november gratitude {part six}

well, this will probably be my last "things i am thankful for" post, as there are only two more nights in november after tonight. so between yesterday's and today's posts, i saved the best for last. yesterday was family. today is friends. i am oh, so thankful for my friends.

under each one that i've photographed, i wrote one of the many things that i am specifically thankful for in her. although each expression is tailored to what that particular friend means to me, they really could all be interchangeable... any one of these descriptions could be placed on any one of these lovely ladies.

h,
i'm thankful
for your giving and serving heart.

m,
i'm thankful
for your contagious laugh and smile.

k,
i'm thankful
for your creative soul.

s,
i'm thankful
for your constant encouragement.

j,
i'm thankful
for your gentle spirit.

a,
i'm thankful
for your generosity and hospitality.

i remember realizing about five years ago that i needed more close girlfriends in my life. i did have three good friends who i would meet up with for breakfast every few months. and i had an automatic best friend in my twin. {she's "a" above.} but i knew i needed more than that as i thought about how much i wanted more gal pals in my life... not just to have as friends, but to be a friend to as well.

so i prayed for friends. then it was like the flood gates opened. not all at once, but over the next three years, i made so many wonderful girlfriends {many of them through my jobs }, and they were from all walks of life at all different ages. i can't even describe how much they've meant to me. they welcome me in their lives exactly the way i am. they each bring out different things in me. they each possess unique gifts and ways of blessing me. they all know me really well, and all want the best for me. i feel so honored and blessed to have every one of them.

some of my friends are closer than others. but all are appreciated equally for what they are to me. for this expression of gratitude, i would not exclude a one from this group that i consider friends. but for the sake of brevity, i decided to only post photos of the six girls i am closest to -- the ones i have spent the most time with over the past year or two. {which is the reason i have photographs of them to post... i haven't been doing the photography thing for much more than a year, you see.} i'd have to say, each of these girls are like sisters to me. {well, the last one acutally is my sister.}

i'm so glad to have some treasured photos of these girls, and i hope to get many more in the years to come. not only are they all beautiful and talented, but they are all inspiring and uplifting -- two things i could really use in my life. i only hope i am as good a friend to them as they are to me.

"never shall i forget the days i spent with you.
continue to be my friend,
as you will always find me yours."
~ludwig von beethoven

november gratitude {part five} and a thankful day in pictures

today, i'm thankful for my family. i took many pictures of my family's thanksgiving gathering yesterday, and i was initially disappointed by how they turned out. but then i realized that this was actually a good thing... good in that it will help illustrate what i wanted to say.

like my photos, my family members {me most of all} are far from perfect. but they are perfect for me. and they are beautiful to me. and in the same way i don't fully know how to use my camera to the best of its ability, i don't yet know how to treat my family to the best of my ability. i fail them daily. but they are what i've been given on this earth, and not only are they all forgiving and gracious, they are all just plain fun. even a little crazy. {if you've seen the play, you can't take it with you, you can picture what i'm talking about.}

so i'm sharing my family with you today. i'm sharing our day of thanks together. and i'm saying here and now, i am truly grateful for every single one of them. {be forewarned... there are a lot of pics, so i hope not to bore you. i'll try to keep some sort of order to them. enjoy.}

on the way to my sister's home.
it was a cold and gray november day,
but not so inside her vintage flat.
on the contrary... it was warm
and bright in her home.

almost there!


this was the first thing i saw when we arrived...
my sister buzzing around in a flurry.

cooking,
cleaning up after her cooking,
setting the table...

and what a lovely table it was.

and she also buzzed around
to make it a warm and inviting place
with candles and such.

see?...she never stopped.
this is my favorite shot {below}.
it says it all.

a whirlwind of organization and hospitable charm.
you wouldn't think this was her first time
hosting thanksgiving for twelve people.
but it was.

and she was the master chef, too!
i asked her to pause and pose
for a brief photo shoot.

the cook's a cutey, no?
she prepared a delicious juicey turkey,
and fabulous stuffing with apples and leeks.

anyway, back to the kitchen
to resume the food preparation...
but now, there's a lot more than just one chef.

it's a good thing many hands make light work.

i'm just glad there were no collisions
with all those cooks in the kitchen.
actually...

there almost was one here.


it's a good thing little blancito
whisked his new bride, bambi,
away to a quiet place so as not to get stepped on
in the kitchen -- where he'd normally be.

