Life: Through the Lens

 Procrastination! The name of the game this past week has been "procrastination."  I have a list of things I want to work on.  I even prioritize them.  There is not a lack of choices.  There is even some variety.  And yet....I choose a puzzle, which of course I can not stop putting in just a couple more pieces.  It must be time to walk the dog, as well.  We can't forget our devoted companion!   There is certainly something entertaining outside my window, as well.  All I have to do is look up from that puzzle!   Maybe I should head down to Ballyhoo Books and Brew to see if there is a must-read on the shelf,  and I must purchase a chai latte while I warm by the fire on these chilly January afternoons.  Then I finally get out my list, ready to start working on my of my projects, and there is one more thing to distract me.  I must say, it IS a windy wintery day today! Well, tomorrow is another day.     How ...

 Creating an interesting narrative to accompany genealogical research is such a daunting task.  I love my research, and sometimes love the findings, and I really want to wrap up one side of my family and work on the next.  But...YIKES!  How to begin? I usually begin with photographs.  I love photographs.  They have such story-telling power.  Especially the older ones.  My sister and I are the ones left to tell much of the story.  We have lots of questions, and we share our remembrances and we come up with a semblance of story.  But photos are our biggest helpers. "The Cottage" August 1963 This photo, for instance, was lifted from a scrapbook - the kind where we used to glue them to the page.  VERY difficult to work with as I compile my favorite photos.  But this tells such a great piece of the Trerice story.  I would have been about 10 years old, making my wee sister about 7.  Isn't she an imp in this pic?  This ...

    Happy New Year! I love the freshness of a new year.  It feels like a reboot, a blank page.  Now it's time to start filling the 2024 pages. I am not writing a list of resolutions, but I am making a promise to myself.  This year I will discover/rediscover my creative passions.  It seems as if life keeps giving me twists and turns which redirect me. This will be a year to reboot my writing and photography!  If I can add more travel to this wish-list, that's all the better!  Darn, I used the word "list."  Well, the organized part of me will be important, too! Winter is sometimes a bit like the dog-days of summer, where you want to stay inside in the coziness of your home.  (Air conditioning in the summer, and heat in the winter).  But Kaycee and I are on a mission this winter - stay active and engaged!      So let's go!  Here's to the New Year and all it has in store. What about you?  Please share your ...

W is for Wonderkid  Find the Superhero in You by Linda Daugherty and Sandra Koch Wow!  Our book is finally published.  It has been such a lengthy process and the reward now sits on our tables, and on Amazon.com!  The journey has been bumpy, exciting, engaging, frustrating, worrisome, creative...all that it should be, I suppose. Approximately 10 years ago we sat down over coffee at our neighborhood Big Boy and began crafting a children's book, one which would engage young students, and help parents, grandparents, caregivers, and teachers teach children social skills, decision-making skills, skills to help them be citizens in this huge and complex world.  We wanted children to develop their own powers to help confront all sorts of situations they might find themselves in, especially bullying.  10 years.  And that problem is still an issue in our schools, and society. Initially we wrote everything on notepads, putting it in the computer ...

By definition a portrait is:   a painting, drawing, photograph, or engraving of a person, especially one depicting only the face or head and shoulders.   A portrait is also  usually  considered more " formal" than other photographs. Who would have expected to run into someone you know, so far away from home? This is Allison, a young lady who grew up in our town, our families went to the same church, she was in band with my daughter,  and here she is working as a Park Ranger in Arches National Park! What a stroke of luck it was that I decided to wear my Michigan t-shirt that day.  It initiated the conversation that lead to our reacquaintance! As a photographer, I have been asked to shoot senior photos, business photos, weddings and special events. And I have done all those things.  However, I do not enjoy that process as much as I do creating portraits which show personality, and a sense of time and place. These po...

My two favorite seasons are Spring and Fall - and I am sure it has to do with color and vibrance.   Spring is softer than fall; gentler.  Nature gifts us an awakening of the senses after being cooped up all winter.  I have spent as much time as possible outside, generally walking the dog and teaching her how to be a photo companion.  She has learned "wait" might be frustrating, but she always gets her reward.  This Spring she learned where the squirrels go when they run away from  her.  It was hilarious! Enjoy this celebration of Spring!

One Fish, Two Fish,  Red Fish, Blue Fish "I like nonsense.  It wakes up the brain cells.  Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living.  It's a way of looking at life through the wrong end of a telescope, which is what I do.  And that enables you to laugh at life's realities." ~ Dr. Seuss (Theodor Seuss Geisel) And that sentiment is obvious when you revisit his books, or see the bronze statues depicting his famous characters.  I had the delightful pleasure of seeing 6 of these statues on display at Dow Gardens, in Midland, MI, and can't wait to re-read the books!  I happened to see the traveling exhibit advertised, grabbed a friend who would understand my child-like excitement, and hurried over, as it closes on September 1. The Lorax Stepping out of the visitor's lobby and into the garden, The Lorax started us on our journey.  Such a delight!  The detail in the sculpture was amazing, as was the story behind the character.  ...