Category Archives: present

Vinehill Cemetery – A Walk for Spring

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We took this walk in one of the staid old cemeteries of Plymouth last week. Partially to get out of the house, partially to get my kids looking closely for “Signs Of Spring” as my girl puts it (yes it always sounds capitalized), and partially to find someplace moody enough to practice various exposures for my photography class.

It was one of those crisp spring days that almost feels like the crisp last days of autumn. We were the only walkers and, though the cemetery is sandwiched between two busy roads, it is full of quiet valleys and curving paths, charming sets of steps and old trees.

Perhaps it is my passion for history or my love of walking in calm pools of beauty or perhaps just a yearning for someplace quiet that has attracted me to cemetery walks over the years. And that day, I hoped that there would be some warm pools of sun and new growth hidden away for us to find.

Now as I look through these photos there is an extra layer of sadness and reality as I think of the new devastation in Japan. That is not a story of heartbreaking history and loss, it is a dirty, messy maelstrom of destruction. The full extent of the damage is not even clear yet. This time it is only removed by distance instead of time.

Just as incidents of pain and suffering and death and loss have not yet healed in Haiti or Louisiana or Indonesia or from the Gulf Oil Spill, or, well you name the place, there is still healing to be done.

I count myself and my family lucky. Very lucky. And we are thankful. Very thankful.

It is hard not to imagine spring when I think of Japan. The cherry blossoms! The tranquil gardens! I almost hear a quiet trickle of water where I ought to wash my hands.

That day we found a few bright green shoots and paused in relief, at least we had found something! The biggest and best wishes can’t make the Earth recover herself. But time, sun, a little water (not too much) can bring rebirth and new growth.

Whatever you believe in, there is another season, another day coming. My heart goes out to everyone who is still in the maelstrom.

Here are some ways to help.

And here are some other people who are participating in Wordful Wednesday. Thanks.


Back to School – A Review: Part 2

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I am currently enrolled in a self-paced online Photography Basics class through my local library. This is the second review installment, (here is the first) there will probably be a few more as I progress through the course. This is a free service through my library and provided by Universal Class. Anyone can become a member of my library (you need to stop in though!) but perhaps your local library already has something similar.

So, I’m almost half done with this class and thought I would check in with you on what I’ve learned so far. Let’s start with what I am supposed to be learning:

  1. Camera Basics
  2. Operating a Camera
  3. Types of Film
  4. Exposure
  5. Lighting
  6. Choosing Lenses
  7. Enhancing Photographs
  8. Organizing the picture

I’ve got six months to finish and I’m almost done with lesson 4. Aren’t you impressed? Well, you should be! Has it even been a month yet?

Now the real question. What have I learned?

  1. ISO means International Standards Organization (this was not explained in the class by the way). Which is completely not helpful when trying to figure out whether you need ISO 100 or ISO 400. Have you noticed that all the number bits of photography are counter intuitive?
  2. There are all sorts of ways to manipulate your photograph. Such as with ISO choice and exposure. So why have I always been so adverse to playing with my pictures on the computer? Nothing is sacred anymore! Look out world!
  3. I’ve realized that there are precious few signs of spring around here. Note to the rest of the world: please don’t rub it in!

And finally!

What I like best about this class so far:

  1. It is self-paced, since I never know when I’ll have time or energy this is GREAT for me. Though I do have 6 months to finish the class. If I keep up this pace I should be fine. Cross your fingers!
  2. I’m learning about my camera. I know, it is a no-brainer but I’m so excited!
  3. It is free.
  4. There is a real teacher. At least I think so.

Here is my exposure exercise. Can you see what we did today? We searched for signs of spring at the cemetary. Where else?

Happy spring hunting! Hope you all have a great rest of your week.


p.s. Nobody has paid or otherwise coerced me to take this class or review it. Just in case you wondered.

Spring? Here little Spring!

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We’ve been taking walks lately. Partially to allay the effect of so much indoor/winter time. But also because I want to get reacquainted with the my outdoor home.

So we found a few spots of spring, only a few. Even though I try to be happy with how things are, I still get a little excited, a little jealous and a lot antsy when I see the spring photos from other parts of the northern hemisphere. It’s coming!

But really there is mostly this:

And, of course, this:

She’s the last snowman of the year, right? Please?

But I’m cool. Why get too worked up. There is always tomorrow for that.

Back to School – A Review

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After talking about going back to school for years, I have taken the plunge and enrolled in an introductory course on photography. I know, I know, I could really use the help and since it is a self-paced online program through my library it was a natural fit.

This February, my local library added a few online resources for their patrons: Universal Class continuing education courses and Rocket Language courses. Curious as ever, I browsed through the Universal Class offerings and found a handful of classes that sounded appealing.