{by the way, congratulations are in order
for the newly pregnant couple}

oh, i digress.
okay... back to the story.

it's also a good thing some guests
chose to stay out of the kitchen
by watching football in the living room
to make room for the chefs.
takin' one for the team!
way to go!
{wink}

i mean, what's thanksgiving
without football, right?
actually, that guy on the left did both.
he managed to get in some football time,
but he was also in the kitchen
from about 10:00 to 3:00
making delicious bacon wrapped dates...

and two perfect fall soups.

thanks nate!
they were all delish!

oh, and thanks for the potatoes
{white and sweet}, mom and ginger.
and the salads and green bean casserole.
everything was so tasty!

oh, wait.
i'm getting ahead of myself, aren't i

well, i did my part staying out of the kitchen
to make room for the cooks, too.
i went around taking pictures.
or at least i tried.

i eventually gave up trying to get a serious one
from these three little squirts.
{my older sister's kids}
but i will settle for these
equally adorable photographs.

gee, i wonder where they get
their goofy poses from,
uncle matt!
{ehem... clearing throat}


so how 'bout a little entertainment
from one of my nephew virtuosos?
{his siblings play, too.}

oh, and we need to get a nice fire going.
that job went to my brother-in-law.

wait... now no one's going to help in the kitchen,
'cause they'll all want to be by the cozy fire.

but, can you blame them?


okay... we're almost ready!
turkey's done!

that's your cue, brother-in-law.
you're other job for the day
is to carve the bird.

and now it's round-up time.
time to turn off the tv
and put down the good books.

time to put the toys away.

come and get it!

and now we eat.
but first...
a prayer of thanks to our God
from the matriarch of the family.

okay...
now we eat.

i think i already mentioned
how delicious everything was.
we had a lot of laughs.
and we spent some time
going around the table
to each say what we are thankful for.

oh, boy...
the food coma is setting in.

better wrap this up.
but first, a group shot.
{taken by me, but with a tripod and timer
so that i can be in the picture, too.}

one serious shot.
{click on photo to see closer-up}

and two silly shots.
{we learned from the best.}

and here are some zoom-in views.

b. and me

my two brother's with one of my sister's sons

my sister with her husband,
her other son and her father-in-law

my older sister's daughter,
my mom and my twin sister


alrighty... photo session is over.
now everyone can go kick back and rest
or play some games
{after we clean up, that is}.


well, dear angela.
thank you for opening your
beautiful, soft and lovely home to us.
you know i'm a fan of your digs!

it was truly one of the nicest
thanksgivings i ever remember.

your snap-happy sister,
georgia.


oh, and lest those of you who are reading
think i did nothing but go around
and take pictures all day...
i did contribute to the meal, too.

i made this...

{instructions: portion above ingredients to your liking, cut brussel sprouts in half, place flat side down in baking pan, add shallots, bacon, pine nuts and garlic. generously drizzle with olive oil and grind on salt and pepper to liking. bake in oven at 350 degrees until sprouts are at desired tenderness. it's sort of an experimental thing i tried, so there's no set-in-stone directions.}

{click on the recipe photos for better readability}

and i made my annual
cranberry peach cobbler...

{instructions: preheat oven to 350 degrees f. combine dry cake mix, cinnamon and nutmeg in bowl. cut in butter with pastry blender or two knives until crumbly. stir most pecans, leaving some for the top. set aside. combine peach filling {{or cut up peach slices}} and cranberry sauce in ungreased 13x9x2-inch pan. mix well. sprinkle crumb mixture over fruit. sprinkle rest of pecans and cinnamon sugar all over the top. bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until golden brown. serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. serves 16.}

it may be too late to make
either of these for thanksgiving,
but there's still christmas.
enjoy!

to you and yours

if you are one of the many who celebrate this holiday, i wish you a very happy and grateful thanksgiving! if you are not, than i just wish you a happy and grateful day.

we're off to my twins sister's. she has a very large home that will nicely accommodate my mom and all of her children, in-laws, grandchildren and any other guests who should choose to show up. i actually look forward to it, in spite of still not feeling the greatest. there's going to be good food and laughter, and i won't be surprised if a tear is shed because we all still miss my dad very much. but most of all, there will be gratitude.

thanks for all your get well wishes. i hope you have a blessed day.

just me... still under the weather

what did you do?

