tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-85068581560870409072024-03-05T23:32:58.547-06:00it's just how i see thingsphotographs of my surroundings,
thoughts from my lil ol' headgeorgia b.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15482885077943093475noreply@blogger.comBlogger939125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8506858156087040907.post-43500495928354262732013-12-17T09:59:00.001-06:002013-12-17T18:41:16.680-06:00when words continue to fail me<div style="text-align: justify;">
after a very long while away from photography and blogging, this will be my final post on <i>it's just how i see things</i>. i'm not done "speaking in photographs" or sharing my thoughts on a blog. i've just decided to migrate to a new space for this new season of life as i know it.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
irony would have it that my last post here—on what was started as my photography blog—will not have my photography at all... but rather the images captured by one of my dearest friends. and this is why...</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
words fail me when i attempt to explain why i've been gone since last april... off the grid in this strange world we label social media. so for now, i'll simply use <a href="http://www.stacey-montgomery.com/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #bf9000;">her</span></b></a> words, along with the treasured photos she took to tell a story i, myself, cannot yet start telling.<br />
<br />
when i <i>am</i> finally ready to start telling it in my own words, i'll be doing so in <a href="http://justhowiseethings.wordpress.com/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #bf9000;">a new space</span></b></a>.<br />
<br />
until then, this is why i've been gone...</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: x-small;">• • • • •</span></b></div>
<h3>
<b>sharing her story </b></h3>
{originally posted <a href="http://www.stacey-montgomery.com/2013/09/19/sharing-her-story/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #bf9000;">on stacey's blog</span></b></a> on september 19, 2013}<br />
<br />
<img alt="" class="pp-insert-all size-full aligncenter ov-done" data-lazyload-src="http://www.stacey-montgomery.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/9-13-13-Georgia-068.jpg" src="http://www.stacey-montgomery.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/9-13-13-Georgia-068.jpg" height="532" style="-webkit-user-select: none; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border: 0px solid rgb(255, 255, 255); display: block !important; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px !important; margin-right: 0px !important; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="800" />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I am by no means a writer, and I’ve been having trouble coming up with the “right” words for this post. So I’m just going to start typing. Please bear with me…<br />
<br />
I met Georgia online about 4 years ago. I’ll always remember the wordy comment she left on one of my blog posts and immediately feeling like I connected with her. At the time she was newly pregnant with her first baby, one that her and her husband had waited a very long time for. She was getting older and had pretty much accepted the fact that she may never have children and then Isaac came along. A beautiful baby boy. I was blessed to meet with her and Isaac twice the past few years while in Chicago. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Then this past spring Georgia emailed me with exciting news. She was pregnant again. She was thrilled. Because of her age and difficulty having Isaac, she was surprised and delighted and I, of-course, was so happy for her. Georgia is an an amazing mama. I was praising God that He was giving her the second child that she so desired. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
And this is where it all gets hard. Really hard. I don’t know how else to put it. Where things go wrong and where an ultrasound shows that Georgia’s baby has a severe birth defect and where an amniocentesis confirms that her baby girl has Trisomy 18. As a labor and delivery nurse I know what Trisomy 18 means. I knew when I cried with Georgia on the phone what it meant for her baby girl. I won’t go into all of the details, but at some point during her pregnancy or shortly after birth, Georgia will lose her baby girl. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
And this is where I freeze. Where I don’t know what to write because the tears just keep flowing. Where I ache for my friend and long to rescue her from the daily grief she is going through. She is carrying this baby as long as God allows. She is constantly feeling her baby move inside her, knowing that this is her chance to hold her. She is hurting, really hurting, yet she has this amazing trust and peace in God that blows me away. Sure, she has gone through the grief cycle multiple times and will continue to do so. But it all circles back to the fact that she knows He cares for her and this baby. Lord bless them. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I met her for coffee last week while I was in Chicago. We sat and cried together, we prayed together. And we talked about how God sometimes decides to deliver us through something rather than deliver us from it. I can’t explain why. And that’s really worthless. But I know I love a God that is loving. I know that He restores. I know that He holds us and has purpose for us. I know He places people in our path at certain points in our life to help us through stuff. (And <a href="http://jenhatmaker.com/blog/2013/09/17/why-does-god-allow-pain-and-suffering" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #bf9000;">this post</span></b></a> couldn’t have come at a better time. It’s a good one to read if you are suffering or know someone that is.) Georgia has a faith that is strong, but she and her family need our prayers right now. It’s hard, so very hard. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
She asked me if I could take some photos of her while in Chicago. She has chosen to embrace this pregnancy, even in the midst of the pain. She gave me permission to share her story and these photos because she told me that if there was another woman in her situation she thought it might be an encouragement to her. Lord use it. And now my keyboard is all wet and I just can’t type anymore….</div>
<br />
<img alt="" class="pp-insert-all size-full aligncenter ov-done" data-lazyload-src="http://www.stacey-montgomery.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/9-13-13-Georgia-017.jpg" src="http://www.stacey-montgomery.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/9-13-13-Georgia-017.jpg" height="532" style="-webkit-user-select: none; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border: 0px solid rgb(255, 255, 255); display: block !important; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px !important; margin-right: 0px !important; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="800" />
<br />
<img alt="" class="pp-insert-all size-full aligncenter ov-done" src="http://www.stacey-montgomery.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/untitled-shoot-001-7.jpg" height="262" style="-webkit-user-select: none; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border: 0px solid rgb(255, 255, 255); display: block !important; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px !important; margin-right: 0px !important; margin-top: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="800" /><br />
<img alt="" class="pp-insert-all size-full aligncenter ov-done" data-lazyload-src="http://www.stacey-montgomery.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/9-13-13-Georgia-007.jpg" src="http://www.stacey-montgomery.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/9-13-13-Georgia-007.jpg" height="532" style="-webkit-user-select: none; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border: 0px solid rgb(255, 255, 255); display: block !important; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px !important; margin-right: 0px !important; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="800" /><br />
<img alt="" class="pp-insert-all size-full aligncenter ov-done" data-lazyload-src="http://www.stacey-montgomery.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/9-13-13-Georgia-073.jpg" src="http://www.stacey-montgomery.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/9-13-13-Georgia-073.jpg" height="532" style="-webkit-user-select: none; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border: 0px solid rgb(255, 255, 255); display: block !important; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px !important; margin-right: 0px !important; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="800" /><br />
<img alt="" class="pp-insert-all size-full aligncenter ov-done" data-lazyload-src="http://www.stacey-montgomery.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/untitled-shoot-003-5.jpg" src="http://www.stacey-montgomery.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/untitled-shoot-003-5.jpg" height="596" style="-webkit-user-select: none; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border: 0px solid rgb(255, 255, 255); display: block !important; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px !important; margin-right: 0px !important; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="800" /><br />
<img alt="" class="pp-insert-all size-full aligncenter ov-done" data-lazyload-src="http://www.stacey-montgomery.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/untitled-shoot-004-4.jpg" src="http://www.stacey-montgomery.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/untitled-shoot-004-4.jpg" height="262" style="-webkit-user-select: none; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border: 0px solid rgb(255, 255, 255); display: block !important; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px !important; margin-right: 0px !important; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="800" /><br />
<img alt="" class="pp-insert-all size-full aligncenter ov-done" data-lazyload-src="http://www.stacey-montgomery.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/9-13-13-Georgia-049.jpg" src="http://www.stacey-montgomery.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/9-13-13-Georgia-049.jpg" height="532" style="-webkit-user-select: none; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border: 0px solid rgb(255, 255, 255); display: block !important; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px !important; margin-right: 0px !important; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="800" /><br />
<img alt="" class="pp-insert-all size-full aligncenter ov-done" data-lazyload-src="http://www.stacey-montgomery.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/untitled-shoot-005-3.jpg" src="http://www.stacey-montgomery.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/untitled-shoot-005-3.jpg" height="596" style="-webkit-user-select: none; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border: 0px solid rgb(255, 255, 255); display: block !important; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px !important; margin-right: 0px !important; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="800" /><br />
<img alt="" class="ov-done" data-lazyload-src="http://www.stacey-montgomery.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/untitled-shoot-002-5.jpg" src="http://www.stacey-montgomery.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/untitled-shoot-002-5.jpg" height="596" style="-webkit-user-select: none; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border: 0px solid rgb(255, 255, 255); font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; opacity: 1; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="800" /><br />
<img alt="" class="pp-insert-all size-full aligncenter ov-done" data-lazyload-src="http://www.stacey-montgomery.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/9-13-13-Georgia-039.jpg" src="http://www.stacey-montgomery.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/9-13-13-Georgia-039.jpg" height="532" style="-webkit-user-select: none; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border: 0px solid rgb(255, 255, 255); display: block !important; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px !important; margin-right: 0px !important; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="800" /><br />
<img alt="" class="pp-insert-all size-full aligncenter ov-done" data-lazyload-src="http://www.stacey-montgomery.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/untitled-shoot-007-3.jpg" src="http://www.stacey-montgomery.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/untitled-shoot-007-3.jpg" height="596" style="-webkit-user-select: none; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border: 0px solid rgb(255, 255, 255); display: block !important; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px !important; margin-right: 0px !important; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="800" /><br />
<img alt="" class="pp-insert-all size-full aligncenter ov-done" data-lazyload-src="http://www.stacey-montgomery.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/9-13-13-Georgia-105.jpg" src="http://www.stacey-montgomery.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/9-13-13-Georgia-105.jpg" height="532" style="-webkit-user-select: none; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border: 0px solid rgb(255, 255, 255); display: block !important; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px !important; margin-right: 0px !important; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="800" /><br />
<img alt="" class="pp-insert-all size-full aligncenter ov-done" data-lazyload-src="http://www.stacey-montgomery.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/untitled-shoot-006-3.jpg" src="http://www.stacey-montgomery.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/untitled-shoot-006-3.jpg" height="262" style="-webkit-user-select: none; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border: 0px solid rgb(255, 255, 255); display: block !important; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px !important; margin-right: 0px !important; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="800" /><br />
<img alt="" class="pp-insert-all size-full aligncenter ov-done" data-lazyload-src="http://www.stacey-montgomery.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/9-13-13-Georgia-088.jpg" src="http://www.stacey-montgomery.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/9-13-13-Georgia-088.jpg" height="532" style="-webkit-user-select: none; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border: 0px solid rgb(255, 255, 255); display: block !important; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px !important; margin-right: 0px !important; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="800" /><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
{all photos taken and copyrighted by <a href="http://www.stacey-montgomery.com/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #bf9000;">stacey montgomery photography</span></b></a>.}</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: x-small;">• • • • •</span></b></div>
<div>
<b><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
before i go, i'll say this. it was hard to imagine back in september when these photos were taken {or in july when we received the diagnosis} that this day would come. it seemed like a far-off dream or a day that would come for someone else... not me. but here we are. in three days, i will be induced, and no matter the outcome, i will meet this little girl God has entrusted to me.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
so i found this as good a time as any to come back to this space and bid farewell to it before i start anew somewhere else.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
i really have no idea who has been following my photography and words here, or how many. but whether you are one who <i>has</i> followed or one who just stumbled here today, i would be honored if you came along to my new home and stayed for a while, too.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
there, you can find what's happening with me, mr. b., isaac and anysia {the newest addition to our family} and all the ways in which the world around us is touching our lives {or the ways our lives are touching the world around us}. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
it's under a new-but-similar name. <a href="http://justhowiseethings.wordpress.com/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #bf9000;">see things</span></b></a>. and i hope we will.</div>
georgia b.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15482885077943093475noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8506858156087040907.post-65954102366966059482013-04-21T23:45:00.001-05:002013-04-22T09:30:03.054-05:00time travel<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8669591815/" title="DSC_1031 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_1031" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8120/8669591815_9059ce4ba8_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8670686624/" title="DSC_1087 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_1087" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8395/8670686624_5455538e38_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8670702094/" title="DSC_0897 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0897" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8112/8670702094_e6b4e05387_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
everything in our lives seems to be in limbo right now. and if not in limbo, then dissolved. if not either of those, then uncertain. it's not a great place to be. but it's not the worst, either.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
still camera-less, i find myself frustrated that i cannot just grab my camera at any time and get pictures of isaac. or of mr. b helping me paint the giant wall of paneling in the living room. or of the emerging buds on the trees just outside our living room window.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
so instead, i dig around in archived folders for gems that i'd forgotten about. photos i honestly didn't even realize i had.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
i don't spend much time on the computer these days. funny how that camera was the link between me and my computer. without it, i have less reason to get on here. maybe that's not quite true. maybe it's just less incentive. like i said a few posts back, i speak in pictures... and listen too. getting on the computer is just a painful reminder that i don't have use of my camera, so i've stayed away from it.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
this is a blessing when i look at it the right way. i've accomplished things around the house that i had been putting off pre-death-of-a-camera.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
oh, that camera... that little hunk of plastic that has me wrapped around it's little shutter. i found out it could cost up to $300 or more to fix my camera. {and also found out it is, in fact, the body, and not the lens.} the shutter actuations count just over 84,000. not really a big surprise, knowing how many photos i take... just of isaac alone. the camera shop i spoke with said nikon estimates an average of 50,000 actuations for the d40 before it goes bad, so i guess i got lucky to get as far as i did.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
i just can't find the sense in pouring money into a camera that has reached its life expectancy only to have it break down again, you know? but also can't see buying another entry-level dslr like the one i have, as i planned to eventually upgrade from the current camera i have to something better in hopes of getting more serious about my photography business.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
and that brings me to my feeling stuck conundrum. i don't have the money to upgrade. well, don't really even have the money to repair... we would likely have to charge it. but for an upgrade? yikes. we really don't want to be incurring debt when we have recently worked so hard to pay it off. and even if i find a good deal on one, it wouldn't feel like a good deal by the time we were done paying interest on the camera because it was purchased on a card.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
sigh. what to do.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
meanwhile, i sit here in frustation, longing to pick up my camera to snap something i see {which is often with this little character we live with}.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
to mask my frustration, i pretend that my camera still works, but i set it down intentionally out of discipline to work on things that have been shoved aside for so long.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
one of those shoved-off-the-to-do-list items i am currently working on?... FINALLY going through my 2009 florida photos to make an album. yes... you heard me right... 2009. it seems silly 'cause we have taken a trips to florida since then {in 2010 and 2012} on which i took better pics with a better camera... so why should i bother with such an old set?</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
well, it sort of bothered me that i never got around to sorting and processing them all. actually, i had processed several shortly after we got home from the trip for the first of what was to be many posts in a <a href="http://itsjusthowiseethings.blogspot.com/search/label/florida%20series" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #bf9000;">series</span></b></a>. but i didn't finish. we went to florida again the following year. i got pregnant just months later. had a baby. went to florida again. lost interest in silly 2009 photos. yada yada yada. {oh, and lest any of you reading think "well, how can you reconcile mentioning financial struggles while writing about vacationing to florida in the same post?"... these are trips to florida courtesy of my generous parents-in-law who graciously open their small condo to us.}</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
anyway, lately i've been spending a bit of time in the folders... and so glad i am. i have found some images in there that i like quite a bit! knowing i took them with an old {non-dslr} point-n-shoot canon sort of restored my faith in myself as a photographer. they aren't fancy photos. but there are some good ones in there, which reminded me that it's not nice cameras that makes a photographer good. it's the photographer. and the eye the photographer has. my husband and i were talking about this a bit the other day. i've been told i have an eye when people come to know my photography. and i feel like i do, too {or hope so, anyway}. i just need to become trained in some skills and knowing my camera the best i can so as to meet that eye... and hopefully then i'll be creating exactly what i'd be beyond happy to create.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
gosh... did not intend to ramble today. just getting somethings off my chest, i guess. anyway, i'm looking forward to creating some posts {or albums} of my 2009 florida photos. though we traveled there again the next year and three years later {which is the trip the above photos are from}, it was not the same dynamic... not even the same people. i'm traveling back in time to fill up this almost void-of-time stretch of not having a camera i'm going through now... <i>laid back florida</i> style. will be posting some other things from the archives, too.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
but i'm not sure it'll be too soon. other things have risen... namely, us three are hangin' out enjoying one of the few things we feel is constant, consistent and certain right now... each other.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
we're dancing in a circle of three in the middle of our kitchen to the bee jees' hit, <i>stayin' alive</i>, while we wait for dinner to finish. and making trips to the library to find brand new adventures in books we've never even heard of. and painting rooms while we play with our cars and watch every dvd about trains we can get our hands on. okay... those last two are isaac, and that first... well, that's just mr. b and me. although, we do give isaac a "fake" paint brush to help us with from time to time. but the point is, we're all together. inseparable. i love that word.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
since we are all enjoying each other so much these days {maybe because i'm a little more present without a camera??... no comments from the peanut gallery, mr. b!}, i thought i'd use these photos of us for my post. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
for that, and for the fact that we are all three dreaming of getting down to the sunshine state together at some point!! hopefully soon!</div>
georgia b.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15482885077943093475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8506858156087040907.post-27773230091489348602013-04-16T00:31:00.001-05:002013-04-18T10:41:17.367-05:00lead me to the rock that is higher than i<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8653344475/" title="IMG_2799_2800 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_2799_2800" height="538" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8266/8653344475_1cfc585313_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8653346901/" title="IMG_2770 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_2770" height="1066" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8125/8653346901_16f28dc83e_o.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8654440324/" title="IMG_2808 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_2808" height="600" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8099/8654440324_97aed49d07_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
i just can't find words on days like today. i'm saddened to have turned on the news, once again, to find yet another of these gut-wrenching, horrible things taking place.<br />
<br />
i saw this verse from the psalms, and while it gave me comfort in one way, it made me feel worse in another. because i don't even come close to knowing what it means to be overwhelmed... not compared to those who were in boston today and witnessed or survived what occurred there. surely, <i>they</i> are the overwhelmed ones. so while a verse like this comforts me, it makes my heart more sad for them. i was honestly, almost numb to what was being shown... until one station aired footage that included the audio with the visual. the blast. the silence. another blast. then screams. that is when numbness turned to something else that i can't even describe. i am bewildered. i hope in God. still, i am bewildered.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
but it's more than this day. i'm sad that people die every day, everywhere. and often it's senseless. it doesn't even have to be at the hand of another for it to be senseless. to be honest, i'm sometimes more overwhelmed with media than i am with the actual events. media seems to sensationalize these pocket incidents, yet ignore the ongoing senseless deaths that happen regularly elsewhere.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
some days, i can't watch the news. it's good to know what's going on. i realize that. but i'm trying to become less of a person that's glued to the television on a day like this, and more of one that is digging into my bible for truth. sheltered under the wing of the Almighty.<br />
<br />
media might give us the facts. but it's in the bible where we'll find truth. not in ourselves. in the bible.<br />
<br /></div>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8653341587/" title="IMG_2807 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_2807" height="1066" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8249/8653341587_9abae85b45_o.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
<br />
i looked through my photo archive folders to find something quiet. these were what i found fitting.georgia b.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15482885077943093475noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8506858156087040907.post-69549613848803925282013-04-14T20:33:00.000-05:002013-04-15T01:26:06.869-05:00cheek water<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8649980338/" title="DSC_0026 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0026" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8525/8649980338_2b818049c3_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8648875213/" title="DSC_0027 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0027" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8110/8648875213_a66f34496c_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8649976722/" title="DSC_0030 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0030" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8099/8649976722_09d28966d2_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8649974376/" title="DSC_0031 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0031" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8121/8649974376_494e85ce57_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8648869293/" title="DSC_0034 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0034" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8381/8648869293_c8afa9a243_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8648867069/" title="DSC_0082 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0082" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8388/8648867069_31173579b4_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8649956024/" title="DSC_0089 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0089" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8380/8649956024_9319875ae0_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
