Home ECK Wreck: 2009-10-11

October 15, 2009

Yeeeessss back to THIS!

Friends keep having babies and hence keep subjecting themselves to my mixed media craft art.

October 14, 2009

Every day is a fresh start.

If you allow it.

If you welcome it.

If you encourage it.

Life reveals itself slowly, methodically, mysteriously.

Be patient.

Love each moment.

Embrace it.

The hourglass keeps count of every grain.

Keep count too.

Hugs.

Love.

Beauty.

Light.

The shadow that defines it.

The stuff we miss.

What we keep.

Tears. . .

Of struggle and sadness. . .

And of happiness and joy. . .

Life.

Ordinary Angels #476

October 13, 2009

Ordinary Angels #473

Head is spinning with ideas. They aren't original and they aren't Nobel Prize worthy. Still thoughts. . .

Here are the general topics:
1. Aging population - Our aging population seems not to be aging very much. They retire to progressive retirement places where apparently there are happy hours and husband swapping. . .Leave it to the Boomers. Also apparent, Viagra works.

2. Why are we so reluctant to embrace this? We put a premium on youth in our society but why? Why on earth would I want to revert to the silly naivete of my high school years? Or the ridiculous indulgence of my college years? I like getting older. What I don't like are frown lines. Keep all the smile wrinkles. . .Decimate the frown wrinkles with some 'tox or Restlayne. Seriously, I don't want to walk around with a permanent scowl on my face. Frown lines must. be. decimated.

3. I believe we as a society generally think older folks should be "warehoused" in a nursing facility (or similar). I think that's bullshit. I know plenty of folks that aren't even close to acting their age. And I adore it. Wisdom, talent, patience, knowledge. . .these are not things that should be warehoused in an assisted living facility.

Living and aging and even dying with passion, grace, and dignity is something we may have forgotten as a society. I'd like to welcome you back. . .Think about it. It's not morbid. It's about every beautiful moment. It's about taking a picture and seeing what you might have missed. Beauty and grace and valor in the face of seemingly insurmountable obstacles and ugliness.

Life is messy. Please don't wear a nearly ass bearing A&E denim skirt and bow to the alter that is Miley Cyrus while you weed through it.

Ordinary Angels #468

This feels encouraging, strong somehow. . .no?

Ordinary Angels #459

I was quite infatuated with this stone angel. Her wing was broken. Her arm was broken. Yet she still had a beautiful look of peace upon her face. I wonder about the artist that sculpted her. I wonder how they looked at a piece of stone and found a way to create such a lovely, soft, calm presence out of such hard rock.

I wonder sometimes what that means for me? Could I soften my rough edges a little better? Can I embrace the weathering process of age? Can I be a calm peaceful presence? Can I stop finding pleasure in the minor chaos that always seems to rattle around in my head and heart?

Would I be Medusa?!

Ordinary Angels #453

Ordinary Angels

Visited a lot of churches and cemeteries on this trip. I find both beautiful, peaceful, and a little mysterious.

OVERLOAD!!!!!

My vaca re-entry has my head spinning. . .I thought my vacation was about slowing the inner workings of my gray matter but it would seem getting back creates some kind of total burn on re-entry.

Sluggish at work.
Still stuck in the book I was reading: blink by Malcolm Gladwell.
Still stuck on a beach at sunset with my camera, dogs, and husband.
Nearly forgot what day it was - my 92 year old Grandma's birthday.
Spent the entire evening on the phone speaking with Mom, Birthday-havin'-Grandma, texting folks. . .

Getting away it would seem is nothing compared to the getting back.

Caught up on mail, emails, texts, sleep. . .

And here I am again. Mach 3, hair on fire, 10:24 at night, just itching to stay up until all hours of the morning posting relatively mediocre vacay pics. . .And wanting to blab on about health care, seniors in our society, how awesome Sherwin Williams can match up paint colors, micro slicing our snap decisions, and so forth.

I suspect at some point this word vomit will end. . .

Streeeeeeetccccchhhh!

Allister was really cranky with us when we got back but I think he's over it now.

October 12, 2009

Butterfly - Port Tobacco Courthouse #518

Butterflies are difficult to photograph. They don't stay still very long. Adding to my lack of patience was the fact that I couldn't really get on the ground and stay still. the butterflies were eating rotting fruit - which was all over the ground - and not appealing to roll around in.

Thomas Stone House #495

Thomas Stone was one of the four Maryland signers of the Declaration of Independence. His home is a national historic monument. He is buried on the property. This is the cemetery fence. The light on the spider webs caught my eye.

PS - What I failed to realize while taking this pic, is that there's actually a spider in the picture. You have to enlarge the photo to see it. I didn't notice it until much later. If you double click the pic, you can see it. It's amazing how you can think you're so aware of all that's going on around you and you're trying to be cognizant. For the photographer, the camera shows how much we truly miss. And often it's amazing and wonderful and beautiful.

What are we missing?

How often?

Solomons, Maryland #434

Solomons, Maryland #420

Jelly Fish #422

Could I be getting the hang of this photography stuff? Doubtful. For every decent pic, there are 50 disappointing ones. . .

Jelly Fish #421

Jelly Fish #420

Jelly Fish #419

I was mesmerized by the jellyfish tank at the Calvert Marine Museum.

Calvert Marine Museum #405

Calvert Marine Museum #400

Drum Point Lighthouse. . .

Patuxent Naval Air Museum #388

As I was saying. . .

Patuxent Naval Air Museum #377

File in the things that should seem obvious but apparently aren't category. I guess when National Security is at stake it's best not to take any chances.