{my three-day week turned into a two-day week, unless i work from home on friday to catch up. i woke up feeling worse than when i went to bed, and i knew i better stay home to rest. don't know what's going on, but i know i want to feel better by thursday so that i can be with my family. so i'm keeping it short tonight. {{i have yet to go shopping for the dishes i am to prepare, and i'm feeling a little overwhelmed.}} i hope you are all well, rested and ready for the holiday.}

november gratitude {part four}

tonight...
i'm thankful for forgiveness.
i'm thankful for my blog friends.
i'm thankful for my camera.
i'm thankful for my blogs.
i'm thankful for your blogs.
i'm thankful that you stop by
and take an interest in my life
and give me feedback and encouragement
in my photography.
i'm thankful that i will be getting
a new computer soon.
{fingers crossed}

also...
i'm thankful that my cough
seems a little better tonight.
i'm thankful that i only have to work
three days this week.
i'm thankful that my husband
takes care of me when i'm sick.
i'm thankful that when things
i thought would last forever don't,
there's hope that something else
will take its place.
and even if nothing does,
i have so much besides
that was always right here.

what are you thankful for?

time to breathe in and rest

well, i finally broke down and went to an immediate care clinic today to have this cough looked at. i didn't want to, but after the way i felt last night and this morning, i knew it was time. they said i don't have a cold or the flu or anything. i could have told them that... that much i knew. i just did not understand why this nagging dry cough was hanging on for two weeks. the doc said it could be asthmatic. i've never been checked for asthma... never thought i needed to. i have bad allergies, but i never felt asthmatic. they did say it could be just a one-time, isolated thing... not necessarily chronic. so he prescribed an inhaler that relaxes the spasming lung muscles that should help relieve the cough. so far, it's not really working. we'll see. i still don't understand why i feel generally weak and ill if it's just asthma. but that might be from having two nights in a row with very little sleep. they said to go back and see a doctor if it still persists after giving the inhaler a try.

i've just rested {and still am resting} inside today despite the sunny, warmer temps outside. going to my sister's house yesterday for brunch and an ornament exchange party was pushing it. i went and had a very nice time, but felt pretty crummy the whole time. and now tonight, i am missing my mom's solo vocal performance at church. the rest of my family is attending, and i wish i could be there.

so... my snap-happy ways were put on the back burner this weekend. i did manage to get a shot i liked of one of my sister's vintage chairs while i was there. and it happens to be next to the same window that is in my blog banner shot. this chair is so 70s hip to me, that the photo seemed to beg to be "vintagized", so below are a couple polaroid conversions i made. {the original up top is straight out of camera for s.o.o.c. sunday.}


'kay... i'm off to rest. i hope you had a good weekend! toodles.

go. see. do.

i was at a brunch {ornament exchange party} today, when one of my friends started reading off of her iPhone the things that are on her bucket list. i sat there listening, and soon the words that flowed from her mouth blurred together before they reached my ears. you see, my mind had wandered off in a direction of its own after hearing the first half of her list. i realized i don't have {nor have i ever had} a bucket list. i've had some goals. some hopes. some dreams. some expectations. but up until tonight, i had not made a list.

i think the biggest reason for that is because i live too much within the limitations put on me by things like my age or my financial state or my level of knowledge or skills set. i also grew up in a modest home where we did not have enough money to do much traveling or participate in extracurricular learning/training {like music lessons or skiing lessons}. so i sort of learned to be content without those things.

