When I started my blog, I intended to include a lot more photographs. I even purchased a camera, and plan to invest some time learning how to use it, maybe even take a class.  Years ago I had a manual 35mm camera and actually knew how to use all of the settings. If I had that camera today, I wouldn’t know what to do with it. Like most people, I moved on to digital, auto everything. Before long, my iPhone was the only camera I used, but  it definitely has its limitations. I love my new camera. I love the way it looks and feels, but I am beyond frustrated with learning how to use it. I hate, I repeat HATE reading manuals. Soooo . . . I’m pretending to know what I’m doing. I have taken some great pictures, but it’s purely accidental. I randomly push buttons and turn it off and on when I get stuck. I’m clueless, really. Fast forward to Thanksgiving Day, I had big plans to play with my new camera and capture all kinds beautiful images. That morning I was switching lenses because the evening before I had taken some sunset shots with a telephoto lens, and I wanted to remove it. I struggled to get the smaller lens connected properly. I kept getting an error messages that I didn’t understand and I was cursing myself for not reading the damn manual. I’ll digress for a quick side story . . . .my 2nd ex-husband HATED that I would not read manuals. He loved to catch me swearing over some newly purchased item so he could say . . . Did you read the manual? knowing full well that I had not! That only led to more swearing, only now I was swearing at him. I just realized there is another side story here . . . yes, I have two ex-husbands, another story for another time . . . . Anyway back to this story. Bottom line, the lens was broken, the little automatic eyelid that closes over the lens was jammed, cracked a little, and would not open. As I write this I am annoyed. I don’t know the name of the little eyelid thingy because I have not read the stupid manual. UGH! My stomach felt a little sick because I spent a lot of money on the camera. Worse yet, my plans to capture precious Thanksgiving moments were dashed. I was so disappointed. And then it occurred to me . . .  Calm down and be grateful. It’s Thanksgiving. It’s 80 degrees, an absolutely beautiful Southern California day. I would be spending the day with family and friends, people I love. I could still take pictures with my phone, no manual needed. Ta Dah!!!!

I guess I’ve always believed that most things can be figured out without ever reading a manual. That strategy has worked for me most of the time. I realize now that I have learned the hardest and best lessons because there was no manual. I had to figure out a lot of stuff on my own. Experience was a great teacher. Sometimes I wonder, if there was a manual for life’s lessons would I have read it?? Hmmmmm

  I’ve boxed up my camera and I’m ready to tell my sad story to Best Buy hoping I won’t have to pay for a new lens. Once fixed, this is probably one of those times I should read the manual. And I will . . . I mean it. . . . seriously. For now, I’ll use my phone. I’ve posted some random pix of my Thanksgiving day for your viewing pleasure. 🙂 The quality isn’t very good, I know. But aren’t my peeps beautiful? xo ps – I stole the last picture off Facebook from my sister . . . no manual needed 🙂