So this is April's photo topic for day 2. And yes, I started on the 6th (5 days late) and already missed a day (yesterday) so I'm going to play catch up today with some quick hits.
It's strange how little I have listened to music in the last few years. I used to listed to it all the time while I was driving around Michigan for work. But when I started working more from my home office or flying around the country for work, my casual listening sort of was put on hiatus. I more of a t.v in the background kind of girl - horrible habit and something I'm trying to work on during this quarantine stuff. So this picture (that really isn't a picture, I know it is a screen shot from my phone so totally cheating to try and catch up) reminds me that as I work on not having the t.v. on all the time - that a step down may be to just turn on a playlist and let that inspire my day instead. Day One of the April Photography Challenge (which I'm obviously a few days late starting) is to take a picture of something funny. Humor has been hard to find lately as we all shelter in place and distance ourselves to help stop the spread of Covid-19. It has been rough and weird and quiet. But Bridgette, as always, makes us laugh all the time. She is very clumsy and still at almost 2 years old has a ton of puppy habits that seem so odd in a giant dog. But this shot of her giant paws in one of her favorite sleeping spots in the house makes me laugh and was something we all found funny when I took it earlier in the month. So it becomes photo number 1 of the 3- day challenge. Keep being you B!
It has been 7 and a half years since my last post. In some ways my life today is very different than it was in 2012...and in other ways it is amazing how consistent my life is. I am still the mom of the coolest kid on the planet (sorry other mom's but he is wicked awesome and hilarious), but he is now taller than I am, shaves and is learning to drive! I still love giant breed dogs, but our current dog is no longer the faithful Cookie Monster but is Miss Bridgette the squishy beast - still a St. Bernard, still sheds like crazy, but definitely has a personality all her own. I'm still partners with the greatest guy - but now we are engaged (wedding date TBD and in no hurry) and we own a house together. But 2 big changes, that have frankly rocked my world in recent days are why I am revisiting my blog and taking a second stab at things...1. the world is in crisis. We are dealing with Covid-19 - aka the Coronavirus and it has paralyzed the world. The pandemic has dismantled our economy and thrown our lives way out of whack. And 2. due to the state of the economy and the restaurant industry being in shambles, my job of 11 years was eliminated. Frankly I am finding myself a bit lost.
So yesterday, after a good 10 days of trying to figure out my place in the world while binge watching Netflix (OMG have you been watching "I'm Not OK With This" or "Sex Education"?? You should be) and eating lots of ice-cream, I decided to approach this week with a fresh outlook. Although this virus is horrendous and challenging everything we know and hold dear, it's timing in my life is rather interesting. In recent months, I have been feeling irrelevant. I didn't feel like I was leaving a mark on the world. Mostly in my professional life where I seemed to be in a rut, but also in my personal life. Call it depression or mid-life crisis, but I think I always thought I would do something big with my life...but truly still have no idea what that BIG thing was. Now, as we are all sheltering in place to help "flatten the curve" and doing our part to make the outside world safe again, it has given me a new perspective. Each of us leaves our mark on the world every day by the things that we do and the things that we say. Our "big" moment doesn't have to be something that makes us famous or monetarily wealthy, our big moment can come from the simple things we do every day. And it is often during a crisis that we realize the positive impact we have had on others that when added together show you that you have done BIG things. I want to look back on this historic time and be proud of how I handled myself. I want to know that I did my part, however small, with the resources I had available at the time, to help the greater whole. When you add up all of those small things you find that you have left your mark on the world and that is enough. So with all of those new thoughts and words of wisdom in my head, I have decided to spend some time each day working on this old blog. Like last time, I am still trying to find a way to bring balance to my life - and what better time to pay attention to work/life balance than when work has been taken away. I have started some online courses in things that I am interested in learning more about (photography, writing and wine oh my!) and am starting a new 30 day photography challenge to help me stay focused. So here we go...Part 2 of Beckoning Balance begins today! Stay happy, healthy and safe everyone! Yesterday I was going through some old pictures trying to get a bit more organized with my photos and I came across these 2 pictures from last year. They were taking at one of my favorite places on earth...no not Disney...but my grandparents house in Avon Lake, Ohio. Their house backed up to a steep cliff that opened up to Lake Erie. I have so many memories from times spent there with my grandparents and my large extended family...holidays, swimming, honey nut Cheerios, piano playing, pitch black, the black swivel chair...I could go on for pages and pages! But in the last 2 or 3 years it has been a safe haven for many of us; a place for us to relax, recover, rejuvenate, reconnect! It was magical.