i did a lot of traveling in college, and right after college, my best friend at the time was doing a lot of traveling, so she would plan trips, and i would show up and "enjoy the ride". but i think other than that, i grew content with simple trips to the beach on lake michigan or rides downtown all dressed up to hear the chicago symphony orchestra or the occasional concert pianist.

one of my favorite quotes is "dwell in possibility". {it's actually from an emily dickinson poem, i believe.} but i realized i have not been dwelling there. i've been dwelling in practicality or probability. there are so many things that are possible if i put my mind to it. there are so many things i would like to do. so i'm almost 40... so what? they are saying 40 is the new 20 anyway, right? i can still do so many things! and i want to! maybe i can't do them all. and maybe i won't have the money to do some of them. but i can at least put them on the list.

i was talking to a friend about goals and these sort of lists once. he said that a harvard study was once conducted where a group of people were asked what their goals for the next ten years were. only part of that group was asked to also write those goals down. the other part of the group was not. the study showed that over the course of the next 10 years, the group that wrote down their goals was 90% more likely to go after and achieve those goals than the group that did not write them down.

so i'm writing them down. {or typing, if you want to get technical.} i don't have my list fully compiled yet. i'm sure it's something that will be growing and evolving. although i have a few things for the list already, i'm not going to write it all in one sitting. i'm going to think carefully about it. i'm going to ponder the things i am passionate about and have always wanted to do. i'm not just going to add something to it because it is trendy or because someone else did it and i want to say i did it too. it's going to be a list of things i really want to do.

it's not complete, but i'll share just a few here now. i'll be sure to let you know as i add more. i might even add it to my sidebar. okay. here is what i have so far.

1. travel to israel, new zealand and to where the mayan and incan ruins are {you can be sure a lot more travel destinations will be added}
2. sing in a coffee house with the accompaniment of a guitarist
3. take a photography class... maybe even two or three
   
4. have my photography shown in a gallery {if i ever get good enough... oh, wait. i'm supposed to be dwelling in possibility here. when i get good enough.}
5. go on a missions trip to any place that needs me
6. sky dive {that one terrifies me}
   
7. have or adopt a baby
8. own and run my own business
9. learn to play piano {i had started taking lessons in my late 20s, but chose to quit so i would have more time to plan my wedding.}
10. visit all the frank lloyd wright structures that i can
11. watch all three movies of the lord of the rings trilogy {extended versions} in one day
12. vacation in se juan teneo, mexico {that is, if it still looks like it did in the movie shawshank redemption}
13. make an entire thanksgiving meal and bring it to a home that is without food and fellowship and eat with them
14. meet daniel barenboim
15. become debt free and stay that way indefinitely {i'm really close to the first half of this one, and i can not wait to achieve it. it should actually be first on my list, because it is the most important to me.}
    
16. finish a book {that's sort of a joke, for those of you who really know me.}
    

well, just so you don't think i've never done anything at all... there are some things i have always wanted to do that i did. i wanted to take a watercolor class, and i did {and loved it!}. i went white-water rafting on the colorado river. i saw the grand canyon {which everyone should do in their lifetime}. and i finished four years of college and graduated with a bachelor's degree. i traveled around europe for a month with a choir and sang in some of the most beautiful cathedrals. perhaps not a greatly impressive list, but accomplishments and things i am proud of or feel blessed to have experienced none the less.

all i know is i don't want to sit at a stoplight all my life. as in the photo, i want to be like that truck. those rollerbladers. that dog.

i want to...
go. see. do.

so... i'm curious. do you have a bucket list? what's on yours?

still just me. {you weren't expecting anyone else, were you?}

what did you do?

