59/366: My Life In 30 Years

I had dinner with a dear friend tonight.

All day long I knew.

When I got home, I would take a picture.

Of what I felt represented.

My life in thirty years.

On the drive home from dinner.

I realized I had it all wrong.

I don't know what my life will be in 30 years.

I don't know if we will have kids.

I don't know if we will have grandkids.

I don't know where we will live.

I don't know if we will be retired or working.

I know I will be with him.

Always.

That is the extent of my knowledge.

As I was driving home tonight.

I reflected on our dinner conversation.

Love. Marriage. Kids. Friendship. Family.

Life, I realized.

Is messy.

It's like a bed.

We may make it every morning.

Snap the sheets crisp.

Tuck the corners tight.

However.

At the end of the day.

We will crawl in and mess it up again.

The next day.

We get up.

We have a choice. 

Make our bed.

Or to leave the covers in a big messy twisted heap.

Sometimes the mess is fun.

Sometimes it doesn't bother us.

Sometimes it makes us wish.

We had taken the time.

To straighten things up a bit.

The mess will always be there. 

I like it that way.

The mess is what makes life.

What creates life.

I have dreams of what my life MIGHT be like.

In thirty years.

Yet, all I know.

Is that life will be messy.

And I will wake each morning.

By my husband's side.

And we will decide to make our bed.

Or embrace the mess of that day.

Together.

58/366: Emotions

I set out this evening with my camera.
Ready to capture raw human emotion.
Only to realize.
I forgot to bring a memory card.
I had thrown my camera in my purse.
No camera bag full of extras.
The result.
One seriously annoyed gal.
Taking self portraits.
In the middle of a poorly lit kitchen.
I couldn't help but laugh.
At the final result.

57/366: Opposites - Hot and Cold

Dinner & Dessert

56/366: Something Red

The older I get, the more I marvel at the wisdom of children.
                                                 - David Morgan

55/366: A Favorite Place in Nature

Just down the street from our house...
Is a nature preserve.


Officially, it is called the Bolsa Chica Wetlands.
Officially... 
It is beautiful.

54/366: Inspiration

Inspiration comes in many forms.
For most of us.
It strikes when least expected.
In a variety of ways.
Many times a day.


This morning.
I opened my eyes.
To see the most beautiful sunrise.
Reflected in the blank screen.
Of our bedroom television.


It was beautiful.
In a way I had never imagined.
I immediately wanted to capture that light.
To shoot.


I ended up doing a series.
Of just rolled out of bed.
Self portraits.
Those are for another day.


Today.
Belonged to the sunrise.

53/366: Kid Faces

We walked down to the beach tonight.
A slight detour on our way to dinner.
There is a playground there.
Just over the edge of the sand.


I caught a group of playground friends.
Four kids.
That could quite possibly never see each other again.
They were laughing. Smiling.
Carefree. Joyous.
Enjoying a game of tag.


They ran.
Jumped.
Chased.
Hid.
Looped up and around the playground.
Having a blast.


They made my night.

52/366: Fire

If you go to a party, and you want to be the popular one at the party, do this:  Wait until no one is looking, then kick a burning log out of the fireplace onto the carpet.  Then jump on top of it with your body and yell, "Log o' fire! Log o' fire!"  I've never done this, but I think it would work.


                                                                           -  Deep Thoughts by Jack Handy

51/366: A Picture

The first time Scott.

Brought me home.

I was super impressed.

With his bachelor pad.

The walls were painted.

There were no milk crate shelves.

No Animal House posters.

He had real dishes.

Enough silverware.

For more than two people.

The hallway was bold.

Red.

Filled with his photography.

Artwork of those he admired.

It spoke to me.

Of who he is.

Who he strives to be.

When I moved in with him.

We kept the red wall.  

We added some of my photography.

Changed up some of the pictures.

It now speaks of us.

Who we are.

Who we will be.

50/366: Old Paint

Once upon a time.
What seems like a lifetime ago.
I was a single girl.
With an affinity for anything.
Everything.
Shabby chic.


If it was old.
And the paint was peeling.
I'd sand it a bit.
Seal it.
And make it furniture.


Eventually my style changed.
Evolved.
And then I moved in with my husband.
Who also loves all things old.
Antique... but not shabby chic.


