Just a little heads up. . . I'll be stepping away from blogging more often this year in order to accomplish a few personal goals that have been on the back burner for far too long. Lately, life seems to be going at a much faster pace than it used to, leaving me short of time at the end of most days. I've been analyzing how I spend my time each day and have realized that in order to accomplish what is most important to me right now, I am going to have to let go of some things that are less important. Unfortunately, blogging has slipped down the priority list a bit and qualifies as one of those 'less important' things. While I love having a reason to take photos on a daily basis, sometimes I put blogging ahead of other things that have more meaning in my life. In a nutshell, you might not see as many posts from me this year, but hopefully those that you do see will still be enjoyable.
"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates vision for tomorrow."
-Melody Beatie
I watched an interview recently with Diane Sawyer that gave me a different perspective on learning and education. She shared the following comment.
“I read once, that this great physicist (who won a Nobel Prize) said that every day when he got home, his Dad asked him not what he learned in school but, ‘Did you ask any great questions today'? I always thought, what a beautiful way to educate kids. That we can be excited by their questions- not by our answers, and whether or not they can repeat our answers.”
Wow, this really impacted me. It's too bad we can't have do-overs in life. I wish I had been as wise as this father with my own kids. What a great way to encourage your child to learn. I'm finding as I get older that I have a lot of questions. I'm intrigued by everything around me and have this insatiable desire to learn new things. Where I was once afraid to ask questions, I now find myself more than willing to speak up. I want to learn as much as I can, and about as many things as possible. I sometimes wonder if it's too late… if I'm past my prime. And then, I stop and shake those feelings off, because I know it's never too late to learn. Perhaps I'll start asking a question each day. It couldn't possibly hurt, right?
I was emotional watching this video and thinking of all of the brave women around the world dealing with breast cancer. It's breast cancer awareness month. Last week, I went in for a mammogram. Have you had yours? Don't put it off....
Today, I'm singing the praises of a book I recently read for my family book club. It's been around for a little while and has been on my to-read list for quite some time. This past month, I finally read The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows.
There were mixed reviews from different members of my family. Some liked it, some couldn't relate to it at all. I found it to be wonderful. I loved how it was written in a letter format. (My english major daughter informed me that the correct term is epistolary.) Whatever the term, I liked it. I think I could relate to the main character because she was around my age. I loved the soul-searching journey she went on, and the end result of that journey. But, the thing I loved most about the book was the letters. Short, personal and very charming letters. They spoke to me. I came away from reading this book with a desire to send more handwritten letters. Letters that can be held in a person's hands. Letters on real paper, with real ink. Something that is not so common today. I have a small collection of handwritten letters that I cherish and there's just something about them.
So, I highly recommend The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. It's a great read and will leave you with a little soul searching of your own to do.
This is Bryan. He's been a friend of mine for many years. This is just a silly photo he agreed to pose for a couple of weeks ago on a 4-couple getaway we planned for late in September. It was a dare really. He was in the middle of a national park and the road sign was lying on the ground, innocently. Until I got this hair brained idea to do this post, and needed a photo to go along with it. We had just completed a grueling hike and we were on our way back out of Zions Canyon.... which brings me to the subject I want to address today. Aging. Let me start by saying that this particular group of friends I went on the trip with have all reached mid-life a.k.a. 50. Okay, I'm still 5 months away, but essentially we are all there, and some are well into our 50's.
When I was a young girl, I thought 50 was nearly dead. No really. I had a teacher that I thought was ancient, only to find out some 20 years later she was only 52. Let me translate that for you.... this means at the time she was only 32! Wow, our perception is truly different when we are young.
Anyway, as I and most of my friends are now reaching the golden years, I am finding myself unwilling to get old. I mean sure, my body is aging, but believe me I am fighting it every step of the way. I still have a lot I want to do, and hopefully I still have plenty of time on this earth to do it. I've decided I'm not ready to stop. To slow down. I want to keep moving and be active. So, as long as my health will allow it, I plan to do just that. I still want to try new things and experience new places. Age is a mindset, right?? And so, I say to my dear friends who inspire me every day, here's to our friendship, our good health and many more adventures!
I'm gonna go knock on some wood now.....