{very tired. still not feeling well. b. wants me to go to the doctor. i'm holdin' out. hopefully i'll be back to my old self by the week end. at least tomorrow is friday. oh, thank you, thank you, thank you for getting here, dear friday.}

music.two {desafinado}

~stan getz

pssst.... push play below.

desafinado

as you can see and hear, desafinado by stan getz is playing. this is my second post in a series of posts related to music. last time i wrote about my brother's influence on my musical tastes, which is more on the current or modern music i listen to. but anything old school like jazz or classical is almost completely my father's doing {i guess a little of my mother's, too}.

anyway, what you are listening to right now is a series of notes that positively spell d. a. d. for me. i hear this piece and i can't think of anything but my father. this was one of his favorites, and growing up in my home, it was played all the time... i mean ALL the time! there are a few other pieces that he loved as much and gave equal amount of airtime to, like feels so good by chuck mangione, birdland by maynard ferguson, take the a train by duke ellington, and take five by dave brubeck. those all have the same effect when i hear them... they make me smile and think of nothing more strongly than dad. they are all now loved by his children just as much, but i think this one is probably my favorite.

so i was so delighted when i plugged in my earphones at work today and saw that one of my coworkers had this 1962 recording by getz and byrd called jazz samba on his i-tunes. i started playing it {desafinado is the first track}, and it instantly brought the broadest smile to my face. it put me in the best mood. partly because it caused such warm memories of my father to surface, but also because it's just plain feel good music. i love when music does that. i love that music can do that.

i'm pretty sure i owe my love of jazz to papa. this is not one of my november gratitude posts, but i'll say it anyway... i am so grateful that my parents raised us in a musical home and instilled a deep appreciation for good music in us.

i hope you enjoyed it. go ahead... listen to it again when it's done. it won't be on my blog forever.

new day, new post

well, sure enough {like i thought would happen} i woke up feeling like maybe i should not have been so personal on my blog {reference to my last post}. i mean, i don't want you all to think i live in a happy bubble where i only say nice, positive, happy things and everything is always hunky-dory {'cause it's not always hunky-dory}. and i don't mind being honest on my blog. but i always worry i'm a bit too transparent here.

and when i express any sort of discontent, i'm always knocked back into place when i see a post like this. this sort of inspiration always makes me feel silly for my petty complaints. so i decided to let the pure joy of others and a peaceful image motivate me today, and not the offenses i experience. and i wanted to quickly post this so that my last post is not the first thing people see when they visit today.

it's raining here, but i'm gonna try to have a sunny day in spite of it. even if less than perfect, i hope you have a good day.

they can't all be happy, cheery posts, but i'll still try to put a positive spin on it.

i chose this photo, because it fits my mood. it was another busy day, but a rough one, too. work's been a bit stressful, but it's more disappointment in people that's got me in a funk. i realize no one is perfect, and i realize i'm a disappointment to people sometimes. but every once in a while, i lose heart because within a short period of time, i feel disappointed by so many people on so many levels. people i know well. people i barely know. and everything in between.

i sometimes feel as though i might just have too high of expectations. who knows. all i do know is i've had a rough day. a couple of them, actually. i know most people who are hurtful don't mean to be. but shouldn't we all be careful to not unknowingly hurt someone? i think so. i don't want to be hurtful... knowingly or not. when someone does or says something that makes me feel bad, i think, "gosh! have i done that? i hope not. i hope i remember how this feels and don't make someone else feel that way."

but i know i'll slip. i just hope when i do, it's not on a day that the person i offended happened to get that kind of thing from all directions on several levels. i'd hate to think they had a day like mine. these past couple of days, i've had people treat me as if i'm incompetent, untrustworthy, too sensitive and not sensitive enough. i've also had people treat me like less than a friend even though i've been a friend to them. i've been ignored. and i've had things done {or not not done} that made me feel less important to someone that i thought i was.

i've even had people just flat out make fun of me and gossip. {that's the hardest one, because i make it a goal of mine to not make fun of people or gossip, so it's really hurtful when it's done to me.} and i hate to say this, but i even feel as though i am used and taken advantage of in a certain situation. gossip or making fun and using or taking advantage of seem more intentional and less likely to be inadvertent, so these are the two i struggle with most.

none of this is foreign or new to me, just as i'm sure it is not to most people. we all experience these things. it's just that when it all happens at once, it can really set you up for feeling discouraged.

