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FOUR SEASONS BREEZE | JANUARY 2024 53 Our last meeting of 2023 began with something new. We have started a Back to Basics and Beyond segment to our meetings. These sessions will be held from 6 to 6:30 pm before our regular meeting starts. This is an opportunity for members to talk anything photography. Have a question about basic photo technique, or about a technique you've heard about? Or what about camera gear and equipment? What is all this editing software about? This will be the time to ask. If an answer isn't readily available, we'll research and learn together. During our December meeting we talked about "shadow" pictures and reviewed those submitted by members. We also had a presentation about "bokeh," the soft, out of focus background in photos. Discussed was how to achieve bokeh while keeping the subject in sharp focus and how to use it to enhance a photograph. The holiday season, with the lights, is a wonderful time to use this technique. (The photos are examples used in the discussions.) For 2024, we will be scheduling photo outings to include a trip to the San Jacinto Wildlife Preserve, San Diego Safari Park (free to 65+ in February), an Eldorado Polo Club game, and others. If you have any questions or wish to be added to our mailing list, please contact me. ~ Jacque Sneddon, jacquesneddon@gmail.com Photography Club Writers' Club AGING'S UNIQUE JOYS—Chapter One So here I am, wide awake at 1:40 in the morning, having been pushed out of bed by my sweetie yet again. Not on purpose, mind you, but because I have begun the habit of reading to him at bedtime so he can fall asleep. is was not a great idea, as it turned out. I'll explain: He loves to cuddle up to me as I read, not only because he loves to cuddle, but because he is hard of hearing and cannot wear his hearing aids to bed. Consequently, he likes to get close so he can hear me. Real close. Don't get me wrong. I like cuddling as much as the next person, especially with him. Nevertheless, as he sleeps on one side and thrusts his arm out on the other (the one facing me), that seems to leave precious little space in the bed for me. Also, as he listens while I am reading, his head tends to creep onto at least one-third of my pillow, which leaves me a little crowded. en, as he falls asleep, his outer arm flops over me. I wouldn't even mind that, except that he has, on occasion, socked me in the face as he sleeps. is possibility tends to make me so nervous I can't sleep. And now it's 2:40 am. Another night on the sofa. Hope you all had a great holiday! Note to new and prospective members: if you like to write, or if you think you'd like to write, please join us for our January meeting in 2024. The Four Seasons Writers Club meets the second Tuesday of every month at 1 pm in the RCN Conference Room. We'd love to see you among us. Contact me at mlarchibald@mac.com via messenger or (951) 524- 0474 by phone. ~ Mary Lynn Archibald, mlarchibald@mac.com