A whole lotta love for February

There's a whole a lot love all round given and received this month . Love is love in all forms some times it comes swiftly and other times it comes out of left field. My kind of love usually comes out of left field which always leads to an interesting chapter in my storybook of love. For this month of love, it has treated me with surprises, unexpected news that still shock me. And at this moment it all still seems like deep dream that hasn't ended yet nor does it feel real. I will get into the big news and the all the shock in a bit. Before I forget Happy belated Galentines ladies, Happy valentine's to everyone one else. I hope each one of you had a good day with your partner, your lover or just by yourself. And to point out Valentine's day doesn't mean you have share love just in one day. Love should be 365 days either for self love care or with someone. Valentine's is all about Love in general just not coupled up. So I hope everyone celebrated the all kinds of love in your life. You deserve all the love in the world.

I am writing this months a day late past the deadline what I had planned with a Pistachio latte in front me and mother nature stirring up a bit of snow flurries in the countryside of California. Like I said I have so much to say and a little story to share and this month's blog post will look a bit different then normal. Also I keep promising new work , new stories and more for quite some time now. You might need to wait just a tad longer for all that but in all good timing it will come your way, I promise. I have been a little busy, I traveled to Vegas for bit and the city was kind to me, left with a little more then I went there with. Wink, wink. But also I found a hidden Gem of a coffee shop there as well, a placed called Jack Pots. And let me tell you, it's worth every penny in the rainbow. I got a different kind of macchiato than I usually have and I can still taste the yummy drink in my coffee soul. I only wished I brought some coffee back with me , so if you go for a visit; get yourself those coffee beans. I did get to see many rainbows in-between the fountains which if you are in-between there right before the golden hour glow, You wouldn't be disappointed with the view at the Bellagio. And of course the yummy food, I love the lux café for breakfast and for a linder but to be completely honest I love it any time of the day. My favorite is the breakfast buffet and happy hour, if you love good food ,for a great price and the Portions are just amazing . Another good spot is snacks in the Bellagio which is fast quick food which didn't disappoint one bit, I highly recommend trying the zucchini pizza and the garlic knots. I wanted a whole pizza of it to myself then just one slice. But enough of the yummy food that's making me hungry all over again. I also took a quick trip by the beach just to relax for a couple of days and who would have those few days would also change my little world without even knowing it ..

