Celebrate Life

To start off the weekend the family took Grandma out for dinner to celebrate her 84th birthday. Grandma will tell me of stories of herself as a girl, a teen, or a young mother and wife. I am always in awe of how much she has accomplished, how brave she has been. As a girl, Grandma rode a cow ( yes I said cow!), in her teen years, she would take the train all by herself to visit her cousins in the States. Grandma shared with me that Union Station was one of her favorite places, with the hustle and bustle of people going places, maybe because her father worked for CN, (although I'm not sure what he did, I must ask.)

In love Grandma was also brave. Grandpa was Catholic, and Grandma is Protestant. Regardless of the church's opinion, Grandma and Grandpa kept their chins up and had 60 happy years married.

What I admire most about Grandma, is that she has shown such strength after such devastating loss. In the last 10 years, Grandma has lost her family. Her son, her husband, her daughter.

Think about that for a minute. Think about the faces at your dinner table - all gone.

The faces at my dinner table, my family, are what get me out of bed some days. They give me joy (and grief), but with them, I feel such emotion that it makes me feel alive, human.

Nobody would blame Grandma for being bitter. She is not bitter, sad some days, but not bitter or angry. What is more, she is so thankful for what she does have - and we are so thankful for her.

April 29 - Fifteen

Fifteen Years and Pounds

Self portrait Thursday

Hubby and I celebrated 15 years married yesterday. He surprised me with taking the day off, and since all three kids were in school, we had the day to ourselves. We went out to breakfast. It was nice to sit and talk to each other - remember the good times and congratulate each other for sticking it out for the rough times too. After breakfast we headed out to Websters Falls. We had never been there before. We had so much fun, lots of good laughs. On the way home we stopped in at the Antique store that we have always been meaning to go to and browsed around. It was a great date. Made me fall in love with him all over again.

For a gift I got him a photo album with pictures of us with a promise to start preserving more memories of us spending time together. I am looking forward to filling it for him.

April 28 - Sugar Shine

I stole the Little Man's push pop for my 365 today. I just thought that it looked stunning with the sunlight streaming through the blue candy - like a stained glass window. I find it ironic that today of all days, I would find the beauty in sugar. But then again maybe it isn't so ironic after all. Since I quit smoking 4 months ago my weight has been a struggle. Its easy to consider sugar the enemy and today I felt like I beat the evil enemy. I ate well, and tried my best to exercise.

Since my knee crapped out on me, I have not been working out. I have stopped running completely, and power walks can only be done on a good day. I mean - I've been active, walking, gardening or riding my bike, but I have not been able to work out. Yesterday I was able to do some low impact aerobics with weights. I was careful to stretch in the middle and at the end of my workout in order to remain mobile tomorrow as well.

Anyway, the point here is that I felt alive. I missed listening to my tunes, singing my heart out, feeling strong and able, as opposed to disabled. Working out for me may never be running again, and while that is sad, I have to grieve and get on with it. Find something new, that will give me the same sense of appreciation for what my body can do if I put my mind to it.

April 27 - The Flag

I love this flag. This Canadian Flag waves proudly in front of the local grocery store. If I recall correctly, the original name of the grocery store was The Supercentre, and to prove just how super it was The Supercentre had the largest Canadian Flag at the time.


I'm not sure if the flag that waves today is the largest in the country or not. However I am sure that on a crisp, windy day, the sight of the flag, against a blue sky, takes my breath away. I love to watch it dance in the wind, the fabric rippling like waves. The flag makes me feel patriotic, and part of something bigger than myself.

April 26 - Bubbles ( just for fun mom )

Yesterday Charlie found a bottle of bubbles left over from a loot bag, so we headed outside to blow some bubbles. Of course I brought my camera to get a picture for my 365. Charlie was feeling particularly sweet, letting me get all the shots I wanted. Then he looked at me and very seriously said, " One more and then we can play - just for fun Mom."

How often do we as adults do things because we have to and not just for the pure joy in doing so? Just for fun. As kids we don't exercise, we run around the playground or ride our bikes. Children learn for the pure joy in knowledge. One of the main reasons that I started my 365 was to be a better photographer, and its only a by product that I am finding joy in it. What have I done lately just for fun, not because I felt I had to? Yesterday, I put down the camera, and enjoyed the moment for what it was. A morning with my wise little man.

April 25 - April Showers Bring May Flowers

It was rainy and chilly today, which is a good thing because so far this spring it has been dry and warm, and the gardens needed some water. I am having a hard time resisting the spring floral pictures. Today I got a shot of these tulips, they remind me of soldiers, tall straight and proud.

The second picture is of a Bleeding Heart bush that I saved from a friends garden. Of course when I dug this little bush up and moved it I wasn't sure of what it was. I am pleasantly surprised, the heart shaped blooms amuse me.

