Thursday, January 31, 2013

Goodbye... Stages of Grieving the Loss of a Camera

Well, no blogs recently for a number of reasons, but one of the main ones is that my camera has been dying.  This is a typical first picture when I turn it on: weird purple fine lines and whitish washout on part of the screen.  Then, it would "wake up" and take good pictures.  It's been doing this for a while.  I suppose it didn't help that it got so wet in Seattle in my pocket that I had to dry it out on the heating vent before it would work...



So, because I get attached to my old things, and I'm often overly frugal, I just kept using it, until a couple of weeks ago.  That day, the second picture came out like this:


Oh, oh!  That's not good!  So I turned it off and decided maybe it was too cold.  (Grieving stage 1: denial.)
I tried again the next day.  Same results.  Third day: the same. (I'm good/persistent with denial and stage 3: bargaining.)
The third picture was now coming out like this:


$h!t!  (Stage 2: Anger.)Yikes!  I should look for a new camera!  Went shopping, bought one, tried it, and took it back. (I also struggle with decision making!)  But it felt wrong in my hands and had stuff on it I didn't need or want.  So I was back to no camera.

Then I looked at many others in stores and on line without satisfaction. Finally, I went to look up what was wrong with my old camera...not that I really wanted to invest in fixing it, but I LIKED IT and didn't want something new! (Back to denial, anger, bargaining...)

Now I could have been taking pictures with my smartphone to use on the blog, but I was too bummed out (Stage 4: depression) and grumpy (anger), whining to myself, "Dumb old camera.  Stupidphone camera. There's nothing to write for a blog anyway. Stupid new cameras that aren't right. I WANT MY OLD CAMERA TO WORK!!"

Well, my old camera actually did have a recall on it because of this problem, but they quit fixing them 3 years ago.  (My camera was made in 2004.)  BUT, when I talked with the people at Canon, they offered me 20% off any refurbished Canon as part of a Loyalty Program.  All I had to do was send the old one back to be recycled.


Goodbye, old friend. (Stage 5: Acceptance.)  I finally decided on this one after much research and lots of angst of making a final decision.  It's a better camera for significantly less than my old one cost originally...and I like how it feels in my hands! And I LOVE that it's RED!!!!!  It arrived today!



No pictures with it yet, though.  It still needs a memory card...a different kind than my old camera, of course. (I'm still a little pissy, I guess.)  And a bit grumpy and sad...I put my old one in the mail today.  :-(

Still, I think this could be the beginning of a new friendship and some wonderful pictures.  It's supposed to take close ups at less than 1/2 an inch and adjust for my shaky hands. I'll try it out for the next blog, once I get the memory card. :-)

Friday, January 18, 2013

A Playful Post

A cat on a post
is a most
delightful thing.
It makes me sing!


Thursday, January 17, 2013

Truly Grateful, I Am

I heard this song written by John Bucchino and performed by Art Garfunkel many years ago.  It's not one of his well known ones, but it caught my attention.  Occasionally, out of nowhere, it starts running through my mind, as it has recently.  So I thought I'd share it with you.



I've got a roof over my head
I've got a warm place to sleep
Some nights I lie awake counting gifts
Instead of counting sheep

I've got a heart that can hold love
I've got a mind that can think
There may be times when I lose the light
And let my spirits sink

But I can't stay depressed
When I remember how I'm blessed

Grateful, grateful
Truly grateful I am
Grateful, grateful
Truly blessed
And duly grateful

In a city of strangers
I got a family of friends
No matter what rocks and brambles fill the way
I know that they will stay until the end

I feel a hand holding my hand
It's not a hand you can see
But on the road to the promised land
This hand will shepherd me

Through delight and despair
Holding tight and always there

Grateful, grateful
Truly grateful I am
Grateful, grateful
Truly blessed
And duly grateful

It's not that I don't want a lot
Or hope for more, or dream of more
But giving thanks for what I've got
Makes me happier than keeping score

In a world that can bring pain
I will still take each chance
For I believe that whatever the terrain
Our feet can learn to dance

Whatever stone life may sling
We can moan or we can sing

Grateful, grateful
Truly grateful I am
Grateful, grateful
Truly blessed
And duly grateful
Truly blessed
And duly grateful.