these are some old photos... i think about a year old. one of the benefits of having a non-working camera is that, instead of spending time taking and editing <i>new</i> photos, you can use that time to go back into ancient folders that were long forgotten and look for old gems to post. better late than never.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
i barely edited these shots... because, honestly, i didn't really want to change the mood. i thought they were perfect, just as they are. i mean, i realize they aren't perfect... not like the perfection that some photographers put out there because they wouldn't dare share their imperfect work. first of all, if i'm gonna be real, i have to admit i'm sort of tired of "perfect" photography {if that's something that actually exists}. but secondly, i enjoy looking at in-the-moment photos much more than i do the perfectly staged ones. i guess created moments in staged photos have their place. but i just get bored with looking at them after a while. not only that, but i think trying to create them is exhausting, as well. so my personal goal as a photographer {when i have working equipment again} is to never slip into a trap of feeling like i have to create a moment. i only want to <i>find</i> moments... and then, click away.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
the moment captured above was one of my favorites. isaac had just learned how to climb onto our very tall bed. he loved {and was fascinated by} cell phones at the time. i had been in the bedroom taking pictures of the recent makeover i gave it {in our old house}. mr. b was chillin' on the bed, enjoying a rare moment of uncharacteristic neatness in that room... one in which the bed was actually made for a change.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
when i saw how much fun they were having, i had to turn my attention toward them. makeover photos could wait. i've seen a lot of dads who are such good buds with their kids... especially with sons. but i don't know if i've ever seen a father-and-son buddy-ship quite like the one my husband and son have. likely, this is only because i'm close enough to them to see their relationship on a level that i wouldn't be able to closely witness in other families. so i'm fairly certain that there are many similar bonds elsewhere. but i still like to think that they are among the closest of father-son duos i've ever known.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
last night, isaac and i had to say goodbye to the mister, as we drove him to the train station where he would board a chicago-bound train to meet his brother so they could leave on an early flight this morning. their mom is at home in florida, recovering from open-heart surgery, so they both took a couple days off and hopped a plane to see her.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
we sat at the kitchen table over dinner last night, and the downer mood that had been building up in me all day {at the thought of his looming departure} finally morphed into tears that first welled up in my eyes and eventually leaked out down my face. what got me was when isaac went to sit in his dad's lap after he finished eating. i was glad he did so, because that's something he rarely does while we're still all at the table. being that we had to leave for the station right from dinner, it gladdened me to see them spend some quality time together before mr. b had to leave.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
it made me happy <i>and</i> sad, all at the same time. as we sat there enjoying our last few minutes at home together, i caught isaac's attention when he noticed the tears trickling down my face.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
he quizically looked at me for a bit and then finally spoke with a soft voice, describing {in the only way he knew how} what he saw.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
"cheek...water," he said as he pointed at my tears.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i>oh, how precious. sweet that he noticed. sweet that he said it that way. sweet that it made me smile.</i></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
i'll never call tears <i>tears</i> again. from here on out, they've been dubbed <i>cheek water</i>. {isaac coined it. i dubbed it.} it's adorable. how could i go back to plain old <i>tears </i>ever again? <i>cheek water</i> sounds like the name of the chief's daughter in some native american tribe, doesn't it?</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
though it was not his intention, it brought the biggest smile to my face, and i soon forgot how much i was going to miss mr. b or how much i knew our little man was going to miss him, too.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
i've been quite weepy lately. lots of things going on... lots of disappointments and such, as well as other contributing factors. the weepiness is sort of uncharacteristic of my lately-usual self. {i used to be quite a crier back before i had isaac. but since he's been in my life, i cry so much less... perhaps because isaac is depleting the cheek-water vat for us all, and there's not much left to go around?? but there seems to be plenty for me lately.}</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
anyway, i was having a tough time with mr. b leaving... more than i thought i would. the small amount of difficulty i had with it gave me a glimpse into what it's like for military wives who are separated from their husbands for such long periods of time. gosh, i feel for them. if a mere three days could have that much of an effect on me, i can't imagine how they get through those months on end of having their spouses gone. i'm guessing that does not make me good military wife material. i'd be a mess!</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
well... all that to say, at the end of the day, i'm very glad my husband went to see his mom. we wish <i>we</i> could have joined them, too. but at least <i>he</i> was able to go... thanks to his generous brother who bought his plane ticket. when his brother approached him with the offer, i strongly encouraged him to go, even though i know how torn he was. he really wants to be near his mom at this time, but i could see it was kind of getting to him to have to leave us, too. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
after we dropped him off at the train, isaac cried out for a good while and said through his <strike>tears</strike> cheek water, "dada, come back." {it broke my heart.} but almost immediately after that, he said, "choo-choo train, come back." that was when i knew he was gonna be okay. and then we were off to treat ourselves to frozen yogurt, because we both deserved it. at least that's what <i>we</i> told each other, and we're stickin' to it!</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
the good news is, in just a day and a half, mr. b will be back, and we'll hardly remember he was ever gone.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
some other never-before-seen photos i unearthed these past couple days are these next few... taken during a summer visit from mr. b's parents last year. since we're missing them so much and are sending wishes of a speedy recovery my mother-in-law's way, i thought i'd include them today. i don't think it's difficult to see just how much isaac loves his grandma, nor how much she loves him right back.</div>
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8649963906/" title="DSC_0597 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0597" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8101/8649963906_e2acfbf2c8_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8649966096/" title="DSC_0575 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0575" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8392/8649966096_38fd429f5c_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8649967854/" title="DSC_0555 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0555" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8122/8649967854_a6b5306067_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8649958852/" title="DSC_0771 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0771" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8393/8649958852_5c150efbac_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8649961498/" title="DSC_0767 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0767" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8240/8649961498_d61044a62b_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
<i>get well</i> from us all, sweet "abby"... whether we're here or there to say so.<br />
<br />
love,<br />
isaac, mr. b and megeorgia b.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15482885077943093475noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8506858156087040907.post-31357013314070287752013-04-12T18:00:00.000-05:002013-04-12T18:00:04.405-05:00no video embedded for subscription readers...<div style="text-align: justify;">
okay, so apparently, blogger subscription e-mails don't keep {or carry over} any embedded videos that have been embedded in published blog posts. so if you got my most recent post via subscription and are wondering what in the world i was rambling on about, here is <a href="http://www.facebook.com/l/mAQEnC1S1AQGcG3-mMPC52o_KAdOkiNGYauwSgDZK738aMw/www.youtube.com/watch?v=BI23U7U2aUY" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #bf9000;">the link</span></b></a> to the video on u-tube.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
gosh... wish i had known that before the subscription post was delivered. then i would have simply included the link in the original post.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
of course, you can always click over to the post on my blog, too... if that ever happens. it appears as i embedded correctly there.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
anyway, sorry 'bout that!!</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
again...</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="http://www.facebook.com/l/mAQEnC1S1AQGcG3-mMPC52o_KAdOkiNGYauwSgDZK738aMw/www.youtube.com/watch?v=BI23U7U2aUY" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #bf9000;">the link</span></b></a></div>
georgia b.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15482885077943093475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8506858156087040907.post-41102121391206485732013-04-12T02:44:00.003-05:002015-09-16T06:00:32.029-05:00YAY! {it's not what you think}. it's good news in a must-see video for creatives like me. {seriously... you should watch it. it's only about five minutes, and so worth the time.}<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8642515282/" title="DSC_0206 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0206" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8388/8642515282_f265151990_c.jpg" height="532" width="800" /></a>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
oh, WOW! what a relief! and, no... if you were thinking i was going to say my camera is fixed and everything is okay, i wasn't. 'cause it isn't. i'm relieved about something else, however.<br />
<br />
<div justify="">
so, if you read my last post and didn’t just skim it, but actually read all 9,000+ words, you’ll know that it wasn’t simply a post to vent about my camera breaking. it was, in fact, about much, much more.<br />
<br />
it had to do with something underlying... much deeper down than just frustration over losing the use of my camera. it was about me feeling like i’m not doing well at what i set out to do and feeling like i'm not yet a respected or bonafide photographer in my eyes or the eyes of others because of it, all of which broke open and spilled out when my lens inevitably quit rather out of my control.</div>
<div justify="">
<br /></div>
<div justify="">
the fact that there was something much deeper going on was something i knew as i was writing it. and i knew it each time i subsequently re-read it to search for typos/errors. and i know it still.</div>
<div justify="">
<br /></div>
<div justify="">
but what i didn’t know when i wrote it {and never knew before today} was that there are others out there who feel exactly the way i do. actually, scratch that. i already knew others feel the way i do. <i>better</i> said, there are others out there who are experiencing exactly what i am.</div>
<div justify="">
<br /></div>
<div justify="">
let me explain.</div>
<div justify="">
<br /></div>
<div justify="">
one of my sweet photography blog friends {<a href="http://hikooky.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #bf9000;">jen</span></b></a>}, who i met through this here blog, read my last post and immediately knew exactly what was going on deep down at the core level of me... inwardly... not just what was showing at first glance. she knew exactly what my struggle is, as she was able to see past the sniveling complaints i expressed on the surface and speak to the real issue beneath. so she wrote me a private message on facebook, addressing those things that are deeper down than even <i>i</i> realized... things i didn't see, because i was/am too close to the situation and unable to look at it in a not-emotionally-charged, objective way.<br />
<br />
jen is also someone i respect very much as a writer and thinker... and mom... which is why i felt readily open to what she had to say.</div>
<div justify="">
<br /></div>
<div justify="">
so my post today is about her message to me, which i'll share in its entirety. {i hope that's okay with her.} but first, i’m going to share the <a href="http://www.facebook.com/l/mAQEnC1S1AQGcG3-mMPC52o_KAdOkiNGYauwSgDZK738aMw/www.youtube.com/watch?v=BI23U7U2aUY" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #bf9000;">video</span></b></a> she had me watch. she included the link to it at then end of her long and thoughtful message... a message i received and read last night, but i just now got the chance to watch the video for.<br />
<br />
it’s a clip of ira glass {of n.p.r.} talking about something experienced by storytellers in their creative journeys. but anyone who watches it could apply it to <i>any</i> creative type, really. and the way i see it, the photographer's craft isn't much different than his or others like him, because we also tell stories, <i>visually</i>... or hope to.</div>
<div justify="">
<br /></div>
<div justify="">
as i sat there watching and listening to him talk, it was all i could do to keep from hitting the pause button so that i could immediately pop over to my blogger dashboard and start writing a post about it. it really excited me {in a good way} and had such a profound effect on me... <i>instantly</i>! an effect that had me sitting there thinking something along these lines...</div>
<div justify="">
<br /></div>
<div justify="">
<i>no way! this is SO me, and never once have i heard it explained this way by someone else. in fact, i thought i was the only one out there that felt this way about myself as an artist. and i most certainly never would have admitted {about myself} this piece that he said is true of most creatives at some point in their journeys, because i thought it was a negative quality to have... one that could not be “fixed” or changed in me.</i></div>
<div justify="">
<br /></div>
<div justify="">
hearing what he said sort of freed me from my thinking. {that's the relief is was referring to in my first sentence.} and it gave me the push i needed to keep going, because what he described is <i>soooooo</i> me.</div>
<div justify="">
<br /></div>
<div justify="">
oh, goodness... i guess i should just share the video before i keep rambling on, so that you know what in the world i’m talking about.</div>
<div justify="">
<br /></div>
<div both="" center="" class="”separator”" text-align:="">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="600" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BI23U7U2aUY?rel=0" width="800"></iframe></div>
<br /></div>
<div justify="">
<i>whaaaaat???? you know about this, ira? you knew this about me? and there are others? what?</i><br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
</div>
<i>everything</i> he talked about in this just hit me like a ton of bricks. especially this part... where he says “there’s a gap... that for the first couple years that you're making stuff, what you’re making isn’t so good. okay? it’s not that great.” {um, TOTALLY how i feel lately} “it’s <i>trying</i> to be good. it has ambition to be good, but it’s not quite that good.” {<i>still</i> me} “but your <i>taste</i>... the thing that got you into the game... your taste is still killer.” {yep... still me... <i>i</i> have good taste in photography. i see it everywhere. <i>everywhere!</i> “stuff that *i* just, like, <i>love</i>”... to quote his woody-allen-esque way of putting it. i just <i>knew</i> this clip was going to be good from the moment i heard him bring taste vs. product into the mix!}</div>
<div justify="">
<br /></div>
<div justify="">
what he said next is the kicker statement that sort of knocked me off my feet, like <i>wow</i>!...</div>
<div justify="">
<br /></div>
<div justify="">
<span style="font-size: x-large;" x-large="">“and your taste is good enough that you can tell that what you’re making is sort of a disappointment to you. </span>{...like, you can tell that it’s still sort of crappy.}<span style="font-size: x-large;" x-large="">”</span><br />
<br />
yeah... pretty much nailed it. right there, he said so completely and precisely what i am going through. and the best part of watching the video was learning that this stage sometimes lasts for years in the creative journey of some {including his own}.</div>
<div justify="">
<br /></div>
<div justify="">
what a relief to know this is normal! i’ve always been able to admit this view of myself <i>to</i> myself, but never able to say it out loud {except maybe to mr. b or my mom}. i thought i was alone and odd to feel what i did... and still do.<br />
<br />
now it's out in the open, 'cause i realize it's quite okay.</div>
<div justify="">
<br /></div>
<div justify="">
oh, how i don’t want to be one of the ones who quits while in that frustrating stage. before i even saw this video, i vowed i wouldn’t quit. even at the end of my last post, i said i wouldn’t quit now... thus the title “why i <i>feel</i> like throwing in the towel” and not “why i <i>am</i> throwing in the towel.”</div>
<div justify="">
<br /></div>
<div justify="">
as for his advice?... “do a lot of work. do a huge volume of work.”<br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>that</i> is why i take a lot of pictures of my son or anything else i have a chance to photograph, especially while not in the middle of prime photo-shoot season and not getting opportunities for <i>real</i> gigs. <i>that</i> is why having a working camera is important to me <i>all</i> the time, even if losing the use of it is only the straw that broke the back of the camel i call"disappointment with my work".<br />
<br />
i realize that in order to press on through this stage no matter how much longer it will last, i need to keep working {or playing}... a lot. and for that, i need a working camera. that’s where all my tears came in, because that's where i felt the most helpless. {not that taking breaks from your craft isn't healthy, too. but only i-will-return breaks... not quitting for good breaks.}</div>
<div justify="">
<br /></div>
<div justify="">
to be honest, though i could not have put it as poignantly as mr. glass did, i already knew everything he said to be true of myself and was already pushing through it. i’m not going to be so blind as to say that the photography i put out there, whether professional or personal, is great stuff or as good as i want it to be. {good is a very relative term, by the way, so when i say good, i mean at a hoped-for level i have for myself some day... and even that is relative, because i hope i <i>never</i> stop improving. but you know what i mean... and if not, watch the video again. *wink*}</div>
<div justify="">
<br /></div>
<div justify="">
anyway, i was doing this already... pushing through this stage that i didn't even know other people experienced. there have even been times when i needed to stop looking at the work of others so that i would stop comparing and stop beating myself up, wondering when i’ll ever arrive at the level they’re at.</div>
<div justify="">
<br /></div>
<div justify="">
such a comfort it was to be told that others go through this... and that, at least as far as this video brings to light, it’s okay. it's normal and perfectly acceptable.</div>
<div justify="">
<br /></div>
<div justify="">
here is all of what my sweet friend said to me...</div>
<div justify="">
<blockquote class="”tr_bq”">
Georgia Georgia Georgia! </blockquote>
<blockquote class="”tr_bq”">
After I read your blog post, I knew I must message you. I’ll get right to the point. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="”tr_bq”">
1) God is the ultimate Creator of goodness and beauty. We are made in his image. When we create and bring beauty, we are reflecting and glorifying God to the world which needs all the beauty and goodness it can get. You have the gift of creating beauty. This is between you and God - He gave it to you and He knows your abilities will bless the world. You are doing Kingdom work. Do not compare yourself to others (oh boy I know how hard that is). Just spend some time with God thinking about the way he has equipped you and asking how you can continue to bless the world. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="”tr_bq”">
2) I have watched someone - a mother - become VERY successful with a portrait photography business. Her photos were gorgeous and I believe she was grossing about $80,000 a year at her peak. (!) Guess what. Her business succeeded because she placed it as a priority over motherhood. After a mysterious and debilitating illness stopped her business, she said, “I think God is telling me to focus on being a mom right now.” And she is. You already understand that your role as mama supersedes your role as photographer. Bringing beauty in a quiet way is NO less important than bringing it in a big way. Bringing beauty reflects God, and God sees it all. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="”tr_bq”">
3) Maybe you’ve seen this, but if you haven’t, I think you’ll like it! It’s Ira Glass talking about the creative process and what to do when you feel like your stuff isn’t as good as you’d like it to be. Or if you’re wondering if you have what it takes. This little video is so encouraging and his advice can apply to any creative medium. {of course, the video she is writing about is the one i posted above.} </blockquote>
<blockquote class="”tr_bq”">
4) You have good taste and great ability! Keep on going because a) it’s what you were made for (to reflect God) and b) the world needs the beauty you bring.
Okay. I think I’m finished for now.
Hugs and feel better and WOW I hope you can get your lens/camera fixed. I think everything will work out just dandy. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="”tr_bq”">
Jen</blockquote>
what a nice note. in fact, <i>all</i> of you who commented, whether on my post or in a private message, wrote such thoughtful and encouraging things.<br />
<br />
i felt especially encouraged in being reminded by jen that it’s okay to have a desire... even a desperation... to create, because we are made in God’s image, and He is the ultimate creator. He made in us a desire to create. i don’t have to feel like it’s a waste of time or wonder if it can fit into my priorities or into the picture of what my life looks like as a <a href="http://www.esvbible.org/Proverbs+31/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #bf9000;">proverbs 31</span></b></a> wife and mom. and i really needed to be reminded of that.<br />
<br />
so thank you, jen {and everyone else}, for cheering me on to hang in there and keep going!<br />
<br />
some of you who commented told me that you are in a similar place right now. so i hope this video helped you, as well. i couldn't keep from sharing something that was so helpful to me with any other creatives out there. if you’re one who's already gotten past that stage, then i hope you can share the video with someone who has yet to get past it, the way jen did for me.</div>
</div>
georgia b.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15482885077943093475noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8506858156087040907.post-75569860118303985832013-04-10T00:33:00.000-05:002013-04-21T01:27:02.546-05:00why i feel like throwing in the towel<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8635828671/" title="throwing in the towel by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="throwing in the towel" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8124/8635828671_2ecabe158d_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
so, i sit here and write through my tears. tears of feeling deflated and defeated. not tears for anything that matters in the big scheme, of course. they're not over something that is life-altering or world-changing.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
but they are a result of something that cuts to the heart of me. as i write, i realize i might be speaking prematurely, because i'm not even sure what is wrong at this point.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
all i know right know is that, as of tonight, my camera doesn't work. my little contraption that is so very <i>big</i> to me. that thing i use to speak with {because i speak in pictures} and sometimes listen with, too.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
my heart feels crushed.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
i know that is so silly. find any number of blogs on the internet that write about injustices or hunger and poverty in various places all over the world... even right here in my own country. or watch the news and see stories of people dying in other countries because they are there doing work they believe in and somehow got in harm's way... like the story of the young diplomat from my neck of the woods who was killed in afghanistan recently and whose funeral was held today. or stories of moms who will lose their infant to a terminal disease. those are things that matter and should bring tears to ones eyes. not my silly camera busting.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
but i still sit here crying. because i have a gig for a photo shoot at the beginning of may... something i was so excited for and haven't even mentioned on this blog yet, for fear that talking about it would make it fall through or burst into thin air as easily as one of isaac's bath bubbles does at the lightest touch of his tiny finger.<br />
<br />
and because this is all wrapped in what i so badly want to do with my life... at every level. creatively. personally. professionally. communally.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
crying, because i have felt discouraged about my photography lately to begin with... like i'm not growing. like i don't have what it takes. discouraged because friends and family who i would have thought might ask me to take photos of their family or important life events ended up going with other photographers who are either already established or, like me, have recently jumped in to the photography business {even though, in some cases, an interest was expressed for me to do the shoot}. discouraged because sometimes when i do take pictures for a friend {without charging} because i was asked to, i don't hear even as much as a <i>"thank you!"</i>... let alone an <i>"i love the pics!"</i></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
crying, because i just recently wrote about this lens {which i think is what failed, and not the camera body itself} and how getting it is what allowed me to jump in and do the photography-business thing... finally. and the thought of possibly losing it only exacerbates all the above issues surrounding my photography and desire to get a business going.<br />
<br />
sad... because <i>oh how ironic</i> that just a couple days ago, i should enter a contest to win a lens that is slightly better than the {broken} one i have, but i have no real hope of winning due to the fact that one-bajillion other people entered the contest too, and the odds of me winning are very small.<br />
<br />
sad... because, in my disappointment, i also posted the above photo on facebook—the last photo i squeezed out of my camera before it went kaput—along with a caption that said, <i>"so sad right now. was taking pics of brac holding isaac after bath time tonight when something broke... either the camera or lens. not sure which.