It seemed so easy. Enter you library card #. Check! Choose a course. Check! Add your contact information. Check! Start your first class. Really? Within an hour, I had signed up, signed in, introduced myself to my classmates and finished reading the first lecture.

I hope you’ll follow my progress through the class and this review of the Universal Class experience.

Would you like to learn more about free online classes through your library? Would you like to join my library and take classes with me? It is definitely worth the time to explore your own library’s website and get a full picture of the services they offer. You might be as pleasantly surprised as I was!

In the meantime check out the Universal Class website and the Carver Public Library website. In the former look out for the chatty man loudly reading the text and in the latter note the links for these programs.

How to get a library card:

1. Visit your library (sometimes you can apply for a temporary card online)
2. Fill out the simple form
3. Turn in your application and a letter with your name and address on it
4. Walk out with your new library card
note: you do not need to live in the town of the library that you wish to be a member though there may be a fee if you are from out-of-state.

So, are you in? Will you help me out? Right now I’m on lesson 2: Operating a Camera. My assignment is to submit a picture that tells a story. Will you help choose one? Thanks!

Ellisville State Park – A Walk Full of Good Intentions

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It is 3:30 pm on Valentine’s Day, my husband will be home after bedtime and my friend reminds me that it is the last day to enter a local photography contest. So here I am an aspiring writer, an aspiring photographer, an aspiring fabulous mother and I have a decision to make: Do I drive a half hour to catch the sunset at Ellisville State Park with two children who will need dinner and winter clothes?

Well, yes. Yes I do. I’ve never made sandwiches or stuffed the two monkeys into their jackets, boots and car seats so quickly. I could live a little, be my old spontaneous self, really WHY do I always over think everything?

The sunset was beautiful as we pulled out of the driveway, I’m imagining the view over the ocean and salt marsh and the click click click of the camera. It is going to be great. I’m so proud of my kids for their excitement and their support of my kooky project.

The light is fading (duh!) as we pull into the parking lot. That would be the muddy, gooey, icy parking lot to you. But no worries, everyone is in good spirits and raring to go. Miss A can’t understand why we can’t put our picnic blanket on the ground and have dinner first. Um. She also can’t understand where “the contest” is. Have I mislead her that much?

Was it 3 or 4 minutes to Mr. L’s first fall in the mud? Well, no matter, because then we found the icy path. You know, ice, that thing that happens when snow has been trampled by expert photographers going to and fro and taking amazing photos in all the perfect light over the last weeks.

Let us just say that even walking to a clearing through the trees proved to be an epic adventure. We finally made it to a windy picnic table and shared a few mouthfuls of snack before it became painfully obvious that this was the silliest place to be in the twilight.

She, of course, argued the point. L was already on his way back to the car.

We ended the evening eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, apples and Pirate Booty. In the nearly complete dark. Sitting in our car listening to quiet music.

Thank goodness for Pirate Booty and silly pirate sayings. We made it home fairly mud free and dry.

At least we can mark that adventure off of our list.


5 Steps to Becoming a Local – Beginner Version

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1. Talk to your neighbors

I know that it can be scary. They are your NEIGHBORS after all. When we moved into town I thought a neighbor or two would stop by with cookies or a hello. I don’t know! I haven’t lived in this kind of neighborhood since I was in college. And no, nobody stopped in to the college house with six roommates. That’s for sure.

Well, I was wrong here too. Nobody stopped by. Every once in awhile I would chat with a neighbor down the street during one of our walks and they didn’t even know that our house had sold. Wow.

Things have changed. We have spoken with all of our immediate neighbors and continue to do so occasionally. We don’t need to be bosom buddies just, well, neighborly.

By now, I’m sure that you consider me to be an outgoing, gabby person. THIS IS NOT TRUE. I am a recluse who occasionally remembers that there are really interesting people in the world. Apparently I am a control. Freak.

If I’ve talked to my neighbors so can you. So, do it! You don’t have to share your life story, you can just say “hiya” when you’re both getting the mail or stop your lawnmower for a minute to wave and smile.

(Psst I waved to my neighbor yesterday and he plowed out our mailbox. I’m not saying this kind of goodwill just happens but you never know unless you try, right?)

That wasn’t so hard was it?

2. Get a library card

Your public library isn’t only awesome because it is FREE and has more than one imaginations worth of goods that you can BORROW but it is also a valuable window into the dynamics of your town.

Many library employees lead double lives and are the movers and shakers in town so it is a good place to ask your random questions about how things work. It is also the best place to go when the weather is crummy (way better than the mall), when you have a question like, where can I get a dump sticker?, or when you find that your internet is on the blink. FREE. BOOKS. FRIENDLY. MUSEUM PASSES. KIDS PROGRAMS. LECTURES. MUSIC. DVDs for a week. Need I say more?