So let me get into all the excitement and the big news! But first I need to explain the background behind everything for a minute or two. So on the last day of January was the last day to enter in the local photo contest and I found out about the show that Friday before. Which left me two days to print my top contenders in my mind to enter and plus matting them. I spent hours, changing photos out of my top four and changing mats, changing titles. I kept feeling these were ," These are my best photos, I can think of; but I could do better ", they fit the categories that I chose to be apart of and bit out my normal work or comfort zone. I chose the following categories Landscape/ Nature, Animals and Travel/ Architecture. But here's the thing the day I had turn them in was just a bad day in general, things weren't going in my favor from the beginning to end of the day. Then when I went to turn them into my own turn them , I went Walgreens to pick up my additional prints for the next show first because I had time before the galley closed on the way. Well the girl in that department didn't want print them even through I had the confirmation they were ready to pick up so that was a bit frustrating which I thought , "Okay, I will just swing back tomorrow" and got back in the car. Then headed over to the gallery and driving past to the parking lot it didn't look the odds were in my favor; the gallery lights were off. I checked the door it locked and my heart just sunk to my stomach, I was just upset. Then I saw the tiny little sign that said winter hours and they closed at four. I was there at four o five clock, it was fitting for the rough day. Then I went back the car with my momma and checked my phone for their hours on goggle, it said they closed at five PM. I was completely heartbroken at that point. I put the car back into drive went down a little bit of way from the galley and said out loud, " I just wanted a sign that I was putting my heart into the right path." I think we all have those moments of doubt inside about something we are chasing. She looked at me and said, " Well it may not have to end like this, maybe give the gallery a call in the morning since they just changed their hours and the paperwork and on google says the closing is five PM. And so the Saga continues to that Tuesday morning at exactly at Ten AM I gave them a ring when they just opened. And the kind person on the other side of the phone completely understood my story and my heartbreak over the situation and said If I came by soon, that I would be accepted into the show. That in itself made me happy with that particular outcome . Driving back to the gallery and become very last submissions in show felt right in the sense, I can't tell why did but I felt like I could breathe. After the stressful week I spent a day on the beach to just be. That morning of the show I wasn't even thinking about the show. I was fading away in a novel in world war two and eating waffles on the sand. And at the same time guarding my waffles from a very tiny lifeguard that had wings. He wouldn't even let another bird come by either ,he would chase them off then return to his post. Laying on the beach for hours just letting the world go by, listening to the waves ; it was a perfect day. By the time I traveled back to my little town, it had become late and my cozy bed sounded better then trying to make it before it ended. I thought honestly that there's no way that I place or won because I was the last submissions. And no one contacted me if I did. Then a few days later, that Monday morning rolled around; I was craving pancakes and I was curious what were all the submissions. I headed to town and ate at one of the local cafes and ordered mixed berry pancakes which were divine. After that I headed back the gallery with my dad and we walked back in the room together. My eyes were looking for the ocean waves photo I entered called Black Diamonds in the sand. I couldn't even tell you why my eyes and my heart were searching of that particular photo. I guess it was out curiosity how it showcased in the show overall. As I was searching for that one, I was completely besides my self when I didn't recognized my own work when my dad said, " Look who won first place with that elk picture." I turned my head in his direction and my jaw dropped , I was stunned , I couldn't believe what I was seeing with my own eyes. I had to go over and double check the name next picture because it felt like an untouchable dream in my head. If my dad wasn't there with me , I would have still thought it was a dream. And he did in fact took pictures of me being shocked , so I knew it was real. That photo is probably one of my favorite photos of an Elk. The stud just jumped in front of my lens that moment and he was just modeling for me. And the title of that one is called , Modeling Sound. But it didn't stop there. We went to look for the other three , I entered in . And to both of our amazement we walked right pasted two that I entered in travel and architecture when we walked in. I won second and third in that category alone . I had to take a moment back again, I couldn't believe it .The second place was a picture of a statue outside the gates of Hearst Castle. The head of the statue of a women with two heads. Which I tilted a Her vision is her Reflection. What placed third was a photo of an dock unfinished near Pier 39 in San Francisco with a war ship in the background, which I tilted escape to the 1600s. It fell like a moment out of a sherlock homes novel in my opinion and why I took that picture in the first place. I never entered into the this category before in any show so I was bit outside my comfort zone. And to see that I placed second and third, I still can't make words about it. I tried to be quiet in my amazement of shock in a very quiet galley. I may or may not of danced out my feelings in the moment; I hope no one was looking back on those security cameras at the certain moment in time. And my face was hidden under a mask but I was beaming with happiness as I walked out of the gallery that Monday morning

To the end this story of being blessed, an amazing beginning to February 2022. I got my answer that I put out to the universe, to God. And that answer was Yes in three fold. And honestly I sat with my own high about for a few days, I didn't tell anyone about it . I was happy with knowing, all the hard work, the days up the show were rough but so rewarding now. I never thought in a millions of moments that I would ever win and the few days of second guessing myself but also sticking with my original thoughts; of what work to share and would also be kind of work outside my safe zone. And outside my realm of work that I normally never share, would turn out being my most successful work so far. And to my Dad that posted all the news before I could even process to Facebook and too the many groups chats; Thank you. But next time let me be the first to share the news!

This month has been filled with so much good things, for example I made one of the local Buzz news because of that modeling Elk . And Also won another award of him to through social media this week! So I have been beyond blessed this year and I can hope for more to come. I can't wait see what happens next. I have been stepping out of comfort zone a lot lately, so we will all see what comes.

And I will be uploading another book review from my latest read about The Stolen Lady, by Laura Morelli. That novel was an interesting little read about the possibilities of the Mona Lisa being stolen and the hidden story behind her original story before She become the most famous painting by Leonardo Da Vinci. If you haven't read my other book reviews in the previous post, I hope that you do give it a little read. There's a book for everyone in those reviews and it's linked down below. More things are coming your way and Personmisread is blossoming in the most beautiful way. And I thank you for all your time to those who have read my stories, the book reviews and follow my photographs throughout the years. Thank you will never be enough but close to it.

Love always,

Personmisread