It may seem like a strange topic for a monthly health challenge, but this month I want to focus on healthy eyes. A couple of years ago, I started to notice that things were a little blurry at night when I would try to read. At first, I attributed it to being tired or to bad lighting. But, after going to the eye doctor, I found that my vision was no longer 20/20. My doctor recommended that I start wearing reading glasses whenever I read at night. I was shocked, never having had any sort of eye problem before. Apparently, it is common for vision to begin to deteriorate in your 40's, and I was no exception to that rule. But, that wasn't the only thing I had going on. I had also developed a condition that I had never even heard of. To be honest, I can't even remember the name of it, but I do know what caused it. Apparently, after years and years of running outdoors, I have developed calluses on the whites of my eyes. Who'd have ever guessed that exposure to wind and harsh weather elements could cause such a thing on your eyes. I asked my eye doctor if there was anything I could have done that would have prevented this from happening. He told me that if I had been wearing sunglasses all of these years, while outdoors, there's a good chance the calluses would have never developed. And so, my advice is this: whether you think you need it or not, wear sunglasses when you are exercising in the great outdoors, especially if it's windy. While the calluses don't cause me any vision problems, they are noticeable and make me a little self-conscious. I wish I would have known about this years ago.
This warmed my heart. Grab a tissue! Happy weekend!
He doesn't show it very often. He's mostly a rough-and-tumble little 3 year old who is always playing in the dirt and throwing rocks. He loves all things boy and can RAWR!! like nobody's business. He loves camping and riding on grandpa's 4-wheelers and snowmobiles. He usually has at least one scrape or bruise somewhere on his body from playing rough with the big boys. But, despite all of that, he has another side to him that comes out every once in awhile. It's a soft, tender side. It shows up most often when he's with his Mommy or Grammie. He gets a little quieter and gentler for just a moment, and then snuggles up to you, kisses you on the cheek or gives you fresh-picks flowers from a field. It melts my heart every time. He's going to be quite a little lady's man, I predict. After all, who can resist a boy in camo shorts holding a bouquet of sunflowers, right?
Yeah, me neither....
It's not the sunset that I want to write about today, although it is was spectacular last night. No, this installment of 'little things I love' is all about a phone call I received last night. It was my husband calling from a business trip in Idaho. "Are you looking at the sunset?" was the first thing he asked when I answered the phone. I was cooped up in my office editing some photos, and hadn't even glanced out the window when I closed all of the blinds a half-hour earlier. Needless to say, I grabbed my camera out of its bag and bolted for the back door. Sure enough.... it was absolutely gorgeous. I snapped this one photo. I knew it was a good one. Ten seconds later, the sun had sunk below the horizon and the color in the sky was overtaken by darkness.
Why does this moment qualify as a little thing post? Because there was a time in my life, and Bob's life, when sunsets came and went without so much as an ounce of recognition. During those years of raising children and running like chickens with our heads cut off most of the time. Since then, photography has taught me how to slow down, how to enjoy little moments that last for only a few seconds. And, that state of mind has apparently rubbed off on Bob also. This isn't the first time I've noticed it. He's more aware, more appreciative of the beauty that surrounds us. Maybe it has a little to do with aging. But, as the years go by, I find that we are getting better at living in the moment. It's just a little thing.... but I love that it's happening.
Today marks the three year anniversary of the day my world changed. It was July 17, 2010, when my first grandchild entered this world. Back then, I was filled with excitement, sprinkled with a little trepidation and some fear. I didn't know how to be a grandma. And, to be honest, I wasn't convinced that I was cut out for it. I loved my husband and kids to death, but I wasn't sure there was room for more love inside of me. And then.... he came into the world and all of my doubts and fears melted, along with my heart. I haven't been the same since. The closest I can come to describing it, is that it's like love squared. Being "Grammie" rocks!! My life is forever changed. These days, I can't even think about him without smiling. Today he's turning three and his wonderful mommy is throwing him an 'Incredibles' birthday party. I guarantee it will be awesome! Happy Birthday to my sweet little nugget. Grammie loves you 'bigger than the sky'!!
There's a reason his picture is smaller than I usually post on my blog. He would want it that way. Kind-hearted, gentle, compassionate .... these are the words that come to mind when I think of Chad Bodell. He's my brother-in-law, and he would be so embarrassed to know that I am tooting his horn right now. He's definitely not one who likes to be in the spotlight. He prefers the background, the supporting role. In no way has he ever been showy. Just a nice, easy-to-love person who left this earth way too soon. He died two weeks ago, of a sudden heart attack, at the age of 59. No precursors or previous heart issues. He was much too young to die. Although I live nearby he and his wife, I don't spend a great deal of time with them. Life gets in the way much too often. I'm regretting that now. Death has a way of teaching us what is really important. Family, friends and relationships.... that's what we should be spending our time on. Everything else is just fluff and endless distraction. Today, I'm feeling a need to re-evaluate how I spend my time, because this week I've learned an important lesson. Eventually, tomorrow will not come. Rest in peace Chad.... I love you.