So while our home is bursting.
With the old.
Previously loved.
Vintage.
Few things remain of those days.
When my home was filled with items.
Covered in old peeling paint.


This is one that I have kept with me.
It's now a catchall.
In our kitchen.
On any given day.
It houses gum.
Keys.
Pens.
Coupons.
Candy.


Yet it remains as it was when I found it.
Old and peeling.
And a reminder of a young girl.
On her own for the first time.
Decorating her first place.
Her way.

49/366: Something in the Wind

One perk of living near the beach.
Is that there is almost always.
A nice breeze.
So we keep two sets of wind chimes.
In our dining room window.

The sound is so peaceful.
So beautifully simple.

For 16 years of my life.
I was unable to hear any noise.
Such as a whistle or a wind chime.

Now, I can.
And it is nothing short of elation.
Comfort.
Reassurance.
Bliss.
To hear them each day.

48/366: Sound

Strange how a teapot can represent at the same time the comforts of solitude and the pleasures of company.                                                                                                     
                                                            - Author Unknown

47/366: Something Absurd

A truck.

Please don't park.

Your too big truck.

In front of my building.

Everyday.

It's ugly.

And.

You don't live here.

USC.

I'm from Ohio.

Enough said.

Shopping with a dog.

Is bad enough.

The least you can do.

Is put it in a carrier.

Instead of walking your dog.

In a mall.

46/366: Opposites - Up and Down

Never look backwards or you'll fall down the stairs.
                                        - Rudyard Kipling

45/366: History

History can be many things.

I think some of the greatest historic moments.

Are created in the everyday.

Even though we see them often.

And talk frequently.

Tonight was the first time ever.

We actually had our neighbors over for dinner.

We had promised their boys.

A night of pizza and games.

We started. 

By introducing them to Trouble.

And Rockem' Sockem' Robots.

Definitely historic.

44/366: Handles

Every tomorrow has two handles.  We can take hold of it with the handle of anxiety or the handle of faith.


                                                                                    - Henry Ward Beecher

43/366: Water

I am always amazed.
By the sprinklers at our building.
They are strategically positioned.
In such a fashion.
That they hit more concrete.
Than grass.
Shrubbery.
Flowers.



It never ceases.
To make me smile.

42/366: Motion

Scott and I are headed to the O.C. Fair tonight.  
I'm excited about the ginormous Ferris Wheel.
He's excited about the RV Demolition Derby.


My first thought.
Sweet! I can get some great motion shots.


Then I thought again.
About enjoying my time with my husband.
Versus constantly worrying about exposing
The crunch and crush of mangled RVs.
The rush home.
Late night editing.
Making sure it is blogged.
Before my carriage turns into a pumpkin.


Instead.
I decided I am going to enjoy.
The fair.
The food.
The company.
The big wheel.
The derby.
I've never been to the fair with my husband.
Maybe he'll buy me some cotton candy.


So... what to shoot this afternoon.
Before our big adventure?
I looked up from the table.
Puzzled.
A line from a Jimmy Buffett song.
Lodged in my head.


Constantly amazed by the blades of the fan on the ceiling...


I LOATHE the ceiling fan in our dining room.
We frequently talk of getting a new one.
It is ugly.
White.
With gold accents.
Nothing like the beautiful.
Modern.
Dark Wood.
Brushed Nickel
Beauty that we have picked out to replace it.
Someday.

41/366: Sparkle

Sparkle.
One of MY. FAVORITE. THINGS.

My junior year of High School.
When shopping for a prom dress.
I came across a teal and silver.
All sequined.
Oh my gosh I have to have this dress.
Dress.
The next day.
My mom went back to the mall with me.
And it was MINE.
FOREVER.

Prom is many years passed.
However this is one of the few dresses.
From all the dances.
That has stayed with me.
Sometimes I think I will cut it up.
Make a fantastic handbag.
Or a crazy pillow.

Most days.
I think about a little blond girl.
With a pixie cut.
That loved to twirl.
In her Mom's sparkles.
Dancing in front of the mirror.
In flowing late 70's disco dresses.

On those days.
I smile and hope.
That some day.
I will have a little girl.
That loves to twirl.
And dance.
In teal sequins.

40/366: Sepia

se·pi·a

 [see-pee-uh]

noun

a brown pigment obtained from the ink-like secretion of various cuttlefish and used with brush or pen in drawing