Martin Stranka Made Me Smile Today

I won't bother telling you about my crappy week.  It's not interesting to read that the garbage bag broke last night as I was pulling it out of the can.  I won't amplify that with "and it was full of freshly shucked corn silk, a remaining dirty diaper and the carcass of a rotisserie chicken.  You don't need to read about how I was shampooing the carpet (because of the nervous-puppy-peeing incidents) and I spilled all of the dirty water on the kitchen floor as I was carrying it to the sink (rookie mistake).  

I'd rather share something fun with you today.  I got the mail early and found a square, brown envelop with European-looking writing and a foreign stamp and I immediately knew "it" arrived.  The coveted image from the generous artist, Martin Stranka!  He sent it, he really sent it!  Thank you so much, Mr. Stranka for this lovely, inspiring image.  I love it and will lovingly frame it and hang it in my office.  In spite of all the crappy little things that tried to sour my mood, Martin Stranka made me smile today!

http://www.martinstranka.com

Obstinant

I DO NOT have a butterfly on my head!

So, I thought about sending you some "cute" pictures of our day at Sea World (with Ella) or our day at the zoo, but then I knew you knew better...we had more of "these" moments than the pretty picture moments.  It's our reality and I know you can see through the angry face and still smile.  I know I can.  

xxxme

We'll Be Just Fine

Hi Sweets, we enjoyed a nice afternoon in the beautiful sunshine.  After art school we played on the school grounds with our new friends (thanks, Susan for taking this shot). Siena was happy to be on BOTH sides of the lens today. (go figure)  She was being so sweet to her Mommy and even put her arm around me and gave me a smooch.  This comforted me knowing that even though we'll miss you, we'll be just fine.
I love you,
xxx k

A Year Apart

You left today.  It's March 12, 2013 and so begins our year apart.  As I watched you walk down my apartment stairs this morning, my throat tightened and my eyes began to sting with tears.  I hate good-byes, you know this, I also hate crying, you know this too as I rarely do it.  So, why didn't we just get in the truck and drive to Mexico instead?  We could homeschool Siena, let her wear cornrows and make shell necklaces while we run a tourist bike shop...oh yeah, you're the responsible one, I almost forgot.  Darn you!

I love you and I miss you tonight.

xxx k

Beautiful End

Well, I didn't quite make my 365 goal but I'm still happy about the blog project.  It's been a labor of love.  I stopped because I was completely overwhelmed with our move...something just had to give and the blog was the easiest thing to push aside.  I am not sure what I'm going to do in 2013 but I really want to continue to improve my photography as well as write more.  Since the hub and I will be geographically separated for a year, I have a unique opportunity to write about our time apart.  We'll see  how it goes.  More meditation required on this subject.  Any ideas are welcome.

Happy New Year and enjoy your own journey as the new year presents new opportunities for you too.

Namaste,

Kristin

Be careful what you wish for...

Here's one just for giggles...I caught my friend's cat in the tub tonight when I was at their house.  Apparently, it's his favorite source of water but he hates getting his paws wet so they trickle the water in for him and he laps it up.  I can't tell you how tempting it was to turn that water on full blast...is that wrong?  

Daddy's Spot

I'm sure this is how many of my nights will be spent over the next year...

Love Letter

Here's a new image for my series "Separation" (aka 'coping')...I am calling it Love Letter.  I wanted to capture that moment when I'll be writing letters in the morning sun while Siena is likely flittering about (or glued to the TV).  I usually do my best thinking then...

Scratch-N-Sniff

There's nothing like the scent of fresh pine to bring wintery, holiday thoughts to mind.  Smells are so amazingly connected to our memories, it's fascinating.  When I go on a big vacation I am very careful to choose my perfume, lotion and hair products to ensure they are smells I want to remember fondly.  Unfortunately, smells remind you of bad memories too, sometimes things you just can't shake but hopefully, the good will always dominate your mind and you're able to find that special scratch-n-sniff that keeps you smiling...

Bird Feeders

Tis the season to make bird feeders!  Do you remember making these?  Our birds LOVE them and it's fun to watch the little ones chirp and snack and the fatties sit on the grass below waiting for the pieces to drop.  Is that mean?

