Everyday Stills

Establishing Moments

We are almost to our 3 month mark! Needless to say, as in any embarked situation, we have hit bumps in the road, battling unanticipated obstacles but always keeping our heads high and hearts steady. Being together, "on our own", is truly an adventure in itself (I say "on our own" because we always have family and friends right beside us). Through the unwelcomed, we still always find those small moments of wonder, the ones that make up those memories that you will tell your kids because they simply warm your heart just reminiscing about them. With that, this post, instead of focusing on one event, I would like to share multiple moments where the photograph brought a smile to my face. For instance, this little lady bug. Consistently, in the right moments, I am reminded by the small presence of a lady bug that life is full of lucky, fortunate moments. During a number of everyday activities, while I found myself going through the usual list of what needs to happen and what we hope will happen, a lady bug has presented itself, just to say, "It's going to be alright." This is the latest little hope giver I have encountered, who was simply basking in the cool breeze and steady sunshine, finding appreciation in the beauty of the day.

Beginning with one of three treasures in my life, if you are a dog person, you will understand ... this little snuggle bug brings a smile to my face everyday! This is Indie. She is a laid-back Yorkshire terrier, but don't let her lounging appearance steer you wrong. She is a spitfire, social dog, who anticipates the daily treat, occasional squirrel chase and has been deemed official guard dog of the house. After a long day of mostly doing nothing, she is the ultimate cuddler. Waking up to this tiny little face staring into mine has become a morning ritual. One such morning, she was licking my face, forcing me to wake up and acknowledge the day. I stood up and placed her on my sheet, which is then usually followed by venturing outside for their "morning ritual". However, this particular morning, she found no reason to begin the day (even though she was the one who woke me up) she settled comfortably and would only pick her head up occasionally to see what I was doing. Finding charm in her relaxed posture, I grabbed my camera and snapped this photo. Almost as if she immediately regretted waking me up because she knew she would then have to participate in the day. She was stoic and still with a lazy glance and sleepy head. It took her about 20 minutes to finally become excited to greet the morning and travel outside to sniff out the day. Our mismatch of pillowcases and sheets reminds me how awesome it is to have a place of our own, bringing our two very different styles into one amazing home.

Moseying into October as if just another month, we spent our first Saturday at the Barry Apple Festival in Barry, IL. Like any other small town festival, the few streets that mapped out the town were lined up and down, right to left, diagonals and sideways with cars piling in to enjoy the treats, parade and carnival. We drove for about 15 minutes till finally being saved by the church parking lot. We spent the afternoon walking around with Brian and Cindy (Ryan's parents) swiftly glancing through small booths of crafts and homemade chachkis. Crossing the street to the center of it all, you entered into the carnival with a collection of food booths. We settled on cheeseburgers and a hardy portion of cheese fries. Thinly sliced potatoes covered in cheese with Cajun seasoning and ketchup for dipping ... yes please! After filling our bellies, we resumed our venture, walking through small town stores, tasting homemade flavored honey (raspberry honey is where it is!), sifting through old clippings and photographs to find a Kodak ad perfect for my collection and learning about apple gourds, drying out gourds to make birdhouses and decorating them to become a snowman or witch for the holidays. Finally, closing our Barry Apple Festival stay, we funnel caked! With a few choices available, we came up on a white trailer, fancied with the name Dottie's stamped on the side. Pulled in my winning smiles and kind faces, we proceeded to order two funnel cakes to share. Strong voices filled the trailer with laughter and happiness. Hard-working hands delivered freshly fried cakes, blanketed with a soft billow of powdered sugar. They were delicious! "You can call her the original Dottie!" came from behind the sweet face of an older woman who's gentle hands presented the scrumptious cake treat!

Last weekend, Ryan and I joined Brian and Cindy in travelling to Mexico and Laddonia Missouri. First stop was in Mexico, visiting Ryan's grandfather, Harold Sr., uncle Harold Jr, and aunt Janet. Upon arriving, we were welcomed by a fleet of guineas and chickens. With 6 guineas and 21 chickens, Harold and Janet have managed to distinguish a handful with wonderful names. Janet snatched up Goldie (named after Goldie Hawn) kindly grabbing her tail feathers and setting her other hand on Goldie's chest to bring her to eye level for a proper hello. A wonderfully calm and composed hen, Janet cuddled Goldie same as I would Indie and Paislee. Janet began giving the flock a snack, which she revealed to be torn pieces of tortilla, one of their favorites. As we continued to walk around, Janet led us to their garden. Sprouts of string beans were bountiful, wee little cucumbers could be spotted throughout their vines and okra with purple and pink blossoms grew at the far end. With plenty of wildflowers coating the ground, buzzing, fluttering, vibrant characters filled the frame. Bees pollinating dainty daisies, ladybugs adding contrast to the saturated greens, orange butterflies jumping in and out of sight as all 21 chickens and 6 guineas clucked and chattered, swimming through the tall grass, synchronized in movement and pattern. It was picturesque as their homes sat in the scruffy natural setting of their backyards. Always wonderful to see and catch up with Ryan's family, we spent time walking around, investigating all the small sights and Ryan shot some clay pigeons with Harold Jr. and Brian. A well spent day, no doubt.

Hoping to spot the Draconid meteor shower, Ryan and I spent most of October 7th, after night fall, attempting to capture the sight. Unfortunately we were unsuccessful in seeing the meteor shower, however, I did have fun using my fisheye lens, photographing our home at night. Our quaint abode, surrounded by the immense universe that is home to our green and blue planet. It all seemed so metaphorical and symbolic. My attempt to be "deep" and "profound" through my photography. Ultimately, I took this photograph because our house glowed with life and the sky was clear, sprinkled with gorgeous twinkles of light and our tall trees framed it all proudly.

Thank you for spending a few minutes reading these short notes of my life. Sharing my photographs with you means so much to me! Please visit the CONTACT tab, enter a comment and share your address to receive a personalized postcard! Also, you can spot new work exploring Personal Work galleries, Illinois, Nature and Missouri. Wishing you all a wonderful day. Leave a Comment below! Love feedback!