These 2 pictures of Cookie, my hilarious St. Bernard, were goofy, an oxymoron really...a giant snow dog at the beach...but every time I run across them they make me laugh out loud. When I took these it wasn't a super happy, laugh it up time for me. Although any images from that time sort of transport me back there a bit, these 2 have this wonderful way of making me see that there is humor every where as long as you are open to seeing it. And isn't that what we all love about photography anyway?? Their ability to transport us back to a moment or trigger a special memory?? That is what makes photography magical to me... This past summer my grandparents house was sold. I was really sad to realize it wasn't going to be my place to escape anymore. I love that it was sold to a younger family, a doctor's family like my grandfather. I am sure they will have amazing times in what I have come to believe is a magical place. And I will continue to see these photos and the hundreds of others and be instantly transported back to the house on Lake Drive and the magic that was created there! So it has been a few weeks since my last blog from the 30 day photographer challenge. At the end of the 30 days I decided rather than jumping into another hard core daily commitment blog, I would try something a little looser and see if I didn't produce some more interesting photos with a bit more creativity. My plan was to try and spend a weekend a month taking pictures - whether it be around town or on a road trip - just to try and get better at taking pictures. So this past weekend was my first photography weekend. I spent the weekend in Beaver, Ohio - which is about 45 minutes southwest of Hocking Hills National Forest/State Park. Hocking Hills for those of you that have never been is pretty amazing. It has 6 or so defined areas that have these amazing sandstone caves and formations and waterfalls. Every time I go I am mesmerized by how gorgeous the area is and frankly by how hilly it is. I just always relate Ohio to flat farmland. This shatters any notions you may have about flat land Ohio. The hiking is really nice - not too crazy intense - but after a day of hiking several caves, hills and parks you definitely feel it. Hocking Hills is a "cabin in the woods" haven. There are a bizillion businesses that rent cabins of all shapes and sizes and styles. I spent a weekend there about 3 years ago and really loved the beauty of the area, and have been wanting to introduce Chris to it ever since he moved to Cincinnati in January. So last weekend, very spur of the moment we found a place on line, booked it and were heading out there Friday afternoon. We spent all day Saturday hiking and taking pictures. I am not thrilled with my shots actually. I played around with my camera a TON - so I am very pleased that I discovered some new tricks and definitely have a better understanding of my camera - but overall, from almost 400 photos - only the ones in the slideshow are even tolerable to me - and of those maybe 2 or 3 do I really like. so less than 1%...not a great return on my investment! =) But the weather was perfect, and besides the ticks (which we discovered on a quick sunset hike up Big Rock which was in the backyard of our secluded cabin) and the bizarre array of knick-knacks that decorated our otherwise adorable cabin, we had a wonderful time. I know I have lots of Ohio relatives and folks that know way more about things to do and see in Ohio than I do - so PLEASE send any suggestions of places that we should check out. We are always looking for fun places to go on these weekend excursions and if we can split the difference a bit between Cincy & Livonia that is even better. Beaver, Ohio was definitely not a split time sort of trip (it took me 5 hours to get there!) but it was so worth the drive and the peace and quiet of a weekend without cell reception or Wi-Fi. It was like being in another world. Until the next adventure.... So it is the last day of the photographer's challenge! Had a few missed days here at the end, but have managed to do all 30 photos!! As you can see today's pic is another self portrait. I knew that the last day was one of these and I honestly thought my psyche would be transformed over the last 30 days and I would become someone that lives to have their picture taken...nope...still hate it!!
