I’ve just received my wonderful new Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ18 digital camera. What a wonderful example of photographic engineering excellence!!

I plan to use it extensively to capture photos for this area. It’s going to make the previous pictures I’ve taken look pretty shabby.

I will really appreciate your understanding as I learn how to use this tool! Mastering the learning curve is going to be challenging. I’m a old dog learning new tricks, but I’ll do it!

By the end of the week we’ll be only one month from returning to Florida. I can’t say that I’m ready to turn around and go back. It’s just that I haven’t accomplished anything here. We have been so sick that everything was on hold. Now that we’re beginning to feel human again, it’ll take a while to get back on track.

Thursday’s Thanksgiving and I’m hoping I can feel inspired. I’d love to get the house looking spiffy for the holidays. Holiday time has always been special.

My cold had really shut my ambition down. Time to get busy and catch up.

Yup, it’s on order and hopefully on it’s way to me.

I will have time to work with it and get comfortable using it before the holidays. I hope I can take a few of the Frankenmuth Music Day we have planned for November 24th.

And when I get back to Florida, I hope to capture lots of the wonderful clouds that seem to love the Tampa Bay area as well as the lovely people.

It’s on its way to me now!!!

And I should be able to take nice photographs of my lovely mother who is my reason for being in Florida. She was once really pretty but even though alzheimers has robbed her of most of her beauty, there’s still a quality I hope I can capture.

Note added Nov. 20:
Ahhh but that purchase didn’t work out. I had ordered the camera from a cheapie website. They cancelled my order (said it was out of stock), so I have replaced the order with Amazon. Now I don’t expect to receive it until about December 3rd.

At least three times, I dropped my four year old digital camera and it’s now history. It’ll still take photos, but there’s about a 1/4 inch separation in the seam and it’s just a matter of time before it dies completely.

I have always loved taking pictures. The camera I’ve been using has been perfect for grabbing a quick shot. It would fit into my smallest purse so I almost always had it with me, but now I’m looking at something that will allow me more creativity.

At one time in my life, photography was an obsession. I do mean obsession. I’d take a camera and a few rolls of 35mm film, and disappear for a day at a time. That was in the 1970’s and early 80’s. I was a SLR competitive photographer and member of the Photographic Society of America. I wonder how much I can remember about f-stops, etc. I want one that has a good auto mode, so my results won’t be embarrassing while I re-learn how to do it manually.

I have narrowed it down to two choices. I’m not considering a camera with removable lenses because I’ve gone that route (and at this time they’re lots more expensive). I want something that will do it all without toting a huge camera bag filled with various focal length lenses. I’m thinking of a super/large digital.

After posting the video that was taken at the South Club pool (see the posting on November 6th), I realize I’d like better video capability. Maybe I should just buy a separate video camera, but I’m hoping I can find a digital camera that will take great pictures in various light situations plus it’ll let me take awesome videos.

Of the two I am considering, one is better for videos in that it’ll zoom and do everything in either video or still mode. The other choice has the lens which will meet all of my needs including close-ups, wide angle, and telephoto. I am leaning toward the one with the impressive lens. About it’s only limitation is that it won’t let me “zoom” while I’m shooting the videos, but maybe I won’t take all that many anyway. (Up ’til now, I’ve gotten by very limited video capability so I won’t know what I’m missing.)

It’s funny, but writing it out makes the decision easier to “see.” Maybe I’ll buy it today so I can get it and be comfortable with it before we play in Frankenmuth and before the holidays.

I called my mom’s caregiver today (Mercedes) and found out Mom has avoided our extreme colds and illness. I was so afraid that, since I caught it from her, she’d be as sick as we are, and she wouldn’t survive. But Mom’s fine. She’s been better’n ever. I was pleased that she’s now able to feed herself and she’s still gaining weight. I am so relieved. Mercedes said she has everything she needs and for her, life is as good as can be expected.

John and I went shopping today. We needed to get “provisions” but it was tough. We were both out of it and didn’t have the strength that shopping takes. We hit about a half dozen stores and we were exhausted but we got through the day. Tonight we are taking it easy while we continue to recover. I can’t remember that we’ve ever been this sick together (when he couldn’t take care of me or I couldn’t take care of him.)

Hopefully next week will be a new beginning.

I just uploaded a video of the South Club Pool so you can see where we hang out when we’re in Florida. A video says it better.

Check it out.

We are home.

Arrived yesterday about 3:00. My cold has been horrid and now it seems that John is catching it. Wouldn’t ‘cha know!! and this weekend we need to be sharp. Tonight we have our first holiday music practice with our music club and tomorrow we’re scheduled to play for five hours at Warmbier Farms for their Christmas open house.

If we can make it to Sunday, the two of us can then curl up in a corner somewhere with a monsterous supply of Kleenex, nasal spray, Vicks, and Advil.

Being sick takes the luster off the otherwise wonderful past two months.