not good. =(
at least i like the final photo i got."</i> i did so for a little encouragement, i guess ...{not so others would feel sorry for me, but rather that they might simply chime in with an "oh, sorry, girl" or something similar that would lift my spirits}... but got <strike>none</strike> little {which i <i>was</i> grateful for}. it's just that the little i <i>did</i> get was for-the-most-part <i>not</i> from people i would have expected to chime in... like other photographer friends who surely would feel discouraged if it happened to them, too. all of which made me realize that either very few facebook friends were on it tonight, or people care more about banana bread and whether or not you put butter on it {i had posted something about that the night before and got about fifty responses} than they do about the one device that your livelihood and income hinges on. or else they are tired of seeing photos of my son {which wouldn't surprise me, because people have actually publicly said in so many words that i post too many photos of him}, and thus passed right on by it because they thought, <i>"oh, just another photo of isaac... nothing to see here."</i> so i'm sitting here thinking, <i>this sucks</i>. and i can't even commiserate with anyone about it. {mr. b is in bed at this point, so the option of whining to him is out.}<br />
<br />
yes. i'm wallowing. yes. i'm feeling sorry for myself. i won't stay here. but sometimes you just can't do anything but. and it's not even that i'm feeling sorry for myself. i'm just disappointed. big time. i don't have a lot of nice things. and i honestly don't even need a lot of nice things. and even if i did, i wouldn't want them right now anyway, because nice things tend to get damaged around here, living with a toddler {which is <i>not</i> a sly way of saying he is the reason my camera broke, because he had nothing to do with it}.<br />
<br />
all i want, materially, is to have a nice lens {which i got a year and a half ago} and for that lens to <i>stay</i> nice {i.e., working}.<br />
<br />
i'm sad, because i was just starting to feel like i'm ready to take my photography to a new level so as to get out of the artistic rut i've been in.<br />
<br />
sad... because, without my lens, i can't capture the things i am desperate to capture about this ever-changing beautiful boy in my life.<br />
<br />
sad... because this is a photography blog, mostly. and a journal, too... one that i use my camera to record and document in.<br />
<br />
sad... because now i can't continue my <i>project life 365</i> {which i was sucking at anyway, so what's the point?} and i don't even have an iPhone and the camera it comes with {which i've wanted for so long} to pick the project up with where my dslr left off.<br />
<br />
sad... because i wonder if using my camera for personal use {i.e., this blog} is even worth it when, judging from the amount of the comments i get {which are many if you include the 95% that are spam and never get published}, no one is reading anyway.<br />
<br />
sad... because {as far as i can see}, there are about 736 other bloggers out there {who aren't even blogging as pro-photographers} that have cameras/lenses that are four or five times more expensive than mine which they bought with money earned from their ad-ridden blogs upon reading the advise of another like blogger, telling them to get and use a really good camera because it will make their blogs look more professional... even though their goal is not to <i>be</i> a professional photographer, but rather to be a lifestyle blogger that <i>takes</i> professional-looking photos {<i>big</i> difference}... and they blog about their perfect home and perfect offices that are all freshly painted bright and white and are all filled with the same perfectly on-trend white eames rockers and sheep-skin throws and rustic ikat rugs, with photos of their perfect bodies that look nothing like bodies that recently birthed the first, second, third or fourth babies they photograph in the most perfectly adorable on-trend triangle-motif clothing with the most perfect cameras. {yeah, that's right. all kinds of bitterness coming out right now. but it's real. i'm not sugar-coating my frustrations today.}<br />
<br />
sad... because {from a professional standpoint} if there was a better time for this to happen, it would have been at the end of outdoor-photo-shoot-season when i would not have needed the camera so much anyways... instead of in the spring when warmer weather would be bringing out potential clients.<br />
<br />
sad... because i was already having a rough day and dealing with disappointment and brick walls in my paths before i even started taking the pictures of my husband holding my son after bath time. and i did not need this {mechanical or electronic?} breakdown heaped on top of it all.<br />
<br />
sad... because i was already feeling like i don't have what it takes to be a photographer... like i'm not good enough. like i don't measure up or compare to all the seventeen zillion other photographers that are out there who already have 1,274 likes on their facebook business page.<br />
<br />
sad... because my office is a mess due to an avalanche of reasons that i won't even bother getting into, and thus, i can't find the manual for my lens, nor can i find my old kit lens to test on the camera body in hopes that such a diagnostic test would tell me whether the problem is in the body or in the lens.<br />
<br />
sad... because i don't have a car during the week, so i can't go to a camera shop and have them look at it, which means i'll have to sit here for three more days and wonder what the problem is... helpless.<br />
<br />
sad... because we don't have the money to drop on a new lens if this one is beyond repair or will cost more to fix than a new one, and even if we did, i'd use it to buy paint in order to finally paint this office so that i could start putting things away in here in a fashion that is organized and allows me to find things i need in situations such as these.<br />
<br />
sad... because if anyone is even reading this, some might see it as a whiny cry for attention {which it's not} instead of an honest outpouring of what is actually on my mind and in my heart... disappointment and frustration and helplessness.<br />
<br />
sad... over the way the state of such a small piece of plastic and glass can have such an effect on one person... even the person's family, if that piece of plastic is meant to fuel their income.<br />
<br />
yes. still wallowing.<br />
<br />
i know everything will work out at some point. in a twist of irony, i found two quotes as i was dismantling piles in my office in a feverish attempt to find my old lens... two quotes that helped me just a sliver. not enough to stop crying. but enough to keep me from getting hysterical. the first was one that has been way overused, over-printed and over-commercialized, but it helped me anyway. <b><span style="color: #bf9000;">"keep calm and carry on"</span></b> it read. it was on the cardboard packaging of the shower curtain i purchased for our bathroom shortly after we moved into our new house... a curtain which reads the same. thinking about it now, i have to wonder why i would have kept that silly package. i could see keeping the outer 8x10-ish plastic pouch, because it's like a clear, durable envelope that would come in handy for keeping paperwork together {which must be why i found it in the office, of all places, tonight}. but to have kept the cardboard insert seems strange... except that i can't really see it as strange as much as i see it as serendipitous. that little wedge of hope that made it's way into my bummer-of-a-night really did help me a little. i quietly told myself <i>"seriously... you have to keep calm because, though this sucks bigtime, it really will be okay, and you have to keep going with your photography. somehow. some way."</i> surely, other photographers experience equipment breakdowns... even at the most inopportune times like me, right? and i have to assume they didn't just throw in the towel. not if they were deep-down passionate about pursuing it like i am. so i <i>can</i> figure this out.<br />
<br />
how ironic {more irony... you have to love more irony} that this shower curtain resides in the room where i last used my camera {before it hit the skids}... just to the left of where i took my last shot.<br />
<br />
the other quote i came across was on a little wood sign that i had purchased last year. it says <b><span style="color: #bf9000;">"the most important things in life... aren't things."</span></b><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>hmmmmm. well, tell that to my bank account, mr. sign!!</i><br />
<i>and to my client for the photo shoot that is less than a month away, for that matter!</i><br />
<br />
i wanted to throw that thing across the room when i found it! but then i remembered the previously mentioned "sign" i had unearthed just minutes earlier and its advice to stay calm. so i didn't.<br />
<br />
but it's true, that little quip. and secretly, it did help me a little. after all, i aspire to be like my mother in many ways, and here i had just gotten through writing about how i admire that she does not place value on earthly things, but instead esteems <i>people</i> as valuable and worthy.<br />
<br />
so i couldn't very well get all frantic and ticked and mad at the world when my sweet boy and husband were close-by.<br />
<br />
a side note that i'll include so that i can relive the sweet memory some day when i come back to read this post again... at one point as i stood in the middle of my office frustrated and overwhelmed, isaac came in and hugged my leg and started singing <i>twinkle twinkle little star</i>... his new favorite song. i just know he sensed i was very sad and down, and this was his way of comforting me. nothing like it had ever happened before. it's sobering {and incredible} to know that he's reached an age where he can detect and determine my emotions. i knelt down to hug him and thank him for that. he saw tears in my eyes and said "mama sad." i said "yes, isaac. mama's sad."<br />
<br />
that's when i took the message on that silly wood sign to heart. <i>this</i> is the most important thing. <i>he</i> is the most important thing. not that camera. not taking pictures of him {or anyone else}. but <i>this guy</i>.<br />
<br />
of course, i'd be remiss if i didn't acknowledge that growing my photography business <i>is</i> very much for him. more so than it is for me. if it was just for me, i'd likely stop and just take pictures as a hobby or creative outlet. {all the fun, none of the work, right?} it was when he came along that i knew i wanted to get serious and turn my passion into a living.<br />
<br />
i'm not like a lot of photographers out there that can dive in full-fledge right off the bat. i have had to do this on a very scaled and delayed schedule. and saying so is not a complaint, because it actually works out great, given the tasks i juggle as a mom of a young one. i guess i just find myself frustrated that, even with my totally modest and conservative go at this {business}, i still have to experience this setback.<br />
<br />
i'm very frustrated... more than i've been in a very long time.<br />
<br />
i think the crying part is in the past {as of this point in writing my post}. likely, what's next is just being mad. or cynical.<br />
<br />
but i'm not throwing in the towel quite yet. i only feel like it.<br />
<br />
i'm trying to see the bright side... now i can focus on posting photos from past shoots that i never got around to organizing, overwhelmed by the volume of photos there are to sift through... or even personal work i never got around to posting. maybe this means i'm now meant focus on getting a professional web site started... get serious about it all... get to the un-photography parts of the photography business.<br />
<br />
or maybe it's God's way of telling me to get my house in order before i continue on in pursuit of photography. {he's been trying to tell me that in so many other ways already, but i hadn't really been listening. maybe this is the one thing that will get me to finally pay attention to him. i'm still trying to figure out what proverbs 31 looks like in my life...}<br />
<br />
here's what i know. i'll go to a camera shop on saturday when i have a car. i'll cross my fingers for good news and hope that it's a minor problem that can be fixed with little to no cost.<br />
<br />
if it's <i>not</i> a minor problem and things are not resolved by may when it comes time for the photo shoot, then i'll rent a camera and lens. or borrow someone else's.<br />
<br />
and i'll pray.<br />
<br />
and hope.<br />
<br />
and maybe inwardly cuss a time or two.<br />
<br />
and i'll look at the two signs i unburied tonight, which will henceforth hang on my wall to remind me not to become unraveled over all this.<br />
<br />
and i'll post some oldie-but-goodie photos.<br />
<br />
and i'll go off of facebook 'cause i don't feel chatty anymore... especially not about banana bread. and certainly not about my camera.<br />
<br />
and i'll look at this photo i took of isaac and mr. b tonight... possibly the last photo i'll take for a while...<br />
<br />
and i'll treasure them both.</div>
georgia b.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15482885077943093475noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8506858156087040907.post-40893971680741368082013-04-08T01:37:00.001-05:002013-04-12T17:35:49.801-05:00'sploring 'n' stuff<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8629687593/" title="DSC_0073 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0073" height="602" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8121/8629687593_0081f0449c_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8629683717/" title="DSC_0091 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0091" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8380/8629683717_473212be63_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8629689399/" title="DSC_0068 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0068" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8243/8629689399_08c6936214_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8629672687/" title="DSC_0118 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0118" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8257/8629672687_69c4c84110_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8630777096/" title="DSC_0126 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0126" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8530/8630777096_af4470a89e_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8630792700/" title="DSC_0078 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0078" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8264/8630792700_ac3c80012d_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8630787540/" title="DSC_0093 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0093" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8403/8630787540_bdd37b1174_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8630772148/" title="DSC_0149 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0149" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8402/8630772148_0d311cc404_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8629667403/" title="DSC_0139 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0139" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8519/8629667403_ece8031e9f_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8630771108/" title="DSC_0155 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0155" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8391/8630771108_1289377313_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8630780856/" title="DSC_0104 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0104" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8393/8630780856_de129e6f23_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8629673595/" title="DSC_0105 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0105" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8105/8629673595_2bb2549dbc_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8630769958/" title="DSC_0158 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0158" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8257/8630769958_c3543b4c1b_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8630794456/" title="DSC_0070 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0070" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8120/8630794456_3c9b3212ef_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8629668621/" title="DSC_0134 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0134" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8241/8629668621_75140c515d_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8630796492/" title="DSC_0065 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0065" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8545/8630796492_a9fe171a8a_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8630775522/" title="DSC_0129 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0129" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8545/8630775522_c0e240aaef_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8630782562/" title="DSC_0095 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0095" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8398/8630782562_be2486456f_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8629663289/" title="DSC_0162 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0162" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8544/8629663289_7f62d80549_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8629685921/" title="DSC_0084 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0084" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8114/8629685921_1f2bc8af56_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8629691621/" title="DSC_0063 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0063" height="531" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8389/8629691621_890c453ea0_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
a very dear friend once gave me some wise advice when i asked if she had some words of wisdom for me going into motherhood while pregnant with isaac... even though she is not a mother herself, i knew she'd have something sage to say.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
it was sage, because she knew what was applicable to say to me.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
her advice was simple. i'll paraphrase, as i don't remember the exact words she used. something like "don't raise isaac to believe that he can't explore the world, just because you guys don't have the money to travel." actually, her original wording was a bit more vague, but upon expounding in an effort to make me better understand, that was what i got out of what was said... in so many words or less.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
in other words, she encouraged me not to let on to isaac that we don't have much money, or that that is why we aren't able to travel a lot with him... on vacations and such.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
it applies to us, quite simply, because we will never be that family that goes on a vacation every year. certainly not one that "sees the world". and that is not a complaint. not going on vacation doesn't feel like being jipped by life at all. {though we think it would be nice to be able to travel and get away, we feel blessed with far more than we ever thought we'd have.} it's just how it is. at least right now.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
i'll never forget her advice, and i easily took it to heart.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
it wasn't difficult, because i'm one of those people that loves to travel, but doesn't need it to be filled up {though i have no problem whatsoever with people who <i>do</i> need it to fill up, because that's just their thing... like taking pictures or listening to music is mine}.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
i don't think she was advising <i>me</i> to be that way so much. if she knows me as well as i think she does, then she knows i am already content... not feeling an ache or need to travel in order to feel fulfilled. she knows i am already the sort of person that can find wonder and beauty right where i am if i'm really trying to see it.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
i think her advice was more about telling me to make sure i pass this outlook i have on to isaac, and protecting him from a mindset that says "we're too poor to travel". so i did today with him what i'd do with myself on such a lovely {finally} warm spring day. i took him out in the yard and <strike>made him</strike> encouraged him to feel that we were on a grand exploration. not that almost-two-year-olds need a lot of help in that department... especially boys who like dirt and rocks and twigs and such. especially little boys who have changed so very much in the short three months that they have lived in a new house... and who've been cooped up inside all winter. everything is new and exciting by the nature of their spongey, developing minds.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
so we 'splored {as mr. b calls it} out in the back yard. and the side. and the front. and we played with a blue ball. and we climbed through the overgrown bushes that i have started to trim back. and we asked questions like "what's this?" and answered with responses like "it's a twig."</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
and we sat in the light. the longed-for light and warmth that we knew would tag along with it.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
we ran. chased.<br />
<br />
we trampled over beds of brown pine needles, underneath the still dangling green.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
we got covered head-to-toe in burrs.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
i don't just mean exploring for isaac... though for him, it was much more of an adventure. {i imagine the yard seems ten times bigger to him than it does to us, simply because i remember how much larger places seemed to me at a young age than they seemed when i returned years later. our small yard must have felt like a sprawling ten-acre farm to him.}</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
no, this wasn't just for the little guy's pleasure. us grown-ups, we explored too. {moving in january does not afford many nice days to check out the property, remember... so this was a first for us, too.}</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
my favorite find? the prettiest soft- and long-needled evergreen. i knew it was there since the day we came to see the house with our realtor. but i had never explored it until today.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
two big kids went out there to play with one little one. but we had another goal besides just playing in mind... to start fixing up the yard in any cost-free ways we can until we can have money to do the big stuff. {like adding an enclosing fence, new trees for privacy, deck furniture, landscaping plans, etc.}.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
walking around with hopes of beautifying our property brought a quote i love to mind... one that i often think about.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #93c47d;"><span style="font-size: large;">instead of wondering where your next vacation is, </span><span style="font-size: large;">maybe you need to set up a life you don't need to escape from. ~seth godin</span></span></div>
</div>
</blockquote>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
i think the biggest reason i've never made traveling a huge priority is because i've never really felt a need to escape my world. it might be "aiming low" to others. but to me, i've just never really had the itch to get away. i've always really liked where i am... not just where i am on the map, but in life too. often, i find i don't have enough time or resources to enjoy my <i>immediate</i> surroundings as it is, <i>without</i> the added pressure of trying to enjoy other places too.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
so i felt today like we did just what i was advised to by my friend that day. i wonder how many times we, as busy... way <a href="http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/06/30/the-busy-trap/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #bf9000;">too busy</span></b></a>... people, actually go out and discover our immediate surroundings. the things we pass every day without notice. my backyard will never strike in another person or myself the awe that the grand canyon can. but it's also a place like no other on earth. it's our little slice of the pie, and it's ours to do with what we want. that alone is sort of awe-inspiring. whether it's our little rented apartments that we can make into our own, or our 500-acre farms. everywhere is a place to be known. starting in our own backyard, i hope to help isaac realize that every bit of ground he treads holds treasure and mystery and something to be discovered, admired, manicured or protected.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #93c47d; font-size: large;">the earth is the LORD's and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein. ~psalm 24:1</span></div>
</blockquote>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
i'm not even sure if i captured every thought i had for this post. it's late and i'm tired.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
but the one thing i wanted to make sure to include and share was this... the pure delight i had in watching my son today... seeing the excitement that burst out of him as he trekked around this new world that opened up when spring did.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
it's the reason i included that first photo {why i took it in the first place} and typed "brought to you by the letter T next to it.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
you see, that there T made out of two pieces of wood is something that sticks out of the ground at the far end of our deck. we can't be certain what it was put there for, but we have come to the conclusion that it was probably used to hang clothesline rope from.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
every time i've ever seen those two pieces of wood, i saw them as just that... two pieces of wood and nothing more. anything i saw beyond that was wrapped up in questioning what it's for or the speculation that it is likely a post for a clothesline... the very kind of concrete thinking like i am prone to.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
but isaac does't know what a clothesline is. however, he <i>is</i> learning to read. and in his wonderfully abstract thinking, he has been learning to find letters in all places... in all things {thank you, <i>sesame street</i>!}. so when we first walked out onto the deck today, he saw the post and ran toward it with enthusiasm and a smile and gleefully squealed "the letter teeeeee!" {T}</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
and my heart melted.<br />
<br />
<i>yes, baby boy. that is, in fact, a letter T. and you are my wonderfully abstract thinker.</i></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
as if that wasn't enough, he did the same exact thing minutes later when i walked him over to the side of the house where mr. b was cleaning gutters while standing on a ladder. this time, it was "the letter aaaaaye!" {A} he exclaimed as he pointed up at the ladder.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
i beamed. and grinned. and told him what a smart boy he is. you'd think two was it for the day. a <i>T</i> in a clothesline post and an <i>A</i> in the ladder. but no. there was to be a <i>D</i> in the onion slice that was on my plate at dinner, too. {we made turkey burgers on the grill in honor of the first really nice day, and onion for the burgers would be the third place that isaac would find a letter i'd not have seen without him.}</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
i love this, because it illustrates what i am trying to get at. if we are as wide-eyed and wonderment-filled as children tend to be, might we find so many things all around us worth being amazed and excited about... without having to travel far... or even at all?</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
there will come a day when all three of us have discovered all that there is to discover on our little piece of land. but people don't always travel back to a certain spot solely to keep on discovering new things. sometimes, rather, it's merely because they love the place they've found and they feel right at home there.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
that sounds familiar. though a permanent dwelling and not a vacation home, <i>we</i> love the place we've found.<br />
<br />
and we feel right at home.</div>
georgia b.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15482885077943093475noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8506858156087040907.post-31452270286535225682013-04-04T23:57:00.001-05:002013-04-06T23:03:20.114-05:0070 {count 'em} reasons i love, admire, respect or appreciate {and CELEBRATE!} my mom<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8618570372/" title="mom with siblings and aunt georgie by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="mom with siblings and aunt georgie" height="800" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8261/8618570372_991f449358_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
1. she is SEVENTY {!WOW!} years old TODAY!!</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
2. she is and always has been beautiful to this beholder. and always will be.<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a name='more'></a>3. she loves to write.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
<div>
4. she <a href="http://www.shininglight2seniors.com/history.php" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #bf9000;">loves</span></b></a> old people. not only serves, loves, but actually delights in them, loves.</div>
<div>
</div>
</div>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8618477685/" title="mom and ada by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="mom and ada" height="557" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8112/8618477685_3164e7abeb_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
5. she stuck with my dad through the thickest and the thinnest for over forty years until he died {far too young}. </div>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8619597105/" title="dad side by side by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="dad side by side" height="511" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8396/8619597105_4d01622137_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
{really, though... just look at him. can you blame her?}</div>
<br />
<div>
6. she has always had a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pollyanna" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #bf9000;">pollyanna</span></b></a> spirit. and now she is doing life alone, without my father, and has for seven years... with grace and dignity and strength and a pioneer spirit.</div>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8620689086/" style="text-align: start;" title="mom by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="mom" height="540" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8241/8620689086_3ba57e6957_c.jpg" width="800" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
7. she loves my son.</div>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/6056037949/" title="grandma_5-2 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="grandma_5-2" height="532" src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6204/6056037949_5f1c43848f_b.jpg" width="800" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/6056611918/" title="grandma by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="grandma" height="532" src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6076/6056611918_4a24da1846_b.jpg" width="800" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/7002438483/" title="isaac and grandma_7 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="isaac and grandma_7" height="532" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7203/7002438483_66bc724d13_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8617468667/" title="DSC_0486 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0486" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8105/8617468667_4779e0be90_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
8. she made him <a href="http://itsjusthowiseethings.blogspot.com/2011/05/to-baby-b-from-grandma-with-love.html" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #bf9000;">the prettiest blanket</span></b></a> before he was born.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
9. she was the only other person with mr. b and me at the hospital when isaac was born, and that was a special gift.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
10. she has taught me more than she will ever realize... through her mistakes and triumphs, her failures and success.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
11. now that i am older and "wiser", she has let me teach her things, too.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
12. she has put up with a lot in her lifetime {including <i>much</i> from me}, yet remained soft-hearted and open-armed.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
13. she loves God... <i>really</i> loves him.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
14. she dives in and digs in to her bible, hungry to learn it... and has for as long as i can remember. i've never seen her bible not full to the edges with underlines and notes... the kind that speak to what God is teaching her through His word.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
15. she taught us all to seek and serve the marginalized and led by example in serving the forgotten elderly.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
16. she is a picture of grace... has forgiven and forgotten more than her fair share of what people should have to forgive and forget.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
17. she sings.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
18. she <a href="http://itsjusthowiseethings.blogspot.com/2009/09/please-pray.html" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #bf9000;">plays piano</span></b></a> and writes music.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
19. she has written so many songs that have been loved by many over the years.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
20. she did her best to teach me to play piano by ear... the way she learned and plays.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
21. she taught me to sing at an early age and, with my father, taught me the importance of appreciating music.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
22. she used to sound a little like karen carpenter when she sang in her younger days.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
23. she made the best avocado sandwiches for us growing up... still does, if we ask her nicely. {maybe i'll share the recipe someday... if it's not some heavily vaulted family secret.}</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
24. she sacrifices her time and money, even in retirement when she could keep it all to herself.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
25. she asks for forgiveness when she needs it.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
26. she gave us a king-size bed, a down comforter to go on it, and a keurig machine. and i appreciate every one of those three things... daily.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
27. she never nags me about my house not being perfectly clean and neat.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