I took this picture on our new iPad. Jack and I have been loving this thing. He has this cool dragon habitat game that he adores and another app that lets him create, animate and narrate his own cartoons. They are hilarious and totally awesome!!! He's a genius! :-) I have been enjoying doing pretty much all the same things I love doing in my computer and iPhone but now it is bigger and still portable! I'm actually blogging from it for my final 30 day photo challenge post...cool huh? Well all in all this 30 day challenge was pretty fun. It is fin to look at the pics and see all the stuff I did over the last month. Ive been in Cincinatti, Columbus, San Francisco and all over SE Michigan in the last 30 days. And even though the challenge is over I have really enjoyed taking he pics and writing...so if it is ok with all of you (my 3 loyal readers!! ) I think I will keep blogging about stuff. I'm still trying to find that balance hat makes a happy purposeful enjoyable life...do you ever stop searching for that balance?? I am beginning to think not and maybe it is the search that makes life worth living?!? To be continued... :-) So I have missed a few days...I think I was actually supposed to be done with the challenge on Wednesday or Friday - but I was in Columbus for a few days for work and didn't have much of an opportunity to take pictures or write so I apologize for the delay - but we will definitely be wrapping up the 30 day challenge this weekend!
This is an archived photo and for any of you that received a Christmas Card from Jack and I this year you probably recognize the picture. I LOVE this picture. I love that Cookie's head looks ginormous! I love the way they both have their heads resting on their hands. I love that it is Christmas time (see the stockings?) and I love Jack's shaggy hair. I do wish that we had a sheet on the hide-a-bed - but we were all so excited to get the new couch that we opened it up right away and tried it out. I really like black and white photos. I hardly ever shoot in black and white mode on my camera - but I love converting pictures - especially pictures that maybe just need a bit of help on their clarity or to tone down the clutter - I have 2 huge flower photographs that I took a long time ago that we converted to black and white and hung up in the room in this picture. I am definitely a fan! So on the 2nd to last day of the challenge I have to say I am SOO glad I did this. Wish I really could have finished it in 30 days - but it has been a lot of fun. I think that the last day is another self portrait...I don't really feel that much differently about having my picture taken than I did 35 days ago - but I will suck it up and hopefully take one today sometime. However, I had my picture taken last night while at my friends house - and HOLY CRAP - you would have thought with all the pop I am not drinking and all the candy I am not ingesting that I would be at least a little bit smaller right? Wow - I think it may be having the opposite effect...UNCOOL I say! Hoping that the self portrait I take today will reflect otherwise! Day 28's topic is flowers. As I have mentioned in a previous post, I probably have a million flower shots - close ups and grouping and still lifes, etc. that I have taken over the years They are definitely a go to subject for me when I am looking to take pictures. But since I am probably not going to have time to post over the next 3 days - heading into 3 days of sales training so I am just guessing there aren't going to be a lot of photo taking side trips - I thought I would at least take a picture today instead of pulling from my archives. And then to mix it up even more, I decided to take a picture of a flower that Jack made for me last year that I have hanging up in my office instead of one of the bunches of flowers I have waiting to be planted or that are blooming in my yard. Crazy huh? =)
The flower Jack made me is really delicate and made out of different colors of tissue paper. And it has lots of streamers made out of curling ribbon so you can wear it as a wrist corsage. I adore it and keep it up with a great Jack paper figure that his preschool teacher made of him where is he wearing his favorite motorcycle sweatshirt (I swear he wore that everyday that year) and his formal t-ball portrait where he looks really grown up and has a great grin on his face. When I was redecorating our living room about a year ago, I decided instead of printing pictures and trying to find artwork - I would frame some of my Jack favorites. They are in simple white frames and they look awesome. And since Jack LOVES to draw I am never at a loss for artwork to frame and dress up a room. He comes home from school everyday with at least 2 drawings. I don't save them all - I wouldn't have any idea where to store all that paper! - but I do keep my favorites - or his favorites and tuck them away for safe keeping. This flower has always been a fav and is definitely a keeper! I have 5 flats of annuals, a myriad of vegetable plants, and some really colorful flowering baskets in my yard right now. They are gorgeous and I can't wait to get them in the ground and watch them bloom all summer. But my favorite flower is the one I get to look at everyday from my desk in my office - winter or summer, rain or shine - it is always stunning and one of the best gifts I have ever received. So "from a distance" is today's photo topic. Jack is winding down for the day all snuggled up in the couch blanket taking care of the dinosaur eggs and habitats that he has going on some game on the iPad while sneaking glances at the t.v. which is quietly presenting the cartoon Johnny Test. I am hiding behind my bedroom doorway sneaking the pictures.
