May 2014

Kat Sloma hosts a wonderful practice each month called Photo Heart Connection.

Deepen the connection between your photos and your heart and soul by participating in this monthly review of your images, to find the one that best connects to your heart.

Not the best photo by any stretch of the imagination, I took it as I was leaving the house, loaded up with bag, camera, card & gift, remembering at the last minute, not planning, that I usually need a selfie of some description during the month.

I was on my way to a lunch for a lovely lady who was retiring from work. I had worked with her for around 6 years and a lot of people I hadn’t seen for many years would be there.

Really, for two pins I would have stayed at home, I have gotten used to my own company and the company of a just few people. I have gotten used to not wearing heels. But I went, with a cheery heart and a lovely smile.

When I saw the faces of the people as I walked in, the waving hands, the warm smiles the Oooh’s and Aaah’s and the chorus of ‘How wonderful to see you!” The warm hugs and tear filled eyes, my heart was filled with love and I was reminded that I matter to a wider world than just the one I tend to keep myself in.

This photo will serve as a reminder that my world is bigger than I allow it be sometimes.

Thank you Kat.

Kat Sloma hosts a wonderful practice each month called Photo Heart Connection.

Deepen the connection between your photos and your heart and soul by participating in this monthly review of your images, to find the one that best connects to your heart.

Every time I looked through my April photos I have been stopping at this one. Like a lot of you I look through my photos a lot, always looking for something for one meme or another. There are a few times I could have used the picture and I did use one of the series I took this day for a Capture Your 365 prompt.

I was driving home on the motorway and noticed a number of horses in a field that I hadn’t noticed before. I thought I might get some pictures for my stash. Horse pictures can be very useful! It took me ages to locate the field once off the motorway but eventually I was thrilled to see them in a field, right by the fence and being fussed over by a lady, their owner? I wondered.
Being the friendly sort I got chatting to her to learn that these five horses had been abandoned by? Who knows, plenty of guesses yes but…They had been there a few months apparently, local people had been bringing them water, this lady had bought hay for them. I felt sick to my stomach, I don’t really like horses because they scare me but I was so so sad and angry that someone could just abandon five horses like this…right on my door step. They were hungry, muddy and in need of some love. They were so friendly, letting me stroke them and talk to them.

I took some pictures of course. The next day I went to the wholesaler and bought a sack of carrots for them. Paul and I hand fed them. Paul is even more afraid of them than me it turns out. It felt good to conquer my fear.

I’ve really not felt like using the pictures but Kat’s practice has encouraged me to do so today.

I drove by the field on Thursday morning, they are gone. They were loved, lets hope they still are.

Kat Sloma hosts a wonderful practice each month called Photo Heart Connection.

Deepen the connection between your photos and your heart and soul by participating in this monthly review of your images, to find the one that best connects to your heart.

I have a number of pictures that I am particularly fond of this month. Mostly spring flowers, or the branches of the trees now coming into bud.

I discovered a new app for my phone called Waterlogue and that has given me so many lovely water colour painting images that I really couldn’t pick just one.

But this is the one I keep coming back to.

I saw a flower arrangement somewhere, I no longer remember, similar in structure, same shape bowl/vase but I had no idea what the flowers were. I got the vase in from the shed ‘just in case’ I found something suitable.

My son’s girlfriend, Lotta, was here last weekend. He bought her some beautiful red Gerberas.

They went to visit friends who are planning their wedding for later in the year. Gina, the bride, wants to collect and dry flower petals for her confetti. Lotta asked me if I would dry some for her to give to Gina, and could I take the petals from her Gerberas when they had finished. She would have gone home by then.

I duly pulled all the lovely soft velvety red petals off the flower heads and look what I saw.

The disc florets! I put them in the vase and they are now on a bright windowsill, making me smile every time I pass them.

I think of Gina collecting things for her wedding and memories of my own wedding flowers.
I think of Lotta and her much loved Gerberas, and wanting to be part of the wedding plans by collecting petals (now drying in my airing cupboard)
And I remembered that Theroux quote…It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see.

Thank you Kat for Photo Heart Connection.

Kat Sloma hosts a wonderful practice each month called Photo Heart Connection.

Deepen the connection between your photos and your heart and soul by participating in this monthly review of your images, to find the one that best connects to your heart.

This photo makes me smile every time I see it. It was a lovely day, cold but bright, we sat outside in the high street in town so that I could take some pictures for a new project.
I knew he was taking the picture, I knew that my hair was blowing all over the place, I knew that I had cream on my lips from the very large, very delicious cup of hot chocolate.
And I didn’t mind. I just smiled and wondered if I might be able to use the picture some time this month.
This wonderful hobby has changed me.

Thank you Kat

Kat Sloma hosts a wonderful practice each month called Photo Heart Connection.

Deepen the connection between your photos and your heart and soul by participating in this monthly review of your images, to find the one that best connects to your heart.

I really love this monthly practice, I like to look through my photos trying not to choose, rather let a photo jump out at me. Sometimes like this month one calls to me and I try to ignore it, thinking it’s not quite right but the whole idea is that a particular image just calls out it doesn’t matter the type or quality but sometimes it’s really hard. I have struggled over this one for quite a few days but I have given in to my heart.

December 2013

This photo says it all, no need for explanations, it really speaks, no, shouts what was (and still is) in my heart during December, Christmas and the New Year.

Thanks Kat, I’m hoping that you will continue to host this lovely monthly practice during 2014.