Emily & Brian

(Hello, Internet.

It's been a long time, hasn't it?

 

Crawling out from under my proverbial rock to share some gorgeous images...)




Love is quirky. 

Sometimes it whispers, and sometimes it screams.

With Emily and Brian, love snuck up in the most perfect way and begged to be blogged.
 

So I am. Blogging it.

And really, who am I to argue with love?

 

 

 

 

“Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind,
And therefore is winged Cupid painted blind.”
      --   William Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night's Dream

Awake

The end of 2011 was a time for good-byes. For finished chapters. I didn't necessarily close the book on a few of my dreams, but I did tuck in a bookmark.

I will no longer be pursuing photography. Honestly, I didn't really pursue it much at all in 2011 anyway, what with school taking up much of my time and energy. It's an art that I will always love, and I have no intention of putting my camera down completely. However, I don't feel quite the pull towards it that I used to. Perhaps it's because I never really had the money to advertise or purchase new (read that "better") equipment. I always just worked as best as I could with the little bit of gear that I had. And for awhile, that was enough. But, like everything in life, you get to the point where you want to evolve your trade, your skills, and in order to do that, money was necessary. And, right now, it's just not an investment that's possible to make. I'm reminded of what Harry Connick Jr's character said in the movie Hope Floats: "You find something you love, then you twist and turn it trying to find a way to make money from it. By the time you're finished, you can't even remember what it was you loved." And that's kind of sorta where I'm at with photography. Will that change in the future? Very possibly. But, for now, it is what it is.

I also bid farewell to college because, once again, the funds to continue just weren't there. And that's okay. It was a bit of a blow at first, but if I allowed every let down to get to me, I'd be a basket case right about now. Plus, I'll be honest, it was strange to be an adult back in the classroom. I've worked in the "real world" since I was fourteen. I know exactly what it's about and how to maneuver my way through it. And it was slightly amusing, yet a bit of a time waster, to hear the professors ramble on and on about life in the workplace and just what "we", as college students, could expect. (And sadly, most of the time they were very, very far off the mark.)

There were a few other dreams that I bid adieux to as well, but school and photography were the big ones. Lack of finances to properly pursue a dream can be a real hindrance. And that got me thinking. What could I actually do that didn't cost any money? What goal could I strive for that no one could deny me except myself? No financial aid counselor, no bank, no loan agency, no economic recession...

And in one breath, the answer hit me.

Health. Fitness. Run a marathon. Conquer a triathlon. Be the best physical me that I can possibly be.

On January 2nd I popped in a Tae-Bo DVD. I turned up the volume to a level that successfully drowned out the ever-present chatter in my head. I kicked. I punched. I swore. I sweat away every bit of rage, anger, and frustration that I had felt in 2011. When I was finally done, heaving and panting, I clicked the play button and did the DVD again. By the time I was done, my body was ready to collapse, but my spirit... my spirit was soaring.

For the first time in a long time, I felt alive. I felt powerful. And, perhaps most importantly, I felt... hopeful.

Since then, I've faithfully kicked, punched, lifted, and ran my way through January and the beginning of February with an energy and determination I never knew I had. Or, at least, with an energy and determination I haven't experienced in a really, really long time.

Ninety minutes of Tae-Bo. Two miles on the treadmill. Twenty minutes running stairs. An hour on the elliptical. Lift weights. Repeat.

This is how I spend my time. Now.

I really don't know where this frantic need to exercise, exercise, exercise comes from. I'm sure a shrink would say that it stems from my need to busy my mind and occupy my thoughts so they can't dwell on what was lost. And maybe that is the case.

But I think it's more than that.

For so long, I worked at getting my mind aligned with my spirit. Thinking positive. Meditating to gain peace. Changing my thought patterns from guilt and worry to acceptance and hope. But I never worked on my body. Not with near enough dedication and commitment that it really deserved.

I'm finally understanding why the greatest spiritual teachings encourage the alignment of mind, spirit, and body. No matter how much attention you give one area, if the other two are lacking, you might as well be doing nothing at all.

This blog will be sort of dead for awhile. I really don't feel the need for it anymore. Maybe once in awhile I'll post some photos of the beautiful area we're lucky enough to call home, or something along those lines. But other than that, this is one chapter of my life that I feel like closing. At least for the time being. To the two or three people out there who actually read this little blog, thanks for the support. This tiny corner of the internet has been a great place for me to pour out whatever was in my head, my heart. It's never been very professional (this rough and choppy post alone is a testament to that), and I certainly didn't start it to impress anyone. Just an online diary to appease my inner artist and seeker.

With a sigh and a huge feeling of relief, I'm turning my attention towards 2012 with an open heart, an open mind, and a mantra of que sera, sera. Whatever will be, will be.


** This 2011 ad from the Wyoming Office of Tourism sums up the way I hope to live my life beautifully.

________________

"Some of us think holding on makes us strong; but sometimes it is letting go."
--Herman Hesse

Mornings

Morning is my favorite time.

The quiet. The solitude. Nothing but Dehlia’s steady, rhythmic breathing and the occasional rustle as I flip the pages of my book.