I had forgotten how much I love it. It's been two years. But, on Friday, I made my way back to Yoga. It's unlike anything else I have ever done for my health. Difficult, challenging, but at the same time so relaxing. I came away with a renewed spirit, mind and body. And, an unquenchable desire for more. I'm definitely back, to stay. If you've never done yoga, I challenge you to find a class and give it a try. It's more than just a workout for your body, it's also a challenge for your mind. Learning to relax it... to shut out everything negative from entering it. Something that is so hard to do in most settings. Friday, during the final relaxation part of class, we were asked to think of three truths about ourselves. These truths were to begin with the two words 'I am'. This is much harder to do than you might think. Why is it so easy to say positive things about others, but so hard to say them about ourselves? Even if we feel positive about ourselves, it's sometimes difficult to verbalize it. My three truths?
I am kind.
I am strong.
I am loved.
It's such a great practice to incorporate into your life on a daily basis. I started today. Namaste...
A couple of weeks ago, our photography group went on a little field trip to Temple Square. We went with the intention of shooting the beautiful spring flowers, which I did. However, I decided that I also wanted to spend some time looking for things that were not so noticeable. I tried to look for some unique things that might have otherwise been missed. This is something I have really been trying to focus on lately with my photography. It's very easy to capture images that stand out. You know, the ones that everyone else around you is capturing also. So, I wandered around, away from the the others and snapped a few pics of things that just caught my eye. I tried to think out of the box. I recommend this little exercise to anyone who loves photography and wants to develop their own style. It's so easy to be influenced by what other people shoot. Sometimes, your style can really just be everyone else's style. Moving away from the pack can really make you think about what is beautiful to you. I've heard professionals say that they had to quit looking at other photographers work in order to truly find themselves. I think there is really something to this idea and I'm tempted to try it myself. Another thing I try to keep in mind is that what other's think of my photos doesn't matter as much as what I think of them. A concept that has taken me a long time to grasp.... and even longer to accept. Happy Monday.
It's been a somewhat soggy week this past week, with more to come for the next few days. I put away my "warm" running clothes on Saturday, only to pull them out again this morning. I had so much I wanted to accomplish today, but when the skies are gray and dreary, I just want to bundle up and stay inside. Luckily, this cute little cluster of died-off berries beckoned me outdoors to shoot a few pics, proving once again that you can find beauty in anything. That's the thing I love about photography, it causes me to look a little deeper at things. And when I do, I always find something worthwhile. A good life lesson, I think. Particularly when it comes to people. Happy Monday.
I've been waiting for just the right time to photograph my tulips. I thought they were going to bloom last week, but the cooler temperatures kept that from happening. I've been ho-humming around impatiently looking out the window several times a day in the hopes that I can capture them at the perfect time. Today, I came across the little quote above on Pinterest and it made me think. Am I guilty of this? Especially in my photography? Always waiting for the planets to line up to capture that perfect moment, which often times never comes. And then I started thinking about other areas of my life and realized that it's a fairly common thing for me to put off things until another day "when the weather is better", or "when I have less to do", or "when the timing is right." I have come to the conclusion that this is something I probably need to change. I tend to be a bit of a scheduler. I like to make a plan and stick to it. (My kids will laugh when they read this post) Spontaneity is not one of my strong suits. However, I am surrounded by family members who thrive in this area. I also have several close friends who fly by the seat of their pants on a daily basis. I am constantly in awe of their ability to just drop everything and do something on the spur of the moment. After a couple hours of mulling this over in my mind, I've come to this conclusion: Life is short. Don't wait around for everything to be perfect. It seldom ever is. I've also taken my own advise and shot my tulips just the way they are. True, this may not be a traditional tulip photo, but I like it. It has personality. I even managed to capture a little bokeh.
He's been clingy and doesn't want to leave her side.... not even for a moment. "He's just going through a phase," I tell her. Both of us wonder if he senses the changes that are just around the corner when his new baby brother arrives. Just look at the way he wraps his flip-flops around her leg, just to make sure he is close to her. I smile at the sight. Not so many years ago, it was my little boy doing the same thing. I tell her to soak it in. It won't last forever. There will come a day when he will want to be off on his own adventures. In the blink of an eye his feet will be bigger than hers and he won't need her hugs and kisses anymore. At least he will think he doesn't. Moms know differently....
