56/365
8:19pm
Not trying to go all academic here, but translated literally, photography means light writing. What a difference between yesterday's tulip shot in natural light and tonight's shot in artificial. Have a preference? I think the artificial is too yellow.
55/365
5:09pm
I received a cascading bouquet this afternoon. Tulips in February are a hopeful sign that Spring will eventually grace us with her presence. Of course, the same can be said for Christmas displays in September signaling the impending doom of Old Man Winter, but today is a Glass-Half-Full day and I'm determined to believe we will break out of our ice castle soon.
Thank you, my dear friend, Megan.
54/365
6:58pm
I realize the actual clock says 7:58 and my time stamp here is an hour earlier. Yeah, that's because, uh, um, well, I never set the clock back during the annual return to Central Standard Time. It's not like we've been running an hour late since November. And at this point, it'll just be the first clock in the house that is properly set on March 8.
Just for the fun of it, I kept the shutter open for a full two seconds. In post-production, I switched it to b&w because I wanted the second hand to stand out a bit more. Then, I added a film grain effect as a shout out to the old school analog clock.
49/365
12:06pm
And they didn't even get their shave. What a rip-off.
7 6 6 -6B 6 R -7 567 R
44/365
4:41pm
I should really make these more often. They're crazy easy to pull together, and I get all sorts undeserving accolades for days on end. For the last nine years I've made the best, if I say so myself, Valentine sugar cookies: perfectly thin, crisp cookie with a smooth, butterylicious frosting. It was the first thing I ever mailed to Memphis, and I guess I made it a tradition over the years--I suppose a bit for sentimental reasons. I'll make Saint Patrick Day sugar cookies instead because even the Tin Man would find it difficult to resist eating this heart.
42/365
6:09pm
You can only laugh. I especially like the Dracula chocolate-blood dripping from the corners of his mouth. The drool, tears, and snot smearing his face and shirt help convey his ironic message.
Of course, that irony would likely be lost on Oscar the Grouch, Pigpen....and certainly Alanis Morissette.
41/365
10:38am
It was a balmy, albeit windy as all get out, 55 degrees today. The snow alps in parking lots were reduced to charcoal molecules, crazy college students were spotted in flip flops, and the ice fisherman were walking on water. Oh yes, some spots were enough to make a considerable splash. Of water. On ice. No, thank you.
39/365
10:16am
It's tirelessly cliche' to say how times have changed once you have kids. But I can't help it. We used to get together about once a year in Galena with friends. We feasted regardless of the clock, cemented ourselves to the premises, played cards until the wee hours and enjoyed certain beverages for the majority of the stay. And we always had a fabulous, memorable time.
Well, we may have had three squares and a handful of fairly healthy snacks. We may have had three outdoor adventures, all involving the properties of melting snow and bare earth. We may have had only two (incredibly delicious) martinis. We may have all been asleep by eleven. But there's something to be said for the clattering play of three active boys and the collective parenting among friends. It's not what it used to be, but no way would we change it.
Until the guys head out for a poker party this summer.
38/365
8:36am
I believe the majority of the toys in this room are circa 1976-1978. Any of these ring a bell: Fisher Price Lift N Load, the cash register, the houseboat, wooden Sesame Street blocks, Fisher Price Circus Train? It's a treasure trove of good times! The boys love John's old toys as much as anything they have from their own modern playroom, and we have a moment of nostalgia ourselves playing with things that graced our own toy boxes back in the day. It even ignites questions about things we never questioned then: Who was Roosevelt Franklin? What exactly was Gonzo the Great? Did a balloon really cost a nickel in 1977? Google saves the day.
37/365
1:59pm
Behold! The first Canon EOS Rebel! Oh, how I loved this camera. My parents had it delivered to our house Christmas Eve 1991 (well before one click shopping) and even upgraded the lens to a Sigma 28-135mm....Best.Christmas.Gift.Ever. I had no idea what I was doing. I took rolls and rolls of film, mostly of my parents, brother, and dog. I once attempted a really horrible still life on the basement shelf with a matted, grimy teddy bear, some musty European history books, a filmy, free-with-flower-purchase vase, all with a glaring workspace flood light casting harsh, offending shadows. I managed to make that scene worse than had I just left those poor, defenseless objects alone. Can't win 'em all.
I stumbled across my nearly obsolete 35mm gem a couple months ago. I asked the guys at the camera store what I could expect on a trade-in: the first Canon EOS Rebel! Come on! With a Sigma lens! After a polite head shake and sympathetic eyebrow raise, they suggested I donate it to a high school photography class. Not wanting to believe it, I looked at a couple online recycling companies who give you cash for your camera. Best offer: $3.50 for the camera, $10 for the lens. Sigh. I'll soon be contacting West High School.
Maybe Jack will be inspired in the meantime.
36/365
10:15am
As I glanced a month ahead in early January, I mistakenly mumbled aloud that Jack had a dentist appointment. He began preparing (read: stressing) for this day at that moment. It's not about the tools, the sounds, nor the sensation. Nope. It's about the light. Too bright. Way too bright. His hygienist, Sarah, must have made a note about this particular anxiety because there were two pairs of sunglasses waiting for him. I could feel his blood pressure go down when he slipped into the chair, though eyes remained firmly sealed.
Sarah was warm and affable, and within a couple moments Jack was having a detailed conversation about Transformers and owls and superheros and planets and birthdays and cherry toothpaste and Mr. Thirsty (the spit sucker in his left hand). Well, it seemed all that was previously worth worrying about was no longer applicable.
Until the day he meets Mr. Drill.