28. she helped me through college... financially, but also in so many other ways.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
29. she is the queen of <a href="http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/malapropism" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #bf9000;">malapropisms</span></b></a>.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
30. she never takes herself too seriously and can laugh at her own quirks and goofs.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
31. she doesn't hold grudges. seriously. none. i need this trait!</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
32. she looks forward to eternity in heaven and does not cling to temporal earthly things.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
33. she makes the best egg salad! and beef/veggie stew. and broccoli soup. there's more. i'll think of them.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
34. she doesn't watch television... doesn't even have one hooked up... and inspired me to not watch mine either.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
35. she believes in her kids and grandkids... and the talents and gifts we have. even our dreams.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
36. she invests in those talents and gifts.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
37. she loves <a href="http://itsjusthowiseethings.blogspot.com/2009/04/look-mama.html" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #bf9000;">dandelions</span></b></a>.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
38. she isn't overly girly like some moms can be.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
39. she isn't overly <strike>nosey</strike> involved in her children's' lives and trusts us to God, allowing us to live our own lives without obnoxiously butting in like some moms do.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
40. she modeled both stay-at-home-mom motherhood and working-mom motherhood, and always encouraged {or at least supported} me being a stay-at-home mom.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
41. she is a very big part of why i am able to be a stay-at-home, work-from-home mom. {see reason #70 below}</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
42. she isn't attached to things... not to her possessions, nor to the things she doesn't have. she simply doesn't want for much, and it's not because she has a lot already.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
43. she is about people... serving them. being with them. helping them. noticing them.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
44. she helps widows who, for some reason or another, have not been able to cope with their loss as easily as she did.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
45. i never hear her complain. ever.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
46. she butchers my dad's jokes... terribly. and when she does, it's sometimes funnier than the joke itself.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
<div>
47. she's still taking care of her own mother, along with her sister.</div>
<div>
</div>
</div>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8620690422/" title="aunt nancy gram and mom by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="aunt nancy gram and mom" height="600" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8103/8620690422_0341fb3c4d_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
48. she is open and eager to learn, even now when she could just accept that she's learned enough and wants to rest.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
49. she went back to school to get her degree as an adult many years after she dropped out of college because of her father's death.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
50. she does not give in to envy. in fact, i'm pretty sure she doesn't have a bone in her body that stuggles with it. she might correct me about that, but even if so, it doesn't show and she does not act on any envy she may have.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
51. she lets me cry to her on the phone... or in person. sometimes she is tough on me in regard to what i'm crying about. but always because she loves me.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
52. she loves my husband as her own son.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
53. she was willing to take us in when we were struggling financially, without even a moment of hesitation.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
54. she spent many hours changing diapers for five kids, cleaning our messes, feeding us, cooking for us, teaching us, bathing us, nursing us back to health when all five of us were sick, sometimes along with a sick husband and her own maladies... the list could go on. FIVE kids. two of which were infant twins while all five were under the age of six. then, five teenagers all at once. i am quieted in any complaints i have about child-raising and resulting tiredness when i think of all that she had to do without a lot of external help. some would say, "well, if it's that hard, then just don't have a lot of kids." i say, "i'm not going to go there and dwell on that. she did. and that's that. and she sacrificed <i>a lot</i>. and that's that, too."</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
55. she is about to have a fiction book she wrote published.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
56. she is more computer-savvy than most people her age, and always was. well, i guess not in 1942. but as long as computers have been commonly used.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
57. she prays for her children every day.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
58. she loves color.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
<div>
59. she can dress up and look pretty, but looks equally adorable in a work suit. she used to hammer up on the roof in her grubbies {as well as many other things men typically do} with the best of them!</div>
<div>
</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8618552083/" title="3076620262_e1584627d5_b by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="3076620262_e1584627d5_b" height="1168" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8114/8618552083_063da84eb6_o.png" width="800" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8619591007/" title="mom roofing by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="mom roofing" height="333" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8250/8619591007_8989c49f5d_o.png" width="500" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
60. she still decorates her christmas tree with all the same decorations she's collected over the years and doesn't feel the need to replace them with more trendy ornaments. they remind me of home, and for that, i love them.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
61. she does not wallow in the past.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
62. she taught me to "steal a pumpkin".</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
63. she taught me not to wallow in the past. i'm still learning that one.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
64. i'll never forget her voice in all the times she said to me "you only have one chance to live {insert date of whichever day she said it on}. you can't ever live this day again."</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
65. she <b><a href="http://www.esvbible.org/Psalm+121%3A1-2/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #bf9000;">lifts her eyes to the hills from where her help comes</span></a></b>.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
66. her faith is strong, made stronger by hardship. she learned a long time ago that struggles and pain and gut-wrenching things in life can drive you closer to God or further from him. and she made the life choice to let them draw her closer.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
67. her grey hair is her <a href="http://www.esvbible.org/Proverbs+16:31/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #bf9000;">crown of splendor</span></b></a>.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8621388914/" title="mom birthday tribute 9 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="mom birthday tribute 9" height="401" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8402/8621388914_77101f8542_c.jpg" width="800" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
68. she taught me to draw and influenced me to become a graphic designer.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
69. though she is not a self-proclaimed photographer, she can take some lovely photos...</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8620290516/" title="pics my mama took by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="pics my mama took" height="859" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8403/8620290516_dbd479c242_b.jpg" width="800" /></a>{you're kinda makin' me look bad, mama... with your point-n-shoot camera photos that are every bit as lovely, if not lovelier, than my fancy-pants camera photos taken using a fancy-pants lens.}</div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
70. she gave me money for my 40th birthday that pretty much paid for the awesome lens i just referred to, thereby helping me take my photography to the next level and giving me confidence to start doing photo shoots. {see reasons no. 35 and no. 36 above}</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
and one bonus reason...<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
71. she faithfully reads this lil ol' journal and photo blog i keep called <i>it's just how i see things</i>. {so even if she were my only reader, it's worth it!}<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
* * * * *</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
after all this, i may have painted her a perfect saint. but she'll be the first to admit she's not. and if she weren't the first in line to admit it, then i <i>would</i> be. *wink*</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
the way i see it, though, she's seventy. so she's sort of earned a "saint"-like status. she has seen a lot and learned much in this life. young folks may outsmart her or ignore her... maybe even scoff at her. but she is a wealth of wisdom, and anyone would be better off to have sat with her for a while and listened to her about all that she has learned in life... through mistakes, failures, triumphs, successes and simply living.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
in fact, just today, someone put this quote on their facebook page, and it reminded me of my mom...</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
“how far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving, and tolerant of the weak and strong. because some day in life you will have been all of these.” </div>
</div>
</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
~george washington carver</div>
</div>
</blockquote>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
at seventy, i'd say my mom has been all of these... young, aged, striving, weak and strong. {just barely the second, though. and only on paper... not in spirit, heart, mind or physicality.} and she has been each thing mentioned... tender, compassionate, sympathetic and tolerant.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
so i celebrate her today... and all that she is and has been. all that she does and has done.<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
in my opinion, she deserves to have a collection of photos of her through the years {like the albums full of photos of us through the years that she made for my dad and each of us kids at christmas one year}. they should be all together in one place, to celebrate her many years. so here are a bunch more photos of my lovely mum...</div>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8617653653/" title="mama birthday tribute_1 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="mama birthday tribute_1" height="800" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8401/8617653653_2b026fd22a_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8618447093/" title="mom and her uncle by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="mom and her uncle" height="1302" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8120/8618447093_31084f19ba_o.png" width="800" /></a>
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8618425649/" title="Slides729 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="Slides729" height="606" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8387/8618425649_3bd2af5396_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8618432667/" title="mom on piano bench by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="mom on piano bench" height="1116" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8109/8618432667_4c8c39de0e_o.png" width="800" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8618452163/" title="mom and grandma by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="mom and grandma" height="1173" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8391/8618452163_c887e616c6_o.png" width="800" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8618516097/" title="grandpa and kids by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="grandpa and kids" height="1350" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8117/8618516097_ac2a4c1a51_o.png" width="800" /></a>
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8618448529/" title="mom and her sibs by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="mom and her sibs" height="1297" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8397/8618448529_b1120128ba_o.png" width="800" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8619565568/" title="mom and dad rich walk by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="mom and dad rich walk" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8405/8619565568_043f5660fb_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8618476977/" title="mom and aunt nancy by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="mom and aunt nancy" height="566" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8249/8618476977_975a576433_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8618471171/" title="mom and dad in living room by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="mom and dad in living room" height="538" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8248/8618471171_f50ffe5b6e_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8618554197/" title="3075791329_62b1f6093d_b by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="3075791329_62b1f6093d_b" height="1152" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8529/8618554197_d7524a5422_o.png" width="800" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8620245981/" title="new2 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="new2" height="1158" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8539/8620245981_6102f75482_o.png" width="800" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8618503645/" title="mama birthday tribute 2 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="mama birthday tribute 2" height="800" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8395/8618503645_3bc0477979_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8619626858/" title="dad_9 copy copy by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="dad_9 copy copy" height="598" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8542/8619626858_f90b2ef06c_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8621341438/" title="new by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="new" height="567" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8524/8621341438_0009ffaecf_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8618523717/" title="dad_7 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="dad_7" height="545" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8379/8618523717_d1ca4061ea_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8619692965/" title="mom and dad 70s and with goofy glasses by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="mom and dad 70s and with goofy glasses" height="393" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8265/8619692965_4c23226636_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8619695285/" title="mom college and at aunt nancys by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="mom college and at aunt nancys" height="359" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8246/8619695285_f02962ed70_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8619698545/" title="mom christmas 1 and 2 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="mom christmas 1 and 2" height="570" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8254/8619698545_ebbd5a0e8e_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8620808822/" title="mom matching sweaters and engaged by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="mom matching sweaters and engaged" height="564" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8243/8620808822_37e5fc48ef_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8620624828/" title="dad27 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="dad27" height="542" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8534/8620624828_d3dd2e52f6_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8620630294/" title="gram and mom 2 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="gram and mom 2" height="580" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8388/8620630294_741fffc8a4_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8619662038/" title="853115654_e9f915646c_o by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="853115654_e9f915646c_o" height="1213" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8114/8619662038_4dfc3b0f16_o.png" width="800" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8617657657/" title="mama birthday tribute 3 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="mama birthday tribute 3" height="800" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8395/8617657657_4f2a613359_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
<br />
last but not least, an all-time favorite of mine...<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8619620112/" title="first date copy by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="first date copy" height="543" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8386/8619620112_ae1534d5eb_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
she's beautiful, no?<br />
<br />
happy birthday, mama. i love you!</div>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8621528726/" title="mom and me at shower by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="mom and me at shower" height="800" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8252/8621528726_ec768a4556_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>georgia b.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15482885077943093475noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8506858156087040907.post-9477933299747532532013-04-03T00:26:00.001-05:002013-04-06T02:09:31.961-05:00ode to winter {only about a week and a half late}<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8615846936/" title="DSC_0178 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0178" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8258/8615846936_9faff749ee_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8615848180/" title="DSC_0171 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0171" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8537/8615848180_5722c82e37_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8615848654/" title="DSC_0154 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0154" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8395/8615848654_6173d30c53_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
i was thinking today, when i came across these photos {while searching for something completely different}, how we'll likey not see snow here again until next winter. i think an ever-so-slight tinge of sadness even crept up in me as i thought about it. having moved to our new house in winter, i haven't known these surroundings in any other "light" besides a snowy one. and though i'm getting excited about finding out what's out there in my yard, as i'm already starting to see green shoots pop up here and there, i can't help but think i'll miss the snow we've had a little bit.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i>someone better check on me over here, 'cause it is not at all like me to use the words "miss" and "snow" in the same sentence!</i></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
it had me thinking that, when it comes down to it, we had a pretty good winter. it was made picturesque with just enough snow, without being made treacherous from several heavy snowfalls as was the case a few winters ago {during my pregnancy, of course}. not that this winter turned out to be anything like last winter {which was a "balmy" one much of the time}. 'twas a bit colder this year. but if it means some magical snowfalls here and there, i'm okay with that.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
bottom line, i'm grateful for the pretty first winter we had here. some great memories were created during our first three months in this new house. and snow was one of the strokes to the picture that was painted. i'm so glad i took the time to take some shots like these... of our views out the front, the back and the side.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
don't be fooled. these shots almost make it seem as if we live in the middle of nowhere. but, in fact, we've got plenty of close-by neighbors. you just have to know what angle to shoot at to make it look like you live on endless acres of flowing land. shooting smack-dab in the middle of a heavy snowfall doesn't hurt creating this illusion, either. =)</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
anyway, i'm guessing it's the fact that winter was not too harsh that is making the late arrival of spring more bearable. in addition, there's the fact that we have had about six sunny days in a row here... practically unheard of in these parts!</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
we're due for a few more days of way-below-normal temps. but we haven't seen snow for days... maybe weeks. so spring is on the way. i just <i>know</i> it. not spring-on-paper <i>spring</i>. spring-like-the-kind-you-feel-on-your-skin-and-smell-with-your-nose <i>spring</i>.<br />
<br />
happy dance.</div>
georgia b.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15482885077943093475noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8506858156087040907.post-7366349139524751322013-04-01T23:18:00.004-05:002013-04-06T02:59:02.814-05:00project life {week thirteen} and a few other things these days<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8611265159/" title="week 13 collage by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="week 13 collage" height="4436" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8113/8611265159_a14405b9c5_o.jpg" width="800" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
1, 2. TUESDAY - BOOK {up on the fridge and down on the floor}</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
3. MONDAY - CLUTTERED {with a capital CL! table and chair next to my bed... ughhh}</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
4. THURSDAY - SPLASH {rinsing dishes in the kitchen sink}</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
5. SATURDAY - COLLAGE {a gallery wall of art and mirrors in the bathroom}</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
6. FRIDAY - MY PEEPS {both my peeps and those other peeps... they're all sweet as sugar}</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
7. TUESDAY - GREEN {the newest in my <strike>obsession</strike> collection of mugs}</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
8. SUNDAY - CURRENTLY READING {a fabulous book from <a href="http://itsjusthowiseethings.blogspot.com/2012/08/sneaking-peek.html" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #bf9000;">a fabulous friend</span></b></a>}<br />
{how 'bout those finger prints courtesy of isaac? poor kid gets blamed for everything. they're probably mine!}</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
* * * * *</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
and here's a bit of what we've been up to these days...</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8612569364/" title="DSC_0640 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0640" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8382/8612569364_91d80304cc_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8611461837/" title="DSC_0649 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0649" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8531/8611461837_be09830f8c_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8611465879/" title="DSC_0936 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0936" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8528/8611465879_27423141e5_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8612547920/" title="DSC_0944 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0944" height="531" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8260/8612547920_9ebcdd09c4_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8612549368/" title="DSC_0915 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0915" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8266/8612549368_47211241c8_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8611589117/" title="DSC_0298-color by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0298-color" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8392/8611589117_f7cc95a4a7_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8612561122/" title="DSC_0356 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0356" height="1203" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8389/8612561122_d77d67afb1_o.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8612552304/" title="DSC_0263-0277 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0263-0277" height="595" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8388/8612552304_eb6260594b_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8611464427/" title="DSC_0253 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0253" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8113/8611464427_b3dbc09989_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8611451751/" title="DSC_0388 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0388" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8406/8611451751_25af2ccecf_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8612556420/" title="DSC_0390 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0390" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8545/8612556420_4ec0cf3d1e_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8611447351/" title="DSC_0391 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0391" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8262/8611447351_81c07394f2_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8612554946/" title="DSC_0412 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0412" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8532/8612554946_a2d3712cb8_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8612565256/" title="DSC_0410-0415 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0410-0415" height="596" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8393/8612565256_d73db36c33_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8611453481/" title="DSC_0366 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0366" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8112/8611453481_6dc641dc32_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8611457243/" title="DSC_0475 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0475" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8523/8611457243_a28f25bafc_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8612562088/" title="DSC_0506 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0506" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8522/8612562088_384ed51864_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
<br />
countless expressions that can change on a dime, but mostly smiles {it is a very smiley age}</div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<br />
making delicious mini brownie cakes for <a href="http://itsjusthowiseethings.blogspot.com/2013/03/forty-three.html"><b><span style="color: #bf9000;">a certain birthday boy</span></b></a> </div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<br />
daily enjoying a recent {most delicious} afternoon tradition... an old favorite—<a href="http://itsjusthowiseethings.blogspot.com/2009/04/afternoon-tea-with-mrs-dalloway.html" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #bf9000;">the best green tea</span></b></a>—with a new favorite—<a href="http://www.belvitabreakfast.com/flavors#blueberry" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #bf9000;">the best blueberry cookies</span></b></a> {even though they are breakfast cookies and are meant for mornings}<br />
thankfully the flavor i get is not one of the two recently-recalled-for-having-metal-mesh-in-them flavors!<br />
<br />
scrapes and bumps... the murphy's law kind that happen only when there is a holiday the next day and there are bound to be photos.</div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<br />
and then there's easter, of course... isaac in his easter finest and me with my new DO.<br />
what DO you think? DO you like it?<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
{oh... and in case you were wondering... that's not the dog's drool on isaac's mouth in the sixth-to-last photo, despite what the photo before it might lead you to believe. isaac had a cold on easter, so he was drooling a lot as a result of his plugged up nose. just thought i'd clarify, 'cause i know if i didn't know the whole story and i saw that photo, i'd be like "whaaaaaaaaaaaat?"}</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
=)<br />
<br />
i hope you had a wonderful easter!</div>
</div>
georgia b.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15482885077943093475noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8506858156087040907.post-41531868774171714992013-03-31T01:12:00.001-05:002013-03-31T12:10:40.861-05:00freckledy-speckledy eggs... all in one basket, despite what the old adage would suggest {and just a few thoughts on easter}<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8604834706/" title="DSC_0200 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0200" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8519/8604834706_a913a39648_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8604899920/" title="DSC_-145-0029 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_-145-0029" height="598" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8403/8604899920_6a523b55c3_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8604895282/" title="DSC_0024 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0024" height="1203" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8404/8604895282_93ab12f1a8_o.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8604893106/" title="DSC_0030 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0030" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8244/8604893106_37de8626a3_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
yep... i did it. despite the advice we've heard over and over about not putting all our eggs in one basket, i did just that. i couldn't help myself. when you recently got a dozen eggs {or eggy-weggs, as we like to call them for the sake of entertaining isaac} from a friend's mother-in-law's hen house, and when easter is the next day and you recently bought a charming little white wire basket from the thrift store to use for storing things on a closet shelf, but the eggs would look better in it than toiletries would... especially for photos... well, then you just <i>have</i> to put them all in one basket.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
or on a pretty green platter.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
or even in their styrofoam carton.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
when they are fresh-from-the-farm eggs in a sundry of colors and look lovely in just about any container, you just <i>have</i> to play. i'm sure it's gotta be some rule somewhere.</div>
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8604891318/" title="DSC_0058 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0058" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8124/8604891318_29b7025af9_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8603776887/" title="DSC_0117 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0117" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8108/8603776887_1b4174d653_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
how cool is it that my all-natural, not-from-the-"machine", fresh eggs come already colored, so i don't have to do any egg-coloring for easter {not so sure i would have, <i>anyway</i>}. no need for artificial dyes or messy fingers. just display-as-is with these puppies. there was even a green egg. a <i>green</i> egg. what kind of chicken lays a <i>green</i> egg?</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
in forty-one years, i have <i>never</i> seen a green egg. have you?</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
i'm not sure if the color green for an egg is a good thing or a bad thing. i'm gonna go with <i>good</i>. i adore that green egg. it couldn't be more festive and spring-y. and it so beautifully complements the peachy brown eggs and the perfectly white and cream-colored eggs in the bunch...<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a></div>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8603795079/" title="DSC_0020 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0020" height="531" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8383/8603795079_33cfafd26a_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
other than the colors of these eggs, what could be better than the carton they were given to me in? i'm guessing it is an old carton recycled for transport and delivery, as these came straight from someone's back yard. but no matter where that carton first came from, i love it. especially for this time of year... for this <i>day</i>, to be more precise.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
of course, we could {and should} be glad in every day... not just easter... because every day is one the Lord has made. but it just seemed too perfect to have such an uplifting message appear in such a random place on this day. in fact, i had not even noticed the verse was there until i opened the above photo on my computer. i'm not sure who sells eggs with bible verses in their packaging, but i will keep buying their eggs when i find out. {i'd go look at the cover to see if i hadn't already thrown it away.}</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
anyway, i had a blast photographing these lovely speckled eggs. they just <i>look</i> fresh and healthy, don't they? knowing they came from a good old-fashioned chicken farm makes them seem even more "good for you"... and something tells me they are.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
what a sweet friend to bring them last week as part of her generous housewarming gift {along with a beautiful orchid and photo album} when she came to see our new house for the first time. she had given us eggs <a href="http://itsjusthowiseethings.blogspot.com/2011/02/happiness-is.html" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #bf9000;">once before</span></b></a>... back when i was pregnant with isaac. but there were no greenies in that bunch, thereby making this my favorite dozen to date.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
