making do

Sometimes, when I'm stuck for something to write about, I'll browse through my Lightroom catalog until a photo strikes me. Maybe I'll remember a story about it. Maybe it'll inspire a thought I want to share.

After doing some other work yesterday, I spent the afternoon sorting through photos. Halfhearted, at best. It's cold and gray here again. Someone in my Facebook feed said, "Spring is slow to creep in." It's been a two steps back process since March, it seems. One sunny day, two cold and windy. One promise of warmth, two more gray.

There's no story to go with this photo really, except maybe that Florida sunshine heralds the promise of summer's warmth. It's been another make-do week around here. More health struggles with real pain and no real resolve. But I've also had some real and truly insightful and uplifting conversations with some of my film photography companions that apply to all creatives. All of us who simply live our lives, really. I'd like to share some pieces here, but I'll need to get my thoughts together, and frankly, I'm tired. Wednesday was the first day in a week I managed to not need a nap (thank god I work at home!), and the first day I manged to fairly quickly get rid of the daily morning headache that's been dodging me (thank god also for small mercies!). So things are looking up, right?

I can only hope. See you lovelies next week. Thanks for hanging in with me. XO

spring creeps in

It's been such a funny disjointed winter. Had you heard that thing about New Year's Eve, where whatever you're doing at midnight is the "theme" for your year? Have I talked about this yet? Seriously, I can't remember. So, I thought we'd be in for big excitement this year based on our New Year's Eve. Fireworks! Dancing!

Hmmm. I got it wrong. I think the theme for this year was hunker down. For this winter, at least. We've definitely gone into survival/hibernation mode around here. And then that snow. Things have been disjointed and weird. My classes are keeping me busy, but even they've been on the skids a bit with lots of canceled sessions and make-up days.

I'm also taking a class. Embrace the Grain, with film photog extraordinaire Joyce Kang. It's been exciting and fun and hard. I've gained some empathy for my own intro students as I struggle with understanding. My first scans should be arriving at the lab today (black and white, YIPES!), so maybe (maybe) I'll share some here. That was a big push out of my comfort zone, but you know what? I'm getting ready to load another roll of B&W in the camera today.

But the weather is warmer. Capricious March. (one of Cal's vocab words this week. "Capricious." Not "March.") Baseball practice started last week and games start this week. I love the frenetic pace of it all. But it takes getting used to, no lie. The laundry change alone takes getting used to! Practice pants, uniform pants (why are they ALWAYS white!). Crock pot dinners, altered car pool schedules. Everything has shifted. Time speeds up in the spring.

And blogging. I'm not even sure how to blog anymore. Monday, Wednesday, Friday? Tuesday, Thursday? Never?! I'd love to recapture the structure of this space, but my weeks have felt more reactive than anything. I don't like that. And yet the rhythm of blogging grounds me and keeps me feeling connected to the me-ness of the crazy days and weeks ahead. And you! It keeps me connected to all of you. I'll figure it out. In the meantime, I'm here today. And I'll be here Thursday. And Friday is another installment of One Kid, One Roll, Once A Month. I'm loving that project!

What are you loving these days? Life as it speeds past?