Greetings

Posted on Fri, 22 December, 2017 by LensScaper

The Christmas holiday is almost upon us and whatever your faith or belief it is a welcome break from the daily grind of life. A time to relax and get together with friends and families.

Right now, we seem to live in a crazy world of fake news, hate mail, and extremism – political and religious. We seem to have lost the concepts of truth, honesty, decency, tolerance, and the ability to discuss and debate issues without such discussions degenerating into slanging matches.

Hope in this climate seems a forlorn idea but we have to hang onto that word and hope that one day, and let’s hope it will be sooner rather  than later, some of this intolerance will fade and morality in all aspects of life will re-surface, and that the world will feel a safer place.

Life did seem simpler, safer, happier, saner in the past. That child-like enjoyment of Christmas, blessed with snow, is a rarity these days. The image below is a reminder of that. Shot on my first digital compact back in 2010 when there was snow on the ground. With the main lights off, I looked out into the back garden and saw this overlay of interior and exterior. It was a spontaneous shot, without any planning. The warmth of the house, the coldness of the snow. With reminders of the season (top left), and in the corner parents long gone but dearly remembered.

My greetings to you all – followers, readers, commenters –  and best wishes for 2018.

 

About LensScaper

Hi - I'm a UK-based photographer who started out 45+ years ago as a lover of landscapes, inspired by my love of outdoor pursuits: skiing, walking and climbing. Now retired, I seldom leave home without a camera and I find images in unexpected places and from different genres. I work on the premise that Photography is Art and that creativity is dependent on the cultivation of 'A Seeing Eye'.
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30 Responses to Greetings

  1. Postcard Cafe says:
    Fri, 22 December, 2017 at 09:44

    Great photos and kind thoughtful words.
    The world can use a little more hope.
    That people might become a bit more reflective at this time of year is a good thing. The day-to-day can distract us from so many things that are wrong in society. It is easy to lose sight of the things which matter most to all of us.
    Christmas is a time when (as I’m sure you know) numbers of suicides increase. There is also a peak in domestic violence along with many other sad aspects of modern living that reveal how fractured peoples lives have become. To reflect on our own lives and those of people more vulnerable in our society is perhaps the most important part of the festive season and a small step towards change in lifestyle and attitudes.
    It is definitely important to hold onto hope and to see that individually we can each contribute to making the world a better, safer place for everyone.
    Sending you my best wishes for the festive season and the coming year,
    Mr C 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    • LensScaper says:
      Sat, 23 December, 2017 at 08:06

      Thank you so much for your thoughts. I agree entirely with what you say. Christmas has been so over-commercialised and we live in such polarised society with the ‘haves’ and the ‘have-nots’. There is a deep need for us to think of those less fortunate.

      Liked by 1 person

  2. paula graham says:
    Fri, 22 December, 2017 at 10:37

    If hope is lost; all is lost. Sweet Christmas shots.

    Liked by 1 person

  3. Dina says:
    Fri, 22 December, 2017 at 11:02

    Happy Holidays and a great new Year to you and yours, Andy❣️🌿❤️🎄🤶🌿🎅
    The Fab Four of Cley x

    Like

  4. Sue says:
    Fri, 22 December, 2017 at 11:09

    Best wishes for Christmas, Andy, and here’s to a creative 2018

    Like

  5. Linda Grashoff says:
    Fri, 22 December, 2017 at 18:17

    Best wishes to you, too, Andy. Keep ’em coming.

    Like

  6. Meanderer says:
    Fri, 22 December, 2017 at 18:34

    Very best wishes to you and yours over this festive period and the New Year. We need to do our own individual bit, I guess, in showing kindness, compassion, and tolerance to our fellow travellers 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

  7. seekraz says:
    Fri, 22 December, 2017 at 20:55

    Looks like a good place to be, Andy…welcoming, comfortable, warm…and safe.

    Wishing you the best for the holidays…..

    Liked by 1 person

  10. shoreacres says:
    Sat, 23 December, 2017 at 04:38

    I’m happy to have seen the photo of your parents. You’ve spoken so often of your father, his various interests and your wonderful times with him, that I feel as though I know him a bit.

    I think there’s a reason that songs like “Home For The Holidays” remain popular: at least, in some quarters. If we’ve been blessed, home is the place where we’ve learned hope. It’s a place of warmth that makes looking out into the cold tolerable.

    Best wishes to you and your family for a Merry Christmas, and special wishes to you for a new year filled with new ways of seeing.

    Liked by 1 person

    • LensScaper says:
      Sat, 23 December, 2017 at 18:20

      Thanks so much, Linda. My father was a much-loved man with a mischievous sense of humour, a strong faith, very principled, kind and generous. Sadly he died aged 63 – far too soon – from a cerebral haemorrhage. Hope and positive thinking were features of my childhood. We have to hope.
      A very Happy Christmas to you. I’ll be back in the early new Year. I am in the midst of installing a new printer which is taxing ‘Hope’ very considerably. The printer driver and Photoshop are refusing to ‘shake hands’ in the way they should and that is making colour management impossible. I’m sure it will be solved, but not this side of Christmas. So the problem is parked until I can speak to a ‘human’ after the extended holiday. On-line searches and forums have not provided answers.

      Liked by 1 person

  11. bluebrightly says:
    Sat, 23 December, 2017 at 19:18

    It’s been a pleasure being here, Andy, and I look forward to more surprises in 2018. Have a peaceful, maybe even hopeful, holiday and New Year!

    Like

  12. composerinthegarden says:
    Sat, 23 December, 2017 at 23:41

    Beautiful post, Andy, and so thoughtful. I can only have hope, else how can we move forward? The best wishes to you for Christmas and the New Year.

    Liked by 1 person

    • LensScaper says:
      Sun, 24 December, 2017 at 10:28

      Thank you Lynn and Greetings to you too for Christmas and the new year. Yes, we have to hang onto Hope – creativity I always think is itself an expression of both past and future, it is evidence of Hope.

      Like

  13. ShimonZ says:
    Sun, 24 December, 2017 at 08:27

    Nice picture. Joining you in your hopes for a near future. May it be a joyous holiday for you and your family.

    Like

  14. Paul says:
    Sun, 24 December, 2017 at 23:12

    Hi Andy,
    Thank you for sharing your images and thoughts, which are as insightful as ever. Best wishes to you and your family for Christmas and the coming year!

    Like

  15. Arletta Ellington says:
    Mon, 25 December, 2017 at 09:08

    So, where is hope? Maybe in the good conversation where I ask with a will to know better the thoughts and feelings of my neighbor.
    Happy Holidays!
    Ellington

    Liked by 1 person

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