Harry P. Leu Botanical Gardens

It’s a new year and last week, encouraged by the ELDEST GRANDDAUGHTER, I ventured way out of my comfort zone to explore a new experience.

AROMATHERAPY BLENDING WORKSHOP

Over the years, the ELDEST GRANDDAUGHTER has blended and gifted me with different essential oils and sprays for relaxation, sleep, and to control my pain levels. When she suggested going to a 3-hour Aromatherapy Blending Workshop, my immediate response was “sure sounds like a fun outing.” Saying no to the grandchild that carries my name and shares my birthday has rarely happened.

The workshop was held at one of my favorite places to visit in Orlando, The Harry P. Leu Botanical Gardens. Just in case the class wasn’t a good fit for me, I took my IPad and camera. The backup plan was to politely excuse myself, the Eldest Granddaughter would complete the workshop, and I would tour the gardens.

Well, the opposite happened. The class peaked my interested and, with or without the Eldest Granddaughter, I plan to attend the next scheduled workout.

During class, I created a recipe and blended my first essential oils.

MASSAGE OIL FOR PAIN RELIEF

I left the workshop newly-educated and newly-converted. I plan to dig deeper into creating and blending essential oils for self-usage as well as gifts for friends and family.

After the workshop, I was able to take a quick walk around the gardens and captured a few photos.

ON A JOURNEY: TO LIVE LIFE TO THE FULLEST

Took a six month break from blogging; and, I return re-energized and re-invigorated. Grateful for this break. It allowed me to reconnect with family and friends as well as SELF.

While away, I spent a great deal of time BEING STILL, GOING WITHIN and SEARCHING for the right path to follow in order to LIVE LIFE TO THE FULLEST. Not sure what will cross my path on this journey, but I am open to those things that bring LOVE, PEACE, and HAPPINESS into my life. Though 74-years-young, I believe there are still new:

things to learn;
people to meet;
places to visit, and
past memories to record.

I plan to use this blog as the platform to:

Share life experiences; and
Store memories because some are fading.

I LOVE TO CAPTURE NATURE PHOTOS

Two years ago dissatisfied with the photos captured on my IPhone, IPad and Canon point-and-shoot camera, I gifted SELF with a Nikon 5200 Digital Camera. Some in my family, I am sure with good intentions, didn’t see the value in a 72-year-old grandmother purchasing, “such an expensive camera.”

Since then, I drifted through online photography courses as well hours of reading through different photography books including, “Nikon D5200 for Dummies.”

Last week, I attended a three-hour class, Photographing Camellias, which was held at one of our local botanical gardens. I went to the class with our 25-year-old granddaughter, who is with us for an extended visit,

Fessing up! I was a bit intimidated by the other attendees. I came with my granddaughter and Nikon 5200 Camera. They came with their camera along with a lot of different equipment and supplies. Things that I had never seen before.

Minutes into the class, it became clear:

My skill set was far lower than the others attendees, including my granddaughter; and
This class was too advanced for my skill level.

Determined to make it a positive learning experience, for over three hours, I:

Enjoyed the beauty of the Camellia flowers;
Captured photos;
Observed the instructor and other attendees; and
Questioned those things that I did not understand.

Whle I enjoyed the photography class and the beauty of the Camellia flowers, watching my granddaughter as she took photos brought so much LOVE, PEACE AND HAPPINESS INTO MY LIFE.

CHERISHED MEMORIES

PHOTOGRAPHS BY: SeasonedSistah2 (Yvonne)