New Toy

For the most part I use free editing software for editing my photos.  The advantage to this is obvious, they are free.  However the disadvantages are not so obvious.  First you have to find them on the net and since they are free nobody pays for advertising.  CNET.com has a pretty nice selection and their downloads are safe but they do not have programs to cover all that you might want to do, so the search goes on for safety and editing ability.  Even with CNET I have downloaded programs only to find that they do not work the way the programmers say they will and I end up deleting them.  Of course I have bought one program that I dearly wished I could have returned and another program I was able to return only because I happened to find a free trial of the program before I opened the package and it would not work with Windows 7.  The hunt for what I want can be quite time consuming and frustrating as I try out each program and learn them without a manual.  

Here is my first attempt with the new program.

Not great.  The original is at the top.  This is way to dark.  So I tried an entirely different setting and got this

Kind of funky looking.  Might not be too bad if the entire thing was lighter but in the same proportions.  Thus far my edits look nothing like the ones on the web site but there are only two and actually I'm still having fun.

It's a good thing I learn quickly; there is obvious improvement in the third.  I think I am really going to like this one.

I found this one on MyShutterSpace.com my favorite photo site.  Great people and great photos.  I have found those people who participate on this site are wonderful sharing people and I have learned much.  Up until now I was one of the few that I knew of who used free programs almost exclusively, but I have now found someone else of like ilk.  He wrote a blog on the site recommending this program. It's nice to have someone else who tries and knows which programs are good.

I am still looking for a program that will do a good sketch edit of my photos to make it easier to do paintings from my photos.

I am glad that I took the time to do this blog- writing my blog almost always makes me feel good; it is a pleasure.  Right now I needed that pleasurable distraction.  I still have that horrid sinus infection and even though the migraines have become intermittent; I woke with one this morning, that and a fever.

The infection has gone into my lungs and tonight I am having a hard time breathing. I have a pulse/oxygen meter at home and my oxygen level is not where it should be.  It's real close to 911 time but I am well equipped at home and have been able to bring it up some, but if it goes down again then I go to the hospital.  I'm still considering, but I do have an appointment tomorrow with the infectious disease doctor who I would prefer to treat me and his hospital is in Atlanta and I would end up in the hospital in Griffin if I went tonight, sooo I sit and chill out and think and chat with my cyber-friends.

I need to take care of myself and call it a day so good-night and enjoy your evening.

Johnina ☺☺☺☺☺

Now living fearlessly - Excuses Begone!

I just started reading Dr. Wayne Dyer's book Excuses Begone! for the third time.  Each time I get more and more out of it and more and more determined not to let excuses get in the way of my becoming the full and complete person I am supposed to be.  My Mom died at Easter time with so much left to give, with so much talent still left bottled up inside.  She was still so much afraid of life and what she had to give.  Dad gave her a necklace for her birthday that said "live, love, laugh" something I think she was learning it was missing from her life and was trying to put that philosophy into her life.  She made my sister, Pam, promise to give it to me when she died because she felt that of all her children I was the one missing that philosophy the most.  Mom received the necklace in January and died in April, not much time for her to use it.  I wore it for a long time, then put it up and only recently got it back out again.  It's time for me to use it to the fullest; to "live, love, laugh" to become the person I am supposed to be; to fearlessly live to leave the excuse behind so I don't die afraid of life with all my talents left bottled up inside.  This message seems to be coming from all sides, finding the necklace, finding the book, a receptionist who reminded me that I didn't want to die with my talent bottled up inside, to the unexpected death of a friend my age, to the anniversary of my mother's death. Serendipity coming into my life once again.
I edited and will print up this photo to remind me to live life fearlessly, to keep up my current zest for life.  The clouds are exploding out from behind the dark trees that had been hiding them and lighting them up on the way.  The clouds also remind me of the Pheonix's flames from which I can burst forth reborn.  (PLEASE CLICK ON PHOTO TO SEE MESSAGE MORE CLEARLY)