91 Years

     It's catch up on blogging time, since my school quarter has ended. Also it's mostly quiet since 2 of kids are still in school, which would be stupid, IF the sun was out. But it's not, so, I guess I'm okay with them going in a week after every other school is done. I love snow days, when they come, but make-up snow days are ridiculous. Seriously, isn't snowman building - PE, sledding and momentum - science, and cleaning up melting snow and wet clothing - Home Economics?

     Anyhow, I had time to day to edit the pictures from my Papa's 91st Birthday. He's a pretty amazing guy, and was out chopping wood 5 years ago. You couldn't keep him in the house. He had a slight stroke 2 years ago, and then fell and broke his hip a few weeks later. His favorite thing to do, once house-bound, was read, and he read like crazy, until he lost his eyesight in February. My Great-Grandma, who lived till 96 used to say that the most difficult thing you ever do, is get old.

     Papa has 4 children, 12+ grandchildren (I can't remember how many step Grandchildren), and around 19 great grandchildren. He grew up in an orphanage with his sister, and later was a Marine in World War II, and served in the Guadalcanal Campaign (Info: GuadalCanal Campaign, August 1942).    
     After his service, he lived in several states before settling here in Washington with my Grandma. He worked in the Old Arlington Hospital as a lab technician. As a grandpa, he is top notch, and knew the perfect balance between love and discipline. We all ate things we would never have ate for our parents (nut bread, liver, peas), and did not complain. He took care of his second wife after her stroke, learned all her recipes, and baked the best goodies. After his second wife passed away, he also began to date and later remarried my Grandma, his first wife. They now live together, and still make each other crazy.

It takes a lot of stuff to get old.

So many fun thing to find at Papa's and Grandma's House

Papa gave this GIANT Magnolia tree to Grandma Some 50 years ago on Mother's day. Like their family, it has flourished.

The Small Things

     Last summer my husband claimed faith in Jesus, as his savior. I, of course, became elated, and actually jumped for joy. I expected all our marriage troubles had ended. At first everything was great. Water tasted better, the sunshine was brighter and with my husband standing beside me at church, I thought I would never feel alone again.
     Apparently I had forgotten this warning  "Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour." 1 Peter 5:8 and "In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil." Ephesians 6:16. 

     I was too happy to be alert, I was too confident to rely on faith, so when those flaming darts started hitting us, I ran. I didn't stand firm, I didn't hold up a shield, I cowered, I lost heart, and I became afraid. And here's the thing about fear, is that Satan loves fear. Fear is the opposite of faith, and if faith is the Shield we use to extinguish Satan's flaming arrows, then fear is the gasoline that spreads the fire.

     Fortunately, I am not alone in my spiritual walk, and beside me came many friends who held up their shields of faith, and built me up in truth.

“Come, let us return to the Lord.
He has torn us to pieces;
    now he will heal us.
He has injured us;
    now he will bandage our wounds.
² In just a short time he will restore us,
    so that we may live in his presence.
³ Oh, that we might know the Lord!
    Let us press on to know him.
He will respond to us as surely as the arrival of dawn
    or the coming of rains in early spring.”" Hosea 6:1-3

     Hmm, have you ever noticed how history repeats itself?? When the twelve disciples realized that Jesus truly was God, and that he was all powerful, they thought all their troubles had ended. They were standing next to the man who was calling the most powerful men vipers and claiming a Lordship that at the time only belonged to Ceasar. They were more worried about who would sit on each side of Jesus' throne.  Mark 10:35-41

     Even as Jesus tries to prepare them for the a future of suffering rather than honor, they are comfortable and complacent because Jesus is going to solve all their problems. He will take down the Roman government and put Israel back on the map. Then Jesus is killed, and that was not part of the plan. But it was, it was part of God's plan, the larger plan, the plan that was set out from the very beginning and they didn't have to understand it to be part of it.

     Jesus didn't ever say he would solve all of our problems, he said he was the answer to our problems, and it's amazing how when I truly look to him, to his work, and to giving him the glory how my problems seem to fade. Then the little works of God, like small sparks, begin to shine. The small things that I hadn't noticed because the flame of fear was blinding me. The small things that are only seeds, but are growing and will be strong enough to weather each storm as it comes.

 The fears of the wicked will be fulfilled;
    the hopes of the godly will be granted.

 When the storms of life come, the wicked are whirled away,
    but the Godly have a lasting foundation.

