Yes, yet again. Bona Vita had to lie dormant for a few months (and by a few months, I mean a full year) while other priorities pushed themselves to the forefront. But we're in the midst of a major overhaul and hope you'll join us at the new location!
05/18/2010
05/28/2009
Excuses, Excuses . . .
The blog has been a bit neglected lately. We've been remiss, slackers, cyber-bums, etc. But as usual, excuses are plentiful! Here are 10 reasons that the blog has been a bit slow:
10. We finally took the plunge and bought a Nikon D60 last weekend. For the first 24 hours we just stared at it. And the user manuals. It's been at least as distracting as a new puppy.
9. With our newfound equipment, we decided to enter the professional arena. We signed up for an account on Shutterstock. Then we snapped the required ten pictures and sent them off, confident in our photographic prowess. 48 hours later all ten pictures were rejected. Not one, not five, but all ten. Perhaps we'll keep our pictures within the confines of Bona Vita where we can rest comfortably, self-deceived about our abilities.
8. Elliot returned from college and then turned around and left on a mission trip to Nicaragua. The resulting laundry/unpacking/laundry/packing flurry was almost as distracting as the camera.
7. Memorial Day Weekend. Not as much a celebratory barbecue as a frantic pre-vacation three-day spring-cleaning plant-the-garden-in-an-afternoon event.
6. It's the last week of school. Need I say more?
5. Mom's slightly obsessive tendencies result in a desperate need to force her children to finish every single last page of every single textbook. The last week of school is both eventful and emotional as a result.
4. Seven National Piano Guild auditions, one SAT subject test in Latin, one freshman pre-registration, one senior piano recital, and standardized achievement testing all fell into the same fourteen-day period.
3. The family van is dying. After 220,000 miles, it's making strange noises. Groaning, grunting, grinding. It doesn't accelerate like it used to. It has also been attacked by rust, that malicious culprit that seems to take joy in destroying cars, especially those originating in Michigan. However, Mom and the mechanic are conspiring together to force one more year of miles out of the van.
2. Our first set of guests. We've been preparing our Michigan home for our first set of vacation renters.
1. Frantic planning and packing for summer vacation that solidified not a moment too soon. More on that coming soon. So what are your excuses? Why does preparing for a relaxing summer take so much energy?
05/05/2009
Comparing Notes
I often wonder what it is about blogging that draws people. Why do we blog at all? Why do we read other blogs? Why has blogging exploded as a form of communication in recent years?
My high-school literature class is reading An Experiment in Criticism by C. S. Lewis this semester. As I was preparing my lecture notes yesterday, I came across a quote that explained, in a nutshell, why people love to blog: "Being the sort of people we are, we ant not only to have but also to analyse, understand, and express, our experiences. And being people at all -- being human, that is social, animals -- we want to 'compare notes', not only as regards literature, but as regards food, landscape, a game, or an admired common acquaintance. We love to hear exactly how others enjoy what we enjoy ourselves."
Why do you enjoy blogging and reading others' blogs?
01/17/2009
Au Revoire
Life is particularly hectic these days. Something had to give and I decided it probably shouldn’t be my children’s education.
I may find time to post a recipe now and then, but it will probably be sporadic at best for a time.
I hope to be able to post more regularly sometime in the future, perhaps next summer.
12/20/2008
Dare To Dream
Due to overwhelming response . . . Photographic Friday is cancelled until further notice. I simply can't keep up with the plethora of links . . . I am especially thankful to Jena at Organizing Mommy and Andrea at Embracing Him for their participation.
Oh, and since a few of you have asked, here is a little information about my camera. My photography is made possible with a Canon 40D. This 10.0 Megapixel, high-sensitivity, high-resolution Canon sports a strong and rugged magnesium-alloy exterior.
The camera has a new AF system with 9 cross-type sensors and the world's first diagonal high-precision cross type AF at center point with f/2.8 and faster lenses. The 3.o" LCD monitor with its live view function is convenient. The Canon 40D can shoot up to 6.5 frames per second.
This camera provides superb image quality with outstanding color tones. I utilize a Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM ultra wide-angle zoom lens. I enjoy its extremely precise focusing. This lens has internal stabilization that makes it outstanding even in low light situations.
O.K. - That isn't true.
I do not own a Canon 40D. I do have a traditional 35 mm Canon Rebel from the "olden days", but it sits in a drawer. It does sport a very nice Tamron Lens, but that sits in the drawer as well. You see, I now like digital photography . . . it's so much more convenient.
I have a short attention-span and like seeing my photos right away. So, until I realize my dream of that Canon described above, I will continue to shoot my photos with my faithful Olympus C-740 Digital Camera.
Its compact body is convenient and it takes fairly high-quality pictures. The most important feature of this little number is - it really does sit on my counter ready to be utilized at any moment.
"For his part, every beauty of art or nature made him thankful as well as happy, and that the pleasure to be had in listening to fine music, as in looking at the stars in the sky, or at a beautiful landscape or picture, was a benefit for which we might thank Heaven as sincerely as for any other worldly blessing." - William Makepeace Thackeray
12/11/2008
Five Passions
I was tagged by Andrea at Embracing Him. This is a first for me. Thank you, Andrea. Reading her insights and tips has brightened my day on so many occasions. Stop over for a pleasant visit. You will be blessed by her.
Lovely acquaintances are made and nurtured in the blogging world. Andrea has instructed me to list 5 things that I am addicted to and then pass the award on to 5 blogs that I enjoy and follow. I am addicted to the following 5 things:
My family
Talking on my cell phone while driving
Food
Reading 18th- and 19th-century novels
Coffee
- Ms. Tee at Delightful Home
- Amy at How Small a Whisper
- Jena at Organized Everyday
- Jen at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam
- Lori at Lions, Tigers, and Boys, Oh My!
09/10/2008
Enduring Change
Not only am I thinking of changing my pen color this week, I have made a few design changes to my blog page. I have also added convenient links, in case you wish to subscribe to the blog by e-mail or RSS feed.
"Things do not change; we change." - Henry David Thoreau