i grew up in a home where we were taught to "turn the other cheek" and "forgive and forget" and such. and i believe those things. but i also think that the experience of being offended should trigger something in us to look at ourselves and take measure of our own ways. i'm not talking about the immediate. of course i'm initially offended, which makes me retreat and not want to be social with anyone for a while. but when i'm my usual self, am i saying things flippantly, or hurtfully out of my own insecurity, or purposefully because i want to intentionally make someone feel bad? now's a good time to look back {or even ahead} and ask, "have i done this?" or "could i see myself doing this inadvertently?" i think merely just forgiving and taking everything with a grain of salt is only half the battle.

i've always had thin skin. but i don't want my skin to get so thick and resilient that i'm calloused to the feelings of others. what do you think? how do you handle days like these?

i know it's a bad day when i come home crying and saying to myself or the hubby, "i just don't understand people."

well, i'm exhausted, so i'm going to sleep now. days like this are usually just that... just a day. i usually just need a good night's sleep and some time to let things roll off my back. i'm so glad b. made the bed and laid out my p.j.s for me. it was a sweet gesture from him after he let me vent my frustrations to him. so i'm off to slumber land now. hoping your day was better than mine. good night.

hi, again. it's just me again.

{sigh}

and what did you do?

i had one of those days. non-stop busy. had coffee {see below}, got out the door in a rush, stopped at starbucks to talk to some friends who i saw in the window as i drove by, ran late because of it, skipped my trip to caribou coffee for a cup of their incredible hot chocolate {sorry starbucks} as a result, drove to work {way out of my way because of a stretch of construction that is about half the distance of my normal commute}, got to work, started in on a new leg of the project i've been working on, did a lot more "running around" than i usually do at work, left for a few minutes to grab a quick bite to eat, but couldn't use my debit card because i accidentally locked myself out of it {long story}, so no lunch, back to the office, work, work, work, needing to concentrate more than usual, not feeling too well, finished up, drove home, got in some "return phone calls" time while i drove {even though b. hates when i talk on the phone while driving, but i had to arrange several things for this coming weekend with friends and family}, got home, watched the rest of a rerun of the office with the hubby, ordered dinner {thai for our first-date anniversary... see below}, cleaned up and came in here to blog. WHEW!!! now i can catch my breath.

well, at least one of you asked in my last post... did b. see my post below? the answer is yes. before i went to bed last night {he goes to bed earlier than i do lately, as he has to get up earlier}, i put a post-it note on the coffee maker that said, "dear b., please turn me on. love, the monitor".

i had my post open on my blog and ready for him to read upon turning on the monitor. so, yes. he read it. and when i got up and got my coffee {he had left for work already}, i came over to the computer to check e-mails and such. there was a note from him that said, "thanks, love." and he had also dug out the ticket stub from the movie we went to see thirteen years ago {romeo and juliet... the one with claire danes... yes, that's how old we are!}, and set it on the keyboard for me. sweet, no? : )

anyway, we had thai food tonight, although we should have gotten carry-out from the chinese restaurant we went to thirteen years ago. but i got food poisoning from the egg fu yung that night. so i opted for carry-out from a different place tonight. so glad, too. it was sooooooo delicious!

now we are going to watch the day the earth stood still -- the original. we watched the remake last night. we are hoping the original is better than the new one.

{thanks for all your nice comments on the last post, by the way!}

oh... as i was saying before i interrupted myself... what did you do today?

november gratitude {part three}

since it was thirteen years ago today that my husband and i went on our first date, i thought it would be appropriate to write about things i am thankful for that are related to him.

i'm thankful he makes me coffee every morning. i hate to say this, but i've become dependent on this legal stimulant we all know as java. and it is he who gets up first every day and puts the coffee on. every day i am awoken from the groggiest of states by the aroma and taste of it. i'd be "lost" without it. {pictured are the coffee mugs we use each morning.}

i'm also thankful that he works overtime, and then tells me he is doing it so that we can get a new computer {which we really, really need}. when he told me that, i was so surprised -- in a good way, of course. {you all know how much i've been whining about our slow computer!} what a guy!



i'm thankful that we are both healthy. although we are starting to feel creaky and old, and we are no longer the spring chickens we were in this photo that sits next to my bed {taken by my sister almost thirteen years ago}, we both have good health and are physically able to work and earn a living.

