Roots clinging to the earth,
I dream of trees,
a sound source of solid strength
a quiet force gently coaxing its way inside, deep to the bone of life
which absorbs its power like a sponge.
I dream of trees
that sprout in spring
living on light and air,
leaving little gifts wrapped in leaves before dancing with death in fall.
My big dreams
are sprouting weeds
rising until
they can’t be contained.
My dreams are
red roses
climbing vines
expanding moss
forests and fields
as high and as wide as the sky;
But my lilies have been picked
thorn bushes ripped from the earth
my trees chopped down
my green grass trodden.
All that’s left is the sharp bite of the lawnmower striking out violently in fear of the dandelion.
Those who use to water my plants
now find
it more pleasurable
to watch them slowly die.
-NF
There's something about light--or the absence of light--peaking through trees that always catches my attention and attracts the lens of my camera. Glimpses of light and pockets of shadow all in one glance. The sense of being thoroughly hidden and yet seen at the same time. And all that's required for this beautiful scene is the strength and stillness of the tree as the sun dances around it.
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There is something about poetry that speaks directly to the soul, and makes one feel as though he or she is breathing the words in and out as a life source instead of just reading them. Poetry provides emotion a voice, making it concrete and more powerful. As someone trying to capture the essence of moments and emotions in photos, it is no surprise that poetry stands out to me as one of the most authentic and powerful forms of writing. Along with taking photos, I’ve been just a little stuck on poetry lately. I love it. I’m inspired by it. I’m moved by it. One of the best feelings is establishing the connection between feelings and words, and poetry allows one room to explore that. Usually, I’m an observer. I explore new writings, decide upon new favorites, read a variety of things; however, I now have a desire to not just discover the beautiful things that other people do. I now long to become one of those few who rip apart their souls and expose themselves out in the open for all the world to see. Now as a disclaimer, I haven’t had much practice. I can’t say I use perfect meter or a consistent rhyme scheme. I get stuck, and words don’t always just tumble out. With that being said, I’ve made it my mission to just write. I’ve forced myself to just feel, without worrying about the quality or structure. Sometimes words come, and sometimes they don't. Small, uneven pieces broken and glued back together, devoid There hasn't been much going on this summer with the whole Covid-19 thing, and since Mimi and Pap had to cancel their vacation plans, these girls decided to take full advantage.
This girl keeps us on our toes! Jo entered toddlerhood in full force and constantly blows us away. By 15 months, she was saying more than thirty words and singing songs. She's been running since she learned to walk. The happiest, friendliest baby with the most fiery spirit. It is hard to believe she is already a year and a half.
Reality is almost incomprehensible. Months without work, without loved ones. In the craziness that is the world today, we didn't want to risk celebrating Easter as we typically do. Instead, we social distanced in our backyard with both of our families. The girls definitely missed hugging their grandparents, but they constantly blow my away with their adaptability. We still got dressed up...but things looked a little different.
Wow! It has been a while. One of my last blog posts was a birth announcement, and I think that in and of itself is an explanation for my silence. Since then, Ryan and I have been blessed with two beautiful baby girls: Eleanor (Lenni) in April '17 and Josephine (Josie) in December '18. We have been BUSY! And when deciding how to start this blog back up, I thought there was no better way to do that than to share some Valentine's Day pictures of these two crazy girls.
There was very little prep for these and very little editing done afterwards, but I thought they were cute nonetheless! This year, I managed the impossible: I was able to talk my parents, siblings, and husband into getting a family photo. As all of the men hate pictures and the women never stick to a plan, this is an almost unmanageable task. However, not only did we set aside time for one photo session...but TWO! And in the process, I learned a very important lesson: I am much more particular and unsatisfied when it comes to taking my own pictures than taking others...oops.
Picmonkey was not giving me the results I wanted anymore. My images were saving blurry and the effects seemed too obvious and less smooth. After much anxiety trying to figure out Photoshop Elements, Lightroom, and Photoshop, I finally decided that the original Photoshop fit my needs best--despite being super complicated. I am still watching many tutorials, and I haven't mastered it; however, I've learned enough to be able to complete simple edits. What I love about Photoshop: the clarity of the image, the ability to work on specific areas of the photo, the seemingly endless possibilities. What I hate about Photoshop: the complexity. Sometimes the amount of time it takes to learn and edit doesn't seem worth the end result. After the heat we suffered through this summer, I was more than ready for the cool, crisp breeze of fall. Late October is my favorite. The humidity and heat have officially left for good, but more than that, the trees are in full blown transformation mode. I love the look of the oranges, reds, browns, yellows, and greens blended together.
On this cool Sunday, I captured some fun around my parent's house. The puppies, the trees, and my sister got some photo action. Simple days like these are the best! |
Behind the LensMy goal is to develop as an artist and find beauty in the everyday world around me; to be inspired, and maybe inspire some along the way. Archives
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