He looks so sweet and peaceful here. The from a distance topic had me thinking a lot about Jack growing up. Right now he wants me around, all the time. It can actually be a bit overwhelming...and exhausting. I still get lots of kisses and hugs and "bunk-bed" time with hair petting. He still insists that I lie down with him while he reads to me, then I sing to him and then he puts on his Star Wars music (which is actually a CD of a cassette recording of the original Star Wars movie - it is like listening to the radio shows of years gone by!) and wants me to stay just a few more minutes. There are so many evenings, when I lie there and my head is full of lists and all the things I need to do before I can go to bed and I ALWAYS feel guilty walking down the steps from his bedroom because I have once again not lived in the moment and appreciated the closeness and together time that he craves. Because truth be told, it won't be long before I am watching many aspects of Jack's life "from a distance". One day he will not want to hug me in front of his friends (although I am still on my no sugar and no pop thing so I have every intention of being the MILF of Jack's grade so hopefully I will get lots of supplemental hugs from him because I am just so cool!) But one day he won't want me to sit and watch t.v. with him because I will be sitting there rolling my eyes and critiquing the insane shows he has selected to watch as a pre-teen. Eventually the singing at night will be for babies! All of it is inevitable to some degree. So as I am nearing the end of my photographer challenge and still working to find that balance, I have a renewed focus on trying to savor all those special little moments with Jack - no matter how common they may be. I read a while back about a dad that had created an email account for his unborn daughter and he would write her letters and notes and send them to the email account. Some were just quick notes about something funny she had done that day - some were more profound and marked milestones - first steps, birthdays, kindergarten graduation - but I love this idea. I have also heard of people that write a letter to their child on their birthday each year and then they will have 18 letters (or more if you do it on other occasions) to read for their high school graduation. I LOVE this idea too. I feel like in the 7 years that I have known Jack that I have already forgotten so much. I am hoping to figure out a way to start the letter writing soon that still makes it feel whole when I give it to him in 11 years. Maybe an end of school letter? I had a dear friend tell me recently that he had written a letter to his unborn son to open on his 18th birthday. Sadly, the letter went missing in the craziness that is life and the son is now a 21 year old man. It breaks my heart to think that letter will go unread by his amazing son. I so want him to find it and be able to give it him. What an amazing gift. I remember being a senior in high school and going on our senior retreat. It was essentially an overnight where everyone stayed at this cabin and we had a couple of talk about our feelings work shops. One of the elements was that we were given a letter from our parents. I was overwhelmed reading about what they were thinking about me being a senior and moving away and all that craziness before graduating from high school. I still have the letter and read it occasionally when I just need a pick me up - a bit of the glory day nostalgia to make you feel better. But I love the idea of Jack having all of these little glimpses into what I was thinking and remembering about him growing up. I hope that he will kee So I am off to snuggle with the Jack-man and savor a few minutes of bliss. |
about me...Hi, I'm Michele. I am starting this website as a bit of a self search for uncovering how to create balance in my life. Want the nitty gritty details about my life? Probably not. But I am sure you will get all you need (or care) to know from the posts so enjoy. Archives
April 2020
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