i know i already said this one, but i'm thankful that we both have jobs again.

lastly, i'm thankful that he does his own laundry, cleans the bathroom all the time, washes the dishes just as often as i do, and let's me have all the closet space i need. oh... and he lets me have my "me time" for blogging and taking photos. which leads me to another thing... he puts up with my constant photo snapping, and he never... scratch that... he rarely complains. {he even let's me take my camera with me into the grocery store.}

thanks, mr. b. i'm thankful for you.

evening falls

i took these all yesterday when the sun was about as high as it was going to be. the reason they look more like early evening moonlit photos is actually a happy accident. i forgot to change the setting on my camera that accommodates the type of lighting that is present. i still had it on tungsten instead of sunlight. but when i got the shots home and looked at them on the computer, i was so glad it happened that way. i love the color of these! even the hubby was oohing and ahhing about them, and he rarely does that about my photography. {not to say he does not like my pictures, but he rarely chimes in.} anyway, other than the crop, these are all straight-out-of-camera.

just me again

what did you do?

{i had not planned on making this a series when i did my first "what i did today" post below. but then i liked the responses so much, i thought i would make it a series. first i thought i would show things i do in times of solitude. but i don't think i will limit it to that, especially since the responses i got were things my readers were doing that interacted with other people {{or pets}}. so this has turned into a series of letting you see into my daily life a little, and hopefully your replies of the same. i so enjoyed the responses i've gotten so far. i hope you will share too. so let's here it. what did you do today?}

just me

what did you do?

music.one {ten.cent.wings}

music, the greatest good that mortals know,
and all of heaven we have below.
~joseph addison

music is probably the only art form i get as excited about {or moved by} as i do photography. in fact, probably more, because it has been a part of my life for much longer. i grew up in a musical family, so it was woven deep into my self from early on.

{in case you are wondering... there are more photos. but unlike my usual posts, this one is "words first, photos last", other than the little teaser slice i gave you above.}

anyway, i thought i would do a few posts that were musically inspired since it is such a big part of me. this will be the first of at least three music-related posts.

my brother got me listening to a female artist whose voice i really like, but whose lyrics have an even greater draw for me. her name is jonatha brooke, and one of my favorite songs by her is ten cent wings. on her web site, she writes a little about how she came to compose this song. {the lyrics, a sound bite, and a button to buy the song are also at this link.}

anyway, because of what the lyrics say, i knew i would want to use a sweater in the photos for this post. but i did not know what the wings would be "made of". then i saw this inspiring post on a favorite blog, and i knew right away what i would use. i'd also say that this post inspired me, as well {just for the way she took an ordinary object and "played" with it}.

i wish i could have the song playing on my blog while you read, but it was not available on the playlist widget that i would have used. so instead, i posted the lyrics below. if you want to hear the song in its entirety, you can go here. i hope you enjoy!

ten cent wings

if i knew what i was after,
i’d remember where i’d been
if i was sure of something better,
i’d go, i’d go
~
but i am just another picture,
and i watch myself like you
i imagine what you’re thinking,
i know, i know


ten cent wings,
i’ll take two
pin them to my sweater
and i’ll sail above the blue
~
ten cent wings,
tried and true
orbiting like satellites
i’ll sail away with you


i will love across the borders,
i will wait until it’s dark
i will fly and you’ll be with me,
my wings, your heart
~
then our memory may fail us,
and our language will go too
but the shooting stars will catch our
celestial view


ten cent wings,
i’ll take two
pin them to my sweater
and i’ll sail above the blue
~
ten cent wings,
tried and true
orbiting like satellites
i’ll sail away with you


but i’ll never tell,
i’ll never say,
i’ll never be that brave


ten cent wings,
i’ll take two
pin them to my sweater
and i’ll sail above the blue
~
ten cent wings tried and true
in another life
you are with me,
and i’m with you