Yummmmmm

Today, I felt like a child in a candy store when I enjoyed a delicious breakfast with my friend a the Bagel Cafe.  While her head was turned for a second, I quickly walked over to the glass of deliciousness and just oogled at the yumminess before me.   To be completely honest, this image was taken at Mike's Pastry Shop in Boston and since I was in Boston again this week I thought it would be appropriate to post this image...especially since our local Bagel Cafe is a whole lot of goodness...much like Mikes!  Enjoy!

Coach Seat

Another crummy coach seat today...an exact duplicate as the one I warmed for nearly 8 hours yesterday.  The perma-crack was there to greet me again today and as I sunk into the pleather seat and felt the familiar nudge of the seat in front of me with my knobby knees I didn't mind as much that the seat felt like a concrete block under me, because I knew in 8 more hours I would be home.

Recipe of a City

Sorry, no image today...nothing yesterday either, geez.  Yesterday we drove home from Los Angeles and I immediately went to my friend's house to babysit her 4 lovely daughters.  Today I flew to Boston for a quick business trip (home tomorrow).  

So, I am staying at a hotel in a trendy part of town with tons of shops, it's very hustle bustle and lively (very different from my life in suburbia).  When I walk through a busy city it seems they are all made from the same recipe, the ingredients include countless cross walks and traffic, a few homeless people on park benches, hotels and shops, a guy leaning against a building holding a coffee cup, another guy playing his electric keyboard on the sidewalk for tips, a couple meeting outside a restaurant for a first date, a person sleeping in front of a church with a sign that reads "one of many homeless veterans" (only it was spelled "vetrans").  (I can't help but correct this as a vet myself.)  I'm sure I can go to any city in America and find the same ingredients, it makes me curious about what attracts these people to cities and also tells me why I don't feel happy in them...it's not my scene.  I much prefer smaller towns where people are nicer, kind to each other, where nature is the centerpiece, not the traffic.  The older I get, the more I adore small town life...but I do have a soft spot for the culture of this city, it has a soul, you can see the history all around you and when you're here, you enjoy the culture and energy.  Maybe the ingredients seem the same, but each city is tweaked with a different flavor...enjoy yours!

We Are SPARTANS!

Today, my friend Lesa and I conquered the mighty Spartan Sprint!  It was a woman vs mud adventure but we rocked it and may even do it again someday!  You never know what you're capable of until you go for it!  WE ARE SPARTANS!!!

Skyping

Here's a new image for my series on separation.  I call it "Skyping," I think you get it.  I'll be doing a LOT of this over the coming year...

Push and Pull

Here's a fantastic image taken by the hub of some sweet Vegas architecture.  I love the way the colors pop and give that push/pull effect.  Love it!

18b in Neon

Here's a shot of the beautiful 18b sign on Art Street at twilight.  I chose to remove the high rise condos that I thought detracted from this fun sign.  I hope you dig it.

The Cone of Shame

This is my sweet friend, Indy.  She wears the cone of shame because of a nasty ear infection.  She is probably one of the most gentle, loving dogs I've ever met.  Sorry, Indy.  Feel better soon!  

El Cortez

Here's a little piece of Vegas history...El Cortez on Fremont Street.  This vintage hotel and casino was built on Fremont Street in 1941 and has been operating continuously ever since.  It's a classic!  Can you imagine if the walls could talk?  

Embrace Childhood

Childhood rocks!  You can wear what you want, climb on stuff, eat candy and not gain weight, wow...I wish I remembered more details from mine.  My favorite quote du jour was when we were sitting at lunch, my daughter was sitting in a way that completely hiked up her skirt (knees to the chin sort of in the chair) and although she was wearing shorts under her skirt I said, "Honey, that's not an appropriate way for a young lady to sit." and her response was perfect, "Mom, I'm NOT an adult, I'm a kid, I don't have to sit appropriately, I'm supposed to be a kid and have fun."  How could I argue with that comeback?  I just smiled and told her she was right and she could sit like a kid.