Day Fifty Eight

Blue Moon...

 

So, can I call myself a photographer now?

Because, this early morning (some would argue, the middle of the night), I noticed the bright reflection of light on our back fence. I had my blankets and socks in hand, hoping to catch another couple of hours of sleep on a Saturday morning, laying on the big couch...

But I thought this might be awesome and I couldn't ignore it. 

So, there I am on the front lawn, 3:00 A.M., camera in hand, barefoot on the deck in sub-freezing temperatures.

Just so I could shoot the moon.

Good enough for George Bailey, good enough for me!

Note: The white spot, roughly in the center of the shot is not a speck on my lens, as I first suspected. I'm not an Astronomy expert- can't say what it is, but it looks cool, right?

 

Day Fifty Seven

This piano is a complete blessing to my family.

It represents dreams fulfilled and my favorite way to worship.
My oldest never hesitates to remind me that, "I get that when you guys die."

Sweet, isn't she!

 

 

Day Fifty Six

"Sleeping Sun"

 

When our youngest daughter was in third grade, they were encouraged to paint a canvas and submit it for an art auction.which would benefit something or other.

We went, expecting to buy her painting

(you know, like any good parent would)

only to find out that this piece was quite popular.

We ended up having a bit of a bidding war with one of the teachers.

I'm in love with this... and my artist.

Day Fifty Six

Thanks, friend, for walking with me.

 

Actually, thank you for calling and being firm with me when I could have blown it off another time.

Thanks for your patience and conversation.

Thanks for being a true (and a bit camera shy) friend.

 

Day Fifty Five

There's something about roll dough.

 

 

 I feel so... gratified when I make rolls for my family. I've pretty much nailed it, after 20 or so years of baking them on major holidays and random, feel-good dinners. Like tonight .

So I took a moment to breathe it in.

 

 

Day Fifty Four

Why don't you run your own bath this morning, Buddy?

And, even after the water had drained...

 

You can imagine the floor afterward...

and the boy! He had to rinse off in the shower.

 

Day Fifty Three

We have our very own personal Dr. Seuss...

His school holds a "Cat In the Hat" night every year. It's a time for families to gather and celebrate children's literature. In honor of the event, kids are encouraged to purchase hats. They come in all colors and textures.

My guy, being who he is, chose the classic red and white stripe.

Suits him, don't you think?

Confession...

Okay...

I'm admitting that, in the wake of relaxing a bit after my daughter's accident, I am back home and feeling completely uninspired.
I'm admitting this because I think it's part of my learning curve and I will appreciate knowing, the next time I feel this way, that I've felt this way before.

I will, I know from experience, burst out in creativity in the next day or two
(most likely when I actually pick my camera up rather than stare at it), but today I feel BLAH!

I should try to fulfill some of my themes I've prepared for a time such as this,
but I have a lot on my mind and, today, I don't care. 

My blog design is boring me.
I'm not sure what I want it to look like.
I just discovered that there's a photographer with a name THREE LETTERS away from mine...

I love my name (it's my name)
and don't want to lose it.

Sigh.

I could never abandon this project.. I really love it too much.

I'll catch up. Tomorrow.

 

A leftover from January, I believe.

Day Fifty Two

I'm not even kidding!!

 

Making scrambled eggs this morning...

I cracked the first one and said, "ohh, twins!"

But they kept coming! 

I'm not a farm girl, this could be completely normal, but I don't think so.

All ten eggs from one carton. The other two I had used before were normal, I think...

I'll let you know if anyone grows another head or something.

Day Fifty One

Home again... decompressing... processing...

promises on paper...

Isaiah 43 

Day Fifty

Out of the hospital!!!

I finally moved my ISO from 1600 to 100 for a picture of her flowers

 

but I forgot to move it back again for this triumphant moment. 

That's okay, though, because Dad's face says it all!!

Day Forty Nine

Sisters...

And the brother made a special cupcake, just for me...

Day Forty Eight

Yeah...

A regular room is so much nicer than the ICU!

 

The view from the hospital window

Day Forty Seven

There are friends who are closer than family. We have some of these friends. 

They went to the emergency room to comfort our daughter while we were still hours away. They opened their home to us and told us to make it our own. They fed us and visited with us. At this moment, my girl is there while she gets strong enough to return to her dorm. In the past, they have counseled us and have attended every life event since we've met. They mean more to us than I could ever express in any blog, but the heart of these friends is shown here. In the middle of worry and stress, everyone needs a little of this...