so for easter, i thought i'd share them here on my blog, too. well, share them visually, that is. literally? <i>no way!</i> these are <i>my</i> eggs and you'll have to fight me for them! </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
i've been on an egg kick lately. i hear so many good things about having two every morning and all the health benefits that come from such a routine. so i'm giving it a try. perfect timing to get these lovelies, if you ask me. {already used one to make that banana bread i wrote about in <a href="http://itsjusthowiseethings.blogspot.com/2013/03/its-banana-bread-get-over-it-and-why.html" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #bf9000;">my last post</span></b></a>.}</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
oh, i <i>do</i> {sc}ramble on.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
eggs...</div>
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8603774125/" title="DSC_0121 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0121" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8383/8603774125_f5cd5eae55_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8604870580/" title="DSC_0150-0161 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0150-0161" height="263" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8519/8604870580_d64b5101eb_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8603753635/" title="DSC_0165 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0165" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8392/8603753635_f493fa1f6e_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8604858410/" title="DSC_0152 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0152" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8117/8604858410_d131aa7f21_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8604838444/" title="DSC_0196 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0196" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8126/8604838444_eec246d889_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8603729159/" title="DSC_0209-0206 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0209-0206" height="598" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8388/8603729159_a38e2c63ee_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
here's a close-up of the lone green egg. is this not the best? i almost don't want to eat it because it's so pretty... and too perfectly dr. seussy to use the way i would a plain old boring white or brown egg.</div>
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8604853316/" title="DSC_0172 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0172" height="1203" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8258/8604853316_637d6e596b_o.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
i don't have any of those fancy little hard-boiled-egg holders. so for my photos, i improvised by using the owl napkin rings that typically reside on my window sill by turning them sideways. they work quite nicely as an egg holder. </div>
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8604842326/" title="DSC_0191 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0191" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8256/8604842326_f0efd12a21_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8604850598/" title="DSC_0174 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0174" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8251/8604850598_b0721ea8f7_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
oh, and then there's this bird. one of my favorite votive holders in the house. she comes with a smaller companion bird, who is hiding in an undisclosed location in our house... wherever isaac last decided to perch him. {they get moved around a lot.}</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
birds are springy and eastery too, right? okay. stop twisting my arm. i'll get some photos of this bird, too...</div>
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8603785719/" title="DSC_0076 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0076" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8542/8603785719_4ec3302024_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8604883798/" title="DSC_0084 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0084" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8102/8604883798_742921803a_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8603778775/" title="DSC_0111 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0111" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8105/8603778775_a4b970f26a_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8603784063/" title="DSC_0081 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0081" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8264/8603784063_3af02cfe56_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
isn't it sweet? </div>
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8603747731/" title="DSC_0180 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0180" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8265/8603747731_e31627b830_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
okay. let's get serious now. since i'm not one of those people who gets really into the easter festivities—at least not in the easter-egg-hunt and easter-baskets-chock-full-of-candy sense... or in the get-dressed-up-in-frilly-spring-colors-and-go-out-to-brunch sense {not that i don't <i>LOVE</i> brunch}—i thought i'd sort of get down to the faith-based reason i celebrate easter. and by faith-based, i mean it is the <i>crux</i> of my faith. if you are family or a friend or even a long-time reader, you likely know this about me already. but if you're a newer reader, maybe not. my faith in God rests completely on the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. without that piece of it, there would be nothing to have faith in. the bible would just be a bunch of stories. and Jesus would just be a man that, real or not, was simply someone who was a good person we may or may not choose to model our lives after... or at least parts of our lives.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
but the truth is {i believe it to be} that without Christ's death on the cross and resurrection, i have no hope in this life and no hope of eternal life. so i treasure this holiday when it comes around, because the Christian side of why it's a holiday is the reason Christianity exists altogether. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
i don't like that we sometimes feel we have to celebrate certain things on a particular chosen day to cause us to think about them. i think we should think about these things <i>anyway</i>... all year. but the older i get, the more i realize how important it is to set aside this day to ponder and focus on all that surrounds Jesus' death and resurrection.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
over the last several years, this part of my faith has really begun to sink in. i remember within the last several years when it hit me... just how much of a sacrifice was made because that is how much God loves us and wants us to be with Him eternally.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
i couldn't go too much into all of that right now without turning this into a very long post. but that wasn't the point of this anyway {though i would gladly love to share what i believe with anyone at any point}.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
the part i wanted to bring up was how i have lately been so discouraged in my faith. not so much struggling to <i>have</i> faith that God is who He says He is. not that what i believe has come into question. but more that i've been struggling with discouragement as i watch so many dark and sad things happen all around me in this world, and despite what God's word tells us over and over... "do not be discouraged... take heart," i have lately often felt these words in my spirit... "where are you God?"</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
i've watched and witnessed many turn away from God or begin to write their own version of Christianity, veering so far from what i believe the bible teaches. yes, we all have different interpretations. but it seems lately like there are blatant attempts to "rewrite" the bible to fit in with our changing world or to adapt to a culture that is moving farther and farther away from God. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
i won't go into this much more <i>either</i>, because i could spend hours writing about it. i'd rather rejoice in what i <i>do</i> know... that God is not changing. nor has He ever. nor will He ever. and neither is His word. no matter how much we change or this world changes, He and His word are <i>un</i>changing. and that has been a comfort to me this easter.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
in fact, just a few days ago, i laid down next to isaac during his nap, as he's been sick and wanting me close by. when i laid down, i had such a heavy heart over some of the things i had been seeing and reading online earlier that day. before i fell asleep i just asked God to help me... to answer me in my spirit and heart, and speak to the thoughts in my mind, giving me a peace... to help me know what to think and believe in this day and age. i asked, "what would you have of me now, and how do you want me to process all that i see?"</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
i hoped i would wake up with a sense of some sort of an answer. but i did not. however, i did not feel disheartened, because i felt a peace that it would come in time. so i carried on about my day, caring for isaac and doing other typical day-in-the-life-of-a-mom things.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
it wouldn't be until the next morning that i felt God speak to my heart and mind while my spirit was quiet and waiting for Him to answer.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
isaac was still sick, and just as mr. b was getting ready to leave for work, isaac went into our very unorganized office {where i now sit to type} and pulled out a compact disc from a still-unpacked box. he brought it in to mr. b who was putting on his shoes by the front door and said "dada, music. d-d-d." {which is how he says dvd. he does not yet know the difference between cd's and dvd's and thinks they all play music and video}.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
mr. b said, "i can't play that for you now, isaac. i have to go to work. give it to mama." so i took it to see what he had picked out... wasn't going to play something that didn't meet my approval first. it was an old cd i have had for several years and have not listened to for almost as many... <i>the fatherless and the widow</i> by sixpence none the richer.<br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>good choice, isaac! you have taste!</i></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
here's the thing. i would never have thought to go grab <i>that</i> cd... even if i had thought to put in a cd <i>at all</i>. it's just not something i do on mornings. most mornings, after mr. b leaves for work, isaac and i sit at the kitchen table and eat breakfast while listening to the classical station on the radio. i have not put on a single cd since we've moved here.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
but this was a special day. isaac was sick, and i could tell he really wanted to listen to something on the stereo in the living room. actually, i think he thought it was the middle of the night, because one night when he woke up not feeling well a couple months ago, we got him up and had him come in by us in the living room. we were still up {it was a weekend} and we had been listening to music, so we let him join us to listen too, since he wasn't able to go back to sleep. we thought he might get tired again if he was content by being with us, so we held him, danced around with him and tried to help him feel better. since it was still somewhat dark in the house two mornings ago, i think he might have thought this was a repeat middle-of-the-night episode, and once again wanted to be held while soothing music played until he was tired enough to go back to sleep.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
so i let him have his way, and i put the cd in. again, though i really love that cd, i never would have thought to grab and play it.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
as the songs began to play out, i felt a such a sense of peace... one that, it quickly dawned on me, was the peace i had been seeking. at first i thought it was because i was walking and twirling around the living room ever-so-wispily as isaac cuddled and clung to me the way he does when he is sick. {it was such a precious and tender moment i'll never forget.} but then i realized it was the music itself that was filling me with a peace... much of which was thoughtful, mellow and ethereal.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
then the cd came to a song called <i>musings</i>. i won't list all the lyrics, but i'll mention these few, because they are the ones that affected me most... "oh the world is such a big place and You have redeemed it. You have redeemed it. no reason to be afraid. You have redeemed it. You have redeemed us all... help me to remember this world is Yours. You gave Your life to bring the wayward back to You. the wayward back to You." {wow... what a reminder of the message of easter in that last line!}</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
well, that hit me quite significantly... that this was what was God's answer to my recent discouragement and searching. if you knew the exact questions i had for God the day before {right before isaac's and my nap when i prayed}, those words would mean even more... as much as they mean to me. but i won't share the specifics here. i'll just say that i had been becoming very discouraged about this world we live in, and i questioned how he wanted me to live here and what light to see His world in.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
it's not always through digging into our bible that we'll find answers or that God will speak to us. i believe he can use a song or another person... even a sign on the side of the road to speak to us. this day, it was that song, and then another right after it.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
the cool part is that right after <i>musings</i> came another song... one which was made up mostly of words that come right out of scripture. and like the first song, it was a big reminder to me of what i should be thinking and doing on this big spinning ball where i don't have all the answers, nor does anyone else, but God's word does. here are all of the words to that song...</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
trust in the Lord with all your heart</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
lean not on your own understanding</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
in all of your ways acknowledge Him</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
and He will make your paths straight</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
don't worry about tomorrow</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
He's got it under control</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
just trust in the Lord with all your heart</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
and He will carry you though</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
once again... <i>wow</i>. simple words straight from <a href="http://www.esvbible.org/Proverbs+3%3A5-6/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #bf9000;">proverbs 3:5-6</span></b></a>. but so profound when going through times of questioning or feeling disheartened and wondering where God is as you look at the world around or at your own life.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
i sat there still... hoping isaac wouldn't cry for me to twirl him some more. i just wanted to sit a while longer and let those words sink in, as i knew so clearly in my heart that those words were God's answer to my quiet prayer a day earlier.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
it's not an "easter" song. it doesn't speak of His triumphant victory over death on the cross through resurrection. but it speaks to my heart in a day and age where i wonder how serious people are anymore about God and who He says He is. it seems there are many who want to be saved and want to tap into that power of His resurrection. they want to spend eternity in a "good" place and hope God is real, but don't want to live their days in serious obedience to God's clear instructions for living. and there are many who readily profess their belief that He <i>is</i> God as the bible claims, but they want to erase other parts of the bible—or ignore them, at best—so as to fit their faith to their lifestyle or this culture we find ourselves now in. i don't exclude myself, as i am just as guilty of this sometimes... it may not be in the struggles or areas of sin that are part of the bigger picture that our culture faces, but it is in my own struggle with sins of selfishness or laziness or bitterness or envy or lying. they may seem small compared to the "big" sins we hear preached {or debated} about. but they are just as prevalent, and i'm just as in need of God's forgiveness because of them. not only that... i need to scan my own life and find hidden sin. my heart is just as wicked as every other person's, so i am equally in need of searching, confessing, admitting and submitting to the truth of God's word instead of ignoring the things i don't want to see there in its pages so that i don't have to deal with those sins in my life and cut them out of it.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
when i laid down to sleep the day before, that was the immediate message i sensed God was responding to my prayer with... "examine your <i>own</i> life. <i>I</i> will take care of the rest... the bigger picture. and I will give you a peace about that." then, with those songs the next day, came the peace He promised.<br />
<br />
well, i didn't expect this post to turn out so lengthy. but i found i just could not write about this without sharing as much as i did. if anyone <i>did</i> take the time to read it, i hope those song lyrics were an encouragement to you as well.<br />
<br />
but if you didn't take the time to read it {'cause... well, it's easter and i wouldn't blame you... you've got places to go, relatives to see, chocolate bunnies to eat *wink*}, then i hope you just skipped down to the end to read my final thoughts.</div>
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8604851882/" title="DSC_0173 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0173" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8521/8604851882_ce65ffdc7a_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
i'm not typically very vocal about my faith and what i believe on this blog. i try to stick to photography and writing a little about life in relation to those photos. but if i'm going to photograph eggs and birds and talk about spring and easter, i can't not mention the heart of why i celebrate easter and the heart of what's been <i>on</i> my heart these days.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
it's not a sermon... by no means. it's not even a devotional or anything like it {i see myself as way under-qualified for that sort of thing!} it's just my heart and my mind and my <strike>little</strike> lengthy attempt to send a bit of encouragement out into cyberspace this easter... and an excuse to show-and-tell some pretty things like health-happy eggs while i'm at it.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
there's nothing left for me to share, except maybe this...</div>
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8604873872/" title="DSC_0138 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0138" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8251/8604873872_8846f9f2ce_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
i hope it's a blessed day filled with love and light and a great impression upon your heart about what God has done for us through his son, Jesus.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
~love,</div>
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8603743627/" title="DSC_0182 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0182" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8119/8603743627_ce316a27ae_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>georgia b.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15482885077943093475noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8506858156087040907.post-12923994291403988192013-03-29T05:51:00.001-05:002015-06-29T18:47:17.487-05:00it's banana bread... get over it. {and why i'll never be a food blogger}<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8595768307/" title="DSC_0868 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0868" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8514/8595768307_528c3b0eff_c.jpg" height="532" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8594648942/" title="DSC_0853 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0853" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8101/8594648942_e4560c5a66_c.jpg" height="532" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8593547173/" title="DSC_0855 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0855" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8106/8593547173_9be254065f_c.jpg" height="532" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8593548285/" title="DSC_0871 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0871" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8245/8593548285_ce258a7702_c.jpg" height="532" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8593547621/" title="DSC_0877-dip by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0877-dip" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8531/8593547621_b54cffe7df_c.jpg" height="264" width="800" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
i thought i'd be adventurous and make <a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/312772/banana-bread" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #bf9000;">banana bread</span></b></a> this last weekend. in doing so, i discovered something significant about myself...</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
it's safe to say, <i>i'll never be a food blogger. </i></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
that's right. i'm fairly certain i'll never be the author of <a href="http://spoonforkbacon.com/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #bf9000;">one of those chic food blogs</span></b></a> with its dreamy photography that you love to visit and plan on following so much that, surely, it will magically turn you into the best chef you never imagined you could be... by sheer osmosis, if nothing else. nope. that's not me.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
let me count the ways...</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
first, i'm just not a master at photographing the preparation of food, nor the final product. i either have to cook or photograph. i can't do both. it's the cold, hard fact that i'm learning to accept.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
i look at some of these food blogs and think "how in the world do they do it?" as i picture them working magic all around their kitchen, camera in one hand, mixing spoon in the other, while everything else just falls into place all by itself... ingredients, picture-perfect work spaces, ambient lighting... all that stuff just does its own thing on its own... something like those various inanimate {in the real world} objects that dance around in the animated <i>beauty and the beast </i>story.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
or... maybe these commoner-turned-pro cooks are hiring professional teams of photographers and stylists that make everything look like a feature spread in <i>martha stewart living</i>. i don't know.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
i just know this. while my camera dials are getting covered in flour and oily finger prints, i take rushed, blurry photos, made even blurrier by the jiggling of my camera because i can't stop laughing when my husband {who said banana bread is for} walks through the room, sees me clicking away, and responds to what he just witnessed ever-so-nonchalantly as he exits with two succinct statements...<br />
<br />
<h3>
<b>"it's banana bread. get over it."</b></h3>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
bahahahahaha!<br />
<br />
{i guess that's the second reason why i'll never be a food blogger... i don't take ridicule well.}<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
at that point, i just sort of gave up and thought, "yeah... who am i trying to kid? or impress? i will stick to just making banana bread."</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
third, even if i could take fabulous food pictures, i'm just not a natural in the kitchen... at all. {although, i did make a mean pasta with tomato sauce and cream cheese concoction for dinner the following night!} seriously, though. it would be quite an irony for me to show-and-tell any potential readers how to make something in the kitchen while attempting to come across as though i know what i'm doing... when, in reality, i'm so much closer to the man we know and love as mr. brady in the clip below than i am to martha stewart... clumsy and a little bit of a kitchen dork.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
even if by some small miracle i could ever come up with my own unique book- or blog-worthy recipe, or if i could modify someone else's recipe to make it the most delicious version out there, i'd still not be very savvy in the kitchen... when it comes to the actual making of this imaginary wonderful dish.</div>
</div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
i'm just not sophisticated with the whole thing. it's an awkward site, to be sure. i'd love nothing more than if i looked like the chefs on <a href="http://www.pbs.org/food/shows/everyday-food/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #bf9000;"><i>everyday food</i></span></b></a> while i cook... so calm. so quiet. so neat. with me it's stress and mess.</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8599293779/" title="DSC_0889 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0889" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8104/8599293779_9a3f04eb4a_c.jpg" height="532" width="800" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
this is just the beginning of how messy i was by the time i was done. yes... that's what aprons are for. i know. but trust me. even an apron wouldn't save me from the disaster zone i can create when you give me a bowl, a spoon or two, and a plethora of dry ingredients.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8600391818/" title="DSC_0888 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0888" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8380/8600391818_6bae1c3a2a_c.jpg" height="532" width="800" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
i had to include this photo of mr. b, too... because it illustrates just how nice my hubby is under all that humorous sarcasm. he acted as a stand-in for my photo so i could get the focus just right on my timer self-portrait above. what a guy!... and <i>all</i> he wanted was some banana bread, poor thing.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
well... just to further show how unsavvy with food-blogging i am, i forgot to take a picture of the final product... my sweet baked bread all fancy-like, sliced up and sitting on a pretty plate with a perfect beverage by its side. but that said, it <i>was</i> delicious banana bread, and there just aint no time for photographing delicious banana bread! there's only time for eatin'!!</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
anyway, like i said earlier, if you want a glimpse of what it looks like when i'm in the kitchen, watch this...</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="600" src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/0aXEUJbZsnE?rel=0" width="800"></iframe><br /></div>
<br />
haha. typical brady bunch cornball cheese. but appropriate for my in-the-kitchen post, as we are going for a very similar aesthetic in our mid-century modern kitchen to what you can see in theirs {swooning over that avocado green mixer they had!}. in fact, did you notice those boomerang countertops in my photos above? i'd absolutely love to replace them someday with something just like what was in the brady kitchen {but my backsplash will be white subway tile, i think}.<br />
<br />
thanks to the <a href="http://retrorenovation.com/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #bf9000;">retro renovation</span></b></a> blog i've been following recently {with all it's fabulous tips on mid-century modern restoration}, i know <a href="http://www.pionite.com/pionite/pages_pionite/pionite_solids_1.php?page=2" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #bf9000;">that particular laminate color is still available</span></b></a>. squeal!<br />
<br />
...not that we are trying to go for an exact replica of the brady bunch kitchen. but i <i>do</i> love that color for a counter.<br />
<br />
and who knows? maybe, just maybe, orange counters can magically turn my food preparation works {and the photos of them} into master pieces.<br />
<br />
or..................... maybe orange counters can't do a darn thing for my kitchen skills, and my creations will still bring on the deflated failure-flavored <a href="http://www.bradybunchshrine.com/bradybunch/Sounds1/bbmusic4.wav" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #bf9000;">wahnah-wahnah-wah, wahnah-wahnah-wah, wahnah-wahnah-wah</span></b></a> that they always have.<br />
<br />
but i'll <i>still</i> have <i>pretty counters</i>!<br />
;<span style="font-size: x-small;">•</span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">)</span></div>
georgia b.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15482885077943093475noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8506858156087040907.post-63012580777824883842013-03-28T00:35:00.000-05:002013-03-28T15:41:55.377-05:00forty-three<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8596203123/" title="brac birthday collage by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="brac birthday collage" height="534" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8528/8596203123_ce0a8a9541_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
hey, <i>mister</i>. before you scoot off to work, i wanted to let you know that i celebrate you today... and all forty-three years you've been around... especially the ones in which you met me, noticed me, pursued me, caught me, dated me, married me, listened to me, played guitar for me, wrote songs for me, held me, nursed me, humored me, got frustrated with me, grieved with me, questioned me, forgave me, kept me, sharpened me, helped me, sacrificed for me, cooked for me, provided for me, gave a son to me, and parented with me... and so so many other things that make you the best person i've ever known. yes, best.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
thank you for teaching me and for fulfilling two of the biggest callings you were put here for. though you may have flaws or shortcomings, i honestly could not raise a single issue with you to complain about. in fact, i feel so very lucky, and surely undeserving. but i love you with all my heart.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
the laughter you bring into our lives {and others} is one of the best treasures that you are. wisdom, patience, truth and grace are at the top of that list, too. and let's not forget... you get more handsome every year. i don't care <i>what</i> you say!</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
even if you aren't big on birthdays, i celebrate you anyway... and the fact you were brought into this sometimes strange and sad place we live in forthy-three years ago today.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
* * * * *</div>
<br />
oh... and here is a little message from mini-you...</div>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8596285463/" title="DSC_0808 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0808" height="1203" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8370/8596285463_6622bab25b_o.jpg" width="800" /></a>georgia b.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15482885077943093475noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8506858156087040907.post-77272009215757689772013-03-24T14:31:00.002-05:002013-03-25T00:11:51.227-05:00project life and weekending<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="http://www.projectlife365.com/shout-out-mary-woestehoff/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #bf9000;">this</span></b></a> is why i want to keep going with my <a href="http://www.projectlife365.com/category/daily-challenges/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #bf9000;">project life 365</span></b></a> endeavor... because of what <a href="http://www.projectlife365.com/shout-out-mary-woestehoff/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #bf9000;">she</span></b></a> said.<br />
<br />
i want to look back just as she was able to and have something visibly tangible to pour over as a reminder of my days... our days.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
but i'm finding that my daily pics don't turn into daily posts. and then they just get pushed deeper and deeper into the folders i view by date... forgotten. so i will now be posting my daily shots once per week in the format you see below. we'll see how this goes. i'd really like to give it the old college try. {what does that mean, anyway? i use it all the time, but never really wondered what it meant until just now.}<br />
<br />
anyway... wish me luck!!<br />
<br />
here goes for week twelve {not in chronological order}, hopefully the first of many...<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8585950673/" title="week 12 collage2 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="week 12 collage2" height="1700" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8391/8585950673_a612cff65a_o.jpg" width="800" /></a>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
monday – light • sunday – cheers<br />
tuesday – in the house • thursday – weather<br />
saturday – musical • wednesday – fresh<br />
friday – on the wall</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
i had missed my opportunity for "cheers" and "weather" on sunday and thursday. so i made up for opportunities missed yesterday... first when isaac and i attended a birthday party in the morning and then when his uncle drew came to visit all of us in the afternoon.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
we happily attended the one-year birthday part of <a href="http://itsjusthowiseethings.blogspot.com/2012/09/sometimes-hell-cry-and-sometime-shell.html" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #bf9000;">a sweet little boy</span></b></a> i had the pleasure of photographing a while back. the theme was sesame street {complete with a fabulous elmo cake that isaac would have loved on so many levels!}, and we left with party favors that were all things colorful and baby sesame street. isaac quite contentedly rode the entire hour home with party balloons in hand, deep in a droopy-eyed food coma. so i snapped a shot or two of the balloons in the rear-view mirror {while stopped at a light, of course}, because they went so well with the warm and sunny {finally!} day that we were enjoying. was thinkin' "weather balloons" for a title on that one.<br />
<br />
