Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #136: Subjects Starting with the Letter–S
For this week’s Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #136, we’re circling back to the alphabet. This time, Patti invited us to focus on the letter S. She quoted Mike Wilks who strung a sentence with all the words begin with the letter S and indicated on the shelves in his store stacked with stock of 1,234 Ss to see.
I don’t want to list some seventy-seven S-things. I only chose several to be included in this post. I simply tried to have samples.
“May you see sunshine where others see shadows and opportunities where others see obstacles.” – Anonymous
“Rise above the storm and you will find the sunshine.” – Mario Fernandez
“Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadow. It’s what sunflowers do.” Helen Keller
“If roses tried to be sunflowers, they would lose their beauty; and if sunflowers tried to be roses, they would lose their strength.” Matshona Dhliwayo
“Millions of trees in the world are accidentally planted by squirrels who bury nuts, then forget where they hid them. Do good and forget. It’ll grow someday.” – Anonymous
“Little squirrel opens human heart because they have lots of practice with the nuts.” – Swapna Ch
“A smile is happiness you’ll find right under your nose.” -Tom Wilson
“Life is like a mirror. Smile at it and it smiles back at you.” – Peace Pilgrim
“Having a sister is like having a best friend you can’t get rid of. You know whatever you do, they’ll still be there.” – Amy Li
“Sister is probably the most competitive relationship within the family, but once the sisters are grown, it becomes the strongest relationship.” – Margaret Mead
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Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #136: Subjects Starting with the Letter–S
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The Showers of Blessings 
A sunny and smiling post, Miriam! Your daughter and the two little ones are indeed sunny and sweet!
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Yes, my daughter and the two little ones are my sunshine, Ann-Christine!
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I love the clarity of your photos, and definitely love your cute family. Your daughter looks like you. 🙂
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Thank you, Chelsea! I was happy when we had sunny skies during travel. It surely helps to remember the trips. My family is my sunshine and I look so much forward to seeing them soon. 🙂
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Sensational! 🙂
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Haha, thank you, Mark! 🙂
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A smile is happiness you find right underneath your nose. How true is that? Thanks for the smile, Miriam 🙂 🙂
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Isn’t that a true and cute quote, Jo? I smile every time I think of that quote! Thank you for your comment. 🙂 🙂
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Thank you for the gorgeous photographs! Their clarity is magnificent!
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I’m glad you liked them, Claire. I’m sure you get lots of clear skies and warm beaches where you are!
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This post is a ray of sunshine on a stormy day and a clear and colorful double rainbow! I absolutely loved the quotes and pictures. I want to borrow some of these quotes. Thank you for the breath of fresh air, Miriam. I needed this. ❤ xo
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Are some of the quotes cute, Vashti? I love the second quote with play-on-words about the squirrel: “Little squirrel opens human heart because they have lots of practice with the nuts.” I do the challenge to find photos that remind me of sunny days, warm beaches, clear skies, and joyful family time. It’s like reliving the happy moments! I’m glad you liked them. ❤
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Loved them. ❤
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Your Podcast is on Wednesday! ❤
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Ssssssensational ssssselections. Well done.
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You maaaaaaaaaaade me laugh, John!
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What beautiful images for the challenge, Miriam, especially Mercy’s sweet smile.
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Than you, Sue. Mercy had sweet smiles. I love the smiley sunflowers also.
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You have two grand daughters now they are adorable. Congratulations 🙂
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Yes, the older one is three and five months old and the younger one will turn one next month. They are a bundle of joy! 🙂
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Hi Miriam, I have been advised by other bloggers how my comments disappeared in spam folders or completely disappeared yesterday. I will try again, or you may end up with duplicates. 🙂 I always enjoy your posts, Miriam. Visually beautiful. I appreciate your positive quotes. It is interesting how Helen Keller captures the sunshine in her words. You remind me how there is a field of Sunflowers on a nearby farm in the Spring. I will make sure to visit. Your family photos are adorable and make me smile. Thank you for sharing a beautiful post!