Is it just me, or is time flying by more quickly than ever? It seems like just yesterday I went to the park with my grandson and pushed him in the little infant swing while he shrieked with laughter. Today, he shows up on a bike. What in the world?? When did this little boy grow up? I'm not ready for him to grow up. I'm not ready for him to be thrust into real life. And yet, I know I can't shelter him from it forever. Sooner or later he will have to face whatever challenges come his way. And so, I leave him with this advice.... Don't forget to wear your helmet!! Literally and figuratively.
Last night, I was taking a photo of the falling snow just outside my window. They were so beautiful. The contrast of the dried-up, golden leaves and the dark brown branches was stunning to me. I downloaded the image on my computer and sat back and admired it. I thought it was so pretty. And then it hit me.... Will anyone else think it's pretty? Is it silly for me to post a picture like this? Are the colors too dreary, now that it's almost Spring. My mind went on and on and on. The truth is, I've fallen into a bit of a trap lately. It's something that is easy to do in the blogging world. Trying to make your blog posts interesting to ALL of your viewers. Worrying if they're good enough. Second-guessing the choices of pictures that you post. Doing things just because other people do. Comparing your blog to other blogs that you follow...etc, etc. I first started to blog about a year ago with the intention of using my blog as an excuse to practice my photography skills. Back then, I really didn't care much about what anyone else would think about my blog. Frankly, I didn't think anyone would really view my blog. But, a year later, things are a little different. Now I get occasional written comments on my posts as well as verbal comments from people who follow me. They are always nice and complimentary, but it has caused me to worry a bit more about the quality of my posts. Which, when I really stop and think about it, is nothing to worry about. If people follow me, it's because they are genuinely interested in my blog. Right?? No need to sweat about it. The poet John Lydgate said, "You can please some of the people all of the time, all of the people some of the time, but you can't please all of the people all of the time." I believe this to be true. And so, I have posted my falling snow picture proudly today. Because it is beautiful to me. And that is reason enough....
I have been going through a.... shall we say, "motivationally-challenged" phase of life. Being one that has always tried hard to stay on top of my fitness and healthy eating, this has been very hard for me. I've been dealing with this for about four months now. I have no explanation for why, except that perhaps age has something to do with it. Perhaps. That could just be an excuse.... and I have many more where that came from. Regardless, it has been an issue for me. Also, the crappy weather and lack of clean air to breath has only added to my current state. Needless to say, my clothes are fitting me a little differently these days, which does not sit well with me. But, apparently it sits well enough that it hasn't motivated me to change. Yet.
A couple of weeks ago, my good friend (thanks Lori:) brought over a few photos from a recent trip we took together. In some of them, I was wearing a swimsuit. I don't think I need to waste your time talking about my private reaction to those photos. Let's just say that I now have possession of some amazing "before" pictures that have helped me to locate my long, lost motivation. With this new found attitude, I have been hard at work preparing myself for the long road back.
The other day, I ran across the quote above on Pinterest. You can imagine my horror. I was devastated at the thought that it would take me forty months (almost four years) to undo the damage from the last 4 months. FORTY MONTHS!! I was in a mild state of panic. No, it was a serious state of panic. And, I was furious!! Who put the internet in charge anyway?? Who were they to tell me how long it would take me to get back on track. I was determined to prove whoever this person was wrong. And then, I notice that the quote was from a fictional character, and laughed out loud to myself. The pressure was off. I had nothing to prove. I could go about the business of losing that "little extra somethin'" at my own pace. I have since come up with my own quote. One that I believe in wholeheartedly.
Okay, it's not MY quote, but it was a sign on a tree (that I may have added another sign to, in photoshop:) But, it's my plan and I'm sticking to it. In all my years of experience, it's the best way. No matter what. Going slow and steady. Doing what you know works for YOU. That is all I need to worry about. No matter who tells me differently. I don't believe it will take ten times longer to get back to a comfortable state of fitness. It will take a while, but not four years!! Lessons learned? Don't believe everything you read, consistency is the answer to almost everything, it takes hard work to accomplish anything worthwhile, the internet should be taken with a grain of salt, the Hunger Games series is really good, Photoshop rocks and even pictures of signs nailed to trees can be used in a blog post:) Happy Wednesday!