This week I was pretty busy in the garden. I widend a side garden, and added another bed - this one in front of the deck to camofloge the junk we hide under there. Other plans for the garden this year include veggies at the side door and dare I say it removal of the enormus dead poplar trees. ( keeping my fingers crossed - hoping that my BIL, can hook me up with some of his connections )

April 24 - Sundae's On Saturday.

Last night at the dinner table we had a discussion about our favorite kind of ice cream. I have a few categories of favorites. In the category of traditional ice cream the winner is World Class Chocolate from Baskin Robins. Hot Fudge sundaes from McDonald's, and Chocolate Cones from the ice cream truck are a close tie, with the possibility of the ice cream truck beating out McDonald's just by a cherry, because it is not as easy to get. All of us agreed on some - like the sundaes, and the soft serve, but we all choose different "traditional" ice cream flavors. Hubby likes Rolo, The Eldest likes anything with chocolate, The Boy did not specify, and Little Man likes "the blue one - it has gum in it!"
So as a special treat, we got Sundaes on Saturday.


Just as we were sitting down to eat our sundaes, we could hear music. The Ice cream Truck!!!! It drove right by our house. If I was faster it would be a better shot, but we were all laughing too hard. Gotta love irony.

April 22 - Fresh

The little man was full of energy today. I asked him if he would pose with the apple for mommy's picture project and this is what I got. He makes me smile everyday. Brat. ;)

Thursday Self Portrait: Earth Day

"If we could see the miracle of a single flower clearly our whole life would be changed." - Buddah

Happy Earth Day everyone, go out and get dirty!

April 21 - First Blossom

Catch up Time

April 18 - Laundry Day

April 17 - Storm Clouds

April 16 - Ah Nuts!

Project 365 - April 20 - Washing the Fire Truck

Do something each day that scares you.

I can't remember where I have heard this, but today I did something that scares me. I approached a stranger and asked if I could take their picture. Not quite as scary as running into a burning building, but it did make my heart beat a little faster.

365 Project - April 19 - Crusty Paint

I am sanding the rail to the back deck this afternoon, and was thinking how cool the peeling paint looked. Guess I am a sucker for anything nostalgic- even paint.

Today I Get to Choose.

"You don't get to choose how you're going to die or when. You only decide how you are going to live. Now." - Joan Baez.

A family member is going through some tough times. Tough times is a huge understatement. The doctors are using not quite using the "C" word, but in my books, lymphoma isn't all that great either. Yesterday morning she underwent a biopsy, and we are waiting, hoping and praying for some good news.

Seeing what she and her family are going through really puts a creaky knee and a mid-life crisis in perspective. Today I get to choose how I am going to live.

Thursday Self Portrait: Looking Inward

I cant believe that so much time has passed since I last blogged an entry. Rest assured that I have been keeping up with my 365 project. If you are intrested in checking them out, I have been posting them on my business facebook page ( trishbphotography )
I am going to try a few new things in my 365, the first of which is a self portrait a week, ideally on Thursdays, since it is my kid less day. Today's self portrait is all about taking time to feel my heart beat, and be greatfull. More changes to come...

365 Project January 28 - Bubbles

365 Project January 27 - Resolutions

I quit smoking, started working out, keeping up with my photography, and the blog - gosh I love January.

365 Project January 26 - Egg.

365 Project January 24 - Time for a Haircut

365 Project January 24 - Game On

a bit of a craappy snappy from the birthday party on Sunday.

365 Project January 23 - Sunrise

365 Project January 22 - Nothing But Blue Skies

365 Project January 21

I cant believe she is 14 - Growing up too fast.

365 Project January 20 -Bowling With Charlie

Strike!

Good Enough

a journal entry written years ago, that I find poetic...

Good Enough

We are enough.....for each other
We are enough.....why compete?
We are enough.....sometimes
We are enough.....sometimes
We are enough.....for us
We are enough.....never mind anyone else.
We are enough.....I like us
I am enough.........for me.

365 Project January 19

Thinking about me, my journey and where my legs will take me.

365 Project January 18

With My Own 2 Hands

365 Project January 17

Going Green with Envy

365 Project January 16

Connected

365 Project January 15

My Favorite Place

Missed a Few - 365 January 6 - 14 2010

2010 - A new year full of promise, without mistakes. I have thought for some time about doing a 365 project. The idea of taking a picture everyday interested me, but the commitment that it takes scared me a little. 52 weeks, I thought, would be so much easier. That is until I realized that it is so easy to loose momentum when you don't have to account for days on end. So I am going to try something in between, at least one picture a week, with an effort to pick up the camera every day. My goal will be not a certain number of photographs, but rather to see what blossoms from my efforts.