Tag: moments

An Instagram of Moments

On By AngeliaIn Beautiful Life26 Comments

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. – author unknown

Bowing my head, I say a quick prayer for the safety and protection of my family. It’s something I do when I see the clock displaying the same numbers. I don’t even have to think of their names, their order, or their faces. It all streaks through my head in rapid-fire succession.

My heartfelt desire is to remind God (and myself) how very much they mean to me. How very much I care for them, and only want the best for them. Maybe, it’s my way of tipping the universe a little more their way. I’ll take the bad karma, just give them the good stuff.

It was in a moment I almost lost them all….could have lost them all.

A terrible car crash when they were less than a mile from home.

Our lives changed when the truck didn’t yield.

Our lives changed when the Jeep rolled, and glass shattered.

Our lives changed in the aftermath of the twisted metal.

It is by the grace of God, and the fervent timely prayers, I still have them in my life. I truly believe that. I wasn’t in the car that day, but I remember every bit of those precarious hours.

A year passes, and all too often, time makes the memories a little dimmer. The emotions not as deep, or strong. I suppose it is nature’s way of keeping us from living in the past. But when it does? I grasp vigilantly at all that I am most thankful for. That I don’t want to EVER fade. I don’t want to lose the overwhelming feeling of gratefulness to have these precious lives spared, so they can continue to live, love, and laugh each, and every day.

I don’t have to remind myself how quickly life can change. I know. I know how we must capture every memory we can, and cherish them with all our heart.

So, I give you my moments. Moments of my most precious cargo, I am so humbly blessed with.

My beautiful young step-daughters; vibrant, and high-spirited.

Embracing the world with their joie de vivre. Be careful……..it’s catching.

My oldest daughter, Sydney.

Not just a pretty face, but a beautiful heart too.

She has the uncanny ability of celebrating her youth with great enthusiasm. I have no doubt this will continue long past her youthful years, and be as exuberant as ever.

See, these times are unforgettable, and I don’t want to miss a single one.

I know I must irritate the dog turd out of my husband when I make him pull over for a sunset, or when I make him pause, with fork in hand, so I can take a picture of his desert before he eats it. How many times has he and the girls heard….hold still……I just need to get this ONE shot……probably more times than any of us could count.

But you know what?

It is sooo worth it.

Family.

They blow my mind.

And I have Instagram to thank. A place that holds these photographic minutes of days passing by…..

All too quickly.

Moments.

Isn’t it time you took one?

View this post on Instagram

The Texas Sunset. God's Beauty.

A post shared by Angelia Hardy (@angeliahardy1010) on

Or two?

This post is written in response to the Weekly Writing Challenge: In an Instragram. Click over and check out other moments from changed lives.

My Whirling Mind

On By AngeliaIn Posessed by Nikon, Timeless Treasures12 Comments

I might as well attach streamers to it.

Streamers of silver and blue, and then at least, I can say, “Look! Something pretty!”

My mind goes nonstop and I’ve wondered more than once if I have ADD of the adult variety.

You see, I used to read – books. Novels. Series. I would devour them and savor them, because? I LOVE to read. Now? I blog. I read blogs. And that is all I have time for.

At first, I blamed my lack of reading on ADD. I started many books, but never finished them. Now, I know it’s my mind. Not only is it occupied by blogging, but also photography.

I have been reading studying books on settings; ISO, white balance, aperture, shutter speed, and f stops. I know! Why not use auto? And I have, but I have to edit the pictures (hours) to come out the way I want them to (which is more time). So, I am using manual. I am learning. I am reading. I am loving it.

Plus, I picked up a novel the other night and guess what? I am enjoying it too. It makes my mind stop whirling and I can enjoy the characters and the writing. My mind can be still.

The future comes one day at a time.

– Dean Acheson

Jason and I have been married two months now.

My wedding bouquet has long been gone. The beautiful flowers faded and died, but frozen in photographs, perfect and fresh. Holding the memories inside their pixels.

It’s December. It’s winter. I wouldn’t expect to see any flowers blooming. Especially, the same ones in my wedding bouquet like Gerber Daisies.

Would you mind telling that to my flower-pot on the front walk? See, I planted pink Gerber Daisies in the spring for the girls. One pot bloomed and bloomed, then died. The other pot bloomed in the spring, then did not bloom again. It didn’t die either. It just sat there in the pot through the long hot summer. I watered its green leaves and thought……well, that’s it. I never have any luck with Gerber Daisies. It was worth a try, and I did try……….. because I love them sooooooo much.

Then…..a miracle.

Two pink blooms in the winter.

Walking to my front door I saw a flash of pink. I thought, no friggin’ way, it couldn’t be. This was November. I took a closer look and sure enough, out of the green leaves was a single pink daisy. Awh! I was delighted. It’s twin sister appeared a day or so later. They have been hanging out through two freezes.

It’s December 12th. I took this picture yesterday.

Texas Garden

What does this mean for my whirling mind?

I don’t know.

Two months have flown by. Two flowers have appeared.

I feel a new direction on the horizon. A new year coming – 2011 (wow).

Maybe it means, getting off the mind spinning merry-go-round, relaxing and enjoying these frozen moments before they are gone.

Moments of Thanksgiving

On By AngeliaIn Beautiful Life, FAMILY21 Comments

For some they are more tender than others.

For some, it’s about the people around you and not the food.

My mother-in-law got a day pass on Thanksgiving day; to leave the hospital and be surrounded by loved ones. If you’ll notice, she rarely looks at the camera, because she is too busy looking at her children and grandchildren.

Sue has a surgery this morning. The Doctors will finish filling the aneurysm with coils. Please have her and the family in your prayers. This is the final step in her return home where she can continue to miraculously improve and enjoy these moments of thanksgiving without a day pass.

Sunset of Fire – Blaze Sky Blaze

On By AngeliaIn Angel Lia's Photography, Love and Light, Posessed by Nikon24 Comments

Animate us with your feverish good-night. Saturate us in your fiery exit.

It’s not often I see a red sunset. I see pink ones, yellow ones, pale orange with purple swirl ones, and aqua blue hues with hot pink center ones. Lovely pale palettes of majesty. All sorts of gorgeous colors, but nothing ablaze, not until last night. And maybe? I just haven’t been paying attention.

I’ve noticed it’s rare for me to watch a sunset, or better yet take the time to watch a sunset. I’m usually driving home from work, doing weekend laundry, making or eating dinner, and every other thing that snatches our sunset watching time. Besides, I live in an urban area. It’s hard to see the sun setting through the new housing additions, and shopping centers.

But last night, we happened to be at the right place, at the right time, with the right view.

A park.

The sun’s timing was impeccable. It was just as we were getting into the car, I saw a red glow from the hillside. I thought…… why don’t we just walk up there and see. I had practiced silhouette portraits earlier with the family I was taking pictures for; the reason for being at the park that time of day. It’s something I have admired on other photo blogs and wanted to try to for myself.

In the midst of a red sunset, I was in photography heaven. It’s not often I have a crimson glow, my new camera, and my teenage model daughter with me.

These pictures are unedited. I did not add my watermark, nor alter them in any way. It is exactly as I saw it through the lens.

Blaze sky, blaze.

What a way to end the day. Thank-you God for such a stunning scene. And my teen?

Was she adrift in the moment of her silhouette debut? Soaking up the rays as one with nature? Ummm, not so much. But, maybe she lit a text or two ablaze. Heh.

Happy Monday of the Thanksgiving week!