Tag Archives: photography

Photo Story: Arizona Rest Stop

13 Saturday Feb 2016

Posted by in Photographs, That's Life

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Photo Story: the plan is to post a photo every couple of weeks and give a brief description to go with the photo. Where did I take it, why did I take it, what emotions did I feel, why am I sharing it with you. Cool? Okay then. Here we go.

Arizona Rest StopDSCN2734 Arizona Rest Stop January 2016 BW

This photo was taken near Lupton, Arizona at the rest stop located about 1 mile West of the border between New Mexico and Arizona. Heading toward home on day 12 of a 14 day road trip to visit my daughter’s family in Louisiana. Albuquerque, New Mexico was the point of origin and Flagstaff, Arizona was the day’s destination.

We stopped for the same reasons most people stop – to stretch and use the facilities. It was snowing as we pulled in and parked the 22 foot Ford F250 that had taken us to there and back.

Please understand that I was born and raised in Southern California. I’ve been in snow about six times in a 50 year life span. Day trips to Big Bear, a church trip to Fresno once when I was young, an off year in Amarillo, Texas, and a strange flurry during a weekend trip to Flagstaff last year in May. I act like a child – joyful, giggly, playful – when I am in and around the cold, white stuff as it falls from the sky.

2016-01-07 15.31.21-1

I built a snowman. It was cold, so Frosty is only about 12 inches high, but adorable, and the camera perspective provides more substance.

I jumped up and down in fresh snow fall, I took photos of the tress, flocked in the natural beauty that tree lot flocking just can’t match. I felt gratitude and childish delight in experiencing something that causes folks who live in it a feeling of eventual weariness, dread and sometimes terror.

Snow brings a muffled serenity when it covers the earth. It mutes the highway sounds. It is bright and glaring and peacefully present. It is so much white.

I look at this photo and am reminded of the distance we covered, and of the adventure that had yet to come on that trip. I remember the complete abandon of reserved adult-like behavior.

I prefer black and white to color and photo above is a favorite for its simplicity and reality. Also for the subtle photobombing of the Arizona Welcomes You sign.

Here it is in color, though:

DSCN2734 Arizona Rest Stop January 2016

Why am I sharing it with you? Because I can.  Thanks for sticking with me to the end.

Why I Think I Blog

04 Monday Jan 2016

Posted by in Blog Newbie

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Basically, I’m a 50 year old mother of 4, grand mother of 4, frustrated artist and full time college student.  I’ve been in clean and sober for 12 years and 60 days. My grandmother died in February 2011 of Alzheimer’s two weeks after my mother-in-law died of lung cancer. I divorced my husband of 21 years in September 2013. My mother died of ovarian cancer in September 2014. I have a kind, loving third husband and we’ve been married six months and seven days.

I’ve been blogging regularly for about a month. I’ve been blogging sporadically for about 14 years. My first page was “What A Muther” on Blogspot. http://whatamuther.blogspot.com

I keep a personal journal. My life has gone through some pretty significant changes in the past four years, causing me to question my validity and also my truth. Was I being as honest with me and with you as I needed to be? I started by posting some truth about me. There is a fine line between truth and shock value. I needed personal guidelines, some principles to follow. Could I post some deep, real feelings and life challenges without feeling shame or turning you off? Could I let you hear some of my ‘dark’ thoughts without fear of ridicule? Or could I ignore judgment, in order to be true to myself? I decided that eventually, with practice, I could.

My topics include crappy dreams, old, resurfacing feelings, personal insights, jokes I didn’t ‘get’ but through life experience suddenly ‘got.’ I share challenges I face and how I deal with life on life’s terms. I take photographs and I want to tie the images I shoot with the thoughts that I share. I want to let people who are afraid of their own truth find some comfort in discovering that maybe they can relate to mine. This is about as sure as I am right now about what this page represents. The road will get narrower as I become more…clear?

I would like to reach anyone who has trouble accepting themselves as they are, and those who are interested in working toward being a better them, by first accepting who they are right now. In this moment.

If I manage to blog for 365 days, I hope to have some followers who are more comfortable in their own skin, who like themselves a little more, and who have enjoyed my blogging efforts.

Currently I am learning to blog… Let’s see how this goes, okay?