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I should check my spam folder regularly, Erica. I know when I don’t, I would find comments a lot later. Thank you for commented again. I really appreciated that. This is probably a complicated but I haven’t checked the spam folder yet. Yellow was not my favorite color for years because I like warm colors. But I find sunflowers beer cheerful. They brighten my days in the summer whether you can get the it’s sunny out not. I’ve been planning sunflowers for 4 or 5 years now. Isn’t it incredible Helen Keller ‘sees’ more sunshine than some of us who have eye sights? It was unfortunate she lost her eye sights. I wonder if she went through depression before accepting the reality and gained insight and appreciation.
When I looked at my sunflowers again, I noticed one short one had the face timed up to the sky. Isn’t it amazing? We have so much to learn from nature! Thank you for your beautiful comment. 🌺🌞
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No problem about the spam folder, Miriam. It was a weird day, where my comments did not seem to stick on blogging sites. I gave it about a day and a half and checked back. I love your phrase how Helen Keller may have gained insights. Wise words. And yes, always learning from nature.🌻
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Hi Erica, I did find your comment in the spam folder, along with one other comment. I’m glad you sensed that and sent me the warning.
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A glitchy day on WP. Rare occurrence. 🙂
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It’s random occurrence, Erica. I don’t understand why my regular comments would end up in the spam folder. It doesn’t make sense. Oh, well. At least it doesn’t happen too often. 🙂
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I can see that you put this post together with love and joy in your heart. They come shining through the photos. And such well-chosen quotations!
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Haha, I did, Liz. I queried the quotes that put a smile on my face first. I laughed so hard at the second quote about the squirrel, I couldn’t finish reading it to my husband!😅
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Oh, that’s funny!
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I always enjoy your posts, Miriam. Visually beautiful. I appreciate your positive quotes. It is interesting how Helen Keller captures the sunshine in her words. You remind me how there is a field of Sunflowers on a nearby farm in the Spring. I will make sure to visit. Your family photos are adorable and make me smile. Thank you for sharing a beautiful post.
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I so loved your photos and the poetic story they told. Absolutely beautiful! 💗
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Thank you, Gwen! I try to include stories in my photo prompts. 💖
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Beautiful… ❤
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That you, Bette.🌺💖
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A perfect complement to your lovely photos ❤
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Thank you so much, Alethea.🌺💖
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These are beautiful photos, Miriam – thanks for putting a smile on my face!
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I had smile in mind to put these together, Teri. I’m glad you liked them!
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Sweet and shining examples of love, Miriam- beautiful!
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I love the happy faces of sunflowers, Jacquie. I’ll plant some more this year. My grandkids always make me laugh! 😊
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I would call it a smily post Miriam… the smiles of sun flowers match those of Mercy and song sisters. Lovely pictures! Thanks for sharing.
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I fall in love with the sunflowers the last few years, Balroop. I’ll plant more this year. I’m glad you liked Mercy’s and the grandkids’ photos.
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What a beautiful and cheerful collection, Miriam. Autumn and Nora are adorable. Thank you for sharing these photos with us.
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Autumn and Nora are always full of energy and laughs. Heading them laugh made me laugh. Then you, Amy.
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These are all lovely, Miriam, and the quotes only serve to enhance your beautiful photography!
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Thank you, Mae. I didn’t think there were quotes about squirrel, but there were. The first one reminds me of 7 acorn trees grew into a giant tree!
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I love your choices for the letter S, Miriam. The sisters and sunflowers are my favorites here!
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The sunflowers cheer me up every day in the summer, Patti. Your choice of letter made us go wild as I see in other posts. Thank you!
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😀😀
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Love the sisters photos…and your daughter is so pretty! Thanks for sharing Miriam!
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Thank you, Teresa. My grandkids have loads of fun together. I used to say my daughter has million dollar smiles!
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True about her smile!
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She has nice teeth!
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I really enjoyed how you matched the photos perfectly with the quotes.
