Thank you, Shoot Fly Shoot!
I had never, ever used a DSLR camera and I was terrified. Yes, that’s just the right word. And then I saw the ad for Shoot Fly Shoot on several blogs. 
It was time to face the “manual mode” head on…. After reading this post from 
Centsational Girl,
It was time to just do it. 
I bought the Canon Rebel, just as Kevin and Josh at Shoot Fly Shoot recommended… I actually went to my fantastic camera store up the road in Carrboro. For locals, it’s Southeastern Camera; and be sure to ask for Dennis!.
To make a very long story short…here are some images I took today with my “Valentine” tulips.

Yes, I am playing with lots of Bokeh pictures! This is JUST what I wanted. The standard lens that came with the Rebel was fine, but I wanted the ability for an even shallower depth of field. Am I really using these terms??? Anyway, I just bought the 50 mm 1.8  lens and am in love with it. All these images were taken with that lens, today.
Go on over to Centsational Girl and see all she has to say about Bokeh, and lenses, and her photography journey.
Beth over at Home Stories A to Z also has a very good post on Bokeh.
I am a long, long way from knowing my way around here….but thanks to 
I am slowly….learning. (Not to mention Dennis at Southeastern!)
If you are interested in the course, or in equipment, click over on the right on the 
ShootFlyShoot button. I am now an “affiliate” with them, so will earn a few bucks if you go through my site!
Really, they break it all down into manageable parts and make it easy (easier) to understand.

There just are not enough hours in the day!  I’ll be busy this weekend with my camera. Hope you all have a good one…