Day Forty SIx

The family waiting room for the Intensive Care Unit is not a place I want to revisit anytime soon. Sure, we were worried about our daughter, but we were surrounded by mourning families, slowly saying goodbye to people they love. I made conversation with Faye, whose husband had been in a coma since his triple-bypass five days before. They are to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary on March 17th, which is the day my husband and I celebrate our twentieth. I pray that they have this day to enjoy together.

This is a dog that visits with his trainer to cheer people up who are in these sad situations. The cute kid is Faye's great- grandson.

Day Forty Five

 

Our daughter's roomie and sister created some art for the room in ICU while we waited to see if she would keep her spleen... 

Happy Valentine's Day!!

 

Day Forty Four

Bicycle accident...

View from the ICU:

(her little brother brought his favorite, George, to comfort his sister)

Our daughter has been away at college and was enjoying a Saturday bike ride with her roommate. She hit something, got all tangled up, and flew off of her bike. She landed hard enough to break her spleen, almost in half. We made the two hour drive over the mountain pass (no snow this time, thank you, Lord!) with words like, "internal bleeding" and "embolization" running through our minds. In times like these, I cannot follow the "what ifs" to the end, so I think in song. This song was one I'd "given" to her about a year ago when we were going through a hard time as a family. It was her graduation year, and when I hear it, I think of her. I also think of or Father's love for us...

I Will Show You Love 

 

I will show you love like you've never loved before

I will go the distance and back for more if you just say the word

You will come alive again, call the trying times your friend

The pain that you have suffered through will never get the best of you 

You will hope in something real that won't depend on how you feel

When you call my name, then I will answer, answer

And I am on your side, 

Though the wind and waves beat against your faith

You were on my mind when the world was made

Trust in me, my child...

Walk out on the water when you have no control

So scared to death of failure you sacrifice your soul, please let that go

You have climbed an uphill road. You have worn a heavy load

You have cried through endless nights, nearly given up the fight

Watched your dreams like falling stars

The heartaches made you who you are

Now looking back you see that I have always been there...

Where you gonna hide- where you gonna hide from me?

Where you gonna go- where you gonna go that I can't see?

Cause I have heard you cry

And it breaks my heart, 'cause I love you so

I would never lie.

This is not the end, there is still a hope... 

                                                                   - Kendall Payne 

Day Forty Three

The Calm Before the Storm...

 

...Just another Beatles' Rock Band night, Dad doing an assignment, me fulfilling my 365 "obligation"...

who knew what tomorrow would bring?

Day Forty Two

For you, Amy...

 

It's all there for us, just on the other side.

 

Day Forty One

Fresh from the halls of her middle school, she makes an appearance.

I've been trying to get some photos of this girl for weeks now, but the weather, etc. have kept us from the fashion shoot I'm planning in my head. So today I insisted that we go out in the snow and freeze, just so she wouldn't feel neglected in this project. I love her sunshiny face. This girl makes my heart sing...

even on these darn melancholy winter days!

Day Forty

Sometimes with your youngest, It's the baby in them that you see the most. But, in this shot, I see a glimpse of the young man he's growing to be. 

His face is less round and soft. He is developing a life  and a mind of his own.

He sleeps with his favorite things. This night, they include his "entire collection" of the "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" series, his Bible (halfway through Genesis), and the beanie I made him last weekend with my Knifty Knitter. He thinks it's awesome.

Darn these melancholy Winter days!

Day Thirty Nine

Missin' You

 

I miss hearing you play your guitar (and, yes, your ukelele) in your room.

I miss hearing you sing... in the best of times and in the worst of times.

Yeah.

See you on Spring Break... 

 

Day Thirty Eight

I dated him in these socks...

On dreary winter days when I am bored with the wardrobe, bored with the gray sky, bored with getting ready to go places while it is cold and dark, I dig to the bottom of my sock drawer and pull out something funky. I don't feel the need to make a scene when I go to church, but the private knowledge that I'm wearing cool socks is enough to give me a smile.

So, an amazing service ends (turns out, at this church, I really didn't need the socks. Just needed them to get there) and we head for home. After ten changes to our lunch choice (ended up at Subway. The bread was amazingly fresh!), We settled in and turned on the Superbowl. We're not really pro fans, but you've gotta check out the commercials. Harry Connick Jr. said that morning on the news that he was hoping for a Saints victory, of course, and that was good enough for me. Go Saints! Cool fleur de lis...

I wasn't totally engaged, however, and I got to looking at these socks (from the very bottom of the drawer) and I began to think about where it was I'd seen these before. I found myself at Bible College in 1987, in the chapel where we registered for classes. I was wearing my favorite pink sweater. It wasn't bubble gum pink or neon pink. It was a beautiful antique pink. It was also my last pink sweater ever.

