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The Perfect Cure For Boredom

I have found the perfect cure for boredom. Don’t worry this is not a commercial for Bored.com, StupidVideos.com or even YouTube. Instead it is more of an infomercial or DYI for cheap family entertainment. All you need to turn a “blah day” into a wholesome “hurrah day” are four things:

1. Your Family

2. Your Digital Camera

3. A Computer and

4. A little imagination

Yep, that’s all you need. Let me explain.

Most kids love playing with cameras and many adults as well. This especially holds true in my family. I have been taking pictures for nearly twenty years and my children started as young as three years old. My wife is a shutter bug and so are many of my friends. So I decided one day to come up with a game that everyone family and friends would enjoy playing. Here is how it works.

First, gather the family into one room to go over the following rules.

Rule 1- Everyone gets a turn using the camera. Each person uses their turn to take a pre-determined amount of pictures. The pictures can be of anything or anyone but has to be done without the other players knowing what you are photographing. You can choose to have a themed game, such as bugs, household items or just have a free for all.

Rule 2- The pictures have to be taken in such a way that they will be difficult to recognize once they are displayed on the computer. You can easily accomplish this by zooming in as close as possible to the subject that only a very tiny part of it is reveled. You can also turn the cameras auto focus feature off and make the subject too blurry to achieve the same thing.

Rule 3- Link the camera up to your computer to display the pictures. If you are using a camera phone or just do not have the ability to download to your computer, pass the phone or camera around to the other players. Each player has a set amount of time to give their best guess of what the pictures are of. Points are given for each correct answer.

One of the great things about this game is that it can be changed up every time you play it. Also, you are doing something as a family. This may seem like a corny way to spend your time, but your younger kids will love it. Any positive family time that you have is never corny, it is healthy.

Spend time with your children, they will take the boredom out of you day. And your whole family will grow closer together! Remember that after God breathed life into Adam and Eve he gave them two special gifts. The first was “Free Will” and the second was their children.

Genesis 1:27-28(NASB)
²⁷God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
²⁸God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

God Bless-

Robert G.Heard

www.RobertGHeard.com

www.Missionsmall.org

Beannachtaí na Féile Pádraig oraibh! (St. Patrick's Day blessing upon you!)

St. Patrick’s Day may not have been last weekend, but that did not keep the spirit of the occasion from filling the air in historic downtown Franklin Saturday night. With raised glasses, bright smiles and neighborly conversations, the good people of Williamson County made my first trip to Franklin a merry one.

Originally from the Lone Star State, I recently moved to Manchester to be with my family and to enjoy the great beauty of Tennessee. My wife and I quickly fell in love with the friendly people, the culture, and history and of course the beauty of the landscapes in our own back yard. Upon hearing of the “Franklin Main Street Brew Fest” (formally Féile Franklin) and the cause it supported, I could not resist the temptation to capture the warmth of middle Tennessee. Therefore, I purchased my ticket, packed up my camera and hit the road.

I arrived in Franklin a few hours before the festival began. My early arrival gave me the perfect opportunity to spend the afternoon admiring and photographing the impressive architecture in and around the square. Moved by its charm it was unavoidable to share the importance of preserving the heritage of middle Tennessee. I found myself taking great pleasure in not only by what I saw through my lens, but by talking of Tennessee’s heritage and antiques with locals such as Teresa Powers when I toured the Franklin Market Place on 3^rd Ave.

I continued my excursion of Franklin with my special 2010 tasting glass in one hand and my camera in the other. I began by introducing my palate to the smooth “Feckin Irish Whiskey” at the Landmark Booksellers. While there I took a moment to thumb through their vast collection of classics that filled the shelves.

Eventually the smell of pizza, pretzels, brats, nachos, fish and chips seduced me back out into the night air. The sweet aromas lead my taste buds by way of my nose from one vendor to the next. I was held hostage by my cravings and was happily forced to empty my wallet to satisfy them. Thankfully the condition of my wallet did not put a hamper on the rest of my culture and taste testing expedition.

I did not make all twenty two stops listed on my tasting map. Nor did I sample all the forty plus spirits offered. And I ran out of cash before I ran out of food choices. However, I left downtown Franklin with a sober mind, a full stomach, a joyful heart and the anticipation of returning to this beautiful little town many times before Brew Fest 2011.

Thanks for the warm welcome and God Bless!