I saw this on fellow blogger Mary J. Melange’s Instagram, and it made me stop and think.
Right off the top of my head, I could really work on taking my camera off automatic, practicing free motion quilting, or finally moving the extra photos off my laptop and phone.
How about you? What could you do better with this spare time we have?
Happy and safe Monday as we roll into December. 🎄
NewEnglandGardenAndThread 
I saw that, too and began to wonder. We have some of the same goals. I have recently found the Manual setting. I think Will has me beat though. Is free motion quilting done with a machine?
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You can relate this to some of your tools and will get a chuckle. Free motion quilting requires lowering the feed dogs which push the fabric through the machine and it requires the person to maneuver the fabric in a pattern. I’m not good at it, it stresses me out, and I always have thread tension issues with it. But, I’m going to take some down time and try it again. I don’t know why I have a mental block with the camera because let’s face it, there are plenty of videos, and you can just hit delete on all the bad shots. 🙂
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Judy, start with Aperature Mode, (choose the Aperature and the camera will adjust to the rest) for a smoother transition to being off-auto. It is the best setting for the type of photos you share here on your blog. If you don’t get the shot you want, you can always turn the dial back to Automatic, get the shot and try again next time. Most photographers I know shoot either Aperature or Shutter. Both yield fun results.
Love the advice to get better at what you do. I have used the time to improve my eating habits, lose a little weight, and experiment with my photo editing software. Next week, Malcolm and I are taking up Pickle Ball. It is something we can learn together (from Youtube tutorials). My goal through this has been to maintain a steady pace and avoid having the doldrums set in.
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Thank you! I will try that today! You have done really well focusing on health, and that is something that always pays off. I’ve been walking on the treadmill which I find boring as all get out even with a book, but I’ll keep at it because it is a good thing. Good luck with Pickle Ball. 🙂
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It sounds a little like my band saw. it can be used with a fence but the blade wants to follow the grain, and you have to be able to adjust the angle of the board as you feed it in. My fence has a 1/2″ round vertical pin that I can use to get the right width, but have the freedom to angle the cut.
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A friend lent me a knitting loom and I’m trying to knit an earwarmer/headband. I made one, but pulled it apart and am starting over since I dropped a few stitches and it didn’t fit quite right. I haven’t knitted anything since I was 10 and my mom helped me knit a potholder.
Let me know if I can help get your camera off auto. 😀
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I learned to knit in girl scouts, and tried it again a couple of years ago. I’m not very good at it because my stitches aren’t consistent. I guess practice might help me. 🙂 Good luck with your project. If we lived closer, I’d mask up and sure take your help with the camera. But, I’ve talked myself into at least trying. At least with delete, I can get rid of all the bad shots. 🙂
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That’s the first step…just try it!
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Happy Holiday season to you and your family.
We are doing well finishing up our season, keeping to ourselves trying to stay healthy. I have seen from your posts you are doing the same. So enjoy all that this time of year offers and enjoy what will certainly be a unique Christmas,,which may a once in a lifetime event.
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Yes, definitely a once in a lifetime event, we hope. 🙂 I hope you and yours are all well, and I know your camera is still clicking by your amazing shots. Hope to see you in 2021. 🙂
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Great post. I feel the same way. Yes, this is a pain in the neck but what can I do with this time.
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Well, that’s easy from my perspective – keep that camera clicking so we can ooh and aah over your skills. Stay well.
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Remember the old days when pictures were on film and we wasted roll after roll (with developing costs) only to get a few good shots? Love digital. I’ve taken more photos this summer than ever before. Wish I could say I completed some masterpiece but I didn’t. Staying sane counts though, right?
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Staying sane is #2 right after #1 staying well. 🙂 I do remember walking the film down to the local drugstore, waiting and waiting, and then seeing that maybe two shots were decent. I LOVE digital too – take, keep, or delete. 🙂 Good luck packing this week.
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Yes staying well does come before staying sane. Or maybe they go hand in hand.
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No moss will ever grow under your feet my friend! Well, I could certainly do better dealing with my husband who has glued himself to my hip during this pandemic! I’m going to take some time each day to meditate and be more “user-friendly” to hubby.
You know the old saying, “Think before you speak”? Gonna try to get a handle on that too! Wish me luck!! 😂😂
Ginger
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If we had all spent this much time in the same environment for this extended period with our spouses, there might have been some interesting outcomes. I think we could safely say at some point or other, it has been challenging for every spouse this entire year. Maybe 2021 will give us a little break, but until then you are right, we need a little ‘me’ time so we can be better at ‘us.’