in his food-coma-turned-nap, isaac remained in the car when we arrived home so he could ride along with mr. b. to the train station where they would pick up uncle drew. mr. b's brother took the outbound train from chicago to spend the day with us. just three months ago, he could have walked to our house from the station. but now, we have to pick him up twenty minutes from our new home... one of the only drawbacks of our move.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
anyway, we enjoyed a good two hours of healthy eating... nothing but the best. a big bowl of doritos for all. beer for the boys. cider for me. juice for isaac. that's what saturdays are made of, if you ask me!</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
when i saw isaac wanting to toast his uncle drew and dad with his sippy cup {a new thing around here that happens at nearly every meal}, i ran to get my camera. cheating a little, i guess... as "cheers" was to found the sunday before. but better late than never. it still did what it was intended to do... mark a memory of our daily lives and how things are... what we do. what we see. where we're at.<br />
<br /></div>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8587037440/" title="DSC_0354 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0354" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8243/8587037440_7bcb32e7f0_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
i hope i never forget the way he loves to toast us with his juice and say "cheeeers!" and i hope to never forget the way the light came in through the window and silhouetted him as he hung out with his dad and uncle.<br />
<br />
come sunday morning, isaac was happy to awake and find that his toys and balloons from the day before were still there.<br />
<br /></div>
</div>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8587042612/" title="DSC_0507 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0507" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8386/8587042612_9666268d01_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
<br />
and i, too, was happy to wake up and find that it all wasn't just a dream.georgia b.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15482885077943093475noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8506858156087040907.post-25663289226483395892013-03-21T16:35:00.001-05:002013-03-29T12:00:58.567-05:00house update... sort of {entry no. 1 of my house & home journal}<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8575864101/" title="collage by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="collage" height="800" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8505/8575864101_21aaffeb6b_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
...like my brain.<br />
<br />
as i compile this post, i realize it's a little too hodge-podge for my liking. it seems to lack a theme or direction, save the one thread that runs through it all, which is photos of or references to all things around the house... little bits and pieces of here and there. other than that, this will be somewhat all over the place. but sometimes, that's just the state of my brain, too... fragmented and all over the place. some call it "a lot on my mind". others might say "frazzled". to me, it feels like dubious "mommy brain" that's taken over my once sharply-able-to-focus-and-get-it-done brain.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
but you don't want to hear about what's going on in my brain, i'm guessing. i assure you... it would be worse than listening to someone's boring dream that they had the night before. *yawns*</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
so instead, i'll just post some pics and explanations of them... especially for those who have kept asking for house pics, but also as a means to journal our journey of moving into a new home and making it our own. {woh... never thought i could say that!... pinch me so i know it's not just a dream.}<br />
<br />
some of these shots were taken in response to <a href="http://www.projectlife365.com/week-12-daily-challenges-3-17-13-3-23-13/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #bf9000;">project life 365 challenges for the week</span></b></a>... "light"... "in the house"... "fresh". but then i realized that all my photos for those challenges could be a mini house update when put together. so put them all together, i did.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
if i were organized in my plan of attack, and if i was anywhere near where i'd like to be by this point in the diy, renovating and decorating departments and documentation of those things, i'd have some posts lined up with some photos to show the progress or, at the very least, before and after shots. but i'm not organized... not with the house progress, nor with the documenting it. at my speed, if i'm lucky, every on of my plans for this home just might be completed circa 2041. i'll be almost seventy years old. weird.<br />
<br />
anyway, i apologize that these are not more big-picture type views. i need to put my other lens on for those shots, so i can zoom out. my good lens has no zoom, and with rooms as small as ours, i can't back up far enough in many cases to get a whole-room shot.<br />
<br />
that's okay, though... i'm not quite ready for the big reveals anyway. i can only do the corners that look complete... or close to it. what you don't see are the areas that are not only incomplete, but quite a mess as well. uh-uh! no. no. no. nope! not showin' you that. =)<br />
<br />
so... here's what's new...</div>
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8576960466/" title="DSC_0259 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0259" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8380/8576960466_a5ac081345_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
the kitchen is almost done... well, the short-term things that <i>could</i> be done within our existing budget, that is. major changes will have to happen way down the road. things like •new oven •new fridge •new flooring •new backsplash •built-in banquette for the breakfast nook {something like <a href="http://www.houzz.com/photos/1642137/El-Dorado-modern-kitchen-new-york" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #bf9000;">this one</span></b></a>} ... you know... the biggies!</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
for right now, we've tackled the smallies. we've removed the lighting that was there when we bought the house {awful!} and replaced it with fresher, funner, more true-to-period fixtures. i'll share a little bit more about one of those fixtures below.<br />
<br />
we've also painted. the only sans cabinetry wall got a coat of fresh white. having been a dingy yellow previously, it's amazing how much that one change brightened up the space. we also painted the soffits above the cabinets a fun orange. with the mid-century brown wood-grain laminate cabinets we have, that orange took our kitchen to fabulous <b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGqtBpcrDsf3QuEU_CTV-Z1sqkn-VefEkYmrhSApdoXbI4exHiHXbqqn280L4lvtmAbZIi1TQmoRrUlF96NiGuIc48jHI3_1vOoR2f4O0DnX2jLQTr5m0HsIycKu3q9OSYOXVZOBiQua6K/s1600/FullKitchen.jpg" target="_blank"><span style="color: #bf9000;">brady bunch kitchen</span></a></b> level that we were totally going for!!... although, our orange is a bit brighter and fresher, and the kitchen is lighter in general. {can't wait to show some pics of that part!} speaking of cabinets, we also replaced the hardware, and in some places, removed it altogether. like the former lighting in our kitchen, the door and drawer pulls were an awful early american style and so not in keeping with the 60s design that the rest of the house is. so i removed them on the doors and replaced them {with something very similar to <a href="http://www.lifeandhome.com/round-concave-cabinet-knob-chrome-finish.html?gclid=CIScgbC0jrYCFYSe4AodanQAeA" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #bf9000;">these</span></b></a>} on the drawers. now i just have to fill in the holes on the doors with stained-to-match wood putty. {i did one door already, and you can't even tell there was ever anything there... yay!}<br />
<br />
everything else in the room that is done or will be done is decor-related as opposed to refurbish-, remodel- or remake-related.<br />
<br />
for instance, that lovely stretched textile print that my sweet friend {<a href="http://itsjusthowiseethings.blogspot.com/2013/03/catching-up.html" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #bf9000;">with the brand new baby</span></b></a>} gave me {pictured above}. it's so bright and cheerful and i love it on that big wall... it fills up the space perfectly and brings just the right amount of color to the room. eventually, that wall will be filled with a giant mural of one of my black and white photos {can't wait for that!}. but this works for now. only thing is, now i have to find something else to replace it and fill the space in the office that it was originally pegged for.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>i included this next photo in for a couple reasons. first, i took the picture for yesterday's <a href="http://www.projectlife365.com/week-12-daily-challenges-3-17-13-3-23-13/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #bf9000;">project life 365 challenge</span></b></a>, which was "fresh". sad but true... orange juice was the only food-related thing in the house to photograph that was even remotely fresh {grocery shopping is first on the to-do list after the hubby gets paid!}. but i also added it to show just how much that orange light above the table casts a glow on the room when it's turned on. it made the white background of my photo seem peachy, which is why i actually prefer that light fixture when it's off... <i>especially</i> when trying to get photos of things that i want to look fresh.</div>
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8576962292/" title="DSC_0238 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0238" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8226/8576962292_6e95fdfbaa_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8576961008/" title="DSC_0251 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0251" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8094/8576961008_09dfbcc94d_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
with that... orange juice photo-shoot's over and breakfast is served, as you can see in this little snapshot i got of isaac enjoying that last drop of fresh in our kitchen. i hope to always highlight our spaces from a lived-in, utilized perspective as well as through shots like below, because those are the images that tell the story of us and how we live... not just our surroundings.<br />
<br />
i'll save the details for my real kitchen post {the full one}, but i'll quickly mention that this kitchen is the most special place of all for my family in this home so far. and i don't mean it's my favorite room from an interior design standpoint {which it happens to be at the moment}. i mean it's the place where the most memorable moments are taking place and the best memories are being created. i've never felt like i had a home where the kitchen was the heart... until now. but again, more on that in another post at another time.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8573179450/" title="#projectlife365 #light #in_the_house by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="#projectlife365 #light #in_the_house" height="1203" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8088/8573179450_abd0020170_o.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
now back to that light... the pièce de résistance in our kitchen would have to be the orange pendant light that i salvaged from my dad's garage while my family cleaned it out after his passing six years ago. it's such a great lamp design... very unique. but i love it even more knowing my dad brought it home from one of his carpentry jobs {where it was likely destined for a dumpster}. he probably had some vision for it in his own home, but it ended up buried in the vast store of collected odds and ends that he'd bring home from his job sites {from which i also snagged an awesome vintage metal sign letter}.<br />
<br />
note... that chain and ceiling plate will soon be replaced with chrome-plated versions to match the metals in the rest of the kitchen. to get rid of that orangey glow on the wall, i've purposefully overexposed the above photo of the lamp. but you can still see the detail of the groovy design. some day, i'm going to do some research on this fixture to find out when it was made. it definitely looks mid-century, but it seems like it might a little closer to the 70s than the 60s. i'm very curious to know. it uses one of those oversize, round, white bulbs, which makes it extra appealing when the light is off and you can it, because even the bulb looks vintage. anyway, that's about it for the kitchen for now.<br />
<br />
oh, wait... i forgot to mention another totally-within-our-budget change we made in the kitchen... new window treatments. there came with the house curtains that did not complement this space at all. so they came down almost immediately after moving in. i ordered some faux wood blinds to match the similar wood-grain laminate on the cabinets.</div>
</div>
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8575865395/" title="DSC_0068-2 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0068-2" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8101/8575865395_16b6e9d440_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
having not had a window in my kitchen for the eight years before moving here, this big, bright window makes me truly happy! if there are two things in a house that i feel are a must, it's a window in the bathroom and one in the kitchen... at <i>least</i> one. i feel lucky that the one we have is a good size, as often the original windows on these mid-century modern ranch kitchens were quite tiny. ours is above the sink and faces south... <i>double</i> bonus! i'm a happy kitchen camper!</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
okay... <i>NOW</i> i'm done rambling on about the kitchen. again... i'll be posting a full kitchen re-do post with before-and-after shots and all the details of any plans for the future some other time {after i've finished all that i can with this stage}.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
there's only one other room that is as near to completion as the kitchen is... isaac's room. so i figured i'd include a photo from that space, too. again... just a little peek via one small corner, because i've still got some things to wrap up in there as well. so i'll wait on the rest of it.</div>
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8576970298/" title="DSC_0192 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0192" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8506/8576970298_41fc2317a9_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
most of what is seen here is simply all things that came along from the old house... old things in a new space. the wood truck is the only new item... given to isaac by his cousin, jesse, while my sister watched him at her house on moving day.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
i'm excited to reveal his room too, because even though i never got around to writing an all-out reveal post of isaac's nursery at the old house, there were enough photos sprinkled throughout my pregnancy and his first year to show what it was like. but now that he's a toddler, i've tried to make his room a little more grown-up and sophisticated, while still keeping lots of whimsical touches. it's been so much fun to work on, and i find i want to hang out in there with him on the days when it's tidy {which aren't very frequent}.</div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
so... one last little peek... this time into the living room. for this space, it's mostly major things that are in need of being done. but there is still some painting that will be taking place shortly, as well as some furniture diy and arranging. once those two modifications have taken place, i'll feel comfortable hanging artwork. and then i'll be ready to post about it. can't wait, because that is probably the most quintessential mid-century modern room in the house. and it has soooooo much potential.</div>
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8575862175/" title="DSC_0489-2 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0489-2" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8108/8575862175_22e3936198_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
sorry to be so secretive. the intent is not to tease. it's simply that i don't have my act together. truth be told, i'm still unpacking in a few places, because those areas were waiting on storage or painting before things could be put away. yes... after three months, this is the harsh truth. but i've heard from so many people who have kids that unpacking and remodeling can take years when children are in the mix. i believe it!</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
the good news is we had an electrician friend of ours come and add new outlets and grounding to our electrical wiring, as well as replace the old fuse box with a breaker box! now i can work on my computer without worrying about it frying in the case of a power surge. and now that those new outlets are in, i can paint the office! when i finish up the many little things that add up to one big task in the kitchen and isaac's room, the office and our bedroom will be the next priorities. they are going to be a lot of fun, too!</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
who knows. maybe soon i'll get it in gear and get organized with the house planning. i think it's absolutely necessary to have a concrete plan, don't you? as with any other job or task, i'm certain that planning and scheduling for home renovations is so important. otherwise, things tend to sit idle.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
i'm realizing, even as i type, the most important thing i could do is write down some goals and come up with a schedule. maybe mr. b. and i can do that today, as he's home from work taking sick leave.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
with that, i wrap up... i've got some goal lists and schedules to get crackin' on!</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
happy first full day of spring!</div>
georgia b.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15482885077943093475noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8506858156087040907.post-49383305062819475902013-03-20T01:02:00.003-05:002013-03-20T02:18:02.360-05:00arrow through my heart<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8573082989/" title="DSC_0494 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0494" height="1203" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8109/8573082989_c057f32324_o.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8574177176/" title="DSC_0495-2 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0495-2" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8521/8574177176_8f287fa075_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8574176454/" title="DSC_0493 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0493" height="1203" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8520/8574176454_464dd889ea_o.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
with my arrows and hearts, this might have been a good valentine's day post if it was meant to be. but alas, it was not. it couldn't be, because valentine's day was over a month ago. and today is nothing more than the first day of spring... and my sister's birthday, too!! not that either of those things are anything to brush off as meaningless, 'cause they're huge!!</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
but lest i further digress, the point...</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
i can't tell you how many times since i've lived in this new house {almost three months now} that i have knelt down on my knees in our hallway to get shots like these of my sweet boy sitting in front of his book case {remember?... <a href="http://itsjusthowiseethings.blogspot.com/2013/03/troublemaker.html" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #bf9000;">the one that holds his 400 books</span></b></a>?}... reading, surrounded by a pile of recently "checked-out" books... content and happy as a clam... lost in a world of letters, words and illustrations.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
i've said it before and will likely say it again... how tickled i am that he loves books. and that is the reason i've sat several times all incognito-like {a fly on the wall in the hall} to watch him and shoot him in the moment as he read. each time it looked a little different. sometimes that book case was open {which i loved, 'cause you could see all the books}. sometimes he was facing the door. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
but always, he sat unaware of my presence. and he focused like a laser beam. not even distracted by the sound of my shutter when i clicked {which is not like him!... he always comes a-runnin' when he hears that thing!}.<br />
<br />
always a minute or two of me snapping my camera, bookended by my gazing admiration and a deep gratitude for was seeing.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
never in all those times, though, did i feel like my photos were post-worthy. the moment was worthy. but i did not do a very good job of capturing the mood. or they came out all wrong, technically speaking. or they came off looking like i was trying too hard, and i never want to try too hard when it comes to taking pictures... especially pictures like these.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
but this day was different. call it luck maybe? serendipity? i walked out of my office to check on him. {always always check on them when they're quietest, right?} i looked down the hall to my right to find him there. bathed in a single stream of light while all the room around him was dark. it was too good to be true. angelic. magical. precious. i nearly gasped. and within a split second, i thought "oh, quick. where's my camera?!!!" luckily, it was a mere two steps away.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
anyone who tries to get pics of their {or anyone else's} toddler knows that you snap as quiclkly as you can before the moment flees, because kids that age have curious minds that have to fit four hundred and thirty-two things into the span of forty-five seconds and won't typically stay focused on just one for more than the time it takes to set your camera up the right way.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
so i held my breath and quickly adjusted my exposure to make sure the shot didn't come out completely dark. click. look. darn! i over-exposed on my first try... thus the reason isaac's sunlit frame is washed out in the first shot. {still LOVE that shot, though... especially the way he is blurry in it.}</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
here is the internal conversation that was going on between me, myself and i during the process from that point on...</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>"yikes. oh, please don't move. please don't turn around and come toward me. please let me capture this moment before it goes. please, please, please. </i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>try again. 1/1600, f1.4, ISO800. there we go. that's better. got it! quick!... he's moving! take another one!! </i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>oh, wait. he's just shifting to a different book. phew! it's all good. okay. one more. </i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>oh, shoot! sd card is full! quick, delete something off the card that you've already uploaded and don't need. okay. this can go. please don't discover i'm here, isaac. okay. done. quick! shoot!</i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>there, done! i hope i got what i wanted. you just never know until you look on the big screen."</i></blockquote>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
hahaha. has that ever been you? if so, that all sounds familiar enough that i don't need to explain the turmoil of it all! taking pictures should <i>not</i> be that stressful! *wink*</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
seriously, though... i honestly didn't know if i'd capture the mood that was there. but then i got them up on the screen... and i was so in love and relieved to find something precious and priceless to me.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
it wasn't just about the fact that i love these moments of his... with his books. this was not the first time i found him there. and it won't be the last.<br />
<br />
and it wasn't only about the way the light looked and how it was coming in.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
it was more. it was about what that light represented.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
you see, after renting and living on the second floor of an old house {that had very little natural light... essentially none of the direct, streaming kind like we get now} for eight years, i found myself craving light... especially as a photographer. i'd see the work of other photographers... specifically, the work of dear photog friends i admire, even <a href="http://www.stacey-montgomery.com/2013/03/11/still-floating-from-the-weekend/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #bf9000;">just today</span></b></a>... and i would be so smitten with the way the light came into their rooms and the way they could photograph it. i honestly never once saw this kind of presence of light in our last place, so i never got to take a photo like these.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
that's why, when i found it there today, my heart sort of melted. i thought "finally... this small, but significant dream of mine came true. a home with ample light."</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
i love light. i love photography. i love that little boy. and i love what that shed light revealed this day.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
and i know these aren't "perfect", technically flawless photos. but they are the most perfect photos i've taken in a while if they've captured so precisely what is happening around here in our truly real day-to-day lives. and for that, they make my heart grin big. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
sort of the way he does.</div>
georgia b.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15482885077943093475noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8506858156087040907.post-74232707580512464532013-03-19T11:26:00.002-05:002014-01-08T23:50:48.657-06:00playing<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8571395136/" title="Untitled-1 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="Untitled-1" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8514/8571395136_7059fbee7f_c.jpg" height="533" width="800" /></a>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
i've been so intrigued by {and smitten with} some of the work of an artist i recently discovered... <a href="http://santiago-vasquez.see.me/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #bf9000;">santiago vasquez</span></b></a>. so much so, it had me searching through my recent photos to see if i could use any to create something along the lines of what he's been doing with his photos.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
if you've visited here before, you may have seen some of my "<a href="http://itsjusthowiseethings.blogspot.com/search/label/double%20exposure" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #bf9000;">double exposure</span></b></a>" posts, and you'll know my playing with that isn't anything new for me. but the part i have not really played around with {at least not that i can remember} is the repetition. i've seen a lot of photographers who seek out repetition in their subjects and photograph it as it is. but i love the way artists like vasquez take a photo {one that bears no repetition within the image} and repeats the photo itself. i wanted to incorporate both the overlapping <i>and</i> the repetition in these.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
in the case of vasquez's work, his repetition produces some interesting imagery... i think so, anyway. i've been quite fascinated with triptychs in photography and film lately {something else i've been playing with and will post soon}, so his work really caught my eye. especially <a href="http://santiago-vasquez.see.me/element/2237947/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #bf9000;">this piece</span></b> </a>and <a href="http://santiago-vasquez.see.me/element/2238008/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #bf9000;">this piece</span></b></a>.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
anyway, my images today are the product of his inspiration!</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
as i played around with these, i noticed that several of my end results were turning out to look like insects or butterfly-esque things with wings... thus the "wings & things" title i put on my image {which you can see the original of <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8512967011/in/set-72157632873023715/lightbox/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #bf9000;">here</span></b></a>}.<br />
<span style="color: white; font-size: xx-small;">.</span></div>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8571400526/" title="DSC_0219 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><img alt="DSC_0219" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8225/8571400526_94a72829c6_c.jpg" height="596" width="800" /></span></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8570303203/" title="DSC_0822 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0822" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8527/8570303203_25908bf691_c.jpg" height="366" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8571398112/" title="DSC_0614 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0614" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8521/8571398112_e17211640d_c.jpg" height="266" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8570301373/" title="DSC_0884 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0884" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8246/8570301373_919ff7556b_c.jpg" height="370" width="800" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
{i love the way the image above looks <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8570301373/lightbox/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #bf9000;">on a black background</span></b></a>. it's like a giant science fiction insect getting ready to prey on the forest!<br />
same for the image two above that one... you can see it larger on a black background as well, <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8570303203/lightbox/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #bf9000;">here</span></b></a>.}<br />
<br /></div>
<span style="color: white; font-size: xx-small;">.</span><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8570304059/" title="DSC_0520 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><img alt="DSC_0520" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8518/8570304059_0ac3d4f019_c.jpg" height="320" width="800" /></span></a><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8570304427/" title="DSC_0405 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0405" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8531/8570304427_f9ca9373f5_c.jpg" height="265" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8570306567/" title="DSC_0095 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0095" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8386/8570306567_932de3b4c9_c.jpg" height="312" width="800" /></a>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: white; font-size: xx-small;">.</span><br />
i don't know... i just thought that with the interesting lines in the trees and foliage, these repetitive, mirrored and/or overlapping panels made these photos doubly interesting... or at least more so than <a href="http://itsjusthowiseethings.blogspot.com/2013/02/morton-arboretum-and-people-who-shared.html" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #bf9000;">when they were just single photos</span></b></a>.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
here is one where i turned it on its side, then played around with overlapping layers as well as different photoshop layer modes...<br />
<span style="color: white; font-size: xx-small;">.</span></div>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8570305507/" title="DSC_0301 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><img alt="DSC_0301" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8107/8570305507_5360c1fe6e_c.jpg" height="599" width="800" /></span></a><br />
<span style="color: white; font-size: xx-small;">.</span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
i did like <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8514273990/lightbox/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #bf9000;">the original photo for this one</span></b></a>. but i was kind of crazy abot the colors, textures and shapes happening in the center after i started overlapping this photo onto itself. it's a lot different than most of the others, but i wanted to include it, as it's one of my favorites. it reminds me of stained glass.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
below are some more results of my playing. but instead of playing in post-production, i the playing <i>as</i> i took the pictures... from that same <a href="http://itsjusthowiseethings.blogspot.com/2013/02/morton-arboretum-and-people-who-shared.html" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #bf9000;">photowalk shoot at morton arboretum</span></b></a> from a few weeks ago.<br />
<span style="color: white; font-size: xx-small;">.</span></div>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8571397178/" title="DSC_0717 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0717" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8524/8571397178_faeffeda17_o.jpg" height="1203" width="800" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8570301663/" title="DSC_0703 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0703" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8517/8570301663_c595cae078_c.jpg" height="532" width="800" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8570301927/" title="DSC_0706 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0706" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8528/8570301927_208747c6a8_c.jpg" height="532" width="800" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8570302443/" title="DSC_0711 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0711" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8102/8570302443_14ff129c61_c.jpg" height="532" width="800" /></a><br />
<span style="color: white; font-size: xx-small;">.</span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
had it not been for <a href="http://santiago-vasquez.see.me/element/2237943/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #bf9000;">this santiago vasquez piece</span></b></a>, i'd have forgotten about these tree shots that i had every intention of posting at some point. on these, i moved my camera up and down as i took pictures of the woods to get this effect of movement. they actually look like paintings more than photos. but i still loved how they came out.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
whether during or after, it's fun to play around with photos sometimes. i don't really consider myself an artist... not in the <a href="http://santiago-vasquez.see.me/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #bf9000;">vasquez</span></b></a> sense, anyway. but i do like to play and let my creativity run free sometimes.<br />
<br />