These socks were so cute, back in the day, with my penny loafers (with pfennings tucked inside that I brought home from my trip to Germany that past Spring).

Someone else thought so, too.

I jumped ahead to our dates in the Rose Garden. I'd sit on his lap and we'd gaze, all goofy, into each others' eyes. We new the minute we started being more than friends that our futures would always be together.

More than twenty years later, I'm wearing those socks!

Day Thirty Seven

When I first took my Photography class at The Kilns College, I became struck by the possibilities within my reach with digital photography, particularly what can be achieved in post processing. I really love to play. But my mind has lately been occupied with a desire to take great photos in the first place.

So, while I still "played" in Lightroom and the composition isn't anything special, I took this with my agenda being to truly consider the light I wanted here and the mood I wanted to create. All this while wanting clear focus using 100 ISO.

I want to perfect this thing so I don't have any reservations letting people put their moments in my hands. I would be most gratified if I found that my images didn't need post editing, but that I used it for fun. For art.

I don't know if any of that makes any sense, but I do know that this is some of my favorite music. Just a little of it. A true representation of "music I love" would take the 120 gig ipod (which I'd love to document buying sometime within the span of this project). The stack of CDs would be much taller than my house.

Day Thirty Six

Family Games...

Pizza, wings, soda.

Nothing at all good for you, but the laughter!

We moved on from "dinner" to play Beatles Rock Band. For hours. Marvelous Bliss.

 

Day Thirty Five

Congratulations, Buddy!!

 

THIS is what a self- manager looks like! Off to Dairy Queen!!

 

Day Thirty Four

His oldest sister is away at school.

They are just about exactly ten years apart, but they are fiercely close.

It has been hard to live without her here with us every day, but I am so thankful for Facebook, webcams, and Skype chat so that we can better keep in touch.

By the smile on his face, this conversation is more than likely about body noises and functions,

but it's what they do!

Day Thirty Three

So...

I'm 42 today.

I couldn't be happier about that.

 

It looks like I'm getting the focus down a bit better,

but I could do without the hunks of lint on the bathroom mirror!

 

Day Thirty Two

Blue Monday

Well, my watermark is still under construction, and things were glitchy when I was making it. So, yeah, don't "cop" my photo. :D. I'll fix it later.

This is actually from yesterday. Believe it or not, today is back to cloudy skies and snow.

Way too depressing.

I have to remind myself that I said this would be my project my way. So I'm not cheating by posting yesterday's photo today.

I'm really very impressed that I've done a month so far. I really love what it's doing for me!

Day Thirty One

I love this place. Sunday after church is such a nice time for a walk...

If you look closely, you'll see my husband and son leaning over the railing, looking at the ducks.

Coming soon:

Way more pictures of people!

Day Thirty

We made a promise to our son, who's obviously neglected (NOT) that we would make a family game night. I've had so much fun with this. However, this Friday, I was exhausted and we asked if we could do it Saturday afternoon, instead. We got the O.K. and that's what we did.

It was Apples to Apples in a manner so cutthroat that I expect Oliver Stone to call any minute for permission to review the controversy in his next film. Sandra Bullock will play me. My husband would love that!

First of all, the rules have you play until one player has either five cards or seven. I forget. Anyway, little buddy saw his opportunity and declared that, this time, we will play to twelve.

Yeah. Twelve.

We ended up in a four-way, eleven card tie. What makes this more difficult is that we take turns being the judge. This meant that on the final turn, the judge CAN NOT win.

Whoever wins the card does win. All of it. The whole enchilada.

Well, in our case, half of a tuna sandwich.

Turns out the victory went to my daughter. I still say that Captain Kirk fits the nerdy card way more than the black hole or penguins or marshmallows. He's the poster guy for nerds worlwide!!

But I digress...

My son got his game day (and I mean DAY) and his sister emerged the victor.

Rematch?

Oh... it's on!

 

Note: no one else was willing to be photographed because we stayed in our jams all day.

Day Twenty Nine

Sunrise...

 

Sunset...

Day Twenty Eight

Okay...

Truth is, I'm WAY over winter. I lasted longer this year, but I am here now. A bit pouty.

I cringe to look outside and see what looks like Christmas for months on end. I'm ready for flowers and kids on bikes...

Since this project, for me, is about growing in my photography, I need to work with what I have. This has been valuable experience.

Here's our tree. With a pinecone. And snow.

I kind of like this: