man.
Yes, by God, an m'big right han
I will live an die a banana man.
'De bay is calm, an de moon is bright
De hills look black for de sky is light,
Down at de dock is an English ship,
Restin after her ocean trip,
While on de pier is a monstrous hustle,
Tallymen, carriers, all in a bustle,
Wid stems on deir heads in a long black snake
Some singin de sons dat banana men make,
Like, (Sung) Praise God an m'big right han
I will live an die a banana man.
'Den de payment comes, an we have some fun,
Me, Zekiel, Breda and Duppy Son.
Down at de bar near United Wharf
We knock back a white rum, bus a laugh,
Fill de empty bag for further toil
Wid saltfish, breadfruit, coconut oil.
Den head back home to m'yard to sleep,
A proper sleep dat is long an deep.
Yes, by God, an m'big right han
I will live an die a banana man.
'So when you see dese ol clothes brown wid stain,
An soaked right through wid de Portlan rain,
Don't cas your eye nor turn your nose,
Don't judge a man by his patchy clothes,
I'm a strong man, a proud man, an I'm free,
Free as dese mountains, free as dis sea,
I know myself, an I know my ways,
An will sing wid pride to de end o my days
(Sung)Praise God an m'big right han
I will live an die a banana man.'
Helpful links:
If I was to make a hot chocolate from scratch, I might have used Jamie Oliver's recipe: HERE
The lens I used on Saturday night: HERE
Bio on the writer of Banana Man, Evan Jones: HERE
Quirks such as picking up lucky pennies, or keeping volume levels on the TV/stereo at even numbers or numbers divisible by five, or making sure toilet paper rolls go on with paper rolling over the roll and not under, or peeling labels off bottles, or making a wish at 11:11am/pm or 12:34am/pm or needing to leave the plastic protector on a cell phone or laptop screen, and the list goes on.
One of my quirks use to be: trying to use only 1 STRAW when I went to a bar.
I realised that it was a complete waste to use more than one straw in one night of partying. I am only one person - I only need one straw.
I would make a point to always asked the waiter, bar server or kind friend venturing to the bar for my drink : No straw for me thanks!
I still use the occasional straw - I am not the recycling queen yet! But then I heard about Milo Cress. This young fellow (approx. 10 yrs. old) and I had a similar outlook on straws and straw use. I had a quirk and he had a vision (so he definitely won that competition).
Milo made a website, has a board of directors and made the "Offer-first" policy for restaurants to adopt (do not automatically put a straw in every drink — give the customer the option).
After watching him speak about his mission, I was convinced — "the more straws we choose NOT to use, the better for us all". Now instead of 1 straw a night, I want to go STRAWLESS!!
One way for you to start is to simply order your drink without a straw because that is one less straw used.
Below is the video I watched of Milo speaking at a Sustainability Lecture at Boston University. When you have 20 minutes to spare — take a look. He is amazing!
On Friday I finished the work day/work week at a meeting on the South Coast (I work in Speightstown - which is way north). This is a rare occurrence so I decided to reap full reward and mosey on down to the boardwalk.
It was lovely. I took photos. I strolled. I chatted to a cute old lady. I practiced some HDR photography. And I meet up with a friend for a beer at Blakey's Bar & Restaurant.
Not a bad Friday afternoon!
The Boardwalk Bandstand
Red Lentil Soup - Heidi Swanson style
I love soup.
And more importantly I have discovered two of the easiest, quickest, most forgiving lentil soup recipes and both were created by the talented Heidi Swanson of 101cookbooks (links at the bottom). Neither recipe was followed exactly but I still produced a soup to be proud of.
In both recipes I added extra vegetables, garnished the soup differently and extended the recipe so I could eat more soup. I have shared this soup with loved ones, I have made it three times, I have taken it to work for lunch, and I occasionally daydream about it.
What I like the most is that I can start cooking at 6:00pm and dinner is ready by 7:15pm — now that is my kind of soup!
Red Lentil Soup with Lemon Recipe
Barbados Photographic Society Photowalk - Oistins Fish Market
Sunday morning I went on the Barbados Photographic Society's first photowalk for 2012. About 20 members met up in Oistins Fish Market at the glorious hour of 6:00am and took photos.
The society decided to challenge us by splitting us into two groups (each with a group leader). The group followed the leader and when the leader said stop, we had to stop and see what interesting photos we could get from that spot. It was a challenge and I hope to share some new photos with you soon from this walk.
But for now, here are my feet on the edge of the Oistins pier.
Catching up with close friends
Due to busy schedules, commitments, circumstances, and so forth, I do not see my close buddies as often as I would like. But this pass weekend I saw three of my close friends and got to catch up with each of them.
I am even more excited because I am having my close girlfriends over for dinner this week. I cannot wait to entertain them.
Photo taken a year ago thanks to the my dad's MacBook
Happy Monday All! x x x
Helpful links:
More images of the Barbados Boardwalk according to Google images (note that the Boardwalk is no longer under construction — it is complete and beautiful): HERE
Today's fun photo is of something quite unusual — a twisted, corkscrew-like, eyebrow-raising, let-us-take-a-moment-and-stare coconut tree. Now I know you have seen twisted bamboo before but have you seen a twisted coconut tree. I think not!
So here it is.
Thankfully the sky cooperated the day I shot this. I simply adore when the sky has wispy clouds — makes for an appealing photograph. Also I shot this close to sunset, so the tree has this lovely orange glow. Got to love the warm light.
I have been consistent on the blog front so far for 2012 and for that I will give myself a pat on the back.
PAT!
To continue on this "consistency caravan" I have decided to change the Jar of Life header on the 1st of every month.
So 1st February = new Jar of Life header!
Old and the first header of this blog
February 2012 header
February's Header photograph was taken of the moon rising (behind the palms on the top right — but it is hard to see) while docked in Salt Whistle Bay, Mayreau, The Grenadines. The fam and I were on a sailing holiday.
I seem to enjoy skewing my horizons soI flipped the photograph upside down. I also chose this photography because it has a little pink in it — as it is the month of love!