wanting isaac to explore his creative and artistic side, i have to remind myself to do the same. everyone has to color outside the lines at least a little from time to time, don't you think?<br />
<br />
anyway, with that, here's one last image...<br />
<span style="color: white; font-size: xx-small;">.</span></div>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8571399132/" title="DSC_0316 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0316" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8382/8571399132_d44a45fc1c_o.jpg" height="1081" width="800" /></a><br />
<span style="color: white; font-size: xx-small;">.</span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
i simply took <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8513141295/" target="_blank">my favorite photo from that day</a> and sliced it up. then i flipped some of the slices and repeated them.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
this being the last full day of winter, i figured i'd pay homage and respect to the season with these snowy pics before it's over... in hopes that it won't be cruel and linger too much longer. overlapping photos are okay. overlapping seasons... not so much. =)</div>
georgia b.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15482885077943093475noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8506858156087040907.post-32897978157570924042013-03-18T12:09:00.003-05:002013-03-18T13:20:34.349-05:00catching up<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8569440072/" title="DSC_0822-2 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0822-2" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8387/8569440072_289bc6c09a_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8569437284/" title="DSC_0830-2_vint-haze by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0830-2_vint-haze" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8243/8569437284_d1d6d7145d_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
these days we're...</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
...visiting friends' brand new babies.<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
...watching out our windows what is hopefully the last few snowfalls of the season.<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
...just hangin' out enjoying our <strike>new</strike> now-familiar house... filling it with laughter and love... and memories.... and lots of color {with paint}!<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
...coloring {with crayons... and glee}.<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
...enjoying bath-time as much as ever.</div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
{sometimes mom and dad have more fun with those letters than isaac does... see photo. that was the product of a contest<br />
between mr. b and me to see who could make the most letters stick by throwing them upward toward the tile.} *smile*<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
...sleeping peacefully.</div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
{isaac makes us proud every day. he knows all his basic shapes, all twenty-six letters, all single numbers... and starting in the teens, now. all basic colors. all his animals. and sooooo much more. he's singing, talking in full sentences, figuring out things that i am daily amazed at. he's a sponge and a half, i tell you. and it won't be long before he passes up his mom and dad in the smarts department, i'm sure! i squeeze him daily, hoping that the way he is at that very second will forever be imbedded in my memory. more pics of my friends' sweet new baby boy to come. gosh. holding that little guy made me want another more than ever. *good sigh*... that said, spring is here in no time. and i couldn't welcome it more. my heart is open. come quickly.}</div>
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8568268721/" title="DSC_0156 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0156" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8525/8568268721_8c4fff7e8b_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8568273807/" title="DSC_0805 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0805" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8531/8568273807_dc57a327ab_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8568275087/" title="DSC_0793 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0793" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8251/8568275087_ab8189d820_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8569369924/" title="DSC_0800 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0800" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8232/8569369924_c415db5467_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8569362506/" title="DSC_0163-snow by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0163-snow" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8237/8569362506_819e10a2c9_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8568281959/" title="DSC_0291 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0291" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8093/8568281959_f3a58d8f83_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8568277641/" title="DSC_0272 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0272" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8521/8568277641_a6f315c2fc_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8568280417/" title="DSC_0286 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0286" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8506/8568280417_629abccacd_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8569686164/" title="DSC_0555 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0555" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8365/8569686164_1cb41c8386_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8569380780/" title="DSC_0296 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0296" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8233/8569380780_e2e2d0ec82_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8568279247/" title="DSC_0275 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0275" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8517/8568279247_9e655bb617_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8569382010/" title="DSC_0308 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0308" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8368/8569382010_f2b45eb829_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8569368340/" title="DSC_0127 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0127" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8108/8569368340_68e0377943_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8568286107/" title="DSC_0333 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0333" height="1203" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8250/8568286107_ac0e5dec91_o.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8569359416/" title="DSC_0362 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0362" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8233/8569359416_8fd3f20130_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8568259795/" title="DSC_0367 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0367" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8377/8568259795_abcdb8787d_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">♥</span>georgia b.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15482885077943093475noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8506858156087040907.post-17545034252074060252013-03-15T22:46:00.001-05:002013-03-16T13:54:11.895-05:00basement sale<div style="text-align: justify;">
long ago, in a land far, far away {or a few years ago, one town over from where i live now}, i started an etsy shop. it was mostly created to sell personal vintage belongings or otherwise curated vintage finds. i sold a whopping three items. then my dream of getting pregnant came true, and my shop fell by the wayside. so all those vintage things i owned and planned to sell sat in my basement, waiting for me and my camera to photograph them in pretty ways and make them more desirable out on the world wide web to etsy and/or vintage enthusiasts everywhere.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
then life set in. isaac arrived. sleep was no longer ample. i became that tired mom who was lucky if i ever even washed the floor... let alone posted something of value online for selling, or even just <i>peeked</i> into a box on a shelf in that very distant basement two floors down where the vintage goods lay dormant.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
that's why i started to expect that i'd never do the etsy thing again. but then, i never thought we'd buy a house, either. and here we are. so never say never.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
now we have a new basement that is all to ourselves {no sharing with other tenants or landlords} and we can organize just exactly how we want to. and we can do so at our own pace.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
so when i happened to be down in that basement a couple weeks ago, i decided then would be a good time to organize my etsy, garage sale, and craft/diy piles. picture countless bins, boxes, bags {and any other containers that start with 'b' that you can think of to keep that alliteration going}.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
then something really cool happened.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
i went shopping... in my <i>own</i> basement. {i'm thinking nate berkus or some other designer would be so proud!} i picked out a few fabulous free finds for myself. {how's that for alliteration? five in a row!} it was like hitting the jackpot!... one that had been there all along.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
here's the thing. i have no idea why i tucked these few items away to sell for my shop when i first found them, instead of displaying them in my own home. i think it is likely because i realized i had no room for new things in my former home, even though i loved the style and they would have fit perfectly among the rest of my interior decor. or... maybe i was so desperate for some extra cash at the time that i was willing to part with them.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
whatever the reason, now that we are in the new house and the architecture of this one is unmistakably mid-century modern, i did away with the eclectic feel of our last home, which was a mix of mostly mid-century modern style with a few other interior styles and periods mixed in.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
wanting this new house to have a definitive, simple mid-century style and mood, i've weeded out most other styles. anything that got the boot now sits in those etsy or garage sale piles mentioned above, though they once held a place of esteem on some shelf or table-top in our living spaces.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
blah blah blah. the whole point i am trying to get to is that i rescued some mid-century pieces that i would swoon over if i saw them on etsy in someone else's shop today. and then i'd probably scoff at the price and say something like, "they want <i>what</i> for that?"</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
but on this little shopping spree, i didn't have to pay a dime!.. not even shipping. unless you count the cost of wear and tear on my knees from walking up the basement stairs to plant them in my new living spaces.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
anyway, would you like to see what i got at this awesome vintage basement sale?</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
what's that? you say "yes"? okay, then. here are three of my finds {i've yet to photograph the others}...<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8559957951/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="DSC_0472 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0472" height="1203" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8241/8559957951_82250735fa_o.jpg" width="800" /></a></div>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8561065910/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="DSC_0469 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0469" height="1203" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8367/8561065910_a74bae1e92_o.jpg" width="800" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8561065394/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="DSC_0470 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0470" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8248/8561065394_779dd509da_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
hmmm... as i add these photos in, i'm realizing my finds have a "come in twos" theme. the cool part about these all is that i forgot that i ever owned them. i don't even recall my finding them in a store and picking them up for my shop {except for a slight recollection of the bird find}. but that made it fun to re-discover these all over. it was like finding treasures for the first time!<br />
<br />
i'm excited to incorporate them into my new place and its growing decor! they're slightly kitschy, but i'm one who believes there's room for a little kitsch in our lives, as it brings a sense of whimsy to our surroundings.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
i'm not quite sure what kind of wood was used for the carving of the two birds. possibly teak? i hope so, because that would make them even more quintessential mid-century modern. whatever wood <i>was</i> used, the very tip of the beak has been broken off of both birds. i find that somewhat disappointing, but i'm hoping there is a way i can restore the beaks with some type of repair substance. if so, it wouldn't take much.<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8561067108/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="DSC_0465 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0465" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8511/8561067108_38fe9be120_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8559960649/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="DSC_0463 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0463" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8523/8559960649_fc5a10dfbf_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8559960649/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="DSC_0463 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"></a>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
i like that these look like a mama bird with her child. sweet. </div>
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8559959329/" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="DSC_0468 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0468" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8378/8559959329_3579c7d1cb_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8559957365/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="DSC_0473 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0473" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8231/8559957365_fd7dc43423_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
i've got plans for them to live on some shelf in my office {the room in our house which is the farthest from finished!... meaning it will be a while before i can get pictures of them on display... thus the makeshift backdrop display i created, which will also serve as my "studio" for photographing actual etsy items... the few i didn't take back *wink*}.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8559962045/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="DSC_0457 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0457" height="1203" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8507/8559962045_661cd909e8_o.jpg" width="800" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8559961467/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="DSC_0460 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0460" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8102/8559961467_9dc45f2644_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
as for the mugs, i'm not sure how old they actually are. something tells me they are newer. but they look vintage and appropriate for the mid-century era. in fact, they remind a little bit of recently found <a href="http://www.finelittleday.com/?p=17036&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+finelittleday%2FFAgk+%28Fine+Little+Day%29" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #bf9000;">set of dishes with huge mid-century flare that i am swooning for</span></b></a> {and hoping to purchase at some point}. i think it would be fun to find some complementary saucers and paint some sort of similar vintage design on my mugs...<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjehv8ekvNErGDuOdw82STzYIYp_pOYYE7CiuwqdoAo1OapjHTcFyaMJjU_4nzcmqZDu2i6nLOC67c8PpLJmFbU9tK1UqKS_jB7UFC0CJJo3srsbUUHrEsRHXRVohQHx9UCYKiNun6yiFGc/s1600/DSC_0469-2-gif_sm_new.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjehv8ekvNErGDuOdw82STzYIYp_pOYYE7CiuwqdoAo1OapjHTcFyaMJjU_4nzcmqZDu2i6nLOC67c8PpLJmFbU9tK1UqKS_jB7UFC0CJJo3srsbUUHrEsRHXRVohQHx9UCYKiNun6yiFGc/s1600/DSC_0469-2-gif_sm_new.gif" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
painting them may render them useless, of course. but that's okay. i've been known to have an item or two in my collection of dishes that are just for show.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
these carafes, however, i could see getting a lot of use out of.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8559962827/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="DSC_0453 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0453" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8524/8559962827_1ca9ecc85f_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8561070388/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="DSC_0451 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0451" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8531/8561070388_c374d7b3d5_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<br />
again, i'm not sure how old these actually are. but i think there is a chance that they are from the middle of the century. if so, they are in great condition. they will come in handy soon when the weather warms up and i start making more salads... some incentive to start the vegetable garden i've always wanted to have!<br />
<br />
well, there's my etsy save for today. like i said, i confiscated a couple more things, too. but those will probably blend into the landscape of my regular room-makeover photos... if i ever get to them.<br />
<br />
tomorrow we paint the wall in the living room that surounds the fireplace. and if we're really feeling adventurous, we'll paint the soffits above the kitchen cabinets, too! then, maybe i can start getting around to some of those makeover photos. i'm one of those people that doesn't like to reveal in stages, but rather once the entire room is done. but realistically, there is not a single room in the house that will be truly done for quite some time. so i'm going to have to learn to let go and just ease up with that comfort level. if i can manage that, i expect there will soon start to be some room re-do posts around here. finally!</div>
georgia b.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15482885077943093475noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8506858156087040907.post-88634118325215948052013-03-14T23:32:00.000-05:002013-03-15T12:07:54.748-05:00favorite things {last one's for you}<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8558039397/" title="DSC_0598 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0598" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8385/8558039397_4ab8b7ba75_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8558041647/" title="DSC_0568 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0568" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8091/8558041647_70a041c090_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8558038843/" title="DSC_0602 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0602" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8529/8558038843_494828ffac_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8559146670/" title="DSC_0597 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0597" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8251/8559146670_d0e22d5979_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8558040875/" title="DSC_0591 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0591" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8384/8558040875_dca6284de0_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
it's been so long since i did a <a href="http://www.projectlife365.com/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #bf9000;">project life 365</span></b></a> post. i've been up to my elbows in paint around here lately... the kitchen walls were our tackle of the day! these things tend to put other things {like said project} on the back burner for a while. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
i kind of thought that would happen. no sweat, though. i started p.l.365 merely to keep myself in a picture-taking frame of mind {with a more open mind in the area of subject matter} during those times when i may not necessarily be too busy to take pictures, but am feeling burnt out as to <i>what</i> i might photograph. missing a day here and there or several days in a row was anticipated when i started this. so i'm okay with it.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
still, i couldn't pass up today's challenge when i saw it was "<a href="http://www.projectlife365.com/week-11-daily-challenges-3-6-13-3-16-13/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #bf9000;">charmed</span></b></a>". it was the probably-far-too-obvious choice, but i knew right where to go to find something "charmed" in my world. one of the pieces in my collection of jewelry is a three-charmed chain which hangs long when around my neck, and it was once my go-to piece for going out. i'd wear it everywhere i went, no matter what outfit i had on. now days, i rarely wear it, because... well... i'm always at home painting in my grubbies.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
and if i'm <i>not</i> painting in my grubbies, i'm likely doing something else that is equally unglamorous. even when i {on a rare occasion} happen to be going out somewhere, i'll often wear <a href="http://itsjusthowiseethings.blogspot.com/2012/06/my-big-little-family-and-fifteen.html" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #bf9000;">my more recently-purchased charm necklace chain</span></b></a> or my latest go-to piece, a chevron necklace from world market.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
this is the one i thought of for today's photo prompt, though. so i slipped it around my neck for a photo or two in the bathroom mirror.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
during my futile effort to get a good shot of the necklace as it dangled from my neck, i realized i was hovering over another favorite thing... my peacock dish from anthropologie. it's a cherished belonging that sits atop the bathroom counter as decoration and as a place for collecting removed jewelry. i thought the charms would look much prettier in the dish, so i took the necklace off and draped it across the plate, spilling over the edge. between the little nod to france in the mini eiffel tower charm and the french-like drawing of the bird, this little vignette turned out to be something sort of french-art-deco-esque and lovely... so much so, that i almost don't notice the terribly atomic, mid-century modern boomerang laminate counter top under the plate which couldn't possibly lend itself to an early-century french motif any less!</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
anyway, since this necklace, the peacock dish and art deco are all on my list of favorite things, this post has naturally migrated from a "charmed" theme to a "favorite things" theme.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
so as long as i'm talking favorites, i might as well add some favorite pictures of my favorite co-inhabitants {well... my only co-inhabitants... but if there were more, they'd be my favorite} from our day.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">...but first,</span></i> speaking of charmed, i'd be remiss if i didn't mention this... i'm well aware that this relatively new world of "the online presence" we live in {with all its posts and pictures and tweets and statuses} can lead people to believe that others live charmed lives. to one person, photos of loved ones or updates about happy times from other people might come across as though they have perfect, happy and pain-free lives.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
no one is free from pain, hardship and struggles. not one. fears to overcome, heartaches to endure, burdens to bear. we've all got difficult things to work through at one time or another... for most people, it's most of the time. 'tis the nature of living. are you human? you will struggle. it may look quite different from the next person's struggle. but it is inevitably in <i>each</i> of our lives none the less.<br />
<br />
the way i see it, though, posting pictures and writing about loved ones or sharing random things that bring a smile to your face some days is just a way of celebrating what good there is to be found, whether in draught or in a rainy season. for me, it's how i choose to <a href="http://www.aholyexperience.com/2013/03/how-to-find-happiness-in-the-dark/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #bf9000;">honk the horn</span></b></a>, if you will. i'd hate to find out that anyone thinks for a minute that i live a charmed life as a married mom of a little boy because of what i post. my life is anything but.<br />
<br />
however, i won't let that stop me from being verbally grateful. i <i>am</i> so very grateful.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
that said, here are those favorite pictures of those favorite two guys and the favorite ways we spent mr. b's weekly day off from work {when we weren't in the middle of "project paintify", that is}.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
books books and more books!...</div>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8558050573/" title="DSC_0399 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0399" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8517/8558050573_441c5db7ef_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8559210758/" title="DSC_0386 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0386" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8388/8559210758_25f255e88a_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8558102975/" title="DSC_0393 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0393" height="1203" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8387/8558102975_ebd5ee92d1_o.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8559206392/" title="DSC_0441 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0441" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8252/8559206392_7a2eeb3e55_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8559207410/" title="DSC_0430 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0430" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8248/8559207410_44d460fa36_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8559474490/" title="DSC_0383_0374 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0383_0374" height="596" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8107/8559474490_91087c1849_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
<br />
dancing...<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8558101751/" title="DSC_0405 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0405" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8390/8558101751_e350c04a50_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
<br />
smiling at dancers...<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8559208364/" title="DSC_0420 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0420" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8379/8559208364_291580d61d_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
<br />
tickles and hat-stealing {not necessarily in that order}...<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8559205894/" title="DSC_0449 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0449" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8107/8559205894_ff6562f610_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8559205396/" title="DSC_0463 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0463" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8110/8559205396_73007a6313_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
<br />
eating snacks in the middle of the living room, in the middle of the day... just because we can...<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8558049485/" title="DSC_0530 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0530" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8091/8558049485_3307f5844e_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
<br />
and smiling some more...<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8559475092/" title="DSC_0566 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0566" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8242/8559475092_f5ee1482cc_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
yes.<br />
<br />
favorite. <span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">♥</span><br />
<br />
oh... and one more thing!<br />
<br />
i thought i'd share my favorite artist at the moment. if you enjoy mellow tunes that come out of singers with soothing voices, you'll love <a href="http://gregoryalanisakov.com/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #bf9000;">gregory alan isakov</span></b></a>. i've been listening lately on spotify {maybe non-stop like an addict, or not} and loving it! i know this sounds weird, but i want to take pictures the way he sings. effortlessly, i guess.<br />
<br />
anyway, <i>dandelion wine</i>, <i>master & a hound</i>, <i>words</i> and <i>one of us cannot be wrong</i> {all on <i>this empty northern hemisphere</i>} are my favorite favorites! i thing you'll like them too!<br />
<br />
honk-honk!</div>
georgia b.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15482885077943093475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8506858156087040907.post-76395560434213694392013-03-13T02:15:00.001-05:002013-03-18T00:02:49.043-05:00he and you and you and he<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8554219720/" title="grandpa and grandson by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="grandpa and grandson" height="604" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8530/8554219720_42a82fc509_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
<br />
dear isaac,<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
i came across this photo of my dad today, and i instantly thought of its similarity to this recently-taken picutre of you i've placed next to it. that quizzical look. the puffed out arms. even your mittens are covered in that same sticky, great-for-packing-a-snowball snow like his were.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
i'm thinkin', now all you need is a fluffy white scarf like his! as you can see, he was one stylish dude!</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
you may not see it here {because i don't really either}, but you often look so much like your grandfather... my dad. sometimes i am sad that you will not grow up knowing him, never having met him face to face. but i take comfort in knowing that he is your grandfather whether you were able to meet him or not. a smile forms on my face when i remember that this fact remains... even though he never got to lay his eyes on you, you're still his grandson.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
if you grow up even one tenth the person he was, i will be so proud. i've rarely met anyone who comes even close to the kind of person your grandfather was. your own father is one of the few. were you to be a blend of both their character and traits, you will be a truly beloved and respected man. as they did, you will love music more than anyone i have ever known or have read about in books. like them, you will treat people well. like them, you will have the most beautiful blue eyes i've ever looked into... you already do. and with those eyes, you will see the very best in others as my father did and your father still does. you will be decent, kind, giving, sacrificial and good. and you'll put others before yourself when it matters and when you should. you will put people before money. they have several other things in common that you'll likely end up sharing with them... political views, humor and wit, ability to make others laugh, ability to make others feel at ease. but it is their kindness that i hope will be what marks you.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
that is my prayer for you.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
if for some reason i never had the chance to impress upon you what a great person your grandpa ken was, then i hope this serves as that impression now as you read. let me tell you this now, too... just as any grandpa would, he'd have loved you like crazy.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
since he and you are two thirds of my three favorite guys that ever walked the planet, i thought you should meet him and get to know him a little here... side by side.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
love,</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
mama</div>
georgia b.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15482885077943093475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8506858156087040907.post-46177884219596108482013-03-07T23:58:00.000-06:002013-03-08T18:04:22.562-06:00showered with love<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8538412870/" title="DSC_0292 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0292" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8249/8538412870_7b911c06a3_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
<br />
yup!! one of my dearest friends just had her first baby last night.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8537274685/" title="DSC_0302 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0302" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8390/8537274685_da82afa8c7_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
she is currently in the hospital with her sweet baby boy, and i'm sure she feels nothing like the chipper bright-eyed mama-to-be you see above. that shot was taken at her baby shower a couple weeks ago. {ahhh... the joys of being a brand-spakin' new mom. i hope she can catch up on her sleep at the hospital before she has to head home.}</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
since i have not yet been to the hospital and can't get some newborn photos until i do {hopefully tomorrow... 'cause i'm so dying to hold that sweet little peanut in my arms!}, i'll post the photos of her shower instead, because... well, it's high time. i mean, the baby is here and we know the gender and everything. these photos are nearly a forgotten thing of the past in light of the spectacular news that so many have been waiting to hear!... IT'S A BOY!</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
so hurry up and look at these, 'cause soon there won't be anything but newborn pictures, and things such as baby bumps will be long forgotten. *wink*</div>
<br />
without further ado...<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8538401808/" title="DSC_0298 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0298" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8244/8538401808_ec9094af73_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