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Oh, well done! Exactly the reminder I need right now.
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I saw that about a week ago and have been thinking about it ever since. Glad it worked for you as well.
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Great post! I so appreciate the resiliency of the thoughtful person. Those that make the best of their time and purpose here on earth. Have fun with your camera off auto. I just posted a photo of our barn in the dark on my fb page–bluerockhorses. It is always a fun challenge. Keep on keeping on. Our spirit is fueled on by The Most High. Glory!
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Keeping the spirit fueled will definitely help us through this, and I will take all the help I can get. Stay well, and I’ll go check out your photo.
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Sounds like you’ve found some worthy projects. I keep saying I’ll learn to use the features in my camera and never make it a priority. I’m spending too much time at the computer, but am learning new software and taking online classes. A big project is labeling the (film era) photos in my albums and also writing memories to go with the albums. On album 3 or 4 (or maybe 5)
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Well that sure sounds like a worthy project and something that will make it easier to find things. I like it. 🙂
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Scooter suggested extending our walk to 10 miles. My wife suggested Scrabble. I think I am going with NetFlix. 🙂
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Best laugh I’ve had all day, and for that I thank you very much. 🙂
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For the first three months of lockdown, I assembled all my family recipes in a cookbook to give to family members and friends. I included photos and little stories, and it has kept a lot of people busy cooking and baking! Now, since I was so organized, I’m putting many of my recipes together into a cookbook to get published. This is going to take a little longer…
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I applaud both your projects. I can only imagine how much your family and friends enjoyed your efforts, and now you can share your skills with others. Sounds like a great way to spend any extra time.
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We’ve all got to do something!
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No spare time for this writer. I am certainly not Shakespeare, but my writing keeps me busy, even during a pandemic. 😉
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Writing it is for you and your readers appreciate it. 🙂
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Thanks, Judy!
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It’s so true Judy… we are doing more then ever before. I’m working on putting my Mother’s recipes together into a Shutterfly Book with the addition of old family photos. I’ve also have taken in the thoughts of simpler ways. Especially now at Christmas.
I also am praying for all who have been hit by this pandemic and for all those who take care of us.
Thanks for all your fabulous posts! Happy last day of November!
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What a great project – photos and recipes. I have books with my grandmother’s recipes and another with photos. You gave me food for thought, and for that I say thank you. Simple and less stress is good this year since there is so much that is out of our control.
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Not unusually, I laughed many times reading through the comments here. How human we all seem to be! Here we are having our first snow — a slushy affair –and I’ve been watching the ducks instead of attending to Christmas prep. Maybe I should think of being better at doing what I’m supposed to be doing! But watching the ducks helps keep me sane. I think. Happy Monday to you too, Judy, safe and sane!
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Anything that keeps us sane is a good thing including duck watching. I love reading comments and how people are keeping occupied. I think it helps us all, and know that if there were ducks here, I’d be watching too.
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How nice to read all the comments and see how productive your readers have been over the past crazy months! I, myself, have made progress on quilting and removing wallpaper. I’ve dug into my extensive cookbook collection (over 250 volumes!) and decided to actually USE instead of just admire them! Some days get boring for me, but mostly I am grateful for the long stretches of peace these times have delivered!
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Quilting for you means amazing hand work that always causes me to ooh and aah over. Removing wallpaper – now, there’s something I haven’t done in about 15 years, but I remember the process and hope it is going well for you. Your cookbook collection made my jaw drop – wow! Here’s your laugh for the day in that I probably have a total of four to six cookbooks all dating back to the mid 1900’s that were from my grandmother or mother-in-law. I mostly pin recipes, and I’ve definitely have been cooking more during this pandemic. I like baking but cooking doesn’t cause my pulse to quicken, maybe it’s the lack of sugar. 🙂
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I’ve had some success with my research projects – i.e. devoting lots of time searching headlines in a recently digitized archive. But I can spend only a hour or so at a time before boredom or eye strain (or both) kick in. I could rearrange cupboards and clean surfaces and all that jazz, but … ho hum, I’m bored already with THAT thought. I can tell you that I FINALLY managed to change the number of rings on the call answer feature of our landline. After years of grumbling. #94, if you are interested.
Here’s what I remember about free-motion quilting. And forgive me if I am preaching to the choir. Make sure that your machine is properly tuned – and you are using a fresh (sharp) needle – also, that the plate and feed dogs do not have any burrs or other nicks that could mess with tensions. Also, the quality of the thread is important, too.