Well, yes. For all you non-believers out there or those of you who know you should but don’t anyway, the library system is quite a sleek, modern machine. You can usually reserve library books and dvds and videos etc. online. There are downloadable audio books now too and, WHY ARE YOU STILL READING THIS? Get onto to your library’s website stat.

3. Find your town’s big event and go

We’ve got the Carver Old Home Day. I don’t know what is in your area but you can find out by doing #1, #2, #4, or #5 on this list.

You can, of course do the cruiser version of a visit or you can sign up early and partake in an old-fashioned clambake, or you could do the super version and actually get involved.

I am honest enough to say that, thus far, we’ve been the cruiser type. But our appetite has been whetted for that clambake. We’ll be back once our children don’t completely lose it at nap time.

Here is to joining in. Huzzah!

4. Talk to people you meet

We expect so much of ourselves these days. If someone stops at a stop sign for 10 seconds they have definitely been honked at. 10 seconds? What?

Slow down. Saying hello to someone in the grocery store or waiting that extra 10 seconds to hold the door for someone is a good start. But no pressure.

If you want to take it to the next level then invest in an hour out in a sunny park. Say hello or just look around. And no, you are not being lazy, you are just not being busy.

It won’t take long to start recognizing people and, in turn, being recognized. A little like high school you ask? Not really, but sort of. Ok, yes.

You are slowly becoming part of the community, getting a sense of its rhythm and getting tuned up to join in.

5. Wander around your town or city hall

Town/City Hall holds a wealth of information about your town and its recreation areas, voter registration, permit requirements, environmental issues affecting your area and so many more things you didn’t know that you NEEDED to find out.

You don’t need a reason to go and get the lay of the land. But once you are familiar with the place you’ll be ready for a quick errand local style. You’ll know right where to go, you might recognize some of the employees and you’ll definitely already know where the bathroom is. Win!

So, let’s hear it. Do you have any other tips to add for the beginner? Any inspirational stories?

Treasure Hunt Time

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Well, for those of you who have been following along, I’ve taken the leap and moved to a more Wordful Wednesday rather than a wordless one. So far, so fun.

Here are a few treasure hunt items for you to guess at. So tell me what do you think these are?

The answers, as in all good textbooks, are at the end. Enjoy!

#1 This is a tupperware lid. Yes, it has frozen stalactites of pinto bean condensation on it. What can I say? There was good light in the kitchen and that was the most interesting thing I had on hand.

#2 Here is one piece of toasted kombu and one piece of toasted kelp. Toasted may be a kind statement, they came out of the toaster oven smoking. Look, I was raised Macrobiotic so its not my fault that gomasio is one of our preferred condiments or that it requires interesting seaweed to make just so yum.

#3 For those of you who don’t think much of brine shrimp, and I have no doubt that there are many of you who NEVER think about brine shrimp, we are not in your crowd. This is my husband’s 9 year old brine shrimp in its little glass bubble. I can attest that Shrimpy is the perfect pet. There are no fancy feeding regimes, veterinary visits, shedding issues, barking or yowling in the middle of the night or really anything that you need to do for this pet. Shrimpy just lives on. And we all love Shrimpy.

How did you do? 3 for 3? less? Do tell!


Poppakins to the Max

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I don’t know about you but I had no idea if I would end up being a decent parent or not. I was pretty sure that Noah would be though. And so he is. From the moment they wake up in the middle of the night to the time that we brush their teeth and put them to bed, he is Poppa-Max.

He brings such a positive attitude to everything he does. Because he is behind the camera so much of the time, there are far fewer photos of him with his adoring babes then there should be.

Enjoy this brief celebration of my husband wearing his amazing-loving-goofy-poppa hat.

And his titles are many: Poppa, Pops, Poppakins, Dad, Daddy, and the occasional Noah. Now all we have to do is get the kiddies to use the titles WE like best.


The 70′s versus the 00′s

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I recently came across this great shot of me and my brother wearing Underoos. Wonder Woman! Batman!

And my own kids, not in Underoos, but in their own special dress up heaven. And would you agree that there is some family resemblance? Perhaps it is just the grin that couldn’t get any wider. We were both trying. And our brothers, what sweet ones they are!

One day, I think it was when I was badgering Ada to help clean up, she finally turned to me and announced that she was BOUNCY GIRL! and that BOUNCY GIRL! would help me clean up. Since then, BOUNCY GIRL! has made repeat appearances and she is awesome.

Way better than Wonder Woman in her silly shoes. Actually Wonder Woman’s invisible airplane was pretty much great.

Anyway, hope that your Wednesday is a joyous one.