{by the way, i found this lovely vintage-esque cardigan on my lunch break today. i stopped at a second-hand store on my way back from hunting down some chicken soup. i was so glad i did. a cashmere j.crew sweater at a mere fraction of what it sold for originally, no doubt... doesn't get any better than that. i was going to use any old sweater that i already owned for this post. but this one went perfectly. it's blue!!!}

this is all i've got

i don't seem to be shaking what seems to be lingering. ouch is about all i can say. my lungs burn and it feels like someone is sitting on my chest. i have a dry cough that is worse at night. but i hate coughing {because it hurts when i do}, so i try to suppress it. i just feel slightly worse than yesterday or the day before, and it seems like whatever is going on is a lot more than just allergies.

hopefully the chicken soup i had for dinner and eight hours of sleep will do me some good. i'm kind of bummed, 'cause i had a fun post in mind. but i lack the energy just now. so i bid you good night.

oh, and please do me a favor this winter and stay healthy -- as much as is possible, that is. there are so many nasty things going around. do stay well-nourished and well-rested.

{about the photos: would you believe this first shot was taken in the parking lot at work? the second one was on my way to work.}

makeover

well, as you might have noticed {since you're here and you're reading just below it}, i changed my blog banner again. most of the leaves outside are gone -- even the ones on the ground. so i thought i would change my banner photo to something a little less seasonal and a little more neutral.

so... goodbye to the "walking in my favorite skirt in my favorite season" shot, and hello to my sister's lovely window.


i think i took this shot when i was at her house last summer. {i have posted it before as a black and white photo.} but you can't really tell what season it is outside, so i thought it would work. i like the quiet, grey, almost melancholy mood to this shot. it goes well with november.

but it appeals to me even more because i am fascinated by photos of light through windows. there is a feeling they evoke that soothes me, and i want to be more intentional about taking shots like this whenever i see it. i want to get creative with it and stretch the limits of my typical picture-taking with this subject. there are so many kinds of windows and so many ways the light can come through them. so i want to start experimenting with it more.

and i plan to... that's why i am creating another "fascinated by..." button. i'm going to make this sort of a project for myself {i kind of need something like that}. and i'll post them here when i get some under my belt. speaking of my sidebar buttons, i made over my sidebar, too. i liked a lot of my old buttons, but i wanted to make everything look a little more uniform and give my blog some visual continuity. so i spent a good deal of time working on that last sunday. it was so much fun!

anywho {or as my friend heather likes to spell it, anyhoo}... how 'bout you? do you have a light- through- window photo that you love? leave me a link. i'd love to see it! i could use some inspiration!

november gratitude {part two}

the things i complain about.

like traffic, because it means i have a car.

like long lines at the grocery store, because it means i have enough money to buy groceries.

like the unusually high number of cloudy days we've had, because it makes the fall color look richer in photographs.

like having the slowest computer of all time, because it's teaching me patience.

like being too busy, because it means i have things to do.

all this to say, i'm not thankful that i complain. it's just silly and it's plain wrong. and i find myself doing it far too often these days. it's something i really want to work on. i was with a friend having coffee when a man was leaving the cafe and decided to stand in the doorway with the door wide open for some strange reason. {there was no one else around, so he was not holding it open for somone.} it was cold out, i had not had much sleep the night before, and that combination made for one cranky me and some mumbled words of dissatisfaction at his lack of consideration.

my friend called me out on my grumbling attitude, and i realized i am far too vocal when things bother me. but even worse, i let too many things bother me. i absolutely do not want to be that way. {that's the sign of a good friendship, by the way... when they can call you on something and you don't get offended.} it was a good wake-up call, and it came at a good time -- during this month of reflecting on what i have to grateful for.

that said, i feel like i'm coming down with something, but i think it's allergy related. everyone's been burning leaves the last few days, and whenever that starts, so do my overreacting sinuses. so i'm pretty sure it's just that, and not a real bug. i've got so much going on this month, and i'd really hate to get sick. but even if i do, you're gonna have to check in on me and make sure i'm not complaining about it. {wink}

i hope this tuesday finds you happy and healthy and grumble-free.

{photo caption: i took these two shots a few weeks ago at nature day 2009 -- an event started and run by the same friend who called me out on my murmuring ways. this is at one of the most beautiful nature preserves around.}