5 random things about me

1. I like the picture I've posted because it's about nothing. Sometimes the day to day of life feels like nothing, moving nowhere. Sitting at a red light, lost in thought...I noticed and liked the tone of the blue color on the overpass. There is no other reason for the image than that.


2. Growing up, I fought my brother for control over the remote every time "Sixteen Candles" came on. When he complained that I already knew the whole movie and it wasn't fair that we had to watch it again I would sit and quote every line throughout the film, just to push his buttons. I didn't like the movie that much, I just liked that he didn't.


3. I took a marine biology class at a community college just so I could go swim with dolphins. At the end of the semester we all went to Florida and swam with captive and wild dolphins two to three times a day, for a week. It was worth it. I cried on the last bus trip away from the wild dolphins. I never wanted to leave.


4. I lived in OH in 2nd and 3rd grade. Every day after school I ran to my room to play records on my orange record player. When I was sad I listened to Barry Manilow's, "Can't Smile Without You" and when I was happy it was Shaun Cassidy, randomly it was the "Free To Be You And Me" album. No matter what mood - all music was played at full blast and sung at the top of my lungs.


5. In my early 20's I sold cars and worked with a man nicknamed J.J. He told me that sometimes "women's lib stuff" irritated him. He'd actually had women he was holding the door open for tell him to stop because they could get it themselves. One day he told someone, "Ma'am, I am not holding the door because of who you are (a woman), I am holding it open because of who I am. It is good human decency to treat each other with respect and I will not let the door slam in any one's face". This story of his has never left me. On a daily basis, when I am making small decisions about how to interact with the people around me, especially the ones who could stand a little door slamming...I remember J.J. and make my choices based on who I want to be, not on who they are.

new direction

I've been feeling for a while now that I need a new direction for this blog. Any direction. Since it's beginning this has been a bit of an experimental space without any real focus. As I continue to explore photography as a hobby a desire is growing to incorporate it into my life on a more regular basis. I am particularly drawn towards documentary images...and fantasize about travelling the world, shooting in black and white and writing small blurbs to accompany each picture. A friends husband suggested I volunteer for a small newspaper to gain experience. All I know is, this hobby is starting to feel like a calling and I intend to follow the road it leads me down. Can't wait to see what's over the next hill.

I watched a movie this past weekend about Woodstock. It seems to have temporarily knocked me out of my black and white phase.

She got lost in the woods. I'll go fetch her soon and force her to write.

My first walk on 'rails to trails' this Spring. It was about a half hour before sunset. People were out walking with their kids, riding bikes...being pulled along by their dogs. The air was fresh and hazy in its quality. Not yet full with the fragrance of new blooms...it also hasn't completely shaken off the crispness of fallen pine needles and bare trees. Utter peace and restoration.