The smell of coffee, flavored lightly with vanilla and cinnamon, wafts up from my cup and tickles my nose.

Soft white light creeps in through the windows and stretches slowly across the living room floor, bathing the room in an ethereal glow.

The shadows recede, and the day presents itself.

Like clockwork. It’s a pattern. A cherished ritual.

7 AM.

_____________________

"Morning is when the wick is lit. A flame ignited, the day delighted with heat and light, we start the fight for something more than before."
-- Jeb Dickerson

Snowmageddon

_________________

"The first fall of snow is not only an event, it is a magical event. You go to bed in one kind of a world and wake up in another quite different, and if this is not enchantment then where is it to be found?"
-- J.B. Priestley

Snow Day

Our lush green backyard has turned a stark white. The winter sky, normally gray and saturated, is now bleached and flecked with shimmering bits of white fluff. Ice is spreading across the windows, blurring our vision and casting a silvery glow over the outside world.

Seattle has turned into a winter wonderland.

And I, for one, am completely thrilled about it. :)

___________________

"Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces us up, snow is exhilarating; there is really no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather."
-- John Ruskin

Compl'i'mentary Colors

The sky from our porch last night.

Unedited.

Source at its finest.

________________

"I believe that there is a subtle magnetism in Nature, which, if we unconsciously yield to it, will direct us aright."
-- Henry David Thoreau

To-Be-Read Pile

What's on my nightstand...

1. The Forest of Hands and Teeth
2. Spontaneous Evolution: Our Positive Future and a Way to Get There From Here
3. The Hunger Games
4. Moonwalking with Einstein
5. Steve Jobs
6. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children
7. Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns)
8. God is No Laughing Matter
9. Sweet Valley Confidential: Ten Years Later

______________

“Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.”
-- Mahatma Gandhi

Inspiration (in many forms...)

A friend of mine on facebook posted this today, and I felt compelled to share. It's a quote I've heard before, but today the words just really hit. Hard. Lately, it sums up my life beautifully.

And, speaking of inspiring things, check out this amazing video from Klara Harden. Beautifully filmed, this documentary reaffirms my desire to live a life that's free from monotony. And to always, always make time for adventure.

________________

"Beliefs have the power to create and the power to destroy. Human beings have the awesome ability to take any experience of their lives and create a meaning that disempowers them or one that can literally save their lives."
-- Tony Robbins

Good-bye, 2011...

Hello, 2012. :)

_____________________

"The object of a new year is not that we should have a new year. It is that we should have a new soul."
-- G. K. Chesterton

Reading Challenge: 2012

I devour books. Devour them. Sort of like chocolate.

I, uh, just can't get enough.

*Sigh*

Anyway, with the new year fast approaching, I thought it'd be fun to track all the books I digest in 2012.

(Again, I'm talking about books, not chocolate.)

I've set a goal of 125 books for the year. I can't wait to get started.

Happy reading!

_________________________

"It is what you read when you don't have to that determines what you will be when you can't help it."
-- Oscar Wilde

Couch Potatoes

What we’ve been falling in love with lately.


Rise of the Planet of the Apes

We saw this for the first time on Christmas night and loved it. (Loved it!) As a kid, I was fascinated with The Planet of the Apes movies and relished their sci-fi goodness. Having what one of my grade school teachers called an "intolerable, overactive imagination", it wasn’t a stretch for me to believe that, hey, this could actually happen! And after seeing Rise of the Planet of the Apes, the little girl in me practically squealed, See?!! I told you so!! Plus, it was nice to see Tom Felton break free from his trademark role of Draco Malfoy and dive into the part of the equally sinister Dodge Landon. When he spat Charleton Heston’s famous line, "Take your stinking paws off me you damn dirty ape!" and Ceasar (speaking for the first time ever) shouted back, "No!", well… I got chills.


Shameless

With the season six finale of Dexter a few weeks ago and ten whole months to wait before season seven, it’s a good thing that Chris and I discovered the gem that will be taking its timeslot in January. Shameless is, well, shameless. And it’s soooo good. Raw, gritty, and real, this Showtime original kept us glued to our TV for twelve hours straight as we caught up with season one. The actors are superb, the writing is magnificent, and the whole thing really is shameless… In a really, really good way. Season two premieres on Sunday night, January 8th at 9.


Horrible Bosses

I’m lucky. I’ve never had a boss that I wanted to kill. But if I ever do, I now know how to do it. This is without a doubt the funniest movie we’ve seen all year. All. Year. We laughed so hard we cried. And then laughed some more.


I AM

I’m giddy about this documentary. Giddy. I’ve been waiting for close to a year to see it, and it lived up to all of my expectations. I just can’t find the words to do it justice, so here’s the trailer to give you a better idea of what this must-see flick is about. (Thank you, Tom Shadyac!)

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"Look, if you want a promotion, you gotta earn it. Now, what do I keep saying? Life is a marathon and you cannot win a marathon without putting a few band-aids on your nipples. Right?"
-- Dave Harken (via Kevin Spacey) from Horrible Bosses