a little foreshadowing with that blue "b" at the beginning of the banner, don't ya think? nobody really knew if it was a boy or a girl, except the doctor, i guess. but i should have known when i saw this. i mean, pink doesn't even show up until about half-way down the banner for cryin' out loud!</div>
<br />
well, it was your typical lovely baby shower...<br />
<br />
good food.<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8538364916/" title="DSC_0305 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0305" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8236/8538364916_78e8d08d3a_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
<br />
pretty decorations.<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8538528360/" title="DSC_0378 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0378" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8368/8538528360_469ab21315_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8537440299/" title="DSC_0351 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0351" height="1203" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8103/8537440299_159378ac20_o.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
<br />
little vignettes of whimsical, child-like touches in books and toys and all things baby.<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8537432139/" title="DSC_0369 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0369" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8227/8537432139_6e86783f17_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8537426507/" title="DSC_0372 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0372" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8234/8537426507_e3e7a77612_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8537610249/" title="DSC_0597 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0597" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8106/8537610249_b81136a1e0_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
<br />
the obligatory photos of mom and dad as babies.<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8538742954/" title="DSC_0549 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0549" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8234/8538742954_24e72de830_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
lots and lots of gifts. {did i mention there were lots? like the most i've ever seen! the shot below is of just <i>one</i> table!}</div>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8537546675/" title="DSC_0467 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0467" height="531" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8509/8537546675_42ebbd57ec_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8537267663/" title="DSC_0303 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0303" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8514/8537267663_30b50ddd25_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
oh... and my favorite touch of all... this clothesline of baby onsies. some for boys. some for girls.</div>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8538541222/" title="DSC_0358 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0358" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8092/8538541222_5ab897196d_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
and <i>again</i> <span style="text-align: justify;">with the blue coming first! how did i not see it?</span><br />
<br />
isn't it precious, though? it really made me smile, and was lots of fun to photograph, too.<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8537605469/" title="onsie collage by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="onsie collage" height="1596" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8242/8537605469_023c8f25b9_o.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
<br />
even though i was convinced kellie was having a girl, i was smitten with this little number...<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8538713574/" title="DSC_0599 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0599" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8373/8538713574_948aed4be9_o.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
might have snagged it for isaac if he wasn't already too big for it's precious little tininess.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8537438113/" title="DSC_0352 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0352" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8245/8537438113_b9ec6b1327_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
anyway, like i said... it was all quite lovely. lots of green and yellow decor {not just because those are gender-neutral colors, but also because they were their wedding colors almost two years ago}.</div>
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8537332521/" title="DSC_0339_0342 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0339_0342" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8244/8537332521_aaf486cfdb_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8538442224/" title="DSC_0337 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0337" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8094/8538442224_a57f22ab32_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
<br />
here was another favorite touch... the message on the cake that kellie's mom thought up.<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8537325431/" title="DSC_0346 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0346" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8389/8537325431_6e8f2939e6_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
i thought it was so creative, and the perfect double meaning for my friend's special pregnancy. she had to be closely monitored during her pregnancy, and it was known the birth would have to take place earlier than the due date. lots of prayers were going up for mama and baby these last several months... all the way up to yesterday when baby stepped onto the scene. so it <i>was</i> a special delivery, indeed.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
anyway, all those traditional, yet special baby shower things were nice {and fun for me with a camera}. but it was this special girl that made the day beautiful...<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8537290207/" title="DSC_0299 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0299" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8240/8537290207_06eec6530b_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8537283589/" title="DSC_0301 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0301" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8375/8537283589_56aeb46945_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
it was so much fun to see her walking around talking to the many women gathered there for her and her growing family.<br />
<br />
she even got in some practice time with her niece. content here...<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8537226219/" title="DSC_0313 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0313" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8249/8537226219_a8228452fb_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<br />
<br />
and not so much here...<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8538496044/" title="DSC_0316 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0316" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8515/8538496044_9ee17013e5_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<br />
hahaha! that's the <i>really</i> good practice!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8537385343/" title="DSC_0318 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0318" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8376/8537385343_e85683aecf_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
i already knew she'd be a natural as a mom {and her hubby as a dad}, because i've <a href="http://itsjusthowiseethings.blogspot.com/2013/02/what-will-you-be.html" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #bf9000;">observed them with other kids</span></b></a> before... including my own son who loves them to pieces. i know she is going to make a great mom! it's actually very strange to see her take on this new role, especially when i think back to when i met her. she was just a kid, really. almost fresh out of high school, still single. just a girl lovin' life and fashion and friends and working. it would have seemed surreal at the time to look down the road and imagine her as a mom. i can't wait to be fellow moms together! and i'm so excited isaac will have a baby "brother" and pal.</div>
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8538479636/" title="DSC_0323 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0323" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8251/8538479636_dd7bf7a101_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
so here's the part i don't want to admit... i was wrong about what the gender of the baby would be. from day one, i told her she was having a girl. well, that is to say, she asked. and then i told her. a guess, really. but a hunch, too.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
i love that they decided not to find out. we didn't either. it's a fun element, and for both her and i with scheduled inducings, it was nice to have that element, because the element of surprise as to which day the baby would be born was taken away. so getting the surprise of finding out if it's a boy or girl after the birth sort of helps replace that.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
anyway, the shower planners {or perhaps it was just kellie} had the best idea... they would request on the invitation that guests wear either pink or blue, depending on what they thought the sex of the baby would be. so, of course, i wore pink!<br />
<br />
{hmmmm. note to self. you have lost your hunch-mojo! just chalk it up to mommy-brain and try not to get involved in these things in the future.} =)</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
there sure were a lot of pinks there! i was one of them, though not seen, because i was behind the camera in the pictures below. kellie's mom wanted a picture of all the pinks and all the blues.</div>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8538462170/" title="DSC_0326 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0326" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8248/8538462170_a17ced6077_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
us pink-thinkers thought we had it in the bag!<br />
<br />
but, alas...<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8538450864/" title="DSC_0329 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0329" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8237/8538450864_8274d009e5_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
and now i will eat my words for the next twelve to fourteen conversations i have with kellie and bobby when the subject comes up... as many times as i previously insisted in conversation to them that it was a girl. last time i play <i>that</i> game!</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
anyway, before the gift-opening began, i went around taking some pictures of guests... for kellie and her mom to have as part of their memories of the day.</div>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8538677442/" title="DSC_0441 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0441" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8367/8538677442_7327d42a68_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8538788578/" title="DSC_0482 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0482" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8516/8538788578_8db431dbb9_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
this is kellie's mom with one of the little girls in attendance.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8537445183/" title="DSC_0347_0348 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0347_0348" height="599" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8387/8537445183_75114cbed4_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8538341972/" title="DSC_0311 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0311" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8229/8538341972_3f3b99b64e_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8537419911/" title="DSC_0392 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0392" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8369/8537419911_c656970662_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
kellie with a couple of her closest friends. they were sitting across from me, so i was able to snap a couple pictures of them while they chatted.</div>
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8537697937/" title="DSC_0470 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0470" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8225/8537697937_79e3e02a53_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8537413627/" title="DSC_0398 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0398" height="1203" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8369/8537413627_1138e3b469_o.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
kellie and her mama.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8538634468/" title="DSC_0401 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0401" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8249/8538634468_403e8a5065_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
and a few more.. with mama-in-law too! two very proud grandmas! it shows all over their faces!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8537523643/" title="DSC_0403 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0403" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8090/8537523643_bb962579ff_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8538620804/" title="DSC_0405 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0405" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8251/8538620804_f3769bd52e_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8538512682/" title="DSC_0400 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0400" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8377/8538512682_efca4d41bb_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
okay, now for the gifts. don't worry. i didn't take a picture of every single gift as it was opened. if i had, you'd be here forever... or you'd leave now! and i figure this is already long enough as is.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
so i just hit the highlights, and you can browse through them below.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a></div>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8538612204/" title="DSC_0410 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0410" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8384/8538612204_3a3b287c6e_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
mostly, i just wanted to get the smiles and joy on bobby's and kellie's face as they opened all the sweet little things for their girl... i mean, boy!</div>
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8537501715/" title="DSC_0412 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0412" height="530" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8091/8537501715_63dc6479ac_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8537487763/" title="DSC_0418 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0418" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8527/8537487763_3213fb5563_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
<br />
and i also wanted some shots of the guests as they looked on, because we were all enjoying their enjoyment.<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8537493535/" title="DSC_0416 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0416" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8532/8537493535_fdc81d5131_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8538586812/" title="DSC_0420 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0420" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8374/8538586812_480ca0cde6_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8538581618/" title="DSC_0424 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0424" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8106/8538581618_da98ca00af_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8537468019/" title="DSC_0426 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0426" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8087/8537468019_310211997e_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8538688192/" title="DSC_0429 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0429" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8231/8538688192_78c2cd91cf_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8537579147/" title="DSC_0434 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0434" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8505/8537579147_b5aee70a88_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
funny!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8537576849/" title="DSC_0436 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0436" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8103/8537576849_5b97229d63_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8537556577/" title="DSC_0447 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0447" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8103/8537556577_e565e33e4e_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8537559103/" title="DSC_0446_0456 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0446_0456" height="366" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8240/8537559103_7fa6d547af_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8537551423/" title="DSC_0460 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0460" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8097/8537551423_3783aeffed_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8538805952/" title="DSC_0469 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0469" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8085/8538805952_e2aea4dc4b_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8538671932/" title="DSC_0442_0487 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0442_0487" height="595" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8385/8538671932_5c6d1bc2d5_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8538667498/" title="DSC_0444 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0444" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8366/8538667498_64795c0233_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8538801608/" title="DSC_0471 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0471" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8239/8538801608_7da11c65c8_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8537693137/" title="DSC_0473 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0473" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8388/8537693137_9ff83a157d_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8537688579/" title="DSC_0478 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0478" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8111/8537688579_d8957f9111_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8538790886/" title="DSC_0479 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0479" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8527/8538790886_a6410851f2_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8537679107/" title="DSC_0491 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0491" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8103/8537679107_d4c0179aa4_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
sisters... two new moms.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8537620887/" title="DSC_0582 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0582" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8365/8537620887_63d293e5f1_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8537681153/" title="DSC_0484 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0484" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8379/8537681153_a0a984a7f8_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
someone's tired!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8537674917/" title="DSC_0492 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0492" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8229/8537674917_631d85c758_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8537670789/" title="DSC_0497_0566 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0497_0566" height="264" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8518/8537670789_b86ed269fd_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
one of the things i was so impressed by at this shower was all the gift packaging. there seemed to be a lot of gifts given in the cutest bags, bins and baskets... even boxes {like mine!} i found it to be such a great way to give a gift or gifts, because the wrapping serves useful every bit as much as the items that are in it. things for baby, <i>and</i> the storage you'll need to put them in when they are all brought home. brilliant!</div>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8538775634/" title="DSC_0499 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0499" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8246/8538775634_cf1134fe68_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8537667559/" title="DSC_0505 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0505" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8249/8537667559_99221d6776_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8538768234/" title="DSC_0507 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0507" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8091/8538768234_65de9fb4e2_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
don't get me wrong, though. there were still plenty of pretty papers and bows. and who doesn't love those?</div>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8538723382/" title="DSC_0587_0584 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0587_0584" height="365" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8093/8538723382_afb4b163f2_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8538766068/" title="DSC_0514 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0514" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8234/8538766068_9ed40decf4_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8538764038/" title="DSC_0515_0525 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0515_0525" height="595" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8242/8538764038_f3dddb195c_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8538761104/" title="DSC_0519 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0519" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8379/8538761104_9036d2dc02_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8537656471/" title="DSC_0518 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0518" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8237/8537656471_7708a1038d_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8537653979/" title="DSC_0530 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0530" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8383/8537653979_a2e3995669_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
okay, i just have to chime in on these... the diaper motorcycles were the best! first time i ever saw one of these.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8538758360/" title="DSC_0534 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0534" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8376/8538758360_8110a0ec20_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
<br />
and there wasn't just one... there were two! eeek. so stinkin' cute!<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8537627601/" title="DSC_0577 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0577" height="531" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8531/8537627601_bf8f37e027_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8537651151/" title="DSC_0538 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0538" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8384/8537651151_dc412fc766_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8537647571/" title="DSC_0542 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0542" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8510/8537647571_ed7d2ae646_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8538741056/" title="DSC_0563 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0563" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8391/8538741056_cb95c5fc97_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
not only do i love this picture because it captures a typical bobby and kellie moment of laughter and joy, but i also happen to know bobby is laughing at me here. so the memory is even more endearing. good times. that little grin on kellie's face... classic!</div>
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8538739022/" title="DSC_0569 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0569" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8112/8538739022_63e59a0882_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8538735442/" title="DSC_0575_0556 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0575_0556" height="595" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8369/8538735442_d318648871_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8538755052/" title="DSC_0539 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0539" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8518/8538755052_389bd67d59_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8538730740/" title="DSC_0581 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0581" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8226/8538730740_6301be8578_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8538736828/" title="DSC_0571_0572 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0571_0572" height="263" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8242/8538736828_7111b99be9_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
brother and sister. she looks so happy for him. love these two shots of them.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8537644961/" title="DSC_0544 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0544" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8390/8537644961_396a3d9e1d_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8537641533/" title="DSC_0546 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0546" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8086/8537641533_8ab4b7f92a_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
as much as i swooned over so many of the gifts, this had to be one of my favorites! being the owl freak i am, i found this so adorable! if it hadn't been personalized with someone else's last name, i'd have taken it for us three owls here! {don't worry. she knows where i live.}</div>
<br />
this was the last gift they opened, i think. and what a perfectly sweet note to end on.<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8537639225/" title="DSC_0547 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0547" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8380/8537639225_3b33f2a65a_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
<br />
okay... that's it!<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8538721876/" title="DSC_0589 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0589" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8389/8538721876_14e629c570_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
whew! that was a lot of gifts! it seriously took such a long time to open... like a decade and a half. they did a great job at staying on task with energy and enthusiasm. when you are that far along in a pregnancy, it's very taxing to open so many gifts. i remember this well from <a href="http://itsjusthowiseethings.blogspot.com/2012/05/this-day-last-year-photo-album.html" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #bf9000;">my shower</span></b></a>!</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
there it is! congrats, dear kellie and bobby! we couldn't be more happy for you, and we can't even begin to say how excited we are to hang out as two families of three, both with little boys who will no doubt be very good friends.</div>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8538718632/" title="DSC_0591 by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0591" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8250/8538718632_f35b40190b_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
<br />
many, many, many congrats from mr. b, isaac and me! so glad all are healthy and happy. we love you!georgia b.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15482885077943093475noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8506858156087040907.post-72731984957601144592013-03-06T23:42:00.002-06:002013-03-07T08:19:29.377-06:00a little privacy, please!<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8536233440/" title="#projectlife365 #privacy by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="#projectlife365 #privacy" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8232/8536233440_a237904854_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
i don't know where my brain is... i seem to be goofing so many things up lately. you'd think i'm sleep-walking. some goofs are big deals, while others are just stupid little things. like my pre-proofed published post yesterday. and then realizing today, when i went to see what the photo prompt of the day was on <a href="http://www.projectlife365.com/week-10-daily-challenges-3-3-13-3-9-13/#sthash.bB0o6lKe.qSBHT0mz.dpbs" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #bf9000;">project life 365</span></b></a>, that the one i did yesterday {daily_commute} was actually supposed to be for today, and i missed the photo challenge i was supposed to use yesterday {privacy}. sheesh. not a big deal to anyone else, 'cause i'm pretty sure nobody gives a hoot which day i do which challenge.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
but it's a big deal to me, because it's just one more notch in my mommy-brain belt, and i keep thinking "where's my brain lately?" sleep deprivation will do this, i guess!</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
guess i'll do the "privacy" challenge today instead. or rather, i already did...</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
i wasn't sure what i could find in this house that says <i>private</i>. there aren't too many things that the three of us keep private around here. as a family in a home not shared by others, we are somewhat private without even trying to be. but we're somewhat transparent, too. i'd say the most private person in the family is mr. b. he's so private {compared to me} that he doesn't even have a facebook page.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
anyway, then i remembered how isaac has recently started pushing his dad out of the room when he has to make a poopy diaper. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
{hmmm... i guess "poopy" is not a real word, because i'm getting spell-checked on that one.}</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
back to my point... it's the cutest thing when he does it, and we are not at all sure where he figured this new move out. i'm typically here with him most of the day, so i change the majority of his diapers. for several months now, we've been getting him used to the idea of his potty-training seat, and when we can tell he's going poop in his diaper, we encourage him to go sit {diaper still on} in his green seat afterward... to help him associate the chair with the act.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
it seems to be working, because when he sits down on the seat, he makes a grunting noise. and from what i hear, the fact that he knows what he's supposed to do in that seat is a good sign that he's ready to go with the training.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
as far as where he got his little "remove all people from the area i'm about to poop in" routine, all i can think of is this... he knows that when we are doing <i>our</i> business in the bathroom, we close the door for privacy. he must have picked up on the idea of wanting to be alone for such things. or perhaps it's just instinctive?<br />
<br />
either way, it's sort of endearing, and it makes me glad, too. i just have a good feeling that he's got a much better comprehension of the whole potty concept than i first gave him credit for. and i'm so looking forward to beginning the training. well... not really looking forward to the actual training. but looking forward to the end product {absolutely NO pun intended there} and benefits on the other side of training.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
it sounds strange, but i'm also looking forward to being able to apply those dollars we'll save from not having to buy diapers anymore to something more fun!... like supplies for house projects or something!!<br />
<br /></div>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8535128651/" title="#projectlife365 #privacy by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="#projectlife365 #privacy" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8096/8535128651_18df1449ee_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
<br />
<span style="text-align: justify;">anyway, it won't be too much longer before mr. zebra can't sit in this still-sanitary spot anymore. and since he looks so cute there {love the color combo!}, i thought i'd get a few shots to remember this little set-up.</span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8536236388/" title="#projectlife365 #privacy by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="#projectlife365 #privacy" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8104/8536236388_2138a4aa1d_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/8535125877/" title="#projectlife365 #privacy by jorjah-b, on Flickr"><img alt="#projectlife365 #privacy" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8519/8535125877_3a35f5e658_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
okay, that's it for my poopy post. i mean, my privacy post. *wink*</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
i hope to soon be posting about his graduation from training! i hear boys take longer to learn than girls. here's hoping i'm a good trainer and he's a fast learner!<br />
<br />
{p.s... i welcome any and all tips from veteran moms!}</div>
georgia b.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15482885077943093475noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8506858156087040907.post-4308589244013445342013-03-05T18:37:00.000-06:002013-03-05T18:42:55.354-06:00utterly embarrassed...<div style="text-align: justify;">
embarrassed because my last post {which i published less than an hour ago} was riddled with typos and had several spots that would have read better if worded differently. GULP!</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
of course, the errors are all now corrected. but those corrections did not get made before blogger sent out the subscription to anyone who has one. if that's you, please excuse my very bad habit of proofreading <i>after</i> i hit the publish button and the many errors that resulted in my last post. i really need to stop waiting to proofread until after my post is live. normally i have time to fix errors before they are seen in subscription. but not today! {i know, because i also get the subscription e-mail, and i just saw what a train-wreck it is!}</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
i'm just hoping that the post is primarily read on the blog site instead of in subscription form. fingers crossed.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
silly me.<br />
=)</div>
georgia b.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15482885077943093475noreply@blogger.com4