Look to the Sky

It's 9/11, 11 years later.

I remember the day. Vividly. Just like many of you.

I remember the sick feeling I had sitting in front of the TV, glued for hours at a time.

I remember how my thoughts flashed trying to think of every person I knew who might have been in NY, either because they lived there or because they were there on business.

I remember looking at the sky countless times over the days, weeks and months that followed.

I remember.

And now, 11 years later, I look to the sky as I remember. I look up and know that we must always look up. We must never lose hope. We must always remember...

Remember the lessons of history.
Remember those who lost their lives and their loved ones that day.
Remember those who gave their lives so that others might not have to.
Remember that we have a God who loves us and looks out for us, even in the midst of horrific tragedy.

I remember by looking to the sky... the beautiful sky.

Perspective

Butterflies are beautiful. Pretty much all butterflies. This one is no exception.

Even from the underside.

It's funny. When we talk  about the "underbelly", the connotation is usually a dark or ugly thing. Perhaps we need to change our perspective and be willing to explore all sides of a situation before deciding if it's good or bad.

Just sayin'.

Having It ALL

“You could have had it all,” they snickered. “A great career. Lots of money. Nice house in the city. Fine clothes. Eat at any restaurant you like. Why? Why did you give it up?”

Why? I’ll tell you why. ALL, what they call ALL…it didn’t make me happy. I “gave it up” for this…for mornings looking out on this…

...for a husband who loves me…for great kids and grandchildren who know I love them…for peace of mind…for peace.

I think THIS is much closer to having it all than I ever was with their definition of ALL.

It's Saturday Centus time again and the prompt from Mrs. Jenny is in red above. Hope you all have a wonderful day and find your way to having it ALL... and along the way, be sure to stop in and see what the other good Centusians have to say about this subject.

Even Our Flag?

Really?! There's something intrinsically wrong with this.

(If you don't get it, click on the image to enlarge it).

All Things Testify of Him

It's All in the Eye...

It's funny how forgiving the eye is in some cases and not in others when an image is out of focus...

Every one of these images has some aspect of it that is out of focus and yet some are easier for the eye to work with and overcome, while others remain "troublesome".

Just another random thought.

What’s a Nice Girl Like You…?

It’s Alphabe-Thursday time again over at Mrs. Jenny’s. This week we’ll be studying the incomparable letter I. Seems perfectly innocent, no? Maybe it is and maybe it isn’t; who's to say?

My subject this week: the Incongruity of Ink.

So, what’s a 50-something devout Mormon grandmother doing in a tattoo shop? Taking photos and talking to the friendly folks there…that’s what! I decided that getting outside my own skin and exploring a subject I normally wouldn’t cover would be good for me.

Meet Josh…tattoo artist…and very friendly and outgoing young man. I don’t know much about him. I’m sure that his life style and mine are pretty different. But what I do know is that when I called and told him what I was doing and asked if I could come photograph him at work, he very cheerily said “definitely. Yes. Come whenever you like.” 

I think the tattoo on his neck pretty much says it all.

Too often we judge people by what they look like, the work they do, where they live, what they wear, the tattoos, piercings, hair and other adornments they choose, etc. I’m as guilty as anyone.

I’m not suggesting that anyone go out and get tatted up…I personally think it’s a mistake. The reality is that people ARE judged by appearances, and getting a tattoo could be a life altering decision.  While it might seem like fun at the time, it’s a hard thing to undo if somewhere down the road one changes one’s mind…really hard. Nonetheless, it's still about individual choice.

All that said, tattoos are art…some good, some not so. I respect the talents of those who truly are artists. And I respect the right of those who wish their bodies to be the canvas to do so.

As for me, though, I’m happy to stick with simply photographing it. I think it would be incongruous (and perhaps inconceivable and inappropriate) for me to have a family portrait with the hubby, kids, grandkids, dogs and the rabbit inked on my chest, back, arm or any other body part, don’t you?




Check out what interesting, informative, imaginative, innovative and individualistic things the other Alphabetarians have to say about the letter I by clicking HERE.

As I See It...

...that's how I shoot it.

I have ADD. It means that I have a hard time tuning out peripheral stimulus. When I have a conversation with you, it might seem that I'm not paying attention. I am, but I'm also paying attention to about a 100 other things that are in my eyesight and earshot and sometimes within range of my nostrils too. I suppose it's a good trait for a photographer, because I notice everything around me, even when no one else does, or if they do they don't care. So, I take photos of walls, trees with shadows, store signs, etc.

Oh well, just sayin'...not that anyone cares.

On a More Serious Note...

In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we use the Old and New Testament, along with two other books of scripture, The Book of Mormon and The Doctrine and Covenants with the Pearl of Great Price, the four volumes comprising what is referred to as the standard works. Each year, members of the church embark on a course of study of one of the four volumes, cycling through the entire set every four years. The year that just finished covered the New Testament. This year's study will center on the Book of Mormon.

Our local church leaders have asked that we begin with a new, unmarked copy of the Book of Mormon and keep a journal of our thoughts, impressions, inspirations, questions, lessons learned, etc. as we read. (Actually, they just asked that we keep a journal - they didn't suggest what we write in it, so the specifics listed were my addition). 

I love this idea and suggest that any religious/spiritual/interested person, whether you are a Latter-day Saint or a Catholic or a Southern Baptist or a Jew or a Muslim, can benefit from doing this. Whatever scriptures you are reading, whatever books you read for inspiration, if you have a tendency to mark them as you read, underlining words that are meaningful to you or leaving notes in the margin, start with a clean fresh copy this year. My scriptures are well worn and well marked...they have become my cliff notes. Starting with a fresh set will likely cause me to read all the words, not just re-read the ones that I've already deemed as "important". And who knows what new meaning I will get from them? 

Keeping a journal is not my forté, for sure. I have kept journals in the past - words written in anger or frustration or hurt or sorrow as a catharsis, but not necessarily meant to be re-read. I've kept journals that are running streams of inconsequential daily events with no hint of how those events made me feel...more like a collection of old calendar pages. Many of these pages filled with empty thoughts sit on my bookshelf collecting dust. I was thinking I needed some motivation to make it work better this time around.

As we were discussing this idea in our Relief Society meeting yesterday (the church's women's organization which meets each Sunday along with our congregational worship and Sunday school) an idea popped into my head. What if I thought of a family member, a friend, or a loved-one with whom I wanted to share my thoughts and inspirations, with whom I wanted to share my love for the Savior, and wrote my journal as if it were a letter to that person? What if I presented my "journal" to them as a gift next Christmas or for their birthday or when I feel they need it most?

And so, a new blog is born. Not a public blog. Not a blog open for comment. Not a blog with followers.  Just a private place to record those thoughts and feelings...for now, for my eyes only. Someday, when the time is right, to be shared with that person or persons for whom it is intended. 

So, on this, the first Monday of the year, I begin a new journey in the blogoshpere...a spiritual journey. We'll see where it takes me...and with whom I travel. 

For those of you wondering, yes, of course, I'll continue to blog here too...and from time to time, maybe, just maybe, I'll let you know how the journey is going over in my private corner.

Gifts of the Morning

Every morning I get a new and different view. I never know what it's going to be until I step out of bed and look out the window. Even if I had nothing else going on in my life, that alone would get me up...