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Oh thank you, Alethea. I looked for the quotes first to make sure I found some that I liked then searched for the photos. 😊
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These were wonderful, Miriam! I am naturally drawn to the beach scene, but I enjoyed every picture and every quote. 🙂
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I know, Yvette, I love beaches and hope to visit again this summer. Are you back to school? 😊
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Yes, since October. I’ve been quarantined twice (so far) because of students coming to school with COVID, but, for the most part, we are following social distancing and doing our best to keep everyone safe. 🙂
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I don’t know how the schools screen students with Covid. You would think of there were Covid at home, parents wouldn’t send their kids to school. Teachers just do whatever they have to do. I hope you’re safe. 😊 Are you teaching middle grades or junior high?
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Funny enough, I just got quarantined again because a student’s family decided to go on a vacation for the weekend and came back with COVID. The kid came to school before they realized they were all infected. So, now, I’m back home for two weeks.
(I teach middle school.) Oh, well! At least, I get to sleep in for an extra half hour for two weeks. Lol!
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Oh, no, Yvette, you’re quarantined again. I’m wondering, do you get paid when you’re quarantined. I remember you teach private school. I wonder how the public school works. 🙂
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Actually, I teach at a public school. I still teach while quarantined, but I’m online. So, I still get paid. 🙂
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Oh…I loved everything about this post, Miriam! Thank you for brightening my morning. xo
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I don’t have sunflowers yet, Jill, but will plant the seeds the next couple of weeks. Are you in the Midwest. How’s the weather?
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Beautiful post, Miriam. Toni x
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Than you, Toni!
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Super job, Miriam! We can’t get enough of those grandkids. I especially like the shot of them in the clothes basket.
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I feel the same, Pete! I can’t get enough of those grandkids. I hope you have your grandkids soon.
How’s your critique group going?
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We still meet regularly, so that’s been a blessing. We wear a mask the whole time and spread out in the room. One person dropped out because of other commitments in her life, and another hasn’t attended since Covid began. That leaves four of us, but we invited a new person to sit in with us this week. After two weeks, the group decides if they think a new person will be a good fit.
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Our group still meet at Zoom because of the size of the group. There are 22 people in the group. We email our works too everyone prior to the meeting and critique as many as two hours allow. I’ve known them for many years. So it’s comfortable.
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Wow! 22 people! The great thing is there are a million ways to help one another. Your group has found a way that works for you.
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I’m fact this is one of the classes of Osher Lifelong Learning Institute OLLI that meets at Cal State University, Fullerton. I couldn’t believe people helped me with the technology to publish my book when I was new to the publishing business. These are retired people helping each other.
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I love OLLI classes! I took my first writing class that way through our local university, Humboldt St. Unfortunately, there were only three people in the class, and I had a medical obligation and had to miss one of the classes.
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I’m glad to hear there’s OLLI in your area, Pete. There are about 260 in the nation, I think. One year when I registered, I clicked the wrong state and registered at Alaska. They emailed and asked if I meant to do that!!
We have about 5 writing classes with different focus, and a poetry class. I’m not taking poetry this year because I only have so much time for different things.
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Great post, Miriam 😉 lov3d the sunflowers and what a lovely collage of your daughter. As always, I love sering your granddaughters!
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Sorry that I missed your comment, Denise. I thought I responded on my phone, but it’s not showing on my computer. I’m glad you liked the photos of my family. I’ll plant some sunflowers this year for sure. 🙂
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A delightful post Miriam 😀😀
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Thank you so much for your comment, Brian. 🙂
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Fantastic pictures, Miriam. Mercy has a wonderful smile. Did you see the fondant fairy I made after your granddaughter, Autumn? I shared it at Christmas time but I’m not sure if you saw it.
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I don’t think I saw it, Robbie. I took a few weeks blogging break and turned into 6 weeks because I needed to take care my business. I’ll search your post, or if you don’t mind, please send me the link. I appreciated you made the fondant fairy after Autumn. I want to see it!
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Hi Miriam, I will post it to FB tomorrow and tag you. It turned out so well. A favourite fairy of mine now.
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I look forward to it and will check Facebook tomorrow, Robbie.
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