         Proverbs 10:24-25

My Super Heroes

    I am almost done with my 1st year of Photography classes at Everett Community College. Here is my final project. We were given an open ended assignment that could be anything, so long as it fit into one of 4 parameters. It had to use one technique we learned this quarter I went with a diptych.

This project was really a nice challenge as I had to consider what I really wanted to photograph when given absolutely no boundaries, and rather the opposite. The options of using a scanner, composite or a diptych made the possibility endless. I first decided to do a diptych because I loved the idea of it, and knew there were so many possibilities beyond a self portrait and I wanted to explore that.  Second I thought about my artist statement, and that if it were true, and I really did love photographing kids, that it would seem odd to take my endless possibilities and do something non-kid related. The thing about photographing kids, is that you don’t want to make an image “only the mother will love.” I want to photograph kids in a way that creates an image that goes beyond documenting what they looked like at a certain age.  My son Barrett truly believes, currently, that he is Superman, and so I thought I would use that as my inspiration.

         I thought about the location for a few days, and drove around Arlington looking for the perfect place where the city could be seen, and yet with a street that wasn’t too busy or dangerous. I had two shots in mind, and figured I’d just see how it went. When working with two five year olds, you can never plan ahead too much. I knew I wanted to get an image of them looking over the city, sort of watching for crime, and then the second image of them running to stop the crime. Both boys were pretty good sports, although quite silly, and not very heroic all the time. The shot was one of my favorites, and this was the first time the shots I had hoped to get, were the ones I actually captured and liked overall.

Who I am?

     I am currently back  in College and I'm finding that it makes you ponder who you are, and not in the "Should I study or get trashed tonight?" way, but rather, in a more reflective way. Teachers like to ask such questions as, "Why do you like this?" or "Why did you choose that?" They want you to think about the decisions you make, and thus, you begin to ask yourself "Why am I  making the decisions I make."

    Reflecting on what you do can take you down some difficult paths, and maybe make you ponder some things you haven't before. Answering "Why do I enjoy photography?" Isn't difficult, but answering, "What do I want to say with my photography?" or "Why is my photography important?" can be quite soul searching and honestly made me ponder if I was really making the right choose by going back to school. If I am only ordinary, then won't my photography be? Maybe I don't know how to make statements that effect people with my art. What if all I do is create images that nobody really cares about?

     We are often asked  these types of questions in high school, but I think they are asked so teens will go and seek the answers. So they will be inspired to search the world, and take all the possibility they have, and become something great. Then, as we continue to age, we quit being asked, and forget to ask them of ourselves. Then each day takes one a repetition with a life of it's own. So many tasks just so you can be ready to start the same tasks again tomorrow. It is so easy to forget that you once had a purpose, beyond making sure the laundry isn't overflowing, and there are clean dishes and food to be had for dinner.

     God made us to be spirited, gifted and individual. We are to aim to be like Jesus, but each of us is to do so in a different way.

1 Corinthians 12:4-6 (NIV)
        ⁴ There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. ⁵ There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. ⁶ There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.

    My daily work should not look like yours, and I should not compare them. God even claims my weakness, in fact he desire them. 

2 Corinthians 12:9 (NLT)
     Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.

    Who doesn't want the Power of Christ to work through them?? Fortunately I have plenty of weaknesses.

     So, now what does a small town girl, with a passel of kids, do with all this purpose and all these questions. Do I take my family to Africa and photograph orphans, mayby.... but unlikely. I'm not really sure yet. I guess I will aim to just seek God's will, and be ready for wherever that may lead me, and pray he will ready me for whatever comes. I don't have time for much else.

Thumbelina Composite

Thumbelina Composite

Words and Pictures

    For my Final project in photo 111, my teacher gave us the assignment of making 2 images and to capture the sense or feel of the two words she would give us. Both images had to be strong enough to stand on their own, and yet cohesive as a duo.

      The words were, of course, of opposing meanings so visual unity was not a simple accomplishment.

                                                   See if you can guess what the words were.

The words she gave us were Chaos and Tranquility.

Jammin' and Cool Duds

     This morning I was thinking about how the world runs, and how it often feels so hard. In accordance with that feeling, I turned on this song, which I was thinking of and hoped it would bring me some joy...

.....and I  started cleaning up breakfast. When I came back into the living room I saw Liam had grabbed his keyboard and Barrett was putting batteries into his guitar. I, of course, grabbed my camera, and just enjoyed them and the music for a bit.

 

Frog wants to Jam as well.

Yep, it turned out to be a pretty good day.