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Online research can certainly be rewarding but does take time and can tire the eyes. The only cupboard I have left to sort out is the pantry, and I’m avoiding that. You reprogrammed your land line – applause. We got rid of ours about five years ago. There are times I wish we still had one because it’s more reliable than cellular service, but in general it helped stop some of the political calls and for that I’m grateful. I always take all the free motion quilting suggestions I can get. Thank you. 🙂
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Take out the quilting bit and I could be doing those things as well. Also: deleting emails, practicing French more for when I finally get to visit again, going through boxes in the garage that haven’t been looked at since we moved (much too hot in there until recently), going through the boxes of non-digital photos and through slides from a long time ago with hopes of some day getting the latter to Costco and onto discs. That seems like enough to get started with. 🙂 Thanks for the gentle push.
janet
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Ooh, you’re busy, and all things that you will reap the rewards of in the future. You go, girl!
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Those are things I SHOULD be doing, not saying I’m doing nearly all of them. 🙂
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Good idea turn that knob to M lol and play and I just added 42 hundred photos to my external drive.
We will have plenty of time to practice this winter. Tonight down here it is crazy are you flooding up there?
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That’s right, you laugh at this novice. 🙂 I tried an external drive and couldn’t seem to unzip them when I wanted to access them. I have no doubt it is user error. 🙂 It is wet up here. We have some puddles of standing water, but I’m not close to any bodies of water. Stay well and dry but keep taking those amazing cardinal shots.
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How far are you from me? Once I get this heart issue looked at I can help 🙂
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We are about 16 miles from each other. I’m going to use some flash drives and see if they work, but I sure appreciate the thought.
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16 miles to me is nothing lol let me take care of this heart problem but I can walk you through on phone or chat for now ❤
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Like you, I feel just as busy these days than I did a year ago. So many projects (and I keep thinking of new ones) and so little time. Suzanne gave you excellent advice to start on Aperture Priority mode first. Unless you are trying to take a picture of something that moves fast, that will give you the best results.
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When I get ready for bed, I like knowing I have some project for the next day that I can look forward to. Thanks for seconding the camera advice. I need it. 🙂
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Oh no spare time for me! At work in the office as normal…..
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Work is good – keeps the mind engaged and the bank account steady. 🙂
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This is very inspiring, thanks for sharing! I’m actually quite happy with how I’ve used my time this year. I’ve learned lots of good things and still do. I’ve spent lots of time on photography, learning guitar, and on blogging. I’m also learning graphic design, thanks to good offers on online courses. Some good things that will be good and useful in the future!
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All of your 2020 pursuits will definitely serve you well. You must be finding great satisfaction in your efforts. Applause to you.
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Taking my camera off automatic is a multi-year goal of mine. I love your food for thought and hope to get better at what I do. Thanks for the inspiration!
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When I saw that, I had an ‘aha’ moment and wanted to share. 🙂 Here’s to both of us getting that camera off automatic. 🙂
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Lovely to think of Shakespeare being so productive during a plague, and I sure wish I was just as productive! I really like your idea of having a project in mind for the following day. I’d say Paul and I have been productive in the house and garden this year, but I still have writing (family history) and photography projects in mind. (Yes, getting the camera off ”automatic”!).
Thanks for reminding us of what can be done!
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Family history is a good way to spend some time because it normally includes lots of good memories, and you are fortunate that you are going into the warm months and can be outside. Outside with sunshine, plants, and your amazing birds would do wonders for me. 🙂
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Well, you know that I’ve been doing! I’m fortunate to never run out of things I love to do. I’d love to see what you do with freeform quilting. And photography–that’s a whole world of exploration. Have fun and stay well!
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I would never, ever wonder if you are keeping busy. 🙂 Nice sunny day here, hope the sun is shining on you too. Stay well.
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Great point. Shakespeare kept safe writing. I hope that more take a leaf out of that book. De-cluttering the life of stimulation can lead to creativity.
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Great last sentence. That’s definitely ‘food for thought.’ 🙂
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I admire all that you have done and are still planning. Your quilting is especially nice. I’ve been working to improve the blog…getting better at using the new editor and posting once at week instead of every other week. Actually, it is keeping me too busy as it is getting harder to keep up with all my blogging friends.
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I applaud your blog advances. I’m still avoiding that block head as long as they let me. 🙂 Yes, I don’t really like to look at how much time I’m spending on line these days.
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Judy, I think I could do better in keeping up with posts, especially when you link to my Instagram account. My bad!
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It’s always an easy choice – real life or online life. So, enjoy whatever is going on in real life first. 🙂
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